Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Final Trigger
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62.
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/Final Trigger
[Blue Bullet]
: Golden eyes of greed. (The target hit by the bullet has something they desire taken from them—it's the Beggar Bullet.)
*Physical attributes cannot be taken.
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*****
“…….”
The gunshot echoed throughout the circus.
Everyone's attention turned toward the source of the sound. And the one who broke that heavy silence was none other than—
Park Yeon-jeong himself.
Flash!
This sensation, like crossing the threshold between life and death. He could confidently declare it without a doubt.
'I really thought I was gonna die!'
The experience of death was a moment that reaffirmed how once was more than enough in a lifetime.
A loathsome sensation he never wanted to feel again.
But before losing consciousness—
He clearly remembered the voice that had whispered in his ear.
-'The Beggar Bullet' begins to gaze upon the glittering world with its shining golden eyes.
His gaze fell to the red pool of blood at his feet. It didn't reflect him clearly, but—
Sparkle-!
His own eyes, shining golden, gleamed brilliantly even in the bloodied puddle.
Back when he first entered this circus.
Just before the first performance began.
From the audience seats, he had desperately wished for this blue bullet to appear.
Just like in the [Seven Knights] ghost story, hoping the White Skull Mark's effect 'Lucky Day' would activate.
He had wished more fervently than ever.
And that desperation—
Had come true once again.
Swoosh.
The black text shimmering before his eyes did not betray his expectations.
『Lucky Day.』
'...I believed in you, damn it!'
A truly satisfying result.
……But.
Park Yeon-jeong furrowed his brow, staring at his right forearm with his golden-shining eyes.
The 'White Skull Mark', now drained of its black fluid, was asserting its presence from his right wrist.
The 'Unlucky Day' effect was unpredictable.
Like a time bomb that could go off at any moment.
From now on, it was a race against time.
He had to swiftly resolve this entire mess before the Unlucky Day effect triggered.
……So right now.
'Calming down that clay sorcerer first is priority.'
His gaze naturally fixed on the Love Mask, a perfect match for the descriptor "madness."
【♥What was that just now? Don't tell me it was a 'suicide show' for me or something?!】
Suicide isn't a show, though.
And this wasn't a show for you, either.
It was my desperate struggle to survive against you.
But to the Love Mask's eyes, it seemed every single one of his actions appeared as something done for her.
【♥Ahh, so good……I love it! As expected, our new oppa wanted to be my oppa too! Maybe we were fated to meet like this☻.】
Could you not wrap it up in such grandiose terms like "fate"?
We're not bound by fate—we're just the worst possible ill-fated encounter.
So.
'Spit on the ground three times right now! You idiot!'
Before the negation kicks in!
Our right-arm White Skull buddy is listening!
Spit—
As he fervently tried to appease the White Skull, the sound of approaching footsteps drew his gaze.
Spit—
【♥Now that the person himself wants it too. No need to hesitate anymore. Right, my oppa♡?】
Spit—
There was no hesitation in the Love Mask's steps.
【♥I'll shape the exterior to my taste. But sometimes I'll switch it back to this form! I like you just like this too……! But….】
Like a curious child, the being approached right up to his nose, then began revealing sharp thorns in her soft voice.
【♥You won't need eyes anymore, right? We can't have you getting your gaze stolen by another bitch like this time.】
Swoosh—
She unhesitatingly grabbed his left forearm.
【♥…Look only at me.】
“…….”
As she stroked up and down his arm, twisted obsession seeped from the end of her voice.
【♥Let's do so much together from now on. I've always wanted an oppa like you—there's so much I want to do……I'm already……getting excited☻☻☻.】
With a strange smile curling at his lips and a sly tone, he opened his firmly shut mouth toward the Love Mask.
"I'm glad. I always wanted a cute little sister like you too."
At his final words, she stared piercingly at his face. Then, with a trembling voice…
She hugged him.
【♥I love you……oppa.】
Squeeze.
To remake him into an oppa who only liked her. She clung to him without letting go for a while.
【♥………Huh?】
But his appearance didn't change.
And he, watching her bewildered expression, parted his lips once more.
"I'm really glad."
【♥……What did you do to my body?】
The voice of the Love Mask, who had just shown him twisted emotions, now sharpened with edge.
Flash—
He replied with golden-shining eyes and a composed smile.
"I'm so relieved your head is full of flowers. Really, so glad."
He meant it sincerely.
【♥What the hell are you babbling about…….】
But.
Before the Love Mask could finish, he gently overlaid his right palm over hers and murmured softly.
"My control over the ability is a bit clumsy. Please forgive me."
He uttered lowly.
"I'll attach a weight to your hand, so wait here a moment."
The moment his words ended—
Thud!
【♥!!】
In the spot where the Love Mask's ordinary hand should have been, it had transformed into a massive weight.
【♥You…how……how! You used my power!!】
How?
I just took the power you wanted so badly.
And this was the effect of the blue bullet.
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The Beggar Bullet, which steals something desired from the opponent.
----------
A suicide bullet that temporarily steals anything except the target's physical body, as seen through golden eyes.
Naturally, it could only be used once across all targets.
