Epilogue: World-wide Erosion

(Ceruno)

The branch's circular meeting room.

The number of people summoned here is not large.

The hastily convened meeting had no name tags, and the attendees were just scattered around.

Although both Miluno and I received invitations, this wasn't a general meeting of all magical girls, but rather... a high-level meeting of the Magical Girl Association.

Miluno and I were included in this meeting because of the special nature of magic.

Most people participate via holographic video; they are members of headquarters and branches around the world, many of whom are magical girls, but there are also quite a few ordinary people.

It's worth mentioning that Ms. Yin Wei is also sitting here.

He rushed over as soon as he woke up from his coma; he's such a workaholic who doesn't take care of himself.

SpiCa stands on the central circular platform.

As the convener of the meetings, her image would be projected into the meeting rooms of headquarters and other branches.

"Everyone here, in your opinion... what is the purpose of 'the Other Side' constantly sending External Invader?"

"Purpose? Of course, it's for invasion."

Ms. SpiCa's overly simplistic question received a dismissive reply.

"In terms of results, that's true. But over the years, the overall strength of magical girls has overwhelmed the Monster Soldiers sent by the other side. The wormhole's early warning mechanism has also minimized the damage. In many places, there have even been instances where there were too many magical girls, resulting in a Monster being fought over by several magical girls..."

Putting aside the series of changes in Skyreach City, what she said was indeed true.

Before I became a magical girl, "The Other Side" was indeed "peaceful" for a long time, with months of zero casualties being the best proof, even showing the possibility of a counterattack.

"Director SpiCa, is there a problem with this?"

Isn't stability better?

Some people raised a question that puzzled them.

My thoughts are similar, but Miss SpiCa must have had a deeper meaning in asking that question.

"I wasn't aware of the problem until the Prosecutorate submitted an investigation report."

SpiCa pressed Enter to share the document he had prepared beforehand.

"But have you ever considered why, under these circumstances, the 'The Other Side' is still sending meaningless invaders all over the world at a certain frequency? Don't they know that their soldiers will be dealt with within ten minutes of landing?"

When SpiCa asked the question, everyone consulted the report.

The dense text makes it unreadable, but the translated document titles offer a glimpse into its quality.

<The Impact of Dark Energy Infiltration on the Present World>

<Research on the Field of Balance>

<Discussion on the Possibility of World Integration>

Therefore, someone has provided an answer.

"The 'The Other Side' is releasing these Monsters to sow seeds of darkness in this world... Is it Simulacrum Factor?"

A murmur rippled through the room. Miss SpiCa cleared her throat.

"That's right, the true face of this invasion is a global-scale erosion. Our complacency has given 'the Other Side' too many opportunities. The situation in Skyreach City is particularly serious; it has become a breeding ground for darkness. According to the investigation team's report, that energy can be detected throughout the city... Detection and purification equipment has been put into production, but the current production capacity is severely insufficient. I need to equip it to various branches and even police systems across the country as soon as possible."

On the big screen.

A magical girl wearing a dirty white lab coat and a monocle spoke.

"The production capacity issue is easy to resolve; I can mobilize resources and quickly catch up with your required schedule... But how credible are these reports? They're all signed by third-party research institutions, and their investigations are always far-fetched and not entirely reliable. Are we going to pay for such unreliable reports?"

She seems to be a magical girl from the Europe headquarters.

"Hephaestus, I understand what you mean, but this time you have to believe it. The Empty Wormhole that recently appeared in Skyreach City; the Witch Domain that appeared yesterday; even the Monster that humans Dark Conversion are currently being held in the research department of the Sky Branch... These can all serve as evidence for these reports. If that's not enough..."

Miss SpiCa shared another document.

"The investigations by these third-party organizations into the financial backers all point to former Chairman Sun Ji. Before he defected to 'the Other Side,' he had already begun his research using resources here and information from 'the Other Side.'"

Is it possible that this is some kind of clue that Dad left for us?

I still can't believe that my father really betrayed me.

"... I understand. Leave the equipment production to me; you don't need to worry about it."

The magical girl Hephaestus finished speaking.

"So how should we deal with this erosion?"

"First, we must recover the Simulacrum Factor left behind by the Monster. Previously, we were unaware of the dangers posed by Dark Energy, and the control over the Simulacrum Factor was not strict. Some of them flowed into private research institutions, and some even became personal collections. These must be recovered as soon as possible."

The Simulacrum Factor is a carrier of Dark Energy.

Because of their sheer quantity and the perception that they have no research value, a large number of Simulacrum Factor have flowed into places like the black market, turning the entire world into a breeding ground for darkness. Although none of these outbreaks are as severe as those in Skyreach City, the opening of Empty Wormhole could easily lead to a worsening of the situation.

"Secondly, we need to expand the availability of detection and purification devices and establish a database of Dark Energy in each region! This will ensure that heavily polluted areas are detected as soon as possible and prevent civilians from becoming invaders... The purification devices can only handle trace amounts of darkness; large-scale darkness will require specialized magical girls to deal with it."

The camera suddenly focused on Miluno and me.

Good evening, everyone.

I greeted them quietly.

My magic can filter out Dark Energy;

Miluno can even devour darkness through contact;

Our traits dictate

Finally, we need a special force...

Miss SpiCa was interrupted by Sirius.

"No! It should be a special magical girl doll--"

After cutting off Sirius's microphone, Miss SpiCa continued, "Literally, it's a group composed of magical girls capable of handling Dark Energy, specializing in dealing with Special Monster, witches, and Witch Domain..."

Miss SpiCa seemed reluctant, but she still compromised on the idol group label.

"But we only have two members at the moment. We need to arrange for the magical girls in each region to be tested as soon as possible, and reward those who volunteer. We must recruit more qualified members who can fight against darkness."

The deal between Miluno and me teaming up has been finalized?

From this day forward, Miluno and I will no longer be fighting Monster, but fighting to purify the Dark Energy of the world.

By the way, holding a concert will also provide positive publicity for the Association...

I have a feeling I'll be extremely busy.

"That's all for now regarding passive defense. I'll compile the detailed arrangements into a document."

Miss SpiCa paused.

"The offensive from 'the Other Side' has become more aggressive, and we must understand our enemy better. Therefore, starting next month, I will actively promote proactive reconnaissance, and if necessary, in addition to drones..."

The announcement was made only after the room had quieted down.

"I will also send out a reconnaissance team."

Volume 4 Complete

Ahem! Another volume is finished!

It's a bit of a shame she couldn't be honest, but Miluno has already accepted her feelings!

The next volume will officially advance the main storyline;

The true face on the Other Side;

The witches' individual schemes;

Miluno and Ceruno's relationship will eventually come to a conclusion.

So...

Please don't give up on me!