Chapter 73: Doubt (6)
TL/Editor: Raei
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"...Luna?"
The moment the name weakly spilled from my lips and echoed back to my ears, I snapped back to reality, shocked.
That couldn''t be possible.
What was I even saying?
Of course, it wasn''t possible, as Song Soo-yeon had gone to a photoshoot.
Hadn''t I seen the evidence myself?
After having seen that stunning photo album with my own eyes, how could I doubt it?
Song Soo-yeon is currently relying on me. Who else would stand by her side if not me?
At the very least, I should not be thinking this way.
-Crash!!
Once again, chairs flew through the school windows.
My expression darkened.
"...No."
I shook my head and bit my lip.
No matter how simr to Luna''s powers it may seem, it couldn''t be her.
After all, Song Soo-yeon isn''t an ability user.
When I pulled her from the rooftop, the future that could have blossomed surely disappeared.
So... these powers must belong to another viin.
While Song Soo-yeon hasn''t awakened the ability to control, another viin must have.
It was another viin recing Luna.
It had to be.
"..."
Yet, why couldn''t I take my eyes off it?
If I could see them just once, then I could be certain.
I wished I could see that the person behind this power wasn''t Luna.
-Bang!!!
But the truth was, I had no time to focus on that scene.
Right next to me, Sce was in the midst of a fierce battle.
She was getting pushed back as time went on.
She couldn''t withstand thebined assault of Tryno, Liquid, and Stingshot.
With countless students running wild and three viins attacking her, it must be hard to decide whether to protect the citizens or herself first.
The situation was chaotic, yet she refused to back down.
Even I found myself alternating my gaze between Sce and the chaotic students.
My body kept twitching, itching to leap out.
"Haah...haah..."
I lowered my head again, catching my breath.
Everything will be okay.
Staying calm is most important.
Let''s calm down. Don''t rush into negative thoughts.
This isn''t Luna, and Sce won''t lose.
I have to believe.
"...Please."
I prayed.
---
---
"Give up, Sce!"
Tryno threw a punch with augh.
Sce struggled to block it.
At the same time, she grimaced, bracing for the iing pain.
-Bang!!
Sure enough, a significant shock was felt on her wrist.
Her body withstood Tryno''s explosion, but her sleeves did not.
Not just the sleeves, but various parts of her hero costume were getting torn apart.
Blood even flowed from where Stingshot''s bullets grazed her.
She tried to create distance, but Liquid didn''t give her a chance.
He tenaciously followed her, filling in the gaps between Tryno''s attacks.
''I''m scared.''
She thought to herself alone.
It was clear that the Viin Alliance was targeting her and hade to this school.
Tryno, Liquid, and Stingshot were after her... and the rampaging students were undoubtedly Luna''s doing.
The students'' rampage imposed limits on her powers. Fearing possibly hurting them, she couldn''t unleash her full strength.
''I want to run away.''
She thought.
If she wasn''t careful, she might die here. This moment could be herst.
Facing the infamous Viin Alliance alone, there was no chance of winning.
...And when hope was absent, the desire to turn and flee grew stronger.
Even if it was disgraceful, she could survive.
Dropping all the reputation she had built up to now and facing immense criticism... but she could live.
After all, the students were also running amok. It wasn''t as if she could save such people, could she?
They weren''t looking for help, and being manipted, they were more of a hindrance... perhaps it couldn''t be helped if she couldn''t save them.
Her body was gradually getting tired.
She realized there wasn''t much time left to use her powers.
Her abilities were also cooling down.
-Bang!!!
While she was lost in herplex thoughts, a bullet from Stingshot prated her foot.
"Ugh...!"
She momentarily lost her bnce and fell.
Simultaneously, Trynounched a punch towards her face.
Sce managed to block the punch with her hands by turning her head.
-Bang!!
But she couldn''t stop herself from being thrown backward.
Sliding across the yground, she fell backward.
A shock transmitted through her back.
"Argh! Haah...!"
Though she had fallen, she quickly got back up.
With trembling arms, she lifted her body and squeezed out her powers to float in the air.
To stop was to die.
She couldn''t stop.
Unable to walk any further, she had to fly.
Although slower, she had no choice.
Sce scanned her enemies from the air.
Tryno was smiling, watching her, while Liquid was creating water in the air. Stingshot was reloading his next bullet.
The citizens she needed to protect were just fighting amongst themselves.
...This was a first for her in such a battlefield.
A fight without any cheers from anyone.
A fight withoutrades.
A fight where she didn''t even know what she was fighting for.
She really wanted to run away.
...Is anyone watching?
Maybe no one was watching.
It might be okay to run away.
After all, there''s no one in their right mind here.
Sce pressed her in-earmunicator and asked.
"...When is backuping?"
The reply came back.
"5 minutes...! Just hold on for 5 more minutes...!"
''F*ck...''
Sce swore for the first time in a while.
It was a moment where she couldn''t hold back from cursing.
5 minutes.
There was no hope.
The more she thought about it, running away seemed like the right choice.
At that moment, Tryno spoke.
"Don''t even think about running, Sce. You''re our target. Even if you run, we''ll chase you."
Liquid nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, don''t bother. Heroes shouldn''t run away."
