Tokyo: Magical Girl Shatters My Dream of Going Public

The geisha puppets continued their dance, each slow, almost stagnant movement tormenting the audience's nerves like a dull knife cutting flesh.

Behind.

The thud from the metal door was no longer a dull "thump-thump," but had evolved into a teeth-grinding "crack-crack."

The door panel has begun to twist and deform.

There was also a faint rustling sound, like countless insects crawling, coming from the bottom and edges of the door crack.

That was the outer scarlet fleshy membrane, which was trying to squeeze and penetrate into this last "pure land".

Knowing that the threat behind them was closing in inch by inch, and that the door might be broken down at any moment, dragging them back to that bloody hell.

But they didn't even dare to turn around and check!

Your gaze must be fixed on the bizarrely dancing broken doll in front of you.

A stinging sensation spread from deep within the eyeball, quickly engulfing the entire eye socket.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, not out of sadness, but purely as a physiological protest at its limit.

My vision began to blur and sway.

The figure of the geisha doll twisted in tears.

They strained to open their eyes wide, feeling a sharp pain in their eyeballs, as if they would pop out of their sockets at any moment.

Every involuntary urge to blink was fiercely suppressed by an even stronger willpower, almost to the point of grinding one's teeth to pieces.

Time was stretched out indefinitely amidst extreme psychological and physical torment.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Despair and anxiety festered silently, almost driving people mad.

Just as the special forces soldiers' eyes began to glaze over, and their will teetered on the brink of collapse—

Ahead, the geisha puppet slowly came to an end with its final spin.

With its broken body dragging it along, it bowed slightly forward in a distorted yet surprisingly classical posture, completing its final bow.

Then, as if it had exhausted its last bit of strength, it stiffly returned to the standard kneeling posture, its head drooping, completely still.

The shamisen music that had been echoing softly came to an abrupt end at that moment.

The confinement is over!

"Ugh—!"

Almost simultaneously, several groans of relief mixed with pain rang out.

Finally, everyone was able to close their burning eyes, or blink frantically, letting the stinging tears wash over their eyes, their vision blurred by a watery light.

However, the relaxation only lasts for a brief moment.

boom!

Bang-!

An unprecedentedly loud explosion came from behind!

In the center of the heavy metal door, a noticeable bulge was clearly visible, with several cracks spreading out like a spider web!

Several dark red, wet, fleshy tentacles had already squeezed in from the edge of the door crack, slowly wriggling like venomous snakes sniffing out!

"There's no time!" Kanzaki roared hoarsely at Kurokawa, his eyes still bloodshot and his vision not yet fully restored. "The door's going to break down! What are we going to do next?!"

Despite the weakness and excruciating pain from the overload, Kurokawa quickly glanced at the situation at the door, then looked at the still geisha doll in the center of the room and gave the order in a very fast voice.

"Baby bird! Give me your magic battery, and go pick it up! Now!"

Chika was rubbing her dry, stinging eyes when she heard this and was taken aback.

She quickly removed her magic battery and handed it to Kurokawa. Then she looked at the quietly kneeling doll, a hint of hesitation flashing across her face.

The patrolling vengeful spirits, the rampaging flesh-eating men, and that ghostly highway hag we encountered before...

All the vengeful spirits she has encountered so far have been extremely aggressive.

If you get close to the geisha doll at this time...

"President, it..." Chika hesitated.

Not all magical vengeful spirits possess strong proactive aggression.

Kurokawa interrupted her, explaining rapidly as he changed the battery.

"Especially the [Spirit-type]. A considerable portion of them are not very dangerous; they are born from the strong emotions that their owners have long entrusted to them, and are catalyzed by magical energy."

"Rules are often related to 'fulfilling an obsession' or 'how one is treated,' rather than pure killing. Judging from its dance just now and its current state, it at least temporarily has no intention of attacking! Quick!"

Chika took a deep breath. Kurokawa's explanation was like a reassurance, suppressing her instinctive fear.

She nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

Time was of the essence, so she didn't hesitate any longer. She rushed forward and carefully but quickly stretched out her arms to pick up the broken geisha doll.

The doll's ceramic body was cold and heavy, and its broken edges were a bit rough to the touch.

