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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Hero's Debut
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The dark city.
In a corner of it, a woman hid, trembling uncontrollably as she crouched by the side of the road.
'No... Damn it. Where in the hell did that monster come from....'
KIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!
"Hiiieeeek!"
The woman, who had cried out without realizing it, quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.
While working at the office, disaster had struck without warning.
The bright daytime had suddenly turned dark, and the city had become a grayscale blur.
That monster had suddenly appeared in the middle of the city.
The moment everyone screamed at its hideous appearance, it raised a hand.
People nearby were pulled as if by an invisible hand, flying through the air towards it.
Then, after their final screams, they all turned into cold corpses.
'.....It's all over now.'
The woman still trembled as she thought.
That monster, with a terrifying appearance she'd never seen in her life.
If that monster raised its hand at any moment, she could be next.
Just like the assistant manager, who lay beside her, a cold corpse.
CRASH.
CRASH.
Of course, that monster wasn't the only thing in this dark city.
Immediately after the incident, heroes had arrived swiftly.
At first, people had hope, seeing the heroes, believing they would resolve the situation.
'....It's hopeless.'
KABOOOOM.
Again, the sound of destruction echoed.
Trembling, she turned her head to look behind her.
Behind that corner.
KIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
-Ugh...
She saw a hero with flowing blonde hair, being overwhelmingly pushed back.
Far from defeating the monster, she seemed barely able to defend against its attacks.
And even then, countless people were continuously dragged from somewhere in the alley by the monster, screaming as their life force was drained, only to collapse lifelessly onto the ground. Becoming cold corpses.
'.....It'll be my turn soon.'
She had already resigned herself to it.
It seemed other heroes were engaged in rescue operations, but there was no sign of them coming her way.
Hah, if I knew I'd die like this, I should've at least slapped that stuffy manager's cheek before I went.
....I wonder if that manager died too?
No, if it's that long-lived human, they might still be alive right now.
As she pondered these thoughts, now openly watching the battle.
She saw a man holding a phone on one side.
'.....What is that person doing over there?'
Squinting to see more clearly, it looked like he was holding his phone horizontally and... filming the battle.
'.....Hah. What a mess.'
Leaving the man, who she couldn't tell if he was YouTube streaming or doing something else in his final moments, not knowing when he'd die, she returned to watching the battle.
The hero was still being pushed back overwhelmingly.
Her name was... Stardust, wasn't it? Stardust was still fighting back, but even to an ordinary person like her, it was clear she was losing strength.
Even looking again, it didn't seem like Stardust would win.
However...
'...Still, she's fighting her best.'
She thought bitterly.
She's like this now, but how long can she last?
Perhaps soon, she too...
-Help me! KYAAAAAAH!
Before she knew it, people were once again being dragged through the air.
They writhed as if strangling themselves, then something white seemed to drain from their bodies, and they collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
As she watched this, her eyes devoid of light, peering out.
—*Thump*.
And then, *it's* eyes met hers.
"....Ah."
She frantically turned her head away, hiding herself against the wall again.
Holding her trembling body and pounding heart, she held her breath behind the wall.
She realized without knowing it.
Now, it was her turn next.
Seeing the cold corpse lying beside her again, her fear intensified.
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Though she had clearly resigned herself moments ago, facing death's threshold directly ignited a sudden fervent desire for life within her.
'Please.... Stardust... Please....'
She peered out again, beginning to pray fervently towards Stardust.
Please. Please! Let a miracle descend, Stardust. Just this once, can't you defeat that thing? Please.
But Stardust was still being pushed back just as before.
Now, she was crashing into buildings, causing chaos.
It raised its hand again, lunging at Stardust.
Just as she, hidden behind the wall, peered out to watch the battle unfold.
'Oh, no...'
Suddenly, she felt a sensation as if someone had gripped her body tightly.
At that very moment, when it seemed her soul would be drained like the others.
Before her, as she was dragged towards the monster, screaming in despair.
"Uwaaaaaaaah-!"
