Chapter 39: Dr. Agasa, Make a Contract with Me and Become a Magical Girl!
"What?!"
BAM!
Ran's fist, wreathed in pink magic, slammed into Vodka's side. The massive man grunted in pain, staggering sideways, his own attack thrown completely off course. At the same time, Pinga's deadly strike at Haibara was also intercepted.
"Not in front of me!" a gruff voice roared. Kogoro Mouri, in all his red-and-black magical girl glory, appeared above Pinga, his wand glowing. A wave of pure mental force slammed into Pinga's mind, momentarily scrambling his senses and disrupting his magical control.
"A psychic attack?! Dammit!"
Before he could recover, a streak of blue light appeared. Mitsuhiko grabbed Haibara and teleported her to safety just as Pinga's now-errant attack struck the spot where she had been. Before the two Organization members could regroup, another figure joined the fray.
"Take this!" Masumi Sera, a blur of black-and-white, shot toward Pinga, her golden-glowing combat gloves crackling with energy as she unleashed a flurry of Jeet Kune Do strikes. Pinga was thrown on the defensive, completely overwhelmed.
In a matter of seconds, the ambush had been turned into a counter-ambush. The two-on-one assault had become a five-on-two encirclement.
"Boss! We've got a problem!" Vodka yelled into the air, clearly calling for backup. "Multiple high-level contractors! We need support! Repeat, we need support!"
A massive, cold, murderous aura descended upon the entire inn.
"Useless."
The roof of the inn was torn away. In the moonlight, several figures descended. Leading them was Gin, his black gothic dress fluttering in the wind, his body glowing with a malevolent blue light. Behind him, Chianti and Korn, in their own magical girl forms, leveled their grotesque magic sniper rifles. And surrounding them all were dozens of other, weaker magical girls, forming a tight perimeter.
"Ah, Sherry," Gin sneered, his eyes locking onto Haibara. "Did you really think you could run?"
"Eliminate them all," he commanded.
The world erupted in a storm of multi-colored death. The inn was obliterated. The screams of the innocent guests were drowned out by the explosions. Dr. Agasa huddled in a corner, shielding the terrified Ayumi and Genta with his body as Ran's pink barrier flickered and cracked above them. They were completely outmatched, being pushed toward the brink of destruction.
At the same time, in Tokyo, emergency alerts were blaring. "Massive energy spike and seismic activity detected in the Hachijo-jima area! It's not a natural phenomenon!"
In a top-secret government bunker, Japanese officials were in a tense video conference with their American counterparts. "A massive supernatural conflict is taking place on Hachijo-jima! Our citizens are being slaughtered! We must deploy the 'Special Reaction Force' (the military's own magical girl unit) immediately!"
The American official on the screen was calm, almost bored. "Sir, please remain calm. Our assessment indicates the situation is... contained. The SRF is a strategic asset. We can't deploy it over a... local disturbance."
"A disturbance?! Our people are dying! It's easy for you to say when it's not your country!"
"Let's be pragmatic. Public relations are the key here. We can send in a Marine quick-response team to 'maintain order', show a little allied support. It'll look great on the news. Remember to say thank you."
The Japanese official slumped in his chair, defeated.
But not everyone was bound by politics. Across Japan, independent magical girls, those who had slipped through the cracks of the FBI's "recruitment" program, felt the massive energy spike from Hachijo-jima. Their own power was a candle against a hurricane, but their conscience, their belief in justice, compelled them to act. Streaks of light shot into the night sky from all over the country, all converging on the distant, besieged island.
Back on Hachijo-jima, Dr. Agasa watched as Ran's shield began to fail. He saw his children, his precious girls and boys, fighting and bleeding. He was just a scientist, an old man. His inventions, his intellect... they were useless here. He was helpless.
Are you afraid?
The voice was clear in his mind, cutting through the chaos. He turned. Sitting at his feet, its red eyes glowing, was Kyubey.
Are you in pain because of your powerlessness?
Do you wish for the strength to protect the children you hold so dear?
It's simple, you know.
"Dr. Agasa. Make a contract with me, and become a magical girl!"