I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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“What are you thinking?”

Rose asked, looking a bit worried.

Of course, given our current situation, it wasn’t exactly a time for easygoing conversation.

So, our dialogue ended up being short and broken up, interrupted by attacks on both sides.

I tried to focus on breaking the joint restraints in one go, but they weren’t shattering easily.

Maybe it was because I recalled how the last wave of aliens had been decisively taken down by the magical girls; the armor was much sturdier now.

I managed to break the joint near the elbow, but the one on the leg was way tougher.

Clearly, that was a wise decision.

Between moving my arms naturally and moving my legs naturally, one could easily argue that legs have a much wider range of motion.

I swung my hammer at the robot’s right leg, then quickly dodged an incoming strike, rolling beneath it and smashing its back with the hammer.

Rose, who was next to me, also dodged an incoming barrage by rolling under the arm that swung at her, coming to my side.

“I’m trying to show that we can’t be controlled.”

“Us? Or the aliens?”

“Both.”

I spat out my response and thrust the hammer between the alien’s legs.

I laid the hammer’s head flat and opened both boosters to the max.

“……!”

Naturally, the stronger force came from behind. The alien’s right leg took the brunt, being launched high into the air thanks to the boosters. Suddenly, its legs spread wide apart.

I hadn’t exactly aimed for that. I was just wondering if the booster’s temperature could damage the device a little.

The opposite side was likely just as hot. However, more than that, the hammer struck forward, and the leg was ripped apart in the opposite direction.

Crack.

The sound was painfully vivid, but it didn’t seem to be the sound of the alien’s leg breaking.

There are ‘joints’ in the waist area as well. Obviously, there must be a control mechanism running alongside the pelvis to keep the legs from moving too freely.

Shlick.

As that control mechanism twisted, perhaps due to an issue with the energy flowing through the piping, a black liquid gushed out like hydraulic fluid bursting forth.

That wasn’t just any oil. It would be reasonable to think it was pure energy created by the circuits.

Despite the leg being ripped apart, the alien’s body was still quite durable, and given how sturdy the armor was, both legs didn’t completely detach.

Instead, the alien fell heavily to the right, smashing its head against the ground.

Bang!

“Grraaaah!!”

The alien roared.

It immediately turned its body to plant its hands on the ground, its claws digging into the earth and creating deep gouges. If a person had been there, even a magical girl wouldn’t have made it out unscathed. Honestly, I flinched a little.

But, why are we called magical girls, after all?

No matter how strange the enemy looks in front of us, we fight on with courage instead of giving up.

Not me, though.

Someone like Ha-yoon.

While we rolled back, Ha-yoon firmly stood in front of the alien.

As soon as I toppled the alien over to the side, Ha-yoon charged at it.

“Shoulder! There’s a control device in the shoulder!”

When I shouted, Ha-yoon dashed toward that spot. The alien quickly raised itself, but before it could fully stand, Ha-yoon’s blade made contact with its left shoulder.

Sometimes, when passing by a hardware store, I’ve seen something being cut like a metal rod. The sight of metal scraping against metal and sparks flying was quite intimidating. There are times when people work like that while holding protective gear up close to their faces.

Ha-yoon’s sword tip was just like that.

It didn’t make the sound of a saw cutting through metal, but pink sparks erupted fiercely. It splattered all over Ha-yoon’s body and face.

Yet, she didn’t flinch, driving the sword deeper.

I rushed in, mercilessly hammering down on the alien’s back. Then, without pulling back the hammer, I unleashed the boosters with all my might.

Its arm seemed to lose a bit of power as it tried to stand again. It quickly regained its stance to get up, but it was already enough of a gap. I had bought enough time for Ha-yoon’s blade to sink deeper.

Through the sparks, Ha-yoon glanced my way. When our eyes met over the alien’s back, she smiled brightly. I averted my gaze.

The pink spark gradually turned murky, then shifted to black.

Crack!

A loud collision sounded from within, like a piece of paper caught in a fan.

And—

An enormous explosion.

“……Ha-yoon!”

Without thinking, I yelled her name and dashed toward the flung back figure of Ha-yoon.

“Ji-eun?”

As I grabbed her hand to help her up, Ha-yoon looked at me with wide eyes.

