One Year Later

Autumn had already arrived on the campus, where the vibrant leaves once shielded the sun. The leaves, now dressed in hues of red and yellow, danced in the autumn breeze as they fell freely.

Occasionally, the fierce seasonal winds revealed the bare branches of the trees that had long guarded the campus.

It might have seemed a rather lonely sight, but to the freshmen strolling along the well-paved roads in small groups, it was just another change of season.

The same was true for the group of five men and women passing under the ginkgo trees.

“I have so much homework. Let’s get together and do it together, Seong-a unnie.”

The woman with chestnut hair whined, resting her chin on the head of the woman walking ahead.

The woman frowned at the sensation of something touching the top of her head but didn’t react any further.

“Trying to copy again?”

“Hey, I just want to do it together. How disappointing….”

The other woman’s words faltered at the response, as if she knew her true intentions.

“But it always seems like only Seong-a noona does the homework.”

A tall man walking behind them chimed in with support.

“Hey, why are you always picking on me!”

“I pick on you because you deserve it.”

The man chuckled and looked at Kim Sung-ah, who was walking ahead.

“Okay, okay. Unnie~ Let’s do it together anyway. No, just help me. I don’t understand any of the homework.”

“Oh? Then I’ll join too.”

“Me too!”

The short-haired man shouted, and another female student linked arm in arm with him echoed.

“Then I’ll book a study room? It would be perfect to grab coffee at a cafe after lunch.”

The tall man who had defended Seong-a spoke.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s do that. Unnie, what do you want to eat? Tteokbokki? Mala Tang?”

The chestnut-haired woman hugged Kim Sung-ah from behind, as if handling a precious doll.

Kim Sung-ah frowned at the sensation of her one-year-younger sister’s massive chest pressing against the back of her head.

“I can’t today.”

As Kim Sung-ah finished speaking, the eyes of the group, including the man who was searching for a study room, turned to her.

“Why?”

“Oh, why?”

“Huh? Is something wrong?”

“Unnie?”

“I have to go home early today. I’m going to head home now.”

Kim Sung-ah turned to face the group.

“But you have a class later.”

“I’m going to take a day off.”

Everyone was surprised by the words of the top student, who was the epitome of a model student.

“Sorry for messing up your plans. I told you too late, didn’t I?”

She stuck out her tongue and asked for their understanding, and the group waved their hands, saying it was okay.

The group of five men and women arrived at the school’s main gate. Kim Sung-ah boarded a bus heading from the bus stop to the subway station.

“Then, see you tomorrow.”

She said as she got on the bus, and the group waved goodbye to her.

As the bus departed, the remaining group headed to the restaurant street for lunch.

“Seong-a unnie seems a bit strange today.”

The chestnut-haired woman said, stretching.

“Hey, let’s go to the Dakgalbi place. But what’s strange about noona?”

The tall man said.

“She seemed kind of out of it today.”

“Is today some special day?”

The short-haired man, who was being lovey-dovey with his girlfriend in the back, said, and the chestnut-haired woman shook her head.

“If there was, I, who majors in the same thing as Seong-a unnie, would know. So I don’t think it’s a special day.”

“You’re a lost cause too. Why hasn’t Seong-a noona cut you off?”

The tall man looked disgusted.

“Ugh, if unnie were to cut me off, she wouldn’t even acknowledge you guys!”

“Ah, it’s the day of the college entrance exam.”

The tall man, who was looking at his smartphone, said.

“Ah~ It’s already been a year. I wonder how difficult this year’s exam is.”

“At this time, they’d be… taking the English section.”

Passing through alley after alley, the group arrived in front of a restaurant.

“Hey, there are a lot of people at the Dakgalbi place. Should we go somewhere else? Or wait?”

“Everywhere else will be the same. Let’s just wait here.”

The chestnut-haired woman said, crossing her arms and holding up her smartphone.

And she started sending a message somewhere.

“What are you doing? [Unnie, are you not feeling well? See you tomorrow~ Love you♥] …Ugh, just confess already.”

The tall man approached her from behind and peeked at the contents of the screen.

“Don’t peek without permission! You jerk.”

