Reinforcements Clash: The Star That Embraced the Bomb

[Luna Pixie Yuna has voluntarily fallen and submitted herself to Han Siwoo.]

Before I could do anything, she chose to fall on her own.

Her beautiful fairy dress was dyed black, leaving only tattered shreds. It looked just like her heart.

"Yuna, can you move?"

"Yes, my body feels much lighter now."

"I don't know the battlefield situation, but how does it look?"

"Lumia ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠has the overwhelming advantage. The battle will probably be decided soon."

"Master, you should move first. There are too many dimensional monsters around."

"Thanks, Myohwa Serin. Yuna, let's go together."

I held out my hand to Yuna. She hesitated for a moment,

then took it.

"Yes!"

Myohwa Serin scooped me up and floated into the air. Yuna, who had been watching the fight, spoke up as if she'd made up her mind.

"I'll join in too."

A drone that had been listening to our situation approached.

"Earset ready here."

"Whoa, Team Leader, you're always so prepared?"

An earset popped out from the drone.

"This is basic."

Veterans really are on another level, huh?

"Yuna, you okay?"

"Yes, thanks to you, Siwoo, I've found my courage."

She flashed a quick smile, then shifted straight into battle mode.

"Situation room, do you read? Luna Pixie Yuna joining the fray."

With those words, Yuna dove into the battlefield. Thirty-three magical girls were ganging up on Chief Serena. It didn't look much different from hunting dimensional monsters.

Yuna joined Lumia, who was fighting so coolly at the vanguard. Now the tide of battle was turning so obviously in our favor that even I could see it. Just a few dozen more seconds, and this fight would be over.

Thud.

Something burst with a sound, and Myohwa Serin wrapped her body around mine. Then came the shock rippling through my entire frame. Her body slammed into me like it was embedding itself.

"Guh…."

Red blood sprayed across my chest.

"Myohwa Serin?"

"Another enemy…."

We were hurtling through the air, slicing through the wind.

"Sorry…."

Myohwa Serin hurriedly twisted her body, putting herself beneath me. And then.

Boom.

We crashed straight into the side of a building.

"Myohwa Serin!"

"My apologies. A few cracked ribs and some internal damage…."

Beat to hell, Myohwa Serin clung to me as we plummeted to the ground.

"What the hell?"

"Ahh, so that's why Serena called for me."

"Who the hell are you?"

There stood a magical girl I'd never seen before.

"This is… the leader of a Japanese anti-government group. Yoruno Shizuku."

"What? That terrorist?"

A terrorist outfit made up of fallen ones and villains. Even the Japanese government couldn't touch them—they were that massive.

"Yes. She's dangerous—stay behind me."

"You know me, huh? How? My info's top secret."

"That's why a big shot like you is after us!"

"Ah! You're Myohwa Serin! The one that gold horse Serena raised so carefully!"

"Shut up! Cough…."

I racked my brain. If we could just hold out a little… just a bit longer? We almost had Chief Serena beat.

So all we had to do was stall.

"So what's your goal? Let's negotiate."

"Hey, can I take him?"

The unknown terrorist looked down at me, licking her lips. Like I was some damn meal.

I wanted to snap back, but….

"I'm just a regular guy?"

"Regular? Ha, I saw it all, punk—you hijacked those magical girls, didn't ya?"

Magical girl hijacking. The meaning was obvious. She'd seen me turn fallen magical girls into mine. Ugh… this was insane.

She'd figured it all out?

"Come to my side, and I'll treat ya real nice."

"No thanks. I don't wanna get mixed up with fallen ones."

"Haha, ya punk, got some guts on ya."

Slice.

Something sickening sounded, and sensation vanished from my right arm. Looking down, my severed arm was rolling on the ground.

"I ask nice, and you think it's a joke?"

"Argh, aaaargh…."

Blood fountained from the clean-cut stump. It hurt, hurt, hurt.

Shizuku teleported in and slammed Myohwa Serin into the dirt.

"Master… guh."

We couldn't buy time. We were candles in the wind. She could kill us with a flick of her wrist.

I didn't get it, but imprint. Gotta do something or we're dead. Blood wouldn't stop. Enduring brain-melting pain, I clamped down the bleeding.

"Hah, ha, hah."

Cold sweat poured off me like mad.

Dizziness hit my head like a truck. I barely clung to consciousness. Vision spun. What the hell was happening?

Boom.

"What? Ya still got fight left in ya, punk?"

"Don't touch Master!"

Myohwa Serin rose, one arm twisted backward, blocking me.

"Hah, hah…."

Pain fogged my brain.

"What the—? You suddenly powered up? Is your mommy nearby… Ah! You're the guy! A dude!"

