Chapter 7: Unable to connect

Yuzumi Girls’ Academy.

Among the dozen or so high schools in Seikyo City, Yuzumi Girls’ Academy was considered one of the best.

This was the school Shiomi Yukina attended.

At this moment, 3:40 in the afternoon, the academy was deserted.

The traffic jam that had clogged the school gates for a full hour had completely dispersed within half an hour.

“A Special A-grade ‘Erosion’ disaster has occurred in the city. The situation is currently out of control. Therefore, all classes and activities for today are canceled. Students, parents, and teachers, please evacuate the campus in an orderly manner and proceed to the designated shelters.”

The evacuation alert played over and over again on the broadcast system.

At first, some students and teachers found it strange that a disaster happening in another district would cause them, who were so far away, to evacuate.

Then they learned that the Order Organization’s headquarters building had reportedly been attacked by the “Erosion.”
What was initially a routine, localized “Erosion” disaster had apparently developed into an uncontrollable event.
The evacuation was organized to avoid a potential catastrophe.

For this reason, the first-year parent-teacher conference was, of course, also canceled.

The planned parent-teacher conference had turned into an emergency evacuation operation, with parents coming to the school to pick up their children and take them to the underground shelters.

At the edge of her vision, the sun was scorching and dazzling.

The air was filled with the unpleasant smell of sweat and the pungent odor of thick smoke.

Shiomi Yukina clutched her commuter bag tightly, moving aimlessly with the crowd.

Her gaze was lowered.

Hanging from the side of her commuter bag was a chibi plushie of “Magical Girl Ephnel.”

Around her were peers accompanied by their families, as well as teachers and parents.

A clamorous crowd.

Cries of alarm, shouting, panic, and tension made it hard for her to breathe.

“Don’t be afraid, Mom and Dad are right here.”

Other people’s parents would say such things to them, comforting them.

Only Yukina was always alone.

Her only “family” in this city, her older brother, hadn’t come.

Just like at her graduation ceremony, just like at the school festival, the sports meet, and the entrance ceremony.

Just like when it was her birthday, or when she was sick.

When she was caught in an “Erosion” disaster, her brother didn’t even call.
It was the same on any other day.

No matter how much she didn’t want to admit it, she was slowly coming to realize a fact: her brother was deliberately distancing himself from her, and this distancing had reached a complete and resolute level.

That time she was caught in the disaster, if Ephnel hadn’t appeared in the nick of time and saved her, almost at the cost of her own life, she would have surely died, wouldn’t she?

Her brother would no longer appear by her side.

Her brother had changed, had left.
She had tried to make him stay but had failed.

Now, their relationship was like that of strangers.

The figure she longed for, the one she had anticipated countless times, would never appear before her.

So completely different from the gentle figure in her memories, her brother was now too far away from her.

No matter how outstanding she was at school, she had no one to share her joy with.

When she was little, she always used to chase after her brother.

How she wished her brother would chase after her, just once, and come to her.

Even just to pat her head like he did when she was a child would be enough.

But it never happened.

Even when the final assembly time came, she still didn’t see her brother.

She clutched her phone.
Due to the “Erosion” attack, the network and communication signals were completely down.

She slowly keyed in a number, then deleted it.

She didn’t know how many times she had done this.

Unconsciously, her vision blurred.

She bit her lower lip, stubbornly raising her sleeve to wipe away her tears.

The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
She should have been used to this by now.

But…

Where was her brother, and what was he doing?

“Notification from the Seikyo City Special Disaster Response Mobile Division.”

“A special incident is currently unfolding in the northwest urban district, centered around the ‘Order Headquarters’ building and plaza.”

“The disaster is spreading.”

“All non-combat personnel in the vicinity, please evacuate immediately.”

“All personnel remaining on-site, please follow commands and evacuate in an orderly manner.”

“Repeat…”

The evacuation broadcast echoed through the empty streets.

Broken fire hydrants, scattered water droplets filtering the sunlight.

All around were the cacophony of alarms and the anti-theft sirens of vehicles and shops.

A girl was running frantically through the rubble.

Her breathing was ragged, and she kept looking back over her shoulder.

Several “Remnants” and a massive “Erosion organism” that looked like a cross between a spider and a mantis were in hot pursuit.

She was a student who had come to the nearby commercial plaza for a visit with her interest club at noon.

She had gotten separated from the others at the very beginning of the disaster.

Trapped in a stairwell due to a collapsed passage, she finally managed to find a tool to break through a tempered glass window.
By the time she got out, the streets were already overrun by “Erosion organisms” and “Remnants.”

With no other choice, she could only continue to hide and wait for rescue.

But unfortunately, she was discovered by an “Erosion organism.”

She ran with all her might, but the “Erosion organism” was faster.

Gradually, her stamina gave out.

Lack of oxygen made her head throb, and a sour ache, like lead weights, clung to her legs.

The “Erosion organism” scrambled and leaped between buildings.