But it didn't react at all, remaining droopy and still, letting her pick it up.

"Really... alright?" Chika looked down at the unusually quiet doll in her arms, still somewhat incredulous.

In that brief moment of her slight daze—

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the already overburdened restaurant door, along with the obstacles piled up behind it, was violently smashed open from the outside by an unimaginable force!

Broken metal and deformed tables and chairs were scattered everywhere!

A surge of dark red flesh, like a tide of living creatures, mixed with countless waving tentacles and split, ferocious mouthparts, instantly broke through the last barrier.

Da da da—!

Kanzaki and the others immediately opened fire, trying to buy even a second of time.

Just then, Kurokawa also finished replacing the battery.

He picked up his twin swords again, his eyes fixed intently on the enemy who had broken through his defenses.

He was prepared to overload again, fight his way out, and retreat!

The task has been completed, and exceeded!

He already knew everything about the vengeful spirit of the F-rank geisha doll, and it was a target that could be safely contained upon encountering it.

The only unexpected thing was the E-level high-speed granny and the unknown vengeful spirit that was almost C-level in front of us.

The E-class high-speed granny cannot be contained by the F-class containment cage.

He could only pray that the old woman from the highway wouldn't bother them during their retreat.

As for the vengeful spirit before us...

Even if he burns everything, at most he can only retreat; he can never be defeated.

The mission of Kanzaki and his team to retrieve the black box can only be described as...

I wish them good luck.

Just as Kurokawa gritted his teeth, preparing to forcibly overload the vehicle again—

Buzz ————————!

A beam of light, its color indescribable and composed purely of destructive energy, pierced down from directly above everyone's heads without warning, like a divine spear of judgment hurled down!

It didn't just penetrate the ceiling, but also vaporized and annihilated the rock layers, concrete, and the writhing, crimson flesh above it, which were at least several meters thick!

The beam of light precisely enveloped the very front of the surging tide of flesh about to pour in through the doorway.

Those tough, fleshy tentacles that bullets couldn't damage and flames could only repel, were completely destroyed by this beam of light. They didn't even have time to struggle or scream before they silently disintegrated and vanished into the finest ash in the blinding light.

The light lasted only for a brief moment.

Then it disappeared.

The underground was deathly silent.

Above everyone's heads, a perfectly round hole, several meters in diameter with molten glass-like edges, suddenly appeared, through which the cool moonlight flowed down without any obstruction.

Just as Kanzaki's mind went blank.

His walkie-talkie finally returned to normal operation.

"Buzz... Captain Kanzaki! Can you hear me? This is Washio! How are you doing? Support... Support has arrived!"

The anxious voice of the vice-captain, Washio, came through intermittently.

support?

Kanzaki's mind went completely blank.

They requested a "professional response team," but this attack method—falling from the sky and instantly annihilating monsters—was completely beyond his understanding of "support"!

Before he could process this information—

"Shh...shh..."

Ahead, at the broken section of the passage that had been shattered by the beam of light, temporarily clearing a space.

The remaining flesh began to writhe violently.

It's not a retreat, but rather an even more frenzied division and proliferation!

New, slightly smaller but faster clumps of flesh, like an enraged swarm of bees, rushed out from the edge of the cut and from the surrounding flesh walls.

Carrying their remaining ferocity, they once again lunged towards the location where Kanzaki and the others were!

More numerous, and with a more rapid offensive!

"Damn it!" Kanzaki instinctively raised his rifle, even though he knew it would probably have little effect.

Just moments before he pulled the trigger—

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!"

Four swift whooshing sounds came from the moonlight hole overhead.

Four black rappelling ropes hung straight down, and four figures wearing bright yellow hazmat suits landed almost simultaneously with standard and swift combat rappelling techniques, firmly blocking the Kanzaki squad from the surging new wave of flesh!

Their movements were clean and efficient, demonstrating excellent training.

The rifles they held were not any of the standard rifles that Kanzaki was familiar with, but rather special long guns with longer barrels, more intricate lines, and a faint blue glow.

A faint glow of energy gathered at the muzzle of the gun.

