NOVEL NEXT Chapter 145
December 24th
A Christmas Eve with no singing in the streets and no tree in the square.
The streets of Europe were quiet.
Except for minimal production activities necessary to maintain infrastructure, everything was indefinitely halted. It was only after many people died at the hands of scattered monsters, due to a weak perception of the trials they had previously overcome, that these orders were made.
[b][Monsters threatening humanity.] [/b]
[b][Will of the Stars][/b]
[b][Destruction][/b]
A word long forgotten in the flawless peace brought forth by the magical girls sprang to mind from the mouth of a single girl.
This was war.
A struggle for survival between stars and humans.
Finally, people realized this was real war.
Planes were grounded by black birds in the sky, ships corroded by the poison of serpents floating in the sea, and lives were lost to the lions and horses rushing on land.
Even with all their might, the magical girls could not stop the endlessly surging monsters. For ordinary citizens, the only way to protect themselves from the monsters they couldn’t handle was simply to hide at home.
[On December 24th, a small crack information was announced from Elysion. A total of 1,221 cracks appeared worldwide, and those living within 5km of the danger zones should exercise special caution… ]
[The emergency evacuation shelter #2 in Hamburg, which had been under urgent repairs since last week, has announced that an additional 2,000 citizens can be accommodated. After this announcement, about 30,000 hopefuls applied… ]
[In case of confrontation with the monsters, here are the emergency evacuation guidelines. First, avoid wandering around areas where cracks have appeared. Second… ]
The broadcasts and internet only conveyed information about the cracks and news of nearby shelters, with no one mentioning any congratulatory words or holiday atmosphere. Everyone’s focus was solely on survival.
[How to survive]
[Build a bunker]
[What to do in case of human extinction]
Though it felt calmer than the sudden nuclear war crisis that had everyone in a panic, the slowly permeating scent of fear emitted a cold stench of despair. Everyone was gradually preparing for what came next. If they were to be annihilated by the will of the stars, there wouldn’t be a next at all, yet still, they prepared for something.
Under the crimson sky where day and night blurred.
Citizens hearing news of magical girls patrolling their city. Instead of bells celebrating Christmas, they listened to air raid sirens as they headed to stores to buy food that had skyrocketed in price.
What went into their bags wasn’t cards but valuables, and physical items like books or small appliances.
In a reality where trust in the government and tomorrow was dwindling, even cash was losing its value.
“It’s dangerous, let’s go together.”
“Damn, I shouldn’t have to go look for canned food with neighbors. This isn’t what the neighborhood used to be.”
“What if we run into thieves? We can’t help it, the rumors are seriously bad right now.”
“Shhh. Be quiet.”
The police and military could barely patrol around the shelters crowded with citizens. Amid the chaos, looters began to appear, prowling for the weak.
With all factories grinding to a halt and most production activities suspended due to monster attacks for two months, the citizens realized a different threat was approaching compared to the easily overcome trials of the past.
Magical girls could lose.
The human world could end.
The military was powerless.
Resources were finite.
Then all that was left was each person for themselves.
The fierce survival instinct and selfishness, which had been veiled in modern society, began to rise. Some citizens questioned the magical girls as to why they couldn’t stop the threats, but any such complaints were quickly suppressed under the grim national policies amid the uncertainty of humanity’s existence.
What remained was impotence.
A genuine doubt about whether tomorrow existed for them.
Sighs of lament over absurd occurrences suddenly emerging.
Those who could no longer fully trust the magical girls hurried to gather as much food and supplies as possible, locking themselves inside their homes. Luxuries like coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol disappeared from stores within a week or were treated as precious as valuables.
Doubt
Doubt was growing in people’s hearts.
Even when the girl known as the goddess of hope provided food capable of feeding tens of thousands to shelters in various countries, and despite the numerous magical girls dropping supplies from silver ships, they couldn’t feed and calm all of humanity.
Flap flap!
“Yikes?!”
“Duck down!!”
Startled by the ominous sound of wings, the citizens hurriedly looked up at the sky.
“Is it… monsters?!”
“…….”
“…It’s just birds.”
What flew above the crimson sky were ordinary flocks of birds.
They weren’t monsters.
The citizens sighed in relief that no monsters had come upon them and prayed that the shops selling food were open.