A huge, yet nimble, dark shadow chased after her, enveloping her inch by inch.

She lowered her gaze in despair, watching the massive black shadow on the ground solidify and expand, swallowing her own shadow.

Just then, a heavy roar exploded overhead.

She instinctively looked up.

Above her was the giant monster, climbing the building in a grotesque posture.
But at that moment, the building beneath it suddenly exploded.
Amidst a shower of countless glass shards and rubble, a flash of moon-like silver streaked across her vision.

Her eyes widened.

It was a small figure holding a silver spear, dressed in a gorgeous outfit that was completely out of place in this harsh, smoke-filled disaster.

Magical Girl Ephnel.

They were severely understaffed.
Just allocating enough combat power to intercept the Erosion organisms was already stretching their resources thin, let alone clearing out all the Erosion organisms in this area.

Every Agent was overwhelmed by the massive black shadows in the sky, fighting ceaselessly.

The tide of battle had almost crushed the Agents’ defensive line.

It was only thanks to Ephnel’s support as a mobile combat force that they had barely held on.

Now, the battle was finally drawing to a close.

Among the Agents, “Lily” had been injured.
It would be dangerous for her to continue fighting, so Ephnel took over the cleanup work in this area for her.

Just then, she received a message from Fifina: “Someone is being chased by an ‘Erosion organism’ on the street directly opposite and needs rescue.”

That was why Ephnel was here.

Dust and debris danced in the air.

Ephnel’s gaze swept over the lone girl below.
After a quick confirmation that the girl had not turned into a “Remnant,” she breathed a sigh of relief and looked away.

A light shimmered beneath her feet, solidifying into a mirror-like surface of light.

Suspended in mid-air, Ephnel twisted and flipped, using the mirror as a foothold.
In the next instant, the silver spear in her hand was thrown, shooting out like a cannonball.

The silver stream of light completely pierced through and shattered the massive monster, along with a large chunk of the ground.

The “Erosion organism” disintegrated at the sound, scattering into stardust.

Ephnel descended on the starlight.

She appeared in front of the girl, swept her up by the waist, and quickly moved away from the spot.

A second later, broken bricks and rubble rained down on the spot where she had just been standing.

A close call, yet handled with ease.

“Phew…”

Ephnel put the girl down.

She was panting slightly.

A silver light flashed in her hand, and the spear she had just thrown reappeared.

She turned around and carefully looked the girl up and down.

No obvious wounds, and her school uniform wasn’t significantly damaged.

It seemed she hadn’t been directly attacked by the “Erosion organism.”

The situation had been a bit urgent, so Ephnel had resorted to the reckless method of breaking straight through the buildings.

In any case, she had made it in time.

“…Are you alright?”

Ephnel asked.

“I-I’m fine…”

“It seems you haven’t been ‘infected’… What a relief… I’m so glad I made it in time.”

If one were “infected” by an “Erosion organism,” the consequences ranged from organ failure in mild cases to becoming a “Remnant” in severe cases—losing one’s humanity and turning into a monster filled with bloodlust and a desire for destruction.
For a human, such a fate was too tragic, which was why people fought with all their might.

“Th-that… th-thank you…”

The girl was still shaken, her words faltering.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re safe now. I’ll get you out of here.”

The girl nodded timidly, saying nothing.

It was her first time seeing Ephnel up close.

Ephnel in person was even prettier than she had imagined, and much younger too…
But… a horrifying wound beneath the inner lining of Ephnel’s waist was seeping blood, staining the corner of her clothes crimson.
Blood dripped down her elbow and the hem of her skirt.

Her idol, her hero, was seriously injured.

Realizing this, she couldn’t help but stare blankly, at a loss for words.

Just then, another girl came running from behind.

This girl was also in a battle suit, clearly another Agent.

But her face was streaked with blood, and the fabric on her left shoulder was torn, revealing a smooth, beautiful shoulder.
Her arm, however, hung limply like a puppet with its strings cut, its sleeve soaked in blood.

She clutched her shoulder, dealt with the few pursuing Remnants behind her, and then came before Ephnel.

“E-Ephnel-senpai! Thank you so much for coming…”

“Lily.”

Ephnel greeted the approaching Lily, her gaze falling on her blood-stained arm.

“That’s a nasty wound… You’ve worked hard. Leave this area to me now.”

Ephnel glanced at the uniformed girl again and continued.

“By the way, take this child back to the headquarters building and rendezvous with Erenshia. Await further instructions.”

Lily looked at the somewhat dazed girl, nodded, then showed a hint of worry.

“I’ll take her, but Ephnel-senpai… aren’t you coming with us…? Your wound…”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. More importantly, can you, an injured person, escort her back to headquarters?”

“Escorting her won’t be a problem.”

Lily raised her left hand and patted her chest, giving her earnest assurance.

“Then show me you can complete the mission properly.”

Ephnel smiled gently.