Author note: Updated
----------------------------------------------------------
The Four-Tiger Sword.
Legend says it was a sword originally forged in ancient times through rituals performed precisely during the Year, Month, Day, and Hour of the Tiger, to dispel evil spirits.
Specifically, the sword now grasped by the team leader of Disaster Management Bureau's Black-Tortoise Team 3 wasn't even sharpened. It was crafted solely for ceremonial purposes.
But precisely for this reason, it exerted incredible power in cases of supernatural disaster.
"Haa."
Of course, it wasn't usable in every supernatural incident.
Nor could just anyone wield it.
Only under specific circumstances.
– When an evil entity, clearly defined as calamity or demonic, directly invades one's space.
The closer it matched this condition, the stronger its effect.
In most supernatural incidents, people usually enter or are drawn into a creature's territory.
On the contrary, cases where an entity 'invaded' directly were rare, and situations perfectly classifiable as purely evil were even rarer.
But this time…
'It's perfect.'
The team leader's hand trembled with excitement.
Because the entity had invaded the zone where she herself was employed.
Moreover, because it had discarded even the facade of a theme park's friendly mascot!
Every condition aligned perfectly, thrillingly, like puzzle pieces falling into place.
"Ha!"
Thus, the pure yang energy from the sword surged forth along its half-drawn path, transforming into lightning that struck the evil and unholy being.
Utterly powerful.
Absolutely complete!
AAAAAHHHH!
"Aghh!!"
Thunder and tremors, powerful enough to shake even the distant shelter, rumbled through the ground and radiated outward.
Dust and debris momentarily clouded vision, then cleared…
"…!!"
Within the collapsing, flaming ruins of the resort building.
The grotesquely crushed corpse of the massive Magic Bunny parade cast its shadow amid the flickering flames.
And in the next instant— Boom, boom, BOOOOM!!!
The remaining debris of the resort collapsed, burying everything inside the red mascots deep underground with the structure itself.
Completely.
"..."
"..."
"Is… Is it over?"
The team leader of Black-Tortoise Team 3 opened the shelter door and lightly stepped back inside.
"Ah! Team Leader!"
"Hush."
She sighed, brushed off her clothes, briefly examined the sword intently, and nodded.
"…There's nothing evil left here now."
"Huu!"
The agent sat down with relief.
The resort employees, who had already guessed the identities of the Disaster Management agents from their appearance and speech but had hesitated to confront them given the situation, also visibly relaxed.
"Was this what Mr. Mascot asked for?"
The team leader nodded lightly.
The employees murmured softly in admiration. Mr. Mascot had planned it all along!
Right. So while he used the resort building itself as a trap to contain the insane Magic Bunny, he had arranged for a suitable employee to deliver a decisive blow…
...
…Wait a minute.
"T-Then what about Mr. Mascot…?"
He was buried within the building when the lightning struck.
Silence.
All eyes turned to the team leader, but she slightly shook her head.
"I didn't hear anything beyond that."
"...!!"
Wait.
"I-If even one yellow mascot remains, can't we still communicate? It seemed like he switched bodies…"
"They all stayed at the resort!"
Moreover, everyone had seen from the shelter that the mad Magic Bunny had chased down every last yellow mascot to rip them apart!
"Then… the Yellow Mascot is dead too?"
"…!"
Some employees panicked at the agent's speculation.
Harvest Mouse grabbed the collar of the employee who had once been Ladybug.
"Y-You, don't you know something? Anything?!"
"Communication with Mr. Mascot is currently cut off! Let's just wait together until the theme park opens again!"
"Aghh!"
"W-Wait! If Mr. Mascot's not here… who's going to stamp our cards? We need proof of using this shelter! Who'll confirm we used this place?!"
"Calm down! Tomorrow morning we can just go to the Blue Zone and get stamped there!"
"You can! I have a yellow token—I have to drag even Mr. Mascot's corpse with me! Otherwise, we're stuck here!"
As the mascot grew stronger, they could freely move around within the zone, but rules were still rules.
If they wanted to clear the board game without getting hanged, they absolutely had to move together!
