「The universe began one day, all of a sudden. No one knows what happened before that.
Perhaps that is the reason why the 'Oldest Dream' must continue to dream.」
―The Guide Who Lost the Way

*

As Yu Joonghyuk stepped forward, the party did not hold back their admiration.

Apparently the party also remembered "that line." Yu Joonghyuk had said a similar line when he killed Poseidon.

"Uoooooh!"

"That sounds like something I've seen somewhere."

"As expected of Yu Joonghyuk."

"Ah."

"To think the day would come when I'd hear that in person."

Uncle Dansoo, Gyeong Sein, Killer King, Cha Yerin, and Ye Hyeonwoo each let out a line in turn, then simultaneously turned to look at me.

No one opened their mouth, but I could tell what everyone was curious about.

「So is that for real?」

Thinking about it with common sense, there was no way someone in just the 41st round had already killed a great-person-class constellation twice.

So that was why they were asking.

I gave a light nod. That was real. Because this "41st round" is special.

"Ooohhh!"

At my answer, as if she'd just gotten some sort of permission, Gyeong Sein got excited, clapping her hands and chanting his name.

"Yu Joonghyuk! Yu Joonghyuk! Yu Joonghyuk!"

Uncle Dansoo, excited as well, shouted out too.

Killer King quietly nodded and muttered.

"Go, Conqueror."

In the noisy crucible of cheering, Yu Joonghyuk glanced back our way. Judging by the line forming between his brows, he clearly wasn't in a good mood.

Well, if it were me, I'd probably feel burdened if I suddenly got that kind of cheering too.

Lastly, his gaze turned toward me. Right after, [Telepathic Transmission] came through.

―Once I kill that bastard, it's your turn.

Huh, why?

A memory suddenly floated up.

「"Eat it, you bastard!"」

Could it be because of the time I made him eat dirt?

But this is unfair.

I never made him eat dirt. I only fed him a "tale of eating dirt."

The dirt was something he, controlled by the tale, picked up and ate on his own.

Damn it, this is why I had hoped his memory would come back late.

Still, if there was any consolation, it was that there was a guy who would die before me.

[Constellation, 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' is wary of incarnation 'Yu Joonghyuk'.]

It was an unexpected reaction.

Normally, this would be the timing for something like, "A mere incarnation dares say he'll kill me?" in indignant rage, or a shout of, "You dare!" as it charged in.

[Constellation, 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' glares at incarnation 'Yu Joonghyuk' with a cautious expression.]

The bastard was not a "reader" right now.

Yet for it to be that wary of Yu Joonghyuk meant that the tales ruling over it were conscious of him.

Perhaps it had even read the "reader's" memories.

[Could he have become a transcendent, by any chance.]

A transcendent.

The only mortal name that can fight against the immortal stars in <Star Stream>.

But as far as my memory went, Yu Joonghyuk had not transcended yet. If the bastard had "transcended", a system message would have already popped up.

"I can break someone like you without needing something like transcendence."

[A mere mortal who has not even transcended dares to say he will oppose a star?]

Yes, that's exactly how you should come at us.

Judging by its tone, it seemed the tale 「Old and Sick Guardian Deity」 was making a vigorous comeback.

The more the bastard behaved like a stereotypical constellation, the higher our chances of victory became.

[Constellation, 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' roars!]

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' was a great-person-class constellation borrowing part of its true body's power.

Even if it was somewhat constrained by plausibility, it was an existence stronger than the demon marquis we had fought earlier.

That was why this time, Yu Joonghyuk also had to go all out.

['Truth's Constraint' is activated.]

Without hesitation, Yu Joonghyuk activated a "tale engraving."

[Some of character Yu Joonghyuk's memories are sealed.]

Truth's Constraint was a tale engraving that manifested power at the cost of sealing part of the previous round's memories.

The fragments of memory being sealed before his eyes flowed into me.

「"Captain."」

That was a memory of Yu Joonghyuk that had not been written in either "Annihilation Method" or "Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint."

Yu Joonghyuk's 24th round.

「"I have a favor to ask, captain."」

The scenery of a vast sea shimmered and rippled before my eyes.

Had they perhaps carried out a scenario on the shoreline. On a beach where the debris of broken ships had washed up, there were Yu Joonghyuk and Shin Yuseung. There was a large hole pierced through the young girl's abdomen.

