"Go for it, Master!" Lee Jihye cheered excitedly. "Kick her ass!"
Kim Dokja had to muffle a laugh at the girl's enthusiasm, but he appreciated it nonetheless. Now that Yoo Joonghyuk was in the fight too, things were looking a lot more hopeful. Even though he wasn't at full strength, the protagonist would be a massive asset in this battle.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Landing back on the ground after clashing with the disaster, Joonghyuk ends up near Dokja. Leaping into the air once more, the disaster charges up a powerful blast that whips up a whirlwind crackling with energy from the sheer power contained within it. Seeing this, Dokja steps in front of the protagonist and uses his coat like a wing to block it, straining against the immense power as he does so. Even Joonghyuk has to close one eye because of how bright it is, but he helps to brace Dokja's position despite that.
Go wild.
「Attack me.」 41st Yoosung's voice plays in Dokja's mind once more, sounding resigned to the fate that the dokkaebi has given her, as he internally curses the situation. 「You have to protect this 'regression'. Stop me.」
Keep watching and make an uproar until the day I come to rip out your tongues.
Many constellations watch as the scenario continues, with some notable ones being 'Scribe of Heaven' and 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', as others begin to take an interest in Dokja after seeing the events of the fight.
"Oh shit, that looks bad," Han Sooyoung muttered grimly as they watched the disaster prepare to hit them with what looked like the same attack that had previously disemboweled Kim Dokja.
When he once again stepped in front of the protagonist to block the attack, Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders went stiff.
"Kim Dokja, you fool!" he hissed. "What if that hadn't worked?"
"But it did," Kim Dokja pointed out with a teasing tone of voice. "Come on, Joonghyuk-ah, have more faith in your companion, won't you?"
He had to hold back a cheeky grin at the way that Yoo Joonghyuk's brow twitched in irritation. Okay, using the companion thing to tease him was pretty damn fun now that Kim Dokja was certain that it actually meant something to him, even if the protagonist looked extra constipated as a result.
"Yeah, sooty bastard, have faith in hyung," Lee Gilyoung chided, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk. "He's better than you anyway."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing at the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"Hmph, he had to get my oppa to help him there still," Yoo Mia huffed, glancing over at where Yoo Joonghyuk was assisting in bracing Kim Dokja against the attack.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is overjoyed to see this display of companionship.]
[some constellations are saddened by the thoughts of the 'disaster of floods'.]
Yoo Sangah looked down, biting her lip as she did. "She's telling the truth, but… that doesn't mean it feels right that we have to kill her after all that."
Yeah. At this point, killing her would be a mercy in addition to being required to save their regression turn. Kim Dokja clenched his hands into fists, feeling incredibly upset at the way that the dokkaebis treated her. The Shin Yoosung of the 41st regression deserved better than this fate of becoming a disaster in every world.
[constellations who like good fights are thrilled.]
Kim Dokja had to smirk a bit at his thought. Someday, he and Yoo Joonghyuk would tear those lofty stars from the sky. Even if they saw them coming thanks to this scenario, Kim Dokja was certain that they would underestimate them until the very last second.
After all, they were already doing that.
[many constellations are laughing at the thoughts of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' thinks that the ambitions of the incarnation 'kim dokja' are audacious.]
[several constellations are scoffing.]
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' are glimmering mysteriously.]
As the disaster's hands flex and spasm while she snarls viciously at them, Dokja and Joonghyuk rush back into battle side-by-side to confront their charging opponent once more. Around them, their allies fight to ward off the incoming beasts in a chaotic fray, accumulating both exhaustion and wounds.
Joonghyuk manages to cut the side of the disaster with a well placed slash, but is rewarded with a nasty knee to the face. As he falls out of the way, Dokja comes in from a blind spot and—with the aid of Heewon's skills—manages to cut off the disaster's remaining arm with a spurt of blood. This doesn't stop her however, as she lets out another [Breath of the Beast Lord] right as Joonghyuk returns to regroup with Dokja. Right as the bestial maw opens to maul both of them, Dokja gets a notification that only 30 seconds remain until [Bookmark] wears off.
