[many constellations are wondering how the current scenario will progress.]
"Ahjussi, do you think Sangah-unnie needs a hug?" Shin Yoosung whispered, glancing anxiously over at the older woman. Kim Dokja honestly didn't know what to say, but he patted her head anyway.
"You can go to her if you want, Yoosung-ah."
The girl looked over at Yoo Sangah again before nodding once. Before leaving, though, she paused and shot a glare at Lee Gilyoung. "You get ahjussi for now, but he's mine when I get back, got it?"
Lee Gilyoung scoffed. "Nuh uh. Hyung is mine." He paused for a moment before his voice got quieter and he looked at her seriously. "Make sure Sangah-noona is ok."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is feeling endeared.]
After a nod, Shin Yoosung left a moment later, settling in next to Yoo Sangah, who seemed pleasantly surprised and eagerly let the girl hug her tight. Hopefully that would help her get through whatever was happening here.
As Nirvana approaches the table, Sookyung finally speaks, asking when they'll release the skill they cast upon Sangah. Nirvana airily states that she must be the one to release it herself, calling the shaking woman foolish for resisting for an entire week as they lean over the table to peer at Sangah. "She's resisting that much when all she has to do is simply declare that she will 'live in the present'."
Sookyung's gaze darkens as she sharply states that the value of the past differs for those with shorter lifespans, which Nirvana refutes by stating that a short life is even more of a reason to live in the present.
When Nirvana declares that she is 'blessed' with death but doesn't understand its value, Sookyung scoffs, her tone sounding like a mother lecturing a misbehaving child. "Don't judge the 'present' of other people all by yourself. She's living in the 'present' enough as is. Rather, you're the one ignorant about the 'present' because of how much you reincarnate."
Yoo Sangah sucked in a nervous breath as she revealed that she had been caught under the influence of [Thought Infection] for an entire week, but hadn't given in yet. Jung Heewon's eyes went wide, and she sent a sympathetic glance to the other woman.
"Sangah-ssi truly has amazing willpower," Lee Hyunsung gasped, but he looked incredibly worried. Kim Dokja was as well, having read in TWSA just how awful that experience was. Very few people could resist it for more than a few minutes, so the fact that she had been doing this for a week straight meant that she had willpower almost as strong as Yoo Joonghyuk's—when he wasn't trying to withstand a mental attack, of course. That man was just so incredibly stubborn that it was baffling at times.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is hissing at the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
Lee Seolhwa sighed and shook her head. "It's fine to live in the present, but that's when someone makes the decision to do so on their own. Being forced to obsess over it is another matter entirely."
She was absolutely correct, and Kim Dokja was glad that she had said so. Ultimately, the past was important too, but it was up to everyone to decide how much weight they decided to place in it in the first place.
"How can someone be blessed with death?" Lee Jihye wondered, frowning at the screen. "That sounds like it sucks."
Kim Dokja tried not to sigh as his gaze went somewhat distant. It was probably a good thing that she didn't understand how it felt to want to rest so badly that you'd give anything, even your life, to achieve it. She was just a kid, only seventeen, and he'd do everything in his power to make sure that she'd never have to end up like Izumi who had ultimately begged for death at the very end.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking away.]
Kim Dokja also couldn't help but glance over at Yoo Joonghyuk—a man who experienced death so many times, but was never once granted its reprieve. He died over and over, only to be thrust right back into the living hell of the apocalypse for all of eternity. Perhaps he was someone who also wanted to be blessed in that way in his later regressions when he was just tired.
[several constellations are agreeing with the words of the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. Nirvana didn't have the right to judge the way other people decided to live their lives.
Nirvana's gaze pierces her, which she matches with a cool stare. Nirvana breaks eye contact first, moving around the chair to sit upon it as they state that she's only being kept alive so long as her 'story' has value.
Leaning on their clasped hands, they smirk as they declare that they need information on the incarnation 'Kim Dokja'. Without changing her expression at all, Sookyung easily states that she doesn't know him. However, Nirvana's smile deepens as they explain that there's no use in feigning ignorance because they already learned of the mother-son relationship from the 'Neutral King'.
Sookyung frowns as an image of the backstabbing little shit appears behind her. Calmly, she explains that they were separated when Dokja was quite young, so she doesn't know anything of his life.
Nirvana's smile never falters as they declare that that information is for them to find out. A mandala appears behind them, spinning in the air. From the center, a palm with an eye in its centre emerges, reaching out towards the impassive woman. Sookyung's expression darkens and she glares as the palm rests on her head.
