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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Finding a hidden place to have a private conversation with Miracle Shine was easier than expected.
I was currently on Navier, the massive artificial island where the International Hero Academy was located.
It was known as the safest place in this hopeless world infested with monsters.
However, even this place couldn’t escape the reach of the Villain League, which had established hideouts all over the world over a long period.
In fact, thanks to Miracle Shine’s request to close off the area, I was able to move to a nearby hideout with her without any interference.
“Now, please sit on the chair and disarm yourself.”
“Um… if I take all of this off, I’ll be in my underwear.”
“…I’ll lend you my cloak.”
And preparing to talk with Miracle Shine was also easy.
“Now, please tie yourself up with this rope.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, well done. Now please sit on the chair. I’ll tie the rest.”
Like an actor and staff before filming, Miracle Shine and I quickly finished our preparations.
“T-this rope is quite strong.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I-I don’t think I can untie it… *giggle*… even with all my strength.”
Once everything was ready, Miracle fidgeted for a moment, stifling a laugh, and muttered.
‘It works so well.’
To think I could capture the Rank 2 hero with such a simple method, the ‘pretend to be hypnotized’ hypnosis was truly amazing.
“Now, shall we begin?”
So, it was time to get as much as I could out of her before the hypnosis wore off.
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“Now, look. This is the most common form of a Grotesquery.”
“…”
A few hours later.
“Different from ordinary monsters, right? More intelligent, and their form is similar to humans.”
“Yes…”
“Have you ever seen this form while fighting monsters?”
“A few times, but…”
Miracle Shine, listening to Trauma’s lecture with unfocused eyes, gritted her teeth, using superhuman willpower to suppress her yawns.
‘Just how long is he planning to show me this…?’
She’d seen the video Trauma was playing a few times.
A video of a person transforming into a monster-like creature, which had been circulating online for quite some time.
Along with the video, there was a rumor that beings called Grotesqueries, disguised as monsters, were hiding in society, which was quite popular for a while.
‘It’s been years since it was proven to be fake… he’s not a child.’
It was a famous rumor, once believed by quite a few people. However, it had died down considerably after several experts proved the video was fabricated.
‘Is he… influenced by the Villain League?’
However, the Villain League had been spreading this old rumor, which only children or conspiracy theorists would believe, as if it were true.
For example, the major incident where major online communities, including the hero community, were taken over by Pandora, the Villain League hacker, for five hours.
During that time, the videos broadcast by the Villain League were all related to the ‘Grotesquery rumor,’ except for Pandora’s self-promotion.
‘Then could the reason my ability is reacting be…?’
Her ability, which could find people in need of the Magical Girl’s help, was reacting to Trauma. Perhaps it was because of that.
If Trauma had been deceived or brainwashed by the Villain League,
…then killing and mutilating innocent people, calling them monsters, would all make sense.
‘Poor man…’
Miracle Shine looked at Trauma with a pitiful gaze for a moment, then closed her eyes and shook her head.
‘No, I can’t sympathize with him.’
No matter the circumstances, evil was evil.
Trauma before her was a criminal.
‘I should help him if I can, but he must pay for his crimes…’
So, she made up her mind and was about to focus on her acting again.
“Hmm… this isn’t working.”
Just then, a troubling name came out of Trauma’s mouth.
“Pandora, are you listening?”
‘Pandora? Is he talking about Pandora from the Villain League?’
Miracle Shine’s eyes widened, and she quietly started listening.
‘As expected, Trauma is connected to the Villain League.’
“I think it’s time to start broadcasting, so get ready.”
‘And judging by the way he’s talking, they seem quite close…’
And she started making deductions.
‘Then could it be that the new executive of the Villain League, whose information was recently acquired…’
Just as her deduction was getting close to the truth,
– *Thump…!*
“Ugh!?”
…she suddenly turned pale and let out a scream.
“Ah, ugh… *groan*…”
“Hmm?”
Then, she lowered her head, started sweating, and closed her eyes tightly.
“Are you alright?”
Trauma, who had been communicating with Pandora, looked at Miracle Shine with puzzled eyes and started approaching her.
“D-don’t come near me!”
Miracle Shine shouted urgently and started taking deep breaths, her whole body trembling.
‘Damn it… not now…!’
All ‘concept’ users inevitably had a weakness. Miracle Shine, the guardian of love and justice, the so-called Magical Girl, was no exception.
– Magical Girl, you look pathetic.
“N-no!”
Her weakness was that an inner voice would occasionally speak to her while she was transformed into a Magical Girl. If that was all, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but this penalty had another terrifying aspect.
– You’ve fallen right into the enemy’s trap, what do you mean ‘no’?
She knew. That the previous Magical Girl had disappeared after succumbing to this inner voice. So, she knew she mustn’t give in to this voice.
“T-this is my choice. This isn’t a crisis.”
Therefore, despite her trembling hands, she started resisting the inner voice.
