A phantom dragon appeared in Seoul.
…After many, many things.
~A week later~
I'm in my room, trying to organize my thoughts and prepare for my next move.
‘It's almost ti for Phase 4…’
The final chapter of the original story, Stardust. The chapter that reveals the true reason why Shin Haru is the main character of the story.
This final chapter is the final phase, so the chaos and power inflation is unparalleled up to this point, and for good reason.
The final boss of the original ga, the Sun God, is getting closer and closer.
The result is a literal hyperinflation, where every hero and villain's abilities are elevated to the next level.
Those who could previously create a fla the size of a simple lighter could now create fire that could burn down buildings.
Powers that could already create fire could now create teorites that could destroy cities.
It was a festival where all abilities evolve from B to A, A to S, and so on.
…and was literally the harbinger of the end of the world.
Think about it. Class A villains beca Class S villains. Especially ones like Atlas, who was already powerful? He's grown so much that it's ridiculous.
So much so that there are vicious rumors circulating in the fan community that the writer is finally throwing in the towel, and it's seriously disrupting the world.
This is why when I was dropped into this world with telekinesis and teleportation, I despaired of my abilities, because I didn't think I could survive this power inflation.
Anyway, in the original, the world loses control and goes to shit.
Even though the heroes beca equally powerful, it didn't keep the balance of power. It's also because the small citizens who originally had B-class and A-class abilities evolved their abilities and beca villains rather than heroes…
‘It's only natural that the world would beco chaotic if there were more powerful people with uncontrolled abilities.’
In any case, the world becos even more chaotic with more powerful villains.
At the center of it all is Cathedral, the leader of the Villain Alliance.
Erging from the shadows, they have finally made their presence felt, bringing all of the villains that exploded in Phase 4 under their umbrella… It's almost like an association of villains. Ironic, considering the actual Association has fallen into obscurity since Phase 4.
And the reason for that is, of course, Celeste, who has beco even stronger than before.
…Anyway, the bottom line is that sooner or later, there will co a day when all the powers will be powered up, and that's the beginning of Phase 4.
With the world coming to an end, I had no intention of letting it happen.
If nothing else, I had to protect Korea.
With that, I went to find Lee Seola.
"Uh, Da-in, why are you here?"
In the president's office of Yuseong Group, I greeted Lee Seola who was sitting there, half lying on the couch.
When she saw , she smiled as if she had sothing up her sleeve.
"You've been so calm lately. Oh, and by the way…her face has been really bright lately, do you know what's going on?"
"Uh… Huh? I don't know."
"Hmmm…"
Half lying down on the couch, I leaned against the desk next to her, avoiding her all-knowing smile.
…
She had confessed her feelings to that day, but nothing had changed between us.
She's busy being a hero, and I'm busy being the head of the Egostream. We haven't seen each other since that day.
Except…
"…."
I leaned against Lee Seola's desk as I recalled the events of that night.
*
~The evening when the stars decorated the night sky~
"Ha, ha, ha…"
After we finished kissing, Stardus, who was leaning against in a disheveled position, took a mont to catch her breath.
…After calming down sowhat, she pulled her face away from my chest, looked up at , and spoke quietly.
"…Honestly, there are a lot of things I've wanted to ask you… why you keep acting like a villain, when you're not…? Why you continue to terrorize and choose the side of evil?"
"Still, there must be sothing about you. I'm the hero and you're the villain…Yeah. I won't ask too many questions right now. Just…"
She looked up at with slightly watery blue eyes.
"…At the very least, can you show your true colors now? I, for one, would like to see the real you without the mask…"
She stopped there, turned her head away, and muttered.
"No. Is this too much to ask… No. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry."
As she said that in my arms with a sullen look on her face.
…In that situation, there was no man who could not take off his mask.
"…It's not. Here."
I did so, silently removing my mask with my other hand.
…She obviously turned her head, but her eyes were secretly looking towards . She looked at my bare face without the mask and said with a bright smile.
"Wow… you used to look like this… Huh?"
After touching my face, she suddenly muttered sothing strange.
"…Wait. I recognize you from sowhere, huh?"
