Chapter 13
Looking back, I think that might have been a trap.
Logically speaking, wouldn’t it be more advantageous to release articles one at a time daily rather than in real-time?
If they were to post real-time photos, it would be only natural for the opposition to recognize us.
“… no way.”
I find it hard to believe they would go to such lengths for just one combatant.
Although I did earn credits for getting better equipment, that’s all there was to it. I wasn’t an officer or a leader.
“That’s not it?”
Maybe it was because I was mumbling while listening to music, but Ji-hye tilted her head.
The music playing was a Beatles song. The reason I refer to it as just “a Beatles song” is that, honestly, I don’t know the title. I only played the CD Ha-yoon gave me earlier.
Looking at my desk now, I realized Ha-yoon had bought more CDs than I did myself.
It’s only natural, really. Who can afford to buy every single CD they come across at a large bookstore or record shop?
I usually bought one or two and listened to them multiple times. There were way more things I just browsed and returned.
…But in reality, what I was doing was betraying Ha-yoon, so I couldn’t help but worry.
“No, it’s nothing.”
As I mumbled, Ji-hye stared at me intently.
“Why?”
“You look concerned, no matter how I look at it.”
“….”
I wondered if Ji-hye realized that my actions could also compromise her future.
Helping my long-time friend Ha-yoon would, on the other hand, bring trouble to my other long-time friend Ji-hye.
It must be infuriating for Ji-hye. It’s not like that kid had appeared in the webtoon at all.
On the other hand, Ha-yoon was the protagonist. She often rolled with the punches and was attacked.
It’s not like it’s unfair that she gets to go through such things. It’s just… you know.
“Are you worried about the last incident?”
“No, it’s not that.”
I was worried.
Of course, it wasn’t the kind of worry Ji-hye was thinking of.
It was a concern I couldn’t share with anyone else.
“Isn’t there too much to be concerned about? After all, he is a criminal, right? And the company said they didn’t know.”
That was what the news said.
They hired a reporter from their subsidiary, who wrote a sensational article, saying that he was a criminal… Our apologies to the public.
That was the company’s official stance.
We were just innocent civilians caught up in this mess.
So, there shouldn’t be any real problems, or so we thought.
“……I guess so?”
If I didn’t respond here, it would only worry Ji-hye for no good reason. So, I forced a smile and said, “Yeah, that’s right.”
Ji-hye sat up and shrugged her shoulders.
“Are you worried that it might affect your job prospects later? If so, why not talk to Ha-yoon about it? I heard they’re preparing to hire Earth-based employees in the Eun-ha Federation.”
Then she added with a smile, “Who knows? Maybe they’ll even turn you into a magical girl.”
“…Are you serious?”
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
*
A few days later.
“…Nice equipment you’ve got there.”
The head, who still looked like he came from some unknown planet, spoke to me.
There was no hint of envy in his voice; instead, it felt a bit mocking.
I chose not to respond. I was already rather flustered.
I glanced down at my outfit. From my helmet to my feet, I was fully decked out in new gear.
Essentially, it felt like wearing tight clothes, like a snug miniskirt paired with leather leggings.
With boots that reached my shins, honestly, it looked like something designed by a pervert with some weird fetish.
…It was probably still some evil costume straight out of a special effects show, just borrowed from the webtoon’s designs.
Anyway, while the lower part looked just like before, the upper part was different.
I wore a black leather jacket over my existing snug outfit. I had no real understanding of what that was supposed to signify. I just accepted that it had “better energy transmission,” or so they claimed.
It looked like Noir Corporation wanted their combatants to look a bit cooler.
The most vital wrist circuits were made sturdier, and the additional battery underneath made it thicker.
The helmet didn’t look much different.
All suited up, I felt a bit like a biker. They certainly wouldn’t give a lowly combatant like me something as expensive as a motorcycle.
Not that I had a license anyway.
Whew, a whistle blew.
