EPISODE 27
The large royal palanquin is carried by twelve servants.
Escorted in front and behind by mounted guards, with rifle and revolver.
Queen Cha Yu-Sun is sitting in front of Yoon-Hee, worried and silent.
| - | You're not very entertaining... |
| (remains silent, looks down, remembers...) |
Yoon-Hee slowly wakes up from sleep, her vision like fog.
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| ~ | (sings softly mockingly) ~~Princess Dong... ~~Princess Dong... ~Yoo-hoo, Princess Dong~. |
Yoon-Hee twitches her nose. Under her nostrils, a vial of salts.
|
| ~ | ~~We wake up without a charming prince and a kiss. The Queen needs you, Princess Dong~. |
Yoon-Hee opens her eyes, and her first vision is chilling:
Cha Yu-Sun leaning over her, smiling, holding a vial of special salts, dressed as a queen.
|
| - | Mm-- (about to say "Mi-Ra") ... Mama... |
Yoon-Hee knows that Mi-Ra thinks she is dead.
She has to pretend to be Princess Dong, to survive.
|
| - | (gently runs her hand over Yoon-Hee's forehead) You and I go for a little stroll in the country. |
|
| - | (sitting up) What... What do you mean? ... What do you want from me? |
|
| - | You will be used as bait for Wang Shin. Although you'd make better bait for the dinosaurs, moah-ah!! |
A drop of sweat drips from Yoon-Hee's temple. Cha Yu-Sun notices it.
|
| - | (must convey this as legitimate fear) You... you're planning to use me, then eliminate me? |
|
| - | I'll just liquidate Wang Shin and his gang. Then you'll forget about me and go back to your sterile business. |
|
| - | (trying to be a credible Princess Dong) So... I'm not your enemy? |
|
| - | You were not responsible and I removed the source of your turmoil. |
|
| : | The source of the turmoil... it was me ? I have to pretend that Princess Dong is free from the scenario. |
|
| - | Why would I be mad at you? |
|
| - | I... I don't know what came over me. ... I started dreaming of a life full of adventure. |
|
| - | Of course, but that's not you, isn't it? |
|
| - | No... No, it certainly isn't. I have... scientific studies to do. |
|
| - | Stop shaking and worrying like that. Normally, you're safe. |
|
| - | How can I be sure... if I'm your hostage?! |
|
| - | That would break some rules... about heroes. Get up now. |
Yoon-Hee stands up. Cha Yu-Sun circles around her, examining her.
|
| - | (smiles) Deep down, we could be friends. |
|
| - | ... ?! |
|
| - | You remind me so much of a person I loved. A person who unfortunately betrayed me. |
|
| : | (!!) She talks about me... like Yoon-Hee. But maybe... (remembers...) |
|
| - | (to the smartphone) Soo... Soo-Bong... |
| ~ | (worried) Yoon-Hee? Are you alright? |
|
| - | I went to... "Queen of Darkness". |
|
| ~ | (confused) Huh?! ... (realizes slowly, gets scared) |
|
| - | The manhwa... like "W". |
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| ~ | (!!!, stands up, yells) You went to the manhwa world??! |
|
| : | ... if Soo-Bong sees the chapters...?! |
|
| - | What's wrong? We're leaving now. |
|
| - | Could I just know... where we go? |
|
| - | On a spiritual retreat, at Bulguksa Temple. |
Mi-Ra shows a tourist brochure to Yoon-Hee: Bulguksa temple.
| - | I love the architecture. Use this setting for the next fight. |
|
| - | But Seonsaingnim... It's north of Busan, on the other side of the country? |
|
| - | So what?! Let's just say the temple is in the west, less than a day from the royal city. |
|
| - | Yes, of course... |
|
| - | (points to a multi-story building on the flyer) And put that in the center of the temple, rather than on the edge. |
Soo-Bong enters the workshop and rushes to the tablet.
He sees this picture on it:
| - | Can I just know... where we go? |
| - | On a spiritual retreat, at Bulguksa Temple |
The image fades out, replaced by this one:
| - | (bandage on the head) I don't need to, I have to-- |
| - | Baeuja, your wound is very serious! Sleep for an hour. By the time we go to find an effective medicine. |
Soo-Bong takes the electronic stylus, ready to draw.
|
| - | Tell me, do you still love Wang Shin? |
|
| - | I think... I think I got overheated too quickly. |
|
| - | Ah ah! No wonder. (looks at her bulges, disgusted) A girl like you is easily fooled. |
|
| - | !! (annoyed) |
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| - | (scornful) The first weirdo who takes an interest in you, you're happy with. |
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| - | (offended) You know, I've had many suitors! I've chosen to turn them down. |
|
| - | Ah ah! One wonders why. Maybe you want to die a virgin? |
|
| - | ... (cold anger, clenched teeth) |
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| - | (mocking) The King had to struggle to make them come. The unfortunate ones... (so funny) I can imagine their faces when they were told of your date. |
|
| - | Not at all! I'm the selective one. You were also attracted to Wang Shin? |
|
| - | ... ("true, less stupid than Yoon-Hee") |
|
| - | For me too, Wang Shin was just a casual relationship! |
|
| - | (pleasantly surprised) That's fine, that's how to deal with men. You see that we could become friends? |
|
| - | That will probably be possible, when you are no longer the Queen. And when you have made me forget that you are the Queen of Darkness. |
|
| - | Yes. I can't wait to be a humble shaman in the shadows again. Running this stinking government is untenable... |
Outside view, a man is walking his dog in the street.
| ~ | This is driving me nuts... |
The wall clock shows "11:45". Tic-Tac, the seconds hand turns around the dial.