"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Han Sooyoung muttered as she leaned forward while narrowing her eyes.
As long as her story had value, huh? What could be so valuable about it anyway? Was Nirvana attempting to get information out of her simply because she was one of the faction leaders before they had arrived, or did they have some kind of ulterior motive?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in shock at the intentions of the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
"Information on me?" Kim Dokja wondered aloud, half in shock and half in exasperation. Of course Nirvana would try to get information on the person who had managed to be immune to their skill. That shouldn't have been a surprise.
He wasn't sure how he should feel about what she said next. He should be happy about it—he had wanted to be free from her influence and shadow for so long, and he had wanted to burn all those bridges and leave them behind as nothing more than ashes. Kim Dokja hated her for things that she had done, but he also hated her for the things that she hadn't.
However, at the same time, something felt so inherently wrong about his own mother saying that she didn't know him. It felt like he was getting thrown out with the garbage, discarded and told that he didn't matter enough in the first place. It was sickening and relieving and horrible all at once.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is approving of the intentions of the incarnation 'lee sookyung' to protect the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Was she truly trying to protect him, or was she just trying to avoid getting too involved here? Kim Dokja didn't know. He didn't know if he wanted to, either.
As she let out a sigh, Kim Dokja chanced glancing over, and noticed that her facade had been repaired. Looking as impassive as always, she narrowed her eyes at the screen. "That man is a nuisance. Jung Heewon-ssi, was it? Earlier, you suggested getting rid of him; the Wanderers will handle that."
They would? Was she just frustrated because she had been dragged into this? Or because the fact that the man knew meant that he had also eavesdropped on their conversation after the meeting?
Upon her stating that they were separated when Kim Dokja was young, Lee Gilyoung pressed himself just a bit closer to his side. Though it looked like he was trying to comfort Kim Dokja for things that had happened long ago, Kim Dokja could tell that the boy was thinking of something else entirely. All he could do was hold Lee Gilyoung just a bit tighter and hope that it helped.
"I don't like that," Yoo Mia whispered nervously as Nirvana used their skill, reaching out for her head with it. "It looks scary."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tightly gripping his weapon.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' thinks that the skill would be cooler if it was a different colour.]
Threatening her, Nirvana tells Sookyung to unlock the memory or Sangah will die. Sookyung calls the threat childish, but they point out that it's been working so far because that's just how humans are. Sookyung glances at Sangah's catatonic form, and after a moment of silence, she gives in to Nirvana's demand. Instantly, Nirvana activates their skill [Being and Causation], sending a crackle of energy through Sookyung's body as her story is drawn from her to entangle with Nirvana's. As Nirvana looks through her story, there's a sense of being 'one' and they savour what they see.
As Nirvana seems to learn that Dokja has knowledge of so much filtered information, their eyes gleam in interest as scenes of the two sitting across from each other in the prison meeting room pass through the palm in warped images. Though Sookyung tries to protect the fragmented knowledge she has of the future, she can't resist the pull of the skill. As Nirvana's eyes meet Sookyung's glare, a mocking yet soothing voice leaves their lips, "You are a pitiful mother. You lied to your own child. You dogmatically led your son onto the path full of lies."
In response, a cold anger fills Sookyung's expression as she tells them that they won't be able to beat her son. With an easy smile, Nirvana responds that while he may be interesting, he is just human in the end—no more, no less.
"What the fuck?" Jung Heewon hissed, her eyes blazing with hatred. "How dare they threaten Sangah-ssi like that!?"
Yoo Sangah gently patted Shin Yoosung's head as she held the girl close, and she looked extremely uncomfortable with everything that was going on. Taking a deep breath, though, she looked up at her. "Um, Lee Sookyung-ssi? I don't know what memories you're refusing to give up, but if it's anything that could be used against Dokja-ssi, don't let their threats work."
[the constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are disapproving of the request of the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
"Sangah-ssi!" Lee Seolhwa gasped as Shin Yoosung tightened her grip on Yoo Sangah. Everyone was already panicking, knowing that the woman was basically offering herself up as a sacrifice so she wouldn't be forced to sell Kim Dokja out under any circumstances. It was a difficult decision to make, but Yoo Sangah was doing her best to stay as strong as she could.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened in shock at her request, not knowing how to feel about it at all. Yoo Sangah didn't want to be held hostage and used in a threat, and Kim Dokja understood that, but he couldn't understand what was going on in the first place.
