Chapter BONUS - Side Story. Return Of The Stars (8)

"Stardust! This is a real situation. Planes are falling like rain! What on earth should we do?"

"Haha..."

In the sky above the sea.

Whoosh

Against that backdrop, watching planes falling like meteors while engulfed in flames, Stardust let out a hollow laugh.

An apocalyptic scene straight out of the end of the world.

...Could this be Egostic's answer to their previous conversation?

A few months ago.

After she met with Da-in at the cafe, there had been no news of Egostic.

...While Egostic typically had quite a long interval between terrorist acts, Stardust found it strange since she remembered the first three attacks had happened in relatively quick succession.

So she guessed that perhaps her appearance at the cafe that day had given Egostic quite a shock.

In truth, Stardust didn't dislike Egostic at all... she actually felt attracted to him. She had seen through to the truth that he wasn't really a villain.

Da-in probably needed time to think things over too - that's what she thought.

It might have seemed somewhat sudden, but it was necessary at this point. Considering how their relationship would completely flip during the Behemoth incident, what happened that day was absolutely necessary.

...Though it seemed he was not only concerned about that, but also stimulated by Ha-ru's comment about how his terrorist acts were too easy to handle.

"Stardust!!! Where are you! I wonder, even someone like you, can you stop all of this?"

Rumble

The result was dozens of planes falling from the sky.

With fireballs slowly falling one by one from the sky... anyone watching would think the world was ending. In fact, this incident was probably being reported overseas right now.

Certainly in the previous timeline, there had been just one plane, and even a quiz show...

'I created this snowball effect.'

She acknowledged it cleanly.

Discussing the previous timeline was already meaningless. She only wondered how Egostic could carry out a terrorist attack of this scale at this point.

...And so, looking up at the flames falling like meteors in this bright sky that seemed like night.

Stardust could somehow hear Egostic's inner thoughts.

If you're really that strong.

Prove it - that kind of whisper from Egostic.

And just as she was thinking this, right on cue. An association agent rushed up behind her and spoke.

"Ms. Stardust! Huff, puff. I didn't get to tell you earlier, but according to the association's latest investigation, none of those planes have people on board."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes. How they're flying without pilots is still a mystery... but anyway, they're all crashing into the sea, so there shouldn't be any casualties if we leave them be."

"..."

"Egostic probably didn't realize we discovered this point because he rushed the attack. So Ms. Stardust, please don't push yourself..."

As the agent started explaining, somehow Stardust...

"...Haha."

They say people grow similar when they love each other, and laughing just like Da-in... she had a certain thought.

Actually, she could just let this pass. It wouldn't matter if she ignored it. Seeing that there were no people on the planes, even Egostic couldn't guarantee that she could stop them all at this scale.

If she ignored it, it would end as just an incident, but...

She couldn't do that.

'Clearly...'

Because she could understand the feelings with which Da-in had prepared this attack.

'...If you're that strong, try stopping this too. He always gave me trials I could handle to help me grow... now that I've become very strong, is this his way of testing me?'

To help me grow while also confirming my true power.

Stopping this terrorist attack must be his goal.

"...Sigh. Egostic, really..."

Well, if that was the case.

For Stardust, the conclusion was already decided.

After all, she couldn't reject something Egostic had prepared just for her.

"...Still, just in case. I'll try to stop them all."

"What? What are you saying, Ms. Stardust? Stardust? Stardust!!!"

Whoooooosh

After that, Stardust flew up, leaving the agent's voice fading behind her.

'...Starting with the first one falling, to place them all in the sea in order... I need to move faster.'

Whoosh

And so, looking at the red flames approaching before her eyes, Stardust gave a bitter smile.

Somehow, she felt like she'd be in the news for days to come.

* * *

<SHOCKING) Hero who stopped 10 falling planes... Who exactly is Stardust?>

<Korea Hero Association Director: 'Stardust will be designated as S-class hero within the year... will propose to International Hero Association'>

<No passengers on Egostic's planes from the start? In-depth coverage on why he carried out this terrorist attack!>

<Airline whose planes were hijacked receives mysterious compensation payment... Who is Ego-squad Inc.?>

"Wow... it's really blown up."

