*
It was only the following day, the aftermath was immediately apparent. The radio meant to track the actions of magical girls had overwritten the signals of broadcasts worldwide and conveyed the existence of magical girls. As if promising some form of evidence, the artillery strikes had stopped. Naturally they weren't so merciful, the artillery cannons were stopped by the intervention of magical girls. If left alone, the schools would be demolished suffering around half of complete destruction, education was suspended for the foreseeable future.
There were contingencies in place, humanity had largely mitigated the threat of natural disasters, but if for whatever reason education had to be impeded from the face to face format there was the backup plan. All of the curriculum, data, and student performances have been uploaded onto a network for ease of management. In the same vein, this network management system can be used to facilitate learning from a far distance. The buildings will take a while to fix, loneliness has crept into the lives of the common student.
This is when the aftermath of that artillery incident is the most heightened, when unadulterated criticism and vitriol collides online. It's simple to see how magical girls are now treated as the beacon for artillery bombardment, fear of the unknown group's retaliation has been etched from that life or death scenario. A non small number of people were caught in that chaos, never to return.
"Emergency broadcasts, a disaster on an unprecedented scale has affected all 2600 residential zones.
Energy weapons of an unidentifiable nature has rained bombardment targeting specific school buildings. Estimates of casualties reach 100 000 students of the corresponding school facilities.
The earlier hijacking of signal apparatuses and announcement of threat has also been recorded and analysed. The government has been doing its due in ensuring such an occurrence never happens again, it urges all not to take the mysterious announcement from before seriously.
Rumours regarding magical girls will be addressed on a later date. If anyone is held having any belligerent intent or actions towards magical girls, all dissidents will be dealt with by the iron arm of law. " (News Broadcaster)
*Bzzz*
" On analysing the video for any artifacting, we can surmise with a 99.8% level of confidence that the videos are not artificially generated.
Closer investigations reveal that cannons of an unknown composition were indeed found at those sites indicated by the video sightings. Or rather, what is left of the cannons, due to having been thoroughly smashed up. Only remnants that we aren't able to guess where they fit have been left behind.
Traces at every seen can only be described as having all manner of methods done to process the materials. Burn marks, cleavage, melted goo, black dust, dissolved, punctured, smashed into pulp, vaporised, stolen without a trace, blended into shreds, there is no end to the methods used to destroy these cannons, or any suggestions as to why they are left there.
One can surmise that if magical girls are real, they would have to be in a rush... " (News Broadcaster 2)
*Bzzz*
" If we look closer at this sighting and slow it down... You can see a spec fly out of the school's roof and head for the following locations of the artillery cannons...
This is further supported by similar sightings in other residential zones. Could these be the so called magical girls...? The government broadcast has told us all we needed to know with their last statement, they are protecting the magical girls!
Look at the threat that these unknown enemies pose! Their unidentifiable nature suggests that they are aliens or invaders from another world, their technology is advanced enough to assault every residential zone at once! Should we not be offering the magical girls as they suggested!! Think of it as a small sacrifice for the many! If you or anyone you know has a clue as to where these magical girls are, don't hesitate to call us! At XXXXX XXXXX" (Random channel A)
*Bzzz*
" Are magical girls truly real? Well my observant viewers might already be able to tell! But, this is clearly a cover up by the government! They're clearly tackling two problems at once! The so called... Myth of overpopulation is real! But they are impeded by morality in their attempts to address this issue, think about it! Why would humanity's population gradually taper off at 10 billion? A natural law affected by the planet's ability to sustain? What a load of nonsense! They're clearly testing a new weapon, and cleaning up the population! " (Random channel B)
***
Scrutiny from every direction, met with confusion, doubt, indignation, panic. There are no shortages of people who saw this as the end of the world, the bombardments being the heralds of the alien's clear hostility. After all, the humanity that has only known piece for 11000+ years wouldn't be able to react appropriately to their very first disaster. Deaths on these scale have never been publicly elevated into the spotlight before. At most, the shocking number of deaths from road accidents or machinery faults were hidden just as such, as accidents.
The title of disaster gave the matter an entirely different perspective. Deaths that should not have happened, deaths that are a result of the supernatural or partiality. They incite the indignation and fury against injustice, they stoke the flames of resentment that have nowhere to be quelled. It was exceedingly dangerous for magical girls to be exposed at this time. The people are afraid, a mere 100 000 casualties was too insignificant for the masses to truly feel the dangers of the matter, but significant enough to breed hatred and contempt for the sacrificial lambs.
This, this was the aim of the next heavenly king's efforts. They were using their sentience to the fullest, they form thoughts and coherent plans... The scariest aspect was that they understood the human psyche, so they know best how to manipulate it. The magical girls are pushed with their backs to the wall socially. Now none would dare reveal themselves in public, and even if it was just a slight psychological effect, it would gradually wear down the will of those wanting to protect humanity only to be shunned by them.
Sariel's remark was right, creating a witch hunt was exceedingly cruel for these young girls. Their efforts to fight Traces, their secretive sacrifices and resolve undertaken to protect everyone... These would now be slowly worn down over time by the despair and betrayal. The mortality rates would rise, humanity's forces would be weakened without lifting another finger.
"... It might be survival of the fittest, but I'll make sure I'll kill you, Heavenly King!" (Yggdrasil)
For a better world, for Lastia.