Transformation or Death

Life of Downfall (8)

The Archer immediately prepared the next arrow but was thrown into confusion. This was because he couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes.

“…?”

A human body is wrapped in starlight. Not the bright and warm starlight like that of a magical girl. It’s an ominous and gloomy dark starlight. A sticky, curse-like light completely identical to that of the villain.

Han Jae-jung attempted transformation.

Did I mishear something from Botis before? I clearly heard that his lifespan was shortened due to excessive transformation.

Nevertheless, Han Jae-jung chose to transform.

“Something’s different from what I knew….”

However, Han Jae-jung was different from before.

The vast power from before isn’t felt. There’s no lightning that breaks the sky and tears the earth. There’s no white starlight that makes one feel compelled to worship. What covers his body is worn bronze armor, and what he holds is an old-fashioned rifle with a rusty spring.

There’s no sense of threat. There’s no fear.

Where did that fierce and cruel beast-like power from before go, and why is he only adorning himself with such a small star?

That wasn’t the only reason the Archer was surprised.

“What?”

It was because of the words Han Jae-jung spat out.

His eyes can read even the surrounding frequencies and air qualities. Even if covered by a helmet, it wasn’t difficult to guess what the opponent said through the vibrations in the air.

“Come if you can…?”

Looking at Han Jae-jung’s words, the Archer doubted his eyes for a moment. His expression froze coldly.

He even wondered if he had misunderstood something and seen wrong.

But soon thinking that his eyes couldn’t possibly make such mistakes, the Archer shifted his thoughts toward reading the opponent’s intentions.

In fact, that intention was so simple that even the Archer, who usually thinks briefly and makes quick decisions, could easily read it.

“…Ha, haha….”

Right now, he’s challenging him to a duel.

Since he won easily in close combat before, he means to win in this ranged battle too.

It’s a beast-like provocation that scratches at the pride of the arrow-shooting villain.

“You bastard…! A third-rate like you…!”

The Archer ground his teeth in anger and humiliation, changing the arrow he was about to shoot for another one and drawing the bowstring anew.

Contrary to his boiling insides with anger, a smile gradually spread across his lips. His heart, which hadn’t beaten for a while, seemed to pulse now.

Without delay, he prepared his killing technique with the intention of making him pay for daring to provoke him with sniping.

This arrow is identical to the one just given to Red Vega.

It was an arrow with an unusual shape having twelve arrowheads attached to one shaft.

His most confident attack that splits into twelve directions the moment it’s shot, causing twelve simultaneous explosions with a single shot.

World-Covering Shot.

It will show destruction befitting its name that claims to overturn the world.

Of course, attempting killing techniques consecutively would put quite a strain on the body, but that doesn’t matter.

There won’t be any need to shoot more after that anyway.

He drew the bow on the string and concentrated the starlight flowing through his entire body onto those arrowheads.

Around that time, an arrow that had been shot since before Han Jae-jung transformed was approaching him. The Archer also focused on how far the arrow would reach.

‘Even that will be hard to block.’

Unless he was in a state with activated constellations like before, what could he do with a body that’s not even as good as a low-level villain with just one star.

He might endure once, but the next would be impossible.

The Archer was convinced that he wouldn’t be able to defend properly.

“Seems like you used such a trick thinking to spare your body… But do you think you can survive even just today?”

Just then, the arrow he was about to shoot was also ready. The Archer released the bowstring without delay. The single arrow flying through the sky split into twelve, drawing a line like gorgeous fireworks.

“Khuhu, it was a stupid decision. Unless it was the same form as before, with something like that….”

Even if he can block the arrow in front, it’s obvious his breath will be cut off by the arrow behind. But the Archer didn’t take his eyes off as if wanting to specifically capture that obvious ending.

That’s when it happened.

Strong light began to condense in Han Jae-jung’s rifle. It was a deep green in contrast to the Archer’s crimson. It was light with a color like that of a firefly. And like a firefly, it was a weak light.

“…How shabby.”

The Archer suddenly muttered.

As if he had been expecting something from him, as if he still is.

