Chapter 213 - Emotions Alone Remain

In the heart of Seoul.

Where tall buildings stand scattered, and cars busily pass by on the roads.

A man was shown on screen, looking down at the scenery from his position in the open sky above.

A black cape fluttering in the wind, a magician's hat on his head, and a white mask covering half his face.

Currently the most popular figure in the Republic of Korea, always the center of attention whenever he appears.

Egostic had finally turned on his broadcast after a long time.

"I'm greeting you all after the new year. Hello everyone. This is Egostic!"

He flashed his signature grin toward the camera.

Since this was his first broadcast in several months after disappearing for so long, people's excitement was absolutely burning hot.

The chat window on the Ego-stream page where his broadcast was running was filling up so quickly it was difficult to read.

*

[Ten years and finally here lolololol]

[Mangostick appears like a dog after 524 seasons lolololol]

[Finally damn it!!! I believed in you Mango yahooooo~~~~!!!]

[Lolololol everyone's dead today, chicken time lolololol]

[Hey Mango, how many Ego-stream members are there now and why aren't you terrorizing them!!! Bro, do you want to see me go crazy?]

[How to reverently welcome Egostic's broadcast: 1) Turn on TV 2) Open a beer 3) Order chicken That's the way lolololol]

[Victory to all the home-workers who can watch the broadcast right away lolololol]

[Mango broadcast = time just melts away while watching lolololol]

[My heart is racing for the first time this year lolololol Is this... love?]

[I was cured of my illness just by watching the intro of this broadcast thank you]

[The moment I turned on the broadcast and saw Egostic's face, that's when my time finally started flowing again.]

*

Whether he knew about people's passionate reactions or not.

Egostic simply continued speaking with his enigmatic smile, floating in the sky with his cape fluttering.

"Yes! Everyone, thank you for your enthusiastic welcome. Since it's been quite a while since my last terror, I've prepared something really big this time!"

Ta-da!

He spread his arms as he said this.

Naturally, the chat window scrolled even faster with his words. Everyone was curious about what he would do next, or who he would bring along.

However, Egostic didn't reveal anything immediately.

He simply continued with a smile on his face, speaking as if it were obvious.

"But of course, good terror needs a good opponent to truly shine, right?"

"So I'll wait. For my hero, Stardust. Until she arrives."

"Come quickly, please."

He finished with a grin.

At that moment.

From one side of the sky, someone was flying toward him.

Stardust, with her golden yellow hair shimmering brightly as she flew.

***

He had finally arrived.

That news was enough to make Shin Ha-ru fly there immediately.

Was it because she rushed out as a hero upon hearing that a villain had appeared?

Or did she fly faster than anyone else because it was Egostic?

She couldn't tell.

But.

Thump. Thump.

That strange feeling she had after his last terror, when she was watching a TV program featuring the Statue of Liberty.

Her racing heart whenever she thought about him, like she had forgotten something. That feeling.

Why this strange emotion arose, what exactly it was.

She felt like she might understand if she met him.

That's why Shin Ha-ru flew.

To see him, Egostic.

Cutting through the cold wind, her hair fluttering, toward the place where Egostic had appeared, far from the association building.

And so she was finally able to meet him.

"Hello, Ms. Stardust."

"...Egostic."

In the empty sky where cold winds swirled.

There, the two people met.

*

[Finally Stardust is here too, nice lolololol]

[EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar! EgoStar!]

[Just having Egostic and Stardust together means the broadcast is over lolololol Crazy chemistry]

[The fact that Stardust is the official wife is recorded even in the Goguryeo watermelon map]

[Wait, comments praising Stardust keep getting deleted, what's going on? Everyone hide!]

[Doesn't that hacker girl manage this chat? lolololol]

[Even so, Stardust is the official wi-]

*

Regardless of whatever conversations people were having in the chat.

Stardust quietly gazed at him standing before her.

"Egostic...."

"Yes, that's me. You keep calling my name. You don't need to call so desperately, I'm not going anywhere. Haha!"

He joked and laughed.

But Stardust. Shin Ha-ru, couldn't laugh.

"....."

Standing before him.

Finally. Seeing his smiling face.

A whirlwind of emotions.

After so much time has passed. You know, when you were there for me. Those moments gathered together.

I, you.....

She couldn't remember anything.

However.

...This isn't the end.

Even if time turns back. Because it's still the two of us.

Someday, we'll be able to talk like this again.

So

Don't cry.

For some reason.

Looking at Egostic's smiling face before her now, she felt an overwhelming tender emotion rising within her.

Why, she couldn't understand why, but she. Shin Ha-ru, felt her heart racing in front of him.

She wanted to stand beside him.

She wanted to be with him.

She wanted him to look only at her.

Strange feelings that even she couldn't understand.

But clearly. Vividly emerging feelings.

However, she suppressed them for now.

