I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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When I fell off the roof, I adjusted my weight, but I still took quite a hit from the alien.

After all, it was the roof of a building. Even a marble-sized iron ball could easily crack a person’s skull just from the force of falling.

I didn’t jump from that great height, though.

But it wasn’t entirely a jump using only my own strength either.

The “propulsion device” was exactly that—a propulsion device.

Even James, who created it, was surprised, but that device’s ‘propulsion function’ definitely worked as intended.

Jumping by human strength alone— no, frankly, jumping to the extent of doing it with just my own means would have been impossible, momentarily suspending me in mid-air.

I noticed the gazes directed at me. The police, surrounding the incident and watching the fight, along with the alien among them.

And in the alien’s hand was Ji-hye.

I focused on the alien.

I wanted to kill it. I wanted to crush its skull right now.

But I thought that wouldn’t be the best course of action. Putting Ji-hye in danger was unacceptable. So, first, let’s move Ji-hye to a different location and think it through.

The best approach would be to break its arm. The pincers were quite sizeable, and to operate them, its arms were relatively long too. But I didn’t just look at the arms.

What if I miss the elbow? The alien wouldn’t just stand there and let me hit it, right? It would definitely move, trying to utilize Ji-hye as much as it could.

Then it would make more sense to break at the base where the arm connects to the body.

Considering it might move… around the neck, maybe.

The time taken for my mind to arrive at that conclusion would probably be instantaneous. The duration in which I was suspended in the air was also brief.

Was my thought process being influenced by magic? Was I accelerating, or did everything around me just seem slower?

As I rose into the sky, I leaned forward slightly and brought my hand, which was near the hammerhead, down along the long handle.

Then I pressed my hand against the back of my left hand.

I swung down the hammer.

Since the propulsion device was actively working behind me, it probably looked like I was creating a circular path in the sky.

When the flat, solid end of the hammer faced downward, I released more energy. The blue flames behind the hammer roared even fiercer.

The hammer was ‘launched’ with a long, straight blue trajectory.

I plummeted downward at a rapid speed.

I heard the sharp sound of air slicing past my ears. I thought I heard James shouting behind me, but I couldn’t catch the words. Miraculously, he was still hanging on.

Perhaps because I was too fast, the alien below seemed to be moving strangely slowly.

As I expected, the alien moved its arm. The alien pulled Ji-hye back, who had been held out front. Did it think that would stop me?

If I could stop midway, I wouldn’t have used this method.

I gritted my teeth. And then I focused my mind. The hammer’s trajectory followed that arm. Was it desperation that fueled this? The magic moved according to my thoughts this time.

In that brief moment, time flowed.

I heard the sounds of something solid colliding with another solid object.

It felt like I heard both sounds simultaneously.

A heavy, dull ‘thud’ sounded when something solid dropped, along with a sharp ‘crack’ as something thin and solid collided with another solid object.

Naturally, the denser sound came from the heavier object.

Crack.

The shell surrounding the shoulder shattered.

Blue fluid flowed through the gap, and soon the center of the shell caved inward.

Bam!

The hammer powered by the propulsion device didn’t stop there; it crashed into the ground. A large crack formed in the floor, and the center caved in. Scattered among it were remnants of the almost pulverized shell.

“Uwaaaah!”

The alien let out a horrific scream.

It stumbled backward, reeling from the blow, and then looked down at its own arm.

The left pincer was not the problem. No, the shell surrounding its shoulder, actually the area just next to its head, was entirely shattered. Inside the jagged shell, white flesh was visible… the color resembling that of crustacean meat you might see at a seafood market.

Seeing the alien stagger away from me, I turned my gaze back to Ji-hye.

Ji-hye was lying on the ground.

It seemed she couldn’t properly stand, as her legs were weak.

No, it looked like she still couldn’t catch her breath properly. A large pincer was latched onto her waist.

As I pressed the hammer down with one hand and moved toward her—

Bam!

I was hit by the alien’s wildly swinging arm.

Perhaps because I was holding the hammer powered by the propulsion device, I momentarily floated awkwardly in mid-air.

