Ch.9595. Before Epilogue – Abduction

“Blanc! Are you taking on Vine again this time?”

“Yeah, you and Citrus handle the monster over there.”

Amidst the roaring sounds and screams scattered everywhere.

Most battlefields are like this, but it’s especially worse wherever Eden is involved.

“…Alright. I’ll leave it to you again.”

“It’s fine. I know Vine best. You be careful too.”

“Haa. Yeah. Monsters like that…”

It’s been years since I started working as a magical girl. What’s with the worry still?

“I’ll also get Vine, that bitch’s neck…”

“Citrus. You know. Monster first. Minimizing damage is most important. What they want is more casualties and the energy that spills from them.”

Hyewon, no, the yellow-haired magical girl called Citrus, let out a light sigh and nodded as the three split up.

One, to face her formidable rival and destiny once again.

The other two, to protect citizens’ safety and peace by dealing with the massive monster.

“Sis. Like we always do. Draw its attention.”

“Yeah. Haah… It’s disgustingly huge. What a pain.”

Looking at the monster that appeared as if from some classic movie, destroying the city, one might suspect Eden’s monster design team must have some kind of otaku obsessed with this genre.

To summon monsters that only existed in imagination before magical girls came along.

Of course, the damage these monsters caused wasn’t just imaginary, but very real.

Like people trapped in buildings destroyed by monsters.

Or the casualties that would occur if a monster ever unleashed a breath attack.

That’s why the Association claimed to be working to minimize damage.

“Haah… what a mess. Nowhere even to step.”

“I know. Sis, we need to be careful. If we get hit by debris…”

“As long as it’s not too big, it doesn’t matter.”

“Sis. Rely too much on barriers and you’ll end up in trouble.”

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“Sis…”

“We’re about to engage, so get ready.”

I focus on the monster before me.

The best way to minimize damage is to first eliminate the cause of damage, then think about the rest.

I grip a dagger and throw it at the monster’s eye.

I grip another dagger and throw it at the monster’s neck.

I grip yet another dagger, and this time I charge at the monster.

Trusting my sister behind me.

I charge toward the monster’s core.

“Die…!”

The location of the core is clearly visible.

“SIIIIIS!!!!!!!!!”

I stab it in.

I stab it.

I stab it…?

A scr… eam?

BOOM—

“Doctor. Plum is knocked out. I’ll retrieve her and return.”

“VIIIINE!!!!!”

“Pfft. How naive. Even the great Blanc has days like this.”

Citrus rushes to catch the falling Plum.

Blanc rushes forward.

Though she was confident in her speed above all else, she couldn’t approach the area.

The monster was blocking her path.

And lasers were being fired indiscriminately.

Vine had easily captured one magical girl.

In an instant, two figures disappeared, and what remained before her eyes was the recovered monster.

Moreover, the now-larger monster was preparing to launch indiscriminate attacks against them.

* * *

“…Ugh.”

I was definitely in the middle of battle.

I heard Citrus’s scream.

So is this… the Association’s hospital?

No, it’s different.

Something that looks like this couldn’t possibly be a hospital.

My hands…? I can’t move them…?

And the presence I feel beside me…?

“Wh-what! Who, who are you!”

With the sound of a book closing, a small figure returned to the end of the bed.

She must have been right beside me.

With pitch-black night sky hair flowing long, and amethyst eyes.

A girl whose appearance would catch glances from passersby thinking how cute she was.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

She was right in front of my eyes.

Is it you who shouldn’t be in this place?

Or is it me who shouldn’t be in this place?

“Well. Moving would just give us both headaches, so let me introduce myself. I’m Eden’s Second Commander and the Captain of Eden’s First Corps. The vine that has bound you, Vine. I’m sure we know each other well.”

“You, who are you…! Let, let me go…!”

“I told you. Moving will just give us both headaches. I’ve just tied you up for a while.”

This kind of restraint, if I could remotely control my daggers, I could break free in an instant…

“Ugh… uh? Wait, why can’t I summon…?”

“Of course we prepared for that. Fortunately, your Association provided our Ellie with some nice items, which made analysis easier.”

Vine came to the side of the bed, grabbed my chin, lifted it slightly, and tapped the collar fastened around my neck.

“This was quite difficult to make. Well, I didn’t make it. The Doctor did.”

While tapping the cold, sharp metal, Vine continued her explanation.

