Chapter 76

Whenever I come to the Magical Girl Association building, it’s always so grand. Just how much money do they have to build something like this in such an expensive area? Well, not that it matters to me. I have something to say to Eve today.

I already told her firmly to stop secretly filming me, and she promised she wouldn’t. But Eve was the one who broke the promise first. That unpleasant feeling yesterday afternoon—it was definitely someone filming me, and the only person who’d do that is Eve.

I tried calling her a few times, but she didn’t answer. I even sent her a text, but she didn’t read it. Well, then. The only option left is to settle this with force.

I pushed through the revolving door and walked in. Not long after, I stood at the reception desk, where a pretty girl greeted me with a bright smile. “How can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m here to see Eve, the Association President,” I replied.

“Oh, do you have an appointment?”

“I don’t have time for that.”

“Ah…”

The receptionist’s face showed a troubled expression. I’d feel the same way if some random person showed up demanding to see the Association Captain. “If you don’t have an appointment, it’s a bit…”

“Oh, really?”

No need to hesitate anymore. I looked around, and no one was paying attention to me. Perfect. I pressed my earring.

As soon as my appearance changed, shouts erupted from all directions. This is going exactly as expected, which is kind of weird.

“How dare you cause trouble here!”

“Shut up. Get lost.”

I punched a magical girl who charged at me.

“Kyaaaah!”

Ignoring the screams and the girl crashing into the wall, I walked forward, brushing off the spells flying at me. After all, inside the Association building, all the magical girls are in their transformed states. It’s fine if I beat them up a bit.

Of course, “fine” doesn’t mean they’ll be unharmed. They’ll get hurt, but that’s not my problem.

“Eve, come out!”

“Have you gone crazy—Kyaaah!”

*Bam!*

I swung Bedel’s bat, and another magical girl screamed as she flew into a corner. Some nameless decoration shattered as a bonus.

“I said, Eve, come out!”

I just need to take the elevator to the President’s Office, but these girls are desperate to stop me. Starting with the receptionist, if they had just let me see Eve nicely, none of this would’ve happened. I get it, but still.

“Stop her!”

“Stop me? Go ahead, try!”

I deflected the incoming spells with Bedel, and with my magic-infused fists, I knocked them aside as I strode forward.

“Set up a barrier, quick!”

About five or six magical girls rushed out, forming a scrum. They think they can stop me with that? Whatever, but it’s annoying if they block the way. I transformed Bedel back into a rifle and infused it with magic.

“Just shoot when it’s charged enough. Don’t kill them.”

*Boom!*

It seems our bond has deepened. I pulled the trigger, and a black magic bullet shot out, slamming into the magical girls blocking my path.

“Kyaaaah!”

The ones in front screamed and tumbled away, while the ones behind staggered, losing their balance.

“Go, Bedel!”

I threw the rifle, holding it by the barrel, and charged forward. Dark magic surged in my left hand.

“You’re not getting through!”

“Like hell I’m not!”

I grabbed one magical girl by the collar and punched her in the stomach. Her eyes rolled back, and I threw her at another girl.

I deflected another spell with my left hand and grabbed the wrist of the girl who cast it. A tingling sensation ran through my body.

Oh, she’s got a lightning attribute. That’s kind of refreshing.

“Everyone, move aside!”

A girl with a water-colored wand appeared. Oh, it’s Prabel.

“Oh, Prabel. How’s your older sister?”

“She’s fine. But why are you causing such a ruckus here?”

Causing a ruckus?

“Causing a ruckus? Is that how you talk to your elders?”

I slammed Bedel’s bat into the ground with a loud thud and smirked at Prabel.

“Move. I’m here to see Eve.”

Prabel raised her wand nervously. A small wave of water magic began to ripple at the tip.

“You can’t beat me. So move. Look at all the injured girls. Shouldn’t you be taking care of them?”

“We’ll handle that ourselves.”

Prabel took a deep breath. Her eyes showed determination, and her lips were tightly pressed—

“Kyaaah!”

