REAPER SCANS
Mr. Magical Girl
[Translator – Kuro]
[Proofreader – ilafy]
Chapter 38: 23:59:47 (2)
We quietly sat atop the wall, waiting for the enemies to arrive. Even Unho—who was always chatty—sat silently on my head, gazing at the horizon.
By the time the sun set and darkness took over, the crowd on the wall was noisier.
“What’s that?”
“Why is it gray over there?”
Finally, the gray horizon splitting the dark sky and sea grew thick enough to notice with the naked eye.
The gray space grew exponentially, announcing the rapidly approaching enemy.
—Prepare for combat! To your positions!
—I repeat! Prepare for combat!
The dazed soldiers gazing at the ocean were snapped awake by the blaring sirens.
Those who were resting, those taking a walk in the sea breeze, and even those jogging around the wall to exercise were jolted with a sense of urgency and ran down to man their positions.
War was coming.
“Hey, you! Didn’t you hear the announcement?” It sounded like someone was dilly-dallying and getting called out. “Hey, do you hear me?”
‘How noisy.’ I hoped the lazy soldier would follow orders and get going already.
Curious as to who it was, I turned in the direction of the racket and noticed a soldier walking towards me—an older man with a badge I didn’t recognize. Perhaps he was from the military and not the Hero Association. A high-ranking officer of some kind?
“Even if you’re a hero, you must follow the military’s orders until you receive permission to act independently.”
‘Oh, he’s talking to me.’
Frustrated by my lack of response, the officer took out his walkie-talkie and attempted to contact someone. “Don’t you hear me? If you keep disobeying, I will have to contact the Association and get you to…”
“Hero registration number 01-005-M, Haram Lee. I already received permission to act independently. You can verify it if you want.”
The middle-aged officer’s face stiffened after I finally spoke up. He raised his head and watched me in the darkness for a moment before eventually asking, “Are you… Crimson Hammer?”
“You know me?”
“There aren’t many heroes left whose registration number starts with 01.” He continued speaking in an unexpectedly polite tone, “It is an honor to fight by your side on the battlefield again.”
“Were you part of the Transnational UN Forces?” I asked.
“Yes, I am He Xun, Senior Colonel from the People’s Liberation Army of Southern China.”
I had no idea who he was. How on earth could I remember the name and face of a single man from the UN Forces when I had seen countless soldiers?
One thing I knew for certain was that the man before me was in a faction that was friendly to Awakeners. Otherwise, he would’ve disappeared during the purges.
He Xun leaned against the guardrail and gazed into the horizon, as though to remember every detail of the thickening gray line. “It’s always so nerve-wracking in these moments.”
“Really? Didn’t you get used to seeing it when you were in the UN Forces?” I asked.
“Right. I’ve seen it many times, and each time, I pray and hope I will survive.”
“Your hopes came true so far, then.”
He smiled wryly and placed a cigarette between his lips.
Spark—
The lighter momentarily brightened his face, illuminating his wrinkles and his skin, gently sagging with age.
“Would you like a cigarette?” he asked.
“I quit smoking.” I refused his offer and lightly flicked on the white metal stick in my mouth.
“I didn’t expect that. Back in the day, people always brought cigarettes as offerings if they wanted to ask Crimson Hammer for something.”
Such a weird rumor had spread amongst the soldiers? No wonder I kept getting gifted so many cigarettes.
He Xun puffed out a wisp of smoke.
Staring at him, I sucked on my metal stick. Even without smoke, it was all about the vibe.
By the time He Xun’s cigarette fully burned to ash and fell to the ground, I asked him, “Don’t you need to go?”
“I should be good for another five minutes. I’ve always had the habit of taking a walk and examining the area before battles.”
‘What a diligent officer.’
“What an odd habit. Your subordinates must have a hard time working under you.”
“Still, I got to meet Sir Crimson Hammer thanks to that habit. Wouldn’t you say it’s a pretty good routine?” He Xun chuckled in his aged, raspy voice and threw away the cigarette butt. “Well, I will be taking my lea—”
I shoved him backward before he could finish his sentence.
Thud—
He dropped to the stone floor but instinctively rolled to mitigate the impact. His long experience in the UN Forces wasn’t for nothing.
“What’s going on?!” His first question after getting shoved was, ‘What’s going on?’ and not, ‘What are you doing?’
