Let's Be Friends (1)
Let’s Be Friends (1)
Seven spheres of green light—seven stars—burst from Han Jae-jung’s body. They traced a full circuit across the sky before plunging back into him. Green starlight enfolded him, armored his fragile flesh.
Blue and crimson energies formed a taiji above Contradiction’s heart, revolving. The colors invaded each other, mingled, grew murky and dark, then clung fast to Contradiction’s entire body. The armor shifted, split evenly between red and blue.
A scarf erupted from Han Jae-jung’s throat, bending into the shape of the Big Dipper as it streamed behind him.
Golden lines decorated Contradiction’s armor in precise symmetry—as if a Mondrian painting had been translated onto a suit of armor.
“I will ask.”
“Ask.”
Their arms crossed, straight fingers aimed at one another.
“Can you... stop me?”
“Have you ever seen a star?”
Their fingers folded, and their raised hands became fists.
The fists drew back for a moment, then they thrust them forward at each other.
Fist met fist, and a powerful shockwave erupted. The wind carried the impact, carving hairline cracks into walls and pavement.
“Not bad.”
“I happen to think it’s terrible.”
Han Jae-jung pulled his fist back against the sharp pain and retreated several steps. He looked into Contradiction’s eyes—already they gleamed with two colors, blue and crimson.
Meaning Contradiction had activated his principle.
What do I even do about that.
Mutual destruction wasn’t an option here. But he couldn’t win or lose, either. It was a truly troublesome ability. If the man were simply overpowering, there’d be at least an answer.
As Contradiction had said himself, a surprise attack would’ve given Han Jae-jung the upper hand, but unfortunately he saw no opening for one.
“Couldn’t you do me a favor and close your eyes so I can ambush you?”
“Ha-ha, you joke.”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t.
“Annoying bastard...”
Contradiction provoked the kind of irritation comparable to finding a mosquito buzzing around in late autumn.
He was supposed to slink into the story late, like in the original—wasn’t he supposed to crawl out of the woodwork in the latter half? What kind of commercial ethics made him show up before Han Jae-jung had even finished growing?
[Quest issued.]
A quest. The ones that had been silent out of consideration for his body’s condition now appeared. He’d transformed anyway; moving his body was the same either way, so the Belt had apparently decided it could stop walking on eggshells.
Han Jae-jung ground his teeth. He never had any helpful bastards on his side.
Still, if he diligently completed quests, he gained stars, power, memories—they weren’t entirely useless.
[Remove the monster before you from his current location.]
The hospital right next door housed multiple magical girls. They could drag their ailing bodies out to respond. It was a rational quest.
“Accepted.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing you need to know.”
“How cruel.”
Contradiction openly displayed his disappointment. The conversation was a letdown, but his power was not. Quickly regaining his smile, Contradiction opened and closed his fist, checking his strength.
He was far stronger than before.
“But your power, on the other hand, is refreshingly honest. Compared to your words, it’s much softer—and much heavier.”
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Han Jae-jung jerked his thumb toward the hospital behind him.
“We’re relocating. High chance someone interferes with us here. That precious balance of yours might break.”
Grasping the context, Contradiction nodded.
“I appreciate the consideration. You’re quite right. And there’d be a great deal of public property damage as well. As a monster who pays no taxes, I’d feel a twinge of guilt destroying things without restraint. Very well, let’s move.”
He really was a guy you could reach on the strangest wavelengths.
Contradiction turned and started toward the crosswalk when Han Jae-jung spoke.
“Megrez.”
“Hmm?”
“Bring out the bike. You copied my power, so you ought to have one.”
“Your... ah, my apologies.”
“You destroyed it, but your mouth’s still alive, I see. I’ll be filing for damages later, so guard your wallet.”
“You hold grudges more quietly than I expected. Should I call it shamelessness?”
“Shut up.”
Contradiction obediently activated the copied star. Countless thread-thin green lines, like veins, traced across his body. Beyond his outstretched hand, particles of light erupted and coalesced.
The light instantly assumed the form of a vehicle—a sleek motorcycle.
“Good.”
Han Jae-jung swung himself onto it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, placing his hands on the grips. The bike rumbled to life with a heavy, low-frequency vibration.
“Why are you the one riding it so casually?”
“Any problem with me handling my own property?”
“Mm... a fair point. It’s rational.”
Contradiction climbed on behind Han Jae-jung.
“Ugh. Carrying a monster on the back—disgusting. You’re going to grab on back here.”
He tapped the footrest with his boot, indicating where Contradiction should hold on.
“You grow more brazen by the moment... Still, very well. I arrived unannounced today, after all. I shall respect that.”
Han Jae-jung lifted the bike into the air. Contradiction placed his hands exactly where he’d been told and held on tight.
The bike, now suspended in the sky, spat fierce flames and shot across empty space.
Heaven-Folding Art—his signature ability. This high-speed movement, nearly instantaneous teleportation achieved by folding the heavens, proved tremendously helpful once again.
