234 – People and Heroes (11)
Han Jaejoong closed his eyes and recalled a memory.
I have seen many endings.
-‘…hahahaha.’
While there were cases where people calmly accepted their own death.
-‘Why am I the only one… Why am I the only one who has to go through this!!’
Just before his death, he regretted his devotion until now.
-‘I can’t… Why… Seolhwa, I can’t… Seolhwa….’
I was sad and went crazy over the death of people around me.
-‘It’s going to spin.’
There were times when I lamented as I watched the world disappear.
Every ending was a tragedy.
Die at the end of your life, die fighting a monster, die from an attack by magical girls, or die watching the world perish. Or, the death occurred due to a combination of these factors.
Just because the result was a tragedy does not mean the process was a comedy.
Many people who were with us died or were injured. There were cases where death could not be prevented, or it led to death itself.
Han Jae-joong himself even killed them.
I killed Jo Ayun and Yun Seol-hwa, who had become monsters, and held their bodies. His body gradually dissolved into starlight and Han Jae-joong watched it blankly.
Those who gained star power to save each other used the star power to kill each other.
The miracle of starlight, the strength of will, and the grandeur of dreams were all meaningless.
Han Jaejoong could not protect anything.
The brilliance of the starlight was only a momentary light, like fireworks.
Life was as thin as a sheet of paper.
The dream became a midsummer night’s dream and disappeared.
Impossible was impossible. No matter how much I resisted, I had to submit to fate. Efforts were not rewarded.
No matter how much I burned my body and put all my effort into it, the determined result inevitably came.
Even if you sacrifice your life, mind, and soul to the starlight, you cannot achieve happiness.
There was someone else who understood it better than anyone else.
“Are you going to cancel the contract?”
Sky Polaris, the magical girl who had been watching him closest twitched her eyes in surprise.
“Ah, that’s how it will come out, is this…?”
I covered my mouth with my sleeve with a meaningful smile, but I couldn’t hide my embarrassment.
“You’re already dead, so even if you break the contract, you won’t die, right? Wow, you used your brain quite a bit? Yes, that’s a pretty effective strategy.”
Her eyes were curved like an upside-down crescent moon.
“But what if I break the star contract?”
It’s as big as the blue of the sky.
A pressure like an unstoppable law of nature weighed down Han Jaejoong.
“It’s okay to ignore the penalty since I’m dead, right? “In the first place, that body is nothing more than a dead body that was forced to remain.”
“Then are you going to continue living like a corpse? Are you saying that I will remain a cold, bloodless, breathless body that might rot at any moment?”
“Besides, that body is subordinate to the White Davihran child. In the end, you will just become a ghost that will wander around that child for the rest of your life.”
Even if you let go of being a slave to fate, you become someone else’s slave. Never free
“So? What can you do by breaking this contract? Even if you have a belt, it’s useless if you don’t have a star to give it strength. “Do you remember what your dream was?”
Han Jaejoong nodded his head.
“Okay, I guess it’s easier to say. Guardian’s Guardian. The will to protect magical girls! That’s your identity. Even if you have the will, if you don’t have the strength, it’s useless. “You knew that well, so you went ahead with this contract.”
Sky Polaris’s speech gradually became faster. It was proof that he was excited.
“More than anything, this contract was set on terms that were overwhelmingly favorable to you. I prevented your death and guided you on the path with the highest chance of success! Of course, quests and the like interfered with your daily life… But you couldn’t help it! If you’re late, it’s all over?!”
Han Jaejoong nodded again.
“I know everything.”
“But why! “You’re not saying it’s the same thing because quests are annoying, right?”
“That actually helped a lot. “I just want to say thank you.”
“So why! Why do you want to break the contract?!”
After taking a few breaths, Han Jaejoong continued his answer.
“Guardian of guardians… That’s right. “Like you said, that’s my dream.”
For the women who sacrificed themselves to protect the citizens, he swore that he would protect them.
“It was a foolish dream.”
“…What?”
