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The doll’s memories shattered like pieces of a broken mirror.

The fragments did not connect, remaining as mere blurry images.

She always sat in the same spot.

In the center of a grand religious structure built of white marble, there was a massive hearth.

From that hearth, dazzling white flames danced upwards.

Though the flames exuded an ominous feeling, the people bowed their heads and worshipped before it.

Their faces were hidden behind black cloth, obscuring their expressions, but their gestures were filled with awe and devotion.

They fervently prayed, sometimes shedding tears.

The doll stared at them with an expressionless gaze.

Her eyes were deep and clear like they were alive, but devoid of any emotions.

After all, she was merely a doll modeled after a saintess.

After work was done, people approached the doll and took great care of her.

They dusted her off, brushed her long hair as if treating her like a living being.

Their touch was gentle and cautious.

Feeling their caress, the doll sensed an inexplicable warmth, yet she could not comprehend what it was.

All she wished for was for this peaceful moment to last forever.

Time flowed on like that.

However, one night, everything changed.

With a sudden explosion, red flames engulfed the building.

The fire blazed upwards, staining the sky red, as the people who cared for her drew their blades to confront the enemies.

Amidst this chaos, the doll remained motionless in her place.

Red blood splattered everywhere.

Before her eyes, people began to fall one by one.

For the first time, incomprehensible emotions stirred within her heart.

Was it sorrow, or was it emptiness?

Then, a sharp gunshot rang out.

Bang!

A bullet sliced through the air towards the doll’s face at high speed.

Before she could even hear the sound, one side of her face shattered, and the impact caused her to topple backward.

Small fragments of her broken face scattered across the floor.

Her vision became blurry on one side, and sound faded away.

She couldn’t tell how much time had passed.

The flames gradually died down, and the building collapsed.

The doll, completely shattered, slowly opened her eyes amidst the ruins.

Surrounded by ashes and broken pillars, only a serene silence enveloped her.

In the colorful moonlight that settled on the ruins, the doll found herself able to move her body.

Magical Book.

In this place, she had become an “Object.”

She tried to raise her body, but it was not easy due to the broken parts.

She looked around.

Everything had changed.

There was no sign of life, only cold wind brushing against her body.

The doll slowly, but with firm resolve, raised herself.

The broken joints creaked, but she paid it no mind.

Her surroundings were tinted gray.

Fragments of the broken building and charred debris were scattered around.

She reached out and picked up a piece of black cloth that had fallen to the ground.

It was part of the outfit worn by those who had once cared for her.

With a sad expression, she held the cloth close to her chest.

Yet, in that moment, the piece of cloth was carried away by the wind, scattering into nothingness as if it had never existed.

The doll looked around.

With each touch, the traces of people vanished like dust.

Now, at last, she could move her body.

Now, at last, she could handle the white flames as the people wished.

Yet, those who cared for her were no longer in this world.

A wave of despair surged from deep within her heart.

She knelt down and looked up at the sky.

The darkness-stained sky offered no response.

[Return the people to me.]

[Return me to that time.]

She screamed within her heart, but no sound escaped her lips.

Not even a breath could be felt.

Covering her face with both hands, the doll shed white flames.

Those flames flowed down her cheeks like tears.

The surroundings were still.

Only the broken pillars and ashes shared her sorrow.

At that moment, a sound like something clashing echoed from somewhere.

Clink, clink.

It sounded as if small stones were striking each other.

The doll raised her head.

Amidst the smoky ruins, the figure of a man slowly emerged.

He held an antique lamp in his hand, surrounded by smoke, his form indistinct.

And the light from the lamps burning around cast flickering illumination through the haze.

*

In the depths of the Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

I was leisurely strolling when I suddenly gasped, eyes wide open.

‘!’

I had caught sight of the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper still wandering around in its fused state.

‘Why is it still fused?’

I gazed at the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper with a puzzled expression.

The other Mini Reapers’ fusions didn’t last long, but this one was hanging on for too long.

The Golden Reaper and the fusion of Golden Reaper too.

The Black Reapers and the fusion of Black Reapers.

Even the 1st Sword and the fusion of the Golden Cloaked Reaper.

None of those lasted this long.

It was almost at the same level as when I fused with the Orange Reaper or the Golden Reaper.

‘I wish the 1st Sword and the Golden Cloaked Reaper could fuse for that long…’

I lost myself in thought, pondering various things.

Ultimately, I decided to break apart the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper.

After all, the hybrid looked way too terrifying!

As I slowly approached the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper, it was sitting next to the Pudding Reaper.

