Chapter 33: The Ever-Positive Angel Is in Charge of the Magical Girl's Mental Care

What I Can Do

When I reached the spot where Cyclamen had fallen, she stood up from where she’d been calmly seated and greeted me as if she’d been expecting me.

“[You’re rather late, Soyu. I was wondering when you'd arrive. I even took the chance to repair some of the damaged parts in the meantime.]”

Cyclamen said with a nonchalant expression while tapping her arm, and smiled at me as usual.

“[So? Have you come up with a plan to defeat me?]”

Her smiling face amidst the wreckage and rubble could only be described as grotesque.

Seo-ah unnie seemed to think the same. She furrowed her brow deeply, but after glancing at me, she simply clicked her tongue without saying a word.

“…”

There were so many things I wanted to say. So many questions I wanted to ask.

But now wasn’t the time for idle words.

This was the time to take responsibility for the problems I had ignored for too long.

I tightened my grip on my staff and said nothing.

Cyclamen’s smile faded, and she floated up into the sky.

“[While I waited for you two, I ran some calculations. I wanted to see my odds of winning if I were to face both of you at once—Black, the strongest among magical girls, and Blue.]”

Tapping at her temple, she shook her head.

“[Unfortunately, I came up 12% short. The result is only 88%. A pitiful number. I much prefer certainty.]”

While Cyclamen went on with her analysis, Seo-ah unnie began moving slowly.

It was obvious she was preparing a surprise attack, but neither Cyclamen nor unnie seemed to care.

As if they already knew exactly how this would play out, they simply continued with their own plans

Watching them, I swallowed dryly and started to move as well.

‘What can I do…? What must I do…?’

What could I possibly contribute?

Just me alone, what can I even do?

“…”

Nothing came to mind.

I’d pushed everything onto others for so long that I didn’t even have the basic information I needed.

My lack of readiness was tying me down like shackles.

“Han Soyu!”

“Ah—!”

Startled by unnie’s voice, I lifted my head—

Only to meet Cyclamen’s eyes, who was suddenly right in front of me.

“[Once you fixate on something, you can’t pull yourself out. That’s your worst habit, Soyu.]”

I tried to burst out a shockwave to put distance between us—

But at that distance, it was already too late.

‘At least a barrier—!’

“[Too slow.]”

Her cold mechanical hand smashed through the incomplete barrier and grabbed me by the collar, just like before.

She hurled me to the ground.

“[This should raise my odds of winning by about 2%. But it's still not a satisfactory number.]”

“Enough with your pointless numbers…!”

Seo-ah unnie dashed in, switching her weapon from a lance to a massive sword.

As her blade came down, Cyclamen blocked the strike and threw some of her drones forward as decoys to create space between them.

I had almost no combat experience, so that was about all I could follow.

Even just keeping track of their movements as they fought across the field took everything I had.

Crash—! Crackle—!

They clashed and separated, already moving too fast for the eye to follow.

Only the deafening explosions revealed the ferocity of their battle.

“…”

I bit my lips and lowered my head.

‘Think… Think, Han Soyu!’

Are you just going to stand here, being useless like this?

What can I do? What’s the best thing I can do right now?

Should I try to block Cyclamen’s vision?

No… even when her sight was obscured, she could pinpoint my location without hesitation.

Should I try taunting her to grab her attention?

That won’t work either… Cyclamen blocked Seo-ah unnie’s sneak attack with one hand while watching me the whole time.

I’m not even on the same level as either of them.

Even if I gave it everything I had, she’d just brush it off with a smile.

"[Indeed, you really are the most troublesome one to fight, Black.]"

"Funny, you’re doing just fine blocking my attacks!"

"[Well, of course. I’m a manufactured masterpiece, after all!]"

“…Ah.”

When I was little, I loved building things.

"Wow…! Did you make this, Soyu? That’s amazing!"

"Our daughter might become a scientist someday!"

I loved hearing praise from mom and dad.

It made me feel like I was someone special.

That’s why I loved creating things.

And that’s why… I didn’t want to become a magical girl.

"Magical girls only ever destroy things."

Whenever a magical girl appeared, so did a monster.

Their battles always left things broken and ruined.

So I hated magical girls.

But ironically, the one who changed my mind was a magical girl.

