Congratulations on Your Magical Girl Duties

79 – Waning Crescent

Lyaina’s eyes widened in horror.

Because of that single moon, suddenly erupting before her.

And.

“Found you, you son of a b*tch.”

Because of Kim Shi-yul, appearing as the moon vanished.

‘How?’

She simply couldn’t comprehend it.

The place Lyaina now stood was the ceiling.

Or, to be precise, directly above Kim Shi-yul.

A blind spot, absolute and utter.

Unverifiable unless one tilted their head back. She’d even accounted for *that*, shifting slightly behind him.

Moreover, the footprints from Lyaina’s magic were only now materializing far away, audibly marking her former position. Impossible to perceive with the five senses.

So how had Kim Shi-yul deciphered it?

“It’s not like I’ve only encountered b*stards like you once or twice.”

Of course, she could surmise his method to some degree.

The magic Kim Shi-yul was casting now was one Lyaina knew well, supposedly. Though not entirely identical to her own knowledge, its nature was extremely similar.

Magical Phase Shift.

Magic that utilized mana to transpose one’s body to a specific coordinate.

But Lyaina’s shock stemmed from something else entirely.

‘Is he insane?’

Magical Phase Shift was forbidden magic.

To be precise, using it wasn’t technically banned, but because everyone had tacitly agreed not to use it, it was practically forbidden.

Why was it forbidden?

The reason was simple.

It was exceedingly dangerous.

To invoke it required rigorous magical calculations, and delicate control of mana.

But what if, you made even the smallest mistake?

Being lucky enough for merely your limbs to contort was cause for thanks. Truly, a miracle. Most of the time, one’s body would simply disassemble. And the parts that remained connected weren’t exactly pristine.

Naturally, that included the head.

‘It was in that Magical Mishap Compilation, wasn’t it?’

And that wasn’t all. There were countless instances of body parts becoming lodged in obstacles, like walls or ceilings.

It was a spell impossible to use in actual combat, and nearly impossible to even practice. Even general-class Magical Girls didn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole, which should tell you something.

And yet.

Kim Shiyul used Magical Phase Shift.

To a degree that Raina, watching on, couldn’t even imagine more perfect.

‘How?’

There were two possible explanations to consider.

That the magic, cast on a whim with a gambler’s heart, had succeeded purely by chance.

Or perhaps.

That she had become so skilled as to reach that level of mastery.

Given Kim Shiyul’s intellect, the former possibility couldn’t be entirely dismissed, but it was likely the latter.

How much pain, of her body being forcibly twisted and torn, had she endured? How many times had she walked the line between life and death?

‘Just what…’

What kind of life had she lived? Raina couldn’t even begin to guess.

In truth, she didn’t have the time to ponder it.

Kim Shiyul, rotating her body, began to swing her sword in sync with the motion.

Reflexively, Raina cast a spell.

“Protection.”

It’s fine.

The starting spell was Crescent Moon, wasn’t it? That magic alone could never break Raina’s stance.

Then.

‘Just this once.’

She just had to block it.

Then she would be able to manifest her magic soon enough.

However, there was something Raina had failed to consider.

“Falling Moon.”

That she would be planted into the earth like this.

The moon had fallen.

Lina, too, had fallen.

A beat late, Lina’s mind caught up to the reality of what had transpired. Kim Shi-yul had slammed her, barrier spell and all, into the ground.

There shouldn’t have been any issues with the barrier, and yet, her arm throbbed. It meant she hadn’t been able to withstand the force.

And not only that. She must have been driven down awfully hard, because her spine felt like it was creaking. Getting up was out of the question; even breathing was excruciating.

And to top it off, the magic had been dispelled.

Dangerous.

Truly dangerous.

For the first time in her life, instinct screamed wildly in Lina’s heart.

However, her opponent didn’t even allow her that scream.

By the time Lina had barely managed to rise, Kim Shi-yul was already within striking distance, sword raised.

Lina hastily cast a spell.

“Protection!”

It was an unstable spell, so it wouldn’t hold like before. But she’d decided to endure it.

The optimal moment would arrive, once.

“Waning Moon.”

A thin, sharp line was drawn.

A crack, *tidik*, formed in Lina’s magic.

“New Moon.”

An eerie crescent emerged.

From the spell, a sinister creaking sound, *eu-jik*.

“Half Moon.”

A mournful half-moon was etched.

The magic she had barely been holding together finally shattered.

Amidst the scattering shards of magic, a brilliantly shining sword moved.

