Chapter 68 : Requirements (4) Part-2

With a spirited shout, Rose leaped into the air and delivered a powerful dropkick.

Despite being dwarfed by the monster, her strength, enhanced by circuits, made a significant impact.

Her feet slammed into the monster’s chest, sending it flying back.

My turn came next.

Boosters at maximum, I launched forward and drove the hammer into the monster’s abdomen.

Drool—or something like it—dribbled from the monster’s mouth as it slammed into the wall from the force of the hammer.

The final blow came from Hayoon.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured as she plunged her sword into the monster’s arm.

The other functioning circuit, still intact, was severed by her precise strike.

Unlike the earlier explosion, Hayoon had ensured the remaining arm was dealt with more safely.

“Well done,” said James, observing from above.

“The more parts we recover from the circuits, the better. Let’s take it all.”

I glanced up at James in annoyance.

The monster, as if awakened by the removal of its circuit, suddenly lunged forward from the wall.

“Roar!”

Without the circuit’s energy controlling it, the monster moved with unrestrained aggression.

Bang!

But before it could go far, it was struck by another hammer blow, slamming into the wall before collapsing onto the ground.

Circuits not only controlled the monster but also enhanced its strength and defensive capabilities.

Having worn combat suits myself, I knew this much was true.

Delphinium waved her staff, and the wall dissolved like melting ice.

Her face glistened with sweat.

Using magic must drain her stamina—there was no such thing as free power.

The police remained silent, staring at the collapsed monster.

I couldn’t help but wonder—were they even ordinary police? Perhaps they belonged to another organization.

I surveyed the surroundings.

The area was in shambles.

Asphalt was cracked and broken everywhere—some by my hammer, others by magic.

Repairs would take time.

Still, what had we gained from this? Nothing.

The fight had been exhausting, even if none of us were seriously injured.

At least the 2-to-6 odds had prevented any major injuries, but…

I was already thinking about how I’d have to survive on canned goods and vegetables once we got back.

Protein from beans would have to suffice.

Just as Hayoon opened her mouth to say something, a commotion arose in the distance.

A girl was shouting, her voice oddly familiar.

Overlapping voices followed, suggesting someone was trying to reach us but was being blocked by the police.

I sprinted toward the source of the noise.

“Jieun!”

The voice belonged to Ji-Hye, who called out to me with her characteristic loud and clear tone.

Surrounded by police, she panted heavily, her face sweaty and her hair stuck to her skin.

“Ji-Hye…”

My voice came out in a daze.

Ji-Hye stood there, looking at me.

For a moment, she said nothing, as if unsure what to say.

Her trembling voice broke the silence.

“Are you… doing okay?”

I nodded.

There was no way I could tell her otherwise.

Even if I was barely managing, I was still managing.

“Th-that’s good…”

Her head drooped slightly.

Ji-Hye fidgeted before thrusting something toward me—a plastic bag.

“What’s this?”

“Well… I thought you might need it,” she said.

“I just bought it.”

A quick stop at a convenience store, perhaps?

I opened the bag to find instant meals, socks, underwear, and other essentials hastily stuffed inside.

They weren’t expensive items, but if she’d used her allowance to buy them…

“This…”

“Just take it,” Ji-Hye insisted.

“You said you needed it.”

“…Ah.”

Had she seen the broadcast?

“I—”

“Just take it,” Ji-Hye interrupted with a smile.

“I’m doing fine, so don’t worry too much about me. I came here just to tell you that. I know you’d worry otherwise.”

But she was worrying about me, too.

A flood of thoughts raced through my mind.

Ji-Hye had been hospitalized—was she feeling better? Could there be lingering effects from the gas incident?

I opened my mouth to speak, but—

“Jieun!”

Hayoon’s voice called from behind me, accompanied by a noise from above.

More drones were approaching, each carrying containers similar to the ones before.

Could we handle them all?

We had barely managed to defeat the earlier monster with its enhanced armor.

