Chapter 23: Interlude - The End of a Hero.
Chapter 23: Interlude - The End of a Hero.
An Awakened from Finland. The Magical Girl, Han A-bin, sprinted across the battlefield.
It was a place where blood and flesh were scattered everywhere, a battlefield where the people who once owned that blood and flesh were piled up like corpses to form a wall.
To save even one more person from such a hellish battlefield, Han A-bin ran.
The healing and Mental Magic she possessed were abilities perfectly suited for such relief efforts.
She offered the final peace to those on the verge of death, and for the survivors, she was the ultimate sedative and anesthetic.
Setting aside the discomfort the commander felt toward her, her reputation among the soldiers was undeniable. Who could hate the person saving their life?
Though she herself loathed it, calling it no different from euthanasia, that very anguish was likely why the soldiers adored her.
But on that battlefield where she was rescuing the wounded, an anomaly occurred.
【Emotions are the cries of humanity.】
A voice pierced through, burrowing into the brains of everyone present.
It was a warning chime announcing that the Otherworldly Power had exceeded regulated levels—the beginning of a nightmare signaling that the battle was about to become even more desperate.
Mental-type. Emotion sharing.
Accustomed to such occurrences, she derived the answer to what kind of Otherworld Erosion this was from that short sentence and grit her teeth.
This is the worst kind of Otherworld Erosion…. If this happens on a battlefield….
Realizing the gravity of the situation, she turned her head toward the nearest Otherworldly Being.
A grotesquely shaped, giant shock trooper.
Her gaze fell upon an octopus man made of tentacles rushing forward and striking a soldier.
The massive tentacle lashed out at a squad of about ten soldiers.
That strike was powerful enough to instantly incapacitate a low-rank Awakened.
It was more than enough power to turn ordinary soldiers into mere lumps of flesh.
Two soldiers were caught in that strike. One had his internal organs ruptured by the tip of a tentacle, and the other had his head crushed by his own helmet as it was sent flying by the intense impact.
—Save me.
—I don't want to die.
The deaths of those two soldiers were scattered across the battlefield as Death Throes.
The screams, filled with the profound terror of the dying, radiated outward.
This really is the worst Otherworld Erosion. At this rate, the soldiers won't be able to hold on.
As if to prove her thoughts right, the expressions of the soldiers who had been firing their guns until a moment ago became hideously distorted.
The screams of death echoed in their ears. Those who heard them experienced death indirectly, and their minds shattered.
The broken soldiers lowered their guns, consumed by those emotions.
There were steadfast soldiers whose minds didn't break even after experiencing indirect death, but for them, it was only a matter of time.
Soldiers who collapsed after being consumed by the emotion of death began to emit the same feelings, contaminating their surroundings.
A never-ending explosion of emotion.
To Happiness Drop, it was clear that this battlefield would soon collapse. It might be different if more soldiers or Awakened were deployed, but the higher-ups didn't consider this a significant enough front.
I have no choice.
It’s not a power I’m fond of, but….
The octopus man’s tentacle swung toward Han A-bin.
Sensing the attack, she dodged the tentacle, kicked off the ground, and soared into the air.
Tap. Tap.
Landing on the tentacle, she ran along it with the light footsteps characteristic of a Magical Girl.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Han A-bin positioned herself right next to the octopus man’s massive face.
Pshht.
With a short, wet sound, a White Rod pierced through its head.
The octopus, its head impaled by the White Rod Happiness Drop primarily used, died instantly and slumped to its knees.
As the Giant Entity fell, the soldiers' eyes were drawn to her.
In that single moment when the soldiers' gazes converged—
Not missing the opportunity, Happiness Drop released all her mana, scattering mental manipulation magic into the surroundings.
"Don't worry! It's not over yet! Don't lose to the Otherworld!"
A bright voice, forced and artificial.
Mere words of encouragement that even the Magical Girl emitting them didn't believe.
However, that small bit of encouragement drastically shifted the situation on the battlefield.
Some of the soldiers believed they could be saved, and that emotion flowed through the entire battlefield.
