347 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 347: Return of 'Deut'. Part 6 On a night when the moon barely rose. Someone perched upon a colossal boulder and tilted a cup of liquor. Strands from her long hair mingled with the drink, but she didn't seem to mind. Reflections of the moon floated on the surface of the swaying liquor. The owner of the cup glanced at it briefly before taking a sip. There was a contradictory grandeur in her disheveled appearance, possibly because one knew all too well the immense power and position she possessed. Behind the figure sipping the drink. The green forest was drenched in blood. It was filled with bodies so mangled they defied recognition. Among them were veteran warriors known across the land of Jungwon. It was a force composed of experts who had reached the pinnacle of their skills. One could argue it held enough power to erase a noble family from the land of Jungwon. Yet the person quietly drinking before this scenery erased them with a mere wave of her hand. After draining the cup, she glanced over. In that moment, as one met those violet eyes, a strange illusion occurred, as if even the moon in the night sky turned violet. "Master." "Yes." Upon hearing the call, he lowered his head. Seeing this, the figure refilled her cup. The sound of pouring liquor echoed in the silent forest. "Do you regret it?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, are you regretting that I intercepted the offer meant for you?" [...] I gave no response to Cheonma's query. As if anticipating this, she simply lifted her cup to drink again. The bodies behind us were originally sent as a unit to ambush me. Some didn't even seem to belong to the clan, implying that mercenaries were hired at great expense. "It is not so... If you hadn’t helped, I would've been in danger." In response to my reluctant words, Cheonma let out a soft laugh. "Are you referring to yourself, Deajo? That's amusing." She chuckled and waved her hand. With a swoosh, the bodies were engulfed in black flames and vanished without a trace. "It seems the clan is quite desperate, resorting to such trivial tactics." The three supreme elders, once hailed as the mightiest of Jungwon, had been slain. The Hwasan Sect was reduced to ashes. The Namgung family was annihilated. The power of the righteous factions, too, is gradually being absorbed by the demonic sect or disappearing at their hands. In these times, even a faction has arisen to praise Cheonma and the demonic sect. The coalition that had been established and fortified over centuries is beginning to collapse. Some have made their choice. Ultimately, they believe Jungwon will fall and the era of the demonic sect will arrive, prompting them to pledge allegiance to Cheonma before it's too late. Does hope remain for Jungwon? No, I don't think so. At least, from my perspective, hope for Jungwon vanished with Cheonma's emergence. Cheonma is such an existence. A being whose very presence embodies calamity, as if the word 'apocalypse' took human form. That is Cheonma. She downed the last of her drink before gazing at the heavens. A gentle breeze tousled her hair. "Deajo." "Yes." "I will head to Hanam in seven days' time." "Leader!" I had to conceal my astonishment at her words. It meant she intended to go directly to Hanam, where the clan was, and wage war. Though wars had been fought, it was the first time she intended to initiate a direct assault. "You seem surprised." "No, it's just…" "Are you worried?" [...] Worried. Her words pierced like a dagger, and I remained silent. Perhaps she read my expression, as Cheonma continued speaking. "It doesn't seem like you're worried about me." She mused, leaning on her pale fingertips and half-opening her violet eyes as she looked at me. Unable to meet her gaze, all I could do was bow my head. "Then who is it you're concerned about, Deajo?" "It’s not true... I'm not worried about anything…" "Deajo, you're a poor liar. Do you know that?" [...] "Even as the years pass, you still possess such childish traits." Heh. Cheonma's laughter echoed in my ears. "You are the only one who has lied to me and lived to tell the tale. Are you aware?" [...] "You are also the only one who has refused to answer my questions and still survived." "Master…" Cheonma quietly rose to her feet, uninterested in my replies. "The Sword Demon, who is in Yicheon, will be returning