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Numbers alone can be violence in a fight.

No matter how much an individual’s ability is inferior to any entity, if the combined strength is simply greater than the other side’s, the side with more numbers can win.

…Provided that total is larger, of course.

The sound of metal clashing echoes. It’s the incomprehensible noise of a massive chunk of metal with a strange core that no one can fully understand, striking another chunk of metal, not a specific species.

It’s the sound of iron being hammered in a smithy.

Then comes the massive sound of what could hardly be brushed off as just something colliding with the floor or my skin, as something from the enormous computer on the bridge or one of the metal plates or tiles shattered into pieces.

The laws of physics differ from human imagination—no, wait, could my imagination be different from the laws of physics, considering I’m a magical girl?

Or maybe this giant spaceship is slowly entering a zero-gravity space, but the ship didn’t abruptly turn when an alien crashed into the floor or ceiling.

What used to look like windows when I first entered now fails to properly depict the universe.

When I punched the monitor with all my might, a white line stretched unpleasantly up and down, leaving only a chilling color that twisted around the place where either we or the alien—or the detached computer—collided.

The universe seemed to be in pieces.

Thinking that way, it no longer felt entirely hideous.

“Hah, hah…”

Even as I generate and use so much power, I was gradually growing tired.

Even the hammer, which I usually swung around as if it had no weight, was slowly getting heavier, and my movements were dulling.

Yet, these aliens keep appearing from who knows where.

A blade made of light slices through the air with a strange sound. If a beam of light didn’t differ from a laser, swinging it shouldn’t make that kind of sound.

“Ji-eun, are you okay?”

Ha-yoon sat down next to me and spoke.

She had already taken down a few aliens. The floor was already littered with the rugged bodies of Earthlings sprawled in all directions. I had no equipment strong enough to bind them, and I didn’t have the time to tie them up.

The aliens still visible in our sight numbered nearly thirty. And the wall through which they keep pouring out remained open.

Inside, it was as if people were hanging like pieces of meat in a butcher shop. They weren’t actually skewered on iron skewers, but they were tightly bound in metallic restraints, which made the sight almost grotesque given their sheer number.

How many of them are there—

…No, could it be?

“This spaceship…”

I muttered while looking up at the aliens. Ji-hye had come down near me and was setting up a barrier. The aliens were swinging their fists as if to smash through the barrier, but I hoped it would hold for a moment.

“What energy is this spaceship moving on?”

“Well, obviously the circuit—ah.”

Ha-yoon, who was answering, froze with her mouth slightly open.

“What’s wrong?”

Ji-hye asked a bit anxiously. The barrier was cracking.

“If it’s a circuit, then isn’t it these guys?”

I said while looking outside the barrier.

“Could it be that all the aliens here…”

Ji-hye seemed to understand my words, and her face paled slightly.

Right.

What reason could there be for such a large number of artificial aliens to be packed into this spaceship? They could be specimens, or it might be that they were produced in bulk in advance.

But.

I looked back at the place where the aliens were bound one more time.

The ones in the front line were held back for quite some time, only to be released just as we were finishing off the aliens.

This means that this isn’t a place for releasing the aliens but rather a place for putting them back, isn’t it?

“Wait a moment.”

“Uh, wha!? Ji-eun!?”

As I hugged Ji-hye, she quickly shouted and clung to my neck. Ha-yoon, watching our interaction with wide eyes, plunged a knife into the circuit of the alien that broke through the barrier.

“Let’s get in there.”

“Huh?”

At my words, Ha-yoon looked a bit flustered.

“But inside…”

“If I’m right, they won’t be able to rampage in there.”

If this spaceship was simply a production facility, then my thoughts might be wrong.

But unlike the current chairman, Ping Ping, the former chairman certainly had much grander dreams.

Then, this spaceship wouldn’t be simply a place that ‘produces’. It wouldn’t be just a place that ‘stores’ either; it must be a spaceship that somehow ‘utilizes’ the aliens.

They want to use all these beings, each containing a circuit capable of generating that immense power.

“Can you trust me?”

When I asked Ha-yoon, she looked a bit bewildered for a moment but then let out a long breath and smiled softly.

“Of course.”

“Good. Everyone!”

At my shout, the kids glanced over here.

“Come on, follow me!”

With those words, I leaped.

Now that I thought about it, even though we had come to space, the spaceship still held gravity. I had never been on a spaceship, so I wasn’t sure if that was normal or not.

…In any case, I would understand if I tried to damage the ship.

In fact, at the moment I stepped in here, my goal had already changed.

Not just to beat the current chairman but to crush all of the former chairman’s goals as well.

Deliberately causing someone pain for a brighter future just doesn’t sit well with me, at least by my standards.

Besides, I was in that position myself.

“Ji-hye, I’m counting on you.”

I said and lightly kissed Ji-hye on the cheek. “Ah!?”, Ha-yoon let out a sound like she was feeling frustrated.

But for now, this is the best option. Both Ji-hye and I gain strength through such acts.

