Chapter 27 – Big Catch

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My sister always told me that heroes should have a passionate heart but a cool head. She used to say that if the fire in your chest spread to your head, even things destined for success would end in failure.

Now, I felt like I finally understood.

At times like this, there was no need for a cool head.

When the fire in my heart was consuming my entire body, how could I possibly stay calm?

Even after skipping all the unnecessary steps and only going through the essential procedures for deployment, the waiting time felt like an eternity.

“S-Senpai… your face looks scary…”

Sky, who had been watching me anxiously, mumbled. But even as she spoke, the only thing in my mind was that monster.

Since the day my sister went missing, I never stopped looking for her—not even for a single day. Even when people around me subtly suggested that I give up, I never did.

She was my eternal hero, my world, my everything.

And now, in Incheon, there was someone who resembled her. Someone who knew the words she used to say to me, someone who acted almost exactly like her.

Even if that monster had nothing to do with my sister, I had to go.

“…Telling you to stay calm would be meaningless, wouldn’t it. Miss Sky? Please support Miss White, Keep a cool perspective on the battlefield and help her.”

“Miss White, you may go.”

“Yes… Huh? Wait, why me—?”

The moment the association president granted permission, I grabbed Scanner Sky by the waist and took off into the sky.

This time, I won’t let it slip away.

I found a bed—abandoned but in decent condition—gave it a quick tidy-up, and lay down.

Compared to the place I used to call home, this bed was far more comfortable. I figured I might as well make this my new home.

The ceiling was half-gone, whether from a bombing or a kaiju attack, I wasn’t sure. But I could fix that.

I could gather wooden planks, stretch some vinyl or banners over it, or, if all else failed, simply block it off with darkness.

After all, I stored all my belongings in the darkness connected to me. I was already a wanderer without a home—why not make this place mine?

Cleaning up right away would’ve been the logical choice, but exhaustion weighed me down. I decided to rest my eyes first.

That erratic monster, Hemorragia, had been slaughtering humans as if trying to wipe them out completely. I doubted it would attack me in my sleep. And my client didn’t seem like they’d have an urgent request anytime soon.

Just as I closed my eyes and started drifting off, a sudden flash of light flickered across my eyelids—so bright, for a moment, I thought it was sunlight.

There was no sound, meaning it wasn’t an explosion or a clash of powerful beings. Then what was it?

Curious, I got up—and I saw it.

Radiant White, glowing even brighter than the last time I saw her.

She wasn’t flying in a straight line but circling above, scanning the area as if searching for something.

I didn’t know what she was looking for here, but then I remembered—she had promised to repay me.

Had she actually meant it? I thought it was just an exaggerated statement, the way young girls often spoke.

If that was really the case, wasn’t she pushing herself too hard?

She had collapsed for an entire day, then left this place just yesterday.

No matter how grateful she was, wasn’t she rushing things?

As I watched the streak of pure white light cutting through the sky, my concern grew.

Then, all of a sudden, she stopped.

No—correction. She was coming closer.

The light was getting brighter.

Has she found me?

Even with a magical girl’s enhanced physical abilities, recognizing someone from that distance should have been impossible.

I knew from my own research on magical girls that heightened senses had their limits.

But magical girls each had a unique power that defied logic. Maybe hers allowed her to see me from afar.

Whatever the case, I’d find out soon. Since Radiant White wasn’t an enemy, I didn’t bother readying a weapon.

“Nice catch, Sky! I knew your eyes never miss a thing!”

“Aaaahhh! Senpai, stop! We’re gonna crash! Aaaaahhh!”

As she got closer, I heard an unfamiliar girl’s voice.

Who was that?

What was going on?

An enemy? A junior, judging by the way she called her “senpai”? Another magical girl?

That didn’t necessarily mean she was an ally.

Just in case, I prepared to summon my weapon at any moment.

Radiant White landed, beaming with excitement, and gently set down the girl she had been carrying under her arm.

“It hasn’t been that long, but still, it’s been a while, savior! By any chance—”

“Before that—who’s the girl you brought? Ally or enemy?”

I cut her off before she could ramble on in excitement.

No matter what she wanted to say, I couldn’t hear it until I confirmed the girl’s identity.

“Oh… This is Scanning Sky, my junior. If she’s bothering you, should I… move her somewhere else? If you want—”

“N-No. That won’t be necessary.”

She spoke as if she were handling an object rather than a person. Her casual attitude startled me into responding before I could think.

It wasn’t like I had some grand secret to share, and if Radiant White knew something, her junior knowing it too wouldn’t be a big deal.

