Chapter 171 – A New Phase (1)
“This is a problem for humanity. We can sort out responsibilities and arguments later, but first, we need to suppress these uncontrollable monsters.”
“Our provisional government will cooperate with the Allied Forces!”
“The provisional government officials were assassinated by the pro-Ja tribe early yesterday morning. However, the Allied Forces are continuing to…”
“…”
Her real name is Elysia. She is currently operating as a magical girl named Shia, staring blankly at the news channel. It had been about two days since Takilas disappeared and Aria returned home, and all she had done was watch the news.
“It’s convenient, isn’t it? To know the world’s news while sitting here.”
“It’s strangely awkward to see you being so calm like this.”
The mascot Tigger let out a dry laugh at her mumbling. Compared to their first meeting, she had certainly changed a lot.
“I’ve just realized what is right. For true judgment.”
She used to think that there was no room for compromise; only principles were sacred and unchangeable. But that was not the case anymore.
Ultimately, she understood now that compromise and adjustment were necessary to achieve her ultimate goal.
“You made me wait.”
That was when Lee Min-hyung entered.
He looked quite tired, and he smiled bitterly at seeing Shia quietly watching TV inside.
“The situation is a mess. I’m embarrassed as an adult, but there’s still no proper unity or cooperation even in this situation.”
“I understand. Each of you has different missions and beliefs, so is it even possible for you to come together as one?”
Shia nodded her head as if she hadn’t given it much thought. Much like Razak, she too had pierced through the characteristics of Earthlings who were different from her.
“They may seem foolish and naive, but I wouldn’t say that’s wrong.”
“Thanks for that.”
He shrugged. After all, compared to their first meeting, Shia could now have a conversation like this even without the intermediary Aria.
“If you’ve seen the news, you already know that those monsters that were attacking indiscriminately everywhere have suddenly turned defensive. We were able to evacuate people in the meantime, but that doesn’t mean everyone was saved on-site.”
Lee Min-hyung refrained from saying that those who hadn’t been rescued were starving to death or on the brink of freezing due to lack of electricity and water. In fact, even the rescued people were struggling to endure without material support.
“Magical girls have gathered from all over the world. They’re here to protect and save people. What will you do?”
“Of course, I will judge the evil that stands before me. The monster Razak. He is the source of evil and a villain that cannot be compromised with.”
“The Allied Forces cannot attack him right now. First, they need to tidy up the surroundings and form a defensive line, then rescue the people, and finally attack the place where he is presumed to be.”
He calmly explained the Allied Forces’ plan. Naturally, they couldn’t just bomb their way through. The greater good, justifications, and the many eyes watching this incident emphasized prioritizing saving lives.
“I will follow your plan.”
Surprisingly, Shia nodded and agreed to that plan. Sometimes, you have to know when to retreat. That was one of the essential lessons she had learned from rolling with the world.
“Thank you. I’ll find a way to repay this help, no matter what.”
“But you should also understand this: you are not seeing the essence of the matter.”
“…Essence?”
“Sometimes sacrifice is necessary. A noble and honorable sacrifice. Do you dislike sacrifice? Are you afraid? Do you really believe you can protect and satisfy all the lives of millions?”
Shia shook her head. As a saint living to eradicate evil, she absolutely could not understand this.
“I know that telling this to someone who is merely a bureaucrat will be meaningless. But I can’t help but speak out of frustration. You will eventually fall apart, self-destruct, and rot due to the hypocrisy hidden behind your dreamlike ideals.”
“I understand what you’re saying. I can only ask for your understanding. We are experiencing this moment for the first time as well. Perhaps, as you say, we might end up failing by prioritizing things like human rights that people nowadays care about so much. If so, we would be eliminated and perish. But whether we fail or succeed, no one knows. You included.”
“…That’s a fair point.”
Shia chuckled at his words and transformed. The clanking silver armor encased her body snugly and tightened.
“My role is to embrace the foolish and pitiful masses as a decree of the heavens. Where must I go?”
“Right here, we need your strength here.”
Lee Min-hyung, gently smiling, pointed to a spot on the map. The counterattack had already begun. They needed to establish a strong defensive line before Razak could unleash his powers and grow stronger.
‘I have my task, and that won’t change. The essence— that is what truly matters.’
With a radiant pair of white wings unfurling, Shia soared into the sky, her shining sky-colored hair flowing in the wind. What she was doing was the same as before, but her heart was now significantly different.
At least Shia’s sky-blue eyes were steady and unwavering.
…
And there was someone watching Shia’s form from the shadows. Those sapphire-like blue eyes looked somewhat peculiar.
“There you are, Rene.”
Lee Min-hyung approached her after meeting Shia. Only then did Rene tear her gaze away from Shia and look at him.
“Is there some kind of bad blood between you? It seemed like you’ve been avoiding it domestically as well.”
“Not really.”
She shook her head as if startled. As she said, there was indeed no bad blood. In the first place, Shia would not recognize Rene.
‘Saint Elysia. I thought it was best not to cross paths due to her disposition.’
But Rene recognized Shia from the very beginning.
It was clear even from her blatant display of holy power, not to mention that a saint of the church could not be mistaken for a mere fallen princess with a different haircut.
“I want to go somewhere different from that woman.”
“In that case, you could go there. There are retreating local forces along with many civilians. Please save them.”
Rene too received her mission. Unlike Shia, it wasn’t driven by a sense of duty.
She was merely trying to secure her political standing through these activities. But like her, both she and Lee Min-hyung didn’t care much about meaning or process; what mattered to them were actions and results.
*
“Foolish bastards. You think you can win a war by acting so weak?”
The offensive of the Allied Forces, with even magical girls thrown into the mix, had begun. But Razak, who was observing the situation, laughed heartily, understanding their intentions.
“Gyaaaah!”
“Help me… he…elp… aaahhh!”
“War is war. Only the victors evolve and survive. Those who don’t know what comes first are… doomed.”
Razak grinned as he listened to the screams of countless people.
This was one of the many nests Razak had created. A massive “digestive chamber” with a diameter of over several meters that could literally digest anything.
Razak’s soldiers tossed captured people in indiscriminately, regardless of age or gender. The screams of those being digested alive echoed non-stop from the dark pit below.
“They will regret giving me time. Those foolish rotten insects who wasted time attacking the enemy to save worthless lives have no right to dominate this land.”
Razak was confident of his victory. In fact, he believed it was due to human self-destruction, rather than anything he had done.
If he dragged this war out and turned all occupied areas into his complete nests, he was sure he would never lose.
“…What are those?”
However, just as he had grown overly confident, unidentified foes appeared from the northwest front before him.
[Disgusting monsters possess some magical power, huh? A usable force indeed.]
A white skeleton clad in a beautifully decorated robe with golden thread had blue flames igniting in its eye sockets.
With a sinister grin, the skeleton waved its staff, forcing the legion soldiers armed with swords to fall to the ground while being drained of their magical powers.
[Rise. By the Demon King’s command, we must devour those creatures and preserve our strength.]
As the massive power of Arch Lich Ashburn stirred, the ground of the surrounding area twisted, and thousands of bone-like white hands began to emerge.
[Kill them, die, but we shall advance.]
Of course, Razak’s soldiers rushed at the skeleton army, but the skeletons too raised their weapons and charged forward.
Razak’s soldiers staggered as they fought against a lion’s army that showed no fear and would not retreat, even against their own attacks.
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