Chapter 402 - Legal Alliance

# In the Face of Divine Apocalypse

Amid the crisis of world destruction by a deity, the alliance between the Association and Kathedal was quickly announced to everyone.

Perhaps it was because countermeasures came immediately from the Association within a short time after the god's declaration of destruction. The anxious public quickly stabilized after my speech.

...Of course, naturally, there were those who were excited just because I appeared on broadcast again.

*

[Mango <<<<< Just upvote if you think he's a god lolol]

[Honestly, isn't the Sun God about to get ^wrecked^ by Mango?lolol]

[Hand on heart) Upvote if you were panicking but immediately felt calm when Egostic appeared on broadcastlolol]

[Honest opinion) When are we changing Republic of Korea to Republic of Mango? Seriously]

[Am I the only one who thinks the Sun God suddenly looks pathetic after watching Egostic's broadcast?]

[Sun God honestly sounds lame when you think about it, right? How many stars are in the universe and he's bragging about being just one sunlol]

[[Summary]List of possible events after Association X Kathedal collaboration...]

[Upvote if you're just going to trust Mango and sleep soundlylol He's truly a hero nowlolol]

[This is the most anticipated event after the Association-Kathedal alliancelolol]

*

"....."

After my speech addressing the entire world.

After discussing a few more matters with the Association Director, I took a short break and sighed when I saw the message Han Seo-eun sent me.

"Oppa, everyone's going crazy about how well you did on broadcast~" was fine, but why does she always show me my fan cafe situation...

Well, I'm the one who checks it every time she shows me, so I guess that's on me.

Even while thinking this, I found myself clicking on the last post in the link as if hypnotized.

*

[This is the most anticipated event after the Association-Kathedal alliancelolol]

It's that we'll finally get to see Egostic X Stardus officially working together!lolol

What happened to all those non-Egosta shippers crying "It can't work because they're hero and villain!!"? In the end, the only thing that got destroyed instead of the world was other couples' shipperslolol

(Photo of Egostic smiling at the camera while raising a glass in toast)

Victorious Egosta fans, let's all have a drink~

=[Comments]=

[For reallol]

[Wow this is so goodlolololol]

[When you think about it, it's so truelolol Going full circle to become officiallolol]

[We're living in the era of mango-flavored stardust]

[No, that's not it~ Association and Kathedal cooperation? There's no way they won't connect with Icicle, the de facto ruler of Korea. In the end, IceMango will have the last laughlolol]

ㄴ[?]

ㄴ[Grandpa's at it again... take your medicine.]

ㄴ[Arrested at Yuseong Group's comment farm]

ㄴ[IceMango team surprise protestlolol]

[Holy shit, our fantasies are finally becoming realitylolololol All Egosta fans have reached enlightenmentlolol]

*

"...Haah."

Why did I click on this?

'...Well. Is it a positive thing that people are still talking about this stuff even when a god has declared the end of the world...?'

I don't know.

Anyway, with that thought, I put my phone back in my pocket.

At least I've put out the immediate fire.

Now, like in the original story, we won't have the public falling into mass panic and the world descending into anarchy.

Even if some do panic, the governments seem to be getting their act together, so they can handle it with stricter security measures.

'...I've put out the immediate fire, that's true.'

But there was still much to do.

Soon the world would be in chaos from the Sun God's influence, so I needed to prepare for that, and I still had unfinished business with Celeste, and eventually, I needed to prepare to face the god.

But before all that, the first thing I needed to do was:

'...Meet with Stardus first.'

I got up with that thought.

By now, Stardus should have finished her meeting with the Star God.

I needed to go see her immediately to check her condition after talking with the Star God.

Now she would awaken as the true hero of this world who knows the mission she bears.

...Of course, in the original story, the world was already falling apart in real-time, so her discovering her identity didn't dramatically change anything...

But now it's different.

I'm by her side... and the whole world will stand together.

'Good.'

Putting everything else aside, let's meet Stardus first.

As I prepared to return to Korea, thinking about how to meet Stardus...

I realized one important fact.

'...Wait a minute.'

Come to think of it, just like they said in my fan cafe.

I don't need to meet Stardus secretly anymore, right?

The Association and Kathedal are now allies. No one can say anything if we meet openly.

Shortly after I realized this fact.

