Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Madman
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Late at night.
"That damn store manager bastard. When I get home, I'll split his skull open."
I thought back to the manager who'd snuck around messing up the product displays I'd carefully arranged just to tell me not to come in tomorrow, then bolted.
"Ah, it's cold."
Was it because February had arrived? The chilly night wind forced me to wrap my coat tighter and hurry through the dark alley, shivering uncontrollably. Even so, compared to before my body changed, it was pathetically slow—barely faster than a stroll. That fact left a bitter taste.
"......"
As I walked through the deserted alley, a chill ran down my spine. A foreboding feeling? Or déjà vu? Whatever it was, it was that eerie sensation I didn't want to get used to.
"Transform."
Without hesitation, I transformed into Robelia—and at the same time...
"Hup...!?"
"Sigh."
I locked eyes with a middle-aged man who'd crept up without a sound and was now sprawled on the ground in shock at my purple-glowing transformation. I let out a deep sigh.
"You know, I'm starting to develop a real hatred for men."
Rope spilling from his bag, a handkerchief, unidentified pills, a clear liquid... and even a syringe. Anyone could see what this middle-aged creep—the same teacher who'd leered at me recently, asking if I was a runaway student—had in mind.
"If you have something to say, spit it out. Let's hear it."
It hadn't even been that long since my body changed, and this was already my second kidnapping attempt. Sure, I was pretty now, but wasn't this overkill? Curiosity about his excuse made me ask.
"Robe...lia...?"
Finally realizing who I was, the middle-aged self-proclaimed teacher—Lee Hyun-seok—stared at me in astonishment and slowly opened his mouth.
"If you're Robelia... you're definitely over twenty, right...?"
What kind of nonsense was this?
"Sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else."
I couldn't believe it. If I hadn't transformed, I'd have been sedated and kidnapped before I could fight back. Yet here he was, casually gathering his crime tools from the ground and trying to walk away, claiming mistaken identity. It made me wonder if I had done something wrong.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Pardon? Didn't I say? I mistook you for someone else."
Suppressing my rising anger at his puzzled expression—like he was the one wondering what my problem was—I smiled quietly.
"I don't remember saying you could leave."
Crack...!
My surging magic power, laced with irritation, cracked the surrounding walls. The man, who'd turned to leave with a nonchalant face, dropped to his knees on the spot.
"Looks like there's a misunderstanding. I don't do the kind of things you think."
It was strange. He felt like an ordinary person, but even crushed by my magic, he turned to face me calmly on his forced kneel.
"...So what were you planning to do?"
And then, reacting to my magic... I began sensing a familiar, ominous magic aura from him—one I'd only felt from Bell before.
"Education."
"Education?"
"Yes. The school takes pitiful kids who don't know how important education is and gives them special lessons."
At the madman's claim that it was all a huge misunderstanding if I thought he was some vile sex criminal...
"......"
I gave up on talking to him... and pulled out my phone, which I'd prepared before transforming, to call the only contact saved.
-What's up? It's almost time for you to clock out. Calling for a late-night snack again?
"I don't know why you're so grumpy about me buying my own snacks, but come out here."
-Too bothersome~?
"I've transformed."
-On my way right now♥
Why make such a fuss? Just come out. I grumbled as I hung up, but not even ten seconds later, static crackled in the space beside me like TV noise.
"Yes. What seems to be the problem? Hmm? Teacher Lee Hyun-seok?"
Bell appeared in his head-to-toe black suit, speaking in the world's most casual tone.
"Explain."
"Huh? I haven't done anything yet~?"
"Is this your doing?"
I pointed at the madman—Lee Hyun-seok—sprawled like a frog crushed by the pressure of my magic.
"It feels like your magic."
"No way... Wait, huh?"
It was faint, like a passing afterimage, but unmistakable: an ominous magic aura different from ordinary humans, magical girls, or demonic beasts. One I'd only sensed from Bell until now.
"This is... Hmm..."
As expected, Bell stroked his chin thoughtfully, something dawning on him.
"...Just to be sure, were you almost kidnapped again?"
"Yeah."
"Oh dear."
Finally taking in the scene, he waved his hand, erecting a transparent barrier around us.
"This is getting a bit tricky."
"What is it?"
"I was going to explain later when the time was right, but... you know the Villain Alliance?"
"Of course."
"There's someone there like me."
Out of nowhere, he mentioned someone in the Villain Alliance with abilities similar to his.
"Looks like that guy messed with Teacher Lee Hyun-seok himself or someone around him... I don't know the details either."
As Bell crossed his arms and tilted his head, puzzled, we pondered how to handle the madman before us.
"...Hold on, release this."
Even through the transparent barrier blocking my magic traces and sounds, immense power surged. At the same time...
Beeeep—!
A siren wailed in the dead of night. My eyes caught the Crisis Alert Device emitting a vivid red glow.
🚨 CRISIS ALERT 🚨
Ruby Level
-This is an announcement to all citizens. This is not a drill; it is a real situation. Please remain calm and move to the nearest shelter. Repeating: This is not a drill; it is a real situation...
Coincidence? Or inevitability? The magic I sensed was thick with the same ominous aura as the madman before me.
"......"
I scanned the massive magic signature—a Ruby-level demonic beast—approaching from afar, then met Bell's silent gaze.
"Are you going?"
"Why would I?"
Did he still think I was a magical girl? I didn't like how he phrased it, like I'd go block that Ruby-level beast myself.
"We're in Cheongha City, after all. Yu-na..."
"Yu-na won't come here. She can't."
Did he think I'd flip out over anything involving Yu-na? Okay, maybe a little, but I was confident anyway.
"SNS is pretty handy."
After my debut, I'd suffered installing an SNS app I'd never touched before to check on Yu-na.
"It said she's off on a trip with friends or something. She's probably supporting other magical girls, just like I used to."
So, some temporarily dispatched magical girl would guard the city now.
Kwaaaang—!
Not long after the alert, I pointed at the massive orb-shaped demonic beast emerging in the distance.
"Rather than that, let's figure out what to do with this lunatic first."
As I grabbed the madman's clothes and hoisted him up—his eyes glazing over, on the verge of passing out from the pressure...
"Hanbyeol...?"
"What?"
Like he was entranced, he waved his arms toward the distant demonic beast—tentacles lashing out, destroying the city—and kept calling a name.
"Hanbyeol... Hanbyeol-ah...!"
"What the—"
"...Robelia. Focus on that side."
Following Bell's direction—he'd been staring intently at the beast without a word—I channeled magic into my eyes and examined it closely.
"......"
It was a grotesque red demonic beast, like forcibly mashed meat. Building-sized, its mere movements wrecked the urban landscape. Each tentacle swing sent shockwaves even here.
"This is..."
With my right eye, enhanced by the Bell contract to see magic flows, I peered deeper. Amid tangled red lines... a faint white magic connected to the red.
"...A person?"
I couldn't comprehend it. It looked like a human form forcibly bloated.
"Robelia."
Bell took the fainted madman from my limp hand, looking frustrated as if it were his fault.
"I'll hear the explanation on the way. We need to move, right?"
I extended my hand, signaling we'd talk while heading out.
"...Please."
I slipped on the earpiece he handed me and leaped into the air.
Kwaaaang—!
Come to think of it, how long had it been since I'd soloed a Ruby-level demonic beast?
"No idea who's coming, but sorry in advance."
Planning to smack the arriving magical girl from behind, I apologized preemptively—even if she couldn't hear it.