Episode 102 – There is No Right Answer (2)
“Ugh, Aaaah!”
The magic that burst from within blew everything away. The pastor holding the tiara, supplies, the building, and even the thugs waiting outside to rush in.
“Magical Girl! How dare you harm innocent people! You’ve finally revealed your true colors!!”
The pastor, who was thrown back and rolling on the ground with disheveled hair, shouted with gritted teeth. But Rene looked at him and scoffed.
“It’s obvious what you want. If those eyes are not just for show, see for yourself. Did I really harm them?”
“This… this can’t be…”
Thinking he had a good justification, the pastor turned to the side in shock. In an instant, everything became chaos, yet Rene’s magic did not touch the victims.
“I promise you once again.”
Rene spoke to those staring at her blankly within the barrier she had set up. “I will realize true justice. Even if it means breaking reality and the existing order. With this power.”
She raised the staff in her hand. It was a declaration filled with beauty and nobility, combined with the powerful force she had just displayed — a power capable of moving and twisting people’s hearts.
“Do not be deceived again! Those despicable hypocrites do not help the weak like you!”
“They want to turn you into monsters and create chaos! In the end, you will be the victims. Even if you become such monsters to take revenge, you’ll still suffer.”
The pastor, gritting his teeth, shouted, but Rene did not hesitate. The gaze of the people wavered. Since her magical energy had eradicated the parasites within them, their choice rested solely on their hearts.
“The man who killed my daughter ultimately received a slap on the wrist from this country’s court.”
Breaking the strange balance was a woman who poured out her story of losing her daughter in anger just moments ago.
“It’s him that matters, but I cannot forgive those who protected him!”
“…I understand.”
“Can you kill them? Those bastards who don’t even know what’s right and what’s wrong! Can you kill them in my place?!”
She shouted with rage. Watching her silently, Rene gripped her staff tightly.
“There is no absolute right answer. There are merely things that seem like answers.”
Rene did not think her choice was right. Yet she did not believe it was wrong either.
That’s just how the world is.
In that moment, Takilas’s relentless argument about the survival of the fittest flashed through her mind. That principle reflecting the laws of nature could indeed be applied even now.
The definition of the stronger becoming the answer, while the weak’s reasoning became the wrong one.
“So if I’m to continue this activity, I have no choice but to believe. That I, myself, am justice.”
Rene’s eyes hardened, teeth clenched, as if even the enraged woman before her was about to flinch.
“The ones you mentioned. They are undeniably evil. I have decided so. Therefore, I will judge them.”
“Ah…”
In fact, this overwhelming pressure soon returned as trust.
The woman who finally shed tears at Rene’s words stumbled and sat down. Her heart had already swayed to this side.
“Don’t lie! Stop with the nonsense, you dumb brat! Those of you who only talk a good game, there’s no way you’d actually be able to fight!”
“Foolishness. It was merely your strength that was lacking. Because I am stronger than you. That’s why I can believe more.”
“This wretch…”
Rene coldly responded to the furious pastor. He trembled as if he had been hit hard.
For him, it was absolutely intolerable that the being he served was weak.
“See for yourself. The true power of that being!”
In his fury, he donned the tiara he still held onto his own head. Seeing this, Rene frowned.
In an instant, a powerful force erupted. It was similar to the terrifying force of the hateful monsters she had previously seen.
“I can’t kill you now, so I’ll just confine you.”
With a click of her tongue, Rene struck the ground with her staff, casting one magic spell.
Multi-layered Illusion Resonance Prison. A prison of countless illusions that could not be penetrated unless one was at a considerable level.
“Ugh…”
The monster that was about to charge with a horrifying form, akin to a mid-sized truck, let out a scream and suddenly vanished from reality.
*
“Rene!”
“…The monster is still trapped there.”
In the late dawn, several sirens ran towards the chaos that had erupted in this place.
Some Magical Girls flying down from the sky were the same. Lina, the Magical Girl who had lent her clothes to Rene, flinched upon seeing her.
“When it bursts out, we will subdue it. Are you ready?”
“Of, of course. But are you hurt?”
Lina cautiously asked, but Rene shook her head.
“I have… a lot more to do now.”
She blankly murmured as she watched the people gathered near the ambulance.
Though the parasites amplified the negative emotions within them, they were undoubtedly people burdened with their share of pain, who had come here to find solace.
“You did well. It’s a major issue that the Special Task Force couldn’t intervene in the rampaging monster known as Codename Black Sun. This should give us the leverage.”
“That’s not going to be that simple.”
Lee Min-hyung, the head of Frontier and the Management Bureau, approached with other executives, praising her for her contribution.
However, Rene smiled bitterly at him.
“That being is chaos, which thrives on the dark parts of this society. While it’s true chaos itself must be rooted out, we should also think about the fundamental issues at play.”
“…I understand what you mean. Those who have become raging monsters. We know what kind of stories they harbor. They are undeniable victims of this society.”
Lee Min-hyung nodded soberly. The knowledge of how they had become monsters and ran amok came clear through Takilas’s rampage that indiscriminately struck the police headquarters.
“But Rene, someone as smart as you must understand that this world cannot function without sacrifice.”
“I agree with that. However, just as they have suffered, it is only fair that someone else should bear their grievances on their behalf, as this society should expect. Just like Takilas, who doesn’t refuse challenges against him while wielding overwhelming power.”
She smiled meaningfully.
“Where are you going?”
“Perhaps I might have gotten hurt. Anyway, I will finish getting ready.”
Rene took to the sky and vanished, but they could not leave this place. Soon, the raging pastor would emerge from the illusion barrier once it dissipated.
The Magical Girls and Frontier planned to work together to subdue the pastor.
And only those who had received a promise from her knew why she was leaving.
*
“Good morning~.”
“Good morning, Team Leader.”
In the office of a typical morning, people began to arrive for work and fill the seats.
Unbeknownst to them, something had happened in the mountains on the outskirts of the city.
This also applied to Oh Hyun-sook, the team leader of the human rights group Purity. Sitting at her desk, she opened the internet out of habit before starting her work.
“Oh my, what is this.”
Only then did she notice the urgent news reports flooding in.
The article sparked by Frontier to take the lead discussed the monster Smalillian that had been discovered by the Magical Girls, detailing its information and methods in a straightforward manner.
“Look at this! Isn’t it horrifying?”
“What happened, Team Leader?”
Several team members gathered around her at her alarmed tone, looking at the article together.
“It says they can create horrific monsters by manipulating people filled with deep wounds and hatred. You know, those monsters causing havoc these days. Oh my, oh my!”
Oh Hyun-sook clicked her tongue in dismay, overwhelmed.
“Don’t go near such places, come to us instead. We could have helped.”
“Team Leader, if handled well, we could make use of this, right?”
“Make use of it?”
“More than just using it… we could let people know about us.”
His sincere complaint was met with a grin from a male employee.
Weak, victimized, hurting people.
All of them were what Oh Hyun-sook was anxious over. Of course, her ‘sincerity’ in wanting to help them was genuine without a hint of falsehood. But there were also those who thought about how to achieve results and build their credentials above all else.
“That’s a solid point. Let’s do that.”
Convinced by the male employee’s words, she decided to seriously consider his proposal.
There was no hesitation or doubt about their actions. After all, they firmly believed that their present actions were true justice and the right answer.
“Do you really think so?”
“Huh…?”
Even when the office door and walls were suddenly smashed, collapsing with a thunderous roar.
“Do you truly think that you can help them?”
When a single Magical Girl wrapped in brilliant golden light pointed her staff at them with hostility.
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