Say it Again

Chapter 17

When he saw that woman holding on Dokja from behind, with her sword pressed right against his throat, Joonghyuk's world came to a screeching halt.

His Dokja, held hostage by some strange woman with a tattoo on her cheek.

“Two of you, behave now or I'll slash his neck open,” she threatens. Joonghyuk can't help but take in details of her posture; showy rather than stable, would be easy to knock out of balance; and her straight, dyed hair; long and loose, would be easy to use pulling on it to make opening; woman who paid attention to her makeup even in the apocalypse; likely part of well organized group.

“Go ahead~ kill me and face the consequences~” the fool is goading his opponent, with a clear message that he refuses to surrender. And as such Joonghyuk is not allowed to give in to their demands. But he still can't find a way to get his idiot away from danger, and his blood looks so, so red, trickling down his long, pale neck.

“Joonghyuk-ah~ you know you can just stab through me, right?” Dokja says and the undertone in his voice sounds almost like command. His eyes are serious and sharp and there is just a little shift in position of his body.

Joonghyuk can't completely avoid hurting him, but they can turn it into just a grazing hit to the side to try to pierce the woman behind him.

Luckily she just let go of Dokja so pursuing her won't put this fool in more danger. Good, because Joonghyuk is angry and there are some people who really need a quick meeting with a sword.

He takes step advancing after her and

Gold light and shift of perspective. Damn dokkaebi teleported everyone, stealing the target from right under Joonghyuk's blade.

His fool is right here, and he is bleeding. Because of Joonghyuk. Is he getting paler? Can he even handle it?

[I can destroy the throne. Let me do it for you.]

He sends, hoping that he can spare his Dokja at least this pain, to protect him from what people described as a nasty probability storm.

[You can't. If you die then it's over.]

[You'd risk leaving me behind?]

He almost regrets helping Dokja with King of no Killing since having that extra life is making him unbearably reckless… but he probably couldn't stop it if he tried. After all, Dokja did it in previous regression all on his own. It was too late before he even started.

So he comes closer, ready to at least protect this idiot's back on his way to… to do what he needs to do for his plans.

[And it's going to make a good story to build for my constellation status.]

It's tackled in as if it's an afterthought, but Joonghyuk can understand that as a logical reason. Dokja knows what kind of constellation he wishes to become and picking a story like this as a building block is going to make him into something amazing, especially if they won't let demonic energy corrupt him. This makes sense, even if it feels so wrong to let it happen.

When the enemies are knocked out or dead Joonghyuk hesitates again, just for a moment. Will Dokja really be fine? Dying to a plausibility storm might not be something attribute inside Star Stream can offset. Or maybe he does know the outcome already.

There is no point in arguing.

「You have given up fight for qualifications of a king.」

Dokja smiles at him and it feels soft and genuine. Did he ever smile like this previous time around?

And then Dokja challenges assumption dokkaebi Paul made;

『The story』

And yet people goaded into attacking took a look at people willing to stand for Dokja and his choice.

『King of the Kingless World』

And he is making his way up the stairs, with a blade engraved with the star map image, and then he invokes the names to light up the path.

『is waking up.』

Something shifts, the world stays the same. The lines connect and light if the stars fall upon Dokja as he makes a swing to destroy the throne.

The moment hangs in the air and Jonghyuk is running up to him, reaching out in those precious few seconds before the probability descends.

『The story, Life and Death Companions begun its storytelling』

The words shimmer under this pale skin as sparks of probability conflict spark over it, and Joonghyuk tries his best to wake up stories he knows should be inside him to help as well, to pour out more words as shield to ward off the scrutiny of reality.

But even then just two of them wouldn't be enough. And yet. The stars light up on the sky, one by one waking up, brighter and connected.

Joonghyuk can't quite hate constellations as whole right at this moment, when their attention on Dokja lends validity to his existence, enough that even the unfeeling cosmos has to bend.

And with a shift in Dokja, Joonghyuk can guess there is another story joining in with his small collection. Maybe his reader will explain to him in detail what this new story is, later.

But now that the storm is quieting, Joonghyuk pulls Dokja into his arms as strongly as he can, even if he knows this is useless. Dokkaebi is about to pull this precious man away and scatter them like everyone with teleport.

Yoo Joonghyuk ends up as the one teleported away first. He can barely recognize the house he is at, but he can remember the heated request from Dokja. Find Mia first.

Kim Dokja, wounded and exhausted, will wake up alone.

Mia should be… she's not home, but Joonghyuk can vaguely recall which school she was going to. But if it's her favorite park? He can't remember anymore which one that is. Or… what was their life before all of this started.

Doesn't matter. Mia is his sister and he WILL find her. And his idiot better stay safe before they can meet again.