Magical Girl Sano (4)

When I came to my senses, I was already home. How long had it been like this? Ever since that first night she stayed out? There had definitely been a hickey back then... She'd had sex with a guy I hadn't even met yet... I could still hear Chae-rim moaning like a slut in my head. That night, Chae-rim didn't come home. She finally showed up around afternoon the next day, her face beaming with the happiest expression I'd ever seen—happier than anything before. After starting to date her boyfriend, she went back to being her usual self. She returned to Hunter Academy and told me not to worry, that I could go back to work. I thought things were finally returning to normal, like our old family life.

Until I found out Chae-rim was doing drugs.

She said she was staying out, but she suddenly came home early because work ended ahead of schedule.

"Chae-rim-ah, unnie's home. Work wrapped up early, Chae-rim-ah?"

The lights were on in the house. And Chae-rim's shoes were there. But she didn't come out. Chae-rim always greeted me with a smile whenever I came home. But not today.

"Chae-rim-ah?"

No answer, even after calling repeatedly. I heard a rustle from Chae-rim's room.

"Chae-rim-ah, you asleep?"

I opened the door.

Thud... The sight of Chae-rim made me drop my phone. She was naked. Her eyes were unfocused. Saliva dripped from her open mouth as she stared blankly. And she was stimulating her pussy with both hands. A puddle of her love juices had already formed on the floor. I glanced aside—capsules and syringes scattered everywhere. I knew exactly what they were. I'd seen them too many times. The new designer drug the Magical Girl Association warned about, popular among civilians and hunters lately. My hands started trembling uncontrollably. Chae-rim was doing drugs...?

I rushed over and hugged her as she kept fingering her pussy even with me there. Tears welled up.

Chae-rim hadn't bounced back. She hadn't stood up on her own. She'd given up and turned to drugs.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Chae-rim-ah... Unnie should've paid more attention, way more... I'm sorry..."

Chae-rim didn't seem to hear me, just kept rubbing her pussy with her hands.

It was about time to start. Time to drag her into the abyss.

I pulled out the body modification device I'd made with Chae-rim's help and checked it. Wonder what kind of reaction she'd have seeing this.

In the dark predawn hours inside the abandoned factory, I was playing a mobile game. Footsteps echoed—thud, thud.

"Hold on a sec, crucial timing here, can't pause."

"...Kwon Yong-jin. Where's Chae-rim."

Ignoring Magical Girl Sano, I kept gaming, and light began emanating from her body.

Whoosh!

A white flash shot from the floor, piercing my phone and slamming straight into my face.

Boom!!!

"Won't say it twice. Where's Chae-rim?"

"You gonna find her if you kill me? Why hit me out of nowhere like that."

"...What the hell are you?"

I was surprised when Sano's attack suddenly grazed my head. But right now, I had Na-hyun's ability.

Sensing I wasn't ordinary, countless pure white lights appeared behind Sano, coalescing into wings on her back. The true form of Magical Girl Sano at full power. Angel Sano. Her black ponytail contrasted strikingly with her pristine white dress. Her eyes glowed faintly, half-lidded as she glared at me. I couldn't help but admire her—then lights poured from her wings.

Pure white rays streaked toward me with clear hostility. The blinding light made it hard to keep my eyes open. Massive energy pressed against my skin. But the moment those rays touched me—

—the lights connecting her wings to me vanished. Sano winced, shielding her eyes. She blinked once, and vanished.

Thwack!!

Pain exploded in my side. A fist brimming with white light had struck my ribs. The light vanished on contact, but the impact didn't.

Boom!!

Magical Girl Sano had gone to the mart for snacks and returned to find Chae-rim gone. Then a text came—just an address. Sensing a kidnapping, Sano rushed there. Kwon Yong-jin, Chae-rim's boyfriend, was waiting. Unable to hold back her rage, Sano attacked.

Sano stared at her fist. She'd seen it clearly—the light vanishing the instant her punch connected with Kwon Yong-jin.

'The light dissipates the moment it touches him. Like it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠never existed.'

Realizing ranged attacks were useless, Sano concentrated all her light into her wings.

'If light won't work, hit him physically.'

No time for hesitation. She'd already deduced his ability and began reinforcing her body. As Sano's flesh glowed white, black lights flickered into existence around her.

'What the—?'

Black rays streaked toward her.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

White rays from Sano's wings clashed with the black ones. Neutralizing them, Sano reeled in shock. The same attack as hers—just black instead of white. Exactly what she'd used moments ago.

