Chapter 27

“What… is this…”

I returned to the Magical Girl Training School, only to stand there, stunned at the catastrophe before me.

The Magical Girl Training School had been reduced to a wretched, tragic state.

The school building was half-destroyed, and the grounds were riddled with holes.

The hand of destruction had reached the dormitories as well.

Flames roared furiously as black smoke rose into the sky.

Magical girls lay collapsed all over, their groans filling the air.

“No… Who would do this…”

The magical girls who could still move were carrying the fallen into the half-demolished school building, their faces grim.

I walked into the school, a stunned expression on my face.

“What in the world happened here…?”

I grabbed a nearby magical girl and asked.

The moment she saw my face, her eyes shot wide open.

I recognized her.

She was probably one of the students I had given magical instruction to before I left.

Upon seeing me, her eyes filled with tears, and she told me what had happened through choked sobs.

Her story was all the confirmation I needed for my suspicions.

According to her, the moment I left, a second monster alarm had blared, and a horde of monsters had swarmed down from the sky.

The magical girls, under Saionji’s command, fought them.

But the monsters were overwhelmingly powerful. They couldn’t hold the line; the school was destroyed, and there were many casualties.

“Everyone was taken… Saionji-sama, Usami-san, even Takanashi-san… The only one left from the student council is Kisaragi-san, but… she’s injured and receiving treatment inside…”

“Taken…? Saionji was…?”

“Yes. A lot of other magical girls were taken, too… My friends… sob… hic… Why did this have to happen…”

The girl broke down, weeping.

“I’m sorry…”

I left her side and entered the school building.

“Toujou-san!?”

One of the magical girls cried out in surprise upon recognizing me.

“Is Kisaragi here…?”

“Ah, she’s over there… receiving treatment… Somehow, she managed to pull through…”

“I see…”

Relieved for the moment that Kisaragi wasn’t dead, I had the magical girl guide me to her.

“Reiya Toujou-kun…?”

Kisaragi was lying on a cloth spread across the floor.

Her magical girl outfit was soaked in blood.

There was a large hole in her abdomen.

Magical healing had closed the wound, but she must have lost a significant amount of blood; Kisaragi was completely limp.

“Thank goodness… Reiya Toujou-kun. You’re safe…”

“What about you… Is that wound okay?”

“I’m fine… More importantly, the President and the others…”

“I heard. Saionji… Usami and Takanashi, they were taken…?”

“Yes, they were all taken. A lot of others, too.”

Tears streamed down Kisaragi’s face.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect them. We all did our best to protect this place until you arrived, but…”

“Don’t cry, Kisaragi. This is my fault. I’m the one who wasn’t by your side when it mattered most.”

“It’s not your fault… You just made the best choice you could…”

“Listen to me, Kisaragi. This was a trap… to lure me away from here. The first monster alarm was a decoy. The real objective was to attack the Magical Girl Training School. I fell for the monsters’ strategy hook, line, and sinker.”

“Yes, it seems that way…”

“Where did the monsters go? What about Saionji, Usami, and Takanashi? The other magical girls who were taken? Where did they go?”

“…”

“Kisaragi?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Kisaragi turned her face away and clamped her mouth shut.

Her lips were pressed tightly together, as if to keep herself from saying anything.

It was obvious she was hiding something.

“Kisaragi. Please, talk to me. What happened? Why were they taken? Why did the monsters capture the magical girls instead of killing them?”

“No, I can’t say.”

“Why not?! All I want is to save them! Please, tell me!”

“Because if I tell you, you’ll be killed.”

“Kill… me…? What do you mean…?”

Tears streamed from Kisaragi’s eyes.

In a tear-choked voice, she began to speak, her words broken and halting.

“The monsters took the President and the others to use them as hostages.”

“Hostages…?”

“Yes. They captured a large number of magical girls alive to lure out anyone who comes to help. That’s why the President and the others were taken.”

“Lure out? Who are they trying to lure out?”

“That… would be you, Reiya Toujou-kun.”

“Me…?”

“That’s right.”

Kisaragi looked at me with her tear-swollen eyes.

“The monsters’ target is you, Reiya Toujou-kun. The President and the others were taken to ensure they can kill you.”

“To kill… me…?”

“Yes. If you don’t go to them alone by tomorrow, they’ll kill all the hostages. And if you don’t show up alone, they’ll kill all the hostages. Those were their parting words.”

