Loki relentlessly attacked Zavi using marionette strings that controlled dolls resembling himself.
Zavi retaliated in the same manner; because he was under the influence of the "story" unfolding on page twenty, the potential of his Prisoner ability was unlocked at that moment.
The ghosts that served as his army attacked Loki's marionettes, destroying them in an instant, only for them to immediately recover as Loki moved his fingers with structural precision.
As a character, Zavi unconsciously clicked his tongue. The battle dragged on, exhausting them both despite the difference in their ability levels.
It was strange to imagine someone at level 2 being capable of fighting someone at level 4; clearly, the author's narrative intent played a role here, keeping the story moving rather than allowing it to end so easily.
The usual consequences did not fully apply within this story, allowing them to push their abilities to their limits without concern.
The battle caused the space within the narrative to tremble; although bound to that history, history itself possessed a far stronger presence than the story, ensuring that the future remained unaffected.
"Prisoner" belonged to the Suppression type, while "Puppeteer" belonged to the Architect type.
It was clear here that these two types of supernatural abilities did not directly oppose each other, or rather, neither one inherently overpowered the other.
Nevertheless, the momentum of the narrative forced the antagonist into desperate defense as marionette strings controlling millions of dolls appeared before them.
A melodious and rhythmic tune echoed alongside the arrival of millions of dolls, creating the atmosphere of a climactic battle in which the protagonist was ready to defeat the antagonist.
The antagonist did not remain still after witnessing the protagonist's serious determination. Summoning ghosts and slamming his palm down, accompanied by the clinking of chains that disrupted the rhythm of the song, marked the beginning of their battle.
Spiritual chains pierced the dolls, severing the marionette strings one by one. Zavi moved in harmony with the flow of history unfolding beside him, where events from bygone eras revolved like a film.
Bound within the story, his mouth seemed to have been silenced by a brutal regime.
After so long, Zavi used his first-level ability, Binding. Although it was his first time using it, the plot of the story caused Loki to fall silent while the dolls stopped attacking him.
Thin, nearly invisible threads filled the room and froze in place. At first, Loki intended to control Zavi's will by attaching those threads to his body, but the attempt failed because Zavi was far too adept to be caught by them.
The Binding effect lasted for a long time, forcing all of the protagonist's vital senses into restraint while Zavi was able to move freely toward him.
The grip of Binding tightened further, in harmony with the clinking of the chains in Zavi's right hand.
Click.
The sound of fingers snapping never existed in that space, or rather, it did not exist here. The flow of history moved like a snail, as though someone were adjusting the course of the story.
The book, which existed beyond the fourth wall, wrote a new page; where this story would end, where the protagonist would defeat the antagonist.
The space, which had previously presented the flow of history like a feature film, profound silence, and an illusory battle, manifested an infinite number of mirrors.
The two characters opened their eyes wide as the mirrors shattered in an instant, breaking into countless fragments. The protagonist stared at several shards of glass floating in the void, gazing at his own reflection for quite some time. Meanwhile, the antagonist did the same, accompanied by turbulent emotions in his chest as he saw a woman in a Gothic dress embracing him from behind.
His thoughts immediately began to spin, and the book stopped writing, shifting the plot in another direction.
Yes, the book had never made Loki the protagonist and Zavi the antagonist.
When their spirits merged, Zavi's 'Transformation' ability no longer operated on the microscopic particle level. The ability suddenly reconstructed the entire structure of his consciousness. In that instant, they realized a horrifying truth: this world, these atoms, and their fate were nothing more than an arrangement of letters in a story controlled by a foreign entity.
The two of them now played roles, one of which they wanted. Previously, neither of them had truly been playing those roles. The story changed in an instant, at the will of the mirrors.
The mirrors were none other than manifestations of the power of the two merged figures. At first, the two of them truly did not exist within this story, aware that they were fictional characters.
In an instant, after the effects of Binding and the millions of dolls disappeared, the three of them broke through the fourth wall. Where stars and millions of red seats were neatly arranged within a black-and-white space, Loki and Zavi saw the book writing something on its own.
Zavi turned his head, the muscles in his face tightening and his jaw clenching.
"Loki... hurry and grab the book..." he shouted, his consciousness beginning to fade.
Although he could break free from the "story" because of his connection to the fusion, the book possessed a powerful will to keep dragging him back into the story and a desire to bring the story to an end.
Marionette strings pulled Loki away from the book. Zavi, whose consciousness was beginning to fade, was forced to help Loki by swinging the Hoisline fan artifact and adding the power of the fusion.
"C... Celvira." The groan entered Celvira's mind in an instant.
Explosive spiritual energy enveloped the force of the powerful gust, severing the marionette strings in an instant and carrying Loki toward the book.