What memories could she have that could be so important anyway? He was immune to Nirvana's mental attacks and, just as she had said before, they had been estranged for too long. Anything she knew about him was a decade out of date by now, so why was she trying so hard to hide it—especially with Yoo Sangah's life on the line?
[a few constellations are feeling sympathy for the incarnations 'lee sookyung' and 'yoo sangah'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at her. "They are reading your story. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
In a sharp tone, she retorted, "I only do what is necessary. They won't get anything of value anyway."
Once again, Kim Dokja found himself looking down. Maybe that's really all it was in the end—the bond they used to have back then was nothing more than a useless memory now.
"Nirvana is learning of the future you know," Yoo Joonghyuk replied harshly. Kim Dokja could already tell that he was getting fed up with this conversation, judging by his clenched jaw and posture.
"And my son has a more complete understanding than I do," she said flippantly, emphasizing their dubious bond yet again. "Clearly, you do not expect much of him if you think something like that could pose too much of a problem."
For some reason, that made Yoo Joonghyuk look even more furious than before, but Kim Dokja couldn't focus on that when he felt so conflicted. Was that statement supposed to be an insult to his planning abilities, or was it a vote of confidence? He didn't even know anymore.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
[many constellations are confused by the words of the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
As Nirvana spoke and accused her of lying to her son, almost everyone looked in her direction with expressions of fury and betrayal—Yoo Joonghyuk most of all. They looked angry and horrified and sad, but Kim Dokja couldn't understand why.
That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, and it certainly wasn't a surprise to him. After all she had done, why wouldn't she have lied to him? Looking back at his childhood, Kim Dokja would be more shocked if she hadn't lied to him over and over.
There had been so many lies back then—'I'm fine', 'everything will be okay', 'your father loves you'. Maybe those peaceful days before Kim Dokja had realized that that man had descended into alcohol abuse had been a lie from the beginning—nothing more than an illusion of hope and a peaceful life spun by her words to keep him in the dark for as long as possible.
"Lying is bad," Shin Yoosung said from where she was hugging Yoo Sangah. "Don't lie to ahjussi or else."
She barely responded, instead just sighing and looking back at the screen. After a moment, all she said was, "All adults lie for various reasons."
"Sure, you might have a reason," Han Sooyoung acknowledged, but her tone changed to something more accusatory, "but that doesn't mean that it can't be a bullshit reason either."
"Think whatever you want," she remarked flippantly. "Your opinion never mattered to me anyway."
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is frowning.]
Kim Dokja didn't know what her future self meant by that. After all, she had to have realized already that he would never go face-to-face with the reincarnator if he could help it. If Kim Dokja won, it would only be because he planned far enough ahead to ensure that he wouldn't be the one fighting them.
"Testing, Testing! I request a duel against the leader of the Salvation Church, 'Nirvana Moebius'." Upon suddenly hearing Dokja's voice suddenly cutting through the air, Nirvana's gaze snaps away from Sookyung as their cocky look drops off their face.
Suddenly, it cuts back to Dokja standing on the street where he's shown holding a megaphone while Jihye, Gilyoung, and Yoosung hold up others to help catch his voice and broadcast it further. As Dokja names the time and location of the duel, his smile grows wider, becoming feral as he throws Joonghyuk under the bus by declaring that the protagonist will be Nirvana's opponent.
Nirvana's eyes widen as Dokja throws in a heap of provocations, hitting all of the words that would irk them the most—even invoking the 'present' so they can't avoid it without becoming a hypocrite. Having stood up, Nirvana's eyes close slightly as they digest the information and traps in Dokja's words. With this statement having been broadcasted across the entire dome, and the reasoning that the two suspected strongest will fight to save the incarnations from the scenarios, Nirvana cannot refuse the duel.
"Ahjussi, are you seriously calling them out like that!?" Lee Jihye gasped, turning to look at him with bafflement written all over her face.
"Yep," Kim Dokja replied flatly. "It'll work, trust me."
He had to put everything that had just happened out of his mind for now so he could focus on what he needed to do. At the very least, Lee Gilyoung looked pretty excited to be helping out with the broadcasting.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is snickering at the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
Han Sooyoung barked out a laugh. "Oh man, you seriously just offered that bastard up as his opponent?"
Of course he had. That was expected, and Yoo Joonghyuk had likely agreed to it, even. After all, he believed himself to be one of the top two at the very least, and therefore he would have to participate in the fight anyway. It would be beyond suspicious if Kim Dokja hadn't gone along with that assumption in order to avoid asking him to do something like that.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is already cheering on the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is entertained by the current events.]
