Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Beginning and Beginning and Start

The Archer staggered to his feet, clutching his broken helmet. Blood flowed heavily between his fingers covering his mouth.

“Ha, shit.”

Somehow, laughter leaked out along with the blood.

“For someone who’s about to die, you’re pretty damn lively....”

“You’re not dead yet.”

The Watcher approached the Archer to deliver the final blow. But then his legs staggered.

“...!”

The current forms were originally designed to only handle the stars of the Big Dipper. Along with all the stars of Ursa Major plus the fragments of stars collected so far. It was too much strain to handle more than twenty stars in total.

Moreover, without any support from the belt, it was hastily redesigned and operated for immediate practical use. It was a form used with even the minimum limit released that the body could endure.

While exposure to starlight might have decreased compared to Ursa Major, the strain on the body was worse. It was a strategy that consumed immediate life to save future lifespan.

Perhaps because of this, the Watcher felt intense dizziness after taking just one step.

“...Not so lively after all. You really are about to die.”

The Archer laughed at him with a snicker. But the Archer wasn’t in good shape either. He took a direct hit to the head from the Seven Star Step Technique. It was a lethal technique that would have easily killed any ordinary villain.

Naturally, the Archer couldn’t be in good condition. While he avoided instant death, he was in critical condition where even a slight touch could kill him.

‘Damn, I feel like I’m going to die too.’

The Archer tensed up while breathing heavily. But for some reason, he kept grinning.

‘How long has it been since I got beaten this badly?’

Though he was hit like this just a few days ago, he erased that from his mind. That wasn’t his full power then.

Now is different. He gave it his all. He opened with a surprise attack on an unguarded opponent, unleashed continuous bombardment to prevent movement, and even used his lethal technique.

Yet he still lost.

While he normally would have gone berserk with rage, he felt strangely refreshed. Thoughts of revenge or retaliation didn’t cross his mind.

Even facing death, he didn’t think about attachment to life or resentment.

He didn’t consider the aftermath or circumstances.

Literally, he focused only on the current fight.

No one had died yet. The fight was still ongoing.

“You’re about to die soon, but not right this moment, right?”

Unfortunately, the Archer used all his strength just to stand up. He didn’t have enough strength left to even draw a bow, let alone hold an arrow.

But his willpower remained. Like forcefully turning a gear with missing teeth, he moved his body unnaturally.

That movement was merely clenching his fingers.

Making a fist, facing forward.

“Got to end this with romance.”

The Watcher also steadied his staggering body and looked straight at the Archer. Red lenses contrasting with green starlight quietly stared at the Archer. It was a cold gaze that felt chilling.

“Come at me, you bastard!”

Unlike the Archer who shouted boldly, the Watcher remained silent. Instead, he gathered starlight in his hand. Even though his body was strained, he hadn’t completely exhausted all his power.

“Very well.”

The Archer had absolutely no strength left. He managed to make a fist, but couldn’t extend it. The outcome of the fight seemed clear to anyone watching.

The Archer himself knew it too. The moment the Watcher’s fist connects, his life ends. This life will end. He quietly watched the approaching fist.

With his special eyes, he saw not just the fist but many things.

The flow of air cut by the fist, the flow of starlight, the frequency of his rough breathing, particles of dirt and dust flying with each step, the breaking sunlight, and his own face reflected in blood droplets flying with the wind.

‘Since when have I had such a face?’

The Archer wondered as he saw that face. Beneath the villain’s shell was a mummy soaked in blood. A dried, twisted corpse.

Come to think of it, he had never questioned it.

‘Had I already died once?’

He had heard there were cases of humans becoming villains, and thought he was one such case. But something felt off. If he had really transformed into a villain, having such a corpse underneath was strange.

Perhaps because he was at death’s door. He began contemplating things he usually didn’t.

The instant stretched like eternity. Like stretching a blunt piece of clay thin into a thread, the density of this short time stretched endlessly.

He felt his heart beating. It was a sensation he felt for the first time. Heartbeat. Vibration occurring inside the body. Mechanical beating like a metronome. Fast. Even in this slowed time, it was fast.

‘Why am I so excited right now? What am I feeling in this fight?’

“This way!”

“Jae-jung! Where are you!”

The voices of White Davi and Blue Sirius followed.

“H-here! Over here!”

“...!”

Baek Ah-hee shouted in response to those voices. Beyond the wall, they let out a groan expressing both relief and bewilderment. White Davi took a deep breath and shouted.

“I’ll handle this!”

Whoosh. A huge horn sound came from beyond the wall made of building debris. Concrete pieces rattled and moved as the ground trembled. The skeleton soldiers right under the debris rose and lifted the heavy concrete.

“Ah, found him!”

“...! Jae-jung!”

Han Jae-jung’s eyes met with Blue Sirius’s across the cleared debris. Blue Sirius ran to him without even looking around.

She who had rushed over so urgently lifted Han Jae-jung’s body very carefully, as if handling a delicate glass artwork.

“Jae-jung....”

Before long, droplets began falling onto Han Jae-jung’s cheeks. They were tears shed by Blue Sirius. The tears rolled down his cheeks, washing away the dust and blood that was already there.

Blue Sirius quietly embraced him. Then she whispered softly.

“I’m sorry... I should have been more careful... I’m sorry... I’m sorry....”

Her apology resembled that of a clergy confessing their sins before God. It was full of shame, self-loathing, and a solemn determination to never repeat it.

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry....”

Along with self-destructive and anger-filled madness.

“...I guess I was too relaxed.”

Her eyes, which had been fountaining tears, stopped flowing. Instead of flowing down, the tears froze and fell. Around her eyes, cold energy blazed.

“I wanted to respect your will. Even though I knew you were in danger, I didn’t want to infringe on your freedom... That’s what I should have done, but... I’m sorry.”

Han Jae-jung’s vision gradually blurred. His face was resting on Blue Sirius’s shoulder, so he couldn’t see her eyes. If he had seen them, he might have held onto this fading consciousness.

“Now, I too should stop keeping to the line.”

With these mutterings as his lullaby, Han Jae-jung fell into a deep sleep.

***

Ippotranslation

***

“Thank you, ruffian.”

Libra smiled contentedly while stroking the vial in her pocket.

“Thanks to you, I was able to collect a lot of data.”

Behind her, the bronze villains she had created were standing in line waiting. However, unlike before, there weren’t many in number. There were only about ten of them.

It was natural. She wasn’t going to fight this time.

“Not just the power of Ursa Major but even data about that degraded form... I should give you a reward later. You collected very satisfactory data.”

Chuckling, she raised her hand toward the door in front of her.

“Now all that’s left is the experiment.”

Knock knock. After politely knocking twice on the door, a solemn voice was heard from beyond.

“Come in.”

The door opened and her eyes met with the villain sitting at the center.

“What business do you have with our Argo Family?”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say. Libra likes this maxim.

It means good deals can be made with those who share the same enemy.

“Let’s make a deal.”

A deal that destroys both sides simultaneously without sacrificing anything herself.

Libra really likes it because it’s such an efficient sacrifice.

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