I grabbed the shoulders of my staggering party members and shook them.

"Everyone, get a grip! We must not get eaten!"

There was gradually a bit of light returning to the eyes of the party, but the speed was too slow. At this rate, even if they overcame 「Hohwan Mama」, they would be done in by the chang-gwi.

In that case, there was only one method.

Accelerating sharply with [Wind's Path], I struck the empty air and rushed toward the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes'.

「Hohwan Mama」, precisely because its power was so strong, did not allow the owner of the tale to make any move while it was activated.

[Tale, 'Successor of the Eternal Name' power is activated!]

In other words, right now, I might be able to land a proper hit on that guy.

[Tale fragment, 'Right Arm of the Swordmaster Who Was Backstabbed by a Comrade' opens its eyes wide!]

The tale fragment that the Demon King of Salvation once used.

That very tale fragment, which had slaughtered dozens of great-person-class constellations who had descended with partial incarnation, was radiating light from my right hand.

[Wind's Path], wrapped in 'Unbreakable Conviction', once again stirred up a gust.

A sword strike exploded, leaving behind a pure white pattern of light.

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' received my blow with its forepaw.

[It is useless.]

I bit my lips hard.

Kim Dokja's tale fragment was not this weak.

How should I read it.

How should I "re-read" in order to fight like that guy.

Just because I wrote down the story and composed the sentences did not mean I understood that world completely.

Certain understandings arise through the person who reads.

I needed Kim Dokja's help.

"You always try to act like the protagonist."

From behind, Killer King, riding along [Wind's Path], fired his bowgun in rapid succession.

At last, the party had overcome 「Hohwan Mama」 and joined up.

"Wuaaaaaah! Take this! Turtle Crusher!"

Gyeong Sein shot up into the air like a flying squirrel, then grabbed Uncle Dansoo with all her strength and hurled him from midair. Uncle Dansoo, with his body curled up tightly like a turtle, spun like a top as he flew in.

A heavy impact exploded against the tiger's abdomen, and for a brief moment, an opening appeared for [Wind's Path] to dig in.

[Tale fragment, 'Wind's Path' resonates!]

[Tale, 'Wind's Path' begins its story!]

The moment the road opened, the tales that had been hesitating began their stories.

[Tale, 'The Fox, the Crane, and the Wolf― Sometimes a Panda' begins its story.]

The tale we had mended.

The tale whose content had changed and was beginning to once again be known throughout <Star Stream> was finally gaining power.

The plates and bottles that the fox and the crane had used in the air fell down like bombs.

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' shouted in fright.

[How dare you―!]

Right after, a flock of swallows flew in from the sky and dropped pumpkin seeds all at once.

[Tale, 'The Panda Who Witnessed the Swallow Bringing Pumpkin Seeds' begins its story.]

The body of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes', whose foot had stepped on the pumpkin seeds, swayed unsteadily. Not missing that opportunity, Ye Hyeonwoo and Cha Yerin struck the back of the bastard's knees.

The monster's massive body slowly lost its balance and fell backward.

"Now!"

But these tales were ones that we, by our own strength alone, could not 「Stageify」.

"Soup is free for the one who brings me a chang-gwi's head!"

Since when had it been.

The crane owner was swinging a frying pan and smashing it down on the chang-gwi's heads.

The goose that laid golden eggs was plopping golden eggs down over the heads of the chang-gwi, and the swallows were dropping pumpkin seeds and pecking at the chang-gwi all at once.

They were not the only ones.

"Wuaaaaaaah!"

The beastfolk of District 13, who had entrusted their tales to us, rose up like a spreading wildfire.

Beastfolk who had no proper weapons, no proper tales.

Even so, they did not back down and fought head-on.

Those without weapons even threw plates and bottles filled with soup that they had brought from the inn.

[Constellation, 'Bear Who Spares You If You Play Dead' is flustered by the beastfolks' reaction.]

Only the bears had their heads buried on the ground, unable to do this or that.

Just then, with a splat, something fell on top of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' head.

"Kahahahat! Look at that bastard's state!"

The beastfolk burst into laughter at the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes', who had hot soup dumped all over his head.

"The tiger bastard looks miserable!"

As if they had ever feared <Twelve Zodiac>, the beastfolk of District 13 were shouting boldly.

"Chang-gwi, go back to your graves!"

What was it that had moved them.

「Three Little Pigs」, 「The Swallow That Brought Pumpkin Seeds」, 「The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs」……

Perhaps all of those tales had piled up like snow, layer upon layer, and finally bloomed into a small courage.

[Tales of District 13 respond to you!]

[The tale that is sprouting within you evolves!]

What was certain was that the tales of the beastfolk, which had crumbled, had awakened once again.

[Tale, 'Hohwan Mama' cowers.]

The modest story we had built up together was driving away the enormous fear.

A story can be forgotten, but it does not disappear.

Even if they were not grand tales or myth-grade tales, there were tales that had supported each and every one of their days.

The history of District 13 was finally being "re-read".

"The bastard has fallen!"

"Cut off its head!"

The beastfolk of District 13 began to run toward the head of the fallen 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes'.

"Wait! Stop!"

But that was a mistake.

[Tale, 'The Sleeping Tiger’s Whiskers' begins its story!]

A few of the beastfolk touched the tiger's whiskers.

