When I look down from floating high in the sky, I always feel a strange sensation.
There are no tools, nothing beneath me to stand on, just my body floating above.
Even birds have to flap their wings to stay in the air, but I have no such thing.
If only the situation were different, maybe this would feel wonderful.
If I had this ability back when I was just an ordinary soldier…
No, wait. It’s because I, an ordinary soldier, gained this ability that things turned out like this in the first place.
I should’ve never been a soldier at all.
As I mused, my circuit vibrated.
The fact that I have to delve into depressing thoughts to fight is absurd.
If I get too caught up in victory and let my guard down, the despair circuit won’t function properly.
The stronger my advantage, the weaker I get—it’s completely maddening. Now I understand why other soldiers were so weak.
There are few people in the world who would willingly dig themselves into such despair.
As I briefly looked down and pondered how to deal with the situation, I jumped down, hammer in hand.
That’s right. I just need to do what I always do: smash everything in front of me to my heart’s content and leave at the right time.
I should also check out any place where the current chairman might be.
The chairman likely isn’t here, but if there’s a shelter or something similar, it’d be better to destroy it.
That way, it serves as a ‘warning.’
A warning that the chairman should take seriously.
At first, I wondered if there might be a fire.
If the house had a lot of wood, the booster flames from my hammer could easily ignite it, and then the neighboring house might be in danger, which would be troublesome.
Thankfully, this mansion in the heart of modern Seoul had few such features.
While the furniture was wooden, the walls behind them were solid marble.
The floors weren’t wooden either but made of expensive-looking stone, and none of the furniture was Earth-made.
To be honest, it looked avant-garde but highly impractical.
Then again, it’s probably just the taste of rich people.
Or maybe, they’re not even human.
I smashed a window and entered from the garden.
Despite being reinforced glass, it couldn’t withstand the impact of a massive accelerating hunk of metal.
I didn’t bother with alarms, so the house was immediately filled with an incessant buzzing sound.
The first thing I destroyed was the speakers since they were unbearably noisy.
The interior… well, apart from the natural marble materials and the avant-garde furniture, it looked like a regular house.
There was a wide living room beyond the entrance, stairs leading up next to the kitchen, and no one jumped out from inside—
Bang!
The front door burst open, and four soldiers entered.
Probably two from the main gate and the other two from the building’s entrance.
No, they looked a bit more professional than just regular soldiers.
They were armed with submachine guns and wore wrist devices.
At first glance, the watches seemed like durable military electronics, but the faint vibrations revealed they were circuits.
Were they real circuits? Or resonance devices?
Most soldiers feared magical girls to some extent, and by the time they entered battle, their circuits usually functioned properly.
Few could maintain composure till the end.
Despair’s endpoint was usually surrender.
Alien beings confident in their power might try to endure till the bitter end, but among Earthlings, there were few—at least in my squad—who didn’t lose morale halfway through.
The only exceptions were me and the squad leader.
The soldiers guarding the building with the tracker or stationed at headquarters seemed somewhat professional, but in the end, even they ran away when I threatened to kill them.
I don’t know if the despair circuit truly affects emotions.
The company always marketed it as courage rather than despair when they handed it out.
Still, if my opponent remains unshaken and treats this as just another task, it’s more likely they’re equipped with a resonance device rather than a despair circuit.
“They must have known I’d come. Even if they weren’t sure exactly where.
‘Why don’t you all just step aside?’ I tried saying.
I thought my voice was calm enough.
But it didn’t really matter—someone breaking a window to barge into your house wouldn’t exactly seem ‘calm’ to anyone.
The specialized combatants pointing submachine guns—ones clearly larger caliber than 5.56mm—at me were a major annoyance.
This is just a job for them, but how could I possibly like people who aim guns at me?
During my time as a soldier, I didn’t think highly of magical girls.
Even now, it’s too late for a change of heart.
‘Not planning to step aside?’
If they had families, they couldn’t back down.
If they were ex-military, the company likely paid them a hefty sum to be here.
Alone, they might think getting fired wouldn’t be such a big deal.
‘Alright then—’
Just as I gripped my hammer tightly in both hands, and the soldiers tightened their grips on their guns—
Bang!
The sound came from beyond the broken window.
When I turned around, two magical girls were staring at me.
Hayoon was running toward me, while Iris—
Huh?
I quickly dodged, turning my body to the side.
A beam of light grazed where I’d been standing.
It hit the ground at my feet and could’ve thrown me off balance if I’d been a second slower.
For a moment, I felt rage boiling to the surface but quickly calmed myself.
Right.
The soldiers were still watching me.
Showing a divided front between the magical girls and me was part of the plan.
And true enough, Iris’s attack wasn’t as sharp as it had been when we actually fought.
She aimed and fired, but only after I dodged did her beam hit the spot where I’d been.
It didn’t so much as graze me.
To the others, it probably wouldn’t seem that way.
