Chapter 73 – Unstoppable (3)
“Is it really okay for it to be like that?!”
“Shut up.”
While I was looking down at the scene, I flicked Ren’s forehead, who was buzzing on my shoulder. With a pop, he flew into the window of a nearby building.
“…This feels weird.”
I muttered absently.
In the road that was smashed and deeply dented, Rene was crumpled up. Her hair and clothes were a mess, looking more tragic than I had ever seen. And stepping on her neck, which was spewing blood, was a silver-haired girl who looked to be around my age.
It was my first time actually seeing the retired First Magical Girl, Karin. True to her nature as a magical girl, she had matured into an adult but still looked just like her images from back in the day that had been scattered across the internet.
As expected, Aria, who was at least genuinely coming at me, was pretty cute, but still within my expectations.
I wondered why Mamute didn’t show up when things went wild. It looked like he could handle everything alone.
“But Rene is your…”
“Just someone else. Here, that is.”
I snorted at Ren’s words, which had flapped his big ears as he flew over. The golden magical girl getting trounced over there was not Princess Seria Rene Raose but Magical Girl Rene.
I never intended to intervene in the first place. Moreover, she would probably wish for the same thing.
She wouldn’t want to mess up the organization Casilena she had led by carelessly throwing in ‘Takilas.’ Given her nature, she would want to accomplish it herself, even if it meant dying. I had no intention of getting involved with them and creating a situation that would trouble me.
“What if she dies?”
“Are your eyes holes filled with worms, Ren? Karin isn’t trying to kill Rene. Sure, she’s roughing her up a bit, but maybe they could have a decent chat.”
For some reason, Ren was more agitated than I was. He was acting like a mascot who viewed magical girls as mere tools.
Though I had already sensed that Karin’s attacks weren’t laced with malice. Each of Rene’s hits was filled with her strenuous efforts.
“Then, why are you just watching, huh?”
“I’m intrigued.”
Ren grumbled, but it wasn’t entirely without purpose. To be precise, it was not Rene but Karin that I wanted to see.
The strongest First Magical Girl who could no longer be measured since her retirement? Of course, I’d want to see what that level looked like.
“And isn’t it better for me to solidify my position for Rana and the company? The event has already started, and with the date officially announced, it’s best to sort out the hierarchy properly.”
“That’s true, but…”
At my mention of the banquet, Ren nodded. The event was what Rana had previously talked about, and the exact date had just been revealed yesterday.
I hadn’t initially planned to go, but seeing that the Fairy Council seemed to be messing around, I thought I might as well check it out in person.
“Has it come to a conclusion yet?”
As I was observing, the battle of superhumans occurring in the middle of the city at midnight was reaching its climax.
Ignoring the cries of building owners and officials, I quietly approached behind them while suppressing my presence.
“Did you really not care about this at all? …Gah!”
Ren’s mutter annoyed me.
I kicked him and subtly hardened my expression as I moved the shadows. I was trying not to care, but seeing that beautiful face and body turn into a mess of blood and wounds bothered me just a little.
“Ugh, Takilas!”
“What’s wrong? Are you perhaps feeling unwell? That’s not a problem.”
Karin showed extreme wariness as soon as she laid eyes on me. I hadn’t done anything in particular, though.
“Why… Why have you appeared?”
“That’s what I want to ask! Why didn’t you show up? I wanted to hear what the seniors had to say.”
A laugh escaped me, and at the same time, my interest piqued. She was on guard but not afraid. Karin was undoubtedly a born and veteran warrior.
“…I’ve retired. So I didn’t feel the need to bother with one reckless kid. But when it comes to shaking society on an organizational level, that’s something I can’t ignore.”
“Hmm. That sounds like an excuse to me, senior.”
“If you think that, I have nothing more to say.”
Unlike me, who was focused solely on her eyes, her gold ones kept moving, looking for openings and calculating something. She was an excellent warrior. Therefore, she had no intention of fighting me right now. If needed, she would be ready to run away.
