Chapter 6
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Villain's Way of Fighting (Complete)
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The Urban Defense Force is a 'voluntary' unit established to support the Magical Girls.
The assault rifles and mortars they wield boast firepower so immense that even the mightiest Hetairoi can be swiftly repelled.
Their mission is to protect citizens and the city until the Magical Girls arrive, and depending on the situation, to drive back Hetairoi and Empire soldiers as well.
Why not join the Urban Defense Force 'voluntarily' yourself?
Boundless glory and honor await you!
"M-Madness Isiwoos! To think you'd show your face again!"
A cheerful voice rang out. Amid the thick dust, strands of yellow hair fluttered into view.
"Mist! Come forth!"
A murmur followed. A crisp voice echoed from within the dust.
It was White's incantation. With those words, a dense fog blanketed the area.
'She's trying to blind me first, huh.'
Now I couldn't see the enemy.
Meanwhile, they were unaffected by the fog and could attack me freely.
White's spell spared allies from harm, after all.
Before long, a fist hurtled toward me from right in front. It was a white hand fitted with yellow knuckles.
'Power of Courage, Yellow.'
One of the seven virtues every Magical Girl must embody: 'Courage'.
The Power of Courage dramatically enhanced the user's physical abilities and regenerative powers.
Magical Girls were already tough with fast-healing wounds, but Yellow's were about ten times superior.
In her transformed state, that multiplier jumped to twenty, and she even sprouted wings to take flight.
"But you're still all brute force, no finesse."
A punch like this? Just don't get hit. It was fast and heavy, but lacked skill.
I deflected Yellow's fist aside, then lunged through the fog, tripping her over her long legs.
"Huh?"
The instant her foot hit the ground, anyone's strength faltered for a split second.
I seized that opening, hooked her supporting leg, and sent her crashing to the floor.
"A simple girl like you? Your attacks might as well be telegraphed. Did you think spamming fast punches would overwhelm me?"
I drew a card from my sleeve and jammed it into the neck of the downed Yellow.
The card pierced her tough skin.
It was an attack she'd normally block with an arm or leg. But caught off-guard by the sudden fall? She didn't even react before her transformation shattered.
"Isiwoos!"
"Magical Girls and their habit of calling people by name like you're buddies. Fine, what do you want?"
Red and Yellow—the two frontline Magical Girls—were now neutralized.
This held massive implications. No one left to rescue the hostages.
"Gotta be Black or Blue lurking there. Better not get close. My Maki-infused cards have razor-sharp edges."
I grabbed a fistful of Yellow's hair, yanking her head back, then slowly pressed a trump card to her throat.
Blood welled along her pale neckline. One slash, and she'd be gone.
But I wouldn't. Not yet. Pink and Blue still loomed—both capable of Second Transformation, prime forces. If they snapped at a comrade's death and charged together, I'd never hold out.
"I didn't come to wage a bloody war today. Just to mock you."
"You bastard! A dead man from over ten years ago, and you dare be so arrogant!"
"Oh? Where'd you pick up that bullshit archaic speech? Gotta be Black. Bingeing historical dramas?"
No retort pierced the thick fog. Seemed I'd hit a nerve.
"Hey, watching Joseon-era sageuks won't erase your Middle Eastern blood, y'know?"
"You prick! How dare you spout such nonsense!"
From what I knew, Black hailed from Arab lineage.
That gave her a very Western look.
'But for some reason, she hates her roots. Trashy girl. What's wrong with being mixed?'
Yet her skin was on the darker side.
She was Caucasian stock, which meant pale skin typically. But Black was born with sun-kissed darkness.
And she loathed it. That's why she avoided hanging with the ghostly pale White.
"Black, enough."
"But Blue!"
"What good is trading barbs? It'll just rile him up and get Yellow and Red hurt."
"Ugh!"
Blue—cooler than ever—calmly reined in Black.
"As expected from the oldest. You've got some real gravitas, huh?"
"...Pathetic provocation, Isiwoos."