Yeon-Joo looks at the clock, anxious.
|
| - | It was crazy to confront her like that. |
Yeon-Joo pulls the "Butterfly Girl" tablet out of standby mode. This image on it:
The gnomes are gardening. Mr. Ladybug looks at the wall of the house.
|
| - | It's quiet, on Ren-Bo's part... |
BRZZ! Her smartphone vibrates, Soo-Bong, she picks up.
|
| - | Soo-Bong?! What's going on?! Are they back?! |
|
| - | (panicked) Noona!! Did they appear next to you? |
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| - | (??!) No!! Why are you so scared?! |
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| - | The screen is all white!! (looks at Yoon-Hee's tablet, white screen) |
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| - | Time stopped?!! The dimensional portal?!! |
|
| - | (shouts) But it's been 3 minutes since the screen is white!!! |
|
| - | !!! (stands up, worried) |
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| - | Time is stopped there, but they didn't come out!!! |
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| - | (hand over her heart) What?!!! What does that mean?! (panic) They are also frozen in the time?! |
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| - | (trembling voice) I don't know!! I can't see or do anything! |
Yeon-Joo bites her nails, worried, face contracted.
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| - | (crazy) But why? Why?! What's screwy this time?!! |
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| - | Noona!! I'm scared to death!! What if Mi-Ra comes back to the painting workshop? |
|
| - | Wait... wait... let me think... |
|
| - | ... (looks around anxiously) |
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| - | Soo-Bong, stay on the spot! |
|
| - | (scared shitless) But it's super dangerous!!! |
|
| - | Mi-Ra would have come back by now, so she's there. And if she stays there... time passes normally. |
|
| - | (!!) Or maybe she's frozen in time?!! |
|
| - | In that case, you don't risk anything either. |
|
| - | Oh yes... that's right. (calms down) |
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| - | (unsure) Maybe... this is temporary... (hoping) It has to be! You have to be ready to help them when the screen turns back on normally! |
|
| - | ... Well, okay. |
|
| - | And keep your smartphone online! |
|
| - | Okay, Noona. (slips smartphone in his pocket, without disconnecting) |
Do-Yoon and Kang Chul are worried.
| - | Maybe you can tell me what's going on? |
| - | Something should have happened, and it didn't. |
| - | (looks at the sky) Soo-Bong!! Send me a message. Tell me what you see on your side. |
They are waiting but nothing happens...
|
| - | (annoyed) What are you waiting for? What was supposed to happen? |
|
| - | Why isn't he reacting?! |
|
| - | !! (losing patience) |
|
| - | It's not just the portal that failed to open. Something else is screwy. Another damn buggy manhwa! |
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| - | (annoyed) Enough wasted time, we have to go back to the palace. (firm) We have to make a plan to save my wife Yoon-Hee. |
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| - | (losing patience) What's the use? Yoon-hee is dead!! |
|
| - | (confused) What?! How could you know that? |
|
| - | ... (thinking, tense) |
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| - | (firm) With or without you, I'll check it out right away!! (goes to a horse, rifle in hand) |
|
| - | Stop it, Wang Shin, she is not dead here. She died in the real world. I'm sorry. |
|
| - | ... ?! (stops, turns around) |
|
| - | She was the second artist of your manhwa. She owned Princess Dong's body when she came here. |
|
| - | ... !!! (opens his eyes wide, understands, quickly...) |
Further away, Yoon-Hee begins to draw him with charcoal on a large sheet.
|
| - | You have all the skills! |
|
| - | Actually the only one, and the best. |
|
| - | That's why she drew so well... |
|
| - | ... !! (amazed while looking) |
A drawing whose modernity and sophistication is confusing for this era, and yet...
Wang Shin is faithfully restored. Better. Reinforced in his core features. His essence on paper.
|
| - | If one distant day you were the hero of a manhwa, you would look like this. |
|
| - | That's why she was drawing me in that strange way. |
|
| - | Yes. |
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| - | (to herself) I'm dead! Mi-Ra killed me! (certainty) I was already dead when I came here, for days... |
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| - | (looks strangely at Wang Shin, scared) Now I'm Princess Dong Hee? |
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| - | (looks down) No, in that case... ... why would I remember being Yoon-Hee? |
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| - | (looking at Wang Shin) Who am I? How can I be here? |
|
| - | Yoon-Hee is not dead!!! |
|
| - | (annoyed) Are you that stubborn?! |
|
| - | Cha Yu-Sun was captured, and she confessed under torture. Unfortunately, she escaped. |
|
| - | She thinks I'm dead now. She probably thinks I'm just Princess Dong. |
|
| - | Yes, we are in a manhwa. And I'm stuck here forever, because I'm dead in the real world. |
Driven mad by certainty, Wang Shin grabs Kang Chul by the collar.
|
| - | The REAL Yoon-hee is still here, not just Princess Dong!! |
|
| - | ??! |
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| - | (shakes Kang Chul) She told me yesterday!!! She was terrified!!! (shouts) She said precisely "MI-RA KILLED ME"! |
(!!!) Kang Chul and Do-Yoon widen their eyes in shock.
|
| - | We have to save Yoon-Hee now!! |
|
| - | ("finally!") That's what I'm killing myself to tell you. |
|
| - | What will happen to her, if she is condemned to stay in the manhwa?! |
|
| - | (exasperated) I don't care, we'll study your wacky stories later. |
|
| - | Fine, we'll do it, and without wasting time. |
|
| - | There you go, finally acting like a man!! |
|
| - | (sighs wearily) Pffff.... |
|
| - | The Queen of Darkness will use her to ambush us. |
|
| - | There must be a way to infiltrate the palace. |
|
| - | She's not in the palace anymore. She's being taken to a better place to trap us. |
|
| - | So what is Cha Yu-Sun waiting for to send us a message? |
|
| - | (alert eyes) I know... (understood everything...) |
Cha Yu-Sun leads Yoon-Hee to visit the temple, they walk in the alleys.
