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Chapter 46: Magitech Ranger
🕑 Added 2024-06-14 13:28:26 +0000 UTC**Magitech Ranger POV**
"The citizens are questioning why we haven't activated the shelter barrier yet," the mayor asked. Now that the anathema had been culled, it was time for discussion. "I heard from our guardians there are some risks involved with the barrier?"
"Yes. It's about the barrier. It can be penetrated by a sufficiently high-level anathema," Serene explained. We have four high-capacity emergency barriers to cover the entire city's four sides, and yet we haven't used them.
"I know points are precious for Guardians. You wouldn't lie for points, would you?"
"We don't lie!" Serene almost half-screamed.
The mayor looked at us scrutinizingly, pondering something.
"Mayor, I know points are important. Our soldiers have the silverbane bullets from Magitech Ranger. But that doesn't mean we should sacrifice lives for points. We should activate the barrier now," one of his secretaries said.
"What if what they said is true? That there are anathema that could breach the barrier?"
"But we can't just leave this foundry alone. We have worked so much to build it in this city!"
"If we all die, there will be nothing left," I joined in the heated discussion.
"I see. Did you know about the evacuation advice or planning? I just heard from General Armstrong yesterday about a month-long evacuation."
"Not until we reached here two days ago. It came from our familiar."
"Mr. Armstrong didn't force us to evacuate. He said this was merely advice. That means we don't have to follow it, correct?"
"Yes."
"You assume we need to evacuate because you found some rebellion nest outside. Was its level beyond yours?"
"We don't know. We took one hive, but our familiars suggested there were many more hives since this one lacked the protection a real hive usually does."
".… Miss Serene, we shall evacuate. Give us one hour," the mayor said.
"But, mayor!?" The secretary protested, "Evacuating right now would be perilous with all the anathema around.
"After we leave, we will turn on the barrier. The barrier will be set to turn off automatically in 30 days. I received advice from General Armstrong the other day," the mayor sighed. "We shall take refuge for one month and then return here. Just treat it as a vacation. As for the materials lost, we could ask the Zenith later. This whole evacuation is because you want to pop a particularly high-level nest, right?"
"Yes. You are correct, Mr. Mayor. It was not just a nest. But an anathema gate. During the assault, there would be a deficit of Magical Girl protecting cities. If anything happened, we can't come here to your aid."
The meeting proceeded as planned. After the engineers rigged the emergency barrier, we pulled out our trucks and buses and started to load civilians into them. The pink girl, Shining Arrow, frowned at the trucks and buses.
"Ugh… Lily isn't going to like this…" Shining Arrow muttered as civilians boarded the buses and soldiers the trucks. It was quiet enough, but with my enhanced dexterity, I could still hear her.
"Lily? That rare dark magical girl?" I asked her. She squealed in surprise.
"Hiek! Oh. It's you. Um… Magitech Ranger!"
"Yes. So, I heard you say she won't like this. Why?"
"Our job was supposed to escort Shirayuki's employees only."
"And? Guardians are protectors of humanity, not just Shirayuki's."
"Well, true. But she has a bit of an attachment there. Ehe…” She smiled wryly.
"I see. Is her family Shirayuki's employee? Don't worry. Just tell her that if she reveals her identity, Shirayuki will definitely take care of their parents. No company will abandon any MGs. My family and I were nobodies. But ever since the mayor knew I had become an MG, my parents were promoted to head department. I have never been reprimanded even once. As long as she kills anathema and saves lives, everything is good! Moreover, she is a dark type. The rare and powerful kind."
"Well… I'm afraid the situation is a bit more complicated than that…."
"Oh, was her family threatened? We have Zenith's protection. Just tell her to get some legal support from GC."
"Hahaha… I can't tell you any more about Lily. I promised on my soul gem." She laughed wryly. The gesture was enough to tell me she expected me not to ask more.
