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The chairman did some pretty crazy things, even if I think so.

I’m not just talking about kidnapping the former chairman’s successor—that’s already been done.

It seems like the chairman thinks he can take over this country completely without any issues.

Maybe he even thinks he can just conquer Earth and modify the inhabitants to sell them off.

“Truck?”

It looks like the chairman had a few cards left to play till the very end.

Well, that makes sense. Even if he kidnapped his successor, he needed a way to fight back to escape.

However, there was one problem.

We had no idea if that truck really had Pang-pang inside or not.

They said they were charging toward the warp point. Maybe they reinforced the circuits so much, they were having a bit of trouble stopping the suddenly charging truck.

“……Let’s go.”

I said that and immediately stood up from my seat.

“Wait a minute.”

Cherry spoke up.

“James has done some work on it, but your circuit is still incomplete. If we fight like last time, it will definitely break.”

“But we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

“……Like last time, this could be a diversion tactic again. If your circuit really breaks this time…”

We’d lose a means of fast transportation.

I knew how important that was. If we knew where the enemy was, it might not be such a big deal. We could just go smash their heads in anytime we wanted.

But now it was different. If my circuit broke and it was a diversion…

“Are you suggesting we split into two?”

I asked, and Cherry nodded.

“And I stay here?”

“……Yeah. I’m sorry.”

With that, I felt all the strength drain from my body.

Even Ji-hye was wearing a circuit on her wrist. Though she hadn’t fully transformed like the other magical girls yet, she could still help protect us in some way.

“……Fine.”

I had no choice but to respond that way in the end.

The kids were sneaking glances at me, but I forced a smile to avoid making them feel guilty.

Good thing I wasn’t wearing a circuit right now.

*

And, annoyingly enough.

Cherry was right.

The chairman was up to his usual antics again.

Was he trying to use Pang-pang as bait to escape, or had he already extracted all the information from her?—It seemed he was planning to take over an abandoned spaceship.

He brought out new aliens, targeting a spaceship that had already lost its engine.

……Is he an idiot?

No, more than that—

I clearly understood what that attempt meant right now.

I was being emotional.

I was someone who would prefer to highlight negative emotions rather than positive ones. So I ended up ruining everything, repeatedly pushing myself into this situation.

But—this time it was different.

I didn’t care where the chairman was; I asked.

“Is Pang-pang really there?”

[I checked!]

Ha-yoon’s voice came through the communicator. With all that wind roaring in the background, it seemed like she was sprinting with all her might.

I succinctly declared.

“I’m going there.”

Revenge.

Yeah. That was my primary goal. To chase after the chairman and smash his head in, or at least break an arm or leg to make him regret putting me in this position.

…..

If I hadn’t received that kind of help from Pang-pang, what would I be thinking right now?

The bad-tempered me would probably be flying toward the chairman.

For revenge. Just for revenge. The other magical girls would take care of everything else—

“……Hey, guys.”

I spoke into the communicator.

“I want to save Pang-pang. I really think we should save Pang-pang first.”

Right.

No matter how much of a diversion it was, I didn’t care.

Those assumptions didn’t matter one bit.

The only reason I was alive here was because that girl Pang-pang had hidden me away in her home when I needed it the most.

……Even if Pang-pang had said those things, and even if I knew all those words were true, I shouldn’t be angry at her like that.

If I had thought about it just a bit more carefully, I would have realized those facts meant nothing.

I looked at Ji-eun who remained with me.

As our eyes met, Ji-eun smiled and nodded.

As if to say this was what I needed to do.

I nodded back in agreement.

[……I get it, Ji-eun.]

Ha-yoon answered. In that brief gap, it seemed like she communicated with the magical girls.

[I also think that’s the right thing to do.]

I truly didn’t care about the stupid punk’s head anymore at this point.

If I had a chance, even if just a moment, I wanted to find him and smash his head.

…..

No, that wasn’t it. The anger was still there.

But right now, Pang-pang’s safety was all that mattered.

*

Before my circuit completely broke down, I finally succeeded in tearing off the truck’s top part and getting inside.

Ha-yoon hadn’t completely entered the truck either, so now that I was inside, I understood what kind of situation Pang-pang was in.

“……Pang-pang!”

I shouted as I banged on the glass tube where Pang-pang was lying.

My vision blurred. I had shed too many tears.

……The chairman was really something until the very last. I see. He must have had some calculations for this diversion tactic as well.

“Ji-eun…!”

Losing even that glimmer of hope wasn’t exactly a good thing.

Pffft.

A dangerous sound came from the circuit strapped to my left wrist. Seeing the black smoke rising, Ha-yoon was horrified.

“Ji-eun?!”

But I couldn’t hear what came after that.

They say that when you’re under extreme stress, you can’t hear properly. My ears were ringing, and I couldn’t even hear the roaring truck.

I had no idea what to do.

Just because I felt a bit emotional, I had abandoned a friend in a broken house and ended up putting her at risk again.

I didn’t want to give up.

Absolutely, I didn’t want to give up. Because if I did, that would truly be the end. Pang-pang would probably never open her eyes again.

But, even so.

There was only one person I could blame, and that was deadly.

A sound of surprise echoed.

Ha-yoon might not have run away, but—

The hammer I always carried began to vibrate and there was a loud crack on its surface.

And then, as if only that part had lost its gravity, it floated in mid-air like a superconductor.

I could see the core spinning inside.

It seemed to be the most crucial part left functioning in the generator.

The car came to a halt.

No, it was rising. Ha-yoon stumbled a little and let out a small scream.

A voice called us from outside the torn part of the truck.

I was blankly staring at the exposed generator.

Could it be that James had envisioned something like this for the former chairman?

No.

I mean, I didn’t think that plan had succeeded. If it had, it would have succeeded a long time ago.

However, I simply—

I felt like I somewhat understood what that black orb gathering light wanted to say.

“Ji-eun!!”

Ha-yoon shouted in panic.

I reached out my right hand toward that generator.

Pffft. Pffft. Boom.

The circuit exploded completely, and my left wrist was flung against the tube. It didn’t cut me, but it felt like it might have broken somewhere.

I didn’t particularly feel any pain.

I was just extending my right hand.

Toward that exposed generator—

—James had said that magic isn’t really systematic at all. People who don’t understand the principles can do anything with magic. Free from common sense.

Perhaps, it was like the mind of a child throwing a tantrum.

The reason Earthlings can move circuits without knowing how to use magic at all might ultimately be because they know nothing.

Being unaware of that most important ‘magic’ might ironically be the reason they could handle magic to such an extent.

…..

No, things like that didn’t matter right now.

What was important was whether that thing in front of me could grant my wish or not.

The entropy of the universe.

The thoughts of the high-ups in this country.

What did I care about the Galactic Federation?

All I wanted at this moment was just one thing.

For Pang-pang to open her eyes.

To wake up safely and without any issues, to look at me and smile—

I could hear someone shouting.

It might have been James. The one who knew best that I would ruin the possibility in front of me in a most futile manner.

…..

Well, I didn’t care about such plans in the first place.

My right hand touched the generator.

My vision turned completely black.

 

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