Everywhere, in the alleys, the gardens, in the windows, on the roofs...
... an army of mercenary bandits, shadow killers, guards with rifles and revolvers.
|
| - | I'm glad you've given up on Wang Shin. I'd be embarrassed if you were upset about his death. |
|
| - | I'm not particularly happy that he dies. What you are doing is... so horrible. |
|
| - | (amused) No, just routine business... |
|
| : | I have to make her talk about her plans. I have to alert Wang Shin somehow. |
They enter a room on the 3rd and last floor, with a balcony.
Yoon-Hee looks at the decor and recognizes the place...
|
| - | (points to a multi-story building on the brochure) And put that in the center of the temple, rather than on the edge. |
|
| - | Tonight you'll sleep here. |
|
| - | Why? What are you planning? |
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| - | A trap to kill Wang Shin, Kang Chul and Do-Yoon. This room is easily accessible from outside. |
|
| - | So it will be easier to free me? I don't understand. |
|
| - | It will make them try to sneak in. |
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| - | They will have my message by late afternoon. Of course, they will act at night, thinking to hide in the dark. |
|
| : | She follows the pattern of villains who like to talk about their plans. |
|
| - | Ah ah ah! The fools! Darkness is my domain... |
|
| - | It will benefit them, nonetheless? |
|
| - | There are many wooden caches around this room. I have summoned an army of shadow killers. Some will be hidden here. |
|
| : | Her stories have never been original in that respect. |
|
| - | They will have blinding bombs. |
|
| - | Magical... blinding bombs? |
|
| - | Of course. |
|
| - | I can make them, but using science. |
|
| - | I don't think you'd agree to offer me any. |
|
| - | Indeed I wouldn't. |
|
| - | (tugs on her sleeve) Come on, let's go relax. (leads her to some pillows) |
Soo-Bong, anxious and impatient, looks around, looks at the tablet, and...
... the white screen of the tablet turns gray!!!
|
| - | !!! |
The clock shows "11:50". Tic-Tac, the seconds turn around the dial.
Yeon-Joo looks at the clock, anxious.
|
| - | Noona!! |
|
| - | (apprehensive) What?!! |
|
| - | The screen of the tablet has turned gray! |
|
| - | ... Gray? (remembers...) |
| - | Oh! |
| - | Just like the other time except... It's GRAY?!!! |
Yeon-Joo tries to draw a line. Nothing is printed.
| - | Chul! Can you hear me? |
(no answer)
Yeon-Joo sees an image of Ren-Bo opening her eyes.
| - | ... !! (happy surprise) |
On her smartphone...
| ~ | Yeon-Joo! |
| - | Honey?! |
|
| - | Soo-Bong!!! This is a good sign!! The screen will soon turn back on normally!!! |
|
| - | But... but... why?! |
|
| - | (excited) We don't care right now!! Be ready to help them any second!! |
|
| - | Okay, Noona. (takes the stylus and turns it on) |
Cha Yu-Sun and Yoon-Hee are sitting on a pile of cushions.
Yoon-Hee examines the place. She sees candles, monk's utensils, jugs.
|
| : | These candles and other things might be useful. She is a villain conditioned to let the heroes have a way out. |
Strangely, Cha Yu-Sun snuggles up to Yoon-Hee.
She hugs her and puts her head against her shoulder.
|
| - | I can't wait for this to be over. You'll forget all about this nasty business and stop being angry at me. |
|
| - | ... |
|
| - | Yoon-Hee, a part of me misses you so much. |
BoBoom! Yoon-Hee's heart leaps with fright.
|
| : | She found me out?! |
|
| - | Mi-Ra didn't want you dead, deep down. |
|
| - | ... (distressed...) |
|
| - | (speaking in a vacuum) I am nostalgic for the emotions I used to feel. But I was dying of them slowly, as surely as a bullet in the head. |
|
| - | ... (realizes that Cha Yu-Sun is just lost in thought) |
|
| - | I don't want to be a full-fledged Mi-Ra again. |
|
| : | She's mad as a hatter. |
|
| - | But there should be a small place in my heart left for you. |
|
| : | Who did she become? Cha Yu-Sun? A mixture of Cha Yu-Sun and Mi-Ra? Someone else? |
|
| - | I feel so much more than the ones I was, now... |
broom! pow! pow! bang! broom! Detonations and screams come from outside.
|
| - | !!! (rushes to the balcony) |
|
| - | ... (stunned, mouth gaping, she sees ...) |
Kang Chul, Wang Shin and Do-Yoon at about 100 meters...
... stationary, in front of the temple's main entrance, and quietly...
POW! POW! POW! POW! Kang Chul shoots at random targets in the temple.
Mercenaries and guards fall like flies, not yet ready for the battle.
Do-Yoon throws a stick of dynamite...
BROOM!!!, which explodes at a building entrance, blasting a bunch of guards to pieces.
He lights a second one, while POW! POW!, Kang Chul continues to shoot and...
