Chapter 418 - One Choice

"Where did it all go wrong?"

[Why should I have to do this?]

Control Tower.

There, I froze when I heard the Sun God, who should have disappeared by now, say those words.

What are you saying?

You, if you keep fighting like this, your divine status will be destroyed.

You should escape now.

And despite my thoughts...

BOOOOOOOM-

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

"W-what's happening?!"

"The tower is shaking...!"

As screams erupted around me.

On the screen, the Sun God began to rise, engulfed in ominous black smoke.

Despite the violent tremors threatening to collapse the Control Tower, while I watched the Sun God with wide eyes,

The Sun God continued speaking.

"...Yes. If I keep fighting like this, my body will break down. No, I will certainly face complete annihilation."

"But what does that matter?"

"...Then, as a god. After suffering such humiliation from my own creation... should I just run away?"

And through his words.

...I finally realized why the Sun God, who was supposed to flee in the original story, was acting this way.

The current Sun God is consumed by evil.

To the point of risking his divine status to destroy this world.

'And the reason, of course...'

"And you, children of the stars."

At that moment.

I felt as if the Sun God on the screen had turned his head and made eye contact with me.

"After seeing how you've taken everything—all my plans, all my relics, my daughter, my incarnation, even my priestess—and destroyed them all... I simply, simply cannot forgive this."

With those words from the Sun God.

I finally understood what was happening.

'It's because of me.'

It was because of me.

...Because I had too perfectly thwarted the Sun God's plans. Because I had taken everything he had. Because not a single one of his plans had been properly realized.

Unlike the original story, where he had already achieved his goals to some extent and fled without much regret.

The current god, like a human, has suffered a great wound to his pride. He would rather perish along with this world.

...Yes. Now I understand the reason.

But what am I supposed to do about it?

"......"

While I stood there with a stiff expression, lost in thought.

Events were already rapidly unfolding.

KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG-

By now, as soon as he finished speaking, the Sun God was reborn as a gray giant of divinity, covered in black smoke.

And with that.

"Today, in this place... I will kill all of you humans."

The Sun God's declaration echoed throughout the world.

And with it, strange phenomena began to unfold across the globe.

"This is terrible!!! Gray rain is falling all over the world... AAARGH!"

SHWAAAAAAAA

BOOOM. BOOOOOOOOOM.

Suddenly, ash-colored rain falling from the sky.

Except for where the battle between the Sun God and Stardust had resumed, this ominous rain began to fall all over the Earth.

Right away, even on the hologram screens through my mask showing our Ego-stream members.

[...What is this now? Achoo! ...? What's going on? Wait, this is strange...]

On the screen, Choi Se-hee, confused after being hit by the gray rain while fighting.

While I watched them,

Chaos had erupted in the Control Tower.

"This is terrible! Communications worldwide are going down one by one due to this gray rain!"

"...Reports are coming in that the abilities of paranormals hit by the rain are weakening, and it's melting electronic devices! It's also corroding buildings like acid..."

"We're losing communication with most heroes! What should we do..."

In the midst of the chaos caused by this strange, untimely rain.

Except for the camera drones made with the sturdiest new materials, all other communications were failing.

...Meanwhile, the battle between Stardust and the Sun God was raging fiercely.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE

"...This is terrible!!! The tower is about to collapse from the shockwaves of the battle with the Sun God!"

In this chaos, with even this place about to collapse.

"...."

I stood alone, silently looking out the window.

Quietly, alone. Without saying a word. Looking toward where Stardust would be fighting, somewhere in the distance where light was flashing.

After organizing my thoughts for a moment.

I calmly gave my first order since this incident began, still looking down through the window.

"Everyone, escape."

"...What?"

"This is my decision as the field commander. There's nothing more we can do by staying here anyway. Everyone evacuate."

"...If that's the case. Hey!! It's Egostic's order, everyone retreat!"

As the person behind me shouted loudly, and people who had been in confusion finally came to their senses and hurriedly prepared.

As the tower walls crumbled from the impact of the Sun God and Stardust's battle, letting in strong winds from above.

