[many constellations are eager to see what will happen next.]
Kim Dokja was anxiously watching as well, desperately hoping that his young incarnation would be alright. She might be stronger than the average child of her age, but still, he had no way of predicting what would happen here. He wasn't even around to help her out if anything went wrong.
Still, Kim Dokja took a deep breath. He had to trust in her—after all, the disaster couldn't kill Shin Yoosung if she didn't want to die herself. At the very least, she was the one person they could guarantee would survive.
Upon seeing the young girl, the disaster begins to let out a hollow laugh, before gritting her teeth and calling Joonghyuk fucking scum. King Masswood emerges from the water to attack Queen Mirabad with vicious bites, which results in Yoosung being flung onto the shore and landing at the disaster's feet. The disaster looks down at the terrified girl with glowing golden eyes as she casually talks about how Joonghyuk would kill the younger Yoosung if it meant that he could stop the disaster.
"Hello, 'me' of the past," the disaster says as she reaches down towards Yoosung's head. Suddenly, threads race forwards to grab the disaster's arm, forcing her back. Sangah yells for Yoosung to run as the disaster recognizes the skill as one from Olympus. She then looks over her other shoulder to see a Monarch-class insect descend from the sky, with Gilyoung yelling for Titano to take her out as he sits atop the mantis' head.
With an expression of pure anger, he screams as he demands to know what she's done to Dokja.
"Huh?" Lee Jihye wondered, her expression contorting in confusion. "What does Master have to do with this?"
Shin Yoosung nodded in agreement, scowling all the while. "Yeah, I have nothing to do with him."
Yoo Joonghyuk rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his own concern. It was probably unnerving to him, to see this much hatred and vitriol directed his way over something that had not yet happened. Kim Dokja could sympathize, and though Yoo Joonghyuk did deserve some justified criticism for certain things every once in a while, it wasn't right to blame him for his actions in another lifetime.
[a few constellations gasp in shock.]
Shit, Yoosungie had been thrown off her beast, and now the disaster was approaching her. That wasn't good, and from the angle they could see, there weren't any adults nearby who could help her. The young girl managed to squirm her way out of Lee Jihye's grasp and returned herself to Kim Dokja's side, clinging to him.
He felt bad for it, but it was a relief that she was willing to do that again. Still, he did what he could to comfort her as the disaster spoke about the protagonist killing her. It was true that he could and would in certain regressions, but the 3rd wasn't one of them.
"Oh thank goodness," Yoo Sangah exhaled, placing a hand on her chest. "I made it in time."
Kim Dokja had to breathe out a sigh of relief too. Yoo Sangah truly was dependable, and he was extremely glad that she was genuinely helping them instead of only serving whatever Olympus' interests were.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is smiling at the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
"Thank you, unnie," Shin Yoosung muttered shyly, shooting the older woman a small smile. Yoo Sangah returned it—of course she did—and it was a small moment of positivity before the other child came crashing onto the scene in a flurry of wings and fury.
"I'm gonna get her, hyung!" Lee Gilyoung exclaimed with a determined expression on his face. "Just watch me!"
As much as he wanted to believe that, Kim Dokja knew that it didn't matter how powerful the boy was on his own. There was no way that a single child would be able to beat the disaster, who had vastly more power and experience under her belt.
Still, he patted Lee Gilyoung's head too, hoping that it would be enough for now.
What the….
Scenes of both Joonghyuk and Hyunsung talking about Dokja appear, echoing the disaster's thoughts.
'Kim Dokja' … who on earth are you?
Right as she seems to state this, the ghostly form of Dokja looks up and his eye glows brightly.
"He's an asshole," Han Sooyoung supplied 'helpfully', grinning all the while. "A scammy, hypocritical asshole."
Wow. So flattering.
Jung Heewon laughed. "Hopeless, but charismatic."
And what was that supposed to mean?
"Dokja-ssi is a good person!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, grinning at Kim Dokja as he did. While it was nice that Lee Hyunsung thought so, he couldn't agree. Despite that, it still felt nice to hear something like that from someone as genuinely nice as Lee Hyunsung.
"Ahjussi is kinda dumb, but he has good plans sometimes!" Lee Jihye joined in with a laugh.
'Sometimes,' she says. More like 'most of the time'. That girl, honestly… What was this, bully Kim Dokja day?
Yoo Sangah smiled at him gently. "Dokja-ssi, to me, is kind."
"I agree. Dokja-ssi is surprisingly considerate," Lee Seolhwa laughed.
