The Coin On Each Side

The group made their way through the abandoned Tokyo asylum, moving toward the pool floor where Kang Woo had decided to carry out his experiment. The eerie silence of the facility remained unbroken, save for the faint sound of their footsteps.

When they arrived, their eyes immediately fell upon a reinforced metal door—one that clearly led to the basement.

Himeno smirked and nudged Aki. "Kang Woo probably wants to open that and invite more trouble."

Aki sighed. "Himeno-senpai, you might not want to joke about that. Kang Woo could take it seriously and involve us immediately."

Kang Woo ignored their exchange, his attention shifting elsewhere.

Without warning, shadows surged from his body, slithering like living tendrils before filling the entire pool with a deep blue liquid—Compound V.

Quanxi's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… the Compound V you stole—it's been inside you this whole time? That 15 tons you heisted from Sage Grove Center?"

Kang Woo remained indifferent. "I only released 5 tons just now. The other 10 tons are still inside my body."

Before anyone could respond, Kishibe reappeared, having finished searching the asylum's medical storage.

"The equipment's been completely emptied," Kishibe exhaled, slipping another cigarette between his lips. "It's gonna take the whole damn day just to recreate what's missing."

Kang Woo didn't seem fazed. "Let me worry about that. In the meantime, I need to check the purity of this version of Compound V."

Quanxi furrowed her brows. "Purity?"

It was Makima who answered, stepping forward with her usual calm demeanor.

"What's inside Homelander right now is modern Compound V—the kind used in this era. What Kang Woo wants to check is whether this batch has retained any traces of the original Compound V from World War II—the version that may have granted purer, stronger enhancements."

The air grew heavier as the group processed her words.

Aki narrowed his eyes slightly. "If it has traces of the old stuff, that means this Compound V could be even stronger?"

Makima smiled faintly. "Not just stronger. It could be… something entirely different."

Kang Woo decided to summon the Tesseract Cube, the container holding the Space Stone. As the shimmering blue artifact manifested in the air, it radiated a pulse of cosmic energy, its surface rippling like a contained storm of infinity.

Quanxi looked between Aki and Himeno, then sighed. "Why is it that whenever you are around Kang Woo, you always end up getting good stuff as well?"

Himeno grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. With a flick of her wrist, a sudden distortion appeared beside her, revealing her armory inventory—an entire floating weapons rack materialized around her.

"Check this out," she bragged. "I got a quinque sword called Yukimura." She unsheathed the blade, and instantly, a low hum of electricity sparked across its surface. The sword generated a faint but steady discharge of lightning, dancing along its edge.

Kishibe scoffed, crossing his arms. "The more you're around Kang Woo, the more he just suddenly gifts you things. I'm jealous. Didn't I meet him before you two? And yet, I never got something mobile like that."

Kang Woo ignored Kishibe , and instead focused on the Tesseract. The cube floated in place, shimmering with dimensional energy, before Kang Woo summoned another energy container beneath it, forming a direct conduit of power between the two.

Turning toward Aki and Makima, Kang Woo gave his instructions.

"Aki, use your Azure Resolve magic to heat that cube as much as you can," he said. Then, shifting to Makima, "You, Makima, use your Warp Space Matter magic to create a pipeline or a proper transmission route to ensure this process succeeds."

Both of them nodded without hesitation.

Aki adjusted his stance, preparing to unleash his magic, while Makima formed a hand seal, causing the floor beneath them to shift and transmute into a pipeline, directly linking the floating Tesseract Cube with the newly created energy container.

Aki focused his energy, channeling his azure resolve magic. A deep blue flame erupted from his palm, flowing toward the Tesseract. As the magic surged, the cube pulsed brighter, its glow intensifying with every passing second.

Aki narrowed his eyes. "Kang Woo, the Space Stone is glowing even brighter. I have a bad feeling about this… it might explode."

Makima, who had been quietly observing, suddenly moved. With an almost mechanical precision, her chains lashed out, wrapping tightly around Aki's wrist, stopping him from hesitating.

