Chapter 4
Reina stood still, dumbfounded, staring at the scene before her. She had defeated that monstrous werewolf. And she did it without anyone else’s help.
Well, technically speaking, she did receive “help” from the Black Knight, but since he wasn’t human, she decided to let that slide.
The Black Knight had disappeared at some point. He was probably satisfied that the outcome had played out as he had wanted. It was frustrating to be nothing more than a plaything for a monster after becoming a magical girl, but there was nothing she could do about it. If she didn’t like it, she had no choice but to become stronger.
But that wasn’t what was important right now. The result of defeating a B-rank werewolf monster was that her magic was growing tremendously.
When a magical girl defeats a monster, her magical power grows. When a monster defeats a magical girl, its magic grows as well. And when a monster defeats another monster, the result is the same.
The level of magic growth depends on how strong the opponent was. Reina had killed a B-rank monster, and her magic, which had originally been at the lower end of C-rank, was now surging up to the higher ranks.
Despite having fought a life-or-death battle, Reina felt surprisingly energetic, which was a rather peculiar sensation.
As she reveled in her sudden surge of power, Reina suddenly realized that people were gathering around her.
— “Um, is the monster gone now?”
— “Was that the Black Knight just now?”
— “Th-thank you. Thank you for saving us…”
Right. The job of a magical girl wasn’t just to defeat monsters. A magical girl’s job was also to reassure people.
Hearing the voices of the people, Reina smiled brightly and said, “The monster is gone! So, you don’t need to worry anymore. I stopped the monster!”
Thinking about it, today had been a very lucky day.
***
Sitting at the convenience store counter, I glanced at my phone and let out a small laugh.
[Magical Girl Reina Defeats B-Rank Monster… A Miracle Brought About by a Girl’s Heart]
[‘She Fought with the Safety of People as Her Top Priority’ – C-Rank Magical Girl’s ‘S-Rank Performance’]
[A-Rank Monster ‘Black Knight’ Appears Again… Motive Still Unclear]
The news was buzzing with Reina’s incredible feat from yesterday. Of course, I knew that later she would go on to become a major figure who would shake not just the country, but the whole world. But for now, this was enough attention.
The reason for all the buzz was obvious: a C-rank magical girl had defeated a B-rank monster, a feat that was almost unbelievable. Sure, I had helped as a monster, but if the public found out about that, it would just stir up more unnecessary controversy. So, the media focused on Reina’s success.
A few outlets were warning about the Black Knight, but there weren’t too many of those.
Curious, I decided to check out some online communities discussing monsters to figure out why the Black Knight wasn’t gaining more attention.
The general sentiment was: “The Black Knight isn’t much of a hot topic.”
— “Yeah, he’s A-rank and all, so he’s super strong, but he hasn’t really done anything. If an A-rank monster shows up, they’re supposed to kill hundreds of people right off the bat to make you go, ‘Wow, this guy’s A-rank for sure,’ but he hasn’t caused any casualties. He’s just been cutting down monsters and disappearing, so there’s nothing to get worked up about.”
— “He’ll get caught eventually by Bing Seol-Hwa anyway. When that happens, there’ll just be news everywhere about how great Bing Seol Hwa is.”
— “To be honest, the A-rank monster that appeared in the U.S. might get more attention than the Black Knight here. He hasn’t done anything, lol.”
Etcetera, etcetera. The fact that “he’s not causing any casualties so he’s not a big deal” was something I should be happy about, but as the one involved, it felt a little… weird.
As for the opinion that “he won’t stand a chance against Bing Seol Hwa,” well… I don’t know. I feel like I could win.
As I mused over that thought, I shook my head. I guess I had too much free time on my hands today, letting my mind wander like this. What would I even do if I beat a magical girl?
Just as I was about to clear my head and start cleaning, someone walked through the door.
“Ahem, ahem.”
“…What the heck is that?”
In front of me stood Reina, wearing sunglasses and a mask.
“So, you’re wearing sunglasses and a mask because you think people will recognize you?”
“Yes. It was in the news, so I have to manage my image.”
Reina said proudly, puffing out her chest. I smiled at her, amused.