After the International Association Director's announcement about forming an alliance with Kathedal was delivered to all Association branches in every country, and while employees were busy with that matter.

"Huh. E-Egostic...?!"

"Haha. Hello, hello."

"Kyaaaah! It's really Egostic!"

At the Korean Association.

There, at the entrance, the S-class villain Egostic, Korea's public enemy, suddenly appeared via teleportation.

...Yes, that's me.

Hmm. This is something new.

In the middle of the Association office.

I waved kindly with a smile to the Association employees who were shocked to see me suddenly appear. To show I meant no harm. To tell them not to be afraid.

Fortunately, it seemed the employees had already been informed as they didn't try to capture me.

Anyway, they whispered in terror when they saw me.

"Manager, Egostic is here, Egostic!"

"Ooh, it's really Man... Egostic!"

"Wait, where's my camera...?"

...Are they really whispering in terror?

Anyway, I grabbed one of the people surrounding me and asked with a smile.

"Excuse me, do you know where Stardus is?"

"Huh. Y-yes, yes, yes. Sh-she's in her o-office."

"Thank you."

"N-no, thank YOU..."

Why are you thanking me?

Anyway, somehow employees were gathering around me in the Association office, but there was no attempt to capture me. No sudden movements either. The Association Director would probably grab the back of his neck when he hears about this.

...Good. Then let's go straight to Stardus's office.

Just as I was thinking that.

"...No need to look. I'm already here."

That familiar voice in front of me.

I immediately turned my head and saw the person I had been looking for all along—with blonde hair and wearing the familiar hero suit.

"...Ms. Stardus. So you were here."

She smiled back at my smiling greeting.

...She probably smiled unconsciously, but quickly hardened her expression again as she realized the situation around us.

But already, exclamations were flowing from the surroundings.

"Come to think of it, it's legal now..."

"As expected, they were always like this..."

...I think I'm hearing some strange comments too.

Wait, are these the only kinds of people in the Association? Is this place full of hero-villain shippers or something?

Anyway, judging that it would get more chaotic if we stayed here, I immediately walked over to her.

Ignoring the gasps around me.

"Everyone. Then I'll be excusing myself for a moment."

With those words, I grabbed Stardus's hand and teleported away.

...The fact that she smiled one more time at the last moment must have been my imagination.

***

Anyway, now.

Meeting her again in her closed office, I smiled and asked her:

"Stardus. Have you been well?"

"...You're really something."

She sighed with a smile, then sat on the edge of the desk in front of me and spoke.

Since I had already told her this would happen today, she calmly spoke to me without panic.

"...Just as you said, we've put everything on emergency status with the Association Director. All heroes are on standby, and the government will probably declare martial law soon... So for the time being, there shouldn't be any problems with public safety."

"Well done."

"More importantly, there's something I want to tell you..."

Stardus said that and immediately told me about her meeting with the Star God.

The story that she was humanity's savior who would stop the Sun God, about the gods in this world...

I already knew the content, but I listened without showing it. Hmm, the words aren't different from the original story.

...The only difference was that Stardus said the Star God smiled throughout just like me... That was definitely different from the original story. In the original, the Star God had a gloomy atmosphere and seemed apologetic toward Stardus.

Probably because the situation has changed. Thanks to me.

...Come to think of it, that's annoying. That smile was earned by selling me out.

'Well...'

Whatever. I'm saving the world for Stardus, not for the Star God. So it doesn't matter. Yeah.

Anyway, to her who was speaking in a small voice, I said with a matter-of-fact expression:

"...As expected, the god has good taste."

"Me...? I'm not sure. I'm still overwhelmed... Can I really do this?"

To her who spoke with a slightly bitter smile.

Having heard words I couldn't ignore, I immediately grabbed her hand and said:

"No. Stardus. You can do it. ...Didn't I tell you? You always can."

"Egostic..."

"So, don't worry too much. I'll help you too."

"Yeah..."

Looking at Stardus's face, which seemed to have regained some spirit at my words, I smiled.

Eventually, her power will grow stronger over time. By then, she won't worry about herself either.

After all, she was the one who defeated the Sun God in the original story.

Anyway, Stardus seems to be safe.

Now let's get started in earnest.

'...The Sun God defense, that is.'

With that thought, I quietly smiled an evil smile inside.

The warm gifts I had prepared to welcome the Sun God were just beginning.