Kwon Yong-jin reappeared, black wings sprouting from his back. Wings made of light, just like hers.

"...How do you—?"

"Weird how sisters have the exact same power, huh?"

"....What?"

"Who knew a non-magical girl could have a magical girl's ability? I was shocked too when I got it."

"What the hell... What did you do to Chae-rim, you bastard!!!!!!"

A torrent of white light erupted, and Sano vanished. She reappeared before Kwon Yong-jin, punching at his face. Black wings blocked between his body and her fist. Undeterred, she unleashed the light contained in her punch.

Boom!!!

Kwon Yong-jin flew back from the impact—and Sano charged after him.

Black rays from his wings met a barrage of white ones, black and white lights tangling in chaos.

-Thud

The air grew heavy as a massive white beam poured toward Kwon Yong-jin. Black rays surged to block, but this larger white light annihilated them, unrelenting.

"Damn it."

Kwon Yong-jin yelled, dodging sideways. The moment Sano saw it, she realized: only power below a certain threshold was nullified. Anything stronger, like just now, could damage him.

"Then...!!!"

Sano floated into the air, concentrating. It didn't take long. Her white wings began to change, feathers morphing into swords. Wings of blades, not feathers.

Kwon Yong-jin scowled at the sight.

"How is that even weakened?"

Swords detached from her wings, all aimed at Kwon Yong-jin.

'I'll take him down.'

No precedents for stealing abilities. If what he said was true, he'd stolen Kim Chae-rim's power. And it was the same as hers—converting emotions to energy, to light. Tears welled up. Her chest ached. Her vision blurred. Kim Chae-rim, who always wanted to be like Sano. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Bragging about becoming a hunter. Laughing together, excited about what her power might be. And now that power was his. The pure white swords flew like they meant to reclaim it.

Shiiiing!

The swords of Judgment charged. I charged too. The white blades sliced through black lights, advancing with me. But more and more black rays. By the time they reached him, space itself had gone pitch black.

"Haaaaah!!!"

He vanished into the black space. I reformed my wings from swords and unleashed light. White beams began punching holes in the black space.

Crash!

Black light tried to envelop me, but the punctured space shattered easily.

"Where'd he go?!"

He'd vanished into the black light, but even after it broke, no sign of him. No presence at all. Did he run? Stab... "...Huh?" I looked down—a black sword pierced my abdomen. I gripped it and swung back. Slight pain hit. Magical girl resilience kept it from being agony. I turned—he stood there, grinning.

'Snuck behind me without a hint?'

I hadn't sensed him until the stab. Must be another stolen ability. Probably presence erasure.

I tried charging again, but he vanished once more. Presence gone, like I'd always been alone.

'With that power, why stab and reveal himself?'

Two possibilities: toying with me, or the ability drops on attack. Didn't matter.

Clang!!

Impact on my arm. He was there, sword extended, body reinforced. Visible even on failed attack. Second hypothesis confirmed.

"Give up. Tell me where Chae-rim is, and I'll subdue you nicely."

"Hilarious. If I'd fought normally, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

'This guy knows my power. Knew I was a magical girl and approached my sister for it?'

Whatever—dangerous man. Capture him here, before more abilities.

No presence, but attacks mean he's here, not another dimension—just imperceptible. Presence vanished again. I drew power at once. White rays filled the space, like sticky sap on fingers, countless lines webbing the factory. One spot lacked them—that's where he was, nullifying my light. I charged the void.

"You crazy bitch!"

My concentrated white sword pierced his black wing toward his heart—but chills wracked my body. Instinctively, I veered, stabbing his gut instead. Dropped the sword and leaped back.

'What was that...'

I'd aimed to finish through the heart. But unconsciously altered course.

"Quick instincts, huh?"

He grinned, stripping off his shirt. Anomaly at his heart—protruding, beating externally.

How can a heart be outside like that?

Seeing it, I knew. That was Chae-rim's heart.

"Chae-rim's alive—she gave me her heart."

Denial useless. Mana flow, scent—it's Chae-rim.

"Her body without a heart's probably rotting by now? But it's living in me now, so whatever."

"...."

"Kill me now, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Chae-rim's really gone from this world. How could you?"

"Kwon Yong-jin."

No thoughts came.

"You're done for."

Something inside snapped.

"By my hand."

I'd kill the man before me.

"Dead."

That day, I harbored murderous intent for the first time.