"Get… lost…."

Forcing down the gushing blood, I staggered up and flipped her off with my good hand.

"Ha, you little monster. I'm taking you no matter what."

Myohwa Serin flew at her to protect me, but got smacked away every time. No matter how many times she charged, she ended up embedded in the ground.

"Myohwa Serin, stop!"

It was pointless. We were just toys.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"But…."

"I'll go, so you…."

"Aigoo, if only. That'd be perfect."

She dusted her hands and approached me.

Whoooosh.

Thud.

A black staff shot from the sky, stabbing between me and Shizuku.

"This… damn it…."

Then a black figure dropped from above.

"Dad…?"

"What'd you do to my son? Shouldn't you be rotting in Japan?"

"Damn, Branch Chief, still got that fire! Guess that's it for today!"

"Where you goin'?"

Dad charged and blasted Shizuku away. Watching, it hit me.

My dad was insanely strong.

"You dare touch my son?"

Thwack, thud, thwack.

"Hey! Ugh, you crazy bastard, your kid's bleeding out!"

He wielded the magical girl staff like a club, beating her senseless. When she tried to fly off,

he swung it into the ground. She dodged and flew—only for him to slam her back down.

Like swatting a fly—nailed mid-air, smashed into the dirt.

Whoosh….

I hadn't known what Dad did, but seeing him fight….

Damn, my dad was reliable….

Eyes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kept drooping.

"Master, you're stable. Just hold on—the medics are here."

Warm energy flowed into my right arm. Pain ebbed.

But… maybe from the tension release? Eyes grew heavier.

Yeah.

Everything's fine now.

Lumia spotted a red shooting star at the edge of her vision. The one carrying Siwoo kept streaking endlessly until it smashed into a building.

"Damn it."

Why couldn't she win? She had total superiority.

No finishing move against Chief Serena.

A first-gen magical girl turned fallen. Honestly, too strong. It shook the confidence she'd shown Siwoo.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Gotta save Siwoo now—can this unit hold for one minute?"

She briefed the situation room immediately.

"Impossible. Even 50 seconds is pushing it."

"But Siwoo!"

"Yuna here. I'll hold alone!"

"No! One collapse makes it worse! I'll find a way!"

Her heart raced. Leave, and these girls die. But Siwoo in danger? Unthinkable.

"Association says Branch Chief's deploying—finish there first!"

Branch Chief? He hadn't hit the front lines since Korea Branch started.

Odd, but he was the strongest first-gen. Reassuring.

"Got it. Wrap this up fast."

"Alpha9 position—fire!"

She pressed Serena, syncing breaths over the earset.

Sliced off an arm, a leg.

"Hah… huff… you didn't have this power before…."

"Same for you, right Chief?"

Serena's power—from falling. She realized it clashing.

Some dimensional monster-like energy. Did she have it? No….

She didn't use it. No clue why.

Anyway, Serena was neutralized.

"Surrender already?"

"Haha…."

Lumia gave her a final choice.

"Siwoo could cure your fall."

"Cure my fall?"

Serena burst into mad laughter.

"Ahahahaha! Pfft, hahahahaha!"

Laughing like a lunatic, shaking the sky. Had she snapped?

Then she spoke.

"Eat shit."

With her remaining hand, she fumbled in her pocket and gripped a button. No way!

"Saved it for when Mother descends."

Lumia lunged for it—too late.

Beep.

The ground rumbled. Then,

BOOM.

A massive red energy orb bloomed in the sky.

"My masterpiece—corrupts all Seoul citizens and magical girls!"

"What?"

The orb pulsed, ready to burst.

"It blows, citizens turn villains, magical girls fall! Ahahahaha!"

That explained the laughter?

Stop it. But how? Touching might set it off.

"Go on, squirm."

Ignoring Serena's mockery, Lumia ascended. Sticky dimensional monster mana leaked from the sphere, dripping down.

Blows up, everyone falls? Seoul… no, Korea's done.

Can't move it without detonating.

One way left.

Devour it all.

She had Siwoo. Trust him.

She slurped the dripping red energy.

"Mmgh."

Hot, sticky, disgusting sliding down her throat. But….

Couldn't stop. Detonation ends everything. Villains and fallen everywhere… massacre across Korea.

Endure… endure… gotta endure.

Like chugging sewer sludge. But endure.

"Lumia, stop! Any more…."

Ignored the earset chatter.

Drank and drank. Compressed drained chunks with mana, crammed it all in.

"Hah… ha… hah…."

Head spun.

World turned red.

A blue window floated—unreadable.

Han Siwoo….

One man swirled in her storming mind.

In the melting red world, instinct flared mana. Seeking him desperately.

There!

She rocketed like a bullet.