Say it Again

Chapter 14

*****

Chapter Text
Dokja-ssi told everyone that they are walking into what is trap meat to kill off most of the prophets. It's hard to say if it's the master or him who figured it out, but either way, Jihye is knowingly walking into the danger. And it must be a serious one if the master didn't just rush to handle it hand in hand with his lover.

The people on the Anguk station look pretty normal at first. And then they see Yoo Joonghyuk and all seem to freeze in shock. And then a bunch of people are coming closer, shouting with excitement and babbling some grabbed nonsense.

Jihye can see how Dokja-ssi tenses, hand almost going for the sword. But he doesn't give a signal.

Some attention turns to her as well, talking nonsense about the admiral leading the battles and how great her stigmas are. Like they are idiots thinking they know her despite not noticing how terrible her seasickness matches with the ghost fleet.

So, she gets why the urge to stab someone.

But they are playing nice for now.

Or maybe not.

Both Dokja-ssi and master draw their swords at once and point them at one man. One who mentioned Asmodeus.

“If you know that name you should know better than to say it in front of Yoo Joonghyuk.” Dokja-ssi looks paler than before and there is little tremble to the white-knuckled grip on his sword.

Demon King Asmodeus, huh? He must've done something really bad to them.

Master looks like he really wants to just kill the man and be done, but follows the lead as Dokja-ssi puts his sword back into scabbard.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn't think it'd be a sore spot.”

“You people don't think much at all.” Dokja-ssi comments sharply and presses himself a little closer to master.

「Constellation Demon King of Lust and Wrath is revealing their modifier.」

「Constellation Demon King of Lust and Wrath is fascinated by such reaction and wants to know what might have happened to 'the two kings'.」

“Damn. I hoped we have a few more scenarios before we have to worry about that guy.” Dokja-ssi straightens back up almost instantly.

Both of them look really tense seeing the indirect message. It's strange for master to seem that nervous.

So, Asmodeus is 'of lust and fury'. That is… not something she’d ever want among her mental images.

“Nothing we can do now. Are we going ahead with this? Your people said you have something for our dear Yoo Joonghyuk.” Dokja-ssi pauses and his eyes widen with realization. The group chat pings with his message.

[Heewon-ssi, once we are near what they want to show us, grab this bastard for me. The one who mentioned Asmodeus. He might help us with hunting down ‘Apostoles’.]

[Joonghyuk says that if we wanted a sure way to get them down as a group we could have used Chungmuro station as bait with one of us as force to trip balance. I would’ve gone with that if he told me earlier.]

And, wow, talk about the couple's arguments. It’s just a text but Jihye can tell that Dokja-ssi is upset just from this.

[right, how dare your boyfriend worry about your safety]

She sends in return, mostly because, well, the chance to tease him just invited itself? It’s so stupid.

“Oh, right… the weapon. We have people constantly supplying it with mana so we can get it out faster!” the guy recovers rather quickly, although he seems to be purposefully keeping more distance from all of them after that little clash before.

[Everyone else here should die. We just need to make sure they can’t scatter and run.]

[How dare you be having fun over there without me? You KNOW I would be great for the job!]

Hah, Namwoon’s getting pissy on his housesitting duty. Too bad they aren’t even going to fight that Apostoles’ attack so reality could whoop his ass into some respect.

Jihye glances around and it looks like everyone is actually following them, even if after the little show they at least are not bumping into them.

Moving into one area? So they should be able to cut off the exits.

「Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is cheering for your plan」

「Constellation Secretive Plotter is predicting something ridiculous is about to happen again.」

The deep red rock resting in the room, with four people standing with hands outreached to feed mana into it.

So that is what would blow up if they gave them a day more? Well, those two wouldn’t be on alert for no reason, even if it looks like just piece of rock.

[Go now.]

Dokja sends into chat and ducks low just before master sends three heads of people flanking them rolling on the ground.

「Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is gripping his hair in excitement」

Hyunsung-oppa is pushing people out of the way, to block the exit they just got through, Heewon-unni as instructed is putting that smiling bastard into a headlock. Jihye uses her Ghost Walk to get to the other side and block that exit.

It should have worked perfectly.

The rock in the middle was not supposed to start dripping lava, or do anything at all.

The breaks in the stone appear and there are scenario barriers locking people in.

「An omen of the fifth main scenario has appeared」

「The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ has appeared!」

The meteorite stretched out a long tail and caught a few escaping prophets. Bodies caught by the tail burst into flames.

This was not supposed to happen.

「Several constellations are worried about the new scenario」

「Several constellations are excited for incoming massacre」

Dokkaebi wearing a suit appears, complaining about how it shouldn’t be happening this early, but then he looks right at master and then Dokja-ssi and the asshole just declares that there will be no adjustments.

The bastard is acting like it was their fault and not those absolute fucked-up dumbasses who managed to somehow correct course for disaster despite them already trying to cope with their future fuckup.

The rest is haze of activity. Run, dash in as drahon takes breath, jump back to light up dpot on the floor, check number, push out one of prophets.

「The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ is using the ‘Flames of Destruction’」

Run in again. Strike side by side with Heewon-unni at the neck as Hyunsung-oppa shielsf them from swipe of paw, Dokja-ssi cutting at dragon side followed by master stabbing in the same spot and… is it done? Just like that?

[Prophets] the message reminds them that their job is not yet done.

There is handful of people who survived… including their target. Heewon-unni grabs the bastard again.

「Several constellations are unhappy with your betrayal」

「Constellation Demon King of Wrath and Lust is excited to see the development.」

“Whst the hell, they were ones who lired us into the trap!” Heewon-unni calls at the message. She grins at the air moment later, probably in response to some sort of message she got in return.

So maybe there is constellation who knows how to apologize.

“Hey, Paul, where are rewards?”

Jihye starts doubting again if Dokja really deserves respect, when he is calling casually; obviously directing it at dokkaebi in charge of this scenario. Because why not, piss off being who can explode everyone because they feel like it.

Jihye is pretty sure she would kick his skinny ass if master wasn't staring at this guy like he's gift from heaven.