The individuals have once again arranged a trap similar to the previous one at this location.
Additionally, they have incorporated their own concealed weapons to ensure our demise with greater certainty.
It remains unknown whether these weapons are made from Earthlings or simply designed to resemble them in some manner.
Since the Federation’s initial contact with Earth five years ago, there has been a significant advancement in their tactics.
Even if they commenced their strategies immediately after making contact, humans would not have progressed this rapidly under usual circumstances.
Unless they used technology that was supposed to be off-limits for humans…
“Were they trying to gather combat data or something?”
“More likely, they just wanted to ensure we were taken care of. The chairman isn’t the type to overcomplicate things.”
“And now that I can’t use my full power, their plans have gone awry.”
“They can’t read your emotions, after all. Thanks to that, those robots and artificial monsters aren’t operating at full capacity either. The human piloting that robot probably didn’t anticipate this situation either, which is why they wasted time with that nonsense talk.”
‘But you anticipated the danger to our lives.’
“More precisely, I anticipated that the bomb wouldn’t detonate. And as you can see, we’re still safe.”
I can somewhat grasp their decision to put me in harm’s way, not that I will ever forgive them, but simply because there may be circumstances where I am powerless to prevent it.
However, if Hayoon’s safety is compromised, I will not tolerate it.
I do not wish for anyone to be involved in this precarious situation, but above all, I cannot bear the thought of Hayoon being in danger.
I understand the contradiction in my feelings.
It was my own desire to challenge and defeat Hayoon initially, which is why the current predicament is all the more frustrating and anger-inducing.
Even though he now looks like a hamster, James is still James—carrying that same nasty personality and bad taste from back in the day.
I really can’t leave him like this.
Whether through reeducation or starvation, I have to straighten out his mindset somehow.
At the very least, I need to change his way of speaking.
If he could just stop intentionally provoking people, he might actually be tolerable.
“Ha, haha!”
The Mohican laughed.
“So, you’re like rats in a trap! Even if the bomb didn’t go off, as long as we have the monsters—kwagh?!”
Before the Mohican could spout more nonsense, I swung my hammer at his head.
It didn’t even touch him or the floor, yet he shut his mouth immediately and went pale.
“To be able to run your mouth like that in a losing position—I have to respect the courage—”
“You shut up too.”
I turned to James.
“If you keep running your mouth, you’ll get the hammer next.”
James wisely closed his mouth.
“…So.”
I spoke, my frustration boiling over.
Although my circuits had been repaired and were functioning once more, they were unable to produce the level of intense energy that they once could.
Regrettably, it appears that I do not possess the mentality of a hero.
Even as I gaze upon the individuals before me, I find myself consumed with thoughts of how to make my escape.
Perhaps it would be best for us to depart from this place.
Should I make an error and trigger the bomb, it would result in the true demise of all present.
The bomb in question was the very same one that rendered Hayoon, also known as “Blossom,” unconscious for a period of time.
If it explodes right under us now—
“…I can’t just leave those people behind.”
Hayoon spoke.
“That would be… too…”
She left her sentence unfinished, yet her sincerity was palpable in the atmosphere.
I glanced at the rest of the children gathered around us.
Each one wore a grave expression, but not a single one showed any signs of wanting to flee the situation.
Hayoon, those children – they were all extraordinary magical girls.
Despite the diverse backgrounds or the comical remarks made by the creator regarding “realistic high school girl settings,” and disregarding any political undertones associated with their narratives…
When faced with what they perceived as injustice, they stood their ground without hesitation.
While they may not always embody righteousness, their unwavering commitment was always directed towards the pursuit of justice.
They never abandoned hope.
That’s probably the difference between me and those kids.
“Alright.”
Upon hearing my words, James glanced at me with an expression of surprise etched on his face.
It dawned on me that he was most likely capturing the unfolding events with the aid of his drone.
It appeared that he believed he could easily distribute the recorded footage once he had made his escape.
It was a chilling realization that the reason behind the placement of multiple bombs across the area was to ensure that there would be no survivors left to leak any of the secrets held by those behind this sinister plan.
The only way to ensure their secrets remained safe was to erase all traces of those who knew too much.
