Towing Race

(Ceruno)

The damage control team, departing from the Engine Department, needs to traverse the City School's complex underground tunnels to reach the factory area damaged by the wormhole in order to repair the Power Crystal in that area.

Therefore, the City School temporarily stopped inside the wormhole.

Except for those on the edge of the Dormitory District, the entire City School has been submerged in the wormhole. In order to avoid being pushed away by the omnipresent pressure inside the wormhole, the Engine Department has also started using a high-tech device called a "Space Anchor".

Although there was no wind, a force was pushing the City School towards "the Other Side"...

That's why we need to use this system called "Space Anchor"; otherwise, even if the City School loses its power, it will eventually be swept to "the Other Side" by this force.

Outside the central Control Tower.

Xiao Yi tilted her head back, her eyes reflecting the "brilliant" colors inside the wormhole.

"This wormhole is huge! It could easily swallow the entire City School; its diameter must be at least a kilometer! It's practically like the wriggling intestines of a giant monster!"

"Hey, don't use such a disgusting analogy."

Miluno pinched Xiao Yi's cheek.

"If it's still the same size as the sky above the Old District, then it's indeed over a kilometer high."

Looking up through the broken dome, the scene inside the wormhole remains as abstract and distorted as ever, as if the surrounding landscape has been squeezed into a mess and mixed up, forming a cave wall that "at first glance seems to reveal something, but upon closer inspection, it is nothing at all."

Although it's amazing, staying in this awful place for too long can easily lead to mental pollution.

"Miss Metal, how's the repair of the offline Power Crystal going?"

Releasing Xiao Yi, Miluno asked again, "Do you need our help? My magic and Ceruno's magic can buy time for the damage control team."

Metal waved his hand.

"No need to trouble you, it's just a matter of reconnecting the broken pipe, and we'll have results soon."

With the air bubbles blocking the wormhole pressure and the City School ceasing its advance, the atmosphere among the magical girls relaxed slightly. However, they couldn't let their guard down; if they didn't Past, there was bound to be some backup plan on the "The Other Side"...

Buzz--

The buzzing sound that had disappeared after entering the wormhole resumed, and Phoenix, who had been scouting overhead, flew in from outside.

"Hey, something's flying over there, a huge swarm."

Just as she said this, some rustling sounds came from below the City School...

"Artillery fire? They're shelling the Engine Department?"

No, for artillery fire, that's a bit too little noise; it sounds like raindrops hitting a window... just a downpour.

"I'll go down and take another look!"

Phoenix flew off once again.

But shortly after she left, the entire "Zodiacal" Magic Academy began to move in the "The Other Side," and even accelerated, until the Dormitory District was completely submerged in the enormous wormhole.

"What is going on?"

"Such an underestimation," Phoenix's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"What they're launching from 'the Other Side' are magnet-like things. These things will attach to the bubble below the City School and pull the bubble forward. Are they planning to use this to completely drag the City School Past?"

There are so many strange and unusual things here. Is this also part of Dad's plan?

"Can your magic destroy it?" I asked.

"It's possible, but there's just too much! I can't clean it up as fast as they're being dumped!"

Xiao Yi suggested, "Let everyone gather in the entrance hall, then disconnect it from the Ring Corridor. That way, we can use the entrance hall as an escape pod... Should we abandon the City School and evacuate directly?"

If we could retreat, it would be better to retreat first, but the 'The Other Side' probably won't give us that opportunity.

In response, Miluno replied:

"The entrance hall will also be pulled in, and even if we leave the wormhole, the witch's barrier will still be there. We have no way out... I'm going to Professor Hephaestus's laboratory. You guys figure out how to deal with those 'magnets' first."

"Professor?"

"If we're really going to go to war, we'll need something she invented."

Miluno vanished in the blink of an eye.

Metal also returned to the Engine Department, where she would use the propulsion of the Power Crystal to counteract the pull of the "magnet".

To confirm the situation, I carried Xiao Yi to the Garden District north of the City School. Through the fence of the broken dome, I saw dense black dots swarming in from the other end of the wormhole like Locust.

"Holy crap?!"

Xiao Yi, who was perched on my back, was also a little stunned.

Although Phoenix calls it a "magnet," it's just a description. Although it looks like a black iron block, it's not metal and can be attracted to anything, even sticking to the surface of my bubbles.

Once something sticks to it, it generates a magnetic force that drags the attracted object to "the Other Side." Phoenix had quite a few magnets on her, and she was almost pulled Past herself. Fortunately, her magic, Fire Phosphor, could easily destroy these magnets. However, there were simply too many magnets, and the radius of the wormhole was too large, so she could only intercept a limited number by herself.

So, Miluno's Mobility Class took on the role of cleaners.

"Watch out, Miss Jaeger!"

Although Miss Jaeger is a witch, as the teaching assistant of the Mobility Class, she also led the students into battle. Compared to Phoenix, her flight posture is more agile. Wielding two rifles, she spews out barrages of bullets and can shoot down many "magnets" even with her eyes closed. However, she still lacks the ability to carry out large-scale cleanup.

Therefore, flying magical girls with insufficient firepower will often travel with radial magical girls.

For example, a magical girl riding a magic wand, or a magical girl who can emit dynamic light waves;

A winged magical girl embracing a magical girl caught in a blizzard, and so on.

A single burst of full power can sweep away a large area of magnets, but if the effort is relaxed, the swept-away area will quickly be covered by subsequent magnets.

"These things look like nanomachines."

Although the magical girls are working hard, their progress toward "the Other Side" has not stopped, and they can even see the curtain at the exit.

"I want to create a wall between the City School and these magnets."

It doesn't need to be very thick, just enough to cover this wormhole with a diameter of one kilometer...

But maintaining the City School bubble is still necessary; I don't know if that's possible.

"Are you going to borrow my power again?"

Miss Terra's voice echoed in my mind again.

"Continue to improve your adaptability... You can do anything you want, but if you're completely dragged to the 'The Other Side,' you won't hear my voice anymore, and the power I can lend you will be limited. So make your decision now."

For everyone at the City School, we need this support...

I don't want to become Crystal.

But if I had the power to save the world...

"Don't be foolish! It's not time to risk your life yet!"

As Sirius reappeared, Miss Terra also disappeared.

It seems this time it's her turn to be kicked offline by Sirius.