960 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The flow of time had come to a standstill. Even the falling leaves, the drifting dust, and the chirping of insects ceased to exist. The air felt suffocating, as if nothing was moving at all. In the heavy and stuffy atmosphere, it was I who broke the silence. "...Who are you...?" I spoke while glaring at Yarang. It was impossible not to. "Who the hell are you?" The words were harsh, but... "..." Yarang did not utter a word. She merely stared at me silently. Those eyes. I bit my lip as I looked into her clear golden eyes. ‘Why, just why?’ Why was that face emerging from behind the mask? It was beyond comprehension. Long brown hair. Pale skin with slightly drooping eye corners. Elegant and serene, a stunningly beautiful face. And within it, those distinct golden eyes. The face of the woman I yearned to see, both in my past life and the present. Along with it... ‘This aura.’ The subtle aura that kept disturbing my insides. If it were merely imitation in appearance alone, it wouldn't have upset me to this extent. However, it wasn't just on the surface. I could tell. The aura contained within, the eyes looking at me. It was all her. "…You…." What on earth is your identity? What are you that you bear that face and that aura? Just as I tried to reach out and ask, Woosh. Yarang, the woman, bent down to pick up the fallen mask. She covered her face again. Vrrrrm. The aura that had been felt completely dissipated. Just for a moment. Merely by putting on a mask, it happened. Is this... ‘...The same power as the mask that the Dark King gave me?’ The mask I used when performing a play. It was remarkably similar. However. ‘Even so.’ Did she think a mere mask could obscure her identity from me? “Answer me. Why are you….” Why are you here? Why are you in the Master of Myriad Worlds with such an appearance? And furthermore, ‘Why do you linger around me?’ Just as I was about to let those words escape my lips, Shiiiiiiii---!!! KABOOOOOOM---!!! Something crashed from the sky with great force. As the impact exploded, the ground was greatly disturbed. Fwoosh-! Landing amidst swirling dust was none other than the Heavenly Demon. She stood before me, emanating a dark aura. “…Come again?” The Heavenly Demon spoke. “I told you.” The voice was imbued with a chilling intensity. "This time, I’ll truly kill you.” Shiiiik-! As the Heavenly Demon spoke, black energy coalesced in her hand. ‘That’s…!’ My eyes widened as I noticed the aura. It was the Heavenly Demon Sword. The same energy sword wielded by the Heavenly Demon in my past life. Cold and fearsome, that aura. The one that had slain the Three Elders and obliterated several factions of the Nine Great Sects. That power was being released from the Heavenly Demon’s hand. Swooooosh---!!! The aura vibrated violently as if it was absorbing all the surrounding energy. Intense and immeasurable. Just seeing it strained the eyes. Wielding such force, the Heavenly Demon made her move. She charged towards Yarang. Watching this, I immediately shouted out. "Stop-!" Despite my words, the Heavenly Demon wouldn’t halt. Would things go wrong if left like this? I bit down anxiously. Woong-! At that moment, something changed around Yarang. Clang-! "…Huh?" Yarang had blocked the Heavenly Demon's sword. When had she obtained a sword herself? Similar in shape to the Heavenly Demon’s sword, yet opposite in color and feel. ‘That's….’ My body froze upon seeing it. It too was known to me. ‘The Exorcising Sword.’ A dazzling white sword. A sword that the Divine Sword used in the past, crafted of energy or wielded in combat. A sword that punishes demons and slaughters demonic beings. When touched by that, all demonic energy collapses and dissipates. Exactly. Cr-crack-!! Just like now. The Heavenly Demon’s sword crumbled upon contact with the Exorcising Sword. The Heavenly Demon frowned upon witnessing it. With half the sword's blade gone, yet the Heavenly Demon didn’t retreat. As she withdrew her sword, her hand moved. Shadows spread across the ground. ‘Damn….’ The initiation of a domain. A domain formed of demonic energy invaded the forest. Like water spreading, it engulfed the surroundings in an instant. Thump-! As demonic energy brushed past my feet, my body reacted, involuntarily trembling. Either trying not to get swept away, the demonic energy flared up. Simultaneously. Flaaaame--!! Flames appeared at my fingertips. However, instead of black flames, it was white flames. ‘...Why is this suddenly happening out of nowhere?’ Thinking about the flames while panicking, there was no time for that. Thunk-! The Heavenly Demon lightly stomped on the ground shaped by demonic energy. Fwoooosh---!!! Immediately, the ground violently churned like a rising tide. A massive shockwave. Instantly, a whirlpool formed. Energy that moved as if to swallow the entire floor moved. “Rise.” At the Heavenly Demon’s beckoning, it rose at once. The black energy, growing by engulfing its surroundings, rushed towards Yarang. In terms of scale, it was as large as the wave I created with black flames. That size could easily engulf Yarang in a heartbeat. Should it be left alone? As confusion overwhelmed, Yarang also took action. "..." Yarang, too, observed the wave before aiming her sword. Swooooosh--!! As she aimed her sword, white energy gathered around her, starting to consolidate. Watching this, my mouth fell agape. ‘The Moonlight Dance Sword…?’ As if to eliminate any lingering confusion, she revealed the full extent of her power. The shape hardened by the white energy was that of swords. It bore resemblance to the weapon she wielded. That was undoubtedly the Moonlight Dance Sword Technique, her unique sword art, used both in her past life and the present. The current Wi Seol Ah could only handle about ten blades at most. But what was seen now seemed several times more in quantity. Yarang directed the blades she constructed towards the wave. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG----!!!! The arrow-like swords pierced through the wave incessantly. As the blades rained down upon the giant wave, its form began to disintegrate. The immense tidal wave visible to the eye began to dissipate and shrink. Swiiiish-!! The Heavenly Demon dashed through the fading wave. Had it all been a feint? She rapidly closed the distance and swung her sword. Clang-!! Yarang countered with her sword, clashing with the Heavenly Demon. Clang! Clang-! Sparks flew in the air as their blades collided repeatedly. The two engaged in a rapid, fierce match. They moved with remarkable speed. Not only were they fast, but the clashing of their auras created massive shockwaves at every encounter. Each time the Heavenly Demon Sword met with the Exorcising Sword, it would vanish. Yet, the Heavenly Demon remained unfazed. If it shattered, she simply forged it anew. And once more, she would create another. The battle grew increasingly intense. At a glance, it seemed Yarang was being overwhelmed. Eventually. Clang-! With an upward strike, Yarang’s sword was sent flying into the sky. Then, the Heavenly Demon lunged, aiming her sword at Yarang’s throat. Thwack-! But the blade never pierced her throat. I had intervened, grabbing the sword in midair. “…Enough already.” “...” The Heavenly Demon glared at me. My hand throbbed painfully. It had to be the injured hand I used to grab it. I had no choice. The protective aura shielded the hand that could still hold it together. Moreover, Fwoosh. The white flames on my hand were resisting the Heavenly Demon’s sword. Observing this, I spoke to the Heavenly Demon. “Calm down, will you?” “…Why do you intervene?” The Heavenly Demon looked at me with an expression of utter disbelief. I felt the same way. “Why do you even ask? What about you? Why are you fighting then?” “She kept following you.” “So what of it?” She's been following me, but why do you keep getting involved? I gritted my teeth, turning my gaze to the Heavenly Demon. Then I looked at Yarang. “…And you? Do you intend to continue?” “...” There was no response. Yarang simply stared at me before releasing her grip, letting the sword fall. The sword dissolved into energy. Simultaneously. Swoosh-! The blades that had been behind the Heavenly Demon also vanished into light. The Heavenly Demon hadn’t fully seized the victory. Before the sword could touch, the Exorcising Sword could have reached her first. ‘...Truly.’ I was certain as I watched the Heavenly Demon fight. ‘She’s unrefined.’ There was no strategy or finesse. Completely different from the Heavenly Demon of my past life. Upon witnessing the battle, I realized it. She doesn’t know how to fight. Just dragging the battle on with sheer power alone. Yet, possessing extraordinary powers ensures she can bulldoze her way through. In other words, ‘A beginner with raw strength.’ No signs of experience or finesse from the past. That's the feeling. ‘Back then, she was unreachable.’ No attack or force could penetrate. Only the Divine Sword’s Exorcising Power could reach her. But now, she's too close. Close enough that it seemed I could easily reach her. Could she truly be the Heavenly Demon? And as for her... ‘What is she?’ I couldn’t look past Yarang, leaving the Heavenly Demon aside. It wasn’t possible. It absolutely couldn’t be. Yet every fiber of my being screamed that Yarang was the Divine Sword. She wasn't just Wi Seol Ah. She was the Divine Sword Wi Seol Ah. To my eyes, Yarang was her. Despite appearances and the world insisting otherwise, despite the present situation, I knew. “…Why are you here?” I repeated the question I'd asked countless times already. She was the Divine Sword. “Answer me… Why are you?” I reached out, intending to grasp her hand. But, Swish. Before my hand could reach, she withdrew, creating distance. Moreover, Clang-! She conjured a sword once again, seemingly prepared to strike at me. Clang-! The Heavenly Demon was ready, drawing her own sword to parry the Exorcising Sword. Fragments scattered. I squinted as white energy scattered in the air. “You…!” The Heavenly Demon, angered, moved to attack Yarang again. However, I seized her shoulder, staunchly preventing her. Thankfully, this time the Heavenly Demon held back from lunging. She merely grimaced, glaring at Yarang. Two faces, eerily similar, confronted each other. Yarang’s mask concealed her expression, while the Heavenly Demon poured her emotions out in torrents. A complete contrast to the image from my past life. I bit my lips at the strangeness of it. This was an unfamiliar form. Then. “...” Yarang dismissed her sword once more and quietly stared at me. Her golden eyes glimmered from beyond the mask. What sort of gaze was it? I couldn’t discern it. Without a trace of emotion, it left my insides tangled. I had a mountain of questions. Yet none could escape my lips. During this exchange of glances. Thump. Suddenly, Yarang leapt from the ground and disappeared from sight. Even then, I merely watched, failing to catch her. And when she had become just a speck out of sight. “…Let go.” The Heavenly Demon murmured softly. Only then did I realize I was still holding her shoulder. I released my grip. My mind was a mess. Like I’d been struck hard across the head, I couldn’t collect myself. Barely managing to keep a grip, I turned my eyes to the Heavenly Demon. She had her back turned to me, and as I saw this, I spoke. “Where did you even come from, suddenly appearing like thi-.” Thwack-! “Ugh-!” A fist struck my solar plexus. It hit with precision. The Heavenly Demon, turning her back on me, drove it home. I was too close to dodge it. “Argh…!” I fell to my knees from the powerful blow. I couldn’t even gather my energy. My bones reverberated. “You... crazy…! What the hell are you doing…!” With a trembling voice, I tried to speak to the Heavenly Demon. Looking up at her face, my lips sealed shut. The Heavenly Demon was looking at me with sorrow. It was a face I had never seen before. Distorted with an expression as if she might burst into tears at any moment. Her once-closed lips parted. “…I don’t know… You idiot.” Barely able to utter those words, the Heavenly Demon swiftly turned and vanished. She went in the opposite direction from where Yarang had disappeared. "…" I sat there, unable to move. And so, I sat, pondering over the words the Heavenly Demon had said to me. ‘…Idiot?’ It seemed like a word she spat out after long contemplation, having nothing else to say. Indeed. There might not have been a more fitting word. --- 3 votes Martial Arts 2 Comments 3.1 / 81 hwawol72 2024.10.22 20:07 Report It feels like jealousy… 0 Yeonwoo 2024.10.29 16:02 Report The Heavenly Demon always seems so pitiable. 0 Only logged-in members can post comments. 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