Chapter 19 : More of a cleanup than a battle

Seoul had become a war zone.

Sirens blared constantly from the speakers, and screams erupted from people all around.

All terrestrial channels had cut off their current programming and switched to emergency broadcasts.

[I heard gates opened in several places almost simultaneously—what’s the situation on the ground?]

The screen switched in response to the anchor’s question.

[The area near Gangnam Station has already been taken over by monsters. Thanks to the quick response of the Gate Detection Office, the damage has been minimized, but it looks like it will take some time for the situation to stabilize.]

The reporter was standing in the middle of a bustling district, yet it was completely deserted—no people, no cars.

Barricades set up by the police, and beyond them, magical girls engaged in fierce battle.

Only parts of it were barely captured on camera.

[We keep hearing explosions—are bombs being used?]

[No, this is due to magic.]

[I heard the number of magical girls deployed varies depending on the grade and number of monsters. How many are on the scene right now?]

[It has been confirmed that at least 10 have arrived.]

[Isn’t this a situation where everyone should be dispatched, like last time?]

[It might be difficult because gates could open in other regions too. In times like this—]

One crisis after another.

Just when one hurdle seemed cleared, another wave of monster invasions began.

One feature of the gates is that they’re more likely to appear where there are large crowds of people.

Seoul, with its concentration of jobs and infrastructure, is among the most densely populated areas in the world.

Including the surrounding metropolitan area, the main locations where monsters appear are largely fixed.

But the greater Seoul area is over 10,000 square kilometers.

Even though the number of magical girls has increased, it’s difficult to prepare perfectly for such emergencies.

“They really opened the gates………….”

The previous letter had only a date, but this time, even the time was specified.

That meant the organization possessed sensors more precise than those in the detection office.

Or, it implied they could open the gates intentionally.

Reaper Morse pulled out the Dark Magical Gem.

The color of the crystal had become even murkier.

It was dyed entirely in deep black, and ominous magical energy overflowed.

“They never said it was a time bomb……………!”

If left alone, it might activate on its own.

What would happen if it reached the critical point was unknown.

Scarlet Lily said it would be better to use it as soon as possible.

But only at the designated time and place.

“I don’t know! I just did what I was told!”

As Reaper Morse activated the Dark Magical Gem, the gate in front of her began to ripple violently.

Crackkkkk!

A sound like sparks flying.

A rift appeared, as if the space itself had been torn vertically.

Just within sight, there were more than five.

They must have appeared across a much wider area, so in reality, there were probably several times more.

“Graaaah!”

“Grrrrr!”

One by one, monsters began to emerge from the rifts.

Their grades ranged between E and D.

They weren’t powerful enemies, but with these numbers, they would need to be hunted in teams.

Reaper Morse quickly fled the scene.

“Why is this happening to me…………..!”

She had thought being a double agent to catch the shadowy mastermind would be enough, but now she had used the Dark Magical Gem.

After actually doing it, a cold sweat broke out.

Was I always this timid?

And yet I tried to act like I could join an evil organization.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

Scarlet Lily, let’s see what your true intentions are.

Reaper Morse, not very honest with herself.

She didn’t say it out loud, but she was rooting for her.

For that magical girl, recognized by the entire nation for her skills, to somehow resolve this crisis.

The department that’s absurdly busy when it gets busy.

Hell had broken loose in the Magical Girl Support Team too.

“What do you mean a new gate opened! There was only one in that area just a moment ago!”

Kim Taehyun raised his voice unconsciously after receiving his subordinate’s report.

“Twenty-three more have appeared. New monsters have been observed emerging, and an evacuation alert has been issued.”

“Twenty-three without any warning………….”

Even under normal circumstances, this many gates don’t open.

A disaster that felt like an ambush.

Even the usually composed Kim Taehyun felt a pounding headache.

“Should we redirect the magical girls?”

“Only contact those stationed in areas that have quieted down. Don’t force the others.”

“Understood.”

Kim Taehyun looked at the massive monitor that covered an entire wall.

It displayed the locations of magical girls and monsters on the map.

Just when the monster signals seemed to be declining, they began surging again, terrifyingly fast.

“Our initial response was good, but………….”

The supporters weren’t being complacent either.

They had revised the detection system using several failures as lessons and conducted thorough inspections.

And yet—

“……Angelic Luna?”

A call came in to Kim Taehyun’s phone.

A magical girl who had been inactive for quite some time.

Why would she be contacting him at a time like this?

“This is Kim Taehyun of the Magical Girl Support Team.”

