Chapter 23: Let’s Meet on the Dark Side of the Moon.
by AfuhfuihgsAfter the terrorist incident was contained and the headquarters building was somewhat restored,
Yu Ji-Hye gathered the Coral Echoes and held a committee meeting.
The topic was the prediction of Sanguine Obsidia’s movements and residence.
To gain government approval, she had to pressure the tense and anxious committee members, still on edge from the recent terrorist attack, just to convene the meeting.
“Sanguine Obsidia’s ‘Etherealisation’ is estimated to have a maximum movement range of about 200 meters, and when moving between areas, she uses so-called ‘portals.’”
Although the number of observed incidents where Sanguine Obsidia was seen fleeing or moving was limited, the information was accurate.
Since about half of the committee seemed uninterested, she started with the basics.
“And when we mark the locations where she has used portals on the map, it looks like this.”
A map appeared on the screen.
Most of the red dots were scattered around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, while a few were spotted in places like Japan and China.
“At the early stages of Sanguine Obsidia’s activity, if we exclude the areas that clearly seem like distractions, all the marked locations are concentrated in Gyeonggi Province and Seoul.
In fact, when she appeared in Fukuoka, it was evident that Sanguine Obsidia was in a state of magical depletion, so it’s highly likely she deliberately revealed herself to mislead us about the portal’s movement range.”
Yu Ji-Hye told them to review the distributed documents for more details and manipulated the computer.
Circles with a radius of 200 km centered on each point appeared.
“Although the exact range of Sanguine Obsidia’s movement is uncertain, for example, if we assume an average range of 200 km, it looks like this.”
The circles overlapped, and even with just the overlapping range, they covered almost the entire map of South Korea.
Essentially, the data was meaningless.
“However, Sanguine Obsidia’s habits—despite occasionally trying to confuse investigations—if she has absolute confidence in her safety and escape, she is bound to unconsciously reveal some habits.”
The video showed the radius of the circles decreasing,
With most of the overlapping areas converging around the southeastern part of Seoul and the adjacent areas of Gyeonggi Province.
“The distance she typically uses for portal movement is likely within a specific range.”
Even though the starting points of the portal, as confirmed by video evidence and magical traces, varied, the destination points were consistently the same.
If she could open and close portals freely and repeatedly, there would have been no reason to bother escaping through etherealisation while painstakingly trying to shake off the initial pursuit.
In other words, the destination of the ‘portal’ is within the marked range on the map.
That means Sanguine Obsidia’s residence is also within that range.
Conversely, if we reverse-calculate the area from which she could move from her residence and adjust it with the areas where incidents actually occurred,
We can estimate the predicted area of Sanguine Obsidia’s appearance.
It’s an inference based on the method Coral Echoes used to track marine monsters.
“And Sanguine Obsidia cannot go more than a week without killing.”
This is an inductive reasoning based on Sanguine Obsidia’s crime records over the past year.
There’s a popular belief that she’s a deranged, sadistic serial killer who can’t go a day without killing someone.
However, Yu Ji-Hye, considering her behavioural patterns and the obsessive, compulsive mindset she sensed when they faced each other half a year ago,
Believes that Sanguine Obsidia may have some inexplicable principle guiding her actions or some sort of constraint.
For example, it might be a curse where she loses power if she doesn’t kill.
It sounds absurd, but given that there was already a crazy woman who used the corpse of a spirit as an energy source,
It’s not entirely impossible that a corrupted mascot could be forcing Sanguine Obsidia to kill.
Regardless, even though the area is wide, if they can maintain the surveillance net for just a week to ten days at most, there will inevitably be a chance to catch Sanguine Obsidia at least once.
Considering how she reappeared in front of Glacia Azure after disappearing for a week, displaying a completely different level of madness, it’s a rather rational judgment.
Due to realistic limitations, like the inability to withdraw personnel assigned to security and monster suppression,
It’s impractical to maintain a wide surveillance net for more than a week, and such a large net would inevitably have many holes.