soon." "The Green King in Sichuan should have finished preparations. He will confront the Blade Emperor." Cheonma began to inform me slowly, gradually rising into the air. The black aura swirling around her resembled wings. Listening to Cheonma's words, what struck me was that I had been completely unaware of all this information. The Sword Demon was initially my direct subordinate. The Green King was Jae-gal Hyuk's bodyguard, absorbed into my ranks upon his demise. The fact I knew nothing of their return or plans meant. Cheonma had intentionally kept me in the dark. Did they plan to expel me? The thought crossed my mind momentarily. Then, Cheonma spoke once more. "I will take over the command of the demons." "Master…!" It wasn't a bizarre thing to say. After all, the true leader and ruler of all demons was Cheonma. It was not unusual for her to have command over them. However, until now, Cheonma had never gone out of her way to take action. The command of the demons had always been held by Jae-gal Hyuk. Meanwhile, I had command over the forces directly beneath me. Shortly after Jae-gal Hyuk's death, his command was either absorbed by me or divided among other leaders. For Cheonma to take control of all the command meant that she truly intended to act personally. This would undoubtedly spell disaster for Jungwon. The only reason Jungwon had managed to endure thus far was because Cheonma hadn’t yet unleashed her full might to crush it. I knew this well. If Cheonma had seriously set out to destroy and burn Jungwon, there would have been no way for them to hold out till now. But why…? Why is Cheonma planning to act now? It seemed only logical, yet it was a question gnawing at me. Could it be because now that the Three Elders are dead and most of their power lost, she waited for a sure victory? Such a thought crossed my mind, but considering Cheonma's disposition as I knew it, that wasn’t it. Perhaps that’s why I found myself asking Cheonma. "Master…" "Yes." "…May I ask why?" What Cheonma intends is synonymous with the will and goal of the demons. To question that is unthinkable. Yet, I had to ask. "The reason, huh." Cheonma, floating in the air, still looked down at me with an expression of intrigue. Her figure obscuring the moon made it seem as if she was eclipsing its light. Amidst the shadows, only her violet eyes shone brilliantly. "Are you curious about that?" "I apologize…" Judging by her curved gaze, I could tell Cheonma was smiling. "It’s simply that the time has come." The time has come. Her words echoed deeply within me. "From now on, what I'm about to tell you is a command. One you must absolutely follow." "...I will obey." "When I move on Hanam, you must make a choice." I listened intently. "Will you accompany me to Hanam, or will you choose not to?" "Master. What do you mean by that…?" I couldn’t comprehend her words. Telling me to decide whether to go to Hanam or not. There shouldn’t be an option for someone like me, under her command, not to join when the leader of the demons marches to battle. "If I offered you a choice, you would naturally choose to go to Hanam." "Of course." "But would that truly be for me?" "Gulp!" Her cryptic words made me swallow hard. "Your wavering gaze is as constant as ever." "…Master." "The presence of that woman still lingers in your heart, doesn’t it?" "No. I would never hold such stray thoughts…" "This time I won’t blame you for lying to me." [...] As she spoke, Cheonma swept her hair back with her hand, almost absentmindedly. I caught a glimpse of Cheonma's face. Her familiar features carried complex emotions and were not something one could gaze upon for long. "I am fond of you, Deajo." "…Thank you…" "But sometimes, I want nothing more than to slit your throat. Do you know when that is?" [...] "It's when I see you longing as you look upon my face. Each time it happens, I’m stirred by the impulse to gouge out your eyes." "If you wish, I’ll burn my eyes out here and now." This was an earnest statement. Hearing my words, Cheonma responded with a satisfied smile. "That would be inconvenient. I quite like your eyes, after all." With every moment Cheonma settled in the air, the field and forest beneath her began to decay and rot. Affected by the malicious energy she emitted. "After everything concludes." "You will have to make a choice." A choice. There would come a time when I must choose? I still