NOVEL NEXT chapter 12
12 – 5. I, became a rival -2
Every human being has strengths and weaknesses. The same goes for God’s first, and the Noah over there.
Straight to Noah. Or rather, there was such a flaw in the magical girl Iris.
Which might be considered a strength from a human perspective, but from the standpoint of a magical girl punishing evil, it accompanied a kind of risk.
‘She was too good.’
Maybe because of her father, who was a hero, Noah was too good.
She can’t stand injustice and has to save those in danger. She doesn’t torment the weak, and she doesn’t touch those who bow their heads.
The problem is.
‘It’s a problem because she even does that to villains.’
[What? You didn’t want to do this job either?]
[You had no choice but to earn money for treatment?]
[…I see. Everyone should be given a new opportunity. Just sit tight-]
[Oh…! You fooled me…!]
There were occasions in the game where Iris was backstabbed by villains, leading to a bad ending.
In most cases, Iris believed they had circumstances and were capable of reforming.
If we put it nicely, she’s kind, if we put it bluntly, she’s a sucker.
‘A world where everyone is happy. Sounds nice.’
I want to ask.
Does the jerk who has a sick mother at home commit terror with bad guys?
Those who are determined to be kind generally do not become terrorists from the outset.
In other words, villains are entities that are almost impossible to reform.
Their way of thinking is different.
There might be a small number, but at least none of these existed near Iris.
If left alone, the future is clear to see.
The future of someone who will be victimized by villains and sold somewhere.
That place is probably going to be a prison.
I will correct her mentality. At least be rational when dealing with villains.
The moment Shinhyeon made up his mind to do that was
“…Ugh…!”
“You’re weak.”
“Silence…!”
When she realized she was clearly in a superior position to Iris.
“Did you think I was a weakling!”
“Yes. But that’s not important.”
“…What?”
“Stand up, come at me again.”
The look in Iris’s eyes as she stared at the man was filled with rage.
In a back alley in the city, a straight, unobstructed path. We stood facing each other, maintaining a silence and tranquility.
He still seemed relaxed, but Iris did not. Her dress was covered in dust.
The girl, silently glaring at the man, appeared to be in quite a sham.
There was no visible bleeding because it was a blow, not a stab, but her body was likely bruised all over.
Just standing made her breathe harder and her legs falter.
Even if she ran away now, it wouldn’t be strange.
However, the girl clenched her teeth and charged.
Swoosh!
The girl’s body swiftly teleported and struck down from above.
I assumed you thought it was a chance.
That’s the right decision. The front is blocked by tentacles and the top is empty.
But.
Thump! The punch of the girl, wrapped in a magical circle, was blocked by the raised tentacles.
“Tch…!”
The girl widened her eyes and continued her attack. Until the tentacles that blocked her were shattered and tattered.
As the booming shock was transmitted through the body, the man did not just stand by.
Other tentacles swung around and broke over the girl.
Tentacles weaving through the air in dizzying curves.
Merely swinging them.Only that. But each strike of it can be lethal. Or when it simply has a staggering number.
It alone becomes an inescapable net, trapping the prey.
Slap!
A tentacle strikes Iris’s body.
The girl’s body twists violently.
Thud!
The tentacle grabs Iris and tosses her.
The girl’s body slams on the floor.
The sound of concrete breaking followed by a shower of cement dust scattered around. It was around this time that Shinhyeon stopped the tentacle.
As his hand stopped, the tentacle that had been dancing according to his gestures ceased its movements. The tentacles silently disappeared beneath his robes.
It would be nice if the girl could stand up, but the girl was trembling in a way she had never seen before.
Even if he approaches, she can only weakly get up. Even that soon loses its strength and falls to the ground.
The sound of the girl kneeling with a thud was heard. All the energy had been drained from the girl’s body.
A marionette with cut strings.
The girl looked exactly like that.
“Are you alive?”
The man bent down and asked the girl.
From the girl’s forehead, blood was flowing. The girl’s anger was spreading, pluming with each breath.
“You seem angry.”
“I’ll kill…ha.. you…”
“That’s not something a magical girl should say.”
I tried to scratch his nerve as best I could.
“It’s easy to handle someone like you.”
“…What?”
“Do you know why I’m doing this… Magical girl, do you know why?”
“…No.”
Iris shakes her head.
The man made of tentacles served as a chair as he spit out a heartfelt voice.
“In fact… I have a sick mother.”
“…”
“It’s not long. The day when her life will come to an end.”
“Don’t talk in riddles. Speak plainly.”
“It’s terminal. Pancreatic cancer they said.”
It was, of course, a lie.
In this world and in the last, Shinhyeon had no parents.
He was acting out the emotions of someone who just learned that a loved one’s time was short, as he had seen in a drama on television.
“…It was painful. Losing someone precious. Not being able to fulfill even a parent’s last wishes.”
After saying this, the man looked up at the sky.
Along a long sigh.
Perhaps his expression was very impressive.
“…What was her wish?”
A tone of voice that was too kind to come from someone who had just a moment ago been fighting.
As the gaze staring fixedly at him, the man opened his mouth.
“Mother always wanted a grandchild. Unfortunately… I was never much interested in getting married. I’ve had girlfriends a few times… but they always ended.”
