Chapter 85

EP.85 Incitement and Fabrication

"Ugh..."

Soaring through the sky, Shinharu groaned.

Could she block the incoming missile? Could she do it in this weakened state?

To be honest, she wasn't sure.

"....."

The moment she took off, the missile was immediately in her sight.

Seeing it now, right in front of them, she gritted her teeth.

Could she block it?

No, that wasn't the important thing.

The moment she made her decision, there was no other choice but to block it.

For the citizens who might get caught in it.

For the city that might be completely destroyed by it.

And... for the man who might die because of it.

Thus, she didn't run away from the incoming missile but instead headed towards it.

And, in that fleeting moment.

She launched herself towards it.

....

To be honest, she didn't even know how she did it.

The pain of her insides twisting, the sensation of her flesh being torn, the shock that reverberated through her head.

A shock similar to, or even more intense than, when she lifted a plane in the past.

Especially since she was already exhausted from the prolonged battle, it was even worse.

A situation where losing consciousness wouldn't be surprising.

However, she endured with superhuman willpower.

After colliding with her, the missile did slow down, but it still continued to move forward.

To stop it.

Even in a situation where she felt like she was about to lose consciousness, she pushed her strength to its limits.

A situation that would have been impossible under normal circumstances.

But she was the kind of person who grew stronger the more adversity she faced. The kind of person who grew stronger when there was someone to protect.

She.

With a strength that seemed to come from nowhere.

Finally.

Stopped the missile.

And then.

Almost surpassing her own limits.

She sent the missile flying back into the sky.

"........"

Just how much had her abilities been amplified in this short moment?

The missile she launched flew high into the sky, becoming a star in the heavens.

And she collapsed.

"....Ah."

She let out a short groan as she fell.

The moment she sent the missile flying, her body, which had pushed beyond its limits, lost all strength.

Falling from the air was a natural consequence.

Thus, she fell, closing her eyes tightly.

Would she be safe if she fell like this?

Even if she was tougher than an average person, there was no guarantee she would be unharmed from falling from this height. She might not die, but she would probably have to spend a few days in the hospital.

Just as she was bracing for the impending impact.

Softly.

Instead of the impact, she felt the gentle embrace of someone's hands.

".....?"

Surprised by the unexpected sensation, she slightly opened her eyes.

What she saw.

Egoistic floating in the air, holding her.

***

"Damn it?"

Seeing the missile flying towards us, I widened my eyes.

When did they launch that? It didn't happen even in the original story!

Well, actually, the missile itself isn't much of a problem. Just drop the weapon and run. I've almost finished powering up Stardust, so... apart from the regret of not being able to awaken her, there's nothing much.

So that's not the problem.

Then why did Stardust suddenly fly upwards?

"Trying to block it...?"

I muttered, feeling absurd.

Why would she block it? Did she receive a message that a nuclear bomb was coming? There's no reason to block a regular missile.

And before that.

Is she in a state where she can block it?

"Bro, what do we do?"

"First, hijack the news broadcast being filmed by the helicopter. Quickly."

"Y-Yes... but, we don't have the equipment..."

Seun, grumbling, started doing something on the laptop she and Subin had prepared in advance.

"Hayul, and Sehee, you two stay here. I'll be back in a moment."

After telling the remaining two, I teleported.

Where to? To the top of the giant weapon's head.

"Ah, it's cold."

Stepping out to the top of the head, a cold wind suddenly blew. The temperature seemed to have dropped as it was about to become night. But that's not important.

Standing at the top of the weapon, cape fluttering, I looked at Stardust.

I don't know why she stepped forward, but...

Can she block it?

We haven't eaten anything since morning and have been fighting all the way to the afternoon.

I was so worried that I started biting my nails.

This is different from before.

In the original story, there were scenes where she stopped trains and planes, but I've never seen her block a missile in such a weakened state!

I was so anxious that I almost started doing tap dance.

I was already prepared to save her if necessary, and I watched her actions with a trembling heart. Since the broadcast was hijacked, there was no need to worry.

Then, Stardust and the missile collided.

I clenched my fists, watching the scene. What if it explodes!

Fortunately, the missile exploded halfway without setting Stardust on fire. Hayul was there, so I was prepared to heal her if necessary, but it was fortunate.

Wait, it's good that she caught the missile, but what does she plan to do with it? If she throws it nearby, it will explode there.

But it seemed my worries were unfounded, as she launched the caught missile high into the sky.

The missile flew so high that it seemed to be heading into space.

Did she really launch it with that much force? Isn't she just going up endlessly?