Like I care.

I charged and swung Bedel’s bat at Prabel. She barely blocked it with her wand, but her stance faltered. I kicked her tangled legs, throwing her off balance, and grabbed her face.

“Prabel.”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

I lifted her face slowly, and Prabel started flailing. The cool magic made me feel a bit better, but her kicking annoyed me.

“Stay still.”

*Thud, thud, thud!*

I punched her side a few times, and Prabel went quiet.

“You should’ve moved when I told you to. Then you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

I tossed Prabel aside.

Now there are about ten magical girls surrounding me. Counting the ones I’ve knocked out, this probably isn’t everyone. The Association’s defense force can’t be this small.

“Alright, who’s next?”

I leaned on Bedel and looked around, but no one stepped forward. Have they lost their will to fight? No way.

Look at those fierce eyes.

But you can’t kill someone with a glare. If they had all rushed at me at once, even I wouldn’t have been able to handle it. But I’ve been splitting them up as I moved through the hallway, so I’m barely hurt.

Plus, I’ve been absorbing magic the whole time… No damage on my side, but the enemy’s taken quite a hit. And the property damage is significant.

“Move.”

I can see the elevator. Once I take that, I’ll be at the President’s Office—

“Mom, danger—!”

Even without Bedel’s warning, I instinctively dodged. Something flew past where I had been standing, smashing through the elevator door and embedding itself in the wall.

“The Fanatic Spear…”

I know what that is. And I know who uses it.

Then.

“The protagonist has arrived. A bit late, aren’t you? I thought you’d show up after all your allies were down.”

“You’re funny. You just barged in here. Are you trying to start a war?”

It’s Eve, of course. Still in her white magical girl outfit, she glared at me coldly.

I pointed Bedel’s bat at her.

“A war? You started it.”

My lips twisted into a smirk.

“You damn brat.”

—

After quietly dismissing the magical girls, Eve led me into the President’s Office. I followed her inside.

“Sit down.”

I sat on the sofa as Eve suggested, and a cola was placed in front of me.

“Whew.”

Just what I needed. I took a sip and set it back on the table.

“What’s the matter that you’re causing such a scene?”

Eve sat across from me, also looking displeased. We’re both in a bad mood.

“I told you to stop. Why don’t you listen? Do I look like a joke? Like some mom playing house?”

“What are you talking about?”

I clearly remember that unpleasant feeling yesterday. That sticky sensation of being watched.

“I told you to stop secretly filming me.”

“What?”

Eve looked baffled. Her acting is terrible.

“I didn’t.”

“Don’t lie. Who else would film me like that?”

“It really wasn’t me.”

“If you tell the truth now, I’ll let it go. But if you keep lying—”

“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll—”

“It really wasn’t me. Stop jumping to conclusions and calm down.”

I closed my mouth and studied Eve carefully.

What’s going on? Is she telling the truth?

“Tell me everything you did from yesterday afternoon to night.”

“Me? I went to the Light Realm. With Baekhwa and Karin.”

“What?”

“I went to the Light Realm. I just got back.”

You can just go there?!

“I left yesterday morning and just got back. Baekhwa went with me.”

“Hmm.”

Thinking about it, her story isn’t completely unbelievable. Eve didn’t directly film me before. I heard it was a magical girl named Baekhwa…

Wait. So Eve really didn’t do it? Is that possible?

Eve is bad at lying. It always shows when she does. But right now, there’s no sign of that. She’s acting confident, so maybe I really was mistaken.

When I stayed silent for a while, Eve leaned on her chin and asked me.

“Alright, now it’s your turn. Why did you cause such a scene and accuse me of filming you?”

“Hmm.”

Starting from yesterday afternoon, I told Eve about the strange feeling of being watched.

“Hmm… Karin, come out.”

“I’m already here.”

Whoa, that startled me! As soon as Eve finished speaking, I heard a voice behind me.

“Karin, what do you think?”

