Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 51. 1

A hero has appeared.

In the gray world, swirling its colors, a hero scattering black particles.

The red poison chunk spat out by the Hydra was crushed in the hands of the new hero.

As the red slime dispersed in all directions, that hero continued to swing the hammer swish, swish.

The explosion caused the slime to scatter and conceal its existence.

The black magical girl who achieved what I could not.

“Lord Haram has two bodies. Poyo!”

In the background of the mascot’s silly words, I opened my mouth.

“Yumil?”

“Why so surprised, dear?”

In the black magical girl outfit.

With a blood-red hammer.

My black mirror image smiled brightly, puffing out her chest to showcase her achievements.

However, that’s not why I was surprised.

The fact that I felt both Yumil as a monster and as a hero at the same time.

How could a monster be chosen as an awakener? At this timing?

“Where’s the mascot?”

If she’s a magical girl, then surely there must be a mascot that made her awaken.

“There was nothing like that…?”

“Then how did she transform?”

I briefly thought of the ability to change into my appearance, but then she should have turned her hair white like mine. There’s no reason for her to remain black.

“I imagined the appearance of a magical girl in my heart, and I could transform.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

It was so absurd that the heat of the battle we fought just moments ago had vanished.

“Does that even make sense, Unho…?”

“It doesn’t! The magic wand is a specialty of the Erogie Magic Kingdom. Who even is she?”

The term specialty was absurd, but according to Unho, it’s an impossible act.

Then is the magic wand within her without volition?

“Magic wand? Is this it?”

Maybe because she accepted my technique, the magic wand was naturally implemented in her hand.

What Yumil held in her left hand was… a red spanner.

What the heck?

Why is that a magic wand?

Could it be that she has a story as a hero too?

Unho, who should explain this situation, seemed flustered, his eyes darting around.

Just… I need to stop thinking.

What’s the point? This world has been flipped upside down, and strange things happen all the time. As long as heroes are around, isn’t that fine?

I steadied my mind.

“Can we fight?”

“That red Hydra?”

“Yeah.”

The lava-tentacled Hydra slowly advanced towards the barrier.

“I also don’t like that thing, so let me help.”

“Okay…”

Wasn’t she supposed to follow my orders from the start?

‘Let me help,’ huh? Will she even be able to move well as my representative?

…Well, if we can defeat that thing, it might be fine to think about what comes next later.

Thinking so, by the time I turned my injured body to face the Hydra, a loud noise rang in my ear.

“Black! Marauder!!!”

Baek Sihyeon, now gray, made stairs with a shield from the air, shouting as she climbed up.

Baek Sihyeon seemed incredibly excited as she created numerous weapons in mid-air and rushed in, but paused as if sensing something odd in front of us.

Baek Sihyeon stood before us, looking back and forth between me and Yumil with a puzzled expression.

“Black? Marauder?”

Unable to understand the situation, she asked in a strange tone.

Why is she even here?

I really can’t make sense of this complicated situation.

I know Yumil, but I have no idea who she is.

I never told Yumil how to handle this situation.

How should we get out of this…?

“My adversary? Isn’t it the time to fight me now?”

Yumil wore a confident smile, but instead sneered and opened her mouth.

“There’s an unjust existence over there. That’s enough.”

She spun her hammer and aimed it at the Hydra.

Yumil disguised herself as the Black Marauder and acted accordingly.

Well done, Yumil!

With Yumil’s unexpected agreement, there was no need for me to say anything strange.

Now, as long as she and I match our words, we should be able to pass this smoothly.

It was a bit painful to see Unho look at me suspiciously, but I’d rather not be suspected by the students already.

“I’ve already spoken with my clone monster. They said they’d help us fight that one.”

“Sure. From my judgment, that thing isn’t just.”

Yumil and I said simultaneously.

We are determined to bring that thing down.

I, too, as the Black Marauder, had spoken of justice almost every day, so Yumil’s behavior makes sense.

Even Baek Sihyeon seemed displeased, pulling on the skirt of the Black Marauder.

Next was Baek Sihyeon tapping on the Black Marauder.

Did she listen to me at least?

whoosh

Yumil, perhaps surprised by that action, merely stayed still without resisting Baek Sihyeon’s touch.

Time passed, and finally, when Baek Sihyeon lifted her head with a bright expression, she spoke.

“This must be perfect for my master’s clone monster. Indeed, master looks good in such clothes!”

What the heck is this?

“Is this truly what you wear in a serious fight? Like, a metal lever or a black dress as attire for judgment?”

“Adversary? Could you back off a bit…?”

