Evolve (36)
「Warning. Excessive energy concentration is occurring in the reactor circuit. All personnel in the facility, please evacuate immediately. Procedures to resolve the overload will commence soon.」
The main system, which had been unresponsive until now, detected the anomaly in the reactor room and broadcast a warning throughout the Sky Whale.
No one had to tell me something unusual was happening; it was obvious. After all, when Orca had been damaged by Ian's attack, the reactor—which had been slowly opening and scattering its radiant light—had suddenly shut as if nothing had happened.
Now, the reactor was opening once again, revealing the energy it contained to the world. Unlike before, when I had only felt the heat, the blinding light pouring out made it nearly impossible to keep my eyes open.
A device, resembling a miniature Dyson sphere, was rotating inside, intermittently blocking and revealing the light from the reactor.
「The reactor is overloading.」
Orca diagnosed the current state of the reactor. Orca's arm, which was connected to the reactor circuit, couldn't withstand the energy backlash and was engulfed in flames. From that moment, there was nothing more I could do.
Ian was no different. He tried to reach out to destroy the reactor, but had to hastily withdraw his hand from the explosive energy wave being released. The facility began to shake as if caught in a violent typhoon.
「Threshold exceeded. Purification protocol sequence initiated.」
As the reactor fully opened, my field of vision turned pure white for an instant. Even as I crossed my arms to shield my eyes, the intense light pierced straight through. The world turned, completely, utterly white.
Occasionally, blue sparks flashed within it, making me feel as though I was in the center of a cloudy sky. It was an indescribable sensation that filled—no, overflowed—my chest.
After several waves of the storm passed, my eyesight slowly returned. It was still blurry, so I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust before opening them fully.
"... Ha ha."
A hollow laugh escaped me as soon as I saw my surroundings. It made sense—the facility, which had been shadowy except for the reactor a moment ago, was now brightly lit.
It wasn't that the lights had brightened or the reactor's glow had intensified. Instead, the energy from the reactor, as it was released, had blasted a huge hole through the ceiling of the reactor room and the upper part of the Sky Whale.
'So that's why the bright light hasn't faded.'
I looked up at the sky. Titan's sky had always been shrouded in thick clouds. But now, a giant hole had been torn in those heavy clouds. The color of the sky beyond resembled Celestia's eyes.
It was the first time I had seen the sky beyond the clouds since waking up here. I'd looked at stars through the telescope Carrot gave me, but never at a blue sky like this.
Unlike the upper area, the inside of the reactor room wasn't as heavily damaged. I soon understood why. Several of the rings that made up the reactor had flattened out like panels.
Those panels had deployed to channel the energy created by the overload safely into orbit. Had they not opened, everyone inside—including me—would have been swept up in an energy storm. Even now, stifling heat filled the surroundings.
「... Solar furnace overload successful. All energy required to initiate the purification protocol has been secured.」
Orca announced that the protocol was preheating. Apparently, the preheating would take a significant amount of time. Not knowing what the protocol was, I had no way of predicting what would happen.
Everyone must have realized that the intended objective had been achieved, even without me saying anything. The pillar of light piercing the sky would have caught everyone's attention. All I had left to do was escape the Sky Whale.
'That's all, but...'
I glanced at Celestia. She still hadn't regained consciousness, probably because the psionic energy in the metal sphere had hit her so hard. Taking her with me wouldn't be hard. I just needed to carry her in my arms or on my back.
The real problem was Ian. He didn't look good, but by comparison, he was still in better shape than I was. My suit was more than just partially damaged—it was in tatters, and I was badly injured.
Unable to wear a respiratory mask, each breath sent a stabbing pain through my lungs. The toxic elements in the ECM chaff seemed to have blown away during the reactor overload, but Titan's air itself was far from clean, so the cumulative damage continued.
Swallowing down the nausea that surged inside me, I looked at Ian, who had temporarily entered a groggy state. When the reactor's energy wave swept out, some of the contamination within the Sky Whale was removed, and it appeared Ian had also been affected. But that was the extent of it.
While I struggled to catch my breath, Ian was already regaining his senses. Before Ian fully recovered, I gathered up the psionic energy within my body.
Having fought him before, I'd had to think—no, I was forced to think—about better ways to use this power. In my current state, I had no chance of beating Ian.
