Chapter 125: S2.5 Does a Butterfly Dream of a Magical Girl - 7

Chapter 125: S2.5 Does a Butterfly Dream of a Magical Girl - 7Hope.

A blue Magical Girl leaped onto the stage just as the curtain was about to fall. She appeared as fragile as a delicate flower, seemingly ready to snap at the slightest breeze. Yet, one glance at her fierce eyes would change their mind.

This was not mere reckless bravado or a blind belief that she could overcome anything. Nor was it the sense of duty to somehow pull through. It was a resolute will, forged into a fiery path that shone with unwavering light.

Those eyes transformed her entire demeanor. The thin wrist, which looked as though it could break at any moment, now seemed to belong to a warrior wielding a rapier. The once drooping, flashy dress was now a knight’s attire.

Pure Knight Roderus lifted his chin with pride.

Even if it was only a shell, a noble was still a noble, and knew countless ways to grab command attention. Every gesture, even a simple wave of the hand, exuded nobility, and his footsteps were filled with dignity.

Attention was captivated. Pure Energy began to flow toward the girl.

The citizens were meant to despair. They were not supposed to cling to hope at this stage. But as the blue light enveloped Roderus, growing brighter and brighter, Zekniel hurriedly opened his mouth.

“......Magical Girl, what you are saying is ridiculous. You guys have already lost. Everyone already saw your defeats. No matter how much you struggle alone-”

“They were the weakest of all the Magical Girls.”

“I know you are not without wounds, Magical Girl. With that much blood-”

“This isn’t my blood, you lowly creature. Open your eyes wide and look.”

Sizzle.

The red blood on Roderus’ skin evaporated into smoke and dissipated. He wasn’t merely hiding his wounds; he was 'boiling' them away with Mana, erasing them in real time.

To Zekniel, it seemed like nothing more than bravado from a broken body. But to the onlooking Citizens, Roderus’ words looked like the truth. That Magical Girl looked perfectly unharmed.

Hope began to build. If she was that confident, maybe she really could solve this whole situation.....

Zekniel ground his teeth.

“You foolish, foolish humans.....!!”

“Maybe you should have paid more attention to the shell?”

“The Demon Lord is about to descend, and there stands but a lone Magical Girl! Why do you still cling to hope, you idiotic humans!”

“It’s pathetic how you raise your voice. Look, commoners. The one you feared so much is nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum. Now, look at me.”

Swoosh-!

A blue Milky Way swirled around the rapier that looked like a magic wand. It was extremely beautiful, and seemed strong enough to cut through the heavy rain.

To be frank, it was a waste of energy—mere showmanship with no real killing power. Yet, in this situation, where belief could be turned into strength, the energy spent on spectacle only attracted more energy in return.

He positioned his feet shoulder-width apart, drew his arm back, and thrust forward while shouting the name of the technique.

"『Starlight Stinger』──!!"

"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"

Whoosh──!!

A torrent of stars shot forth. Exaggeratedly oversized hearts, stars, music notes, and other cute effects flew everywhere. But beneath this, an assassin’s shady techniques were unleashed.

An invisible dark current targeted all of Zekniel’s weak spots—his eyes, groin, temples, and neck. The brutality of the attack was enough to make any onlooker shudder.

A Magical Girl who sang of hope couldn’t be seen gouging out her opponent’s eyes. So he hid it. Zekniel barely managed to fend off Roderus’ intricate attacks by enveloping himself in Impure Energy.

Slide.

Defending himself, Zekniel was forced back three steps by the pressure of the Pure Energy. A black liquid oozed from a small cut on his cheek.

Hissssss.

In moments, Zekniel’s wound healed perfectly— it seemed like he had a self-regeneration ability.

Roderus raised both his hands, as if performing for an audience.

“How about it? Do you believe that I can win now?”

“You are just bluffing......!!”

Even though it looked like Roderus had landed a blow, Zekniel still held the upper hand. Roderus’ attack had been almost a waste of energy, while Zekniel had minimized his own losses. He also had a higher overall energy reserve.

Zekniel had defended so meticulously only because the viciousness of the attack had caught him off guard; it wasn’t that his durability was so low he’d die from a single attack.

However, to the citizens, it was as though the monstrous Zekniel couldn’t withstand the powerful assault of the Magical Girl Pure Knight and had been driven back.

Could she actually win?!

Woosh.

Pure Energy surged like a tidal wave. The blue light, now so dense it was nearly opaque, fluttered behind Roderus like wings.

Zekniel realized the danger of losing any more momentum. Though he was still in a favorable position, if that Magical Girl keeps recharging her energy bit by bit.....

Doubt began to creep in. Roderus’ facade—his smile, acting as if it was nothing—only fanned the flames of unease.

But above all, it was those eyes that stirred the "what if."

Those eyes filled with certainty!

Zekniel bellowed as he drew in the Impure Energy needed for 『Star System of Darkness』.

"Magical Girl──!!"

“Hmph.”

Creak. Crack.

An ominous sound, audible only to Roderus, echoed through his body. The clash between Pure Energy and Metamorphosis had accelerated, causing the cracks spreading across his body to widen.

The cheers of the citizens gave him power, but also hastened his death simultaneously.

A metallic taste filled his mouth. Roderus swallowed the blood and maintained his facade. He couldn’t afford toshow any signs of weakness.

He focused on directing the cracks inward, beneath the surface of his skin.

Zekniel understood what was happening.

“Magical Girl, you are moving quite well for a zombie!”

“Have you ever seen such a beautiful and elegant zombie before? If you want to insult me by calling me a zombie, at least come up with a more convincing slur.”

“I’m going to peel off that pathetic shell— 『Star System of Darkness』──!!"

“I have already experienced that attack.”