“Can the hammer grow too? Is transformation possible? And is the gauntlet also black? Please don’t tell me there’s a black ferret somewhere?”

Sihyeon, that’s a Black Marauder you should be defeating!

She’s not your curiosity to satisfy.

Yumil fluttered her lips as if pleading for her life.

‘Hey, what’s wrong?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘If the master doesn’t know, who would?’

Oh, she can use the poison technique too.

Whether she absorbed my memories or merely gained skills, it seems she has similar abilities.

‘Figure it out yourself. I don’t know.’

For some reason, I felt an uneasy tickle in my heart.

Is it because my skin was burned off from the heat?

Should I help her anyway?

“Sihyeon, that’s enough.”

“But aren’t you curious? Master looks stunning even in silver!”

It’s amazing I have a fan, but who would have thought she’d be such an enthusiastic weirdo.

I’ve always known she was peculiar, but this evaluation of Baek Sihyeon falls deeper than expected.

What was once a brilliant boar with genius talent now seems a peculiar weirdo with nothing but talent.

“Anyway, since she’s your main enemy, you’ll meet her sooner or later. Right now, that Hydra matters more.”

If the gray world continues, who knows what will become of the heroes?

“Oh, right. Master, I just got the word from headquarters. Most heroes are incapacitated, and the ones not in combat are doing their best to stop the gray world’s progression.”

Great. It’s not a weirdo nor worse than Unho.

How could a messenger forget their job and get lost in their hobbies like that?

If they’re stopping the progression…

Then it must mean to finish this quickly.

Am I right?

Is the prophecy about the two being now?

Me and Yumil.

It’s a tale about us.

Then, with this, the prophecy will be executed, and the future will be guaranteed.

“Black Marauder, Baek Sihyeon.”

“Yes! Master!”

Just look at her; saying what like that.

There’s an Unho beside me, a student making me feel more compared.

Let’s be patient.

Didn’t she prevented me from making a mistake?

“Can we fight that Hydra?”

Two women turn their heads to look at the Hydra.

Surely they’d be frightened.

The overwhelming gap in power, the commander of many who have taken down countless heroes.

It’s natural to be terrified.

Yet, they must overcome this limit.

More dangerous things are bound to happen afterward…

“How long do we have to last?”

“The black Hydra? Easy peasy; I already took on worse!”

Was my worry unnecessary?

“Just hold on for 30 seconds.”

“Please. I can do 30 minutes!”

The two magical girls with hammers only left those words and turned, charging at the blood-red Hydra.

Yumil seemed to fly into the sky without Unho, kicking off the air.

Baek Sihyeon swung her hammer wildly, racing across the ground.

Is it an amplification of mana?

It made me laugh.

Who knew I’d be borrowing the power of my young disciple at the last moment?

The outcome of this fight has been entrusted to the two youths.

A monster less than a month old.

A hero less than a month awakened.

Even if it’s the last 30 seconds, to have the two girls decorate the end of a long war is ironic.

Unho. Detonate the limiter. 20 seconds.

20 seconds.

Absolutely no room for error.

“You can’t withstand this body! My left arm is almost gone at 13 seconds!”

“They’re coming out. I must endure too!”

I know.

Even in my prime, 18 seconds was my limit. My left arm isn’t connected, and it feels like it’s been butchered as I try to survive.

“Quickly. There’s no time for chit-chat!”

The battle has already begun on the other side.

The Hydra swung its nine heads, shooting beams and tearing the ground apart.

The two small dots are moving swiftly, yet they will soon be on the defensive.

“See? They’re already cornered.”

The small tentacles erupting from the Hydra’s body move swiftly, blocking the magical girls’ path.

To avoid that, they need overwhelming speed and judgment.

At first, they may dodge.

In an open area, an easy place to evade.

But it becomes a trap, slowly circling them.

In the end, they will surely be devoured.

“…Don’t die.”

“I won’t die.”

They gathered their stances.

The final will to wield the power cutting through everything.

“20 seconds. I will release the limit.”

Unho’s recitative resonated through the narrative.

The final lines to continue the story.

clink!

The mechanical sound flowing from the hammer intertwined with Unho’s song.

It’s hot!

I thought my skin and flesh were all cooked and my nerves had died, but it seems the insides are still safe.

Perhaps due to the 20 seconds time limit, the hammer began to gulp in excessive air, entering the final stage of limiter release.

crash!

Unable to bear the weight of the now heavy hammer, the platform created by Unho shattered.

The wind slapped against my body, gravity tried to drag me down, but it didn’t burden me with negativity.