Sky Polaris answered belatedly, as if it was absurd.
“Are you denying what you have done so far? “You mean I would be happy if I didn’t have that dream?!”
She seemed somewhat angry. In a way, she was natural. The reason why Sky Polaris became so obsessed with Han Jaejoong was because of Han Jaejoong’s dreams.
He was drawn to that brilliant will that cherished beings like myself at any time.
Han Jaejoong’s words just now were no different from a complete denial of that existing will.
“As long as you are happy, everything else is fine…!”
“Don’t panic, Sky Polaris.”
Han Jaejoong quietly kissed her lips.
“It’s a bad habit of yours to miss out on things you can understand with just a little thought due to emotional excitement. It’s the price of relying too much on magic. “You must also be able to think for yourself.”
“You talk like you know me well?”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? “I remembered everything.”
Tuktuk. He tapped my temple with his finger and laughed.
“Of course, I remember every time I met you.”
“….”
“Just as you know me well, I also know you well.”
Han Jaejoong slowly reminisced. The smile continued.
“I remember the story I had with you when I first met you in the belt, the weight of the tears you shed for me, the times I poured out my resentment towards you, and the first time you started destroying my life. So, I understand you well.”
The smile on his lips stretches out like a skein of thread that is slowly unraveling, then pops. It ended suddenly.
“To the point where I’m even noticing that you’re not thinking on purpose right now.”
Sky Polaris’ relaxed eyes began to shake.
“Are you afraid of looking into the future?”
“…It can’t be.”
“Then why did I get caught up in my emotions and not be able to predict what I would say next?”
Han Jaejoong took a step forward. Then Sky Polaris retreated. Her sleeves wiggled slightly as she backed away.
“Why aren’t you looking into the future?”
“…You.”
The corner of his mouth that was hidden by his sleeve was revealed.
“I wanted to see you pioneer your own future.”
Han Jaejoong kept approaching, but Sky Polaris kept retreating.
“It’s the first world I won’t see. “I wanted to see with my own eyes that nothing is impossible.”
She continued to retreat and eventually stopped. She reached the end of the world. The world of the belt was still collapsing, and its size was very small.
“…I didn’t know you would bring up something like breaking the contract.”
“….”
“Then I won’t be able to see you or help you anymore.”
Sky Polaris is the starlight that exists within the belt.
A feeble soul that will disappear the moment Han Jaejoong breaks the contract.
“Jaejoong, you can’t receive my help anymore. You won’t be able to see the future and you won’t be able to use your monster powers. “Your dream needs help from many people.”
“I know.”
Han Jaejoong agreed.
“So, you’re saying my dream was foolish.”
“Protecting the guardian… This idea started from compassion.”
Because I saw the pain of the stars, I thought I could reach them.
“But this was simple arrogance. “It was a foolish idea to sacrifice oneself out of pity for the sacrifice.”
I was blinded by the light.
“It was foolish from the beginning to replace all of their struggles with sacrifice. They chose that path themselves and moved on their own. For the sake of their dreams, they moved with their good hearts. “Because I dismissed all those feelings with words like sacrifice… I mistakenly thought they were the weak who needed to be protected.”
Because she was a magical girl, she treated them all like children.
No matter how immature and young they appeared, they were noble people who knew their dreams and worked hard to reach them.
Consider the suffering of others as if it were your own, give it to others, and do not succumb to any strong evil.
No matter what despair you experience, you can rise again.
They were the real powerhouses.
“Rather, I was just a weakling. A weakling who mistakenly believes that he can solve everything if he just becomes stronger. Starlight was not omnipotent. I, who received starlight, wasn’t a great person either. “He’s a person who couldn’t properly take care of his lover during difficult times in the first place…”
The misunderstanding is over. Faced the truth
“Guardianship is sihye. “I was the one distributing grace to them from above.”
A foolish person who chose sacrifice to stop sacrifice.
It is like a shepherd who gets himself eaten by wolves to protect his sheep.
