Chapter 271 - Counterattack
# Republic of Korea's villain, Egostic.
Before the battle with the Moonlight Cult, he had turned on a broadcast. A live stream showing him and Republic of Korea's hero Stardust facing the Moonlight Cult leader together.
And while that broadcast might have started as a way to inform the citizens of Republic of Korea about the progress of the battle against the Moonlight Cult...
"Hey, Chris."
"Fuck... we're all going to die..."
"Stop talking nonsense and watch this video!"
"What is this... Oh! Is that the old man from earlier?"
*
[Egostic! Egostic! Egostic! Egostic!]
[Please win desperately please]
[The cult leader really looks like a final boss lol that bastard]
[What is this place? Is it Korea?]
[Can Egostic, Stardust, and the Moon Priestess really stop him? I'm seriously freaking out]
[Isn't he that fucking moonlight boomer? Go kill him man]
[応援してください 奴を倒してください！]
[加油 自我棒]
[एशियाई आदमी तुम नहीं जानते कि तुम कौन हो, खुश हो जाओ]
[What's this? Why are there suddenly so many foreigners?]
[They say satellite internet is the standard overseas lol their internet works better than ours wtf]
[Impressive K-Stic, show everyone how you save the world]
*
In reality, contrary to his expectations.
His broadcast was already receiving worldwide attention.
[Breaking news! Some evil spirits are tearing apart the Kremlin, the president has urgently evacuated...]
A world thrown into chaos by monsters emerging from gates.
Although the attacks weren't as rapid as in Republic of Korea, the source of the gates, it was still enough to paralyze a nation's entire system.
People hiding everywhere for survival were all clutching their mobile phones to understand how the situation was unfolding.
In areas where communication networks were destroyed, they even used satellite internet, and the information they barely managed to obtain was:
This incident was more serious than they thought.
The International Association's headquarters had a gate open above it causing chaos, the Prime Minister was missing. Most countries were currently under attack, busy fighting to protect themselves. As a result, no one could even approach Republic of Korea, where the mastermind of this incident, a guy called Moonlight (the Moonlight Cult leader), was located.
Especially since gates with monsters were appearing more frequently in densely populated areas, the damage was greater in major cities. All heroes, and even some high-ranking villains, were cooperating to prevent everyone from dying at the hands of these monsters. After all, even they had a problem with the world ending.
In this situation where no one knew what was happening and hope was barely visible.
The news spread quickly.
-In Republic of Korea, the epicenter of the disaster, a villain was broadcasting his journey to kill the cult leader who caused all this.
And so, everyone who could barely access the network entered that site with their families and friends, trembling but determined.
Despite the static-filled audio and low resolution, they could see it.
A villain called Egostic fighting against the old man known as the Moonlight Cult leader who had declared this catastrophe.
Everyone who heard this news focused entirely on this broadcast.
In a situation where the future was uncertain, this was the only hope for now.
While Egostic himself wasn't paying attention to the rapidly increasing viewer count.
Countless people worldwide were watching his broadcast with clenched fists, even though they couldn't understand the language.
They watched the man in a black hat called Egostic fighting on the rooftop of a black tower, along with a blonde female hero and a woman in priestess robes, all battling against the cult leader.
So when they exchanged heated words with the cult leader, everyone watched with bated breath.
*
[Holy shit that scared me]
[Even in this situation, Stardust protects Egostic first lol why is that all I can see when my life is at stake too]
[Cult leader←total scumbag, like if you agree lol]
*
When the cult leader suddenly launched a surprise attack, everyone was startled.
And when the black-haired woman in priestess robes created a magic circle and did something.
They saw the gates around the video, and the gates around them, not many but at least one each, disappearing.
*
[Wow lololololol]
[Moon Priestess Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol! Baek Eunwol!]
[Cult leader got wrecked lol what kind of third-rate villain pretends to be a final boss lol]
[What the did she deleted fucking portals?]
[Let's keep going like this~]
*
They all had hope.
Yes, they did.
"...Damn. What, what is that?"
...In the video.
After the cult leader laughed maniacally and disappeared.
In front of the city shown in the broadcast.
A gate larger than ever before appeared, so massive it couldn't be fully captured by the camera, large enough to block the sky.
And from beyond it.
[Graaaaaaaaaah-]
Until an indescribably bizarre and gigantic monster appeared.
*
[?]
[Wait wtf what is that]
[Why is there suddenly a phase 2 please don't do this]
[We're fucked]
*
That monster standing in front of the dark night sky with a white moon.
So large that even tall buildings looked small in comparison, with wings so enormously huge they blocked the entire sky. A presence so overwhelming that the air vibrated with its mere existence. A size so immense that looking up at its head required more than a right angle.
And.