…Dragging a dead mascot along?
The face of the sole surviving member of the yellow team, Harvest Mouse, holding a yellow token turned pale.
Tap-tap.
"...?"
A polite knock echoed.
Turning their heads, they saw Section Chief Lizard tapping gently on the floor.
"Come out now."
In that instant—
Crack.
With an odd sound, the floor suddenly burst open, and someone sprang out from within!
"Aaaagh!"
"Ahh!"
It was… it was…
"T-The Security Team!"
A figure wearing a strange mask, black smoke pouring from its entire body. Numerous bizarre horns, yellow lantern-like eyes, and a glowing light at its waist. It looked like a supernatural being forcibly restrained into human form by a belt.
This was the true body that had been inside the yellow mascot suit.
"…!!"
Having only faced it as a cute mascot, the employees of Daydream Inc. momentarily felt chills run down their spines as they saw its raw, clearly monstrous form.
But at the same time, they realized the reality.
He's alive!
"Aha! You must have thought Magic Bunny wouldn't find you easily without your mascot form!"
"Ah…!"
Indeed, after business hours ended, the yellow mascot had shed its mascot costume, just as Magic Bunny had done. While the yellow mascots lured Magic Bunny into the resort, the real body had quietly hidden beneath the shelter, safely alive. In other words…
He's completely fine!
"Th-then… is the Yellow Zone safe now? Eek!"
The true body of the yellow mascot quietly turned toward the weasel-masked employee and nodded.
"Ahh…!"
At that moment, the shelter filled with relief.
They survived!
They had safely survived Magic Bunny's attack!
"Ahhh!"
Observing all of this silently was the team leader of Disaster Management Bureau.
'Hmm.'
Her eyes rapidly scanned the yellow being.
Apparently, this was the real entity hidden inside the cute yellow mascot costume.
'Did Daydream Inc. actually find a way to control supernatural entities?'
She knew that Daydream Inc. had been obsessively trying to figure out how the Disaster Management Bureau cooperated with the dokkaebi, and perhaps they'd developed their own method.
'…It seems there might be some sort of seal on it as well.'
It certainly didn't look harmless, but not every powerful entity was evil.
She recognized that this entity genuinely intended goodwill towards and protection of the human employees.
'Hmm. But… did that entity consider the consequences of failure?'
What if the Magic Bunny had realized sooner that the real body of the yellow mascot was hiding beneath the shelter? They certainly would've attacked the shelter, killing everyone.
'Well… maybe they thought if things got that bad, dying cleanly together would have been better.'
The team leader felt a vague unease but decided to let it pass.
After all, this intimidating supernatural phenomenon seemed to harbor enough goodwill to avoid outright classification as a disaster.
"Oh, so Section Chief Lizard already knew Mr. Mascot's plans! That's why you knocked to inform us, right?"
"No."
"Huh? Then how did you know?"
"I heard a sound."
"Oh."
The atmosphere became fairly amicable.
The team leader also noticed that despite the mascot's intimidating presence, its current movements seemed oddly weak, and its spiritual aura was no longer making her skin tingle.
Ironically, when it had worn the yellow mascot costume, its presence had been chillingly oppressive.
...Apparently, it had been severely weakened, either from Magic Bunny's lethal attack or from losing the resort, the source of its mascot power.
'…Has all its energy been drained?'
The team leader conveniently misunderstood the costume's effect!
Meanwhile, the yellow mascot did something else unusual.
"Uh, Mr. Mascot…?"
The special Security Team entity calmly raised something and placed it near where the ear of its mask would be. It was…
'A phone receiver…?'
A classic-style receiver with its cord torn off.
For a while, he stood silently, occasionally nodding or shaking his head.
Of course, no sound came from the disconnected receiver…
"..."
"..."
What on earth was he listening to?
In the silence, employees felt an odd creepiness, but they tried to keep the hopeful mood alive.
"S-So, we just need to hold out here until morning, then leave! Anyway, we used the facility, and with Mr. Mascot here, he can stamp our cards, so…!"
"..."
"R-Right?"
The mascot stared quietly at Harvest Mouse.
Then shook his head.
