Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter:99. 0-Rank Participation Record – 『End Times Disease』 (4)

[Do you really want that?]

Senses are fading.

Just before my body touches the ground, a voice

can be heard. I see the uncle’s face reaching out to grab me.

A sad face, different from the one that always smiled. A despairing expression I’ve never seen before.

(Will you die not knowing happiness?)

The voice echoes.

There was never happiness. But if I can save others…

(Don’t you want to live?)

It’s fine. If I can save them.

(Don’t you really want to live?)

I see the uncle’s face.

The uncle who I met just a short while ago. A little taller than me. How can he still smile? Why does he smile?

If I continue to live, will I understand?

(That is only possible if you live.)

I don’t want this anymore.

“I want to live… just… that.”

One simple sentence. I don’t want to die.

Emotions swell up.

But it’s already too late.

Crash.

I heard the sound of myself crashing into the ground.

“Do you really desire that?”

“Who… are you?”

“That question holds no value as information. Telling someone who cannot remember holds no value for me.”

“Because it’s everyone!”

. You really are too young. Even with talent, what’s the point in giving power to someone who cannot be self-aware?

“Well, I’ll answer. We have infinite time anyway, it’s always just late. This is a “Support” ability. I hope by the next time we meet, your name holds value.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

I can’t comprehend the thought of “Support”. No, did “Despair” create this disease? Nonsense. It’s a breach of agreement.

“Let’s not dwell on that. You have reached our bottom tier. But that was a future different from our foresight.”

“Um… can you explain a bit more…”

“If you were your original self, you would have gained the power that heals and protects. You would have had the ability to revive the dead. That seed, that kind heart.”

“I thought so too… but…”

“Right, after experiencing such atrocities, you couldn’t imagine that compassionate image. “Despair” aimed for that.”

“Did I do something wrong again? Just like up to now?”

“No. There is no wrong in the world. Everything holds value, every event has meaning. You should walk the path you want, even if you don’t remember this answer. For you have the possibility to reach the end.”

…It’s not my fault.

“It’s no one’s fault. Now go, our child who will be reborn. Please send my regards to “Despair.””

I am alive.

I don’t know why, but the moment I understood that I didn’t die, the “Source” floated in my mind. Unknown phrases and all the powers and uses stemming from them.

“Operating Room.”

The moment I muttered it in my heart, along with the sensation of the “Source” escaping, a white shadow spread from my body.

The white shadow enveloped everything.

Grayish vision too.

Gray buildings.

Gray sky.

Gray skin.

Gray emotions.

Gray souls.

Gray screams.

Black dreams.

Everything was covered in white.

As the people who had hurled accusations at me saw the world turn white, their voices ceased.

With dazed expressions, everyone slowly kneeled toward the ground.

I didn’t hear a sound of impact. It was such a natural fall. Like lying down on a bed.

As the people collapsed, the white ground distorted like a soft blanket, enveloping everyone, and they slowly closed their eyes.

Breathing spread out. Quiet breathing. Calmly, evenly, steadily.

The breaths that regained peace filled the open space with flow.

A peaceful, gentle flow.

Everyone fell asleep.

Forgetting pain.

Like the people I saved, like those who lost all their worries, they finally felt fatigue as the fear of death disappeared and fell into sleep.

However, these people are different. They are not healed; they just won’t die. These people will not awaken from their slumber.

Because I have taken on a new dream.

Because I couldn’t heal them.

…Am I S-Rank?

“It seems so.”

In the space where so many seemed to be asleep, two color-filled individuals walked over and spoke to me.

“What is this?”

“It’s the Operating Room.”

I wasn’t sure of the exact meaning, but I knew how to pronounce it, so I just said it out loud.

…A technology that originally existed?

“No. I thought of it just before dying.”

“Ugh. Definitely S-Rank.”

The uncle clicked his tongue, sounding irritated, glaring at me with a wrinkled face.

“Why did you jump?”

A voice, low yet firm, hit my ears as if pointing out my mistakes. Was it really wrong?

…My blood has the effect of healing others.

“What does that have to do with anything? Should people drink your blood?”

That’s not it. I’m a sacrifice.

“If I die, I heal those around me. My blood scatters, mixing into the air… through my death, people are saved.”

“Oh, so when you die, all those people will be healed?”

“You’re just a kid talking about dying, and look at the state of the world.”

“Hasn’t the world already fallen apart? It’s meaningless now.”

“What do you care? I wasn’t on the battlefield. But seeing it again is a sight to behold.”

The two continued their conversation, unlike usual, with sharp and high-pitched tones.

It sounded like an argument.

I felt like I had done something wrong, looking down at the white ground.

“So what’s happening now? This technique you call an Operating Room, what’s the issue with it?”

…I make it so those I wish don’t die

end up in a comatose state to prevent them from dying… forever…

Additionally, I will never die in the Operating Room. No matter what I do or what happens to me.

But, it’s a power of little significance to me. Even if I don’t die, I’m only suffering.

I have no power.

“Forever, huh? What’s the condition to release it?”

“When that person doesn’t die.”

I know it’s strange. When a person expected to die doesn’t die…

…So those millions will just keep sleeping. Ugh. Bad news.