The chestnut-haired woman delivered a flying Knee kick to the man, who was pretending to vomit.

While the man and woman bickered, the short-haired man and his girlfriend waited for a seat at the restaurant with calm expressions, as if it were a common occurrence.

The sun was setting when she arrived home.

Kim Sung-ah headed to the refrigerator.

She took out two cans of beer from the refrigerator and put them in her bag.

Then, she glanced at the sink, where the gas stove and cooking utensils were placed.

The thick layer of dust showed how long they had been neglected.

Since the incident a year ago, Kim Sung-ah hadn’t cooked anything in this house.

“Let’s go. I’ll be late.”

It wasn’t a scheduled appointment, but she hurried out of the house.

The sun had set, and night had fallen. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she quickly arrived at the rooftop from a year ago.

She was already sitting on the edge of the rooftop in her Magical Girl form, as she had to fly there because the door to the rooftop was locked.

It was her first transformation in a year.

The biggest reason was that there had been no enemy attacks, but there was also the anxiety that transforming would vividly bring back the memories of that day.

“Ajusshi.”

She opened one of the beers she had brought. With a cheerful sound, the can’s lid popped open, and she drank it.

The beer’s tingling carbonation danced in her throat and went down to her stomach.

“I’m doing well, you know. I’ve made a lot of friends, and I’m eating well too.”

There was no reply.

“I’m also thinking about changing my major. There’s a department called Fusion Physics, and I think I can study things related to dimensions that you talked about.”

She murmured to the empty air.

Taking another sip of beer, she smiled softly.

“You’re probably traveling to another world, right? I hope you don’t get involved with any strange women.”

She ran her finger along the railing. Dust came off on her finger.

“I don’t think this world needs Magical Girl anymore. It’s peaceful thanks to you. Of course….”

A massive surge of power was felt.

Kim Sung-ah calmly drank her second beer, watching the crack opening above her head.

“If I just get rid of one more….”

A woman in black emerged from the massive crack.

Her face was stiff, devoid of any composure.

“I’ve been waiting.”

The Magical Girl, who had risen into the sky, made eye contact with the Witch.

“Where is that man?”

The Witch’s first question upon appearing was about Kang In-ho’s whereabouts.

The Magical Girl suppressed the emotions surging within her and took another sip of beer.

“I’m enough for you.”

Kim Sung-ah threw the beer can at the Witch, marking the start of their battle.

The Witch crushed the rapidly approaching can and raised her arm to block the Magical Girl’s kick, which had already reached her.

“I’ve been waiting for a year!”

What followed the kick was a thrust of a sharp spear.

The Witch summoned a massive hand to grab the spear, which was aimed at her forehead with deadly precision.

“Feeling your growing power, I’ve been planning to tear you into thousands upon thousands of pieces!”

The Magical Girl flew above the Witch and brought her weapon down, but the Witch barely managed to block it.

“Kuh!”

Without even sizing up each other’s strength, the Magical Girl relentlessly pushed her attack.

The Witch’s hands became disoriented by the ceaseless barrage of attacks. Little by little, scratches accumulated.

For someone called the pinnacle of evil, she was being pushed back without putting up much resistance.

“Impudence!”

Asserting her arrogant pride, the Witch moved her hand greatly.

The massive hand created a powerful wind, pushing the Magical Girl back.

Now there was distance. Mid- to long-range combat was the Witch’s specialty.

Dark red beams were fired from the massive hand.

“[Stella, Dress Up]”

The starlight in the night sky momentarily flickered and disappeared.

And then it gathered around the Magical Girl. A dress woven from starlight was put on the Magical Girl.

“Haaap!”

The dark red beams that were being fired were extinguished by the Magical Girl’s beam of starlight.

“You, you lowly thing!”

The Witch was enraged by her attack being so easily scattered, and the Magical Girl, scattering starlight, lowered her stance and raised her staff.

“Here I come.”

In an instant, the Magical Girl’s figure disappeared. The Witch looked around, trying to pinpoint her opponent’s location.

Was it the right? As she turned her head, an attack came from the left.

Barely dodging the attack, she twisted her body to the left, and a spear flew from below.

