Transformation or Death

Participant Recruitment

“You, you….”

A torrent of profanity wandered across Joo Ah-yoon’s tongue, but ultimately, what she uttered was the most fundamental question.

“Are you crazy?”

She was crazy. Insane. How could she say such things about someone she knew so well? The affection she had shown before was hard to see as false. The kindness she demonstrated back then was certainly genuine.

So now, Baek Ah-hee genuinely intended to kill someone she had followed without question.

It wasn’t a healthy thought. Especially inappropriate for a magical girl. A magical girl who draws strength from love and peace, ignoring love itself.

“No, I’m not crazy. This is a decision reached after much deep consideration.”

Baek Ah-hee answered coolly. She was already sitting on a counter seat. Politely crossing her knees and placing her hands properly, her posture suggested the following conversation was no mere jest.

Her tone was stiffer than usual, sounding almost like a declaration.

In reality, it would likely be the same regardless of who she was talking to. Even if Han Jae-jung were present.

“I’m not his colleague. We’re competitors. Of course, he’s also like my mentor and a comrade. But before that, the fact that he’s my competitor and primary rival remains unchanged.”

Baek Ah-hee’s eyes shone correctly. Bright like a first-magnitude star. Yet, a self-righteous gaze that considered no one else.

“I won’t do the stupid thing of helping a competitor.”

“You….”

Joo Ah-yoon was speechless at her confident attitude.

“…Those I should help are the weak and my colleagues.”

Baek Ah-hee smiled softly when mentioning the weak.

“Of course, I can’t call villains weak. Still… Strong people probably have colleagues of their own. He and I are competitors… And he’s likely building many relationships. There are probably colleagues among them.”

Baek Ah-hee met Joo Ah-yoon’s eyes. Her pure, gleaming gaze ruthlessly illuminated Joo Ah-yoon. Her large red eyes reflected Joo Ah-yoon’s face, still colored with bewilderment.

“Right?”

Her question created even more intense waves in Joo Ah-yoon’s heart. The meaning was simple.

Baek Ah-hee and Watcher’s relationship is competitive. A relationship where they stimulate and develop through each other. Therefore, she cannot carelessly extend help. The moment one-sided assistance touches them, the relationship would twist, turning from competition into pity and compassion.

“There will definitely be someone who can extend a helping hand without as much deliberation as me. To begin with, I think he can overcome this level of crisis even without my help!”

But here, there’s someone who can act without regard for social perception or courtesy to the other party.

“So, I’ll just believe and wait.”

Han Jae-jung is facing a crisis completely different from before, with a terminal condition.

‘…Only I can do this.’

Only she, his sole colleague, can help him.

Relying on someone might ease the mind. Sharing the same concerns with someone would naturally be comfortable. But this is just an escape for herself.

How should she help? What if she fails? Such worries are ultimately just self-satisfaction. She was just running away, making excuses out of fear of becoming useless.

The excuse of being unable to imagine an imperfect brother is nonsensical.

He was ultimately just a person with human emotions. Someone who gets angry, feels fear, becomes weak sometimes.

She had known what needed to be done for a long time.

She didn’t transform because of a dream, but transformed to protect her dream.

“Ah-hee.”

“Yes!”

“Sorry, but today’s business is over. Leave.”

Her task remained unchanged.

“Eh? I’ll pay more! Call the boss! Boss! I’ll pay more, so let me stay~!”

“We’re not that kind of establishment. And I’m the boss, you brat!”

Protecting her dream. That’s all.

Baek Ah-hee’s opinion deserves respect. She has her own beliefs and follows them thoroughly. Asking her to break those beliefs for mere emotion would be selfish.

The same applies to other magical girls. The fact that someone she was close to is actually a villain and has a terminal condition could potentially shake her public and private boundaries and influence her beliefs.

“Wh-what’s suddenly happening….”

“Because there’s something more important.”

So, this is enough to do alone.

I do not know what kind of hardships I will face in the future. I do not know how many challenges await me. Not something I can do, but something I must do. Burden is naturally present. Nevertheless, it’s okay.

From the moment I lit up the star of Deneb again, I have finished preparing for hardships. In any curse or misfortune, I will soar proudly. Like a swan.

“So today is a day off.”

Therefore, today is also a time to work.

Let’s go help the dream.

