Chapter 6: The Turtle-sama’s Dilemma and Scarlet’s Dark Thoughts

[Anonymous (31.33): Breaking news lolol Team 4 completely wiped out lolol]

They boldly deployed, only to be sliced apart by Blackberry alone lolol.

Comments

[Anonymous (12.13): But isn’t that just because Blackberry is ridiculously strong?]

[Anonymous (31.33): Yeah, sure, next up are Team 4’s pathetic losers lolol]

[Anonymous (12.13): You’re from Team 5, aren’t you?]

The next day, I found myself logging into the Magical Girl Gallery as if possessed.

As expected, the entire gallery was in an uproar, nearly resembling a riot.

‘Even the ‘Best Posts’ had been updated across a staggering ten pages.’

‘Best Posts’ (TL Note: ‘Gaenyeomgeul’ refers to posts in the Magical Girl Gallery that have received the most recommendations or upvotes, signifying popular or highly-regarded content.) are those that have garnered the most recommendations in the Magical Girl Gallery.

With a separate category dedicated to them, their high visibility naturally attracted a deluge of comments.

[Anonymous (23.11): If Turtle-sama was cool, give a thumbs-up lol]

[HeartFlutterSweet: Seriously, my speculation on Turtle-sama.txt]

[Eonnyeoniya: Is Turtle-sama called that because they look like a turtle?]

[SoWhat: Hmm, is it really that much?]

[YouDoIt: I’m from Team 4, and I seriously almost died lol]

The magical girls who witnessed my appearance yesterday had even bestowed a nickname upon me.

They called me ‘Turtle-sama’ (TL Note: ‘Jara-jwa’ combines ‘jara’ (turtle) with ‘jwa’ (a respectful or honorific suffix, often used for a master or expert).).

Was it because of my tough exterior? Yet, I didn’t have a shell.

Regardless, this wasn’t a crucial detail.

My name becoming widely known was hardly a good thing.

[Anonymous (23.123): Official notice from the Association is out.txt]

If Turtle-sama is found, don’t kill him; capture him alive, okay.

Anyway, since you guys don’t read long posts, I’ll just summarize it in one line, okay.

If you want to see the full version, look it up yourselves.

Comments

[Anonymous (13.11): Yeah, like that’s going to work lol. How are they supposed to catch a Titan that thrashed GoldRose, who got completely flattened?]

[YouDoIt: Why are they telling us to capture him alive? What’s the point???]

–[HeartFlutterSweet: Well, Titan byproducts are great for making money. If they could just strip off his hide, they could probably make some sturdy armor!]

–[YouDoIt: I just don’t get rich people these days;;]

As a Titan capable of withstanding Blackberry’s attacks and standing over two meters tall, he certainly seemed like prime material for profit in my eyes.

It wasn’t strange for the Association to issue such a command.

[You have unused BP remaining.]

As I browsed the gallery, a forgotten message materialized before my eyes.

‘Come to think of it, I’d accumulated a hundred points.’

Why had so many accumulated? I didn’t recall doing anything particularly noteworthy.

[Engaged in a real-life fight (TL Note: ‘Hyeonpi’ is Korean slang for a real-life confrontation or fight that stems from an online dispute.) with someone met online +40 BP]

[Uncovered embarrassing dark history +60 BP]

Ah, that explained it.

That was truly a convincing explanation.

[BP can be used in two main ways: to unlock new transformations or to enhance existing ones.]

New transformations?

And I could even enhance the one I was currently using?

The transformation I had now was already incredibly powerful!

[Each transformation has three stages of enhancement.]

[To enhance Behemoth to ‘Colossal Beast: Behemoth’, 500 BP are required.]

[The currently unlockable transformation is ‘Garuda’.]

What exactly should I do with this ability?

Should I use it to protect magical girls, like a protagonist in a novel?

Yet, I was merely an ordinary citizen.

I hadn’t become a mascot by choice, but rather due to the coercion of those around me.

“Mascot-nim? You don’t look so good.”

As I pondered my future, Scarlet approached me, initiating conversation.

Lately, she had become someone I truly wished I hadn’t known.

“Is something wrong? If you have any worries, please tell me!”

“Worries, you say…”

In that moment, I considered confiding the entire truth to Scarlet.

