Chapter 132

Marin’s True Desire

The notification had come out of the blue.

No, she had anticipated the possibility.

However, the content was not what she had expected…

After checking her terminal, Marin immediately headed towards the teleporter and teleported to the designated location.

The place was a special battleship, docked off the coast of Australia, which was only nominally called a ship.

After explaining the situation to the fairy in the teleportation room, Marin headed straight for the room designated by Arongante.

She knocked five times, and the door opened.

“You’ve come, Zea.”

When Marin entered the room, there were Arongante and a magical girl unknown to Marin.

Though Marin wanted to ask who she was, Arongante began moving as if even that time was too precious to waste.

“I get it. I’m fully prepared. But since the protection is stronger than I thought, I won’t be able to do anything after this. Gate Open.”

A black void appeared in the center of the room.

Unable to see what lay ahead, Marin felt as though it were a gate connecting to the underworld.

“The location is set as close as possible to Inie, but I can’t guarantee what will happen. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you’re ready, go ahead. Good luck.”

As soon as Zea finished her task, she faded into Arongante’s shadow and disappeared.

“Who was that person just now?”

“That was Zeahrfil, ranked tenth. She helped us a bit. Now, are you really sure about this? Once you enter, all you’ll find waiting is hell. If Inie survives, that’s good, but if they don’t, there will be no way to save you, Marin. Will you still go?”

Marin looked at Arongante with unwavering eyes.

Marin’s heart was already decided.

Even if it were dangerous, if she could help Inie, whether it be the depths of the earth or hell itself, Marin had resolved to go without hesitation.

“It doesn’t matter. If it helps Inie, I will go.”

“I see… Very well. I won’t say anything more. Just one last thing: Inie is believed to be fighting members of the destructionist faction. If that’s the case, refrain from interfering recklessly and carefully assess the situation. Be careful then.”

“Yes.”

As Marin entered the gate, she found herself on a small hill.

Below, monsters overflowed, and in the horizon, large monsters could be seen moving.

“Hell… huh?”

Feeling the magic power saturated within the barrier, something that couldn’t be understood from mere images alone, Marin swallowed hard.

Marin knew she couldn’t defeat so many monsters. Moreover, taking down an S-Rank monster alone would still be beyond her capabilities.

But finding Inie was more important than dealing with the monsters.

If what Zea said was true, Inie should be nearby, but searching for someone in such a vast wasteland seemed almost impossible.

However, magical girls had a way to sense magic power.

Because Marin harbored strong feelings for Inie, she could overcome any obstacles to some extent.

Yet, she could barely sense traces of Inie’s overflowing magic power, only faint remnants lingering in the air.

The worst-case scenario flashed through Marin’s mind, but she shook it off and headed toward where the remnants were most concentrated.

Fortunately, there weren’t many monsters in the direction Marin was heading, and she was rarely attacked.

While fending off attacking monsters, Marin searched for Inie.

However, Inie was nowhere to be found.

(That’s strange. I can sense Inie’s magic power clearly, yet I can’t find them…)

If Inie had died, there should have been signs of battle or blood, but none were found.

Far from any town, all Marin could hear were the cries of monsters; no sounds of battle reached her ears.

Just as frustration began to build, ominous, stagnant magic power suddenly appeared.

Rushing to its source, Marin found a familiar white robe lying on the ground, with something beside it calling out to the robe.

The white robe was still seeping red blood, enough to suggest death wasn’t far-fetched.

The visible limbs were discolored and motionless.

“! Marin! Why are you here?”

“Where’s Inie? Is Inie alright?”

The worst thoughts crossed Marin’s mind as she stumbled closer to Inie.

“Don’t touch!”

Something — a demon — stepped between Marin and Inie, warning her off.

Though Marin’s mind was preoccupied with Inie, this ‘something’ was her only lead right now.

Given its concern for Inie, it was likely not an enemy. Still, it knew Marin’s name.

She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

“What are you?”

Regaining a bit of composure, Marin retracted her extended hand.

“I am Inie’s contract fairy. Why are you here, Marin?”

“I came because Arongante said there might be trouble with Inie… but…”

Marin glanced briefly at the motionless Inie.

“They’re still not dead. But we can’t move them from here. Inie’s human functions aren’t maintained, and their magic isn’t recovering. However, the contract hasn’t been severed, so they’re not dead yet…”

A question mark arose in Marin’s mind regarding the word “contract,” but the crucial information was that Inie was still alive.

Still, judging by appearances, it was hard to believe they were alive.

Blood flowed from the slightly visible mouth, and it didn’t seem like breathing was possible.

But if what this fairy said was true…

“―Is there anything I can do?”

There might not be much Marin could do for Inie now.

But if there was still a possibility, she wanted to fight until the very end.

“To be honest, there’s nothing Haruna can do right now. But monsters will likely attack while we wait, so if you fend them off… perhaps…”

“Understood.”

The monsters Marin had fought on her way to Inie hadn’t been too strong, but what lay ahead was uncertain.

Thankfully, no S-Rank monsters were in sight around them, but in the current state of Australia, anything was possible.

“I’ll provide a little support. So, please protect Haruna…”

Marin nodded in response to the demon’s earnest plea and was slightly surprised by the pain that shot through her head.

Then she understood what the support meant and transformed into Enhanced Form.

What the demon had done was a lower version of the magic performed on Inie.

The range was only dozens of meters, but that alone would make defense easier.

It was unclear if Inie could be saved.

Still, if there was a chance, Marin could fight.

Marin leapt high into the air and fired arrows at the monsters swarming around Inie.

The arrows exploded upon hitting the ground, blowing the monsters away.

Quickly switching to her sword, Marin charged into the crowd of monsters.

Her map showed a large number of monsters approaching, targeting Inie.

Switching between bow and sword depending on the situation, Marin continued to fight the endless stream of monsters.

Coincidentally, this battle resembled the time when she had fought while protecting civilians during M·D·W.

However, the quantity and quality of the monsters far surpassed that occasion.

Realizing Marin was a threat, the monsters began attacking her while still targeting Inie.

Despite having trained for combat against large numbers, Marin’s destructive power paled in comparison to magic-based magical girls.

While the bow allowed for somewhat wide-area attacks, it consumed a lot of magic power.

In a battle with no end in sight, relying solely on the bow wasn’t feasible.

On the other hand, without using the bow, she wouldn’t be able to take down flying monsters.

Gradually, Marin’s injuries increased, and her magic power diminished in proportion to the intensity of the battle.

Yet Marin’s fighting spirit did not wane.

Even if she were to die here, she wouldn’t be alone.

Little by little, the distance between Inie and the monsters closed, and the demon watching over the battle continued to call out desperately to Inie.

Though the contract hadn’t been severed, Inie’s heart had completely stopped.

As the burning time passed, just as the demon was about to give up, a change occurred in Inie.

A cocoon of light enveloped Inie, restoring the discolored skin to its original color, and the blood-soaked robe regained its pristine whiteness.

The depleted magic began to circulate through the body once more, restarting its supply.

And then, Inie………