episode_0024

The onlookers’ emotions upon observing the movements of that combatant were one of perplexity. It wasn’t just the simple movement of a combatant. In fact, the existence that fought while effectively blocking the magical girls’ attacks head-on was enough to frustrate both the attacking magical girls and the allied combatants. Furthermore, the combatant was wearing a helmet, concealing any expression. While it was impossible to discern the expression within, outwardly, the figure fought without any change in expression, like a machine.

In reality, Iris was beginning to doubt whether it truly wasn’t a machine. If it were a robot, it would already exist. The Galactic Federation is known to utilize such robots for combat, although not to the extent of being entirely indistinguishable from humans. If Nuarc Corporation had succeeded in creating such a robot, then…

However, there were circuits on the combatant’s wrist. Circuits spinning rapidly at an incredible speed. These circuits are driven by emotion. They are devices that generate energy through the interaction of complex emotions, not just a single emotion like joy or sorrow.

For magical girls, this interaction represents “hope.” The entanglement of positive emotions felt while looking at hope assists magical girls in mustering tremendous power.

But then, what exactly is that combatant moved by?

Her fingertips trembled.

Until now, there hadn’t been a combatant capable of effectively striking magical girls. Since engaging with Nuarc Corporation’s combatants, this entity would be the first.

She believed that her gaze towards hope remained unchanged.

However, somehow, seeing that entity fall and rise again several times, her confidence wavered slightly.

It had always been that way. Even before the change of combat attire, she had gradually felt it. Among all the combatants, she was the only one who continued to seek out any possible means until the end, never giving up despite numerous failures.

Why?

What had happened with Nuarc Corporation that led to such an entity being there?

Iris simply couldn’t fathom it.

All she knew was that failure here was not an option.

She aimed the rifle.

The bolt-action rifle had broken, and it consumed a lot of energy per use. Moreover, given the importance of each shot, the risk of missing was too great.

…Furthermore, the circuit’s output was not as perfect as it had been back then. It was better to distribute the energy appropriately now.

Tudatada, pressing the gun tightly against his body to control the recoil, he pulled the trigger with force. The sound of small fuses falling outside could be heard.

One soldier who was knocked back by Dahlia’s attack quickly crossed his arms in front of his face. Although all the warp shells hit him, it was futile.

Again, black sparks flew, and the soldier got up.

Where did I go wrong?

Iris pondered while loading her magazine.

Whipping around, she responded with gunfire to several soldiers rushing from behind Iris. A single warp shell was enough to move a soldier far away. While this amount of ammunition might not take them far, it was sufficient for now to simply send them flying outward. The energy of the shells alone was enough to neutralize them.

Five soldiers vanished from sight in an instant.

Sensing something behind her, she swiftly rolled forward, then quickly rose and took aim at the rear.

Thud!

The soldier who had been standing just a moment ago was now sitting, having been struck by a fist where Iris had been standing.

Is he mimicking what Blawson showed a little while ago?

Blawson’s clean-cut sword didn’t leave a mark like this. It only left a fist-shaped dent where Iris had been.

… Is he trying to kill me?

Is the opponent moving with that intention?

Iris fired again at the soldier. The soldier’s body staggered.

He is not invincible. The black sparks certainly did not completely block the attack.

Iris harbored hope. She felt the circuits running faster. Energy was flowing through her body, and the magical supply to the firearm became more stable.

And as a result, the strength of the bullets leaving the gun became stronger.

The soldier raised both arms slightly, then brought them down. It seemed like he was striking at thin air, but following the movement of his arms, long blades appeared on each arm.

The soldier rushed at Iris. It was right after he emptied his magazine.

Thud!

However, just as the soldier lunged at Iris, Blawson also charged forward.

Inserting the bright pink glowing blade between himself and the soldier, Blawson looked directly into the soldier’s helmet.

Even though light shone, nothing could be seen inside the visor.

As Iris ran to the side, the sound of her reloading her magazine echoed.

“….”

There seemed to be no intention to respond even when spoken to a little while ago.

In that case—

“Huut!”

Blawson put strength into the blade.

Clang!

From the collision of light and light, red sparks began to fly. It was like a fierce flame that seemed to cut through steel, but Blawson did not flinch.

Crossing his arms to block Blawson’s weapon with two blade edges, the soldier was pushed back.

Thud!

And then Dahlia’s magical shell flew towards the soldier.

This time, it did not fly away.

As if determined not to be caught in the same trap twice, the combatant wrapped one arm around their head. A defensive barrier formed near the combatant’s body. A long, cross-shaped imprint appeared on the ground.

Clank.

The combatant’s circuit opened, and something black, resembling a battery, bounced out.

“Rose!”

“Got it!”

In response to Blossom’s call, Rose rushed forward. As the combatant attempted to dodge, Iris, who had switched her magazine to a new one, fired her shots.

The combatant, who had been blocking incoming rays with their arms, aiming precisely at their head, failed to block Rose’s punch.

Thud!

An unpleasant sound was heard as the combatant flew in a straight line in the opposite direction from where Rose had charged, knocking down several walls. The hole pierced by the combatant was dark and gloomy. It was still evening, and the lights inside were almost completely extinguished.

