Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: S2.5. Does the Butterfly Dream of the Magical Girl? -4
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Whoosh──!!
The rain poured down in slashing sheets, carving diagonal scars across the world.
Raindrops plummeting into puddles on the curved black asphalt sent faint ripples scattering under the streetlamp glow. At a glance, it looked like static noise.
Roderus stood stock-still, lost in a whirlwind of inward-spiraling thoughts, as if planted before a blank TV screen after the broadcasts had ended.
So much had happened.
He'd made friends and tasted normal daily life for the first time ever.
He'd played the fox scorning sour grapes, calling the world complacent and lazy. But now he knew the value of their peaceful routine, where no one killed or died.
In the dream world, he'd built normal relationships with others, exchanged joys, and the brainwashing etched into his mind had gradually faded. Now he knew... everything about Duke Redburn was wrong.
He knew his place. He wasn't the duke's right-hand man—just one of many hunting dogs. The "approval" from the duke was mere acknowledgment of a tool.
He knew the comforting weight of a simple bowl of doenjang jjigae, sipped casually at dinner with friends one uneventful evening, without fretting over etiquette or which fork to use... just relaxed.
That was why.
Why Roderus's feet refused to move. It wasn't fear of the final battle, or dread of using Fable and maybe dying, or aversion to the fight itself.
It was terror of loss.
Roderus knew it bone-deep, shivering with the chill. Every night, waking from dreams back to his icy cell, he'd felt the mirage of warmth dissolve and wept soundlessly.
But at some point... that loss had been matched by equal hope. The dream kept going, seeming eternal. No reason to grieve.
Even enduring painful reality, he'd planned in his heart. Next dream, try a different dessert. Be less curt with Kim Luru this time. And next...
Reality became bearable. The sting of whippings, the humiliation of licking mossy walls, the crushing solitude of pitch-black darkness—all fine. There was light.
But leaving here.
Throwing himself into the storm to help the magical girl.
"Now it's not the transformation device— it'll be your brother's body that ends up like that."
He sensed he'd lose it all.
Dying in the dream meant never seeing them again. Then only Roderus of the Magician's Nightmare would remain in his hands.
Rumble──!!
Thunder crashed, and shadows of kaijin flickered beyond the clouds. Vast impure energy seeped from that direction.
"......"
I'm scared.
Terrified of parting. Of losing futures filled with shared meals, hand-holding, laughter, and stories. Ripped out by the roots.
But with that much impure energy, the magical girl's victory odds were near zero. Remembering badly injured Oh Hyein and Kim Luru...
"Damn it...!!"
His feet moved on their own.
Roderus charged through the downpour, chasing the faint pure energy of the magical girls, still undecided on anything.
At the center of the pitch-black thunderclouds spiraling overhead, immense impure energy gathered.
Citizens screamed and trembled at the sudden cataclysm, their negative emotions fueling the vortex larger.
Before it stood four ominous shadows. The Four Heavenly Kings of the evil organization.
And before them, a magical girl appeared.
"Magical Girl Pure Rodeo arrives!!" "The radiant light that saves all── Pure Light!"
⟨ Transformation Complete ⟩
"You've finally shown up... magical girl!!"
"What the hell are you plotting, you bastards──!!"
The mood was different from before. The Four Heavenly Kings' faces held no playfulness—just cold sneers. Amid whipping winds and rain, malice gleamed stark in their eyes.
Espoir de l'Éternal Dark bared her fangs in a grin. The moment she'd waited for. She flung her arms wide in swagger.
"We're summoning the Demon King to this world. The instant he descends... it's over. Ever imagined the end of everything? If not, you'll see it now."
"We'll stop you. We won't let you run wild, Eternal Dark!"
"Ahahaha──!! Too late, way too late! Haven't you ever wondered why things felt off?"
"......What do you mean?"
Eternal Dark cackled, then explained with exaggerated courtesy, eyes crinkling. Explaining death to a lamb before doom was pure delight.
Dozens of mouths sprouted from her shadow, voices uniting in chorus.
"Why didn't we kill you? Why didn't all Four Heavenly Kings deploy and erase you in one go? We had chances galore!"
"......"
"Because hope breeds despair. Your existence boosted impure energy production! We played the bumbling fools who couldn't even kill... while stockpiling impure energy behind the scenes. Luring you to waste pure energy!"
They controlled damage to keep the magical girl from getting serious, endangered citizens to force rescues that burned pure energy.
Instead of tentacles strangling and snapping necks, they toyed leisurely to extract energy.
Now, with enough for the Demon King...
"No reason to keep you alive. When the Demon King descends, all humanity falls into hypnosis, trapped in endless nightmares. They'll become impure energy factories. Magical girls? Obsolete."
"......"
"It was a thrift war between us! You wasted energy on pointless rescues—instead of deceiving and sacrificing them to hoard pure energy!"
Groooowwwl──!!
The vortex core parted slowly, revealing a massive eye. It peeked through the rift, then fingers reached to widen it.
Crackkk──!!
The impure energy dimensional gate expanded. Fully open, the Demon King would descend. Oh Hyein said,
"......Luru, they're blustering, but the gate isn't fully open yet. We can close it now."
"That means taking down all Four Heavenly Kings?"
"Exactly."
"Damn... I liked it better when we weren't killing each other."
Kim Luru scratched her head furiously, then clenched her fists tight.
These Four Heavenly Kings had murder in their eyes today. Especially Eternal Dark—she reeked of kill-intent.
That couldn't happen.
If Oh Hyein died, Luru would be furious. Devastated, too.
