Transformation or Death

Fallen

“What business does a lowly person have in such an important place?”

The boss sitting in the center, September, took a sip of whiskey with a hollow laugh. Judging by the brand of the bottle, it wasn’t particularly expensive, and the chair he was sitting on was also a cheap plastic chair.

Libra didn’t answer and looked around for a moment.

“Seems like you’re a bit short on manpower.”

The number of people surrounding September was about ten, equal to the number of people behind Libra. Considering the size of the Argo Family, this was small even among small groups.

Unlike Libra who uses subcontractors for troublesome work, he was the type to kidnap first and then recruit.

Among the peculiar ones, he particularly liked working with humans.

The group lined up slightly in front of September’s chair were all human as well.

They must be individuals with exceptional loyalty to be placed right next to where he sits.

Each one was glaring at Libra with murderous eyes wide open.

“Old man, happiness grows when sharing drinks and laughter, but misfortune grows when sharing secrets and money. Don’t be greedy and let’s end this here.”

September emphasized the word ‘secrets’ particularly, implying that he knew this proposal involved something confidential.

“You’re mistaken about one thing.”

Libra walked toward where he was sitting. There were no subordinates behind her, just herself alone.

“What I’m here to share is neither secrets nor money. It’s a story.”

One of the organization members surrounding the boss tried to step forward to stop Libra’s advance. But before that, September raised his hand signaling them not to move.

His eyes slowly scanned Libra with a look that seemed to say ‘go ahead, try to entertain me.’

Libra picked up the whiskey bottle in front of September and drank it straight. After emptying the entire bottle in an instant, Libra politely placed the empty bottle on the table and took out several bills from her pocket to place them additionally.

“Tastes bad. Use this to buy better liquor.”

“Thanks for the fucking concern, bitch. I should carry around an oak barrel.”

September crumpled the bills and put them in his pocket. Taking this gesture as a positive sign to continue speaking, Libra spoke again.

“You know what? Merchants are beings whose happiness grows the more they share stories. They’re natural storytellers who desire listeners more than anyone else. And for storytellers, the more listeners the better. I’ll tell you a story beautiful enough to enchant everyone here.”

September snickered and nodded.

“Ah yes yes, I know that well. It’s advertising, fucking hell. You trying to do free advertising in front of me, you bastard? Go sell your energy-boosting ion bracelets to old man Park Chun-bae next door.”

“It won’t be free though?”

Libra pointed to the bills in her pocket with her finger.

“That’s what you donated to me. I haven’t received my advertising fee yet?”

September shrugged as if he didn’t know anything.

“Sigh… Can’t be helped.”

After letting out a deep sigh, Libra snapped her fingers once. Then one of the peculiar ones standing behind quickly jumped out and handed over a metal case.

Libra placed the metal case on the table and showed its contents. Bundles of money filling the inside were immediately visible.

“This is a sign of our goodwill.”

“Should’ve done this from the start.”

September smiled contentedly. With one nod of his head, an organization member who had been grinding their teeth at Libra jumped out and took the case.

“Then the deal is settled, right? Now call more people…”

“Ah, that won’t do.”

As soon as Libra started speaking, September shook his head.

“We lost brothers because of you. Do you think such sorrow can be covered by these mere paper scraps? How dare you try to turn our hearts with money? Your materialistic thinking deeply disgusts me. You’re too vulgar to be here with such base ideology. Get lost.”

It was an attitude completely ignoring the context that had just transpired.

“…Indeed.”

Libra smiled wryly and met his eyes. His eyes were extremely peaceful, as if not willing to back down an inch. For someone angry at his brothers’ enemy, his gaze was far too quiet.

“You’re mistaken about one thing. I’m not your real enemy. Although it’s certainly right to be angry about past territorial disputes, wasn’t it someone else who dealt you the decisive blow? Although it’s extremely regrettable, what caused you to lose your brothers…”

“Oh my.”

September playfully interrupted.

“Watch your words, old woman. That could sound like you’re saying you’re not responsible.”

He waved the empty bottle in front of Libra’s neck. By then, the hand holding the bottle had transformed into a cannon, with the bottle stuck in its muzzle.

“Old woman, do you want to drink not just the liquor but the bottle too?”

Though his attitude was playful, it was definitely not an empty threat. It was obvious that the moment Libra said something wrong, the cannon would roar with angry thunder.

“Brother! What is this nonsense!”

“W-wait, brother. Calm down…”

“Shut up, traitor!”