“This is…… Angelic Luna. I have something to say………..”

Her voice carried tension.

“I’m sorry, but we’re busy. Please be brief if it’s not urgent.”

“It is urgent! It’s about the newly duplicated gate……”

Kim Taehyun’s eyebrow twitched.

“Duplicated? What are you—”

“Just like I said. Oh, maybe showing the video would be faster.”

After a bit more conversation, Kim Taehyun put his smartphone back into his pocket.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Everyone, continue with what you’re doing.”

Angelic Luna confessed what had happened over the past few days and what she had done.

It wasn’t something that could be brushed off lightly, but now wasn’t the time to argue.

“Huh?”

The subordinate’s voice made his heart drop.

She was staring blankly at the monitor.

“What is it?”

“The monster signals are disappearing! At an incredible speed!”

The monster signals, which had explosively increased as predicted, were rapidly declining.

“Who went in?”

“I don’t know. There shouldn’t be any magical girls there yet… “

Everyone in the support room had their eyes glued to the monitor.

“Did someone turn off their GPS?”

“Maybe… but still…”

The speed was astonishing.

The nearly 100 monsters had already been cut down to less than half.

The unknown figure was moving across the city, erasing every signal in their path.

It wasn’t a battle – more like a cleanup.

A thorough, high-powered vacuum-like cleanup, sucking up every piece of debris.

“There was just one magical girl who wasn’t linked with the support team.”

“Ah!”

At Kim Taehyun’s words, the staff members seemed to catch on.

Since she didn’t install the dedicated app, her location didn’t appear on the monitor.

“All clear – all monsters in the area have been eliminated!”

The support room erupted in cheers.

Even Kim Taehyun, who had kept a stiff expression, finally broke into a smile.

“Scarlet Lily… I knew she wasn’t ordinary, but to think it was to this extent.”

I have a few reasons for favoring the Scarlet Beam.

First, it’s simply powerful and convenient.

While it lacks the maximum power of more advanced spells, it’s perfect for dealing with small fry.

As long as it’s not a boss-level monster, nothing beats the Scarlet Beam.

And it’s clean.

Divine spells vaporize monsters.

In other words, no gruesome corpses left behind.

No need to use brutal techniques with kids watching.

Lastly, one more thing – it’s flashy.

Even if you’re not trying to draw attention, a cool effect is always nice.

It’s satisfying to shoot and fun to watch.

It’s also the kind of technique that just screams “magical girl.”

“Kieeeeek!”

“Goooooooh!”

As I unleashed a barrage of Scarlet Beams in the sky, death cries echoed all around.

There’s no time to stop and fight.

Evacuation here is long over, but if the monsters scatter, it’ll be a nightmare to clean up.

“Hah… I think that wraps it up.”

I looked around – it seemed like no monsters remained.

No civilian casualties either.

A successful time attack.

“Haven’t broken a sweat like this in a while.”

I used the Dark Magical Gem on Reaper Morse

Choosing a spot away from people.

After fully preparing to wipe them out before they could rampage, I gave the command.

It might have seemed reckless, but I had my reasons.

I’d seen roughly how many would spawn during the last incident.

I figured I could handle it, so I went for it.

I also hoped to sniff out any hidden masterminds, but nothing suspicious was nearby.

I thought someone might be watching Reaper Morse from the shadows, but it seems they’re more cautious than I expected.

A bit of hard work, but that’s part of the job.

For now, I decided to go check on Reaper Morse.

“Angel Slash!”

A flash of white light sliced a monster clean in two.

The spell was cast by a girl in black.

Reaper Morse was fighting while protecting the citizens.

“Go, big sister! You can do it!”

“Wow, her magical girl outfit is so cool!”

“Hang in there!”

With the children’s cheers, the remaining monsters were quickly wiped out.

“Even as Reaper Morse, your techniques are still angelic, huh?”

“Eek?! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Reaper Morse jumped in surprise.

“I thought you’d be slacking off, but you’re surprisingly diligent.”

“Of course! I don’t just stand around watching all the time!”

I couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected change in her attitude.

Just then, a young girl ran up to Reaper Morse.

“Are you a magical girl too? What’s your name?”

“I… I’m Reaper… no, Angel… no, wait…”

She hesitated, seemingly embarrassed to introduce herself with such a villainous name to a kid.

Finally, clenching her fists, she declared,

“I am the Grim Reaper of monsters – Reaper Morse! Remember that!”

For an impromptu line, it wasn’t half bad, striking a pose as she said it.

The kids broke into applause.

So this is how it goes.