… Ah, so he'd somehow tricked both of them into thinking that, huh? He supposed that Yoo Sangah had mentioned something similar in the past, but she and Lee Seolhwa were definitely mistaken.
It was hard to stay focused as everyone chimed in with their different explanations for who Kim Dokja was, including Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung starting to bicker over who had the best description of him. It was a bit exhausting if he were being honest.
"Ahjussi is ahjussi." Yoo Mia just shrugged, and when the others shot her a confused glance, she sighed like they were too dumb to understand her. "What? Is there anything else I'm supposed to say?"
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is cackling in amusement.]
Kim Dokja glanced over to the side, gazing upon the protagonist's impeccable side profile. He was the only one who hadn't spoken yet, and despite that, his answer was the only one that Kim Dokja genuinely wanted to know.
"Kim Dokja is my companion," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly, turning to stare into Kim Dokja's eyes, as though daring Kim Dokja to contradict him. The sheer intensity of his gaze made Kim Dokja's throat go dry as he struggled to breathe under the weight of it all. His cheeks felt warm, clearly from embarrassment, as he realized that the protagonist wasn't about to look away until Kim Dokja replied.
"You're right, Joonghyuk-ah," he managed to wheeze. "We're companions."
That must have been the right answer, because the corner of the protagonist's mouth quirked up into an ungodly attractive smirk, and he turned back to the screen with a pleased aura. It was weird and uncharacteristic, and for some reason, Kim Dokja could imagine him dragging the tip of his sword across the ground.
Weird.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing over such a wonderful companionship.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes at the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
A beam shoots from the disaster's hand, taking a large chunk out of Titano's body as the bug comes crashing down. In a rage, Gilyoung turns and chucks Antinus at her like he's a Pokemon trainer, catching the disaster off guard as she wonders how a child turned the Queen of the Parasites of Chronos into a servant. However, that doesn't stop her from catching and crushing the former guide, leaving Gilyoung shaken.
Walking closer, she commends his talent in taming—even commenting that he must have the potential of a [Lord]—before lifting him by the neck as she asks who the hell Dokja is.
"Tell me or else you shall die here," she says darkly as Gilyoung claws at her hand and struggles, but keeps silent.
All the levity from only moments ago was completely forgotten as soon as Titano died as miserably as Kim Dokja did.
"Titano!" Lee Gilyoung shrieked, tightening his grip on Kim Dokja's robe as his face paled dramatically.
Shit, not the mantis. That was a Monarch-class, and because it was an insect, it was something that the disaster couldn't turn against them. Also, Lee Gilyoung was attached to it, for some baffling reason.
And now it was dead, just like that
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is greatly displeased with the current events.]
Then, before Kim Dokja could even comfort him, his jaw dropped as Lee Gilyoung showed exactly what had happened to the guide who had tried going after him.
"Gilyoung-ah!?" Kim Dokja gasped, staring down at the kid in shock. He had… tamed the guide? How the fuck?
"That's it, we're bringing the brat with us," Han Sooyoung said, gaping at the screen with wide eyes. "Fuck Kim Dokja's acupuncture plan."
He hated to admit it, but if the kid could just tame the guide and get her out of Lee Seolhwa that way, then she was right. Plus it would eliminate the need for holding her down awkwardly while he did the acupuncture.
Lee Seolhwa took a shaky breath at the realization, but nodded while smiling at the young boy. "You'll be an excellent ally."
While he seemed somewhat pleased by his own skill and the proof that he really hadn't needed to worry about Antinus, Lee Gilyoung mostly still looked upset about Titano's unfortunate demise. Still, it was better that Titano died than him, in Kim Dokja's opinion.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' approves of this plan.]
Jung Heewon clenched her fists as the guide was immediately crushed. "Shit. She might have been injured too, but she wasn't weak."
That wasn't good. At all.
Kim Dokja stiffened up and immediately drew both kids into his hold again. Shin Yoosung looked guilty, but Lee Gilyoung scowled at her even as he looked anxious. It was all Kim Dokja could do to whisper that everything would be alright, and that someone would help them soon.
Yoo Sangah might be able to get them out of the battlefield quickly, or interfere for long enough that the kids could run. She might even be able to make the disaster drop Lee Gilyoung. Still, Kim Dokja couldn't help but be anxious—he knew how awful it was to be choked like that, and he definitely didn't want the boy left in that situation for long.
