I stared at those innocent eyes, and without realizing it, I let out a sound.

“Ah.”

But he seemed unable to recognize me, and clung tightly to Asmodeus’s side with a frightened face.

Then Asmodeus laughed.

【It’s fine. Look. Isn’t it someone you know very well?】

The book he had been reading until just now slipped from the kid’s hands with a thud.

I stared blankly down at the title of that book.

<The World After the Fall>.

My head spun. For just an instant, the memories of him and me being together flowed through my mind.

Somehow, it felt like everything was about to make sense.

The reason I met “Teacher Jaehwan” not long ago, and the reason Teacher Jaehwan’s colleagues happened to be in this Horror Realm.

It was as if all of those incidents were bound together into a single inevitability.

“Brother.”

The person who always emphasized fortuitous chances to me. The person who said that no matter what happened, you had to pour fortuitous chances into the protagonist.

But the person who declared that this time, he would write without using fortuitous chances.

And now, he looked up at me with a face that seemed like he had finally found a real fortuitous chance.

“Brother Giyeon. It’s you, right?”

He had become a little Kim Dokja, but I could clearly recognize him. Just as I could recognize Gu Seonah and Kim Kyungsik, I could recognize him as well.

It was unquestionably Brother Giyeon. The person who wrote <The World After the Fall> with me.

When I took a step closer, Brother Giyeon took a step back.

Asmodeus stood up from his seat and spoke as if to stop me.

【That’s enough. Don’t frighten the kids.】

“What the hell did you do, you. Why is Brother Giyeon here?”

【Hm? His name won’t be ‘Giyeon,’ you know.】

“Just answer what I asked.”

【I only brought one fragment that died unlucky. It’s just that, interestingly, that fragment had memories with you.】

In that moment, with a tss-tss-tss sound, an image rose up on the screen.

It was a very old memory.

「“Hakhyun. Is it okay if I keep writing like this?”」

「“Don’t worry.”」

A voice in a memory that had been blurry.

「“No, Hakhyun. Look. The view count dropped.”」

「“Brother, I told you not to swing up and down over every little thing.”」

「“Is it really okay not to put in a real fortuitous chance? Should I just shut my eyes tight and let the protagonist get a fortuitous chance just once?”」

Everything felt like a lie.

The memories that had been fading from my head all bloomed at once, like flowers blooming when the season came.

「“Brother! See! I told you! I said it would work!”」

A story from before the scenario began—before <Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint> even existed.

「“Now I can at least keep food in my mouth. It’s all thanks to you, Hakhyun.”」

The days when both Brother Giyeon and I were poor.

Back then, we just liked writing, and so we went around calling ourselves writers.

I stood blankly in the center of the theater, watching the story of those days. And I thought.

Just how far, and from where to where, was this universe connected?

To end this long story, what else would I have to sacrifice?

“What do you want, Asmodeus?”

When I slowly turned my head, there was Asmodeus’s face, grinning sneeringly.

【It looks like we can finally talk a little.】

Asmodeus flopped back down onto the movie theater seat and once again sucked down zero cola in one long pull.

【But I don’t particularly want anything from you. Even if I trade with you, you’ll just slip away again with some sly method.】

“That depends on how you do it.”

【Do you think I’ve only been played like that by Kim Dokja once or twice?】

Even in the main story, Asmodeus got stabbed in the back by Kim Dokja several times. And even the end was not very good. For someone who called himself the “Plotter of the End” and made a meaningful plan, he met an empty, vain end.

Thinking that far, I froze. Come to think of it.

“Just what was Asmodeus’s ■■, anyway?”

Every being in <Star Stream> has their own ■■.

That would be the same for Asmodeus. What kind of end did he dream of?

I didn’t know, but one thing ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ was certain: he still hadn’t reached the ■■ he dreamed of.

“Do you want the interpretation of the catastrophe-class horror I obtained too?”

【Of course, that’s a very interesting interpretation. Especially the fables that were laid down beforehand for that interpretation to become possible.】

The fable he mentioned with a snicker was “Heir to the Eternal Name.”

Asmodeus also knew how that fable was made, and who was sacrificed for it to be born.

“You’d better choose your words carefully. If you don’t want the movie theater smashed again.”

