World Collapse

(Miluno)

The third floor of the research institute is where Magical Girl Soldiers learn and train. This time, she didn't gather the "girls" together again; we were just passing by, but we still witnessed these Magical Girl Soldiers practicing and mastering magic... It's similar to the City School, only much smaller in scale.

They are my enemies. They hone their magic to create panic on Earth, and the people who trained these soldiers are Aldebaran, who claim to be allies...

I really can't figure out this guy's stance.

Going down through the third floor, you'll find the production lines on the first and second floors.

Although she promised to give me the Base Body, she stood in front of the workshop door but didn't rush to open the shielding door.

"I have one more request. If you can grant it, I'll make the research on the Witch Domain a little simpler."

Why are we still negotiating terms at this point?

I didn't agree directly, but instead said:

"You go first."

"If you have the strength to spare during the battle, please have your Spica that these children not be killed. Of course, I will not insist on this, but please spare their lives if possible. If I am still alive after the war, I will take care of them."

"..."

I just stared at her, and she seemed a little uncomfortable.

Why are you looking at me like that?

"I don't quite understand you. After all, you had the ability to save Viktorika and Regil, but you chose to take only SpiCa, leaving them to face the threat of the Annihilation Bomb. I thought you were the kind of person who didn't care about the lives of your companions."

Aldebaran blinked, then smiled.

"Because I knew you would take them away, just as I knew Fomalhaut would step forward and take the blame for me."

Ugh, what a scheming bitch.

The door to the production workshop opened.

It was filled with shimmering Magic Suppressant, but since I was wearing a protective suit, I wasn't affected.

Boom--

Before we even had a chance to tour it, it was like an earthquake; the entire research institute began to shake violently, the production line became unstable, and the Base Body hanging on the robotic arms swung like swings. But apart from that, there was no other damage.

"... Sigh, here we go again."

Aldebaran merely frowned, seemingly already accustomed to it.

What caused this earthquake?

She casually opened a teleportation portal within the range of the Magic Suppressant.

"Come here, come out with me and you'll see."

Following her through the teleportation tunnel, we arrived at the research institute... the top floor of the tower.

Look over there.

East of the research institute, near the edge of the world, a large piece of land shattered from this cylindrical world and was flung away by the centrifugal force of the rotating world, disappearing completely into the void...

It was like something out of a disaster movie.

"Wow?!"

The little thing was startled too.

Aldebaran said:

"Do you understand? This world is already riddled with holes. Even the Great Will had no choice but to find a way to transition itself to Earth. That's why it created the Monster Soldiers, that's why this absurd world exists. Therefore, there can be no peace; it's only a fight to the death."

Clearly, this is not the first time such land collapse has occurred.

The world is in grave danger, but that is no reason for aggression. Earth is the land on which humanity depends for survival; how could we possibly hand it over so easily?

But...

I thought of that dream I had before.

If the person who created the dream truly possesses Great Will, then their purpose shouldn't be so selfish...

After the earthquake, the Barrel World, now missing a piece of land, returned to silence and continued its rotation.

I asked:

"Was that Great Will truly only interested in going to Earth for its own sake?"

Aldebaran replied:

"Otherwise what? There are no Natives left in this world. Whether they are Monster Soldiers, witches, or Magical Girl Soldiers, they are all weapons of invasion created by the 'Great Will,' tools to pave the way for Him."

The little thing also said that it wanted to wake Him up and ask Him questions.

Is there a way to communicate with that will?

"It's impossible. Those old fogies in the 'Supreme Council' have already tried, but the Great Will has fallen asleep. Perhaps only Earth can awaken Him... Otherwise, He can only go to His end along with this world."

The Great Will is fast asleep.

Oh no, I should say they died of old age.

"An invisible, critically ill drowsy bug, oh, what a nuisance."

"However, the journey to the end is quite long for humanity. Waiting for this world to naturally perish is not a good idea, so I... sigh, let's go back first."

Aldebaran finished speaking in half a sentence, then just sighed, opened a teleportation channel, turned around and went inside.

I chased after them and returned to the production workshop.

"So what? Your statement is really bothering me."

There are some things that can't be said.

I can't say this, I can't say that.

I've pretty much gotten used to her riddle-like nature.

"Give me a Magical Girl Soldiers's Base Body, I want to go back."

"Miluno, after absorbing twelve Black Crystal, is there anything wrong with your body?"

"No."

Yes, there are.

But I don't want to tell Aldebaran about the little thing yet. The reason is simple: I just can't trust her.

"... Isn't the quantity enough?"

"What?"

I didn't understand her mutterings. Could it be that the little one's appearance was also her arrangement?

"No, it's nothing. Come with me, I'll take you to the Base Body storage."

"There's also a warehouse?"

"Of course, in order not to be seen as a threat by the Supreme Council, the total number of Magical Girl Soldiers is strictly controlled. These extra qualified Base Body will not be injected with personalities for the time being and will be kept as reserves... That's all."

At the end of the production line is a small warehouse where magical girl Base Body are sealed in transparent jars.

"That's quite a lot."

A rough estimate suggests there are dozens of them, but Aldebaran shook his head.

"The Supreme Council is intensifying its offensive, and those Magical Girl Soldiers upstairs will all be sacrificed soon, replaced by these... so the stockpile is not large."

Time flows more slowly here than on Earth, so the consumption of energy will seem greater.

She continued:

"I cooperated with A-Ji to transform those high-ranking warriors in the council into witches so that they could join the battle and reduce the losses of Magical Girl Soldiers. Besides, witches are stronger than ordinary magical girls."

Creating a witch invasion? Isn't that just creating more trouble for us?

"But they lived too long, and one by one they forgot their own identities, forgot that they were also just weapons of invasion by Great Will. After Pawa's defeat, a group of them shirked their responsibilities and refused to enter the wormhole."

The actions of the "Supreme Council," which constantly sends its men to carry out suicide attacks while hiding behind the scenes out of fear of death, are truly despicable.

So...

Little one, how about you pick one?

"Hmm."

She'd been playing dead since earlier, hoping I'd forget she was there. But I'm so used to her chattering in my ear, so her sudden silence is what's making me uncomfortable.

"Miluno, I really don't want to leave you."

I know.

"Then why are you letting me choose?"

But if you don't have a body, I can't introduce you to others.

Do you still want to hug Ceruno yourself?