The antenna was about the height of a typical 10-story building, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have weaknesses.
First, it wasn’t all that heavy for its size.
Of course, it would be impossible for a single person to carry it, but it had been assembled by bringing parts from the outside.
Moreover, since it was located in the center of a building about 50 stories tall, there was a limit to its weight.
It seems the plan was to protect the antenna by making the building that hid it sturdy.
So, the outer part of the antenna was something I could cut through with my blade.
The antenna had a shape resembling a horseshoe.
Or, it could be compared to a U-shaped magnet or a tuning fork.
In fact, its narrow sides and elongated upper part seemed to fit this description more accurately.
The reason I thought of it as one long skewer was because, from the entrance on this floor, the sharp, pointed ends of the antenna perfectly overlapped, making it look like a single piece.
James said that the antenna had two main weaknesses.
One was the connection between the building and the device.
The other was a crucial part needed for the device to work properly.
The “connection part” wasn’t hard to find.
Being a machine, it was always susceptible to malfunction, and naturally, there were parts that could be opened for maintenance.
And those “openable parts” weren’t as thick as the walls of the entire building.
Since my goal was to destroy it anyway, I wasn’t being cautious with my blade.
I drove it into the floor—more specifically, into the lock of the maintenance hatch—and sparks flew.
Even though I knew it wouldn’t hurt me, I flinched slightly.
By the way, James was hanging behind me.
He must’ve known sparks were going to fly.
Was he not planning to warn me?
While pondering what rat meat might taste like, I ripped off the maintenance hatch cover.
I yanked it off so hard that the hinges, which held it to the floor, were destroyed and flew off.
Inside, there were neatly organized thick and thin wires, easily distinguishable by their bright colors, making it clear where each wire connected.
“Let’s cut them as messily as we can. That way we can melt the copper or rubber, right?”
As James suggested, I swung both blades wildly.
More sparks flew, but this time I wasn’t scared.
I had already confirmed that I wouldn’t get hurt earlier.
The wires were cut messily, and as James had said, some of them melted and stuck together.
During the process, there was a short circuit, and sparks flew wildly.
Several computers around the antenna, which had been placed in a circular arrangement, shut off.
Some of them were server-like computers.
“Since we’re at it, it’d be better to cut all the wires for the server computers too. That way, the troops coming here will be further thrown into chaos.”
The building walls were thick.
Naturally, in general, it wasn’t an environment where wireless internet could be used.
This wasn’t something special about this building.
Even in newly built high-rise apartments or villas, there are often cases where phone calls and internet connections don’t work well inside.
Until a separate receiver is installed in the building, it’s difficult to use a phone normally.
And, even without James telling me, I knew something from my experience as a soldier.
The company’s services all rely on the company server’s intranet.
It’s a security measure.
Of course, the server in front of me probably wasn’t the one managing everything, but…
“It’s also there to maintain communication with the outside of the building. With that antenna alone, it can handle everything.”
In other words, if the server computers, wires, and LAN cables are all severed, this place will be cut off from communication.
Satellites or any other form of communication won’t work unless signals can reach.
I grabbed the server rack with both hands and yanked it forward.
It made a loud noise as it tipped over, and the computers inside spilled out.
Then, I grabbed all the cables neatly plugged in the back and yanked them out at once.
Some cables were snapped off where the connectors usually hold them in place, but I didn’t pay much attention to that.
“Why?”
“No, you’re doing fine,” James answered calmly when I asked, sensing that he had gone quiet.
I shrugged, then proceeded to smash another computer.
I jammed the blade into it and cut across, kicked it, punched it, threw things from the table, and bent a laptop backward before slamming it down on the desk a few times, knocking the keycaps off.
It felt pretty good.
“You must have had a lot to get rid of.”
“No need to say it.”
I replied, catching my breath, and James fell silent for a moment.
BANG!
After destroying part of the antenna below, the door I had sealed earlier exploded.
“Ah.”