With a bang and a whistle, the disaster jumps just in time to avoid cannon fire from the [Ghost Fleet]. She looks over, wondering how that could be possible since she was certain that she dealt a fatal blow. She looks even more confused only a moment later since not only has Jihye shown up to aid Gilyoung, but Hyunsung has also run over to check on Yoosung.
With a click of her tongue, she tightens her grip on Gilyoung's neck as she announces that she'll just ask them about who Dokja is instead. As Gilyoung struggles for air in a futile attempt to breathe, she prepares to blow him away with another powerful attack. However, as she charges it, her arms lock up and force her to drop Gilyoung, causing her to wonder if she was infected by Antinus before brushing it off as impossible. Gilyoung coughs and sputters as he lands on the ground, finally able to breathe again.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is stunned.]
Wait, was that—
"Oh my god, I'm not dead," Lee Jihye whispered in shock, her eyes widening. "I'm not dead."
Then, she laughed a bit hysterically, grinning widely as she did. "I'm not dead!"
Lee Hyunsung appeared as well only a moment later, and he visibly relaxed upon the revelation that he was also alright. Or at least, he did until Jung Heewon started shaking him by the shoulders, almost like she could barely believe her eyes and needed to get that out somehow.
"You're alive too!"
"I am but— Heewon-ssi, please— please stop shaking me!"
"Ah, shit, sorry," she said, releasing him immediately. "I was just…"
Lee Hyunsung immediately waved his hands frantically in front of him. "No, it's okay, I just wasn't expecting it!"
Well, at least they were doing sort of alright?
[the constellation 'master of steel' is incredibly relieved that his incarnation is safe.]
[several constellations are questioning how the incarnations 'lee jihye' and 'lee hyunsung' survived.]
Kim Dokja was wondering that too, but he had no time to waste on that when the disaster began choking Lee Gilyoung even harder than before.
"Hyung," Lee Gilyoung whispered, unmoving and staring straight ahead at the screen, "I'm sorry."
Why was he apologizing? He shouldn't be. There was nothing to apologize for, so why—
Before he could even begin to find his words, the disaster began charging her attack and Yoo Mia burst into tears. While the others might have been alright, everyone knew one thing: if Lee Gilyoung died here, there would be no coming back.
But then, right as Kim Dokja's heart was about to implode, something happened and the disaster dropped the kid. He didn't care if it was Antinus, her skill backfiring, or a constellation interfering. All that mattered was that Lee Gilyoung was safe for just a moment longer.
"Oh thank fuck," Han Sooyoung sighed, relaxing slightly. That was a goddamn understatement, but Kim Dokja just hugged Lee Gilyoung as tightly as he could, ignoring the wetness that was spreading on the robe. The kids could cry as much as they needed to. Hell, Kim Dokja felt like crying even though he absolutely hated it.
Lee Gilyoung was okay. His kid was okay. If he just kept repeating that, then maybe Kim Dokja would be okay too.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is relieved that the incarnation 'lee gilyoung' is okay.]
"Stop this now, Shin Yoosung," a calm voice speaks, seemingly coming from everywhere yet nowhere. Suddenly, Dokja's ghostly form appears, hovering behind the disaster. She clutches her head, turning around frantically as she asks who he is, screaming for him to get out of her head. She's shaken and, as far as everyone else can tell, is losing her mind.
'I know it's my first time hearing this voice, but somehow…' Her eyes shake wildly the scene fades to show a smiling Dokja reaching forwards as though to gently pat her head.
Why does listening to this voice somehow make my heart ache?
41st Yoosung repeatedly screams at him to get out of her head, sounding more and more desperate for his comforting voice to leave.
"Yoosung-ah," the voice says again, causing the two Yoosung's to catch each other's gazes as the younger of the two walks forwards through the chaotic battlefield, holding onto her injured arm.
As frost and dirt fly around them, accompanied by the frantic yelling of the incarnations fighting off the beasts, Yoosung's eyes sparkle as she looks directly at the disaster and says, "....Ahjussi. Is that you?"
A scene depicting 41st Yoosung's distraught face splits in two to show Dokja's calm one on the other side, revealing that he was the one responsible for speaking. Everything seems to flip as time rewinds to earlier, with Dokja's narration kicking in once more.
"Dokja-ssi!?" Yoo Sangah exclaimed, staring at the screen in shock. Kim Dokja was equally stunned, unable to believe that this is what he had done. So, back then… the only 'character' available was their enemy herself?
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' cannot believe his eyes.]
Han Sooyoung laughed loudly. "Oh you fucking asshole, I can't believe you did that!"
