LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 23
I can’t really say this is dignified, but why are the magical girls able to infiltrate like this?
From what I can see, it looks a bit rushed. Of all days, today happens to be when the students from that magical girl’s school are here for a field trip. Given that they chose to infiltrate on such a day, it probably means that the higher-ups decided they couldn’t postpone any longer.
I began to suspect once more if this situation was a result of the company seizing control.
Keeping everything under wraps and deliberately leaking information at this point.
The battles of magical girls have public support. On the surface, they seem like a successful company while also appearing to stand against various wicked—but legal—activities, like saviors for the common people.
It’s hard to ignore when those judging right and wrong easily label the well-off as evil. And it’s not like Noir Corporation is completely devoid of its villainous aspects.
Until now, magical girls had a stance of protecting civilians whenever they were caught up in battles.
So why have they guided the magical girls this way now?
Experiencing combat first-hand is a whole different kettle of fish compared to hearing about it through news outlets. For company employees, even if they write about their fear or disdain for magical girls, it’ll just look like they’re defending Noir Corporation. But kids who have to wake up in the middle of the night to flee because of the combat—that’s a different story.
Moreover, those kids are at an age where they’re quite adept at using social media. If the news requests interviews, they are likely to accept.
To maintain a carefully curated image, one must continuously uphold that image. A single crack can stand out too much, especially because until now, it has been flawless.
What they aim for is for the public’s perception of the Galactic Federation to become, “Well, of course.”
It would be impossible for them to become entirely villainous in one go, but simply dragging them down a peg would be enough for Noir Corporation.
Whatever research they’re conducting, it seems the Galactic Federation has no intention of exposing their researchers, so it’s all gain for the company.
“Everyone, remember.”
I said as I handed out white points.
“If there are civilian casualties, we rescue them first.”
Part of me thought this way, but it was also the company’s directive.
For reference, being a student myself, I planned to slip away towards the end of the incident and blend in with the other students. I might get scolded by the teacher a bit, but it was the safest option.
When the warp gate opened, the first person to appear was Iris.
The design of the gun she held had changed.
It wasn’t the long bolt-action rifle she had last time but rather a shorter version. It looked like a submachine gun or a compact assault rifle. Well, since magic is involved, the caliber probably doesn’t matter, so nitpicking that might be pointless.
Anyway, it was a gun that suited a magical girl about as well as a cat in a sauna.
The next person out was Blossom.
From a distance, I couldn’t see her face clearly, but her movements seemed a bit hesitant, and even from here, I felt a sense of worry on her face.
“…Ugh.”
Then, the three additional people following behind made Earth Buddy, who was peeking outside with me, draw in a breath.
Rose, Dalia, Delphinium.
All five of them had gathered.
This has been a while.
The company instructed us to move once as many magical girls came into view as possible.
“Let’s go.”
I said that and opened the window to step outside.
I tried to approach while hiding myself as best as I could, but—
“Ah.”
At a distance, Dalia and Iris were looking our way.
Iris wasn’t holding her gun. Instead, Dalia had raised her wand.
“Everyone, scatter!”
The moment I shouted, all the combatants following me dispersed.
Some rolled sideways with all their might while others jumped, successfully getting out of the way just in time.
I spread my arms to draw my blade and swung it towards the approaching ball of light.
It was fortunate that it was Dalia’s attack. If it had been Delphinium’s, I wouldn’t have been able to block it all. And the combatants probably wouldn’t have been able to dodge it successfully either.
Boom!
With a flash of light, a large mass of magical power exploded. My body didn’t fly away, thankfully.
The split magic left a long mark on the ground. It formed a V-shape around me, and all the glass in the building behind shattered.
Immediately afterward, the alarm began to sound.
Did they give up on infiltration the moment they saw me? At least it seemed the magical girls weren’t looking more flustered seeing us.
A sort of resignation flickered across Blossom’s face, as if she thought this was how it would turn out.
“…Hah.”
I exhaled a breath I had been holding.
Sixty percent.
Changing equipment all the time made it hard to get used to the numbers.
The numbers showed that, compared to the last battle, it was much lower, but the gear worn in this battle had a greater capacity than before. Naturally, in terms of total power, it was likely more than last time.
“Let’s go!”
Staying here and hiding my body any longer was pointless.
I shouted that, and the combatants all stood up.
Under normal circumstances, at this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if one or two people left in fear. After all, they were up against five magical girls.
Even if they each had such strong personalities that they often misaligned, they had fought together for years, and each had their own combat strength.
Perhaps it was through struggling alongside such beings that they found their courage?
…No.
Some of the combatants were looking my way.
They seemed to feel some sort of possibility.
Perhaps it was because I was here now.
The only one among all the combatants who had succeeded in the mission.
With such a person leading the charge.
Beep.
Sixty-six percent.
My body responded rather obediently, and that pressure steadily piled onto my “despairing heart.”
The formation of the magical girls shifted.
I had changed my outfit, yet they all seemed to recognize who I was.
Well, that suit looked completely different from last time.
Considering that my previous suit had been nearly destroyed, it was only natural to think I got a new one.
