REAPER SCANS
Mr. Magical Girl
[Translator – Kuro]
[Proofreader – ilafy]
Chapter 44: 00:00:01 — O-Rank Combat Records - 『King of Corruption』
—Early this morning, the leaders of various countries were attacked.
—There were numerous casualties, and… tzzzzzt.
There was the crackling sound of static and distortion.
The vicinity of restricted zones was always like that—the laws of physics and nature were distorted, so the signal couldn’t reach us properly.
“Damn it, this piece of junk stopped at the worst possible moment.” Supreme Sword hit the TV with his sheath, and his messy ponytail fluttered in the air.
The TV wasn’t broken, so hitting it wouldn’t fix anything…
Tchhht— Tzzzztch—
The static came and went repeatedly, as though it might be fixed at any moment—a moment that could never come.
Supreme Sword had broken more televisions than I could count on both hands, but the Awakeners gathered in the room didn’t stop him and just watched.
The news from the television was information we already knew, so it didn’t matter if it broke.
No matter what words were transmitted from the screen, our course of action had already been decided.
—Tchhhht… tzzz… a… so they have… now… The UN Forces concluded that the incident was the work of the O-Rank monster "King of Corruption" and officially stated they would subjugate the…
Normally, some of us would have been out on the battlefield, but all of the Awakeners were gathered in the auditorium that day.
That was how important the situation was.
The commanders of the UN Forces had already returned to their respective countries because of the incident, leaving behind only lower-ranking officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers.
"Just as I expected,” said a man dressed in a British military uniform with a black beret on top of his black, long, flowy hair.
He carried an RPG of Soviet origin as his "magic wand”. It was quite a bizarre and ridiculous appearance, but regardless of his looks, he was a trustworthy Awakener.
He was the S-Rank mage, Macbeth—a middle-aged man who had awakened while being a senior officer in the British army. He was the commander-in-chief of the UN Forces’ Awakener Unit.
At the end of the day, though, he was only a colonel. His still not being awarded a star and promoted, despite being the leader of humanity's greatest military force, was a symbol of the discrimination we Awakeners faced.
Thinking about such trivial things, I stared intently at the television while it kept broadcasting the news.
It was reporting the names of the deceased and the survivors, alongside the info that King of Corruption was traveling around the world, killing more leaders of various countries.
The leadership of the entire world was decimated by a single humanoid monster.
The rulers enjoying their peace and quiet—after placing all the burdens of the world on Awakeners and soldiers on the frontlines—had breathed their last.
Of course, that was partly because King of Corruption was such an unusual monster. There had never been an enemy who chose to attack the world’s leaders instead of the Awakeners and soldiers nearby.
It was a monster that had broken free from its normal story.
The leaders had faced neither hardship nor loss for far too long. They had no understanding whatsoever of how the frontlines were operating and being maintained but continuously sent countless Awakeners and soldiers as expendable pawns.
They must have been optimistic, thinking that humanity could hold off its enemies forever since the enemies so far had been weak.
Thus, they let their guards down and underestimated the powers of the Otherworld.
Their lack of preparation and caution led to their demise that day, with the cut of a blade at their throats.
All the power, money, and fame they had built up vanished in an instant under a single monster’s sword.
The UN Forces’ high command—who had been maintaining the frontlines—scattered in all directions to save their own lives. Thus, the frontlines, barely holding together until then, ended up collapsing.
It was impossible to defend the frontlines without a command center, so all of the Awakeners gathered together to watch the television instead.
“...We must subjugate him,” I slowly said in a dark, muffled voice, almost unrecognizable as my own.
"Yes. That’s the plan, after all." Commander Macbeth also spoke in a grim tone.
We slowly turned to each other. Everyone’s face was tilted down and shadowed; the atmosphere in the room oozed of despair.
That despair didn’t originate from our fear of King of Corruption. Rather, it was fear of what was to come.
The plan was already set in stone. Nothing could be changed.
I put a cigarette in my mouth. There was no other way to ease that bitter feeling.
"Let’s go, you fools." The moment I lit the cigarette, Infinite Castellan’s voice echoed in the hall. "Better to go now than sit around and let it all go to waste. Am I wrong?"
Knowing he was correct, the Awakeners all nodded and got to their feet.
Was there no time at all for a smoke break?
I reluctantly raised my head to stand, and a dry tobacco leaf accidentally slid into my mouth.
In my haste, I hadn’t even crushed the cigarette’s filter.
Was the brand ‘Belomorsk’? Cigarettes from the Soviet Union were pretty nice. The scent was strong and had a lot of aftertaste, but the fact that I could accidentally swallow tobacco leaves was inconvenient.
