1045 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

A black mask. Brown hair. And within that mask, a pair of glowing golden eyes. An aura of white energy swirling around a sword. A subtle fragrance wafted through the vibrating air as I stood there, trying to take in everything about the woman who had appeared. "You..." Why did she suddenly appear here? Just as I was grappling with the surprise of being saved unexpectedly by Yarang, the crow in front of me seemed equally perplexed. "Yarang..." Even the crow seemed not to have anticipated this, furrowing its brow in bewilderment. "What are you doing?" The crow asked Yarang in a menacing tone. Swish. Yarang didn't respond. Instead, she rotated her sword, pointing its sharp edge toward him. "Huh?" The crow let out an incredulous laugh at this. "So you're meaning to interfere with me now." "......" "I was here to eliminate a threat to the myriad worlds. Your actions are unequivocally against the will of Man Gye. Do you know what you're doing?" "......" Still, Yarang remained silent. However... Swoosh. She moved the tip of her sword as if to answer, pointing at the blue energy rising to fill the sky. The light radiating from the crystals illuminated the heavens, causing the crow's eyebrows to twitch slightly. "Yes, seeing it as you do, you must realize this. That guy is trying to do something to the myriad worlds. That's why I'm here to stop him. Those energies are the proof." Is this guy seriously blaming this on me? As the ridiculousness of it all washed over me, I let out a hollow laugh. 'Then it must mean.' He's shifting the blame away from himself and onto me. 'He's been doing something without the other generals or leaders knowing.' Realizing this, I was about to say something, but... Srrnge. Yarang's sword didn't move. It remained poised, directing its edge steadily at the crow. "Haa..." The crow sighed deeply as it watched this unfold. Then... "Pointless interference. Constant interruptions are exhausting." His expression shifted rapidly as he disappeared from view. In an instant, he appeared right in front of Yarang. The speed was overwhelming. I almost lost sight of him for a moment. But. Clang-! Yarang effortlessly blocked his trident with her sword. Haaa--!! A white aura shimmered and expanded outward. Seeing this, I was convinced. 'It's purification.' This was the energy of purification. The energy Wi Seol ah in her current life could wield. And also... 'The sacred energy the Divine Sword once used against the Heavenly Demon.' An energy that could extinguish all demonic forces. The energy Yarang wielded was indeed the same sacred energy that the Divine Sword used. Crash-! "......!" The crow's eyes widened. The trident he wielded crumbled upon contact with the energy of purification. Though he quickly recreated another trident, Yarang's sword was already slicing through the air. Swish-!! It flickered with speed, carving wild arcs of white light. Incredible speed. As the crow gathered his energy to launch an offensive, his every move was effortlessly cleaved through by her sword. '......This is.' A magnificent spectacle of swordsmanship. So precisely woven was the intricate sword path that my eyes trembled in awe. It wasn't the sheer mastery of technique that shocked me. 'It's the Divine Sword's.' The same Moonlit Dance Sword technique Wi Seol ah had once mastered was being recreated here. A mesmerizing display. The sword continued to draw its lines, refusing to break its elegant flow. Crash-! Smack! Every strike or movement the crow attempted was resolved within that intricate dance. No matter the action taken, the sword reached its target first. Smack-! With every touch of the purification energy, the crow's trident continued to break and shatter. The purification worked against him. I noted this keenly. "Tsk." After countless tridents broke and vanished, becoming impossible to count by hand... "You wretch...!" The crow shouted, spreading its wings. Swish-! Twin broad wings unfurled, unleashing a powerful gust filled with countless feathers. So many feathers, they obscured my view entirely. It was in that moment of wondering how to handle them that... Swoosh. Yarang raised her hand. It wasn't the hand holding the sword, but her bare hand. From her fingertips emanated a white energy. Upon seeing this, I thought inwardly. 