Chapter 533 – Hero.

Zoom!

That’s the maximum speed all things in the universe can reach.

But my body can’t keep up with that speed now, so instead, I scream with all my might.

Faster than light.

– “Everyone die!”

“Please stop!!!!”

It’s just four pathetic little words.

Yet…

“Saintess, and everyone!”

“Pyuhr! I’ll go!”

To grant that wish, everyone willingly moves.

Haruka swings the destroyed stock of her machine gun, pushing one starry hand up high.

The platypus beast folk manage to soothe the starving starlight by throwing everything they’ve got.

That barely gets us out of one crisis.

But even before that starlight is fully extinguished…

Once again, fierce stars begin to dwell in my hands.

At the same time, others arrive just in time before me.

「Master!」

“Hey! Kim Shinwoo!”

AI Ninja and Spencer.

Maybe due to the fierce battle, the AI Ninja’s body was battered all over.

Spencer’s magic book was half-torn and in a precarious state.

But despite the different levels of injuries, the anxious gazes they exchanged were the same.

In the extremely brief moment before the starlight burst.

I shout out their anxious wishes.

– “Die!!!”

“Please… kill me…”

Then they nod, accepting the wishes.

The AI Ninja cuts into my arm with the sharp edge of their broken arm.

At the same time, the starlight dwelling in one arm devours nearby things.

Half of the AI Ninja’s body, my own spattered blood, and their cries.

「Master! I’ll preemptively Gomen’nasai!」

“Thanks…”

Simultaneously, Spencer strikes the starlight away with her tattered magic book.

It wasn’t very strong, since she might not be able to use magic anymore.

But it was enough to alter the trajectory of the starlight aimed at my precious ones.

Amidst the fading scraps of paper, Spencer grumbles.

“Why are you making me go through this because of you guys!”

“I’m s-sorry…”

“…Okay… just saying… I’ll repay you later.”

And just before the starlight blooms once again…

A massive mass rushes fiercely towards me.

“I shall take you on!”

Even the Cheonma seemed quite exhausted.

Though his usual sharpness and power were lacking…

He was still the Cheonma.

Even while getting hit by the starlight, he obliterated one of my arms in retaliation.

Thanks to that, the remaining arm that hadn’t been blown away quickly erased the starlight.

Having lost a limb, that act was essentially suicidal.

– “Gyaaah!!!”

“Is that all you can do with that body… cough…?”

However, even the Cheonma’s previous attack must’ve been remarkably powerful.

As he halted, bleeding from his abdomen…

Someone pulls him back, appearing in the scene.

“Hey, Kim Shinwoo.”

“…Ajo…ssi…”

This time it’s Uncle Ryu Kang-hyuk.

Running in with bare hands, as if he had no more weapons.

Though he was breathing heavily, just as tired as everyone else…

His movements were undeniably those of someone not exhausted.

“I’ll just hit you a bit.”

“…Just a bit…?”

“More like quite a lot.”

With two distinct lines across his body, he forcefully moves.

Whenever I try to lift my feet, he steps on my instep to prevent my movement.

He strikes my thighs repeatedly, insisting I fall quickly.

It was as if he wouldn’t permit me to breathe at all, continuously interrupting my breaths.

When I attempt to shield my face with my remaining arm…

He hits my face with all his might as retribution.

“Ah, wait. That hurts.”

“Ah, sorry. Just a habit.”

Even so, he draws blood from his fingers and makes two lines across my body.

Fixing my body so I can’t act recklessly.

Then to tear off the face of this dog…

That was the quintessence of a technique where one human fights another.

– “You bastard!!!”

“You’ll really be dead when we get home, you dog!”

But that range only applied to humans.

Suddenly, from the arm that had been blown off by the Cheonma, tentacles sprang forth…

Wrapping around Ryu Kang-hyuk, their movements erasing the lines on his body.

In addition, they completely excised the flesh from the lines across my body.

“Crazy.”

At that moment, as Ryu Kang-hyuk was forced into submission, the tentacles merged.

The arm that had been severed reattached seamlessly.

That was a technique only a being beyond human could use in combat.

– “Don’t interfere!”

“Shit!”

As starlight gathered in both hands once more and aimed at Ryu Kang-hyuk…

“I don’t have a bondage kink toward mental domination!”

“Didn’t the heroine say she won’t tolerate NTR pure love?”

The hands imbued with starlight were struck in different directions.

With Elsia weakly swinging her bloodied arm.

And Ayeon slashing down with her half-torn wing.

“Just get cancer or something! Don’t develop such a lump!”

Then Caressy forcefully shoved my body aside with her shoulder.

That was about all she could manage, but it was enough.

『I’ll apologize later!』

『You’ll be fine once we get to the hospital!』

At least to secure some distance.

The Red Dragon couple simultaneously spat fire upon my body.

It seems they hadn’t been able to do that because others were nearby until now.

