Chapter 424 - If We Could Meet Again

The Afterlife.

...That place where the sky maintained a pitch-black night, with only a single small star shining lonely beside the moon.

Under the cool breeze that blew through.

...Stardust continued walking through that place with an emotionless expression.

Around her, other transparent souls sat with languid expressions.

Without even glancing at them, walking along the path of the massive ravine.

Stardust wandered through the afterlife today as well, following her intuition.

A long time had passed.

It had been a truly long time since she arrived in this afterlife.

So long that she couldn't even remember how much time she had spent here.

'...Ugh. Stardust... I'm sorry. Please, please find Da-in...'

Long ago.

The Ego-stream members who had accompanied her for a while, perhaps because they didn't have divinity like her, eventually departed when even the last one reached their physical limit.

Since then, Stardust had been wandering alone in this afterlife world.

All to find just one person.

"......."

Egostic. Da-in. The man she cherished more than anyone, who possessed the power of stars like herself.

That's why Stardust, who had gained the ability to detect people with star power, was wandering through the afterlife today as well. Following the direction her intuition pointed. Toward where she sensed a soul with star power.

Of course. Every time she arrived with hope.

'Hmm...? Child, who are you?'

The problem was meeting people different from who she expected.

Souls.

These souls, appearing as they did in their most intact form before death, had distinct characteristics unlike humans.

Besides being transparent.

...They existed here without any of the desires they had when living in the mortal world.

Therefore, most souls simply stood or sat on the ground with languid expressions, having forgotten all desires.

Without pain or grudges. Looking peaceful.

Even the more active ones merely exchanged occasional conversations with neighboring souls. Most consistently just sat or stood without moving. Except in very rare cases.

Seeing this, she had once turned pale at the thought that Da-in might be in such a state and unwilling to return.

...But now, all those worries seemed meaningless.

From the beginning, finding Egostic seemed like a distant goal.

A long time had passed.

During that time, she had met truly diverse individuals with star power.

She had met well over thousands of them in this vast afterlife. People scattered at impossibly distant locations from each other. She continued to meet them.

These people all had various personalities.

But most of them, perhaps because they were children of the star god who loved humans,

Were mostly good heroes who had saved humanity during their lifetime.

'...Hmm? Have you come looking for me, child? It's been a while since I've met another child of the stars like myself.'

Meeting them like that.

At first, Stardust was disappointed that they weren't Egostic and quickly flew to the next target.

...But after meeting over a hundred, some star souls who saw her tired expression would approach her first.

And most gave her words of encouragement.

'I see... you're looking for someone you love. I hope you find them. I believe you can.'

Despite the heartfelt encouragement from those with languid expressions, she failed to find Egostic over the years.

No matter where she went where star power was felt, he wasn't there.

She even occasionally met people whose faces she recognized, though they weren't Egostic.

'...You.'

A Western man with blonde hair like most children of the stars.

Lying down surrounded by people, resting his head on his arm and staring blankly, he muttered when he saw Stardust.

Stardust recognized him too.

...Ex Machina.

Another savior from her generation who reportedly had the power to turn back time, whom she had seen on the news.

'Did you fail too? ...No. You're still alive. That's good. ...So the world survived?'

'...Yes. That's right. That's fortunate. Fortunate indeed.'

Meeting her, he unusually wondered about the real world unlike other souls.

...While she was amazed at seeing a familiar face for the first time while wandering this vast world,

Ex Machina gently asked her.

'Judging by your expression... you're looking for someone, aren't you?'

And to that.

Stardust nodded and said.

That she was looking for a man named Egostic.

And perhaps because he lived in the same generation as her, or because he seemed to know more than her.

At those words, Stardust asked him.

...He was actually from another world.

Could this fact make a difference compared to other souls?

Ex Machina nodded with a sad smile and said.

...Though he didn't know for sure, if the soul was from another world, it probably wouldn't be easy. Still, he would cheer for her.

At those words, Stardust said she understood and flew back into the sky.

And quietly she thought.

'...That was.'

The last one.

The last soul with star power I've sensed in this afterlife.

That's right.

After Ex Machina, she had found all the star souls she had sensed in this world.

And.

...Among them.

Egostic wasn't there.

"....."

At first, she couldn't believe this fact.

So she kept searching. She kept revisiting souls with star power.

But still, she only found the same people she had seen before.

Nowhere in this world.

Egostic was nowhere to be seen.

"...Ah."

In the middle of the afterlife.

Among countless souls, with dead eyes. Alone, she quietly muttered.

'Now.'

Now... what should I do?

From the moment she realized this fact.

In the peaceful afterlife.

...Her personal hell began.

From then on, she no longer flew through the sky searching.

She continuously walked without rest, examining the faces of nearby souls one by one, combing through the afterlife.

Although she failed to find Egostic among those with star souls as originally planned... with the belief that he must be somewhere in this world, even if she couldn't sense him.

For countless years, she trudged through the afterlife step by step. Searching for Egostic who might be somewhere.

In that process, she even encountered some villains she had personally defeated, against tremendous odds.

And even.

[....Huh? Wait, you there! Yes, you! Aren't you Stardust!]

She even met Death Knight, a villain who had been with Egostic... a soul?

Wearing black knight armor, standing next to a beautiful middle-aged woman.

...When Stardust approached him in surprise, he laughed heartily and said.

That he had returned here and was with his wife.

And yet.

...He spoke with a dejected expression.

[And... the fact that I've returned here, and that you're searching for someone here must mean that Egostic, he has died.]

[Since my contract was already broken, I don't know his status so I can't be much help... but still, stay strong. I'll also ask around the nearby souls.]