A spirited woman's cry rang out.
And simultaneously.
From where Stardust and the monster were.
The moment Stardust swung her fist,
FLASH-
A dazzling, blinding light flashed at its center.
Finally, as that light shot towards it.
KWOOOOOOOOOOM.
KABOOOM-
A thunderous roar, louder than any sound heard until now, echoed.
A gale-force wind raged, strong enough to send them flying from the center.
The entire city, at its center, momentarily glowed with a massive yellow light, as if an atomic bomb had detonated.
-KUGUGUGUGUGUGUGUGUGUNG.
KIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!
"....Ugh!"
She, who had screamed and closed her eyes instinctively at the immense light, saw this when she opened them again.
KIIIEEE... KUUWAAAHHHHHHH!!!
The monster, suspended in mid-air, howling in agony.
Purple light streamed from various parts of its body.
And then, with its final death throes.
-WHOOSH
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KABOOM-
With a scorching white light, the monster
burst apart.
"Hiiiek!"
Her body, which had been lifted into the air, soon fell to the ground.
As she briefly rubbed her aching backside in pain.
"Ugh..."
"Huh? Assistant Manager?"
To the man who had been lying beside her as a cold corpse.
Something of white light, like a soul, entered him.
He regained his color and began to groan.
Watching such a sight, she.
"Stardust... she actually de-defeated it?"
She spoke, stammering without realizing it.
Soon, people who had been lying like corpses on the ground began to regain consciousness one by one.
From behind the collapsed wall, she stumbled to her feet, oblivious to her dirtied suit. And what she, along with everyone else who regained consciousness at that moment, saw was.
The dark sky receded from the city's center, and the sun rose again.
Standing at its heart, bathed first in the bright light, still floating in the air with her fist clenched.
Stardust, her blonde hair flowing.
Looking at Stardust's back, silhouetted against the rising sun, shrouded in shadow.
She murmured to herself without realizing it.
"....A hero."
That's what a hero is.
Stardust's image, floating and shining alone after defeating a monster that seemed invincible, was truly that of a hero.
Everyone who witnessed that sight.
Without even realizing it.
Stared blankly at Stardust's figure.
Just stared, blankly, watching.
The shining hero who had saved them all.
The image of a hero.
From that day forward.
A video of Stardust's battle, filmed from beginning to end, spread nationwide.
Her popularity, Stardust's popularity, began to explode.
***
The darkness receded, and the sky brightened once more.
From the rooftop at its center, I smiled.
"Haha, damn it. You scrub. One shot, *cough*. Done, right?"
I loaded up the silver bullet, packed it tight, and launched it at the monster like a bazooka. It couldn't even let out a peep, just shrieked 'KIIIIEEEEEEK!' and died.
What's more, I shot it the very moment Stardust unleashed her Star-Punch and the light flashed, so it looked to everyone like Stardust had defeated it. Even Haru herself probably thinks she did it, right?
The monster fell as a powerful light flashed, like it had been hit by a nuclear warhead; even I briefly thought Stardust had defeated it herself.
Of course, regardless of how strong Haru's Star-Punch is, that thing absolutely can't be killed unless attacked with silver, so that couldn't have been the case.
Still, it's something that she awakened her semi-ultimate move, the Star-Punch, much faster than in the original, thanks to this opportunity.
Under the now brightened sky, Stardust, who had briefly floated after defeating the monster, then collapsed, utterly spent. Leaving her behind, I began to focus on myself. Stardust would recover once her fatigue wore off... but now I was the problem.
"Whew... Now, how do I get home, *cough*. How do I get... *cough*. *Cough, cough*."
Ah, damn it.
And in the midst of this, I coughed up blood again.
It seemed that having overused teleportation to cover this long distance, the after-effects were only now hitting me, with the tension gone.
Finally, after spitting a whole bucket of blood onto the building's exterior wall, I wiped the blood from my mouth and began to gather my anti-materiel rifle, preparing to head home.
Hah, how am I going to get back?