“It won’t happen that way anymore. I will be by their side, not above them. “The sacrifice ends here.”
Han Jaejoong declared.
“I will stop reproducing Lee Sang now.”
That stiff tone disappeared.
“…I see.”
Sky Polaris smiled. Her smile, not covered by her long sleeves, resembled the blue and clear sky of midsummer.
“It will be a difficult road.”
“As expected.”
“You don’t have a North Star anymore. “You have to find your way in the dark on your own.”
“So that must be my path.”
“This is really too much. “Why are you making all my dedication so far in vain?”
Han Jaejoong smiled bitterly.
“It is not in vain. “I remember you.”
Those sins and devotion made Han Jaejoong what he is today. Until now, I have walked under her guidance. Sometimes dangerous, sometimes safe.
After this long journey, he got his answer.
“I saw you, I know you, I remember you. You gave me countless stars, and I received those stars and am here in front of you. So, it’s not in vain.”
The savior who ruined his life.
“I will never forgive you, but at the same time, I will be grateful for the rest of my life. “I’m resting in hell now.”
After hearing that, Sky Polaris laughed for a while.
“hahahaha!! Yes, that’s right. “It won’t be in vain.”
After accumulating astronomical amounts of sin and devotion, here I saw the light.
“So? “Are you going to do well from now on without my help?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think it’s possible? Even if we defeat Libra, what about the remaining kids?”
She spread her arms and anticipated the remaining threats.
“The lion is very angry because you kicked him out of here! “I will soon wake up and move to kill you!”
“What about Blue Sirius becoming a monster? Is it still in progress? Can you stop her Can you stop her disgust and her hatred?”
“Contradiction! Will the madman be controlled? How do we defeat that impregnable enemy?”
“After that, Jason! hahahaha, since Amundsen is here, Jason won’t have anyone to take care of him, right? “Can you stop that friend who became Argo?”
“Even after organizing everything, there’s still room for Bamju, right? “Can you stop the snake that is eating the world?”
A feast of enemies that is like a curse. But all this was true. The path ahead of him was filled with star apostles leading to the end.
“Your power of transformation came from me. “You will lose your star!”
“I’m sorry, but that’s wrong.”
“What?”
Han Jaejoong said calmly.
“I never owned a star in the first place.”
I never had it to begin with, so the expression of being taken away is also wrong.
“By choosing the stars, they also chose me. But Starlight was not omnipotent. What they were interested in was my will and dreams, not me. Did you say it? That I would stop making sacrifices. “I will respect myself now.”
Sky Polaris asked curiously.
“Then how will we fight from now on?”
“How can you tell? “What are you saying for granted?”
Han Jaejoong looked away for a moment.
“Everything I have received so far is my weapon.”
From noble mtl dot com
I saw Red Spica, its form remaining like a faint ember.
The magical girl who first saved him. He remembered that favor.
One of her starlights that she passed away came to mind.
A person without stars is weak. However, I am not lonely.
People are beings who can move forward even under the night sky with stars and moon trapped in clouds, even in a dark prison, and with just a small light.
“I’ll say it again. “The contract with the star is canceled.”
The driving force that allows us to move forward is called hope.
The first hope arose.
“I don’t hesitate anymore. Not bound, not bound.”
I observed the first hope and salvation.
“There is no need for obligations. “I will do it myself.”
What causes miracles is not the star, but the person who moves forward while looking at the star.
Even if there is no star in the sky, a person can move forward if his heart is like a star.
“What I can do with just my heart, without any restrictions, is the most correct.”
A little starlight. The ember-like piece drew a circle. Numerous star lights came into the circles and formed a circle together.
A little starlight created based on the graces, help, emotions, and countless encounters we have received so far.
“These are the starlights I have earned so far. Magical girl and monster. Happiness and pain. They all formed me and created me. “Everything is a blessing I have received.”
But there is truth even in this tiny starlight. The beginning and the end, the profound structure of the greatest universe, can be found in this tiny thing.
“The journey to return all the grace I have received is my path.”