"Ptweh." I spat out the disgusting piece that had gotten in my mouth. "Let’s go."
Our destination was in the Soviet Union: Chișinău of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
It was time to bring everything to an end.
* * *
The city quieted down after the evacuation of civilians.
There were 34 elite Awakeners gathered in the city, waiting for our foe. We were the veteran combatants selected to fight and defeat the O-Rank monster, the ‘King of Corruption’.
Despite the long wait, none of us lost focus. We stood tall and alert with unwavering concentration.
We all knew how important the battle was.
Thump—
Eventually, after a long wait, King of Corruption appeared.
He was a man with disheveled hair and a beard, wearing a black martial artist’s uniform. He appeared younger than the last time I had seen him. Perhaps the corruption had rejuvenated him.
The martial artist stood before us. He was no longer an elderly man but a middle-aged man instead.
Commander Macbeth stepped forward to approach King of Corruption.
"Be caref—"
"Let him." Someone on my side tried to rush out and stop Macbeth, but I raised my hammer to block the way.
It was fine. If the plan was still in motion, King of Corruption probably still had a semblance of sanity left.
The two black-haired men faced each other before Macbeth broke the silence. "Looks like the plan is still in motion despite the few hiccups. Do you still have your sanity?"
"Yes. It’s time to end this…" King of Corruption gripped the weapon by his waist—his hwando, a single-edged curved sword of Korean historical origin.
Clack—
The blade slowly slid out of its sheath, and King of Corruption’s right hand twitched. "...End this by taking your lives."
"Defend yourselves!" I yelled to everyone as I raised my hammer vertically.
Fwoom—
King of Corruption’s sword moved slowly through the air. Paradoxically, it was an incredibly fast attack.
Though the blade’s motion was sluggish enough that I could track it with my eyes, the speed at which things were sliced was anything but slow.
The moment the swing reached its destination, everything within the sword’s arc was instantly severed—buildings crumbled along the sword's path; the city was obliterated in a single slash.
Heroes who were slow to react were not immediately cut down, but the weight of King of Corruption’s sword, filled with his oppressive aura, made them lose consciousness.
With one swing, half our forces were incapacitated, and a nation’s capital city was destroyed.
It was absurd.
Did all heroes get even stronger when they fell to corruption?
Having caused the disaster, King of Corruption gripped his hwando in both hands and pointed it at us. “What are you waiting for? The plan is only complete when you kill me, isn’t it?”
‘The plan, huh?’
I glanced at the unconscious combatants around me. Seeing how they were just knocked out instead of getting sliced in half, our opponent must’ve been going easy on us.
So he was still in control of his mind.
I left the dumbfounded Awakeners behind and leaped at King of Corruption, launching my first attack.
Clang—!
The clean sound of metal ringing echoed through the quiet corners of the city when King of Corruption’s hwando and my hammer collided.
The sound was pure and clear, the result of both weapons perfectly canceling each other’s forces.
Our gazes met between the still, locked weapons.
"Of course you’re the first to move, Haram."
"The others are just too slow, Gramps!"
Fwoosh—
It was time for my second strike. The hammer scraped down the edge of the blade as I swung with great force.
That was also entirely blocked with a swift flourish of King of Corruption’s sword. It didn’t matter. My role was simply to hold King of Corruption in place.
"Oxymoron, take the injured to the rear! Supreme Sword, support Haram! The rest of you, focus on ranged attacks!" Commander Macbeth’s orders resounded through the battlefield, pushing the remaining heroes into action.
"Master! Please forgive my insolence of brandishing my blade at you!"
"You need not plead to your corrupted master. Come.”
Countless impacts of clashing metal filled the air. The sounds were proof that King of Corruption was blocking every single blow.
He alone blocked both the hammer and swords of two S-Ranked Awakeners.
"You’ve gotten faster! Did the Otherworld’s power make you stronger? Pretty nice!"
"It’s so nice that I even got younger. Why don’t you try it out yourself?"
"I’ll pass on joining the tentacle monsters, thanks!"
Amidst the sparks bursting off the metal clashes, silver streaks drew beautiful arcs in the air.
He really deserved the title of "Sword God". His movements were elegant, without a single wasted motion.
His usual lack of strength and stamina were compensated for with the Otherworld’s infinite power. He truly lived up to the name of ‘Sword God’ as he demonstrated his unparalleled martial prowess.
Even pincered by two melee specialists, he continued releasing more waves of sword pressure whenever he found an opening, dropping more combatants unconscious.
Some ranged attacks managed to strike King of Corruption through his barrier of sword strikes, but the melee combatants hadn’t managed to land a single blow.
"Give him a good hit, Crimson★Hammer!" Supreme Sword shouted in the midst of the deadlock.