When I turned around, Earth Buddy was standing there with his arms crossed, looking at me. He hadn’t put on his helmet yet, so his sparkling eyes were a bit daunting to stare into.
“Hey, you’re not secretly being seen as a crucial asset by the company, are you?”
“……”
Well, I thought they saw me as a useful tool.
Beep.
The helmet booted up, and a percentage appeared in one corner.
60 percent.
Hadn’t they mentioned something about increased capacity?
Starting up at this level doesn’t bode well for my mental state, I thought.
Looking down at my wrist, I saw the circuits whirring away.
“Okay, prepare for the battle cry!”
After seeing that everyone was more or less ready, the leader shouted.
“Hey!”
I shouted back a bit unenthusiastically.
*
As always, we didn’t receive any clear guidance about what was happening in the infiltration zone.
However, I could tell that the atmosphere where we landed was completely different from usual.
Typically, we went to places fit for ‘services.’
Old residential areas crowded with houses. Places where people gathered to protest. Ramshackle homes built haphazardly everywhere.
But this was different.
There were sleek buildings around, and similar structures were under construction nearby. It seemed like all the workers had left for the day since it was evening.
“Everyone, attention!”
An officer shouted.
This officer wasn’t James.
Unlike James’s combat suit, which was similar in design to a suit, this officer wore something more akin to “work clothes.”
It was a jumpsuit that connected top to bottom.
But it wasn’t just a regular work outfit; the shoulders were reinforced with sturdy metal plates, and the upper part wore a vest with various buttons. His face was concealed by a mask resembling a gas mask, topped with a rugged helmet.
A bizarre figure who threw together an appearance of a ‘leader’ on top of a work jumpsuit.
It looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic genre.
That officer was someone I had seen in the webtoon.
“……I see.”
I mumbled to myself.
Given the ambiance and seeing this officer, I knew this operation was one I recognized.
If I went inside, I would probably learn more.
“I believe you have heard of the heinous acts perpetrated by the Eun-ha Federation on this land!”
The officer’s voice, echoing slightly through the mask, was loud enough that we could hear him quite clearly, as if he had a loudspeaker attached to that gas mask.
“This is the Eun-ha Federation’s secret base! Underground, various illegal experiments are taking place! Today, we fight to safeguard our nation’s sovereignty!”
“……”
No one cheered at his words.
Aliens were just in it for the paycheck, and Earth folks weren’t that different either.
While the Eun-ha Federation’s illegal activities were worse, Noir Corporation’s image was significantly tarnished. Even among the workers, it was evident.
“It’s an ambush operation, but I’m sure they’ll catch up quickly with warp point technology. We will handle the underground experimental equipment in the meantime! Let’s move!”
With that, the officer shouted and began to run.
“What are you all doing? Follow me!”
Voices like that echoed around.
It seemed we weren’t the only team being deployed today.
As I stealthily glanced at the other combatants, I spotted two or three others dressed similarly to me.
That meant it was a pretty significant operation from the company’s perspective.
“……”
In that case, I should earn as many credits as I could. At least, that way, the impression couldn’t get any worse.
I vowed to myself and lunged ahead.
*
My calculations were simple.
After all, combatants couldn’t beat a magical girl. The officers couldn’t either; magical girls were the protagonists.
Moreover, I was well aware that this operation referenced an episode I had seen.
According to the story, some experimental equipment would get damaged, rendering a decent blow. In that episode, the company had put effort into using anti-warp point equipment, so the magical girls arrived a bit late.
In the very early stages, the story was just about to kick off.
So, I just needed to run wild and break as much stuff as possible.
“We’re heading this way!”
In a forked path, the officer chose the middle route.
I had no idea about the internal structure. It was rare to see a detailed map in the webtoon, and even if there was, I couldn’t remember all of it.
Since I wasn’t leading, I could just follow along and do what I was told.
Following the path lead me to a massive entrance.
