Chapter 192 – Performance Competition (2)
“What the heck is going on?”
He muttered blankly.
For some, it was just a competitive battle for achievements, but for others, it was an unexpected twist.
Lee Min-hyung stood there, dazed in the busy Allied Forces Command Headquarters, unusually flustered. However, the chaos and busyness of the headquarters easily masked his strange behavior.
He had just received contact from Rene and had glimpsed what was happening from the headquarters, but he still couldn’t grasp the situation.
“Am I understanding this correctly? Takilas and…”
“The Magical Girls known as ‘Angels.’ Yes, that’s correct.”
Oh Yoon-seo, standing nearby, nodded with a surprised expression. Lee Min-hyung, even after confirming this again, continued to show signs of disbelief, shaking his head.
“Why is this happening? It doesn’t seem like it was just a random involvement like last time.”
It was a sincere question.
When he had a one-on-one with Takilas, he honestly did not think her true feelings were a lie. So, it was hard to comprehend why she abruptly started legitimate Magical Girl activities again.
“I don’t know what it is, but there must be some reason. The ‘Angels’ moving together also raises suspicions.”
“What exactly did Rene say?”
“She asked us to share the information we have… but requested that we do not cooperate with the Angels.”
“Something is definitely going on.”
He clicked his tongue at Rene’s blunt request and snickered at the same time. However, upon considering it, there seemed to be a thread connecting it all.
“For now, we should let Rene know what we know. After all, we should help those who have been collaborating with us for a long time.”
He instructed Oh Yoon-seo to assist Rene and Takilas. It wasn’t complicated.
Working with the Magical Girls was essentially their main job.
“Thank you for your reply. I will now redirect the connection. You should speak directly with that person. I’m a bit busy right now.”
While the command was being decided at the headquarters, Rene, who received a response almost simultaneously, quietly landed in a remote area of the devastated city.
She was currently separated from Takilas for the sake of her detected “performance.” Instead, Rene directly connected the communication to Takilas and swiftly ended the transmission, quietly surveying her surroundings.
“How about you hurry up? It seems the other side has already started their activities.”
“I’ve learned that simply rushing doesn’t solve everything.”
Rene shook her head at the suggestion made by the non-gendered mascot, Fluffy. Fluffy sighed as if it understood and closed its mouth, but she didn’t care.
‘This is not merely a competition. It’s another war fought in place of the great war.’
She steeled herself, taking a deep breath and lowering her head.
Though the Angels and Takilas seemed unfazed, Rene felt a significant burden as a member of the side involved in this battle.
In a way, it was a fight to protect what she wanted to safeguard. After experiencing defeat and wandering, this match, where she was finally about to unfold her newfound beliefs, was one she could not afford to lose.
If she were to lose, everything she had would be denied.
“I hate this competition, this war. But since I must defend, I will fight.”
Slowly, she descended the metal stairs and entered the building.
Her graceful and elegant demeanor was oddly fitting for the dim ruins, and her senses detected numerous presences inside the building.
She had found groups of survivors who had not yet been rescued and were isolated deep within.
‘However, the malice detected here…’
Rene did not feel happy about it. The fact that she could come here meant there was a problem. It likely wasn’t merely a matter of enduring tough moments.
She bit her lip at the sight of a few individuals rushing toward her, weapons in hand.
Their faces reflected not joy for rescue or salvation, but rather confusion and wariness.
*
“Hey, there are more of them.”
“Maybe it’s because Ashburn, who was serving as a suppressor, has returned. The numbers seem to have increased again.”
After parting ways with Rene, Takilas found herself in another battle while moving with Shia.
But it was hardly a few. She noticed that Razak was intentionally avoiding her.
“This is getting annoying…”
“If we keep going at this rate, we might have to search every corner.”
Although the attacking enemies were dealt with easily, Takilas, suspended in mid-air, pondered her next move. It wasn’t impossible to track, but it would take too long.
“Should we move together?”
The thought that crossed her mind was to cooperate with the Allied Forces. If the Allies recaptured the land, then those opposing them would certainly appear.
Eventually, she calculated and found the most efficient method.
“An unexpected contact, but I’ll prepare soon.”
“Interesting. You didn’t expect this, yet you’re preparing so quickly.”
“It’s been our wish. Fighting together… something that seemed absolutely impossible.”
Upon receiving Takilas’s message, Lee Min-hyung reacted swiftly and started moving. Hearing her mention it was a wish, she could only sigh and smile faintly.
“For now, let’s go back, Shia. If we begin taking back land while moving with the Allied Forces, those guys will definitely panicking.”
Feeling rushed, she changed direction and decided to head directly back to the headquarters of the Allied Forces, taking Shia with her.
The Allied Forces were very surprised to see her, but they did not see her as an enemy fighting alongside them.
“But what is this? There’s an unusual strong aura buzzing.”
“It seems there’s some problem at the Survivor Camp. Should we head there?”
Meanwhile, new malevolent presences, which could become a new achievement, were detected. Hearing Ren’s words, Takilas turned to the large camp near the base and smirked as she called Shia.
“How about you try to handle it? How are you planning to deal with it? Treat it as mere performance and deal with it as usual?”
“I can’t be sure without seeing it first, so I’ll take a look myself.”
Instead of going herself, she sent Shia. Shia, while slightly unsatisfied, did not refuse.
*
“We’re already resolving two cases, but how are those guys doing?”
“They’ve… split into two. And as you can guess, their styles and methods are remarkably different.”
Takilas, having handled what was going on around her, became interested in the other side. The Angels, who began simultaneously with her, were also calculating their gains moving in their own ways.
“Moreover, it seems they have their own ally like Frontier.”
“Is that even possible?”
Takilas was slightly surprised by Ren’s words. However, Ren shook his head without hesitation, as if that were the case.
“I’m only eavesdropping, so I don’t know much. Just that they also have a force in touch with them. And that force is quite large. It seems several nations have actively aligned with them.”
“Even in this situation, they’re keeping each other in check. It’s difficult.”
She frowned but didn’t find it impossible. It was true that several nations had expressed dissatisfaction during this time.
Those who suffered significant losses from the recent unified operation were looking to reclaim their status. For instance, there was the United States, which had lost many Magical Girls in the last operation.
“That guy, Michael, wouldn’t collaborate with his temper. Is it really Sandalphon?”
“Yeah. I heard Sandalphon was the one suggesting partnerships. Asking if they wouldn’t join forces.”
“Sly guy.”
Takilas blatantly dismissed Sandalphon. She had heard everything about him already, so she was more wary of Sandalphon than Michael.
“Michael is easier. He’s dumb and hot-headed, so he’s manageable. But Sandalphon is a different story.”
The most incompetent enemy commander is the greatest ally. Takilas, who had been optimistic with Michael, felt the tension rise when Sandalphon took control.
“…It seems he realized what’s important.”
“Does this mean it’s a close match? If so, matters within the country are also important.”
If they took too long to capture Razak, the gaps had to be filled in other places. The Korean peninsula was expected to be one of the key battlegrounds.
Though there were trusted allies assigned there, Takilas thought it would not be enough.
“I didn’t expect them to come this quickly…”
“What’s the atmosphere within the headquarters? Any signs of factional disputes among the base command?”
Such thoughts came to Lee Min-hyung, who rushed in flustered. In the heat of the moment, he tried to gather his thoughts.
“It’s chaotic, but that’s all.”
“It seems like they’re moving secretly.”
After all, there was no reason for them to start spreading rumors from now on.
Takilas informed Lee Min-hyung about the possible division of the Allied Forces’ influence. Since it didn’t seem avoidable, it was better not to waste their effort unnecessarily.
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