Underground base.

There, Seo-eun, looking tired, yawned while looking at the computer and said.

"Su-bin is lying down exhausted too... Oppa. So did you get what you wanted from causing this mess?"

"Cough... I did."

Recovering in a healing capsule, I nodded in response to Seo-eun's question.

This time, I evolved the plane terrorist attack I had originally planned to a whole new level.

Since this is Phase 1 in the original work... I scaled it up to something that would normally happen in Phase 3.

And as a result, what I learned was clear.

I now knew exactly how strong Stardust was.

'...It was strength that was incomparably greater than in the original work.'

With this power, assuming the villains remain the same as in the original work... everything could proceed more smoothly.

Preventing the destruction would become easier.

"...I don't know."

I muttered to myself.

I still had the problem created by what Shin Ha-ru... Stardust had told me at the cafe.

A hero who doesn't hate the villain Egostic, but rather feels attracted to him.

And now much stronger than in the original work.

"...Well, okay."

"What's okay, oppa? You're scaring me when you talk to yourself..."

"Ahem."

I cleared my throat at Seo-eun's words and fell back into thought.

Anyway! Being strong itself wasn't a bad thing. Isn't being stronger better than being weaker than in the original work? Thinking that way made me feel a bit better.

However... as a villain, I wasn't sure what I should do going forward. I wondered if this path as a villain still had meaning, and such thoughts...

'For now... I should continue.'

That was my tentative conclusion.

At least, this villain identity was quite useful for stopping Behemoth and the Han-eun Group. I definitely needed to blow up that bridge too. I had to carry out that terrorist attack. And retrieve that black suit buried in the Han-eun Group's basement.

As for what comes after... I decided to think about it when the time comes.

After all, my first reason for becoming a villain was to be Stardust's arch-enemy and help her grow stronger when she was weak... but now that she's already strong, that seems somewhat meaningless.

"Let's rest for a few months first... then prepare for the bridge attack."

That's how I concluded my thoughts.

In the end, I need to do what needs to be done. That was my commitment.

However...

"..."

I felt that the events about to unfold would be quite different from my plans.

* * *

Time continued to flow after that.

Late at night, at Busan's finest hotel.

"Ughh... what's happening?"

Su-bin and Seo-eun, who had been sleeping beside me, finally woke up.

Judging by the sounds they heard upon waking, it was nothing short of hellish. Screams, crying, shouting, breaking sounds, crashing sounds, gunshots, and more...

"It seems like there's a terrorist attack?"

...

And at the main entrance, a tower of chairs haphazardly piled up from various parts of the lobby.

In the middle of those chairs stacked as a barricade to block intruders, with his back to the door, sat an elegant chair.

And in the middle of that chair tower, a man sitting with his legs crossed.

A-class villain, Monkey Spanner.

'...No. Why does this have to happen when I came here to rest?'

I went to a hotel to rest and soothe my tired mind, only to get caught up in a terrorist attack by the A-class villain Monkey Spanner.

"Kids, follow me quickly. If Shadow Walker or the police or anyone comes and sees this corpse, all hell will break loose."

"Yes, noona! Let's quickly follow Egostic!"

As I mentioned the police and my little brother supported me from the side, Lee Ha-yul's expression grew increasingly confused.

Finally, she said with a slightly trembling voice:

"...If you try anything with us, I won't just sit still..."

I promptly replied as soon as she said that.

"What would I gain from doing anything to you? I won't do anything, so just follow me for now. Take my hand."

As I said that and extended my hand, Ha-yul's little brother grabbed it first.

With her brother taking the initiative, Lee Ha-yul had no choice but to take my hand with trembling fingers.

...

"This is where you'll live."

"Ah, no. The size of this house is... this is a bit..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't feel burdened."

Recruiting Lee Ha-yul, the healer from the original work, and her brother Lee Cha-yoon.

Finally.

"...It's been a while since that day of terrorism."

The time for the bridge attack had come.