At that moment, someone burst through the door. It was November, dressed entirely in black clothes. Despite being third in rank, he wasn’t present at this meeting, which Libra had expressed regret about.

He was quite impressive, unusually wearing clothes for a peculiar one.

November glared at Libra with blazing eyes as if he would devour her.

“How dare you show your face here?!”

Watching him fume, Libra quietly smiled.

“Oh my, little brother. It’s been a while. I heard you were in three years of mourning, is that over now?”

“The pain of losing my brother was so great that the time felt like three years. I remembered him for what felt like three years! So the three years of mourning is over!”

“Wow, our little brother is so smart. An expert in relativity theory.”

While September clapped leisurely, November became more agitated. His anger soared as if it would pierce the heavens.

“Die, you enemy who killed my brother!”

He immediately charged at Libra with his weapon. Libra easily avoided his attack. With just a slight movement of her feet and a turn of her body, November’s slash cut through empty air. September watched the scene with a snicker.

“H-hey brother! Now is not the time to fight…”

“Shut up! Are you saying we should let this chance for revenge slip away?!”

“Oh, how noisy.”

September stretched his arm high. His hand had long since transformed into a cannon. He fired without hesitation.

Bang! The thunderous sound that not only shook the ground but even rattled one’s mind was extremely effective in drawing everyone’s attention.

“Little one, send our guest away.”

“A-alright.”

As Jason hurriedly waved the oar-like part attached to his belt, the space around Libra and the peculiar ones he brought began to distort.

“Wait. Wait, wait! Hey bastard, wait!”

“Hey, stop that unseemly behavior. Just let them go.”

Although November shouted urgently, the activated ability couldn’t be stopped. The space not only distorted but crumpled, and gravity could no longer hold them in this distorted space.

In an instant, all eleven people who were there disappeared.

Until the moment she disappeared, Libra showed no regret or disappointment. As if she knew the meeting would end like this, she let herself be caught in the ability without panic.

In fact, her goal was achieved.

She found out who among them was obsessed with taking down enemies.

She succeeded in identifying the person most likely to fall for her proposal.

A merchant should not only have the mouth to create stories but also the eye to find people susceptible to those stories. Libra was someone who possessed both.

Until the last moment of disappearing, she didn’t take her eyes off the villain who had attacked her.

“W-what is this.”

After blankly staring at the scene where Libra and her subordinates had all disappeared, November soon shifted his empty gaze to Jason. The enraged November charged at him.

“You damn traitorous bastard!!!”

Bam! He threw a punch at Jason’s cheek, who was tired from using his ability. Though the ability to make others lose their way was fatal, it was a power that Jason, who had little starlight, couldn’t overuse. The fist didn’t lose its way and advanced exactly where it aimed.

“Stop.”

If September hadn’t stopped him, Jason would have been critically injured by that punch. That’s how weak of a villain he was.

“But brother!”

“When I say stop, you stop, you bastard. Would you reduce our already disappeared numbers by your own hands?”

“…Tch.”

Only then did November lower his raised fist.

“Revenge this, funeral that, instead of wasting time on that shit, train more, you bastard. Looking at you earlier was pathetic. How can you not land even one hit?”

“B-but brother…”

“But what. You think I won’t pay attention unless you do this? Get out of here. It’s all useless anyway.”

September continued while happily clutching the bills.

“Anyway, once we’ve formed brotherly bonds, we never die. You know that too. Right now, October, your second brother, is just gone far away, not dead.”

The members of the Argo Family are basically immortal. Once the oath is made, all brothers are individuals and at the same time one entity.

Han Jae-jung’s previous prediction was accurate.

Unless all the brothers’ lives are taken simultaneously, the Argo Family is immortal.

“So forget about revenge and funerals. When I heard about the three years of mourning nonsense, I wondered if you were really from America. I thought maybe you had kimchi blood flowing instead of ketchup blood. It’s meaningless and a waste of time. Use that time to practice fighting or recruit more people.”

“…Understood.”

“You haven’t forgotten our aspiration, right?”

“Challenge.”

“That’s right.”

September nodded once again.

“To challenge the strongest beings, the beasts. This is our goal. Don’t forget what’s most important.”

As if the conversation was over, September brought the bills close to the cannon. Bang! Once again, a thunderous sound rang out and flames spewed from the cannon. Half of the bills disappeared and the remaining half turned into firewood and burned.

September used it as a lighter to light his cigarette.

“Go now.”