[...Hmm. His soul isn't felt here. Yes... but still. Who knows.]

[Knowing him, he surely would have left a message for you to find him. That's the kind of person he is. So, keep hope and continue searching.]

After that conversation, she continued searching for him but.

...Naturally, Egostic was nowhere to be seen.

The afterlife still stretched endlessly.

Death Knight too, wherever he had been, could not be found again.

So now.

"......"

Step. Step.

Somewhere in the ravine of the afterlife.

Today too, she was wandering somewhere in the afterlife, looking around.

She had no sense of time.

How many years had passed already? Or was it decades? In the state of a soul, she couldn't even grasp the concept of time.

However, these aimless footsteps.

Finally reached their limit.

"...Sob."

Walking with an expressionless face today as well, she suddenly shed tears.

"...He's not here."

Not here. Not here.

Not here not here not here not here not here not here.

"...He's not here. Hic. Hiiic..."

With those words, she crumpled to her knees on the ground and wailed.

...Her soul had finally reached its limit.

Though she had realized it long ago, only now did she acknowledge it.

Egostic is not here.

...No. She could still sense something. Having received the divine position, she could now sense all traces of star power. Beyond reality and the afterlife, she could sense faint starlight she hadn't yet found.

But whether his soul was hiding or had gone to another world, she didn't know.

What was certain was that he wasn't in reality or this afterlife.

Nowhere.

His presence couldn't be felt here.

"...Should I go back."

Should I return.

Like this, having found nothing. Having only realized the desperate fact that he isn't anywhere in this world. Should I go back.

Here.

Should I give up.

She quietly thought so.

Because she had realized there was truly no hope.

Because she had realized he wasn't here.

But.

If I go back, what's there?

"...."

In the afterlife.

There, Stardust lifted her head to look at the pitch-black night sky and thought.

From the beginning. Life had meaning because Egostic was there.

What meaning would there be in returning to a world without him?

Wouldn't it be right for her to just stay here forever?

As Stardust was thinking blankly, that's when.

'...Ms. Stardust.'

Somehow.

It was as if she could hear words Egostic had once said.

'You can do it.'

'Clench your fists, strengthen your legs, and fly into the sky to save people. You can do it. Because that's who you are.'

"...Haha."

Words Egostic had said to her during the airplane terrorist incident when she was about to give up.

Those words were perhaps the starting point of everything that led to her current relationship with Egostic.

"...Right. I shouldn't give up here."

And so.

...Shin Ha-ru, who had seemed about to collapse, soon shook herself off, wiped her tears, and stood up.

If Egostic wasn't here.

Then she would chase him to another world if needed.

As she was thinking this, looking up at the pitch-black night sky, that's when.

"...Huh?"

Only then.

She realized something.

The pitch-black night sky.

Perhaps because it was the Moon God's domain, a large moon was shining there.

And beside it.

...Clearly, a small star was faintly shining.

"...A star."

A star. Why is it there?

...Until then, she had only thought that star was cheering her on. She had never thought deeply about it.

But now.

'...If that moon represents the Moon God from another dimension who created this afterlife.'

Then what does that star represent?

A small star. Another dimension.

Egostic came from the moon dimension.

Then what happened to his soul?

If not here, his soul must have gone to another world.

But according to Egostic.

Those who came from other worlds couldn't return.

"...However, surely."

The souls of this world must have been designed to automatically come here after their bodies died.

Then, Egostic's soul too.

...Surely after death, he would have tried to go to the world where he was born.

But what if he couldn't?

What if he was staying somewhere else, unable to reach his original destination?

".....!"

Having thought that far, Stardust.

Soon realized something.

From the beginning, she had been thinking wrongly.

The Egostic she knew. Da-in.

...He had always been the first to reach out to her in the most desperate moments.

Then surely now too, if he knew she was like this. He would have approached her first. Because he was the one who hated seeing her suffer the most.

"...Ah."

That's when she realized.

That small star visible since she first came to this world.

...It had been continuously, faintly shining for her.

As if guiding her this way. Small but clearly, guiding from the sky above.

Knowing him, he surely would have left a message for you to find him.

"...Ahaha."

Seeing this.

Stardust, smiling for the first time since arriving here.

With tears in her eyes, shot up toward the sky.

Finally.

Hope appeared before her eyes.

***

And so, even more time passed.

She traversed all spaces following the faint star's guidance, and visited various dimensional fragments connected to the afterlife.

And.

Finally.

Whooooooooooosh

Thud-

She reached a certain space.

"...Haah."

Beyond a broken dimensional wall somewhere, in the crevice of a distorted dimension.

There, she landed on the ground, tidying her blonde hair that fluttered in the wind.

Under a sky-blue sky shattered like broken glass, a small golden wheat field swaying in the wind.

And at its end.

"....."

...A man.

Standing with his hands behind his back, looking up at the blue sky.

With a back view so familiar.

And toward him.

"...."

...Stardust quietly walked.

Because.

...If she walked any faster here.

She felt she couldn't possibly suppress the rising emotions.

So, when she reached behind him.

...Finally.

He turned around to face her and smiled.

"...You've come."

Looking at her with that caring smile he always gave.

Seeing him like that.

She swallowed her rising tears.

And with a bright smile said.

"Yes."

"...Haha. So you have. It took you a long time. You must have struggled."

To him who said that.

Stardust, taking one more step forward.

To the person she had been continuously searching for.

With a tear streaming down, smiling, she took his hand and said.

"Yes... it took a long time. Really, really long. So, so..."

"Let's go back now. Home."

At those words.

...Da-in, looking at her.

Quietly smiled and nodded.

And simultaneously.

The world was enveloped in light.