An Exorcist Magical Girl!

The stairs moved.

 

No, more accurately, the entire room moved, including the stairs.

 

Space rushed in and swallowed us whole.

 

When I woke up, it was dark all around.

 

The air was uncomfortably damp.

 

It was an unfamiliar space, but I didn’t have to ask any stupid questions like,

“Where am I?”

.

 

The belly of a ghost.

 

The ghost was exactly what we were looking for today however, I was wrong about one thing.

 

The ghost wasn’t waiting at the end of the aisle, around the corner, on top of the Escalator, or at the top of the stairs.

 

The ghost was the space itself.

 “Lanternfish.”

I muttered in disbelief.

 

It was like a real lanternfish, luring its prey with the light of Exit 9 and then devouring it.

 

And this was a lanternfish, but it was also a meta-monster.

 

MetaX.

 

I made that up, but I couldn’t think of a better analogy.

 

It had transformed into a space that looked exactly like the one it was, and it was just waiting for people to walk in.

 

It was like me and Seo Jun were just hanging out there, and I was the first one to reach out and it swallowed us whole.

 

After all, this cannibal was a master of shapeshifting and camouflage.

 “Ah, so that’s why we didn’t see anything.” 

This explains why we couldn’t see anything even when we maximized our senses.

 

It had completely abandoned its true form and blended into the landscape so perfectly that even the exorcist’s eyes couldn’t recognize it.

 

We were looking straight at the ghost, and we didn’t even realize it was a ghost.

 

It was frightening, and not in the least bit unnerving.

 

Even Seo Jun said she had 90% of her accounts open.

 

Seo Jun. So, where is she?

 “Seo Jun? Seo Jun!” 

I called out, but she didn’t answer.

 

I didn’t feel any human warmth or even a hint of energy right next to me.

 

It was as if we had all rolled around and scattered as we were being swallowed by this ghost.

 

I dug into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I needed a means of contact, and most of all, I needed light.

 

But the phone wouldn’t even turn on its screen.

 

Not surprising, given that the missing people’s cell phone signals had stopped working around the time they were last seen on CCTV.

 

I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a small flashlight.

 

Luckily, I had my bag and staff clutched tightly to my hand, so I didn’t have to search for my lost items.

 Click 

A faint beam of light illuminated the surroundings.

 

The light was faint, barely discernible from two meters away, but it was a relief to be able to see.

 “What is this?” 

A jumble of building materials-wooden planks, marble, sidewalk blocks, asphalt, and bricks-formed the walls, floors, and ceiling.

 

No, they weren’t technically a jumble.

 

They were one.

 

All of them were joined together without boundaries, almost a single sheet.

 

The end of the wooden plank that started at my feet was fused with the beginning of a yellow Braille block, and in the middle of the Braille block were pieces of bathroom tile.

 

It was as if the pieces of different spaces had been cobbled together.

 

The space was shaped like the staircase that had swallowed us up.

 

It meant that the ghost still had the shape of that staircase

 

That the ghost was still there.

 

I walked beyond that corner in search of Seo Jun.

 

I don’t know how far I walked.

 “Ughhhhh!” 

Suddenly, my foot caught on something and I fell flat on my face. I lost the flashlight as it rolled off into the distance.

 

I sat up and grabbed the floor, trying to figure out what I’d tripped over.

 

I felt the texture of cloth on my fingertips.

 “Seo Jun? Is that you? Hey, wake up, Seo Jun!” 

I grabbed it in my hand and shook it vigorously. It shook without force, strangely enough.

 

Oh, no.

 

An ominous premonition flashed through my head, and at the same time, a light came on across the corner.

 

***

 “Baek Iri? I’m here.”

It was Seo Jun. 

 

Seo Jun was there. Then that thing I just grabbed and shook.

 “Ugh…” 

It was a body.

 

Dark jeans, white lettering top, beige messenger bag.

 

I recognized the clothes I’d seen over and over again on the CCTV footage.

 

In front of me was the third missing person, now a cold corpse.

 

Seo Jun quietly approached me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

 

I don’t think she meant to be comforting, but the touch helped me calm down and look away from the body.

 “Baek Iri, are you hurt?” “I’m fine. Are you?” “I’m fine too, except for a few scratches.” “Okay.”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“Let’s be clear. We’re in the stomach of a giant ghost, right?” “Correct.”

Seo Jun nodded and said in a heavy voice.

 “It was a ghost, just like you said.” “I didn’t realize they were the kind that ate people alive.” “A ghost that disguises itself as space… has a unique way of hunting.” “At least we were able to recover the body—” 

I didn’t finish my sentence.

 

The third missing person’s body, upon closer inspection, was beyond salvage.

 

The back of his head had been absorbed into the ground and stuck to it.

 

It wasn’t just the head.

 

One arm had also been sucked into the wall, becoming one with it.

 

The body was now just building material for the walls and floor.

 “Ah, this—”, t

he words won’t come out of my mouth.

 

Seo Jun grabbed my arm. A tremor passed through me.

 

But I wasn’t sure if it was Seo Jun’s tremor.

 

The belly space surrounding us vibrated.

 

The walls, ceiling, and floor began to shake.

 

Expanding and twisting.