"I believe in you, Dokja-ssi, Joonghyuk-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung declared supportively. He was such a nice guy, wasn't he?
"We'll do our best, Hyunsung-ssi," Kim Dokja replied with a smile, which seemed to make Lee Hyunsung pleased enough to resemble a golden retriever who had just been given a treat. At least Jung Heewon seemed to think that his reaction was funny, which was probably a point in Lee Hyunsung's favour.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is hoping that the incarnations succeed.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed as he examined her tactics, which Kim Dokja honestly thought was hilarious. Though Yoo Joonghyuk did have his instinctive ability to fight well and follow the flow of combat—probably at least partially influenced by his [Pro Gamer] attribute—he was no strategist.
Out of the two of them, Kim Dokja was absolutely the brains of the operation, but it wasn't like they could do much strategizing in the middle of a fight like this. Unlike in anime, dramas, or movies, you couldn't actually hear any kind of instructions over the chaos of combat and explosions unless you were standing right next to whoever was speaking with a raised voice.
Only a second later, Kim Dokja winced visibly as Yoo Joonghyuk took a knee to his cheek. That would probably leave a nasty bruise later if the protagonist doesn't use [Resuscitation] again after this fight ends. He should probably stop the kids from snickering a bit, but at the same time, it was pretty harmless. Yoo Joonghyuk probably wouldn't fight a kid over something that minor.
"Nice one, Dokja!" Jung Heewon cheered as he managed to cut off the disaster's other arm. "Now she has way fewer options!"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is praising the quick thinking of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
But not no options, as her next move proved. And [Bookmark] was about to wear off too—had they really been fighting for that long!?
"Wait, you've been fighting for thirty minutes?" Lee Seolhwa gasped with widened eyes.
It seemed so, and they had only just managed to incapacitate her to that degree. They were probably fatigued, and they were already somewhat injured too. Plus, from what Kim Dokja could tell, that wasn't something that he could block.
Fuck.
The shot changes view right before the impact, showing the explosive hit from a distance. A massive purple explosion can be seen for miles in every direction, sending beasts flying from the force and shattering windows with the shockwave.
In the middle of all of this, a green barrier is erected by Hyunsung who has used his shield's skill to defend him, Sangah and the kids. Both adults look shocked, but Sangah's hand moves through Yoosung's hair in a comforting manner from where the young girl clings to her.
Everyone paled at the massive explosion, and Kim Dokja's breath hitched. God he hoped that he hadn't just died again. Wait, no, there was a worse possibility—what if Yoo Joonghyuk had died? Kim Dokja took a deep breath and held it, trying to keep himself from shattering into thousands of pieces from the thought alone. He couldn't think the worst before he saw the evidence. He couldn't handle his thoughts spiralling like that.
"Forget earlier, that looks fucking awful," Han Sooyoung exclaimed. "Good fucking luck."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is concerned for the safety of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is emphasizing her concern for both the incarnation 'kim dokja' and the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
As much as Kim Dokja liked the Secretive Plotter, Uriel was right—even if Kim Dokja would personally emphasize Yoo Joonghyuk a bit more. After all, he was the protagonist, and if he died, then everything would be over for Kim Dokja.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is unconcerned with what happens to the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Okay, now that was just straight-up wrong. Yoo Joonghyuk was a keystone in this world's existence, and also in Kim Dokja's desired epilogue. Without him, there would be no point in making it to the end, even if the world somehow survived. Without him…
No, Kim Dokja had to catch himself yet again. He didn't know the truth yet, so he had to stop thinking about it.
"Hyunsung-ssi, thank you," Yoo Sangah said weakly, drawing Kim Dokja's attention back to the screen, away from the bickering constellations and his spiralling thoughts. For an instant, his heart froze. Right, that explosion was big enough to have caught everyone in it—not just him and Yoo Joonghyuk.
Lee Hyunsung looked simultaneously flustered and proud of himself, and he had every right to be. He had single handedly kept the rest of their group safe, standing strong as a bastion of protection.
