"Good grief, the man who was making such a scene while crying out for Dokja is only pretending to be fine at times like this?"
"Ahem!"
In a world like this, if not me, then who was going to look after Dokja?
That was all it was.
"...What about the Scenario?"
"It's over, Dokja. We did it, we really did it!"
She was way too happy about this.
Then again, out of all of us, Yoo Sangah was especially soft-hearted.
If she was even more timid than Gilyoung, that said enough.
"I have a question."
"Yes?"
"Why does it feel like you have more injuries now, brother?"
My whole body was dyed bright red, and she noticed that?!
"Ah... that Yoo Joonghyuk stole Dokja's spot, so there was another round."
"Brother."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Explain."
If I failed to answer properly, I'd get torn apart by Dokja the way I had torn apart those monsters.
Think.
Be brave...!
"I feel wronged."
"About what?"
"Now the score is 1 to 3—!"
"Just die, you burn-scarred idiot!!!!"
Smaaack!!!!!!!!
"Gaaahhhhh!!!!"
It really hurt more than getting cut by Yoo Joonghyuk.
No matter if it was because of my attribute, wasn't this a bit too much?
Was this how the monsters had felt?
"Hoo... second question."
"Y-Yeah....
"Did Gong Pildu dump paint on you or something? Why is your whole body red?"
"What, are you going to start a revolution with a sickle and hammer?"
"...This is blood."
"I know."
If she knew, why ask?
"I'm telling you to go wash up. You smell like a rotting corpse right now."
"Well, that's because I..."
"Go to the bathroom and at least wash your face right now!"
She was practically my mother.
"Why aren't you running already?!"
At this rate, Dokja was really going to kill me.
Still, with what I'd done upstairs, going back up there was a little...
They were probably in chaos cleaning up those bastards right now, so they wouldn't be too happy to see me.
Then again, we hadn't liked each other anyway, so did it matter?
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is aghast, asking if you're really the same person as before.]
"Shut up. Before I call your true name."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is startled, asking how you know her true name.]
"There are ways to know, damn it."
When I went up, the gazes gathered on me again.
But unlike before, these gazes had a clearly different meaning.
Fear.
I had swung a monster species around like a weapon and dyed an entire floor red, so I supposed it was only natural.
If there was a problem, it was that I hadn't considered this variable when I was actually doing it.
'If Dokja sees me like this, my back isn't making it out intact.'
[You endured the night of Chungmuro without a 'Green Zone'.]
[You have jointly completed the achievement 'Unending Dawn' at Chungmuro Station!]
[You have received 1,000 Coins as an achievement reward.]
[Coins Possessed: 7,950C]
Was there an achievement like that too?
I didn't know.
My head was a mess.
"What is it?"
"Move. I need to wash."
"Now you're boldly trying to trespass on private property."
"Just like you enjoy your pathetic little 'power,' I'm only enjoying my own 'power' through the fear I've planted in all of you."
Fear.
Gong Pildu seemed like he was trying to draw a line between us, but strictly speaking, he was using the same method as me.
The only difference was how that fear had been carved in.
"Hmph. Do whatever you want."
"If you say that while your hands are shaking, you just look pitiful, old man."
"..."
Gong Pildu had subtly shown off his ability and made sure no one could even think of resisting unfair treatment.
Unlike me, who had carved fear into them just by rampaging around without thinking about the aftermath.
There was a difference between whether it had been intentional or not, but still.
It'd work out somehow.
Sshhhhhhh
A dictatorship built on fear wasn't a good method.
It wasn't my preferred method either.
Even so, it was certainly effective against bastards like Gong Pildu.
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is curious what you're thinking so hard about instead of washing your face.]
Uriel... if my memory was right, she was a Constellation who watched both me and Dokja together.
Then she might be able to explain that pain from earlier.
"Judge....
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' pricks up her ears, asking why you called.]
"What did you see from Dokja?"
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is flustered.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' likes your deduction.]
[The Constellations watching both your broadcast and the Incarnation 'Kim Dokja' are flustered.]
