Ch.21Chapter 1. That’s Not How Transformation Works! (1)

The moment Ymir pounced on me, I began to sense a rampaging magical power from far away.

What is a rampage?

It’s easier to think of it as just an ordinary explosion of chuunibyou syndrome.

The problem isn’t that there’s a black flame dragon raging inside me, but that I think there’s an inner demon and go on a rampage.

And the bigger problem is that my ability grows stronger based on a real demon’s power.

Just like how Red Scarf suddenly gained power comparable to S-rank despite being only A-rank before, that hooded girl over there is also rampaging while craving power.

“Kyahahahaha!”

The girl who broke through the wall began stretching her hands wildly.

Black magical bullets erupted from her hands, bombarding the restaurant, and the people inside quickly—

“She’s rampaging! Stop her!”

—didn’t flee, but instead started using their abilities to protect themselves.

This is Sejong Island.

The restaurant’s customers, part-timers, and even the chefs could all be ability users.

“What is she?! Who is she?!”

“That’s a high school gym uniform! Damn, a high schooler with chuunibyou!!”

“Wouldn’t that be second-year syndrome then?!”

“This is no time for jokes! She’s fucking strong!!”

While everyone responds quickly since rampages are somewhat common among ability users, the problem is that this girl’s magical power is exceptionally strong.

“How dare you weaklings!”

Boom!

When the girl lightly stomped her foot, the entire restaurant shook.

“Teacher, are you alright?!”

“I’m fine, but what about student Ymir…?”

“I’m okay.”

Ymir remained sprawled on top of me, carefully observing the situation.

“Can you stand? I think it would be difficult for us to escape through the entrance right now.”

She quickly assessed our escape routes with her eyes and supported me while analyzing the ability the girl—our enemy—was using.

“If that’s not possible, we’ll have to fight…”

“Fight? That’s dangerous. Even though I don’t have specific senses for ability users or mana…”

“Hyaaah!!”

A boy in a high school uniform charged at the girl with green flames swirling around his fist.

“Fire Punch!”

“Get lost!”

Kwang!

The girl swatted him away like a fly with a wave of her hand.

For an instant, something resembling a giant snake’s tail flashed behind her back.

“W-what was that just now? I didn’t see wrong, did I?”

“…It seems to be that rumored rampage.”

“Rumor?”

“Yes. That suspicious rumor that’s been spreading around Korea recently… Ah. You might not know since you’re Korean. Korea has strict information control. I’m sorry. Please forget what I just said.”

“M-more importantly.”

I pointed at the boy who had been slammed into a distant wall.

“That kid is ‘Mint Fire.’ He’s a B-rank ability user with a bright future. But to so easily…”

“It’s always difficult to gauge a rampager’s true power. But most suddenly strengthen from A-rank to S-rank. By sacrificing their lifespan.”

“Life…span?”

How does she know that?

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry. If I say more, you could be in danger. I… have a favor to ask.”

Ymir gave me a small wink.

“Could you keep what’s about to happen a secret?”

“A secret?”

“Yes. For now… I don’t want many people to know about me.”

I found myself nodding at Ymir’s words.

Not because she was an ability user, but because her words somehow seemed familiar.

“I’ll protect you, teacher. And… please watch. My…”

Ymir pulled something out from her clothes.

That’s…

A belt?

“Transform.”

Ymir put the belt around her waist.

Then her body began to shine with golden light, and she disappeared with the flash.

“What…?”

While I instinctively covered my face at this sudden development…

“Kyahahaha! Insignificant beings, getting all worked up!!”

The rampaging girl howled with madness.

“Kyahaha, die, die!!”

With eyes like a demon’s—black and white parts inverted—the girl began bombarding the restaurant with black spheres that formed around her body.

“Kuheogh!!”

A person who looked like an ordinary civilian took a direct hit to the stomach from one of the spheres.

Though it was just a small sphere the size of a fist, the person flew through the air as if hit by a truck and rolled across the floor.

“Dad!!”

A female student who had come with the man screamed and rushed to support him, but he was already limp, bleeding from the back of his head.

“T-this…!”

Probably.

With high probability.

He might be dead.

This world.

Death is abundant in places related to ability users.

That girl is probably well past the age of juvenile protection laws, but the number of people killed by juvenile ability users is far greater than those who die from liver cancer.

“Dad, open your eyes, Dad!!”

“Kyahaha. Always looking down on me…! Serves you right!”

“What did my dad ever do to you?!”

The female student stretched her hands forward, as if protecting her fallen father.

“You terrible person! You’re not even human!”

“That’s right! I’m not human! I’ve gained power incomparable to you pathetic ability users! I am… a demon! Ahaha!”

She has become a crazed woman who calls herself a demon.

