Chapter 22: A Contract You Can Refuse

Eclipse.

Pax's mage.

To me, Eclipse was... another product of my mistakes.

—...Ah, yeah.

—If they tell me to do it, I have to, right?

Eclipse was always cynical and didn't trust people.

Probably because he could see the 'colors' of people's souls.

What was it he said again?

...Ah, right.

Gray represented deception, pink lust, black corrupt desires.

And only white was the color of pure, unwavering self-conviction, free of lies.

That's why he always despised Pax Corporation.

Everyone was gray. Everyone was pink.

And when his hostage rescue mission ultimately failed...

—...Ah.

He began to break.

The failure stemmed from an unreasonable schedule and faulty intel.

Pax didn't protect him.

No one believed him anymore. No one trusted him.

Countless people condemned and scorned him right in front of his eyes, or online.

And that...

Turned him into a villain.

From villains, he probably never saw gray.

Even if they were ugly and brutal, at least they didn't hide themselves.

Their white—the color of 'self-conviction' and 'will'—must have shone brighter than anything.

—Oh! Hey, Jun. Long time no see. Fancy running into you here.

—...Stop, Eclipse. This isn't right.

—Yeah, I know. But what can you do? This is what they chose.

—....

—And you're the same, Jun. Why stop me now? Why? Why?? Why!!!!

...Eclipse mistook that light for the truth.

But unfortunately...

—Guh....

His life didn't last much longer there.

—Eclipse, I heard you left Pax. So you're no hero anymore?

With a sickening crunch, Great America killed him in an instant.

Overwhelmingly, thoroughly—unlike my grueling struggle where I barely couldn't win.

—...Why... only now... do I see... white... from you....

—...I'm sorry, Eclipse.

I listened to his dying words as he lay bleeding on the ground, then gently closed his eyes.

That was my last memory of him.

And that... was the starting point where everything began to twist.

But the Eclipse before me now...

"Th-this can't be...? No, what the hell...?"

Wasn't broken yet.

Cynical, pessimistic, foul-mouthed—but his eyes hadn't fully given up on the world or descended into total distrust.

He could still be fixed.

He could still be changed.

That conviction sank even deeper into my mind.

So what I had to do was...

"It's obvious you're an exceptional mage. That's why you caught my interest."

Redefine his thinking.

"...."

To him, colors were truth.

But didn't he know? Colors weren't everything.

What mattered wasn't the color, but what the person actually chose and did.

That was the flaw in my view of 'color'.

"...Interest, huh."

"To put it bluntly, I'd like a bit of your cooperation."

"...Cooperation?"

But Eclipse twisted his lips at my words.

"Wow, that's wild. You've gone full Pax now, huh?"

His eyes narrowed in disgust as he spoke.

"You know what they said when I signed with Pax?"

"...."

"'We need your abilities,' 'Cooperate with us,' 'It has to be you'..."

And purple gleamed in his eyes.

"They dragged me in with that bullshit. They just wanted to use me—for their benefit."

His words were true.

I did intend to make use of him, after all.

And I had no intention of denying it.

"Yes, that's right."

"...What?"

"I need you. As you overheard, I'm building my own base.

Having your abilities there would be like adding cream to cake."

"...Are you insane?"

"People using people is normal in modern society. Pax just... lacks 'respect' for it."

"...Hah."

"To sum up, I don't plan to treat you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like merchandise. It's more like hiring an expert."

"Expert?"

"You know there are other mages besides you."

"...Yeah, sure."

"Magic defense, perception jamming, tracking blocks, magic detection."

I stared straight at him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I listed them.

"My base needs that."

"Compensation... we'll figure it out, but it'll be generous."

I checked my stock app as I said it.

The balance had swelled even more.

"More than what you overheard—my assets have grown a bit since then."

"...Making money with Future Predict, huh?"

"No, it only triggers when my life’s in danger, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so useless for this.

Sadly."

"...."

Eclipse's pupils began to waver.

He grimaced like it disgusted him, yet his eyes brimmed with inexplicable doubt.

And soon, a barbed question slipped from his lips.

"...So, what's the difference between you and Pax? You're still just using me because you need me."

"Hm... the difference. Simpler than you think."

I locked eyes with him and spoke.

"First, you can refuse. I'm not forcing you."

"Pax said that too, at first."

"Second, we can change the terms."

"...Change terms? What’s that mean?"

"Say, if I asked you to handle all the base's defensive magic?"

"Hell no. I don't even know the size, and the workload would be insane."

"Yes, I'd accept that. Raise the pay, reduce the role—whatever.

I'm not forcing anything."

"...Wh-what if the base gets attacked?"

"That's my problem.

The moment you refuse, I'd hire another mage or invest more in physical defenses."

"...."

"Above all, I won't use your name or appearance for promotion."

"...For real?"

"Even your involvement in the base—I won't publicize it if you don't want."

"...Why? Wouldn't that keep the flies off your base?"

"I'm proposing a deal to mage Eclipse, not hero Eclipse."

"...Ah."

Eclipse's tension eased.

His hunched shoulders relaxed, his guarded eyes softening.

But my pitch wasn't over.

"And finally, you can terminate the contract anytime."

"...!"

"You know as a Pax hero—the penalties are massive.

That's why you can't just leave. Like you."

"Th-that's... true."

"But I won't bind you like that. If you want out, you're free immediately."

"...Really?"

"Of course, separate clauses for NDAs and managing installed defenses."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

I grabbed a McWorld napkin and wrote my number on it.

"My contact. Call if you're interested."

"...."

I handed it over, then nodded to Hope.

"Wh-what. Leaving?"

"Yes."

Staying in front of her might feel like pressure.

"Think it over deeply. Rationally, not on impulse."

My own brand of consideration.

"...What the hell are you?"

Eclipse stopped me, asking cautiously.

"...What do you mean?"

"Why are you so white?"

"Pardon?"

Honestly, I hadn't expected to look white in his eyes.

Figured it'd be dark gray or black. Surprising.

As I pondered how to answer...

"No lies? No desires? Or is your head just broken?"

He asked, a mix of disbelief and irritation.

And my response was already set.

"...White doesn't always mean good."

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

"Self-conviction saves people—or kills them.

What matters isn't the visible color... but what the person does with it."

Past-life Eclipse's cynicism peaked.

Pax's pressure, media and public backlash.

That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠led to his massive delusion.

"Someone who has pink but doesn't act on it.

Someone with black desires who ultimately chooses good.

Isn't that more impressive?"

"...."

"I'm not pure. I just... look white, as you say."

I finished and turned away.

Too much left to do.

"Let's go, Hope."

"...Uh, yeah. Sure."

We walked out.

A few days later.

After contracting a decent building as a temporary base and moving some of Hope's gear...

"Whoa—! Fuck yeah, this is it! All the latest gear, huh?!"

"Can't skimp on this stuff."

"...Hm?"

My phone pinged with a message.

From Eclipse, no less.

"Hope, good news."

"Huh? More good news here?"

"Take a look."

"...Not bad," I thought.

But more importantly...

...The future filled with regret had changed, just a little.