– You’ve already been affected by the enemy’s ability.
“…What?”
– Didn’t you crawl into the enemy’s hideout and tie yourself up?
However, the inner voice, as always, began to manipulate her with eloquent words.
“That’s…”
– Your plan? That was exactly what the enemy wanted. To make you believe you weren’t mentally manipulated and follow his commands. You fell for it beautifully.
“N-no.”
She shook her head, but started doubting herself.
“No…”
Was it really necessary for her to risk her life and infiltrate this place? Wouldn’t it have been better to arrest and interrogate the injured Trauma? Or even secretly pursue the fleeing Trauma?
“That can’t be…”
As those questions arose belatedly, her face paled at the thought that her mind might have actually been manipulated.
– Why? You always said you could maintain yourself.
“S-shut up!”
– Just admit it.
It was at that moment that the inner voice struck.
– You can’t even tell if you’re sane anymore.
Miracle Shine’s eyes started to waver.
‘T-this is dangerous.’
Then, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she started to regain her composure.
‘I have to cancel the transformation now…’
She had been in similar situations a few times before, but she always managed to escape.
Because the inner voice wouldn’t bother her once she canceled the transformation.
‘I have to cancel it…’
However, Trauma stood before her.
With a camera drone floating behind him.
What he asked Pandora to prepare must have been that drone.
Then it was a big problem.
‘I… can’t reveal my identity…’
If her true form, revealed after canceling the transformation, were exposed to Trauma, or worse, captured by that camera,
…she would be finished as a Magical Girl.
She would probably lose all her powers and become an ordinary person.
‘T-then… what should I do…’
And even if a miracle happened and her identity remained hidden, she wouldn’t be able to escape this place in her ordinary state.
A perfect trap.
In that bleak situation, the inner voice echoed even louder.
– Magical Girl, just accept it.
Miracle Shine’s expression became hazy again.
– The darkness within you…
“Ah…”
At the same time, she started trembling all over.
‘I’m sorry… everyone…’
Just as a tear rolled down her cheek,
“…Hey.”
…Trauma’s annoyed voice came from the front.
“Who are you trying to brainwash in front of me?”
Trauma took out his smartphone and tapped on the screen.
“This is unpleasant.”
And then, the next moment,
– *Whoosh…*
“Huh?”
Her mind cleared with a refreshing sensation.
“W-what? Why is my mind…”
Feeling refreshed, a sensation she’d never experienced before in her transformed state, she asked in a bewildered voice, then realized something.
‘I can’t hear the voice anymore?’
The hateful voice that had been whispering to her was gone.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Trauma, scratching his head, answered Miracle Shine, who was blinking in confusion.
“There aren’t any healing functions yet, so I combined a mild effect, an addiction effect, and a pleasure effect.”
“…Huh?”
“You feel good, right?”
Hearing that, she started trembling again, an itching sensation spreading through her body.
“W-what did you do to my body…”
“And one more thing.”
Trauma, looking at her, suddenly grabbed his cane and darted forward.
– *Crack…!*
Then, he swung the cane down at her with all his might.
“Huh…?”
Miracle Shine instinctively closed her eyes, then shuddered as she felt an unknown liquid dripping onto her lap.
“…!”
And then, she gasped in shock.
– *Grr…*
A grotesque creature, shaped like a tentacle, was crushed and bleeding, stuck to Trauma’s cane.
“Do you see it now?”
“W-what is that…?”
Trauma spoke to Miracle Shine, who was staring at the grotesque sight with a pale face, in a gentle voice.
“Haven’t I been telling you?”
Her ability, which sensed people in need of her help, was reacting more strongly than ever.
“That Grotesqueries actually exist.”
To the man in the black mask, who had slightly lifted his mask and was smiling at her.
“Welcome to the truth of the world.”
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After comforting Miracle Shine, who was in shock, I made a promise to meet her again in a few days and left her.
I had proven the existence of Grotesqueries, and I wanted to talk more, but I didn’t have time.
I received a report that top-ranking heroes were coming to this hideout.
‘I thought I had a little more time…’
How did they find out about this place? The news helicopters had all withdrawn, so there should have been no way for them to get the information. Did they realize that their comrade had been captured?
– *Grrr…*
“Shut up.”
Lost in thought, I slammed the creature groaning and clinging to my cane onto the floor, crushing it.
‘What a nuisance.’
This one wasn’t inside Miracle Shine’s body, but attached to her combat suit. That’s why I disarmed her. As I started telling her the truth, it started wriggling violently, crawled out of the combat suit, and tried to attach itself to her. What would have happened to Miracle Shine if I had left it alone? The thought was horrifying.
‘Anyway, I should get out of here…’
I was a little worried about Miracle Shine, who seemed quite shocked by today’s events. But I told her to be wary of the heroes around her, so nothing should happen. Well, she was the Rank 2 hero, so she wouldn’t be easily defeated. Especially now that I’d taken care of that creepy tentacle that was preying on her mind.