“If I don’t go to them… all the hostages will be…”

“They knew your name. They knew you were the one who defeated the monsters Venom, Gotees, and Orochi. Their goal is you. They see you as their one and only threat. If they can just kill you, no one will be left who can beat them. That’s why they want to take you out first. And for that purpose, the President and the others were taken.”

“Is this all… my fault…?”

“…!? No! That’s not it…! It’s not your fault… That’s not what I’m trying to say…”

“But it is, isn’t it? If I weren’t here… the President and the others wouldn’t have been taken… Kisaragi wouldn’t have been so badly hurt, and Usami wouldn’t have been captured…”

“What are you saying?! If it weren’t for you, Usami and I would have already been killed by the monster Venom! Get a grip!! Please!!”

Being told off by the injured Kisaragi, I came back to my senses.

That’s right.

I don’t have time to be moping around.

I have to go save them.

I have to go save Saionji, Usami, Takanashi, and all the other magical girls.

“Sorry for losing it. Kisaragi, will you tell me their location?”

“…”

“If the monsters’ goal is to kill me… they must have mentioned where the hostages are. Otherwise, it would be meaningless. Tell me. Where is the place they specified?”

“…I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because if I tell you, you’ll definitely go save the President, Chiyo-chan, and Yuki-chan.”

“Of course I will.”

“No. If you do that, you’ll die.”

“I won’t die. I’ll rescue the hostages and come back here, I swear.”

“That’s impossible. They’re strong… No matter how powerful you are, you can’t possibly win by challenging them alone…”

“How can you be so sure? You don’t trust me?”

“I do trust you! But… beating that is just impossible!! You… you can’t defeat Monster Hades!!”

Kisaragi began to tremble as if she’d recalled something.

She hugged her body protectively, her expression twisted in terror.

“Monster Hades… Is that the mastermind’s name?”

“Yes.”

Kisaragi nodded, still shaking.

“He’s the one who created and sent all the monsters. Venom, Gotees, Orochi… he created them all.”

“So if I defeat him, it’ll all be over?”

“Impossible. There’s no way you can beat him. He’s created even stronger monsters.”

Kisaragi’s voice was laced with terror.

“All the monsters that attacked this place… every single one was at least stronger than Monster Venom… Some of them had an aura several times greater than Venom’s—no, even stronger than that… In order to kill you, he created several monsters far more powerful than any he’s sent before.”

“…Even so, I have to go.”

“You can’t. You’ll just be throwing your life away.”

“Please. Tell me. Where are they?”

“No, I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want you to die a dog’s death.”

“Why…? Please, just tell me…”

“Huh…”

I realized tears were streaming down my face.

I hadn’t meant for them to, but they were overflowing, unstoppable.

“Reiya Toujou-kun? What’s wrong…? Why are you crying…?”

Kisaragi asked, sounding bewildered.

I gave a bitter smile.

“I don’t know… I wonder why…”

“I’m not trying to be mean. I don’t want you to die. I want you to live, and that’s why I don’t want you to go to Monster Hades.”

“Thank you. I understand how you feel, Kisaragi. But…”

I looked straight at the kind Kisaragi, who was thinking of me more than anyone else, and spoke.

“I’m done losing people. I don’t want to lose anyone precious to me ever again.”

“Huh…”

“Kisaragi, listen. To me, you, Usami, Saionji, and Takanashi… you’re all precious to me now. More than my own life. It might be selfish, but I’ve started to think of you all as family. That’s why… I want to protect them. Even if it costs me my own life. I’m done losing the people I care about without doing anything.”

The memory of that great disaster flashed through my mind.

Back then, I was powerless.

Because I was weak, I couldn’t protect my family.

My parents died because of me.

My little sister is still missing because of me.

I cursed my own weakness.

I regretted my powerlessness over and over again.

That’s why I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.

I absolutely refuse to give up on Saionji, Usami, and Takanashi without even trying.

“Please. Tell me where they are. Where are they right now?”

“…”

After hesitating for a moment, Kisaragi spoke in a small, resigned voice.

“This city’s reconstruction district. The hostages are there.”

“…Thank you.”

I thanked Kisaragi and left.

“Goodbye, Reiya Toujou-kun.”

After Kisaragi’s lonely farewell, I could hear the sound of stifled sobs.