BANG!!, cric-crac, BANG!! Wang Shin fires his Winchester rifle, killing mercenaries. BROOM!!!
|
| - | This lack of style?! Daring to do this in my manhwa!!! I will be humiliated!!! I'll be accused of producing a B-series!!! |
|
| - | (sees her, smiles) There she is... |
|
| - | (yells) Yah!!! Kang Chul!!! You bastard!!! |
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| - | (yells) Fuck you, bitch!!! (POW! POW!, keep firing) |
|
| - | (yells) Come here so I can kill you, motherfucker!!! |
|
| - | (yells) Shut up!!! Come here, you fucking slut!! |
|
| - | (yells) You want me to make a big hole in Princess Dong? |
|
| - | (yells) I don't give a damn!!! |
|
| - | ??! |
|
| - | (yells) She's just a bullshit character, since you killed Yoon-Hee. (yells) She's worthless, and I'm gonna kick your ass!!! |
|
| - | (shouts at Kang Chul) Yah!!! This is not what was planned! |
BOM! Do-Yoon knocks out Wang Shin with a atemi to the neck.
Before he collapses, SBOM! Do-Yoon pushes him with his foot--
Wang Shin collapses further behind the stone fence of the temple.
Now, Kang Chul and Do-Yoon cross the temple entrance.
They run to a building with columns, and meanwhile...
POW! POW! POW!!! Kang Chul continues to shoot and--
BROOM!! Do-Yoon sends out a stick of dynamite, then lights another.
|
| - | ...... (jaw dropped in disbelief) |
Cha Yu-Sun's troops are now alert and ready for battle.
A tide of enemies appears from everywhere.
Behind the corners of the walls, on the roofs, at the doorways.
Kang Chul and Do-Yoon move from one column to another, outside of the pavilions.
POW! POW! POW! - BROOM!! As they continue to shoot and blast.
More and more dead, bodies shredded by explosions, shadow killers disintegrating.
TZAK! ZAK! BLAM! BLAM! Enemy fire and arrows.
Stak-Schtok-Spat!! impacts on columns and pavilion walls.
They stop under cover, behind the wall of a stone staircase.
|
| - | Wang Shin has to hurry up! We will not hold for long! |
Wang Shin is not knocked out! He moves quickly, bent, behind the fence of the temple.
Stealthy, alone, Winchester in hand, he goes around the temple from the outside.
|
| - | Cha Yu-Sun will contact us when her trap is ready. But she doesn't know that we already know her position. |
|
| - | Can we speed her up? |
|
| - | Yes, we must attack her as soon as possible!! |
Kang Chul rushes to mount his horse, as well as Wang Shin and Do-Yoon.
Cataclop-Cataclop... Their horses gallop. They have to talk loudly.
|
| - | How to surprise her? |
|
| - | We enter through the front door and shoot anything that moves. |
|
| - | (!!) You call that a plan?! |
|
| - | We have to persuade her that Dong Hee is worthless. Stop her from using her as a hostage. |
|
| - | I'll provoke her to get her angry, to keep her from thinking. Then she'll prefer to focus on easy, exposed targets. |
|
| - | But whether she is Dong Hee or Yoon Hee, she is valuable to Wang Shin. |
|
| - | That's right, she will use her as a hostage no matter what!!! |
|
| - | No!! We'll make her think there's a betrayal. |
|
| - | ??! |
|
| - | We attack, you protest, Do-Yoon pretends to knock you out. Then we will push forward, making them forget that you exist. |
|
| - | Then I can free Yoon-Hee, without being counted as an opponent. |
|
| - | You'll have to be quick, we won't have much time to run away. |
|
| - | What if he doesn't make it in time? |
|
| - | Then it will be all or nothing, and we will fight to the end. |
|
| - | (giving himself confidence) Okay, we are well equipped now. |
Kang Chul, pockets full of magazines. Do-Yoon a sword and a bag of dynamite.
Wang Shin, his usual pile of weapons, a Winchester instead of a breech rifle.
|
| - | They are probably in hundreds, including supernatural killers. Hyung, this will be a battle like we've never fought before. |
|
| - | (swallows) ... I'm ready for it. Let's do it together, President Kang! |
|
| - | (smiles, adrenaline thrill, love of battle) Really, you live a peaceful life where you come from. |
|
| - | ... (annoyed, "this guy, really", then smiles, "he gives courage") |
Under cover behind the staircase wall, Kang Chul takes a look at the enemies.
BLAM! TZAK! ZAK! BLAM! Immediately a rain of shots on him!
POW! POW! He shoots before returning to cover.
Svak-Sztok-Fpat!! Impacts on the stairs wall.
|
| - | Aish! There are too many of them. |
Shiss... Klac! Kang Chul drops his empty magazine, snaps in a new one--
SVLAM! Two shadow killers come out of the pavilion next door.
|
| - | !!! (surprised, no time to cock the breech) |
SLASH! SLASH! Do-Yoon cuts the killers with his sword!!!
Fffff... Fffff... They vanish in a cloud of shadow.
The heart beating, sweating, Do-Yoon and Kang Chul, more and more nervous.
|
| - | They are even inside, everywhere ! (his sword pointed at the pavilion) |
|
| - | (Chik-Shak, arms the breech) We can't stay here!!! |
In front of Soo-Bong, the tablet stuck on a gray screen.
Suddenly-- The tablet switches back on!!
|
| - | !!! |
The first image displayed, a double frame:
¤ Wang Shin at the temple entrance, looking at Cha Yu-Sun.
The image fades, then a series of quick images, Soo-Bong just has time to read:
|
| - | (yells) Yah!!! Kang Chul!! You bastard!!! |
| - | (yells) Fuck you, bitch!!! (POW! POW!, keep shooting) |
|
| - | (yells) Come here so I can kill you, motherfucker!!! |
|
| - | (yells) Shut up!!! Come here, you fucking slut!!! |
|
| - | They don't bother with dialogues. It looks like an 80's Z action movie. |
Then a series of battle images too fast to be seen.
|
| - | It goes too fast!! |
The manhwa slows down, settles down, on a battle image with shooters on the roofs.
|
| - | Now!!! |
Soo-Bong quickly draws graffiti on the barrel of a gunman.
