Chapter 140 – The War of Beliefs (10)
Nobody saw this coming.
The real reason was simply her laziness, but still, the mighty Takilas only caused chaos abroad when it was necessary to capture Mamute, whom she was bound to catch.
Thus, most people’s thoughts remained unchanged. No matter how strong a Magical Girl was, they speculated that they couldn’t recklessly break national order.
Moreover, the Magical Girls themselves were originally residents of this land. They knew what kind of backlash their actions could cause. And frankly, very few Magical Girls were strong enough to throw chaos alone.
“This is… impossible…”
But right here and now, there was a being that was making all these conditions go awry.
Someone who didn’t know anything about the interests of the countries on Earth, who prioritized her faith over everything, and who possessed a powerful force capable of being a variable all on her own.
The Magical Girl Lawen, who had stepped up to stop her, was taken aback as her summoned holy power was shredded like paper by the whirlwind of divine force.
In fact, Shia didn’t even swing the Sacred Sword. Just drawing it and holding it in front of her chest caused the atmosphere to tremble and the clouds to part.
It was an overwhelming disaster that Lawen, who had grown from Class C to something akin to Class S through experiments, couldn’t withstand.
[“A Magical Girl who doesn’t fight evil is not a Magical Girl. She is merely evil.”]
“That’s a lie… it can’t be true?! If you do this, it’s war! I am part of the organization! How dare you…”
[“Are you afraid of war?”]
“…!!”
Panic-stricken as she realized the reality, Lawen’s face paled at Shia’s burning gaze.
‘Crazy girl.’
It was because she recognized that this was something beyond madness. Common sense and threats were ineffective.
Soon, Shia aimed the Sacred Sword at Lawen. Lawen cast a glance behind her. She hadn’t come here alone.
There was an army that had arrived with her on helicopters. If they got caught up and died, it would bring about consequences that couldn’t be ignored.
“Wait…”
But when Lawen opened her mouth again, the explosion of holy power erupted from the aimed Sacred Sword, obliterating everything in the vicinity.
Not the warm light of healing but the intense light of judgment transformed the holy power, and Lawen was annihilated without a trace. The helicopters of the Chinese military behind her also erupted in explosions, crashing down with nothing left behind.
“It’s over.”
And Tigger shut his eyes tight, witnessing it all.
*
“What… is happening…”
“Director! You need to leave, quickly!”
At that moment when Shia obliterated the Magical Girls and military of the Chinese Government trying to stop her, it wasn’t just internal forces from China that were watching. Governments and intelligence agencies from other countries were also observing this unprecedented situation with tension.
Lee Min-hyung, the director of the Republic of Korea’s Magical Girl Management Bureau and the head of the secret organization Frontier which took the initiative due to the ousting of the One Road faction, felt the same.
He hurried his steps. Not for anyone else but because the President had called for him.
“I was afraid something like this might happen.”
“Y-yeah. I can’t believe it…”
“Is there still no movement?”
Arriving at the location with Oh Yoon-seo, he immediately got to the point. It wasn’t just the President in this place. The U.S. Ambassador Christopher was also present.
From the beginning, he had paid more attention to Christopher, who practically represented the U.S. government, than to the now-awkward president who had originally backed Lee Jong-pil’s faction.
“I’ve heard there hasn’t been any significant movement yet, presumably they’re as dumbfounded as we are by the current situation.”
The ambassador chuckled and shook his head.
Even at this moment, they were mobilizing all means to monitor the enemy’s movements. But at least it was fortunate that they didn’t seem to show any signs of military mobilization. They hadn’t even made any official statements yet.
“It’s not like mobilizing the military would do anything. But this won’t end quietly either. We’ll surely continue to clash.”
“That seems likely. And when that happens, who knows what will happen?”
No one welcomed the other side’s ongoing projects. So it was rather a good thing that Shia appeared, taking an interest and actively interfering.
