Chapter 47 - 46 : Mission 4

We were all gathered inside the coffee cafe of the shopping mall. I recognized the brand. It used to be a famous franchise. Now just another place with bloodstains under the tables and cracked tiles instead of jazz music. But for once, things felt... almost normal. Everyone was here, and dressed in fresh clothes. Someone had found a boutique downstairs and raided it. I ended up in a black hoodie and tight-fitting jeans that didn’t quite match my style but felt good on the skin. Then, like a soft breeze disturbing a graveyard, Seo-Yeon stirred. Her eyes blinked open, unfocused at first. "...Where am I?" she mumbled. In-Ji rushed to her side, kneeling by the couch. "You passed out." He handed her a glass of water. He then explained what happened after how her berserk mode went off after song-woo sudden death and how Volt and Eun-ha saved their lives. Seo-Yeon blinked again, then turned toward Eun-ha. Without warning, she reached out and wrapped the little girl in a tight hug. The kind that said "Don’t do it again ok. Don’t disappear on me." She whispered something in Eun-ha’s ear—a soft, "Thank you." Then kissed her on the forehead like she’d been reborn. Eun-ha giggled, bright as sunlight piercing storm clouds. That tiny smile might’ve been the first clean, warm thing we’d seen in days. It seems her spirit summoning is similar to Seo-Yeon’s," Mother muttered, watching Eun-ha with an expression I couldn’t place. I gave a slow nod. But we didn’t have time to dig deeper. A chime echoed. No one moved. But every one of us felt it. 0:00 The timer had hit zero. The world twisted. The colors inverted for a split-second—and then we were somewhere else. An open arena, stadium-wide, no walls, no boundaries—just the raw sky above and shattered earth below. Floating above us like a celestial glitch... was Sailor Moon. Well, not the Sailor Moon I remembered. This one had the costume and ribbons, sure. But her eyes were cold glass, and her voice was like broken wind chimes in a meat grinder. "Hello, vermin. It’s good to see you all alive today," she purred with venom. Then she flicked her fingers. Above her, the Counter appeared. 279,825,671 participants. And then, with a playful wave: 223,981,003 survivors. "Wow. That’s an improvement," she said, her voice sweet and condescending. "Keep it up, bugs. Really. I’m rooting for you." Yeah, sure you are. She floated downward slightly, her skirts fluttering as she stared down at us with dead eyes. "You know, I’ve been thinking.You humans are fascinating. Really. You kill for land, for gods, for skin color. You hang each other over which flag you wear." She raised her hand toward the sky like a priestess. "But here’s the kicker—even other species do the same! Hornets murder bees for sport. Alpha lions kill other lions’ cubs. Sperm whales clash with squids like it’s a grudge match in the deep sea!" She grinned now, something unholy stretching across her face. "So guess what? We’re changing things up." She summoned a black velvet box out of thin air, reached into it with mock elegance, and pulled out a folded paper. "For the people of Buk-gu, Ulsan—" she began, eyes scanning the crowd as if she could smell us. "—your rivals will be... Ravens and Owls." Two creatures erupted into the air behind her. The raven was monstrous. Towering wings, a single glowing eye on its forehead like a blood-red moon. Its feathers shimmered with ink-black oil. The owl, in contrast, had soft, brown feathers—but only one grotesque leg at the center of its body. It swayed unnaturally, like a top about to fall. "The rules are simple," Sailor Moon said. "Pick one. Kill the other." She twirled in the air like a ballerina from hell. "Oh, and here’s a bonus secret: each side comes with its own rewards... and punishments. But I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon enough." Her laughter pierced the sky. And with a snap— We were back. Just like that. Back in the coffee shop. But nothing felt the same anymore. The café walls were still cracked. The stale sugar packets still sat untouched by the register. But something heavy lingered in the air. Not fear. Choice. I glanced at the others. In-Ji’s fingers tapped her thigh nervously. Hyun-tae was reloading his shotgun even though we weren’t under threat. Seo-Yeon was still holding Eun-ha, her eyes calculating something far away. And me? I just stared out the window at the sky. A sky that now had two monsters waiting for our answer> [System Update] Race Quest: Survival Phase - Bird War Region: Buk-gu, Ulsan Rival Factions Assigned: Ravens vs Owls Objective: Choose your allegiance. Eliminate opposing faction monsters. Optional: Eliminate rival human participants. Reward: Evolutionary Unlock Path Enhanced Pet Development Penalty for Failure: Automatic Level Cap Reduction Marked as "Traitor" (Targeted by both factions) Time Left: 48 Hours "Even birds have vendettas. What’s your excuse?" – System_Oracle.SailorMoon.v4