Runaway Girl (1)

Runaway Girl (1)

Why! Why do I keep getting involved with only these kinds of people? Surely I could meet good people and be raised by them?

Maybe it’s because I’m a demon king. But just because they’re demons doesn’t mean they’re absolutely evil. At least under my reign, demons had to know honor. And in that honor, there was no place for petty acts like pushing one’s work onto others.

“What nonsense are you saying. You crawled in here yourself… guaak!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing at all.”

I grabbed the babbling Ren and dunked him in the basin, scrubbing him against the washboard along with other laundry.

Just this once. I planned to figure out this runaway family’s true identity, then choose whether to destroy or kill them all.

“Ah. Welcome back, sisters.”

Kim Su-jung stopped doing laundry and gave a folder bow to each of the women who came rushing in. Though still young, with this level of ability she’d probably survive if thrown anywhere in the demon realm.

“Is this the kid? Looks like a princess, but with no manners? From a rich family? Why’d you leave home?”

I was just standing casually beside her when some pig of a woman came snickering and tapping my head. Just as I was about to cut off her arm if she hit me one more time.

“I heard about you.”

A man barged in. Young, with dyed blonde hair, and a slim build.

“Hello? I’m Kim Gwang-hun.”

He held out his hand to me. I slowly took his hand.

“I sense… deep evil.”

Ren, soaking wet and dripping water, muttered with a grave face what I already knew.

“What kind of work does he make you do?”

“Just deliveries.”

That night. I had to sleep squeezed next to Kim Su-jung in a narrow corner under the sink. Kim Gwang-hun said he’d give me meals and a place to sleep as long as I did the assigned work well, without asking about circumstances.

“Deliveries?”

“Yeah. It’s really nothing much. Because we’re young.”

“…Right. You really are young.”

I let out a bitter laugh at that light answer. As if they’d have her deliver something normal like chicken.

This child didn’t even know what she was transporting.

“Then what are you hesitating for! Another chance at achievement captured! Without cleaning them all out!”

[Idiot. After what happened last time, again? This is an opportunity right now]

“Opportunity… th-that’s right!”

Ren who had been grumbling finally realized and clapped his hands. To me it was a not-so-welcome opportunity that meant more work.

Clearly Kim Gwang-hun was a villain that counted for magical girl achievements. But in my view, he wasn’t the mastermind.

Drug couriers hidden behind a runaway family. There must be a separate mastermind related to that. Like when I swept away the international criminal organization using the orphanage as brokers last time, this was a chance to secretly approach and sweep them all away.

“Hey Kim Su-jung.”

But just as I was about to set plans and fall asleep. Someone raised their voice.

“Aaaah! I’m sorry sister!”

Kim Su-jung was grabbed by the ankle and dragged away, getting beaten like a dog while half asleep. Not even fully awake, she curled up on the floor continuously apologizing and crying loudly.

“Cut the crap! You did everyone’s laundry except mine!”

“I really didn’t know! I’m sure… aaak!”

The one dragging and indiscriminately beating Kim Su-jung was that pig woman from earlier.

I heard her name but forgot it. Anyway, supposedly the strongest one here?

Indeed, while this madness was happening in the middle of the night, no one dared stop it. Or maybe it was just a familiar sight.

“Hey, isn’t that enough?”

No. There was at least one person who stepped up. Jeon So-hyeon, who I first met here.

“Ah shit, you acting up again?”

“You’re the one causing trouble when everyone’s trying to sleep.”

The eyes of the two women glaring at each other clashed in mid-air. I watched with excitement this real fight different from the catfights I had succubi perform, cheering for Jeon So-hyeon to win if they were going to fight anyway.

“Got a problem? Want me to cut your face again so you can’t work like before?”

“…”

But unfortunately, it seemed the two already had history. The pig woman raising her fists definitely looked outweigh So-hyeon who had an average build.

“And am I causing trouble for nothing? This trash couldn’t even do her work. Then, she, deserves, to get hit.”

“Urk..”

The pig woman kicked Kim Su-jung on the floor with each word.

Finally So-hyeon bit her lip and turned away. Perhaps thinking she had the upper hand? The pig woman grabbed Kim Su-jung’s hair who was suffering and forcibly lifted her up.

She raised her hand. From what I could see, that hit would break something.

“Excuse me.”

Suddenly everyone’s attention turned to me, including the pig woman. At this point I decided to just enjoy it. Not like it would last long anyway.

“I think I missed that laundry.”

“..What?”

“Su-jung and I split it, but I think I missed it.”

