Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 60: Whether Rich or Not, One Bullet Will Do (2)

“I’ve arrived.”

The monster who introduced himself as Huang stopped his vehicle in front of a house.

He moved quickly, opening the door and standing at attention.

It was an impressive sight, just like a wealthy chauffeur from a drama.

I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if the monsters I knew moved with such poise.

However, all those advantages were overshadowed by one glaring problem.

That muscle… he looked like a gang member.

He could at least wear a suit that fit him properly.

What, is he trying to show off his muscles with that tight outfit?

Just striking a pose looked like it could tear his clothes, revealing those muscles.

Even if he moved with poise, he’d just come off as a threat.

Looking around at the houses, it seemed this was a neighborhood of rich folks, so wouldn’t the police be called immediately if someone this suspicious started wandering around?

Despite that, he took his role as a chauffeur seriously, rushing to open the main gate for me as I got out of the car.

“You don’t have to…”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

He smiled and bent at the waist.

“Don’t do that. You really look like a thug.”

Do all monsters act like that because they find it charming?

Reiga from the Bunker, too, was like that. Seeing this guy acting the same way gave me a headache. Reiga at least had a tiger’s face, but this guy looked just like a human.

Never mind.

I wasn’t here to pay attention to someone like him; I came to buddy up with the Danger Rifle and Yumil.

I could hardly afford to waste my mental energy on this guy.

Zap.

Just as I thought that and was about to jump over the entrance, sparks flew, pricking at my body.

That little sting made me instinctively take a step back.

“Oh, I forgot about that. I should have informed you earlier.”

“Rebound Barrier or something.”

“Yes. Every wealthy household has one of these nowadays.”

That barrier seemed a bit too strong for what it was—it could bounce weak otherworld beings away instead of just pushing them back.

Did the Association apply some new technology here?

“I’ll release it now, so please wait a moment…”

Huang’s face showed a hint of apology.

It was pointless to smile when he was in the wrong, but it was clear he did it on purpose.

He had a playful personality beneath that exterior.

He probably knew I was coming and intentionally left it on.

If so, then it was time to play along.

“I don’t need it.”

I threw myself towards the barrier.

Sparks flew all over my body as my skin peeled, but this was nothing.

This level of protection could only barely stop a D-class monster. What was the meaning of this kind of intensity?

Indeed. Was this what it was?

An attack headed for my head.

Clang.

Two hammers collided.

A bright clang echoed through the air.

Then I felt something flying towards me.

I sensed small bullets slicing through the air.

Was it to target me that the hammer above my head started moving?

It held my hammer back with precise power control, as if not letting me block the bullets.

If I tried to stop the bullets, my hammer would be knocked away.

It was a well-timed cooperation aimed at guaranteeing a hit.

Not bad.

Although it wasn’t perfectly synchronized, they showed decent coordination.

I had deliberately shown an opening to draw them in, yet they fully committed to blocking my hammer.

The close-combat fighter, knowing my movements, aimed for the most troublesome spots to sniper me.

The two of them were in sync.

It was hard to believe they had been working together for less than a month.

If I considered it a tricky pairing, with Baek Sihyeon rampaging without care and Han Abin backing her up, this was a classic combination.

Of course, one side had a genius like Han Abin, making it possible.

On the other hand, this combo existed because it included a seasoned expert who reached the peak of martial skills.

“Then I’ll show one too.”

If they remembered my past, they might know there were also defenses I could use in this situation. Surely, they wouldn’t be able to stop it, even if they knew.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

As the bullets approached, the enemy’s hammer swung faster.

They must have felt urgency since I hadn’t acted yet.

Still, they were too premature.

If they thought a little longer, they could have understood what I would do.

Even if knowledge and martial skills connected, applying that knowledge to the entire battlefield required more practical experience.

The bullets drew closer.

Until the last moment, the opponent swung their hammer faster without letting up.

The sound of metal colliding persisted endlessly.

And then, when I could no longer avoid the bullets…

Thump.

A moment’s limit release.

I immediately re-engaged the limiter, but I hadn’t intended to overpower them from the beginning. What I needed was the shockwave created by releasing the limiter.

The shockwave generated from my body swept through the bullets, and they quickly lost speed.

With that, the bullets became little more than pebbles thrown by a child.

This was sufficient. If the bullets weren’t enhanced, there were plenty of ways to block them even without a weapon.

“Are you satisfied?”

I stopped the attack and turned my hammer towards her, looking at her.

“I didn’t think you would block it like that.”

She said, dressed in a black dress and slinging a hammer over her shoulder.

“Close combat seemed similar…”

She didn’t seem pleased to have lost to me, swinging her hammer and digging into the grass beneath her.

She had changed too much in this short time.

The emotionless, blunt Yumil now showed feelings befitting a young girl.

Even now, with her lips puffed out, she seemed to express her displeasure at this duel.

“Yumil! You need to apologize!”

The Danger Rifle had approached without me noticing.

She shouted that, grabbing Yumil’s back and forcing her head down.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! Teacher! I tried to stop her, but Yumil insisted she’d take full responsibility!”

Her long black hair swung up and down, in stark contrast to the little girl struggling with her head down.

Well, I couldn’t say a word about it now.

“You don’t need to make excuses. Let’s call it a practical training exercise.”

It was kind of fun.

“That muscle monster’s on our side…”

As I looked back at the main gate, there was nothing in sight.

Only the gates creaked on their hinges.

I’d have loved to beat up that guy, but both the car and the muscle-bound menace had vanished.

He ran away.

Guess there’s no choice.

“Lift your heads. If you’d used enhanced bullets, you might have won one round.”

I complimented the two women, who lifted their heads upon hearing my words.

It was an ordinary bullet; I blocked it with the shockwave.