“But I can’t guarantee how long we’ll be okay.”
“Do you think we can break the wall?” Rose asked.
“Delphinium… probably not. For now, dealing with them takes priority.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
“I’ll help too,” Dahlia added.
“Even if I can’t make a huge explosion like Delphinium, I should be able to help break through.”
I fell silent again.
I still couldn’t figure out what I really wanted.
Did I want to help the magical girls and become a hero?
Or was I just swept up in the situation, making decisions out of necessity?
But one thing I did know: this choice wasn’t entirely wrong.
Hayoon’s circuit, and the circuits of the other kids, began to glow white.
They all looked at their circuits, slightly flustered.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
As I mumbled those words, the kids quickly regained focus and moved into action, forgetting their earlier hesitation.
The enemy started moving too.
Ignoring the others, I dashed toward the wall with all my strength.
Thinking I posed the greater threat, the robot’s arm turned toward me.
Of course, they’d want to prevent the outside world from seeing what was inside here.
I heard the missiles tearing through the air, but they didn’t reach me.
Boom! Boom!
The missiles exploded with deafening blasts, loud enough to rupture my eardrums, but they didn’t hit me.
Instead, Dahlia, following closely behind, fired her magic at the missiles, detonating them mid-air.
Even though the shockwaves from the explosions made me stagger, the massive propulsion device attached to my hammer helped me maintain my balance.
The ceiling opened, revealing more missiles, but Dahlia, anticipating this, waved her staff again.
Her smaller, scattered magic bullets slipped through the gaps and detonated the spare missiles inside the ceiling.
Fortunately, the ceiling absorbed most of the shrapnel, preventing it from flying toward us.
The ceiling didn’t collapse.
Either the missiles weren’t strong enough, or the ceiling was abnormally sturdy.
It made sense—if their own missiles destroyed the building and exposed what was inside, it would ruin everything.
Whoever designed this was clever.
Enduring the explosions erupting all around, I finally reached the wall.
Luckily, this was the floor with the robot hangar.
The corridors extended on both sides, meaning the walls at the ends weren’t just room dividers but the outer walls of the facility itself.
Bang!
I hit the wall with my hammer at full power, using maximum propulsion.
And, of course, I faced the obvious challenge.
The wall didn’t budge.
The concrete outer layer crumbled slightly, revealing the rebar inside, but that was it.
Even as Dahlia followed up with the largest magic shot she could muster, the wall barely shed a few particles.
The rebar didn’t even bend. How densely packed was it?
The answer came to me quickly.
It wasn’t just about protecting the secrets inside.
From the moment this place was built as a shopping mall, the structure had been designed to support massive weight.
After all, a shopping mall has to handle the weight of countless people packed inside.
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to break through, even with the right equipment, but—
“Hey!”
As I stepped back and raised my hammer above my head,
Dahlia called out to me in alarm.
Ignoring her, I swung my hammer down with all my might.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
And then—
“Ha.”
As expected.
The floor wasn’t as thick as the walls.
Shopping malls inherently have large open spaces between floors to accommodate displays and crowds.
Even if they had added a false floor beneath, it would be hard to notice.
Especially if that space was too narrow for even one person to stand in.
Earlier, I saw the monsters, seemingly created by modifying Earthlings, emerging from the floor.
No matter how enhanced they are through circuits, breaking through walls this thick should be impossible.
That means they must have added another layer beneath the floor—one we wouldn’t notice easily.
This research facility must have been repurposed for such uses ever since the current chairman took over.
A place to secretly store soldiers and destroy them when necessary.
Bang! Bang!
Even now, similar sounds echoed from where the kids were fighting.
Monsters were forcing their way up from below the ground.
And here, in my location—
I found it.
“What’s that?”
Dahlia’s face turned pale as she saw what I had uncovered while brushing off the dust.
In my hand was a spinning “circuit,” glowing in ominous hues.
It appeared unstable, smaller than the one I had seen at the chairman’s mansion, which was over a meter in size.
But it wasn’t exactly tiny either—it was about 30 centimeters in diameter.
They must’ve thought using a one-meter circuit to bury us here would be overkill.
Still, several of these circuits were scattered beneath the floor I had broken.
I could see the edges of a few more.