It was a thick door that opened sideways, resembling something typically seen in sci-fi genres. At least, the door’s design aligned with my memory. However, there were no signs showings whether I was heading toward the most crucial point, like in the webtoon.
“Hey, Earthling!”
The leader snapped at me.
“Your equipment looks good, so you try handling this!”
With no real desire to refuse, I stepped forward.
70 percent.
The circuits were running quite steadily.
As I extended my left arm downward, a blade sprang from my wrist.
It was a blade of pure energy with no defined shape.
Noticing it was longer than the one I’d used before, I certainly felt the equipment was better.
Zing!
As I thrust the blade into the door, flames sparked as if I were welding.
With the blade lodged in the door, I pushed down hard.
Clank!
From the inside, I could hear a solid crashing sound.
I slipped both of my hands into the door’s gap and began to pull from side to side.
Energy surged through my suit as the weight of the thick door began to steadily part.
From the back, I could hear some awe-struck murmurs.
Honestly, I was a bit awed myself. The output was significantly better than the gear I wore before.
I could understand why the officer was a bit snide to me. I might have appeared somewhat threatening for their job security—
Beep beep…
Oh.
Just as my good mood lifted, the percentage dropped a bit.
But overall, I hadn’t lost any power. There was a charged battery inside that consistently provided energy.
In the end, I could fully open the door.
“Tsk.”
The officer clicked his tongue.
“Hey, what are you doing? Everyone, get in!”
At his command, the combatants surged inside.
The officer stared at me for a few seconds before entering himself. Though obscured by the visor, I could imagine him glowering at me.
Beep!
The percentage rose back to 70 percent.
…Should I thank him for that?
With a deep sigh, I charged inside.
And—
“Ugh!?”
With a puff, I saw one combatant fly past me to collide with the wall beside me.
What was inside…?
“Combat robots!?”
…Well, that made sense.
The Eun-ha Federation wouldn’t avoid using robots. The lore states there were plenty of wars and conflicts before the ‘Federation’ even came into existence.
Not that combat robots would look humanoid; they resembled single-armed industrial robots you’d find in a factory rather than something crafted for warfare.
They seemed the type to be frequent sights at car factories.
They even had red-gloved hands that felt a bit ridiculous.
Just as I had seen in the original story.
I dashed forward, ignoring what was happening around me.
The blade remained lodged securely in my left arm.
Kihiiing—
The surveillance system focused its ominous sensor on me.
As its arm retracted, I threw a punch.
Ka-CRACK!
As my blade met the red glove, it burst apart, leaving a deep scar in the steel beneath. My hand remained unharmed since the blade was intangible; instead of forcing my arm into an awkward position, it didn’t resist from the energy feedback.
“Whoa!”
One of the combatants shouted.
That was probably Earth Buddy.
Bam!
As I swiped across with my arm, I sliced through the robot’s arm cleanly.
Then I swiftly cut the wires needed for mobility, rendering the robot nothing more than a crumpled hunk of metal.
“Let’s go!”
I yelled.
“Whoa!”
The combatants following me cried out.
Did they maybe catch a glimmer of hope?
…Though that would probably diminish our battle effectiveness.
The leader was looking at me.
I could guess he was gnashing his teeth in irritation again.
It made it all the more challenging to endure. Over there, they were getting frustrated, while I was here, holding myself back. How unreasonable could things get?
60 percent.
The drop in percentage was not enough for me to rely on my battery just yet. While I might need it for something like that door again, right now, the obstacles were computers rather than an unable-to-open door.
In one of the rooms within, I could see windows.
Through those windows were server computers.
[You’re doing well! I will grant your team a bonus!]
The voice crackled through the helmet’s communicator.
Much better than James as a superior.
Though it could merely be lip service.
I sprinted forward, leaping into the fray.
Crash!
I smashed through the server room’s window.
Zing!