'Could it be?' Is she about to do that? Even as my mind raced to that possibility. Ouuuu---!!! From Yarang's fingertips, light flared, igniting the space behind her. Fireflies. White fireflies gently flickered into the air. Whirr-. Each firefly rapidly expanded in size, transforming into a sword. Dozens of swords appeared, hanging in the air. Whish-! At Yarang's slight hand movement, the swords swung into motion. CrashGGG---!!! The levitating, plunging swords moved as if each possessed a will of its own, shredding through the feathers. The contest between white swords and black feathers played out visibly. Before long, the feathers were destroyed. With more than half the swords remaining, all the feathers had vanished. Ouuuu---!!! The swords spun in a rapid circle, gradually increasing their speed. Fluuuu---!!! The velocity was so intense that the swords, caught in motion, seemed to merge, creating the illusion of a single ring. Whoosh. Yarang commanded again with a wave of her hand. Kraa---aash!! The ring surged forward, rapidly spinning, targeting the crow. "Tsk!" Seeing this, the crow hurriedly spread its wings to evade. KraashG---!!! The ground was gouged and rent apart where the ring struck. Had he not dodged, he would have been obliterated. The crow with outstretched wings saw the chasm left behind and attempted to gather his energy once more but... “……” Seemingly sensing something, he glanced back. Yarang had already closed in, preparing to strike. Swish-!!! "Argh!" The crow let out a gasp as his back was slashed. The impact sent him plummeting to the ground. Thud-! As soon as the crow crashed down with a faint noise, Swoosh---!!! A rain of swords descended upon him from the air. Crashggg---!!! Countless blades fell. "Aaaah!" His scream echoed. His limbs were pinned down by the embedded swords. "Ughh!!" The crow attempted to move, but his body was secured, trembling and straining in vain. Then. Swish. Yarang aimed her sword at the crow from above. Ooooo. The white aura expanded radiantly. As the sword grew larger, Thunk-! Yarang swiftly drove the sword towards the crow. Just as it was about to pierce the ground where the crow lay, "Stop--!!" The crow shouted. His command froze me. It was an order. "......!" The impact wasn't just on me; Yarang faltered as her body swayed. Boom---!!! Her misdirected sword thrust into the ground beside the crow, missing him. A violent explosion erupted. The surface shattered under the blast. The tremendous impact pushed me back. I barely managed to hold my ground. It was only then that my recovery concluded. Although more than half of my energy had been depleted, it was not too burdensome for my body. "Whew." Breathing low, I focused my eyes, trying to catch a glimpse through the thickening smoke. As I peered beyond the smoke, Clang-! Chraaang-!! Light continued to burst through. Shortly after, something emerged from the smoke. It was Yarang. Seeing her soaring through the air, I quickly moved. Supporting her back, I stopped her from being pushed further back. Yarang managed a safe landing. She spun her sword half a turn, regaining her stance. Seeing this, it was clear the battle was far from over. "Damned--!" A growl resonated. The smoke that had shrouded the area before dispersed. Whoosh-!! With the dust clearing, the crow's condition came into view. It was dire. Drip. Blood seeped from his wounds, coating the ground. His limbs were in the same shape. Unlike earlier, when he fought me, his wounds weren't healing. Could this also be the effect of the purification? “......You damn woman. You've been hiding such power?” The crow questioned with a pained expression. “No wonder the Master of the Myriad Worlds shields you as his daughter. Ha, how irritating.” The crow snarled, clenching his hand. Another trident had already formed within his grasp. Anyone could see the situation favored Yarang. “It truly never occurred to me that things wouldn't go according to plan.” Yet even in this state, the crow showed no signs of fear. Just a hint of surprise and regret. “……I can only apologize to the master.” As he murmured, raising his hand. “But if I can deal with you here. That's enough. The Master of the Myriad Worlds is already in upheaval anyway.” Seeing this, Yarang moved. I followed her, sensing that whatever it was, it needed to be stopped. “……It's regrettable you have to see this, but there's no choice.” Fwooosh-!! The sacred spear and purification sword gleamed brightly. Just as we were about to charge at the crow, “Behold a supreme existence. Pathetic creatures.” With the crow's declaration, Flash-!!! The swirling vortex in the sky suddenly plummeted towards the ground.