CH 171

S-class hunter Metel, who came to capture Egostic, returned to the United States this morning.

The Association announced that the S-class hero, Metel, had returned to the United States this morning. The Association chairman stated that Metel had been summoned back to her home country due to a shortage of heroes caused by instability in the United States. However, netizens are skeptical of the association’s statement, believing that Metel fled after being defeated by Egostic.

***

S-class hero Metel returned to the United States.

Officially, she was called back because she had been abroad for too long, but to anyone who saw her, she looked like someone who had been defeated by Egostic and had returned home in defeat.

“This is Metel’s ultimate move, Meteor! Oh, no, he blocked it!”

The video of Metel using her ultimate move but the meteor was blocked from falling on Egostic’s abandoned factory had been released to everyone for a while now. Although there was no footage of the actual battle as they couldn’t get close, the sound of the battle lasted for a long time, indicating that it was quite intense.

And the result of that battle was Metel’s defeat.

When Association agents arrived, Metel was unconscious and had collapsed. Egostic Stream members had already disappeared.

After that day’s events, Metel left Korea as if she was running away today.

Among netizens, it is widely known that the level of the S-class hero is nothing compared to the opponents of Ego Stream. Furthermore, Stardus, who has fought and won against Ego Stream alone until now, is also being reevaluated.

In this situation, Stardus and Shin Haru were lost in thought, looking out the window.

Eventually, Metel returned to the United States. After waking up in the hospital, he suddenly jumped up with a loud noise and seemed to be surprised.

Since then, Metel has changed quite a bit. She has become more gentle than before. She no longer picks fights with association employees or maintains an arrogant attitude. In particular, she showed a tendency to be aware of Shin Haru herself. No one knows why.

Anyway, that’s not the strange part.

Despite the fact that she obviously fell, Metel never revealed what happened inside the factory.

She did say that she only fought with Egostic, but her attitude was a bit strange.

When she heard the word Egostic, she trembled and looked suspicious. It was rather weird.

She, who used to look down on Egostic for being only an A-class, suddenly became nervous and eventually went back to the United States, saying she had a lot to do there.

She had stated before that she would definitely return after catching Egostic, but that was not the case.

“Um….”

Shin Haru sat with her chin resting on her hand, looking out the window in silence.

…She’s not a fool.

There must be a reason why that arrogant and cowardly Metel suddenly changed like that, and it must be because of Egostic.

Perhaps she suffered a big shock during the fight with Egostic, and that’s why she changed like that.

Especially after checking inside the factory later and finding dozens of sharp rocks, it seems that Metel may have been trying to get rid of Egostic altogether.

In fact, when she first saw it, she was angry, but since she didn’t see any blood or anything like that, she decided to let it go.

‘…Of course, I was angry because it’s not right to execute someone without a trial, whether they were a villain or a hero. It doesn’t have any other meaning. I wasn’t worried about whether Egostic was hurt or not.’

-Shin Haru rationalized to herself.

Of course, earlier when she saw the meteor falling towards Egostic on the real-time video at the association, she was startled and almost jumped out of her seat to save him without thinking. But… well, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he had blocked it on his own and sat back down. Anyway, she thought to herself that it was because of the risk of private sanctions, not because she was worried about Egostic.

The story momentarily went off topic, but here is the conclusion.

Traces of the fallen Metel and the fierce battle with Egostic, and the easiest thing to infer from her trembling appearance just by hearing the name is that perhaps Metel suffered a severe shock during her fight with Egostic. This may be the case, and although the Association is keeping quiet about it, many people are thinking this.

However, what’s strange is that “she didn’t have many injuries.” Egostic seemed to have hit her hard enough to make her tremble, so why aren’t there many injuries? It was strange, but it wasn’t something that could be found out immediately, so they decided to let it go for now.

Instead, what caught her attention was Egostic’s behavior. Egostic completely destroyed Metel this time, to the point where she lost consciousness. And judging from Metel’s trembling response, it was quite shocking. She even seemed to be afraid of Egostic. It seems like he did something really scary that could make anyone scared…

But why? 

He never did anything like that to her before…?

Shin Haru was silent for a moment, thinking about that. Really, how fiercely did he fight against Metel? And why was she trembling so much, while he had never done anything like that to her before…?

