Transformation or Death

Life of Downfall (7)

Red Vega stared blankly at Han Jae-jung for a moment. It was an urgent situation where a new arrow could strike at any moment. Though every second was crucial, she couldn’t grasp the reality of the situation.

“…What?”

An awkward smile and questioning was all she could manage at the moment.

“Ah, no, suddenly what are you… Saying. Don’t say strange things. Right now such things… Such things…”

‘Are not important.’ Red Vega was about to say this but closed her mouth.

Han Jae-jung just admitted he was living on borrowed time. In other words, his remaining life wasn’t very long. Even if she protected him now, he would eventually lose his life meaninglessly.

Moreover, he said he would turn into a villain the moment he lost his life. Normally, this would be dismissed as nonsense, but given how suspicious he was in many ways, it somehow seemed possible.

To begin with, she couldn’t even be certain she could protect him now. The enemy was attacking from a very long distance. They could only desperately defend against these one-sided attacks.

All they could do was wait for the other side to tire out or for their companions to find the enemy and stop the attacks.

But both seemed unlikely. They were more likely to fall before the other side tired, and their other companions were probably facing similar difficulties, so help would take considerable time.

Gambling on the appearance of the two strange villains who help the magical girls wasn’t possible either. It wasn’t that Red Vega personally didn’t want to rely on them. That was just the reality.

The Watcher’s appearance was practically impossible, and the same probably went for Odette, the villain of the Cassiopeia constellation.

While that villain’s teleportation ability was excellent, it also had a fatal weakness. The fact that it could only attempt teleportation using the butterfly Navi-Ruchbah as a medium.

In other words, if you could somehow cover the existence of that butterfly, you could block the teleportation.

Red Vega saw countless lines being drawn rapidly somewhere like rain. Though each one’s power was insignificant, their speed was undeniable. The star’s arrows, easily surpassing the speed of sound, would perfectly block the butterfly.

‘It’ll probably take quite a bit of waste to get here.’

Red Vega’s prediction was accurate.

[Brother! Answer me! Brother! Where did you sell the butterfly I gave you before… Damn it! Why are you ignoring me?! Did I do something wrong?! I’ll apologize if there’s something… Please just contact me…! Okay? Please… Let me help you somehow….]

Joo Ah-yoon’s urgent voice connected through Han Jae-jung’s belt. But the belt, which had fallen into sleep mode, was only connected to other belts without transmitting. The communication was connected but was no different from a phone on mute.

[Please answer… I’m going crazy with worry…!]

Joo Ah-yoon’s voice became more desperate. This time too, it wasn’t transmitted.

While Han Jae-jung himself could operate the belt to hear the voice, he had no leisure to think of such things now. He didn’t even realize that Joo Ah-yoon was trying to talk to him.

Red Vega had fallen into unnecessary danger because of him. He felt disgust at himself for still hesitating to transform in this situation.

He didn’t know when he would die. This fact itself wasn’t much of a problem. This would be the same situation all living beings face. Death is equal. An unclear ending that comes without warning.

However, the moment ‘soon’ is added to this fact, the situation instantly changes.

He didn’t know when he would die. But that death was near.

At this moment, the unclear death gains a slight substance. That substance is like a dark labyrinth, giving both the despair of impossible escape and the anxiety and impatience of needing to escape.

Unrealizable dreams and relationships that break before properly forming, incomplete tasks and marks that need to be left. All of these tormented Han Jae-jung.

An imminent death that could overtake him at any time. Moreover, terrible actions were prophesied even after death.

“Quickly, run away.”

That’s why Han Jae-jung told Red Vega this.

Don’t waste futile time on someone who will die soon and won’t be of help even after death.

Red Vega understood this too. She couldn’t help but understand the intention hidden behind his words to run away. As always, truth is painful.

It was like that when acknowledging weakness, when having to admit arrogance, and when having to realize that she would ultimately have to walk a different path from Sky Polaris.

It was like that now too.

A person she’d known for less than half a year. Too little time to say their connection was deep, but too many significant events to say it was shallow. All that remained was to fill in more time.

There was still so much to show, so many things she wanted to do.

The truth informed her that those things would be quite difficult.

Lines were drawn in the sky once again. A crimson trajectory. A single shot with power similar to her best finishing move when giving it her all. The difference in power was frustratingly huge.

A life that would soon end anyway even if protected now. No great method comes to mind to overcome the present situation. All they can do is endure, and even that endurance is insufficient. A situation close to absolute despair.

Red Vega faced the truth.

“…I don’t know you well, Jae-jung. To be honest, I don’t want to know you well either. I’m curious about your heart, but I don’t want to know the world surrounding you. I’m afraid that truth will hurt me. I’m afraid that truth will hurt you.”

