Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Time Bomb
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I was out wandering around, combining a stroll with some patrolling.
-♪~
"Hm?"
The landline at home rang.
Ji-hoon wouldn't have called, so it had to be Ji-yeon.
Wondering what was up, I picked up. But there was no voice on the other end.
Figuring something was off, I listened closely for a moment.
-Ahh, so the magical girl finally showed up. What a pain. Buhiit.
"...?"
A man's voice I'd never heard before came through.
'Magical girl?'
I pressed the phone to my ear with a serious look, and then a woman's voice followed.
-Who the hell are you!
-I'm the Breeding Monster, at your service. Buhiit.
"Okay, crystal clear now."
So Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon were being chased, and the monster organization finally tracked down our house.
Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon had been hiding on purpose, so it wasn't like the magical girls sensed them. Which meant a magical girl had come to our place because of that Breeding Monster or whatever.
'Solar, right.'
Judging by the voice and tone on the line, it was probably Magical Solar.
We'd only met briefly yesterday without a proper intro, so maybe I'd pay a formal visit this time.
If anyone asked whether I should be thinking like this while Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon were in danger, the answer was obviously yes.
"Breeding Monster? Without Time Stop, who the hell do you think you're messing with?"
I'd just seized the flow of time.
I'd never run short on time.
I transformed into my monster form and raced home at full speed.
'First time hearing about a Breeding Monster...'
As I sped toward home, I sorted through my thoughts.
Breeding Monster—a name I'd never heard in the original story.
'The name alone sounds so damn impure.'
There was that TS Monster among the ones I'd hunted before, but Breeding Monster seemed even shadier.
And since it had tracked down Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon, it had to be part of the monster organization.
'Probably pretty strong.'
I couldn't gauge the TS Monster well since I'd killed it during Time Stop, but as an organization member, Breeding Monster wasn't something a newbie magical girl like Solar could take down easily.
"Ah, seriously! I try to take a break, and some weirdo pops up right away!"
Was I doomed to keep rolling like a ball?
Still better than Comet rolling around, I guess...
...Who knows. Might as well make use of this Breeding Monster somehow.
Comet had already given up on fighting me, so maybe I could tame the hothead Solar too.
'Need an even bigger impact than with Comet.'
Just then, I spotted Solar firing an orange beam... Magical Sunlight at the Breeding Monster.
Perfect. Time to time this right.
I ducked into cover nearby and released the flow of time.
"Ahh, to repeat myself... Attacks from 'women' don't work on me?"
"What...?"
The Breeding Monster emerged unscathed.
Solar's shocked face was priceless.
"Attacks from women don't work? What kind of bullshit cheat ability is that!"
Hehe, I get the frustration, but what can you do when it exists? I'll breed with you later, so wait your turn."
"You fucking pig!"
Perfect timing.
I seized the flow of time and slipped quietly behind him.
Positioned right at his back, I released the flow.
Hehe, I love it most when my opponent loses their temper."
"Really? Same here."
"Oh, someone with the same tastes as— who?!"
"Clok."
I plunged my arm straight into his heart.
-Stab!
"Gaaaah!"
Just like his looks, the Breeding Monster squealed like a pig being slaughtered.
I could feel the still-beating heart in my grip.
"Guhhh...! C-Clok...?"
His head rotated 180 degrees like an owl's to face me.
"D-Damn it...! What the hell, this is so unfair...!"
"Not something to say to someone who took Magical Solar's attack without a scratch."
-Rip!
"Grraaah...!"
I yanked my arm out of his heart and kicked his massive body away.
He looked heavy as hell, but my physical abilities weren't inferior to most monsters, so he flew back smoothly and crashed to the ground.
"Ugh, damn it... a man...!"
"Hm?"
What did being a guy have to do with this?
"Damn... If my friend the TS Monster were here, I could've turned even a man into a woman and been invincible...!"
"Ah."
So his immunity was women-only?
And the TS Monster was his buddy?
"...Tough luck. I'm a full-fledged man."
"Damn it! If only my friend were here, even you, Clok—"
"I killed your friend."
"...What?"
I pressed my foot down on his back and continued casually.
"Gaaah...! That hurts! Damn it...!"
"Your friend the TS Monster—I tracked it down and personally sent it to the heavens. Like a treasure hunt for hidden monsters to dispatch."
"You bastard...! You goddamn monster...!"
"Wow, who knew you were connected to the TS Monster. Good thing I took care of it early."
"Gaaaaah! My friend! How dare you! How dare yoooou!"
The Breeding Monster thrashed in rage over the TS Monster's death.
I added more weight to my foot, and something inside him snapped.
"Gaaah! I won't forgive you! On my name as the Breeding Monster, I'll make sure— our organization will avenge me and—"
"Who said anyone's avenging you?"
-Chill.
A voice that sent shivers down my spine in an instant.
I whipped my head toward the source.
"...!"
A face like the crow mask doctors wore during the Black Death, body draped in a black gothic dress.