I spoke up confidently. The pig woman dropped Kim Su-jung’s hair.

“You… fucking quite honest aren’t you.”

The pig woman approached me snickering. She really is big. The ground shakes with each step.

“Ugh.”

“Stupid bitch. Think this is school? Think being honest will get you off easy?”

The pig woman twisted my hair. Then raised her hand.

“Learn it in your body. When you mess up you just get beaten like a dog. Since you were honest I’ll end it with this much. Learn from your pretty face getting ruined.”

Her thick sausage-like fingers tapped my exposed cheek after twisting my head. At that moment my eyes met Kim Su-jung’s.

Those eyes weren’t unfamiliar with this sight.

SLAP-

With a strong impact, my cheek, no, my whole right face felt on fire.

SLAP-

Blood sprayed from my lips. Right now I intentionally lowered my durability to avoid suspicion. The pain didn’t bother me having grown numb to it long ago.

SLAP-

Now blood flowed from my nose too. I closed my eyes watching Kim Su-jung crying silently. No need to feel sorry though.

After all, I just decided to personally fillet and kill this pig woman when this is over.

SLAP- THUD

With one final hit, my body spraying blood collapsed to the floor.

“Don’t touch it. It’ll get worse.”

“Thank you.”

“That bitch is sleeping now… sorry to say this, but sleep outside today. If you go in and wake her up there’ll be more trouble and only you two will get hit.”

In the alley in front of the villa, Jeon So-hyeon who applied medicine to my face sighed and went back inside. Though it’s a mess now, I can heal it quickly anyway.

I sighed feeling the cold night wind.

“…I didn’t ask for help. So I won’t say thanks.”

“That’s a very good mindset. But if you’re going to say that, stop crying first.”

“Hic… uwaang..”

Kim Su-jung finally burst into her held-back tears. I didn’t push away the one clinging to me and sobbing.

I felt disgusting. This wasn’t the dark and gloomy side I wanted to see coming to Earth. It was the pleasure and entertainment of that never-sleeping downtown visible in the distance.

“Stupid… is your body yours! Your body belongs to our companyyyy!”

I kicked away the fuming Ren sending him flying far away. Then I detached the sobbing Kim Su-jung.

“Let’s go in.”

“…I don’t want to anymore.”

“Then go back home.”

“If I go back, dad will hit me.”

“…”

“I always prayed for someone to help me. But there’s no one. Not the police, not even magical girls. I guess I don’t look pitiful enough to them.”

Once her sorrow burst out, Kim Su-jung kept making me concerned by telling me stories she didn’t need to. But I had nothing to say to her.

Self-reliance. That’s the basic principle of the demon realm. Even if she’s just a 13-year-old child.

“If a magical girl helps you, what will you do next?”

“…Huh?”

“You need to have the basics down first. But it’s okay. From what I see, you have them down sufficiently.”

I sat down heavily on the stairs inside the villa and smirked. Kim Su-jung sat beside me, burying her head in my arms.

In the end, we had no choice but to sleep tightly together on the stairs all night in the cold wind. More precisely, me keeping her warm with my body heat so she wouldn’t freeze to death.

“Good. Today Su-jung, take Jin-ah with you and teach her.”

Kim Gwang-hun who came early in the morning didn’t even blink at my battered face. I expected as much. Worm of a bastard.

Then he gave Kim Su-jung something wrapped tightly in tape that he took out from his chest. She put it into a band around her waist as if used to it, covering it with clothes.

“Go and come back safely. That’s your job.”

He sent us off with a smirk. Seems like I should just gather information on that bastard then behead him.

“Let’s go. It’s not far.”

Kim Su-jung, seemingly feeling better and having found her smile again, took my hand and led the way. Her wariness of me had largely disappeared. Rather, it was a problem how friendly she was being.

“Ah…”

“Code Red magical girl, Takiras.”

There was something visible to us crossing downtown. The image of a magical girl appearing on the news on an electronic billboard.

A black-haired red-eyed magical girl beheading a mutant with shadow blades in one strike.

“So cool.”

Kim Su-jung muttered blankly. As expected, she probably didn’t even know what Code Red meant.

“No, I know. A magical girl who kills people.”

“And you think that’s cool? Just looking at this news they’re making noise about having to arrest her. They say she’s a troublemaker disrupting the law.”

“But she’s killing bad people. I… think that’s better. Better than releasing someone who tried to assault and rape his daughter after just a few days.”

“…”

I closed my mouth.

After walking, resting, and walking again for over half a day like that, we arrived at what looked like an ordinary commercial building.