Clang—! Ka-klang—!
"Don’t call me by that name!" I understood his intentions.
Supreme unsheathed a secondary weapon and wedged King of Corruption’s sword between his two blades, immobilizing our enemy’s weapon.
At last, the perfect opportunity had arrived. There was no time to transform my hammer, so I simply pivoted my body and swung my arms back, twisting my waist and shoulders to the limit.
That kind of battle wasn’t really my style in the first place. A rapid, light barrage of blows meant to protect allies? Not my thing.
A magical girl like me normally delivered a powerful, decisive blow to decimate their enemies.
I heard my muscles strain and squeeze as though they were reaching their breaking point while I twisted my body.
Then, I immediately unleashed all of that pent-up power within my muscles.
The twisted fibers in my arms and waist snapped back into place, adding more force to my swing.
However…
Clang—!
King of Corruption’s hwando freed itself from Supreme Sword’s twin blades, blocking my hammer’s blow.
Had I taken too long to build up my power?
"You should focus on technique over stren—"
"That’s advice for people who aren’t strong enough!" I cut off the old man’s rambling with my own shout.
My rotation wasn’t over. I took another step forward and fully released my twisted body.
King of Corruption’s blade bounced off my hammer as I traced a beautiful arc.
Carrying the entire force of the spin, the hammer landed and dug into King of Corruption’s chest. The impact of the strike and the sensation of my enemy’s bones shattering reverberated through my arms and into my body.
SLAM—!
Unable to absorb the shock, King of Corruption went flying away, straight into a building.
“Say that again, Gramps. What was that about techni—”
Swoosh— Fwoosh—
My sassy taunt was cut short; the sound of wind being sliced warned me to put my guard up.
I listened to my blaring survival instincts and swung my hammer.
A strong impact shook my hands.
Two overwhelming waves of sword pressure assaulted me. They were forces of corruption that, had I failed to block, would likely have ended me.
King of Corruption wasn’t finished.
He saw my attack as an opening. When I flung him back with the hammer, he used the backward momentum to retreat and use a powerful technique.
King of Corruption walked out of the cloud of dust—his chest caved in, but still very much alive.
"Are you the only ones left?" King of Corruption—no, Heavenly Demon Sword God—slowly turned his head to each of us.
S-Rank magical girl, me.
S-Rank superhuman, Oxymoron.
S-Rank morphing hero, Librarian.
S-Rank mage, Macbeth.
S-Rank superhuman, Infinite Castellan.
S-Rank necromancer, Calavera.
A-Rank martial artist, Supreme Sword.
A-Rank shapeshifter, Mishka Misha.
B-Rank specialist, Prohibition.
Those were the Awakeners who remained standing and conscious.
"Where’s Thunder God?"
"She’s been bedridden ever since seeing that underground facility, Gramps."
"I see." Heavenly Demon Sword God sheathed his sword.
“Macbeth, don’t cross the line. I’m only helping out this time,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Oxymoron, I’m sorry for making you go through this, and I’m sorry for making you witness the way I go, but remember, death is not the end. Look even further beyond death.”
“…”
“Infinite Castellan, I’ll be going first. Sorry for making you deal with the aftermath alone.”
“You fool. Oldies like us should be dying gracefully in bed. Look at you, all battered up and pitiful.”
“Librarian, truth does not lie in a research lab. Go out, touch some grass, and befriend people.”
“I shall engrave those words in my heart.”
“Prohibition, drink alcohol moderately. Alcohol cannot drown your sorrows away. I’ve tried it firsthand.”
“So this was your choice? This is how you replaced alcohol?”
“Indeed,” Heavenly Demon Sword God replied before turning to the next hero. “Misha, I never expected you to agree to this plan after opposing it for so long.”
“…My homeland abandoned me. I simply decided to choose the path of survival.”
“Is that so? Calavera, don’t you always say that death isn’t the end? Then why are you crying?”
“Because this is the end.”
“Talking in riddles until the last moment. That’s very like you.” The old man then turned to his disciples. “Supreme Sword, you have the talent to surpass me. Devote yourself to the blade until the very end.”
“…” Supreme Sword didn’t reply and bowed respectfully.
Finally, Heavenly Demon Sword God’s gaze landed on me. “Haram, you need to control your fiery temper. Always reflect on your actions and question if they are truly correct. Introspection is key.”
“Those words really don’t suit me.”
“The same goes for the others.” Heavenly Demon Sword God gazed at the sky momentarily. He then closed his eyes, exhaled, released his tense muscles, and spoke again.