Telekinesis was suited to manipulating objects. I'd flown multiple metal spears as auxiliary weapons. It was a solid ranged tactic.
But that changed as I fought Ian. While psychokinesis was still optimal for using tools, it simply shifted the definition of what counted as a "tool."
After all, a tool was an extension of one's body. If I had great equipment, it would be most efficient to use it, but if not, my only sure bet was my body itself.
Fortunately, my body outperformed any other tool. Physical toughness was my greatest advantage.
I didn't need to waste energy trying to create special equipment. As I clenched my fist, I wrapped telekinesis around my hand—just like Ian did to form a force field.
I couldn't make myself a respirator mask. I didn't know what to filter out, nor did I know if just wanting to filter it would work.
The sensation of a wispy material around my hand soon changed. It was as if I'd grabbed the wind. The current felt cool now, but I knew I could turn it into a gale at will.
'... There.'
It wasn't perfect, but I'd succeeded halfway. I'd have to find out firsthand how effective it was.
"Don't get swept away... I know that... Yeah... there's no need to listen to them... They can't understand or even see the world as we do anyway..."
Was he talking to someone else, or just muttering to himself? Ian, who had been clutching his head, suddenly looked up. I flinched when I met his gaze.
The eyes that had looked just like Celestia's were gone. Now, only eyes filled with total darkness glared at me. It was a clear anomaly. Now that I knew Ian was a budded entity named by the Tree, I didn't miss a single detail about him.
There were no words exchanged. Only two flashes of light began to intertwine.
Pang—!
The metal spheres, with the distinctive glow of rare metal circuitry, rushed toward me. I didn't intend to block them all—most of them were little more than distractions.
The truly powerful ones, those that could destroy Orca in a single blow, were gathered in Ian's gauntlet and launched out with recoil. The ones that flew straight without passing through his gauntlet only looked threatening; they didn't hold the same destructive power.
As mere diversions, they weren't harmless, but my body could endure them.
I gave what I had to. The idea of blocking everything was pointless. If anything, my greed to stop it all was what had landed me in this mess to begin with.
Tung– Tung–!
Spheres bounced off my spear, sending shocks through my hand that tightened my breath. The ones I purposely left unblocked battered my whole body, making me clench my teeth automatically.
'It's working.'
The telekinetic field wrapped around me neutralized some of the impact—not completely, since it was unstable, but at this point, I was grateful for even this much.
"Don't stop me! I, I...! I have to save Celly—!"
Ian screamed with murderous intent, unleashing his psionic energy. A heavy shockwave rippled through the air.
These were the weaknesses I'd discovered in Ian through battle. First, like me, he could only control targets with telekinesis within his line of sight. Second, without the rare metal circuits engraved in those spheres, his control diminished drastically.
'I've got rare metal too.'
Until now, I hadn't had the opportunity, nor did I know if it would work, but I took out the rare metal needle taken from the underground laboratory—the one used as a sealing tool.
I had hoped it could either seal Ian's ability or drastically reduce its output, especially because I could now see the once stable energy flow growing unstable after the reactor went into overload.
If I drove the needle into the source of that energy output, even if it wasn't a specialized sealing tool, it should deal massive damage.
Crack!
The plasma cutter I'd been using to block Ian's attacks reached its limit and broke apart. Sharp fragments grazed my cheek, drawing beads of blood that dripped to the floor.
I discarded what I had without hesitation. From now on, my body was my only shield. As metal debris and drops of blood scattered, the distance between Ian and me steadily shrank.
Situations like this seldom lasted long. My goal was to protect Celestia, while Ian's was to take her away.
If Ian chose to snatch Celestia away and risk her getting hurt to achieve his goal, I would have been at a disadvantage. Hostage threats were a tired but effective tactic.
However, Ian never looked at Celestia. He targeted only me.
"Die! Just die!"
He wasn't obsessed with merely killing me. According to his own words, he carried Ian's memories as well. He was probably just mimicking Ian, seeing me as the villain tormenting Celestia. Reality was quite different.
"Hrrgh...!"
Finally, our figures collided. My superhuman strength restrained Ian. The force field he used for defense shredded under the telekinesis wrapped around my hands.
We crashed together, neither yielding an inch—stubborn to the point of foolishness. I had already run out of breath; my lungs were spasming. My skin broke open under the continual shock.
