REAPER SCANS
Mr. Magical Girl
[Translator – goguma]
[Proofreader – ilafy]
Chapter 13: Press Conference
- An incident earlier this morning resulted in the destruction of a portion of the city.
An air of seriousness followed the news anchor’s tone.
- Fortunately, thanks to the swift evacuation efforts, no casualties have been reported. The catastrophe still left dozens injured.
I hadn’t sensed any living beings around me; had they been caught in the aftermath? Chances to use my full strength were rare, so maybe I failed to hold back properly.
Had I let my emotions control me too much?
I felt sorry for them, but I did my best to kill that feeling. I turned a blind eye, convincing myself it was fine since they were still alive.
Since they were injured in a fight with a monster, the Association would do everything they could to heal them.
Unho gave me a serious look, but… he didn’t blame me.
That was all I needed. Unho would neither stop nor encourage me. Our relationship had the perfect level of distance.
- The Association is set to make an official announcement regarding the situation. Let’s tune in.
The TV switched to a different scene of a press conference hall filled with the sound of camera shutters going off. A young, well-dressed man wearing glasses entered the frame and stopped in front of the microphone.
‘Hero Association Representative: Taejoon Kim,’ flashed at the bottom of the screen before fading away.
Despite the countless reporters staring at him, he remained unfazed and slowly adjusted the mic before placing his script atop the podium.
After a short but deep bow, he opened his mouth.
- This morning, at approximately 7:05 AM, we detected a powerful presence of the Otherworld’s powers.
His voice seemed normal and easy to listen to at first. His pronunciations were precise, and we couldn’t hear him breathe into the mic or accidentally spit. To my ears… it was anything but a normal voice.
‘Would you look at that…’ I felt the presence of a mental manipulation-type ability. It wasn’t particularly strong, but it was enough to sway people. ‘Does the Association know about this?’
- Based on the powers we observed, the entity appears to be an A-Rank monster. After analyzing the footage, we have also identified the monster type…
I spoke to my partner while listening to the man on the TV with one ear. “Unho, do you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“There’s a faint trace of mental manipulation in his voice. Well, I guess it would be closer to emotional manipulation since it’s weaker?”
Unho frowned, as if he couldn’t understand what I was saying at all. “There’s no reason for the Association to do something like that…”
Twitch—
His whiskers twitched, like they did when he detected the Otherworld’s powers. “You’re right…?”
“So I’m not the only one who can sense it.” With his confirmation, I was sure of it.
- Additionally, it was revealed that this monster is also responsible for the recent hero ambush incidents. As a result, the Association is…
“I should’ve watched the news more often. I never expected the Association to be up to things like this,” I mumbled.
“I wonder why I only noticed it now, even though I watch the news often.”
“It might be because you’re a bit slow.”
“That’s mean.”
I also recognized that Unho was a mascot with three decades of experience. His ability to sense energies and read emotions likely far surpassed anyone else’s. His only issue was that all he liked to do was laze around at home; it was quite a serious issue if even he couldn’t detect it.
- After compiling all of the relevant data, we confirmed that the monster not only possesses a tremendous amount of the Otherworld’s powers but is also intelligent enough to devise complex plans.
“Have you seen him before?” I asked.
“Yes, he appears every time the Association announces something to the news.”
“Since when?”
“Since around five years ago…? Some time around then.”
So it had been quite a while.
It was a faint amount of emotional manipulation, so subtle that it was barely detectable. The reason for them choosing someone with such abilities as their representative was pretty clear—the Association was likely trying to build goodwill while suppressing dissent.
Did Hyunseok know about it, or was it the representative’s personal decision? If not, how far up the chain did it go?
Regardless, it didn’t change the fact that I had one more thing to confirm.
- Therefore, the Association has classified this monster as A-Rank. Its behavioral patterns will be recorded in the database going forward.
‘A-Rank, huh?’ It was good, but different thoughts swirled through my head.
“Unho, I think I’ll need to have a look around the Association someday.”
“I agree. I can’t believe they’re freely using powers on civilians.”
“Yeah, it’s not heroic at all.” I was aware of the corruption seeping into the Association, but I never expected them to use emotional manipulation on ordinary citizens.