The girl quietly listened.
“The reason… is very simple. It’s because of this.”
The man lifted a few wriggling tentacles.
“I am very fond of the idea of people being violated by tentacles.”
“…What?”
The girl’s pupils dilate.
“That is…”
“It’s not normal, is it. Maybe it’s some kind of weird fetish.”
“So, is that why you couldn’t have kids?”
“That’s right. No one could understand.”
“…Of course. Who would want to be violated by tentacles.”
In a lonely voice, the man spoke.
“Is that so… are you the same…”
“Of course. I prefer ordinary people too.”
“…Ha… I thought a great magical girl like you who is active in this neighborhood might understand this feeling.”
“And that’s why you did this crazy thing?”
The man nodded at the girl’s words and then extended a hand.
“I surrender.”
“…What?”
“There’s no point in fighting anymore. If a magical girl of your level is unacceptable, most women would refuse.”
“Just do it normally!”
“Impossible. My nature won’t permit that. How did it come to this… or maybe it’s fate.”
With a creeping voice, the girl was quick to comfort the man.
“Don’t give up. There might be someone like that somewhere in the world?”
“…There is?”
“…Maybe?”
Tilting his head. A faint smile begins to form on his lips. The girl with a comforting expression slowly approached her place.The man who stayed still.
No signs of animosity. At the very moment when the girl, with that thought, approached the man.
“Huh?”
With a sudden, “Kwaaang!” sound.
“…You’ve just died once, girl.”
Massive chunks of concrete were splattered next to the girl. The man had whipped tentacles and shattered it.
“You…!”
“An old mother? Desire…? hahahaha…hahahahaha!!”
“…You tricked me.”
“It’s a masterpiece. That there are still idiots who fall for this sentimental type!”
The girl froze in place, and the man mockingly laughed at her, wheezing as though he was out of breath. Very blatantly and cruelly.
At one point, the man stopped laughing and stared hard at the girl.
“That’s what a villain is, young miss. Selfish, self-centered. More than willing to spin up lies if needed.”
“…You’re a bad man.”
“Kidnapping a single woman isn’t a difficult task. But.”
The man began to fade into a desolate place, sluggishly moving his footsteps.
With a sour voice, he added,
“I hope that you ripen a bit more. Just like a well-ripened fruit, worth eating.”
The girl stayed frozen in the spot, and the man disappeared laughing.
His laughter even disappeared, and only silence filled the dawn.
Someone’s sigh replaced the place where the laughter had been.
“Sigh…”
It was the owner of the voice sighing as if seeing off the world.
“Damn it.”
‘…Are you okay?’
“I was prepared, but…”
It felt much worse than I thought.
This.
+++++
It was a bitter feeling.
It could be due to the pointless rain.
…No, it wouldn’t be because of the rain.
Noah.
Thinking of her made my heart uncomfortable.
‘I wonder how badly she got hurt.’
This week, she didn’t present herself at all, neither as Noah nor as Iris.
Did I go too far?
What if she’s crying from being hurt?
Such trivial thoughts weighed heavily on my mind.
‘I guess I have to go there myself.’
If she doesn’t come to me, I can go to her.
I know the exact location of the dormitory.
I looked at the clock’s hands. They were busily ticking away, diligently telling time.
The approaching quit time. I was hastily packing my bag for leaving work.
Then,
the ringing bell.
The last customer for my shift had arrived.
“Welcome.”
“Um, where’s the kimchi?”
“…The kimchi is at the far end.”
The customer saunters over to grab the kimchi and brings it to the counter to pay.
After cashing in the kimchi and handing it over, I stroked the girl’s hair gently.
“…Doesn’t it hurt?”
A bandage tightly wrapped around her forehead made my heart feel like it was being torn apart.
“Well, I’m fine.”
It was Noah.
Noah had returned to the convenience store, all covered in bandages and plasters.
“I had some stuff to sort out. So I didn’t leave the house for a while.”
“I see… oh, have you been eating properly?”
“No, I’ve just been eating ramen.”
“You said you’re ruining your body. That won’t do. Let’s go eat.”
Noticing that a relief worker has arrived, I quickly left the convenience store.
What should I feed her? Perhaps meat would be a good choice? Even if a restaurant that sells meat opens early in the morning…
“…There wouldn’t be.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, I wanted to treat you to some meat, but I doubt there’s any place like that open at dawn.”
At my words, Noah laughed a bit.
She proudly shoved the dark bag filled with kimchi.
“What has you so excited?”
“Look at this.”
“Kimchi and onions… huh? Ginger? This surely isn’t…”
“Pork neck. Sliced pork belly to be exact.”
“What’s this for?”
“Well…”
Noah absentmindedly kicked the ground.
“Is it okay if we go home? I will cook you some kimchi stew with pork.”
Noah seemed to want to cook for me. Of course, I would prefer to cook for her, but looking into those eager eyes, it was hard to reject.
I nodded.
“Home? Where? Your boarding house?””Can I go to the convenience store?”
Upon hearing my words, the child seemed startled. The boy’s cheeks flushed. He stepped closer to me.
He looked up at me then…
Noah offered a response that was entirely unexpected.
“No. I want to go to your place.”
“…What?”