Realizing my impulse, I quickly let go of her hand. Ha-yoon, still slightly startled, looked at her hand where I had just held it.

I suppose it was fortunate; we didn’t have time to dwell on the fact that it had been a while since we had any physical contact.

A terrifying roar echoed from behind us.

Until now, it had sounded like a bear, but now it was something else entirely.

Perhaps even that was being controlled.

Honestly, at this point, I have to reluctantly accept reality. Whether it’s human or inhuman is up for people to judge, but the technology from that company is definitely advanced. We’re saying they can turn aliens into weapons.

Well, logically, no one would really agree to that.

Thud, thud.

Maybe one of the circuits hanging from its shoulders broke off.

The alien’s left shoulder flew away. It wasn’t that its arm dropped off. Rather, it was dealt a critical blow where the bone was just about exposed.

And since its body was covered in fur, the blood from its wounds soaked into the fur, making it look even worse.

Scattered around its tattered arm were parts, some dangling because they weren’t entirely severed due to wires and other components.

That’s… a bit dangerous.

While I have to capture the alien, I mustn’t kill it.

Even if the government and federal climb up against us, there’s a high chance that the person turned alien isn’t at fault.

No, rather, considering they’ve been captured by the company and used as a weapon, they might not be that different from me. Back then, I couldn’t escape and ended up being dragged to another hospital.

It could have been worse. I might have just become something like a generator.

If the alien is officially subdued and the legal procedures are followed, they won’t be able to deny that it’s an ‘alien’. Those documents created through administrative procedure will be treated confidentially, of course.

I wonder how the police will react.

Taking a glance, it seemed like they were in quite the chaos.

There’s no way that corporation sent such entities without thinking it through. They must be confident they can keep their mouths shut, regardless of being detected.

Well, if it’s ‘evidence’, then they can control that.

Looking up, I noticed that the people who had been observing were no longer present.

There were no helicopters flying in the sky either. A few drones were around, but they bore the Noir Corporation logo.

“Weird, really.”

They’re dull yet powerful, pushing forward without much consideration.

That’s how I feel about the people who sent those things.

“It should be possible to heal, right?”

“……It’s slowly getting better even now.”

Delphinium, who had come close, said as her wand pointed toward the alien’s shoulder.

Just as she said, flesh was gradually growing back over the exposed bone.

Rather than flesh covering it, a black liquid appeared to be spreading over.

“Must be some sort of self-repair mechanism.”

Iris commented as she loaded a fuse into her rifle.

“It might not heal injuries properly, but it should at least stop the bleeding. Plus, it’ll also help cover the exposed parts where the armor has come off.”

“……Going all out as usual, huh?”

I sighed heavily and gripped the hammer.

“Well, since we’ve come this far, we need to take it down.”

“Yeah.”

Ha-yoon responded to my words.

“Then let’s wrap this up quickly and get going.”

I said.

“After all, there’s nothing left to gain from this fight.”

It’s a fight without any reward.

We need to finish it before we completely tire out.

Smoke billowed from the hammer.

It looked like the kind of smoke one would see when launching a rocket, as if the fuel was being burnt.

Though, in reality, there was probably no reason for that. This might just be an effect born from the imagery I’m imagining.

Still, it seemed to have an effect.

Seeing the smoke, the police retreated in fright.

Yeah.

From now on, the aliens have a chance to run wild, so they better keep their distance.

I’ll try my best to prevent them, but I can’t guarantee anything.

…If they’re going to be stubborn until the end, I’ll be stubborn right back. I’ll make it so they don’t want the police coming out here.

Even if it means becoming a public enemy, so what?

Honestly, it’s already come to that.

Seeing how they summoned us, it seems like they think they need us too.

Yeah, there’s never been hope from the start. I’ve never known anything resembling hope in this messed-up world.

But still, I don’t want to be the only one falling into despair.

If they want to fight like that, then I’ll drag them down into the pit of despair just like me.

I could hear the air whistling from my body.

From the front part of the hammer, where the auxiliary propulsion system was, black smoke started flowing instead of flames.

At first, it was just smoke, but slowly, it began to take on a liquid form.

Bang!

At the moment it solidified, it crashed against the alien’s skull.