As she flew higher to create distance, she was suddenly bombarded with magical energy from above.

A flurry of thrusts, kicks, and magical energy blasts with terrifying power rained down.

Along with the trails of blue starlight, the attacks poured down.

“Kaaaaaaaah!!!”

Taking the attacks head-on, the Witch screamed.

As the Magical Girl had said, the Witch, who had allowed thousands upon thousands of attacks, crashed onto the rooftop of a building.

With a thud, the Witch, who had been slammed into the cold asphalt floor, saw the Magical Girl falling vertically towards her.

“Dieeeee!!!!”

Mysterious purple eyes blazed fiercely. The Magical Girl, with her spear leading the way, charged straight at the Witch.

Just before the spear pierced the Witch’s heart, the Witch’s face twisted grotesquely.

“!!!”

And at the face that was revealed, the Magical Girl’s spear stopped.

“…So, this is your weakness.”

Kang In-ho’s face smirked at the Magical Girl.

“Aju… sshi?”

A moment of hesitation. That brief moment was enough time for the Witch to pierce the Magical Girl’s chest.

-Thwack

“Keuh…!”

With the sound of something soft being pierced, the Magical Girl coughed up blood.

Kim Sung-ah fell backward.

“Hoo… amazing. To push me this far… So, that’s what a Magical Girl is?”

The Witch, who had returned to her original form, was genuinely impressed.

“I’m telling you this since you don’t seem to know… I can transform into many forms. That form just now was… the form of the person you cherish the most.”

“Cough….”

The Magical Girl coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Her consciousness began to fade.

‘No… if I die… if I die, I won’t be able to meet Ajusshi….’

“What form should I kill you in to make it the most effective? Ah… it would be best to kill you in the form of the person you hate the most, right? Hmm… then would it be my form?”

Having recovered, the Witch’s voice was filled with delight.

The Witch’s face twisted again, changing into a face she had seen somewhere before.

Red eyes, a ponytail tied back, charismatic eyes. Eastern-style clothing.

“Hmm? Whose face is this? Well, whatever. Anyway, this is the face of the person you hate the most, right?”

As the Witch raised her hand, a massive fist fell on her body.

Even with the fist falling, the Magical Girl’s body didn’t even think about moving.

‘No… I don’t want to die… Ajusshi! Ajusshi!’

Am I going to die like this without even avenging Ajusshi?

I wanted to kill the Witch, survive, and follow Ajusshi….

As the shadow grew larger, the Magical Girl, accepting her impending death, closed her eyes.

“Eat it up. Kkumul-ssi.”

“You, who are you!! Ugh… Uaaaaaaack!!!!”

Crunch, crack, munch.

The unpleasant sounds of bones breaking and flesh being chewed were heard.

The Magical Girl cautiously opened her eyes. A vacant night sky came into view.

She carefully raised her body.

Thud… Something round rolled towards her.

It was the head of the Witch, who had been so triumphant just moments before.

It was a pathetic end for the world’s most formidable enemy.

“…That was a surprise.”

Kim Sung-ah raised her staff, aiming it at the voice that came from the darkness.

“W-Who are you?!”

Instead of answering the question, something thick and black surged from the darkness.

“Eek!”

Kim Sung-ah let out an unsightly scream at the bizarre shadow.

The black thing snatched the Witch’s head, which was at Kim Sung-ah’s feet.

“To see a familiar face in a place like this….”

The Witch’s face, which had been lifted into the air, twisted and returned to its original form. The magic had been undone by death.

“It seemed dangerous, so I intervened. Ah, Kkumul-ssi. Eat the rest too.”

The shadow swallowed the remaining Witch’s head.

“I have something to ask you.”

Tap, tap. The clear sound of heels echoed on the rooftop.

A woman emerged from the dark shadows and revealed herself under the moonlight.

Short black hair, a refined impression, a women’s suit.

Kim Sung-ah wore a dumbfounded expression at the sight of the office lady who looked like she had been drawn in a picture.

“Who, who are you…? No, more than that, how do you know that face from before?”

“That’s what I want to ask you. How do you know that face?”

“Huh?”

“???”

Exchanging incomprehensible questions, the two women tilted their heads.