Kim Dokja allowed himself to grin widely as he layered on the provocations. By invoking Nirvana's own creed, they would seem like a total self-serving hypocrite if they didn't respond to his call.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is smiling as he approves of the plan of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"That's so smart, Dokja-ssi," Lee Hyunsung gasped, "they can't refuse, even though they know it's a trap!"
"But what if they do anyway?" Jung Heewon wondered, glancing around. "You said it before, they don't run on normal logic. It would be logical to go, right?"
"That's true," Yoo Sangah admitted quietly, and she seemed to think for a moment. "I'm sure that Dokja-ssi has realized that already too."
Of course he had, and he knew exactly what offer they could never refuse. He just hoped that he'd survive saying it because there was no way in hell that Yoo Joonghyuk would agree to something like that.
Sookyung smiles fondly for a moment before she takes her turn being cocky as she calls 'that child' strong and wise, declaring that he knows what he needs and what he's good at. Just as Nirvana remarks that it's quite a taunt and starts to say that it's unfortunate because this isn't part of their 'grand plan', Dokja's loudspeaker cuts in once more and addresses that fact before sweetening the pot. "If you decide to come now, I will give you a chance to become one with Yoo Joonghyuk."
In a split second, Nirvana transforms from calm to an amazing impression of a rabid dog being thrown a meaty bone. Their eyes bulge and veins become visible as they bite their lip with greed. They shiver and shudder in anger, wonder, and even an unknown sense of shame. They're so surprised that they lose control over their skill, allowing Sookyung to feel their intense urge to combine with one person for a bigger story through the connection.
Smirking once more, Sookyung puts the final nail in the coffin. "I told you that you were going to lose."
As her future self smiled, Kim Dokja refused to look back and see whether or not she was mirroring that expression. He didn't want to know, and he couldn't understand her. Was he strong and wise—an adult who could stand strong on his own, or was he still just a foolish child who should still be hiding behind his mother for protection? What did she want from him, if anything at all?
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is worried that the incarnation 'nirvana moebius' will reject the fight.]
So what if it wasn't part of their plan? Kim Dokja wouldn't let them avoid it no matter what. Still, as his future self said those fateful words, he closed his eyes and hoped that he wasn't about to get murdered by a very angry regressor.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is choking on his wine.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is shrieking in horror.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is flabbergasted.]
"Kim Dokja, you—!" Yoo Joonghyuk gasped, looking baffled and betrayed as he stared at Kim Dokja with wide eyes.
Han Sooyoung straight up toppled over as she wheezed, gasping for air between her laughter. Lee Jihye was absolutely gobsmacked, staring at the screen like she couldn't believe her ears, and everyone else looked like they fell somewhere in between the three of them.
"What?" Jung Heewon said blankly, blinking repeatedly.
"It's the ultimate bait," Kim Dokja replied with a casual shrug. "It's what they want more than anything else in the world."
"I did not agree to this," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed, turning so Kim Dokja could see the full tense set of his broad shoulders. From where she was sitting in his lap, Yoo Mia was looking at Kim Dokja like he was the stupidest moron to have ever walked the earth.
Lee Hyunsung's face was beet red and he stammered, "Dokja-ssi, that's a bit… um… but what about the children?"
He was about 90% sure that everyone had an extremely wrong idea about what 'becoming one' actually entailed, but it's not like it would actually happen anyway.
Kim Dokja raised a brow, trying to avoid looking at Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes. "It's only something you need to worry about if you lose, right?"
"I will not lose," Yoo Joonghyuk replied instantly, as expected. Kim Dokja was confident that he'd be fine anyway—he was the protagonist, after all. And, if he wasn't for any reason, Kim Dokja knew that he would do whatever was necessary to ensure that Yoo Joonghyuk survived the fight.
[several constellations are feeling conflicted about the new stakes.]
[a constellation who likes handsome men is very eager to see the fight.]
Yoo Sangah glanced around, looking a bit uncomfortable with the emotions that Nirvana was displaying. It was a level of utter obsession that she had likely never encountered before, and even imagining it was probably overwhelming.
For once, and maybe for the first time in years, Kim Dokja actually agreed with her on something. Nirvana was going to lose, sooner or later.