It took only seconds to reach a deserted mountain road.
“Huff, my arms nearly came off... Ah.”
The moment the desired scenery appeared, Han Jae-jung cut the engine and sent the bike plummeting.
“Oh-ho.”
“Hook.”
[Quest completed.]
He let the Belt’s success tone pass through one ear and used the bike as a springboard to jump.
[SET. Rising Star.]
Contradiction had swiftly taken his hands off the bike, but he wasn’t as prepared as Han Jae-jung. He began to fall in an unstable posture.
BOOM!
Contradiction hit the ground first, and the bike crashed down beside him.
The last—Han Jae-jung—still hung in the sky. Green starlight coiled around his right hand, radiating a lofty brilliance.
The star-forged fist descended upon Contradiction.
It resembled a falling star.
But to Han Jae-jung’s eyes, it felt less like a star falling and more like one surging upward in reverse flow.
[Rising Star manifestation successful. Replication Rate: 100%.]
That was why Rising Star manifested successfully.
The shockwave that swept the surroundings was on an entirely different level from their earlier exchange of punches. The aftermath alone shredded nearby trees; fallen leaves erupted upward like oil at a boil. Amid that clamor, Contradiction’s shield trembled.
“Magnificent!”
Contradiction thrust his shield forward and threw the fist off. Han Jae-jung clicked his tongue loudly.
“Still, I’m not quite satisfied. What I seek is far greater power than this.”
Contradiction shifted his grip. The shield split in half, and from within, a long handle extended. Along that handle, the shield halves rejoined at the opposite end, forming a spear blade.
A crude spear, unbalanced, its edge unsharpened. Yet it was ferocious. A weapon imbued with star power is an excellent instrument of murder regardless of its shape—even more so if it’s a weapon familiar to its wielder.
“Now. Show me your full strength. That is what I came to confirm today.”
It was hard to imagine they’d been exchanging relatively temperate conversation moments earlier. A thick, viscous bloodlust simmered up from both of them.
[SET. Seven-Star Step Kick.]
“If that’s what you want, fine. I’ll give it to you.”
In the midst of that bloodlust, Han Jae-jung settled one thing.
“You might die in the process, but... that’s your choice. Don’t complain later.”
“Ha-ha-ha. Then that, too, would be one answer, wouldn’t it?”
Right now, Contradiction had no intention of killing magical girls—or Han Jae-jung.
“However.”
He had not yet reached the realm he desired. So what he wanted now was growth.
Today’s objective was, as he’d just said, confirmation. He meant to confirm his current strength and decide how to act from here on.
“That will not be easy.”
Bloodlust flowed from Contradiction’s spear in a denser, stickier concentration. It took the form of starlight, gathering on the shield-shaped spearhead.
First step: fear. Han Jae-jung retreated one pace backward. With that step, a single ring of green light formed around his leg.
Contradiction charged. He swung the spear—flowing with the same power as Han Jae-jung’s—in a broad slash. A green ring of light rose onto the spear.
Han Jae-jung leaped to evade the slash. What was cut was not him but the tree behind him. The tree toppled, its trunk falling in his direction.
He stretched his leg backward. The felled tree became a foothold. A searing footprint bored through the bark.
Second step. A ring—a halo—formed atop the ring already on his leg.
Han Jae-jung jumped again. Contradiction swung again. The second slash. A second ring formed upon the spear.
Rotating his body in midair, Han Jae-jung dodged the slash and simultaneously launched a kick with the leg not committed to the Seven-Star Step Kick—a sharp kick-force driving down from above.
Contradiction bent his waist backward and evaded.
In the end, only the blameless trees and leaves took the hits. The falling tree split in half once more, its pieces hitting the ground past both their heads.
THUD.
A heavy sound. Clouds of sawdust and wood particles bloomed upward. At that sound, both of them moved again.
Third step.
Third slash.
Han Jae-jung advanced and simultaneously twisted his body sideways. Contradiction’s spear passed through the empty space he’d just vacated.
Two more slashes surged at him in quick succession. Han Jae-jung dodged every one of them with two more steps.
Fourth and fifth steps, fourth and fifth slashes.
Contradiction did not intend to kill Han Jae-jung. Not until he saw his full strength—absolutely not. That was why this exchange could continue. It existed because of Contradiction’s absolute faith: the faith that his opponent could evade every attack and gather his power.
Han Jae-jung recognized that faith. He dodged by combining the Belt’s predicted trajectories—transmitted directly into his brain—with sheer instinct. He realized that, in doing so, he was effectively rewarding Contradiction’s faith.
But dodging was non-negotiable. No matter what he did, it all ended up benefiting Contradiction—and that was repellent.
“Irritating.”
“It always has been, hasn’t it? Do adapt, in moderation.”
“Shut it.”
Contradiction swung his spear from where he stood. In synchronization, Han Jae-jung pivoted in place.
Another halo layered on.
Sixth slash and sixth step.
One remained to complete the technique.
The two faced each other, the standoff unbroken.