Chapter 127

A Magical Girl and an Ill-Fitting Meeting

Though we’re always a step behind, it’s convenient and clear that the perpetrator has issued a statement.

Arongante finishes the call and turns to me.

The contents are already known by the Demon, but verification is important.

“Inie…”

“Has the Witch begun her move?”

“Yes. We don’t have much time, but I’d like to return to our base first, confirm the situation accurately, and then hold a meeting. Can you come with us?”

I nod and respond to Arongante.

Even though this is an emergency situation, will people be able to gather given the current circumstances?

(Details available?)

“There are some, but the situation is pretty bad. I’ll send the information directly to your mind.”

—I thought things had been quiet recently, but was it all preparation for this?

An ultra-large barrier surrounding the Australian continent.

Teleportation isn’t possible, but it seems we can still obtain visual data.

And there’s a declaration from the Witch: in about two hours, she plans to destroy Australia.

She laughed, saying if we could stop her, we should try, but the situation is as bad as to make even us want to laugh.

Firstly, we almost don’t have any magical girls here who can break through the Witch’s barrier, so the basic defense must be handled by the magical girls currently in Australia.

Secondly, if the magical girls in Australia were wiped out, it would be very dangerous considering the future. There are quite a number of them in Australia right now due to its vastness.

Despite the large number of magical girls present, there’s also circulating overly optimistic information suggesting they can defeat the witches, but we’re bound to lose.

(Will the barrier be penetrable?)

“It’s a combination of barriers and protections used until now. Alone, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Alone, huh. As long as we can infiltrate, it’s fine for now.

(By the way, how many other magical girls besides me can infiltrate?)

“I think there aren’t more than five in total. Within Haruna’s knowledge, maybe Blade? But it doesn’t seem like anyone can come.”

Indeed, that person might be able to overcome the Witch’s barrier, but reinforcements from outside the barrier seem nearly impossible. Honestly, I could handle it alone, but it would be better if someone who could organize the magical girls in Australia came along—it seems unlikely, though…

Unfortunately, there’s not a single ranked magical girl within Australia at the moment.

It appears communication is also impossible, so letting them act freely would only increase the damage.

To me, it might not matter, but as a Japanese magical girl, I need to do the minimum required.

If the visuals weren’t working, I wouldn’t need to consider these things, but since we’re being watched, I must take appropriate actions.

In any case, let’s decide on a plan after the meeting.

Returning to the base with Arongante, we pass the time at a café until the meeting preparations are complete. It’s important to create some time to calm down during situations like these.

I casually order coffee and rest while dozing off, healing my fatigue.

Apparently, no one else is around, but I can see the fairy staff cleaning tables or doing something in the kitchen.

I haven’t interacted much with fairies before, but what exactly are they?

While I know the theoretical facts, I honestly don’t understand them well.

I know the Fairy Queen manages the Fairy Realm, but only the fairies themselves know where she is and what she’s like.

We may not interact going forward, but depending on the situation, I might need to use their help, so if the opportunity arises, I should apologize.

“A call has come in. It’s the first conference room.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you for the meal. The bill will be covered by me.”

“Understood. We look forward to your next visit!”

Well, which way is the first conference room again?

(How many people have gathered?)

“About 10, including Arongante. Jeanne is here, but the three engaged in mock battles couldn’t make it, nor could Blade.”

This is technically a global crisis, but the reality is that we can’t focus solely on it. While hundreds of millions of lives are important, we cannot neglect other matters either.

(Are there any magical girls here that I know?)

“I might know everyone’s names, but among acquaintances, Nightmare is here. Oh, and except for Inie, only top-ranked magical girls were gathered.”

Nightmare, huh? I admit she can fight as a magical girl, but she’s just a beginner among the ranks—she probably can’t even beat Marin, so she’s a bit questionable.

I get why only top-ranked magical girls were gathered, but having me among them creates a rather awkward dynamic.

(Somewhat awkward in two senses.)

“Also, the gathered top-ranked members aren’t exactly the strongest lineup. Ideally, we’d want the number ones from America or Japan.”

(There’s no point demanding what we don’t have. Anyway, we’ve arrived.)

A staff member, presumably, was waiting in front of the door marked “First Conference Room.” They must be there for eavesdropping or confirmation purposes; thank you for your hard work.

“Miss Inny Flowering, correct? Please come in. You’re the last one.”

(–Was this planned?)

“Of course!”

Already feeling out of place, being the last one to enter makes me wonder what I’ll be told… The atmosphere feels heavy even before it starts.

“Understood.”

When the door opens and I step inside, all eyes turn toward me.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“No, we’re still before the scheduled start time, so it’s fine. Please, take the empty seat over there.”

There’s only one vacant seat left, so I sit down.

Some gazes feel somewhat friendly, but overall, I’m not receiving much positive emotion.

“We still have some time, but since all the expected members have gathered, we’ll begin the emergency meeting. Whitekigawa will lead the proceedings, so please cooperate.”

Arongante takes her seat, and Whitekigawa stands up to bow.

Then, images are projected onto the monitors installed in the conference room.

“As you might already know, we’ve received a declaration from the Witch, and Australia is in a critical state. There are magical girls within Australia, but we expect additional support from those here today.”

Whitekigawa looks around at the members and pauses briefly.

“However, there is one issue. Since teleportation into Australia is not possible, only magical girls who can open holes in barriers or transfer directly can enter. The remaining members will stay on standby near Australia’s barrier.”

The first wave entering the barrier and the second wave after the barrier is lifted.