My reflexes, enhanced by magic, far surpassed those of ordinary people—and certainly outmatched the equipment those soldiers were using.
‘Run away!’ Hayoon shouted with a firm expression.
‘She’s here for revenge…!’
I swung my hammer at her.
Not seriously, of course.
Hayoon blocked it easily with her staff.
For a moment, we were locked in a standoff before I leapt back, making it look as though I’d retreated.
As I moved, bullets zipped toward me, missing my body and tearing through the house instead.
Thud, crack.
The fridge door got hit and flew off, revealing its near-empty contents.
Proof that no one actually lived here, perhaps?
Lights shattered, plunging the house into darkness.
It wasn’t completely pitch-black, but visibility was
significantly reduced.
I swung my hammer repeatedly at Hayoon.
She narrowly dodged each blow, and the misses shattered the floor, destroyed the dining table, and sent parts of the furniture flying.
‘Run… quickly…!’ Hayoon shouted again, her voice strained.
Only then did the soldiers flinch and retreat slightly.
‘Jieun, calm down!’
Her words nearly made me laugh, but I clamped my mouth shut.
After a deep breath, I forced out a reply.
‘Calm down?’
Hayoon’s face stiffened slightly. Good acting.
‘You want me to calm down? After being pushed this far? Who’s the one that drove me to this point?’
If it weren’t for the chairman, I might’ve been getting by somehow.
James would still be threatening me, using me in that ridiculous entropy plan or whatever, but at least the orphanage and Ji-hye would’ve been fine.
The magical girls probably would’ve taken down Noir Corporation before we graduated.
I can’t say for sure.
In the end, I’d probably have become just another mediocre adult, running around to make a living.
Maybe I’d still be friends with Hayoon, envying her in secret but managing to get by.
But those dreams are over.
Now I’m a terrorist, on the run until I clear my name.
‘What’s wrong with taking revenge on the people who did this to me? The liars who are still living comfortably while I suffer?’
Hayoon’s mouth opened slightly, as if in shock.
‘I won’t forgive them,’ I said quietly, with genuine intent.
‘I won’t forgive them. Ever. I’ll hunt down every last one of those liars who dragged me here and kill them. Anyone who gets in my way won’t be forgiven either. And those who knew but turned a blind eye? They’re just as guilty. They’re all garbage, every single one of them.’
The company trying to cast me out at all costs.
The federation quietly cooperating with them.
The government turning a blind eye to it all.
They’re all trash.
I’m not saying I was right. In the end, all of this stems from my mistakes.
If I hadn’t agreed to Noir Corporation’s terms, maybe none of this would’ve happened in the first place.
But still…
If they wanted to get rid of me, they could’ve just fired me from the start.
Or at least tried asking me to cooperate.
If they were going to commit illegal acts using me, they could’ve mediated things somehow.
Instead, they just treated me like an escaped lab rat, chasing me down and watching from their high perches.
Even villains get criticized if they’re written too shallowly.
The company, the federation, the government I can’t figure out what any of them are even doing.
‘Jieun—’
I lunged at Hayoon.
This time, she barely managed to block my hammer.
Maybe I’d put too much strength into the swing.
She stumbled back, retreating right in front of the soldiers.
A perfect adjustment of distance.
‘…………!’
Realizing something, Hayoon glanced back urgently and shouted.
‘I told you to run!’
When Blossom yelled, the soldiers seemed to finally grasp the situation and fled in a hurry.
Glancing back at me fearfully as they ran, they were clearly terrified.
Well, of course.
Their lives were more important.
As I charged after the retreating soldiers, Hayoon hastily moved to block me.
‘Stop right there!’
‘Jieun, calm down…!’
Bang.
The door slammed open, and the soldiers practically tumbled out of the house, tripping several times as they made their way to the front gate.
I felt a bit sorry for scaring them, but compared to those I’d beaten up personally before, this wasn’t too bad.
I struck the floor several times with my hammer.
The sound was for the soldiers’ ears, to make them believe I’d completely lost control.
I’d have to keep making similar noises as I searched the house.
Not just noises—I needed to turn this place upside down as much as possible.
I thought about creating a black hole but decided to hold off for now.
To create a black hole that would destroy everything around it, I’d need my emotions to plummet further.
Like when I’d been shot by the police after rescuing Ji-hye—shoved into the depths of despair.
You build resilience to negative thoughts over time.
Although many fail to endure and die, those who survive grow stronger.
These days, with my mental state relatively stable, it’s harder to reach that kind of emotional low.
‘Jieun…’
‘Hmm?’
I stopped when I heard Hayoon calling me.
Looking down, I saw the floor in front of me was utterly unrecognizable—smashed to the point of being ground down.
I blinked a few times at the sight before turning to look behind me.
Iris was staring at me blankly, her gun lowered slightly.
It felt a bit awkward.
I lifted my head, scanning my surroundings.