Poying. Poying.

The Pudding Reaper bounced around like a slime, while the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper smiled beside it.

‘…’

I flipped the Halo of Fusion upside down on my head and stealthily approached the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper.

‘!’

Sensing something strange, the Hybrid Hungry Ghost Reaper turned to look at the Gray Reaper.

But it was already too late.

The fusion was undone, and the Hungry Ghost Reaper and the White Hungry Ghost returned to their respective forms.

Kyu!

Kyuheeng heeng.

The Hungry Ghost Reaper and the White Hungry Ghost then cried out sorrowfully, wearing downcast expressions.

Poying. Poying.

And the Pudding Reaper, feeling the emotions of the Hungry Ghost Reaper, also bounced around with a sad expression.

The eyes of the Hungry Ghost and the children were filled with disappointment and sorrow.

‘Is fusion really that great?’

Watching the children’s reactions, I felt a little puzzled.

When I fused, I never felt such an intense attachment.

‘Why is that…’

Maybe, similar to how the Mini Reapers have an instinctive liking for “large things,” there might be some unique factor that excites the children about fusion.

Dudang dudang.

As I wandered away from the sorrowful Hungry Ghost Reaper, I noticed the Golden Reapers and the Black Reapers simultaneously rushing somewhere in a huddle.

The sight of the small children gathering and rushing off looked like a massive stream.

Curiously, the currents of the Black Reapers and the Golden Reapers were not mixing.

Normally, they would move around chaotically, weaving together.

And the intentions radiating from the Black Reapers and Golden Reapers held ominous content.

‘Fight!’

‘Battle!’

‘Victory!’

Had the two factions finally reached a point where they would go to war over the Golden Reaper Council issue?

I anticipated an exciting battle spectacle, grabbing a huge popcorn, and followed the currents of the Golden Reapers and Black Reapers.

The place I arrived at was a giant Colosseum.

Inside, the Golden Reapers and Black Reapers distinctly occupied their half of the Colosseum without mixing together.

‘!’

Upon seeing this, I thought, ‘Are they really going to fight?,’ and just then, one Golden Reaper stepped forward towards the arena.

‘1st Sword!’

‘The strongest Golden Reaper!’

At this, the Golden Reapers cheered, clapping and jumping with excitement.

Similarly, on the opposite side, a Black Reaper stepped out toward the arena.

‘The strongest Black Reaper!’

‘The Black Reaper who fought the external being!’

And the Black Reapers also started cheering and clapping.

‘!’

A battle between the Golden Reaper 1st Sword and the Black Hooded Reaper…

Both seemed evenly matched, making it hard to predict the outcome.

Suddenly filled with excitement, I took a seat reserved for my mom and started munching on popcorn.

Crunch. Crunch.

The Colosseum, which had just been filled with the sounds of children bouncing and clapping, fell into silence, making the sound of my popcorn crunching echo like thunder.

‘?’

When I looked around with a puzzled expression, all the Mini Reapers were staring at me intently.

Their eyes sparkled with what seemed like anticipation.

Suddenly overwhelmed with excitement, I quickly realized what the children wanted.

I stood up and exclaimed with great enthusiasm.

‘The match is about to begin!’

*

In the ruins of the “Cult” deep in the mountains of China.

Junior No. 2 thought that the Man of the Lamp wouldn’t have misled them and began to wander through the ruins mindlessly.

However, the place where the “Cult” used to be was so thoroughly destroyed that nothing remained intact.

“Really, is there a ‘Saintess’ who’s supposed to grant wishes in a place like this?”

Junior No. 2 sighed while poking the Golden Horn Reaper sitting on her chest.

But the Golden Horn Reaper, unlike usual, showed no reaction and stared blankly in one direction.

“What’s wrong? Is there something there?”

Then, when Junior No. 2 turned her head in that direction, she felt a sense of something being out of place.

Step. Step.

And the moment she set foot where the largest building used to stand in the ruins, the environment around her completely changed.

A massive building made of white marble, intricately carved in pristine detail.

The strange people wrapped in black cloth, seen in Mount Gyeyang.

And the heat radiating from the massive hearth in the center.

Just moments ago, it felt a bit chilly in the deep woods at late night, but now it felt almost hot.

“What… what is this?”

At that moment, a woman approached Junior No. 2, who was bewildered, and greeted her.

[Hello. You must be the ones here to have your wishes granted.]

Though her voice was inaudible, it was a greeting whose meaning could be understood.

“That face…?”

Junior No. 2 turned her head and exclaimed in confusion at the woman who had greeted her.