Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Second Script
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Lifting my head, a brilliantly clear blue sky filled my vision.
"Hey, did you see that? The new movie that just came out..."
"Wait, come with me for a sec!"
"That looks tasty. Wanna grab one before we go?"
Tuning into the voices around me, I could hear the cheerful chatter of people enjoying their everyday lives.
"So peaceful..."
It was truly a serene scene, one I could sense just from leaning back on a bench in the plaza for a short while.
"Um, kid?"
As I passed the time watching people mill about...
"Sorry, but we got a report. Where are your parents?"
They must have mistaken me for a lost child named Mia. Two friendly-looking police officers approached cautiously, saying they'd received a report from a passerby.
"Dead."
"Yeah. Dead... What?"
"They're dead. No other family either."
I flashed a bright smile at these hardworking folks who toiled day and night to do their duty, then slowly stood up to explain.
"And I'm not a kid."
Of course, saying that wouldn't change anything... The perception-blocking spell from the silver bracelet on my left arm made me look unmistakably like an elementary or middle schooler.
"What's going on?"
"Isn't that Mia?"
Maybe because they couldn't just drag me off by force. The officers looked troubled, stuck in a dilemma, facing me off. Then, as curious onlookers started gathering one by one...
Sratch...
Beyond the gazes focused on me, I glanced at the red threads slowly spreading from afar like a spider weaving its web... then quietly smiled, raised my hand, and pointed behind the crowd.
"Huh? What's that?"
Crowds are fascinating. When a bunch of people are together and someone points at a spot with a surprised voice... most of their attention unconsciously shifts there.
'This should do it.'
By then, the sunlight filtering through the red threads now encasing the area like a dome had taken on an eerie crimson hue.
Beeeep―!
The crowd began murmuring in confusion. Crisis Alert Devices, like streetlights dotting the streets, blared sirens and flashed yellow lights.
This is an announcement to all citizens. This is not a drill. It is a real situation. Please remain calm and proceed to the nearest shelter. We repeat. This is not a drill. It is a real situation...
Maybe because of the bizarre phenomenon unfolding right around them, unlike usual, the panicked monkeys scurried about, heading for nearby shelters. I slipped away quietly into hiding.
-Ah, ah. Can you hear me, Ha-yul?
Hearing Bell's voice through my earpiece, I whispered "Transformation" in a small voice from my alley hideout.
"Loud and clear. You ready?"
It was the moment I asked while waiting for the Magical Girl who would arrive soon, now that the alert was blaring for once.
Sratch.
From between the red dome blanketing the sky, a single thread descended with a small cylindrical object tied to it.
-It's expensive, so be careful not to scratch it♥
I ignored Bell's cutesy voice in my earpiece. Sensing the Magical Girl rapidly approaching from outside the city, I spoke.
"Magical Girl confirmed. You should run, Seon-ah."
This time, instead of summoning a Demonic Beast to trigger the Crisis Alert Device, I'd used another method... So I told my senior squadmate, Seon-ah, to hightail it.
-It's been a while, so I'll play with the Magical Girl a bit!
Her response came from an overeager office worker excited for some rare Villain action.
"You'll regret it."
But what could I do? If she insisted, I wasn't the type to dissuade her out of pure kindness.
Clack, clack.
I just carried on with my assigned stage.
"Robelia...?"
"It's Robelia!"
Stepping slowly out of the alley... The monkeys who'd stopped fleeing stared as I sat back on the bench where the cops had approached earlier, crossing my legs and surveying the area.
Kwaaaang―!
Crimson flames shattered the red spiderweb dome sealing the city skies in one go.
"Told you to run."
I lightly wished Seon-ah safety—she was probably well-roasted and fleeing by now.
"Hey there. Nice to see you."
Unlike before, with no thought of using Boundary Inversion from afar, the flashy tuxedo-clad Magical Girl landed right in front of me. I gave her a bright smile.
"Giving up on Boundary Inversion?"
Her Mascot seemed left behind somewhere far off. Even facing me directly, she only narrowed her eyes warily, emotions steady... As expected, this one would take some effort.
"Pleased to meet you. Magical Girl Licorice. I'm Robelia."
Keeping an eye on the black-tuxedoed Magical Girl adorned with vivid red accents, I pressed the switch on the small cylindrical device in my hand.
Kiiiiing...!
The moment I tossed the glowing red device, emanating familiar magic power, into the air...
"This is...!"
Like Boundary Inversion unfolding, our surroundings abruptly shifted to another space—an open cityscape free of obstacles. I spread my arms wide and spoke.
"It's a bit different from your magic, but think of it as beyond the boundary. Makes it easier."
The device simply maintained Boundary Inversion for a set time, I explained.
"Not all, though... This way, you can go all out, right?"
I flashed a smile and glanced up at the camera, cloaked by someone's magic power, filming us.
-Whew, great service♥ We'll keep rolling like this♥
* * *
A short while later.
"Aigoo, Miss Ha-yul! You did amazing today too!"
"What about Seon-ah?"
"I― grabbed her just before she got too crispy♥"
Dragging my weary body home... On the sofa where I'd usually be lounging, a black-haired woman—Seon-ah—was still sprawled, steam rising faintly. I glanced at her.
"How's the response?"
"Don't ask. It's killer."
Bell showed me the video site on her laptop—the footage of my full-power clash with the Magical Girl.
"Still, how'd you even make that thing?"
"Ufufu. Tool-making's my specialty, you know."
Even with a time limit, not only deploying Boundary Inversion but projecting everything inside as a hologram in reality... Even I, a layman in this stuff, knew that was no small feat.
"Ahh, you should've seen those idiots fainting in shock, not even realizing it was a projection."
"Sounds fun."
Clicking a high-view video under "trending," shaky phone footage filled the screen.
-Kyaaah!
-R-Run!
-Crazy, w-we're dead!
Each time Licorice on screen scattered her blood-magic into licorice-flower flames, monkeys untouched by the fire screamed and rolled on the ground.
-Eek, s-save... Huh?
-What? This is... a hologram...?
Only after seeing her unscathed from my sword swings did the monkeys realize it was just projected footage. They stared blankly at our fight, faces stunned.
"Hahaha! This is hilarious."
"Right? Even I have to say, the quality's top-notch."
Body tired, but mood great. Just skimming comments showed shocked reactions galore.
Next up, today's news.
Robelia has appeared in downtown Paju City.
Magical Girl Licorice engaged her, but after an intense battle, she ultimately lost... According to the Magical Girl Support Division, future fights will be difficult.
This is practically the first time a Magical Girl's battle has been publicly broadcast... Citizens are shocked by fights far more brutal than imagined.
Some voices worry if it's right for young girls to engage in such fierce combat...
I looked up at the TV as the anchor's voice droned on—someone had smartly switched to the news, recapping today's events.
Who says news ain't news? The footage was crisp, worlds apart from the video site clip. Probably Bell's personal submission.
To be precise, Licorice just couldn't transform anymore... But they couldn't say that outright.
Listening to the anchor continue...
Finally realizing something was wrong? The voices still cheering Magical Girls on sounded utterly ridiculous now.
"Hahahaha!"
I burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching my sides until my stomach ached and I wheezed.
Bell's second script was satisfying from the very start.