There Is No Right Answer (1)

There Is No Right Answer (1)

‘I should say I was lucky.’

Rene quietly observed her surroundings inside the vehicle that was gradually heading towards the outskirts. Today’s actions weren’t without reason. Based on the enemies’ methods, she thought there must be a supplier and had been roaming the streets.

However, she didn’t expect them to approach her first. Moreover, they even took her to their hideout due to some misunderstanding, while they had been searching for her so desperately.

It was a golden opportunity that came from meticulous calculation and incredible coincidence, so Rene herself wanted to make the most of this chance, and that’s why she acted thoroughly.

‘An opportunity for revenge.’

She remembered the words of the middle-aged woman who recognized and persuaded her.

Knowing that the cause of the ‘rampaging monsters,’ which had recently become a prominent issue, was those who were hurt and harbored hatred, she needed to find out how they had gathered the victims.

‘No matter what, it’s impossible to find people who want to become monsters so easily. They must have used some petty and dirty tricks. Just like they tried to implant that murky magic parasite in me.’

She bit her lip slightly while looking at the people riding with her. They were all sitting quietly in a dazed state without saying a word.

“Well, we’re almost there now.”

It was then that the middle-aged woman sitting in the front spoke with a grin.

The place where the vehicle arrived was a small church located in a mountain in a sparsely populated outskirt area.

However, Rene, who was still unfamiliar with Christianity, the religion of Earth, didn’t notice that the cross that should have been on top of the church building had been removed in a damaged state.

“How many?”

“A total of 9 people. We scraped them from Nowon, Dongdaemun, Jungnang… the eastern part of Seoul.”

They made the people, including Rene, get off when the van stopped at the playground-like open space in front of the church.

The middle-aged woman began to report detailed information to someone who was waiting in advance, as if reporting to a superior.

‘It’s eerie and sticky.’

Rene also observed her counterpart closely. On the surface, he appeared to be an ordinary middle-aged man dressed in a neat suit, but she could sense something lingering about him without even needing to use detection magic.

“Not bad. Bring them all inside. Listen to their stories, and select those who can become martyrs beyond seeds to send to headquarters.”

“Yes, Pastor.”

The man called Pastor turned and walked into the church, and the people had to follow him inside.

Rene couldn’t find the right timing to use magic or make contact. She feared they might recognize her identity and either flee or attack.

‘Is this one of the thick branches? If so, what exactly are they doing here?’

From their conversation, Rene realized that this church was just one of their bases. It meant there was still much information to be learned.

“All of you have come to this suspicious place after hearing just one word.”

While she was tensely surveying her surroundings, the ‘Pastor’ led them to a room.

“Revenge! And the power to achieve it!”

It was once a chapel where services were held. But now, God is no longer here. Jesus is gone too. All that remains is a thick, gloomy negative magic that could be called demonic energy.

The door closed. Rene’s eyes widened as she saw what was hanging in front of the chapel.

“Our sun, Smalilian, can give you that. Prayer? Practice? Evangelism? None of that is necessary.”

The pastor grinned and slowly raised it. It looked like an ordinary silver tiara, but a living, bloodshot eyeball was embedded in the center, wriggling.

“This society has already rotted beyond the point of no return.”

Holding the tiara straight in front of his solar plexus, the pastor continued speaking. Everyone stared at the eye of the tiara as if entranced, listening to his voice.

“It’s true that compared to the past, things have developed and grown. It’s true that they pretend to have improved, to be sensible. But that’s hypocrisy. Nothing but hypocrisy.”

The pastor raised his voice. Rene, who had been listening quietly, detected a faint magical power mixed in his voice.

While she remained unchanged, the others with parasites implanted in their bodies were different. They quickly became emotional, mistaking the resonance between the magic in the pastor’s words and the parasites in their bodies for their own feelings.

“This absurd society always demands sacrifice. Sacrifice, such a petty and vulgar word. Deception and exploitation disguised with seemingly grand words.”

The pastor grinned and pointed to the woman in front.

“Why did you come to a place like this? What exactly do you want to kill?”

