(2025 Edit) Technomancer: A Magical Girl's Sidekick [Post-Apocalyptic][Mecha][Magical Girls]

"Stay calm," Midori whispered, her eyes darting around. "Don't do anything rash. Listen to them for now and assess the situation."

Talia and I exchanged nods. We slowly rose to our feet, hands in the air, trying our best not to provoke the armed assailants.

The robbers around the room moved with an almost terrifying precision, each of them working with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. One of the robbers quickly pulled out a strange device, which he set in the center of the area. It was a long metal cylinder about knee-high mounted on some kind of small tripoded chassis. The robber pressed one of the buttons, and suddenly, an odd humming sound began emitting from the device.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched them move — their fluidity and timing seemed unnatural. There was no hesitation, no miscommunication — every action was calculated, and their coordination was uncanny.

"Move it!" another one of the assailants barked at us, gesturing towards the center of the room.

I tried to steady my breathing as we quickly stumbled towards the center of the room. All around us, I could hear the cries of other hostages as they were also herded toward the same area.

I felt the cold steel barrel of the rifle press against my back, urging us forward. The air was thick with tension and fear. The three of us moved to join the group of hostages that was steadily growing in the middle of the room. I could feel the collective terror and panic hanging in the air.

My mind raced, darting around the room as I took in the details. I was certain of it now. These weren't your average thugs; their movements were too coordinated, too confident. It was like they'd done this a million times before. Their faces were covered entirely by full plate face masks, and they all wore plain civilian clothes that would let them blend into a crowd. They were clearly professionals.

Midori and Talia looked tense, their eyes scanning the scene as well like they were looking for any possible way out. But with the robbers' guns trained on us and the crowd, there was nowhere for any of us to go.

One more robber approached us, weapon raised and flanked by the man who'd held us up. "You three! To the center and on your knees. Now!"

I couldn't distinguish his features behind the metal mask, but his voice was cold and authoritative. It was also distorted, as were the voices of the other robbers. Following his orders, we moved toward the center of the room without hesitation, joining a growing group of frightened and confused people.

Talia was next to me, her face pale but composed. Midori settled on my other side with a tense but calculated look in her eyes.

I noticed one of the mana traders near the center, an older merchant with graying hair and a sturdy build. His hands were shaking as he subtly tried to cast a spell. I caught a faint glimmer of light gathering in his palm.

As I watched, the merchant began muttering something under his breath, and I could see the subtle movement of his fingers as they traced an intricate pattern in the air. A faint glow started to emanate from his hands, a sign of a spell forming.

But, as a faint silver light began to form — the metal cylinder came to life, glowing blue and emitting a low hum. The trader's spell suddenly dispersed in a flash of light, and a robber was upon him instantly.

"Sorry, big fella. We've got a mana disruption field active. No magic," the robber stated flatly as he grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind his back.

The trader yelped in pain, his attempted spell fizzling out into nothingness. "Now, we don't want to hurt anyone here," the robber stated nonchalantly. "Some of you might be skilled enough to get a spell going with some concentration, but I reckon our bullets will be just a bit faster. Don't anyone be a hero now. You hear?"

The room went silent again, save for a few whimpers of fear. The reality of our situation began to sink in, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear in my chest.

The air felt oppressive and thick, a mix of fear and uncertainty hanging heavily over us.

"Right!" A voice called out, cutting through the tense atmosphere.

We all looked towards the source of the voice, and there she was.

A single woman stood atop a nearby table. Her face was covered with a mask, but her body...

She wore a sleek, form-fitting, pure-black outfit that accentuated her agile form, a stark contrast to the more rough-and-ready attire of her associates. But it had wires and circuitry running all across the suit. The way it hugged her body, highlighting her toned physique, made it seem like a second skin rather than clothing.

There was no doubt in my mind that this woman was the leader of this group. She radiated an aura of confidence and control, even in the face of danger.

She cleared her throat, her voice clear and commanding.

"Evenin' there, lovely citizens of Shoreline City," she began, her tone playful yet menacing. "I do apologize for this little interruption to your evening. My associates and I are simply here to collect a few errant... treasures. This is nothing personal, I assure you."