After all, I really don’t know why it is that way.

“Uh, okay!”

Ji-hye, her face flushed, stretched out one hand in front.

I soared up energetically, and Ha-yoon closely followed behind.

As I flew in a trajectory towards where the kids were scattered, Jua, Rose, Dalia, and Delphinium. As we dashed through, pushing away the aliens with Ji-hye’s barrier, the kids also followed one by one behind me.

The pursuing aliens were kept at bay by Jua’s shots, and Dalia and Delphinium’s magic created distance between us.

Not that there weren’t hindrances. But since our goal wasn’t to take them all down but just to pass through, there was no reason to prolong the fight.

“Let’s go!”

Inside the open wall.

The only light visible there was a dim, red glow.

We jumped inside.

*

The pursuit from the aliens began to lessen.

It wasn’t that the door was closed; looking back, I could still see the light towards the bridge, but no aliens were following us anymore.

…Aliens are living beings as well. After all, aren’t they entities that move by ‘instinct’? They’re probably nothing more than beings whose instincts are so overwhelming that they can’t heed other commands and are simply set loose beside their target.

That’s why neither the former nor current chairman ever thought to sell them as weapons. The current chairman at least seemed to experiment with possibilities.

Perhaps the reason they can’t come in here is fear.

If the aliens tightly bound here are indeed bound for us to harness their energy, a fainting spell won’t work.

To draw out feelings like despair, one must face unending suffering in a situation where they can never give up.

“……”

The sound of breathing around me was chilling.

Wondering if I was the only one thinking that way, the kids slowly began to speak less. Ji-hye, who had initially seemed relieved that no aliens were following us, and Rose, who had cheered triumphantly, were now silent.

“……What is this?”

Ha-yoon muttered in disbelief.

Another possibility.

A method entirely opposite to what the Federation discovered, a kind of ‘production’ that doesn’t hinge on anyone’s will.

Was this a setting even in the original webtoon?

Did they put it in to deny the idea that the energy actually utilized in the company was much more efficient and better, as people jokingly said?

“That’s horrific.”

Dalia’s words represented what we were all thinking.

Even though there were no pursuers behind us, we pressed forward as if something were chasing us, and found an empty space along the way.

There were indeed quite a few aliens rushing behind that empty space, but it seemed to be some kind of maintenance hall, empty aside from a control panel of unknown purpose.

We decided to rest there for a moment.

After reaching a place where we could hear as little of the aliens’ breathing as possible, I collapsed onto the ground.

Thanks to the influence of the circuits, I wasn’t falling down just yet, but I was utterly exhausted both physically and mentally.

We had had no time to bring anything to eat or drink while coming this far.

All that remained was my fighting spirit. The determination to tie up loose ends here and head back to Earth.

“……”

Each of us sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, lost in thought.

Even James and Cherry, who had been faithfully following us, were silent.

“……Cherry.”

To rid myself of the awkward silence, I spoke to Cherry.

“The Federation is making generators too, right?”

“Yeah.”

Cherry answered as if there was nothing left to hide.

“That generator is powered by magical girls…or what other countries call heroes and superhumans.”

“Right. It’s not completed yet, but if it is completed, that’s how it will be.”

Ha-yoon closed her eyes.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of using magical girls in that manner. Of course, one of my close friends would have to play the role of turning that generator.

But at least, it wouldn’t be like these aliens.

It was a bit confusing.

“Is there really a reason to pull out energy to that extent?”

“……”

Cherry fell silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.

“How much do you know about the history of the Galactic Federation?”

“Just what’s in the textbooks.”

“Then you learned about how many wars took place in the universe before the Galactic Federation was established? That there were powerful empires even before that?”

I did learn that, of course. Just like the ancient Egyptian stories in world history, it felt too distant—no, it was actually stories of civilizations far older than that, so it didn’t resonate much with me.

“Back then, they say they had technology advanced enough to utilize stars and black holes. Of course, such facilities weren’t something you could just create at random. For thousands of years, great structures had to be built focusing the fate of a civilization, right? Empires would build such structures in the heart of the empire and connect the territories with physical constructions.”

That’s a story that doesn’t make sense with common knowledge. A building that surrounds a star would inevitably have gravity, and constructing such a building that completely envelops a star while withstanding that gravity for thousands of years?

It’s extremely rare for any constructed structure on Earth to leave any trace after just a few hundred years of neglect, yet they’d have constructed such gigantic buildings persevering against a star’s influence?

…If there was even a ‘building’ that could travel between planets and stars, that would make absolutely no sense.

But of course, if the logic of ‘magic’ intervenes, it could change the story.

“……But that empire has disappeared. A long time ago. Just like all other empires. While the empire itself may have existed, those structures remained only as stories, with real evidence exceedingly scarce.”

So, it’s essentially an exaggerated story.

If there had been a building that gigantic in outer space, there would be evidence left over eons later.

Well, I can’t argue if it was simply destroyed by the gravity of stars or black holes after being left for too long.