It was cool.

The cold wind was cooling down the heat.

Even that quickly turned into hot air, but it brought a slight comfort to my mind.

Unho continued his chant without faltering, seemingly not thinking this was bad.

The ground was closing in.

Right before my small body collided with the ground.

“Queen’s representative. By the authority of the Selector, I approve this.”

(Power shall hold will)

The force born out of acceleration turned my will towards controlling my body.

My body spun and safely landed on the ground.

Without delay, I immediately began to swing the hammer.

When I can wield this heavy hammer, I prepare to strike as hard as possible.

Steeling myself, I rotate my body.

The power generated there transforms into rotational energy, further accelerating the hammer.

My arm hurts.

It feels like my flesh is tearing apart.

No, perhaps it’s already torn.

Cooked flesh doesn’t come off bones easily.

I closed my eyes to somehow not think about the pain of my flesh.

Maybe due to the gray world?

I could concentrate endlessly.

In this tranquil world, the only sensation I feel is the weight of the hammer in my hand.

I am a single axis.

A huge star creating a large core.

One.

“10 seconds remaining!”

Has 10 seconds passed?

Clearly, I should be crying in pain, yet I feel nothing.

Is my body transcending its limits? Or is some mechanism not working because I’m already dying?

What does it matter?

“Orbit control.”

Unho’s voice faded away.

All I felt was that the hammer accelerated even more.

The burden on my arm lessened just a bit.

How many seconds are left?

My focus is solely on controlling the power.

Hasn’t 13 seconds passed already?

Yet, why do I feel no effort?

Now, I’m not sure.

I don’t even know if it’s me.

-1 second!

I opened my eyes to Unho’s telepathy.

I see nothing.

I feel nothing.

I hear nothing.

It’s okay. As long as the hammer is still in my hand, that is certain.

The red light of the star illuminating the sky is grasped firmly in my hands.

-0.5 seconds!

And in front of me, I could see a massive red energy. When all my strength is released, I opened my mouth and screamed.

A cry for both to dodge.

I could not hear the words.

Two small energies detached from the red power.

At that instant, I swung the hammer.

The red light swooshed in the air.

The hammer didn’t open up.

It merely followed the guidance of my arms, the enormous weight shaking the world, releasing neutrons as it approached the red power.

No. Actually, that was just my perspective, feeling nothing.

In reality, I am likely plunging towards that red energy.

This was the strongest technique I could currently utilize.

The technique I used on the sea was made to use this without risk, and this is my true power.

Following that familiar sensation, I lifted the hammer above my head and slammed it down.

An overwhelming force converged on the hammer, guiding everything covered in it to the direction I struck.

Everything inside the hammer prepped to bolt out in the direction I swung.

A mysterious sensation transmitted through my hand.

The feeling of striking something sticky.

Release the seal.

The vision painted black is now drenched in red.

Beginnings of visible light.

Following that, numerous forces of physics shoot out along the guidance.

The final moments of the star within the hammer.

As the star exploded, all matter spilled out rapidly, creating a bizarre flow.

The final power bursts forth from the hammer.

If uncontrolled, it brings about a cataclysmic disaster.

The concentrated power is launched.

A beam with a wavelength so short it can’t even be seen.

The moment it touched, the red energy began to rapidly diminish.

What was this again?

I can’t quite remember.

But I know. I must not let this go.

Even if I can control it, the wave will be unimaginable.

One second.

Time flows on.

But how much has passed on the outside? 0.01 seconds? 0.02 seconds?

The distortion of time I experienced inside the space created by overwhelming weight.

Inside it, I merely gripped the hammer and endured.

A force with will could not counterbalance the power impacting against myself.

Time of unbearable pain flowed on.

10 seconds.

15 seconds.

How much remains?

The red energy still lingers.

I can still hold on.

The hammer is slowly slipping from my grasp.

Is it because of something?

Is my strength waning? Or has the hand that held onto it vanished?

I can’t tell.

The hammer is slipping away.

Yet the red energy has not extinguished.

I must endure, but my body seems to be at its limit.

Let’s call it a day.

What’s left is to entrust to someone else.

The hammer slipped from my hand.

In that final moment, only my pinky remained gripping the hammer.

And then, I gripped the hammer once more.

The crimson energy of the Otherworld.

The red mana.

The unknown two forces approached me, bracing the hammer.

Those two energies returned the hammer to my hands.

It seems I cannot rest yet.

With my final will, I held on to the hammer.

As time passed, the red light finally extinguished.

clink!

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