Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: What Beats Despair
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"Ah, this is living."
I was sprawled out flat in a house that felt luxuriously spacious for just one person.
And the body I was in wasn't my monster form—it was that of a blond-haired pretty boy.
'Living as a human feels this good, huh.'
This was all thanks to discovering I even had a human form.
Last time, right after I'd grabbed some hamburgers in my monster shape, I'd suddenly transformed into a human.
Back then, I'd grumbled that it couldn't have happened just a little sooner... but hey, at least it happened at all.
Once I got the human form, I figured out I had a place to live somehow, bought a phone, and took care of all sorts of other stuff.
I had no idea how it all worked, but the bank account number and password matched the ones I'd used before, and there was a ridiculous amount of money in it.
'Possession perk, maybe?'
No normal means could've netted this much cash, but whatever—it was a good thing.
-Ding-dong.
"Oh! It's here!"
Right on cue, the chicken I'd ordered had arrived, so I flung open the door, heart pounding with excitement.
"Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks~"
I'd finally gotten my hands on some fried chicken since possessing this body.
Time stop? Pfft, chicken's the real MVP.
I wasn't planning to revert to monster form unless it was a real emergency.
Taking delivery as a monster? The hallway CCTV would catch me for sure.
Once everything was set up, I grabbed my tablet and opened a memo app.
'Okay, plot progression... That fire guy shows up around now, right...'
Chicken in one hand, I kept jotting notes with the other.
'Whoa, it's coming up soon?'
That's when it hit me—another episode was about to kick off any minute now.
Comet would probably get her ass handed to her again...
'Might as well lend a hand.'
She could roll around and take beatings all day, but it never really helped her grow anyway.
Might be better if I stepped in and controlled things to boost her development...
'Not a bad idea.'
The more I thought about it, the better it sounded.
I'd seen it mentioned in the author's notes: Comet could handle foes up to about 1.2 times her strength, and it even aided her growth.
The problem was keeping them at 120%—but the enemies always came at 150% or 200%, so she just got pummeled without growing.
'Which is why the ending wound up like... that.'
Thinking about it pissed me off all over again.
'Fine, I'll raise her myself.'
Raise her up... then devour—nah, I'll make her a world-saving hero.
"Heh heh heh..."
Just like in those monster tropes, I'd beat her down until she got stronger...!
"Ugh, picked the wrong tone there."
If I'd known, I'd have gone with something more dignified myself.
Time passed, and Halloween rolled around—a day with little impact in Korea.
"Jehehehehe! Happy Halloween!!"
A pumpkin-headed monster draped in a cape, its body made of vines, appeared smack in the middle of the city.
"Kyaaah!"
"It's a monster! Run!"
"Fuck, that shit only shows up in the West, why here...!"
"Magical girl! Where's the magical girl?!"
"Jehehehe! Candy! Hand over the candy!"
-Whoosh! Whoosh!
The pumpkin monster swung a massive scythe in one hand.
People had already fled far from it, so there were no casualties yet, but cars and a motorcycle hit by the scythe sliced apart like tofu.
"Jehehehe!"
The monster advanced step by step, swinging its scythe in wide arcs.
It was slow, but with every step, it closed the gap on a few evacuating civilians.
"Hiiik!"
A female student tripped after bumping into the crowd.
Spotting her, the pumpkin monster grinned and approached.
"Jehehehehe!"
It let out a chilling laugh as it raised its scythe high.
"P-Please, spare me! Kyaaah!"
The scythe came whistling down toward the screaming girl begging for her life.
-Whoosh!
The massive blade cut through the air at blinding speed, reaching right for her forehead—
-Clang!
—only to be blocked by a gem-studded staff.
"Jehi?"
The pumpkin monster tilted its head in confusion, and in that instant—
"Like a comet streaking across your heart! Magical Comet, appearing!"
"Je, jehi...!"
A fist rocketed forward like a comet.
-Pow!
"Jeeeehiiiiaaaak!!"
The pumpkin monster dropped its scythe and went flying back.
The center of its pumpkin face shattered.
"Guess being a pumpkin makes you weak!"
Magical Comet flashed a sparkling, confident smile.