“Hypocrites. To kill those pieces of trash…”

The woman he pointed to spoke, not hiding her boiling emotions as she contorted her face.

“Those bastards, trash! To those damn human rights peddlers, disabled people are just a means of making money and creating an image!”

With madness gleaming in her eyes, she clawed at her face and head until it bled, spewing out her hatred.

“My daughter, my poor daughter. The daughter I couldn’t raise alone. Am I the sinner for leaving her home alone, for letting her live next door to that bastard?!”

She cried and laughed. The resentment and hatred of a young mother who lost her elementary school-aged daughter to rape and murder were already piercing the sky. Moreover, the fact that the perpetrator suffered from severe physical disabilities and received protection from numerous human rights organizations, avoiding proper punishment, added fuel to that fire.

“Why is that your fault? The fault lies with them.”

The pastor shook his head solemnly at the sight.

Then he slowly approached and held out a tiara to her.

“Now you will have power. The power to cleanse this rotten society and its minions, receiving the true power of the sun!”

“Ah…”

“Dedicate everything to Him. Then your wish… it can be fulfilled.”

What could compare to the despair of a parent who has lost a child?

The pastor confirmed the size of her hatred and despair, gave a passing grade, and let her through. It didn’t matter if she didn’t pass here initially. Hatred could always be nurtured.

‘Oh no…’

Ren, who witnessed the entire scene, inwardly sighed as he broke out in a cold sweat.

He had a feeling this wouldn’t be easy.

“So, Magical Girl standing next to her, what do you hate so much that brought you here?”

And that intuition was immediately realized. The pastor grinned and looked directly at Renée, instantly seeing through her identity.

“…Stop right there. Using tricks to turn people into rampaging monsters.”

“Eek!”

“A Magical Girl?!”

Renée finally revealed her true form. With a burst of brilliant golden light, a noble and elegant Magical Girl in a light golden dress appeared here, holding a staff taller than herself.

Naturally, people shrank back in fear. However, the pastor holding the tiara bared his teeth and laughed.

“Ha! I wondered who this rat-like Magical Girl was! S-class Magical Girl Renée! The leader of Casilena!”

“You recognize me.”

Renée narrowed her eyes. Though her strong light was overwhelming the crowd, her body was somehow stiff.

“Of course I recognize you. That brazen girl who proclaimed a new order to help the marginalized and correct injustices!”

The pastor glared and shouted. Renée deliberately didn’t answer.

“How dare you crawl in here! This is a sacred place. A sanctuary where the wounded and desperate heal their wounds! It’s not a place for hypocrites like you to enter!!!”

“Ugh…”

As the pastor shouted, a red flash suddenly burst from the eyes of the tiara he was holding and rushed towards her. Renée easily blocked the attack by raising a barrier, but couldn’t rashly counterattack.

“What have you done for these people? What can you do for them? You lot who only focus on power struggles along with corrupt political forces. This is the last struggle of those abandoned by society and even by you. Do you have the right to stop it?”

At the pastor’s confident words, Renée’s eyes wavered.

She was a figure on the border.

While Taquilas, who considered himself absolute law, had a temperament to sweep everything away as he pleased without caring about justification or pretense, Renée herself cared about both her true goal of desire for power and the realization of proper justice that she outwardly proclaimed as justification.

That’s why she couldn’t simply ignore the pastor’s words. To ignore and trample over it with force – that was something she herself could never accept.

“I acknowledge it. That I, that we, have been failing.”

“…?”

She slowly lowered her wand. The pastor, surprised by the unexpected sight, hesitated.

“Nevertheless, I have a duty to save and help people. And that includes you all.”

“What are you talking about, you…ack!”

The pastor gritted his teeth as he watched her bow her head towards the people. However, when she raised her head again, her blue eyes were softly glowing.

“Therefore, there is no need to become monsters by accepting such evil power. We will take on that role instead. Absolutely. Continuously, until the end.”

As she raised her wand again, magic circles formed around her, simultaneously unleashing grand magic in all directions.