“Delpinium…!”

“…I know.”

Near Delpinium, starlight danced. The appearance, expanding from within the cloak as if it had moved the entire night sky, even momentarily diverted the attention of the combatants charging at her. Of course, those combatants all lost consciousness one by one due to the staff strikes from Dahlia beside them.

Delpinium, who had been closing her eyes, opened them. As she raised her staff into the air, the starlight floating around gathered at the tip of the staff.

Gathering into a white starlight—

“I-It’s Delpinium’s attack!”

“Take cover! Find somewhere to hide!”

The terrified combatants’ cries and the shouts of the “squad leaders” toward their members could be heard.

“…Fools.”

Delpinium muttered so. After all, the magic she was about to cast wasn’t meant for combat. Well, those who had experienced Delpinium’s wide-area attacks up to now would probably be terrified. After all, they might end up in the hospital if they weren’t careful.

Delpinium swung her staff. The starlight that had gathered in one place divided again into small lights and spread in all directions.

Her irregular light gathering and then redistributing it in a regular manner was indeed the purpose of this magic.

“….”

Delpinium closed her eyes again and concentrated. She sensed numerous combatants around her. Most of them were just trembling at the light falling from above.

With a mocking chuckle at their appearance, Delpinium quickly followed the flow of magic.

And—

“….What?”

“Delpinium?”

At Delpinium’s bewildered, murmuring voice, Blossom interrupted.

“Wait, this is…!”

Not only the magical girls, including Blossom, but everyone felt that something was wrong when they saw Delpinium, who usually wore a lazy expression as if everything was bothersome, now wearing an astonished look.

Scouting around, the combatants were taken aback as they suddenly noticed a bewildered magical girl.

Delphinium was about to shout something at the other magical girls when—

Thud!

A loud noise echoed from the spot where she had blown away the combatants a little while ago.

My head hurts.

The more I fight, the more my concentration wanes.

It’s only natural. The more you engage in something, the more you wish it would end quickly.

And if it’s not a job with fixed working hours, it’s even worse. It’s truly exasperating.

I staggered to my feet and found the surroundings resembling a construction site.

Rather than a full-fledged construction site, it seemed like they were preparing to change the structure of the room. There was a large hammer, perhaps for breaking down walls.

“….”

I stooped to pick up the hammer.

Right. Magical girls use objects infused with magic as weapons. Iris uses firearms she designed herself, and other girls use items they are most attached to, or items designed differently from Iris’s, either personally or through commission.

Among them, the most unusual was Blossom’s weapon.

That bouquet was a ‘real’ one. It was an item that manifested when Hayoon received sincere praise from her parents after winning some competition.

As befitting a magical girl, if it’s an item related to their memories, its power is enhanced. If they can recall those memories and find the emotion of hope.

And if that emotion of hope is intricately entwined, even more so.

…Well, there’s no way such a story applies to the newly found sledgehammer.

91 percent.

When surrounded by magical girls, the circuits seemed to be almost melting, getting unbearably hot. It was just my feeling, and in reality, I was enduring much better, but my wrists felt uncomfortably warm.

Let’s finish this quickly and get some sleep.

Thinking so, I lifted the hammer.

And leaped forward.

Thud!

After passing through several walls, as I leaped with all my might, the ground beneath me caved in with a loud noise.

The magical girls in the distance looked at me. They all seemed a bit bewildered.

For some reason, the combatants around us were scattered and hiding. The reason was—

Ah, right. It’s because of Delphinium.

She cast a spell. Since the surrounding area wasn’t scorched, it didn’t seem to be an offensive spell.

We couldn’t tell what kind of magic it was, but it was definitely a spell that wouldn’t be helpful to our side.

In that case, let’s start with her.

The suit was utilizing the energy of the despair circuit, which James had confidently asserted was running madly, at one hundred percent.

I couldn’t glide smoothly like Iris or teleport momentarily, but I could definitely expel magical power from under my feet with all my might.

Delphinium adjusted the angle slightly and raised the hammer above their head, gripping it tightly with both hands. They emitted magic from their hands. A sticky sensation ran down their arms. It felt as if their thick jumpsuit was quickly becoming soaked. It was hard to tell what had happened to the hammer. But— Bang! Just before I swung the hammer, Delphinium darted away in a panic. From a distance I could never reach, Delphinium, who usually just waved a baton as if bored with our struggles, now urgently rolled their body, which was somewhat satisfying.

Ninety percent. Seeing the number drop with just a slight smile, it seemed that the basic design of this circuit was indeed flawed. That’s why it seems like it was made just for show. Ninety-one percent. Not even worth mentioning. There was a sticky black substance left where I struck. Bang! It exploded belatedly. I wasn’t caught in the explosion. Except for the fact that the jumpsuit was entirely covered in the black substance, and therefore sticking to my body little by little.

