V6: Chapter 68: What's the Outcome of the Battle?

Chapter 68: What's the Outcome of the Battle?

With a smirking grin, it looked down at me with a look of utter amusement.

["What, you can think about it slowly, you know? After all, we have plenty of time. For us, that is..."]

"Tch...!"

["So, you don't understand that hitting me won't do any good...?"]

The ice mirror, unleashed with a hint of irritation, passed right through the illusion.

We have no means to interfere with this Demon King from our side, and the reverse is not true.

["The gate will appear in about 25 minutes and 30 seconds in human time."]

And most importantly... the gate will appear at nine in the morning, and the major cities will be engulfed in war. The longer we wait, the worse the situation will become for us.

"Satellite,... External Enemies don't always keep their promises."

"I know... I know that!"

These accidental battles, and this situation, are probably all according to his plan.

What he was wearing down wasn't our stamina... but our time and personnel.

To prevent any Magical Girls capable of countering this situation from joining forces, he's applying pressure and scattering them in various directions... formulating individual strategies. A strategy that's not sane, even if it means sacrificing hundreds, even thousands, of demons.

That's why it stings.

It stings precisely because I think it's impossible.

["I can only ask you to believe me, can't I? After all, no one has been harmed by this 'me' yet."]

Certainly, with that long-range magic, he might have been able to target the country's top leader... but that's not something I can believe either. Frankly, the moment that point was secured, my answer was practically decided.

["I swear in my name that I won't do anything bad."]

"You'll close the gate too, right?"

["Of course, as long as you become mine, my objective will be achieved."]

"Satellite!"

He said I was the objective.

That means I probably won't be killed immediately.

Besides, if we could bring back the information, countermeasures can be taken.

["As expected of Satellite, you're quite dedicated, isn't she?"]

If I refuse his offer here, he'll set his sights on his next target.

That could be the country's prime minister, a school friend... or Gracia ​​and her family.

And even if I refuse this offer, it won't mean I can defeat him.

After all, at this point, I don't even know where he is.

["Enter that gate, and our contract will be complete."]

"Don't go, you mustn't go, Satellite!"

The gate that opened wide was of unknown destination.

But it couldn't possibly lead to Earth.

As I began to walk towards the gate, Gracia's hand grasped me as if pleading, but I gently... yet clearly... shook it off.

Despair was etched into her face.

"No, wait... no, you can't..."

"The rest... I'll leave it to you, okay?"

She must understand that what she need to do here is bring back the information.

I know I'm asking her to do something terribly cruel, but this is probably the best course of action here.

["Heh heh, that's good. That's a wise choice."]

The step to the gate felt incredibly far away.

The sound of my feet kicking the ground lingered strangely in my ears. 　

"No, I don't want to! Please wait! Satellite! Sate—"　

The view shifted, and then—Gracia's heart-wrenching screams faded away.

★★★

8:50 AM.

The gates that had been opening in each major city, except for Tokyo, vanished as if by magic.

And approximately two hours later, the gate in Tokyo also closed, after all the Magical Girls inside had escaped.

Except for one Magical Girl.

Humanity had won the war against the External Enemy.

That's what it seems like, or so it could be said.

The television, still playing, reported that the gates had been safely closed.

The city was filled with cheers of joy, and amidst all this...

"Thank you for gathering..."

Magical Girl Satellite, which was officially said to be "infiltrating enemy territory to locate the enemy's base," was only known to a select few to be with the Third Demon King.

The conference room, filled with a bitterly cold air, was eerily quiet, as if the previous conversation had never happened.

The girl who was always at the center of their group, the one who smiled like a flower, was gone... and that alone was enough.

"We got the confirmation from our team. Satellite's mother, her little sister, and all of your families have already been secured."

This was a move made in anticipation of the opponent taking the same approach again.

It was merely a temporary fix, but it was certainly better than doing nothing.

"We're getting help from the Succubus Lux to track her down. However, tracking her across dimensions... is not easy."

She delivered the necessary information in a flat, emotionless voice.

Squire spoke matter-of-factly, as if it were her duty.

The fact that they could respond so quickly after receiving the report earlier was undoubtedly largely due to her skill and the size of her organization. But even so... 'she' will never return.

"I've received the report. For now, thank you for your hard work, Gracia."

"...!"

The blonde girl, finally pulled back from her thoughts by hearing her name called, raised her head.

However, biting her lip, she didn't utter a single word.

A bitterly cold winter air swept through the four people gathered in the meeting.

