Chapter 42 : Weapons (3) Part-2

“Where should I transform?”

I asked as I casually opened my bag.

Back in Gangnam, I had transformed on the building’s roof.

That too was risky.

If someone checked the CCTV, they’d know I went up there.

But the mask I wore wasn’t the one I usually worked in.

I’d switched it in a place without CCTV, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

James was pretty good at handling those things, so I wasn’t worried.

“I have an idea,” James said, pulling something out of his bag.

It looked like wireless earbuds at first glance.

He handed them to me, and when I put them in my ears, his voice came through.

“Curious how youI didn’t get caught by CCTV while transforming in the middle of Gangnam?”

James asked, his tone amused.

“Well, let me tell you. My tech is far superior to Earth’s, and to control top-tier robots with brainwaves, you need to be able to work with very fine frequencies. Fortunately, most CCTV in this era is wireless.”

Ah.

So he hacked into the system and replaced the footage?

“Well, I’m not omnipotent. If it’s wired or uses foreign tech designed for high security, I can’t do anything about it. But when I can interact with it like this, changing the footage is easy.”

“2H…”

James had probably withheld this info to see my reaction, which was a bit frustrating.

He had finally decided to share it now, and it was pretty exciting for him.

“By the way, Earth police still use walkie-talkies, right? It’s easy to intercept those. Now, I’ll broadcast directly into your ear.”

“You seem awfully excited about this,” I remarked.

“Is there really a difference between being excited or not when working?” he said, though he seemed a little sheepish after hearing my comment.

Thinking it over again, James was really focused on transmitting emotions through the translator.

If he’d just read things without feeling, it might have been even worse.

Sitting still would draw too much attention, so I followed James’ guidance and walked.

It was a weekday, so the streets weren’t too crowded, though not completely empty.

“Let’s go up to the building again,” James said.

The building he mentioned was old but still somewhat tall.

In the distance, I could see police cars and hear sounds of things breaking and people shouting.

We were getting close to a police-controlled area, so getting closer seemed dangerous.

That was probably why James chose this building.

Inside, there was a security guard, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention to me.

The elevator was available, and I pressed the button for the highest floor.

Fortunately, no one else got on with me.

[Suspect is believed to be from the second planet of the Arel Star System. Nationality is still being confirmed. Do not approach too closely. Civilian safety is the highest priority.]

It is presumed to be from the second planet of the Arell star system.

Nationality is under investigation.

Do not approach too closely.

The safety of civilians is the top priority.

It was a man’s voice.

Could he be one of the people dispatched there?

Did they have their weapons drawn?

Is he holding a gun?

Monsters often chew through non-lethal rounds.

So, if necessary, they may fire real bullets, just like when they subdued me.

I made my way to the top floor again, looking for the stairs.

There was no one in the hallway.

It seemed like the top floor was just empty.

Did James know that and tell me to come into this building?

The roof door was locked, but I broke the lock and went out onto the roof.

Of course, I wore gloves while breaking the lock.

Anything that could slow down the investigation would help.

Although it was somewhat far from where the situation was happening and I couldn’t see clearly, I could still see the giant monster’s head sticking out.

I didn’t know exactly where the second planet of the Arell star system was.

The police probably didn’t know either.

They were just preparing based on what the experts told them.

It looked like the monster had been subdued to some degree, as its face was visible, but it wasn’t moving.

[Hostage condition?]

[They seem to be fine for now.]

Ah, so there’s a hostage.

[Their face looks a bit pale though.]

[They’re not choking, and their chest is still rising and falling. It seems like they can still breathe…]

[They might be hyperventilating due to fear.]

[Should we try sniping?]

[Didn’t you hear the orders? Stand by. It would be useless with our equipment anyway. If we make a move now, the hostage will be in even more danger.]

[Understood… Should I request different equipment?]

[They won’t fall. If the other party has no criminal record, they’ll be under protection from the Galactic Federation. It’s best for the magical girl to handle this.]

Hmm.

I’m also a magical girl.

“We can’t go now.”

James said.

“We have to show that we’re capable of overwhelming the magical girl.”

I was thinking it might be a good idea to resolve the situation before the magical girl arrives.

[Why is the magical girl so late?]

[She’s on her way. She should be there within 10 minutes…]

[Why so late? We’ve been waiting for so long.]

[The hostage condition is worsening.]

[The alien’s appearance has changed so much that it’s impossible to handle.]

[So, did we find out who the hostage is? Should we let the family know?]

[Yes, we found out. A student ID came out of the wallet.]

[Student ID? Are they a minor?]

[Yes, their name is… Jeong Ji-hye.]

“What?”

I muttered without thinking.

If the communication wasn’t one-way, it would have been a big mistake.

“Wait—”

Seeing my reaction, James immediately spoke, but the conversation continued.

[The family isn’t around. They’re in an orphanage for now. Should we contact them?]

[Let’s do that. Keep the wallet for now, and pass the information to the relevant department. We’ll focus on the task at hand.]

[Hope the hostage holds on.]

[Since negotiations won’t work, we just have to wait until the magical girl arrives.]

“Jeong Ji-eunJi-hye. Stay calm.”

James’s voice echoed in my ears.

“Just 10 more minutes—”

“What if something happens in the meantime?”

I replied.

I had already put the bag down and was opening the zipper.

“We have a plan. Sometimes, you have to be patient for the best result.”

I took the earphones out, but James’s words were still audible from the bag.

James looked up at me with a slightly angry expression.

“If the plan goes wrong—”

“The plan only works when it benefits both of us. Why should I do something that only causes me harm?”

I said this as calmly as possible, but my heart was already racing.

The circuits were still running.

In fact, I probably wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer, regardless of whether I wanted to transform or not.

And once I transformed, there would be no going back.

James didn’t respond to my words.

As I assembled the hammer, I said,

“Let’s handle this first and think about the next step after. Once the hostage is Ji-hye, the plan is already over. I won’t be able to hold back anyway.”

Is this my fault?

I know it’s better not to think like that.

It was probably just a coincidence.

Ji-hye was simply unlucky to be in the vicinity when the alien turned into a monster.

But, even so, I couldn’t stop that thought from creeping into the back of my mind.

Could it really be just a coincidence that Ji-hye, who rarely comes to places like this, happened to be in this situation?

The circuits were buzzing.

Black smoke began to rise around my wrists.

“…Fine.”

“Understood.”

James finally said.

“Well, it’s better than not being able to transform at all. I’ll adjust the circuits to account for the conditions of the situation.”

“…”

I pretended not to hear his last words.

I didn’t want to think about how the people around me might be used in my activities.

The black smoke covered my vision.

I felt a sense of floating that I could never get used to.