From what I can see, it seems Stardust has awakened. Well, I originally planned to enhance her abilities through robot battles, but it seems she grew in a different way. Anyway, as long as she gets to Seoul.

Just as I was evaluating, Stardust lost her balance and started falling from the sky. Ah, she's exhausted. That's understandable. But if she hits the ground like this, it will be a big problem.

At that moment, my body moved before I could think.

First, I'll save Stardust.

...And, I'll ask why she blocked it. Is it really a nuclear bomb?

*

And, back to the present.

I naturally held Stardust in a princess carry.

"......"

This is the second time I've done a princess carry in this world.

It feels a bit strange to have Stardust fit so well in my arms. Even though I'm holding her outside the suit, I can feel her soft skin. How can she be so soft despite being a hero?

...Wait, why am I having such strange thoughts? When I carried Sehee like this before, I didn't think anything. It's strange.

Anyway, I made eye contact with Stardust, who was in my arms.

"....."

And we were silent for a moment.

I thought she would immediately say, "You scum! Let me go right now!" but surprisingly, she quietly looked at me.

Her breathing was shallow, and she looked like she was about to faint. But why isn't she saying anything to me? A hero in the arms of a villain?

Because of this, my original plan was ruined. I intended to mock her if she scolded me, but what's going on?

Floating in the air and slowly descending to the ground, I quickly thought of something to say and then smiled.

"Ms. Stardust! You did something amazing again. I thought you were ascending to heaven when you suddenly flew up during the fight!"

I threw out a random comment to see her reaction.

But she remained silent, looking down and quietly resting in my arms. Why is she doing this? Is she mute?

Alright, let's try this.

"Ms. Stardust, I have a question. Why did you block that missile?"

Why did she block it, really?

If she had left it alone, it would have neatly destroyed the giant weapon, and as a bonus, it might have taken me out too, achieving two goals with one action.

To my question, she finally spoke.

Surprisingly, she didn't ignore me this time.

She spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

"...Just..."

"Just?"

"By doing this, the debt is paid off, right?"

She said that with a slight, faint smile, then fainted.

Looking at her, still slightly smiling as she fell.

I couldn't laugh.

"......."

The debt is paid off?

What does that mean? So she blocked it to save me? There was no other reason?

...Why? Why would she do that? I'm a villain.

In this world, which hero would throw their body to protect a villain?

Thinking about it, I felt a bit dizzy.

...Could she have figured it out? The reason I do villainous deeds? My true intentions?

No, that's impossible. She's so uptight. I have a criminal record. Why would she do that?

...But then, what was that reaction just now?

Now that I've arrived on the ground, I laid Stardust down nearby. She was still lying quietly.

"....."

I pressed my hand against my throbbing head.

Alright, regardless of how she sees me, that's not important right now. What's important is how to handle this situation. Everyone probably saw Stardust fly up to block the missile, but the question is why she blocked it. If I say she did it to protect me, it will cause a huge uproar.

...Not a romantic scandal, but a scandal questioning her heroism and inviting attacks from hostile forces.

What should I do?

I need to justify her actions.

I quickly thought about it.

The distrust of the government, the low approval rating of the president, the friendly public opinion towards me and Stardust, the easily inflamed people, and the missile that disappeared into space.

Good, this is the answer.

After fully planning, I contacted Seun.

"Seun, did you hijack the broadcast?"

[Yes, and the news camera? I turned it off too.]

"Start broadcasting now, and throw the camera... No, I'll go."

I teleported back to the weapon's cockpit.

Everyone looked at me, wondering what was happening.

"Sehee, pass me the camera."

"Here."

"Seun, prepare to broadcast."

"Got it."

I took the camera from Sehee and moved back to the top of the weapon's head.

It was already getting dark.

I need to do this quickly.

After a deep breath, I turned on the camera.

My appearance, broadcast through a hijacked signal on all terrestrial TV, and now, thanks to Ego Stream, on the internet as well.

And, as expected, the chat window filled up immediately.

[The broadcast is on! Haha!]

[Why now, damn it! Haha!]

[Where's the giant robot battle that made my heart swell? Where is it?!]

[Just saw Stardust suddenly fly up and the news cut off. What's going on?]

[What's happening? Why are you outside?]

[Where's Stardust?]

[Why did Stardust suddenly take off? I'm so curious.]

[Why did I come here with high expectations, and the giant weapon is gone... It was the only fun on the evacuation route...]

I looked at the camera and started with a smile.

"Hello everyone! This is Egoistic!"

Then I continued.

"And, you might be wondering why the battle suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, this is the end. Ms. Stardust has collapsed."

[?????]

[What do you mean?]

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