---

I’m aware that getting shot wouldn’t mean certain death, but still, the sound of a gunshot is a bit frightening.

I’ve been shot before, and isn’t the sound itself inherently threatening?

Moreover, military weapons are not just rifles. Weapons like machine guns can have projectiles that are 30mm in diameter.

Getting hit by a 5.56mm round was agonizing enough that I can’t imagine staying sane after being hit by something that heavy.

Since I was just an infantryman during my time in the military, I don’t have any intel on high-ranking operations. Still, if I rise too high up, I’ve got a feeling that I might catch the ire of someone up there.

No, hold on, is it even appropriate for me to say that? Technically, I’m not a soldier. If I tried to trespass onto a military base, it’s only natural that I’d get arrested.

But even so, I wouldn’t stop there. I didn’t want to fly back to Seoul or the nearby city with this alien.

As I passed through the barbed wire surrounding the military base, the nearby soldiers were thrown into utter confusion.

This world has conscription like everyone else, so nearly everyone here has only recently come from civilian life. Excluding the officers and non-commissioned officers, most have been here for just a year and a half at most.

Though I had only recently become a Magical Girl, it seemed that when they saw me, they didn’t openly point their guns in hostility, perhaps because they recognized me from TV or smartphones.

Rather, did they think that I was here to support them after witnessing the fight?

“This person should be restrained.”

I said.

“Is there a restraining device like the police use? It’s broken now, but even if it wakes up, it won’t just sit still.”

The corporal and private who were right next to me chatted for a moment before running off. There were enough people around that it didn’t seem like a major problem.

No, there’s no way there’s a manual for dealing with a Magical Girl suddenly appearing inside a military base. Common sense dictates that they’d have to apprehend any outsiders somehow, but in this situation, that felt ambiguous too.

But I guess it’s the front lines; communication about the situation seemed to spread quickly.

I didn’t even need to say anything for people to start flocking over. The leading figure was wearing a bulletproof helmet, but it was evident that he looked somewhat aged, like someone who had been exposed to direct sunlight for too long, and his hair had turned completely white.

The rank insignia drawn on the digital camouflaged helmet depicted two bamboo flowers. He was a lieutenant colonel.

So, does that mean he’s a battalion commander?

The battalion commander had a pistol on his waist, and all the officers and soldiers nearby were holding rifles but didn’t point them at me.

“I’ve heard the story.”

What story could that be?

“Thank you for your cooperation. We will take care of the alien.”

Hearing such formalities from someone older than me made me feel strange, but still, I had to do what I had to do. If the Chairman really crossed the demilitarized zone, things would get serious.

I mean, could North Korea really withstand Noir Corporation? So far in Korea, it’s acted like a solid company, but I’ve heard that in backward regions, businesses even manage to replace the government entirely.

Of course, it seems that as a general rule, the government tends to stay intact. Otherwise, the Federation wouldn’t just sit idly by.

“Where is the enemy’s main force? They wouldn’t have just sent the alien out randomly.”

Since the situation seemed urgent, my tone came off a bit rude.

However, the battalion commander continued without showing any sign of offense.

“Several aircraft have crashed, but aside from that, we haven’t seen any other units.”

Whether it was because there was a gap in the military’s surveillance or there really wasn’t any other unit to be seen, I couldn’t tell.

However, in this situation, I couldn’t remain idle.

I nodded.

“Then, I suppose we should take care of what’s in sight first.”

“Indeed.”

I leaped straight into the sky.

The blue forest filled my vision again. The surrounding area was densely packed with trees, and aside from a little trace of something having fallen, hardly any ground was visible.

In that case.

I charged straight toward the nearest alien.

The gunfire echoing around me reduced somewhat. Maybe they gave me some caution to prevent bullets from flying my way.

“Hey!”

“……!”

As I shouted, the alien turned to look my way.

“What are you staring at?”

In reality, I was well aware of what it was staring at. A pink glow indicated that Ha-yoon was below.

If it wanted to meet like that, I’d gladly help.

Of course, it had no right to refuse.

I brought my hammer down hard onto the alien’s chest.

As soon as the alien’s back hit the ground, Ha-yoon drove a knife into its solar plexus. Black smoke rose up, and the alien seemed to lose its senses, slumping down.

Feeling a brightening in the corner of my vision, I turned my head to see a light sphere far larger than my height slowly rising into the sky.

And then, it collided with a sphere the size of a soccer ball at high speed.

The two lights momentarily merged into one before bursting like a water balloon, scattering beams of light in all directions. The scattering wasn’t aimless; each droplet of light moved through the sky with a sense of intelligence. Just like fireworks, my cluster of light flew towards black dots drifting through the sky.

“……That really sounded like fireworks.”

I muttered as I watched the magic hit the bodies of the aliens.

It seemed like a collaboration between Delphinium and Dalia. I wondered if powers mixing together could create such effects?

For a brief moment, a purple beam streaked past me.

“……!”

And from the tip of that beam came a scream.

I swung upward like a tennis racket hitting a ball, sending the alien, now losing its balance in the air, soaring up.

“Whoa!”

And the Rose, who had been hovering higher than me, struck down with both hands onto the alien’s solar plexus.

Bang!

Not only did it break the circuit, but the impact also drove the alien’s falling body down with even greater force, resulting in a thunderous sound.

The heads of the aliens attacking the military base or the barbed wire turned towards us.

The aliens don’t inherently understand complicated commands. But that doesn’t mean they can’t set a danger priority.

They’re just driven by the impulse to destroy and smash everything in front of them, but among them, they indeed have the ability to determine “what should be destroyed first.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I murmured as I looked at the alien glaring at me.

“I want to finish this quickly and go back.”

Slowly, Magical Girls began to gather around me.

We were soaring in the sky, facing our enemies together.

Ha-yoon, who was beside me, smiled at me.

……I’d always been witnessing this scene from down below.

I had shivered in fear so many times while looking up at the Magical Girls.

“……”

Now, I was standing among the Magical Girls.

It’s true that nobody knows how the world will turn.

Well, I don’t think the enemies will feel the same fear I did when they look at us.

I gripped my hammer tightly.

And then, I charged forward with all my might.

 

---