Driving out the feelings of death and regaining their morale, the soldiers gripped their guns and sprayed bullets at the enemies of humanity.
The front line was barely maintained once again.
How many more times must I repeat this before it ends?
Is this how the Soviet barrier troops felt during World War II?
Recalling the history of her own country she had learned in school, she threw herself back into the battlefield.
* * *
"Awakened Han%#^%bin, we are so lucky you were here!"
"I only did what I had to do."
"Still, if Awakened Lisa%bin hadn't been here, we would be..."
A conversation between Han A-bin and the base commander.
Once the commander finished expressing his gratitude with an almost excessive bow, she headed toward her quarters.
"Today was exhausting, too."
Returning to her room, she threw herself onto the soft bed and covered her eyes with her arm.
As the black veil covered her vision, the final testament of a certain deceased person she had heard today surfaced in her mind.
It's all because of you people.
The Otherworld invaded because you lot gained power.
An accusation that would never be uttered aloud, knowing that the Awakened were their only lifeline.
Such an accusation had been transmitted directly into her head today.
It was a reproach that Awakened were already well-accustomed to.
Now that information had been gathered, it was known that such claims weren't true, but it would take a long time to change the deeply rooted perceptions of the people.
Where there are those grateful for help, there are bound to be those who pour out such blame. She knew this, but the accusation she hadn't heard in a while was enough to make ^%4 struggle.
I'm tired.
In a sudden wave of depression, she stared up at the ceiling.
The reason I wanted to become a nurse wasn't for something like this.
It was true that what she was doing now was a noble task of saving people.
However, she didn't want to save people in this manner.
She wanted to do her best to save those who were dying; she didn't want to keep making extreme choices, categorizing people into who should live and who should die.
The black marks attached to people.
No matter how hard she tried to erase them from her memory, the black marks kept resurfacing.
If it was going to be like this, why did I even major in psychology? I should have just gotten a different job.
…Psychology?
For a moment, $##'s face distorted.
An intense headache.
The lives of two people began to blend together.
【 "I want to save people!" 】
【May your end be peaceful.】
"From now on, you will be a Magical Girl who saves people."
【Why can't people be happy?】
"Senior Han A-bin, you're far too weak for a Hero. Why don't you just quit?"
【Lisa. Why didn't you save that soldier? Didn't I tell you he was the General's son and had to be protected at all costs?】
【 "It's hard." 】
"If only I had that kind of power."
【Do you want the power to change the world? Happiness Drop. Magical Girl of Happiness.】
She reached out toward her final memory. Because power existed there.
A small, round, black jewel filled with immense Otherworldly Power.
A tiny trap designed to tempt someone.
In her memory, she reached for the black jewel that looked like the salty candy she used to eat as a child.
【Stop. There is nothing at the end of that path.】
A refreshing woman's voice jolted Han A-bin’s consciousness awake.
"Pardon?"
Suddenly snapping back to her senses, Han A-bin found herself standing in a strange space.
A square room surrounded by gray concrete walls. There was nothing there.
No passage to the outside, no furniture, no food.
The only things present were two Magical Girls.
Han A-bin, with pink hair and dressed in a nurse-style outfit.
And a woman in everyday clothes with blonde hair and a loose white gown draped over her shoulders.
【How was your experience participating in a war from the distant past? Was it fun?】
A war from the distant past. The person who heard the question couldn't understand those words.
Then was everything just now an illusion?
The only thing she could understand was that what she had just experienced wasn't real.
Neither the weight of death that had fallen from her hands.
Nor the weight of life she had pulled up with her hands.
It had all been a mere phantom.
【It's just a dream. Dreams you'll forget once you wake up. Including this conversation.】
The Magical Girl answered the question, seeing right through the other's mind.
"Who... are you?"
At those words, the Magical Girl who had once chased happiness merely smiled.
【I heard that idiot who loves charging in got a disciple, but if it's a ditz like this, it makes sense they'd pair me with you. Ah. Or maybe that fool didn't think at all before doing it?】
She didn't answer the question and simply continued talking to herself.