Shin Haru recalled her past memories of fighting with Egostic. Egostic encouraged her when she fell off the train. He caught her when she fought against a giant robot stolen from Han Eun Group, and when the president went crazy and launched a missile, he barely managed to stop it and catch her when she fell. He always laughed and said, ‘Next time, I won’t let it pass!’ before running away.

Comparing Egostic’s attitude towards her and the trembling Metel, Shin Haru realized something. “Did he only do that to me…?”

No, wait. Come to think of it, Egostic always said things like, ‘You completed me’ looking at her, but she never really paid much attention to it.

Actually, if you think about it,

Egostic wasn’t that kind to others. It’s just that she realized it once again through the Metel incident.

However, she was only like that to Stardus.

“Hmm….”

As she thought about it, she unknowingly made an “Hmmm” sound and quickly lifted her head.

No, that’s not important. What’s important is that Egostic and his villain alliance are becoming stronger. We need to focus on this important issue, and we don’t have time to focus on other things.

However, she felt happy without realizing it while thinking like that, and then she cleared her throat and thought again.

…Well, yeah. She’s Egostic’s only opponent, after all. That’s what it is. She just confirmed it again through the Metel incident, nothing has changed.

As expected, Egostic belongs to her.

…However, what really happened to Metel..?

Shin Haru was slightly curious about that.

***

Inside a private plane heading to the United States.

Metel, who was sitting alone behind the curtain, was sobbing.

“Ugh…Egostic.”

Sob. Sob.

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she clenched her fist and made a determination.

Even though she had been careless and had suffered this time…

Even though she had completely surrendered to him and her heart had been broken, sobbing.

“Next time…I’ll definitely…knock him down.”

Sob.

Although she still felt like trembling when she thought only of Egostic, and she recited her hero’s justice principles up to Chapter 5 without realizing it, she still wasn’t completely broken.

Of course, if she were to see Egostic in her current state, she would probably kneel down unconsciously, but she wasn’t completely broken yet.

“I…will definitely come back!”

Metel clenched her fist as she sobbed.

She would work hard and improve her abilities in the United States as he had told her, and then return to Korea to step on him.

The deadline is approximately…

“One decade, ten years should do it…?”

No, fifteen years…? It might take that long…?

She pondered the matter seriously and returned to the United States. Anyway, isn’t it important to make a vow to take revenge? As they say, the beginning is half the battle…!

It was a day when she missed the peanut butter sandwich from her hometown.

***

“Who’s talking about me?”

I muttered while feeling itchy in my ears.

The news was about Meel’s return to the United States.

“But, Da-in, what exactly did you do to make that woman run away so scared? I came down late and didn’t see it.”

“What did I do?”

At Seo-eun’s sudden question, I scratched my ear, and Eun-wol, who was listening next to me, also smiled and twisted her hair.

…It wasn’t a big deal. Maybe I used the magic that Eun-wol taught me to make her dizzy. It proceeded very non-violently and calmly. Of course, I don’t think the effect will last long, but for now, we have successfully sent her back to the United States.

After explaining roughly like that, Seo-eun seemed convinced.

Well, anyway. The job was done well enough.

And then.

I looked up at the sky outside the window and thought quietly.

…If my thoughts are correct, the United States will no longer interfere with this side.

***

International Hero Association headquarters.

After Metel, who was sent to face Egostic, was overwhelmingly defeated and returned to the United States, the chairman who had a conversation with her and sent her back quietly leaned back in his chair and thought.

“…Egostic”

Cathedral, a gathering of the leaders of the villain alliance. He was the only A-class villain there.

After hearing the news, the chairman sent one hero to South Korea to face Egostic.

So, the hero Metel, who had just become S-class, was sent to Korea to see if she was really fit to face an A-class villain like Egostic.

And after observing the subsequent series of events, the chairman made a decision.

…As expected, it’s hard to imagine that the person who entered Cathedral is anything but extraordinary.

And after meeting Metel, who returned unharmed despite losing, and having a conversation with him, the president was even more certain.

Don’t do anything unnecessary and focus on what’s urgent.

South Korea. Egostic…

Let’s not interfere with him anymore.