A wide-brimmed hat, swarms of crows circling around. One perched on her black-gloved finger.
She screamed "crow" the moment you saw her. The Breeding Monster yelled in delight.
"Lady Kedi!! You came to save me yourself...!"
Touched that she'd come for him, he cried out in tears.
"Shut up. Ladies and gentlemen? It's lunchtime."
-Caw!
-Caw caw!
Suddenly, a massive flock of crows swarmed and engulfed him.
I quickly backed away, leaving the Breeding Monster.
Ignoring me, she chanted calmly, as if he were her target.
"!! Lady Kedi! Wai—"
"Bon appétit."
-Rip!
-Crunch!
"Gaaaah! S-Save me! Aaaah!"
The crows tore into the Breeding Monster viciously.
Blood sprayed, screams echoed—a brutal scene.
"Urk...!"
I rushed to her and shielded her view with my cape.
"Clok...?"
"Not a sight for a magical girl of justice."
I glared at the monster called Kedi, lacing my words with edge.
"Oh dear, such a blunder in front of esteemed company. Forgive my rudeness."
She pinched the hems of her dress and curtsied apologetically toward us.
Her apology seemed sincere, but I didn't let my guard down.
'A fucking time bomb!'
This crow monster, Kedi, was the de facto leader of the monster organization that lacked a formal head.
She was the only one who never killed civilians, earning good rep, but later some trigger flipped, and she turned beast-like, screaming "My love! My love!" while destroying and killing everything in sight.
From the dialogue, maybe her lover or a favorite crow died. But by then, countless people and monsters were dead, so no clue.
A real time bomb.
Neither Comet's Return of the Light nor Solar's future ultimate move worked on her.
She could use every crow in the world as her life force—obviously.
'Too many variables...'
With the organization's secrets still hidden, even I—with my Time Stop cheat—had to be rattled by their final boss showing up.
But regardless, the crow monster Kedi smiled at me (her mask's lenses curved) and continued.
"Apologies for the Breeding Monster. If we'd known those siblings were your family, we'd have let them go."
"Does that mean you respect me that much?"
"Yes. You're not someone we can trifle with."
She waved her hand, and the crows devouring him returned to her side.
The Breeding Monster had been eaten to bits, crumbling to dust.
"Well then, I'll be off. Please don't think ill of us."
"Haha, apology accepted. But."
I pulled back my cape, revealing Solar.
"Solar's forgiveness matters most."
"Oh, 'Solar lady'?"
"Magical girls protect the world fighting monsters like us. They deserve proper respect, no?"
"True enough. You really are..."
She trailed off, lifted her dress hem, and apologized to Solar.
"Forgive my rudeness. I knew he wasn't fit to send after a girl... but one of the executives insisted. He was a creep who hit on me too—should've dealt with him sooner."
"...What the hell are you..."
Kedi met the trembling Solar's eyes and said.
"Many titles for me, but please call me 'Crow Duchess Kedi'."
"Crow Duchess... Kedi..."
Solar clenched her fists, memorizing the name.
'Solar, no need to take it too hard. She's just way too strong to fight right now.'
I comforted her silently, and Solar stood up.
"Hm? Solar lady?"
"I don't know what you freaks are, but there's a way to handle this."
"Solar lady...?"
Wait, why'd the fear vanish and passion kick in?
"Solar-Explo—"
"Stoooop!"
I seized the flow of time in a panic.
"You crazy bitch!"
I knew she was hot-tempered and reckless, but is she insane?
No people around, sure, but my apartment was right behind us.
An explosion like that would wreck the whole building!
Casualties, property values tanking—values tanking!
I grabbed her staff and yanked it from her hand.
She could still cast without it, but it'd at least throw her off.
That settled, I turned to Kedi.
'Brutal.'
Her eyes had multiplied to four, crows diving at Solar.
If I hadn't stopped her, Solar would've been crow chow.
I stepped in front of Solar, cape up as shield, and released time.
"Whoa?! My staff?!"
"Solar lady, you need to get a grip on the situation."
With my back to Solar, the crows retreated to Kedi.
"Oh my, quick on the uptake."
"I never let my guard down, no matter the opponent."
"Admirable mindset."
Kedi traced a graceful arc backward with her foot.
Head slightly turned, she smiled at me.
"Then, I'll leave the lady to the gentleman."
"Farewell."
"Hehe, manners too."
The crows swirled around her in an instant, and she vanished.
A pitch-black space, not a speck of light.
-Caw! Caw!
Crows materialized from nowhere, and Kedi appeared.
In the total darkness where nothing was visible, she perched on her antique bed as if she could see fine.
"Hehe, Clok."
Imagining the clock-headed monster, Kedi smiled.
She waved the crows away, then cupped her cheeks with both hands.
"Kyaaah! So cool! Ahh, my hero! Just wait a bit! Just like when you saved me, I've worked hard to stand by your side!"