…To be honest, while she had made some headlines, it wasn’t as if she’d caused a nationwide uproar. And since she wasn’t even in her transformed state, there was really no need to go out of her way like this, especially at night. But since she seemed happy, I let it be.
The reason Reina had gone out of her way to visit the convenience store where I worked, late at night, was because I had mentioned during our conversation yesterday that I had a part-time job here.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I didn’t think the human Baek Seung-hyun was valuable enough for her to bother coming. But it seemed that the title of “No. 1 Fan” had left a strong impression on Reina.
“By the way, are you alright? Your opponent was really strong. It was an amazing feat, but you’re still young, so you need to take care of yourself.”
“You don’t need to worry. In fact, I’m much stronger now. My magic power has grown so much that I’m in the upper ranks of C-class now. It seems like yesterday was a really lucky day for me. Maybe it’s because I met my No. 1 Fan?”
Hmm, I don’t think most people would consider meeting a B-rank monster, nearly dying, and then barely surviving as “lucky.” But her positive thinking seemed to have reached another level.
“Oh, and I’m not that young! I’m a senior in high school now. I’ll be an adult next year.”
“So, for now, you’re still young. Come back next year, and I’ll acknowledge you as an adult.”
Reina pouted and let out a small “Hmph!” The sight of her being so cute made me laugh involuntarily.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, a little indignant.
“No, it’s just that I’m really happy. Seeing you like this, Reina.”
“…Just say it if you think it’s funny. I know I’m a little excited since this is my first time being in the news, but ugh.”
I smiled at her and said, “No, that’s not it. Well, maybe you are a bit excited, but that’s understandable.”
“Ughhhh…”
“What I meant was that there’s no need to overreact to every little thing. Later on, whether you like it or not, you’ll be all over the media, like it’s second nature.”
Reina, who had been holding her head in her hands, looked at me with a blank expression for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.
“Do you really think I’ll become someone like Bing Seol Hwa?”
She didn’t seem to believe it, but I was serious. I had seen the future, after all.
“You’ll be even more successful than Bing Seol Hwa. You deserve that kind of recognition, Reina.”
Finally realizing that I was being sincere, Reina’s face flushed red.
“W-What are you saying?”
She quickly turned her head away and covered her face, stealing glances at me. Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, “Do you say stuff like this to other girls too?”
“Well, I don’t know. But as your No. 1 fan, what I say to you is different from what I’d say to any other girl.”
Reina groaned in response, then, as if she’d made a decision, she spoke firmly.
“My real name is Su-hui.”
“Huh?”
“My name, it’s Lee Su-hui. It feels a bit weird being called ‘Reina’ when I’m not transformed…”
Hearing her embarrassed voice, I chuckled softly.
“Alright, then. Should I call you Su-hui from now on?”
“W-Wait a second. Just call me what you used to.”
“Huh? Why? Calling you Su-hui feels more personal, doesn’t it?”
“Ugh, aaaaaah!”
Reina—or rather, Su-hui—sprang up from her chair and flung open the convenience store door.
She hesitated briefly at the entrance, seeming to wrestle with her emotions, but eventually turned around to bow to me.
“See you next time!”
Despite her embarrassment and her urge to flee, she was oddly sincere. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her leave.
***
“So, you want me to take down this ‘Black Knight’?”
— “Yes, Lady Bing Seol Hwa. You’re the only one who can defeat the Black Knight.”
“What about the other A-class magical girls in the country?”
— “At the moment, the top-tier magical girls in South Korea are focusing all their efforts on subduing the demons in North Korea… And the Black Knight’s power is ‘beyond’ A-class. We need you to handle this, Lady Bing Seol Hwa.”
After the association member finished his repetitive plea and left, the woman slowly rose from her seat and gazed out the window.
The top floor of this building in the heart of Seoul was reserved for only one person. She closed her eyes, then opened them as she murmured, “The Black Knight, huh?”
With just those words, crack, the air in the room froze, becoming icily cold. A thin layer of frost appeared on the windowpane she was touching.
She hadn’t even transformed or consciously drawn out her power, yet the environment around her was already altering. There was only one person in South Korea who possessed such strength.
Bing Seol Hwa—the nation’s greatest force—had begun to fix her gaze on the Black Knight.
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
-> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click Here – DISCORD
Comment