Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Rest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Farewell, shepherd boy.”
Today, we took down the monster without any major casualties.
Originally, that Abyss bastard would have slaughtered everyone on site from his very first appearance, then beat Comet to a pulp in what was basically a scripted defeat event. But thanks to dropping the tactical nuke that is the Time Stop Monster, we wrapped it up without a single casualty.
“Clok!!”
I'd finished my business and was about to leave when Comet called my name, stopping me in my tracks.
“What's up?”
“What's up?! You think I'd just let a monster like you walk away, me being a magical girl and all?!”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah? Yeah? You're getting way too cocky just because you're a little strong!”
“A little?”
I seized the flow of time and appeared right in front of Comet's nose.
“Eek! S-so strong you get to be this rude?!”
“Heh, you're pretty cute, huh?”
I've noticed it before, but no matter how you look at her, she doesn't seem like Korea's one and only hero who splatters blood in battles against monsters.
She just feels like a cute girl in a cosplay outfit.
“C-cute?! Are you making fun of me?!”
“That was a compliment... but if it bothered you, I apologize.”
“No, it's not that it bothered me...”
“I'm glad a monster like me doesn't disgust you.”
“!! No! You do disgust me!”
Comet got tossed around by my words, then realized I was teasing her again and started chirping like a baby chick.
“Y-you... I'll get stronger and take you down someday!”
“Go for it. If there's anything in your way, I'll crush it for you. I hope you make it to me eventually.”
“Hey!!”
I tossed her a line laced with a bit of provocation, and Comet charged at me, ignoring the gap in our power.
But.
“Time to go.”
I had no intention of getting caught, so I stopped time and slipped away leisurely.
Time flew by before I knew it, and Christmas had arrived.
“Slurp... Ahh...”
I was out in the cold day, sipping hot coffee.
“Slurp... Ahh...”
This world has magical girls and all, but it's still modern Korea at heart, so Christmas is a thing just like back home.
Christmas cakes for sale, events everywhere, massive Christmas trees lining the streets.
The one difference...
“Kuhahaha! I'm Satan Claus!”
“I'm Trismas Tree!”
...was monsters running around in what looked like Christmas-themed skins?
Of course, I'd anticipated their appearance, which was why I was here.
Any moment now...
“Like a comet to your heart! Magical Comet, appearing!”
...something like that.
These guys look manageable.
Maybe because it's Christmas, even the author didn't throw in anything too tough this time.
Just enough to dust Comet up a bit.
“Comet Light!”
“Gaaah!”
“Take this, magical girl!”
Satan Claus got blasted back by Comet's Comet Light, and in a rage, the Christmas tree—no, Trismas Tree—charged at Comet, aiming the star on top of its head.
“Raining Light!”
But blue light poured from Comet's staff like a machine gun.
“G-guh...”
And the tree turned into firewood.
About five minutes of fighting?
It ended without them even trading more than a few blows.
Comet looked mostly fine, just a bit sweaty and dusty.
The enemies were weak, sure, but she'd grown a tiny bit at least.
Leaving the cheering crowd behind, Comet vanished in a hurry.
She has plans with her friends.
Even on a day like this, she's hanging out with her fellow single friends.
No more monsters today, so I hope she has fun.
Well then...
Since I'm out, maybe grab some fried chicken to go.
Being possessed means no one to eat with.
This is seriously depressing.
But making friends? With all the Time Stop Monster duties on my plate?
Would be nice to have just one buddy in the same boat.
As if.
Guess I'll just buy the chicken.
-Rustle. Rustle.
“Oh, it's snowing.”
Come to think of it, snow fell after beating Satan Claus in the original story too.
Pretty, though.
With that thought, I headed to the chicken joint.
“Why me?! Why pick on me when those damn monsters are out there! Why me, a regular person?!”
And witnessed a knife attack in progress.
What the hell.
No monsters on Christmas, so humans go nuts instead?
Makes sense—Aste the mascot can warn about monsters, but not human crimes.
Might as well handle it while I'm here.
With time stop on my side, I boldly unlocked the door and walked in.
“Y-you bastard! Call the cops and this woman dies!”
A scrawny, clearly unhinged guy was holding a blue-haired woman hostage and threatening everyone.
That woman's something else.
But the hostage herself was the calmest one there.
Cat-like beauty too—she was straight out of a fantasy as the cool beauty archetype.
Sensations end here.
I slowly approached the knife-wielding man.
“H-hey! Stay back, you fucker!”
He pointed the knife at me.
I seized time and closed in on him.
“Y-you fucker!”
Startled to find me right there, he thrust the knife at me.
I stopped time again and dodged.
“What?!”
He kept stabbing, kept missing.
I stop-and-start time to grab his arm.
Stopped time to yank the knife free, released it—he looked baffled.
Then I rushed him, stop-start repeating to slam him down.
-Thud!
“Ack!! What the—?!”
“Now's your chance, everyone! Call the cops!”
Smooth as that.
The place had no CCTV since monsters trashed it recently.
No issues.
I pinned him down till the cops arrived, hauled him away, and asked if I'd come along with the ex-hostage for statements.
After a quick investigation, we both stepped out together.
This is why I love the magical girl world.
Monsters wreck CCTV everywhere.
Perfect for someone like me who needs to stay hidden.
Hands in pockets, satisfied smile—and the cat-like ex-hostage spoke up.
“Um, thank you for helping me.”
“Oh? Ah, haha... no big deal.”
“Still, he had a knife. I know how scary humans with knives can be.”
“Eh, you looked like you'd handle it even without me.”
“!!”
While time-stopping the guy, I caught a lot in my vision.
Like her cool gaze and raised fist when he swung at me.
“You... saw?”
“Got good dynamic vision. Seemed like you know your way around a fight.”
“...Yeah.”
She's an interesting one.
This magical girl world— even regular citizens have solid character designs.
“If you're okay with it, I'd like to repay you somehow.”
“Repay me? Hmm...”
Repay, repay...
Ah, right.
“How about that chicken place from earlier?”
“...Pardon?”
“Saw you there—you were gonna get some, right?”
“Oh, yeah...”
“Let's eat together then? Was gonna eat alone anyway, no friends. Unless you have someone—”
“No, it's fine. Really.”
“Haha, great!”
Perfect—alone and bored, now chowing chicken with a beauty.
Back at the chicken spot, the owner, who'd locked up from the chaos, stared wide-eyed, then flung the door open when we said it was for chicken.
And so, the two of us sat alone in the chicken joint.
“Oh, right... your name?”
“As—A-Arin. Call me Arin.”
“Got it. I'm... Han Si-woo.”
“Si-woo... I'll call you Si-woo then.”
“Yeah, Arin it is for me too?”
Whoa, my brain froze for a sec from the name.
Never liked my original name much, changed it slightly after possession—not used to it yet.
“It's repayment, so I'll cover it. Order whatever.”
“Ooh, won't say no then?”
I scanned the menu and picked quick.
Passed it over—she chose just as fast.
“Auntie! Golden Cheese Magic Chicken and Starlight Honey Chicken for us, please!”
She knows her stuff.