“Hey… what’s with those cars?”
The people of Brisbane in the shopping mall began to stir. Three unfamiliar cars had entered the living area.
The men evacuated the women and children, stepping forward to surround the cars.
The people who emerged from the cars were men and women wearing unified uniforms. It was clear to everyone that they were Seekers from Australia.
“Hey, hey, so you guys are living gathered in a place like this? We’ve come to help you. You can relax now.”
The mohawked blond man at the front spoke with an arrogant attitude.
Hearing this, the people living in the shopping mall stiffened. One of them stepped forward.
“You guys are Seekers from ‘Waraganda,’ right? What are you doing in a place like this?”
A man in his forties glared at the Seekers. The mohawked man shrugged, a thin smile on his face, “You’re awfully confrontational.”
“We’re worried about you guys. In a situation where monsters could attack at any time, it must be unsettling not being able to use magic, right? If you come under our umbrella, you can live without trembling in fear.”
At those words, many people became enraged.
“Don’t screw with us! The damage spread because you guys destroyed the country!!”
“That’s right! We lost support because the government disappeared, you terrorists!!”
“Get the hell out of here! We have the military here too, we don’t need you!!”
Voices of anger rained down. Hearing that, the mohawked man wryly smiled, saying, “Oh dear.”
“That’s why we came to help you. Stop complaining and bring out the person in charge here!”
Tension ran between the Seekers and the residents of Brisbane.
At that moment, someone came from behind the crowd. The residents parted to the left and right, and an elderly woman walked through the space.
Standing before the Seekers, she faced them with a dignified attitude.
“I am Madeline, the mayor and person in charge of this Brisbane. I will hear what business brings you here.”
Madeline gazed at the Seekers with a stern expression.
The mohawked man chuckled, turning his gaze to Madeline.
“Finally, someone who seems like we can talk to has arrived. We ‘Waraganda’ are increasing our controlled areas in various places. We care about the people more than the government does. Right, isn’t that so?”
The mohawked man turned to look at his companions. There were six young men and three women, all grinning.
“What is your purpose? There’s no way you’re helping people for free. You must have a reason for coming all the way here, right?”
“I’m glad you’re quick to understand, Mayor. The reason this place is safe is because of the Brimba naval base nearby. In other words, there are a lot of Magic Gems, right?”
“So, that’s your aim.”
Madeline’s gaze shifted slightly. The mohawked man, not missing it, chuckled and looked around.
“You’re there, aren’t you? Alright, come on out.”
At the man’s voice, many soldiers emerged from the shadows of the buildings. They raised their rifles, jogging to surround the Seekers.
All of them were young soldiers, pointing their guns at the opponents, taking aim.
“This is a place where we defend ourselves. We don’t need your strength. Please leave immediately.”
Madeline coldly declared. However, the Seekers showed no sign of backing down.
“Oh dear, and here I was thinking of settling this peacefully.”
As the mohawked man raised his hand, the Seekers behind him took out Magic Enchanted Armaments from the cars, each entering a battle stance.
“Don’t you dare regret this, you old hag!!”
◇◇◇
When Yuma and the others returned to the city, smoke was rising from the shopping mall.
Anzai stepped on the accelerator, increasing her speed further. As they saw the burning building, she slammed on the brakes, stopping the car.
Unfastening her seatbelt, she hurriedly got out of the car.
“Yuma-kun, you wait here! I’ll go see what’s happening.”
“Eh, wait a minute. I’ll—”
Before Yuma could stop her, Anzai had already run off. Yuma also unfastened his seatbelt and slowly got out of the car.
Irritated by his body’s lack of mobility, he used his cane to head towards the shopping mall.
–I can’t just sit still. I have to go help too.
Yuma walked as fast as he could, following after Anzai. After walking for a while, he heard gunshots and explosions.
It’s a battle. Luna, Anzai, and Wilson-san’s faces flashed through his mind.
He was shocked to hear that the Seekers had become a criminal group, but it seemed they were really using magic against ordinary citizens.
“Damn, if only I could walk faster…”
At this rate, everyone will die. Yuma stopped and put strength into his body.
His whole body was dyed black, covered in steel armor. He activated “Metallization” and tried to run, but his body still wouldn’t move as he wanted.
“It’s no good! I thought I could do something if I used ‘Metallization,’ but…”
Yuma gritted his teeth. He was receiving Recovery Magic every day, and his Self-Regeneration ability should be working, but his wounds were healing abnormally slowly.
In this state, he wouldn’t be of any use even if he rushed over there.
What should I do? As he was worrying, he suddenly thought of something. “Ah!”
“That’s right, this might work.”
Yuma relaxed his body, melting his entire body into a slime. Transforming into a round slime, he rolled his eyes around and looked forward.
He hopped around and extended several tentacles, wriggling them.
“Oh! I can move as I want!! In this form, injuries don’t matter.”
Moving Liquid Metal was a type of magic. Moreover, since it was the familiar “Black Magic,” there were no problems handling it.
Yuma shouted “Alright!” and hopped around.
At a speed faster than running, he headed towards the shopping mall.
◇◇◇
Explosions occurred, and flames scattered. Bullets flew, and shouts echoed around.
The area around the shopping mall had turned into a battlefield. The Seekers were using magic to trample over the people.
To respond, the soldiers fired bullets enchanted with magic.
At first, they showed a back-and-forth battle, but gradually the Seekers pushed forward. The soldiers outnumbered them, but they were no match for pure magic.
“Damn it! Evacuate the residents!! We’re the only ones who can stop them.”
The soldiers checked the Seekers while slowly retreating.
“Hey, hey, you think you can stop us with that? You’ve got to be kidding!”
The mohawked man raised a greatsword, gathering the magic of fire. Explosive flames swirled around the blade, swelling up with a flickering light.
“Blow away! You bastards!!”
The greatsword he swung down gouged the ground, causing a massive explosion.