If it was like the last bullet—enhanced with 2-stage propulsion and a blast spell—there wouldn’t have been anything I could do.

Of course, that was if I hadn’t released the limiter. If I released it, I would crush them with overwhelming strength, but that was a trivial feat.

I had to commend them for winning one round with pure technique.

Their faces lit up with smiles.

Meanwhile, with a straight face, Yumil subtly lifted her lips at the corners.

What was this? They weren’t even my students.

“Is it over? Show me the way home.”

“Are you living away from your family?”

“Yes? How did you know?”

How did I know?

The living room looked like this.

Gun. Gun. Gun. Machinery. Gun.

No, was that an anti-tank missile?

That was a motorcycle. That’s a gun.

What the heck is that scrapped radio doing here?

The living room I entered, guided by Chung Solim, was utterly surreal.

Weapons hung on the walls, a motorcycle dangled from the ceiling, and an anti-tank missile leaned in the corner.

“Are you interested in guns?”

As I stared at the guns, she approached me.

She seemed to have been scared moments ago, but now she was acting quite actively.

Is she the type to talk more when the topic is something she likes?

“Not really.”

I just knew enough to deal with them from having seen them a lot.

She frowned at my comment and pulled away from me.

As I continued to examine the firearms one by one, a small frame caught my eye.

It was an odd photo in a cheap frame hanging on the wall.

Despite the numerous people in the photo, it seemed they were all punching each other, and the camera was unfocused, making it impossible to recognize their faces.

An odd photo, yet it bizarrely caught my interest.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that’s a photo of heroes given to us by our uncle.”

At those words, my memories began to flicker back to life.

It was around the time the Association was founded when they considered taking a group photo.

Awakeners and non-awakeners, as well as people who resonated with our ideals, gathered for a collective photo.

“My uncle gave me this photo and told me what the old heroes did to protect the world and why those records faded…”

It was the last record captured to help the young heroes in their pursuit of power.

Yet even that had been marred by fights, and they failed to take a proper picture.

And yet, it remained here.

Half of those in the photo had died.

The remaining half had retired.

Only we were left.

“I see.”

I concealed my emotions, quietly sinking into the sofa at the center of the living room.

“Did you see the picture?”

Yumil, sipping fruit juice while sitting on the sofa, opened her mouth.

Since she lived in this house, she would know what that photo represented.

“Yeah.”

It was a simple answer, but Yumil didn’t say another word.

She was also someone with my memories. Though she had changed a lot from me, she surely understood what I was feeling.

Having noticed the awkwardness, Chung Solim also sat down on the sofa, and after some time passed, when my emotions had calmed…

“Yumil.”

“Did you tell Chung Solim my identity yet?”

“Not yet. I figured you’d want to keep it a secret.”

“I’m thinking of changing that policy.”

Did Chung Solim sense the atmosphere between me and Yumil? She lifted her head and glanced back and forth between us.

The identity of Black Marauder…? Could she really be the Black Marauder…?

Seeing Chung Solim speak in a small voice, she seemed quite slow on the uptake.

“Yumil, let me ask you one thing.”

Seeing her seem to understand what I intended to say, she shut her mouth.

But that didn’t mean I had to stop speaking.

“Danger Rifle. Can you fully trust Chung Solim?”

It was perhaps a cruel question for Yumil.

I couldn’t know the exact relationship between Chung Solim and Yumil.

Yet it was certain they had some level of friendship; otherwise, they wouldn’t be together like this.

Maybe they were friends; Yumil’s first friend since birth.

Despite that, I had to ask.

Was she someone who could be trusted till the end?

Just like so many friends from my memories who betrayed me, wasn’t there a chance she’d betray me too?

Yumil’s expression twisted.

Just like mine.

Her grimace showed she was deep in thought until she finally came to a conclusion.

“It should be okay… probably… she won’t betray us.”

“Then I’ll ask Chung Solim. No, Danger Rifle.”

“Y-yes! I’m ready!”

Not expecting to be called, she held her posture straight and turned to me.

Her face was rigid, beads of cold sweat dripping down; there were clear signs of tension.

“From now on, we’ll start clashing with the Association. We might even end up at odds with them.”

As she listened intently with her mouth shut, I continued talking.

“Of course, I don’t wish for a bloodbath. What is needed is a new faction of heroes. Not lazy heroes who let things go like now but heroes who endure hardships and renew themselves like the old heroes.”

“We’re going to create such a faction to shake up the Association. No matter who wins, it doesn’t matter.”

Due to that shake-up, the heroes would face their own hardships.

Chung Solim’s face began to grow foggy.

As if my words were the truth.

“In that story, can you not betray me?”

“Yes! Of course! I’ve thought that way from the start!”

Her response veered off track.

It wasn’t an answer to my question, but a loyalty to the cause.

Her face shone brightly.

As if she found a task she needed to accomplish.

“Then, I will reveal my identity.”

A golden hammer was summoned into the air.

“Golden Hammer…?”

Yumil’s tongue slipped.

Chung Solim stared blankly at the light.

With the hammer in my right hand, the blackness enveloping my body faded away.

What emerged was my appearance as a magical girl.

Silver hair, crimson eyes, and the golden hammer.

“Crimson Hammer. An old hero.”

The hero name I self-proclaimed.

That was enough for her.

I reached out to her.

Completely mesmerized, she reached for me as well.

The old hero she had longed for spoke, declaring the kind of justice she liked.

In such a well-matched situation, who wouldn’t be deceived?

Yumil seemed displeased with the situation, clicking her tongue, but she didn’t hinder my actions.

Chung Solim and I’s hands touched.

With that, a pawn was created. A pawn of Black Marauder to stake a wedge in the Association.

“Is it done? Shall we head home?”

“I’ll be sleeping here.”

“There’s only one bed, you know?”

What?

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