As Nirvana responds with a simple 'okay', the rest of the group back out on the streets of Seoul seem confused. Jiwon looks down, very concerned, as Jihye remarks that she never thought the leader of the Salvation Church would consent to the fight so easily. Swiveling around, it shows Dokja's bruised face as Jiwon asks if he's ok. Clutching his head, Dokja asks if Joonghyuk has already left. With Jiwon replying that he did as soon as he heard the reply, a quick flashback reveals that the protagonist had absolutely decked him while enraged. In fact, he had knocked Dokja unconscious for a few minutes, and the man internally curses Joonghyuk for being such an ignorantly powerful person.
Drinking a potion, Dokja declares that they should head out too. Watching the group get excited about the idea of fighting all together, Dokja begins to reflect on what he knows. He can't get excited about any of this.
Nirvana surely must have succeeded a new skill, and they won't be defeated as easily as before.
[several constellations are surprised by the response of the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
Kim Dokja winced as soon as the screen showed that the protagonist had actually punched him for that, but it was also way less severe than expected. He had only been knocked out for a few minutes instead of hours, so that was actually an impressive show of restraint on Yoo Joonghyuk's part. It was almost touching, really.
"Admit it, you had that one coming," Han Sooyoung snickered.
Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. "If I had asked first, then I definitely wouldn't have been able to say that."
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed, and it only proved his point further. There was no way in hell that the protagonist would have accepted that plan, so Kim Dokja had figured that it would be better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is sighing in exasperation and shaking his head at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"At least you're prepared for Nirvana having a new skill," Yoo Sangah said as Shin Yoosung hugged her tightly again.
"The problem is that they have a massive repertoire to choose from, and there's no way of knowing exactly which one it is." Kim Dokja figured that they'd probably pick something that would allow them to make up for their weakness against physical attacks, since those were Yoo Joonghyuk's specialty. In return, he knew that the protagonist would surely spend whatever time he could raising the level of his [Mental Barrier] skill and strategizing ways of keeping a safe distance from Nirvana as well as keeping them too occupied with other things to use a strong mental skill against him.
It was going to be an intense fight for sure.
Dokja notes that Joonghyuk is also well prepared for this fight, making the outcome hard to predict. As the scene darkens, a single source of light seems to be coming from behind Dokja while he mentally sighs that the fight isn't his main issue at the moment. 'The real problem is the message that's been ringing loudly in my head for a while now.'
Moving quickly, the view swivels to reveal the words on the message.
[You are currently the strongest incarnation in Seoul.]
… Now, what should I do?
"That's right, my oppa is going to kick their butt!" Yoo Mia declared confidently as she hugged Yoo Joonghyuk again. He looked a bit tense, but at least he knew that he would be able to fight as well as he could. Unlike last time, he wouldn't have to try and defend or work around Kim Dokja or any bystanders, if possible.
[many constellations are confident that the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' will win.]
[several constellations are declaring that the incarnation 'nirvana moebius' has better chances.]
Unfortunately for Kim Dokja, the screen decided to reveal what he had suspected—that he was actually the strongest in Seoul.
Immediately, he winced and looked away, not wanting to see what everyone thought. They were probably extremely pissed off. He also closed any constellation messages as soon as they popped up because he really didn't want to read those either.
"What the fuck!?" Jung Heewon hissed, already sounding enraged. "If you knew it was you all along, why the hell are those two fighting then? What are you even planning to do?"
Kim Dokja looked away even harder. "Uh…"
Before he could even reply, Han Sooyoung scoffed. "I bet he's going to go off and do something fucking stupid, that's what."
It would be calculated, thank you.
"Kim Dokja…" Yoo Joonghyuk growled, and he very much did not want to look at the guy right now, thanks. The tone alone was sending shivers down his spine from something that was at least 90% fear. He was absolutely furious, and Kim Dokja knew that Yoo Joonghyuk was likely barely holding himself back from choking him half to death.
Lee Hyunsung was mumbling something, and Yoo Sangah looked exasperated. Lee Seolhwa just shook her head. "Dokja-ssi, it's situations like this which give everyone reason to think you need a guard detail."
And what would they even do other than get in the way of his carefully crafted plan?
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is setting down his glass to drink straight from the bottle.]
Lee Gilyoung was shaking, and Shin Yoosung looked as though she was debating whether she should stay with Yoo Sangah or come back, and Kim Dokja really didn't know what he should do to reassure them that everything would be fine. Why were they all so mad at him anyway? Wasn't this a better option in the end than half of Seoul dying, or the world ending if Yoo Joonghyuk regressed?
After all, he just had to die—the scenario never said that he had to stay dead.