"Wait, Joonghyuk-ssi didn't hear him last time, right?" Lee Hyunsung wondered in confusion. "Could she hear him because he was talking directly to her?"
That… was a good question. He hadn't even tried to speak back then, had he? Yoo Joonghyuk had said that he hadn't noticed anything—probably since Kim Dokja hadn't even thought to say anything out loud—but if Kim Dokja could really communicate in this way while dead, it might be way more tactically viable than he had originally thought. Of course, the ideal situation wouldn't involve his death at all, but there might be more times like this one where it would be unavoidable.
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is surprised by the effect of the voice of the incarnation 'kim dokja' on the 'disaster of floods'.]
"Can't say I blame her," Jung Heewon admitted, "I'd be freaked out too if someone started randomly talking in my head."
Okay, that was a fair point.
Shin Yoosung laughed and wrapped her arms around Kim Dokja's torso again. "You were really there all along, ahjussi!"
Kim Dokja smiled fondly at her as he patted her head and ruffled her hair. At least he had gotten a very good view of the battle like that. Maybe some of it would be useful, and maybe that meant that he had been responsible for saving Lee Gilyoung.
Possessing the body of the disaster itself? It wasn't something I'd originally planned on doing.
Dokja's eyes seem to open as he stares at Joonghyuk, who's fighting against his restraints. In an instant, he realizes just whose perspective he's now watching from.
Eh? This is…? Right now, am I… seeing from Shin Yoosung's point of view? Was this possible due to her talking to Yoo Joonghyuk?
Dokja muses that this was better than switching into Joonghyuk's perspective since he's tied up right now. Only a moment later, though, he hears a reverberating voice.
'I refuse to accept it. What about me? What about all the years I've had to endure? How exactly will the regressions where I've been thrown aside bear fruit?'
Are these… Shin Yoosung's thoughts?
The thoughts of killing everyone repeat in her head like a mantra as bodies are ripped apart and people are chased down by her beasts, their blood staining the ground and acting as screens which seem to mock her with visions of her past.
"Wow, you really did possess her," Yoo Mia remarked, looking slightly impressed. She looked less thrilled when she was reminded of her brother's current situation, though.
Yoo Joonghyuk grimaced and clenched his hands into fists. "Given the… circumstances… she's probably a better option than me."
Wow, did he really have to struggle that much to grit that one out? Was it really so hard to admit?
[several constellations are impressed by the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Hearing her thoughts like that wasn't something that Kim Dokja expected either, and they weren't pleasant. Lee Seolhwa looked pained as the disaster's negative thoughts were spoken into existence, and especially as the carnage continued around her.
[some constellations pity the 'disaster of floods'.]
I saw the world through Shin Yoosung's eyes; breathed through Shin Yoosung's nose; and killed people by Shin Yoosung's hands. As though I had become Shin Yoosung herself.
Suddenly, Jihye appears, rushing forward and catching Dokja off guard, causing him to freak out that she'll be killed.
How do I stop her? How do I….
Dokja suddenly wonders if he really could 'stop' her. The scene where 41st Yoosung attacks Jihye then plays out in slow motion.
I could give it a try. No, I have to. I didn't think it'd really come to this, but if I can take control of the disaster's body for just a moment…!
As she attacks, Dokja's ghostly body follows suit and his arm meets up with hers right at the moment of impact. Rather than finishing the movement as she does, he pulls his arm back harshly in the desperate hope that his influence will reduce the strength of the attack.
Kim Dokja shuddered. Even though it wasn't his hands doing the killing, he still felt everything.
"That's disconcerting," Lee Seolhwa admitted with a concerned frown. "To be so immersed like that… you must have been very uncomfortable, Dokja-ssi."
He was. Even just watching it like this was hard to stomach, and he wasn't actually in the situation right now. He remembered how strange it had been to be Yoo Joonghyuk before, but that hadn't lasted very long, and the deaths felt very impersonal. The distance of a blade made all the difference compared to killing with one's own bare hands, and the shared sensation of blood running in rivulets between his fingers felt viscerally wrong.
[the constellation 'defense master' is unsettled by the current events.]
Then, Lee Jihye appeared again, and Kim Dokja grimaced. It was hard to watch the first time, but—
"Ahjussi…?" Lee Jihye breathed in disbelief. "You were the one who saved me?"
