Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Question
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"Hey… Ji-yeon?"
"Yes."
"That… you really get it, right?"
"Yes."
"But it doesn't feel like it…?"
I'd gone out to clear up the misunderstanding with Ji-yeon, but then the Trash Monster showed up out of nowhere, and I ended up leaving her hanging for way too long.
Sure, it was one unavoidable mess after another, but explaining that to her wouldn't exactly smooth things over.
For now, after giving her the rundown on Galaxy, she was following me back home—but she was still a little sulky.
Time would fix this, though.
'First things first, what to do about this…'
I pulled my hand out of my pocket and opened my palm.
There, motionless in my grip, was a single fly.
When Comet and Solar took down the Trash Monster, I thought it was weird how it had popped up so suddenly. So I stopped time and poked around, and that's when I found this thing.
'It could just be a real heart attack that caused the change, but something felt off.'
I figured it couldn't hurt to check it out, and sure enough, here it was in my hand: a fly.
It looked almost like an ordinary one, but up close, you could see a thick greenish aura clinging to it.
I'd seen flies like this before—in the novel.
This was the power of the Fly Monster, Beelzebub.
One of the Monster Alliance's executives, right up there with Kedi and Serpents.
This fly was his power.
'The timeline's shifting earlier again.'
Serpents, Kedi, and now Beelzebub—all showing up ahead of schedule.
Comet had just gotten her first teammate, and already the monsters popping up were on a level where even if she gathered everyone, it'd be a tough fight.
"Hoo…"
No helping it now—I had to make a move.
Get the mascots to recruit their teammates faster, or take down the Monster Alliance.
Ideally both, of course.
I mulled over my plans as Ji-yeon and I arrived back at our place.
And the moment we did, my phone buzzed.
I checked—a text.
-Arin: Siwoo, I'm so sorry for worrying you today… But thank you so much for staying with us!
'That's Comet.'
They shared the same contact, so I had to tell them apart by their texting style.
-Han Siwoo: No worries.
-Han Siwoo: Sorry for vanishing at the end there, though. I had someone I needed to track down urgently…
-Arin: It's fine! We can just meet up again, right? So, hey, how about this week? Me, Arin, Hwa-yeon unnie, and Sori unnie all get together for dinner? No pressure if you're not up for it!
A dinner invite? Out of the blue?
Were we that close?
I hesitated over the magical girls' invitation for a moment, but in the end, I accepted.
-Han Siwoo: Sounds good. See you then.
-Arin: Yay!
Time to relax and hang out with the magical girls, guilt-free.
Oh, and deal with this too.
"Ugh, gross."
I shoved the fly I'd been holding into a plastic bottle.
Fine in monster form with that armored glove thing, but in human mode? Not so much.
***
"Heave-ho."
Two days later.
I perched on the roof of a commercial building, gazing down at the streets below.
Something I'd never have dreamed of back in the day, terrified of the drop. But now, as the Time Stop Monster? I could do it blindfolded.
"Here's hoping no curveballs today."
I prayed silently, eyes fixed on the gridlocked road in the distance.
Seoul's traffic jams were brutal even in the magical girl world, it seemed.
'Any minute now…'
I waited for the guy who was due to show.
And not even five seconds later, it started.
-Honk! Honk!
Something hurtled down from the sky toward the road, a train whistle blaring loud.
It was the Train Monster. A mechanical voice boomed from it.
Like a missile, the Train Monster plummeted.
Its body closed in on the road fast—and just as it was about to hit.
-Boom!
"Not on my watch."
I slammed it sideways, sending it flying far off.
'Casualties prevented again.'
Normally, that thing racked up over five hundred victims.
True to its name, it barreled through like a runaway train, unstoppable.
Which meant waiting for the magical girls to get the alert from their mascots after it appeared? Too late.
Had to head it off early like this.
Mass casualties averted for now, so I waited for the two magical girls to arrive.
