An Exorcist Magical Girl!

A navy blue-haired girl slowly approached me, pointing something at me.

 

Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a red dagger in her hand.

 

The ring on her other hand’s index finger flashed.

 ‘Is that how you identify your chapter?’ 

I thought it was just for storing ghosts, but that ring does so much more.

 “Who are you?” 

The voice was harsh.

 “You must be a commoner, it’s not safe here, so get out.” 

The girl pointed the dagger at her back.

 

Since I didn’t belong to any of the chapters, she assumed I was a civilian.

 “…I’m busy, just go.” 

I replied, deliberately nudging the floating figures nearby, and in an instant, a dagger was drawn in front of my neck.

 

I was trying to make it clear that I was part of the group, even if I didn’t belong to it right now.

 “I can see.” 

The girl narrowed her eyes.

 “How did you get in? This isn’t a place where just anyone can get in.” 

I’m sorry, I’m wondering that too. How did I get in here?

 

Anyway, I’m in a real hurry, and I need you to put the knife away.

 

I have to get back to my exorcism.

 “I’m just here for job experience, can you let me go?” 

I asked, slipping away.

 

I put on a smug face because it wasn’t that far off the mark.

 

But of course, she had no intention of letting me go.

 “Speak up before I report you for trespassing.” 

Haha, I wish I was an outsider.

 “I told you, it’s a work experience. I’m here with permission.” 

The lie came out easily. Maybe I actually have S-rank acting talent.

 “That’s bullshit.” “There is such a thing as a one-day trial student to get a taste of it before you apply in earnest.” “…one-day trial Exorcist student?” “Uh, yeah. I’m taking an assessment or something today, and if it’s a good fit, I’ll continue.” 

This is bullshit, but technically, it’s not entirely wrong.

 

If you go around and around 360 degrees, it makes sense.

 “Look. I have a ring.” 

I pulled out the ring I’d found in my pocket earlier and showed it to her, and she gasped.

 “What were the teachers thinking, sending a one-day trial student up here alone in such a dangerous place…” 

She whimpered.

 

I should have authenticated her with a ring.

 

I pointed the ring at her, and it slightly vibrated, causing a hologram to pop up.

 

《Name: Seo Jun》

《Institution: Branch 4》

《Current score: 1485.75 points》

 

Ohhhh, this is how you can see who you’re talking to, and your current performance shows how many ghost points you’ve earned since the evaluation started.

 

So, my profile probably looks like this to her.

 

《Name: Baek Iri》

《Institution: None》

《Current score: 0 points》

 

From the beginning of the evaluation, I realized the difference between my points and those who participated properly.

 

I don’t know how high up this Seo Jun girl is, but I’d say the gap has widened to about 1400-1500 points.

 

‘Oh, and if you want to pass the mission, go to ….’

 

My thoughts were cut off right there.

 

Seo Jun grabbed me by the nape of the neck and squeezed.

 “Hey, open your eyes!” 

It wasn’t until I spotted a whitish figure hanging from the ceiling just above my head that I realized she meant to keep them open.

 “You can see ghosts. Wake up!” 

I mean, I don’t know what it was, but I just saw that …

 

I followed Seo Jun to distance myself from it, but I didn’t take my eyes off the blurry figure.

 

Then it happened,

 

As if the will of the one who wants to see lifts the half-closed eyelids.

 【Talent: Exorcist (Aspiring) (Rental)】【Status: Utilized …….. 40% …….. 55% …….. 85%】 

A 40% open account suddenly became 85% open.

 

Just like that, my world became clearer.

 

The screeching metal suddenly became words and sentences, and the thick smell of blood and gore cut through the stale dust.

 

What seemed to be a mass of nothingness became clearer and clearer.

 

It was a torso attached to the ceiling.

 

Every time it moved; it made a muffled, bone-crunching sound.

 

Its unrealistically long neck craned, and its gaze turned toward me.

 

There was an eerie silence for a moment.

 

Then. It glared at me and Seo Jun, and soon began crawling toward us both at a terrifying speed.

 

I quickly glanced around.

 

Amidst the broken clutter, a broom rested on a cleaning cart.

 

I picked up the broom and bounced in front of Seo Jun.

 “What are you thinking!” 

What was I thinking? I was thinking of killing the ghost.

 

I faced the charging ghost head-on and concentrated all my nerves.

 

《Skill: Simple Clairvoyance activated.》

 

The demon’s core, I could see it.

  

***

  

“Baek Iri, your accuracy isn’t bad, but you’re taking too long to locate the core.”

 

During a presentation of the results of the magical girl simulation test, the teacher said.

 

“Are you going to be this distracted in the real world?”

 

“No.”

 

“See. You can’t see where the monster’s core is once and for all, so you’re just attacking to buy time. You know that’s a waste of time in the real world, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I didn’t find the nuke until the monster was within a certain distance.

 

So, I attacked both wings of the monster to slow it down and buy time.

 

But even with all that time, I found the core and couldn’t destroy it with a single blow.

 

In the process, the monster crashed, causing considerable damage on the ground.

 

To summarize my simulation test, it went something like this.

 

“Let’s work hard. Huh?”

 

“……………….”

 

With that, the teacher moved on to the next student’s test results.

 

The teacher must have realized that working harder wasn’t going to solve the problem.

 

If working hard was going to make me better, I should have gotten good results already.

 

I was already working hard.

 

Trying harder wasn’t going to make me noticeably better.

 

So, it was a more fundamental problem.