The image of the gun goes from "image" to "real".
BOOM! The barrel of the enemy rifle explodes. Then everywhere...
Bows break, rifle barrels explode, enemies slide off the roofs.
|
| - | (takes a look) Soo-Bong!! |
|
| - | We have a chance to finish off Cha Yu-Sun. (yells) Let's push on!!! |
Kang Chul and Do-Yoon come out of cover, moving forward from column to column.
POW! POW! POW!!! - BROOM!!! Shooting and blasting.
ZAK! BLAM! TZAK! BLAM!!! Under fire, less intense than before.
A shadow killer surprises them behind the columns.
Do-Yoon rolls over, Zink! while drawing his sword.
SLASH! He cuts the killer in half and finishes his move in an elegant pose.
Behind him, Fffff... there are only wisps of shadow. Classy!
POW! Kang Chul shoots towards Cha Yu-Sun.
He is too far away for the bullet to keep its trajectory.
Spak! The shot shatters a wooden shutter a few centimeters from her face.
|
| - | !!! (frightened, retreats to safety) |
Cha Yu-Sun watches the debacle of her troops, confused.
|
| - | What... what's going on? Someone is helping them, drawing the manhwa? |
Wang Shin jumps over the fence. And in one move--
He leaps onto a building wall, bounces off it with his foot, grabs a tile ledge...
... and immediately pulls himself up to the second floor. Feline agility.
Kang Chul and Do-Yoon run up a staircase...
POW! POW! Kang Chul shoots instinctively, sensing an enemy upstairs.
Spat! Spat! Two mercenaries are shot in the chest.
SHASH! SHASH! Do-Yoon cuts their throats with a sword. They collapse.
They run along the outer passageway, bent over to avoid the shots from below.
Klack! Tzak! Sftak!, Impact of shots coming from the surrounding roofs.
They have to take cover behind columns.
Kang Chul looks towards Cha Yu-Sun and--
|
| - | Hyung!! (points at her with a head move) |
They watch, without understanding... a supernatural phenomenon happening!!!
In the open air, a few meters from the balcony, in front of Cha Yu-Sun...
A flat frame of two meters draws itself... is colored in pale yellow... then...
SFREEZZ!!! Time slows down and a strange filter tints reality.
Kang Chul and Do-Yoon see the bullets flying towards them in slow motion.
Slower, the arrows stagnate in midair!
Everyone here, except them and Cha Yu-Sun... are slowed down in time!
They look at Cha Yu-Sun and the yellow frame...
... where the face of the "Correspondent" appears. He animates and speaks!
A deep, compressed voice, an endless echo.
At the back of the room, Yoon-hee sees this, scared...
... The words are printed at the bottom of the frame, as he talks to Cha Yu-Sun.
| - | A disturbing element has appeared. I'll take care of it, don't be diverted. |
Behind, pavilions lose their precision... become blurred, simplified architectures.
Then the yellow frame disappears. SZEERFF! Time restarts at normal speed.
On the tablet, Soo-Bong sees a picture of the Bulguksa temple, then--
A glitch! Briefly, a yellow screen, then--
The finely drawn temple pavilions have become rough sketches.
|
| - | Huh?! |
The clock displays "11:55". Tic-Tac, the seconds rotate.
Yeon-Joo looks at the clock, anxious.
The "Butterfly Girl" tablet suddenly comes out of standby mode.
|
| - | !! |
A glitch! Briefly, a yellow screen, then--
|
| - | ?!! |
Yeon-Joo sees a picture of Ren-Bo and her friends, in front of the house by the lake.
In the foreground, Mister Ladybug, is looking at us.
A yellow colored frame takes shape on the picture.
|
| - | ??! |
Sentences appear in the frame:
| - | Mr. Ladybug will perform his most spectacular gag. It will also be his last one. |
|
| - | ... ?!? (confused, worried) |
The image disappears, a new image appears. A double frame:
zzooOOH... Like the ones in the cartoons. Engraved on it, "20 tons".
| - | I feel like my stomach is heavy. |
¤ Right frame: SPROTCH!!! Weight on the ground.
SPLATS! Blood spurting from underneath.
|
| - | (confused, horrified) What... what... No!! |
Mister Teddy Bear hugs Ren-Bo, sad and pensive.
She watches the gnomes working in the garden, and further away...
... Mister Ladybug facing the wall of the house.
Suddenly--
zzooOOH... A big weight falls from the sky on Mr. Ladybug...
SPROTCH!!! And crushes him!!!
SPLATS! Blood and mushy organs spurt out from underneath!
| - | (surprised, screams) AAAhha !!!! |
Ren-Bo is horrified... unable to endure the shock and surprise.
She watches the blood spill, the bits of crushed organs...
She understands... "there can be only one reason for this".
|
| - | (cries, screams) Soo-Bong! Why did you do that?! |
| - | (sad) Why... He was kind... |
|
| - | (heartbroken) No!!! No! Aaaah!!! (broken voice) Soo-Bong, why?!! |
Soo-Bong looks at the strange image of the "simplified" pavilions...
... then a new image appears, Kang Chul and Do-Yoon on the second floor.
|
| - | Hurry!! (starts to draw--) |
FZZT! Colorful interference, Soo-Bong disappears!!