I was too young to remember it clearly, but I still vividly recall the thrill I felt when a sparkling magical girl defeated a monster after a fierce battle and smiled, saying everything was safe now.

I didn’t wonder, "Could I become like that?"

I hated fighting. I hated pain.

How could a little girl who cried at the sight of an injection needle ever dream of becoming a magical girl who fought tooth and nail?

So instead, I changed my way of thinking.

"Mom, if I ever do become a magical girl someday…"

It's not 'if' anymore. You became the magical girl you wanted to be.

So remember, Soyu—why did you want to become a magical girl?

"I’ll protect people with amazing inventions!"

‘With the inventions I create… I’ll protect them!’

Thankfully, I had plenty of raw materials here.

If I put my mind to it, I can make anything!

I rushed to gather whatever materials I could find from the scattered wreckage around me.

Most parts were broken and unusable, crushed under collapsed buildings.

But even with scraps, there’s still a lot I can do.

And now, I had one more wildcard to play—

Something the collapsing building gave me.

‘That should be enough…!’

No, I can’t make anything grand.

There’s not enough time or materials for that.

But that’s okay.

It doesn’t have to be amazing. It doesn’t have to be cool or pretty.

"Please… Please…!!"

Even if it's crude and ugly, even if it's not especially powerful—

If it can just buy us a little time, just for a moment… that's enough.

"[Did you really think I’d just stand by and watch!?]"

Hundreds of drones screamed as they closed in on me.

If I make even one mistake or assemble something wrong, I'll die.

"I’m not like Seo-ah unnie. I’m not good at fighting…."

I’d given up on everything else.

But creating things is the one thing I never gave up on for six whole years…!

"When it comes to making things… I'm the best…!!"

I clenched my teeth and wrapped my whole body in a barrier.

My target was the high-voltage line that had burst free when the building collapsed.

—…

It was insane.

Even with the barrier, just one wrong move could lead to electrocution and death.

‘But I can't back down now!’

I bit down hard and shoved the makeshift coil into the exposed high-voltage wire.

It was a jumbled mess of copper wire, too uneven in length and gauge to even be called a "coil", but it would do.

‘If it’s the unregulated high voltage used to power the giant core machines inside the cradle…!’

Zzzzt—…!

With a dull pop!, my hand was flung backward.

And every drone that had been diving toward me suddenly dropped to the ground, all at once.

"It worked…!"

As I cheered and looked up, I saw Cyclamen with half of her drone-wing and one arm torn off.

That tiny opening I created—

It was just enough for Seo-ah unnie to sever her arm.

“[…!]”

Boom!!

"Kh…!"

Just then, Cyclamen unleashed a shockwave that sent Seo-ah unnie flying.

"Seo-ah unnie!!"

"I'm fine!"

Thankfully, it didn't seem to be a major blow, as she quickly responded.

As I let out a breath of relief, I saw Cyclamen staggering toward me.

"[Impressive. Had I not installed EMP shielding, or used Soyu’s magic battery, I would have ended up like the rest of those drones.]"

"EMP shielding…? When did you…?"

"[Oh, that was while Soyu was sleeping, of course. A makeshift EMP… It was a somewhat risky act, but not a bad improvisation. Still, are you sure you're okay with this?]"

With half her face scorched, Cyclamen tapped her foot on the ground and smiled calmly.

"[Because that EMP you just fired? It probably opened the prison underneath… the one that was holding all the monsters.]"

A chill gripped my heart.

No way… Not again…

Is this… my fault again?

What, what should I do?

Cyclamen alone is already overwhelming, and now we have to deal with monsters too?

"[Improvising is good, but you should’ve thought about the consequences.]"

With a dull crack!, something burst out of the collapsed debris.

It was a pair of pure white wings.

"[With this, my odds of winning just jumped to 99%.]"

Cyclamen shook her head in mock pity.

But at that exact moment, a white-haired girl shot out of the wreckage where the wings had popped out before.

"But magical girls overcome even 1% odds with love and friendship!"

"[?]"

What emerged from the rubble wasn’t a monster—

It was the angel who had disappeared at the start of the battle.

"Sarah…!"

"Sarah!?"

"While you two were busy fighting, I went down and gave those monsters a little spanking! ‘For the sake of the magical girls!’"

Sarah smiled brightly and gave us a big thumbs-up.

Next Chapter