The energy stored in the rare metal circuits flared out at me, delivering a huge jolt to my body. My insides twisted, my organs wrung by unrelenting pain.
I had faced many tough opponents, but never one who attacked like a doppelgänger—anticipating my moves as if he already knew where I'd attack, countering me a split-second faster, or reading my next move before I made it.
My telekinesis shifted form countless times, ruthlessly slashing, cleaving, and tearing everything around us. The floor burst open if I dodged; if I failed to dodge, the shock left ringing in my ears and my mind in a haze.
My heart pounded wildly, pumping blood to every muscle fiber. My fingers, unable to absorb further shock, began to tremble involuntarily, while I couldn't tell if what soaked my eyes was sweat or blood.
I wanted to spit it out—whether it was blood, breath, or anything else. My chest was suffocating, as if it would burst. The pressure of Ian's psychokinesis weighed heavily on my shoulders.
I used every weapon I had—grenades, flashbangs, everything. I even ripped a now-useless reactor panel off to use as a disposable shield.
Then I spotted my chance. When Ian recalled his metal spheres to his gauntlet, it left the briefest of openings. I forced time to slow down, shifted my weight forward.
I hooked a telekinetic rope to the metal ball and launched myself forward at high speed. The gap between us closed in a flash. Ian didn't stand by idly—my shoulder was pierced, but the pain only sharpened my focus.
I became a spear, and instead of slowing down, I accelerated. As Ian's face twisted in pain, I grabbed it and with all my weight drove him down.
Boom—!
A blow that would have shattered an ordinary person's skull struck Ian. He went limp, crushed beneath my weight. I heard bones breaking.
I'd somehow drawn the rare metal needle. Raising it high, I drove it straight down—like a stake—toward the point where the energy was concentrated.
Ian, abruptly regaining his senses, grabbed my wrist and desperately fought back. Our struggle was a close contest of strength, pushing back and forth.
Blood splattered everywhere. Both Ian and I were utterly battered, locked in a life-or-death struggle with faces most people would never dream of showing.
Still, there were no words exchanged. We just stared each other down, moving desperately to achieve our goals.
When it came to physical ability, I had the advantage. Gradually, I began to overwhelm him. The rare metal needle slowly drove toward Ian's heart as he was forced back.
Perhaps realizing he'd die if this continued, the blackness in Ian's eyes became bloodshot and deranged. He suddenly screamed.
"Nggh... aaaaah—!"
"...!"
He was determined not to go down like this. As the sensation of my breath being forced out hit, I involuntarily spit blood through clenched teeth.
Ian's mutated gauntlet had stabbed into my side. So it wasn't just a regular gauntlet. I'd intentionally broken his bones so he couldn't move his arm, but I hadn't known the gauntlet itself could act under its own will.
He found an opening, but it didn't matter. Even though Ian landed a critical blow, I hadn't missed my opportunity.
"Haah... haah... how does it feel? Dirty enough for you...?"
I sneered, staring at the rare metal needle embedded deep in his chest. Ian's face paled, bloodless, as he gasped for breath and struggled to pull the needle out. But his attempt failed.
The needle melded into him as if it had never existed, being absorbed into his body. Ian screamed, twisting in agony, at almost the same moment.
"Lee Hyun-woo━━!"
He still had enough strength to scream like that. At least the good news was that he could no longer wield telekinesis freely.
The sealing tool seemed to have fulfilled its function; odd lines spread across Ian's body, inhibiting the manifestation of his supernatural power.
'... I'm really close to dying.'
The situation favored me, but I couldn't relax. I was also at my limit. Surrounding my body with telekinesis was unfamiliar and mentally exhausting; the energy drain was immense.
The power that had wrapped my fist had already run dry and vanished. If the needle hadn't worked, Ian's ability would have crushed me long ago.
I braced myself. I didn't even have the strength to pick anything up from the floor. Still, I had enough left to throw a punch. Neither of us could use our supernatural powers anymore. The playing field had evened out somewhat.
"Aaargh!"
Ian lunged at me. The rampage brought on by battle frenzy was driving his broken body forward. I focused every nerve on finding an opening.
No—rather, I just threw myself at him. Too much blood loss made it impossible to think. What followed was a primitive, desperate brawl.
Our punches glanced off, an arm trying to grab the other to slam them to the floor. Joints screamed, bones made ominous cracking noises.
