Transformation or Death

Life of Downfall (6)

Libra was still engrossed in finding test subjects and developing new drugs. Naturally, she had no time to pay attention to the Archer.

Though he received treatment, he couldn’t get drugs, and with nothing to do, the bored Archer finally decided to draw his bow.

“What else can I do, right?”

It was partly because his hands were bored, and partly to repay the humiliation he suffered before.

“It’s only right to return what I received.”

The Archer smirked. Despite his rising lip corners, his fingertips didn’t show the slightest tremor. A perfect posture like a master archer.

The arrow was aimed at Han Jae-jung’s house. The distance was dozens of kilometers away. That was an irrelevant factor for him.

Eyes so exceptional they could count not just every movement of Han Jae-jung, but even the number of pores and hairs on his head.

Archery skills so precise that he could accurately snipe even from a collapsing building or while falling from the sky.

These two factors were more than enough to lodge an arrow precisely into his house.

“I’ll make up some excuse for Libra later.”

He didn’t particularly want to kill him. But he wouldn’t mind if he died. If he could die from this single strike, it just meant he wasn’t worth more than that.

From what he saw before, he seemed to have something like a future prediction ability, so he should be able to dodge it somehow.

“Ah.”

The Archer finally realized why he was so obsessed with Han Jae-jung.

‘He has aspects that overlap with Master, which is oddly irritating.’

Surviving the Lion, the distinctive white starlight, unnecessarily strong power, prediction ability.

Everything was like a poor imitation of Sky Polaris.

There was something to look forward to, but with the terminal illness restriction, he seemed destined to fall before blooming.

Who could be excited about a third-rate life where one falls before becoming a hero?

It was unpleasant.

It felt like the romance he remembered would be recreated in a distorted form and tainted in that distorted form.

‘So this was why.’

The Archer realized he found Han Jae-jung unpleasant. Though the Archer disliked most opponents, he particularly despised Han Jae-jung.

“No wonder I felt like shit every time I saw him.”

He also realized what scenery he truly wanted to see.

Not such a third-rate tragedy, but a true hero’s epic. A powerful figure straight out of myth. A perfect being with both wisdom and power who could overcome any trial. Ř𝐀ꞐŐᛒЁṧ

For the Archer, that being was Sky Polaris.

He wanted to see once again an era led by such a figure.

In this falling era, he wanted to see once again a star blooming to guide everyone.

But Han Jae-jung approached yet differed from such a figure. That’s why he couldn’t help but find him unpleasant.

It was like the uncanny valley phenomenon where one feels revulsion looking at a human-like doll.

After all, what remained in him wasn’t the power to revive a falling era, but the power to bring about his own life’s downfall.

“A bastard deserves to eat shit.”

The Archer could finally justify all his actions until now.

Not telling Libra about Han Jae-jung’s terminal illness was partly because he wanted to see Libra fall into distress. At the same time, it was because Libra was the most efficient existence to torment Han Jae-jung.

The reason for telling that red magical girl about Han Jae-jung’s lifespan was similar. The worry of those around him would also torment him.

He wasn’t sure if this was just forcibly finding reasons after acting on a whim or if he truly had such intentions.

Anyway, the Archer had acted, and would act now.

For one reason only: to make the one who gave him displeasure eat shit.

It was a simple motive, and therefore an even more intense motive.

“You know what I thought? You really lack romance.”

Still, dying in hardship is more romantic than dying according to your lifespan.

The Archer smiled and released the drawn bowstring.

Swoosh! The arrow containing starlight flew toward its target, drawing a pleasant parabola.

Red Vega saw Han Jae-jung’s surprised expression. That surprise probably wasn’t because of her. After all, his eyes weren’t on her.

‘…What is it?’

Had she failed to set the mood for serious conversation just now? Red Vega continued to stammer out questions seeking the truth while falling into doubt.

‘No, Jae-jung always listened attentively to what I say. He’s not losing focus or dismissing it as a joke.’

Then what was the reason he was ignoring her words?