“So, what exactly brings you here?”

“Well! You see, yesterday, that monster called Hemorragia rampaged through this area. I was wondering if you had any information about it—anything at all would help!”

Her excitement spilled over in a rush of words. I needed to get her to calm down.

“I know. It destroyed my home, didn’t it? You’re looking for information on it?”

“Yes! Anything would help! Its whereabouts, behavior—whatever you know! I’ll do anything in return, so please, if you know something, tell me!”

“S-Senpai… that’s a bit…”

“Shut up sky!”

“Hiii—!”

As she so earnestly pleaded, I almost naturally agreed—until I barely recalled that I had engaged in battle with that monster and, more importantly, that the monster was Seong Mina’s mother.

Even if she had turned into an enemy, she was still family. There was no way Mina wouldn’t have any feelings left for her.

Even if I kept it a secret that I had sold the information, I didn’t know what I should ask for in return. Worse, if the truth ever came to light, I had no idea how I would explain myself.

So, at this moment, keeping my mouth shut seemed like the wisest choice.

“…I’m sorry, but I only know of it. I don’t actually have much information. I do know that every time it appears, it leaves a trail of bloodshed, but I’m sure you already knew that much.”

“I see… Still, if you ever find out anything—anything at all—please contact me at this number! Thank you for your cooperation! And I’m sorry, but I’ll have to repay my debt to you a little later!!!”

Radiant White blurted out everything she wanted to say, then swiftly picked up the discarded Scanning Sky before vanishing just as quickly as she had appeared.

So she was searching for that monster, Hemorrhagia? Well, of course. There was no way she would have flown all the way here just for me.

And yet, something about it didn’t quite sit right. Judging by her strangely excited demeanor and expression, she didn’t seem to be driven by revenge.

Then why was she so desperate to find that monster?

…She must have a reason—a compelling one at that. Figuring I might as well ask my client just in case, I made a mental note to bring it up later.

After all, the prospect of being able to ask a magical girl for anything was quite the sweet deal.

As usual, I was spending my free time wreaking havoc in the comment sections of online articles covering Hemorrhagia’s exploits and stirring up a “Radiant White is overrated” debate in a magical girl fan community.

Suddenly, my phone rang. The number was unknown.

It wasn’t spam, so maybe it was a voice phishing scam? Thinking it might be fun to mess with the caller, I picked up.

—It’s me. Something urgent came up, so I had no choice but to call.

It was Suhyeok.

…Wow. He’s actually calling me first?

Marveling at the sheer novelty of the situation, I let out a small exclamation of surprise. Suhyeok, seemingly impatient, called my name and asked if I was there.

“Oh, uh. Yeah, I’m here. It’s just… It’s kind of shocking that you called first.”

—Is it really that surprising?

“Yeah, you wouldn’t understand, but it is. So, what’s this about?”

—The magical girl, Radiant White, is searching for the monster Hemorrhagia. She just contacted me, asking if I knew anything.

…Radiant White is already tracking me?

I mean, sure, I did provoke her on purpose, but isn’t this working a little too well? I didn’t expect her to show up in less than a day.

“…Did you tell her anything?”

—That’s what I called to ask. Mina, would it be okay if I share any information I have on Hemorrhagia with Radiant White?

I was about to say no—then suddenly realized that I actually had no reason to object.

This was a golden opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance for things to naturally fall into place.

Originally, I planned to have Suhyeok investigate Radiant White, force a connection between the two, and hope that, over time, they’d develop feelings for each other.

But now? All I had to do was give him a mission to investigate Hemorrhagia, then appear before him in my monstrous form and gradually feed him information.

That way, Suhyeok would relay the intel to Radiant White, and their relationship would naturally grow closer.

On top of that, this was a great opportunity for me, too.

Not only could I become Radiant White’s arch-enemy, but I could also become Kang Suhyeok’s enemy as well.

I could stand as the ultimate adversary for both protagonists, simultaneously fighting them and helping them gain real combat experience.

And if I played my cards right, I might even get to witness the two of them forming a powerful bond as they united against a common enemy…

Let’s do this. Right now.

“Yeah. Do whatever you want. My mother has already crossed the line. Oh, right. Since we’re on the topic, let me just give you a request now. Thoroughly Investigate the monster Hemorrhagia. Can you do that?”

—You really love giving out these grueling assignments. Fine. I accept.

Sorry, Radiant White. Sorry, Kang Suhyeok.

But this is for your own good.

So go ahead—dance on the stage I’ve set for you.

Grinning to myself, I began considering what pieces of information I should leak to Suhyeok.

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