However, as long as there’s just one opportunity to capture her, that’s enough.
Once they catch a glimpse, Yu Ji-Hye is confident she won’t let her escape.
***
“You really came up with an absurd plan. Approving something like this—does the committee consist solely of idiots who can’t even do basic arithmetic? Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case.”
Eclipse’s reaction after reading the outline was scathing, including a subtle jab at Yu Ji-Hye, who had proposed the plan.
“The surveillance range is too vast. Spanning across several cities—are you planning to declare martial law? Even if Sanguine Obsidia shows up within the predicted activity area, and even if Coral Echoes manages to mark and track her, she could just escape the moment she gets spotted.”
As Eclipse pointed out, it was an irrational and reckless plan.
Predicting the criminal’s psychology was one thing, but the cost of implementing the plan was overwhelmingly high.
Practically abandoning monster defense in the entire metropolitan area for up to a week was an unimaginable cost.
“The committee raised the same criticism.”
Yu Ji-Hye was genuinely surprised.
She had always thought the committee, aside from the relatively reasonable chairman, was just a bunch of fools who only cared about their paychecks.
But there was at least one person capable of making a reasonable argument.
“To be honest, I also think the success rate is fifty-fifty. But the odds are good enough. From Sanguine Obsidia’s perspective, it would only feel like security has become a bit tighter than usual, so if we exploit that gap, we might just catch her.”
That statement was half hopeful speculation, half a lie.
Even Yu Ji-Hye herself thought it was a long shot—not even close to a fifty-fifty chance.
It wasn’t that there were more efficient methods,
It was just that Yu Ji-Hye had her own reason to personally capture Sanguine Obsidia.
“Let me say this upfront—I’m refusing. I have a place I need to protect.”
Even before she could make the request, Eclipse cut her off decisively.
From past experience, Yu Ji-Hye knew she had a tendency to indirectly hint at what she really wanted from Eclipse,
And it was obvious that her next request would be to come to Seoul and assist.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting much anyway. Just hearing your perspective has been helpful enough, so thanks.”
“…Sigh. Just one question. Is this really your plan from start to finish?”
Eclipse let out a deep sigh, opening a second bottle of alcohol.
“Of course. The entire plan was drafted by me.”
Though, admittedly, it had changed significantly from the original idea.
Yu Ji-Hye didn’t bother to add any unnecessary details. If she mentioned how the military’s refusal to cooperate and the committee’s shortsightedness had drastically altered the personnel distribution, it might give off the impression that it was a government-driven plan.
If that impression got across to Eclipse, any chance of getting her assistance would vanish.
And ultimately, the plan was indeed Yu Ji-Hye’s own.
It was born from her unyielding determination to capture Sanguine Obsidia no matter the cost,
Willing to face every uncertainty and risk head-on.
On the screen, Eclipse’s expression wavered, as if she had plenty to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Her awkward, conflicted look, like she was holding back criticism, contrasted with her small figure, making her appear unexpectedly cute.
Eclipse would vehemently deny both the cuteness and her own kindness, though.
“…Fine. Do as you wish. You’d go ahead with it no matter what I say anyway.”
“Thanks. I know it’s not much of a reward, but let me give you a piece of useful information.”
Crash—
A glass fell and shattered.
Eclipse’s remaining eye was trembling violently after hearing the story, and Yoo Ji-Hye realized her mistake.
“The corpse… of a spirit…”
It was from a secret communication left through a pitch-black radio at the scene, where the perpetrators called themselves the “Apostles of the Black Relic.”
Yoo Ji-Hye had shared the information about the primary suspects of the terrorist incident with Eclipse to warn her to be cautious,
And to see if Eclipse knew anything about them, while also probing just how deep her trauma ran—her trauma of losing a partner because of her own actions. Just as she sometimes did.
‘As expected…’
This was a mistake. She was being far too sensitive.