So he had chosen the Love Mask's body transformation ability for that one shot.
The reason he grabbed the Angry Mask first was for this very purpose.
He had to deal with the one possessing physical strength that the blue bullet couldn't steal first, to eliminate future variables.
Grit-!
The sound of the Love Mask grinding her teeth rang clearly.
【♥Undo this right now?!!】
'Would you let go if you were me?'
The Love Mask spat furious snarls, foaming at the mouth.
He raised his index finger and slowly brought it to her mask.
“Be quiet.”
【♥Mm……!! Mm! Mmm!!!】
'...Still noisy.'
But this would do.
He had already captured the physical-type Angry Mask, and now successfully neutralized the most troublesome body transformation ability of the Love Mask.
That left just one.
Swoosh—
His gaze turned to the Tear Mask, dangling from the trapeze on the ceiling, looking down at him.
【♣…What useless brother and sister.】
The Tear Mask finally opened her mouth, voicing her dissatisfaction with the situation.
"Will you come down yourself? Or should I come get you?"
He asked politely.
【♣Would you come down obediently if you were me?】
Fair enough.
From center stage, he naturally turned his gaze to the Bear Doll standing like a mascot and made a request.
"Thirdie. Bring her over."
Nod!
The moment his words fell, their third Bear Doll leaped high from the ground in one bound.
Whoosh!
In an instant, it came face-to-face with the Tear Mask sprawled on the trapeze.
Swing-!
【♣This Bear Doll……is way too OP.】
Chomp!
Their third Bear Doll snatched the Tear Mask in one go, then safely landed on the ground and thrust the captured Tear Mask toward him.
"Good job."
Swing swing-!
Alongside the delighted third Bear Doll at his praise.
Sniffle.
?
The Tear Mask suddenly started crying.
【♣Please don't kill me. I was just forced to do what brother and sister told me to.】
Sniffle—
“…….”
It had begun.
The Tear Mask's Method acting tears.
The Tear Mask possessed mental damage power at a high level.
It was a ruthless bastard that induced sympathy in others, then drove iron spikes into the throats of the unguarded.
A typical GRA agent weak to mental damage might have fallen under this mind control.
Yes, if they were ordinary.
Squeeze!
He poured all his strength into his left fist and smashed it down on the Tear Mask's crown.
Bonk!
【♣Ow!!】
"No funny business. Stay still."
【♣………Yes.】
The situation was gradually sorting itself out.
Step—
Hansol, who had watched everything until now, cautiously approached him and finally opened her tightly shut mouth.
“…What do you plan to do with us from now on? Kill us…?”
To her still wary tone, he could only say one thing.
"What else? We all just go back to where we were."
He wanted to hurry back and rest too.
And he had to get back before this White Skull moved.
“…You're really, really going to let us go like this?”
'What could I even do with you guys...'
“…If you don't want to go, that's fine by me.”
"No, no!"
While he exchanged brief banter with Hansol.
Step—
?
He paused pulling the quill pen from his coat pocket at the sound of footsteps from another direction.
Turning his gaze toward the sound.
Step—
There, GRA agency employees were slowly walking toward them.
To give thanks?
……Awkward.
'No need to thank me.'
Still, he wouldn't refuse gratitude. No one hated praise.
As the distance to the GRA agents closed.
He casually opened his mouth.
"What is—"
Dash!
Grab!
……Huh?
Suddenly, their third Bear Doll yanked him away, separating him from the GRA agents.
At first, he was bewildered.
But soon, he spotted something in the GRA agents' hands.
He understood the third Bear Doll's action.
Swords.
Scissors.
Baseball bat.
Spoon?
Definitely not items for delivering thanks.
And amid the GRA agents, a black shadow caught his eye.
Sniffle—
Shallow sobs came from there.
【♣That oppa is trying to kill me……Punish him☹.】
“…Bad…guy.”
“…Gotta…punish him.”
Sniffle—
'That little shit!'
At this late stage, the Tear Mask had used mind control to turn the GRA agents to her side.
【♥Mm mm!!】
The Love Mask desperately trying to say something through her sealed mouth toward the Tear Mask.
……Sniffle.
【♣…Sigh, such a high-maintenance sister.】
The moment the Tear Mask finished speaking, the GRA agents' footsteps turned toward the Love Mask.
And the instant he saw that.
He shouted.
"Human! Stop those GRA bastards right now!!"
"Huh?"
"I said stop them!!"
He wouldn't make it in time.
Hansol had to block them.
If she couldn't…
That one
would end up here.
"No!!"
But.
Stab!
Too late.
【♥!!】
A GRA agent's blade pierced the Love Mask's abdomen.
Slash-!
As the Love Mask's body split in two with the swing.
He knew instinctively.
They were fucked……He knew it.
And throughout this space, only one Pierrot's sob echoed.
【♣Sob…Big brother…help me.】
The Tear Mask's thick, tearful darkness began to erupt from behind.
All stage lights extinguished in an instant, and with eerie silence, black shadows enveloped the world.
Piercing the chilling, metallic friction-like darkness.
A low voice echoed toward them.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
【♤………Yes. My little sibling.】