As if expecting how that shabby sparkle could pierce through that vast amount of light.

The Archer’s heart still hadn’t stopped.

The Watcher saw the arrow approaching high in the sky. Though the size of a single arrow wasn’t that large, the light enveloping it was so massive.

As it got closer, it felt like a meteor was approaching.

“…Indeed.”

There’s no belt assistance. The belt’s assistance that always showed optimal paths and prediction ranges during combat. The world seen through the helmet was always overflowing with countless pieces of information.

But now, with the belt switched to sleep mode, all assistance has disappeared. The world was clean to the point of being transparent.

It felt like playing a puzzle game without any information after having played with a strategy guide open.

This must be normal. This is probably how hopeless fighting villains originally was.

Han Jae-jung suddenly felt respect for the magical girls.

“It was this difficult.”

The Watcher placed his finger on the trigger with his madly beating heart as background music.

“A fight relying only on one’s own abilities without any help, it was this frightening and hopeless.”

Light gathered at the muzzle of the Gate Opening. It was a shabby and insignificant tiny light. Like a candle in the wind.

“Despite being this scared, they kept moving forward.”

The lines drawn in the sky easily exceeded dozens. Each one was incomparably stronger than the light gathered in the Gate Opening.

“Perhaps I was the weak one after all.”

But he had just witnessed a sparkle more amazing than that shower of arrows.

“…The gate is, open.”

Can’t give up with just this much.

“There’s no turning back now.”

The springs attached to the gun and between the armor pieces rotated simultaneously. The sound of springs colliding resembled that of starting an engine.

Gate Opening.

Like its name of opening gates, all limiters that had been locked until now were released.

About twenty starlight fragments that had been condensed all gathered into one.

Merak’s form, originally made to handle just seven stars of the Big Dipper, was overworked beyond its original performance.

The body heated up intensely and the gun barrel also overheated along with it.

It was bearable.

At least better than Red Vega’s overwork just now.

There wasn’t even a need to compare with others. Compared to the headache when using Ursa Major, this was like a fairy.

The sound of springs turning became more intense. The sparks emitted from springs colliding were so intense it made him think they could melt metal.

The Watcher took back his previous thought. Not quite a fairy. Rather, if just comparing the momentary pain, now might be worse.

All this overload existed to converge at a single point.

The small points of light gathered one by one into the gun barrel. Starlights like the footsteps he had walked until now. Fragments of stars he had fought countless life-and-death battles to obtain. Though each individual number might be small, when gathered they would erase a great mountain.

Even if it’s just a trivial candle, when thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of candles gather, they could burn down a city.

Before long, the muzzle of the Gate Opening began emitting a radiance intense enough to temporarily block even the sun.

The approaching arrow got even closer. Moreover, a new attack was following behind that arrow. It was the same fierce twelve flashes just shot at Red Vega.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the skill to snipe and shoot down each of those arrows. It would be difficult even with the belt’s assistance. While it might be possible in a brawl, there hasn’t been time to polish such advanced techniques until now, and there won’t be in the future either.

There’s no need to think about shooting them down head-on. What needs to be done now isn’t showing off but defense.

As always, it’s protection.

[Charging complete. Concentration rate 100%.]

Using this gathered starlight as paint, he just needs to recreate according to imagination.

Just before the line reached him, the Watcher pulled the trigger.

Kwang!

The light condensed to its limit was shot as a bullet. Rather than its original Big Dipper shape, it was in the form of an ordinary sphere.

However, that small bead-like bullet distorted gradually as it soared upward. Like ink spreading in water, green light began rippling in the sky centered on the sphere. Its appearance resembled an aurora.

The bullet’s influence on the sky gradually became vast, and its radiance spread wide enough to wrap around the sky.

The dozens, hundreds of arrows shot by the Archer were blocked by that round barrier. Numerous explosions shook the green starlight, but that light only shook momentarily without breaking.

Girls covered in blood and sweat, young men who had been running desperately, children crying looking for their parents, they all quietly gazed at that light.