Clang.

Was it the sound coming from the alien’s helmet or from the concentrated magic I laid upon my hammer?

It sounded like something was breaking apart.

And the shattered pieces stuck to the alien’s body.

“Grrr?”

The alien lifted its head to look at me.

My magic flowed into the cracked helmet.

“……!”

The alien covered its face with its hands.

Well, that’s how it is.

In the scenarios where I must fight alongside the other magical girls, I can’t carelessly unleash a sticky substance on the ground.

But directing it onto the alien’s body was feasible. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t bind it completely.

The magic that got into its eyes and ears would still serve its purpose.

The alien roared and swung its arms wildly in all directions. It looked threatening. Because it couldn’t see, it was even harder to predict its attacks.

But at the same time, the enemy’s blind spots widened.

With both its eyes and ears blocked, it was left vulnerable.

Not only that, the magic that flowed into its helmet was gradually solidifying inside.

I wonder how it reacted to its mouth being wide open, but if it reached near its nose, breathing would become difficult.

Thud, thud, thud.

My hammer and Rose’s gauntlet landed multiple hits on the alien’s body.

With strikes coming from both front and back, its sight and hearing were obstructed. It might’ve even choked on some that flowed into its mouth and nose, causing it to panic.

If it were even a sentient being, it would surely be in a panic. And if it were an entity reliant on instinct alone, then it’d fall into utter chaos.

Iris, who had been persistently targeting its head, had now adjusted to aiming for its arms and legs. She seemed to have realized what I had done to its head.

Ha-yoon rushed in, and Dalia soared into the air, raining down what was practically a bombardment on the alien.

“……!”

The alien let out a roar.

From the cracks in its helmet, black shards exploded out.

In an instant, an ear-splitting sound rang in my ears.

The moment I froze, the alien’s arm struck out, pushing me to the side.

I barely managed to dig my feet into the ground and brake, but the alien was already lunging forward.

“Ugh!?”

The soldiers nearby who were about to charge at the alien panicked. Some were trying to retreat, but others, blocked by those behind them, couldn’t make a proper escape. A few desperately raised their shields to hold it back.

However, there was no way they could withstand the alien’s assault with makeshift shields. No matter how enhanced they were for dealing with aliens, there was a limit to how much weight a person could lift. You can’t just make them thicker.

Gunfire opened up on the alien, but that only angered it even more.

Wires flew, but the alien’s absurdly strong artificial claws ripped them apart. Dragging forward, it swung its arms recklessly, ultimately allowing it to keep charging straight ahead without any obstacle.

Perhaps because it was moving so quickly, the wires couldn’t latch onto its head properly.

Or maybe it was because of that. The alien, unable to see, seemed to have calculated the direction of the incoming attack.

“Delphinium……!”

Ha-yoon shouted.

Delphinium, who was already preparing a spell, created an incredibly thick wall right in front of the alien.

It was similar to what we had seen earlier, but this time it was so thick that the other side could barely be seen.

“Grrr!?”

The alien, rushing against the magical wall, was—

“……!”

Startled, it jumped back to the opposite side.

Earlier, it had panicked at a wall that was thinner than this one, so it was no surprise that it couldn’t break through something so robust.

However, even as the alien darted back, Rose was already charging towards it.

“Gah!”

With a fierce shout, Rose leaped forth and delivered a dropkick to the alien.

The size difference between Rose and the alien was nearly double, but Rose herself was reinforced to an extraordinary degree.

Her feet struck the alien’s leg, and it bounced back to the opposite side.

Then it was my turn.

With my propulsion at maximum, I charged in and slammed the hammer head into the alien’s abdomen.

Some saliva-like substance leaked out near its mouth.

The final blow against the alien slammed into them thanks to Ha-yoon.

“Sorry!”

Ha-yoon said as she drove her sword into the alien’s arm.

Another circuit that hadn’t exploded yet was nonchalantly severed by her blade.

Considering she had witnessed the earlier explosion, it seemed she had handled this side with more caution.

“Excellent work.”

James said from above, having watched us until now.

“The more components that go into the circuit, the better. Let’s take what we can.”

“…….”

I looked up at James.

“Grrraaaar!”

