Unstoppable (1)

Unstoppable (1)

Recently, the world has been changing. Even Karin, who had retired and was living a normal life, could feel it. Rene’s appearance merely ignited something, but in fact, the fuel for that explosion had been accumulating continuously.

“Where do you think it went wrong, Boro? Was this the plan you envisioned when you first set foot on Earth? You clearly told me, a young child, that the world would become a better place to live with the appearance of magical girls. But it wasn’t true.”

Karin, who had been smiling at Aria, was no longer smiling as she crossed the sky.

Now, her mind was flashing with the faces of those who were once her comrades, but who had turned their backs and betrayed her.

She was the one who directly dealt with those who exposed the secret of magical girls to this world at that time.

“It, it was only a matter of time. If we hadn’t come, the earthlings wouldn’t have been able to stop the monsters coming from other dimensions.”

“It’s not just about the monsters. You thought this job was too easy. You probably thought you could just suck up the achievements and be done with it.”

The mascot Boro tried hard to refute, but she snorted.

It was a contradiction from the beginning. Ironically, what magical girls, who exist to destroy evil, need to exist is the energy of wealth obtained by eradicating that malice.

From the fairy company’s perspective, they don’t sincerely wish for the eradication of evil. The moment evil disappears from this world, they would either become extinct or leave for somewhere else.

“Why are the other dimensions where monsters come from all ruined and in ruins? Do you think I don’t know the reason?”

“Damn it. That’s why we’re trying to take it easy on Earth. You’re an adult now, so you should know well. Purity cannot exist in this reality. Pure good, pure evil. A world where only those exist is doomed to perish. We’ve experienced it several times already.”

Boro, feeling a bit stung, became irritated.

“In the past, we had no hesitation in carrying out the holy will of Yggdrasil. Do you know what magical girls were called back then? They were called Valkyries. Fight, die, and fight even after death. They were immortal warriors fighting only to drive out evil. But the end was never good.”

The fairy companies completely drove out evil through war. The evil they ‘defined’. However, there was nothing to gain from the world that was left in ruins as a result.

Development stopped and the world’s cycle came to a halt. There was no fighting spirit or passion, and crucially, the fairy companies and Valkyries who had lost their reason for existence could no longer survive.

“That’s why we reinterpreted the grand law and created new laws and guidelines. To induce an ‘eternal competition’ of good and evil that maintains balance without leaning towards extremes. Of course, as you say, even that has become a bit extreme these days.”

Compared to the Valkyries of the past who focused only on combat and slaughter, magical girls emphasized a bit more purity. This too was a means to maintain balance.

Karin frowned at Boro’s words but didn’t refute them.

“…If those words are true, we still need to know. What exactly Rene, that child, wants. But purity? From what I see, that child doesn’t seem particularly pure. If anything, Takilas, who acts on his own will, seems purer.”

Her expression becoming more serious, she increased her speed.

Even if she didn’t want to be involved in magical girl business anymore, this incident was deeply related to this land and her own life.

“SS-class Magical Girl Karin. Retired for 5 years, estimated age early thirties. During her active days, she was a monster known as the White Demon…”

“Indeed, she’s not someone to be ignored.”

On the rooftop of a downtown building. There, Renée and several other magical girls were gathered. All of them were A-class or higher magical girls, carefully selected by Renée as Casilena’s inquisitors.

They were elites with high ideological alignment, willing to endure even the pain of branding their bare skin.

Moreover, they had maximized their combat power by equipping magical items that Renée had taken out from the subspace storage.

“We should at least try to talk.”

She lifted her head and looked up at the dim sky. Karin didn’t bother to hide her presence.

For someone sensitive to magical power like Renée, it could be detected from kilometers away.

“Oh, she’s coming.”

‘…She’s much stronger than Aria, who was comparable to a commander. Maybe even stronger than me.’

From high altitude, something enveloped in dazzling white light began to plummet like a meteor.

“Hello, juniors.”

When she landed, tearing through the air, only a gentle breeze blew.

The one who appeared alone here, smirking, was a girl with flowing silver hair. Her gleaming golden eyes scanned the tense magical girls.

In appearance, she looked like a girl in her early to mid-teens wearing a short, cute white dress resembling a cheongsam, but her expression and gaze were something a child could never possess.