The uncle clicked his tongue again. How many times has it been? Since I opened my eyes, he seems to be in a bad mood continuously. Is it really because of me?

I seem to have done something wrong. I should have died there and healed everyone.

That was my job. I was an Awakener meant to save people.

Remembering that, I bowed my head even lower. I couldn’t even see the uncle’s face now.

Why did I think I wanted to live?

Everything about me was wrong.

A shock felt like it hit my head.

It felt like someone tapped my head. But it didn’t hurt. Like someone just placed their hand on it.

“Well, you did well. You didn’t die. That’s good. No one died, and the plague has stopped. Not bad.”

Surprised by those words, I lifted my head, and the uncle had his hand on my head, ruffling my hair.

“I… did well?”

“It would have been best to convince everyone and heal them there, but what can you do? How would you solve that?”

I… wasn’t wrong?

He’s not angry?

“So, you did well. You persevered.”

No, I heard the same thing yesterday. That I did well.

That it wasn’t my fault, and that I did good. The uncle said it.

Over and over again.

Because of that, I wanted to live.

In the end, I didn’t want to die.

Everyone chose not to die.

I hugged the uncle in front of me.

The uncle hugged me back.

Tears wouldn’t stop.

“What do we say about this? Just let it be since people didn’t die?”

“Can we insist there are no victims?”

“That would work.”

“If one more S-Rank Awakeners has been added, the upper levels will remain calm.”

“Hey. Are we really reporting this kid as an Awakeners? Even if he got an S-Rank technique, it’s not combat-related at all, is it?”

“If soldiers don’t die, there’s plenty of ways to save them. Maintaining the frontline will be easier.”

“Don’t talk such nonsense. Don’t say empty words either. You want this kid rolling around in the battlefield? There’s nothing good that comes from it. Let’s just treat it as a weird incident. Such things happen, one or two times.”

“That’s… wouldn’t it be better to let that kid choose?”

“Choose what?”

“Whether to fight as an Awakeners or not.”

“Me? After seeing that situation, do you think he’d want to fight again? Though the conversation got cut off, it seems we can’t retire him, but let’s tell him to live peacefully.”

“Ask him directly. There’s a chance his thoughts differ, isn’t there?”

“Just say it. I’ll ask.”

“Hey, do you want to roll around with us on the battlefield? There’s nothing good at all there, you know? Right now, we could just send you to the rear…”

I look forward to working with you, Uncle.

—

Association Level 5 Classified Information.

Oxymoron – End Times Disease Incident Record.

When accessing this information below, a permanent record of access will remain in the association’s database. Records will remain even without permission. If you agree to this, please input your unique registration number, password, and fingerprint.

Verification complete. Park Hyunseok, Head of Korea Branch. The time remaining until declassification is 44 years and 11 months. Please be cautious.

Incident record 10-0-003 report.

Report author: Hwang Wang.

Incident progress 6 years. Written to leave accurate information regarding the event where information control occurred by Crimson*Hammer, Calavera, and Oxymoron. Hwang Wang’s performance was employed, but the use of it rejects record.

The incident that caused this was Oxymoron. Considering their young age and experiences, they attempted to keep it under wraps but, due to their strong will, participated in the frontline. Afterward, to protect themselves, all personal information was renewed, and they were issued a new Awakeners registration number.

After that, the record 05-253-P was discarded. They were assigned 10-1432-P. The region of Czechoslovakia has currently been designated a restricted area, but in reality, it is sealed by Oxymoron’s “Operating Room”. Officially marked as a contamination zone, yet liberation personnel and researchers who know this status are dispatched.

– The following materials should be discarded upon declassification of the association agreements.

Additional factors revealed about the End Times Disease compared to the reports made by Crimson*Hammer, Calavera, and Oxymoron during the handling of that incident.

This was confirmed through experiments conducted in what is termed the “Underground.” The understanding that Awakeners are immune to the disease was incorrect. This occurred simply because Awakeners have a lower sensitivity to mental and emotional experiences than ordinary people. In reality, Awakeners can be infected too.

Furthermore, it’s suspected that a significant portion of humanity has already been infected with the End Times Disease. The infection through contact with an infected person or ash arose solely because people believed so, and it began to manifest. The actual infection route was relational.

In other words, one becomes infected through someone they believe has a relationship with an infected person, and the moment one thinks they have been infected with the End Times Disease, symptoms start appearing.

The fortunate thing is that as it’s a disease affecting the mind, unless someone believes they’ve caught a deadly illness, large-scale pandemics like in Czechoslovakia won’t occur.

Currently, since there’s no way to fully cure this disease, it’s treated simply as a common ailment upon manifestation. Later,

the only known treatment, 10mg pills of Oxymoron’s blood, is prescribed.

To achieve this, the entire medical database must fall under the association’s control, and information related to this disease is strictly controlled. This is managed mainly under Hwang Wang, who biologically has become non-human and is immune to the End Times Disease…

Members handling the above materials must regularly take their medication…

Beep.

I took out the pill and poured it into my mouth.

Though I couldn’t feel the taste, somehow, it felt salty and bitter.

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