KZZT! Soo-Bong materializes! The stylus still in hand.
|
| - | No! Not now!!! |
|
| - | ... (looks at him, mad with grief and anger, bright red wings) |
|
| - | (sees the weight and pool of blood) What... what happened?! |
|
| - | ... ?!! (angry, but doubtful) |
|
| - | Was anyone under this? Did someone die?! Ren-Bo!! What happened?!! |
|
| - | ... ??! (confused...) |
Ren-Bo's anger decreases. More and more confused, her wings turn purple.
|
| - | My angel!! Tell me something! |
Soo-Bong dissolves from "real" to "image" on the tablet.
|
| - | (worried) He was sucked into... "Butterfly Girl"?! |
Yeon-Joo realizes the seriousness of the situation...
|
| - | (terribly worried) So... Kang Chul... They are alone there?! |
|
| - | (sadistic smile) You cheaters... The party is over. |
Around Kang Chul and Do-Yoon--
Ftok! Wlack! Tzok! Zlack!, the shots from the roofs multiply.
(!!!) They see enemies running towards them, in front, behind.
|
| - | In!!! |
SBOM! Do-Yoon kicks down a door.
POW! Kang Chul kills a mercenary behind.
They rush inside...
... sword and pistol in hand, back to back, they prepare for an enemy's arrival.
|
| - | Soo-Bong doesn't help us anymore!! |
|
| - | That strange thing in the air? |
|
| - | She has an ally. |
"Like you, I'm a sniper".
|
| - | Like the faceless killer. That's why she knows so much. |
|
| - | Aish! We have to break through. |
Kang Chul sees a corridor going to the central pavilion.
|
| - | That way. (walks down the corridor pointing his gun) |
Wang Shin runs in the second floor corridor.
He is looking for the stairs to Cha Yu-Sun's Room.
As he turns a corner--
Shadow killers in front of him!
BANG! He fires the muzzle stuck to the killer's chest!
crik-crak, Reloads the Winchester. Ffff... The killer vanishes in a cloud of shadows--
BANG! Shoots the killer behind. Ffff... crik-crak, BANG! The next one!!! Ffff...
(From then on, the "W" universe meets the "John Wick" one.)
(Fierce fights in closed quarters. Shooting and martial arts combined. Gun-Fu!!!)
Wang Shin moves like a demon. A killer on the left strikes with sword--
CLANG! Parries with the Winchester. A killer on the right--
Wang Shin pushes the barrel into his mouth. BANG! crik-crak--
A reel with the rifle, BANG! On the killer on the left. Ffff... Ffff... Volatilized.
BLAM! BLAM! Two guards shoot at him with rifles--
Wang Shin takes a killer as a shield. Spat! Spat! Impacts. With one hand--
BANG! crik-crak, BANG! Kills the shooters. Ffff... The shield vanishes.
Then more killers, in close combat and firing at close range...
Kang Chul moves down the hallway, enemies in front--
POW! POW! POW! One bullet, one dead.
SLASH! Do-Yoon cuts down an enemy from behind.
Swoch! Zpatch! Sfizz! Shots come from outside, through the walls.
Things are destroyed, pillow feathers fly, impacts everywhere.
|
| - | Reload! (Shiss... Klac! drops the magazine, engages a new one--) |
Do-Yoon rushes forward. SLASH! CLING! Fights shadow killers.
Chik-Shak!, Kang Chul cocks the breech. Two mercenaries behind--
POW! POW! Killed. A shadow killer bursts out of the next room, strikes with sword--
KLANG! Kang Chul parries with the top of his pistol. POW! shoots him in the head.
Behind the shadow killers fighting Do-Yoon, guards with guns!
|
| - | Get down!!! |
Do-Yoon does a backward roll--
POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! Kang Chul cleans the corridor!!
A shadow killer behind Kang Chul about to chop him down!
SLASH! Do-Yoon thrusts his sword into his gut. Fffff...
BAM! BAM! Gunfire from a room.
POW! POW! POW! POW! Kang Chul cleans the room!!
Shiss... Klac! Must reload already. Chik-Shak!
Stress, nervousness, anxiety, they are overwhelmed!
They stride over the corpses, sheltering behind the sturdy partitions...
Zpatsh! Tfizz! Zwoch! ... shots through the walls from outside, ravaging everything here.
They reach the end of the building, a stone wall in front!
Kang Chul looks out of a window, too many enemies. No way out.
|
| - | Hyung!!! |
|
| - | !! (lights a stick of dynamite) |
Kang Chul backs away, POW! POW! POW! Shooting at enemies behind Do-Yoon.
Do-Yoon throws the dynamite, BROOM!!!, the wall explodes.
They rush inside...
... soon near Cha Yu-Sun's Room.
|
| - | We have to reach a damn staircase!! |
But a new wave of enemies comes, bigger than the previous one.
Take cover, a few steps, shoot, fight, take cover, progression... very difficult!
Wang Shin climbs the top floor stairs, then runs down the hallway.
Out of the blue, from a room, the masked killer brandishing his sword--
VOOOSH!! A powerful blow. Wang Shin, !!!!!
SKRANG!! He parries with the Winchester... Cut in two!!
Wang Shin rolls backwards. Tzink, draws his sword.
|
| - | You!!! |
| - | No Gwan-Wu. We'll definitely know who's the best. NOW!!! |
|
| - | RAAAHH!! (sprints while brandishing his sword) |
|
| - | ... (ready for anything) |
Almost on contact. Shisss! Wang Shin throws his sword at him.
|
| - | The best one... |
|
| - | ??! (Kling! parries the sword throw) |
Wang Shin draws in a flash. BAM! BAM! Two revolver shots to the chest.
|
| - | (sticks the gun to the mask) ... is that gun, moron. |
BAM!!! The shot blows the masked killer's head off!!!
Swonpf! No Gwan-Wu disappears in a dark implosion.