Spotting something that looked like a CCTV camera, I hurled my hammer at it.
The massive hammer spun with the force of its boosters, embedding itself in the ceiling and bringing the camera down along with chunks of debris.
Should I just cut all the wires?
Until I destroy every last one of these devices, I can’t have a proper conversation here.
Who knows what the chairman might’ve installed to spy on the former chairman?
Even though the former chairman is officially missing, there’s no telling if he might sneak in to snoop around.
How long would it take for the police to arrive? Probably less than five minutes.
Breaking the CCTV seemed to snap Iris and Hayoon out of their daze.
‘Ji-jieun, calm—’
Hayoon’s voice was slightly theatrical this time, but it wasn’t bad.
Acting is more about whether the audience knows it’s acting or not.
Bad acting in a drama or movie might seem absurd, but in real life, it just comes off as a little awkward.
Of course, some people are so terrible at lying that it’s laughable, but still.
I ignored Hayoon’s words and walked over to pick up my fallen hammer.
The hammer, which had closed upon leaving my hand, reopened.
A burst of flames ignited.
I gripped the hammer upside down.
Alright.
Whether there’s a device inside or not, I’ll burn everything until it’s completely useless.
If information still leaks out afterward… well, I’m not sure what I’ll do then.
Hayoon stared blankly at Jieun’s back as she destroyed everything around her.
The words she’d spoken earlier.
The look on Jieun’s face as she said them.
It wasn’t just acting… that’s what I thought, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.
Not that I came here to stop her, but even saying that felt difficult.
Trash.
It was the first time that word had come directly from Jieun’s mouth.
I’d seen her angry before, of course.
I understood her hatred for those who’d shot her.
I understood her frustration with the federation, the company, and even the government.
And if she resented me, that was only natural too.
If I had protected her actively from the start, none of this would’ve happened.
Could it be that her words weren’t directed at me?
Was there a chance that I wasn’t included among the “trash” she resented?
Jieun had always acted a little awkward whenever I approached her.
Ever since we reunited after being separated, it had been especially noticeable.
I felt like I’d finally caught a glimpse of the source of that hesitation.
Before coming here, Jieun had interacted with James freely and without hesitation.
Though to human eyes, James might’ve looked like a mere talking hamster…
Why would she treat a creature with a grown man’s voice so casually?
Perhaps it was because James had truly helped Jieun all this time.
Not that there was love between them, but they might have shared an unspoken bond, free of reservations.
Dust and shards flew everywhere.
A large wall-mounted TV split in two and crashed to the floor.
A piece of avant-garde pottery, likely from another planet, shattered along with the table beneath it.
Lights affixed to the ceiling were destroyed, plunging the space into darkness.
Only the moonlight streaming from outside and the fiery glow from Jieun’s weapon lit the room.
It was as if she wanted to burn everything inside this place to ashes.
Jieun moved with ferocious intensity.
The white walls were now blackened with soot.
In some places, hidden seams seemed to burst open, and other sections melted or glowed red-hot.
She turned to look back at me, her face showing a faint sense of relief.
Even in the dim light, with dust swirling around her, Jieun looked somewhat liberated under the moonlight.
But the moment her gaze met mine, her eyes darkened again.
What had I been thinking?
Getting carried away, thinking I had been given an opening to approach her.
Maybe… maybe she had just given up and decided not to push me away.
Jieun’s eyes shifted slightly, and she let out a long breath.
“It’s enough now.”
Why did I feel so embarrassed?
Ah, maybe because I’d realized how childish I must’ve looked.
Like a kid throwing a tantrum in a big-box store, demanding a toy.
Without logic or thought, I’d been smashing and rampaging for a while.
Partly to destroy the hidden listening devices likely scattered inside, but that didn’t justify how absurd my actions had been.
“…Why don’t you help out?”
Even so, I was careful with my words.
There might still be surveillance devices left.
“Try to find the chairman. Or some kind of clue.”
“If someone was here, they’d have come out already. Or they’d have fled while you were rampaging,” Iris said cautiously.
“Y-yeah, that’s right, Jieun,” Hayoon added, her voice a little calmer this time.
We all understood the situation. Before coming here, we’d discussed the possibilities.
Maybe it was because we were hiding our true intentions, but the exchange felt a little off-key.
Though, I guess it didn’t matter.
The goal was to scare the chairman.
Maybe this conversation was better overheard anyway.
I struck the floor with my hammer again.
Hayoon and Iris flinched visibly at the sound.
“You said you’d cooperate,” I said in an even tone.
“Then search. Look for clues.”
If we could find even a trace of something, it might help.
The hamster waiting outside on a drone had said any sign of the former chairman could be useful.
Even breaking things could serve a purpose.
Hayoon and Iris exchanged glances.
If they were acting, it was decent enough.
Their flustered expressions seemed genuine.
If they weren’t acting…
Well, maybe I’d gone a bit overboard.
Should I tone it down a little?