As soon as the circuit was removed, the alien burst forth from the wall as if awakened from a stupor.

The energy used in the circuits was siphoned off to control the alien.

Bang!

However, the emerging alien was met with my hammer just as quickly, crashing against the wall before collapsing to the ground with a twitch.

…Besides just control, it also assists with strength and bolsters defense. Having worn combat suits before, I was sure to know at least that much.

After confirming the alien was down, Delphinium swung her wand, causing the wall to vanish as if it were melting away. Delphinium’s face glistened with beads of sweat.

Using magic must drain energy too. I mean, there’s no way there would be zero penalties.

“……”

Silence.

The police fell silent as they looked at the fallen alien.

But really, were they ordinary police? It’s possible they were from a different faction. Anyway, it’s not likely that genuine patrol officers had gathered here.

I raised my head to scan the surroundings once more.

There wasn’t a single spot that was intact. The asphalt, in particular, had cracked in many places. Some were the results of my destruction, while others were due to magic.

Recovery would take some time.

Hmm.

How should I put this?

In the end, I had gained nothing by coming here. I only exhausted myself.

Though it was a 2 to 6 situation, none of us had sustained serious injuries.

But when I get back and crack open a can, I’ll have to survive mostly on plant-based food from then on. There were beans, so perhaps I could manage some protein—

Just as Ha-yoon seemed about to say something to me.

There was a commotion in the distance.

A girl was yelling at the top of her lungs. It sounded oddly familiar.

But her voice was drowned out by the voices of others coming from behind.

It looks like someone was trying to come this way, and the police were blocking them.

I dashed in that direction.

The owner of that voice—

“—Ji-eun!”

Looking at me, Ji-hye shouted loudly.

That characteristic volume of hers clearly reached my ears.

She was surrounded by officers.

As I fell next to her, the police stepped back.

Ji-hye, having run all the way here, was panting heavily.

Her face was soaked in sweat, causing her hair to stick to her forehead.

“……Ji-hye.”

Without meaning to, I spoke in a dazed tone.

Ji-hye looked at me and stayed silent for a moment. No, her expression seemed to convey that she didn’t know what to say.

Looking at my disheveled hair, clothes, and body, Ji-hye spoke, her voice trembling.

“Are, are you doing alright?”

“……Yeah.”

I couldn’t bear to say anything other than a nod.

Well, I’m not doing too poorly.

Even if I was hanging on by a thread, at least I was still doing somewhat okay.

“Ah, I see…….”

Ji-hye’s head dropped slightly.

After hesitating, Ji-hye abruptly thrust something towards me.

It was a plastic bag.

“……What’s this?”

“No, I just thought about it on the way here, just in case.”

Ji-hye explained.

“I brought something, at least.”

Did she stop by a convenience store?

I took it, opened it, and saw instant food and underwear, socks, and other items hastily shoved inside.

Each item might not have been too expensive by itself, but if Ji-hye bought them with her allowance—

“What’s this?”

“Take it.”

Ji-hye said.

“You said you needed it.”

“……Ah.”

Did she see the broadcast?

“I—”

“Just, just take it, okay.”

Ji-hye said, and then she smiled at me.

“I’m doing fine, so don’t worry too much about me. …I came to say this. I’m sure you’d be worried.”

You must be worried too.

Countless thoughts flooded my mind.

Ji-hye had been hospitalized. I wonder if she had gotten better? What if she had some aftereffects from that gas?

I opened my mouth, but—

“Ji-eun!”

Ha-yoon’s voice came from behind.

At the same time, I heard sounds from the sky.

A few drones were approaching, carrying containers just like before.

Could we take all of those on?

Just moments ago, we struggled against an alien clad in enhanced armor. I might be able to catch them, but in terms of my energy, it might be better for me to step back.

Ha-yoon must have called out because she thought the same.

“……Go.”

Ji-hye said.

“Ji-hye.”

“……I have to go, right?”

“……”

Looking at Ji-hye’s expression, I couldn’t say a word.

How much had Ji-hye worried when they dragged me away?

If Ha-yoon was a rival for my affection, then Ji-hye was one of the few people I felt at ease with in my life. We had been so attached since childhood that it felt more awkward not to be together.

Ji-hye brought me this in a place like this.

