Chapter 232 - For You

"From what I've found out, that villain apparently has the ability to create something like poison gas. Everyone, I recommend that you prepare a gas mask at home in case you encounter someone with the ability to manipulate gases."

Shin Ha-ru's home.

Or more precisely, the home of the hero Stardust.

There, she was watching Egostic on TV with an anxious expression.

"We're doing our best right now, but we just don't know. I'm sorry..."

The Association had long since said they couldn't track his location.

Which meant that right now, she couldn't do anything except watch Egostic's broadcast from home.

"....."

All she could do was watch him on screen, nervously tapping the table.

There was only one reason why she was so anxious.

She was worried about Egostic.

"....Will he be okay?"

She spoke with a concerned gaze.

...Of course, she had been feeling somewhat hurt by Egostic lately. It was true that she had been making plans to catch him somehow.

But putting all that aside, her anxiety was greater now.

Egostic walking alone through that strange corridor and laboratory to fight another villain.

He actually looked surprisingly cool wearing a gas mask and walking... but that wasn't the issue.

Unlike others, she knew from fighting him directly.

Despite his usual appearance of preparing for and controlling every situation, and despite his incredibly powerful teammates making it less obvious.

Egostic's pure combat strength itself was very weak.

Therefore, seeing Egostic walking alone through that obviously dangerous corridor was enough to make his hero, Stardust, extremely anxious.

...To the point where she thought even his teammates, whose constant presence she normally disliked, should be there.

That's how worried she was.

In fact, when you think about it, it seemed strange for a hero to worry about a villain like this.

'....No. This isn't strange.'

It's natural for a hero to worry about their assigned villain. He shouldn't fall by someone else's hand. He should face legal judgment.

...And she also owed him her life. Even though she had repaid that debt.

'...Ahem. So you owe me one now?'

Recalling Egostic's image as he lay dying with his body pierced and bleeding in the basement, she unconsciously bit her lip and stared intensely at the screen with an anxious heart, unable to do anything.

And finally, she saw the self-proclaimed "Scream Maker" that Egostic had mentioned.

"....A rat has entered."

From inside what looked like a tank full of purple viscous toxic liquid, the bald villain spoke with a loud mechanical voice that made the screen vibrate.

As Stardust watched him, her anxiety only grew.

...Could Egostic really defeat that?

An ominous feeling even through the screen.

That villain looked strong just by appearance. It was chilling to think that such a person had been hiding in this country.

She wondered how Egostic had found such a villain, but more importantly, she wondered how he planned to face him alone.

"...That gas mask."

"So you know what I'm researching."

"Yes. Isn't that obvious?"

"....I see."

Their incomprehensible conversation continued.

Then, with Egostic's final provocation.

The figure in the tank clenched his fist.

Whoosh-

Suddenly, the area around Egostic became filled with what was clearly dangerous gas even through the screen.

At the same time, all the unidentified weapons in the room activated automatically and began targeting Egostic.

Ziiiiiiiiing-

"No!"

At that moment.

Stardust was so surprised that she unconsciously stood up and shouted.

However.

As expected, Egostic was Egostic.

"Oh my, you prepared all these gifts for me. I appreciate it, but... unfortunately, I must politely decline."

Snap.

As if there was no problem at all, he smiled and snapped his fingers.

Whiiiiir...

And amazingly, at that moment, all the devices in the room stopped functioning and collapsed powerlessly.

The tank also opened, revealing the bald villain.

He tried to shout something in panic, but

-Bang.

He fell helplessly with one shot from Egostic's gun.

And so.

"Yes! Today's revenge ends here."

Only when Egostic smiled after everything was over.

Could she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"....Haa, really. Making people worry like that."

As she leaned back and muttered those words, relaxing her body.

Only then did she suddenly reflect on herself.

"......"

Until today, she had been firmly resolving with a stern face that Egostic was a bad guy and she would definitely catch him.

But now, as if that had never happened, she was gripping her hands in sweat, only hoping for his safety.

"....Hmm."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed of herself, her cheeks slightly reddened.

'...Well. I need to catch him with my own hands. So this makes sense. Yes. Egostic needs to be caught by me, so it would be a problem if someone else caught him, right?'

After rationalizing to herself, she concluded there was no problem.

Though her cheeks remained red.