Most had quickly evacuated, and the last agent, who had evacuated everyone else, held onto a table to avoid being blown away by the wind as he shouted to me.

"Egostic!! Aren't you evacuating?"

"...I have something I need to do. Go ahead."

"But... sigh. Fine. Please finish quickly and come to the Association Center!"

With those words, the last remaining agent in the Control Tower disappeared using a teleportation device.

And so, left alone in the collapsing tower.

I closed my eyes and quietly thought.

...

In the end.

This incident is, no matter what anyone says, my fault.

My mistake for blindly trusting the original story, not knowing the Sun God would try to destroy this world at the cost of his own life.

My mistake for ignoring the warning signs like the Angels' Major Offensive, thinking everything would be exactly like the original story.

But.

"..."

Even if I had known, what would have changed?

In the end, with the Sun God so determined to destroy this world, what more could we humans have prepared?

So this was a disaster that couldn't be avoided even if we knew about it?

"...."

No.

[Ugh...]

KWAAAAAAAAAANG

SHWAAAAAAAA

Out there.

Looking at Stardust fighting alone, with the fate of the world at stake.

I realized something.

Would the Star God, who devoted everything to protecting this world, really not have anticipated the Sun God acting like this?

Would she really have relied solely on Stardust without any backup plan?

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

No.

Surely, she must have prepared one more insurance policy for any unforeseen situation.

And that would be.

"...me."

....

In the empty tower.

There, standing askew in the collapsing tower, I muttered those words alone.

My pounding heart and intuition that started after the Sun God awakened instead of fleeing.

The power of the black star that activated before the final battle.

...And the ominous, sticky black energy that appeared when the Sun God sacrificed his life to gather power.

Through all of these.

I came to understand what my belatedly awakened black star power was.

"...Ha."

I raised my hand.

...And then, a sticky black light enveloped my hand.

This was the raw divine power that the Star God had gathered with her last remaining strength.

...The most powerful force that could be used at the cost of the user's life.

The Star God probably gave me this power to finish the Sun God in a moment of crisis.

And using this power would certainly kill me.

"...Haha."

If I were my original self, I wouldn't have even considered it.

Above all, because I valued my life so much. Because I was the person furthest from the concept of sacrifice.

But now.

[Ugh...!]

[Haa, haa. Fuck!!! These damn angel bastards keep coming. How long will they keep coming?]

[....No, the suit is! What is this rain? Uncle Desik! Give up and retreat for now!!]

"...."

I thought quietly.

Yes, well, if I don't do anything here, everyone will die anyway.

...And now, I have too many people who are precious to me.

If my one life can make everyone happy.

Perhaps that.

Is the true meaning of why I came to this world.

That's what I thought.

And.

'...I decided to live this life for Stardust.'

Until the end, I should protect my hero.

Once my decision was made.

My actions were swift.

"...Are all the cameras on?"

I need to put on one last show.

I began to wrap the black star power around both hands like a shield.

"...cough."

As expected, feeling the twisting pain throughout my body, I gradually began to draw out more of the sticky black power.

And quietly waited for the optimal timing.

If my plan was correct... when the Sun God launches his attack. That would be when I'd have the highest chance of success.

And so.

[...So you truly are her daughter. Well, it doesn't matter. Now, return to your mother's embrace.]

Finally.

The fallen Stardust captured on screen. And the Sun God about to attack her.

Just before that moment.

"...Huaaah!"

Having prepared myself mentally.

Feeling as if my entire body was twisting, leaking black light, with a smile on my face. I teleported in front of her.

As my field of vision changed.

The very next moment.

SHWAAAAAAAAAANG

BABOOOOOOOOOOM

....

"cough, cough. Haa. Haa..."

My stomach feels quite hot.

The plain.

Under the orange sunset, with space torn into black galaxies all around. The ground completely destroyed. The overwhelming presence of the Sun God surrounded by gray smoke hovering above.

There, I intervened in the battle, blocking the Sun God's attack with my body.

KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

...With black blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.

Blocking the straight beam of energy with my body wrapped in black power.

I greeted Stardust who would be behind me.

"...cough. Hello, Stardust."