Since we were siblings and both of us had been causing such flashy trouble, it seemed there were more Constellations watching both of us than I'd thought.
One side would look like she had a brilliant mind, and the other would look like he was overflowing with talent for violence.
"Did you forget my attribute? It says I take damage in her place. A mental attack hit me too."
Looking at Dokja's condition, it did seem like there was some kind of limit.
She had looked more damaged mentally than physically.
If it went past that limit, maybe it simply spread the damage out instead.
Though it was still suspicious how absurdly strong this attribute was.
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' asks why, then, Dokja was injured in the battle against the monster species.]
"What injuries? She only got a little dust on her."
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' says that in that case, you look awfully fine.]
"Getting 1 shaved off from 100 and getting 1 shaved off from 10 are different from the ratio alone."
It wasn't that her wounds were transferred to me. I was taking the damage itself that would have gone into Dokja.
In other words, at this point, since I was sturdier than Dokja, if an attack was only enough to leave a scratch on her, then it simply wouldn't work on me.
"So what did you see? I'd appreciate it if you'd stop dodging the question and tell me....
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' hesitates, then says she saw something about Dokja's mother.]
"...I expected it, but it's more serious than I thought."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' cautiously asks about the siblings' mother.]
That was something she should ask Dokja rather than me.
What they were curious about was the mother inside 'Dokja's trauma.'
I was involved too, sure, but when it came to that matter, Dokja should be the one to speak.
"I can't tell you about the trauma. That's something Dokja has to talk about."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says what she's curious about is the relationship between you and your mother.]
Me and my mother....
At first, our relationship had been good, but after Dokja was born, a lot changed.
"...I do want to tell you, but I'll tell you that a little later."
"There's no time right now. If I get some time, I'll tell you."
[Many Constellations express disappointment at your words.]
"Since you're disappointed, should I tell you just one thing?"
[The disappointed Constellations brighten up and crowd around you!]
[1,000 Coins have been sponsored.]
What story should I tell?
The story of Dokja's birth?
That was Dokja's story, not 'my story,' which was what the Constellations wanted.
"Fine. Then I'll tell you about the human being I hate most. People usually call that kind of existence 'father.'"
[Most of the Constellations hear your words and say they think they know what kind of story is coming.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' groans.]
"Well, it looks like all of you figured it out right away, and your guess is right."
I grew up getting beaten by the man called my father.
At my words, many of the Constellations stopped even sending messages and focused on what I was saying.
"I grew up getting beaten by the man called my father. It wasn't discipline. It was violence."
[Constellations of the Absolute Good alignment comfort you.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' says he can take care of your father for you.]
"No need. The bastard's already dead."
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' jumps to her feet and runs toward the underworld.]
Come to think of it, in Ways of Survival, the underworld was on the Greek side, wasn't it?
Then since she was from the same Greek side, it looked like she'd gone to find him.
"And... that's the end of my story. You weren't expecting anything grand, were you?"
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says she can hear sorrow and pain in your voice.]
"Who knows. I've got a lot on my mind."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says she'll listen, so you can speak comfortably.]
[The Constellation 'Lily Blooming in Aquarius' agrees with the Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire.']
Those Absolute Good types... that was pretty moving.
I thought they'd either have no reaction or react negatively, since they hated melodrama.
"It's just... I feel like I'm not myself."
"Whether my violence was learned from that man and my father, or whether it's hereditary....
[All the Constellations in the channel fall silent.]
"I don't think I used to be like this when the world was still normal... so why have I changed this much....
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says she has something she wants to tell you.]
"What is it?"
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says that if you know your own evil side, then you can overcome it through effort.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' encourages you, saying that overcoming your evil side through effort isn't shameful, but admirable.]
Maybe I needed to change the way I thought a little.
That didn't mean I was going to trust the Constellations.
Still, maybe I could at least soften my attitude.
"...Thanks. Maybe because of my own preconceptions, I've been seeing you in too bad a light."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' blushes at your smile.]
Why was she blushing?
I had a feeling some blood-soaked mess was going to break out later.
[Brother, I've made a plan.]
Now it was time to move again.
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