「"Someday, I want to go to school again."」

A wound that could not be healed by either the "Essence of the Elrain Forest" or the "Great Rejuvenation Pill."

The girl hid that wound with one hand, and the man pretended not to know about it.

Shin Yuseung, in Yu Joonghyuk's arms, was gasping for breath.

「"If this world ends safely―"」

Shin Yuseung knew it too.

The school would never open again. The students would never return. She would never be able to go to school for the rest of her life.

「"Please come to my graduation ceremony."」

Even knowing all of that, Shin Yuseung had no choice but to say that.

Even though she clearly knew what kind of eternity that would be remembered as for Yu Joonghyuk.

And now, to that eternal question, Yu Joonghyuk answered.

"I cannot go to your graduation ceremony―"

His 24th round had failed. The world had perished, and the history that had passed would never be restored.

The Shin Yuseung of the 24th round never graduated.

"I will not let you die before I do."

His memory was being sealed.

It was a memory that the Yu Joonghyuk I knew would never have sealed. But the more important a memory that Truth's Constraint sealed, the greater the power it granted.

Right now, Yu Joonghyuk needed a "power" that strong.

I reached out my hand. I wanted to shout that he must not seal that memory. That if even he forgot that memory, that world would become something that had never existed.

But at that moment, my eyes met Yu Joonghyuk's.

「If.」

It might be a ridiculous leap.

There was no way the Yu Joonghyuk of the 41st round would think that way.

But right now, Yu Joonghyuk clearly knew that I was seeing his memories, that only I was witnessing the memories he was about to lose.

「If he wanted me to remember this memory in his place.」

Clenching my fist tightly, I read and reread the memories of Yu Joonghyuk being sealed. I remembered the vanishing Shin Yuseung and the beach of the 24th round without missing a single character.

When I nodded, Yu Joonghyuk turned his gaze away.

[All composite stats of character 'Yu Joonghyuk' temporarily break through the scenario's limitation criteria!]

[Explosive power surges through your whole body!]

With a terrifying roar, Yu Joonghyuk leaped. Magical power was overflowing from his entire body.

Krrrrrack!

Yu Joonghyuk's surging sword strikes clashed with the forepaw of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes'.

In the Washington Dome, Yu Joonghyuk had released one engraving and come to stand on equal footing with the "demon marquis."

But this time, that level of force was not enough.

[Only that much!]

Hearing the constellation's predetermined roar, Yu Joonghyuk immediately opened his second tale engraving.

[Incarnation 'Yu Joonghyuk' activates 'Constraint of Emotion'!]

Constraint of Emotion.

I tensed up. It was because the "Black Beast" that had turned the Washington Dome into hell came to mind.

Back then, there had been the "Demon King of Salvation."

But if Yu Joonghyuk's beastification proceeded this time, who could stop him.

―This time, do your part properly.

Yu Joonghyuk's transmitted voice rang by my ear.

A beat late, I remembered the promise I had with him. The reason he had tried to drag me into the Washington scenario.

「"You be the one to stop me."」

He believed that if there was a problem, I would be the one to return him to his original state.

"I'll at least try."

A single line I muttered without realizing it.

Killer King glanced my way. Fortunately, before Killer King could say anything, Yu Joonghyuk's transformation began.

Holding my breath, I watched his transformation.

Would he become the "Black Beast" again this time, or else……

[Proficiency of character 'Yu Joonghyuk's tale engravings is greatly increased.]

['Constraint of Emotion' evolves!]

With dazzling streaks of light, pitch-black fur covered Yu Joonghyuk's whole body. But this time, it was not the "Black Beast."

Pitch-black hair grew out in an instant. After that, a fur coat reminiscent of [Beast Lord's Sensitivity] that "Beast Lord" Shin Yuseung had used.

The difference was that «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Yu Joonghyuk's fur coat was black.

Killer King, watching that scene from the side, widened his eyes.

"Long hair, fur coat…… don't tell me, the Black Wolf Great Emperor?"

Normally, I would have snapped back at Killer King's nonsense, but this time even I was overwhelmed by Yu Joonghyuk's aura and couldn't think of anything to say.