The green spectacle that unfolded like a miracle gave a moment’s respite to people who had been running urgently, allowing them to regulate their breathing.

Controlled breathing led to flexible thinking, flexible thinking led to clarity and accuracy in actions, and accurate and clear individual actions created a more organized group.

“Move here quickly!”

“There are people over there right now!”

“Thank you! I’ll go there… Miss. Sirius! Quickly rescue others! We have people to protect right now!”

“Y-Yes! Thanks!”

A green aurora lasting about thirty seconds.

It was both a painting and a shield, as well as a signpost.

[Focus On.]

They weren’t the only ones who found their way.

[MEGREZ.]

The owner of the green light also found their way through that signpost.

Even after activating protection by spreading the veil, the Watcher didn’t lose focus. By observing the direction of the arrows being shot, they succeeded in estimating the approximate distance and location.

“It’s been a while.”

The Watcher stroked the back of the black-green bike. The bike that couldn’t be used for a while after being destroyed by Paradox. While it might have been impossible back then when starlight was scarce, now it could be easily created.

Since movement using lightning power has become difficult, now it’s time to use what I used before.

Fortunately, that movement ability isn’t inferior to Ursa Major.

Vroom. As the bike started, the Watcher’s body rose into the sky. The flying bike still held plenty of romance. Intense flames spewed from the exhaust pipe as the Watcher crossed the sky in an instant.

Heaven-axis technique. The quick movement of folding the sky and riding through it succeeded in moving them to the estimated location in less than a second.

The Watcher changed the bike’s angle and rushed downward.

“You damn bastard!!!”

At that moment, a fierce roar came from below along with an arrow. The arrow precisely struck the bike’s engine room.

The Watcher immediately manipulated the belt to change focus.

[Focus On.]

However, what’s being focused now isn’t a single star, but a single technique.

[SET. Seven Star Step Technique.]

The Watcher jumped down using the bike as a foothold. Bang! Simultaneously, a violent explosion occurred in the bike, pushing him forward.

First step.

Thud! Unlike the heavy impact sound, the landing itself was light. An Archer wielding an arrow like a sword rushed at him as he landed on the ground.

“Weren’t you supposed to settle this with sniping?!”

“Why should I fight on your terms?”

“Y-You! You have no romance!”

He easily avoided that sword strike. The Archer rushed at him with even more fury. The wild sword strikes could have been avoided just by moving the upper body, but. Unfortunately, being without support felt unfamiliar, requiring a few extra steps.

“As expected, you’re third-rate!”

Two steps, three steps, four steps.

“Knowing you’ll die if you overuse transformation! Were you that afraid of dying right now?!”

“It’s natural for humans to fear immediate death.”

The Watcher used the momentum from dodging to throw a punch. A heavy fist struck the Archer’s solar plexus.

“Kuheck!”

Five steps. The Watcher moved forward.

“You fool… Even if you don’t die now, you’ll die later. You’ll die after all that great transformation anyway!”

“I know. But why does that matter?”

“…What?”

While the Archer hesitated, the Watcher stepped forward once more.

“All life dies eventually. I’m just a bit closer to it. What’s important is how you live.”

“How do you want to live then?”

“Obviously…”

This makes six steps.

“I’ll go where I want to go. Whether it’s a thorny path or a cliff.”

The final step.

“As long as I can beat insects like you. And if I can give glory to heroes.”

With determination.

“I’ll go anywhere.”

Crack! Fissures appeared from where his last step landed. Plasma rose from those fissures, and that energy gathered and condensed in the Watcher’s right leg.

“Even if that result hastens your death?”

“Yes, even if that result kills me.”

And, without hesitation, he swung that leg.

This is easy even without support. A posture repeated countless times. A high kick that precisely hits the opponent’s vital points, whether it’s the solar plexus, abdomen, or head. This time he hit the head.

Bweok! The kicked Archer flew backward and rolled on the ground like a hamster wheel.

“See, it’s satisfying.”

A faint smile spread across his lips beneath his cracked helmet.

His life may have fallen, but romance still remained.

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