Chapter 16

“Hmph, where are you and what are you doing, you idiot?”

An organization was created to ensure that those with supernatural abilities do not cross certain lines while developing their powers – the Association.

If a supernatural ability user engages in legally prohibited acts, such as m*rder, members of the Association, who are authorized to cooperate with the police, are the ones who punish these offenders.

Although many civilians were unaware of the Association’s existence, no supernatural ability user could remain ignorant of the entity that might one day punish them.

At her office located on one of the highest floors of the Association building, from where she could look down on the glittering lights of the city at night, a woman glanced sideways at her phone, resting at the edge of her desk.

The screen continuously displayed the hallway of a private residence. It wasn’t some special event being captured, but simply a shared live stream from a CCTV camera.

And, of course, while the screen displayed this feed, the woman could see in real-time that the girl who was supposed to be inside the house wasn’t there yet.

[We’ll sleep over at my place. ^^.]

The woman wasn’t entirely without information. She had received a text from someone saying the girl would be sleeping over at their home. This message had come from someone who used to be a friend of the girl.

“d*mn crazy woman,” thought the woman.

While the woman’s younger sister occasionally acted irrationally, she wasn’t about to forgive this former friend for what they had done to her sibling.

Even though it might be beneficial to forgive that person—considering they could care for her sister when she herself, being constantly tied up with work, couldn’t—it wasn’t happening.

Sure, this person did occasionally make erratic decisions, but when it came to looking after her sister, they were reliable.

It was on this point alone that the woman shared her home’s security codes and CCTV feed. In other words, she trusted this person in this one regard.

—And then,

“If she were to be forgiven, then I too….”

Her tightly clenched hand began to bleed. The bl**d dripped from the nail marks on her palm, but disappeared moments before reaching the floor.

Not all supernatural abilities manifest in the same way. Some are constantly in effect on the user’s body. Some enhance physical abilities. Others alter the essence of humanity itself, leading to a new species.

The briefly appearing and disappearing drops of bl**d served as one of the critical clues to the woman’s true nature.

However, as there were no people bold enough to spy on this office, nor any devices that monitored the room, the evidence of her supernatural power passed silently and unnoticed.

While the woman’s peripheral vision stayed on her phone screen, she was also focused on the paper in her hand.

Even though her younger sister’s return was a matter of great concern for her, the paper she held was equally significant.

The Dilin Village Destruction Incident. A fire that started in a single house and soon consumed the entire village.

Even with water and wind-wielding ability users intervening, the flames could not be easily extinguished. The fire was not affected even by ordinary water.

Despite the efforts of the police and memory-reading ability users, the cause remained elusive.

Was it a mere crime, or did an unseen mastermind seek to gain something from the blaze? Or was it simply a change in the world order?

Not everyone who gained supernatural powers was born with them like her and her sister. Ever since her sister entered high school, the number of sudden supernaturals had been rapidly increasing among high school students.

Was this due to her sister’s “protection,” or was it the influence of some great supernatural being reshaping the world? Or was it merely a period where more supernaturals were appearing?

The woman, who ruled as a Reaper among the supernaturals in this city, briefly closed her eyes due to the fatigue weighing on her eyelids.

She wasn’t falling asleep. Since gaining her power, she had lost the ability to rest.

In a world altered by supernaturals, one of those holding the highest authority among them leaned back in her chair and indulged in a modest daydream.

Unlike Erica, who resembled a white-eyed fairy, the noble-looking silver-haired woman allowed herself a fleeting, incongruous simple fantasy while her eyes were closed.

*

In an abandoned factory, a brown-haired woman with braids sat wearing glasses, gazing into the void. Her expression indicated either a daydream or a trance, impossible to discern.

However, the girl standing beside her clapped her hands with delight.

“Ah, it’s finally beginning! The start of the scenario the protagonist has waited a year for. How do you feel?”

Despite the news marking the culmination of a year’s waiting, the woman showed no sign of joy. She simply sat calmly on a steel beam.

The light from an old lamp above illuminated her glasses brightly as the woman adjusted them with her index finger.

As if responding to this movement, the shadows hiding in the dark corners of the abandoned factory began to take form and reveal themselves.

“So, what do you want us to do, Boss? Regardless of this ‘scenario’ business, we honestly don’t know anything!”

A boar-shaped man, covered in fur and constantly sniffing, asked while massaging his nose with one hand. A criminal who had taken the lives of dozens of people barehanded was chased by the Association for execution. His shiny silver hair had once defied bullets effortlessly.

Supernatural Ability – Iron-Backed Boar.

Despite not being hit by artillery-level fire, he could ignore even the most precise gunfire and continue fighting, a beast-like ability.

“The fire display last time was too dull~. Make the next thing more spectacular and fun!”

A girl in a pink kimono grumbled while clinging to the arm of the glasses-wearing woman.

She was the true culprit behind the Dilin Village Destruction Incident, chased by the Association, yet undetected among the many supernaturals affiliated with the organization.

In the factory, there were others too: a girl with a sword sitting atop the steel beam with a scar over one eye, a grotesque figure covered in bandages, and another girl surrounded by unique animals. Around ten such distinct figures gathered around the simple-looking woman at the center.

This absurd scene where charismatic criminals awaited orders from an ordinary-seeming woman was almost surreal. The woman, unperturbed by their gazes, spoke.

“I don’t believe something huge will happen from the start. Just keep living your lives and tell me if some beautiful girl gets involved in an incident.”

Her words were so mundane that there was no need to summon them all. But a young man lingering in the corner asked.

“Is that it?”

“I’ll continue on what was mentioned last time. Try to avoid encountering someone named Kim Ha-neul. While they may not have been trained in combat like us, the likelihood that they carry a threatening power is high. If a strange man approaches with an intent to brainwash or hypnotize, eliminate them immediately. As the scenario begins, the rival protagonists will likely move soon.”

The girl speaking on behalf of the glasses-wearing woman looked around at the group.

While the Association might not know how powerful most of these people were, aside from those on their wanted list, the girl understood from her master’s insights the potential of each person present.

Even Erica, had she been present and observed them, would have recognized crucial but unspoken information. But these were not villains. At least, not entirely villains.

Closer to a slice-of-life or romantic drama with someone like Kim Ha-neul, or perhaps a mystery story whose protagonist is yet unclear, when judged purely by the strength of pure heroines and villains, their faction belonging to the “supernatural battle” genre arguably possessed the most potent force.

To achieve their master’s goal, they would defeat the two rival protagonists and capture the presumed “true heroine” to bring her into their fold.

Though incomprehensible to outsiders, their purpose derived from their master’s inexplicable objective was to achieve it by any means necessary.

A strange madness flickered briefly in the eyes of the girl standing beside the glasses-wearing woman before fading away.

“Come on~ Master.”

The madness had to dissipate because her dazed master had already begun leaving the factory, and she had to follow.

The group silently watched them leave without a word. After ten minutes, they dispersed quietly, leaving no trace of their presence.

This organization, whose power rivaled that of the Association, remained hidden, unknown to the world.

Yet in the abandoned factory, empty except for the stray hairs of the iron-backed boar man left behind, there was no evidence of their meeting, only whispers of what had transpired…