Karin didn’t respond to Eve’s words. Instead, she crawled onto the sofa and lay down on my lap. I didn’t tell her to do that.

“Hey, you’re heavy. Get off. Go away.”

“Hush. Stay still.”

“You’re such a dignified pervert.”

“Don’t talk nonsense to your shooting instructor.”

I didn’t have a comeback for that. Karin fidgeted a bit, then settled into a comfortable position with her head on my lap.

“Why don’t you just sit?”

“Respect my preferences.”

Eve, who had been massaging her temples, sighed.

“I should probably explain why I went to the Light Realm first. Give me that cola.”

“I was drinking that.”

“It’s fine.”

Whatever. I handed her the cola can on the table, and she started drinking.

“That’s indirect kissing…”

“Pfft!”

The cola sprayed out of her mouth. Karin quickly put up a barrier, so none of it got on me.

I would’ve been mad if it did.

“Hey! What are you, a grade schooler?”

“You’re the one who sprayed it like a grade schooler. And you’ve got the body of one too.”

“You—you crazy bitch.”

“Anyway, why did you go?”

“Ugh… seriously, I can’t even hit you…”

Oh?

“I’ll call Kabe and let you hit me in front of her.”

“Hey, don’t use your daughter as a hostage.”

“How long has it been since you played with her? Huh?”

“…Fine. I can’t win against you with words.”

Of course not. You’ve got the experience of a salesperson.

“Anyway, the Light Realm is in chaos right now.”

“Isn’t it always in chaos?”

“Can you just listen quietly?”

“Fine. I’ll listen, so talk.”

“The Light Realm has this image of being fair and bright, so the courthouse is there too.”

“A stalker saying that is kind of…”

“Can you just shut up and listen?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Is she like Aquamarine or something?

“You told me to shut up and listen.”

“You… whatever. Anyway, the courthouse is there, and so is the prison. A prisoner escaped from there.”

Escaped?

“So?”

“The escaped prisoner is a big problem. He’s the former Light Realm God.”

“The former Light Realm God? Why was he imprisoned?”

“I don’t know. No one knows the reason or the cause. One day, he just went crazy and destroyed not only the Light Realm residents but also some gods. So he was sentenced to permanent sealing and imprisoned, but he escaped recently.”

“Really? But why?”

Eve scratched her head in frustration.

“Wash your hair.”

“I wash it every day!”

“Then why are you scratching it so much?”

“It’s a habit, okay?!”

Whatever. Everyone’s got a temper these days.

“Anyway, one of the guards survived and heard him say something when he escaped.”

“What?”

“He said, ‘I found it.’”

“What does that mean?”

He said, “I found it,” and then escaped?

I don’t get it. Honestly, I didn’t understand any of it from the start. Courthouse, prison, gods… I’ve had dreams about that stuff before, so I kind of get it. But if things are this serious, shouldn’t you have called me to explain earlier?

“Didn’t Keru say anything?”

“No.”

Not only did she not say anything, but I haven’t seen her in days. She’s probably curled up somewhere taking a nap. Damn cat, she’s useless when it comes to helping.

“Anyway, hearing your story made me think. That prisoner might have some connection to you. If you feel that strange sensation again, get away quickly. Contact me.”

“What good will contacting you do?”

Eve smirked at my words. Ugh, that smile is creepy.

“You don’t know this, Mother, but I’m really strong.”

Oh, sure. I’ll keep that in mind.

“So, what are you going to do about all the damage? And the injured girls?”

“If they’re upset, tell them to heal up and come at me again. They’re enemies, so it’s fine if they get beat up a bit. Buildings get damaged in fights, so what’s the big deal?”

“Hey, you’re really shameless for someone who caused all this destruction.”

“So what?”

“What?”

I stood up and left Eve, who looked utterly baffled, with one last remark.

“I’m pretty, so it’s fine.”

“You’re insane, seriously.”

“It’s fine, I’m okay.”

“I’m not okay with it!”

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