– *Bzzt…!*
“…?”
Just as I was thinking about that and about to leave the hideout, Pandora’s camera drone flew next to me and started spinning as if greeting me.
What? Why was it here?
> Is this enough live broadcast?
As I looked at the camera drone with a puzzled expression, a message appeared on its monitor.
“Enough what?”
> Please tell me this is enough. I need to play Elden Ring.
Live broadcast?
What was she talking about?
“Huh?”
Looking at my smartphone, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the live broadcast notification on the screen.
[LIVE! Magical Girl Kidnapping Brainwashing Training.mp4]
[Peak Viewers: 506,945]
What the hell was this?
I stared blankly at the title, my hand trembling, and clicked on it. The thumbnail of the already ended broadcast showed my face.
“What did you do?”
> You told me to prepare for the live broadcast, didn’t you?
“…”
> Since all the drones were destroyed in the earlier battle, I broadcast with the only one that was still somewhat intact.
So, everything from the moment I told her to prepare until now had been broadcast live?
> The microphone was broken, so there’s no sound. But I captured the scenes in high definition!
With a sinking heart, I replayed the broadcast. The scene of Miracle Shine convulsing while watching a mysterious video was captured vividly. And the scene of me hitting her with my cane, red liquid dripping from it. Coincidentally, the broadcast ended there.
> The battery ran out, so it ended there. It’ll take an hour to recharge. So…
“Damn it, this is going to cause a misunderstanding!”
The tentacles weren’t recorded in the broadcast. To a third party, it would definitely look like the title suggested.
“Are you crazy? Why did you suddenly start a live broadcast?”
> You told me to prepare, didn’t you?
“I meant the Grotesqueries I locked up in the hideout! I told you to broadcast them!!”
I raised my voice, genuinely feeling wronged this time, and her drone flinched.
> Wasn’t that for tomorrow’s live broadcast…?
“I sent you a message saying let’s just do it today since we’re already out.”
> …
“You… didn’t see it because you were playing Tekken, did you?”
At my cold question, the drone, which had been hovering in the air, quickly flew away.
> Sorry
Leaving that message behind.
“Tsk.”
I felt like my reputation was being torn to shreds somewhere.
Well, since I was a villain now, it didn’t really matter, but
…becoming a scumbag who thoroughly violated and trained a Magical Girl overnight was a bit unfair.
> But the reaction was explosive.
“You’re dead when you get back…”
I replied to the text displayed by the drone peeking out from somewhere, then sighed and started walking.
“…Ugh.”
But then, my body started tingling again.
“Is it time for the self-hypnosis to wear off…?”
Just like any ability, mine had a weakness.
It was that my mental strength was also consumed every time I used my ability. The more my mental strength was depleted, the shorter the duration of the hypnosis.
Because of that, the self-hypnosis that prevented me from feeling pain was starting to reach its limit.
> Hey, are you okay? Should I call for backup from other villains?
“No… it’s fine.”
I waved away Pandora’s drone, which buzzed around and tried to support me, and continued walking.
Top-ranking heroes were coming here.
If I called for backup and they clashed, things would get messy.
> You’re gonna die!
“But if I survive, I’ll become stronger…”
So, relying solely on the ‘Tempering’ skill, I continued forward.
“A-rank villain, Trauma.”
I stopped dead in my tracks at the unexpected appearance of someone who opened the metal door of the hideout.
‘It’s… my sister?’
The one who appeared was none other than Great Order.
I had been sensing a presence outside the hideout, but I thought it was a hero or a Grotesquery. To think it was my sister.
“It’s alright, I have no intention of being hostile towards you.”
As I gritted my teeth and tried to raise my cane, my sister raised her hands and said so.
“I heard everything you just said.”
“…”
“As expected, you were the one I was looking for.”
Wondering what she was up to, I listened, and she walked towards me, smiling.
“By the way, you know Kang Haneul, right?”
Then, her eyes gleamed quietly.
“…What do you want.”
“Let’s make a deal, Trauma.”
And then, the words that came out of my sister’s mouth.
“I’ll help you unconditionally, so”
I,
“As soon as possible.”
…couldn’t help but nod with a wry smile.
“Let me kill Kang Haneul with my own hands.”
Because I was planning to do as she wished anyway.
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Meanwhile, at that time.
Lee Se-ah, Rank 17 hero. Kang Haneul’s childhood friend and irreplaceable partner in the past, and currently a rising star as an investigation partner of the Secret Service and the police.
“…”
She was staring blankly at the contents of a file that had just arrived at her office.
[♤♤ Orphanage Orphan File]
In her hand was a photo of a white-haired girl smiling and making a V sign.
“Lumia, you…”
Looking at the photo, Se-ah muttered in a low voice.
“…What is the meaning of this appearance?”
Her childhood friend’s desperate plea, “Don’t trust Lumia,” faintly echoed in her ears.
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