Starlight draws a circle.
It is not endless, but a repetition of beginnings and endings countless times.
In this round line, every place you look at becomes the beginning and the end.
The beginning and the end are repeated.
“This is my beginning.”
Pajik. A small explosion occurred within the circle. A very small explosion that occurred at one point.
“At the same time, it is my end.”
The circle widened with a small explosion. A circle that was barely big enough to wrap around a finger soon became big enough to fill the palm of one’s hand.
Expands, expands.
“This is my ideal, and this ideal constitutes me. I don’t need to follow ideals. “Because I am the ideal.”
It expands endlessly.
“I am my universe.”
Kurrr!!! There was a thunder-like roar, and the circle filled Han Jae-joong’s empty heart.
“Now you understand, right? “This is what I saw.”
From inside the broken belt, a voice that should not have rang out.
Functions that had not previously been expected were performed compulsorily.
What was discovered was not a part of the microscopic universe, but the macroscopic universe itself.
“This is my answer.”
Microcosm.
The smallest universe in the world.
It was a universe created within the human mind.
Belt’s world began to completely fall apart.
“You’ve been watching me until now. “Repeating the sights you’ve seen countless times… Now, I’ll show you what happens next.”
The world created and maintained based on a contract with the stars could no longer maintain its form as the contract was broken.
In his shaky vision, Han Jaejoong spoke to Sky Polaris.
“I’ll show you a future that cannot exist!”
I will help you see the stars you couldn’t see beyond this darkness.
“hahahaha….”
Sky Polaris laughed bitterly. The belt is his starlight, the only one left in this world. If this disappears, we will no longer be able to observe this world.
It was an anchor connecting the world and oneself.
Instantly, it was no different from death.
“Hmm… What should I do with my will… Oh, that’s right. Okay.”
The shape of Sky Polaris slowly dispersed. Her appearance disappears, and all that remains is her voice.
[Guardian, this is my last quest.]
Her voice slowly flowed into Han Jaejoong’s ears.
[Be happy.]
With those last words, Han Jaejoong’s consciousness surfaced.
**
“…Jaejoong?”
“Oh, sorry. “I was dazed for a moment.”
Han Jaejoong apologized while holding down his itching forehead. Judging by Red Vega’s expression, he didn’t seem to have spent much time in the belt.
“Is it because I’m so pretty?”
“There will be some impact.”
“Why, why do you praise me like that?! Do you have a headache?! Oh, there was so much blood…! “Would you like me to cook your boat again?”
“Don’t be crazy.”
He pressed down on her head and stepped forward.
“My mind is fine.”
“Hey, what is that… Huh?”
Red Vega realized that Han Jaejoong was speaking informally to him again and his eyes widened.
Han Jaejoong took out a belt and attached it to his waist. Clap la la rock. His iron band protruded from the buckle, and it wrapped around his waist, holding it securely. A familiar taste.
But I can’t use it anymore. This is the belt that will contain the universe. No matter how small it is, as the force was not expected, breakdown will occur quite quickly.
‘I’ll find a replacement later.’
Han Jaejoong looked ahead. Libra, horribly distorted by Red Vega, is seen in front. However, compared to Red Vega’s injury, he looked quite fine.
He slowly took a breath and placed his hand on the belt.
“Transformation.”
[UNIVERSE OBSERVATION.]
What we are observing is the universe.
It functions like a mirror, not a telescope.
Look into yourself.
The truth of all things that lies dormant in the human heart and soul.
[THE MICROCOSMO.]
Soon, people will become the universe.
Microcosm.
Han Jaejoong stepped forward after realizing the truth.
His body was filled with darkness and light like the universe, forming an armor. The round luminous plate decorated near his heart illuminated a constantly spinning light.
The circulation turns starlight throughout the body. As if delivering blood throughout the body.
Holding the indescribable starlight in his hand, he pointed to Libra.
He stopped making sacrifices.
“Have you ever seen stars?”
I looked at the person who sacrificed everything in search of a just sacrifice.
