Counterattack and the Salvation of the Fallen

[ System Authority Hijacked: Imprinting ‘Han Siwoo.’]

31 fallen ones gaze at me. They're staring at me entranced, drooling.

[ Corrupted Entity No. 31 has become completely subordinate to ‘Han Siwoo.’ ]

"What the hell is this…?"

Serena Nightbloom, the chief, couldn't even comprehend what was happening.

The 31 magical girls kneel toward me all at once.

"Want me to explain?"

I sneer down at her. The magical girls' conditions are all utterly horrific.

So I need to end the battle as quickly as possible and heal them.

But first, I have to let Lumia Star know. That I've turned them into allies.

"Lumia! These girls are all on our side now, so take care of that Serena chief for me!"

Lumia Star glances back and forth between me and the magical girls.

"Ah…!"

She claps her hands as if suddenly understanding all the strange behavior from the magical girls up until now.

"Incredible! My man's putting on such a show—I can't just stand around!"

She raises her weapon toward Serena Nightbloom below.

Serena Nightbloom watches it unfold right before her eyes.

Her mind couldn't make sense of the situation. The pawns she'd poured her blood and sweat into corrupting were falling into that man's grasp.

"What the hell is this…."

She couldn't think straight.

Why? No, how?

She'd corrupted magical girls to offer them up to Mother at the right time. Hiding so many Mothers in the real world wasn't easy.

Until the day Mother herself manifested and brought Korea to ruin, she'd raised and positioned as many children as possible.

That man had ruined it all. Ruined everything.

All those resources she'd prepared while fallen.

Ah…. Mother… I'm sorry.

My efforts. My creations. Stolen away.

I can't let that happen.

"You… Han Siwoo, was it?"

What the hell is that man? Ah, right, she remembered.

"You're the branch chief's son?"

Second-generation kids.

And that guy's the branch chief's son.

The branch chief was a man—and a magical girl. His wife was a magical girl too.

A child born between two magical girls.

Ha….

Magical girls are mutants created by implanting dimensional monster genetic traits into humans.

And that mutant couple met, got married.

"Grind."

Does that guy have the same ability as his mother? I have to kill him.

This is getting out of hand. The great undertaking is crumbling.

The risk has ballooned ridiculously. I have to kill him somehow….

She grips her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weapon. Kill him.

That man must die no matter what.

"Myohwa Serin, protect Siwoo!" "Yes, I'll stake my life on it."

At some point, the black barrier that had been blocking our surroundings had vanished.

She's coming straight at us?

"Siwoo!"

Boom! Crash!

Lumia Star blocks the scythe crashing down on my head. An explosive blast and massive gust send my body reeling.

"You crazy bitch, ignoring me to go for Siwoo?" "Hand over that man, and I'll spare the rest of you."

Serena Nightbloom looms over me arrogantly.

"Get lost!"

A curse I'd never heard from Lumia Star's lips bursts out.

"Serena chief, don't you know whose neck those 31 magical girls you lost are after?"

I gesture with my hand, issuing the command.

"Everyone, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kill the chief!"

I can't do detailed control. I can't coordinate all the magical girls' abilities.

If Yumi Young had been here, could she have coordinated them? Just as that thought crosses my mind, drones fly in from both sides.

"I didn't arrive too late, did I?" "Yumi Young team leader!"

The team leader shows up at the perfect timing. Is this what they call a veteran?

"Then, care for a quick sitrep?" "Serena Nightbloom, the chief, is a Fallen One. The 31 magical girls in the sky above are now under my command."

"What, magical girls?" "No time to explain. Can you control them?"

"Of course. Hey! Pull up the Association database, face-match and sync them right away! Call in the full emergency standby team!"

I hear frantic activity over the call.

"Thank you. Then, linkup to you, team leader."

"Leave it to me."

I carefully issue orders to the 31 magical girls.

"Everyone, equip your tactical comm earpieces and follow directives!"

The 31 magical girls each don the earpieces they always carry.

"These bitches!"

Serena Nightbloom's face turns ashen the moment she grasps the situation.

