"Dokyun!"
The first to react when I was attacked was Jung Heewon.
"You...!"
Jung Heewon's eyes turned a deep red, and she looked ready to charge in that instant, but...
"Wait!"
"Why?! We have to help Dokyun—!"
Kim Dokja blocked her path.
"The only one here who can properly deal with Yoo Joonghyuk is my brother! You know that!!"
'Skill activated. [Cool-Headed Observation].'
Judging by [Observation], Yoo Joonghyuk's overall stats were still lower than mine, but higher than Jung Heewon's or Dokja's.
However, once skills were factored in, she would be far stronger than either of them.
Dokja was right. It was better to do as she said.
"Then are we just supposed to stand here and watch?!"
"No... we hit the head."
"The head...?"
Clang!
Correct.
The one controlling Yoo Joonghyuk right now was obviously that bastard watching from the front as if he were enjoying a movie.
It had to be the Theater Owner, Simulation.
If we took him down, it was only common sense that Yoo Joonghyuk's brainwashing would be undone.
Boom!
The moment I let my attention slip, a vicious attack came flying in.
'You won't even give me a second to think...'
There were two skills I needed to be wary of right now.
One that allowed her to close and widen the distance in an instant, and another that sent shockwaves through the body even if the blow was blocked.
Shhk!
Clang!!
Screeech!!!
Luckily, thanks to my experience, I could roughly predict where Yoo Joonghyuk would strike.
Even if one consciously tries to change, habit is something the body does unconsciously.
And that...!
Thud!
"That works in a fight too!!"
Stagger
"Ptui."
"Now that you've taken one to the face, are you finally coming to your senses?"
I had held back my strength, yet she only spat out a bit of blood after taking my punch.
Before, a single punch from me would have ended it, leaving her desperately dodging... had she grown that much?
Still, now that I'd confirmed my hits were effective... it's been a while, so take a beating, Joonghyuk.
Tap!
'She's coming!'
"...?"
I definitely saw her charging at me.
But in a blink, Yoo Joonghyuk had vanished.
'Where did she go...!'
I didn't know where she'd gone, but I had to watch out for a surprise atta—!
Snicker
In that split second, my eyes met Simulation's.
That bastard was definitely... laughing at me?
'No way...!'
"Dokja! Watch out!!"
Yoo Joonghyuk appeared instantly in front of Dokja and Heewon.
Then, she struck.
Yoo Joonghyuk's fist, which had even pushed me back, shot toward Dokja.
Whoosh!
And the moment Yoo Joonghyuk's fist touched Dokja—!
Tap
"... ...?"
"Huh?"
"What is this...?"
['Theater Owner Simulation' expresses confusion.]
Nothing happened.
At least, not to Dokja.
[Exclusive Attribute, 'Support Raised with an Abandoned Dream', is activated!]
[You take the damage of the skill 'Force Transmission' Lv.4 inflicted on Dokja in her place!]
"You motherf—!!"
Whoom
The instant the system announced it, my body was launched straight into the air.
I thought,
'Ah, I'm fucked...'
Baaang!
"Cough!"
"Urp! Uweeegh!!"
I thought I'd already thrown up everything on the ship...
I had to endure this much damage just for my stats to go up by ten? Wasn't that price way too high?
Still, thanks to those ten points, the damage was relatively light.
There was some blood coming from my mouth, but it was still at a level where I could jump right back into the fight.
"...Mister?"
"Oh, you're here?"
It was Lee Jihye.
How long had she even rested that she was already back up here?
I wanted to tell her to rest more, but every single person mattered right now.
"Oppa, Lee Jihye, be careful!"
"?!"
In that gap, Yoo Joonghyuk vanished again.
But this time, it was obvious who she was targeting.
Kkakang!!
Yoo Joonghyuk's fist and my axe collided again.
"Now that I'm a little hurt, do I finally look manageable to you?"
"...Master?"
It stung my pride a little that I was fighting with only my fists instead of using the sword at my waist, but if it was for my axe proficiency, then fine.
Humans were creatures that moved farther away from being human the closer they got to death.
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes turned toward Lee Jihye.
Even injured, I was still hard for her to deal with, so it looked like she was trying to clear out the surrounding allies first.
Whoosh!