【If you do something that rude, the little Kim Dokja next to me won’t be safe either.】

“You’re going to threaten me with Brother Giyeon?”

【What can’t a kidnapper do?】

I stared at him for a moment, then said.

“Well. You can’t do that.”

【Why do you think that?】

“Because you don’t look like that kind of villain.”

I slowly looked over the faces of the little Kim Dokjas. Even though they must have been trapped in this theater for quite a long time already, somehow, the kids’ expressions didn’t look that dark.

It didn’t seem to be simply because of the snack display case set up on one side of the theater, or the sleeping bags lined up side by side in one corner. I couldn’t really understand it, but, how should I put it.

「These little Kim Dokjas somehow looked like they were following Asmodeus.」

Some of the little Kim Dokjas were even standing near Asmodeus, glaring at me as if to scold me.

I gave them a light wave, then asked Asmodeus.

“What is your goal, anyway?”

It felt like it was about time to properly talk with this bastard too.

No matter what had happened until now, and no matter how things got tangled, both he and I had already come this far. That couldn’t be denied.

“If you’re a ‘Recorder of Horror,’ then you also have an ‘ultimate single sentence’ you want to write. What the hell is it that made you plot all this?”

【Hooh. Sounds like you heard some interesting information somewhere.】

Looking at the bastard’s sneering face, I recalled the moment I first met him, for once.

The day I was first summoned into his theater, he looked surprised when he saw me.

In other words, at that time, he didn’t really know who I was yet.

「“This is…… could it be? You are…….”」

After he found out who I was, he began plotting some scheme, making me the “protagonist” of this worldline.

「“It’s time to write a new <Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint> with your own hands.”」

It was a plan to use me to change the story of the 41st round to suit his tastes, and to destroy <Kim Dokja Company>.

“Seeing even a bastard like you become a ‘Recorder of Horror,’ this <Star Stream> is really generous.”

【…….】

“You know, right? Every one of your plans was a complete mess. They weren’t even consistent, and you’ve never properly succeeded.”

【Say whatever you want. My goal has already been achieved to some extent. The ones I hate have suffered hellish pain.】

“Your goal can’t be just to drive <Kim Dokja Company> into despair.”

The day I first met him in the theater, the readers and I received a sub scenario from “Asmodeus.”

When I opened the old log page, the scenario I received back then printed out once again.

+

<Sub Scenario(???) — Qualification of Record>

Category: Sub (Individual)

Difficulty: ???

Clear Condition: You are in a possessed state within the corresponding worldline through the ‘Covenant of the Otherworld.’ Cooperate with the other possessors to stop the scheduled destruction and pioneer a new fable.

Time Limit: —

Reward: Return to the original worldline and additional reward.

On Failure: Death

+

Maybe I should have noticed it back when I first received this scenario, that he was a “Recorder of Horror.”

“You have something you want at the end of this worldline. That’s why you gave this scenario to me and the readers.”

【…….】

“Was this scenario something you agreed on together with the other recorders?”

At my question, the corner of Asmodeus’s lips trembled slightly.

I continued asking.

“How many Recorders of Horror have been pretending to be ‘CEO Kim Dokja’? How many Kim Dokja fragments have you kidnapped like this?”

【It’s amazing that I still find myself surprised by you. How did you find that out too?】

“It’d be stranger if I still didn’t know by now.”

In this worldline, the 41st round, a lot of strange things happened. And those strange things began from the incident where “a massive number of readers possessed.”

Surely, behind that situation, there were “Recorders of Horror.”

Because if it wasn’t these bastards—who freely crossed worldlines and intervened in the story—there was no way such a large-scale miracle could happen.

“Let the little Kim Dokjas go. You’ve done enough pointless crap. Now let’s send the readers back to where they belong.”

【No.】

“Fine. Let’s trade, Asmodeus.”

【I said no.】

“You haven’t even heard the conditions yet.”

【No, I do not trade with Kim Dokja—】

“I’ll help you be able to write your ‘one and only sentence.’”

A brief silence passed. Maybe it was just my imagination, but Asmodeus’s atmosphere had become a little sharper.

The air of the theater, quietly sinking.

Asmodeus asked.

【How could someone like you possibly know what ‘one and only sentence’ I want to write?】

“I know.”