While everyone else remained silent, the green-haired girl spoke.

"Hey? You were right there with her, and you let Satellite-sama be kidnapped?"

"...I have no words to say in return."

"...! Do you think you'll be forgiven if you act meekly?!"

The peaceful atmosphere that once permeated this conference room was now completely gone.

"I'm prepared to accept any punishment."

"How could the second-ranked person, with you there, do this...!"

Deep down, she probably understood that there was nothing she could have done.

But those feelings, with nowhere to go... were too great to keep smoldering within her heart.

"Tinkerbell, calm down."

"How can I calm down?! You all acted so calm like that time, that's what I mean—!"

"I said calm down. Taking it out on Gracia here won't improve the situation... You're so intelligent, you should understand that."

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all...!"

As Tinkerbell stomped her feet in frustration, kicking the hard floor, under Squire's cold gaze, Squire's words weren't spoken purely out of kindness.

Perhaps, in a way, she understood.

It's cruel not to be blamed for her mistake.

'How can I find her, who disappeared to the edge of the dimension? Is she even safe now?'

Thinking that far—the worst-case scenario crosses Gracia's mind.

The Demon King said he wouldn't do anything bad... but no one can completely trust the words of an outsider.

'If she's not here, is there really any value in living in such a world?'

"Gracia. Don't be hasty. If it's too late, I won't be here..." (Lux)

"W-what do you mean?!" (Gracia)

"Lux Luxuria... please explain."(Squire)

"Yes, I understand." (Lux)

The girl with shocking pink hair answers as if it were normal, a stark contrast to her downcast expression just moments ago.

"I tried to sense the reaction... but if we follow the reaction of my 'Lust Mark' on Shizuku-chan... there's a possibility we can find her location, right? I was actually searching for the reaction just now."

"R-Really?!"

"Of course, I wouldn't lie. The problem is that she's in a different dimension, so it's difficult to follow the reaction. It's quite difficult, but... the fact that the reaction hasn't stopped means she's still alive."

The reason she seemed to be looking down was probably because she was searching for something.

That explains why Squire wasn't upset.

"She's... alive, isn't she?"

'But that only means she's not dead... we don't know what she's been through.'

Based on Satellite's own way of thinking, her mind shouldn't be broken... it shouldn't be.

But even that isn't certain.

'And above all, I—'

"As long she is alive, it's all fine, right? Well, for now... anyway."

"Why would you say that..."

"That's a secret... okay? I promised Shizuku-chan I'd won't break it, after all."

Although I don't understand the logic, Lux Luxuria isn't the kind of person to tell comforting lies here. Therefore, that's probably true... for now.

"And even if she become a broken mess... as long as she can smile beside me in the end, that's enough for me, you know?"

"That's..."

It's a value system unique to Succubi, and Gracia couldn't easily agree with it...

Even so, if Shizuku came back, that would be enough...

"The situation is serious. But at least we're not completely cornered..."

"But the problem is... I think that level of thing was factored in, right?"

It's impossible that an External Enemy who had devised such a plan wouldn't have included the protection of her family in his plan.

The blonde girl pondered that it would be better to assume he had a second and third plan in store.

Now that she could finally see the 'next' step, she had the leeway to pay attention to her surroundings.

One thing she realized was...

"You seem very calm." (Gracia)

"It's much better than back then. It's nothing compared to when the first Demon King died and I challenged Satellite-chan at full strength, you know?" (Lux)

"Ah... that time..." 

For her, it's a memory she doesn't want to remember.

However, it is also a memory that must not be forgotten.

"To be honest, doing something like that is practically suicide, isn't it? I thought maybe she was just not feeling well since I wasn't blown away on the first try."

She came back the first time, but there's no guarantee she'll come back next time.

And……

"Being sleep-deprived on the day of the next battle... is out of the question. I expect you to be in perfect condition next time. Managing your health is also part of the job, even though you're fighting on the front lines." (Squire)

"...Yes, I understand...I understand." (Gracia)

I won't make the same mistake twice; next time, I'll be in perfect physical condition for the operation.

I'm not really sure if I can get any rest in this mental state though.

"Ultimately, it all depends on whether the detection works well... and on Satellite-chan, right?" (Lux)

"...Depends on Satellite?" (Gracia)

"Because this situation is..."

Looking into the distance as if remembering something, the Succubus with shocking pink hair continued, her expression slightly melancholic.

"This is the situation she's been waiting for for a long time." (Lux)