What would I uncover if I dug into it? How much would I need to cut off? Would I even be able to handle it on my own?
- The Association has decided to assign the monster the codename: Black Marauder.
With that, he raised the documents he had prepared, showing a photo of me smiling as I freed myself from my limiter, with “Black Marauder” written in large letters beside it.
Of course, they chose the photo where I looked like a final boss enjoying destruction…
“You look like a perfect villain there,” Unho observed.
“Shut up.” I slapped the ferret’s head for stepping out of line.
“Hehe.” Knowing I wasn’t actually upset, Unho bashfully chuckled along.
Despite the warm atmosphere brewing between us, the cold press conference marched along.
- We will be using the remaining time to answer questions.
Reporters immediately started raising their hands before the representative had even finished his sentence. He then selected a reporter from the crowd, who was promptly handed a mic.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - goguma
Proofreader - ilafy
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- Reporter Hansik Park of Seosang Daily. Rumors are circulating that suggest that the Black Marauder bears a striking resemblance to a certain hero. Could this perhaps be an instance of a corrupted hero?
- That is not the case. After a thorough investigation, we determined that the hero in question is innocent.
Since when did using a device once count as a thorough investigation? Still, it was better for me that the Association was giving me an alibi.
- Then why does it bear such resemblance to the hero?
- The monster perfectly replicated the hero's appearance, personality, and powers. While such replicants are generally weaker than the original, there have been instances where these duplicates surpass their originals in strength.
The representative, after intentionally coughing to interrupt the reporter, continued.
- Although it may feel unfamiliar, as this is the first instance of such a monster appearing in Korea, it is a type that has been frequently encountered in the US and Europe. There is nothing particularly unique about it.
The reporter nodded in response after hearing the plain answer, returning the mic to the staff.
Questions then continued, touching on various topics such as the time and resources required for restoration, the conditions of the injured heroes, and the monster's intelligence. Countless unimportant questions passed, bringing the open forum to an end.
Just as it was about to end, a reporter with unkempt hair received the mic.
- Reporter Hyunsae Kim of Weekly Hero. Could you explain the process that led to classifying the Black Marauder as A-Rank?
- Its strength and the extent of the damage inflicted on the city. Next questi–
- That's peculiar. When I reviewed the video footage of the battle, it was clear that the damage to the city came from a single attack by the Black Marauder. Yes, you heard that correctly. The devastation wasn't caused by the entire fight, but just one attack.
The conference hall began to murmur. The difference between the damage being caused by an entire fight and a single attack was worlds apart.
- What are you trying to say, reporter?
- O-Rank… Why wasn’t it classified as a top-priority target for extermination?
The TV fell silent. A forbidden word had been spoken.
O-Ranks were entities capable of ending humanity.
I whistled. “I can’t believe he said that on air. That reporter has balls.”
“I agree. At his age, he should have experience with an O-Rank as well.”
- That’s because it hasn’t been classified as a common enemy yet. Next question.
The Association’s representative brushed off the question with a calm voice, showing little reaction.
- Not classified as a common enemy? Is that what we should worry about? Is the UN going to allow an O-Rank monster to run rampant in Korea until someone who we don’t even know deems it an O-Rank threat?
‘He’s openly mentioning the UN now? What’s that reporter’s name again? I should make a note of it. His guts could definitely be useful somewhere.’
- Reporter Hyunsae Kim, we will escort you out if you continue to interfere with the open forum. However, to address concerns that our citizens might have if we leave this matter unresolved, we will provide a response.
There was a short silence. It felt as if the representative was carefully choosing his words.
- The Black Marauder has already been designated as an enemy within a specific story. Until it is officially deemed a common enemy, we cannot predict the consequences if another party were to defeat it.
I didn’t know either. It could really create a hole.
- As such, the UN and the Association have decided to provide full support to the hero assigned this story until the Black Marauder is officially classified as a common enemy.
The reporters exploded with questions.
- Reporter Chunhwan Kim of Seohak Daily! Are you suggesting that the monster is an enemy in someone’s story?
