What is Right (2)

What is Right (2)

“Wait. Is this even possible in the first place? You’re just a director.”

“…I know what you think about the leadership. But let me be clear, if everyone was corrupt, it would have collapsed long ago. There are definitely righteous people too.”

In response to Karin’s cynicism, Director Lee Min-hyung declared firmly. Of course, he didn’t just throw it out there without any basis.

“Regardless of ideology or inclination, saving people who fall victim to otherworldly monsters takes priority. Our Frontier moves only for that purpose.”

Finally, from this moment on, an organization was born in this deep underground secret facility.

For the first time in this land, a complete cooperation between magical girls and human society was attempted. It all started with just one government agency and a few magical girls, but everyone present here had a gut feeling that this project would not end in vain.

“…So, what do we do now?”

“For now, it’s about searching for and eliminating the monsters who are presumed to be hiding. But since we don’t even have a clue about which ones have infiltrated yet, for now… we’ll have to wait.”

Oh Yun-seo bit her lip in response to Aria’s question.

With their current technology, it was impossible to find the monsters first. Most magical girls, except for a few specific ones, had no tracking abilities.

So, for now, the primary plan was to build up their strength while waiting for the monsters to make the first move.

“Well, it seems pretty good. We’ve ended up in a competitive situation with Casilena, who’s rapidly expanding her forces, but now we’re uniting too.”

“Is performance all you think about even at times like this?”

“Aaagh…”

Right after Frontier was formed. Aria, who had gone up to the rooftop of the Management Bureau alone, sighed and hit Lulu on the head.

“My thoughts haven’t changed. I’ve just decided what to prioritize.”

Her eyes glinted.

There was no problem as she fully agreed with Frontier’s purpose itself. However, what still made her hesitate was her disillusionment and anger towards the existing system.

After meeting with Rene, she had been busy moving for her own justice, constantly digging into the absurdities of the social system, and each time she was becoming mentally exhausted and worn out.

“We’ve gathered this much power. If there are those who try to interfere with this, we might not be able to end it by just handing them over to the police.”

“Aria…”

She clenched her fist and muttered quietly.

Clearly, her beliefs hadn’t changed. She still believed in people and loved them.

But she was constantly wavering in how to realize it. Dialogue, persuasion, debate. She wondered if she could really change the world with these things she had learned.

On the contrary, seeing Taquilas and Rene wield their power freely to achieve their goals made her heart waver.

“Maybe Taquilas was right. Weakness is a sin. The weak may be destined to be trampled and used by the strong, to disappear insignificantly. In the end, it’s the strong who survive and the strong who can protect others.”

“That, I think it’s true but too extreme…”

“I need power.”

A faint madness flickered in her eyes.

Power, something she had previously considered secondary to righteous beliefs and a strong mind.

But now she felt more acutely than ever that it was the most necessary thing to survive in this world.

“For now, try contacting the others, Lulu.”

“Huh?!”

“Our Frontier’s power is still lacking. Whether we negotiate with Casilena or do something else, it’s better to increase our scale first.”

Aria, with a somewhat changed atmosphere, instructed Lulu to contact others through the company’s communication network via mascots.

It wasn’t particularly an order she had received. It was just a choice she made on her own to further enhance her own and the group’s power.

***

“Hmm. As expected, but it’s more disappointing than I thought.”

On an ordinary evening, while my roommate Kim Su-jung was out, I was lying on the bed browsing my phone, exploring the internet including news.

There was one reason for this. It had been three days since I held a public press conference, and I wanted to see if anything had changed.

But while the idiots of the internet world who spout nonsense carelessly were one thing, even the higher-ups who should be leading people were hardly moving.

I thought they would at least do something to reduce the chaos factors like Casilena and unite people.

“They’ll regret it.”

“Well, I don’t think so.”

As I snorted, Ren beside me clutched his head and groaned, then shook his head. Since that head-clutching meant he was communicating with headquarters, my eyes widened slightly.

“Any news?”

“There’s information that magical girls active in Korea are trying to unite as one.”

“It’s Casilena, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s not Casilena. They don’t seem to be trying to hide it either.”

Ren’s expression seemed quite shocked. It was a convincing expression that even caught my interest.

“What’s the big deal?”

“Many S-class and above magical girls like Aria, Karin, and Shuri are participating. Above all, neither the companies nor the council are trying to stop it. Although there’s the precedent of Casilena, they’re not radicals like them, and also…”

“You’re being really frustrating. Are you doing this on purpose?”

I grabbed Ren’s ears and stretched them out. In the end, he couldn’t last even a minute before screaming and spilling all the information.