"Oh. I see. I can't pry then." I climbed up the truck, switching my sniper rifle for my SMG. I'm not skilled enough to hit moving targets from an unstable platform like a truck. Sometimes, I wonder how someone like Magical Girl Pink Heart can snipe with precision even when she's moving above Mach 2.
"So, who's going to tell Lily?" Shining Arrow said over the group telepathy. The trucks and buses, well over a hundred of them, trailed along the mountain road, leaving New Soil for the small beach. Luckily, the road was devoid of life and anathema.
"Hah… I will," Serene sighed over the group chat. "Hmm? Ah. They're in a battle there."
"What? Are they safe? There are only two of them!" Shining immediately stood up.
"Yes. Phoenix and Felicia said they were okay. Just a few goblins and ghouls. Single digits. But there are hundreds of them, so it will take a while, and they can't talk."
"Ah. If it's single digits, nothing could harm them." Shining sat back down. "Nice points. I wanna be there too now."
As we enjoyed the barren scene filled only with rocks and soil, we reached the beach. Serene's thunder cleared the remaining single digits.
"Single digits being here in such numbers means there's a nest nearby," Serene muttered.
"There are nests everywhere. As long as they don't enter New Soil, who cares?" I muttered.
"How are you going to load the goods you produce here onto the cargo ships?"
"Um… We do it like you do. Using trucks to carry the goods from New Soil, then using the cargo ship's crane to load them onto the ships."
"With nests popping up, you won't be able to send goods anymore. Without them and supplies of parts from Eden, this city won't last." Serene said.
I frowned. "Well, if it's only single-level digits, even common soldiers could kill them."
"Yeah…" Serene replied. But we both knew it wouldn't stay that way. However, that doesn't explain why we needed to move out either. I am still here, and while I am a bit slow, I certainly grow stronger.
"Serene… Why are there so many trucks there?" Black Lily pinged us from the beach. I think she saw our floodlights from a distance and wondered why there were so many lights there. There was still a bit of distance to the beach.
"Um… Lily, we decided to evacuate the people of New Soil now," Serene said.
"Oh… How many are there?"
"All 5,000 of them."
"How are we going to fit them on the boat?" Black Lily asked. Her voice was tinged with worry.
"Sugar? Yes…” Serene made some talk with her familiar and continued, "Um… Let's just drop and leave the container trucks from the boat on the beach and load the people first. Human lives take precedence, right?"
"Ugh… Anathema could mess it up! Besides, we don't have enough food!"
"Shining can handle it."
"Ugh, there is no quest to replace the points. Yes, I will handle the logistics. We will only leave the equipment for a week, alright. Anathema isn't known to mess with equipment, so maybe it will be fine. Serene, you owe me…" Shining groaned. When they said logistics, does it mean Shining has the food vault?
"Yes, I will exchange points to GC for you. We are all in this now."
"Ugh… The equipment belongs to Shirayuki...without it..." Black Lily still complained but accepted anyway.
"Warning! High energy levels detected! A very strong Anathema is on its way," Zordon interrupted. As the ranger figure looked into the distance, a roar resounded.
"It's that tyrant behemoth. We must flee now!" Sugar, Serene's familiar, said.
"Huh? The one that flattened New Mesa?" I recoiled.
"Hurry up!" Serene started to scream at the driver. The ground began to rumble. Black spots started to move and appear on the mountain, rushing to us.
"Alright! We've reached the beach! Get all the trucks here immediately! We don't have enough time to load the containers on the dock. Throw the containers into the ocean! People! If you want to live, go! Quickly! Swim to the boat if you have to! Hurry!" Serene disembarked and quickly told the amphibious trucks to move. Passengers were loaded roughly, some even fell into the water and hung on by grabbing parts of the amphibious trucks as they waded through the ocean to the boat.
"What!?" Black Lily complained. "Throw the containers? This equipment isn't waterproof or seawater resistant!!"
"Sorry, Lily. I will talk to the Zenith later. I promise. GC will do something."