 

The shape of the room was changing.

 “Look out!” 

I staggered, barely catching my balance, and a long arm shot out from one wall.

 

It lunged, aiming for my head.

 

Instinct warned me not to get caught.

 

As I reflexively lowered myself to avoid the arm, it changed direction and pointed at Seo Jun.

 “Seo Jun, dodge!” 

At the same time as my cry, Seo Jun twisted, the arm narrowly missing Seo Jun’s shoulder.

 

The arm jerked and grabbed the leg of the third missing body, dragging it along.

 

The leg followed the arm’s lead and was sucked into the wall, becoming part of it.

 “All the missing people died like this… “ 

This is how they all died.

 

All the missing people had been absorbed by the stomach wall of this voracious ghost.

 

Just like the food in my stomach was digested.

 

***

 

I clutched my blackened staff tightly. Seo Jun held an amulet and a dagger in each hand.

 “Never get caught.”

Seo Jun warned.

 “You too.” 

With those words, arms began to fly in from all directions.

 

《Skill: “A Craftsman’s Wears No Tools” activated》

 

I frantically swung my staff, parrying and cutting off the arms that were aimed at me.

 “Get the heck out of here!” Boom, Boom, Boom 

After fighting for a while, a pop-up appeared telling me that my body temperature had increased.

 

《Your body composition has increased due to skill grinding.》

 

The accuracy and speed of the arm strikes increased.

 

Seo Jun wielded the amulet like a sword, slicing through the arm that was charging at me.

 

The amulet melted instantly where it touched, splitting the arms in two.

 

Even as all this was happening, space was warping and changing.

 

I didn’t know if I had to balance myself or defend myself.

 

By the time the space finally stopped changing, the arms had completely disappeared into the wall.

 “Wow, I’m exhausted. “ 

I sat back and caught my breath. Seo Jun leaned against the wall and wiped the sweat off her face.

 

The “A” curve had disappeared, and the camouflage surrounding us had become a long, dark, straight line with no end in sight.

 “This bastard is mimicking a new space by changing positions, isn’t it?.”

I asked Seo Jun.

 “Yeah. I guess so.”

Seo Jun replied.

 

Judging by its length and width, it must have turned into a railroad track.

 

Whatever it was, we had to get out of here.

 

There was no guarantee we could survive another close call like the one we’d just had.

 

Besides, if the space gets narrower instead of wider, like it just did, we’re stuck.

 

It was impossible to dodge those arms in such a small space.

 

I flicked my staff lightly.

 

In this big place, there was no time to look for the mouth that had swallowed us.

 

You don’t always go out the same way you came in, right?

 

I’m going to pierce the belly of this mad ghost.

 

Just then, Seo Jun quietly stops me.

 “Why?” “Are you going to leave already?” “Isn’t that obvious?” 

She must have read the impatience in my voice, but Seo Jun seemed calm.

 “Don’t you think it would be a waste to just walk out?” “What— “

Seo Jun pulled some paper and a pen out of her bag and began to draw simple symbols, creating an impromptu amulet.

 

She handed me half of the finished amulet.

 “Can you help me glue it on?” 

At that moment, I realized what Seo Jun was trying to do and her intentions.

 

I accepted the amulet curiously and smirked.

 “Okay. Let’s make this bastard regret swallowing the poison.” 

A small smile tugged at the corners of Seo Jun’s mouth as she listened.

 “Ready?” “Done.” 

One by one, Seo Jun smeared drops of blood on the amulets on the walls and ceiling. In one hand, she clutched a jet-black amulet.

 “Take it back. I’m done with the amulets.” “Okay, then.” 

With that, I struck the ghosts’ stomach wall with my staff.

 

The solid wall cracked.

 

The floor shook violently as the ghost writhed in pain.

 

I didn’t hesitate to put my weight on it and smash the crack.

 

It was like in the movies when a killer breaks down a door.

 Bang, Bang, Bang 

The upper wall collapsed, letting light in through the gap.

 

Through the gap, I could see a screen door.

 

The ghost’s body shook once more, this time accompanied by an agonized scream.

 “Okay, let’s get out.” 

Seo Jun stretched her arm out of the crevice, opened the screen door, and threw himself through it.

 

I glanced at the walls and ceiling, which were dotted with Seo Jun’s amulets.

 

Then I whispered in a low voice.

 “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out… “ 

I knew that if I didn’t do that, it would bother me like crazy that I hadn’t even gotten the bodies of the missing people.

 

After that, I threw myself overboard. The crisp air washed over me.

 

***

 “Ugh!” 

I landed with a thud on the cold floor.

 

We were in the middle of a platform at a switching station.

 

Beyond the screen door, above the tracks, there was a round hole in the air. I had cut it from the inside.

 “I was right about the tracks.” 

When Seo Jun saw that I had escaped unharmed, she tore the black amulet in her hands in half.

 

A snap.

 

It made a creepy sound that I couldn’t believe was paper being torn.

 

At the same time, thick smoke began to leak through the cracks in the ghost’s skin.

 

The amulet we were wearing was an amulet that contained the power of flame.

 

The ghost’s stomach must be burning brightly by now.

 

The space in front of me, the tracks, shimmered and twisted.