I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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Actually, jumping around wasn’t as fun as I’d imagined.

I was… a person. Just an ordinary person. I’ve never been particularly righteous, and if I had to be honest, I was more of a timid, jealousy-ridden little person.

I ended up working for an evil organization that’s often depicted unfavorably in cartoons.

Being an evil organization, it was a given that I’d clash with Magical Girls, and I went in fully aware of that.

So, I took my hits and endured. Ha-yoon didn’t know my face anyway, and I could recover overnight.

I had hidden my jealousy towards Ha-yoon quite well over the years.

Now I find myself pushing down emotions and justifying that I “can’t take it anymore,” something I’m somewhat aware of.

But what can I do?

I’m not a saint; I’m just an emotional person like everyone else, and my vessel is too small and fragile to contain the feelings rising from deep within my chest.

A loud bang resounded.

I could see people screaming and fleeing.

Some of them pointed at me, taking photos and videos with their smartphones. They definitely seemed unaware of how serious the situation was.

I went up to the high ceiling and smashed it with my hammer. Dust fell upon people’s heads. It seemed James wasn’t lying about the place being sturdy. After all, if Magical Girls are going to crash in, it better be built strong.

Only after the white dust fell from above did the people start screaming and running.

So, they do realize their lives are at stake?

I couldn’t say it was all, but many were escaping, and most importantly, the employees on the first floor were efficiently managing to usher people out. This was a company that had already experienced an explosion once, so not swiftly handling such a situation would certainly lead to serious consequences.

“Let’s go up.”

I said so and gestured toward the apparatus where James was.

“I thought they’d all be subdued as soon as we arrived.”

James’s voice came through the speaker. The cockpit was well shielded. Before it closed, the dome covering that part gave a somewhat cute impression, considering the drone had four propulsion devices attached to both ends.

Maybe it was designed to catch up with me if I flew quickly? Well, I didn’t really care. The most crucial point was that I could utilize my magic to remain safe while following me. That meant I could act a little more violently if necessary.

Not bothering to respond to James, I swung my hammer.

Clang!

Just like the last time, the back of the hammer unfurled brightly.

The circuits were spinning rapidly. Naturally, energy sprayed backward from the generator revealed as the hammer opened up.

On the impulse of that propulsion system, I took off running.

Unresolved frustrations, the current situation, the anxiety of possibly failing, hesitation at confronting Ha-yoon—

All those feelings seemed to dissipate behind me.

The air inside the building was thick with the dust stirred up by my rampage, and the screams of people still echoed in my ears, but—

Yet, as I sped forward, the wind that brushed past my ears seemed to silence all of that.

Running with all my strength, I leaped up onto a landing, stamping the floor with one foot.

Usually, I would’ve tripped and fallen at such an angle, but my toes drilled through the floor instead.

As I pierced through the stairs, I pivoted around my leg that served as the axis.

When I turned left, I pulled the hammer back and checked that it passed through the doorway before stretching it straight forward.

Like a hammer throw, I spun once. The momentum of the hammer didn’t stop halfway, so it spun around me very quickly.

Bang!

I smashed into the landing doors, shattering them to pieces.

It didn’t even let out a proper noise before the door dented inward. The lower hinge held on, but the upper one completely came off.

The door banged against the wall, slammed shut, and then crumbled down to the ground.

Spinning around once more, I kicked off the ground and propelled myself forward.

As I dashed ahead, I slammed the walls surrounding me.

Screech, crash.

Small sparks ignited as my movements cascaded forward. They were the auxiliary propulsion devices that James had added after watching me fight last time.

I felt like I’d seen something similar in videos of missile launches.

Thanks to that, I could swing my hammer all around without wobbling.

Decorations along the hallway shattered and fell. Several dents appeared in the walls, and several doors were broken to pieces.

People inside spilled out, only to see me and hurriedly retreat back in. Those who went in never came out again.

Pieces of stone, dust, metal fragments, and broken wood flew everywhere. My hair was probably grey by now.

Whether my clothes got dirty or not, I didn’t care and kept running.

I thought I even smelled something burning.

Was the carpet slightly singed because the auxiliary propulsion devices had switched off before I stomped on the ground? Or perhaps it was the smell of the air burning to gain propulsion?

Sprinklers erupted above me. Alarms blared from everywhere. I think I heard an announcement, but when I jumped up to smash the speaker, it only crackled.

As I passed, people stumbled out behind me. They screamed in panic while getting drenched by the water pouring down.

I didn’t plan to demolish the whole building. I was just creating one path with my destruction.

I only had one body to destroy the entire building. There was a severe lack of time.

I had to draw attention and linger just long enough that when I had everyone’s focus, I could execute exactly what I wanted. That was our plan.

This came from experience. Even when I ran desperately, drawing out time meant all eyes were completely on me.