“It’s time to end this.” Heavenly Demon Sword God intended for things to play out that way from the beginning. He wanted to make sure society wouldn’t suspect the surviving Awakeners and caused a big, destructive battle between us to prove our innocence.
Everyone raised their weapons, one after the other, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Why? Why do you bear the burden alone?”
The original plan was for us to split the tasks.
The Awakeners on that battlefield—including those who had fainted—would wreak havoc around the world, sowing chaos.
Once we had showcased the power and influence of Awakeners, we would try to create a territory where Awakeners could safely settle without fear of discrimination.
After completing that plan, the corrupted Awakeners who had caused severe destruction would die at the hands of other Awakeners.
However, before we could carry out the plan, Heavenly Demon Sword God went ahead and committed severe sins, corrupting himself in the process and bearing the burden alone.
He planned to take all the blame and let us survive.
“Don’t hate humans too much. They are just trying to survive too.” Heavenly Demon Sword God chuckled quietly, as though he had forgiven everything and was at peace with his nearing death.
“What did you think would happen if you all died? Your deaths would’ve brought even bigger chaos to this world.” He continued explaining.
“If we follow your new plan, we’ll be half-assing everything. People will still not fully treat Awakeners as humans, and humanity will continue to push us away.”
We hadn’t dealt with all the leaders and people in power. In the foreseeable future, society would continue to doubt the power of Awakeners.
“Then you must create a better world. I saved your lives, so use it properly.”
Silence fell upon the battlefield. Everyone stood stunned, dumbfounded by the old man’s revelation.
“Forget everything you saw in the underground facility. Take your time and think again. Can you really abandon humanity?”
Heavenly Demon Sword God continued as we all kept our mouths shut. “We spent 15 long years fighting. Fighting for what? For the survival and safety of humans. Then what’s preventing you from waiting another 15 years? Did you really think your deaths would bring change to this world? Change needs time, a long time, but death is merely an instant. You must all live. Live and change the world.”
Everyone slowly nodded.
To change the world, for the rights of Awakeners, for the safety of humanity, we all had to live long lives.
While everyone steeled themselves and made up their minds, Librarian suddenly spoke up. “Large-scale nuclear attack incoming. Arriving in 45 seconds.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Kuro
Proofreader - ilafy
Join our discord for updates on releases!!
https://discord.gg/reaperscans
* * *
‘A nuclear attack?’ I thought. ‘The world leaders didn’t trust the Awakeners from the beginning, huh?’
In fact, it must’ve been the remaining world leaders’ last-ditch effort to get rid of all dangerous Awakeners altogether.
I slowly looked around at those around me.
Friends, disciples, colleagues, kids I considered my grandchildren…
The Otherworld’s temptations whispered in my ears.
I had reached my limits. There was only so much I could resist with just my willpower.
My mind was suddenly overwhelmed by countless more temptations.
I didn’t think it would get that bad in a single day. And to think I was the one constantly telling my disciples to train their minds. How ironic.
‘So this is what happens to people who choose to walk the path of evil instead of the path of justice.’
Dark energy broke through my dantian and surged through my body, twisting and distorting it to claim it for itself. Meanwhile, the Otherworld whispered endlessly in my ears, urging me to fall deeper into corruption.
‘Heavenly Demon, huh?’
I was unworthy of that name. What kind of Heavenly Demon would allow themselves to be swallowed and taken over by demons?
I looked at my panicking comrades. They were fumbling around, unsure of what to do. As I thought, they were still lacking time and experience.
"Kung Jianpyung!" I called my disciple’s name with a rough, raspy, deep voice.
"Yes! Master!"
"Take this!"
The old, thoroughly used weapon soared through the air and landed in my disciple’s hands.
It was my hwando, filled with corruption.
Supreme Sword wouldn’t be able to swing it. The weight it carried was too heavy for him, but I believed that, one day, he would wield it properly.
That sword would be the last thing I left behind in this world.
"Everybody, run! I will stop the attack!"
There were still many innocent people within the blast radius. That must have been why the heroes hadn’t run yet.
Everyone had seen the underground facility and harbored a deep hatred for humanity, but they were all individuals who had sacrificed their time, energy, and lives for the safety of humanity for a long time.
They all briefly deviated from their paths due to the shock of what they had seen underground, but given time, they would return to the path of justice.
"Gramps, I should block it instead. I’m better at…" The brat whom I treated like a grandchild leaped forward and readied his hammer.
However…
Thud—
He fell to the ground, unconscious. The other heroes had all simultaneously attacked him.
Even he couldn’t emerge unscathed from all their abilities.
“We’ll get going.” Macbeth picked up the unconscious magical girl and gave me a military salute. He understood my intentions. He then left the battlefield with the others, trying to gain as much distance as possible.
____
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