Silently, and powerfully.

‘Right now!’

In this instant, Lina accelerated her magical girl body to its maximum, extending the Sword Sphere in a long thrust.

Kim Si-yul was about to unleash a magic known as Full Moon.

A magic notoriously long in preparation compared to others. And naturally, that meant a correspondingly large opening.

Raina had targeted it.

‘A rather magical gamble, if I do say so myself.’

Certainly, Raina’s judgment had been correct.

“Shattered Moon.”

Because she had just heard the sound of flesh being pierced.

From Kim Si-yul’s chest, twice, in quick succession.

‘In the end, a magical achievement.’

Breath is important when casting magic. Its power varies wildly depending on whether there is an incantation, so breath can be considered an essential magical element.

But, what about Kim Si-yul now?

His left chest pierced by a Sword Spear, a hole ripped through his lung. Breathing was utterly impossible.

Which meant, he couldn’t utter the incantation for the magic.

It could be stated with certainty. The sensation of his fingertips piercing the lung was vividly felt. In the first place, the sound when the Sword Spear was launched had echoed twice, hadn’t it—

‘Huh…?’

Twice?

Not once?

The moment that question surfaced, Raina felt tiny fragments adhering to her entire body.

What in the world could this be—

“Bursting Moon.”

The thought was cut short.

Suddenly, Raina’s vision flickered, and her consciousness began to blink erratically.

“…Ah?”

Raina’s brain briefly ceased functioning from the overwhelming pain. Even the body that had endured intense magical training simply couldn’t withstand it.

‘Just now… what… was…?’

Raina painstakingly pieced together her fragmented thoughts.

This must be magic.

It couldn’t possibly be this potent without magic.

Surely, Kim Si-yul must have cast it.

‘H-How?’

But by what means had he cast it? With pierced lungs, he wouldn’t even be able to breathe properly, let alone complete a chant. Besides, hadn’t he just been rendered speechless?

Still, the answer arrived quickly enough.

“Ah.”

Kim Shi-yul’s figure began to sharpen in her vision as it gradually returned.

Kim Shi-yul’s left chest had certainly been pierced by Reina’s Sword Sphere.

Blood connected the wound in his left chest to the Sword Sphere held by Reina.

Only, Kim Shi-yul’s right chest was also impaled. With a sword much shorter than before.

Of course.

Kim Shi-yul had harmed himself.

An extremely short blade crafted by shattering most of the original sword’s length.

He’d plunged this into his own right chest.

‘It would have been difficult to harm himself with the original sword…’

He must have created a hole in his other lung, forcing a balance to breathe, however awkwardly.

And then, he recited the incantation and cast the spell.

The magic had probably been cast by concentrating mana into the shattered fragments. Those small shards clinging to Reina’s body must have been those fragments.

Reina was genuinely astonished.

‘Is he truly insane?’

The magic itself wasn’t strange. That kind of mana condensation magic was relatively common.

There was Gold Retriever, after all, another magical girl from the same Magical Living Quarter as Kim Shi-yul. This was a similar type of magic.

It wasn’t even that the act of self-harm itself was strange. If Reina were Kim Shi-yul, she would have undoubtedly done the same.

It was simply that his execution was beyond the bounds of normalcy.

The sound of the Sword Sphere piercing Kim Shi-yul and the sound of Kim Shi-yul impaling himself overlapped.

In other words, he’d harmed himself without a moment’s hesitation the instant he knew he was about to be struck.

An action practically defying a living being’s instinct.

Did he not value his life?

Or was he so broken that he could disregard even his instincts?

At that moment, Reina’s senses, which had been frozen, began to function properly again.

“Ugh!”

Reina gritted her teeth against the belated surge of agonizing pain.

Her entire body throbbed as if she had been beaten.

Bones felt broken, one or two at least.

A small mercy it wasn’t a clean cut, wasn’t sliced apart, but it offered little comfort.

Everything had been spiraling downwards since the start; not a single upward turn.

And now.

Now, Kim Siyul wielded his sword.

A sword somehow lengthened once more, clutched tight in his hand.

Body leaking crimson trails with every move.

He looked like some kind of magical demon.

“Full Moon.”

A radiant, full moon bloomed.

That blade couldn’t be allowed to complete its arc, not for anything. There was a reason she’d fought so desperately to stop him during the magical free-for-all just moments ago.

If she let it go through…

“This is dangerous!”

It wouldn’t end prettily. Not at all.

Laina’s judgement was swift.

Her actions, even swifter.

