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Yu Da On didn’t let go of my sleeve until we arrived at the Gangseo Branch.

And behind me, Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin were chattering away about something.

The Gangseo Branch was also empty.

“…Da On, we’ve arrived.”

Only then did Yu Da On release my sleeve.

Song Ah Rin and Jang Chae Yeon also fell silent.

Were they shocked by what they heard too?

“Still, let’s go in.”

Who knows? Even if it was something the Branch Chief said.

Despite having walked through the empty Gangseo Branch before, why did it feel so different this time?

Entering the empty office was something I had grown used to.

I tapped the Branch Chief’s desk with the tip of my pencil.

As the desk cracked, Song Ah Rin sighed deeply at the sight.

“Ah, so this is what I heard about in rumors.”

Descending the old iron stairs.

Soon, a clean basement and a firmly shut iron door welcomed us.

[Name: Iron Door]

[Age: X]

[Speciality: X]

[Talent: Selection]

[Background: When the time comes, it shall open for the last hope of humanity.]

[Weakness: -]

The tightly closed door welcomed us.

A heavy atmosphere settled before the door that wouldn’t budge.

“Chae Yeon, the door isn’t opening, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Jang Chae Yeon reached out to the door a few times and shook her head.

“Well then…”

At Song Ah Rin’s words, Yu Da On flinched and clutched my sleeve tightly.

“Hey, don’t be scared.”

Song Ah Rin chuckled softly.

“After all, someone said one person is left. So… until then, we’re together.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded in agreement.

“We don’t know yet.”

“…”

Yu Da On was just holding onto my sleeve, her eyes squeezed shut.

“That’s right.”

There’s someone remaining. We have to figure it out.

But how do we find that someone?

No, we probably don’t need to look.

That person will likely come find us.

“For now… if we succeed, leaving Da On behind…”

It didn’t take long to head back upstairs and make our way to the Human Resources Team office.

We entered the Human Resources Team.

Could the Team Leader still be alive?

After all, isn’t the Team Leader the best at spotting danger?

Or wait, if the Team Leader is alive, doesn’t that create a problem too?

Lost in thought, I opened the Human Resources Team door.

“…”

Of course, all my worries were in vain.

The Team Leader wasn’t here at all.

Only the empty Human Resources Team welcomed us.

“It seems the Team Leader is not around.”

“…”

At my words, Jang Chae Yeon patted my back in silence.

-Thump, thump, thump.

Suddenly, sounds began to echo from afar.

It wasn’t just any sound.

It was like a drum beating from the heavens.

With Yu Da On, who was out of her mind, excluded, the three of us exchanged glances.

“Here we go.”

Suddenly, Song Ah Rin, who had been sitting at her desk clicking away on the computer, got up from her chair.

“I’ll take a look first.”

“Song Ah Rin.”

“Don’t worry. It’s common sense that the most useless one goes first to die.”

With a gentle smile, Song Ah Rin confidently stepped out the door, and not long after, she returned to the Human Resources Team office with a dazed expression.

“Song Ah Rin?”

Did she get brainwashed or something?

“I’m fine.”

Still unable to shake off her shocking expression, Song Ah Rin looked at all of us.

“Um… I can hear music…”

“Music?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

Song Ah Rin gestured to Jang Chae Yeon and me.

Following her, we exited the Human Resources Team and stood at the entrance of the Gangseo Branch.

The sky was tinted in a golden hue, as if the sunset were spilling.

– Dong, dong, dong…

The sound of drums echoed.

“What is this…”

– Dong, dong, dong…

The drumbeat grew louder.

As I continued to gaze at the sky, after a long while, a translucent window appeared in my sight.

[Name: -]

[Age: -]

[Speciality: -]

[Talent: -]

[Background: The great day is near. Close and exceedingly swift. The sound of a promised day. It is a day of wrath, a day of calamity and pain, a day of desolation and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and darkness.]

[Weakness: -]

Unlike usual, the translucent window shook violently.

Soon, as if everyone had given up, the translucent window crackled and vanished with a noise.

“…Could this be…?”

“…!”

For a moment, as I murmured to myself, Jang Chae Yeon, realizing something, quickly wrapped her arms around my body and extended her hands forward.

-Bang!

Something crashed down on us simultaneously,

“…Cough…!”

Jang Chae Yeon, with blood dripping from her nose, took a deep breath.

-Bang! Bang!

Flying from afar was…

“…A boulder?”

-Crash!

Massive rubble from buildings hurtled toward us, with Jang Chae Yeon blocking the debris time and again.

“Cough!”

Jang Chae Yeon spat blood as she glanced at Song Ah Rin.

“You know?”

“…”

At her words, Song Ah Rin nodded.

“Chae Yeon—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Song Ah Rin seized my hand and patted Jang Chae Yeon’s shoulder.

In a tone that sounded as if she was sending a comrade off, she spoke to Jang Chae Yeon earnestly.

“Hey. I’m counting on you.”

“…Okay.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded, wiping the blood flowing from her nose as if she already understood.

“What are you counting on?”

“…Over there.”

Jang Chae Yeon turned to look at me and smiled gently.

“…I believe in you.”

That was the only thing Jang Chae Yeon said to me.

She reached her hand toward me.

With a fluttering sound, my and Song Ah Rin’s bodies were violently thrust away, as if caught in a strong wind.

“Ugh!”

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then, it appeared as if a furious battle had begun as sounds of clashes filled the air.