Jung Heewon grinned and nudged him with her shoulder. "Damn, nice one. It's a shame my future self missed out on seeing that."
"What!?" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, looking as red as a tomato. "U-um, I mean, thank you?"
Oh the poor, poor guy. His braincells just slowly died every time Jung Heewon smiled at him, didn't they?
As the dust settles, it shows that both Joonghyuk and Dokja are on the ground, gasping for air and grimacing from their injuries. The disaster looms over them, menacing and deadly.
「You all aren't enough.」 41st Yoosung's desperate voice sounds in Dokja's mind due to [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] level 2. 「How will you manage to stop me?」
"...Don't worry," Dokja grits out in response as he barely manages to glance over at her, "the one who'll stop you…"
Suddenly, something loudly crashes into the ground a short distance away, catching the attention of the disaster and giving Dokja a chance to push himself up and finish his sentence, "....will be here soon."
"Oh thank goodness." Lee Seolhwa breathed a sigh of relief. "You're both alive."
That was a relief, and Kim Dokja felt some of the tension in his shoulders leave at that revelation. Still, the kids seemed pretty anxious, so he ruffled their hair a bit to distract them. Shin Yoosung smiled up at him and Lee Gilyoung grabbed onto the robe tightly.
Yoo Mia, on the other hand, held tightly onto her brother's coat. "Oppa, you're okay!"
Well, maybe not entirely fine, but that was better than being dead. Still, they were lying on the ground, completely defenseless right now, and that wasn't good at all.
[many constellations are relieved.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' wants to see more action.]
This wasn't enough action already? They weren't even winning, which was the hardest pill to swallow. God, Kim Dokja hoped that Yoo Joonghyuk was once again regretting waking her up early.
"Dammit," Lee Jihye hissed. "Why aren't we enough!?"
"She's just that strong," Kim Dokja told her with a sigh. "The Disaster of Floods could absolutely destroy the entire Seoul dome if she wanted, after all."
The teenager paled slightly, but when Kim Dokja insisted that there was someone else who could beat the disaster, she perked back up somewhat. Someone who could beat the disaster, huh? Kim Dokja thought for a moment before something that should have been obvious popped into his head.
Wait… could that be…?
The disaster looks stunned as she notices someone in the distance, and next to her, Dokja looks like a damsel in distress from where he's pushed himself up from his sprawl to look back over his shoulder.
[many constellations are wondering who just arrived.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is eagerly anticipating the next stage of the battle.]
"Who just got there?" Shin Yoosung asked curiously, looking up at Kim Dokja with wide eyes. "That can't be one of the other guides, right?"
Kim Dokja shook his head. "No, they can't interfere. I think there's only one person this could be."
As he said that, Kim Dokja tossed a wink over in Jung Heewon's direction. She looked stunned for a moment, pointing to herself with a confused expression.
"Me? You really think I would have gotten there in time?"
"I believe in you, Heewon-ssi," Kim Dokja said with full confidence.
"Okay that's all well and good," Han Sooyoung drawled, smirking as she did, "but I just want to point out that I was fucking right earlier. Boom—classic damsel in distress."
Lee Jihye snickered. "You're so right, ahjumma."
"Of course I am!"
What the actual fuck was she talking about? Kim Dokja couldn't see any damsels anywhere.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is appreciating the view.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is glaring at the constellation 'secretive plotter'.]
"Does that make Heewon-ssi the handsome prince?" Yoo Sangah asked with a giggle, and Kim Dokja was too busy watching Lee Hyunsung's hilarious increasingly befuddled expressions to notice the way that Yoo Joonghyuk's left eye twitched.
He also completely missed the glance that the kids exchanged before making some kind of decision.
"Better Heewon-noona than the sooty bastard," Lee Gilyoung declared with all the gravity of a father judging his daughter's dating prospects.
Kim Dokja looked down at the kids with a confused expression of his own, not understanding why Shin Yoosung was nodding as though Lee Gilyoung had just said something incredibly wise.
What were the kids even talking about?
"No!" Lee Jihye exclaimed passionately, looking genuinely torn up about whatever the hell was going on.