"I...! I'm Ian! I'm the real one—!"
"... Whether you're the real one or not, I don't care."
I panted heavily. My vision blurred, even with my eyes wide open. Yet, I could see Celestia more clearly than anything else.
"Shut that mouth—!"
Ian no longer cared where I was looking; he paid no mind to the limits of his core and forcibly manifested his supernatural power. The force was much weaker than at the start, but still more than enough to blow me away in my current state.
"Guh...!"
I slammed into something—a wall, maybe, or something else—emptied of all breath. My side was bleeding even more because of the blow, and my suit's sealing function had long since failed.
Intent on exacting revenge, Ian climbed atop me. As his makeshift fist aimed for my face, I mustered my remaining strength to reverse our positions.
With every rough movement, the balance of our struggle shifted back and forth. Each shift left me with more injuries. No amount of rest would be enough to recover from this.
I'd fought Blue Eye, too. If my body wasn't as tough as a mutant's, I would have died long ago.
As our fierce struggle continued, with me being pushed back, at that moment—
Celestia, unconscious until now, fluttered her eyelids. She regained consciousness soon after, gripping her head in pain, but quickly recalling what had happened moments ago, she looked up in alarm.
Reacting instinctively to the new presence, both Ian and I turned our gazes. Celestia met those eyes, her own swirling with shock.
"Celly! It's over!"
Ian, bloodied beyond recognition, shouted. He had no doubt Celestia would help him.
"Celly, shoot! Shoot!"
Urged on by Ian, Celestia raised her smart pistol instead of her broken linear rifle. Her hand and the barrel trembled, but she wouldn't miss—her aim was guaranteed by the targeting system.
I knew, instinctively, that both Ian's and my fate lay in Celestia's hands—not each other's. Unlike Ian, I couldn't bring myself to shout her name. I simply couldn't.
But I hadn't given up. I chose to trust Celestia. Even if our shared time was short, I trusted her, after everything we'd been through.
"Celly—!"
At Ian's call, anguish twisted Celestia's face. And time seemed to slow. I watched every tiny movement as she pulled the trigger.
The muzzle was still aiming between me and Ian. She had been forced to choose. The gunshot rang out with Celestia's cry.
Two sounds overlapped, echoing through the now-chaotic reactor room. I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly opened them. The sound of someone's breath leaving—I knew it wasn't mine.
"... Guh..."
Ian's eyes dropped. His solar plexus had been shot through, blood gushing out, and the core—clearly not human but mutant—was losing form as it faded away.
"Why..."
Ian's lips moved, reaching out toward Celestia. But moments later, he lost consciousness and collapsed. After all his resistance, it was an oddly anticlimactic end.
"Hyun-woo! Are you alright?!"
Celestia dashed over to check on me. The past and the present—Celestia chose the present, breaking free from her past chains.
An indescribable feeling took over my mind. I wanted to say something, anything, but no words would come out. I just couldn't let go of the warmth from her hand. I wanted to treasure this moment forever, if I could.
But that feeling didn't last long. Forcing my silent lips to move, I signaled her.
I hadn't confirmed he was truly dead. I couldn't relax until I was sure. And, right then, the situation proved it.
"Celly..."
"...!"
At the voice from behind, Celestia whirled around. Ian, who should have been dead, called out to her. He was moving again.
"I... you..."
Even with his chest pierced and his core destroyed, Ian somehow stood one more time. Using the gauntlet that still worked, he floated a metal sphere. Since it was made of rare metal, even his feeble strength amplified its power—it couldn't be ignored.
Ian's intention was clear—he was targeting me. It was as if he intended to finish me off, now so close to death.
Celestia stepped in front of me to shield me. With tearful eyes, she glared at Ian. Their eyes met.
Ian suddenly stopped. He looked back and forth between Celestia and me, then slowly relaxed. The blackness in his eyes gradually turned sky-blue again. It seemed like he had finally regained his senses.
As his power faded, the metal sphere lost its balance and fell to the floor, bouncing away into some corner. Silence followed this unexpected moment.
Then, as Ian let out a languid breath, he spoke.
"... You've found... someone you can trust. I'm glad—"
With those words, Ian collapsed. Celestia's eyes shot wide, her shock plain to see.
Unlike the horror and regret on Celestia's face, Ian's mouth bore a faint, relieved smile.