2nd to 3rd rank magical girls are weak. Well, "weak" isn't quite accurate, but compared to that chief, they definitely are.

But if they're coordinated from behind, breathing in sync, the situation flips completely.

Synergy effect.

The synergy from veteran coordination is something no one can ignore. Their magics amplify each other.

That synergy multiplies their original power several times—maybe even dozens.

"You dare!"

One magical girl grabs her violin and plays. Notes fly through the air, countless arrows rain from the sky.

Buffs concentrate on Lumia Star. Blue skies spread with paint-like colors adorning the world.

Layered barriers spread around us. Space naturally fractures.

At the same time, multicolored particles engulf Serena Nightbloom.

"This is insane…."

Boom!

The battle that follows is so dazzling and fast that ordinary eyes couldn't track it. I leave it to them. No way they're losing.

"Myohwa Serin, let's head down to Yuna."

"Yes."

We reach the basement floor, where Yuna is surrounded by tentacles.

"Can you clear those?" "Understood."

Myohwa Serin flicks her hand lightly, and the tentacles melt away. Luna Pixie Yuna collapses to the floor.

I catch her and hold her close.

"Han Siwoo…."

Yuna calls my name in a dying voice.

"You're safe now."

Her face is twisted in terror. White, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sticky fluid drips all over her body.

"I'm filthy…."

She hunches her shoulders, trying to pull away from my embrace, but I hold her tighter.

"You're not filthy. And you held out great."

At my words, Yuna pushes me away and falls on her butt.

"Ah… this… I didn't mean to…."

Yuna stammers incoherently, flustered, then slumps down, covering her face with both hands.

"Why am I like this? I can't do anything right…. Sorry… you came to save me and…."

Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I had no resentment toward Yuna before coming here. But seeing her suffer like this, it's hard to ignore.

I've seen enough of how agonizing fallen magical girls are. From Myohwa Serin, from countless status windows. So I want her to atone and return to normal life.

"It's okay. Let's get out together."

I extend my hand to her. Yuna stares at it for a long time.

Like it's broken.

Luna Pixie Yuna. She couldn't make sense of everything happening before her eyes.

Han Siwoo, Lumia Star, and her old friend Myohwa Serin had come to rescue her—but they'd ended up in danger instead.

She should help them. But fear paralyzed her.

Dozens of fallen magical girls were already lying in wait. If she helped and they lost, what then? Cowardly thoughts dominated her mind, disgusting even to herself.

Hope seemed absent for those who'd come to save her.

But.

The countless magical girls floating in the sky soon knelt toward Han Siwoo one by one. And from there, the entire situation reversed.

At Han Siwoo's gesture. The fallen magical girls began attacking Serena Nightbloom at his command.

Serena Nightbloom, caught in the sudden reversal, could only scramble defensively—barely, as wounds appeared on her body.

Light….

The man was the light she'd admired since childhood.

The light that seizes impossible victory. The light that comes to save the woman who nearly killed her.

In the end, that light descends and reaches out to her too.

And embraces her.

That warm light…. It burned too hot for her.

Her body aflame.

I….

Ah, I see.

I've been this dark all along.

I chased to become light, but I was only its shadow.

Could I forgive someone trying to kill me? Sacrifice my life to save her?

She understood now.

I can't.

Just moments ago, fear of punishment kept me from stepping up.

I can never become light.

True light showed her that.

That was the moment. A blue window appeared before her eyes.

So… she resolved.

She would become darkness, following the most radiant light. Chasing her childhood dream.

'I'll fall.'

Her body begins to darken. When those horrific tentacles kneaded her core, it was torment.

But this felt like warm darkness cradling her. So, Han Siwoo, I swear to become your shadow, trailing your light.

"Yuna? You okay?"

Even now, his worry for her is so warm and dazzling that tears flow.

"Yes. I swear to become your eternal shadow."

She kneels, raising both hands before the man like in prayer.

"So, please permit me to be the shadow that follows you forever?" "What?" The man glances at the air, then sighs. "Yeah, do whatever's comfortable."

For the rest of her life, she would serve at his side as the deepest darkness, making that brilliant light shine even brighter.