"We're not here for safety, Aki-kun," she said smoothly. Without waiting for his response, she forcefully manipulated his magic, pushing his azure resolve to its maximum output.

A sudden surge of energy erupted from the cube, arcs of lightning flashing across the ceiling and walls. The sheer pressure of the reaction sent a deep hum through the entire asylum, but strangely, no harm came to anyone.

Himeno instinctively tightened her grip on her sword, adjusting her stance as she pointed the blade toward Makima. "Makima, are you trying to kill us all?"

Makima, unfazed, simply pointed toward the box container below the Tesseract. "Himeno, we've succeeded."

Everyone turned their eyes to the container. What had once been an empty vessel was now filled with a luminous blue liquid, glowing like crystallized energy, shifting between liquid and solid states.

Kang Woo stepped forward, analyzing the result. He smirked slightly, turning his gaze back to Aki. "I have to congratulate you, Aki. Your magic is one of the pinnacles of this world. Though, as you can see, it just needed a slight reinforcement to reach perfection."

Aki exhaled, pulling his wrist free from Makima's chains, his expression still tense. But despite the reckless approach, there was no denying it—they had just successfully created something new.

Kang Woo considered the situation carefully. It would have been easier with the Reality Stone or by using my King of Chaos power. However, the defeat condition of the quest in my head isn't a joke. It forbids me from interfering physically, and with no DNA-altering technology like CRISPR available yet, I have to work around it.

Turning his attention back to the group, Kang Woo spoke. "Himeno, use your lucky drunkard magic and create a water globe—like a floating sphere—but make sure it has a hole on the upper side. Also, make sure none of it contains alcohol properties."

Himeno pouted dramatically. "Oh, my turn? And why no alcohol, Kang Woo? It'd be way more fun if there was alcohol. It'd feel like a party."

Makima, standing beside Aki, slowly turned her gaze toward him with an expression that practically screamed, Do your thing, Aki-kun.

Aki sighed, already tired of what was about to happen. With an irritated but resigned expression.

he shifted to face Himeno, his tone suddenly softening. "Please, Himeno-senpai?"

Himeno looked at him, then at Kang Woo, and let out a small huff. "Well, if my kouhai and my newly acquired husband say so, I guess I have to fulfill it, right?"

With a casual flick of her wrist, water coalesced into the air, forming a perfect floating sphere with a hole at the top. The liquid swirled gently, shimmering under the dim light.

Kang Woo nodded in approval before shifting his attention to Quanxi. "Quanxi, when you transform into a bow hybrid, is your bow part of your body or not?"

Quanxi narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why does that matter?"

Kang Woo's smirk widened. "Because if you choose wrong in this… the energy-filled container over there might explode." He gestured toward the glowing box filled with condensed power. "And you'll be the one to explain why."

Quanxi clicked her tongue, already regretting being part of this conversation. After a brief hesitation, she finally answered, "It's part of me. When I shoot my arrows in my bow hybrid form, they come out of me directly."

Kang Woo nodded. "That's good news—at least for a few seconds, the life force remains intact."

Without further explanation, Kang Woo raised his hand, and a grimoire materialized in the air, floating near Makima. The book radiated an otherworldly aura, its cover bearing the unmistakable markings of Lucius's grimoire.

Makima's eyes widened slightly. "Didn't you say this grimoire couldn't be used by me until I had a solid grasp on soul manipulation?"

Kang Woo smirked. "Just flip through the pages until you see the name 'Astaroth—Time Magic.'"

Makima nodded, flipping through the grimoire. The moment she reached the Astaroth section, she glanced up at him. "And now? What do I do?"

From beneath Kang Woo's feet, a circular time clock pattern emerged, glowing faintly before vanishing into the air above Makima. At that moment, the grimoire shuddered violently, its cover peeling away, leaving behind a floating mass of spinning pages.

"For a while, I'll let you borrow my time magic," Kang Woo said calmly.