Joo Ah-yoon immediately kicked Baek Ah-hee out of the store and contacted Han Jae-jung. Fortunately, he responded immediately.

After waiting a little, Han Jae-jung came.

“…Brother.”

“Ah-yoon, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes. I know.”

Joo Ah-yoon nodded. Melancholy fills her eyes.

“How much time is left?”

No matter what words approach, do not panic, do not break, move forward.

“3….”

“3 years? Yes. That’s so short….”

The time as imagined. Certainly short. But it’s not a period without hope at all.

“…Oh, no.”

“Then, 3 months?”

Shorter than imagined. Can I find a way to save him within this time? No, don’t worry. I must do it. Nothing is impossible. If I must do it, I will even pluck the stars from the sky.

Han Jae-jung shook his head.

“30 days.”

“…Say that again.”

“30 days.”

“So you mean it’s been about 30 days since you heard the terminal news?”

“No, 30 days left.”

Joo Ah-yoon hardened her expression.

“What the hell are you doing, you bastard…!”

The period was incredibly absurd.

***

Ippotranslation 

***

September muttered while looking out the window.

“O….”

The cheap whiskey was still full in his glass, and his subordinates gathered in Korea surrounded him.

“Now I see that precious bastard’s face.”

He came here because they said he could see a lion in Korea. Until now, not even a glimpse of the lion was visible.

He had heard about the lion’s activities shortly after arriving. He thought, ‘At this rate, we’ll see that guy’s face soon!’ It felt like just yesterday he was exclaiming about the rumored location. But ultimately, he still couldn’t see the lion.

But now, it was irrelevant.

A knocking sound came to September’s melancholic ear. When he gestured, the door opened, and a man in a suit entered.

“Brother. The seniors from the US have just arrived.”

“Oh, is that so? Guide them roughly.”

September was about to wave him away but stopped.

“Ah, wait a moment. If you guys mess around politically, you’ll die by my hand. Remember that.”

“Yes!”

“Well, since the language is different, communication might not work. But the starlight will surely translate, so try to communicate as much as possible with body language, huh? Use what you learned in school?”

“…Yes.”

Though it was a harsh statement for those here, the people he brought weren’t completely brainless. From the beginning, among those who browsed the internet, some frequented American communities, so communication wouldn’t be a problem.

September had ordered veterans from the Argo Family’s headquarters in the US to come here.

The reason is, of course, one.

“Our bug friend has come on a long journey.”

To capture the Scorpion that arrived in this land.

***

Ippotranslation 

***

[Ah, a- Mic test. Please gather everyone who can come to the conference room now.]

A notice was issued at the Magical Girl Headquarters.

“Ugh… How troublesome….”

“Davi. Follow it even if it’s troublesome.”

Haru was about to run away immediately, but unfortunately, Yoon Seol-hwa happened to pass by and caught her.

With the mascot’s light on, it seemed to be a notice informing people outside headquarters as well. It appeared to be a very important announcement.

The important announcements of magical girls tended to become less normal the more crucial they became. Generally, dangerous things.

Certainly not something comfortable.

Everyone entered the conference room with a certain degree of anxiety. Haru was even more dejected.

“Senior… Isn’t senior the strongest now? Can’t we just blast and eliminate everything? Then we wouldn’t have to listen to such notices.”

“If only I could do that.”

Blue Sirius had awakened her divinity since the November incident.

Absolute temperature ice.

She could now control ice that never melts, and her range and instantaneous firepower had become incomparably stronger than before.

However, as powerful as her power was, an equally powerful consequence followed. Namely, fatigue.

After entering a divine state, her stamina would rapidly disappear. Her body would become weak for as long as she maintained her divine state. Fever was basic, and sometimes she would even faint.

For Yoon Seol-hwa, with her weak heart, these side effects were fatal. Especially since all these side effects would hit her right after transforming back when her body was at its weakest.

Inefficient. Like driving a sports car with poor fuel economy.

Therefore, Yoon Seol-hwa decided to put one restriction.

Using divinity only in dangerous times. And only once per hundred seconds.

Originally, her power was so overwhelming that misuse could easily turn the surrounding area into a wasteland. Having this sense of caution was not a bad result.

‘I don’t want to become arrogant either.’

After awakening her divinity, people around her were calling her a genius magical girl, a treasure for humanity, and gilding her face. But Seol-hwa herself felt differently.

