Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Please Don't Annoy Me
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Though it's nothing new, the primary activity time for Abyss Beings is daytime.
Human negative emotions are their ultimate delicacy—how efficient could it be for those creatures to operate in the dead of night when everyone's asleep?
Sure, if they caused chaos in a densely populated area at the crack of dawn and woke everyone up, it might yield decent results...
But they seem to prefer streets bustling with people, so they rarely show up in the wee hours when hardly anyone's around.
Who knows. Maybe they go home and sleep at night too.
But... with a Magical Girl like me operating at night, could there really be no Abyss Beings active then?
"Kiiieeeek..."
- *Crunch!*
"Shut up. Just seeing you lot pisses me off enough."
D-Rank Abyss Being. Traits: nocturnal, immaterial, familiar-type, and mental intrusion.
Commonly known as "Nightmare."
Unlike the ones that smash buildings and slice through people to harvest negative emotions, these vile things slink into people's dreams at night, induce nightmares, and steal their mental energy.
No matter how many you clear out, they keep respawning—one of the Abyss's flagship monsters.
They don't directly harm people physically but infiltrate and gnaw at the mind, so they're stealthy as hell. Even Mascots struggle to detect them easily.
If left unchecked and they build up into a group, they evolve into higher forms, making them one of the most annoying Abyss Beings for Magical Girls.
They only appear at night too, so you have to stay up and hunt without sleep...
For anyone but a Magical Girl like me who operates day and night regardless, they're the worst trash mobs—you end up fighting while exhausted.
'No wonder I had a feeling it was about time to clean these bastards out.'
Eight years as a Magical Girl aren't for nothing.
I can instinctively tell when it's time to cull the buildup—even without Tokki warning me.
Let them fester and spawn a higher entity? That'd be a real headache. Better to suck it up now while tired.
- *Thwack!*
"Kwek!"
- *Fsssh...*
The stingray-shaped thing lost what little form it had left and scattered into black smoke, vanishing.
[That's 7 down! Looks like... about 4 left nearby!]
'...What time is it now?'
[2:17 AM! At this rate, we'll wrap before 3!]
'...Even if we finish, I can't just head straight home.'
The downside of Nightmare cleanup.
By dawn, the last trains are long gone.
Not that I use public transit anyway.
As I mentioned before, Magical Girls don't get auto-return services or anything. Once the mission's done, you're on your own for getting back.
Top Magical Girls often hire staff to support them—after a callout, the staff picks them up by car.
Could be a friend instead of staff, but don't expect that kind of human warmth from a twisted Magical Girl like me.
- *Splash*
"...No rain in the forecast."
[You mean human weather predictions? Weather's never perfectly predictable anyway.]
"Wish it'd hold off till we're done, if possible..."
Magical Girls don't catch colds from a little rain... but it still sucks.
The costume from transformation vanishes when you release it and reappears pristine next time, but any moisture on your body doesn't magically dry off—it's still gross.
Didn't bring an umbrella out either, so once I release, my regular clothes will soak fast.
'What a shitty fate.'
Sighing inwardly, I manipulate the starlight at my feet and glide silently toward the next Nightmare.
No point waking people and risking more hate comments.
I don't care what the public thinks of Alice, but no need to manufacture more haters.
Quietly fading away is one thing—drawing aggro the bad way just means more hassle.
"Grrrrroooo..."
"Another one."
- *Fsssh...*
Immaterial Abyss Beings don't have real bodies, so if you're careless, they slip through walls like ghosts.
Magical Girls can snag them with magic power, but civilians can't touch or even perceive them—so for Nightmares especially, if Mascots miss them, they multiply fast and evolve.
Once detected, you gotta uproot them completely to keep things quiet for a while.
Even without that reason, I particularly despise Nightmares among Abyss Beings.
Why?
I'm a periodic sufferer of nightmares and insomnia—these monsters inducing them give plenty of reason to hate.
Their very existence is loathsome and repulsive.
- *Tap tap*
"Tokki. Cleanup seems done—any vibes left?"
[Uh... doesn't seem like any around here anymore! Good work!]
"Let's see... time..."
