Evolve (35)
Fake. Simply put, it's something that is not real. If there is a proposition, to be false means not being true. And that fake is you. That's what Ian was saying.
I—no, "Lee Hyun-woo"—closed my mouth without even opening it to argue. I forced myself to ignore the trembling at my fingertips.
Ian glanced over at Lee Hyun-woo. His gaze was indifferent, unlike when he looked at Celestia. The cold indifference was pressing down on Hyun-woo enough to make anyone flinch.
"Why are you getting in my way?"
"......."
"Should I take a guess? You can't let go of your regrets. Perhaps you're confused too, since you still think you're the real one."
Ian nodded, as if he understood everything. But that was all. Contrary to his supposed understanding, he gave off a menacing air as if he couldn't accept the current situation.
"Step aside, clone. I have to take Celly with me."
"... I can't let you do that."
When Lee Hyun-woo replied, drawing up the psionic energy remaining in his body, Ian let out a dangerous smile. It was as if he had expected Lee Hyun-woo to say that.
"That's a shame. That things turned out this way."
With those words, the metal balls that had been waiting for an opening were fired all at once. Pang pang! The sound of the air bursting was sharply torn apart. Lee Hyun-woo immediately responded, swinging his metal spear and plasma cutter.
Although the attacks hadn't reached within range, a spate of collisions erupted from the outside. The sharply bursting metal balls scattered shrapnel like grenades.
Most of it couldn't pierce through the suit's defenses, but some pieces managed to lodge themselves in. Even so, the impact delivered was substantial.
"Urgh...!"
Lee Hyun-woo forcibly steadied his body that was about to be pushed back, and instead took a step forward. His mind was still a chaotic mess, but it wasn't the time to untangle it. Right now, he focused solely on repelling Ian.
The metallic spears that were fired a beat later suddenly halted in midair. To be precise, they were caught—by an invisible force: psychokinesis.
Lee Hyun-woo gave up trying to move the firmly fixed metal spears again. If he used all his strength, he might regain control. But Ian would never let him do that. Focusing his mind and remaining still was no different from asking to be killed.
'As expected, the output...!'
The difference in power exerted at once was vast. In mechanical terms, it felt as if the engines themselves were different. The increased energy consumption didn't show any immediate signs of weakness, though.
Without revealing his impatience, Lee Hyun-woo launched himself forward. The instant the stopped metal spears changed direction and targeted him was almost simultaneous. Though not as intense as the laser lance, the plasma cutter radiated a searing heat.
A blue line traced through space like an afterimage. Sssht—The slicing sound was so clean it was hard to believe metal was being cut. The energy controlling the spears was momentarily severed, and they fell to the ground with a clang. Ting, ting—the unique wailing of metal filled the air.
'Just a bit further...!'
He only needed to advance a little more to land a blow on Ian. Despite the threatening force approaching, Ian remained as relaxed as ever.
Lee Hyun-woo noticed this, but did not stop. No—he couldn't. Even knowing it could be a trap, he thought there might not be another chance if he missed this one.
Lee Hyun-woo had much to protect. Not just the reactor and Celestia behind him. Nadia and Roxy, clinging to the Sky Whale to stall for time; Eric and Kanna; and even Albatroz and Griffin, preventing the frontline from worsening with constant harassment.
All of them were hoping that Lee Hyun-woo would overload the reactor and activate the purification protocol. Lee Hyun-woo himself strongly wished for it too. But reality was far harsher than those wishes.
The psionic energy radiating from Ian suddenly surged, pinning Hyun-woo down with unbelievable pressure. Like the stopped metallic spears, the tip of his plasma javelin came to a halt. Even with the blazing blue blade before him, Ian didn't so much as blink.
He stared at Hyun-woo, then smiled.
"No use struggling. You and I started at fundamentally different points."
"Kuhak—!"
At the snap of Ian's fingers, a concentrated wave of force slammed into Hyun-woo's entire body. He was struck away without being able to object—a hundred, no, tens of times faster than any charge. He couldn't even steady himself with his weapon scraping the floor.
His vision didn't even have time to blur. As if moving through space itself, the scenery simply cut off abruptly. For a moment, he must have lost consciousness.
"Kkuh...."
The pain was too excruciating to think he'd simply crashed into a wall. Even at this moment, he was just realizing the source of that pain.
Ian's psionic energy was attacking his physical body, protected by the suit. It seeped between his muscles—the very muscles that gave him superhuman strength—and whenever he tried to exert power, his head would spin from the pain.
His own psionic energy was still defending his body from the intruding force, but he didn't know how long that would last.