As she was fanning her face with her hand due to some inexplicable heat.

Suddenly, her expression darkened.

...But what was the point of feeling this way alone?

Anyway, Egostic hadn't been paying attention to her lately, not even making eye contact.

...Am I the only one thinking of him as my arch-enemy? In reality, he's probably not thinking about me at all right now.

And just as she was about to sink into those thoughts.

Egostic, who had been examining something on screen, suddenly spoke as if remembering something.

"...And, since this place seems dangerous... I think it would be best if only Stardust came.

"....!"

At those words from his mouth.

Stardust unconsciously looked up.

"I'll let you know the location separately. Well then, I'm really going now. Goodbye!"

And his broadcast ended.

Looking at the screen that had gone black.

"....."

Stardust sat there, staring blankly.

Hmm....

Well. I guess he's calling me after everything's done.

Sigh. Is he always causing incidents and then asking me to clean up? Ha, I wonder if he thinks I'm his sidekick rather than a hero.

Despite grumbling like that.

Just because he had mentioned her, unlike before.

Stardust seemed to be in the best mood of the day.

***

A few hours later.

Stardust flew toward the address that had come to her from an unknown sender.

...Although she felt slightly better that he had contacted her directly rather than through the Association, it was probably just her imagination.

Anyway, he had earnestly asked only her to come, so there must be a reason.

Firmly believing that, she headed to the place he had told her.

Finally arriving at the penthouse in the remote location she had seen on the broadcast.

She walked through the door that Egostic had already broken open, and into the hidden interior.

Only then could she step into the secret laboratory of the villain called Scream Maker.

"....."

And with that, her expression hardened.

The place was filled with experimental materials in dull colors, looking obviously dangerous.

Even at a glance, the labels in English saying various bacteria and toxins looked like biochemical weapons.

In glass experimental chambers like those used to confine mice, there were small splashes of blood from some kind of experiment.

And there were dozens, hundreds of such things placed around.

"....This is terrible."

Looking at those sights, Stardust unconsciously muttered.

...To think that such a villain had been building his power while evading her eyes.

The thought alone was horrifying.

Holding her dizzy head, she continued to move further inside.

Deeper, to the innermost room where Egostic had confronted that villain.

Finally, she arrived.

Seeing the place filled with things that looked far more dangerous than before, she was at a loss for words.

...What is wrong with the Republic of Korea, that such a small country has so many vicious and powerful ability users?

...Truly, if Egostic hadn't been there.

Until the day before this villain carried out his terror attack, she would have been caught completely unaware.

As she was pondering these thoughts while looking around.

Then, she discovered something.

"....?"

In front of a dull, bleak monochrome gas tank.

A bright yellow Post-it note that stood out.

It caught her attention so much that she unconsciously walked over to it.

There, in scribbled handwriting, was written:

[Danger! Do not open under any circumstances. Contains gas that causes instant death even with small exposure. Even if you're Stardust, it's dangerous, so please don't breathe it in and tell the Association to dispose of it safely.]

[-Egostic.]

"......Ah."

And that Post-it note.

Stardust, without realizing it.

Stared at for a long time.

After standing there for a while, she put it down and looked around again.

Numerous Post-it notes visible everywhere.

[Turning on the power will trigger machine gun fire from the left wall. Do not touch!]

[Operating this will release lethal gas from the ceiling. Please don't turn it on!]

[This seems to be a ventilation button. There are toxic gases stored inside, so it would be better to inform the Association for proper disposal later.]

Scattered everywhere.

Egostic's handwritten notes, left for her.

Anyone could see that he was worried she might get hurt if she touched things carelessly.

Even through the scribbled handwriting, his concern was so evident that.

Stardust.

Feeling all the knots in her heart untangling.

She muttered helplessly.

"If you do this... really. Haha..."

...How can I.

Hate you?

Which villain, who, would do this?

[I've cleared away all the toxins. Well, just in case, please don't touch anything.]

And finally seeing the villain's corpse at the end.

Worried that she might step on it, he had cleaned up the purple liquid that was placed in the broken tank.

She smiled helplessly once more, then lost interest in the corpse.

...Whoever he was.

Yes. He must have deserved to die.

And more than that.

She was interested in Egostic's final Post-it note placed beside it.

"...What's this?"

[For you, Stardust.]

That letter began with that familiar sentence.