Finally getting my bearings, I grabbed the end of the hammer’s handle.

Once I managed to pull the hammerhead down to level with the ground, my body twisted in a circle.

After stabilizing my trajectory, I was ready to attack again. I had no idea how to stop it anyway.

Until my mind calmed even a little, I had no choice but to fight. I twisted the hammer and took off toward the direction of the alien.

Besides, the alien was coming back toward Ji-hye again.

Was the grip finally loosened? Ji-hye barely managed to crawl away. Several police officers sprinted toward Ji-hye. The alien seemed to be following her. Its long strides looked filled with rage.

Perhaps it wanted to take revenge on me by killing Ji-hye. After all, it had lost its arm.

Bullets flew toward that alien. While some ricocheted off its thick shell, it appeared one bullet managed to hit a vulnerable spot, causing the alien to stagger.

Yet it didn’t fall.

Could it be that the simple bullets couldn’t take the alien down, just like what I heard earlier?

As if enraged, the alien raised its arm and howled.

“…Ah!?”

I instinctively shouted.

Something was bubbling between the shattered sections of the alien’s shell.

As if its flesh was boiling.

White, weak flesh began to regenerate through the cracks in the alien’s shell. This form resembled the pincers I had just smashed.

Although the white substance had a texture like it would easily fall apart at any moment.

It had to be regenerating because it was effective.

I immediately held the hammerhead vertically.

I intended to bring it crashing down once more—

Bam!

This time, the alien swiftly dodged to the side. Was it expecting this?

…No.

There’s no way it could have avoided it like that. If it had been able to evade just by anticipating it, it would have dodged back when I was smashing its shell just before.

I looked down at the shell that had fallen to the ground.

It was thick.

Certainly capable of withstanding the weight I brought down when I jumped off that roof. I wouldn’t be able to gauge precisely how tough it was compared to real ores, but it was strong enough to deflect bullets fired from police sniper rifles.

Unless it was some special alloy, it must be extremely heavy.

I caught a glimpse of something white. It was the flesh growing from within the shell.

Much quicker and at a much faster speed than before, it shot out toward me like a whip.

I raised the hammer awkwardly. As the white flesh connected with the flames erupting from the open part in the back, the alien screamed, but—

I couldn’t dodge it.

Fortunately, the impact was lessened compared to when I was hit with the thick shell. It hurt enough to make my brain rattle inside my head.

I could hear Ji-hye’s scream. It seemed she called my name. But the sound felt a little distant.

I leaped aside to stop the alien from approaching Ji-hye. More precisely, I raised the hammer to the side.

Ka-ching!

My feet skidded across the asphalt as I came to a stop.

So, this was what they meant by speed racing.

I revealed my teeth at the alien.

As long as you’re not completely incapacitated, Ji-hye won’t be safe either.

Gripping the hammer tightly, I thought about where to strike first—

But before I completed that thought, a piece of metal wire flew overhead, right over me and the alien.

*

It was too late.

Only upon arriving at the scene did I realize that the magical girls understood the situation was spiraling out of control.

The reason those girls, who had been almost under a sort of house arrest for a time, were gathering was simple.

The police couldn’t handle the alien—they were told to solve it.

Even though Ha-yoon’s magic had drastically weakened, it wasn’t to the extent that she couldn’t fight at all. Her output had lessened, making her inferior compared to the other magical girls, but she was still not at a level where she would be killed by a monster.

Additionally, the other girls still had access to their powers. While Ha-yoon wouldn’t be able to assist, she’d at least be capable enough to hold off one alien.

Yet it took too long to reach that conclusion. Eun-ha Federation seemed hesitant about whether or not to let them out until the very last moment, especially concerning sending out Ha-yoon.

She finally received permission and flew off.

It wasn’t that there was room for one more person, but at least Ha-yoon could fly alone.

One alien. And one hostage.

The police determined they had no means to subdue it. The alien’s shell was a form they had seen before. If bullets were fired, there was a high chance it would ricochet and hit the hostage.