Struggling to rise, Hyun-woo responded involuntarily to the sound of footsteps approaching. He forced his head up. What he saw was a sky filled with countless metal balls. They weren't simply floating; each one spun fiercely.
"This is true supernatural power. Not merely moving a spear clumsily."
"......."
Before he could reply, the barrage of telekinetically charged metal balls rained down. At first, he managed to block some of the leading ones, but the bombardment that followed was beyond what he could stop.
Kwa-kwa-kwang—!
A series of explosions thundered, as if bombs had gone off. The destruction of the facility sent up clouds of dust. At least the reactor wasn't behind him—he could be grateful for that.
But Hyun-woo's state was a wreck. Several shards had punctured his suit, and blood was gushing out through the ragged tears.
It wasn't the core of the suit that was damaged, so coagulation functions still worked, but the bleeding outpaced emergency treatment. His helmet, of course, was also shattered.
With a wave of Ian's hand, the smoke cleared, revealing Hyun-woo's miserable state. As an extra oxygen pack lost cohesion and dropped away, Ian shook his head.
"I told you. It's time for the fake to leave."
"......."
"I don't understand this. Why did you intervene, knowing how much stronger I am? You could have survived a bit longer if you had just stayed still."
"......."
"And you know going with me is Celly's happiness. You, who watched how much she wished for that."
"... Kuk...happiness, you say?"
Coughing up blood, Hyun-woo forced himself to speak. That he still had the strength to talk surprised Ian.
"Yes, happiness. Celly is the kind of girl who would do anything to see me again. I regret being late, but it's time to take her with me. That's a promise."
Ian was right. Celestia had chased after her brother's traces all the way down to this icy moon, Titan. She'd even restored Myosotis for that purpose.
Knowing she couldn't do it alone, she turned to corporate power, expanding her influence. So she could reach further and seek more help.
And here, Celestia learned the truth. That Ian, who was supposedly kidnapped by the pureblood supremacists the day Myosotis fell, was actually disposed of after grueling experiments three years ago.
But that wasn't the whole truth—or maybe it wasn't at all. Because Ian, believed to be dead, appeared alive and well.
Was the man before her the real Ian, or, as Celestia herself suspected, was he a brainwashed Ian? Myosotis's special authentication code had been activated, making him the most likely candidate. But she couldn't simply accept it at face value. After all, he had been in Lobelia's hands. And Lobelia was capable of accomplishing even what was deemed impossible.
Celestia had reunited with Ian, for better or worse. She had wished for nothing more.
Remembering Celestia's reaction upon being convinced of Ian's death, I shouldn't have gotten in Ian's way. Finding Ian was Celestia's one and only wish. I saw just how much she yearned for it, just as Ian said.
'But...'
Was that the right answer? Was it really the future Celestia wished for? I didn't know.
While mulling over these thoughts, drifting in and out of consciousness, a sudden thought made me burst into laughter.
'Losing blood clears the head.'
The blood that had been flooding my brain was draining, and the fog cleared. I finally felt my circulation.
I chuckled at my predicament, laughing inappropriately given the situation. Because I finally understood the source of the fear that made my hands tremble.
Ian narrowed his brow.
"... Why are you laughing?"
"Is that truly happiness?"
"What?"
"Are you sure? Is going with you really Celly's happiness?"
"Of course—"
"There's no such thing as a given. I haven't lived long, but I know that much."
Wobbling, I rose to my feet, using the plasma cutter, embedded in the floor, for support.
"So? I don't get what you're trying to say."
"Celestia wasn't waiting for you."
I didn't deny Ian's existence. It was pointless. He had passed Myosotis's authentication. What more could I say?
But I could say that the one Celestia was searching for was not him.
'If it was truly for Celestia's sake...'
He wouldn't have tried to take her in such a coercive way. No matter how dire things were. I could think that way because I had received Ian's memories.
"You live in delusions."
Ian dismissed me, saying I was just intoxicated by myself.
"Maybe. You could be right."
I muttered, blankly staring at the blood dripping down.
"I know. I know everything... But I can't give Celly to you. Neither of us is the one she's truly searching for."
Celestia isn't an object. No one has the right to hand her over like some thing, no matter what anyone says.
I wanted to give Celestia the right to choose freely. She'd had a life always dictated by others; it was time for that to end. What she did with the biggest part of her life should be her own decision, whatever she chose.
At that moment, I caught a flash of blue in the corner of my vision. Almost without realizing, my gaze turned that way. The Orca, which I'd thought was completely disabled, sent a signal that it could still move.
Ian didn't notice the Orca's signal. That decided what I had to do.
Divert Ian's attention so he wouldn't notice the Orca, and buy enough time for the Orca to overload the reactor.