Stardus said, then suddenly rembered.
"Wait! Hey, you. Aren't you the Da-in I t on the beach?"
"…Haha, that's right."
"No… Wow. Really…"
She seed to co to her senses, and said with a wry smile.
“…I said you really resembled Egostic…and you said absolutely not…”
"Haha…"
…Well, anyway, in this way, we revealed each other's nas.
Although I kind of knew that already.
"…And, from now on, no more Stardus, call Haru. Understood?"
"Yes, sir…Haru."
We chatted for a bit longer, kissed one last ti, and then parted ways. She hesitated a bit, as if she didn't want to be separated from , but…we had things to do.
At least she smiled a little at the end, so she seed to be feeling much better. Perhaps she'll be more cheerful the next ti we et.
…I was reminiscing until then.
Then I looked at Lee Seola, who was smiling at , and blurted out.
"…Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about."
"Hmph, you're not saying that you've just turned the first button?"
"Shut up and listen…"
And so I explained to her what will happen when Phase 4 starts, the growth of the powerful, and the expected disruption of society.
And when she heard that, she said.
"No… Wow. Wait."
Where was her smile from earlier, she held her head in her hands as if it hurt, and squeezed her eyes shut.
"…So… you're saying that the abilities of the Gifted will suddenly beco stronger, sothing that was impossible to achieve no matter how much they trained?"
"Uh."
"Hmm…"
Lee Seola, who seed to have tapped the calculator in her head a few tis, had a look of dismay on her face as she thought of the social repercussions that would result.
"…Terrorism rates would increase, of course. The supply of new heroes… won't be as high. Wow, what are we going to do?"
She said.
I chuckled and replied.
"It's simple. We need to increase the power of our Association."
"How?
"All of the teor PMC kids we've been training, right? Make them all heroes of the Association in advance."
"…?"
Seola seed to think for a mont at my words, but then it dawned on her.
“Oh no way…”
“Huh. You have a lot of influence in the association now, right?”
"…That's not a bad idea."
She nodded in agreent.
In Korea, the current treatnt of heroes is harsh and even dangerous, so heroes have beco an occupation to be avoided.
With all the talented people not wanting to be heroes, we created the teor PMC, aka Ego Squad.
In short, we gathered orphans and people with nowhere else to turn, paid them a lot of money, and created another hero association with private soldiers.
Soon they're going to be insanely powerful, but before they do, we're going to make them all part of the organization and explode the number of heroes. What if a power inflation event occurs?
…The dia play and propaganda of the teor Group, which has taken over Korea, could attract people who suddenly beca superhumans to the center of the Association. Of course they'd pay them more. Humans want to follow others, and if there's a group, they want to be part of it, don't they? We're taking advantage of that psychology.
I had that kind of conversation with Lee Seola.
The goal is to stabilize the association-based regi in South Korea. I don't know about the rest of the world, but it was my way of stabilizing Korea, which Stardus must protect…
"…Okay, I'll have to start preparing."
"Uh. I'll be back."
With that, I prepared to part ways.
Phase 4 is right around the corner, and I have a lot to do. I need to see Celeste one more ti.
"Yes, Da-in. And…"
And with that, I leave.
With a final giggle, Lee Seola turned to and said.
"The pictures of you and Stardus in the sky before it started raining that day, I took control and deleted them before they spread.
"…."
I paused for a mont at her words, then replied quietly.
"…Thank you."
"You're welco."
Life was not easy…
Anyway, just like that, I returned ho.
And as I lay there in bed, I was thinking about sothing related to Phase 4.
I tried to think of…
‘I love you, Egostic.’
"…"
…Over and over again, I thought of sothing else.
For the past week, I've been in a near daze.
The reason, of course, is Stardus, Haru.
…That she was so dependent on , so obsessed with . It was so unexpected. Or maybe I knew it in the back of my mind, but denied it.
Anyway, it was a big deal that Stardus and I ended up like that. I never imagined that she'd have any interest in n.
A heroine falling for a villain, a fan of the original would have been outraged…It was a big deal.
"Why does the corner of my mouth keep turning up?
…It was a strange thing indeed.
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