“So why does that story come up?”

“What if, regardless of whether it exists or not, you could create a generator of a size you can hold and produce energy on the level of those structures?”

“Well…”

Well, yeah, that would be something amazing.

“What could we do with that enormous energy? We still don’t know. But isn’t that always the case with energy sources? In the beginning, when they are discovered, it’s usually hard for anyone to imagine… Perhaps if we can secure enough, we might be able to reproduce those mythical stories in our time.”

Cherry’s gaze had turned elsewhere.

It seemed like she was saying ‘but.’

Yeah, but.

Is it really okay to create such energy at the cost of so many sacrifices?

Building a civilization by plunging someone into extreme suffering and having it continue for thousands or tens of thousands of years by sacrificing people?

Can that truly be considered the right thing?

Moreover, it’s not even energy at the level that could destroy the universe right away.

Even Earth has seen many environmental issues getting resolved since coming into contact with the Federation, and more solutions are expected in the future. Was there really a need to demand so much?

This time, I looked at James.

“Why are you already doing this? If you’re going to reverse entropy, there’s plenty of time to be patient. The universe isn’t going to collapse any time soon.”

“……What if the opportunity is now?”

“Now?”

At my question, James looked up at me with shining eyes.

“What if the one who came up with this idea is just us living in this time? When the time comes in the far future, for whatever reason, to rebuild civilization as it did in those ancient empires, will the planet Earth still be alive? Throughout the 900 trillion years of the universe, the duration of a civilization is but a fleeting moment.”

“……”

“Then those who think of such things must seize the moment to achieve as much as possible while there’s a chance. Ideally, if we could reverse entropy right now, that would be perfect, right?”

It still sounded like the kind of craziness you’d expect from madmen.

If the Federation dreams of a magnificent golden age, the company surely longs for some kind of religious ideal.

And to me, neither seemed good.

“So what do you think, both of you?”

I asked James and Cherry.

“Do you think that this fight we’re having is ultimately meaningless? That there’s intention to achieve goals through the use of Earthlings in any manner?”

I now understood why it felt as if the Federation and Noir Corporation were oddly aligned.

Neither wanted to hand over technology, but they both sought technology from each other.

The current chairman of Noir Corporation was just a person who was particularly blinded by money right in front of them.

“……”

James and Cherry both fell silent.

That makes sense. Ultimately, both of them would probably think they needed to fight.

Regardless of the ultimate goal, if the ship is taken away, it would ruin James’s plans. And as James said, if one fails to achieve their goal, who knows how long it might take to regain that chance—what could be an infinite amount of time until another person who talks such nonsense gains power.

The Federation government will fall apart. The side that could better exploit Earthlings will seize power, and the entirety of Earth itself might turn into some kind of mining area. Of course, the resources they’d extract wouldn’t be ore but Earthlings.

Either way, it’s a sentiment that neither side’s vested interests would like to hear.

At least that one thing was a relief.

I thought bitterly.

*

After a brief rest to ease our fatigue, we rose from our seats once again.

We no longer knew what time it was or how far we had flown.

How far can I warp with my ability? Can I return to Earth?

Such worries were already pointless.

Ultimately, there’s only one thing we must do and can do.

“……Here it is.”

And so, we reached the end of the corridor.

The area resembling a door was firmly shut. The path here wasn’t overly complicated. There had been twists and turns along the way, true, but it seemed to be a solitary route leading to what was probably the fuel storage.

The aliens we had seen in huge numbers at first were now dwindling as we approached here, and there appeared to be plenty of empty space above us.

Perhaps they were thinking of filling this area completely with aliens.

“……Let’s move through.”

At my words, the kids nodded.

Cherry and James manipulated the control panel beside them to open the door.

Was there anyone else but the chairman aboard this ship? Even if there were experts, they were surely not as capable as Cherry and James.

Slowly, the door opened, and a bright light spilled out beyond.

As I squinted at the light, trying to see through—

“……A star?”

Ha-yoon muttered, stunned.

It wasn’t like the sun. It didn’t resemble a surface bubbling with magma; it appeared to be a shape mirroring the light of a white LED that had simply been compressed into a ball.

And we instinctively understood.

That energy was indeed created through the numerous aliens stored in this spaceship.

Clap, clap, clap.

It sounded like mocking applause.

“Impressive, truly.”

With a very sarcastic voice, the chairman spoke.

As she stepped toward us from beneath the appearance of that star, a woman with red skin walked slowly.

“I’ll give you credit for making it this far. You’ve just seen the most important part of this spaceship.”

I gripped my weapon tightly.

“But I’ve also been preparing, you know.”

The chairman looked down at us as she spoke.

There was no sign at all that she intended to negotiate or continue the conversation.

“……If only you had run away, you could have lived peacefully. No, maybe not. You are magical girls, so our goals would ultimately have made you despise us. In that case—”

The chairman flashed us a grin.

“Then I have no choice but to eliminate the threat in advance.”

 

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