Red Vega stood up.

“But once I’ve learned about it, I have to make a choice, don’t I? I don’t think I can skillfully look away like I did before.”

Red Vega smiled.

“You said it before, didn’t you? That fear is hope. Then isn’t it right to acknowledge that fear and move forward? How about that, aren’t I a good student?”

“…Ah-hee.”

“No, right now I’m Red Vega. Just for now, I’ll even forgive you if you call me Ms. Vega.”

She planted both feet firmly on the ground and circulated magical power from her core heart throughout her entire body.

“I won’t run away.”

As always.

[Guardian….]

“I’m fine.”

Her body, infused with magical power, became stronger and more efficient at emitting starlight. Her magic manifested through the magical power flowing throughout her body.

“I might die, but I haven’t died yet, right? My arms and legs are fine… Look. My magic too.”

Fire.

Though unstable, it’s a blessing that always illuminates darkness and melts cold.

Heat that can both light the way and create paths.

“A hero wouldn’t run away leaving someone behind. Of course, you might still think I’m just an immature halfwit… But still, I can’t run away.”

“I’m about to…”

“What does having a terminal illness matter?! To be frank, what’s the difference between you now and an elderly person? If someone’s about to die soon, it’s okay to abandon them? Wow, that must have been a great solution for aging societies back then, right? You crazy murderer!”

“No, I didn’t say that much….”

“It’s the same thing, really!”

The flames didn’t waver with the wind but moved according to her touch. The fire was honed by her touch and gradually became more solid.

“I won’t be swayed by such words.”

The flames spread wide like a veil. It was a solid mass of fire that didn’t waver at all.

“I’m telling you… I might become a monster? Really, your enemy….”

“I told you it doesn’t matter?!”

That wall of flames resembled the Milky Way.

“I won’t die here. Of course, neither will you, Jae-jung.”

There was conviction in her words. Her light grew stronger.

“For love and peace! I’ll survive here and survive again, and keep surviving! I’ll keep getting stronger!”

If it was a path she couldn’t break through with her current self, she just had to surpass her current self. Red Vega squeezed herself to her limits and erected a massive wall of flames in front.

It was a beautiful concentration of light incomparable to the shield from just before.

“Getting stronger and stronger and stronger! Someday! I’ll become so strong that I won’t care about Ursa Major or the number of stars and I’ll be able to win against any villain!”

“…”

“So it’s okay!”

Red Vega turned her head to show her smile.

“Someday….”

“….”

“When the mouth that smiled at me mocks people’s deaths, when the arms that held me embrace blood, when the eyes that looked into mine grow cold. I’ll hold your neck and shout glory.”

But perhaps unable to properly control her emotions, or perhaps still unable to abandon the rich imagination characteristic of adolescence, her eyes couldn’t smile properly.

Some tears flowed from her eyes.

“You told me to fear death, right? And that fear itself is hope.”

Soon the tears evaporated in the flames and disappeared.

“I’ll become your hope.”

Her pupils blazed brighter than those flames.

“So, don’t be afraid.”

As soon as Red Vega finished speaking, a thunderous roar rang out. Han Jae-jung was so captivated by her that he couldn’t even count the number of lines approaching them.

BOOM!! When the arrows were blocked by the flames, a massive explosion occurred. It was such an intense explosion that Han Jae-jung behind the veil momentarily couldn’t breathe properly.

But there wasn’t just one explosion blocked by the wall.

“Ugh…!”

Following the arrow that just exploded, new attacks approached her.

One, two, three, four…. The explosions that could easily demolish a building overlapped again and again, promoting even stronger explosions.

“Uuugh…!”

There were twelve explosions in total. Those twelve explosions occurred in succession as if they were a single blast.

Explosions equal to the number of stars in Sagittarius.

Feeling threatened by the veil Red Vega had spread, the Archer fired new attacks following the arrows already launched.

It was an attack containing the maximum firepower he could shoot simultaneously right now.

Gaeseailsa.

A shot meaning to cover the world.

No matter how much stronger Red Vega’s light had become, Sagittarius’s attacks weren’t something easily blocked.

When it came to ranged attacks alone, he was overwhelming even among villains.

“Aaargh!”

The veil Red Vega desperately spread shattered along with the final attack. Red Vega, who was right behind it, took the full impact of the explosion and fell backward.

At the same time, the accumulated damage to Red Vega reached its bearable limit, and her transformation was undone.

“Not yet…!”

Coughing blood, Red Vega tried somehow to get up. But it wasn’t working well. Whether her ribs had been crushed from the recent damage, even breathing wasn’t easy.

Tremendous pain followed with every movement. It felt like fire was flowing through her entire body. It was hot. But she couldn’t give up like this.

