Chapter 358: Another Beginning

Chapter 358: Another Beginning

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 time 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 game, 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 flame the size of a simple lighter could now create fire that could burn down buildings.

Powers that could already create fire could now create meteorites 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 became 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 became 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 became villains rather than heroes...

'It's only natural that the world would become chaotic if there were more powerful people with uncontrolled abilities.'

In any case, the world becomes even more chaotic with more powerful villains.

At the center of it all is Cathedral, the leader of the Villain Alliance.

Emerging 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 become even stronger than before.

...Anyway, the bottom line is that sooner or later, there will come 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 me, she smiled as if she had something 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 me 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 me in a disheveled position, took a moment to catch her breath.

...After calming down somewhat, she pulled her face away from my chest, looked up at me, 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 something 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 me with slightly watery blue eyes.

"...At the very least, can you show me 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 me. 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 something strange.

"...Wait. I recognize you from somewhere, huh?"

Stardus said, then suddenly remembered.

"Wait! Hey, you. Aren't you the Da-in I met on the beach?"

"...Haha, that's right."

"No... Wow. Really..."

She seemed to come 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 names.

Although I kind of knew that already.

"...And, from now on, no more Stardus, call me Haru. Understood?"

"Yes, sir...Haru."

We chatted for a bit longer, kissed one last time, and then parted ways. She hesitated a bit, as if she didn't want to be separated from me, but...we had things to do.

At least she smiled a little at the end, so she seemed to be feeling much better. Perhaps she'll be more cheerful the next time we meet.

...I was reminiscing until then.

Then I looked at Lee Seola, who was smiling at me, 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 become stronger, something that was impossible to achieve no matter how much they trained?"

"Uh."

"Hmm..."

Lee Seola, who seemed to have tapped the calculator in her head a few times, 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 Meteor PMC kids we've been training, right? Make them all heroes of the Association in advance."

"...?"

Seola seemed to think for a moment 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 agreement.

In Korea, the current treatment of heroes is harsh and even dangerous, so heroes have become an occupation to be avoided.

With all the talented people not wanting to be heroes, we created the Meteor 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 media play and propaganda of the Meteor Group, which has taken over Korea, could attract people who suddenly became 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 regime 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 time.

"Yes, Da-in. And..."

And with that, I leave.

With a final giggle, Lee Seola turned to me 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 moment at her words, then replied quietly.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Life was not easy...

Anyway, just like that, I returned home.

And as I lay there in bed, I was thinking about something related to Phase 4.

I tried to think of...

'I love you, Egostic.'

"..."

...Over and over again, I thought of something 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 me, so obsessed with me. 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 men.

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.