Faced with the oncoming mass of flesh, the four combatants remained calm and quickly dispersed into simple, staggered formations.

Raise the gun, aim, and pull the trigger—

"Pfft! Pfft pfft pfft!"

A deep, resonant sound of energy activation rang out.

Several specially made bullets, trailing pale blue contrails, were fired from the barrel and accurately struck the first few lumps of flesh.

The next moment, a scene appeared that made Kanzaki's pupils shrink in shock—

Those lumps of flesh that had previously been riddled with rifle bullets, only managing to leave shallow craters, were struck by this pale blue bullet and fell to the ground dead, their magazines nearly empty.

The surge of flesh came to an abrupt halt, emitting a short, mournful cry, before its entire body began to disintegrate at an alarming rate!

The difference in efficiency is enormous!

Kanzaki's gaze was fixed on the arm patch on the protective suits of the four combatants, which clearly displayed an eight-headed hydra entwined with a sharp blade.

【Yaqi Heavy Industries】.

They are their fighters!

The professional force they're talking about that truly handles "abnormal phenomena"!

In just a moment, within seconds, the dozen or so newly formed fleshy masses that had rushed forward with such ferocity were reduced to charred, lifeless slag on the ground by the precise and efficient shots of the four combatants.

The passageway has been temporarily cleared.

Kanzaki and his teammates, holding their standard rifles, stared at the scene before them, speechless.

First came the mysterious "Night Watchers," and now there's the combat squad from Yagi Heavy Industries.

They seem to have truly been left far behind by the times.

Just then, through the hole bathed in moonlight overhead, specks of light, shimmering with a dreamlike, cherry-pink glow, drifted down like cherry blossom rain falling in early spring.

A figure descended gracefully amidst the romantic yet jarringly incongruous light and dust of the underground environment, landing in front of the four Yagi Heavy Industries combatants.

It was a young girl.

Her long, cherry-pink hair was tied into twin ponytails at the back of her head, the ends swaying gently with her movements.

She was wearing a pink magical dress, the hem of which wasn't very long, and white stockings that covered her shapely long legs.

What's most eye-catching is the cherry blossom petal-shaped magic mark between her collarbones.

Magical Girl [Hiou]

After landing, her gaze quickly swept over the chaotic restaurant and the still-shaken Kanzaki and the others. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes. She tilted her head, and her clear voice rang out:

"What are you four doing here?"

Four people?

Kanzaki paused, then blurted out instinctively, "We're number six..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

He turned around abruptly and looked behind him—

The spot where Kurokawa and Chinatsu were standing is now empty!

Only some traces of battle and bloodstains on the ground prove that they were here.

Kanzaki's gaze swept rapidly across the entire restaurant.

Then he saw the vent near the inner wall.

The pipe opening, which had previously been blocked by some kind of fleshy tissue, now had those blockages fall to the ground.

Inside the ventilation duct, all was dark and silent.

They... left.

In the brief interval between the laser blasting through the dome, the Yagi Heavy Industries combatants rappelling down, and the magical girl descending... everyone's attention was drawn to the series of shocks and reinforcements.

The mysterious man who called himself "President," along with his team member codenamed "Hiyori," and the broken geisha doll, had vanished without a trace before everyone's eyes.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the ventilation duct.

It was dark and cramped, filled with the dull smell of dust and rust, with occasional faint vibrations and muffled sounds coming from afar.

Kurokawa was in the lead, his movements nimble and steady, the tattered combat suit rubbing against the pipe wall with an extremely faint rustling sound.

Chinatsu followed closely behind, having already used a containment cage to house the geisha doll.

She tried to regulate her breathing, trying not to make too much noise.

She didn't know why the president chose to leave quietly at this time, avoiding those seemingly powerful reinforcements.

But her absolute trust made her suppress all her doubts and simply follow in silence.

Now is not the time.

Kurokawa silently repeated this thought behind his mask.

Neither the combatants from Yagi Heavy Industries nor the magical girl [Hizakura] are people he wants to directly confront right now.

Being exposed to the scrutiny of officials or large corporations means that his carefully concealed advantages from his rebirth and his ambiguous identity as the "Night Watchman" will face the risk of being examined and investigated.