Even after six years.
She thought she had been considerate enough, but nothing ever went as planned. Not the association, not Eclipse.
“Eclipse!”
The cloudy right eye contracted and expanded repeatedly, and her fingernails dug into the desk, leaving cracks.
That small body, drenched in cold sweat, looked pitiful.
“Haah… haah… haah…”
The girl, gasping for breath, finally came to her senses when Yoo Ji-Hye called her by the old name she had abandoned before becoming a magical girl.
“…I’m fine. Go ahead and talk. Or rather, I guess you have nothing more to say, Chairman.”
Her tone suddenly changed—sharp, hostile.
It wasn’t a voice directed at Yoo Ji-Hye, but at someone from her past whom she hated.
‘This is the end for today.’
“So, are you ordering me to provide support?”
Her pupil was maximally dilated and trembling.
Her right hand swung through the air, as if grabbing at an invisible throat.
“Abandon Busan and go protect your useless carcasses? That thing is at least C2-class! If we leave it alone, the entire country will be reduced to ashes!”
Of all times, it had to be the memory from six years ago.
For Yoo Ji-Hye, that day was also one of the worst.
Ignoring the association’s standby orders, she flew at full speed, but when she arrived, it was already too late.
All that remained of what was once a city was a massive trench,
And Eclipse, barely breathing, on the verge of death.
“Please, please, take it all—my body, my heart, my magic core, my soul—you can take them back, I won’t blame you. Please, I’m begging you…”
Her right hand shook as if grabbing the collar of someone in the air.
When the C-class monster, Spira Nicoli, appeared in Korea for the first time in five years,
Eclipse had desperately pleaded for assistance from the association headquarters, local branches, the U.S. Navy, the Japanese Magical Girl Association—anyone who could help.
Frantically.
And every response was a rejection.
“Silence. Just silence. Is it not even worth responding to? Fine, this is the end. Our branch severs ties with the association. We’ll deal with the monster on our own, even if it just means dying a little later.”
At the time, the Magical Girl Association, exposed for numerous wrongdoings and under heavy criticism for repeated failures, needed an accomplishment to restore its reputation.
The government and committee made the judgment to deal with the monster using only local forces from Busan.
With the ridiculous assertion that the coastal fortress line would suffice.
The official classification of Spira Nicoli was also downgraded to CSn-class, barely qualifying as a C-class monster—a relatively weak designation.
So, Eclipse’s words now are not what she actually said back then. In reality, she had begged pathetically for support.
But her declaration of separation from the association was undeniably sincere. Cutting ties with the association, with the government, and with the world itself.
It was true then, and it remains true now.
…It was better this way than having Eclipse reject Yoo Ji-Hye in a rational state.
This kind of episode happened occasionally—a sort of seizure where she vented her emotions, and once it was over,
Sending her some quality liquor would ensure that next time, she would be a bit more cooperative.
“Have you calmed down?”
“…Yeah.”
After pouring out her anger and hatred for a long while,
And crying even longer,
Eclipse stood there blankly for a moment, her eyes slowly regaining focus.
“Thank you. And… sorry, as always.”
“Come on. No need for that between us. Once this is all over, I might have some time to visit Busan. Can I drop by?”
“…Call me when you do. I’ll come pick you up.”
After that brief exchange, a loud thud sounded, and the communication was cut off.
It was something that happened quite often during conversations between Yu Ji-Hye and Eclipse.
“She probably wouldn’t complain if I asked for a whole box this time.”
Recalling the chairman’s whiskey collection, Yu Ji-Hye tidied up the room and left.
A few days later.
News arrived that the alcohol shipment had been lost due to the destruction of the logistics center.
And simultaneously, news broke that a logistics centre had been destroyed during a late-night battle between Sanguine Obsidia and the Black Relic Apostles’ Soda Pop☆Ritalin.
Yu Ji-Hye received both reports just as she arrived at work.
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