“Yes.”

At that signal, the numerous people in the room dispersed.

November was one of them.

He was left with an indelible unease.

Why did brother listen to the story of an enemy like Libra, why isn’t he preparing for revenge, when will that challenge begin?

He only became a brother because he liked fighting. He thought joining this family would allow him to fight to death.

But after actually joining, all he felt was the massive wall of reality.

For a fight to be fun, there needs to be give and take, but there were too many strong ones in the world for that. What’s the point of not dying? When you can’t kill the opponent either.

November wanted to continue with revenge, challenges, and fights.

For this, there was just one thing.

“I need power…!”

The power to never be humiliated by outsiders again.

The power to raise our Argo family even higher.

“You traitor! Special training time!”

November shouted at Jason who was following behind and ran towards the yard. Of course, while physical growth might be impossible for someone who has completed their constellation, at least they can hone their skills.

Jason quietly watched him getting further away and thought.

“I envy how you can move forward like that.”

He still didn’t know what he wanted.

***

Ippotranslation 

***

Han Jae-jung opened his eyes.

“A familiar ceiling….”

The now all-too-familiar hospital ceiling greeted him.

“Finally awake.”

“…Ah.”

“My fucking brother.”

Han Jae-jung turned his head to check where the voice came from. He saw a woman sitting in a chair right next to the bed, desperately holding his hand.

Probably the small-framed woman who had been waiting to talk to him continuously since before he lost consciousness.

His almost only colleague, Joo Ah-yoon.

“The word in front of ‘brother’ is a bit harsh. Could you say it more cutely?”

“Fucking♥ brother darling♥“

“Making your voice cute doesn’t make the words cute.”

Though she spoke cutely, the content was harsh.

“Why did you wake up? Why didn’t you just die right there? Huh?”

“For someone saying that, your hand holding mine is quite warm.”

“T-this is just… I was waiting to see when it would turn cold.”

“Wow, scary. Did you want me to become a corpse that badly?”

“…Don’t mock me like that.”

Though he playfully matched her tone, the response was colder than expected. It was quite an intense emotional rollercoaster.

In reality, Joo Ah-yoon’s mental state was not stable.

“You could have really died, *sob*, you could have really died…”

Ah-yoon’s voice gradually became tearful. She pressed Jae-jung’s hand even harder. Hard enough to leave nail marks on the back of his hand.

All the resentment she had been holding back burst forth like a flood upon seeing Han Jae-jung.

“How much… How much… Do you know how worried I was… *hiccup*, no response to any messages… Ignoring everything, *sob*, dismissing everything… You bastard….”

“Ah, well that….”

“Why did you ignore me… Whyyy… I always worry and take care of you but why do you always ignore… Throwing me aside like I’m not helpful…. Don’t you feed the fish you’ve caught… You trash….”

Han Jae-jung tried to get up immediately in panic but couldn’t because his body wasn’t normal. Therefore, he had to observe Ah-yoon’s tears a bit longer.

“Am I that useless…? Huh? I was willing to give you my liver and gallbladder but was that such a burden…!”

“W-what are you saying, Ah-yoon.”

He tried to get up again, and this time succeeded. Han Jae-jung embraced her with one arm while their hands remained intertwined.

“How could you be useless. Hm? It’s all my fault, why are you like this.”

“*sob*… Waaah….”

“I’m the bad guy. I’m sorry.”

“I know that you fucker… Don’t you know that, you asshole….”

“Ah, y-yeah….”

“Always ignoring just me….”

“Hey, why would I ignore our Ah-yoon?”

“Then what… What was it…! Why didn’t you answer…!”

“Well… That.”

As he was quietly stroking Ah-yoon’s head, someone quietly approached.

“Ah-yoon.”

Before greeting Han Jae-jung, the owner of the hospital room, she first spoke to the other guest.

“Could you step away for a moment? I have something to talk about with Jae-jung.”

“… Seol-hwa?”

Han Jae-jung thought he had misheard for a moment. Can’t she see that his sister is crying and pouring out her grievances right now? With such doubt in his voice as he called her name, Seol-hwa looked at him.

“Yes, what? Jae-jung?”

She genuinely seemed not to understand what was wrong.

Han Jae-jung thought while holding Ah-yoon in his arms and keeping his gaze fixed on Yoon Seol-hwa.

‘I’m screwed.’

Even without using the belt, he could foresee one future.

If his terminal illness becomes known, he would die by these people’s hands before his lifespan runs out.

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