“I am the manifestation of darkness who will destroy this land, [Darkness Nebrutias Lilith]!!”

This is insane.

To claim such a title as her own.

“Behold my power!”

The problem is that the woman’s voice now began to overlap with those of a beast, an old man, and a fierce warrior.

‘A demon is coming.’

A demon born from human malice, murderous intent, hatred, and anger was gradually manifesting in reality based on the girl’s ‘imagination.’

Dark red wings spread behind the girl’s body, and she began transforming into a typical demoness—like a succubus.

“Kyahaha! I am—”

[What a shame.]

A woman’s voice, seemingly altered.

[Your evil deeds end here.]

Speaking in clear, distinct Korean, a golden light burst from outside the restaurant.

“That’s….”

“Who are you?!”

[Me?]

Beyond the girl.

The golden being was dressed like something out of a special effects show.

[You don’t need to know.]

As if taking the concept of a ‘golden dragon.’

[The moment you hear my name will be after you’ve fallen.]

What is this?

Some new kind of hero suit?

Or a medieval knight concept covered in gold?

Has this world finally gone crazy for heroes and manifested some legendary golden dragon warrior?

But before I could think further.

“……!”

That is mana.

From the outside, it looks like some cutting-edge scientific creation—a powered suit that allows ordinary humans to face ability users who wield mana.

But in reality, from helmet to toe, every part is made of ‘mana.’

In other words.

‘They’ve really nailed the shield gimmick!’

Whoever it is, the mana shield covering their body is constructed like actual powered suit components.

And.

Her belt—the voice is altered but still feminine—is the one I just saw moments ago.

“Ah.”

I see.

It’s Ymir.

‘Her design is really weird.’

Why would an ability user with such amazing mana control, enough to create a powered suit skin as a shield, choose such a concept?

‘It’s so tacky!’

Not just in terms of design.

‘What kind of appearance is that for a girl?! It’s just full gold-plated armor!’

It’s not bad.

It just doesn’t match the sensibilities of this era, 2025.

No, even in 2025, it doesn’t feel outdated but—

“Sigh.”

Doesn’t it feel more like a villain than a hero?

‘A transforming hero shouldn’t look like that…!’

I observed the situation while moving away from people’s attention.

“……Ha. Sigh.”

The situation is still chaotic.

Fortunately, thanks to the girl who became the demon Lilith, the CCTV cameras are broken.

“…….”

I slowly rubbed my face with my hand and moved toward the bathroom area, away from people.

“……After transformation, clothes, haa. Ah well. Since it’s come to this, I’ll use my finishing move.”

No one noticed me.

“I don’t know about anything else, but a girl shouldn’t go with a ‘monster’ concept.”

Also.

The fact that I was here, that I would appear here.

No one will ‘perceive it.’

Therefore.

The possibility of my identity being revealed is 0%.

Unless there’s a clairvoyant, no one will discover me.

Click.

I put on my mask.

* * *

“Attacked before I could even unpack.”

Baek Seol-hee grabbed her throbbing head as she rushed toward the scene.

Correction.

She glided like a snowboarder in high heels on an ice path created through her ability.

“Is this how often incidents happen here?”

[Haha, no. It’s just students having stress-induced ability rampages…]

“Even though there seem to be casualties?”

Seol-hee quickly arrived at the scene.

Although she was on a high hill a bit away from the scene, she could see what was happening.

“Kyahaha. What’s with that ridiculous appearance?”

[A true hero doesn’t reveal themselves carelessly.]

In front of the collapsed restaurant.

Two figures were facing off in the parking lot.

One was clearly a girl whose “inner chuunibyou” had exploded into a rampage.

And the other was…

“……!”

Seol-hee saw it.

The true form of the powered suit that looked like it was covered in a golden dragon.

“Impossible.”

Mana control that seemed even more intricate than her own.

To release mana from within the body and create armor like that, and not just ordinary armor but in that form?

“F-first, the people—”

Just as Seol-hee was about to jump down from the hill while holding the railing…

A black shadow landed in the parking lot in the distance.

“……!!”

This can’t be happening.

The golden armor might be explainable as “possible,” but that man cannot possibly be here.

“How can the Goblin…!!”

The Goblin.

A man in a black suit with golden light emanating from his eyes landed between the golden dragon suit and the demon.

[Who are you…?]

[I am the Goblin. I appear wherever villains show up.]

[The Goblin…?]

While the golden dragon suit was taken aback.

“Kyahaha!! So you’re the famous Goblin! Then I’ll show you! How powerful I, Lilith, truly am!!”

[You want to prove your strength? Then I’ll show you the gap in our power. However.]

As the Goblin lightly touched his mask, a strange belt-like object appeared in his hand.

[Since this is a special occasion, shall I show you the real thing?]

“That is…?!”

[READY!]

[Transform.]