Chapter 35: The Assault on the Tower

Directly assaulting the Magical Girl Organization’s stronghold, the towering edifice of this city—Ling Xing had never even considered such a thing. Though she often spoke of overthrowing the Magical Girl Organization, in reality, all her desperate efforts over the past few years had only just managed to keep Dal and herself alive by pilfering the Organization’s supplies.

Initially, she harbored a certain ambition, but little by little, as reality chipped away at her resolve, Ling Xing gradually abandoned such distant fantasies. Instead, she focused on the present, on the immediate, doing what she could and avoiding any meaningless waste.

And so it continued, until… today.

“Ling Xing, do you know something?”

Ling Xing and Mashiro had changed to a different truck. A gentle breeze wafted in through the window, caressing Ling Xing’s cheek.

Mashiro, now clad in a form-fitting combat suit, gripped the steering wheel, her wrist slightly raised.

“When I first met Hane, she was quite a pathetic sight. She’d constantly spout about ‘executing missions,’ but in truth, she was merely indulging in our time together, believing that if she did nothing, our everyday lives would simply go on forever.”

A faint, mixed scent of a girl’s sweat and perfume permeated the truck cabin. Even with the window open for ventilation, it lingered subtly, refusing to dissipate.

“Then, when everything became irreversible, she descended into despair, abandoning her trusting comrades and deluding herself into thinking she could solve everything alone.”

“Hmm… so our relationship has progressed to sharing ‘dark histories,’ has it? I thought the young lady was still contemplating how to slowly torture me tonight.”

As always, Ling Xing interrupted Mashiro. There was no need to hear more.

“Hmph, don’t misunderstand.”

Mashiro, dressed in the attire of a mere minion combatant, sharply wrenched the steering wheel, sending the massive truck into a wild drift in the middle of the road, nearly flinging Ling Xing out the window.

Then, her fair, delicate finger tapped the standard-issue glasses perched on her forehead.

“This young lady wants to see rivers of blood! This young lady wants to personally engage in smashing, looting, burning! Come, let this young lady see just how far you can go—”

She floored the accelerator, allowing the fierce wind to surge through the window. No longer was it the falsely normal speed from moments ago. The scenery on both sides now revealed the Magical Girl Organization’s local towering stronghold, and the somewhat bustling streets that had been rebuilt around it, primarily serving the wealthy.

Mashiro’s lips curved into a smile touched with madness.

“If you fail to satisfy this young lady, if you turn out to be nothing but a pathetic wretch, then this young lady will personally pluck out your fingers one by one, cut off your nose, rip out your tongue, and gouge out your eyes!”

‘Every part of her that Ling Xing had touched or seen. On the surface, it wasn’t apparent, but Mashiro, it turned out, held a surprisingly strong grudge, remembering every single instance with vivid clarity.’

Listening to the girl’s unexpectedly vengeful words, watching the tower loom closer, and with the roar of the wind filling her ears, Ling Xing found herself laughing along with Mashiro.

“Ha… You’re just a brainwashed minion combatant, who do you think you’re talking to?! Watch closely, and I’ll show you the power of an elite combatant!”

With a flick of her fingertips, *click*, the handcuff sprang open with ease. Then, with a swift motion, Ling Xing snatched the brainwashing visor from Mashiro’s forehead and placed it squarely on the young lady’s face.

“Gu-oh—”

‘Ah, indeed. No matter how noble she once was, clad in this cheap, figure-hugging bodysuit, with half her face obscured by the brainwashing visor, she looked indistinguishable from a mere minion combatant.’

After all these years, Ling Xing still couldn’t help but inwardly scoff.

“Alright, let’s begin. While I don’t know what shady dealings the Magical Girl Organization is up to, today is the perfect opportunity.”

What she had seen, what Dal had witnessed—the tower at this moment was like an empty shell. So, let them attack! Now, at this very instant, they would overthrow this symbol of Magical Girl tyranny!

‘I, Ling Xing, am not one to indulge in a mundane life with Dal, nor will I hesitate out of fear of retaliation from these minion Magical Girls! I will fulfill Dal’s wish and overthrow the wicked Magical Girl Organization!’

Ling Xing skillfully retrieved a section from the back of the truck… a firework.

Whoosh————

————Boom!

An explosion. In the street, where night had yet to fall but light was already obscured by the towering structure, a brilliant firework burst forth.

Instantly, the alarm bells within the tower blared.

“Nani? What was that noise—”

The guards, who hadn’t heard an explosion in who knew how long, fell into disarray, bewilderedly searching for the source of the sound.

Only then did they realize that in the shadow of the towering structure, a heavy truck had crashed straight through the entrance checkpoint. The barrier, meant to block access, shattered like a biscuit as the colossal vehicle breached the restricted area unimpeded.

It was only then that the guards awoke as if from a dream.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

Too late! The firework in her hand changed trajectory, unleashing a blinding, dazzling light that instantly enveloped several guards who had just reacted. While unlikely to cause casualties, the immense noise and blinding light were enough to force them to dodge, making counter-attack impossible.

As for the other side—

“Ahahahahahahahahaha! We are the combatants of the Dark Organization! We bring destruction! Where we tread, only scorched earth remains! Fire, fire, fire! Wipe out all these Magical Girl lackeys! Long live the Dark Organization!”

Mashiro, in her minion combatant outfit, seemed completely immersed in her role, spouting cliché lines while indiscriminately firing a multi-barreled firework launcher, sending up clouds of smoke and flashing lights.

For a moment, Ling Xing felt that Mashiro might look more like a combatant than she did herself.

‘ …Should she tell her later that she had only fixed the indicator light on that brainwashing visor? Or… perhaps not?’

Ignoring Mashiro, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her combatant role, Ling Xing seized the opportunity while the scattered guards were suppressed. She grabbed the car door with one hand, gracefully leaped out the window, and climbed onto the roof.

She tore off the cargo tarp, revealing its contents: fireworks, packed to the brim, pointing in every direction. This was all a testament to the young lady’s financial power; in this provincial town, she had simply bought out the entire city’s supply of fireworks.

According to Mashiro herself, it was to celebrate the arrival of her family’s samurai that evening, but she felt that instead of just setting off fireworks…

“Since it’s a celebration either way, wouldn’t blowing up a tower be even more festive?”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh————

Multicolor flashes illuminated the tower’s shadow. The armed guards, attempting to intercept, were engulfed by the deafening fireworks. For a moment, they couldn’t see or hear, only cowering and trembling behind makeshift cover in the corners, praying the chaos wouldn’t explode at their feet.

These mere decorative toys had actually managed to suppress the heavily armed guards. For a moment, not a single person in the vast compound could offer resistance.

“Gah! The firepower is too intense! Quickly, call the Magic Science Squad—!”

“What?! The Magic Science Squad is off this afternoon?! They can’t make it in time?!”

Amidst the deafening explosions, the guards, forced to shout to communicate, were astonished to discover: faced with such audacious intruders, hooligans who dared to invade the heavily fortified stronghold of the Magical Girl Organization, they were utterly helpless.

The immense tower, apart from the ceremonial guards outside the gate, was virtually devoid of people, let alone reinforcements.