Unlike what the government, federation, and the company had hoped, the spectacle of my struggle was sensationalized in the media. Even if they tried to impose an embargo to stop it, it wouldn’t do much good. Some people had already broadcast the event live.

Among those fleeing were the ones shooting videos and photographs.

How many of them do you think posted online?

As I dashed ahead, I spotted the end of the hallway.

Bang!

“Only one floor left.”

I muttered as I broke through the door.

“Excellent work.”

James replied. Since his voice came through the speaker, it felt like I was talking to a robot. The drone looked like one too.

But there was definitely palpable excitement in his voice. That was kinda terrifying. A robot with emotions? It felt like it could set this world ablaze.

Am I a traitor cooperating with such a robot?

Not bad at all.

Upper floor, then the next one.

Running with all my strength, I devastated everything as I pleased.

As I broke things, I began to get the hang of it.

Hitting a fire extinguisher made it easier to create mayhem everywhere. I smashed the fire hydrant, flooding the surroundings, and swung my hammer around with the propulsion device on, defacing everything nearby.

“Oh, wait a minute. I just had a great idea.”

“A good idea, you say?”

I shouted with a joyful expression, causing James to raise an eyebrow. The drone tilted slightly, almost like it was nodding.

This time, instead of heading for the opposite corridor, I turned toward another area.

In the middle of it all, I twisted my body and dashed toward the center of the building.

There were many elevators there.

All of them were heading down.

I selected the elevator closest to the first floor.

The elevator door was terribly warped inward. Was this what it meant not to have high hopes? Though, it was ‘my’ hope that had caused the damage. I suppose I’m still just human.

And then I jumped down.

Why hadn’t I thought of this from the beginning?

Thud.

I couldn’t let the elevator drop too low; I just jumped on top of it as it seemed to stop around the first floor.

I couldn’t completely dampen the speed, so it made a loud noise, and I could hear screams inside.

Forcing the access panel off the top, I poked my face inside.

Some of the people inside yelped in surprise and fell to the floor.

“What are you doing? Run!”

I gestured toward the open door, and the few people crawled out quickly.

Alright. No one left, right?

“How many floors up was the broadcasting room?”

“22nd floor. Almost at the top.”

“Let’s get to the roof.”

“You were the one who insisted on coming to the first floor.”

I did say that.

I hoped that people would have enough time to escape.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. You said the 22nd floor, right?”

I grinned and pulled my face back out.

With both hands tightly gripping my hammer, I bent my legs.

“Can you keep up?”

“I’m designed to match your magic, so it shouldn’t be impossible.”

James replied with a tone that hinted he understood what I was thinking, mixed with a sigh.

His tone sounded like he was questioning why I hadn’t done this from the start.

Well, you were the one who told me to break things as much as possible.

“Good. Then follow closely.”

I smiled at the drone, springing up with all my might.

Bang!

The elevator I was standing on let out a scream, and my body was launched upward.

The 22nd floor.

Could I jump up that high in one go?

Should be fine.

I could just stomp and jump up anywhere as many times as needed.

It felt odd.

The air here was stale, and my body was drenched in sweat and water combined with dust.

Nonetheless, oddly enough, my heart felt refreshed.

Was it because I was smashing the things I hated with gusto?

Still, the circuits continued spinning.

Perhaps my mind was also spinning along with those circuits.

*

Bang!

I could hear the sound from quite a distance away.

Ironically, the building looked to be in pretty good shape from the outside. There didn’t seem to be a fire just yet, and the windows merely reflected the sunset from outside.

However, people were pouring out through the entrance.

The first floor of Noir Corporation, opposite the Seoul City Hall, was a shopping mall. Though labeled as the first floor, it wasn’t your typical one; the ceiling was high, resembling a spacious hall, allowing many people to enter.

Even on weekdays, it got quite crowded during the evening hours.

Sirens of police cars filled the street, and the rapidly arriving officers were escorting people out.

It was pandemonium.

The only word that came to mind was that one.

[The target has ascended via the elevator shaft. It appears the goal is an upper floor, so please approach from above.]

The call echoed, and it made me uneasy.

The Magical Girls were watching Ha-yoon.

What were they going to do?

That was the look in their eyes.

Until just a moment ago, they had agreed to say Ji-eun wasn’t at fault.

Rose and Dalia took a more cautious stance. Delphinium remained silent, likely trying to be neutral.

Ha-yoon understood them, and thus she persuaded them by speaking of what would wait if they did nothing.

Sooner or later, Ha-yoon planned to do the same thing. If Ji-eun were arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, then Ha-yoon planned to do her utmost to testify right there.

Moreover, Ha-yoon was one of the most recognized among the Magical Girls.

If the truth came to light, the Magical Girls wouldn’t be able to maintain the ‘status quo.’ Ji-eun wasn’t going to willingly get arrested, and above all, the Magical Girls themselves were already aware of the situation.

Ultimately, they decided to listen to Ha-yoon.