Did she really think that cheap trick would work again right in front of me?
Paaang!!
"M-master?"
"Can't you see my arm shaking from blocking Yoo Joonghyuk barehanded?"
I grabbed Lee Jihye by the back of the neck and yanked her behind me, then blocked Yoo Joonghyuk's fist with my bare hand.
Unlike when I blocked with the axe, I could feel the shock of [Force Transmission] surging straight into my body.
All my stats were higher than hers... and yet the difference made by a single skill was this huge.
I needed to get a combat skill soon.
The only combat skill I had was [Memorial], and the risk on that one was far too high.
'But before that, I need to make full use of whatever I can use right now.'
Behind Yoo Joonghyuk was the axe I'd dropped.
And that axe had a retrieval function!
Whooom!
The axe flew toward the hand I was using to hold back Joonghyuk's fist.
Thoom!
Tap!
"Now you're dodging without even looking?"
Yoo Joonghyuk kicked me in the stomach, then widened the distance in an instant, dismantling my makeshift ambush with absurd ease.
Was a Regressor's experience really impossible to ignore after all?
"Yoo Joonghyuk is being controlled right now! Leave Yoo Joonghyuk to Oppa and go for the Theater Owner!"
Taat!
"This bastard dared touch Master...!"
Lee Jihye, who had gone blank for a moment, sprang forward the instant she heard Dokja's order.
At the same time, Yoo Joonghyuk disappeared.
Even brainwashed, had she really forgotten something I'd repeated to her over and over?
If so...
Grip!
I just had to teach her again, right?
Fwoooong—!
I threw my axe right beside Lee Jihye.
The axe spun straight and fast in the direction I intended.
Sssk
And just as expected, she appeared right beside Lee Jihye!
And right beside her was exactly where I'd thrown the axe!!
"Review is important, Joonghyuk. Don't die on me, alright?"
Crunch!
Kkagagak!!
The axe hit Yoo Joonghyuk dead-on.
I hadn't thrown it with all my strength, so she wouldn't die, but I couldn't tell whether it would result in a critical wound.
Kkagagagak!!!
Kuuung!
Just as I had been, Yoo Joonghyuk was knocked into the air by the axe and slammed straight into the wall.
"Lee Jihye, what are you doing?! Run!!"
"Huh? O-okay!"
Tatadat!!!
Why was she just standing there staring at me blankly?
We had to finish this quickly.
Drip...!
Thud!
"That crazy bitch!"
Lee Jihye's eyes rolled back in shock.
She jumped right out of the rubble and attacked Lee Jihye immediately?!
Judging by the blood running from her head, that last hit had definitely landed hard...
How did it make any sense that she was even stronger in that state?
Taat!
Tak!
Lee Jihye and Jung Heewon recovered at once and launched a coordinated attack.
Pat
But just like when she dodged my first axe, she avoided it far too easily.
'With breasts that big, shouldn't they at least get in the way of her movement?!'
She had dodged, but Yoo Joonghyuk was still suspended in midair.
And in the air, you can't dodge attacks!
Pajijik!
Behind Jung Heewon, the scales appeared.
Tstststst
From Gilyoung's [Mjolnir], thunder crackled.
Booong!!
And I threw my axe once more.
This time, the attacks came from three sides.
'She won't be able to dodge this one.' That's what I thought, but...
Jijijik
Jung Heewon's scales went out.
Pajijik
Gilyoung's thunder was blocked by something that was either an attribute or a skill.
My axe looked like Yoo Joonghyuk had caught it...
Suuuuuk!
But my axe was a weapon like [Mjolnir], one that only someone qualified could wield.
And more than that, it was likely a weapon with an ego.
Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed the handle and was dragged away with the axe, crashing into the wall again.
Still, that one hadn't hit cleanly, so the damage would be light, but we'd opened a brief gap.
"Now!"
At my shout, everyone charged at the Theater Owner.
I thought that would be the end of it.
Until I saw something I should never have seen.
Shrrng
'Yoo Joonghyuk?! When did she get behind me...!'
Puhshhk!
The blade that burst through my body, and my own hot blood scattering through the air.
"Damn it...!"
Had I focused too much on the Theater Owner in that tiny instant?
Was this... really such a hollow end... the ending of my Scenario...?
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