“Lion’s Roar!!!”

A fierce roar erupted, waves of yellow mana radiating outwards from Laina in countless ripples.

It had an effect, certainly.

The sword’s swing faltered, just a hair.

But that was all.

The blade still carved a brilliant full moon, aiming directly for her.

Laina gritted her teeth and threw herself forward.

Not back, not up, not to the side, but straight ahead.

Yes. Directly into Kim Siyul’s path.

Using her breastplate to halt the completion of the moon’s arc. All the while focusing her mana into Sword Spear, preparing the spell.

Laina steeled herself.

‘The price will have to be paid!’

And then, the sword struck her breastplate.

What Laina felt next was the armor rending with a dreadful, shattering sound.

Something sharp sliced through skin, a foreign sensation forcing its way into her.

Then.

“Kuh-uhk!”

A rush of thick, biting pain welled up.

Even though the moon wasn’t quite full, it meant Kim Si-yul’s blade had stubbornly pierced Raina’s breastplate and reached her flesh.

But, it was alright.

‘At this price, it’s a steal.’

The opportunity had finally arrived.

With his sword stuck like this, Kim Si-yul couldn’t cast any further magic.

His magic only worked when he was cutting.

Which meant, in a magically locked state, it was impossible.

So, he’d pull the sword out? Raina’s magic would manifest faster.

And that wasn’t all. He couldn’t use that explosion magic from before. He had some distance then, but this time, they were practically on top of each other. He’d be caught in it, for sure.

Besides, trying to simply punch or kick him now was useless. Hitting a magical girl with an ordinary person’s fist was just a good way to hurt your own hand.

Run? That would be the worst thing she could do. The magic she’d prepared would track him until it hit.

And, the preparation for the magic was almost complete.

She’d be able to finish him off soon.

“How can even this be the same…”

At that moment, Kim Si-yul’s voice tapped lightly against Raina’s eardrums. A calm voice, reflecting on the past, yet somehow faintly relieved.

“That b*stard blocked me with armor at the end, too.”

Kim Si-yul’s gaze was on Raina, yet at the same time, he wasn’t really seeing her.

“You have no idea how much I struggled to break through that.”

It was as if he were lost in a memory.

“Well, I couldn’t settle things back then, though.”

Kim Si-yul’s sudden words were completely incomprehensible to Raina.

Finally, she couldn’t contain her question. She even momentarily forgot she needed to cast her magic.

“What on earth are you talk─!”

But, before Raina could finish her sentence.

“Residual Moon.”

A fragile crescent moon, erupted with wild abandon.

“Ah…?”

When Raina regained her senses, she found herself lying on her back on the ground.

Her first thought was a question.

‘How…’

She was alive. Raina was genuinely curious.

Kim Si-yul’s final attack had seemed conditional, but its power was undeniable. She had been half-certain she was dead the moment it hit.

And yet, Raina was somehow alive.

Of course, her body refused to move. Meanwhile, a maddening pain surged through her entire being.

Still, she was alive. Her limbs were attached, and she was, after a fashion, capable of thought.

It made no sense.

Shouldn’t she be at least half-crippled?

At that moment, Kim Si-yul’s indifferent voice drifted from nearby.

“What’s with the strange look. Did you think you were going to die?”

Kim Si-yul seemed better than before.

He was still bleeding and his complexion was far worse, but he appeared to have stemmed the critical injuries for the moment. He must have used his magic to perform a Magical Emergency Treatment.

In a way, it was obvious. He was someone who could perfectly utilize Magical Phase Shift, there was no way he couldn’t do even that.

Just then, Kim Si-yul spoke once more.

“Of course I adjusted it. I had to keep you alive.”

Raina narrowed her eyes at Kim Si-yul’s words.

He hadn’t simply left her alive.

He must have a purpose of his own.

She only felt the sensations of her body, unable to move even slightly, which made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Was he, perhaps, trying to humiliate her?

Undoubtedly. Kim Si-yul was a man. He must have impure intentions, leading him to leave Raina in this state.

Raina bit her lip.

“Kgh! Just kill me!”

“What?”

Kim Si-yul wore a puzzled expression.

Raina made a face of humiliation.

“You kept me alive to violate me, didn’t you! Then I would rather choose death!”

“What the hell are you on about, seriously.”

“My Magical Eye cannot be deceived!”

Whether Kim Siyul looked troubled or not, Raina continued to spew out her piece.

“Even if my body experiences shame, my heart will never be broken!”