Even if their plan succeeded and the world turned bleak, it'd hurt. Classmates suffering, Oh Daesoo bawling in agony—her chest ached at the thought.
No. She wanted them happy.
Defending the imperial capital wasn't duty. No family, no friends to protect, and the swordmaster gramps she liked was strong enough without her.
So... now, for the first time, Luru resolved to protect someone.
"Hyein-ah. Let's protect our friends, no matter what!!"
"......Yeah!"
Facing the magical girls' resolve...
The top-ranked Fourth Heavenly King, the man with three pairs of wings, Zechiel, extended a hand and declared solemnly.
"We've staked everything now. We'll win and take it all."
The final battle curtain rose.
Killing intent.
It spiked like a dagger, raising every hair on her body, stabbing her heart with searing pain.
Kim Luru raised her guard on instinct. Oh Daesoo's voice flashed in her mind: prioritize vitals, center line.
Above it, Eternal Dark's fist, wrapped in sticky shadow, slammed down.
Eternal Impact
Full-force shadow punch
"......!!"
Bam──!!
Luru's small frame rocketed back. She flew far, crashing into a shopping street sign, crumpling it with her back before tumbling three rolls across the pavement.
"Ow, shit... ughhh!!"
"Die──!!"
Luru rolled desperately again as she prepped a counter. Eternal Dark gripped a shadow spear and plummeted like a meteor.
Crunch──!!
The black spear impaled where Luru had been.
Eternal Dark pressed relentlessly. She swung the grounded spear, shattering asphalt chunks, slashing with the blade.
Swoosh──!!
"Eek...!!"
Luru leaped aside in place. As Luru hung midair, Eternal Dark readied a spear throw. No evasion up there.
"That's why Daesoo said not to jump recklessly...!!"
Makes sense why he harped on jump attacks.
But she had a way. Timing the shadow spear's flight, Luru blasted pure energy upward. Newton's third: she slammed groundward like weighted down.
Slice!
A few hairs snagged and snapped.
Wasteful brute force, but she lived. Luru low-tackled from her crouch.
Thud.
Full power, full weight into Eternal Dark's legs—but she didn't budge.
Looking down, black shadow anchored her feet. No toppling, no matter the strain.
She lacked finesse or overwhelming power.
"Idiot."
Eternal Dark clasped hands overhead and smashed Luru's back. Crack. Luru stifled a scream amid full-body agony.
"......Kuh!"
"Tanking won't win this. What an idiot!"
Thwack──!
Eternal Dark's knee drove deep into Luru's solar plexus. Gah—lungs emptied. Follow-up kick.
Luru reflex-blocked with right arm. Crunch. Grim snap, then flung far.
"Ack...!!"
She rolled, barely standing. Right forearm bent impossibly. Bone broken.
Eternal Dark scoffed at ragged Luru.
"Too weak. Not even funny—makes me yawn."
"......I'm actually strong, y'know? Just going easy now."
"Let's see how long that bluff lasts. After I snap every limb, still talking big?"
"Try it!!"
To roaring Luru, Eternal Dark leisurely thrust her spear.
Kim Luru knew. She'd lose like this. Not just lose—pinned like a dragonfly by a kid.
Simple reason: enemy had more mana, fought better. Luru was the sloppy one, winning past fights on raw power bursts.
If she could bring her real dream-world body, crush with a finger.
Pipe dream. She had to beat a heavier weight class.
Overcoming class gaps? Cumulative effort called "technique." Not skipping training because beams kill anyway.
But yeah.
Luru knew one technique. Oh Daesoo nagged all day till she memorized it. Proper punches, he'd said.
Twist waist more—he adjusted her everywhere, and she'd liked it, faking worse on purpose.
Straight punch.
"Ahahaha──!! Die, magical girl! Shatter like a bug!"
"Ughhh...!!"
Spear flew. Not vitals—peeling skin like an apple, for pain.
Clothes shredded, skin split. Luru dodged desperately, but danced in Eternal Dark's palm. Bloodied in seconds.
She utterly underestimated Luru. Made sense—wild kid flailing weakly.
"Your fighting style's only 'merit' is fooling foes into thinking you're dumb. Don't laugh—I'm telling you to fix it!!"
Daesoo's pissed voice echoed. Luru giggled even as flesh flayed.
That laugh irked—Eternal Dark's moves grew irritated, exposing a gap. One chance to stab carelessness.
"Hng."
Now.
"Which hand? Right? Anchor on left foot. Like driving a spike—plant left firm."
Plant.
"Right leg kicks ground for power. Waist turns natural. Twist waist. Not front-back—this way, this──!!"
Yeah, got it. Just messing around, Daesoo.
"Power from legs up. Toes, knee, hip, waist—feel rotation to shoulder, elbow, wrist, fist."
Gather all.
"Full body muscles striking."
Full body. All pure energy crammed.
Splat──!!
Something shattered. Eternal Dark's head caved, snapping back. Never expected broken right arm. Or such force.
"Th, thii...s."
Smack──!!
Luru finished with left straight. Shadow body dissolved into black mist, losing head.
"Ugh... fuck, hurts like hell."
Bones and flesh mangled. Rest soon or cross Jordan.
But dawdling meant Hyein soloing three Kings. Who'd guard Daesoo then?
"Alright, Kim Luru... fighting! Just a bit more."
Luru wiped nosebleed toughly, clenched fist. Wrapped broken arm in bandages from nearby pharmacy.
As she headed for next fight, a voice called from behind. A girl in a conical hat.
"......Where to?"
"......Perfect timing. Was looking for you guys."
Fourth Heavenly King #2, Yunaris, Being of Infinite Emptiness.
Consecutive battles.