In front stood the magical girl—Blossom.
She had looked troubled just a moment ago, but now wore a determined expression.
She held that staff of hers, which looked like a bouquet of flowers.
Blossom, Rose, Iris.
The three of them took a position surrounding Delphinium and Dalia. I began to understand why Iris’s gun had changed.
Once again, a white orb of light appeared atop Dalia’s wand.
Delphinium held a thick book in one hand, while in the other, she wielded a conducting wand that seemed like something an orchestra conductor would use.
She murmured, as if chanting some kind of incantation.
I took out a battery. It was a larger model that was already fully charged.
As I infused energy into the battery held in my left hand, it became hot enough to feel as if it would explode at any second. Though the details of its structure were unclear, anyone could have easily understood that it had become unstable.
The battery burned out every time it discharged all its power at once within the circuit. The circuit controlled that energy and recharged the battery that had expended energy without burning out.
Then, it should be possible to make that power spread everywhere when the battery exploded.
It meant I could use something like Dalia’s orb of light to a limited extent.
I threw the battery with all my might.
Blossom gripped her staff tightly with both hands.
From the pretty bouquet, a pink light emerged. It took the form of a blade. While it blazed with magical energy, it looked sharp enough to cut through anything.
With the stance of a hero charging at a dragon, Blossom swung her blade and cut through the battery I hurled at her in a single stroke.
It wasn’t like she moved a lot. She just swung her sword as if it were a blade from a fantasy novel.
Boom!
The battery split in mid-air and exploded.
And that explosion came to a halt midway. The pink magical power that scattered afterward neutralized the explosion.
It looked just like cherry blossoms fluttering in the spring breeze.
Such strong hope that it could burn away all despair.
That was the sight it reflected to the people’s eyes.
Yet even so, I hadn’t wasted the battery.
The magical girls who had put a bit of distance to brace themselves for that blast, along with Blossom who had moved slightly forward.
The larger the physical distance, the greater the chance to attack the magical girls standing in the back.
There was no way I could win in a melee combat against Rose. If I made a mistake, Iris would blow me away.
And as for Blossom—well, need I say more?
In that case, I had to disable those two who stood farthest behind, distanced from close combat with them first. Each combatant could easily be taken down, but as their numbers grew, even magical girls would struggle to deal with them.
If there was a problem—
“I can’t let you through like that.”
Blossom said.
—Yeah. If there’s a problem, the tactics I can think of are tactics that magical girls can think of too.
Blossom swung her staff with one hand. Unlike Rose, who wore gauntlets, a pink light swirled around her hand.
If hit, the impact would be massive.
If I jumped to the right or left, there were Iris and Rose. Both were presently engaged in combat with the other combatants.
Beep.
Seventy percent.
I lowered my head forcefully. Blossom lowered the trajectory of her punch but couldn’t hit me as I slid on my stomach to dodge her.
I hoped she would slide all the way through but the friction of the ground was a bit too much. The distance was too far to slide along, and I couldn’t leave the back of my head exposed for too long with Blossom around.
Feeling a chill at the back of my head, I hurriedly rolled to the side—just in time to evade the sword’s blade that dropped down from Blossom.
Though Ha-yoon didn’t weigh much, Blossom’s magic certainly did.
Crack.
Seeing the magical sword easily pierce through the marble where my face had been just moments ago sent a chill down my spine.
I got back to my feet.
Extending my blade as far as possible, I swung it at Blossom.
Clang!
But that strike was effortlessly blocked.
Seventy-one percent.
The circuit was spinning madly. My left wrist felt slightly warm, but there was no sign of it about to burst yet.
Ha-yoon glared at me. Though she was a magical girl, her hair and outfit had simply changed; her face was still the same. She looked just like the Ha-yoon I see regularly.
And that Ha-yoon was brandishing a sword at me.
…I’m quite the strange person myself.
Feeling that jealousy, wanting to win, yet at the same time, I couldn’t attack her when facing that familiar face. It was because it was a friend’s face I had known for a long time.
I wonder if Ha-yoon would think the same if she saw my face—
I pulled back my upper body to dodge Blossom’s sword as it passed above my abdomen and plunged my blade upward beneath her. Blossom also stepped back to avoid my strike.
I caught a glimpse of the circuit, and the black substance that had been creeping upward was beginning to emit steam, looking like that uncomfortable material from before.
Thud thud thud.
“Ugh!”
A beam of light flew from the side and struck my body. Each beam was not quite the thickness of a bolt-action rifle, but for some reason, the pain felt nearly proportional.
Is it compressed or something?
When I got hit, I saw Blossom’s eyes widen, an expression of disbelief.
Could it be that each beam was indeed a warp shell?
Looking over, I clearly saw that the number of combatants had diminished significantly. They were likely targeting one per shot; they sent just one flying away with each shot so that the absolute numbers would decrease, making it much easier to fight.
Of course, the company wasn’t ignorant of this; they had prepared a backup team. The person who used to be the leader of our squad was already running over from behind a pillar.
Given that I hadn’t disappeared despite taking a warp shell, it meant this suit could block it somehow.