"I will hold it back! Just don't—"
Boom
An explosion akin to a nuclear blast lit the gray evening sky, creating a second sunset on the horizon. We all stood petrified at the spectacle before us until Serene shouted.
"Hurry up!! Come on!! Get your asses moving!! Pierre, send the trucks here and load these people!! Throw the containers to make more room! I will take responsibility! Lily, Shining, get on the boat. Snipe the enemy from there!"
"Anathema, six o'clock," Wallbreaker reported. Serene turned away at once.
"We will leave in two minutes! Anyone slow will be left behind! This is an emergency! Move!" she screamed. "Red Hound, come with me. Wallbreaker, guard our flank!"
The trucks from the boat arrived at the beach and, without coming fully on land, turned around. Our people seemed to get the message and ran into the trucks. Like in a zombie movie, people climbed onto the boat from its side, and the trucks moved back into the boat without even confirming the security of their passengers. Some held each other and clung to the side of the boat.
Soldiers from New Soil and Shirayuki helped them on, going as far as throwing their guns into the ocean and swimming through the water, helping children who had fallen into the sea due to the chaotic loading process. Some soldiers ingeniously used ropes attached to the amphibious trucks and lifebuoys to drag people along with the boat.
"No…" Black Lily moaned as she looked at the containers filled with Shirayuki's goods being dropped into the sea while her clones fought The Anathema. I saw one of her clones wielding a gun similar to mine on the boat. Was she an all-rounder? I thought she was a vanguard.
"Alright! Everyone is on board. Let's leave! Rear guard, start boarding. Vanguard, follow!" Serene commanded. The last truck was purposely left empty to accommodate us. When we reached the cargo ship, it departed immediately, leaving some of Black Lily's clones on the beach. Even from a distance, I could see the giant behemoth straddled over the mountain. Its figure was like an avatar of dread. Just looking at it from afar sends chills on my bones. It was looking at the fleeing ship before giving up the chase and teleporting elsewhere. It was proven that while water wouldn't necessarily kill anathema, it weakened them enough that they avoided it more than RED (Reality Enforcement Device).
"Whew… that was dangerous. I never thought we would meet that thing again," Shining said at the stern of the cargo ship, looking back at where New Soil had been. The cargo ship had set sail. I joined her as it was mandatory for ranged MG to guard the ship in case of flying anathema giving chase. "Wow, you bought a gun, Lily?"
"Yes. I wanted to open a PMC branch for Shirayuki's," she replied, her head down. Tears started to fall down her cheeks.
"Um… sorry, Lily. I know the equipment is precious for your family, but we have to save the people, even if they aren't part of Shirayuki's. It is our duty as magical girls," Serene said, bowing to her. "I will make it up to you. I promise. How about some contract with Shirayuki?"
"Hmm? Wait. Was Lily part of Shirayuki's group? Not just an employee? Wow…” I said in amazement. "I never thought a CEO's daughter could become an MG."
"We don't discriminate. If they have an aptitude for it, they will become MG," Zordon interrupted.
"But you know, she prioritized her family's goods instead of our lives. Doesn't she seem like the greedy corporate type?" I whispered, making sure my telepathy only reached my familiar.
"Nevertheless, a familiar has chosen her. It means she is worthy of becoming a Guardian. There are others who value something else more than lives."
"Hmm…" I frowned.
"You should not judge her before getting the full picture," Zordon said, giving a thumbs up on my shoulder.
"Eh? What happened?" Serene and Shining Arrow were puzzled. When I looked closely, I could see Black Lily becoming transparent, like magic that had lost its fuel.
"Don't look for me… I don't want to return…," Lily cried, tears flowing down her cheeks as if she had lost something precious. Her body became more transparent, the ethereal sight screaming of endless sorrow and regret, as if everything she had been building up in her life was crashing down. "I am sorry…."
Then, the unthinkable happened. Her body dissipated into particles of light and disappeared. We all looked in confusion at the spot where she just sat.
"Hey, what the fuck just happened?" I asked her teammate.