She looked as if she were recalling something only she knew, laughing as she spoke it aloud.
"I asked who you are!"
Exploding in frustration, Han A-bin grabbed the woman's body.
It was strange enough to have fallen into such a bizarre place, but having a woman who seemed to know everything ignoring her made it only natural for her to snap.
However, despite that anger, the woman whose clothes were being held merely smiled and opened her mouth.
【Does it really matter? It's a story you'll forget anyway, even if I tell you.】
"...."
Enraged, Han A-bin yanked on her gown.
Slip.
"Huh?"
With the sensation of the clothes sliding off, the woman vanished. All that remained in her hand was the white gown.
【What you saw and felt was someone's past.】
The blonde Magical Girl appeared behind Han A-bin’s back and continued.
Perhaps sensing malice in that action, Han A-bin gripped the riser of her summoned bow and swung it toward her back.
【The end was this kind of atrocity.】
The bow she swung with all her might was blocked by a Red Scythe.
The face of the Magical Girl who blocked the bow was reflected in her vision.
Two hollow, empty eyes.
Streaming tears of blood.
A mouth torn wide to the left and right.
"Hiek!"
A bubble of memory she had kept hidden rose up from her mind.
The body of a traffic accident victim she had seen during her practicum. The shape of the mangled lump of meat that had been on the corpse's shoulder.
And she realized that the lump of meat had looked more intact than the face before her. It was just that they looked similar enough for her memory to dredge it up.
【This is the end of a Hero who desired power and wanted to save someone.】
The thing walked toward Han A-bin with a smile on its torn mouth. The Magical Girl's lips were tightly shut, but the scars on her mouth made it look as if her face were smiling.
【Do you still want power? Even after gaining power, can you refrain from reaching for the candy when you crave even greater strength?】
Glug. Glug.
With the sound of pouring wastewater, entrails spilled out from her stomach.
The woman's appearance in Han A-bin’s vision became more grotesque as time passed.
From a corpse in a traffic accident to an animal ground up in a shredder.
This is a dream. That woman said so too. It's just a nightmare.
There was no way this could happen in reality.
If she waited, the dream would end.
Han A-bin closed her eyes to turn her gaze away from it.
【That's right, it's a dream. But it's also your future. If you desire power, the Black Candy will always be by your side. A salty, bitter candy. Will you be able to stop yourself from reaching for it?】
Gradually, the woman's voice began to sound like a torn drum.
Not a normal voice using the tongue or mouth.
A monstrous sound using only vibrations and pitch.
The one who received the incomprehensible question through that monstrous sound remained silent.
She gave no answer.
She could give no answer.
She simply closed her eyes and covered her ears, wishing for this sight to be a dream.
【So you won't answer? Fine. Then remember. the end of those who put the Black Candy in their mouths. This hideous sight.】
Blood-red fingers that were nothing but bone grabbed her eyelids.
The image of the woman was etched into Han A-bin’s forcibly opened eyes.
The sight of a fallen Hero.
The face of a woman whose smiling expression was profoundly depressed.
* * *
"Hwaaaaaagh!"
What's with the sudden screaming?
What on earth did that Lisa brat say to make her wake up like that?
I was so startled I almost plowed the car into a tree by the roadside.
"You awake? Eat something."
"Food?"
"There's a rice ball and a cola next to you. Open them up and eat."
The road is such a mess it might be hard to eat, but considering what's about to happen, you'd better fill your stomach.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw Han A-bin’s dazed face. With a look of utter confusion, she began munching on the rice ball for now.
"What kind of dream did you have? You were out for quite a while."
"I'm not really sure myself...."
The disciples sitting in the back started chatting.
It was a bit distracting while driving, but it was a short enough conversation that it didn't break my concentration.
"More importantly, what do you mean by 'a while'?"
"You've been asleep for a week. Master said it wouldn't be a big deal, though."
"A week?"
Han A-bin’s already dim-witted-looking dazed expression distorted even more strangely.
