What is Right (9)

What is Right (9)

“They’re really promoting it on a large scale. Saying they’ll replace the Magical Girls.”

“Ah… but surely not.”

In the school bus, same as always. Hong Su-young and Kang Jin-su sat in the back seats, chattering about something they saw.

It was because of the large banner hung in front of the facility. The words “Awakened Special Forces Volunteer Recruitment” were prominently engraved on the banner.

“But it seems the response is really good.”

Kang Jin-su muttered absent-mindedly. His words weren’t wrong.

The Awakened Special Forces, being implemented first in Korea, was quite popular. Only those who passed the qualifications could receive the procedure, and the moment they received it, they would become superhumans transcending humanity, able to freely use powers that seemed like superpowers.

Moreover, one of the advantages of magic power was the physical enhancement effect, increasing internal immunity and regeneration, and even preventing aging.

The general public couldn’t help but react favorably to the Awakened Special Forces, even excluding the stated purpose of replacing Magical Girls. They might someday benefit from the advancement of this technology.

“As I said before, I don’t like it.”

Hong Su-young bit her lip, knowing such reactions. Her feelings were understandable too. She was a victim of illegal human experimentation.

She couldn’t help but hate human experimentation itself.

“You think so too, right?”

“How curious. Why do you assert that I would dislike those things?”

“Just because. They’re the complete opposite of your personality? And you like Magical Girls, don’t you?”

At that moment, Hong Su-young tapped my head as I was quietly listening in the front seat. I turned around and smirked at her words about personality.

I wonder what she thinks of me.

“You’re not wrong. I don’t particularly like those things either. Above all, power that disregards its vessel will eventually turn into poison.”

“Ignore the vessel?”

“Not knowing their place. How dare they.”

The One Road. And the Awakened Special Forces, the result of their experiments. They were truly a type I couldn’t like.

False strength, hypocrisy, and arrogance.

Those things will eventually tighten around their own necks.

“As expected.”

“What exactly do you think of me to react like that?”

“Well, an arrogant but smart middle schooler with delusions of grandeur?”

Hong Su-young laughed and patted my head again. It wasn’t a provocation, but a sign of intimacy.

Recently, after getting involved with studying together and hearing about my grades, her reactions towards me have changed noticeably. It’s as if she’s treating me like a close younger sibling.

It was very different from the disapproving look she gave me when we first met or afterwards when she saw me as a troublemaker.

“Sigh, can’t they both just coexist?”

After Hong Su-young sat back in her seat, Kim Su-jung, who had been keeping quiet until now, spoke up.

“Coexist, you say. What do you mean by that?”

“I mean the Awakened Special Forces and… the Magical Girls.”

It was a more innocent thought than Hong Su-young’s. However, the look in Kim Su-jung’s eyes as she gazed at me was clearly one of genuine concern.

“I looked up several articles on the internet. I also watched YouTube channels. There were many things that were hard to understand, but this much is certain. They hate each other and want to fight.”

“…That’s right. It must be hard to understand.”

I smirked and shook my head at Kim Su-jung’s words, which showed the most age-appropriate way of thinking among all the somewhat twisted people around me.

I wondered if I should continue to instill my logic in Kim Su-jung, but I didn’t think it would matter much.

“There’s a fundamental competitive structure between the two groups. Even excluding additional political situations, this is the most important. It’s a competition for survival.”

That which people in this world consider most important. Even those who preach beliefs and justice with their mouths will do anything when their livelihood is threatened.

Whether politicians, ordinary people, or magical girls, it’s fundamentally the same. It’s natural. The instinct for survival, competition is the foundation of nature.

“So don’t think too complicated. Think and act in ways that benefit you. There are no right answers in this world, only competition.”

In nature’s survival competition, there’s no good or evil, no law or morality. You eliminate and tear apart your opponents by any means necessary. That’s the truth.

Of course, you should be prepared to be treated the same way in return.

“Are you really going through a chuunibyou phase?”

“Do you think what I’m saying is wrong?”

“No? I think you’re right. But you fool, weak people like us need to cling to law and order as much as possible to get anything. If strong people act without restraint as you say, do you think we could ‘compete’?”

Hong Su-young, who interjected again, rested her face on the seat and chuckled.

“Then what do you think, senior? The Awakened Special Forces and Magical Girls. Can these two groups compete? Which is weak, and which is strong?”

“Huh? Well, that’s…”

“And if they compete, how would they do it? They probably won’t openly fight each other, right?”

Hong Su-young was flustered, but these words weren’t really meant to get an answer from her, a 15-year-old second-year middle school student.

“Both groups won’t stop fighting until they drive each other out. So both sides will have to prove their ‘usefulness’ to the maximum. In their own ways.”