The answer was simple. Because there was something that had to take priority over her important words. Having quickly deduced this far, Red Vega turned around following Han Jae-jung’s gaze.

A small window blocked by rusty iron bars. Outside this shabby rectangle, a crimson line approached. It was like someone roughly drawing a line in the sky with a brush.

In the blink of an eye, that line drew near. The line that had been observed from afar started to look like a point as it approached. It was like a blazing meteor flying toward them.

At first, even Red Vega felt fear.

However, seeing Han Jae-jung rushing to embrace her, what she felt was, as always, a sense of duty.

“Ribbon!”

[Yes!]

Before that arrow could set this building ablaze.

So that he wouldn’t get hurt even if he embraced her like before.

Red Vega grabbed her mascot. The mascot that had looked like a cat doll transformed into a small wand-like stick the moment her hand touched it.

“Dress up!”

Red Vega leaped toward Han Jae-jung who was running to her, swinging that wand in a circle.

As the scenery outside the window was covered in crimson light, a red light also welled up inside that window.

[Dress up your star!]

The transformation sound was drowned out by the thunderous noise of the building collapsing. A flash burst forth. A sticky light like a furnace. Vision was obscured by blood-colored radiance and the warm place of rest that had protected them from the winter wind collapsed. Not even a foothold was spared as everything turned to ash, and fragile bodies were thrown back by the impact, swimming through empty space.

Each spark residue that flashed in the explosion contained enough heat to melt even iron. Anyone at the center of that explosion couldn’t possibly be unscathed. Fragile meat-like skin would have instantly cooked and emitted a burning smell.

But that didn’t happen.

“Heh… Hehehe….”

Red Vega placed her hand on the hard concrete floor and gave a maniacal laugh. Below her was the sturdy adult male she had managed to embrace just moments ago.

“Hehehe… Are you hurt? Ah, this is slightly torn.”

“Who’s asking who…”

Her hand pressed against the concrete floor was trembling like an aspen. The arm connected to that hand was covered in all sorts of cuts. Drip, drip. Droplets fell onto the back of her hand. It was a salty liquid mixture of sweat and blood.

Perhaps her forehead had been cut during the explosion just now, as fishy blood was flowing down from there. Her back hurt the most. Feeling the wind clearly indicated that the back of this uniform-like dress had definitely been torn by the explosion.

A dress that shouldn’t tear even if dynamite exploded on it had torn. It was crystal clear what state the skin under the dress must be in.

“This time I saved you, didn’t I?”

Still, it was nothing compared to the injuries Han Jae-jung had suffered before. Back then, he had sustained severe injuries with a metal pipe piercing his stomach and his leg joint bending.

“When Haru returns…”

Red Vega caught her breath while somehow managing to get up. How could this happen so soon after White Davi left?

“…She’ll be really surprised. There was a lot in Haru’s room. Mostly computers and game consoles.”

Red Vega grinned while wiping the blood overflowing from her forehead.

“Who could have attacked this place, and for what purpose…?”

“Sagittarius.”

Han Jae-jung opened his lips while looking at the arrow stuck in the middle of where the building had melted.

“The villain of Sagittarius constellation, formerly of the Southern Six Stars.”

Red Vega didn’t ask how he knew such information. She also didn’t bother to say ‘Speaking of former Southern Six Stars, that reminds me of someone’.

She didn’t want to make it true by getting confirmation.

If it’s Sagittarius, it’s probably the same villain who attacked the Magical Girl Association and revealed strange information to her yesterday.

After all, he also had and primarily used a bow.

“…I see. Will this end with just one shot?”

“Doubt it.”

No sooner had Han Jae-jung finished speaking than they heard the sound of fierce wind cutting through the sky.

“Looks like you’re right.”

The sound of arrows cutting through the wind had a unique timbre, just like when a horse neighs. The sound of flight unobstructed by walls was louder and more terrifying than expected.

Before Red Vega could even take a breath, the arrow approached once again. Though called an arrow, the mass contained in that small arrow was closer to that of a missile.