- Reporter Hwan Lee of Hero Monthly! Does this imply that there is a hero facing an O-Rank monster as the first enemy in their story?!
- …
The only voices were those of a few loud reporters. The chaos had already turned the broadcast into a mess.
“This isn’t a press conference; this is a hearing…”
“What a mess.”
The reporters raised their voices in a frenzy, desperate to chew off even just one more piece of information. The purpose of the open forum had long since been forgotten.
- In accordance with the Association's rules, we are unable to disclose any personal information about the hero unless they explicitly choose to…
The Association tried their best to quiet the reporters, but it all seemed futile.
A wish that~
Hearing my ringtone, I picked up the phone beside me.
“What is it, Octopus Head?” I asked.
“Octopus Head? How cruel. I have a na—”
“Yeah, Al’Shel. What is it?”
“…You should have just called me by my name from the start if you knew,” he muttered at the same time as he said, “You’ve become quite the celebrity. Congratulations.” His voice doubled, as if Octopus Head had learned to say two things at once. It was probably a technique related to his mouth being on his tentacle.
“Are you making fun of me?” I asked.
“No, I saw you on the news, Mr. Lee. You are amazing; I can’t believe you are an O-Rank monster.”
“I’m hanging up.”
‘Do secret societies these days have nothing to do? Why is he calling a hero?’
Just when my finger reached for the red button, a serious voice came from the phone’s speakers. “Do you remember what you said a few days ago?”
Finally, we were getting to the point.
“It was yesterday, not a few days ago,” I said.
“I see. Regardless, I have chosen an organization.”
“Which one is it?”
“The Future Science and Life Production Organization. It’s an organization of scientists who create monsters.”
‘Does everyone these days name their organizations like that?’
I didn’t know if I was the one who was out of touch or if everyone’s naming sense was so weird. Well, it didn’t matter too much since their organization would be ending soon.
“Where are they?” I asked.
“It would take a bit too long to explain, so I will send you a text later.”
“Just tell me how big their organization is. I need to know at least that so I can make a decision.”
"About 50 B to C-Rank monsters and a dozen or so wanted scientists. It’s not that big of a deal."
Not that big of a deal? It was more than enough to take down a city.
“It’s only not that big of a deal to you guys. What the hell are they? Are they trying to take down the country? Why are they in Korea?”
“They’re not in Korea.”
They were clearly trying to send me abroad. “I’m not going overseas.”
“It’s not overseas.”
“If it’s not in Korea and it’s not overseas, then where is it?”
A certain thought entered my head. ‘Wait, don’t tell me…’
“They’re in the former North Korean region, near the Great Barrier.”
‘Better than overseas, at least.’
“Alright, when do I need to do it by?”
“Please complete it within a month.”
“Got it.” No longer having the energy to respond, I hung up. I heard my phone chime a few more times, likely texts from him, but I could always read them later.
What was happening on the TV was much more interesting.
“Why are they showing us this?”
The press conference had ended. Instead, I saw reporters desperately shoving their microphones forward while bodyguards did whatever they could to push them back. Despite the chaos, the station continued to air it all.
“It’s because there’s still some time left until the next program.” For some reason, Unho seemed particularly happy as he said that. It was a more reasonable explanation than I had expected.
I continued to watch the skirmish and thought that at least the viewership numbers would be good…
- Slam.
A door flew in from out of the frame and smashed into the reporters.
- I’m that hero, you fucking reporterssss!
- Hey, that’s a bit…
I’d definitely heard both of their voices before.
- Abin, you’re too soft! Heroes are normally supposed to be a bit tough!
The reporters panicked at the sudden door crashing into them, and a magical girl leaped onto the platform.
Wearing a navy coat and a white cape, showing a smile brimming with confidence, and with her clear, pure eyes shining with light, Sihyeon stood out.
- Doing that would be troublesome, Ms. Baek.
- Fuck off, old man.
Taejoon, the Association’s representative, tried his best to pull Sihyeon back by her cape, but she simply made a proud declaration to the reporters.
- I am Sihyeon Baek, Crimson★Hammer’s student, and the one who will defeat the Black Marauder!
“She’s your student?” Unho asked.
“Shut up.”
I wanted to die.
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