“Don’t worry too much. As you saw just now, the soldiers are carrying live ammunition. No one would be foolish enough to shoot while things are already this messed up.”
That’s true.
“And, we have business upstairs. Can you go up?”
Honestly, I still don’t know how I managed to lift off earlier.
It wasn’t really my decision, but I did it before transforming.
Still, there was a way.
I took a few steps back and said, “Hold on tight.”
Then, I sprinted forward with all my strength.
And I jumped, stomping the ground with all my might.
Thwack!
I slammed a blade into the antenna and hung onto it.
After embedding one blade, I pushed off with my legs, bent my knees, and pulled myself up, placing my feet on the antenna.
At first glance, it might look like I was crouching with my feet on the antenna.
“Why?”
“No, nothing.”
When I asked James, who was silent again, he replied as though it was absurd.
What’s going on with him?
If something’s bothering him, he should just say it.
Bang!
“Are you crazy!?”
A soldier shot at me from below.
Fortunately, the bullet missed, but it looked like a team leader or someone in charge grabbed the soldier’s gun and shouted.
“Are you responsible if the antenna breaks!?”
How thin is that metal plate?
Well, it wasn’t meant for military use, and with the defense setup being so thorough, it didn’t need to be physically tough.
Besides, I started from the middle floors.
Given that the magical girl still hadn’t made it down here, it seemed like a significant advantage.
“I’m going.”
I said that, drew my blade, and ran forward.
“Ugh!”
It’s something that would be unimaginable for an average person.
I was stepping and jumping on a vertical structure.
But it was the magically enhanced body that made it possible.
I didn’t jump all the way up at once.
Slippery.
I made it up to a certain point, but in the end, my foot couldn’t overcome gravity and slipped.
I once again stabbed a blade and hung on.
Clang!
Then something flew toward me and hit the antenna.
Unlike the bullets fired earlier, it didn’t make a hole, but if it had hit the place where the blade was stuck, the blade would have been pulled out and I would have fallen.
Clang!
Thud!
The combatants below must have thought it was a good idea, because they started throwing objects from below, hurling them at me.
Both sides were moving seriously, but honestly, it was a little absurd.
Well, they had no way to reach me up here, so I guess that’s why they were doing that.
As I was lazily thinking about it, I almost fell straight down.
Swoosh!
I got completely soaked, from head to toe.
As I tried to look down, the strong water pressure pushed my face upward.
I don’t know whose idea it was, but from below, they pulled out a fire hose and aimed it up at me.
James made a squeaky noise as he fell down below, and I quickly reached out to grab him.
“Eek!”
I must have grabbed him too hard, because he made that sound.
His body was soft and warm, just like a hamster.
Although he was wet, he wasn’t exactly fluffy.
“What is this!?”
I tried to say something, but the water coming up hit me, and my translator seemed to shake, causing my words to turn into squeaky sounds.
This isn’t good.
I made a blade in my left hand, the one holding James.
“Click! Click!”
James screamed in terror when he saw that, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Well, maybe a little.
I had to be careful not to squeeze too hard and make it explode.
Snap!
I pulled myself upward as if rock climbing, thrusting the blade up.
The further I climbed, the weaker the water from below seemed to get.
The blade, though formless, clung tightly to my arm.
Magic is strangely variable, and depending on the user, the physical force can change.
Sometimes, it can easily cut through thick metal, but if I had tried to do that here, I wouldn’t even be able to hang on like this.
Or perhaps this antenna itself was created through some magical method.
Maybe the circuits inside and the magical combat suits that shield attacks work similarly.
I kept climbing upward, thinking about all of this.
By now, nothing was flying toward me.
The person who broke the antenna while shooting at me surely wasn’t in a position to do anything.
This is why black companies are inefficient.
They can’t even properly protect the people doing their jobs, so no one would risk their lives for them.
Even the people here, who are paid well, still act like this.
Did they think it was okay to catch me when I ran away?
Huff.
I finally made it up to where the antenna splits.