Fortunately, the side effects were so severe that she had to experience frustration before falling into arrogance.

But it wasn’t a bad thing. It was better than falling into the delusion of becoming strong and making a mess.

‘Later, when living with Han Jae-jung, he might be uncomfortable.’

Moreover, if arrogance were to seep into her body and make him uncomfortable, it would be a disaster. Being able to restrain herself was a joyful thing.

“Uwaaa… I was just about to get off work… Hidoi (too much)….”

Next to her, Haru was still grumbling about the sudden call. At her cute junior’s complaint, Yoon Seol-hwa gave a bitter smile.

“Weren’t you the type who likes fighting villains in the first place?”

“Ah~ Maa (well)… To be precise, I like overwhelming villains unilaterally… Crushing them with numbers and reviving them as corpses to further humiliate even their death….”

“Humiliation… You know quite a difficult word?”

“Yes. I learned it from the internet.”

“I see….”

It was truly an unhealthy motivation. Even Yoon Seol-hwa couldn’t shield this, so she changed the subject.

“So what could it be?”

“Who knows? Maybe a dangerous villain has entered the country?”

“Eh? Isn’t Korea already full of dangerous guys?”

Indeed, that was true. It wasn’t a large land like Russia or America, but there were already several S-class villains in this small country. It was getting tiresome.

[Ah- Sorry for the sudden call. Something urgent came up.]

When she arrived at the conference room, a unicorn was bowing its head beyond the large monitor screen.

A petite white horse with a colorful, rainbow-colored horn. Its fluffy fur and cute eyes were so soft that one might mistake it for a stuffed animal at first glance.

Unicorn. The headquarters’ mascot and director. Unlike magical girl mascots, a fantasy creature visible to the naked eye.

[Hmm… Well, sorry, but we’re going to conduct a joint operation.]

A joint operation? The magical girls gathered in the conference room showed confusion. If it were a joint operation, they would only need to gather the magical girls involved.

It didn’t seem like something that required such a large-scale meeting.

“Ah. Could it be?”

Someone made a sound as if realizing something. Suddenly, anxiety flowed down their necks.

[Yes, I think your guess might be right.]

A joint operation was not a trivial matter.

Basically, every magical girl’s battle was like a joint operation. The most basic approach was for nearby magical girls to gather and fight villains.

But only within the country.

[A magical girl from Japan is scheduled to be dispatched here.]

“…Majika yo (Is this real)?”

White Davi muttered in a dry tone.

“Why? Crossing national borders is quite dangerous. Unless it’s something significant, they wouldn’t come all the way here… Could it be?”

Ara, who was questioning, stopped speaking and glanced at Haru. Her gaze was full of suspicion. Haru shook her head as if denying it.

“I don’t know! I have no idea! It’s completely unrelated to me!”

[Yes, it’s unrelated to White Davi.]

“Then….”

[You all have heard about one of their magical girls being severely affected by the Scorpion, right?]

They all knew. The incident where the magical girl who had long reigned supreme after Sky Polaris was instantly brought down.

Rumor had it that she had lost most of her starlight.

Everyone nodded.

[It’s been confirmed that the Scorpion constellation’s villain has arrived in Korea.]

Everyone stopped moving.

[I’ll say it again. This time, the instruction is a joint operation.]

The most ferocious beast among the three beasts. Its poison of fear crawled up their spines like a bug.

[Please eliminate the Scorpion constellation’s villain together with the Japanese magical girl.]

***

Ippotranslation 

***

Paradox sat on the Scorpion’s back, stroking its shell.

“Our Scorpion has much greed. Always trying to catch everything. Perhaps that’s why it has many enemies.”

A game proposed to Han Jae-jung.

“I believe you’ve realized that the participants aren’t just you and me.”

Those targeting the Scorpion were not just them.

“The winner will devour everything. Starlight, our lives, someone’s memories, emotions.”

Among all these competitors, only those who stand out and shine, those with the strongest beliefs, will emerge.

“Because you know best that anyone can shine.”

Paradox smiled, scanning the area near the neck stung by the Scorpion.

Paradox’s remaining life: 31 days.

Han Jae-jung’s remaining life: 30 days.

The Scorpion’s remaining life is expected to be similar.

However, it’s not certain that one of them will take its neck.

“I have great expectations for everyone.”

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