“Anyway, none of that matters. Given the situation, you have to accept my challenge. That’s the duty of the champion. You know that, for being a proper adult.”
“Well, little kid, I’ve never heard of such tournament rules in our industry.”
“What are you talking about? The law of the jungle. Weakness is the worst sin with no value in existence; the strong ravage and monopolize everything. Thus, proving your strength is the duty and right of the strong. That’s just the way of the world, isn’t it?”
I believed she would understand the meaning behind my words, and indeed, her efforts to smile faltered, and her complexion grew pale, just like her personal color.
“That’s a frightening ideology. Don’t they teach about human rights in schools nowadays?”
“Well, I’m talking about ‘reality,’ not some fantasy land. The reality you taught Rene about. You know it too. In the end, strength is everything.”
“Kugh… Crazy kid. I’m not that extreme.”
Perhaps at a loss for words, Karin bared her teeth first and jerked the chains she was holding.
“Look at this. The transcendent power that our magical girls possess. A fantastic power that can change reality. Rene aimed to create a new order with this power, while you aimed to protect the existing one. So now, I’ll show you what I’m trying to do.”
<5th Awakening - Final Armed Chaos>
Power surged through me, bursting forth. Instead of immediately using the Demon King’s power, I was channeling a new kind of strength suited for the magical girl.
“This… this can’t be…”
“Hiiik!”
Both Karin and Ren staggered in shock. Silly fairies and foolish magical girls. They had no idea about the true end of what Yggdrasil had designed for magical girls.
In the first place, there would never be a being suited to reach that end who would be playing around as a magical girl.
[Final Awakening - Fully Armed Demon King]
A realm no magical girl had ever reached. Yggdrasil, the sinister one, had crafted this level into some sort of self-destruct mechanism that strained the very existence and soul of the magical girl herself, but it was no problem for me.
Six massive wings covered in a membrane flapped beside me. The large horns protruding from my head felt weighty.
The power defined by the magical girl was this.
“Behold. This is the power of those who desire indiscriminate and endless chaos and struggle. If you wish to protect your beliefs, then you must inevitably stand against this power one day.”
Shadows erupted from me, engulfing the entire city, and amidst them, a colossal eye fluttered open.
[Charge Forward]
At my command, a shockwave exploded forth, sweeping away everything in front of me. Karin, the road, the buildings—all gone. Luckily, the angle was slightly upward, so the entire urban area wasn’t annihilated.
“Hey… you crazy woman.”
Ren, hanging on my foot, muttered as he looked at the barren land where even a trace remained.
“Don’t worry. I made sure Karin wouldn’t die. Given her nature, she might come in handy someday.”
“Is that the problem right now?!”
I left the scene and landed again on the quieter rooftop of a nearby building. Meanwhile, Ren was still squawking loudly.
“Why on earth…”
“Consider this a warning to those who keep trying to annoy me.”
Rene, cradled in my arms, finally managed to open her eyes and asked. I set her down on the ground.
“And about those you’ll meet soon.”
“You’re not planning to target the banquet, are you…?”
Now realizing my intention, Ren clicked his tongue. Soon I would attend the banquet and meet the magical girls and fairies, and I only wanted to prepare the differences in rank as Rana had once suggested I become a unique monster.
“Why is it that the more I awaken, the shorter my clothes get? Isn’t that like an unwritten rule? If that’s the case, why not just not wear anything…?”
“The statement about pursuing chaos, does it apply to me as well?”
As I clicked my tongue at the frilly garment now reduced to nothing but scraps and underwear barely covering my modesty, Rene started to speak. There was definitely a hint of faint fear in her eyes.
“That’s right. Here, I’m not a Demon King but a magical girl who is out to have fun and act on my own. But there’s a basis for this behavior. It’s my power. Karin isn’t wrong; are you strong enough to declare war against the world?”
“I…”
“If your pursuit of justice goes against my mood, you’ll have to fight me. So work hard to strengthen yourself or find another way.”
With a smirk, I began to prepare to leave. Still, clever as she was, Rene looked like she was deep in thought.
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