Furious from the hit, the pumpkin monster roared through its broken face.
"Jeeeehiiiiii!!"
"Stop harassing people and get lost!"
The monster charged, transforming its vine arms into tentacles, while Comet aimed her staff at it.
The gem at the staff's tip glowed as she chanted her spell.
"Comet Light—Rapid!"
-Whirr... Ping!
A blue light swirled at the gem's tip before firing out like sniper rounds.
-Boom!
No chance to dodge—the pumpkin monster's head exploded on impact.
Its vine body collapsed to the ground.
"Wooow! Comet! Comet!"
"Magical Comet is the best!"
"Thank you, Magical Comet!"
The surviving civilians showered the magical girl—who'd felled the monster in one blow—with praise and cheers.
Comet waved shyly in response.
With the threat handled, she prepared to fly off as usual.
That's when the problem hit.
"Jehehe..."
"?!"
The pumpkin monster's signature laugh whispered in her ear.
She tried to cast a spell in a panic, but it was too late.
-Crash!
"Ugh!"
A sudden impact slammed her right shoulder.
The powerful ambush sent Magical Comet flying into a nearby building wall.
"Cough, cough! What the..."
She coughed and lifted her head.
Where she'd been stood three pumpkin monsters now, grinning creepily—the one she'd supposedly defeated had multiplied.
"Jehehe..."
"Jehehehe!"
"Jehi! Jehehehe!"
They laughed mockingly at her embedded in the wall.
"Jehehehehe!"
"I'm different from other monsters!"
"You can't beat me! Jehehehe!"
They spoke in turns, as if sharing one mind.
"...Tch!"
Comet gritted her teeth and pulled free from the wall.
Dust-covered and bleeding, but a magical girl wouldn't fall to this.
"Jehehehe."
"Want more punishment?!"
"Just like you asked! Jehi!"
The pumpkin monsters charged with scythes raised, sneering.
Comet aimed her staff, refusing to go down easy, closed her eyes, and shouted.
"Magical Blast!"
-Pewooong!
A blue beam erupted from the gem.
Penetrating everything in its path, it pierced two pumpkin monsters at once.
-Splatter!
Their upper bodies vanished in an instant.
Their legless torsos flopped down, but the last one—merely grazed on the arm—swung its scythe at Comet.
She desperately raised her left arm to block.
-Slash!
The scythe carved deeply into her left arm.
"Ugh...!"
'Still, at this rate...!'
She figured she could turn it around and started another spell—when the anomaly struck again.
"Jehehehe..."
"Jehi..."
"Jehehehe!"
"It won't be easy!"
"Hand over the candy!"
"Jehehehe!"
The pumpkin monsters had doubled to six in a blink.
Despair flickered in Comet's eyes.
"What... is this..."
"Jehehehe! You still don't get it?!"
"Jehi! As long as there's fear toward me, I won't die!"
"I'm the Halloween monster!"
"Call me Jack-o'!"
"Jehehehe!"
"What does that even..."
An ability bordering on absurdity.
Despair swelled in Magical Comet's gaze.
'...No choice but to use that move.'
Return of the Light—her ultimate, all-or-nothing finisher that poured everything she had into one attack.
It traded her life for near-unmatched power.
She'd planned to save it for the clock-headed monster, Clok...
But unlike Clok, this pumpkin monster clearly intended to kill people.
In terms of threat level, the pumpkin edged it out.
Comet steeled herself and clenched her fist.
"...If fear keeps you alive, then I'll just make sure no one fears you."
"Jehehehe!"
"Think that'll be easy?"
"Jehehehe! Foolish child!"
"Everyone here dies today!"
"Jehehehe! Jehehehehe!"
The pumpkin monsters laughed uproariously at her bold claim.
Staring them down, Magical Comet smirked.
"Do you know what beats despair?"
She gathered comet energy throughout her body.
"It's—hope—"
She flashed a determined grin, about to unleash Return of the Light.
-Thud.
All six pumpkin monsters in front of her fell to the ground in pieces.
And the culprit behind this impossible scene...
"Time's up, right?"
Was a clock-headed monster, the epitome of despair itself.