While it was possible to take them down, it would drain us further.

Hayoon had likely called out to me because she’d made the same assessment.

“…Go,” Ji-Hye said.

“Ji-Hye.”

“…You have to go, don’t you?”

Looking at Ji-Hye’s expression, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

I could only imagine how much she must have worried after I disappeared.

If Hayoon was someone I envied, Ji-Hye was one of the few people in my life who brought me comfort.

We’d been inseparable since childhood—her absence felt more unnatural than her presence.

And now, Ji-Hye had come all the way here, just to hand me this.

“Go, quickly!”

“…Next time. Let’s meet again next time.”

At my words, Ji-Hye nodded with a faint smile.

I wanted to tell her to come with me.

But I also knew that following me would only lead her to hardship.

The place I was headed to wasn’t suitable for her—there weren’t even proper bathrooms there.

Behind me, a black hole seemed to open.

Hope, so fleeting and fragile, dangled in front of me, but despair clutched at my legs.

What awaited me was a dark, gaping maw.

“Maybe somewhere else—”

“Even if I go back to school, I’ll just be called in right away,” Ji-Hye interrupted before I could finish.

She was right.

Unlike me, who could keep running, Ji-Hye was just an ordinary girl.

She had school to attend and a life to maintain.

For her, facing the authorities now might be better than running away.

I clenched my jaw and held back my words.

“Next time. Next time, let’s meet.”

Ji-Hye spoke as if to urge me on.

As she waved, I managed to squeeze out a response.

“Yeah. Next time.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

At least I’d seen Ji-Hye’s face again.

She’d woken up, and seeing her in her school uniform meant she was back in her daily routine.

The sound of children running reached my ears, followed by a crashing noise from the sky.

Thud, thud.

The heavy impacts echoed repeatedly, like when the containers opened earlier.

Grinding my teeth, I took a step back.

The last glimpse I had of Ji-Hye was her forced smile.

Stopping at the convenience store was partly because of the broadcast.

She’d almost rushed straight toward the commotion but turned aside just in time and went into the store.

Once inside, she grabbed a basket and filled it with anything she thought I might need: instant food, canned goods, snacks, socks, underwear, and stockings.

She even knew my sizes—we’d always been together, even doing laundry.

After stuffing the basket full, she headed to the counter and paid.

She hadn’t even paid attention to the total but was relieved to find enough money on her card.

Then Ji-Hye ran.

Some people tried to stop her, but she swung the bag she was holding and managed to slip past them.

By the time she reached the crowd of officers, she was out of breath.

Had she ever run like this before?

Her earbuds, still in her ears, had stopped playing sound long ago.

Finally, she shouted with all her might.

“Jieun!”

Her chest heaved painfully, her throat raw, but she still screamed.

“Jieunnn!”

By the time her voice gave out, a heavy crashing sound silenced the crowd.

And in front of her stood Jieun.

Covered in black stains and scratches, wearing a magical girl uniform that looked tattered beyond recognition.

It was something Ji-Hye might have teased her about under normal circumstances, but now she couldn’t even joke about it.

Ji-Hye had admired magical girls—symbols of justice fighting against evil.

But she’d never wanted Jieun to become one.

She didn’t even remember what they talked about.

Her mind was hazy, but she managed to deliver what she’d come to give.

Jieun was alive.

That much, she confirmed.

A part of Ji-Hye wanted to follow her, but another voice in her head told her she’d only be a burden.

And that voice kept her from saying those words.

Jieun left with only a sad smile for Ji-Hye, stepping back as if swept away by the wind.

The roaring wind that had filled the air moments before suddenly disappeared, leaving an empty silence.

It felt as though the brief reunion had been nothing but a fleeting illusion.

But the sensation of the plastic bag handle digging into her fingers remained.

Jieun had taken what Ji-Hye had given, without hesitation.

At least she’d been of some help.

That thought gave Ji-Hye a small measure of relief as she let out a soft sigh.