Without looking back, Song Ah Rin grabbed my hand and began to run.

“Wait, Song Ah Rin…!”

-Crash!

From behind, the unending sound of something smashing could be heard.

Until that moment we entered the branch, the noise continued, only to stop cold with the drumbeats.

-Dong, dong, dong…

After how long we ran, Song Ah Rin finally halted before the entrance of the Human Resources Team, looking at me.

Where was Jang Chae Yeon? What about what happened earlier?

Then, the fight just now was…

“Listen well!”

Grabbing both my cheeks, Song Ah Rin locked eyes with me.

Her violet eyes met mine.

“You’re taking the black-haired one with you from now on.”

“…”

Song Ah Rin held my hands tightly for a moment before letting go.

“Wait a second, Song Ah Rin.”

“Think it through.”

“…”

Song Ah Rin lifted her gaze and looked at me.

Her calm violet eyes met mine.

“In this time of calamity, is there really only one person who might dare to attack us openly?”

“…”

A man popped into my head.

“It’s okay.”

The hand of Song Ah Rin gripping mine trembled.

“This isn’t due to the Management Agency or because she’s a veteran.”

“Hold on, Song Ah Rin.”

“I’m not asking for much.”

“…”

“Next time, just call me A-Rin.”

The hand she had been holding fell away.

“I’m sure you can take care of things. You must have had a hard time. Even if I don’t know, make sure to compliment yourself on the hard work.”

“Wait, Song Ah Rin!”

Without a backward glance, Song Ah Rin began to dash toward where Jang Chae Yeon had gone.

She turned the corner and her figure disappeared.

“…Damn it.”

I had no choice but to open the Human Resources Team door and call for Yu Da On.

*

“…Huff… Huff…”

After turning the corner, Song Ah Rin’s legs trembled endlessly.

It was evident fear, but still, she had to keep moving.

“…Huff… Huff…”

Her gaze turned toward the window.

A white-haired woman with a familiar appearance sat on her knees as if turned to stone.

From her, no longer could she feel the presence of a living person.

“…Thank you.”

Though she couldn’t hear it, that’s why Song Ah Rin honestly expressed her gratitude and looked ahead.

– Step, step…

Footsteps approached.

“…”

Soon, a man with a pale aura appeared before her.

Two of his fingers were already grotesquely twisted.

So, this is the Reincarnator he spoke of.

His appearance was utterly ordinary.

Song Ah Rin smiled inwardly.

She was all set now.

“Seriously. You?”

Before she could finish her bold sentence,

– Thud!

Something pierced her solar plexus.

“…Ah, ugh…”

As she slowly turned her gaze downward,

a long object was embedded in her solar plexus.

What is this, she had no time to think.

Along with a dull pain, her body crumbled without following her commands.

“…Last time I let you speak, and you played tricks on my head right away. So I had no choice but to kill you.”

She heard the man’s voice.

Song Ah Rin raised her gaze to meet the man’s eyes.

Her gaze, void of focus, had already abandoned her.

“But either way, you were destined to die. I hope you can appreciate that your life was extended a little.”

Having said that, he walked past her.

“…Keuh, cough…”

She tried to say something, but the horrible mass blocking her throat prevented her from making any sound.

Yet, as she watched the departing figure of the man, she couldn’t help but smile to herself.

Thinking back to the earlier conversation.

“Hey, white hair.”

‘…’

While the man was busy comforting the black-haired one, Song Ah Rin spoke to the white-haired woman.

“Why?”

“If I wanted to deceive someone who can see the future, how should I go about it?”

‘…I don’t know.’

“You have to make them believe till the end that the future they saw is reality, you fool.”

‘…Why do you ask that all of a sudden?’

“Listen closely.”

In her memory, the white-haired woman once again intently listened to her tale—

“…What a fool.”

Watching the man leave, Song Ah Rin twisted one side of her mouth upward.

“You, heh… lost, huh…”

The moment Jang Chae Yeon deflected his attack, Song Ah Rin was already implanting a suggestion in the man.

However, as if he realized her brainwashing, he peremptorily bent his finger, breaking out of her hypnosis, leading Song Ah Rin to swiftly change her strategy.

Direct brainwashing was noticed immediately.

If that’s the case, he’d have to keep deceiving himself until all this was over.

“I miscalculated… the time…”

– Dong, dong, dong…

As Song Ah Rin mumbled, the sound of drums began to echo behind her.

“…Ha.”

And the man didn’t come back.

She had won.

A smile blossomed on Song Ah Rin’s face.

“Ah ha, cough, ah ha ha, cough!”

Humans cannot resist a power far greater than themselves alone.

It’s the same for abilities as well.

Just as there are opponents whose abilities do not work, no ability is omnipotent.

That man who could turn back time, perhaps he had been so used to being alone for too long that he didn’t realize it.

As she spat out blood, she smiled with joy.

Struggling to turn her head toward the sky, she noticed that the ceiling of the Management Agency had vanished, and golden beams of light now shone down upon her.

The wearied face of the man locked eyes with hers.

Though it would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared, she had no regrets.

Every version of her across timelines would have done the same.

“Just try not to call me A-Rin next time.”

Of course, that version of her wouldn’t remember it, but still.

“I’ll kick you right in the shins.”

A gentle smile spread across Song Ah Rin’s face.

At that moment, the golden light enveloped her, and her memories came to an abrupt halt.