Countermeasures: Miluno

(Miluno)

"Professor, I need your help."

Stratos was relatively lucky; her newly launched laboratory was encased in a bubble by Super Ceruno before it was destroyed by the wormhole, thus saving her and her laboratory from destruction—at least it wasn't crushed into a pancake by the wormhole.

The Modified Witch had her back to me, her dull, dry gray hair hanging down her back, looking like it hadn't been styled in ages. Beneath the wide sleeves of her white lab coat, numerous slender tentacles extended from her wrists as she manipulated several different test tubes for comparison, each emitting a familiar yet ominous Black Light.

Yes, it looks familiar.

This is the Black Light that Aldebaran uses to manipulate the "Great Hand"...

"It's at the door, take it."

Stratos not only didn't ask why they came, but he didn't even turn his head.

There was a crate of oranges next to the lab door, and inside the crate were hexagonal prism containers about the size of thermos flasks... um, Dark Activator?

How did you know I came here for this?

[You need this to fight the witch, and you're here to save me?]

She was speaking the language of "the Other Side," and perhaps because of her high adaptability, I could understand her even without Mono translating.

"Don't say that. You saved Azura before too, thank you."

"Don't thank me. That kid is good research material, and I can't just watch her disappear."

Although the words were harsh, there was still a hint of joy in her voice.

Professor Stratos is the kind of person who enjoys flattery and craves recognition, or perhaps... enjoys being the protagonist?

Yes, that's right, the main character.

As the head of the Monster Development Department, she was once considered the center of the team, but she was schemed against and eliminated by Aldebaran, becoming a prisoner awaiting trial... In a sense, this experience of persecution is also proof of the protagonist's character.

She wasn't defeated by reality. Using the Artificial Crystal of Artificial Magical Girl, she transformed herself into a witch and escaped from prison, and I even kidnapped her back to Earth.

She thought it was just a change of location to release a prisoner, but SpiCa gave her a considerable degree of freedom and funding, and even did not interfere with her research topics and directions, only requiring her to provide guidance when the Association's research department encountered difficulties.

Today, the Association's researchers also respect her as a professor or teacher. Although the laboratory is very simple, they have done their best to prepare it for her...

SpiCa knows exactly how to handle someone like Stratos.

Instead of leaving immediately, I put the activator into the Star Crystal and looked around at the laboratory layout and the Black Light Reagent in her hand.

Are they conducting some important experiment?

Stratos remained with his back to me, completely absorbed in the experiment he was conducting.

"The essence of Dark Energy is that it is a vessel for Great Will; therefore, the more adept an individual is at manipulating darkness, the closer they are to the 'Great Will' itself..."

Skilled at manipulating darkness...

So, Mono is indeed a being close to the "Great Will"?

"I've never understood why that girl and I are so different."

"That girl" likely refers to Aldebaran, as Stratos has always been vying with the Golden Witch.

"I couldn't understand it before, but now I do... The fundamental difference between us is that, as a witch, she is closer to the 'Great Will,' and her ability to manipulate darkness far surpasses that of Fusion Warrior like me."

After all, the witch is a brand new version compared to the Monster, so she's bound to be better.

"It sounds like you're admitting defeat?"

Although I couldn't detect any sign of defeat in her voice.

"No, I've found my direction."

She turned around, shaking the murky, Black Light reagent in her hand.

"This is a potion that can awaken the 'Great Will.' As long as I drink this, I can get closer to the 'Great Will' than she does, closer to our Creator, and then I can stand on the same starting line as that girl, right?"

This doesn't sound like a good thing.

I only sensed danger.

"I understand your unwillingness to admit defeat, but don't do anything foolish... The true 'Great Will' has ceased to function. This muddy darkness is merely a mistake made when the Natives perished. You Monster were also born from this mistake. Getting close to such a 'Great Will' is not a good thing."

"Wrong? That's utter nonsense."

Stratos still didn't believe it.

"It's a pity, but this is history that I learned from that computer."

To convince Stratos, I told her about the Archivist again, but she still didn't quite believe me.

"Hmph, if I survive today, I'm going to Prison Island."

The stubborn old man, Monster...

Is she so desperate to do this research because she thinks we won't live to see today?

"It's up to you. As long as you continue to assist the Association in its research, SpiCa shouldn't stop you."

The Monster were also unaware of their Past history. Born from the Black Mud, they didn't even know why they were born. Therefore, the history recorded in the Ancient Computer greatly stimulated Professor Stratos's thirst for knowledge.

Buzz--

A buzzing sound came from inside the wormhole. What was going on "the Other Side" now?

"Miluno! The wormhole is collapsing! We're going to be crushed at this rate!"

Collapse?

Upon receiving Mono's warning, I hurriedly ran out of the laboratory and looked up through the panoramic windows of the Ring Corridor. I saw the wormhole's inner walls, resembling an abstract art painting, pressing down on the City School, creating a sense of oppression, as if the sky were collapsing, making it suffocating.

"What happened?"

"What else could it be? They're trying to crush us on the Other Side!"

The returning City School stopped again, then began to accelerate in the "The Other Side direction"...

Since there wasn't enough time to retreat, would they have to use the traction of those "magnets" to rush through the wormhole and officially enter "the Other Side"?

"Professor, come with me to the Control Tower."

"No need, I can stay here."

"Don't be silly! The Ring Corridor is the edge of the City School. If you can't get out in time, this is where you'll be trapped first!"

This is not the time to be stubborn. I rushed back to the lab, picked her up, and ran back as fast as I could.

"Miluno? Oh, you brought the professor with you!"

Ceruno noticed me, and the magical girls who went to deal with the magnet have all returned.

"Is there any way to leave the wormhole at this speed?"

"I'm afraid we won't have enough time to leave completely; the wormhole closed far too quickly."

Was it really too late?

Although the exit on the "The Other Side" was not far away, the wormhole was collapsing much faster than the City School's flight speed.

"Mono, is there a way for us to open up a wormhole?"

The principle behind wormholes is the same as teleportation magic. Although "the Other Side" has decided to close the wormhole, if we could supply it with energy, perhaps we could maintain its operation until we escape...

But Mono waved his hand in denial.

"Huh? Impossible! The 'The Other Side' used the power of 'Great Will' to open such a huge wormhole. We can't do that with our current abilities... But we can definitely speed through it!"

What can I do if I rush over Past?

Etc...

I looked at the reagent emitting Black Light in Stratos's hand.

"Professor, can your medicine... bring me closer to the 'Great Will'?"