Before he has enough leverage to protect himself and negotiate, the shadows are his best cover.

The pipeline is not straight; there are frequent forks and vertical shafts leading up and down.

Based on his memory of when he entered and a rough estimate of the building's structure, Kurokawa groped his way to the outer perimeter.

We were just passing through a section of pipe that sloped downwards.

A faint, extremely weak light, different from the darkness inside the pipe, peeks through from below.

Chinatsu suddenly stopped. She carefully moved to the side of the vent on the side of the pipe and looked down through the dust-covered mesh.

"President," she called out uncertainly to Kurokawa, lowering her voice, "down there... look, isn't it... that archives room?"

Kurokawa immediately turned back, moved to another ventilation opening next to Chika, and stared down.

Below was a relatively spacious room, but it was now a complete mess.

The iconic densely packed filing cabinets were overturned, and a large number of paper documents and storage media were scattered all over the floor, covered or stuck together by a semi-dried, dark red viscous substance.

Large patches of inactive flesh membranes remained on the wall.

The heavy security door to the room was violently broken from the outside and hung twisted and deformed on the door frame.

The room's layout, the remaining signs, and the specifications of the special protective door all point to one answer.

This is indeed the core data storage area of ​​the research institute, the place that Kanzaki's team desperately wanted to reach to retrieve the "black box".

Kurokawa's gaze swept quickly over the mess on the ground.

Valuable data may have been destroyed or contaminated, but... there may still be some residue.

Kanzaki's persistence, his willingness to risk his life to delve deeper, suggests that what's inside this "black box" is likely more than just experimental data.

He hesitated for about two seconds, his mind quickly weighing the risks and benefits.

The sounds of battle outside had not ceased; one could even faintly hear the distinctive buzzing of energy weapons and the muffled booms of magical explosions. Yagi Heavy Industries and magical girls were clearing out the remaining threats.

This is the edge of the second basement level; it's relatively safe for now.

"Get down." Kurokawa made a decisive decision. "Young bird, you're quick. Pick out the ones that look intact, especially those with special encryption tags or independent storage devices. We only have 30 seconds at most."

Chika nodded without hesitation: "Understood!"

Kurokawa used his dagger to quickly and quietly pry open the screws securing the vent grille.

After the grille was moved aside, he first peered down to make sure there were no hidden threats or residual activity below. Then, he braced himself on the edge with both hands, jumped down lightly, and landed silently.

Chika carefully slid down after her.

The archive room smelled foul, a mixture of moldy paper, blood, and burnt odors.

Chika immediately sprang into action. Despite her discomfort with the filth on the floor, she relied on her intuition and limited knowledge to quickly search through the scattered documents.

Her gaze swept over the papers soaked in slime and with blurred writing, then locked onto the folders and memory cards that were in special waterproof and antimagnetic boxes or had eye-catching colored coded labels.

Kurokawa stood guard at the broken doorway, knife in hand, listening intently to any sounds coming from the passageway outside, while also glancing out of the corner of his eye for any hidden compartments or safes that might be inside the room.

His gaze fell on a half-open, built-in small fireproof safe on the inside of the room. The door showed signs of being forcibly pried open, and the inside was empty.

It seems that the most important core carrier may have been taken away by the "thing" that broke through here before, or... it was transferred or destroyed by the research institute personnel at the last moment.

"President, these!" Chinatsu's voice was urgent. She was holding a stack of relatively intact folders and several sealed storage boxes in her arms, and there were also several parts that looked like hard drives stuffed in her pockets.

"That's enough, let's go!" Kurokawa shouted in a low voice. Time was more pressing than he had anticipated, and the sounds of battle outside seemed to be moving in this direction.

Chinatsu immediately ran towards the bottom of the ventilation shaft, and Kurokawa quickly stepped forward, helping her to send the documents back into the pipe.

Just as Kurokawa himself was about to climb up—

"sand……"

A very faint sound, like something scraping the ground, came from the shadows of the corridor outside the door.

Kurokawa's body tensed instantly, and he turned his head sharply, his gaze shooting towards the darkness from which the sound was coming.

Who broke through to this point? How could they have done it so quickly?!