Chapter Twenty-One: The Final Choice

"Alright!"
K activated the portable smart computer on his wrist and swiftly connected with the DUES Command Center, his voice trembling with excitement:
"DUES Command, this is K!"

Meanwhile, R gazed quietly at the sparse traffic weaving through the street, a shadow of sorrow flickering in his eyes. JIN, on the other hand, was walking toward him, the night wind tugging at the hem of his black trench coat, lifting it slightly. Neither of them showed any intention of violence; perhaps, all they wanted was a conversation.
About existence.
About the thing JIN had been searching for all this time, unsure if he should continue the quest.

R turned back to look at him, his voice low and steady:
"I merely relayed the message from the ship, passing it to those who truly needed it."

JIN didn't ask about any of that. Instead, he quietly inquired:
"Tell me, R...
Why did they choose to abandon this world and leave?
Is this world truly so worthless to them?"

R shook his head, a self-mocking smile tugging at his lips. "You have it backwards, JIN..."

"Backwards?" JIN frowned, puzzled.

"They... once trusted this world more than anyone," R said, shaking his head, his tone sorrowful.
"They once believed this world could bring them happiness.
Even with the faintest glimmer of hope, they strove with all their might! 'Can the true self do whatever it desires?' They were so busy working tirelessly, they never even had time to wonder or ask. But the harder they tried, the more fragile their existence felt, until they could scarcely see themselves at all. And so, at such moments, they began to wonder..."

"Is the one existing here truly myself?"

JIN remained silent, for he had no answer to such a question. Perhaps no one did. For consciousness is forever engaged in denial and self-denial.

"But to their questions... this world offered no reply."

In K's eyes, there seemed to be a sorrow that could not be contained. Perhaps people like these were always pitiable—chasing happiness with all their might, only to realize in the end that nothing truly existed, that genuine happiness had never arrived.

And so, they began to doubt their own existence...

"Lonely souls always invent new ills for themselves, so please, take care to keep some cats or dogs around you!"
The floating holographic screen in the sky continued to broadcast such meaningless platitudes.
The government was doing all it could to keep people indoors, fearing that letting them roam would weaken their control. Yet at the same time, as mental illness grew in the eyes of these repressed people, the authorities insisted their ailments stemmed from nothing but their own loneliness.

But wasn’t loneliness exactly what the government wanted?
It was an absurd cycle. Surveillance, isolation, psychological distress—each feeding the next. Unless the first link in the chain was broken, how could any of it be resolved?

R looked up at the holographic screen in the sky, then lowered his head and turned toward JIN.

"The ship is calling them, 'Come back... return to the homeland you've never seen...'
There, their true selves await!"

"Are you truly Agent R?" JIN asked.

R shook his head, then nodded, his tone mournful:
"I once believed I was R...
But what is the real R? I have no idea..."

He turned abruptly to look at JIN, his brows heavy with unshakable sorrow and confusion.
He was a legendary agent, a man with a story—but at the same time...

R was a sorrowful figure, his resolute face shadowed by a sorrowful past that refused to be hidden.

"JIN... you..."

"Are you truly yourself?"

"Am I truly myself?" JIN found it impossible to face such a daunting question.
"Am I Agent JIN? Or am I Seven X Ultraman...?
Am I truly me? What is Agent JIN? And what is Seven X Ultraman...?"

He recalled the memory of sinking into the deep blue sea, the sensation of water flooding his body, the feeling of death. JIN could not help but ask himself:

"Is it possible... that I am already dead?"

"Don't be deceived... JIN..."

A clear female voice rang out, and the mysterious woman appeared behind him once more, her steadfast gaze fixed on JIN as she spoke crisply:

"His true purpose is to get you on the ship as well..."

But this time, JIN showed no reaction to her words.
R, however, turned toward the mysterious woman and asked, "And who are you? Are you truly yourself?"

JIN looked back at her and slowly voiced his own question:
"Who are you?
You say I am the savior of this world... then please, tell me—who am I, truly!?"

Her expression shifted again and again. She bit her lip gently; tears seemed to shimmer in her eyes. Yet, faced with JIN’s question, she could only take a step back. It was clear she might know the answer.

But she could not speak it.

No one knew the reason. No one knew who she really was, nor what secret she guarded so desperately.

R no longer wasted words or emotion on the mysterious woman. He only turned back to JIN and said:

"Come...
The ship is calling you..."

Suddenly, in the sky, a brilliant halo of light burst forth from the darkness! The radiance stretched for miles, and, centered on the light ring, it shone down like the holy light of Christ, seeming to illuminate the hearts of all who saw it.

It was dreamlike, glowing with a bright and gentle aura. Through the light, one could glimpse its structure—a disc-like form. At the very top of the ring was a central point, from which six grooves stretched outward to the ship’s edge. Within the tiny structures upon the light ring, one could vaguely discern something like buildings. The disc rotated slowly, like the legendary chariot that would carry immortals to the heavens.

JIN looked up slightly. He could see the exquisite outline of the ring’s underside; at its lowest point, a warm golden light slowly descended.

Within that light, he seemed to see the figure of a man—heroic and poised, clad in a pilot’s uniform, beckoning slowly from within the endless glow.

The man was tall and straight, his eyes bright as starlight, his brows like twin meteors, and his resolute face carried a hint of a smile.

JIN froze. That was—

It was himself!!!

The light descended gently toward R, who raised his head to receive its warmth, a smile spreading across his face. He looked at JIN, reaching out his hand:

"JIN... come, board the ship, and leave this frozen world!"

"Please... try to trust the ship!"