“So… If someone jumps from one world to another, they both die?”

“Correct.”

Yeji continued, “Well, doesn’t a portal need an opening? What was the opening on earth that led to all of this?”

At that, Other Jisung let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I knew. I really wish I knew, but I don’t. My best guess is the collapsed bridge that you all mentioned.” He then tiptoed to look at the body further behind the sitting crowd. “That’s Kai, isn’t it? Ah, the fire wielder.”

Taehyun scrambled towards the still unconscious body, suddenly worried that the youngest would be in danger. With stern eyes, he asked, “What can you say about him? Did… Did your people make him fall so ill?”

“So ill? No, he’s just exhausted because he happened to receive a lot of the power from my Kai. Almost all of it, to the point where he can’t even use his abilities properly. Of course, he’d be overwhelmed.”

“Can’t you heal him? Don’t any of your people have the power to heal?”, asked Yeonjun.

Other Jisung sighed at that, “Oh, I wish, but no.”

“How can we trust you?”

There it was – the million-dollar question that no one quite knew the answer to. The Jisung from earth was not at all like the one that stood in front of them, who was bold, fearless, and just somewhat sentimental at least when it came to mourning the death of people, of some people. He was a stranger, an obstacle in some ways, but their only final destination.

As Other Jisung ignored the question and chose to look at the time on his wristwatch, Yeosang had decided that his ignorance was the first warning. “What do you gain from all of this? Why do you keep looking at the time?”

On the other hand, Taehyun was glad that someone else had noticed the frequent checks on the wristwatch.

“Well, we need you all to get our portion of powers back!”

“Can’t we just give up the power then? And we can just leave?”

It was now a conversation solely between Yeosang and Other Jisung, both of them careful with their choice of words.

“It’s not that easy. Powers can only be transferred via slimes, or with the help of the giantess herself, but she will need to first transfer the powers from you to my people, and then take them from us to have them as her own.”

“Wait… There were some slimes on the platform. They eventually died because of the powers we used on them, but are you saying that we could’ve just…” Yeosang cleared his throat, momentarily stunned by a lack of words. “Could we have just transferred our powers to the slimes, and then go back home?”

“Oh, yes, of course. It’s risky though, those claws are quite sharp. Your chances of survival as just as slim as your chances of success.”

“You don’t say…”, remarked Yeji from the side. She then asked, “So, what’s the other option?”

“You see, in just a few minutes at most, we will be joined by a good friend of mine, who will bring along the giantess.”

Yeosang furrowed his brows, immediately troubled by the idea of having another unknown person, perhaps another lookalike, on the platform. He didn’t want to have to deal with more trouble. “And then what? She just takes the powers from us and from your people, and then she’ll just resort to going back to her Higher Realm? Is that it?”

Other Jisung let out another chuckle, and it was getting on the others’ nerves. There was just something so carefree about that gesture, so heartless about that tone. He shook his head heavily, placing a hand on his chest and gasping rather exaggeratedly. “Do you really think we’d be so easy on the one who ruined our lives?”

A genuine laugh then, with a wicked undertone. Somehow, it was better and much more relieving to hear such a transparent laugh, compared to the previous muffled ones.

“Oh, my dear friends, my lovely guests, be a little smart, hmm? My people and I are not going to just give up and give away our powers that we lived with for so long, for so many years. We’ve got a plan, and by the end of it, you and I will both be quite happy.”

“How so?” Taehyun rose to his feet, stepping away from Kai’s body. He walked forward, stopping exactly where the supposed imaginary line was. Then, as he noticed Jisung – the one he cared about, the one from earth – also step and stop right next to him, Taehyun only needed a quick glance to see that Other Jisung had stepped back.

That in itself was enough to confirm that perhaps there really was a safe distance they had to maintain. Regardless, that wasn’t his priority then, at least not anymore. “You’re going to fight her? How can you guarantee we won’t be hurt?”

“I can’t.”

“What?”

“I won’t guarantee it. You will be hurt, you will engage.”

The others quickly jumped to their feet, throwing their hands up and about with utter frustration, their faces masked with anger and disbelief. They made sure to stay behind the line, aligning the position of their feet with Taehyun and Jisung’s, who were so dangerously close.

“This is a battle involving all of us!” Other Jisung bent over to grab his jacket, putting it on swiftly. He then looked at his watch again, before looking up back at the others, only to sulk at the sight. “Why do you all look so scary, hmm?”

The fake tone of fear boiled Beomgyu’s blood more than anyone else. “All you’ve got is speed and limited space, but we can actually attack you! We could fight you from a distance if we wanted to! You’re testing my patience, and I won’t hesitate to kill you!”

All he received in resp