“We wondered if we could apply this to magical girls too. Basically, using magical power is the same for us Kaijin and you magical girls, isn’t it? Of course, there are some differences, but in the broader sense.”

“What is this…! Let me go…! Take your hands off me…!”

“We analyzed how magical power could be suppressed by experimenting on various Kaijin. I don’t remember the exact details since I only half-listened, but anyway, you’re the first magical girl test subject. Fortunately, everything seems to be working well.”

“Let, me go quickly…!”

Despite my twisting and resisting, Vine moved her hand from my chin down to grip my neck, preventing me from resisting.

“Honestly, if you know I won’t let you go no matter what you say, wouldn’t it be better to just stay quiet?”

“Huk, kugh… huk…”

As my neck was being strangled, I shook my body more violently trying to break free.

But my opponent was a Kaijin with magical power. I was just a small girl who had lost her magic, so I quickly lost strength and went limp.

“Huk… kuk…”

In the end, with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and exhaustion, I could only look at Vine.

“Don’t resist. Even if you’re a valuable test subject. There are plenty of other magical girls we can capture.”

“Kuk…”

“Blink if you understand.”

Overwhelmed by the incredible strength coming from that small body, I…

Had no choice but to blink.

Confirming this, Vine now gently stroked the place where she had gripped my neck and continued speaking.

“That’s right, resistance is futile. It’s better for everyone to live happily under strong power. Don’t waste energy doing stupid things that don’t help the world.”

“…”

“Good. Now you’re being obedient. Don’t you want peace? Hmm? Isn’t peace better than violence?”

“…The things you’ve done.”

“All just small sacrifices for the greater good. To create a truly perfect world, we need the rule of a superhuman like the Boss. Strong power and leadership. I hope you understand that if everyone just follows that, we can all live in an earthly paradise, the Garden of Eden.”

“That kind of… thing… is nonsense…”

“Of course you would think it’s nonsense. By human standards, that is. By human standards, you start world wars, sacrifice your subordinates, and do stupid things that put your citizens in danger. But our Boss is different.”

“…Bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit. You haven’t properly seen the ugly side of humanity. You haven’t seen the filthy aspects of humans. Isn’t it ridiculous that someone claiming to be superhuman emerges from such humans? That’s why they fail. Stupidly not knowing their human limitations and ruining the greater cause.”

“Don’t try to deceive me with nonsense. Do you think I’ll take your side because of that?”

“Well… we know how dull and stupid those who don’t understand true justice can be. If a new world comes, both Kaijin like us and humans like you can walk equally happily in paradise under the Boss.”

“…So, what do you plan to do with me now that you’ve captured me?”

“Well… first, you’ll need to cooperate in creating weapons to counter magical girls.”

“…What?”

“I mean you’ll be a test bed. The pain will be brief, so endure it for the greater cause. Oh, but if you specially recognize our cause and turn to our side, you’ll receive a different role than being a test bed.”

“So… you want me to be a punching bag? Haa? Are you crazy? Who do you think you are…!”

“You are our prisoner. That means we can do whatever we want with you. We could strip you naked and throw you to the Kaijin as a sex toy, or tie you up in our training room and use you as an actual punching bag, and you couldn’t say anything about it. That’s how we treat those who oppose us without understanding the greater cause.”

“You, you crazy bitch—?! KUHUK—?!?!?!”

After I spat out a retort to her insane words, her fist rose slightly and then slammed into my abdomen.

“Behave yourself. Such language will only bring you harm in the future. A sturdy body has nothing to do with magical power, does it? This level of beating will just hurt.”

Having been struck in the stomach, tears blur my vision, and I can’t breathe. Pain washes over me.

“Kuk, kugh… ugh, kuk… kuhup… hua, haa, haa, huak, haa, haak…”

“Pull yourself together. Shouldn’t you choose what benefits you?”

The girl who had mercilessly struck a helpless, bound person murmured with an expressionless face and a calm tone as if nothing had happened.

“It’s a waste of energy to be difficult, so please don’t be troublesome. Ah, well… besides being a test bed, you have many other tasks. Sigh. I asked the Doctor to make more restraints, but he hasn’t made them yet.”

“Kugh… ugh… ugh…”

“Well then, another task for you. Information. Information. Give us all the information that magical girls possess. Let’s be peaceful without troubling my hands, shall we?”

As if truly nothing had happened, she sat comfortably on the sofa in the room, pulled out a file folder.

The girl asked her question.