But then this situation arose.

“There’s no way this is merely about anger.”

Ha-yoon stated.

“There’s definitely some reason behind it.”

“It could be revenge.”

Rose said with a serious expression.

“Because the chairman’s office is on the 22nd floor.”

The Magical Girls also knew how Noir Corporation’s headquarters was structured. Although they would never break into the headquarters, they understood that any situation could turn on them.

Just as the combatants of Noir Corporation had abducted researchers from federal facilities, the federation might have something brewing too.

Thanks to that, even if they didn’t know every part of the building, they already knew the ‘key areas.’

The 22nd floor was close to the top of a 24-story building. The 23rd floor contained service areas, and the 24th featured an observation deck, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the company to consider it the highest floor.

“…No way.”

If there was a terrorist attack, then who was the criminal?

Naturally, the person who stands to gain the most from the attack would be the criminal.

If it was the chairman who suddenly went missing and the current chair who took over—

And if I thought of that Squeaky Adult who was with Ji-eun, it was quite clear what choice Ji-eun was heading to the 22nd floor for.

“Let’s hurry.”

Iris said.

“If someone ends up dead, we really won’t be able to deal with it.”

Ha-yoon grit her teeth at those words.

The Magical Girls headed toward the building.

*

Even on the 22nd floor, my rampage didn’t cease.

Bang!

As soon as I smashed through the elevator door, I faced combatants armed with guns.

They seemed to have anticipated I’d come from there and had gathered.

I exited the elevator and immediately banged the hammer against the floor multiple times. I was fairly sure this wouldn’t collapse the building entirely.

However, no matter how solid the building, striking the ground with such force would certainly make the floor tremble beneath me.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the combatants, I planted both feet firmly into the ground and unleashed flame from every propulsion unit of my hammer.

The temperature began to rise sharply in this area. The flames spraying from the thrusters were fierce enough to scorch and melt anything they touched.

“Get out of my way!”

I shouted.

“If you don’t, I’ll make sure you do.”

“…”

The combatants glanced at each other, momentarily stunned.

Then—

Thunk.

One of the front-line combatants dropped his gun, and within an instant, pandemonium broke out.

“Ugh, aah!”

One combatant screamed and turned to flee.

The one beside him, and the one next to him, all terrified, turned and bolted for their lives.

Not a single one was even contemplating shooting at me.

Well, considering they were all just hired guns, it made sense.

If they were Earthlings in suits, it would be even more so. Although maybe the Magical Girls would think they could stop me for a moment, I wasn’t holding back; I was smashing everything in sight.

It seemed my notorious reputation was slightly exaggerated but still very useful.

Maintaining the propulsion, I continued forward.

“Broadcast… found.”

I stood before a door I sought out.

I reduced the hammer’s propulsion a bit. The whooshing sound of air intake quieted down a little.

“…You can modify this, right?”

“Indeed. The more ‘broadcast equipment’ there is, the better. After all, not everything can be wired.”

“Alien technology, impressive.”

“Well, it’s because there’s energy to power it, but…”

We shrugged at each other.

In truth, the drone merely floated up and down a bit, appearing to hover. Still, it felt somewhat significant.

“…Then, this is it.”

“If you run well, it won’t be the end.”

James remarked.

How typical.

Even now, at this moment, while thinking of using me, he yet speaks creatively.

Well, he had been like that when I was working at the company too.

Not that I minded.

With both hands gripping my hammer tightly, I struck the door.

Bang!

“…Huh?”

But the door didn’t break.

It was no different from the other doors I had smashed up until now.

The place where my hammer struck caved in. Yet from within—

“Oh no, dodge—”

Before James could finish that sentence, my vision turned white.

I felt the pain of an explosion washing over me completely. Even wrapped in magic.

Is this the second time I’ve experienced this?

Strangely, I found myself thinking about that as I flew back and collided into the wall.

But it wasn’t an explosion.

Bang!

The second strike was barely evaded by shifting my body sideways.

“…A robot?”

Holding onto my hammer, I managed to regain my balance.

“Impossible…! There’s no way Noir Corporation has such technology…!”

[You aren’t the only one who can create such intricate machines. James.]

I raised my head.

The voice was coming from the corridor’s speaker.

[It’s only natural for a company to possess technology superior to what an individual can create, right?]

I glanced at James.

His expression was unreadable, but he seemed at a loss for words.

Step by step, massive figures stumbled through the broken door.

They appeared to be 1.5 times, no, twice my size. Their arms were thick as my waist, and their fists looked incredibly formidable.

What didn’t sit well with me was how sleek their design seemed. Like something straight out of a near-future sci-fi; they resembled benevolent security robots.

Were they initially created for such a purpose?

After being hit by something like that, of course, my head turned blank.

“…Looks like I’ll have to fight?”

[Well, do your best. We’ve got quite a number of those.]

 

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