When everyone (read: Kim Dokja) looked at her in confusion, she clenched her hand into a fist and looked up tearfully. "I can't allow it! Cheating is bad!"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is agreeing vehemently.]
[constellations who like gossip are very interested in the claims of the incarnation 'lee jihye'.]
Cheating? But Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon weren't even together yet?
Stomping on a slain beast, Heewon apologizes for being late, explaining that she has a rough idea of the situation thanks to a frenzied rundown courtesy of her sponsor. Behind her, the scales materialize as she brandishes her sword menacingly and—like the absolute badass that she is—tells everyone to sit back, catch their breaths, and leave it to her.
With absolute certainty, Heewon makes a firm declaration: "I will put an end to this damned scenario."
"Unnie, you're so cool!" Yoo Mia exclaimed, looking far more excited than normal. Honestly, Kim Dokja couldn't help but agree as the woman in question laughed sheepishly.
Jung Heewon looked like a complete and utter badass, and he couldn't be more proud. He was curious about this mysterious sponsor of hers, though. Just who had she chosen? After all, Kim Dokja was confident that she would have gotten several really good offers, considering how well she had performed until now.
[many constellations are wondering who the sponsor of the incarnation 'jung heewon' is.]
"I wouldn't be that confident if I couldn't back it up," Jung Heewon said with a slowly growing grin on her face. "Everything is going to be fine now."
Sure enough, as soon as her future self declared that she would end the scenario, everyone cheered (with the exception of Yoo Joonghyuk, who looked as disgruntled as usual. Honestly, he needed to lighten up a bit.)
Her eyes and entire body glow with a red aura caused by her skill as she focuses her gaze on her foe. Dokja, completely beat up and worn out, mentally cheers that she made it in time and calls her the final card in his hand. Still, he can't help but worry about what he should do if this doesn't work, and his mind begins to spiral, prompting Heewon to address his worried look.
"What are you so worried about?" Heewon says as she brushes her fingers over her blade, setting it alight in a flame of pure brilliance. In complete and utter shock, Dokja's eyes widen as he recognizes her skill on sight, realizing exactly who her new sponsor is in an instant.
I know that stigma all too well. The stigma of blistering white flames that condemns all evil. It's known to be comparable in power to the stigma of the Great Sage Sun Wukong, and one of the strongest stigmas in the entirety of TWSA.
White-hot flames spew from Heewon's sword and envelop the area in her fire, changing the lighting to have a reddish tint as the words [Hell Flame's Blaze] materialize out of the flames in a clearly edited process.
"Damn, I do look pretty cool, huh?" Jung Heewon muttered, eyes wide, as she watched herself stare down the disaster. Honestly, Kim Dokja was extremely proud of her, and he was beyond glad that they had this final card in their hands.
Then, to his shock and awe, Jung Heewon's sword lit up in flames that were so powerful and terrifying that he had to double take.
"Oh shit," Han Sooyoung whistled. "That's an upgrade."
Was that…?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is shrieking in excitement.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' approves of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Hah, there truly was no better sponsor for the Judge of Evil than the archangel who cast down fiery judgement upon her foes. Kim Dokja would eat his shoe if the two of them had bad synchronization.
"Whoa, that's amazing, unnie!" Shin Yoosung exclaimed as Lee Jihye cheered.
Lee Hyunsung blinked in shock, completely stupefied. "That stigma… is as powerful as Sun Wukong's?"
Hard to believe, right? The Great Sage was ridiculously powerful, but under the right circumstances, Uriel had the potential to be equally powerful—if not more so.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is scoffing at that declaration.]
Sorry, the lore doesn't lie.
Jung Heewon's expression broke into a wide smile, and instantly, Kim Dokja knew that they would be alright.
「... I see. So she is the one you were waiting for,」 41st Yoosung thinks, her inner voice growing steady as she analyzes Heewon. At the same time, other constellations react to the sponsor supporting her with varying responses.