“Go, quickly!”

“……Next time, next time we’ll see each other.”

I replied to Ji-hye’s words.

She smiled at me.

I want to tell her to follow me.

But at the same time, I knew it wouldn’t be good for her to tag along. That place… it seems there aren’t even proper restrooms there.

A black hole opened behind me.

Hope is so ephemeral that it evokes despair, pulling my legs towards the abyss before me. In the end, the only thing that reached me was a black and deep mouth.

“Perhaps I should—”

“If we get to school after coming this far, they’ll call us back right away.”

Ji-hye spoke without hearing my suggestion.

That was a valid point.

Unlike me, who could keep running away, Ji-hye was just an ordinary kid.

She had to go to school and continue her life.

Unlike me.

In fact, it might be better to go straight to the investigation rather than running from here to somewhere else.

I bit my lip.

“Next time, next time, we’ll see each other.”

Then Ji-hye urged me, as if she was pushing me away.

Looking at Ji-hye waving her hand, I barely managed to squeeze out my voice.

“Yeah. Next time.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

…Well, at least I saw Ji-hye’s face.

So, she’s awake again.

If she’s wearing her school uniform, it means she’s returning to school properly.

I could hear the sounds of kids rushing this way.

I heard something dropping from the sky.

Thud, thud.

A loud noise echoed a few times in succession. It sounded similar to when the container boxes were opened.

I clenched my teeth and took a step back.

The last time I saw Ji-hye, she seemed to be forcing a smile.

*

Stopping by the convenience store was also due to the broadcast.

Seeing people guarding the streets I was about to charge into, I barely managed to pivot and enter the convenience store.

As soon as I walked in, I snatched the basket near the entrance and started grabbing whatever instant food was in the corner.

The seemingly part-time worker looked at me with a surprised expression, but I couldn’t care less.

I stuffed canned goods and even a few bags of snacks, as well as underwear, stockings, and socks. I knew Ji-eun’s size. We had always spent time together. We did laundry together too.

After filling the basket, I went straight to the register to pay.

I didn’t catch how much it all cost, but luckily, the check card must have had money on it.

Ji-hye ran off with that.

There were people approaching as if they meant to stop me, but Ji-hye swung the bag she was carrying. In the split-second as they dodged, she took off running.

Still, there weren’t many people until we reached the area where the police were gathered.

I was out of breath.

Had I ever run this much in my life?

The sound in my ears had cut off mid-sentence as my headphones no longer worked. It felt the same for the front as well, despite all the police presence.

A few people had spotted Ji-hye.

Earlier, I’d managed to get away from two people, but with so many closing in, there was no way to avoid them.

“Ji-eun!”

Ji-hye yelled with all her might.

I was so out of breath that my throat hurt, and my chest was aching.

But still.

I wanted to deliver this, at least.

“Ji-eun!”

By the time she was practically screaming my name, suddenly, something dropped with a thud.

The people around recoiled.

The child before Ji-hye was Ji-eun.

Something black was smeared all over her body, and she was covered in cuts as if she had been scratched. The magical girl outfit, if it were normal, would have prompted playful ribbing about how good it looked, but now, it was in tatters to the point that even joking would be inappropriate.

I didn’t even want to imagine what had happened.

I had admired magical girls. They were righteous beings fighting against evil.

But I never wanted Ji-eun to be in that position.

What had we talked about? I couldn’t remember clearly, my head was in a fog.

Still, I could just barely manage to deliver the things I was holding.

I confirmed Ji-eun was alive, at least.

In the haze of my mind, I thought I would rather go with her.

…I’d probably end up a ball of flesh anyway.

A voice in my mind told me that, and Ji-hye could barely hold back from saying anything.

Ji-eun left behind nothing but a sad smile for Ji-hye and stepped back.

The winds that had been violently blowing suddenly quieted.

As if it had never existed in the first place.

In that fleeting moment that lasted just a few minutes, it was as if everything there was a lie, and my vision turned blank.

“……”

But the sensation of the plastic bag’s handle digging into my fingers remained.

Ji-eun took what Ji-hye handed her. Without denying it.

…At least that much could be of help.

With just that piece of comfort, Ji-hye let out a small sigh.

 

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