The Nature of Possession

437 – EP.17 The hateful 6 -2

***

She traced his end, which had disappeared like a constellation in the night sky.

When I recalled the image of the man dispersing into the sky like a brilliant star, I felt breathless.

Kim Seong-ah had difficulty breathing until her clenched fists turned white.

From him I heard of the secrets of the world, and saw the possibility of traveling across worlds through the black woman.

Science and magic.

She would find a way to get to him, by any means necessary.

What should I say first when I meet the old man?

I lie down on the bed and write down what I want to say in a small notebook.

[Haha, mister. Your face is weird.]

To hide unnecessary awkwardness.

[Ta-da, the magical girl appears.]

Blocking the dam of my overflowing heart.

[nice to meet you.]

With joy.

[long time no see.]

Let go of your long-held thoughts.

[I missed you.]

Before falling asleep, looking at the room across from me.

[i love you.]

I poured out all my honest feelings that I had been holding in.

The handwriting was unkempt, ink from the ballpoint pen ran across the paper, and the occasional teardrop created a nail in the ink.

So after several years, I finally got to meet him.

I never thought I would never see you again, but our reunion was more breathtaking than I had imagined.

“…….”

The woman he imitated every night steps forward, dressed in a martial arts uniform.

The woman confronts a creature that is somewhere between a man and a woman, standing at a distance.

The creature that looked like an enemy opened its mouth and started to speak, but Kim Seong-ah couldn’t hear it clearly.

Her gaze was directed solely at Kang In-ho and his unfamiliar face.

Kim Seong-ah, who saw that the topic of conversation had shifted to that side, finally looked straight at his face, which had been glancing at her.

Even though his face wasn’t the one stuck in her head, she could tell.

As if by magic.

Although he looked younger than in my memories, he still looked older than me.

His fierce face seemed to show his usual personality.

“I….”

As she wrote what she wanted to tell him in bed, Kim Seong-ah was worried.

When she caught up to him, how many more dimension shifts did he make?

As you pass through many dimensions like a grain of sand in the ocean, have you not forgotten yourself?

Wouldn’t you just consider her as a blurred silhouette of memory, saying, “There was just that kind of kid?”

My heart is pounding and my mouth is dry.

“mister.”

When even the woman in hanbok next to him stepped forward, Kim Seong-ah cautiously called out to him in her own way.

His gaze rises in response to her words.

Our eyes meet.

Blink your eyes.

Eyes get bigger.

and

“…Seong-ah?”

Fortunately, his name appears.

“lol….”

That fact just made me laugh.

I can’t even remember the words I had prepared so carefully.

It just made me laugh.

And tears too.

“Why, why are you crying?”

“Then are you laughing here?”

“And you’re laughing?”

“Oh, I’m really not in the mood.”

The magical girl came down to the ground, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

She looked up at him. It was a familiar height difference.

“Not much has changed?”

“You’ve changed a lot, sir.”

As he spoke absentmindedly while looking at her in various ways, she retorted.

“I know.”

“…Is this what it originally looked like?”

“okay.”

“He still looks like an old man, then and now.”

“The age difference is probably similar?”

“But I’m glad that the current appearance doesn’t look that different.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m glad you seem to be doing well… But how did you get here? It seems to have something to do with Minashi.”

Kang In-ho looked worriedly at the woman lying on the ground, groaning.

Kim Seong-ah turned around and looked at Im Na.

I recall my brief encounter with Imina, as if it had been swept away by the wind.

“I’ve met that older sister before.”

“You met?”

“Ah… I don’t know. That older sister… kept moving through dimensions to chase after the old man.”

“what?”

Kang In-ho’s eyes grew even bigger.

“That black thing attached to the back… I think it opens dimensions and allows movement.”

She pointed to a black object that was writhing ominously.

Only then was Kang In-ho able to deduce the cause of the inexplicable anxiety and eerieness he felt from her.

“Honestly, I still don’t know what’s what.”

He pinched his cheek.

“Me too. I didn’t really come here with any plan in mind.”

Kim Seong-ah smiled faintly.

“Still unplanned.”

“Isn’t that a bigger picture?”

Kim Seong-ah stuck her tongue out at the emotionless reprimand.

“Oh, I remember you when you draw. You… didn’t go to art school, did you?”

When he asked, Kim Seong-ah smiled.

‘I think it’s a good thing I liked you.’

The fact that he remembered even such trivial things gave her confidence.

“I’m the goddess of engineering?”

“The goddess will freeze to death…”

As I was about to tease her by making a V sign with her hands with a bright face, I heard a familiar voice.

“I don’t know what is ‘mine’, but I agree to punish anyone who tries to touch you, my lord.”

Chunhyang, who had been following Namgung Soyu forward, turned around and looked in this direction.

It was as if he was trying to remember the faces of everyone gathered here, slowly engraving each and every one of their faces into his eyes.

“I understand wanting to get ahead right away, but there is a process to these things.”

Chunhyang spread out both hands and lifted the hem of her skirt.

“It is the wife’s job to protect her husband. Guests who are not related, please rest for a moment.”

And he imitated the Western greeting by bending his knees,

“…What are you talking about? It’s annoying.”

He earned everyone’s resentment.

It was right after that that the explosion occurred.

***

With a loud bang, dirt flew up from where Alpha had been.

Chunhyang looked up at the sky with a rare blank expression, and the others followed her gaze.

“Mutual restraint confirmed between A, B, C, and D, who appear to be friendly entities. The situation has been determined to be one in which immediate combat is not possible. Initiate preemptive fire on unfriendly entities.”

One person still floating in the sky.

A woman in gray and silver had an expressionless face.

“As expected, they are low-level beings. You were right. NB.”

Isis, who was equipped with wings similar to those of the Mobile Suit Gundam from the comics, still had her eyes turned towards where Alpha had been.

“Encounter with intelligent lifeforms that display hostile tendencies. There is no room for negotiation, so exclusion is necessary. Begin analysis of friendly entities A, B, C, and D.”

Isis continued the conversation in her characteristically monotonous tone.

“Friendly Individual A. Claims ownership of the Master. Judged to support slavery. Not fit to be the Master’s woman.”

Isis’s eyes turned to Namgung Soyu. Namgung Soyu laughed as if he found it ridiculous.

“Friendly Individual B. High score due to amazing self-healing. However, she seems to be deeply involved in religion, making her unsuitable as a Master’s woman.”

Despite Isis’s accusations, Mary remained silent.

“Friendly Individual C. Developmentally determined to be a minor. Not suitable as a Master’s woman.”

Kim Seong-ah’s face crumpled as she realized belatedly that the story was about her.

“Friendly Individual D. Impersonating the Master’s wife. Considered mentally ill. Must not become the Master’s woman.”

Chunhyang showed a cold smile.

“Analysis complete. Elimination of unfriendly entities is the priority. Begin combat.”

As soon as Isis finished speaking, a huge mass of light flew towards them through the dust.

“Dieeeeeeeeeee!!!”

The fight began with Alpha’s voice clearly angry for some reason.