If we just activate the purification protocol, the situation will tilt in our favor. It might not guarantee victory, but it will open the path to escape.
Krrrrng...
The facility trembled, evidence that the fierce battle outside hadn't ended. Proof that things were not over yet.
'... Just a bit more, just a little longer.'
It was a total disaster. But that wasn't so bad. We were already bullets that had been fired. We couldn't stop until we hit our target. If an obstacle appeared, we had to pierce through. There was no need to consider failure.
'Thank goodness my body is tough.'
I snickered inwardly and gripped my spear. Ian's expression hardened at almost the same moment—his face full of displeasure.
"I will stop you, Ian. I made a promise, too. To seek out a future where we can live."
"That's your real intention, isn't it? It's no different from mine. You just don't want to let go of Celly either."
"There's no point in conversation. Unless you realize it yourself, we'll always run parallel."
I clenched my trembling hand, hiding the vibration. My battered glove clung to the spear-shaft. Unlike at first, my gaze was now calm.
I had been afraid the moment I saw Ian. At first, I thought it was just a reaction to his overwhelming power. But now I realized it wasn't that.
Through Ian's words and actions toward Celestia, I felt as if I were looking into a mirror.
Was I not, knowingly or not, also forcing a choice on Celestia? Pretending not to care, but stubbornly clinging because I didn't want to lose both relationships? These thoughts chased each other endlessly.
Celestia herself had told me that no matter what I chose, she wouldn't change—
As I launched myself, recalling the possibility I'd long ignored, the result was unchanged; though I managed to stand, the beating and being thrown down continued as before.
In fact, I was thrown even harder than before. Ian, provoked by my taunting, lashed out emotionally.
Just as the result didn't change, neither did the beginning. Though my suit's protection was now nearly useless, I stubbornly got up and faced Ian again.
Sweeping over the few metal spheres I'd managed to deflect, I realized they weren't just ordinary hunks of metal. For something imbued with psionic energy, the strength they emitted was overwhelming.
I guessed the source of the difference—rare metal. Circuits etched inside the spheres amplified the psionic energy. That's why I couldn't wrest control away from Ian.
'Find it.'
Find the weakness. It isn't over yet.
I steadied myself and lunged in again with renewed strength. The still-intact plasma cutter lit up with a blue blade.
Debris from the ruined facility began to float, forming a barricade under Ian's telekinesis. The wall, made of every imaginable scrap, was torn apart by my superhuman strength. Of all our differences, raw power was the only area where I had an edge.
I used that strength to the fullest. This was not the time to hold back. To draw more attention, to let the Orca overload the reactor—I had to go wild.
Fortunately, that was where my strength lay; that's how it had always been.
My left hand shot through the air, snatching a metal spear that nearly grazed my cheek. The spear writhed furiously, but I burst energy into it and expelled Ian's force.
I lunged forward, body weight tilted, and, regaining control of the spear, hurled it with all my might, then kicked off the floor in sync with its motion.
A rope made of telekinetic energy yanked me forward at high speed, pulling me through the barricade. I thrust the plasma cutter at an opening. But before I could break through, the wall was instantly reconstructed, blocking my strike.
Kwa-gagak—!
The wall split partway, but with a half-cut wall between us, my gaze clashed with Ian's in midair. The psionic energy we emitted collided unconsciously.
Sparks flew—not because of the energy, but because the grenade I'd forced into the crack had ignited. The friction between wall and grenade sent off sparks, and those sparks quickly became a massive explosion.
Kwaaang—!
A firestorm, mixed with countless shards, roared beyond the wall. I withdrew even though I could have pressed the attack. It hurt to give up my close proximity, but it was not dearer than my life.
As proof, the moment I leapt back, countless metal spears rained onto the spot where I'd just been.
A momentary curtain of thick smoke, then Ian emerged, grinding his teeth. As expected, he hadn't taken much damage—a translucent wall of telekinetic force still quivered before him.
"How dare a fake... You don't— you have no idea what I went through to survive, how I endured—! You have no right to stop me!"
"......."
"I survived for Celly. I've waited for this moment all this time! And you try to stop me? You, who are nothing but my clone?!"
"... Don't you see it yet?"
I forced my ragged breath under control and spoke. Anyone could see who was losing, but my eyes hadn't lost their light.
As Ian said, I could have been a clone of Ian, created by Lobelia. At least, it was certain we existed simultaneously.
I knew that. But that didn't make me fake. The memories I inherited from Ian were never lies.
Memories are built from the five senses. Only if all five are present is it a true memory. Like this acrid smoke in my nose, the dull ache across my body, the gritty dust on my tongue, the mournful call of the whales in my ears.
