"Don't do that!" Taehyung shouted.

It wasn't Seokjin he was looking at, but Jungkook. The latter must have anticipated Seokjin's move and yet, he made no move to raise his own katana to defend himself. Instead, he remained motionless, waiting for the other to come to him.

Taehyung wanted to join them, but Kazuki still stood in his way, and he barely held himself back from killing him. If he did, chaos would ensue on the ship, and he wouldn't be able to defend his captain, who was so close to Yusuke and Kaïto. Next to them, Jimin was speechless and tried to make himself even smaller than he was, as if to make everyone forget him. Taehyung didn't expect him to be the one to fix the situation.

His shout sounded like a signal to Seokjin, who then lunged at Jungkook to stab him with his katana. In a survival reflex, Jungkook, who had no desire to attack Seokjin, parried his attack. He realized immediately that this fight was not fair given Seokjin's extremely weakened state, barely able to stand and lacking his usual quickness. His movements were slow and weak.

Jungkook briefly caught Kaïto's satisfied smirk. He had mistakenly believed that his father wanted him to let him kill Seokjin. He wanted him to kill Seokjin with his own hands in response to his attack. However, he certainly wasn't going to give him that pleasure.

"No, Jin, listen to me, you have to stop this," he told him feverishly, parrying another katana strike.

"I won't stop until I pierce your stomach like you did to my father," Seokjin replied coldly, continuing to attack. On his filthy cheeks, his tears had dried, leaving two furrows testifying to his devastation.

But Jungkook still refused to attack him and simply parried or dodged whenever he could to spare Seokjin's strength.

"Wakaï is just defending himself," Yusuke commented, disappointed.

Kaïto grunted in response, continuing to watch the lackluster fight. Meanwhile, pirates on both sides watched each other, feeling the tension rising and wondering who among them would strike first and start the hostilities. But no orders would be given by the captains as long as this senseless fight against the Joseon continued.

"Jin, listen to me, you're playing Kaïto's game, he wants me to kill you," Jungkook told him, managing to grab his arm.

"Then kill me because I won't spare you!" Seokjin cried, stepping back and aiming at Jungkook's arm, who dodged the blow and let him go at the same time.

"I'm not going to kill you."

He hoped to calm Seokjin down but that didn't stop him from responding with a series of increasingly clumsy katana swings.

The fight lasted a few more minutes, exhausting Seokjin. At one point, he stumbled, and Jungkook caught him before he fell. Panting, Seokjin wanted to push Jungkook away again, but stiffened when he saw Jungkook sheath his katana. Around them, the pirates exchanged annoyed comments. They had waited for blood to flow. Some began to encourage Jungkook to draw his katana again and kill Seokjin, but he ignored them.

"What are you doing?" Seokjin asked him angrily. "The fight isn't over!"

"I know. I just decided I didn't want to win it."

Seokjin frowned when he saw Jungkook smiling at him knowingly. From afar, Taehyung realized it was the same expression Beomseok had given him when he killed him. And now, he was giving it to Seokjin.

"No..." the samurai whispered.

"Jin, it's okay," Jungkook said, "you can do it if that's what you want. Run me through with your katana, I won't fight back anymore."

Seokjin found it hard to believe, but Jungkook didn't move when he placed the tip of the katana against his abdomen and Taehyung yelled at him to stop. Kaïto raised an eyebrow, which, on him, indicated deep surprise. His son was ready to die like a coward in order to let his Joseon friend live?

"You have the right to do this, and I'll only accept it from you," Jungkook continued. "I hurt you, and your father died because of me. You're right. I shouldn't have involved him when I was the one responsible for your kidnapping and I should have come to save you alone, even if it means dying in doing so."

"You say that hoping I'll take pity and not do it," Seokjin retorted, increasing the pressure of the blade against him, tearing through his clothes to reach the flesh.

"No," Jungkook denied, not stopping him from continuing despite the coldness of the sharp blade that had just reached his skin. "I'm saying this so you don't spend the rest of your life feeling remorseful because of this."

Shaken, Seokjin opened his mouth and stopped pushing the blade in. He had to tighten his grip on the katana's handle, however, to keep from dropping it.

"Shut up, you won't change my mind. Not after what you did."

"I don't want to change your mind out of selfishness. I just want to say that if you think it will soothe you, then you should do it, but conversely, if you think it will cause you more pain, then you shouldn't do it. I'll find another way to disappear or earn your forgiveness."

He seemed sincere, and the emotion emanating from him filled Seokjin with a sudden sadness. And very quickly, it sparked a new anger in him: why was Jungkook doing this to him? Why was he acting friendly at that precise moment and upsetting him? He just wanted to be able to hate him for what he had done, he wanted his grief to ease, for the pain to disappear... He clutched his aching heart in the hope of calming the violent blows against his chest.

"No, Jungkook, don't let him kill you!" Taehyung shouted, seeing Jungkook in such a vulnerable position.

"Taehyung, do you remember our discussion earlier?" Jungkook replied.

"Yes," Taehyung replied reluctantly.

"Then don't worry about me. As soon as Seokjin is done with me, take him and go."

"What do you mean?" Seokjin asked him, puzzled.

"Nothing important," Jungkook assured him, grabbing the blade of his katana with his bare hand and stabbing it into his heart without paying attention to the resulting pain or the blood that immediately flowed. "Now do what you have to do."

Seokjin stared at him without moving, overcome with doubt for this gesture was far from bringing him any relief or satisfaction. Should he push the blade in?

"This fight is no longer fun for me," Kaïto announced, particularly irritated and attracting everyone's attention. "Will you never do what I expect of you, Wakaï?"

"Never," Jungkook provoked him ignoring the pain radiating from his chest.

Kaïto sighed.

"Maybe you will when this Joseon distraction is finally gone."

He raised his pistol and aimed at Seokjin with astonishing speed.

Seokjin didn't even have time to turn around. Hearing these words, he could only widen his eyes before the shot rang out behind him, deafening.