 

My talent wasn’t just that good.

 

The ghost’s left eye glowed red.

 “That’s the core.” 

The right hand holding the broom grew cold, and a black aura surrounded it.

 

The black energy trickled up the plastic stick and soon enveloped the entire broom.

 

It looked like a giant black hammer.

 Waagghh! —

The ghost opened its mouth as if it wanted to swallow my head.

 

Just before its black tongue touched my face. I twisted and dodged, swinging the black energy broom toward the inside of its mouth.

 Boom! Bam! 

What? This is kind of nice.

 Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam! 

A cool blow that burns through your fingertips.

 

Black energy scattered in all directions like blood.

 

I couldn’t help but feel the uncontrollable thrill.

 

I now saw the ghost’s head as a punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

 “Ha, ha, ha! Ahahahahahaha!” 

And then I concentrated on the part of the head where the core was,

 

《Skill: Simple Destruction is now active》

 Boom! 

The ghost’s core, which had been struck dozens of times by the broom, exploded, sending a dizzying stream of red energy flying in all directions.

 

The destroyed ghost lost its form and began to melt from the face down.

 

A black liquid dripped down from the ceiling and was soon sucked into the ring on my finger.

 

《Skill refinement will increase your body coloration》

《Skill: Simple Clairvoyance | Body Saturation – 30%》

《Skill: Simple Destruction | Body Saturation – 30%》

The status window popped up with a colorful glow.

 

It told me that my 10% body saturation had risen to 30%.

 “You, what are you?” 

Seo Jun stammered, stunned by what had just happened.

 “You can touch a nuke? You said you were just a one-day trial student?” 

Seo Jun had a look of disbelief on his face.

 “I’m an exorcist too.” 

I froze, watching the number 58.73 appear on my ring.

 

The thrill that had filled my heart the moment I swung the broom at the demon.

 

It was confidence.

 

Confidence that I could do it.

 

The sensation I had never felt as a magical girl, the one I had always longed for.

 

That thrilling sensation was here.

 “I don’t expect you to just tell me but I’m asking just in case.” 

I looked at Seo Jun and asked.

 “How many points are the strongest ghosts here?” 

I don’t want to lose this S-rank talent.

 

So, I have to turn this impossible game on its head somehow.

  

***

  

When we saw each other again, there were 15 minutes left until the end of the assessment.

 

Baek Iri, or the black, short-haired girl, appeared in front of me with a full head of lice.

 

Her striking yellow eyes had lost their luster, and her right hand holding the broom was tattered and covered in scars.

 “Did …you really go upstairs?” 

I asked. Baek Iri nodded as I asked her with a curious glance.

 

I asked her how many points the strongest ghost here is worth, and she said she didn’t know, but that there must be a lot of high-scoring ghosts upstairs.

 

I can’t believe she actually went to get them.

 

I picked up the ring and checked Baek Iri’s performance.

 

《Last Name: Baek Iri》

《Institution: None》

《Current score: 681.03 points》

 

From zero points when we first met, she’s now earned nearly 700 points.

 “Huh—” 

I let out a sound that was half exclamation, half sigh.

 

Should I call her foolish?

 

She was a beginner. Her clumsiness is evident in her exorcism form and in the techniques she used.

 

The way she handled the energy, and the crystals was raw and instinctive.

 

She hadn’t even been to an academy, so she hadn’t been properly trained in exorcism.

 

Unpolished and untrained.

 

I’m sure she was playing her cards close to the vest, not realizing she was at the end of her rope.

 

And she was probably fighting ghosts the whole time.

 

I could see how self-destructive she must have been to get to this point in three or four hours.

 “Dude, how are you still alive?” 

It’s a wonder she’s alive.

 

I was told it was just a one-day trial experiment.

 

A taste.

  

***

 “Why did you do this?” 

Seo Jun’s voice was soft as she asked me why I had done this.

 

I don’t know if it’s because we met briefly or maybe it’s because I’m in such a pitiful state right now.

 

My score now stands at 681.03 points. Not nearly enough points to get into the top tier of the Mission.

 

The tables have not been turned.

 “Haha.”

I chuckled.

 

I guess I should be grateful that I got to live the life of a genius for a day.

 “Hey!” 

The voice, shrill again, pierced my ears.

 

Oh, I didn’t answer her.

 “It’s kind of complicated, but it’s probably supposed to be in the top ten, I don’t know exactly.” “So why.” “Because I had to become an exorcist.” 

I expected her to yell at me to explain it so I could understand, but she was surprisingly quiet.

 

Seo Jun was looking at me with an indescribable expression.

 

It was a pretty intimidating stare, but I got it. I would have had a hard time carrying on a conversation with a stranger who was dying and talking about something I couldn’t understand.

 

Haha, damn talent. Embarrassing people.

 

I felt like punching the air, but sadly, I didn’t even have the strength to raise my arm.

 

I was cursing this situation inwardly when Seo Jun spoke again.

 “The April evaluation is not officially recorded, and not all chapters are gathered in one place.” 

I’m stunned.

 “It’s the June, September, and November evaluations that really matter, and there’s no real penalty for screwing up the April evaluation. I’ll go back and eat some chow mein.” “…What? Are you trying to comfort me?”

I asked.

 “Shut up and listen.”

Seo Jun continued.

“They said we need to be in the top 10. Let me help you.” 

Seo Jun layered her ring over the one on my finger, fiddling with it. And then, Seo Jun’s points began to transfer to my ring.