Running into the Killer
I ended Acturus's training without letting her climax even once.
"I'm stepping out for a bit."
"......"
She seemed pissed. She was pretending otherwise, but the way she kept her legs squeezed tight showed the lingering effects of being denied release.
"If you're thirsty, there's water over there. If you're hungry, grab some hardtack from the side. Got it? And if you need to use the bathroom, just use that bucket over there. I'll clean it up when I get back."
"……Yeah."
Acturus leaned against the wall, hugging her knees, refusing to look up at me. She kept letting out these little groans—probably because her womb was still clenching rhythmically.
Ah. But leaving Acturus alone like this makes me anxious for some reason. Is this what it feels like to be a dad raising a kid?
"Don't go shaking the bars trying to open them and hurt yourself, okay? I'm worried. Acturus's body belongs to me now too. Don't make me heartbroken."
"…I'll manage."
"Good. That's my girl. I'll be back soon?"
I pulled her into a hug, and surprisingly, she accepted it without resistance. She didn't hug back or anything—just let me hold her, all quiet.
She's becoming more mine by the day. Feels damn good.
Clank!
I double-checked the iron door was locked tight before climbing the stairs, glancing at my wristwatch.
2:17 PM. I had to be back by 7 PM at the latest.
I could still feel the remnants of Dantalion lingering somewhere in my nervous system. That faint scratching sensation, like fingernails scraping deep in my brain.
-Woof woof woof!
Hellhounds barking, trying to sink their teeth into my soul and drag it back to their master.
If I let it fester too long, next time I wouldn't even have the luxury of retreating to the Red Room….
It was ridiculous, really—selling my soul to an ancient occult demon just to fight magical girls in the modern world. But for me, it had been the only choice.
An hour and a half down the national highway toward Incheon.
My destination wasn't on any map. From behind Chinatown, veer toward the port, and you'd hit a cluster of rundown warehouses. No signs, no addresses.
Ever since magic pollution kicked in for real, black markets like this had popped up. In a world where no one gave a shit about the occult, suddenly magical girls appeared, monsters started crawling out, and demand exploded.
Of course, 99.9% of it was still fake bullshit, same as always.
Creak—
Stepping inside, the air hit me—damp mixed with something charred, stinging my nose.
"Ah~ Long time no see, nameless sir."
A woman in her mid-to-late thirties peered at me over her magnifying glass from the back counter. We were regulars, but not close enough for chit-chat.
"1kg asafoetida, black salt, myrrh resin, dried verbena. All from magic-polluted zones, right?"
"Just got some in."
"How much."
"1.2 million total."
Ridiculous price, but no time to haggle. I handed over the cash bundle.
"Thanks as always! Come again~."
Quality's solid, so no complaints.
Transaction done quick, I headed straight to the next shop. These were supplies for Acturus's training—nothing special, just everyday groceries. One particular ingredient.
Thinking about using it on her already had me in a good mood. This time, she'd submit to me completely.
But as I approached the grocery store, someone came walking from the alley entrance. Sweaty, breathing hard—like they'd been running frantically.
I slowed instinctively to check their face, and froze like I'd been struck by lightning.
Shoulder-length short cut. Sleek, track-team ace build. Sun-tanned brown skin that stood out. Boyish woman in a tank top, looking like any jogger on the street—but I knew instantly she wasn't normal.
A magical girl. And I recognized that face.
"Haa... Haven't run this long in ages. Tough."
Altair…!
One of the Supreme 4. Speedster with hypersonic movement.
And the bitch who pulverized my father.
Facing my revenge target, memories flashed visually in an instant. My father's back as he ran toward my collapsed wife and son in the ruins. [Honey! Tae-seong, Dad's on his way right now…!]
-Thud![Wh…?]
-Splatter!!
And 0.something seconds later, what was left on the road. Blood. A single shoe tumbling to the ground belatedly.
[Oopsie! Must've bumped into something? Sorry! Gotta run, I'm late!]
Turning a person—a family's breadwinner—into scattered meat chunks and blood mist, then playing it off like "bumped into something" with that cheeky apology.
Did she even realize she'd just erased someone's entire world? Probably not. At hypersonic speeds, you don't feel most collisions. Like not noticing a flowerpot topple in a hurricane's wake.
That's all my father was to her.
Altair's gaze swept the alley, paused on me for a second, and I pulled my cap low, stepping aside into the shadows.
"Hey, you there."
I tamped down the convulsions wracking my body with superhuman restraint and answered casually.
"Yeah~?"
"Seen a nun around here? Silver hair."
This bitch is looking for Acturus…? Already? So soon? Green blood splattered on her face—she'd already been in a scrap somewhere. Took out some unrelated monster, maybe.
I steadied my pounding heart and lied innocently. "Nah, haven't seen anyone like that…. I'm just out grocery shopping for dinner…."
"Oh? Tch, got it. Sorry for holding you up!"
Altair flashed that same cheeky grin, winked apologetically just like back then, and brushed past me.
Scanning deeper into the alley. "She's already narrowed the search to here?"
The Association must've expanded the radius this way after Acturus's disappearance.
Way faster and more precise than I'd anticipated.
Shiver—
My hand gripping the plastic bag trembled belatedly.
She doesn't even remember killing my father.
Magical girls are all human scum, every last one.
"Heh, heh heh, hahaha."
Laughter leaked out. Not bad at all. I'd just knock Altair up too. Make her part of my family. My bitch. My toy. My love.
The more, the better.
Yeah.
Grinning ear to ear, I headed into the grocery store. The shop auntie greeted me warmly.
"Got any radish here?"
"Radish? Yeah, but how you eating it?"
"Grated raw."
"Good for health, but careful grating. Splashes on skin and it's insanely itchy."
That's exactly why I'm buying it.
Paid up and headed to the car. Needed to hurry. Her expanding the search here meant the Association was mobilizing in earnest.
Time to keep Acturus with me was running out way faster than expected.
Monster Union Incheon Headquarters.
"KyaAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Hwan-saek Yoma's rage-filled scream echoed through the Union office. Normally, a few monster secretaries' heads would've exploded, but not today.
Splat—
Most of the monsters left in the main building were already burst dead.
"That fucking Altair bitch…! Does this shit while I'm gone!?"
Ten A-rank monsters—enough to raze a mid-sized city—wiped out. By Altair, one of the Supreme 4, rated strongest in burst firepower.
They had nothing to do with Acturus's kidnapping, but her usual rep led to the misunderstanding and this bloodbath.
Slither—
"Y-Yoma-nim!!"
Thud!
A horned monster that'd been hiding rushed forward and knelt before Yoma.
"I-It was that wicked Altair bitch!"
Grind.
"Who doesn't know th…."
She barely held back from exploding its brain with her ability. No secretaries left if she did.
"You idiots should've called me!"
"I-It happened so fast… S-Sorry!!"
No way the Union could let this slide now. Letting a raid that killed over a dozen go unpunished? No one would fear them anymore.
"You. Summon the Witch Squad. Now."
"Witch Squad…? How many?"
Crack!
"GYAAAAA!!"
Yoma snapped the left horn off the impertinent monster and bellowed, eyes blazing.
"All of them!!"
"Ugh, ugh, y-yes sir!"
"Tell them to find out who the crazy fuck touched Association assets first."
The horned monster's eyes screamed, 'Summoning the Union's elite fighters just for scouting?' She kindly explained.
"Obviously, the rest hit terror spots. Prioritize zones with Association direct magical girls. Time to show these pests what happens."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
A butterfly's wingbeat was summoning a typhoon.