Chapter 26: Breathe

The hazy warmth dissipated, carried away by the cold night breeze, following the trail of cigarette smoke.

Both heart and conviction, even body heat, are volatile.

After just a few hours, as soon as we part, they scatter into the void.

Still, the bond remains.

The distance between Ahn Yujin and me has grown closer—without a doubt.

The only thing that holds me is her warmth.

“Alright.”

As the night deepens, the impulse, the desire for violence, and the craving for blood surge, making my chest ache.

The tumor pulses explosively, in sync with my quickening heartbeat.

I force my legs to move, recalling that warmth, and my mind feels a bit lighter.

Climbing the neglected path, I notice a guard post erected on the hill behind the warehouse.

It wasn’t there the last time I came.

Well, half a year ago, when Sanguine Obsidia raided this logistics centre, it was recorded as an act of terror.

It wouldn’t be surprising for security to be reinforced.

Magical girls can’t be on standby 24/7 to deal with monsters.

Even though most operations and transport don’t take place at night,
there are probably still a few workers tidying up the warehouse or doing administrative tasks.

It won’t be many.

Quietly, I hide my presence in the shadows and move closer.

I sense two people inside.

With each step I take, the pain in my chest intensifies.

From the shadows, I draw black magical chains, the blades glinting faintly as they shoot forward.

The chained blades pierce both hearts, killing them instantly.

And just like that, the pain and impulse subside.

In contrast, a headache, guilt, and confusion intensify.

I recall that warmth again, and my heart feels calmer.

Just for today—today is an exception.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll go back to killing one person a day.

Quietly, as usual.

Sometimes things like this just happen, right?

[Stop killing. You can incapacitate them without taking lives!]

It has to be certain.

If I cause a scene and magical girls show up before I grab the goods, I’ll have to kill even more.

What am I even doing?

This is so stupid.

So, from a rational and logical perspective, this was the right choice.

Definitely.

So stop yelling in my ear, you damn ghost.

I’m at least allowed to rationalize my actions.

Like a normal person would.

I wipe the cold sweat from my nose and look down.

In the distance, I see a massive warehouse building, dimly lit in several places.

It looks a bit more expanded compared to the layout I had memorized, but overall, it’s not too different.

Unlike before, there’s barbed wire around the outer wall, a few more guard posts, and searchlights, but they don’t matter to me.

Except for a small newly built structure in the corner, the interior layout should be the same.

It’s simple.

Government supplies here are usually categorized by item and manufacturer before being distributed elsewhere.

I just need to head to the location I memorized during my last infiltration, grab a few boxes of magic cigarettes, and escape.

To enter, I’ll fly through the air and land in a dark spot.

To exit, I’ll use etherealization and vanish.

Efficient and clean.

[Disgusting and shameless.]

People might say that the infamous, terrifying serial killer Sanguine Obsidia raiding a warehouse at night just to steal cigarettes is pathetic.

They might laugh and criticize.

Who cares?

Why are they only judging me now?

Come to think of it, Spooky said something similar before. Hearing it again makes me feel a slight pang of guilt.

But it doesn’t matter.

I haven’t cared about those things since a year ago.

Right from the start, I killed the two guards standing on duty just to create an entrance.

Adding theft to the weight of my infinite sins changes nothing.

If Anubis’s scales of judgment truly exist, the monster within the pit must already be licking its lips, eagerly awaiting the day my heart sinks underground.

Let’s just get it done.

Shake off the useless thoughts, finish this pointless job quickly, and go home—

Back to Ahn Yujin, back to her embrace.

Maybe next time, a little closer—

Closer than just a hug.

With that thought, I infuse magic into my legs, kick off the ground, and leap.

I adjust my trajectory mid-air to land in a blind spot—

A place the searchlights, few staff, and guards can’t reach.

Then, I…

A sharp, wailing siren pierced the night as soon as I landed on the ground.

The sound tore through my eardrums, announcing the presence of a monster, a thief, or some other intruder.

***

“Hey! What the hell are we gonna do now!”

“No… This shouldn’t be happening…”

In the middle of the dark warehouse, Mary Jane—sporting pink hair and an eyepatch—stood frozen, clutching a bright red heart-shaped grenade. The safety pin was secured with a wire.

