Sakuraraku let out a long sigh, expelling every last bit of discomfort from her lungs.
She still wasn’t quite used to that sticky, nauseating feeling after killing a monster.
“Miss Sakuraraku, thank you for your timely support.”
The soldier who looked like the captain, with a red marking on his armband, stood up a little unsteadily and earnestly expressed his gratitude to Sakuraraku.
“Not at all, I just did what I was supposed to do.”
Sakuraraku hurriedly waved her hand.
Having only become a magical girl not long ago, she couldn’t help feeling a little unaccustomed to being thanked so solemnly by someone much older than herself.
“Miss Sakuraraku, five minutes before you arrived, we had already collected all the information from the battlefield.”
The captain of Squad A-12 took a deep breath and returned to his sharp, professional demeanor.
He brought up the display on the tactical tablet and handed it to Sakuraraku.
“Valentine has occupied that shopping mall at the end of Zone A.” He pointed at the distant building that had already become ruins.
“Before Valentine triggered that explosion, the search-and-rescue team had already completed the full evacuation of the mall and all civilians within a one-kilometer radius. You can fight without holding back.”
“What’s worth noting is that the spider monster Valentine led this time possesses a terrifying ability to reproduce asexually. Drone thermal imaging captured that the mezzanine on the first floor of the mall is already covered in spider eggs.”
Even though every member of Squad A-12 was equipped with full-coverage helmets, Rakuraku could still feel the uncharacteristic urgency through his tone.
If those spider eggs successfully hatched and broke through the blockade into the urban district, it would bring enormous losses.
“I understand the situation.”
When she registered as a magical girl with the Demon Hunting Division, Rakuraku had gone through basic tactical training.
She quickly entered the proper state, took the earpiece the captain handed over, and began taking over overall strategy.
“Drone Control Team, monitor the second-floor situation in real time. Members of Squads A and B, pincer from both wings. Once I break into the second floor, launch the attack together.” She paused, then continued.
“Magical Girl Sakuraraku, authorizing the use of Magic Pressure Rounds.”
(Magic power verification complete)
A whirr of mechanical transmission sounded.
The panels of the armored vehicles used to blockade the roads slowly unfolded, revealing crate after crate of ammunition.
The members of Squad A-12 were all battle-hardened elites.
Without any extra orders, they stepped forward one after another and fully armed themselves.
Magic Pressure Rounds were the pride of the Demon Hunting Division’s research department, and also the capital that allowed them to independently suppress monsters.
It was only because of their high cost and excessive destructive power that they could only be authorized by the leading magical girl.
Everyone advanced slowly and warily.
Before long they had surrounded the mall according to plan.
Rakuraku’s plan had two purposes.
First, they could monitor the hatching situation of the spider eggs on the first floor at any time. If anything changed, the members of Squads A and B could suppress them in time.
Second, Valentine’s movements were uncertain. Breaking in from the second floor could provide the greatest support to the overall situation.
She knew clearly that Fox Mask’s mercy was an exception among exceptions.
When facing other cadres of [Night Theater], she couldn’t afford even the slightest lucky mindset.
Valentine had to be dealt with by her alone.
At this moment, the area around the mall was completely silent, filled with the atmosphere of a swift kill.
The slightest movement of wind or grass could make everyone’s heart race.
Sakuraraku hung upside down from the huge second-floor mall logo.
Her vision passed through the glass covered in cracks as she observed the interior of the mall.
The fully armed elite soldiers would charge into the mall and engage the monsters in fierce combat the moment she gave the order.
In this tense moment, she didn’t know why she suddenly thought of Nadeshiko.
I wonder what Nadeshiko-chan is doing right now… she thought.
I hope she doesn’t think I’m a bad kid who skips class for no reason…
Just as Sakuraraku was thinking of Nadeshiko, a sudden change occurred.
A burst of piercing static came through the earpiece, followed by a roar from a member of Squad A.
“Unknown personnel have broken in! Requesting permission to open fire!”
“What?!”
The Drone Control Team had clearly already been monitoring the entire perimeter of the mall. Who could break through their blockade so easily?
“Permission to open fire!”
After a brief moment of confusion, Sakuraraku hurriedly pressed her earpiece and issued the fire order.
There was not the slightest response from the other end of the earpiece.
“Squad A? Can you hear me?”
Another burst of static sounded. Obviously someone had picked up the communication device that had fallen to the ground.
“Don’t worry. I just knocked them out.”
The clear, cold voice of a girl made Sakuraraku recognize the owner of the voice at once.
It was Fox Mask.
Even though she was an enemy on the opposite side, Sakuraraku discovered that she had a natural sense of trust toward Fox Mask.
Now that she realized it was Fox Mask who had wrecked her ambush, a huge weight finally lifted from her heart.
No, Rakuraku. You can’t let your guard down against an enemy.
She forced herself to stop these wild thoughts and instead connected to Squad B’s communications.
“Everything’s ok over here~”
The communication connected successfully, but that flippant voice didn’t belong to anyone from Squad B.
This clash hadn’t even begun, and she had already lost.
A huge sense of frustration and self-blame enveloped Sakuraraku, but she quickly pulled herself together.
She rapidly pressed her phone three times.
This was the Demon Hunting Division’s rescue code.
Once the operator received it, magical girls from across the city would rush to the scene for support within twenty minutes.
She flipped down to the ground, condensed a longsword, and stayed on guard toward her surroundings.
No matter what, she had to hold out for these twenty minutes.
This was her duty.
Soon two different sets of footsteps approached.
A large figure and a small figure appeared in Sakuraraku’s field of view.
“Yo! Magical Girl Miss—”
The man wearing a black miner’s outfit with a long work jacket over it greeted her very enthusiastically after spotting Sakuraraku.
Even though it was broad daylight with a bright sun, the red eyepieces of his full-coverage gas mask still glowed with a blood-red light.
There was no doubt. He was one of the cadres of [Night Theater], Valentine.
Sakuraraku knew very little about him.
She only knew that apart from Fox Mask, the cadres of [Night Theater] mostly acted flamboyantly, with unpredictable moods, and their danger level ranked extremely high among emerging evil organizations.
Sakuraraku still had no chance of winning even when facing Fox Mask one-on-one, let alone with Valentine added in.
She might not even be able to protect herself.
Sakuraraku did not answer Valentine’s greeting.
She gripped her sword tightly and frantically thought of possible ways to break the situation in her mind.
At this time, Fox Mask, who had been slowly following behind Valentine, finally arrived in front of Sakuraraku as well.
She tapped Valentine’s gas mask with the hilt of her blade.
Valentine then bent down, and the two of them began whispering to each other.
What are they talking about? Are they discussing tactics? But there shouldn’t be any need for that against an opponent of my level! Or are they discussing some terrifying interrogation method?! Will Fox Mask still hold back against me this time?
Sakuraraku was still just a 16-year-old little girl after all.
Facing such powerful enemies, fear naturally arose in her heart.
She forcefully held back the tears that were about to overflow from her eyes, tightened her grip on the sword hilt again, and planned to launch a surprise attack while the two of them were unprepared.
Just as she was calculating the timing, Valentine suddenly made an exaggerated laughing motion, politely waved at Sakuraraku, and then turned around and left.
What is going on?! What did they say?
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