“Did this crazy b*tch learn this from reading fanfiction about knights?”

Kim Siyul sighed deeply, approaching Raina. His hand, already grasping his sword.

At that moment, the sound of flowing water could be heard.

– Trickle.

From Raina’s lower body.

The sight of Kim Siyul approaching now overlapped with the appearance of the Magical Fiend from earlier, and without realizing it, Raina had committed a Magical Wee.

– Trickle trickle.

Twice.

“…….”

“…….”

A moment of silence.

Then, Raina, who had been completely frozen, hurriedly opened her mouth.

“T-t-this, that…! It’s not a Magical Wee…!”

“Be quiet. I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”

Kim Siyul rubbed his eyes.

“I-it’s just Magical Lemonade, that’s all!”

“Please shut up, seriously. My head is pounding.”

This time, he rubbed them a little harder.

Afterward, Kim Siyul looked at Raina again. His gaze a little more sunken than before.

“Anyway, let me ask you something.”

At that moment, Kim Siyul’s voice changed slightly.

“Who gave you orders?”

It was a sharp voice.

As if he had forged an emotion beyond murderous intent into his sword.

He was probably asking who was the real mastermind behind bullying the magical girl, Taishi.

But, Kim Si-yul’s question was a little off the mark.

From the start, Lyana and her group weren’t aiming for Taysh. Taysh was merely a Magical lure.

The real target was, Kim Si-yul.

“That b*stard, who is he?”

Of course, Lyana remained silent. She didn’t have the strength to answer, and besides, there was no reason to answer in the first place.

How could one who aspired to knighthood dare betray her master? She’d rather be violated, or die—

‘…Huh?’

Something was strange.

The knight Lyana had strived to be wasn’t a Magical lapdog, wagging its tail for its master.

But then, what was this thought just now?

Come to think of it, her swordsmanship was a little peculiar too. She had learned to wield a sword, yes, but she’d learned to protect, never to kill.

‘Since when…?’

A sudden unease settled over her. An unpleasant feeling.

At the same time, Lyana’s thoughts began to branch out in another direction.

Who was this master that Lyana spoke of?

She had met him for orders relatively recently, so she would naturally remember at least his face—

“…Huh?”

—She didn’t.

She could recall when, where, and what they discussed with this so-called master. Even the process of obtaining Magical authority from him.

But, when it came to the master himself, nothing came to mind.

Appearance, physique, voice, age, gender, and so on.

Everything was invisible within her memories.

‘I can’t see…? ‘

As if obscured by something.

“Hey, who is he?”

Kim Si-yul gripped his sword, muttering in a sinister voice, but Lyana didn’t pay any attention.

Or, more accurately, she couldn’t afford to.

“Ah? Ah! What, what is this! What is going on!”

Because an anomaly continued within Lyana’s mind.

Memories related to the existence called ‘master’ were slowly fading away.

Without a sound, slowly, deliberately.

But undeniably.

A plea, bordering on a scream, escaped her lips.

“Ah, no! Please, don’t do this! Please!”

It felt as if the very components that comprised her were being annihilated against her will, by some external force. She was losing herself, unknowingly.

As if being gnawed at from the inside by something unknown.

“I… I won’t allow myself to be defiled like this!”

Her arms wouldn’t obey, wouldn’t reach to grasp her head, so Rina slammed her head against the ground, again and again.

Desperate to preserve what memories remained, hoping that even this might leave a fragment behind.

But nothing changed.

The memories continued to fade.

Now, all that remained in Rina’s mind was a vague recollection – the consequence of tormenting a magical girl named Taishi and attempting to kill Kim Siyul, for reasons unknown.

And then, Rina uttered a question.

“Why…?”

A question laden with meaning.

Why was she here, in this place?

What was this anomaly occurring within her mind?

What was it, ultimately, that she had fought for with her sword?

But it was a question to which no one could answer.

Kim Siyul, standing before her, wore an expression of utter incomprehension, and the thing devouring her mind offered no response.

And even Rina, who had endured all of this, couldn’t dare to answer that question.

In the end, all Rina could do was emit a small sigh, dripping with despair.

“I’ve been… defiled…”

With those words, Rina’s consciousness flickered and died.

Meanwhile, Kim Siyul, who had watched the entire sequence unfold, wore a look of bewildered resignation.

“What the hell was that about, you b*stard, even at the end?”

And then, he collapsed onto the ground, closing his eyes.

“I’m absolutely not doing it with a magical girl.”

He spoke with a voice filled with both displeasure and relief.