One obstacle emerged, as the red seats flew at tremendous speed, charging toward Loki with the same ferocity.
Zavi did it, erasing the existence of the red seats with several swings of the Hoisline fan artifact.
"I... hope you succeed..." His eyes grew heavier, but Celvira would not allow it as she encouraged Zavi to hold on a little longer.
His limited strength as a human was powerless against the overwhelming will of the story, unlike beings of a higher order.
He was nearly sucked into the story, while his body faded into pale white particles of light, partially devoured by the glittering stars.
Loki, flying through the air, realized that his companion had lost this illusory battle.
He bit his lip, thin threads emerging from his fingertips and melting the red seats ahead of him.
"Just a little more..."
He found an opening between the seats.
Thud.
"What...?"
Loki felt a heavy impact against his chest, slowing his movement. Yet, unexpectedly, one final push propelled him forward one last time. Zavi smiled in his final moments. His task was complete, carrying Loki through the fourth wall and bringing this ridiculous story to an end.
Unwilling to waste that opportunity, mixed emotions filled his chest. He had never felt this before. This was the first time he had ever felt cornered, with adrenaline driving him to keep living.
His hand stretched straight ahead, his palm spread wide as though he wanted to grasp something.
However, the attempt betrayed Loki. The book released a burst of pale white light, blinding all five of his senses for quite some time.
Loki knew that time did not exist within this story, at least that was what he knew when he arranged the story.
Instead, time existed within the story, where he had already been there for months after being dragged into the story he had created.
The light grew more intense, burning Loki's soul, body, and existence within the story.
In those final moments, questions crossed his mind.
'What is the purpose of my life in this world? Why am I so obsessed with that ridiculous story? Is this divine punishment for the despicable things I have done to others?'
A consciousness fiercely rejected the idea.
'No. You live for yourself. Other people do not care about your existence, so why should you care about them?'
"Yes, I know that. I may be unforgivable, but... I will free myself from this strange cycle of life..."
Loki screamed, forcing himself through the pale white light; he seized the book and pulled it into his embrace.
A cosmic explosion annihilated the stars. The outer space within the story sank into darkness and emptiness, only to blaze brightly again as the story itself was completely destroyed, like a devastating tsunami wiping away every trace of human civilization from the face of the earth.
"Is this the end of my life?"
As he thought about it, his existence and thoughts vanished, carried away by the cosmic explosion.
In a place where water filled his entire field of vision, Loki found himself floating. For a moment, his consciousness was intact, and the first thing Loki searched for was the book.
The book had become the cause of everything that had happened, even though he himself was involved in it. He knew that fact and did not deny it like those outside.
He knew he was inside the side of the book, which was supposed to activate if Loki was in danger. It could be said that this was a basic ability at the fourth level of Puppeteer's ability, Dongeng.
The Thousand Doors.
A fact struck Loki's mind as he turned to the side, noticing a ponytailed man clutching his head while a groan escaped his mouth.
"Ah, you. How can you be here?" Loki said without realizing it, as the book vanished without leaving a trace.
The man, clearly Zavi, replied, "Well, I don't know how this happened either."
Feeling something strange in his body, especially since that connection had been severed, two seconds later, he added;
"Judging by your reaction, your strange 'Dongeng' ability doesn't work in this place, does it?"
"How did you know that?" he muttered, seeking an explanation.
"Of course... from the book?" Zavi jumped, pushing himself away from the water beneath him before floating in the air.
From the previous illusory battle, Zavi had gained something significant, something he had not even expected.
He was clearly amazed that his Level 2 ability, which was actually Level 1, could compete with someone capable of creating a story-world that felt like reality.
Moreover, the history Zavi had witnessed and experienced still remained deeply etched in his memory, making him even more interested in this new world of his.
"So," Zavi said. "How about we get out of here?"
Loki's mouth remained tightly shut, as though reluctant to accept that command.
"Hey, what's your hobby? Where are you from? What's your supernatural ability?"
Zavi continued firing questions at him. Loki, who had initially been floating silently, growled as he emerged from the water and floated just as Zavi did.
"Cut the small talk. How much do you know about my ability?"
Loki felt a strange sensation as strange memories slowly filled his mind, gradually but surely.
Zavi wore a flat expression, his gaze as sharp as a freshly sharpened blade, as he spoke in a low and controlled voice: "It's clear that supernatural abilities cannot be used in this place filled with water."
Loki raised an eyebrow, impressed by that observation.
"You already knew that, then?"
"Yes," Zavi replied.
"Who are you, really? I've never seen your face during all my travels through the supernatural world."
"I..." Zavi seemed hesitant to answer before finally continuing in a flat, cold voice, "My name is James Moriarty."