She stretched her hand as far as possible to pick up her staff that had fallen during the roll.

“Not yet…!”

As if mocking her efforts, another line was drawn in the sky.

“Not yet like this….”

“You’ve certainly gotten stronger, I’ll give you that.”

Then a voice that hadn’t been here before was heard. Though difficult to recognize due to noise interference, it was a familiar voice.

“But you’re still not good enough to talk about surpassing me.”

The owner of the voice held her and jumped lightly backward. Arrows struck where they had been just moments ago. They shattered the concrete like a glass, digging into the ground beneath. A large cloud of dust rose up.

“…Uh, th, this….”

“My apologies. I was a bit late.”

“Is this… Okay?”

Red Vega looked at him in disbelief. Though obscured by the dust, it would have been harder not to recognize that figure.

Pure white armor with fragments of lightning flickering around his body.

The Watcher.

The villain of Ursa Major and the person she currently aimed to defeat.

Without mentioning how someone who had been nearby just moments ago had disappeared, Red Vega worried about his physical condition.

“It must be better than your current state.”

“No, that’s… Ugh!”

In reality, Red Vega’s condition was far from normal. Just a slight movement sent pain throughout her body that made her hair stand on end. She endured the pain with a grimace.

The Watcher carefully set her down on the ground and stepped into the dust cloud.

“W-wait…!”

“Just wait a moment.”

Only his shadow remained visible.

“I’ll end this soon.”

Red Vega’s vision gradually blurred, and even lifting her head became difficult. Finally, she lowered her head and let her body rest on the ground. It was comfortable, but she couldn’t see what he looked like now.

Fortunately, she was able to hide one truth well.

Inside the dust cloud, the Watcher undid his transformation.

“What a fierce promise you’ve made.”

Saying you’ll kill me if I go berserk as a villain. That’s quite reassuring.

“Well, I’ll have to trust that for now.”

Han Jae-jung felt his mind clearing. While feeling pathetic about being encouraged by this child, he was still proud of her.

After all, a magical girl was a magical girl.

“Now then, what to do….”

He knew immediately from this brief transformation. Maintaining Ursa Major put great strain on the body. Activating twenty stars simultaneously and handling dozens of powers was too much for a normal person’s body to endure.

That Archer, the former Southern Six Stars, probably became a villain after becoming Sagittarius.

Even with the same transformation, the burden on the body varies depending on the transformation state.

Then the answer is simple.

Abandon Ursa Major.

Instead, gather all the starlight obtained so far into a single star and transform.

It’s the optimal transformation method to minimize bodily strain, and a desperate attempt to somehow extend his survival time.

Fortunately, he had the knowledge to make this possible. He had accumulated expertise in handling stars through his transformations.

The reason Ursa Major was forcefully overlaid was because he couldn’t fully control the starlight.

Now that he could handle all that starlight, he could take on forms beyond the Big Dipper.

“My life really is pitiful.”

Fighting not to live, but to bear fruit somehow while death is already decided.

“But what else can I do?”

Han Jae-jung smiled as he placed his hand on his belt. The part like a focus-adjusting dial. He removed the Ursa Major components with their sharp dial and beast-like decorations.

Starlight gathered in his hand. The starlight condensed into something like a machine part. A dial similar to what he used before.

“I saw a star.”

At least until she could shine on her own, he had to live.

Until all magical girls could achieve their dreams, he had to endure.

From now on, his life would be both progress and endurance.

Like climbing a high snow-covered mountain wearing only thin clothes, it was a desperate yet courageous step.

He read somewhere that an enduring life is no different from slow suicide.

Han Jae-jung completely agreed with this.

He felt this was closer to slow suicide than living.

At the same time, he thought that how one walked their path was more important than where they stopped.

If the cliff is unavoidable anyway, at least make the path walked shine with light. One that everyone praises for its brilliance, but so bright that no one else can walk it.

A path that shines but will never be repeated.

For a life of downfall and glory.

As he always did, he opened his mouth.

“Transform.”

[ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION]

See the stars.

[Focus On]

Focusing on a single star, not a constellation.

[MERAK.]

Activate.

Choosing Merak.

The most suitable star for overcoming the present situation.

White starlight flowed and enveloped his body, turning green, and the green starlight began to take on a brass color.

Bronze armor overlaid the partially formed armor.

Soon, brass-colored starlight gathered in his hand, creating a single weapon.

Gate Opening.

His only ranged weapon.

An old-style long gun.

“The gate is open.”

Now possibilities unfold infinitely.

What to accept and what to reject is entirely in his hands.

The Watcher aimed that gun in the direction from which the arrows had come.

“Come if you can.”

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