As if her intelligence had regressed along with her expression, the rice ball that was at least making it into her mouth missed its mark, leaving a grain of rice stuck to her cheek.
"Yeah. Thanks to that, I had Master all to myself."
Baek Si-hyun then began to recount the past week of training.
Getting beaten with a hammer.
Getting bruised from being hit by The Hammer.
Dislocating a joint while swinging The Hammer.
Getting knocked unconscious by The Hammer.
To summarize, it was a boast about being pummeled with a hammer.
At those words, Han A-bin, seemingly unsure of how to react, continued moving the rice balls into her mouth one by one while staring at the jungle outside the window.
Contrary to Baek Si-hyun’s coming out as a masochist, the actual training had been fairly normal.
The problem wasn't the training content, but Baek Si-hyun’s bizarre learning speed.
It would be better if she were a genius who was fast at everything, but the problem was that I couldn't figure out what her criteria for learning were.
She learned minor techniques well, but her Weaponry Skills with The Hammer hadn't budged an inch even after a week. She couldn't get past the level of swinging it wildly like a child.
Thinking it might be due to a lack of real-world experience or fear of combat, I decided to head into the field without even checking Han A-bin’s condition.
I couldn't keep waiting since I didn't know when she'd wake up, and if she didn't, I could just carry her around.
Since she woke up on the way contrary to my expectations, I guess everything worked out.
Marveling at my own luck, I continued to drive. My feet still didn't reach the brakes properly, just like in the old days, but it wasn't a major issue. A car's primary purpose is to go forward, not to stop, isn't it?
The clutch is a bit of a problem, though.
Rumble. Rumble.
The car kept shaking due to the disastrous road conditions, and just as A-bin’s mouth was becoming covered in rice grains—
"Where are we going right now?"
"North Korea. The Restricted Area."
"North Korea? What's going on all of a sudden? Don't tell me... is it already the Hero Mobilization period?"
"The Mobilization Order is a long way off, so don't worry. Si-hyun, you explain it to her."
I'm too busy driving right now.
It's definitely not because I'm lazy.
As I thought earlier, it's hard to even step on the brakes properly with this body.
Thud.
I think I just hit something, but it should be fine. I couldn't see exactly what I hit because of the steering wheel, but there shouldn't be any people around here.
"We're going to hunt monsters!"
"Monsters?"
"Master knows a place where monsters are gathered in large numbers, so we're going to raid it!"
Baek Si-hyun’s explanation wasn't entirely wrong. It just left out the important parts.
I wonder how A-bin would have reacted if I told her we were attacking a place with a large number of B and C-Rank monsters.
"Um... Senior?"
"What?"
"I'm pretty sure my mana wasn't coming out, right? For real-world training, wouldn't it be a bit... difficult?"
"It'll come out now. Try drawing it out."
Well, I should give it a test run.
"Yes."
Crunch.
With the sound of crushing iron, a massive arrow tore through the passenger seat.
What is this? Is this a dream?
Pop. Whoosh.
What snapped me out of my brief escape from reality was an ominous sound coming from the front.
The car, which had been rattling along at its limit, slowly began to decelerate.
Once the car came to a complete stop, I jumped out of my seat and popped the hood.
The scene that met my eyes was disastrous.
An engine on fire, spraying oil.
Countless metal parts smashed beyond recognition.
Even if I were to ask if rental car insurance applied to this, the insurance agent would likely lose their smile and run away.
How much was in my bank account? I didn't have enough to buy a car, did I? But the rental car just evaporated? Hyun-seok! Lend me some money!
After finishing my brief escape from reality and making a resolution for the future, I turned my face toward Han A-bin.
"What was that?"
"That... I just tried to summon an arrow..."
Right, so too much mana burst out and you couldn't control it?
It was a Magic Staff I handed over expecting it to have good compatibility with Happiness Drop, but it seems the compatibility was far better than expected.
"Master. What do we do now?"
Baek Si-hyun asked a nonchalant question even in this situation.
"What else? We walk."
Si-hyun. I wish I could be as thoughtless as you.
Bang.
The car exploded once more, letting out its final death throe.