Chapter 24 : Location (3) Part-2

From the fact that the area wasn’t completely decimated, it seemed it wasn’t an offensive spell.

What kind of spell it was, I didn’t know, but one thing was certain—it was definitely not in our favor.

In that case, I had to deal with her first.

The suit was using the despair circuits’ energy at 100% efficiency, just as James had boasted.

I couldn’t soar through the air like Iris or teleport in an instant, but I could release a powerful burst of magic beneath my feet.

Aiming at Delphinium, I raised the hammer above my head, gripping it tightly with both hands.

Magic began to flow from my hands.

I could feel something sticky trickling down my arms.

The thick jumpsuit soaked through in an instant.

I couldn’t see what had become of the hammer.

But then—

Bang!

Just before I swung the hammer, Delphinium awkwardly threw herself out of the way.

It was a little satisfying to see her move so urgently—Delphinium, who had always looked so bored and detached while attacking us, now hurriedly rolling away, was almost spectacle to see.

90%.

If just a slight smirk was enough to drop the percentage, then clearly, this circuit was flawed from the very foundation.

This felt like a circuit made to lose.

91%.

Not that I was trying to be petty or anything.

The spot where I had struck was now covered in a viscous, black substance.

Bang!

It exploded belatedly, but I wasn’t caught in the blast. Apart from the fact that my jumpsuit was now smeared with that black sludge—slowly sticking to my body—it wasn’t much of an issue.

“…W-Wait. You—”

I didn’t want to hear it.

I swung the hammer at Delphinium.

The grotesque black substance clung to the hammer’s head as well.

With each swing, the ooze crept further down the handle, gradually changing shape.

At first, it only grew in size, but soon, sharp spikes began to jut out from it.

By the time it had become something no one should ever be hit by, Dahlia lunged forward to shield Delphinium.

That staff of hers—just swinging it used to be enough to break my bones.

I think it was made from some special tree on a distant planet.

Supposedly, it was much harder than Earth’s wood and conducted magic exceptionally well.

I remember reading in a webtoon that the people of that planet had been using wooden sailing ships to explore space for centuries.

Not that it mattered.

The sound of kadeuk echoed.

“Huh?!”

A jagged fracture ran through the wood where my hammer struck.

Then, when the hammer hit the ground, the staff, caught between them, shattered at the tip.

Delphinium’s face was frozen in shock, but I didn’t hesitate—I swung the hammer at her again.

Thwack!

The hammer’s head struck Delphinium’s skull.

It didn’t feel like anything broke or shattered—her body was reinforced by strong magic, just like how my helmet protected my head.

It was the same reason Blossom could wield a blade capable of cutting even herself without fear.

Boom!

But pure kinetic energy was something that couldn’t be blocked indefinitely.

“Dahlia!”

Rose shouted.

Dahlia was sent flying, skidding across the floor.

Rose rushed toward me, so I gripped the hammer again with both hands and swiftly spun around to strike at the charging Rose.

Bang!

Rose’s gauntlet intercepted the hammer, but she couldn’t block the force entirely.

As her body staggered from the impact, I drove the end of the hammer into her abdomen.

Despite the hit, Rose, true to her martial arts training, didn’t back down easily.

Even in a weakened state, she struck my helmet with a powerful punch.

Crack!

I heard something breaking, and a crack appeared on the visor, though it didn’t shatter.

Her punch hit the area where the battery was located.

With an explosion, both Rose and I were thrown back, but I still tightly held the hammer.

The suit held up pretty well.

The crack in the visor remained, but the rest of it was intact.

…How ridiculously tough was that gauntlet?

A beam of light shot toward me, and I sprinted forward.

Toward Blossom.

Blossom, Iris, and the others were already heading toward me, and Rose quickly recovered and launched herself toward me again.

“…Everyone, stop…!”

Someone shouted from behind, but I didn’t stop.

I didn’t want to.

I fired an energy blast toward whoever was shouting.

I fired an energy blast in the direction of the voice.

Delphinium, who had been trying to shout something, was struck and sent sliding across the floor.

92%.

I had always lost before.

This time, just once, I wanted to win.

There were so many magical girls, and yet here I was, still fighting.

I wasn’t down yet.

91%.

I swung the hammer, and Blossom’s face appeared right in front of me.

Why did it have to be a magical girl story?

If it had been a superhero webtoon, Hayoon’s expression might not have been visible.

In her eyes, I could see a flash of fear.

Hayoon was afraid of me.

It made sense.

I was drenched in strange liquid, my clothes soaked in dark, sticky substance, wielding a grotesquely altered construction hammer.

And—she wouldn’t understand.

Why I was coming at her like a madwoman.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure either.

94%.

In the end, my attack missed.

I couldn’t bring myself to strike Hayoon with the hammer, even though I knew it wouldn’t seriously hurt her.

A beam of light flew toward me from behind.

The magical girls around me dodged.

Hayoon did too.

She avoided me.

96%.

Boom!

An explosion rang out behind me.

I was exhausted.

Even though my energy shield was holding, it didn’t matter if I collapsed inside.

What did I eat today?

I hadn’t eaten much since I was on edge this morning.

Wearing the suit made it hard to even use the restroom…

Of course, Hayoon avoided me.

I’d been attacking her every time I got close.

But… the school kids, they also avoid me in the same way.

For various reasons.

And now, in this moment…

How pathetic I was.

Hayoon didn’t even know who I was.

97%.

The circuits were running like crazy.

The black smoke was rising thicker now.

The energy that had turned into matter was now a liquid, dripping down in sluggish globs.

The suit was supposed to be perfect, but this seemed like another design flaw.

“Ha… ha… ha…”

Maybe I was just tired.

Or maybe not.

I wasn’t sure. I just needed to catch my breath for a second.

I lifted my head.

Everyone was staring at me with wide eyes.

Ah, right. I had survived the explosion again.

It made sense.

The blast was even stronger than the one Iris had fired earlier.

Rose was the first to charge at me.

I swung the hammer with one hand.

Rose, who had been rushing in as if to punch me, suddenly crossed her arms to block.

Bang!

A groan escaped from her as the hammer hit her forearm.

I kicked her arm again, pushing her backward, and then swung the hammer to deflect the beam of light aimed at me.

I couldn’t block it completely, but the impact didn’t hurt.

My arms were turning into something like a chitinous exoskeleton. I could still feel my body inside, but—

Blossom rushed in to intercept.

Some of the hardened shell on my arms cracked.

“You… just who—”

Blossom’s voice trembled.

“Who are you really?”

Blossom looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Even if she saw my real face, would she ask the same question to me even now?

Somehow, I felt like she would.

99%.

Sparks flew from the circuits.

“Everyone, stop!!”

Delphinium shouted, her voice distant.

“That’s not the researcher!!”

I lifted my hammer.

“There’s explosives in the pillar! Everyone, get back!”

I turned my gaze.

Delphinium, crawling on the floor, was screaming desperately.

“Iris, hurry—”

But before she could finish, everything before me turned white.