Only when they come together does a memory become whole. That much was true of the memories I received from Ian. At first, they were hazy, but with time, they became clear.
"You said I was your only understanding person earlier? I'll give those words right back. If you are truly the real Ian, then I am your only understanding person. I have inherited Ian's memories."
"......!"
"At first, I was confused. I didn't know if I received those memories because I truly was Ian, or just because I happened to be here for no reason."
I recited the confusion I'd felt back then. Celestia's past and present overlapped, and I didn't know which attitude to take, whether to approach her as Ian or remain as Hyun-woo.
Celestia probably noticed my ambiguity. Maybe that's why she stayed silent. Even after realizing I was connected to Ian, perhaps she couldn't say anything. That was the possibility I had stubbornly ignored.
"So I feared you. Because now, at last, I realize I might have been forcing my own will, just like you, letting that coercive air seep out unconsciously."
"You..."
"But now I know what I have to do. How I should treat Celly. I don't want her controlled by anyone else's will. Whatever she chooses, it must be her decision alone. All I can do is give her that chance."
The chance to pursue her own happiness.
"This is the best I can do for her."
Even a fool like me could do this much. Like Celestia had said, I would not change, no matter what she chose.
"That's just running from responsibility, you idiot."
"No!"
I bared my teeth and shouted.
"I'm not making Celly do what I want! I said it! All I'm doing is giving her a choice! Whatever she chooses, if that's what she wants, I'll stay by her side! And that's not because I inherited Ian's memories—this is my choice, my own will!"
I gripped my weapon and moved. Moving so fast I almost thought I was tearing space itself. During the dash, countless metal spheres flew at me, throwing up sparks all around.
"Celly deserves the right to seize her own happiness!"
The distance closed rapidly. Blood splattered, and the ominous sound of my bones cracking echoed, but I had absolutely no intention of stopping.
"It doesn't matter how late you came! It means nothing, nothing at all! Celly would have welcomed you, whenever, however you appeared!"
To Celestia, her brother was an anchor. Even after Myosotis fell, he was the very lifeline that let her go on living. That's how precious he was.
So sudden as the reunion may be, Celestia would feel joy more than surprise.
"... If you really are Ian, that is."
After the clash, I found myself and Ian switched positions. Pushed back by my momentum, Ian glared at me with a twisted face.
Gasping for breath, barely keeping up, I also faced Ian, standing in front of the Orca.
"Celly is not your trophy. You monster."
At my added words, Ian's eyes widened. He realized where my gaze was fixed. From my relentless attacks, his telekinetic barriers had been torn, exposing his suit's shoulder. Visible through the tattered suit was a name.
Ian. God's Gift.
The name given by the tree to the bud-type mutant was etched into his shoulder, glowing like a brand.
The mutant Ian had no time to flinch at the exposed name. He belatedly realized the Orca's presence. He noticed it had gotten far closer to the reactor than it was at the start.
"You damned—!"
Ian swung his hand violently. The scattered metal spheres around him lifted and shot out. At that moment, time began to flow incredibly slowly, as if frozen.
A panorama of the drawn-out scene filled my vision. As if giving me time to find the answer, I was granted a brief respite.
I brought to mind a question I'd never answered.
Who am I?
Am I Hyun-woo? Am I Ian?
What composes my memory? The five senses? Or is it delusion? A fleeting hallucination?
'I am...'
What defines "me"? The answer was already within. Licorice had said it—the answer is ultimately yours to make.
It was the answer I'd always known. I thought I had recognized and understood it. But I hadn't. I'd simply pretended to.
'I am...!'
I might be Hyun-woo, or I might be Ian. Or maybe neither. There was no need to draw a boundary. It was as foolish as dividing the past from the present.
The present exists because of the past, and the future because of the present. You can't exist by pulling out just one time stream.
The unknown is fear. I was afraid because I didn't know. But Ian is no longer unknown. The man before me is no longer a mystery.
So "I" was no longer afraid of him. No, the thing I feared was never him to begin with.
The moment I reaffirmed this to myself, the slowed time suddenly sped up, as if making up for the delay. Attacks aimed for the Orca rushed in, but it didn't matter.
I was already there.
Pang—!
A metal sphere, the very manifestation of Ian's supernatural power, shot out with enough force to pierce everything—but I caught it in my hand. Its furious spin sent burning pain through my palm, but it didn't pierce my hand. As I expected, there was something different about the power.
"... Got you."
I finally crushed the now still sphere with my grip. As the crumpled shards dropped to the floor, the Orca reached the reactor almost at the same moment.
「Reactor circuit connection complete. Overload commencing.」