"…!"
"Does that mean… we can't get out?"
At that moment—
The black smoke swirling around the mascot drew shapes in the air. Like dark haze, it revealed clear forms illuminated by the yellow lantern-like glow.
Words.
You can get out
"Ah…!"
But first
Let's finish this
"Huh?"
We're taking over
The Red Zone
"…?!"
And so, in the dead of night—
The employees of the Yellow Zone carefully emerged from the shelter, following the bizarre entity that had served as the yellow mascot.
Even the shelter itself had begun to waver, perhaps due to the collapse of the Yellow Zone.
"Well, since it's come to this, let's just go along."
"Team Leader…"
Agent Gomyeong wiped tears, complaining how he'd spent all day calling on superiors.
Several employees considered rebelling, refusing to follow, but inevitably came out of the shelter begrudgingly, as their teammates moved first.
Because if they became separated from those who'd drawn the same-colored pieces, they'd face immediate execution by hanging. And none were confident enough to overpower Section Chief Lizard or Supervisor Dolphin, who had already moved to join.
Moreover, the most capable potential rebel had already been reborn with a new identity as an 'Employee of Flower Golden Resort'.
"My instructions are to follow the employees' actions and cooperate!"
Thus, everyone followed the special Security Team entity wearing the security uniform.
The first destination…
…was the gate, now darkened.
– Are we infiltrating the Red Zone through the Blue Zone?
The former yellow mascot nodded affirmatively to this question.
"Huu."
The employees hurried across the gate, even careful of their breathing, and then…
Their eyes met those of the Blue Mascot.
"…Ack!"
It sat motionlessly by the gate, still wearing its mascot costume.
But it lacked the liveliness of business hours. Anyone could tell this was merely an empty mascot suit controlled from within, rigid and lifeless.
The strange entity, formerly the yellow mascot, approached it and communicated once more with smoke.
To the Red Zone.
The one wearing the Blue Mascot costume quietly stood up.
Then began walking, as if to lead.
"..."
"..."
Had this already been agreed upon?
Swallowing nervously, the employees silently followed the two supernatural entities.
The Blue Mascot led them through the closed-down water park.
Splash.
With each step, water splashed underfoot.
A dark waterfront, illuminated only by the eerie yellow lantern-light emanating from the strange entity, feeling ominous enough to forget it was ever a theme park… tension crept up some employees' spines.
Then—
"Hey, Blue Mascot? Isn't it stuffy to keep that mascot costume on?"
Aaaack!
"Mr. Mascot said you can't cross zones in mascot form. Shouldn't you remove your costume if you're coming along?"
At Supervisor Lee Seonghae's blunt words, several employees and even an agent froze in shock.
But the Blue Mascot remained silent.
...
It simply stared at the questioner briefly, then kept walking without a word.
Supervisor Lee Seonghae tilted her head curiously but quickly shrugged it off and followed along.
Soon, they stood before a giant wall.
The barrier separating Magic Bunny's Fantasyland and Blue Dream Waterpark.
It seemed to have been reinforced once more, thicker and flashier than before.
Section Chief Lizard asked,
"Shall we break in?"
The former yellow mascot nodded, but raised a hand.
Wait.
Then he turned to gaze at the Blue Mascot. The one in the costume quietly walked to the very back.
Thud, thud.
The employees heard the heavy, sluggish footsteps of the mascot suit moving behind them.
And then.
Do not look back
"…!"
The employees staggered.
It felt as though a deep, oceanic pressure, a force as overwhelming as a tidal wave, had seized their insides.
Instinctively, they knew. It was safe only because it was behind them. They must never face it. To look back would be—
Disastrous.
"..."
Zzzzzzip.
Behind them, a rusty zipper slowly opened, followed by the sound of heavy fabric falling to the ground, leaving something standing there.
Splash.
The sound of water dripping.
At the very front, the entity carrying the yellow lantern formed new words from smoke.
From now on
Never
Look back
"..."
The employees swallowed hard.
Thus, they took their first step into the darkness of Magic Bunny's Fantasyland…
With something from the abyss following right behind.
The ending was near.