Even though the magical girls were doing their best,
Even though the complete destruction had not yet arrived.
The flame of hope was fading far too quickly.
The flame of despair was igniting far too rapidly.
＊
“There seem to be a lot of monsters that look like birds. It feels like we’re only seeing one type for the first time.”
“Has the Romulus plan leaked out?”
“If the will of the stars is watching from the moon, it wouldn’t be unaware.”
Like the magical girl Laura of [Harmony] and the magical girl Ella of [Heavy Armor], small cracks that used to mostly form where humans lived have started appearing in the sky since we began preparing the Romulus plan.
■■■■■!!
■■■■■!!
Groups of black birds gather like dark clouds, attacking Elysion in real-time.
‘At least it’s fortunate they’re attacking here.’
While the attack concentrated on Elysion, other countries found a chance to rest their magical girls.
Because the space here was protected by the strongest among all magical girls.
“Iris! We’ll take the west, so please handle the east!”
“Got it! Leave it to me!”
“Daphne! Sylph! Protect the people!”
“Understood.”
Even now, golden magical girls flaunting their brilliant abilities were intercepting the invading monsters from the skies, sporting golden wings.
“Dorim.”
“Yeah, I know. We need to hurry, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“I can’t believe you can create such a massive structure in no time. Truly, the magical girls of [Hope] and [Cyber Brain] are amazing.”
“Ah, I completely agree. It looks overwhelmingly large from down here.”
While Dorim and I watched the giant projectile being prepared above Elysion, Laura and Ella were driving away the monsters that were trying to hinder us. They were resting nearby, having swapped with the golden magical girls.
A sleek white projectile that was far larger than even the Sirius vessel, which is equivalent to the length of a 20-story building.
Built with the premise of just one combat and return, it invested everything in cargo capacity, ensuring it could transport magical girls over 380,000 km safely.
Our largest means of transportation yet.
Perhaps it could be the last miracle we create.
I felt grateful that the plan, which I had thought would take months, was progressing faster than I imagined. Even now, the magical girls were ensuring the miracle met with the human world, while the damage was increasing through the gaps that emerged.
“It’s thankfully being built faster than I thought.”
“Yeah, a vessel capable of reaching the moon is almost nonsensical… so maybe that’s why people dream even more. Implementing it into the cyber world is incredibly easy. But the starlight is being consumed immensely, so I can’t divert my attention elsewhere… how much of my sister’s starlight has been used so far?”
“Enough to circle the Earth five times with a new thread of fate.”
“That’s a ridiculous amount.”
The Moon
The first place humans see when they gaze at the universe.
A dream to reach that place.
It was a dream that humanity had already achieved, but it made us understand just how difficult it was to attain beyond that. The amount of starlight needed for a vessel meant to perform roles beyond simply reaching it was massive.
‘The greatest dream pursued by humanity…’
A silver vessel that would carry thousands through the skies.
The thread of fate encircling the Earth like a giant belt.
All these things were tethered to the Earth, and despite their dreamlike form, they weren’t currently causing such immense consumption. The first step for humanity to reach beyond this star was to get to the moon, requiring an enormous amount of starlight, enough to shake even the divine.
The strength required for humanity, not just humans, to reach equal footing with the gods.
From the perspective of the will of the stars on the moon, do we appear as Icarus, soaring arrogantly from the very bottom?
Compared to my father, who fled from the truth of fate, do we look like Icarus preparing a foolish challenge with flapping wings?
■■■■■!!
■■■■■!!
Dark clouds of birds gathering from the distant crimson sky. That ominous sound of wings permeated through the interceptions of the golden magical girls.
“They’re coming in again.”
“We’ll drive them away.”
“Sorry! I’m counting on you!”
“Yes, magical girl of [Cyber Brain].”
Laura smiled gently at Dorim, who was making the aircraft with her short limbs, and jumped onto the shoulder of the gigantic [Heavy Armor] magical girl Ella.
Boom!!
With a single leap from the massive yellow giant, the two faded away.
“Let’s hurry.”
“Yeah.”
We were thus creating the wings to ascend to a sky equal to that of the gods.
Not satisfied with breaking free from destiny, we aimed to challenge the heavens like Icarus did.
Icarus’ wings melted and he fell, but we would be different.
At least that’s what we believed.