Her voice echoed through the room, amplified and twisted by some kind of modulation device. She looked over the crowd, her eyes hidden behind a mask covering her face. The mask was stylized like a wolf's snout and had glowing blue eyes, giving her an eerie and intimidating presence.

She paced atop the table, her movements fluid and controlled.

"Now, we don't intend on staying long, and as long as you cooperate, no one will be harmed," she continued, her voice a mix of charm and malice. "All we ask is that you keep your heads down, shut your damned mouths, and let us conduct our business in peace. My men will be collecting the items we desire, and they know exactly what to look for. If you all cooperate, no one will be hurt. If you do not, I'm afraid I will have to take... more drastic measures. You have been warned."

The woman stepped off the table with an elegant hop, landing gracefully on the ground. She nodded to one of her men, who promptly grabbed a hostage and dragged her forward.

"My associates have the exits guarded. There is no escape and no way to contact the outside. So, I suggest you all sit back, relax, and let us finish our business."

With that, the masked woman turned and walked away to join her fellow robbers, leaving the room in fearful silence. Her men moved around us, quickly and efficiently stripping everyone of their valuable items.

The robbers continued their work efficiently, collecting valuables and weapons alike, and I couldn't help but wonder what their goal was.

This seemed ridiculously risky.

Where would they even go? How realistic is it for them to get away with this in a core hub with dozens if not hundreds of active Magical Girls?

"Rai-chan," I quietly reached out. "What's the situation outside? Can we get in contact with the authorities through you?"

As if on cue, several explosions rang off in the distance.

"The police response is in disarray," Rai-chan reported. "The robbers have planted timed explosives and committed arsons in various strategic locations to distract the authorities. It seems like they had planned this out well in advance."

I felt my heart drop in my stomach. It looked like we were on our own.

My thoughts were interrupted as one of the robbers approached us, gesturing for us to present our valuables.

I hesitated, clutching my bag with my two Chaos Cores inside.

The cores didn't just represent money. They represented months and years of blood, sweat, and tears that my family had gone through. The countless times I'd nearly been mauled to death getting chased by monsters. The hours I'd spent with a wrench in hand fixing cars and bikes and tractors in our backyard with Dad.

It represented hope for my sister, a better future, and a way to help support my family.

My jaw clenched and my grip on the bag tightened as I tried to think of a way out. But with so many armed robbers around, any attempt at heroics would be futile — and potentially deadly.

The thought of giving them up to a bunch of criminals made me feel physically ill, and it only reminded me that the rest of the people in this room probably had it just as bad, or maybe worse than I did.

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The robber holding us up raised his gun threateningly, and I knew I had no choice.

With a sigh, I handed him my bag, the weight of its contents now in someone else's possession. The robber quickly rifled through the contents,.

"Good lad!" he scoffed. He quickly rummaged through my bag, quickly finding the two Cores and taking them.

"Great. Another pair of these," the robber sighed, tossing the cores carelessly into a loot sack.

I grit my teeth, feeling anger boil up inside me.

I could only watch helplessly as he took away months upon months of my family's work right before my eyes.

It felt like a punch to the nuts, watching the robber carelessly just stuff away something so precious to me.

Those Cores weren't just valuable from a monetary standpoint. They represented my poor father's long, grueling days and nights working in the garage. How he tried to hide the pain in his aging hands and his back from hours of fixing and tuning cars.

Memories of my dad teaching me the difference between a Philips head screwdriver and a flathead flashed by, as well as the countless hours we'd spent under a car or bent over an engine.

But most of all, I remembered the smile on his face as we'd worked side by side, bonding over the simple act of tinkering with machinery. It was hard work but my dad was always proud of his work and proud of mine.

I wanted to scream, yell, and lash out, but I knew I would pay a steep price if I acted recklessly. The robbers had made it clear that they wouldn't hesitate to use force.

Still… I couldn't just let this go.

I felt a burning determination within me, a refusal to let these criminals walk away with everything my family had worked for. I clenched my fists, and I began to feel my heart beating furiously in my chest as I brought one leg up.

Talia gave me a worried glance, putting a placating hand on my shoulder. "Ikki. Hey. Don't," she whispered urgently. "It's not worth it."

I knew she was right, but it didn't make the situation any less infuriating. "Talia... that was half of everything we had," I replied, my voice strained with emotion.