“…Wait a moment. You—” I didn’t want to hear it. I swung the hammer at Delphinium. The head of the hammer was also strangely covered in the black substance. Each time I swung it, the substance dripping down the handle slowly changed its form. What had initially been just a slowly growing lump eventually turned into sharp spikes. By the time it had become a form that definitely shouldn’t be hit, Dahlia rushed to rescue Delphinium.

It was a staff that would shatter my bones just by swinging it. It must have been made from some tree on a distant planet. It seemed like something out of a webtoon, a spaceship made of wood that had been flying through the sky and exploring the universe since ancient times, as if it were irrelevant. Clack. “Huh!?” The tip of the wood touched my hammer. And as the hammer hit the ground, the end of the staff stuck between the hammer and the ground was completely shattered.

I swung the hammer towards Delphinium, who wore a dismayed expression. Thud! The head of the hammer connected with Delphinium’s head. There was no feeling of it breaking or shattering. Just as my helmet protected my head, there was magic protecting my body, just as strong. That’s why Blasom can swing the sword so securely. But it’s impossible to completely block pure kinetic energy.

“Dahlia!” Rose shouted. Dahlia lay collapsed on the ground, then flew sideways. Rose ran toward me, and I grabbed the hammer again with both hands, swiftly spun around, and swung it toward Rose. Thump! Rose’s gauntlet blocked the hammer, but it couldn’t entirely absorb the force coming from the weight.

Twisting my body, I plunged inward and struck my abdomen with the handle of the hammer. Rose, undeterred, didn’t retreat easily. Despite being hit, she forcefully punched my helmet. A cracking sound was heard, and the visor had a dent, but it didn’t break. I struck where the battery was located. As the battery exploded, both Rose and I were sent flying, yet I held onto the hammer tightly.

The suit was still in fairly good shape. The damaged part of the visor remained intact. …How thick are these gauntlets anyway? A beam shot towards me, and I dashed forward with all my might. It was the direction of Blossom. Both Blossom and Iris were running towards me. Rose quickly regained her composure and leaped towards us.

“…Everyone, stop…!” A voice shouted from behind, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to. I directed energy towards the one who made that sound. Delphinium, who seemed about to shout something, was hit and swept away.

92 percent. It hadn’t been stretched this far before. Just once, yes, just once, I wanted to try and win. There were so many magical girls, yet I was fighting. I hadn’t fallen yet. 91 percent. As I swung the hammer, Blossom’s face came into full view. Why did it have to be magical girl stuff? If it were a webtoon based on a tokusatsu show, you probably wouldn’t see Hayoon’s expression. In the depths of Hayoon’s seemingly startled eyes, a hint of fear was visible. Hayoon looked at me with fear.

Covered in strange liquid all over, clothes all black and sticky, holding a grotesquely deformed construction hammer. Moreover, it’s incomprehensible. Why would someone charge at themselves like this? Honestly, I still don’t really know. 94 percent. In the end, the attack missed. I couldn’t bring myself to drive the hammer into Hayoon’s face. Even though I knew she wouldn’t be seriously hurt even if I did.

A flash grenade flew from behind. The magical girls surrounding me dodged. Hayoon did too. 96 percent. Bang! An explosion occurred behind me. Now I’m too tired. No matter how much energy I have around my body, it’s meaningless if I collapse inside. What did I eat today? I couldn’t eat much since I’ve been a bit tense since morning. It’s hard to go to the bathroom when wearing the suit…

It’s natural for Hayoon to avoid me. I keep launching threatening attacks every time I approach. But the school kids didn’t avoid me, for various reasons. Yet, in this moment. When I’m alone. I feel pathetic.

Ha-yoon doesn’t even know who I am right now. 97 percent. The circuit was spinning like crazy. The black smoke was billowing even more heavily. There, the energy that had become matter was turning into liquid and overflowing, dripping everywhere. Although they said the suit was perfect, in the end, it seemed to be another design flaw.

“Haah, haah, haah….”

Am I just tired? I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem like it. I just needed a moment to catch my breath. After resting a bit, I felt better.

I lifted my head. Everyone was wide-eyed, staring at me. Ah, I see. Did I endure another explosion as Sun-chae did before? It was natural, considering I took a bigger blast than Iris had unleashed.

Rose was the first to rush over. I swung the hammer with one hand. Rose, coming at me as if to throw a punch, quickly crossed her arms to block. Thud! A groan escaped from Rose. Kicking her arm once more, I pushed her back and swung the hammer towards the beam of light shooting in our direction. There was no way to block it entirely, but the part she got hit on didn’t seem to hurt.

Her arm was becoming as hard as an exoskeleton. I could feel my body inside, but—

Blossom rushed in. She blocked the descending blade. The shell cracked a bit.

“Who are you, really?”

Blossom said, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“Why—”

She looked like she might say the same thing to me. For some reason, it felt like she would.

99 percent. A spark leapt from the circuit.

“Everyone, stop!”

Delfinium’s voice echoed in the distance.

“That person over there isn’t a researcher!”

I raised the hammer.

“There’s explosives on the pillar! We need to get out of here!”

As I turned my gaze, Delfinium was shouting on the ground.

“Iris, hurry—”

But before those words could finish, everything in front of me turned white.