The result of having blocked it was the excruciating pain coursing through me. Though I still didn’t understand the principle—well, good, it does serve a purpose.
I created a barrier.
Every time a white beam approached me, it would bounce or split apart mid-air. It was as if I were encased in a thick sphere of glass surrounding me.
“What exactly are you—”
Blossom said, but I was already dashing towards Iris.
Iris was glaring at me, looking like she was grinding her teeth.
I consumed a battery mounted on my left wrist.
Boom!
The moment I halted my body, I extended my left arm forward to unleash the power. The battery’s capacity seemed to have grown because the energy that burst forth towards Iris was vastly larger.
“Eek!”
Iris screamed.
And just before Iris screamed, I caught a slight glimpse of her.
She twitched a bit.
If it had been the usual Iris, she would never have reacted like that.
Ah, I see.
During the last fight, I had tackled Iris head-on. My head was protected by the helmet, but hers wasn’t.
It’s often common for boxers who are used to unilaterally attacking the opponent’s body to lose their edge after just one defeat. Since they were never hit, they aren’t prepared for the pain—I’ve heard that story somewhere.
Whether that’s a real phenomenon or not, I couldn’t say, but at least right now, that seemed to fit Iris to the T.
As soon as I released the energy from the battery, I found myself propelled backward without a moment to see Iris’s face.
My rear and back had a bit of pain, but I managed to perform a roll. My head didn’t hit anything hard, thankfully, allowing me to keep my senses.
Right after that, Blossom swung down her sword again, but there was no way I would submit to the same blow again.
I slid to the side to evade her, grabbing her ankle as her foot barely touched the ground.
Crack!
Blossom didn’t miss that opportunity, pulling the sword she had plunged into the ground back toward me to cut my arm.
“Ugh!”
I couldn’t hold back a groan. However, the moment Blossom’s sword touched my suit, it instantly bounced off with a spark.
Seventy-three percent.
I yanked at Blossom’s ankle with all my might. The battery had already burned out, and I hadn’t yet replaced it, so there wasn’t much power left for a simultaneous discharge, but it was still enough for me to pull Blossom’s weight.
Blossom’s body swayed.
Riding that momentum, I gripped her leg with my right hand and yanked it hard, successfully toppling Blossom.
Thud!
Beams flew at my right shoulder, abdomen, waist, thigh, and foot area. The one that struck my toe was particularly brutal. I was certain my toenail had broken. I’ll remember this, Iris. I’ll make you feel the same.
But for some reason, perhaps due to the surge of adrenaline coursing through me, I managed tо climb onto Blossom even with that pain.
I firmly held her waist between my thighs. Blossom’s knee dug into my back, but there are limits to the human joints’ range of motion. That alone wasn’t as painful as Iris’s beams of light.
Clang!
The battery popped out.
However, there was no time to insert the next battery. Although she was underneath me now, Blossom wasn’t just sitting there either.
The blade passed right where my face had been.
Even if it’s a sword that cannot kill someone, that also means it can chop anything else in its path.
No matter how thick the armor is, it can still inflict damage by striking a person directly. No matter how well you hide and protect yourself, when the enemy hits, it feels like being hit with a steel club. It’s possible, with enough force, to push one into a state suitable for healing, but it’s still dangerous.
Blossom prepared to swing the sword back in the opposite direction, so I hastily grabbed it.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed.
Seventy-six percent.
Pain shot through my right hand as I felt a sudden sting, yet it didn’t seem to bend or break since I had managed to block it before it gained real power and reached its trajectory.
I could hear the crackling sound of electricity sparking ominously as my hand felt like it was about to burn.
Holding on to that strength, I raised my fist.
Ha-yoon’s face came into view.
She looked unfazed.
She just looked at me with a determined expression.
Why could Ha-yoon make such a face?
If she got hit, it would definitely hurt. Even with the best effort, there are many times when people go unrecognized. The Galactic Federation just uses magical girls as tools.
She must be aware of that.
Even if they supposedly have energy of hope, they know all too well that the ones suffering are only themselves.
Yet, why does Ha-yoon—
That thought crossed my mind in an instant.
But Ha-yoon didn’t hesitate. Just like always, she acted according to what she believed.
Whack!
My helmet shook violently. Thankfully, it didn’t break or anything. That mysterious sword’s energy absorbed the impact.
However, I could do little about my head spinning.
For a moment, my vision blurred, and my balance wavered.
Ha-yoon grabbed my collar and rolled her body to the side.
I struggled, desperately trying to escape back. Luckily, I didn’t end up under her.
Boom!
And right after that, an explosion erupted beside me.
Dalia.
It was Dalia who had launched the magical mass she had prepared in advance.
I flew sideways, hitting the ground and sliding across.
As I got back to my feet and looked up, most of the magical girls were glancing my way.
In the confrontation between me and Blossom, many combatants had fallen.
While there were still quite a few left and more were coming in, somehow, I felt like time was ultimately on their side.
…I really do have to acknowledge the efficiency of Hope Circuit.
Eighty percent.
This side’s circuit was still only at this level.