A pitch-black void, a dark wave infused with compressed starlight. As the current, which devoured all light, surged toward him, Roderus raised his rapier, waiting for the perfect moment.

Imagining a structure with sharp edges at every corner.

“Metamorphosis- 『Mana Hardening (魔力硬化)』

Swaaaaa──!!

He solidified a portion of the approaching current, using it as a shield. The wave crashed against the sharp edges, splitting in two, and Roderus slashed through the center.

Piat──!!

Craaak.

“If Ruru’s gone, and you’ll leave too... What about me?”

“You’ll have to make new friends. Not that they’ll ever match my caliber.”

Roderus was already dying. The clash of energies had shredded his insides. As soon as the transformation ended, he’d spit blood and die.

At least he’d die for something worthwhile. He gave Oh Hye-in a light smile.

There would be consequences, though. Even if the bodies in dreams and reality didn’t overlap, the heart remained the same. Experiencing death could end up completely changing his 『Metamorphosis』.

A death where he would become a human bomb because of the clash of Mana even more so. The pain was already enough to make him shed small tears, so he was a little worried about how much worse it would be when he finally exploded.

But it was worth it.

“It’s been fun, thanks to you..... And I learned a lot. I appoint you my friend, and my left arm.”

“.....What the hell does that even mean? Also, why left arm of all things.”

“My right arm already has a prior appointment.”

Float.

Roderus’ body took off with a gentle push. Blue Pure Energy radiated from him, like wings lifting him higher into the sky.

The ground fell further and further away. Oh Hye-in, now just a thumb-sized figure below, shrank as the massive vortex came within reach.

She was shouting something, but he couldn’t hear her anymore. He was too far away.

Roderus smiled awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Live well.”

That was his final goodbye.

⋯⋯⋯⋯.

The people of the city saw it—the blue starlight being drawn into the black vortex, followed by a brilliant flash that banished the darkness.

Guoooooo──

The rain clouds parted, scattered by the force of the explosion, and a roar echoed through the heavens and earth. The light swelled, turning the sky a brilliant blue.

For a brief moment, the final light of the Magical Girl drove the night away.

And when the darkness returned, the ominous vortex was gone. Only the bright stars and a calm, serene moon remained, casting a peaceful glow over the world.

Roderus had saved the world.

===============================================================

Duke Redburn’s mansion had a prison in its basement.

The facility was primitive, cloaked in darkness with not a single sliver of light, yet surprisingly, someone was living there. Extremely..... Enthusiastically.

“......A hundred thirty-one, a hundred thirty-two.”

He repeated push ups. As long as he could keep up with the calories.

He had created districts out of the moss growing on the walls and calculated his water consumption. Now, he figured out how to lick moss.

Every bug that crawled by was now caught and eaten, devoured from head to leg, with a small portion saved to use as bait.

Though he had awoken from the dream, he hadn’t lost them.

He had been disappointed for a few days after waking up, but he was able to overcome it. Sometimes he felt depressed and teared up, but it didn’t matter. He now had a clear goal.

His life wasn’t over. As long as he was alive, he had to keep living.

He asked his heart what truly wanted, and was successful in recalling what his childhood self wanted. He wanted to make Redburn ‘good’.

Back then, it was a naïve desire—just to stop the competition when it got too harsh—but now, he had a deep understanding on how he had to do it.

He was going to set the Redburn family straight.

In the darkness, his transformation device shimmered faintly.

===============================================================

“I trust you have reflected enough.”

“Yes, Father. I will not disappoint you again.”

“Very well. When the time comes, I will make use of you once again. Until then, help out with the family’s menial tasks, son.”

“I shall obey your order.”

Roderus bowed deeply to the Duke, his posture bordering on subservience. The Duke, satisfied, waved dismissively. Roderus retreated from the room, walking backward.

His skin was pale from the lack of sunlight, and he had lost a lot of muscle. To regain his strength, he needed a balanced diet and some rest.

However, precisely because of that, no one would think he would be making a move at this time. Roderus returned to his room, and thought as he munched on his food so hard one may think that the table’s legs would break.

Duke Redburn Maximus was strong.

His ruthless plans were scary, but beyond that, he was personally strong. That was why assassination wasn’t an option—it wouldn't solve anything, anyway.

The only way forward was to change the family from within. He would need to gather allies, disrupt the Duke’s plans, and bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment.

However, he could not avoid the Duke’s attention with this appearance. In that case...

“Transform.”

Pyaaaat──!!

When the blue light faded, a delicate, ethereal girl—Oh Dae-soo—stood in Roderus' place.

“......Hah.”

Oh Dae-soo wobbled and then sat down. It seemed the male and female bodies shared their weakened state. She groaned, clutching her head, then picked up her fork once more.

First, she had to eat to live.

Since waking from the dream, Roderus found that he was able to create the 『Transformation Device (Dreaming Mirror)』

Perhaps it was because he had broken free from the family’s brainwashing, allowing him to think independently.

Maybe the times he spent as a Magical Girl were just that happy.

Or perhaps the final explosion during the last battle had some kind of impact on his consciousness.......

There was no definitive cause, but one thing was certain—the dream world changed him. And his assumption was that this change had transformed his Metamorphosis.

It was a bit weird...... But there was no doubt that it was useful.

Once his body regained its strength, he would use this new identity to advance his plan. His mission was to reform the Redburn family and build a better Crownhall, ridding it of crime and corruption.

If you asked why he decided to stop crime in this city, it was because just as he had traveled to another world through his dreams, there was a chance his friends might one day come here as well.

Even though the odds were slim, it was far better to be prepared than to be ashamed when that moment arrived.

And so.

A Magical Girl of justice emerged to roam the streets of Crownhall.