I also need to explain the situation to Lee Seol-ah, who must be incredibly worried... There's a lot to do.
Just as I thought that and, having packed my rifle, was about to turn around.
"So it was you after all."
At the voice from behind me, I froze.
And standing before me when I turned my head again was.
"....Shadow Walker?"
Shadow Walker, with black hair and heavy dark circles under his eyes.
His eyes looked weary, yet his lips were slightly upturned.
...No, damn it. Why is he here?
As I stood dumbfounded by the sudden encounter, he wiped the tip of his nose and spoke to me.
"No need to be so surprised. I knew everything from beginning to end."
"....Knew what?"
"I already figured out you're a hero pretending to be a villain. And from what I saw this time, you were the one who eliminated that thing, weren't you?"
He rambled on and on in front of me. No, so where did he come from, and what is he talking about all by himself?
Seeing me just rolling my eyes, he seemed to have made some judgment on his own, for he wiped under his nose again and said.
"Anyway... I'll speak on behalf of the heroes. Egotistic. I, on their behalf, express my gratitude to you. Egotistic."
Then, he gave me a thumbs-up and spoke.
"You are... a true man, recognized by me!"
....What the hell is this guy?
"Uh... thanks?"
I just said that one thing to him, who was going on and on by himself.
...Anyway, Shadow Walker was someone I originally planned to recruit, so it's good if he thinks well of me.
What the situation is, uh, I don't know.
Still, I had to say this.
I added to him, who was still giving me a thumbs-up.
"Oh, and. You can't tell anyone else I did this, okay?"
"Hmph. What do you take me for? I understand you have your reasons for doing this. I'll definitely keep your secret."
Right. Thanks.
So, can you, uh, just leave now?
Because I feel like I'm losing my mind right now.
"Right, thanks. So I have to go now, *cough*."
Ah, damn it.
In the end, I coughed up blood right in front of him.
Seeing blood suddenly spew from my mouth, his expression hardened.
".....Hey, you. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, *cough*. Can you leave now?"
Ah. Now that I think about it, I was so flustered earlier that I forgot to keep up my polite speech persona.
Anyway, as I waved my hand, asking him to leave, he still moved his feet, his expression still hardened.
"...You, hmm.... No, okay. Hmm.... Yes, I'll take my leave first."
Muttering to himself, as if deep in thought, he shuffled over to the rooftop door and went down.
I wondered why he wasn't shadow-traveling, but then I realized it wasn't night anymore.
Staring blankly at his retreating figure, now a 'pedestrian,' I soon clutched my head and groaned.
Right... I managed to handle the surprise event somehow.
Ah. How do I get home now?
No choice. With my current condition, it's a big risk, but I'll have to teleport anyway. Better than other risks.
...If I collapse, Hayul will heal me, so it should be fine, right? I won't die on the way, surely.
Having made that decision, I attempted long-distance teleportation again.
Life is tough, man.
****
[Yes! This is the live footage that just came in! Stardust, finally defeating that monster! Stardust has saved everyone! Let's take a moment to once again express our gratitude to Stardust, who showed us the very embodiment of a hero. Long live Stardust! Long live Stardust! Long live Stardust, forever!!!]
[Anchor Kim Tae-won, get down from the desk right now! Who allowed you up there during a live broadcast! Cut the feed. Cut the feed!]
After the events of that day.
In South Korea, a veritable 'Stardust craze' (熱風) swept through the nation.
A fervent wave of support unlike any hero had experienced in constitutional history until now.
For the despairing citizens, Stardust fought to the very end, ultimately defeating the monster with a dazzling light and bringing salvation to all. The public's perception of her was, quite literally, nothing short of a national hero.
And the public's fervent love and attention.
Stardust, Shin Haru, standing at the center of it all.
'....Clearly, at that moment, someone on the rooftop...'
Putting aside her popularity, she was struggling to recall the last sight she saw before collapsing from exhaustion.
She definitely heard a 'thang' sound and thought she saw someone wearing a mask...
Did I mishear? No, I didn't...