[2:58 AM!]
"Got it done before 3, at least."
- *Flutter flutter*
Shaking my clothes lets cool air hit the sweaty spots from all the running around.
Dawn emptiness makes this luxury possible.
People want Magical Girls as flawless idols—not these very human, concept-breaking moments.
Not all Magical Girls go for the pure, lovely girl vibe... some rock mature and seductive, or bold and laid-back. Those might not care.
Alice doesn't apply, though.
'What a weird concept she got stuck with. Third-person self-references, loving all humanity, white-haired beauty.'
Whoever picked it had zero realism.
'Right, Tokki?'
[W-Well, by Mascot standards, it's fine...]
'Heard what people say? Concept freak. Concept freak.'
Stick to it, and you're a concept freak. Slack off, and you lost your roots.
Bunch of complainers anyway.
- *Rumble...*
"Urp..."
That familiar nausea crawls from my brain—I grab a wall, fish emergency meds from my pocket, and dump them in my mouth.
A sensation you never get used to, no matter how often.
[Deep breaths, slow. No CCTV or people around—checked.]
"Huu... huuuu..."
Closing my eyes and fidgeting my fingers like routine, the feeling thankfully washes away.
"If nothing's around... release the transformation."
[O-Okay.]
- *Flash*
Transformation releases without flashy effects, reverting to my usual drab self.
A far cry from glamorous Alice with her long, shiny white hair and starry blue eyes.
- *Step...*
"...Gonna head to the street and grab a cab."
[Um... Sejin? Those clouds look bad—rain's coming soon...]
- *Drip... drip...*
"...Ah."
...Rain.
There was a time I liked it.
Not because I did—but because someone else did.
"...Disgusting."
- *Patter patter...*
On nights like this when getting home's a pain, I consider flying near home as Alice, then releasing and walking the rest.
But even that tiny link between "Alice" and "Han Sejin" feels off for such a petty reason—rejected.
Even the slightest clue—the kind people dismiss as "what's the harm"—becomes a sharp shard ripping the veil of lies to reveal truth.
To hide truth perfectly with lies, you need obsession.
Pathological obsession.
* * *
[Boss. I'm quitting after yesterday. Send pay for the 8 days plus severance.]
"No lunatic quits after 8 days and demands severance!"
- *Bang!*
After leaving her job, she'd sunk her savings into opening a convenience store to try something new. Today, it just added more wrinkles to her forehead.
She thought only crazy customers existed—recently learned part-timers can be crazy too.
Her freshly hired newbie bailed irresponsibly, forcing her to cancel plans with friends and mind the store herself—a bitter lesson.
'Posted a job ad at least... haa... wonder when it'll draw someone...'
Part-timers are scarce these days—fresh ad from today? Who knows when...
- *Ding dong*
"Welcome!"
"Uh... saw the ad outside."
'Already?!'
The quick applicant made her look up—the woman staring back left her stunned again.
'No way someone like this picks convenience store work...'
She'd seen her share of decent-looking hires, but this defied easy logic.
Age... college student? Maybe younger, but fresh-faced newbie vibe.
Bit short, but the overall cuteness made it a charm point.
What stood out more than height contrasted the rest, amplifying her appeal and presence.
Honestly, she looked made for modeling or acting, not clerking...
"Still hiring?"
"Y-Yes! Absolutely!"
Stats prove hot staff boosts sales in this biz.
A looker this memorable? Passing her up would suck.
"Whew... lucky me. Needed a new gig right by home..."
"He... here're the terms... any adjustments? I'll try to work with you."
"Really? Wow, you're so nice, boss!"
"Of course—gotta accommodate. I'm the one begging here."
- *Beaming*
Truth is, even if plain-looking, she needed someone yesterday.
Friends' plans were toast... but this week's family trip—barely scheduled—was at risk too.
"So... your name?"
"Ah. Kim Sina!"
"Shifts... evenings 7 PM to 3 AM okay? Includes late nights?"
"I work late nights anyway. Hehe."
Talks went smoothly, no hitches—stamp secured.
Good news for night-shift customers' eyes...
But someone indifferent might just grimace at yet another staff change.