“Frontier. Yes. It’s about time for you guys to feel the winds of reform too.”

And the information I extracted was quite satisfying.

It seemed like the world wasn’t about to end yet, as there were still many people with good intentions.

“Of course, whether it will go well or not, that’s the question.”

In times of crisis, unity and solidarity are needed. Will they have the decisiveness and charisma to break and bend inefficient laws and rules if necessary?

“What? Were you on the phone?”

It was then that Kim Su-jung came in, shaking her wet hair. She tilted her head, looking at me lying on the bed.

“Yeah.”

“W-with who? It wasn’t Park Tae-jun, was it?”

“He’s not in a state to talk yet.”

I clicked my tongue and brushed off the conversation. Kim Su-jung, who knew that I had been miraculously saved after being caught by strange people three days ago, seemed to have become even more obsessive since that day.

“Mmm… If that’s the case, then that’s good.”

“Why did you come in? Go finish drying your hair.”

She very naturally pushed her bottom onto my bed and sat down next to me. Even though I frowned, unlike before, she laughed it off and tried to stick close to me somehow.

“Hehe.”

“Hah…”

It was impossible to shake her off. From the moment I started thinking of her not as a simple human girl, but as my friend.

In the end, Kim Su-jung just lay down right next to me on this narrow bed.

“I was so worried that day, I need to make up for it like this.”

“I told you there was no need to worry.”

“How could I not?”

She turned towards me and spoke with a trembling voice, dropping the forced smile she had been wearing. Her eyes, which met mine as I turned my head, were also quivering slightly.

“We’re weak, aren’t we? We’re just young girls with little strength, no money, and no parents. We’re so insignificant that we could be swayed and torn apart by someone’s single gesture.”

Her voice, barely continuing, was the same.

“So, I was afraid of losing something, I just couldn’t calm down.”

“…You’re right.”

She finally showed tears as she put her hand on my body.

Having once lived desperately for immediate survival as the weakest, I neither scolded nor pushed her hand away, sympathizing with those words.

“I want to become a Magical Girl.”

Kim Su-jung said that while crying.

To me, it sounded like this.

To become stronger, I want to determine my own destiny.

It was a natural thought for a child who had been pushed around all this time.

“You’re right. The strong are justice, only the strong deserve to survive. So if you’re a living being, it’s right to struggle to become stronger.”

I muttered blankly as I watched her sobbing and hugging herself.

I didn’t feel good. It felt like I had returned to the position of a weak person worrying about survival for the first time in a long while.

Several possibilities crossed my mind, but I dismissed them all.

I could have made Kim Su-jung, who had no special talents, into a succubus, a vampire, a werewolf, or even an undead ghoul to make her stronger.

But is that truly strength? Power that doesn’t fit the vessel inevitably leads to destruction.

It may be selfish, but I couldn’t make her stronger for my own sake. I didn’t want to see my friend lose herself and be destroyed in that way.

[That’s why the power of Yggdrasil is so tempting at this moment]

“Hic…”

Ren, who had been quiet, flinched in surprise at my bitter mental voice.

“…Realistically speaking, what should we do to become stronger? Exercise?”

The next morning, Kim Su-jung, who had slept in my bed, mumbled while yawning on the way to the cafeteria.

On the surface, she seemed to have returned to her usual self, with no trace of yesterday’s sobbing.

“In modern society, strength is actually based on wealth or education. So do well on the test we have this morning first.”

“Ugh… but what’s the point of studying hard? If some monster or whatever appears, we could die in an instant.”

“Still, I’m telling you to do your best with what you can. Even that much can make a big difference.”

When I clicked my tongue and said this, she grumbled. Kim Su-jung didn’t stop chattering until we sat down at an empty table.

“Why are you suddenly talking about these things? Is it because of the test?”

At that moment, Kang Jin-su, a second-year senior, came and sat in the empty seat in front. Unexpectedly, Kim Su-jung and Kang Jin-su, who seemed to be on the same wavelength, were deeply engrossed in conversation, ignoring their food.

“That’s right… In the end, only the strong have the right to survive. If you fall behind, it’s over. That’s the reality, damn it.”

He sighed as if agreeing with our conversation. In fact, compared to the Demon Realm of the past where the weak were mercilessly killed, Earth is a bit milder, but I just kept my mouth shut. After all, the world and standards I belong to are different.

“There’s news. They say it’s breaking news?”

But then.

“We have no reason to be anxious at all. Tachylas, is that Magical Girl truly strong? This world, this nature is not about the strong surviving. It’s the survivors who are strong.”

People who directly contradicted my ideology began to appear in earnest.