Wait so… he could influence his host during any kind of [First Person POV] use? Last time, with Yoo Joonghyuk, he had been pulled along as a mere observer and hadn't even thought that he could do anything. He had been too overwhelmed by his body suddenly moving on its own, and the confusion that followed. However, it opened up so many tactical possibilities if he could really help and have an effect on the battlefield while dead, even if it wasn't particularly easy to influence enemies, but—
Within a second, Kim Dokja went from having a lapful of two children to being smothered by two children and one teenager. Lee Jihye had flung herself onto this pile, knocking Kim Dokja over and landing on top of all of them. He coughed and sputtered—to the tune of Han Sooyoung and the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon's cackling, he was sure—but he barely knew what to do to help the teenage girl crying into his clothes.
"Thank you ahjussi! I take back every bad thing I've ever said about you, and even some I didn't say!"
Hey, wait a minute…
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing at the situation of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"Jihye-yah," Kim Dokja wheezed, "please let me get back up."
"No cuddle pile?"
… why would she even want that?
"No," Kim Dokja said, and the teenager removed herself with a slight grumble and sigh.
[some constellations wish they could have seen a group cuddle pile.]
Kim Dokja wanted to laugh. There was no way in hell that everyone would have joined in. Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, and the kids? Absolutely. Han Sooyoung would probably only do it if she could elbow him in the ribs in the process, and maybe Yoo Mia would be the same. He honestly couldn't see Lee Seolhwa joining in, but she'd probably find it amusing.
But Yoo Joonghyuk? There was no fucking way that the protagonist would ever willingly do something like that.
Just as he cheers himself on for doing well, a crackle of probability hits him. Dokja clutches his head and screams through the pain as [The Fourth Wall] shakes violently. Though his entire body feels like it's burning up from the probability storm, he realizes that he was able to prevent a fatal blow.
Due to this, her power didn't kill Lee Jihye or Lee Hyunsung.
Both Jihye and Hyunsung appear on the screen, nursing their injuries from where she left them.
And then…
Gilyoung drops to the ground again, revealing that Dokja was the one who forced 41st Yoosung to let go of his neck despite the much stronger probability storm now crackling around her body. She screams again for him to get out of her head, desperately grabbing at her own wrist—as though it would prevent him from exerting any further influence.
Ah, and there was the catch. It made sense—he was influencing the natural order of things, and he had to pay that back. Maybe it would be less severe if he was helping an ally and not fighting against his host with every movement. So maybe he'd have to revise its tactical viability, at least when it came to possessing their enemies. There was also the very pertinent question of what would happen to him if the person he was using [First Person POV] on was killed, but Kim Dokja had to shake off the thought and focus.
Lee Jihye looked almost like she was about to get emotional again, but Kim Dokja waved her off. "Jihye-yah, don't worry. I can deal with a little probability storm if it means making sure you all make it out of this alive."
"But still! You're getting hurt!" she protested, frowning when Kim Dokja shook his head.
"Dokja-ssi, she's right," Lee Seolhwa scolded. "You're just a soul right now and we don't know if experiencing a probability storm like that will have repercussions later."
… okay, he couldn't actually argue against that point.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is hoping that the incarnation 'kim dokja' will be okay.]
"Thank you for saving me too, Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed tearfully, looking as though he was prepared to pledge his undying loyalty. It was a bit over the top, if Kim Dokja was being honest, but that was just the lieutenant being himself.
Lee Gilyoung just hugged him tighter, clearly happy that he had been saved by Kim Dokja as well. Kim Dokja, for his part, was just glad that his last-ditch effort had paid off. If he had to sit by and do nothing as the disaster killed his allies… Kim Dokja wasn't sure if he would have been able to live with himself.
Finally meeting back up with the present, Yoosung runs forward to grab 41st Yoosung's hand as she calls out for Dokja. The moment they touch, a large bolt of probability crackles between them. Sangah screams out Yoosung's name, but it's too late.
In the form of a movie reel, both Yoosung's and 41st Yoosung's memories play, projected into each other's minds. Dokja watches on in shock—merely a witness to the moment—as 41st Yoosung screams.
"Ahjussi, what's going on?" Shin Yoosung asked worriedly, glancing between the screen and Kim Dokja.
That was…
"That has to be the Disconnected Film Theory," he breathed, in awe at how it actually worked. Seeing it written as words on a page and watching it play out in front of his eyes like this… they were completely different experiences. "You're both sharing your memories with each other. That shouldn't be possible, and yet… somehow, that's what's happening."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' thinks that the 'disconnected film theory' is confusing.]
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' are gleaming in interest.]