They couldn’t use wire either, as the hostage wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Ha-yoon clenched her teeth and flew toward that direction with all her might.

As she approached the scene, more and more people began to gather around.

They exchanged gestures of greeting and formed a squad.

After capturing the alien, they would properly discuss things together after a long time.

With that thought, a little hope bloomed—

—until she saw the scene.

Upon arriving, what caught Ha-yoon’s eye was the sight of Ji-eun lying under the alien and the wire.

*

“Damn it.”

I couldn’t hold back my curses.

No, I mean, regardless of them being terrorists, do they treat people like this?

Just moments ago, they tossed a thick wire mesh over a minor hostage held above someone’s head. Does that make sense?

Did they really think they could swing Ji-hye around like that after watching me destroy the alien’s arm? Do they even have eyes?

Well, if they didn’t have eyes, they wouldn’t have timed it so well to toss that net over the person’s head.

“Get out, I’m escaping!”

Hearing someone shout made it seem like things weren’t going well.

Think about it. With such a large claw, do you think you could easily deal with a net? It could just rip right through it.

Though, judging by Ji-hye not being cut in half, it seems that pincer isn’t all that sharp after all.

“Are you alright?”

I asked James.

Just before the wire was about to hit, I bent my left arm and blocked my left shoulder with my hand. Although James ended up pressed down on my fingers and palm, at least he wasn’t squashed into pulp by the wire.

Even without a hand, I might have been fine. Perhaps the magic enveloping my body prevented such a severe situation from developing.

Though, in the end, my shoulder might still have some red flesh stuck to it.

“I’m… fine.”

James hesitated to reply, slightly flustered.

“Good.”

I tried to straighten my bent waist, but I realized that moving with this weight was impossible. I somehow managed not to topple over but remained awkwardly bent at the waist.

Still, I was holding the hammer with one hand.

And the circuit was still active.

The situation wasn’t looking good. I had come to improve the image slightly, but being the first to step up didn’t seem like a good idea.

I wouldn’t regret it.

If I had waited for the magical girls to arrive, Ji-hye would have truly been in danger. The situation was already perilous even when I arrived.

Squee—

As I pondered the situation, I felt the generator activating again.

Parts floating in mid-air still maintained their shapes below the wire. Even some of the wire was hovering above the hammerhead.

Could it be due to electromagnetic forces?

No, this too could be the byproduct of my mediocre scientific knowledge. Just like how I saved someone with physically impossible actions last time, perhaps this too was something scientifically impossible, yet I think ‘it seems plausible,’ and so it ended up occurring.

But it does seem plausible.

It’s alien technology and a blend of this and that. If James heard this, he would surely be baffled.

Gritting my teeth, I spun the hammer.

Chiiiing—

The output from the hammer melted the wire.

The wire that touched the blue flames instantly turned a bright red and began to snap. I heard someone screaming in the background, but I decided to ignore it.

After all, whatever I did would just get in the way.

Was something heavy attached to the end of that wire mesh?

As I spun around to cut through it, I could remove the net that was covering my body with one hand.

And just as I cleared it, I locked eyes with Ha-yoon floating in the sky.

“…”

What should I say?

At least I was thankful this wasn’t a situation where we awkwardly had to greet each other. It was good in a way to have an opponent to fight. I could just do what needed to be done without overthinking.

…No, but still, from the moment I saw Ha-yoon, my heart began to pound like crazy.

The eye contact didn’t last long.

A white arm shot out toward Ha-yoon. It seemed intent on catching the floating magical girls and dragging them down.

That would be troublesome.

Honestly, I didn’t feel like wanting to help the magical girl. After all, they were the people who beat me up badly.

But even so, I couldn’t just stand by and watch Ha-yoon.

I didn’t want to talk. But at the same time, I wanted to see her, wanted to meet her.

I wanted to win, but I didn’t want to fight.

These conflicting feelings ultimately led to despair. I wanted it, but didn’t want to, leading me to ultimately choose to run away.

If I think it’ll be like this today too, then there’s no choice.

“…”

In that case, I’d just redirect that rage elsewhere.