A face that resembled yet didn't resemble a dragon, with what looked like jewels embedded in its head.
With its bizarre dark purple coloration and ferocious appearance looking down at the city, that overwhelming presence.
The people watching the broadcast were literally frozen.
"...How can we defeat that?"
Words that escaped their mouths without them realizing.
A situation where anyone could see that this gate crisis would only end if that thing was defeated.
Just as people were rapidly losing hope at the sight of this overwhelming presence that seemed capable of destroying an entire city with just a few swings of its tail, even through the video.
Flash-
"...Huh?"
Whoooooooosh-
BOOM.
"....!"
Something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, a small yellow light flashed in the sky.
Something glowing yellow rushed like a comet toward the creature's body, colliding like a cannonball.
Actually, the yellow glow was the unusual part.
But due to the extreme size difference, it didn't seem to make much visible impact.
However.
[Kyaaaaaaaaaah-!]
Surprisingly.
That attack made the monster stagger, though it had seemed impervious to any damage.
Letting out a pain-filled roar, it stepped back several paces.
The monster shook its neck, suffering.
And then it began to rampage, creating magic circles around it despite looking like a dragon, destroying buildings and causing havoc.
Nevertheless, Republic of Korea's hero Stardust, glowing yellow and flying around, continued to face it calmly while avoiding its attacks.
People thought again.
Maybe, just maybe, there might be a chance.
***
"Hyaaaah!"
[Kieeeeeeeeeeee-!]
The dark sky, the cold winter night air.
And the overwhelmingly large monster standing before it.
Against something hundreds or thousands of times larger than herself.
Stardust was literally gritting her teeth and fighting alone.
Whoooosh-
Ziiiiing
-Bububububububu
"Ugh...."
The monster's attacks were so powerful that she was pushed back by the mere wind of its swinging arms, each blow filled with death.
Despite its ferocious, irrational dragon-like head, for some reason it was using magic to pressure her.
Even in a situation where a single hit would likely mean instant death.
Stardust was fighting against it with all the strength she had built up until now.
Ms. Stardust. Listen carefully. If you can stop this one, all of this will end.
She gritted her teeth and dodged at tremendous speed as the monster charged toward her, smashing the ground.
Then, striking as quickly as possible in hit-and-run tactics, she hit the monster's body with her fist glowing with the power of yellow starlight with all her might.
That monster can probably only be defeated by you, Stardust. Other ability users won't be able to do it.
Only you can inflict damage on that thing.
"Hyaaaah!"
BOOM.
As her fist collided with the monster's tough skin, a yellow flash exploded like a bomb.
The monster howled again in pain.
She floated in the air again, now without even time to catch her breath, avoiding the monster's magical attacks flying toward her.
An enemy stronger than any she had faced before, stupidly powerful. An enemy that made her doubt whether victory was even possible.
Certainly, it seems unbeatable. But...
Graaaaaaah-
As the monster roared again enough to shake heaven and earth, moving its mountain-like body nimbly toward her, Stardust avoided it and once again infused her hands with yellow light.
As always, you can do it.
BOOM.
As her fist once again lit up the dark sky with yellow light.
"Ugh...?"
[GRAAAAAAAAAAH]
The monster, which had naturally deployed a magic circle to block her attack, was suddenly in front of her with its enormous mouth open as if about to swallow her.
Before she could even dodge. In that brief moment when she was launching her attack.
And so.
...And.
We'll help you too.
SNAP-
The moment the monster's mouth was about to close,
"...Phew. That was close."
"...Haa, haa. Hmph. I could have, haa, dodged by myself."
"Yes, yes. Of course you could have."
Someone was hugging her from behind, having teleported her far away from the monster, and was smiling as they spoke.
"Sorry for being late, Ms. Stardust. I've come to help."
And behind the person speaking:
"Hey, Stardust, long time no see?"
[Hahaha! Stardust, good to see you after so long. Now we'll help you!]
"Hmph... just helping this once. We can't all die."
Electra, Death Knight, the hacker girl South Silver, and other colleagues of Egostic.
"Stardust...!"
"Rest assured, Stardust. Now that I'm here, our strength will surely be multiplied dozens of times."
"Master Stardust, we're here too!"
Icicle, Shadow Walker, and members of the Yu-seong PMC, along with all of Stardust's colleagues, were all there.
Their purpose was singular.
To help Stardust defeat that seemingly invincible monster.
That was all.
"Although we can only serve as distractions for the monster's attention, and essentially only you, Stardust, can attack it... still. We'll do our best to create openings."
Looking at Egostic who was explaining with a grin.
Stardust, still in his arms, quietly nodded.
"Yes..."
[Graaaaaaaaaah!]
And so.
The true counterattack finally began.
The final battle to end all of this.