Makima watched as the grimoire continued spinning, the raw energy surging through it, waiting to be unleashed.

Himeno, still filled with curiosity, tilted her head and asked, "Kang Woo, exactly how many types of magic do you have inside your body?"

Kang Woo shrugged casually. "A lot. Some of them are missing, though. Gotta reclaim those later."

As he spoke, he glanced toward Quanxi, who had already shifted into her bow hybrid form. Her transformation was as brutal as ever—her teeth sharpened, her head transformed with hardened arrows, and curved horns resembling a bow extended from the sides of her skull. Arrowheads protruded from her neck, while her forearms had grown glove-like flesh with sharpened bow-shaped extensions.

Kang Woo smirked. "You're pretty fast, Quanxi. What gives? You're acting two steps ahead of what I even said."

Before Quanxi could respond, Kishibe chuckled and teased, "Probably because she doesn't want to get roasted by you. You've already roasted her twice."

Kang Woo could sense the intent building up in Quanxi as she prepared to shoot Kishibe instead. He lifted a hand, amusement in his voice.

"Yooo, eyes on me, Quanxi. If you want a lovers' fight, we can do that later—after we finish this gig."

Quanxi clicked her tongue but nodded, focusing back on the task at hand.

Kang Woo turned back to her and Makima. "Now, shoot that arrow toward the box containing the energy. Makima, you're aware of the spells I always use, right? At least the ones I say out loud when casting my time magic?"

Makima gave him a confident look. "I memorize everything you say—including your rants."

Kang Woo smirked. "Good enough. Now, you both need to do exactly as I say. On the count of two, Quanxi will fire the arrow at the energy box. Makima, you'll cast time magic when I say 'one.'"

The air tensed as everyone prepared.

Kang Woo began the countdown. "Three… two—"

Quanxi released her arrow. It shot forward at blinding speed, piercing through the box of energy, causing the liquid inside to ripple unnaturally.

"One!" Kang Woo called out.

Makima lifted her hand. "Chrono Stasis."

A bubble of time engulfed the energy-filled box, freezing it in place at the exact moment of impact.

Kang Woo exhaled and clapped his hands once. "That's very good, everyone." His smirk returned as he turned back to them.

"here comes the hard part."

Aki furrowed his brows, watching Kang Woo closely. "Kang Woo, I've been wondering… From my point of view, you could've easily done all of this by yourself. I mean, you've always been able to do everything alone. But this time, you asked us for help. What gives? Is there something only you can see again?"

Kang Woo smirked, his thoughts momentarily shifting. Aki… He's starting to become aware. Every time something happens, he picks up on it. He's becoming very useful.

Before Kang Woo could answer,

Makima, who already understood the restriction placed on Kang Woo for this task, stepped in smoothly, her voice carrying just the right amount of conviction.

"Kang Woo is just being Kang Woo. A dickhead and a lousy man," she said casually, her tone utterly convincing. "He probably just wanted to test me—to see how much I've grown because of his commandment inside me. Isn't that right, Kang Woo?"

Kang Woo's smirk widened. He could tell Makima was covering for him flawlessly, playing along with his act. Rather than letting Aki catch onto the real reason, he decided to keep the charade going.

"Gotta bully Makima once in a while," he said lazily. "She's always so damn sticky with me. Can't let her get too comfortable."

Makima didn't react, only tilting her head slightly, as if evaluating his words.

Aki let out a breath, not entirely convinced but also not pressing further.

Kishibe exhaled a stream of smoke, watching the exchange with a smirk. "Just like I said—a couple of liars."

Kang Woo, keeping his focus on the task at hand. "Makima, float the energy that's frozen in time into the water sphere that Himeno already created. Then, bend the Compound V using your warp space and matter magic, but make sure it stays connected with the rest of the Compound V."

Makima nodded, extending her hand. The frozen energy lifted seamlessly from its containment, levitating with eerie precision. The Chrono Stasis field surrounding it rippled as it merged into Himeno's water sphere, now containing the volatile essence within a controlled space. At the same time, Makima warped the surrounding Compound V, bending its shape without breaking its connection.