As a strategy, it’s normal, but there’s a significant pitfall here.

“May I ask a question?”

“Please go ahead.”

“What is the strength of that barrier? And is there a magical girl here who can perform direct transfers?”

That’s a good question.

Probably the Demon knows most about the barrier, but I’m curious how much Whitekigawa and Arongante have managed to analyze.

“Well, regarding the barrier, reports indicate it’s stronger than the ones used for ranked magical girls. As for transfers, all personnel we prepared have failed so far, so we can only find out by trying.”

Hm. This matches what I heard from the Demon.

(Can anyone bring others into the barrier via transfer?)

“Fairy or Lockwert-type barriers would be fine, but the Witch’s is too tough. Even with the password, Haruna alone is the limit. With magic… hmm, hiding in shadows or becoming part of small objects might allow transferring one person together.”

Shadows, huh? Zea could be useful here, but I’ll refrain from relying on her this time.

It’s better not to expose her too much, and if necessary, now isn’t the time.

(Understood. Let’s wait and see for now.)

“Understood. By the way, are there any ranked magical girls here who can create holes in barriers?”

Three hands went up.

(What do you think?)

“Probably impossible.”

“Perfect timing. Let’s have the three attempt it at the start of the operation. However, please ensure methods that won’t cause damage. Moving on, back to the topic of transfers… Inie?”

Here comes my turn. I’d rather not answer, but there’s no choice.

“I can manage alone. If there’s someone who can hide in shadows or transform into small objects, I can transfer one person with me.”

“Understood. Among the members here…”

Nightmare smoothly raises her hand but gets tapped on the head by the magical girl next to her.

What’s she up to?

“Is that Nightmare? Correct, she uses dark magic, right? Is she capable of hiding in shadows?”

Once again, the magical girl next to Nightmare stops her from enthusiastically answering.

(Who’s that magical girl?)

“That’s Strauf, ranked first in Russia. She’s technically Nightmare’s mentor figure.”

I see. So she has an accurate understanding of Nightmare’s capabilities then.

Depending on the situation, the possibility of Nightmare surviving is extremely slim.

Since this involves witches, the monsters appearing will likely be tough ones.

Working together with other magical girls might be safe, but there are no guarantees.

“…Strauf. I understand your concern, but perhaps allowing her to at least speak would be good, wouldn’t it?”

After pondering for a bit, Strauf releases Nightmare with a resigned expression.

“Itai… Um, I can hide in shadows, so I can go with Inie.”

“Is that so? Just to confirm, the chances of returning alive are very low. Is that acceptable?”

With serious eyes, Whitekigawa looks at Nightmare, while Strauf glances at me.

Her gaze feels like she’s asking me to somehow intervene and dissuade her.

Honestly, I don’t care, but I might as well give her a slight favor.

“Personally, I prefer going alone. As Whitekigawa said, the survival probability is practically zero.”

“—I’m fine. As a magical girl, I’m always prepared to die.”

For some reason, Nightmare puts on a determined face.

“I retract that. It’s unnecessary, so I’m sending Nightmare back.”

“Why?! We fought together! Or… are you talking about that thing… Sorry. Excuse me.”

She was about to say something stupid, so when I slightly pulled back my hood and glared, she ended up like this.

If she threatens, I’ll simply take her life.

Because of her idiocy, the atmosphere has become awkward, but I’ll leave it to Whitekigawa.

“Uh, besides Nightmare, is there anyone here who can use the magic Inie mentioned…? No one? What should we do?”

Whitekigawa asks Arongante, but Arongante shrugs lightly and stands up.

“To Inie and Strauf, I apologize, but Nightmare will accompany Inie. However, Nightmare, please collaborate with the local magical girls. Details will be provided later. Is that okay with you, Inie?”

This resolution is reasonable.

Having someone follow me is troublesome, but if she helps organize the local magical girls, it works out perfectly.

She’s a ranked member, so the locals should listen to her orders.

“Everyone else will teleport to the ships prepared near the coast of Australia. Inie and Nightmare’s movements will be continuously monitored, so please notify us by writing on paper if anything happens. Are there any questions?”

A different magical girl raises her hand, not the one who raised her hand earlier.

“Go ahead.”

“Regarding this Inny Flowering, can we trust her? The charges might be cleared, but isn’t it premature to fully trust her? Frankly speaking, her ability to transfer into the barrier seems dubious.”

At those words, a few magical girls nod, but being criticized was expected.

Anyway, being criticized won’t cause me any trouble, and my tasks remain unchanged.

There’s no way to stop me.

“I don’t need trust. Even if I wasn’t invited here, I’d act on my own.”

“—Impudent.”

“Rare to stir up such waves, but why?”

(Not a big reason, but since we won’t meet these people in the future anyway, buying hate ensures they won’t interfere with me.)

Well, I assume none of them except me and Nightmare can enter Australia, but personally, it’s more convenient to act alone.

Even if reinforcements arrive once the barrier is down, they’ll only be in the way.

“Normally, there’d be various explanations, but as a ranked magical girl, I guarantee Inie is trustworthy.”

“—Such a young girl, really.”

“I understand your concerns, but this is an emergency situation, so please bear with it.”

Which part did she mean? Was it the “young girl” comment or the impudence?

“Alright, we’ll temporarily adjourn the meeting. The two from the advance infiltration team, please stay here. The barrier-breaking team and standby team will reconvene in 30 minutes.”

Some may not be satisfied, but this concludes the general meeting.

Next, we’ll adjust individually… or rather, in small groups.

Now, what to do about the pesky Nightmare…