The security system inside the server computer fired a laser at me, but I deflected it with my blade just before it became dangerous.
Then I leaped and sliced through the camera-like apparatus. The laser ceased fire once more.
After that, the task was to wreck the computers.
I wasn’t sure if they were actually the servers. Well, either way, the company never provided much clarity on any details, so I worked with whatever I could do.
After severing the power supply connected to the floor, I dashed back outside through the shattered window.
It was a disaster.
The only thing I lacked was a hammer; I might as well have been a service contractor.
I wrecked computers and flipped tables.
…But the officer was nowhere in sight.
Had he gone off with another group?
Just as I prepared to move to another location—
[Khack!]
The communicator crackled again.
[M-Magical girl! Magical girl…! Everybody to the laboratory—]
Click.
As the transmission was cut off, the combatants froze.
Everyone looked as if they’d seen a ghost, maintaining a stunned posture despite having helmets on that obscured their faces.
“What are you all doing! Get to the laboratory!”
Before the leader could steal all the credits, he looked like he was about to spring into action.
Shortly afterward, the other combatants started to move.
They all seemed like they had absolutely no desire to be there, stumbling along slower than the officer.
“……”
70 percent.
My percentage shot up the moment I heard the term ‘magical girl.’
I thought we wouldn’t lack power, right?
*
Bang!
The officer who ran ahead was the first to go down.
Seeing that, I understood why Iris insisted on using ‘warp point’ technology.
The path ahead, shaped like a T, claimed its first casualty when the leading person was obliterated by a thick laser beam out of nowhere.
Although I knew that it didn’t turn to ashes but merely blasted off to a distant location, it was still a chilling sight.
“Eek…!”
One of the combatants shrieked, toppling backward.
There was someone I hadn’t seen earlier today, probably the one from just now.
Step, step.
Footsteps approached.
With every step Iris took, it exuded an intense oppressive aura.
Beep beep beep beep beep!
85 percent.
Even with new equipment, I had no faith at all in our victory.
“……. You’ve made quite a mess here.”
Iris’s voice rang out.
Eek, there were several more panicked sounds.
Even footsteps echoed as if there were others running away deeper in; I couldn’t tell what they thought they could do, but I would assume panic had set in.
…Where did the officer disappear to?
He probably wouldn’t straightforwardly be flung away. In this episode, he was meant to be captured.
The anti-warp point gear—we knew it had been destroyed by Iris.
In the webtoon, Iris had arrived first at the ‘most crucial point’ since she was studying the warp point technology.
The rest of the magical girls must have just started sprinting in from the entrance.
“Hmm.”
I locked eyes with Iris as she rounded the corner.
…Huh?
When she met my gaze, Iris smirked slightly.
“Fancy running into you again, little squirt.”
…Huh?
“That scratch on your helmet.”
Unintentionally, I reached up to touch my helmet.
There was some sort of dent there, but I couldn’t pinpoint if it had any significant mark or not. Initially, it wasn’t large enough to be felt through my gloves.
But… had she recognized me? Was a laser mark and a scratch on the stone similar enough?
“Looks like you’re the one who slipped away last time.”
But no matter how flustered I got, Iris’s smirk only grew as she glared at me.
“That humiliation from that time? I’m still not over it, you know?”
Oh wait—
Her gun swung in my direction.
Beep beep beep beep!
90 percent.
Bang!
Crash…
Things around exploded. Bright light flooded, and several combatants didn’t even scream as they vanished.
But I—
“Hmm?”
Iris widened her eyes in surprise.
Beep beep beep…
85 percent.
I stared blankly at my arm.
Without realizing it, I had swung my arm, and the black blade still arched out from my wrist.
…Wait, had I just deflected a warp ray?
The stupor lasted for just a few seconds.
The first to regain composure was me.
This time, I was the one who charged at Iris.
—70 percent. Considering the expanded circuits, I could still fight.
The battery had completely recharged itself again.