Though their words were meant to taunt, Sce felt they struck a nerve.
Her mind began to be overtaken as well. The fear wouldn''t leave her.
...Suddenly, Jung-gyeom came to mind.
She couldn''t understand why he appeared in her thoughts.
Was it because, as both her body and spirit were breaking, the mask of Sce shattered, returning her to Min-Bom?
Was it because she had no allies in this battlefield?
Or was it because, facing death, she regretted not having eaten the lunchbox?
Did he manage to escape?
She hoped the debris from Tryno''s explosions hadn''t flown near Jung-gyeom.
The temperature kept dropping. Her abilities were reaching their limit.
This might be the end.
Min-Bom secretly bit her lip.
Yes, running awa-
"-Sce!! You can do it!!"
At that moment, a shout that snapped her back to reality rang out.
"...Oppa?"
She whispered.
Had he not run away?
''Because he was worried about me?''
Simultaneously, a surge of emotion welled up inside her... and her powers began to reignite.
---
---
-Bang!!!
Tryno''s fist exploded, causing a massive sound.
Holding onto the railing and about to leap towards the yground, she hesitated onest time.
Sce tumbled on the ground before lifting herself into the air.
She chose to fly, as Stingshot''s bullet had earlier pierced her foot.
Her hands trembled.
I repeated in my head hundreds of times that I must believe.
She would endure this.
She would grow.
She would ovee.
Because she was Sce.
But it was clear.
She had reached her limit.
The bright light she emanated was gradually dimming.
A symptom that always appeared when our fights dragged on.
She didn''t have much time left.
Yet, there was a reason I did not step in.
I remembered Sce, crying bitterly beside me as I was dying.
The regret I felt at resolving everything with force.
As long as she struggled to fight, I wanted to believe.
My hero would not crumble here.
It would be wrong for me to interfere and hinder her growth.
...Also, if I used my power... our rtionship would never be the same.
But I was ready to sacrifice everything.
I couldn''t watch her die.
I was prepared to use my power at any moment.
I will hold out until the very end.
Tryno gradually approached her.
Liquid''s created liquid took the shape of icicles. Stingshot aimed for his next shot.
In the end, I couldn''t contain my voice.
"-Sce!! You can do it!!"
I hoped she would grow as I desperately watched her.
For a moment, the battlefield fell into silence, as my voice echoed through.
-Whoosh!
And then, as if by magic, Sce began to reignite.
Soon, her brightness became dazzling.
As Tryno and Liquid were taken aback, Sce''s figure moved.
-Whoosh!!!
Like a sh, she created a long beam of light, cutting across the yground.
Tryno instantly disappeared from Liquid''s side, caught by Sce, being dragged across the ground.
The tide of the battle flipped in an instant.
As I focused on the fight, a sharp sound echoed once more.
-Bang!!
Stingshot.
But this time, his bullet did not fly towards Sce.
The moment I tilted my head to the side, a bullet grazed my cheek.
-Thud!
The bullet pierced the wall behind me and disappeared.
He had targeted me, likely because of my earlier cheer.
"......"
I looked down at Stingshot, positioned on the school''s rooftop.
Stingshot, with his gun turned towards me.
Was he still looking at me?
I hoped he was.
I wanted him to read my lips.
Suppressing my emotions, I spoke.
"...Don''t provoke me anymore."
I warned him, clenching my teeth.
From afar, I saw Stingshot, puzzled, lowering his gun.
Then, the ground began to tremble. I staggered briefly before regaining my bnce.
Shake had arrived.
Other heroes hade along with him.
Looking at Stingshot, he now turned his attention away from me and started sniping at the approaching heroes.
It was all over now.
Just a little more to hold on.
What happened to Sce?
I rolled my eyes, searching for Sce.
"Yes...! Yes...!"
Then, I felt a chilling heat on the back of my neck.
Trusting her was the right decision.
Before I knew it, Sce was fighting both opponents evenly.
She was still slightly overpowered, but it was clear she had mustered her strength.
Her hair and eyes still shone brightly.
She could hold on until the other heroes arrived.
She did not falter or retreat.
She showed that admirable figure even at her young age.
"Tryno!!"
Liquid shouted.
Stingshot retreated into the school with his gun.
Liquid also transformed his body into water and flowed into the school, disappearing.
They were all retreating.
The only one who hadn''t retreated, indecisive and frustrated, was Tryno.
''Ugh..!''
Like ast struggle, Tryno spread his arms wide.
Sce, wary of his powers, stepped back.
And at the same time, everything within a close radius of Tryno exploded into dust.
As the cloud of dust cleared, Tryno was nowhere to be found.
He too had sessfully retreated.
The heroes arrived.
One by one, the students began toe to their senses.
I quickly scanned the area, desperately searching not for Luna, but for the controller.
However, the Viin Alliance that had entered the school was nowhere to be found.
Probably, they had escaped the school using Riem''s teleportation.
Meanwhile, down below, Sce waved at me.
"........"
Did I do well?
Her action seemed to send that message, momentarily bringing tears to my eyes.
And then, as if her strength had left her, she copsed.
"Bom...!"
I put aside the matter of Luna for a moment and rushed down the stairs.