The burning fire in my chest slowly began to subside. I knew she was right, and fighting would only worsen the situation.

"No," I sighed, steeling myself. "You're right."

The robber moved on to the next person, and I watched as he continued his looting spree. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plan.

"Rai-chan," I thought. "I doubt they're out and about visibly, but is there any radio chatter about what's going on with that big Magical Girl meeting Midori mentioned?"

"Analyzing communications," Rai-chan responded. After a brief pause, she continued, "There is no direct communication regarding the Assembly Ceremony. It appears to be a highly secure event with strict information control. However, I have detected increased encrypted chatter among the Magical Girls' Support Operative networks, likely in response to the disturbances and robberies in the city."

I frowned, processing this information. The city had been caught completely off guard at the worst possible time.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I froze, glancing around the room nervously. There were only four people in my contacts list right now — Midori, Talia, Dior, and Ambassador Hinokawa. It had to be either Dior or Elio.

There was no way I could just grab it and open it right there and then, not with the robbers watching us like hawks.

"Ikki," Rai-chan started. "I have finished my Analysis of the hostile operatives in the room — their lack of vital signs is due to a potent field generated by an array of magitech cybernetic augmentations disrupting my senses. I may be able to disable a single operative with eighteen to twenty-five mana units within fifteen feet. However, you are down to 51% mana, so I suggest you conserve it if possible."

The numbers rolled around in my head, crunching and calculating. I had enough mana to take out one of the robbers, but then I would be completely drained. I was also certain Rai-chan could take out the lights as well. But could I risk it?

I glanced around the room once more, trying to gauge the situation. A part of me wanted to take the opportunity to make a move, but I knew that any sudden, poorly thought-out move could lead to panic and casualties. No, it wouldn't do.

My mind raced as I searched for an alternative solution.

"Can you project my texts onto my HUD?" I asked Rai-Chan mentally.

She paused for a moment before responding, "Yes. Displaying text on HUD now. I will also be able to relay texts through directly. Just visualize what you wish to send and link it through me."

A message from Dior appeared on my HUD, which was only visible to me. Her text was brief and to the point, as I'd learned to expect from her.

"Just got out of the special orientation. Are you still at the Aetherium Market? Dior heard there's trouble all over the city and Downtown is a hotspot. Be safe."

I bit my lips, thinking about the situation carefully. Dior was a scholarship student, and the timing of her orientation lined up with the Assembly Ceremony. Was she connected to the Magical Girl community in some way?

There was also the possibility that she was a Magical Girl herself, which was... honestly, a really cool idea to entertain.

But I didn't have time to dwell on that right now. If Dior could reach out to me, hopefully, she would be in a safe location.

"I'm caught up in it," I sent the message back to Dior through Rai-chan before sending out jagged responses. "Robbers have taken control of the Exchange. Hostages taken. I'm inside sneaking out a msg. Safe for now. Don't know how long. All the other incidents are decoys for heist. Could be more locations."

Dior's response came quickly, showing her concern. "This one knows the authorities and will try to get help. Stay hidden and safe, Ikki."

I blinked, staring at the message. It seemed Dior thought that I was hiding somewhere safe. I didn't want to worry her, but I couldn't let her think I was out of harm's way when I wasn't. I had to be honest with her.

"I'm one of the hostages," I sent back. "Leaving my GPS on."

There was a long pause before Dior's next message came through. "I will try to find help. Please stay low."

It was comforting to know that someone out there knew what was happening to us and was trying to help.

"Rai-chan, let Dr, Hinokawa know as well. I doubt he's in the area, but he might be able to reach out to the authorities for us and cut through the red tape," I said, feeling a glimmer of hope.

"Understood, Ikki. Transmitting a summarized message now in your voice," Rai-chan replied.

I scanned the crowd, looking for any hint or sign of an opening Rai-chan could take. The room was still in complete uproar, with people crying and robbers moving around, taking everything valuable they could lay their hands on.

It was like a scene from a movie, except it was real, and I was right in the middle of it. My pulse aced as I watched, feeling the tension and uncertainty build in the room.

Then, just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, a couple of the robbers grabbed a few people out of the crowd, holding them at gunpoint. One of them was an older man, frail and trembling with fear.