‘Tackilas.’

At that familiar yet alien feeling, everyone present unconsciously recalled a single name.

“So, you’re Renée?”

“That’s right. I’ve heard much about your reputation.”

“Hmm, you’re really into your concept. Perhaps chuunibyou?”

Karin and Rene had no intention of fighting recklessly, but a strange atmosphere flowed from the moment their eyes met.

This was an instinctive power struggle between those in positions of strength. Knowing how important this power struggle was in their relationship and subsequent political actions, neither of them backed down, regardless of how tense the atmosphere became.

“Your age might be undisclosed, but logically, I’m probably older than you. Given my experience too, why don’t you show some basic respect? I mean, use polite speech. I wonder if kids these days would call me an old fart for saying this?”

“Right now, you and I aren’t meeting as individuals. As representatives, I can’t use one-sided honorifics. If mutual respect is difficult, then mutual informal speech would be appropriate.”

When Karin first provoked, Rene countered without the slightest hesitation. It meant that since you spoke informally first, there’s no reason for me to use honorifics.

“You’re quite eloquent. Then at least try to fix your way of speaking. Are you filming a historical drama?”

“I think you should fix your way of speaking too. Is it appropriate to speak like a world-weary spinster with that cute, girlish voice of yours?”

“You… you’re really cheeky.”

The exchange continued, but Karin was the first to flinch. The fact that she was officially known to transform into a young teenage girl despite being over 30 was bound to be a weakness.

“No, that’s not what I came here to talk about. As you know, I’m a normal working adult after retirement. I have to go to work tomorrow, so I don’t have much time.”

Shaking her head, Karin nonchalantly summoned something with a flick of her hand. The magical girls watched in disbelief as she, smaller than them, openly lit a cigarette.

“Then what did you come to talk about?”

“To hear your, or rather, your true purpose.”

Rene frowned and manipulated the wind to blow away the smoke that Karin exhaled with a smile.

“As you can see now, you don’t look particularly clean. What’s your real purpose? Do you really want to purify the world? Do you want to be a hero? If not… do you have another motive?”

“…Nonsense.”

Rene flinched for a moment at Karin’s words but soon smiled.

It was a proper insight, but the current Rene had absolutely no reason to reveal her dark desire and shadows to rule part of this world by controlling Casilena as her loyal private organization.

“We do what is right, what must be done. We didn’t seek people’s support, nor did we appeal for it. Yet they chant our names and cheer for us.”

“Lies. You’ve been aiming for that from the beginning.”

Karin saw through Rene’s lie. Of course, Rene didn’t intend to hide it anyway.

“Well, it’s done then.”

Karin, who had finished smoking her cigarette, started to stretch.

“If you were acting on pure sense of justice, I wouldn’t have known. But it’s a bit off when the outside and inside don’t match. Still, you’re quite something, Rene. To think of manipulating magical girls. There’s never been anyone like you before.”

“No, no! We really are trying to purify this rotten world…”

“Enough. If your thoughts differ, there’s only one path left, Ria.”

Rene stopped the magical girl Ria, who was provoked by Karin’s mockery.

Rene couldn’t back down. Backing down here would weaken the group’s cohesion. Right now, the image of the ‘Demon King’ Takilas was flashing through her mind.

The image of a true ruler she admired, showing powerful leadership without using the vulgar methods of the human empire’s emperor.

The foundation for this was power.

“Rene, the process is more important than the result. Especially in life. Why? Because life is continuous and unpredictable. A process that’s forced to fit the result will eventually twist. You don’t want to lose your own beliefs and fall into corruption, do you?”

“…No. The result is the top priority above all else. A process that can’t be proven by results has no value to exist. I’ve gained the power to twist life, so I will turn that impossibility into reality.”

Karin accurately pointed out the darkness Rene possessed, but she had no intention of compromising anyway.

Then there’s only one thing left.

<5th Awakening – Final Armament White Silver>

“I’m an advocate of corporal punishment.”

With an explosion of pure white magical power, Karin revealed her full strength for the first time in years, gripping a rattling chain with a human torso-sized iron ball at the end, her golden eyes blazing.

The final armament that only a very few magical girls could reach.

Rene clicked her tongue and summoned her staff for the first time.