She had completely stiffened at the sudden blaring of the siren.

“You said it would be fine if you wore that thing!”

Soda Pop☆Ritalin, dressed in a frilly pink dress with extra layers of lace, berated the bewildered Mary Jane.

The siren’s echo bounced off the warehouse walls, amplifying the noise.

Mary Jane covered her ears, but it was futile since one of her hands was still gripping the grenade.

“No, this isn’t the time to panic. We need to make our move like proper magical girls! We’ll defeat the evil guards swarming in, and then—an extravagant explosion!”

“Magical girls aren’t supposed to do that! Just stay still!”

As usual, Soda Pop was spouting nonsense.

“Wait a minute, you…!”

“Hm?”

Soda Pop tilted her head curiously.

Mary Jane barely restrained herself from pulling out the joint she was holding and jamming it into Soda Pop’s eye.

Her lips, tightly bitten, oozed a trickle of blood from the pressure.

“The bracelet with the broken string… I told you to double-check your equipment before we left!”

“I did.”

Mary Jane looked at the black bracelet on Soda Pop’s left arm.

It was a magical bracelet designed to bypass electronic and magical surveillance, allowing infiltration into most facilities.

An essential piece of equipment for tonight’s mission.

Mary Jane had repeatedly warned Soda Pop to check it before leaving.

It was the same plain black bracelet Mary Jane wore, but Soda Pop’s had a dull gray gemstone in the centre instead of a jet-black one.

“This is a defective one with barely any soul energy left! I swear I checked it earlier, and it was fine. When did it…”

“Well, plain black is boring. I don’t really like gray either, but I figured it was better than a monotonous all-black.”

Completely missing the point, Soda Pop just cocked her head again.

“Never mind… It’s my fault for trusting you. Jeez.”

Closing her eyes, Mary Jane took a deep drag from her joint and exhaled deeply.

“Anyway, we’ve finished setting up most of the bombs, so let’s get out of here. There are a few left, but we can just toss them on our way out and blow the place up.”

Yeah, at least they had set up the heart-shaped grenades on the Magical Girl Association’s supply crates as planned.

There was no need to place every bomb they brought.

If they dragged it out, magical girls might show up, so retreating now was the smartest move.

Mary Jane had no intention of getting tangled up in more trouble.

War was always the worst option, and combat was something to be avoided.

“…Soda Pop☆Ritalin, no matter how you look at it, this was a rather reckless move.”

A polite but clearly disappointed male voice echoed in Mary Jane’s memory.

She recalled the conversation from a few days ago—a vividly satisfying memory of Soda Pop getting scolded.

“As external collaborators, we need to secure the Korean Magical Girl Association’s cooperation. Since our ultimate goal is to secure Sanguine Obsidia, it’s crucial to approach them carefully.”

Mary Jane couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she didn’t have popcorn and soda while watching Soda Pop get berated.

Normally, Soda Pop acted like a total lunatic no matter where she went, but in front of that man, she was reduced to a meek, teary-eyed girl.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter! After all, we expected things to turn out this way, which is why we sent Soda Pop in the first place. Just keep up the good work next time!”

Huh?

What?

“Wait a second, Jimmy. What do you mean…”

Wasn’t he scolding her?

“Mary Jane, you did well too! You made a timely retreat before the situation escalated. Leaving the radio behind was a good call as well.”

Mary Jane was momentarily speechless.

Why was Jimmy suddenly praising Soda Pop when he had just been scolding her?

It was frustrating.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“Given the mission objective and the inevitable risk of failure, having a backup plan was the correct decision. Your discretion in pulling back early prevented further complications. In fact, it was quite the ideal response.”

“…Whatever.”

Mary Jane just shrugged, taking another puff.

She couldn’t help but wonder if her sense of logic had completely derailed or if Jimmy was just that much of an enigma.

Soda Pop, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to it all and just grinned sheepishly.

“Fine. Next time, just do it right from the start.”

As she muttered under her breath, she glanced over at Soda Pop’s still clueless face and felt the urge to punch something.

What an utterly chaotic mess.

But one thing was for sure—she couldn’t keep up with these magical girls’ nonsense.