Transformation! That's Not How You Do It (3)

There are many ways to make the protagonist stand out. No need to get into all those methods right now—in this world, though, there's one surefire way.

"Whoaaa! Dokkaebi's new ultimate move!"

"A cross slash from a standstill, forming the cross the instant it hits the enemy! Wait, is that a motif from that religion...? Blasphemy on a massive scale!"

"Using that much mana and not even breaking a sweat. As expected of an S-rank villain…!"

Everyone was stunned by the technique I'd just unleashed. Of course they were. These people got more excited over jaw-dropping superpowers than over someone dying.

Whether it was runaway emotions or whatever, they didn't see ability users turned devils as human anymore—or maybe the thrill of witnessing some insane skill just hit harder. The people of this world, especially the ability users, were emotionally stunted. Put a positive spin on it, and they lacked humanity; put a negative spin, and their sense of values was straight-up trash.

And right in the middle of that mess.

The surefire way to elevate the 'heroes' represented by the protagonist.

The good guy image. In front of the blatantly evil villains and a crowd devoid of humanity, a capable hero who still clung to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his own would naturally shine brightest. Who'd look at a diamond sparkling in the mud and say, "Ew, that diamond's dirty"?

I wasn't saying it because I absolutely believed it had to be that way.

Right now, I was just chanting a spell under my breath to escape this place while talking.

Shhh.

I lightly touched the belt buckle, and soon reverted to my original form—the gentleman Dokkaebi in a black suit.

Phew. Nearly committed social suicide there.

I'd been paranoid about the transformation breaking and leaving me naked, but luckily, nothing like that happened.

Solar Platina reached out toward me, but I departed the scene with a light tap of my dress shoe on the ground.

How? Instant teleportation.

"Ah, Dokkaebi's escaping!"

"Don't let him get away! Catch him!"

"If I catch Dokkaebi, my fame will skyrocket!!"

I scattered black mist around me, and attacks flew my way from all sides—but they sliced through empty air. My body was already where I'd been—no, it wasn't.

No attack could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠touch me. No ability could detect me. No one could recognize me.

Another ability paired with the Dokkaebi Bat.

Dokkaebi Cap.

Even in this nationalistic light novel world, I couldn't exactly wear a real goblin cap, so I'd substituted it with a gentleman's bowler hat. But to keep the Dokkaebi identity intact, I'd tweaked it so a mask covering just the lower face stayed under the brim. If I had to compare it, maybe "tactical mask on a suited gentleman"?

Can't let even this form get exposed.

With the Dokkaebi Cap on—put simply, turning into a ghost-like spirit body to slip away from the battlefield—that couldn't be caught on camera either. The mask covered up to the bridge of my nose, but my eyes and gaze peeked just a bit from under the hat.

I've still got so many books at the library I haven't read. Can't have my identity blown and get kicked out.

If Do Jihwan got outed as Dokkaebi, it'd be treason against Chongsu. I couldn't cause trouble for the library director or anyone else who'd placed me here.

"Find Dokkaebi! He couldn't have gone far!"

"It's spatial movement, I tell you! He must've warped straight to his hideout!"

"Spatial movement has limits! He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠couldn't have teleported from Sejong Island to Busan or Seoul!"

"He could if he's Dokkaebi!"

As expected. No one imagined I'd turned into a 'ghost'—an ether body immune to physical and mana interference—and hadn't left the scene at all.

No one could dream up the real reason I was maintaining ghost form and sticking around.

"You there, golden hero! Remove your mask and reveal your identity!"

I'd vanished, but another being who'd appeared with me—Solar Platina—was still there.

"A hero name I've never heard of! An ability unregistered on Sejong Island! Everything about you is a mystery! The Hero Association won't let you off easy!"

If it weren't for me, she'd have subdued and captured Villain Lilith by now. Thanks to me, the golden heroine was in a real bind.

"I'll count to three! Three!"

She—it was probably Yumir, or she'd end up skewered on my spear—simply bowed her head in thought.

"Two!!"

The moment the police heroes on site drew their mana and aimed weapons at Solar Platina.

"One—"

Solar Platina spread her arms wide as if begging for a hug, and a massive golden light exploded from her body.

Beeeep—!

It was like a flashbang going off. A blinding burst of light.

"Gaaahhh!!"

I was offset in another dimension via spirit body, so I was fine—but everyone else clustered there squinted, turned away, and groaned in agony.

She's making a break for it.

I chased after Solar Platina as she swiftly fled the scene. She wasn't just bolting; near the restaurant rubble, she rummaged for something, grabbed it, and took off.

What'd she snag? Maybe something she took off before transforming?

If so, probably the Taeguk Watch. A glitch in its GPS or biometrics could blow her Yumir cover.

Mine was a 'special custom' model unaffected by transformations, but if she was Yumir, it'd be different.

Why obsess over Yumir? Partly to confirm if it was her, partly to check other possibilities.

If it wasn't Yumir…

Where the hell was the real Yumir? Had she gotten crushed under the restaurant while I hesitated on transforming? Vaporized without a trace?

—Wait here just a sec! If that face she'd made before leaving wasn't about some ability but pure sense of justice…?

No. I'd already scanned the restaurant ruins lightly with mana. Yumir had vanished.

Which made confirming even more crucial. If this Solar Platina wasn't Yumir, then Yumir was already—

Fwoosh.

A narrow gap between the dorm wall and fence. Barely enough room for an AC outdoor unit. The golden heroine squeezed in and landed on the ground—her body flashing bright.

Oh.

The moment I saw her, I looked away. Then looked back to double-check what I'd seen.

What do I do.

No way.

She had the same affliction(?) as me.

Of all things.

Me too, but still.

Did she really transform to take down a villain, knowing that penalty?

I couldn't even put it into words. 'Yumir,' now completely naked, froze the instant she grabbed the window she assumed was her room's.

"Ah, ahh…!"

Panicking, she fiddled with the Taeguk Watch on the ground—probably ditched it pre-transformation and grabbed on her way out—but it wouldn't work against the window.

"Why… why won't it open…?"

Of course not. Dorms were one thing, but the Taeguk Watch needed to be held to the front door first to open any window.

And could she even manage that? She'd have to pass the dorm entrance, then get to her room door?

"Ah, damn it…."

I stood before Yumir, still masked as Dokkaebi.

"Eek…."

She started to scream but covered her face with one hand, the other shielding her privates as she crouched down.

Oof.

Truly Canadian. No joke. I'd seen plenty of women's bodies, but hers was breathtakingly beautiful.

Get a grip. She's one step from social murder right now.

No matter how powerful the ability user, shame turned them into defenseless chicks.

I shrugged off my suit jacket and reverted it to its original form.

Flutter.

The jacket became an opaque black durumagi robe.

"Th-thank you…."

Yumir, ears red as persimmons, took the durumagi with trembling hands.

"Um, how did you… follow me…?"

I straightened the black shirt under my suit and turned away.

I glanced sideways and warned her.

Tsssk.

Like teleporting into ghost form, I leaped atop the fence.

"……Hmph."

Yumir clutched the durumagi tight to her flushed, persimmon-red face and bolted for the dorm entrance.

Watching her go made my head spin for no reason.

Yumir. She was a true hero—willing to endure her penalty to protect someone and transform.

Back where?

…The scene.