"Provocation? Oh, does the fact that you're the only Magical Girl in her thirties hit a sore spot? Fair enough. Twenties, maybe you pass as a 'girl.' But thirties? Kinda stretches it."
A terrifying silence descended, thick as the fog.
The other Magical Girls chattering behind Blue fell utterly mute.
"Ha."
Blue's voice. Just a sigh, laced with fury.
"Shoot her down, Green. No negotiating with this one."
Bang!
A gunshot cracked. No time to react—my body flew backward.
'A sniper rifle conjured by the Power of Imagination? Overwhelming power!'
The Power of Imagination let her manifest anything she envisioned.
Downside: She needed full structural knowledge. But this rifle, reinforced with mana, packed enough punch to hurt me.
'A sniper, huh. Damn! That sleazy girl was begging to screw me just last night!'
No time for complaints. Follow-ups could come anytime.
'If she's not an idiot, she relocated after firing. Throwing cards at the bullet's origin would be dumb. So then.'
I pulled more trump cards and hurled them at Blue.
"Sneak attack, eh! Everyone, full assault! It's Madness Isiwoos! Lose him here, and we're in deep!"
Predictable ploy—Blue dodged. Then counterattacks rained.
No hostages meant the Magical Girls could go all-out.
"Shadows, come!"
"In the name of love!"
"Holy hammer of light!"
"Blizzard, rage!"
Damn it! They're gonna level the whole block with me in it?
Resigned, I played my cherished trump card—the spell I'd used to evade Red earlier.
"Card Recomposition."
Shrrr! My body dissolved into trump cards in an instant, scattering.
Moments later, I reformed far from the blasts.
'My one evasion trick. Hated showing it off.'
Only noobs telegraph their hand. I'd prepped options for Red, but hadn't planned to use this here.
"Running away, you coward!"
"Cowardice is you lot ganging up every time. Screaming 'justice' while seven of you beat down one—ain't that basically just yakuza thugs?"
I knew ganging up didn't make us cowards either...
But hearing it from these pack-hunting bitches made my blood boil anyway.
"And like I said, I'm not here to fight today. We'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
"Isiwoos! You clown of a fallen nation. Planning to repeat fifteen years ago?"
"Fifteen years ago... The ending will be different this time. Remember that, Magical Girl."
Like my predecessors, I muttered classic villain lines and vanished into the fog.
Isiwoos walked with light steps.
No matter how he thought about it, he'd been utterly cool and badass two days ago.
Brimming with superiority, he skipped along, then hoisted the dangling plastic bag high.
Inside: flounder sashimi and a few bottles of soju.
Commoner fare unfit for his noble blood—but to him now, a feast.
"Pushed it a bit... but today's me deserves this!"
Green's sponsorship had given him a hefty allowance. Yet Isiwoos remained strapped for cash.
Why? He was a supremely lavish noble, steeped in extravagance for ages.
And in this gender-reversed world, he'd splurged on credit too.
Result: a 20-million-won debt.
Thus, most of Green's extra pocket money went to interest payments.
-Ding!
Then, a familiar chime from his phone.
Isiwoos glanced up casually at the message from the unwanted sender.
He scowled upon seeing who it was.
'How the hell did this woman get my Kotok ID?'
[Green]: [I'm feeling down... Let's meet.]
Green. Isiwoos blinked in surprise but replied without delay.
[Isiwoos]: [Feeling down? Why?]
[Green]: [Got chewed out by big sis. Said I suck at my job...]
'Big sis' had to mean Blue. As the eldest, she shouldered the leader role.
[Green]: [I'm freezing... Need some warmth. I'll pay, so let's meet.]
Isiwoos had been waiting for this.
Back then, Green had dominated him. Now, he could turn the tables.
'She said seduce her.'
Two days ago, Green was a threat. Her fog-shrouded sniper shot was the only hit he'd taken.
If he ensnared her? If she fought alongside him? Immense power.
[Isiwoos]: [Let's meet.]
That decided, Isiwoos sent the reply to Green.