Ch. 73 - I should've come slowly

Hearing that a villain had appeared, I dashed outside the association building. As soon as I got out, I transformed and radioed Park Oh-Jin.

"Where should I go?"

[Head to the Awakener prison.]

"The prison? Did someone break out?"

[Yes. Not only did the villain escape, but he’s also attacking the guards and destroying the prison facilities.]

"What a headache."

It would have been easier if it were just an escape, but with the commotion, this won’t be simple. Destroying the prison could lead to more prisoners escaping. While subduing the escapee might not be too hard, finding the runaway inmates could be a real challenge.

[Oh, and about the escapee this time… It's Oh Min-Ji.]

"What?"

I stopped mid-flight at Park Oh-Jin’s words.

"Isn’t that the one I put away three years ago?"

[That’s right. And according to a report from the scene just now, Oh Min-Ji is rampaging and calling out your name, Team Leader.]

"Hmm..."

[I suspect he's filled with rage towards you, which is why he's causing such chaos.]

Is this headache because of a hangover, or is it from what I just heard? I can feel my vision going dark already.

"Got it. I’ll head over and take care of Oh Min-Ji first."

He’s someone I dealt with once before. It looks like a beating is just what he needs as a reminder.

***

"Shin Hye-Rim…!"

Shin Hye-Rim.

Not a single day—not even for one day—have I forgotten that name.

"I’ll never forgive you. Never."

The one who threw me into this iron-barred world. Just thinking about that woman who took away my freedom makes me so furious I could die. The memories of that day are still vivid. The day I encountered her and her team while rampaging, spewing flames in the middle of the city.

I knew the team would come to stop me. People don't like seeing someone breathing fire on the streets. They’d come to stop me, for sure.

"Haha! Come at me, you bastards!"

At that time, I reveled in the chaos. I hated a society where awakeners couldn’t run wild as they pleased and wanted to teach those who suppressed us a lesson. That’s when I ran into Shin Hye-Rim, who’d been dispatched to stop me.

"What’s this?"

That was the first thing Shin Hye-Rim said when she saw me, looking at me as though I were a bug. Her face didn’t match the image of a magical girl at all; there was a cold, hardened look.

At first, I thought she was a hero. After all, magical girls are usually heroes. But this one wasn’t a hero; she was part of the Awakened Crime Division.

"Hey. Stop causing more trouble and just surrender. That would be best for both of us."

With a look of utter annoyance, the magical girl said this.

Ridiculous. Giving up without doing anything? I’d never do that! If I am going to surrender, I wouldn’t have started this chaos in the first place!

"Ha! Ridicu—"

-BAM!!

Just as I was about to show her a taste of fire, I felt like I’d hit something and crashed to the ground. It happened in less than a second.

"…Huh?"

I was sprawled out on the asphalt, completely dazed. What… What just happened to me? Moving only my eyes, I looked at where I’d been, and there she was—the magical girl with her fist outstretched.

Wait, did I get hit by her? Did I really just get punched by that magical girl?

Why does a magical girl even use her fists? My brain was struggling to process this situation. I was so confused I couldn’t even speak.

"Hey."

While I was lying there, just blinking, the magical girl dusted off her hands and approached me.

"Try attacking me."

"...What?"

"Just like you were about to do earlier. Throw a punch, hurl a fireball, whatever you like."

"..."

Why was she doing this? I didn’t understand. But it was what I wanted. She’d humiliated me like this, so I had to get revenge!

I immediately formed a fireball and threw it at the magical girl standing before me.

-WHOOSH!

A huge blaze engulfed the magical girl. Even an awakener couldn’t survive such flames unscathed.

"Ha ha! How do you like the taste of my flames... huh?"

...Or so I thought. But when the flames receded, the magical girl appeared completely unharmed. Not a single piece of her clothing, not a strand of her hair was burned. The expressionless look on her face was gone, and now she was smiling.

"I confirmed that the criminal has resisted."

"...What?"

"From here on out, I won’t go easy on you."

What followed was hell itself. The magical girl threw punches and kicks at me mercilessly as if I were just a sandbag. She tossed me around, beating me up like it was a game.

I don’t know how much time passed.

"...P-Please… huff! Please, spare me."

My body was a wreck, hanging limp like a rag. I wanted to beg for forgiveness, but my mouth was filled with blood, so I couldn’t even speak properly. Not that she was going to listen; every time I tried to speak, she just shut me up.

"Phew. I finally subdued you. That was really dangerous."

Pretending to wipe the sweat that hadn’t even formed, the magical girl glanced at another Awakened Crime Division officer approaching.

"Could you cuff this one and get them out of here? They might resist again."

"Oh, yes! Absolutely!"

Treating me like an object, the magical girl told the officer to remove me. Even the officer seemed to fear her, quickly cuffing me and dragging me away.

I only found out her name was Shin Hye-Rim later.

"I’ll never forgive her. I’ll have my revenge. I’ll make sure of it."

Every day in prison, I lived with one thought—to get back at Shin Hye-Rim for what she did to me. If I ever got out of here, I’d return the pain she gave me tenfold. But how?

It was humiliating, but the difference in power between Shin Hye-Rim and me was clear. I had no way of beating her on my own. So how would I do it? What could I do to get my revenge?

One day, as I was deep in thought, a girl's voice echoed in my mind.

[How cute. Do you really want revenge on that girl?]

***

"Hahaha! This power! With this power, I can finally take revenge on her!"

The scene at the Awakener prison when I arrived was a spectacle. Oh Min-Ji was storming around the prison, launching fireballs at will. Guards and even inmates were fleeing from him in terror.

"Must have driven him mad, being stuck in here."

I hurriedly flew and stopped in front of Oh Min-Ji.

"Hey, stop. Don’t make things worse—just surrender."

"...Oh? Ohhhhhh!!"

Seeing me, Min-Ji’s eyes widened, and he broke into a wide grin.

"Shin Hye-Rim! I knew you’d come!"

"You still remember me?"

"Of course. I could never forget. Not even for a single day."

Heh, hehehe!

Min-Ji laughed eerily, his shoulders trembling. Honestly, it was disturbing. I thought he was crazy, but now I realize he truly is.

"I’ve been waiting for this day. For the day I could get revenge on you!"

It seems like Min-Ji’s madness is fueled by revenge against me. Being marked by a crazy person is a real hassle.

"Min-Ji. Just calm down and stop this. I’m asking you."

"Oh? Since when do you ask for favors? What happened to 'punch first, ask questions later'?"

"It’s only been a day; don’t pretend you know me."

You’d think we were longtime enemies.

"I’m saying this for your own good. If you keep going, I’ll have to use force…"

"That’s what I want."

"Hm?"

"I told you, I’ve been waiting for the day I could take revenge on you. This is that moment!"

Shing!

Min-Ji extended his arm, palm open, toward me.

"Behold! This is the power I acquired!"

Suddenly, a dark red mist began pouring from his hand. The ominous energy engulfed me, quickly wrapping around my entire body.

"...Ugh!"

I covered my mouth with my hand, feeling sick.

"Oh? Hahaha! So this power works on you too, huh?"

Seeing my struggle, Min-Ji burst into maniacal laughter, mocking me as if he was pleased.

But I didn’t have time to care about his laughter. This was unbearable.

"Sigh... I’ve been holding back since earlier."

I can’t hold it in any longer. I’m struggling to even stay on my feet.

"...I feel like I’m going to throw up."

Even transforming into a magical girl doesn’t seem to help with this damn hangover.

Comments