I took off running.

One step, two steps, three steps.

With each leap, I launched myself higher and higher. After doing this a few times, I started to get the hang of it.

These weren’t steps to run away, they were steps to confront and fight.

I leapt high, once more swinging down the hammer with propulsion.

Bam!

However, once again, I struck the ground.

Was the alien evolving somehow as it fled? It predicted this obvious attack easily.

But in the next instant, as if it was waiting for that moment, a beam shot down out of the blue, slicing off its left pincer. The very same pincer I had smashed just a moment ago.

I turned my gaze and made eye contact with Iris.

Iris turned her gaze away, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Oh.”

James seemed intrigued.

Well, I didn’t care about that and stayed focused on fighting. I didn’t want to think about it either.

Whatever the other side thought, in the end, they would see me as something they must confront.

…By the way, why do I feel like I’m outputting even less than when I fought them?

Ha-yoon seemed the same. She could still create a sword, but that light was somewhat unstable.

It felt more like a broadsword that a hero might use than the refined sword she could create— right now, it was just a thin beam barely appearing.

Clang!

Yet, that didn’t diminish the sensation of the fight.

Even if the output was reduced and the magical destructive power lessened, experience remains. The magical girls had fought the aliens multiple times by now.

There must have been more speed-specialized aliens as well, so they’d have at least some countermeasures in mind.

Instead of dodging sideways, I dashed in a curve, using the output to stay agile.

Weapons that crush through by colliding with something solid tend to synergize well with sturdier materials. Of course, while I could possibly obliterate that white flesh, I was still slower, even with the power-based boost.

Was it the air resistance? However, magical girls didn’t seem to worry about that while flying in the sky. So there must be a magical solution.

Could it be something you can achieve simply through imagination?

As I was thinking, the alien turned its attention toward me.

It seemed that my hammer was deemed the most threatening. After all, I was smashing through its armor that couldn’t withstand even bullets.

It seems it realized if I struck properly, it would drown out the screams of its demise.

But the other magical girls wouldn’t let the alien get off easy either.

I wasn’t a priority over them. I was second; that thing was first.

I wasn’t comfortable with the alien holding the lead, but I would let it slide for now.

Ha-yoon charged in. The swift sword clashes startled the alien, causing it to defend with its intact right pincer.

Of course, it’s obvious. It was a beam of light. If that white flesh touched it, it’d get shredded instantly.

And to that alien, Iris added support, shooting at it.

“Haah!”

Rose rushed in and landed a blow against the alien.

Crash!

The fissure on the alien’s shell expanded further.

“Ugh!”

The alien let out an anguished roar, and then both Rose and Ha-yoon began striking it alternately. Even though it was its right hand, covered in armor, the two were quick enough to force the alien to evade.

The moment both girls withdrew, Dalia launched a magical ball toward the alien.

The alien caught that magical ball with its pincers, tearing it apart. But in that instant, a fishy aroma wafted through the air. It seemed it didn’t fully protect its white arm exposed to that light.

The alien seized its own arm and severed it with its pincers.

In the distance, Delphinium was preparing her magic. I could see the police backing off. Among them, Ji-hye was being dragged away. It seemed she wasn’t being forcibly taken but was completely despondent, so for now, I let it be.

I bent my legs slightly and gathered strength before bursting forward. Thanks to the boost from the hammer’s output, I turned and spun in a large arc to the left.

But that alone was enough.

Bam!

The hammer sunk into the side of the alien, which was too distracted to check its surroundings while regenerating its arm.

A greenish … something, a rather disgusting color like a crab’s, protruded from the alien’s mouth. Honestly, I didn’t want to eat that.

“…!”

I just happened to strike at the moment when the alien’s pincer was aiming toward Ha-yoon.

I stabbed the hammer into the alien’s side and propelled myself forward, but in that instant, I locked eyes with Ha-yoon.

Ha-yoon appeared somewhat dazed, watching the alien fly away in shock.

Suddenly, the pink blade of Ha-yoon’s wand ignited into flames.

…Why?

 

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