As the liquid twisted and stretched under her influence, she glanced at Kang Woo. "What's next?"

Kang Woo narrowed his eyes slightly, arms crossed as he analyzed every small fluctuation.

"Now comes the harder part," he murmured. "Let me think for a while."

Kang Woo bit his thumb, deep in thought. Makima has never rewritten reality before. She's warped space, manipulated matter, but she's never outright altered the rules of existence themselves. If I push this and she fails, the backlash could be worse than a logic error…

His thoughts darkened. Just like what happened to me.

There's no need for another person to suffer like I did.

Before he could decide, Makima suddenly embraced him, resting her head against his chest.

"You don't need to worry, Kang Woo," she murmured. "I can do it."

Kang Woo looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "You want me to bet your life on this gig succeeding?"

Makima said nothing, only staring into his eyes in silence.

Kang Woo exhaled sharply. "Something feels wrong. I'm moving all of you far away, including Makima."

The group nodded without question, stepping back as Kang Woo waved his hand, shadows flickering beneath their feet, shielding them .

Turning back to Makima, Kang Woo gave his next order. "Focus your Soul Bullet, but reinforce it with magic creation, blacklight biomass, and lastly—your control ability."

Makima hesitated. "Shouldn't I use my warp space matter magic instead? Wouldn't that be more suited for this?"

Kang Woo clicked his tongue. "That's where you're wrong, Makima. The moment I met you, all my senses warned me—you could kill me. Not a high chance, but it was there. And it wasn't because of soul dominion enhancement."

Makima blinked. "Eh? Really?"

Not even my enhanced soul dominion… but my original, innate ability? The one I was born with? That's what threatened Kang Woo?

Kang Woo smirked slightly. "You'll understand once you do it. Any time you're ready, Makima."

Makima took a breath, steadying herself, then raised her hand, forming a finger pistol. She focused, reinforcing her Soul Bullet with magic creation, blacklight biomass, and her control ability—just as Kang Woo instructed.

"BANG."

The Soul Bullet shot forward, piercing through Himeno's water sphere, striking the volatile energy within.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—roots of pure energy erupted from the sphere, lashing outward and dragging Makima toward it.

Makima gasped, breathing heavily as the energy coiled around her like living tendrils.

Kang Woo's eyes narrowed. I was wrong.

He prepared his time sovereignty, ready to combine it with The Almighty to intervene—

But Makima, despite her ragged breathing, raised a hand, stopping him.

"Wait, Kang Woo… let me try."

Her voice was steady, despite the strain.

"I want to understand this. Let me light your way, Kang Woo."

Makima reached out, grabbing hold of the roots of pure energy as they twisted violently around her. They pulsed beneath her fingers, an odd sensation—both afraid and threatening at the same time.

She narrowed her eyes. This thing… it's alive. But there's no serenity in it. Just confusion.

The roots writhed, resisting her touch, but Makima didn't pull away. Instead, she brought them closer, gently pressing them against her cheek.

"It'll be okay," she whispered, her voice soothing. "Serenity will happen."

She repeated the words, over and over, like a quiet lullaby.

"It'll be okay. I only want to complete my husband's request."

The roots trembled for a moment. Then, a strange phenomenon occurred—a faint, childlike voice surfaced within the energy, forming into floating words, shimmering in the air:

"It'll be okay. I'm sleepy."

"Thank you. I'm satisfied."

Kang Woo watched in silence as the once-violent roots calmed, gently unraveling from Makima's body. In their place, the energy transformed, restructuring itself into a swirling, double-helix pattern—a sequence of DNA, glowing faintly as it circled in front of her.

Kang Woo let out a breath, smirking slightly. "You really are my opposite," he said, watching her. "While I spread despair and horrifying reality…"

He gestured toward the DNA strands now hovering before her.

"You—the real you—can spread hope and fill the world with happiness."

For a moment, the world stood still.