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes', letting out a powerful roar, sprang to its feet and exhaled hot breath.

Beastfolk who had ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ been close by melted away in the hot gust that rushed in along with a terrible stench.

[Constellation, 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' is enraged!]

A fierce backlash began to rage around the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes'.

Looking closely, there was something like a sparkling jewel embedded in the bastard's back. I immediately recognized what it was. The reason why the great-person-class constellation 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' was so strangely strong lay there.

「It was because that bastard had killed another 'reader'.」

Ooooooooh―!

Startled by the tiger's momentum, some of the beastfolk took fright and ran away.

But we did not retreat.

There was nowhere to retreat to anyway.

[The Scales of Plausibility move!]

Force enough to tilt the Scales of Plausibility. And in this place, there was no being who would help us.

[Constellation, 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' furrows his brow, saying a great-person-class dares to be arrogant.]

[Constellation, 'Dragon Who Lies Down' is waiting for your operation.]

[Constellation, 'One Who Brought Ten Lambs' attempts to intervene in the scenario!]

[Due to a contract of the Recycling Center, that constellation's scenario intervention has been blocked.]

The evaluators cannot officially intervene in our scenario. That is the condition under which they watch.

And there was no way the other <Twelve Zodiac> would help us.

[Constellation, 'Rabbit Without a Liver' tells them to quickly trample you.]

[Constellation, 'Rat Who Calls Plague' cheers loudly.]

[Some constellations of nebula <Twelve Zodiac> watch over your final moments.]

[A few constellations of nebula <Twelve Zodiac> say that the time has come to set the order of District 13 straight.]

I looked up at the sky.

Surely, in this world there was no constellation who would help us.

I slowly took deep breaths, as if sucking in the night sky. As the sufficiently deep night air moistened my lungs, I felt my mind gradually clear.

"Kim Dokja!"

Killer King and the party stood, covering me.

Perhaps because they had already been hurt here and there, their whole bodies were full of large and small wounds. All of them had been inflicted by the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' and the chang-gwi.

"At this rate, it's impossible. The chang-gwi bastards are pouring in without end."

As the tiger's tale grew stronger, the chang-gwi were rampaging even more wildly. The situation worsened as even the beastfolk who had just died began to resurrect as chang-gwi. The painful screams of the beastfolk filled the night.

[Tale, 'The One Who Calls the Chang-gwi' continues its story.]

I knew it too. If we kept fighting head-on like this, we would lose.

"It is all right."

Even if we managed to take down all the chang-gwi, it would be the same.

We could not fight against the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes', who had begun to use his true body's power. No matter how many tales we had stacked up, it was impossible.

But there was a being for whom it was possible.

"It is now midnight."

When I lifted my head, the stars in the night sky began to shine brightly.

There is a reason why the start of a day is midnight.

The time when all the sleeping stars awaken.

Watching the bright stars' attention turn toward the ground, I once again realized.

The reasons we read stories are all different. To reach the truth, to empathize with someone, to experience an unknown world, or else―

To survive.

We read.

We immerse ourselves in the characters and experience this world, live a life, feel emotions.

But we know.

No matter how deeply we immerse ourselves, even if we see the world from an omniscient reader's viewpoint, we can never become the protagonist of that world.

We still do not know the state of mind of the person who fights more than anyone else just to survive.

"Ah."

As Cha Yerin let out a light groan and turned her head, the other party members also looked in the same direction at the same time.

Within the darkness of the night, there was a man who had endured the nights of this world longer than anyone.

Instead of the pitch-black coat that had symbolized him, a shabby cloak was fluttering around him, but even so, he could not hide the unique atmosphere he exuded.

"Step aside."

A chilly voice flowed out from between the shadows.

"From now on, I will be the one to face him."

Because they knew who he was, no one could resist those words. At the same time, because they knew who he was, the party had no choice but to look back at me.

"Is that really okay? He's still in the boy state! And you said he lost all his memories!"

"It is fine. Because―"

Watching the man walking through the night, I grinned.

"Today makes exactly 'ten days'."

Yu Joonghyuk's face, bathed in starlight, lit up. There was no longer any trace of a young boy's expression left on him.

At last, the side-effect period of Yu Joonghyuk's 'tale engravings' had ended, and he had returned to the body of an adult.

Even so, the party still looked uneasy.

"But no matter how much it's Yu Joonghyuk―"

"It will be fine. Let us trust him."

If this were an ordinary 41st round, my thoughts would have been similar to the party's.

But this "41st round" was not a normal "41st round".

The Yu Joonghyuk who was here now was the transcendent who had driven the great nebulae into ruin in just the 40th round.

The lunatic monster who, at the very start of the 41st round, rammed three tale engravings into his body and tore apart a marquis-class demon with a single slash.

As if to prove that, Yu Joonghyuk walked straight out, taking the gaze of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' head-on.

A stride that showed no fear or terror at all, truly a tyrant's gait.

A dozen chang-gwi, rushing in recklessly, swarmed behind him. They sublimated like starlight before they could even approach near Yu Joonghyuk.

"Tiger of the Twelve Zodiac."

Yu Joonghyuk's eyes nonchalantly looked up into the air. A gaze as if he were staring at a low mountain. A voice with no feeling toward that lofty height.

"Killing you will be―"

In his hand, the 'Execution Sword' I had handed over to him shone with a distant light.

"the third time."