He trusted me quite a bit. My reputation wasn’t as bad as I thought.
“An enemy attack. Go tell the command center, quick.” I threw the item in my right hand at his feet—a large gray thorn I had grabbed in midair before it hit the officer.
His gaze sharpened, and he rapidly ran down the stairs without even saying goodbye—there was no time to spare.
“So the gray line on the horizon was a trick, huh?” I mumbled.
“Well, it wasn’t guaranteed that they would advance to us at the same speed as the gray space,” Unho replied.
At long last, I stood up from my spot.
The black ocean swayed under my gaze, and slowly…
Click— clack— rattle—
Countless crustacean monsters surfaced on the water, finally showing themselves.
【 The ocean’s existence is a single life. 】
【 Power transcends distance. 】
The first swarm of enemies arrived, and their Otherworldly Corrosion resonated in everyone’s minds.
“What was that?”
“What is that sound?”
“It’s the Otherworldly Corrosion! Don’t panic, everyone! It’s not the type that changes the laws of physics this time! Fight as you have always practiced! What was all that training for?!”
There were plenty of heroes and soldiers who had never experienced an Otherworldly Corrosion before.
I heard panicked voices from the younger generation at the bottom of the wall.
Those who had experienced Otherworldly Corrosion before frantically explained it to those around them, but there were too many people panicking all around the base.
“ATTENTION!!!!” I yelled to grab as many people’s attention as possible, in a similar manner to the drill sergeants most people here were familiar with.
My deafening voice spread in all directions from atop the walls.
The battlefield was immediately silenced.
“The ocean’s existence is a single life! Power transcends distance!” I repeated the contents of the Otherworldly Corrosion. “Engrave the phrases in your brains and think! Your survival depends on how you interpret and understand them!”
Eventually, I heard more voices yelling similar words.
Some shouted out loud as I did, some whispered to people via magic, some used their telepathic superpowers to transmit the message, and some used the broadcast system to inform people in a specific zone.
—Did you goddamn newbies forget all about the Otherworldly Corrosion?! Focus up, soldiers!
—The Otherworldly Corrosion is a phenomenon that changes the fundamental laws of nature. You must interpret the phrases and understand how they will affect us.
—What are the commanding officers doing?! Follow the guidelines shared by the Association on how to deal with the corrosion they predicted!
—To all martial artists, listen up! The enemy has reached the ultimate stage of complete harmony! They will soon spread their will to…
—They’re beings that have reached the truth and…
—First, we must…
Shouts of veteran heroes and soldiers echoed across the wall and ocean.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Kuro
Proofreader - ilafy
Join our discord for updates on releases!!
https://discord.gg/reaperscans
* * *
An unspoken tension stirred the booming battlefield.
Many new heroes recalled their superior officers or the Association’s staff members—the older generation of Awakeners who once roamed battlefields and fought on the front lines, with their lives at risk.
They were undeniable proof that the combatants could survive the war and be the next generation of ‘older’ heroes.
There was hope… They could survive the invasion.
Morale rose with hope, which then spread to those around them through body language and aura. Eventually, everyone’s spirits rose exponentially, and the heroes got excited.
‘Finally… It feels like I’m truly back. This is war.’
It wasn’t enough—the rising morale was only strong enough to beat their initial anxiety and fears.
What they truly needed was an overwhelming beacon of hope that could burn all their upcoming fears and terrors away.
Crunch—
I bit down on my metal stick and patted Unho, still sitting on my head. “Let’s go.”
“Yes.” He stood on his rear legs atop my head and spread his arms.
Gleam—
Two white, magic circles with complex patterns appeared on both sides.
“How many seconds?”
“13.”
“That’s pretty long.”
“I need to draw out as much of the enemies’ powers as I can with the first attack so that more newbies survive.”
“13 seconds it is. Removing the restrictions.”
That would be long enough to attack twice and short enough that I could endure my full power.
“To the Queen of Magic, Truthseeker of the world far beyond.” Unho spoke in a mysterious language, likely to be of the Otherworld’s origin, but it sounded like a mystical song to me—a melody for beasts that no mages used.
Unlike humanity’s magic, which efficiently and rapidly developed over 30 years, Unho’s magic used useless, pointless, and time-consuming phrases.
Nevertheless, his chanting always sounded beautiful, as if it clarified the world.
“One prays with bloodied hands, wishing to protect one’s world.”