I quietly looked into Asmodeus’s eyes.

Things I couldn’t see at all when I first met him, I could see now.

[A fable, ‘Heir to the Eternal Name,’ laughs proudly.]

Maybe that was because my standing had risen that much now.

[Exclusive Attribute, ‘Record Mender,’ activates!]

Or because my understanding of “Recorders of Horror” had increased.

[The Recorder of Horror, ‘The Demon King of the Theater,’ expresses displeasure toward you.]

Of course, he was still stronger than me. Of course. He was a Demon King, and a “Recorder of Horror” with even the power of an Outer God.

And yet.

“To me now, you don’t look like ‘horror.’”

I wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

[Exclusive Skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint,’ activates!]

[Your understanding of the target is extremely high!]

「“……Ah, call me one more time.”」

「“Don’t be so on guard. The other constellations aren’t here.”」

「“Demon King of Salvation……. You seem to be mistaken right now, but I can eat you right now if I want—”」

「“Good. Yes, I’ll hold back to this extent today.”」

His records began floating in real time before my eyes. From the moment Kim Dokja and Asmodeus first met, to the moment he wandered the dark dimension and reached death.

【Wait.】

In that vast history, I understood Asmodeus.

The look in his eyes as he looked at me was shaking. Having become a “Recorder of Horror,” he knew. That right now, I was reading him.

【Stop.】

That his entire history was being read by me, piece by piece.

【I said stop, Kim Dokja!】

Asmodeus finally grabbed Brother Giyeon by the collar and snarled at me.

I released [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint] and asked.

“Do you feel like trading a little now?”

【Damn it. Do you know? You, of all beings, are the one who suits being a Demon King better than anyone.】

“Sure. I’m actually a Demon King.”

The screening room lit up brightly.

Our shadows stretched out long and fell across the white screen.

For a moment, we looked at each other’s shadows. Two beings with different desires, and different ways of living.

【Fine. Let’s trade.】

And yet, both shadows looked like Demon Kings.

*

A little later, we formed a contract through an “Oath of Existence.”

【What you want is the ‘Kim Dokja fragment’ I have, right?】

“Yeah.”

【Then let’s start the first trade lightly.】

He said he couldn’t give me every “Kim Dokja fragment” he had with him. But.

【What I can give you right now is just this one. Take him.】

One little Kim Dokja floated up and climbed onto my shoulders, sitting on my shoulders like riding a piggyback. At first, the kid kept squirming as if uncomfortable, but soon settled in, then plopped the book they had been reading onto the top of my head.

“Brother Giyeon.”

Even if I spoke to him, there was no real answer.

Depending on what part he was reading, sometimes he trembled, shivering, and sometimes he stifled laughter as if amused.

If possible, I wanted to put him inside [The Fourth Wall] and protect him, but for some reason, he refused. Maybe there was scenery he wanted to stay beside me to see.

【My trade condition is simple.】

“Say it.”

Honestly, I was tense, worried he would propose a condition that made no sense, but surprisingly, Asmodeus’s condition wasn’t bad.

【When the ‘Great King of Horror’ appears before you, you must call me.】

“Fine. If it’s that much.”

According to the interpretation of the prophecy, the “Great King of Horror” he meant was the “Second Kim Dokja.” He would definitely appear and do something weird, but if it was only that, it wasn’t a bad condition.

As if he had read my thoughts, Asmodeus pushed out his lips.

【Though I don’t know if you can survive until then.】

“Don’t you know that when you hear something like that, you always survive no matter what?”

【Who knows. This time, no matter how much it’s you, it won’t be easy. Because there is someone you absolutely must overcome in order to meet the ‘Great King of Horror.’】

“Who is it?”

【Who else would it be.】

Since when was it? The scenery of the movie theater was slowly becoming blurry.

In that moment, I realized something.

Ah. I see.

[The turn of the Recorder of Horror, ‘The Demon King of the Theater,’ will soon end.]

Asmodeus’s mocking laughter rang out.

【Get a grip, Kim Dokja. If you don’t want to have all the ‘history’ you’ve built up taken from you by him.】

At last, it was time to meet Cheon Inho of the 40th round.

[You have entered the room of the Recorder of Horror, ‘The Evil Sophist.’]