Mirror

Clank—

With the rattle of armor settling into place, a spear tipped in blue ice filled my hand.

I was still reeling from the Identity forced over me against my will when the memories came.

"Kh…!"

Unlike when I equipped an Identity through a skill, these memories poured in with no regard for my condition whatsoever.

As the flood of memories finally began to ebb—

—my mind filled again with a single purpose.

The sea before me. The sea that had killed what I held dear.

Kill it.

"Rocinante."

At my call, a black steed appeared. Half of it looked more fish than horse — and yet it was unmistakably a horse.

Rocinante took me onto its back and readied itself to charge Ignir.

"…?"

But a voice rang through my head once more. Not the strange one that had been echoing there before — a familiar voice.

It was my own.

"…Who are you?"

Overlaid? What was?

Clank—

The instant the voice in my head finished, golden chains wrapped around my body.

The moment the message windows appeared, something changed in my body. Not weaker, not stronger — just that my body would no longer move by my will.

I wanted to charge the thing in front of me, and my limbs refused.

"Damn it…"

Clank—

With the sound of chains locking into place, my body began to move again.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

And then—

Kang—!

"Kh…"

In the instant I tried to drive the spear into its throat, its foreleg batted the weapon aside.

But then—

Crack—

The foreleg that had struck my spear began to freeze over, ice creeping slowly up its length.

"Kyaaaak!"

It gathered flame as if to melt the ice, but the foreleg showed no sign of thawing — if anything, the frost only deepened.

Clank—

Once more the chains locked, and once more my body moved.

Kwaduk—!

I drove the spear through the swinging tail and pinned it to the ground. Ice began to spread from the wound, slowly claiming the tail.

The cheer from the voice in my head made me scowl before I could stop myself.

"Could you shut up for a second?"

Clank—

At the third rattle of locking chains, my body was already launching forward as if it had grown used to the rhythm.

Kwaang—!

I swung the spear in a wide arc and smashed it across the creature's head.

"Kek…!"

While it reeled, dazed from the blow, I didn't waste the opening — I slammed the shaft into its exposed body.

Puh-uk—!

Unable to withstand the impact, Ignir went flying and crashed into the wall.

The voice rang out again. By now I was almost resigned to it.

The lizard hauled itself up from the wall and began gathering fire in its maw once more.

"Got a plan?"

Clank—

At what felt like the final locking of the chains, my body shot forward again.

"Enough—"

Kwang—!

I brought the spear down on its head just as its jaws opened to unleash the fire, slamming its mouth shut.

The flames, with nowhere left to go, detonated inside its throat.

Kwaaaang—!

Fire erupted in a violent blast. The head that could not withstand the explosion simply vanished.

The message windows floating before my eyes confirmed it: the thing was dead.

But—

—the voice ringing through my head was telling me the situation was far from over.

The voice in my head grew louder, devouring my reason. Controlling my body became harder and harder; my consciousness sank the way a body sinks into the sea, fading by degrees.

And filling what remained of my mind was a single command.

Shatter the waves before me. Kill the sea.

With that one thought left behind, my consciousness went completely dark.

Pajik—

Tsztsztsz—

Golden sparks crackled as Kim Dokja's body slowly reconstructed itself. Once fully revived, she looked around carefully.

The flames that had blanketed all of Anguk Station had already died down, and Ignir — which had been roaring moments before — was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened? The scenario still isn't…"

"Dokja-ssi!"

The party came running the moment they saw her back on her feet.

"?! Everyone look away! Now!"

"Wh-what? What do you mean—"

"Just turn around already!"

At Jung Heewon's shout, the men in the party hastily averted their eyes. Only then, reacting to Heewon's panic, did Kim Dokja check her own condition.

"…!!!"

No equipment of any kind. Completely bare.

"D-Dokja-ssi! Put this on for now!"

Jung Heewon hurriedly stripped off the tattered robe of the Great Master Samyeong she had been wearing and thrust it at her. Once she had something covering her body, Kim Dokja finally turned to the others with questions.

"What on earth happened? Where is Ignir…"

"Ah… about that…"

Following their gazes, Dokja turned her head — and what met her eyes was the headless corpse of Ignir sprawled on the ground, and Park Hayeon standing before it in a daze, silver armor already covering his body.

"…Don't tell me he killed it?"

"Yes. While ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you were gone, he hunted Ignir."

An unbelievable fact. An Incarnation who had only just entered the Fourth Main Scenario had soloed a Sub-Dragon.

And yet Park Hayeon stood motionless, as if something had taken hold of him.

"…Hayeon-ah?"

At Kim Dokja's voice, Park Hayeon turned.

But black liquid surged up over his head and reshaped itself into a helmet.

Kwang—!

In an instant the knight kicked off the ground and thrust the tip of his spear to within an inch of Kim Dokja's face. The lunge came too fast for her to react — but the golden chains still wrapped around his body held him back.

Kagak—

The chains groaned as if they might snap at any second. Kim Dokja stepped back.

"…Everyone get ready. Looks like we're going to have to fight that."

"What? But—"

Kwaduk—!

The knight snapped the chains as if clearing an obstacle from his path.

"Roci… nante."

At the knight's call, his steed galloped to his side and took him onto its back.

The knight who had shattered countless waves and slain countless seas now leveled his spear at his own companions.

"…He doesn't recognize us, does he?"

"It would seem so."

"Is it because of that trait — the way his form changes?"

"That's the most likely cause."

And then Kim Dokja continued, facing the knight who had once been their companion, the spear now aimed at them.

"Right now, he is our enemy."