The mask remains stuck to Wang Shin's gun.
With a hand jerk, he drops the mask. Sponk!!
|
| - | (pfuu! blows on the smoking and bloody muzzle) It was a "special" Yoon-Hee. (sheathes the revolver) |
Cha Yu-Sun on alert, facing the door...
Spfwon! No Gwan-Wu teleports to the floor... A headless body!!!
|
| - | ?!! (surprised) |
VLAM! Wang Shin opens the door, sword in hand.
|
| - | !!! (frightened) |
Before he enters, Wofff!, two shadow killers fall from the ceiling, protecting her.
Zlang! Clang! Wang Shin steps back and fights them, killing one. Ffff...
Next to Wang Shin, a killer comes out of a wooden trap!
He rushes to Wang Shin, grabs him by the waist, and with the momentum...
... they both fall over the railing!! Fall from the third floor!!
Cha Yu-Sun rushes to the balcony and sees in the yard...
... Wang Shin alive but dazed, lying on top of the killer who Ffff... vanishes.
Swords in hand, killers come to surround him.
Cha Yu-Sun looks at the other part of the temple, through the windows...
... Kang Chul and Do-Yoon in a difficult situation, unable to progress.
|
| - | Ah ah ah!! I'll get them! |
She doesn't see, behind her... Yoon-Hee holding up a big jug of water.
KCRASH!! Yoon-Hee shatters the jug on Cha Yu-Sun's head!!!
The splinters and water fly with the blood and Cha Yu-Sun's headdress.
|
| - | Your turn. |
Cha Yu-Sun collapses against the balcony railing and--
BOMPF!! With a powerful blow of her big weight, Yoon-Hee pushes her off.
Cha Yu-Sun topples over and falls awfully...
CRACK! She breaks her bones against a low wall of the second floor, bounces...
SPRATCH! She crashes to the stone floor...
She is bloody, open fractures, raw bones, skull pissing blood.
Immediately, all the shadow killers give up the fight...
... They rush towards Cha Yu-Sun to make a bulwark.
Wang Shin, !!!, rushes to a staircase to go up the temple.
In front of Kang Chul and Do-Yoon, the shadow killers give up the fight...
... They come out of the pavilion.
|
| - | ??! |
|
| - | (looks out the window, sees Cha Yu-Sun down) This is our chance!! Hurry, Yoon-Hee!!! |
They rush to a staircase leading to the top floor.
Cha Yu-Sun regains consciousness, blood dripping down her face.
SWROMPH! Her face goes totally dark.
Two smoldering bright slits instead of eyes. Now...
... She is the Queen of Darkness.
She stands up, there is no more blood or wounds.
|
| - | You see that we could become friends? |
|
| - | It will probably be possible, when you are no longer the Queen. |
| - | Princess Dong couldn't know that I wanted to stop being Queen. Who would want that, except Cha Yu-Sun in the manhwa? |
|
| - | I don't know how, but it was you Yoon-Hee. What a stupidity to make this ridiculous show of friendship... |
Yoon-hee looks out from the balcony, sees the Queen of Darkness...
... not hurt once transformed. She backs away anxiously.
Coming from a doorway--
|
| - | Yoon-Hee!! |
|
| - | !! (heart high) |
Coming from the other door--
|
| - | Yoon-Hee! |
|
| - | !! (hope) |
Suddenly--
In the room's air, a frame on a yellow background takes shape...
SFREEZZ!!! Time slows down and a strange filter tints reality.
The face of the "correspondent" appears in the pale frame.
|
| - | This again?!! |
|
| - | ?!! |
Another smaller frame appears, with a vivid yellow background...
|
| - | ?!! (worried) |
In the pale frame, the face animates, the text runs, recited by the cavernous voice :
|
| - | It is not wise to play with dynamite. |
And in the vivid frame, only a text:
|
| - | *The temple explodes.* |
For a split second, !!!!, total amazement on their faces and--
BRRRROOOM-BADABOOOMM !!!! The temple EXPLODES !!!
Clouds of flames, projection of bricks, wood, shredded corpses.
The temple is razed!!! Everything is destroyed and collapses in a huge cloud of smoke.
The debris falls down, and slowly... the dust falls away...
And yet...
In a hole dug by the explosion lie...
Kang Chul, Do-Yoon and Wang Shin, blackened by smoke.
And in another hole... Yoon-Hee.
Kof! Kof! Kof! They sneeze, regain consciousness...
... sore, groaning... but miraculously alive!!
All the guards, mercenaries and shadow killers surround the holes.
They all point a bow, a rifle or a revolver at them.
Szzssss... The Queen of Darkness levitates towards Yoon-Hee.
|
| (terrified) |
|
| - | My poor Yoon-Hee. Barely up and soon dead again. The reapers should give you a discount on your subscription. |
|
| - | Let her go!! I am your enemy. Kill me instead! |
Szzssss... The Queen of Darkness levitates towards Wang Shin.
Her abdomen glows red, she leans back and--
SPROTCH!! The shadow arm springs from her belly.