...Right. Right now they were meeting as hero and villain. She shouldn't think about other things. These strange feelings, she could talk about them after everything was over.

But.

While I feel so complicated toward her. When it's hard to even meet your eyes because of my confused emotions. His face, smiling as if nothing bothered him at all.

Shin Ha-ru, feeling hurt.

Without realizing it, she snapped at him.

"...Why didn't you come?"

"Pardon?"

"You said you'd come soon, so why did you only show up now?"

Without realizing it, she tried to hide her hurt feelings. Pretending it was a sharp interrogation. She couldn't help but speak to him in that snappy way.

"...Haha, did I say that?"

...And at her words, while laughing as if wondering what she was talking about.

Looking slightly flustered and trying to change the subject in a way only she could notice.

She found herself smiling slightly without realizing it.

***

The first terror I caused after the new year.

When I turned on the broadcast in the sky and called for Stardust.

I never dreamed things would turn out like this.

"You said you'd come soon, so why did you only show up now?"

"...Haha, did I say that?"

Stardust shooting those cold words at me.

To her, I could only answer with a smile.

....No, I really thought we'd meet soon back then. We probably did meet. It's just that everything became nothing after the apocalypse, and the memories flew away.

But there's no way I could say that. I had no choice but to dodge the question like this. ...No, and I didn't expect her to really point that out. ...She's not angry, is she?

For now, I changed the subject and quickly glanced at the chat window.

*

["You said you'd come soon, so why did you only show up now?" Wait... isn't this something couples say to each other?]

[Whoa what's going on between them]

[I can already hear the dating rumors pouring in... lolololol]

[The Stardust X Egostic combo is definitely legit lolololol If they announce their relationship, the entire nation will shower them with congratulations]

[A-rank hero Stardust and S-rank hero Apple Mango hero couple born! Republic of Korea becomes a safety zone!]

[No way! Egostic and Moonlight Mango is the rule....!!!]

[No? It's Electro Mango? Stop talking nonsense]

[Why are people fighting again lolololol But anyone can see MangoStar is right, why keep saying? Strange things?]

[Fact) That's clearly just a hero who prepared in advance for a villain's terror announcement, but the villain didn't show up so all her preparations were wasted and she's angry, what romance are you all imagining]

[Is that? so?]

*

....Fortunately, they seemed to be convincing themselves with their own interpretations.

Anyway, that's not what's important.

I looked back at Stardust.

"....Pfft."

At that moment, seeing me slightly flustered, she laughed a little.

"...Why are you laughing?"

"Just. It's funny."

"....Well. Laughing at a villain. How perplexing. Ha."

I said that, but I also chuckled.

...Thankfully, that earlier comment seems to have been a joke. No, a hero joking with a villain doesn't make sense, so should I call it provocation? Anyway.

As I looked at her smiling, I found myself smiling back without realizing it.

Today especially, I couldn't take my eyes off her smiling face....

'...Am I going crazy?'

I pushed those thoughts away.

Get it together. A professional villain shouldn't be like this. Act like a professional, like a professional.

...Still, seeing Shin Ha-ru. No, Stardust in person today gave me a strange feeling. Stardust was most beautiful when she smiled.

Anyway, Stardust and I were briefly looking at each other, smiling.

*

[What's with this atmosphere? What are you two doing? (´,,•ω•,,｀)]

*

...Of course, I quickly came to my senses after seeing the chat.

Come on, I didn't even look for a few seconds and they're making such a fuss. How am I supposed to properly terrorize with everyone watching like this?

Anyway, I smiled and prepared to start the terror in earnest.

I'd been worried lately because of an ominous feeling, but seeing Stardust smiling, the atmosphere seemed good, which was a relief. ...Actually, it's strange that the atmosphere during a terror would be good. Anyway.

Therefore, I could proceed to the next step without worry.

"Well! Ahem, anyway, it's time to start the terror in earnest. Everyone, don't be surprised. I've brought someone special with great difficulty!"

"Huh...?"

Seeing Stardust tilting her head in confusion.

I teleported for a moment.

To the rooftop of a nearby building.

"Ah, is it finally my turn?"

"Yes, Katana. Show us your skills. And remember? If the situation seems bad..."

"Yes, I understand. I'll do my best."

Katana answered with a faint smile.

I smiled back at her, took her hand, and then reappeared in front of Stardust.

"Let me introduce! My old friend who came all the way from Japan, Japan's number one ranked villain, Katana!"

"...Hello."

She bowed her head slightly toward the camera.

Perhaps nervous about being on broadcast, she was a bit stiff and trembling, squeezing my hand tighter. So I pressed her hand firmly to tell her not to be nervous.

And then.

"......Huh?"

Seeing us like that.

The light disappeared from Stardust's face, which had been smiling until just now.

The atmosphere suddenly darkening.

A sense of foreboding stronger than before and an intuition that sighed.

....Oh. This isn't right.