Ludleth felt that heart of his—numbed by long years of being fuel for the flame—stir to life again.
What had happened today was simply too absurd.
First there was that miracle, blazing like a newborn sun. Then an impossible figure—someone who shouldn't be awake in this era—set foot in Firelink Shrine.
And after Ludleth offered that visitor a bit of negligible advice, the man left… only to be back in less than an hour.
With souvenirs.
"Yo! I'm back." Yu Jin greeted the king on the throne with casual familiarity.
He tossed the elder prince onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, then carried Lothric on his back to the throne meant for him.
The moment Lothric seated himself, he felt it—his soul beginning to kindle, slowly, steadily. The burn was gentle, the sort that would last a long time. After all, he was a Chosen Lord of Cinder, real kindling.
"How's it feel? Anything uncomfortable?" Yu Jin asked.
"…Even if I say I'm uncomfortable, what can you do? Let us go?" Lothric looked down at the one who had dragged him and his brother here.
"C'mon, I'm just asking. If you are uncomfortable, you can always drag your brother up here to take your place."
Sensing Lothric's gaze sharpening, Yu Jin waved a hand.
"You're frail. He's built like a bull. If there's a problem, of course you use him to tank it."
"No need." Lothric's voice was ice.
That man was the only person he cared about. How could he allow his brother to feel his soul being burned away, bit by bit?
"Alright, alright, don't act like I'm some villain. I've been pretty friendly. Otherwise you two would be down two heads right now."
Yu Jin turned and started down the steps.
"Don't even think about running. From this distance, your brother won't get away."
"…I won't run."
"Good."
Yu Jin reached Ludleth and grinned. "Brought you two companions. Happy now?"
Ludleth didn't know what to say. He glanced at the one sprawled on the floor, then at the one on the throne above, silent as a tomb. Finally he turned to Yu Jin's cheerful face.
"You… this is—"
"Didn't I already say it? I'm going to save this world. If it has to survive until I find a real way to do that, someone's gotta be the firewood. That's just how it is."
"Mm." Ludleth nodded.
"If there really were another way… it would've been found long ago. Unless you think every sage in history was an idiot." Lothric's calm voice drifted down from above.
He wasn't mocking—just stating fact.
Ludleth hesitated, then nodded too. "That is what I wished to say. If you truly have another lead… can you share it?"
"Hold up. I'll show you something." Yu Jin opened the group chat.
Firelinker: "Brothers, can you get me some stuff?"
Stellaron Gremlin: "You called me brother—how could I not help my sister?"
College Kid: "You dog!! Answer me—why am I in Reunion? This is NOTHING like what you said!"
Firelinker: "…Your situation's more complicated than theirs."
Programmer: "So what do you need, Yu Jin?"
See? Kevin-ge is reliable.
Firelinker: "I need some high-tech gear to bluff these guys."
Yu Jin didn't trust his own eloquence to convince two Lords of Cinder. So he decided to bring in something different—a prop to get the conversation rolling.
Stellaron Gremlin: "I wanna help, sis, but I'm literally flying a ship. No time."
Who was it, cruising through the cosmos on a ship courtesy of a rich friend?
Me, Star!
She wanted to help her sister, but couldn't.
"I really wanted to see Yu Jin's world too… guess it'll have to wait."
College Kid: "No time. I'm commanding a war."
In Chernobog, surrounded by a dozen Reunion members, the Doctor stood with eyes closed. He needed no devices—wind told him where enemies hid; snakes carried his orders to the fighters with flawless precision.
The enemy crept cautiously through the streets, unaware that Doctor's group was right there. When they entered a choke point—
"Crush them!" Doctor ordered.
Reunion struck first. The ambush was clean. The enemy never had a chance, and soon they were bound in ropes.
"So strong, Doctor! How did you do that? Is it Originium Arts?" Masked Kevin asked in awe.
"Keep it down." Doctor adjusted his collar, serene and composed. "Now let's go. Your leader's waiting, right?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, right." Doctor pointed back at the tied-up enemies. "Bring them too. Maybe we can study what turned them into this."
The Reunion members obeyed eagerly.
Soon, righteous Reunion marched off, each of them carrying two evil Rhodes Island operators on their shoulders.
Fastest replies, earliest refusals. Useless, both of you.
Yu Jin pinned his hopes on the mature, dependable Kevin.
Firelinker: "Kevin-ge, you free? Brother needs you!"
Programmer: "I'm free."
Firelinker: "Love you~"
Stellaron Gremlin: "Love you~"
College Kid: "Love you~"
Firelinker: "You two trashbags, don't be gross."
Walking along the roadside, Kevin saw the messages, smiled, then sighed.
"Just got off work and you want 'high-tech'? What high-tech?"
He told Yu Jin to wait a bit, then looked down at what he had on him.
One phone.
…Yep. That's it.
Modern people are like that. You've got a phone, you've got everything.
Kevin scanned the nearby shops and spotted an electronics store.
"Yu Jin's world doesn't have electricity… and they worship fire to the bone. Light should count as 'high-tech,' right?"