couldn't decipher the meaning behind Cheonma's words. "When that time arrives." ... ... .. .. Desperate to understand, Cheonma said something more, meant to guide me, but... I couldn’t remember what I heard then. Or even comprehend the choice she mentioned. Cheonma was ultimately defeated by So Geomseong at the end of the conflict and met her demise. So Geomseong became known as the Divine Sword. Additionally, the demons gathered in Hanam were either captured, killed, or tortured by the martial alliance. The defeat of the demonic sect. No one anticipated this outcome. Not even me. Even now, after returning, I couldn't grasp what Cheonma meant by choice that day. Blaze-! My body, engulfed in flames, raced through the forest at an accelerated pace. I pushed my internal energy to its limits. To reach my destination even faster. ‘No way…’ I suppressed the intense anxiety rising within me. Gritting my teeth to bear it. Thump, thump. One side of my dantian throbbed as if resonating. It was the core of my apprehension. My heightened senses upon reaching Enlightenment, along with my enhanced perception, were reacting. My dantian reacted, I could hear sounds, perceive scents, and even taste. My hands trembled as something came into view from afar. There was only one reason for these consistent reactions. It's signaling to me. That the master of all demons was there. That Cheonma was there. 'It can’t be,’ It isn’t the time yet for Cheonma to emerge. It should only occur after I’ve passed the age of twenty. Not now—this is meant to happen years later. ‘Is reality unraveling?’ It might be. So many things changed after returning, this could also be one of them. But it shouldn't be. At least. Cheonma’s arrival should not be now. Nothing is prepared. ‘Faster.’ I doggedly pushed forward, becoming a fiery point blazing through obstacles. I didn’t evade. I melted and incinerated whatever was in my path. Even the events that unfolded after returning to this realm. The enigmatic force that attacked Shinryong-gwan, the unfolding chaos, and everything else faded from my mind, leaving only thoughts of Cheonma. I sprinted. Crash—! I incinerated the trees in my path, charging only forward. How long I ran, I couldn't tell. Then, I reached the core of the energy. It gradually came into view. The first thing I saw was the chaotic aftermath, evidence of some prior conflict. A little distance away, Wi Seol Ah sat gasping for breath. Why is she in such a state? I quickly scanned my surroundings. Wi Seol Ah stood there, a sword drawn, emanating a lethal aura. The golden energy enveloping her was unmistakably the martial art of the Sword Sovereign. The purity contained within that energy was palpable. The presence Wi Seol Ah emitted was equally formidable. It seemed Wi Seol Ah had reached a higher realm than I had expected. However, my eyes soon shifted focus. There was an opponent whom Wi Seol Ah faced, sword drawn. The moment I saw who it was— Time seemed to pause briefly. For what felt like a few moments. In that brief span, countless thoughts rushed through my mind. I felt nothing. Though I saw it clearly. I saw its stance, its face in full view. Yet paradoxically, I felt absolutely nothing. Then, the figure facing Wi Seol Ah turned its head toward me. It seemed like a figment of my imagination, yet it was unmistakably looking at me. Time, which had seemed to stop, resumed its flow. I rushed forward instantly. I immediately wrapped my arms around Wi Seol Ah. "Huh…?" Startled by the suddenness of it all, Wi Seol Ah let out a gasp. Yet, holding Wi Seol Ah firmly, I retreated to maintain our distance. "Hah…. Hah…." Panting heavily, I embraced Wi Seol Ah protectively. I let my energy surge. Flames rose in my eyes. My hair moved slightly. Despite my sudden intervention, the figure before me remained expressionless. "…Why." I murmured, observing it. "Why have you appeared now?" I was convinced by its aura, but seeing it firsthand solidified my certainty. At my words, something that looked identical to Wi Seol Ah tilted its head quizzically. The moment we made eye contact, it felt as though my breath was caught in my throat. I felt nothing, yet conversely, I felt everything. Suppressing my inner tremors, I managed to call out to it. "…Cheonma." At my invocation, Cheonma's violet eyes gleamed. Upon seeing that, I was certain once more. Cheonma had returned to this world.