However, they absolutely did not wish for that interference to escalate into an all-out war.
“We’ll maintain vigilance. But I think it’s right to at least make some minimal preparations.”
“Preparations?”
“This is an opportunity for us as well. It’s a chance to quell the inhumane and threatening projects being carried out by the Chinese government. Since they’re not likely to halt the project voluntarily, if that ‘Steel-guarded Magical Girl’ is pushed against them, we will assist her.”
The ambassador got to the main point. Upon hearing that, Lee Min-hyung’s face slightly stiffened. He began to understand the reason for bringing it up in this particular gathering.
“South Korea has also suffered due to their schemes. If their project concludes successfully without any hindrance, where would that power be projected?”
“I understand. I’ll pass on the details after a discussion.”
Grasping the intent, Lee Min-hyung agreed for now. After all, he was in no position to decide anything by himself.
Once the ambassador left, he was left alone with the president.
“What did the President say?”
“Nothing major.”
Oh Yoon-seo approached Lee Min-hyung as he exited the room. His expression was oddly enigmatic.
It was neither pleased nor displeased.
“If something happens, it would be illogical for us not to intervene. But if we do, the fallout will be significant. We can’t even assume that this will be the end of it.”
He sighed and hung his head.
“What do you think is the least problematic way to resolve this from our standpoint?”
“Takilas should step in.”
Without hesitation, Oh Yoon-seo answered.
It was the correct answer, and he smiled wryly. It was a means to ignore all diplomatic issues and focus solely on practical gains. Who in this world could stop Takilas? If she stepped up, this issue might just get resolved in one fell swoop.
“But that’s an impossible story. Takilas would never want to step in. She wants us to overcome this crisis on our own.”
Having talked with her directly, he knew very well what Takilas wanted. He understood the beliefs behind her seemingly erratic behavior.
“Get in touch with the Magical Girls working with us. We need to gather interested parties and possibly deploy someone to China if needed.”
“…Yes.”
“There’s no answer anyway. No one has the answer.”
He ultimately issued orders through Oh Yoon-seo.
It was obvious that the other party would be mobilizing their Magical Girl forces, so they had to respond with their own Magical Girls.
However, unlike the enemy, they swore they wouldn’t use their Magical Girls as soldiers or mercenaries.
“Exclude minors. We’ll only send those with experience.”
That meant recruiting would take time. He planned to receive volunteers through calm explanations and choices.
“It seems the atmosphere is quite serious.”
And of course, that movement quickly spread among those in the same industry.
“What’s going on?”
A seemingly ordinary middle school girl asked with a smile. It was gym class, but she was just resting in the shade as her mascot, Ren, was in a flurry.
“Of course, it’s because of your friend! That aggressiveness is like seeing a Valkyrie from the past. She poured oil on a tense situation. Thanks to that, everyone is focusing over there. Magical Girls might end up warring against each other… this is a major issue.”
“They were the ones who crossed the line first, and you failed to persuade or dissuade them. This was bound to happen eventually. Human greed has no limits.”
Ren was pulling at his hair in agony, but she only laughed at him.
“What are you going to do about it?”
Ren desperately cried out, hitting her legs, which were wrapped in white socks.
“Me? Why?”
Of course, the answer was already predetermined. Though the situation had escalated this far, she had no intention of stepping in. In fact, she thought it was alright.
The end of tempering inevitably leads to war, and the survivors emerge stronger.
In a world where threats might still lie, she wanted those who could substitute for her to grow stronger.
“What I’m concerned about right now is why Asmael sent the Saint here. That’s the only thing on my mind. The Saint is here to deal with all the nuisances, so why should I step in? Until now, it was a matter of me having to move because those incompetent kids were making a mess, but now it seems like I could take a break.”
“You…”
Ren sank to the ground, utterly dumbfounded.
As she said, the Magical Girl Takilas had not shown her face in quite some time. There was only a girl enjoying her daily life like a leisurely vacation.
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