Chapter 309 - From The Deepest Underground

Carceris.

Created alongside the birth of the Association, this is one of the few prisons for ability users in the world.

One of the reasons the Association gained such immense power was because they hold exclusive technology and ownership of this Carceris.

A prison with the strongest security facilities on Earth, where ability users who could single-handedly shake entire nations are confined using every possible method.

And in its deepest part.

To eliminate that being—sealed away since ancient times, neither villain nor monster, said to possess cursed powers.

Stardust was heading toward the depths of the prison together with Egostic.

Now, in a CCTV blind spot created with her help.

Stardust stood quietly beside Egostic.

"...Ms. Stardust. It seems surveillance will be tight over there. We should go around this way."

Egostic muttered, wearing his usual hat and looking around with sharp eyes.

Watching him, Stardust found herself absentmindedly staring at his face.

'...Egostic's eyelashes are actually quite...'

"...Ms. Stardust?"

"Huh? ...Oh, right. Let's go this way."

Only then did she snap back to reality at his questioning tone, nodding at his suggestion.

"Yes, I'll teleport ahead and hide. You go first."

With those words, he vanished before her eyes.

Only after he completely disappeared could Stardust let out a small sigh.

'...I hope he didn't notice.'

With that thought, she quietly placed her hand on her chest.

Thump, thump. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual.

Since last night, for some reason, her heart would beat faster whenever she saw his face, making her blush.

'...Ugh, how embarrassing.'

What a spectacle she had made of herself last night.

...She still remembered how she had clung to Egostic's chest, nuzzling against it while drunk. She couldn't remember much right before falling asleep due to the alcohol.

A completely relaxed appearance unlike the tough, strong hero she normally showed.

...Yet, strangely, she felt her tension ease whenever she stood before Egostic. Somehow, she felt reassured and found herself smiling for no reason.

Over the past week.

While being with Egostic, she realized that each day had become enjoyable without her even noticing.

...Instead of meeting on battlefield-like situations as hero and villain, as terrorist and defender... or facing enemies in urgent situations.

Just eating breakfast together, chatting, sometimes taking walks... doing such ordinary things was a first for her.

Sometimes, she would even forget that he was a villain.

...If Egostic hadn't been a villain.

If he had been a hero or something like that.

Could the two of us have always lived like this?

Bickering with each other, him teasing her, her getting annoyed.

Could we have been together as comrades, laughing like this?

"...This isn't the time for such thoughts."

Lost in contemplation in the prison corridor, she soon gathered her thoughts and refocused on the current plan.

Egostic's goal was to eliminate the monster deep within this prison.

She had briefly researched the wish-granting being called Infless that he mentioned through the Association's database.

Unlike before, being S-rank allowed her to access much more data, but...

*

[Infless] The Wish Granter

S-rank ■■

Grants wishes in exchange for payment from the user.

Level 1 Classified: After causing [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED], S-rank hero [REDACTED] offered themselves as payment and [REDACTED], after which it was sealed in the Republic of Korea's Carceris.

*The method of granting wishes is by [REDACTED], so never disturb it

*If a large wish is made without sufficient payment, [REDACTED] will occur, so exercise caution

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

<Content below including [REDACTED] is O-rank classified information and cannot be accessed with your current clearance level.>

*

"..."

As always, most of the data was restricted, leaving no useful information.

Especially since it was such an ancient being, almost all records had been deleted.

She always wondered how Egostic knew about elements that were top secret even within the Association, but by now she had grown accustomed to it. At this point, she'd be more surprised if there was something Egostic didn't know.

"..."

As she walked through the prison, looking for places where Egostic could move while avoiding surveillance.

With a small sigh, she found herself lost in thought.

Yes, thinking about it, Egostic had always been like that. He always acted as if he knew everything, and whenever she felt lost, he would quietly appear, offer a solution with a smile, and disappear.

And when he took risks.

It was always, come to think of it, when she was in danger.

Was that why?

Was it from then?

Stardust couldn't help but think.

Perhaps I... Egostic...

"Here you are."

"?!"

Just as she was having such thoughts.

She couldn't help but startle at Egostic's voice suddenly coming from behind her.

"...Where did you come from? No, how did you know I was here?"

"Haha. Of course I can sense where my hero is by instinct alone."

At his words, spoken with a grin as if stating the obvious, Stardust deliberately spoke gruffly to hide her slightly reddened cheeks.

"...Hmph. Smooth talker. Anyway, we just keep going straight down from here, right?"

"Yes. Let's go."

"...Sigh. A hero helping a villain escape, what has my life come to..."

"Haha. But it's necessary to protect the world, isn't it? And when have you ever not helped me—"

"Ugh... Be quiet and hurry up!"

With those words, whispered almost like a shout with a reddened face, she hurriedly moved forward.

...As they continued downward, deeper into the prison.

She knew.

That soon, the time would come when she would have to part with Egostic again.

That she would return to the days of waiting months to see him again, just like before.

However.

...She felt it.

That Egostic had also begun to become conscious of her.

He who had always approached her first.

Though he had subtly started avoiding her when she approached him too, she noticed that when he couldn't escape the situation, he gradually began to approach her again.

So.

From now on, things would be different.

With such thoughts, she headed toward the depths of the prison.

Unable to imagine what would unfold there.

***

The depths of Carceris.

After a long exploration where Stardust cleared the way by claiming to be conducting a field investigation to the prison staff while I remained hidden... we finally arrived.

"....."

Unlike the upper floors, this place clearly felt old and worn.

The once pristine white walls had become darkened with corrosion, and in some places, there were even what looked like tree roots.

After wandering through the maze-like passages that somehow felt familiar.

We finally came upon a massive black door in the depths.

"...I feel like I've seen something like this before."

Seeing Stardust tilt her head slightly as if experiencing déjà vu, I hastily said to her:

"Maybe it's just because these kinds of massive doors are common?"

"I guess..."

After brushing it off.

Before opening the door, I warned Stardust once more with a serious face.

"Ms. Stardust. I know how to deal with what's inside, so please trust me and follow my lead. It's too dangerous, so don't act recklessly."

"...Alright. I'll stay by your side."

"...Actually, even being by my side could be dangerous, so I'd prefer if you waited by the door after we enter."

"..."

Though her face showed displeasure at my words, she reluctantly agreed after seeing my desperate gaze.

"...Let's go then."

"Right."

With those words, we opened the massive black door.

And then.

Whoosh.

An ominous, cold wind blew from within.

We entered the vast darkness of the underground where nothing could be seen.

As the door closed behind us and we were fully inside, we could see something in the distance.

"Over there..."

At the far end of the vast underground cavity.

Faintly visible, large white tentacles attached to the wall.

And in the middle of them, a blurry human figure.

Yes.

That must be one of the final bosses of phase 3.

"...Egostic."

"Yes. I understand. I'll go right now."

At her words that seemed to urge me on, I was about to step forward toward where the being was.

But before that, she grabbed my wrist.

Wondering what it was, I turned around to see.

Her slightly trembling eyes, filled with concern.

"No... I meant be careful. Okay?"

"...Yes."

At her words, spoken so seriously and desperately.

I couldn't even make my usual joke about "A hero worrying about a villain?"

Yes, I need to be careful.

Just follow the plan, stick to the plan.

'...Though I'm not sure if that counts as being careful.'

With that thought, I took out one earbud that was with the recorder inside my coat and put it in my ear.

Good. All preparations are complete.

Let's go.

With that in mind, I stepped forward in the dark cavity.

Well, let's make a wish.

A wish that it won't expect.