In the original story, they could take it down together.
I'd pulled my punch on purpose, and sure enough, it got back up and charged me.
Its head was like a train's front, body all steel—pretty intimidating.
"For a train, you're weaker than a snake."
-Thud!
Of course, after I'd already killed Serpents, it was nothing.
I took its head-on ram straight on.
No scratches on me, while the Train Monster started crumpling bit by bit.
Sensing danger, it tried to back off.
'Too late, buddy.'
Agile or not, the window had closed.
-Thud!
"Like a comet in your heart! Magical Comet, arriving!"
-Thud!
"Like the sun in your heart! Magical Solar, arriving!"
The magical girls had arrived.
Right behind the Train Monster, too.
Me, the Time Stop Monster, up front. Them in the rear.
The Train Monster, caught in the middle, seemed to steel itself and blared another announcement.
With the announcement, it spun around fast.
Its hands morphed into train car extensions.
Then it dropped into a plank position on the ground, wheels sprouting from its arms and legs—now a dead ringer for a real train.
"Wh-what…?"
"Solar! Watch out!"
-Screeech!
In a flash, it charged straight at Solar.
"Wai—"
Solar got smashed and went flying off.
"Solar!"
No time to worry— the Train Monster twisted toward Comet, and right then.
"Solar Boom!"
-Boom!
A quick explosion erupted from where Solar had flown.
And Solar dropped from the sky.
"Take unavoidable damage!"
She aimed her staff at the ground where the Train Monster stood.
"Magical Sunlight!!"
"Huh."
This would hit me too.
…On purpose, huh.
No big deal—I pinned the Train Monster underfoot so it couldn't dodge.
It thrashed helplessly and ate the full hit.
'Feels nice and toasty.'
It writhed in agony, but to me? Just warm.
'Time to bail.'
I grabbed the flow of time and hopped back to the rooftop.
Sat down and watched.
"They'll handle it from here."
I trusted them to, but with variables always lurking, I had to keep an eye out. Such was my lot.
Poor me.
While spectating, maybe mull over future plans.
'Of all the curveballs so far, the most useful one's just one person.'
Kedi.
In the original, she never touched civilians—only went berserk after her 'love' died.
Which meant, flip side: protect whoever—or whatever—that 'love' was, and she had potential for redemption.
The other Alliance goons? Forget it. But Kedi, basically their top dog and the one with reform potential? I had to drag her to the negotiating table somehow.
To do that…
"Come on out. No secret lasts forever against time."
I had to flush out the one watching me.
A crow from across the way flew over, and suddenly more swarmed in, circling me.
-Caw!
-Kraa!
And amid the flock, a monster appeared.
Kedi.
"Oh my, as expected of Clok. Guess this level of surveillance was bound to tip you off."
She played it cool with a laugh, then plopped down beside me.
Like me, gazing down at the magical girls and Train Monster.
"So, gonna kill me?"
"No. Why would I?"
"Hee-hee, knew it. Such a gentleman."
"Not sure it's 'gentlemanly,' but… not the point."
I steepled my fingers and asked her calmly.
"Kedi, how about we trade questions?"
"Questions?"
"Yeah. Truth only, no lies. I'll answer honestly too. Deal?"
"…Sure. Sounds fun. Mind if I go first, to test it?"
"Go ahead."
To get solid intel, I had to build trust first.
With that in mind, I waited for her question.
"Alright, first one. Do you know a lot about me, Clok?"
"…I'd say so."
"Oh? For real? Tell me a few things you know, then."
"You don't touch civilians, you hold funerals for the dead, and you have someone—or something—you love?"
"Hmm…? No idea how you know, but spot on. Okay, your turn."
Great, now I could ask freely.
"Kedi, who—or what—is your 'love'?"
"My lo— Wh-what?!"
She was totally flustered, but I wasn't backing down.
Today, I'd uncover who Kedi loved, come hell or high water!