For a moment, 41st Yoosung seems almost pleased as she looks at Heewon—wreathed in flame and possessing the authority to judge all evil before her. 「The Archangel Uriel. This should be enough to end it all.」
The disaster shoots off a breath attack once more as Heewon slashes an ark of fire into the air, easily splitting the attack in two to save herself. The remainder of the blast rockets off diagonally, crashing into some nearby buildings. The explosions and the resulting falling rubble quickly coats the new battlefield in a layer of dust, making it difficult to see the two women clashing. Other than the noises of their battle, any bystanders can only occasionally see brilliant bursts of Heewon's flames and shadowy figures amongst the chaos.
"Heewon-ssi, I'm sure you'll succeed!" Yoo Sangah declared excitedly. "We all believe in you!"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gleefully cheering on her incarnation.]
It seemed that 41st Shin Yoosung knew that as well, and Kim Dokja honestly hoped that she would be able to rest in peace. Though she was officially aligned as 'evil' due to the dokkaebi's meddling, Uriel's flames just might be able to burn that away and let her finally sleep, free of any burdens.
Yoo Joonghyuk crossed his arms as he watched the two powerful women clashing, and he nodded once. "You will win."
His declaration carried so much confidence that it was almost as though he was speaking it into existence. Honestly, that guy… how did he make everything he said sound so epic, huh?
Was that a bonus protagonist power too?
As everyone cheered Jung Heewon on, including several constellations, Kim Dokja found himself thankful that he had saved her back then. It would have been a shame to lose someone like Jung Heewon so early, and now that she was partnered with Uriel, there was no doubt that she'd be a sword that would open their path forward.
As the constellations watch on with pity and curiosity of what is to come, Dokja supports Joonghyuk as they move a little further away. Before they can get far, two blasts of light and energy in contrasting shades burst through the dust and into the sky, drawing the attention of all the nearby incarnations.
A bloodied sword stabs through flesh with a definitive squelch, and blood splatters everywhere. In the reddish light of the setting sun, only the shadowed figures of the two women can be seen through the dust as Heewon slides her sword out of her opponent's body and the disaster collapses to the ground. Heewon's hair whips freely around her in the wind, having come free from her bun at some point during the battle.
Heewon flicks the blood off her sword, but she keeps it at the ready in case of any further resistance as the view changes to an overhead shot. The wind blows away what remains of the dust, revealing to the rest of the incarnations that Heewon is standing over the fallen disaster as the two men watch from the sidelines.
Okay, even he couldn't have expected the sheer scale of this fight. Unfortunately, no matter how much he wanted to help, both he and Yoo Joonghyuk were pretty badly injured and they'd just get in Jung Heewon's way. Sure enough, only a moment later, Jung Heewon landed the decisive blow.
[many constellations are congratulating the incarnation 'jung heewon' on her victory.]
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is nodding in approval.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is looking happily at her incarnation.]
"You really won, unnie," Yoo Mia gasped, looking up at her in awe.
"Hell yeah!" Lee Jihye cheered. "You're amazing, unnie!"
"Heewon-ssi really is amazing!" Lee Hyunsung agreed quickly, blushing a bit too much to hide it. His crush was so cute, Kim Dokja just had to support it.
Lee Seolhwa looked somewhat saddened by what had to happen, but she smiled slightly nonetheless. "At least she's finally getting her wish."
Just as the 41st round Shin Yoosung had suspected, Uriel's stigma had been enough to turn the tides and bring an end to this farce. Though it was hard for Kim Dokja to see her like that, this was the only way forward.
"Thank you, Heewon-ssi, for ending her suffering," Kim Dokja whispered. His only response was a gentle squeeze on the hand from the woman herself, and he closed his eyes as he exhaled in relief.
Though Shin Yoosung of the 41st round wasn't yet dead, Kim Dokja knew that she wouldn't last long. Maybe, if he could manage to stumble over there in time, he could convey a final message to her before she disappeared forever.
He didn't know what he would say, but Kim Dokja knew that he would say something if his future self was feeling anything similar to the tightness in his chest or the desperation to put his anguish into words that he was feeling right now. All he could hope for now was that his words would bring her some degree of comfort in her final moments.