That’s not sniping, it’s something closer to bombing.

And it contained even more power than before.

“Why go this far…”

Wasn’t that villain the one who said he was terminally ill yesterday? Why is he unleashing such attacks? If someone’s going to die anyway, there’s no reason for him to kill them himself.

What did that person do wrong?

The arrow approached before Red Vega could think. Red Vega silently trampled all the questions that had risen and moved forward.

‘Put fear in your first step.’

Once again holding in her heart those words she had been taught sometime ago, she jumped upward.

The now completely familiar use of her feet. A technique inspired by watching some villain’s ability, which was much easier to learn than Sky Polaris’s technique that she had learned from videos.

After jumping, Red Vega expelled flames in that direction to gain propulsion. At her toes, the temperature of those flames and the friction heat of cutting through the air gathered to concentrate the maximum firepower Red Vega could produce.

Ilro.

This is the one path she found.

Yeomhwaryuhwi.

Her comet, where flames bloom like flowers and flow to illuminate the path ahead.

Red Vega’s kick met the arrow.

Their meeting created an intense shockwave in the air that shook heaven and earth.

Kugugung. The meeting of crimson and red created a sun-like flash for just a moment, and the spreading heat set fire to other buildings.

Something fell amidst that flash and heat.

One was the arrow. One was Red Vega’s body.

‘…Too strong!’

Who would have thought it would have power equal to her finishing move? It was much stronger than anticipated. Red Vega failed to maintain balance in the sky and crashed straight into the ground.

“Ah-hee!”

“He, hehe… I guess I really am half-witted.”

I thought I had gotten stronger, but I still have a long way to go. Red Vega smiled bitterly. Still, it’s not as hopeless as before. If she waits a little longer, other magical girls will arrive as backup.

“Justice is indeed more enjoyable with more allies! Just wait a little longer and other magical girls will…”

An unbelievable sight appeared before Red Vega’s eyes as she shouted this.

Bombardments with power equal to her finishing move were widely scattered in all directions. Like fireworks, crimson lines bloomed chaotically and abundantly.

Those lines didn’t just target this direction but spread to various places.

[This is… Dangerous, Guardian! Quickly prepare!]

“Wh-what about the others…?”

[Now’s not the time to worry about them!]

The mascot shouted intensely.

[That’s meant to check the magical girls coming to help us while bombing us at the same time!]

This time there was no leisure to fire a finishing move. Red Vega hastily gathered magic power and spread it in front of her hands. A huge shield of flames was created.

Kwagwagwagwang!!!!

Enormous roars erupted simultaneously from multiple locations.

[White Davi currently unable to move! Civilian casualties are severe!]

[Blue Sirius. Successfully defended against three bombardments simultaneously. But another follow-up…]

[Orange Altair, only half-succeeded in intercepting… What kind of power is this…]

The voices of other magical girls’ mascots were transmitted through the ribbon. Red Vega’s knees trembled.

The bombardment that came here was just as powerful. The hastily spread shield wasn’t enough. Her palms were more than scraped; it seemed like the skin underneath would show.

“Kugh…!”

While hurriedly hiding the flowing blood and melted skin, Red Vega smiled.

“Mr. Jae-jung, please quickly run away somewhere! I’ll somehow block this… Qu-quickly! Quickly!”

Han Jae-jung firmed his resolve as he looked at her.

“…Ah-hee.”

“Yes?”

“I know what you were about to ask me just now. Yes, Ah-hee, I’m sick.”

There are many truths Baek Ah-hee doesn’t want to know. Most of them were information related to Han Jae-jung.

“I don’t have much time left to live, and I have an illness that will turn me into a villain when that time comes.”

The words coming from his mouth now also belonged to truths she didn’t particularly want to hear.

“So, Ah-hee. The one who should run away isn’t me.”

She wished that wasn’t the truth.

“The one who should run away is you. Is someone who will become a villain worth protecting?”

Truth seems to be quite far from values like love and peace.

Baek Ah-hee sincerely thought so.

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