Not fully sure, he walked in and asked the owner for something.
Minutes later he left carrying a bulky item.
He checked the street—no one watching—slipped into an alley, and sent a world-entry request to Yu Jin.
Inside Firelink Shrine, Ludleth and Lothric watched Yu Jin's facial expressions shift.
This guy looked kind of… dumb?
Of course, neither of them would ever say something so crude out loud.
Then—without warning—another person appeared in the shrine.
No omen. No ripple. As if he'd been there all along and they simply hadn't noticed.
"Oh, you're here!" Yu Jin opened his arms. "As you can see, this is my world. A garbage pit. Short version: a dump."
He said it right in front of the Lords of Cinder, without the faintest shame.
Kevin stared at him, speechless. "Who calls their own world a dump?"
"A dump is a dump. You can scrub it all you want—still a dump!"
While the two of them talked—
The two kings on their thrones frowned, watching Kevin.
"Who is he? How did he appear? I didn't sense anything!" Ludleth might've been sluggish from burning too long, but Lothric had been observing everything.
He knew for sure: that wasn't a miracle, not sorcery, and definitely not a hex.
"…Another unknown power? Like that black sphere earlier?"
Lothric pondered the method of Kevin's appearance. Ludleth, meanwhile, was caught in the words Yu Jin had used.
My world… a dump.
Why would Yu Jin say that? Unless—
Ludleth looked at Kevin.
His pupils contracted.
A Lord of Cinder could never be ordinary; they were chosen for the strength of their souls. Ludleth, a soul-smith by nature, saw something reflected in Kevin that didn't resemble anything he knew.
An utterly different soul.
Ordinary, yet not.
Ordinary because it was truly plain.
Not ordinary because—even if the First Flame died—this soul would be unaffected.
That was the judgment of a Lord who had spent a lifetime in the domain of souls.
"Hey! Kevin, hand over the high-tech!" Yu Jin stretched out his palm.
"Your attitude sucks," Kevin muttered, but still passed the item over.
Yu Jin squinted at it.
"…What is this?"
"…A flashlight."
"This is your high-tech for your brother?"
Kevin turned his gaze away guiltily, then dug out his phone.
"If that's not enough, just use my phone."
"Now this works. How do I turn it on?"
Kevin pointed at a button.
Yu Jin nodded, then—under the watchful eyes of two Lords of Cinder—raised the flashlight like a sacred relic.
"All eyes on me! Look here, look here!"
"No idea what I'm holding, right?"
No one replied. Yu Jin didn't care.
"High tech! Not of our world! A product from another world!"
Now they understood the claim—whether they believed it was another matter.
Seeing the doubt on their faces, Yu Jin clicked the flashlight on.
White light exploded through Firelink's gloom.
A radiance they had never seen before.
A beam born from electricity, molded through design into a blinding spear of light.
Ludleth and Lothric stared at the flashlight as if frozen.
What was that?
How could light like this exist?
Kevin had bought the brightest one the store had. One beam could light an entire street.
Yu Jin saw their stupor and snapped his fingers at Kevin.
"Phone. Got any videos?"
"You can just browse."
Kevin handed over his unlocked phone. Yu Jin hopped up beside Lothric, navigated smoothly, and found a long video and some landscape shots.
"Not lying, right? These are from another world! Look at this!"
He opened the video and held it out.
Lothric stared, bewildered—then disbelieving—then shocked.
A world unlike anything he knew.
No need for fire—yet the sun rose every day.
Iron boxes that moved on their own.
People in strange clothes walking streets.
A giant board high above buildings, like a projected illusion, where a person spoke endlessly.
He couldn't understand the language.
But he believed Yu Jin.
That was a world he couldn't even name.
A world he envied.
The video ran over forty minutes. Lothric watched until the end, still unmoving.
"Well? I didn't lie, did I?" Yu Jin took the phone back.
"If no salvation exists in this world, then I'll find it in another."
Lothric slowly turned to him.
"That kind of world… it really exists?"
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
Lothric looked at Kevin. "He came from that world?"
Yu Jin nodded.
"…That world is wonderful."
"Compared to it, our world really is a dump."
"Right? Next time I'll take you to see it."
"…I can go too?"
"Of course. I don't even need to save the world for that. Once I've saved up enough, I'll bring you along."
"…Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Yu Jin met Lothric's eyes. "So will you trust me, Lothric?"
"You maintain this world's order…"
"I'll find the way to save it."
Lothric fell silent.
—
Lorian woke to pain roaring through every bone.
He sprang up, on guard, and saw the smiling Yu Jin, Kevin, Ludleth watching a film, and—
Lothric on a throne.
"This is… Firelink Shrine!" Lorian recognized it instantly—and what his brother's seat meant.
"Lothric, don't be afraid! I'll get you out!" he shouted.
He moved to attack Yu Jin—
"Brother. Stop."
Lorian froze, staring up at Lothric.
Lothric could read the confusion in his eyes.
But he had already decided.
He drew a deep breath.
Then, with clarity that shook the shrine:
"Brother… I'm going to link the fire."
Lorian: "??????"
-------
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