Truth be told, I hadn’t released all of my limiters during the initial fight on the Pacific Ocean. To be specific, I couldn’t release them all. Magical girls weren’t complete beings on their own—they could only be completed with their mascots.
“Reveal the direction for one’s power to take so it may not affect one’s family.”
Fwoosh— Click—!
The final seal on my hammer was released, and the metal casing on the handle fell away while producing steam.
Behind the casing were numerous circular holes intersecting with each other, sucking in air, preparing for the upcoming fight.
“Grant the power to repel the invaders of the world with the light of a shimmering star far beyond.”
The final restriction to my powers could only be released when I faced my enemies.
I would face the entities that had transcended the physical plane with the pinnacle of physical attacks—a power last used 10 years prior.
The golden hammer heated up with a bright red glow.
Pssshhh—
Steam rose from the holes in the handle.
‘It burns.’ It was a heat even my body could not withstand, but the steaming hammer kept drawing in air, as though trying its best to control and contain the heat.
That was the origin of my alias, ‘Crimson Hammer’.
“By the authority of the selector and the representative of the Queen, I approve.”
【 Power holds will. 】
Another Otherworldly Corrosion echoed out, but not in the minds of others—Only Unho and I could hear it.
The phenomenon was a control system that allowed my overwhelming and devastating physical strength to only hit my enemies.
It was a tiny pseudo-Otherworld that only Unho and I belonged to.
“Unho, telepathy magic. To HQ.” A white magic circle appeared beside my ear. “Limiters removed. Launching a preemptive strike according to the plan.”
—Confirmed. Once the strike lands, all forces will initiate combat and fire simultaneously. Avoid getting hit by ally attacks.
“Confirmed.” I jumped over the guardrail atop the wall into the ocean and toward the swarming gray army.
Boom—
The heat from the hammer evaporated the seawater around me, revealing a foothold at the base of the wall beneath the water’s surface.
I landed on the ledge and stared at the enemy.
‘Heavy.’ The hammer continuously gained weight as it absorbed my mana and the matter around us.
I took a stance with all my strength to counterbalance the extreme weight and prepared to strike.
“Hyup.” I swung the hammer in a seemingly gentle and slow form.
Looks were deceiving. I was using my entire strength to drag the hammer that had gotten hundreds of thousands of times heavier. My monstrous strength could annihilate an entire village with a gentle swing, and this attack was much stronger than that.
The combination of my monstrous strength and the astonishing weight of the weapon sparked a shockwave, which merged with the hammer’s into a tremendous heatwave.
It was a massive collection of pure energy that would burn everything in its way.
I put my will into that power. ‘All of my power against my enemy. For the sake of justice and humanity. Let no power go to waste.”
Swoosh—
A scorching wind glided across the ocean, evaporating all of the water in its way and splitting the sea. The invisible wall of blazing heat crashed into the gray army. Despite being cooked alive, the gray crustacean monsters continued slowly advancing.
That was expected.
“Heatwave, become a spear and hold them back.”
Fweeeee— Swoosh—!
The hammer whistled like a kettle, and steam gathered in the air, forming a spear.
Unho swung his paw, and the spear flew into the open sea.
Fwip— BOOM!
It landed in the water, sending waves exploding around it.
More spears of steam appeared and launched into the ocean, creating giant pillars of bursting water. The rising water pillars aligned into a wall to block the enemy’s advance.
‘More. Group them up more,’ I thought, watching the explosions.
“How long do I have left?” I asked.
“Four seconds.”
I took a stance. It had only been nine seconds? Perhaps I had overestimated the timing.
Drenched in seawater and my own sweat, my vision blurred—I couldn’t handle the scorching heat.
The hammer’s weight had already transcended the realm of realism.
It endlessly absorbed mana and matter while I applied constant, overwhelming pressure on the hammer. It was my ultimate skill—the creation of the strongest weapon ever known.
That was my power as an S-Rank hero—the power to destroy worlds.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make full use of it right then, but even partially activating it would trigger a colossal attack of absolute power.
“Unho, trajectory control.”
“Yes.”
Creak—
The fiery red hammer’s end opened, releasing the particles inside of it. They were neutrons, to be precise, which were formed under overwhelming heat and absolute pressure.
It was the goal of nuclear engineering, which was Sihyeon’s college major.
Simply put… it was the strongest physical attack the universe could provide.
I swung it.
____
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