The war has already begun. The two groups with different strengths and weaknesses are going to have a tough time now.

What’s important here is which side will be more united, and which side will have fewer internal traitors shooting at each other.

This is what I personally felt while planning faction wars.

“Kids, wait a moment. It seems a strange person has appeared nearby!”

It was then that our supervising teacher turned her head, shouting loudly.

Monsters, the insane creatures that recently opened dimensional gates and infiltrated this land en masse. In this power struggle, they were the main dish.

The key would be which group could defeat them better and how much political maneuvering they could accomplish with it.

“You’re not getting involved? Well, I guess not.”

[I hope there’s no need for me to step in. As long as they’re not attacking me directly]

Ren no longer had any expectations of me. I, too, didn’t want to go out of my way to get involved in troublesome matters. The only thing that worried me was that in times like these, things tended to go opposite to what I wanted.

***

“Heh, that foolish Deiran. In the end, he’s spilling more than he can manage.”

In the middle of the city, the continuous sound of whistles and sirens was controlling the streets.

The place where he stood, looking towards the scene, was also crowded with numerous people and police officers controlling the situation.

“Still, it’s a lively and good world. Also, an interesting and exciting place.”

While others were taking out their phones or murmuring among themselves, he, with his hood pulled down, muttered to himself. To an outsider, he might have looked like a madman.

“At the same time, it’s quite an incomprehensible world. In this place, quite a number of ‘monsters’ could live ‘normally’. Yes. How was it for you?”

“That’s right. These worthless trash with no power or ability… thinking they’re something and causing all sorts of trouble… these pieces of garbage… Rather than them, it might be better if the legion commanded by the ‘Sun’ ruled this land…”

“Flattery is unnecessary.”

Snorting, he turned to look at the young man beside him.

The young man, who looked somewhat haggard, pale, and dazed, was dressed in a neat suit, the typical appearance of a new office worker.

“Isn’t this what you want?”

“Oh, oh, oh… Sun, please give that to me!”

With a smirk, he handed something he took out from his pocket to the young man.

“Very well. I’ll give this to you. Gain power with this and fulfill your resentment. Kill those who deserve to die and make them know their place. Do worthless trash deserve to live? Is it your law to keep them alive? If so, then break that law.”

Under the hood, large, curved golden eyes glinted.

The young man, enchanted by his tongue, took it and quickly ran away from the spot.

“Hmm, it may be a bit dangerous, but in return, isn’t this world rotten beyond imagination?”

Watching the retreating figure, he smiled with satisfaction. It was such a wonderful world. A place overflowing with things for him to devour and spread.

Having finished his groundwork, he began his full-fledged activities and soon left his seat as well.

“Jeong-yeon. Where did Lee Hee-chan go?”

“Oh, Manager.”

In the government building during lunchtime, Manager Oh Young-soo searched for someone with a deeply furrowed brow.

The female employee greeted him with a smile, but her true feelings were different. Fundamentally, he was far from being a good boss.

‘Damn, where did that bastard go without saying anything again?’

She could only smile because of the presence of a colleague who became a target and punching bag in her place.

The problem was that the sucker wasn’t at his desk right now.

“Ah, that idiot. These days, young people have no perseverance. If you just endure and endure, things get easier. Right?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Ah, not you, Jeong-yeon. Um… let’s talk about the young men these days. Is it because they go to the military like it’s camping nowadays? Huh? In my day…”

He habitually started badmouthing the person who wasn’t present.

‘Disgusting old fart, dumping all the work and taking no responsibility. Sheesh.’

She halfheartedly agreed with him. Although it was annoying how he flirted with young female employees, he did take care of women to some extent. Of course, others had to bear the brunt of the damage.

“So I…”

“Oh, there he is!”

As she was letting his words go in one ear and out the other, she brightened up upon seeing someone trudging towards them from afar.

The young man, looking somewhat dazed, was walking directly towards him.

“Where have you been? You must have a lot of time on your hands.”

“Manager.”

“What’s with that expression? Are you tired?”

He smirked at the young man, Lee Hee-chan, standing in front of him.

There was something strange about his empty and dazed expression, but intoxicated by his usual authority, he failed to notice and merely sneered.

“If it’s too hard, you can just quit, you know? There’s a line of people waiting to take your place. After all that effort to pass the test, and you can’t even handle this…”

However, he couldn’t continue sneering or speaking.

“Gack…”

In an instant, his throat was grabbed, and a large knife was deeply thrust in and pulled out. As blood gushed out like a fountain, he collapsed like a worthless bundle of straw. In his eyes, he saw a grotesque eyeball writhing on the knife handle.