Yu Joonghyuk, draped in a pitch-black fur coat, really did look like a grand duke of the Demon Realm reigning over ten thousand demons.

Perhaps that was another form of the "Black Beast."

[How―]

With the tale 「Old and Sick Guardian Deity」 scheming as always, Yu Joonghyuk's new form moved.

It was truly a speed you couldn't even see.

Even now that I had learned [Wind's Path], it was a speed I could not possibly track with my eyes.

The astonished tiger let out a shout. But neither the rushing chang-gwi nor the tiger's forepaw could catch Yu Joonghyuk.

No tale in this world could bind Yu Joonghyuk.

Heaven-Sundering Sword Path.

A technique honed and honed again until it reached the ultimate realm.

In a sense, the "Recycling Center" was his personal stage.

All of his techniques had surpassed the level of "skills". In other words, they were not subject to the restrictions of skill sealing.

Ultimate technique.

[Heaven-Sundering Meteor Strike].

In the sword dance of the "Execution Sword", a flower of meteors bloomed. On every path the sword slashed, stars howled.

"Gyaaaaaaah!"

The chang-gwi struck by the meteor fragments vanished into light.

It was, in every sense, overwhelming might.

The meteor shower pierced everywhere through the body of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' like a storm.

[Kruaaaaaaah!]

The scream of a star rang throughout all of District 13.

[Constellation, 'Rabbit Without a Liver' is aghast and glares wide-eyed!]

[Constellation, 'Rat Who Calls Plague' is terrified.]

[Constellation, 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' holds his breath.]

The tiger's forepaw moved sluggishly. Yu Joonghyuk did not miss that brief gap and poured out a flurry of blows.

His sword dug into the holes pierced by the meteor shower and linked the holes together as if connecting a black constellation.

With a crack, the sound of something breaking rang out, and the tiger's forepaw flew through the air.

[Constellation, 'Dragon Who Lies Down' is overwhelmed by incarnation Yu Joonghyuk's might.]

[Constellation, 'One Who Brought Ten Lambs' cannot take his eyes off incarnation 'Yu Joonghyuk'.]

Amid the tales scattering in ecstasy, I felt a shiver.

「The black wolf was hunting the tiger.」

In the sword that moved so gracefully, I could not feel a human heart. What dwelled in its trajectory was only the years of bitter hardship that Yu Joonghyuk had endured. The memories of him honing his sword day and night to bring down that star in the sky.

[K–Kruaaaa― my arm! My arm― how dare you―!]

All of those memories had been concentrated onto a single body and formed a grand culmination.

He closed the distance with the footwork of [Vermilion Bird Divine Steps], blocked the incoming blows with [Body-Protecting Gang Qi], and dealt with the charging chang-gwi using [Hundred-Step Divine Fist].

And with [Heaven-Sundering Sword Path], he cut down the star.

Ultimate technique.

Heaven-Sundering Mad Emperor Martial Art.

Dozens of streams of sword light shredded both of the tiger's legs. One knee buckled with a thud, then the other knee buckled as well.

The giant tiger's body lost its center and toppled forward. Yu Joonghyuk did not miss the opportunity and flew toward its neck.

It was only the eighth scenario.

In that eighth scenario, Yu Joonghyuk was trying to accomplish the feat of bringing down a star in the sky with his strength alone.

[Tale, 'Old and Sick Guardian Deity' is extinguished.]

[In exchange for tale 'Old and Sick Guardian Deity', tale 'Rotten Rope of Bean Stalk' is activated!]

「Rotten Rope of Bean Stalk」.

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' own unique tale for escaping a life-or-death crisis.

[Tale, 'Rotten Rope of Bean Stalk' begins its story.]

It was a technique similar to Nirvana's [Non-possession], but this tale demanded a price even more terrible than [Non-possession].

Right before Yu Joonghyuk's sword touched the bastard's neck, with a fwoosh― sound, a bright red tale burst out of the tiger's chest. The red tale scattered over the ground and formed a red field of sorghum.

Between the sorghum field steeped in fresh blood, the figure of the 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' began to scatter like smoke.

[How mortifying. I was not able to reap even a small rice cake slice―]

The 'Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes' mantra rang out as if in deep sorrow.

His hate-filled gaze, which had stayed on me, soon turned toward someone else.

[I will take the other one.]