It flails limply, directed at Yoon-Hee, like a snake.
|
| - | I need this at least, to skin that fatty pile that is your wife. |
|
| - | Moon Mi-Ra!!! |
|
| - | ... Moon Mi-Ra? |
|
| - | Yes!! Moon Mi-Ra! You are here!!! |
|
| - | (looks around) ... Where? |
|
| - | Stop running away, Moon Mi-Ra!! Do you know what monstrosity you've made a pact with? |
|
| - | Someone who has fulfilled my dearest desire. Isn't that enough? |
|
| - | Whose desire, Moon Mi-Ra?!! |
|
| - | ... I am tired of you... I thought I would give you a slow and funny ending. But you didn't respect any rules and you vandalized my manhwa. |
|
| - | Moon Mi-Ra!! Stop before it's too late!! |
|
| - | I'm just gonna offer you a quick death, with no narrative interest. All together, without speech. |
|
| - | (crying) I regret having loved you, Mi-Ra. |
|
| - | (strangled voice) ... President Kang... (trembles, feels death coming) |
|
| - | (screams) NO!!! |
|
| - | ... (nothing more to say) |
|
| (scared, this time death is here) |
|
| - | (yells) FIRE!!! |
|
| - | (desperate) Wang Shin! |
|
| - | (choked voice) Yoon-Hee... |
SZLASHHH... The shadow arm rushes towards Yoon-Hee at an unimaginable speed.
BLAM! TZAK! BLAM! BLAM! BAM! ZAK! BAM! A rain of bullets and arrows...
... sprays the pit in which are Kang Chul, Do-Yoon and Wang Shin.
Yeon-Joo looks at the clock, terribly anxious.
"11:59". Tic-Tac, the seconds hand turns.
Only a few seconds left, and it will be exactly noon.
|
| - | What happens to theeem?! (beats her knee with anxiety and impatience) |
She looks at the "Butterfly Girl" tablet, displaying this image:
From a distance, Soo-Bong talks with Ren-Bo, shows her his smartphone. No text bubble.
|
| - | Soo-Bong!! It's not the time for that. Tell me something, or ask her to come here with you! |
"You're not invulnerable anymore. - OYJ."
Yeon-Joo, "Yes, I should draw him a message!"
She takes her stylus, turns it on, but when she sees the tablet--
|
| - | WHAT??!! (startles--) |
By accident, PAF! Her arm hits her coffee cup and makes it fall.
Stunned, Yeon-Joo stares at the tablet, which we can't see.
|
| - | (looks up) ... ??! (becomes aware of something strange...) |
... an absence of noise... of breakage, after spilling the cup.
Slowly... she looks down at the floor, near the table--
|
| - | ?!!!!?!!!! ...... (mouth wide open, eyes bulging) |
The cup is still, in mid-air. The spilled coffee too!!
Yeon-Joo comes closer, looks closer... the cup, the coffee, frozen in midair!!!
|
| - | What...?? ... that ... what ... ?!! |
Slowly, fearfully, she turns to see the clock...
"12:00". The seconds hand is not turning anymore!
It's stopped on the hours and minutes hands.
|
| - | !!! (gets up at once) ... Impossible... (anguish, more and more) |
She grabs a pot full of pencils from the table, and throws it...
SPLAF!! The pot falls and all the pencils scatter on the floor.
|
| - | (hand on heart, sighs with relief) fhhhh..... |
(?!) She stares at the frozen coffee in the open air, kneels down beside it.
|
| - | (puzzled) But... why does it do that?! |
Hesitantly, she sticks her finger into the coffee... which is limply buckling.
She withdraws her finger... The coffee returns to its original shape.
No coffee on her finger, she rubs it with her thumb...
|
| - | ... Dry? |
When she turns and sees the floor...
|
| - | ... !! (no pot or pencils, cold sweat) |
She looks at the table...
The pencil pot is intact, in its original position. Identical!
|
| - | ...... (eyes and fright getting bigger and bigger) |
BoBoom-BoBoom... The silence is so complete that she hears her distraught heart!!
Yeon-Joo rushes out.
Yeon-Joo, in full mental panic, looks everywhere...
Not a breath of wind, not a sound, nothing moves.
She concentrates on the details, and breathless, she sees...
Near a tree, a bird flies away but... it is statued in mid-air.
|
| - | ... No... no... impossible. |
By chance, just a few centimeters away from her face--
|
| - | (startles) OhhAhh!!! |
A fly, motionless in the air, its spread wings visible, without any blur.
|
| - | ... W ? ... I'm in W? ... (last hope) |
Yeon-Joo comes out of the gate, looks at her house number: "31". The right one!
Further down the street, she sees a man pissing his dog, motionless.
The dog's paw is raised, the stream of piss is static, directed against...
... the tire of Soo-Bong's car!
|
| - | Noona!! There's a dog peeing on my car again! |
|
| - | As long as it's not on your door handle... |
|
| - | (!!) Still! It's disgusting!! |
Yeon-Joo approaches the man frozen as a statue...
|
| - | Mr. Jeong? (confused, like drunk) ...... It can't be W... |
She walks further down the street. Worried, overwhelmed.
|
| - | (shouts) Is there anyone there?! ... Can anyone hear me?! |
She turns the corner, and here...
A frozen passer-by, balancing unsteadily, one foot ready to be put down.
A car driving, but motionless, like its driver.
Smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe, but the smoke scroll is static.
|
| - | ...... (incredulous) ... Is it... everywhere like this? |
She look-up at the sun.
Raises her hand over her eyes, shielding her from blindness.
Gradually, she removes her hand, when she notices that...
... the sun lights up but does not shine. A circle of light without blinding rays.
|
| - | ... !!!! (stares at the midday sun, without blinking) |
Her tears flow... not because of a blinding light...
Yeon-Joo enters...
Stricken by a dizziness, she leans against a piece of furniture.
She is used to the paranormal...
... but until she comes to her senses and thinks calmly...
She is unable to accept this!
As a last hope to ward off this crazy situation...
... she looks at the clock, and as a dreadful fate, she sees:
"12:00". The hands do not turn.
Yeon-Joo... coldly stunned... her blood icy... goosebumps...
At exactly noon, now...
TIME is STOPPED in the REAL WORLD !!!!