"No, please," he begged, his voice shaking.

They were taking hostages.

My heart sank as one robber pointed at Midori and me. "You two, get up! You're coming with us."

Midori shot me a look, her eyes filled with defiance and anger, but she slowly rose to her feet.

We both stood up, our hands still raised as two of the robbers came forward to drag us over.

"No!" Talia cried out, standing up in a panic as she watched us being taken away. "Let go of them!"

The robber closest to Talia held up his hand.

"Hey, easy there girl," he said menacingly. "Don't make me do something I don't want to."

Midori shot her a reassuring smile, even though the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. "It'll be fine, Talia," she said quietly. "We'll be okay."

Despite her bravery, I felt an intense fear rush through me as the robbers began leading us away. Talia stared on at Midori helplessly, settling back down in worry as we were brought to the back of the room. They quickly shoved us through a door that said 'Employees Only' into an employee hallway, and then, through another set of doors.

I flipped my HUD off to conserve mana in case I needed to use it. I had no idea what was going to happen next. All I knew was that I needed to stay alert and prepared.

I tried to keep my cool, but my mind was racing.

What did they want with us? Were they going to use us as leverage?

My mind raced with possibilities, each more horrifying than the last.

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted as one of the robbers gave me a hard shove, causing me to stumble forward.

"Keep moving, brat," he spat out, his voice thick with menace. "No funny business."

"Hey, fuck you, asshole!" I snapped back, unable to help myself.

He didn't respond. He shared a look with one of the other men that was inscrutable behind the face plates, and then the guy who'd pushed me pulled a pair of metal handcuffs out of his pouch.

"Turn around, kid," he commanded, his tone cold and detached.

My heart pounded in my chest as I slowly turned around.

He moved quickly and efficiently, placing the handcuffs on my wrists. "You, too, little girl," he growled, gesturing at Midori. "Hands out."

She gave him a compliant look but complied, holding her hands out. He quickly snapped the handcuffs on her wrists, the metallic click echoing through the empty room.

My breath was coming in short, panicked bursts now as he shoved me again.

"Alright," he grumbled. "Move it. Through those doors."

The other hostages and I were then corralled through a door, into a large storage room.

The steel cut into my skin, and I grimaced as one of the men began to string a dense, nylon rope through a ring in our handcuffs. Then, they separated us into groups of four or five hostages, looping a section of the rope in each group, binding our wrists to each other with a tight knot, and tying us to each other. Midori was still with me, and I shot her a thankful glance. She nodded in response.

Midori kept her posture straight, looking calm and collected despite the situation.

"I'm glad you're still with me," I whispered, leaning close to her.

"Same here," she whispered back, giving me a tense nod. "Don't worry. We're gonna get through this, okay? I won't let anything to happen to us."

The robbers were talking among themselves now, discussing their next move. I tried to listen in, hoping to get some clue about their plans, but their voices were muffled, and I couldn't make out much.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. We had to stay calm and think this through. Panic wouldn't help anyone. I looked at Midori again, and her eyes were wide and bright with an almost unnatural calm now.

She had a certain aura around her that I couldn't quite place — a quiet strength that belied her age. If anything, it felt like there was a simmering anger just below the surface, but not an explosive anger. No, it was something far more dangerous and controlled.

Suddenly, the leader of the group, the masked woman, emerged from the crowd of kidnappers and moved to stand in front of us. Her presence seemed to fill the entire room, demanding attention.

"What do we do with them, Hellhound?" one of the robbers said, looking at us with body language that just screamed disdain and disgust. It didn't take a genius to know they had no intention of just letting us go.

The leader's gaze swept over us behind her face plate, and a shiver went down my spine. I tried not to look her in the eyes, feeling an almost primal fear as she sized us up. Her voice was cold, calculated, and full of menace.

"Take them with us," she said. "We can use them as leverage if we run into trouble."

She turned toward the exit before stopping for a brief moment.

"...And of course, we can always dispose of them once we're in the clear."

My stomach dropped, and I could feel the other hostages tensing around me.

As I watched them move, their actions coordinated and calculated, I knew one thing for certain.

They were definitely dangerous, and we were in deep, deep shit.