Their strength was lacking, making the flames feeble.

– “Why do you keep getting in the way!!!”

“Everyone… thank you…”

In that moment, a small tick sound was heard, and something erupted.

A very weak sound that would be covered by the raging flames.

But at least I could hear that sound clearly.

Because it was a sound from my own body.

The small blank round I had kept as a charm…

It had burst due to the flames.

And that created an even bigger fire.

The dragon gem I had received from the Red Dragon was supposed to be inert…

Contrary to that earlier assurance, it exploded.

As a result, my body was engulfed in a massive blaze.

– “Gyaaah!!!”

“I told you it wouldn’t explode… you bastards…”

The searing pain ranking top among human experiences began to violently slice through my consciousness.

Nevertheless, it couldn’t cut away the faint smile that surfaced on my face.

If it meant not hurting those I cherished, I was okay being hurt instead.

Furthermore, seeing the flames slowly burn away the tentacles that had clung to my body…

I felt my faint smile grow clearer.

At that moment, I heard something drop at my feet.

That also was a small yet incredibly precious item I had kept as a charm.

A small dagger I received from Kyoukyou.

Even with my nerves burning, I felt freedom for the first time.

In that moment, I quickly reached out to grab the dagger.

However, the tentacles wouldn’t allow that; they fiercely wrapped around my arm.

– “Do you really want to end this like this!!!”

“F*ck…!”

At the moment I lost control of my arm to this dog…

Someone swiftly grabbed the dagger.

That person was none other than Hyeji.

The dagger, heated in the furious flames for a short time, had become slightly abnormal in shape.

Even with the ominous sound of flesh sizzling from Hyeji’s hand…

She never let go and instead lunged toward me, plunging the dagger into my heart.

– “Get lost!!!”

“Give me Shinwoo!!!”

And deeply thrust it into the face resting upon my heart.

Then my arm, still covered in tentacles, tried to seize Hyeji’s face.

To completely mar her beautiful face with flames.

Simultaneously, gathering the starlight, I aimed to completely erase her from this place.

Yet still, Hyeji showed no signs of retreating.

– “Let’s see if you die the same way!!!”

“Go ahead, you bitch!!!”

But such a thing never happened.

“…Huh…? Shinwoo…?”

– “A!!!”

Because I pushed her back with the remaining arm that hadn’t yet regained control from the tentacles.

Seeing the face atop my heart let out a sigh, it hurriedly reached out with tentacles toward my remaining arm.

However, even faster than that, I moved my arm to push the dagger Hyeji had inserted deeper.

A sensation of something breaking and piercing surged, and at the same moment, my outstretched arm was stopped by the tentacles.

I gathered starlight.

This time, there was no one else.

Only by my will.

Bringing it directly to the face atop my heart…

That face let out a scream as if it might tear apart.

Though it wasn’t visible, it probably bore a considerably flustered expression.

– “Stop!!!”

“Everyone.”

In that moment, a sudden thought arose.

Believing it was the same nightmare, I realized it was completely different.

What I thought was a predetermined future turned out not to be so.

I thought it couldn’t be changed, and yet it could.

In the end, everything had changed from the future before my regression.

The comrades who gathered for my sake.

The girls who were with me at every moment.

And the worthless items.

These were small connections.

Things that seemed irrelevant.

Things that seemed useless.

Things that seemed futile.

Yet those tiny connections intertwined with each other.

Weak and faint, yet…

Unbroken and steadfast.

So, it’s time to open a new future with those connections.

Sadly, I wouldn’t be part of it.

– “Stop it!!!”

“I’m sorry.”

Now, I decide to bid farewell.

Hyeji looks at me with a bewildered expression.

And to her, who is more precious than anything in the world.

“And thank you.”

Ignoring the face screaming from my body.

Calming my body writhing in pain.

Suppressing the instinct craving for life.

“I’ll go on ahead… and wait for you.”

Only then did they realize what I was up to.

Tears streamed down their faces as they rushed towards me.

Begging me not to do so.

“Live happily… for a long time…”

But unfortunately, I couldn’t think of any other way.

I didn’t think the flames could erase the face atop my heart.

If I got free from here, everyone would be in danger again.

Seeing them weeping for me, I too shed tears.

Yet, I still tried to wear the brightest smile I could for them.

That was the last gift I could give to them.

“Come as late as possible…”

With those words, I burst the starlight onto the face atop my heart.

The brightest starlight I had ever shown.

When that faded, there was nothing left in that spot.

No strange face, no heart, no soul.

“Goodbye…”

A faint farewell uttered with a smile.

That was the only thing that lingered emptily for a moment.

And then my world was engulfed in darkness.

Self-sacrifice.

Even a punk who has everything cannot possess it.

And even a hero who has lost everything can hold onto it.

That which is insignificant yet of tremendous value.

The difference created by having or not having that value…

Draws a clear boundary that cannot be erased.

And today, here…

There was a hero.

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