Perhaps she might be able to keep my secret.

For some inexplicable reason, she seemed to like me quite a lot.

‘But you never know, do you?’

Although I had engaged in various interactions with magical girls during my time as a mascot, I had never truly connected with any of them on a deeper level.

What would happen if I revealed my secret to a woman with whom I hadn’t even exchanged messages after work?

While it might not be the case… I wasn’t willing to gamble.

“Scarlet-nim, what would you do if you suddenly gained immense power?”

“But I’m already strong!”

Her words were undeniably true.

Scarlet, from Team 1, hadn’t earned the moniker ‘Titan Slayer’ for nothing.

“Ah… that’s true, but what if you became far stronger than you are now? So powerful that others became afraid of you?”

Should I live my life concealing this power, or should I wield it actively?

This was the crux of my dilemma.

“Hmmmm…! If I became terrifyingly strong, I think I’d start by punching the faces of everyone I dislike!”

“People you dislike?”

“You know, those annoying people who you can’t hit because it would cause huge trouble. If I had terrifying power, I wouldn’t care about the consequences and just go for it!”

“Ah! I see!”

I hadn’t received a clear answer on how to wield this newfound power.

If a single piece of advice could resolve all worries, then no one in this world would ever face a dilemma.

However, I felt I had at least set a direction.

‘If I utilize this power, I can reform the Association.’

This organization, established a century ago, was truly an unreasonable entity.

Its immense power and authority had allowed a bizarre system to take root, which was the root cause of its issues.

I intended to overhaul this place, though I would need to ponder the precise methods carefully.

‘…If only I had awakened this ten years ago… I could have stopped Mom from going there.’

Unpleasant memories suddenly surfaced.

Hmph… I needed to forget them quickly.

‘Purchase Garuda.’

Having determined my path forward, I could immediately decide on my next course of action.

It seemed that expanding my pool of abilities, rather than accumulating points to enhance a single transformation, would offer a wider range of choices.

“But why are you having such worries? Did you, Mascot-nim, perhaps also gain the ability to transform into a magical girl?!”

“Actually, I just got a really good item in a game I’ve been playing recently.”

“Ah-ha! So it’s about a game? I thought it was something serious! Mascot-nim, you have a cute side, don’t you?”

After I offered a vague excuse, Scarlet stopped pressing me for more details.

Did she not play games?

Perhaps she had something else to attend to.

Seeing her hold her phone, she might have received a message….

[Scarlet: Ah, Mascot is so damn hot again today, that motherf***er~]

–He was making such a damn alluring expression, so I asked what was up, but damn it, he was just thinking about a game.

–Should I just pounce on this bastard?

Comments

[Anonymous (34.11): Still full of vigor today, I see.]

–[Scarlet: Isn’t it strange to put a guy like that in front of a woman in her prime~]

The reason she touched her phone was to quickly record her dark thoughts!

“Mascot-nim, I’m so sorry! Something urgent just came up!”

“Ah, okay.”

“I’m so sorry!! To leave first after offering to listen to your worries… I’ll definitely buy you coffee later!”

However, a comment that appeared shortly after starkly revealed her true feelings.

[Scarlet: Ah, I can’t take it anymore, damn it. I need to go to the bathroom.]

Please don’t do this to me…

What did I even do to deserve this?

****

[ShyS2: What happened to Team 4 unnies yesterday?]

This good 11-year-old magical girl listened to her mommy and went to bed at 7 p.m. yesterday, so she doesn’t know what happened >< I look in the mirror and see a cute magical girl-chan!]

[ShyS2: 11-year-old magical girl-chan appears! Should I give you unnies a kiss?]

By claiming to be an 11-year-old magical girl, she was one of the most malicious individuals, relishing in causing mental stress to those who read her posts.

'These bitches would grovel first if they knew who I was. I swear, they're practically asking to die.'

Annoyed, Pink Star lit a cigarette and repeatedly pressed the refresh button.

She knew it was futile, but having already devoured every post in the gallery, she craved new stimulation.

'Oh, a new post…'

How many times had she repeated this action?

Finally, a new post appeared.

"…What the f***."

The post made her doubt her own eyes, so much so that the cigarette she held in her mouth dropped to the floor.

[AnonymousSomeone: Only read if you're curious about ShyS2.txt]