1292 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Sizzle. The wide space was heavy with the smell of burning. Black smoke twirled upwards amidst the scene. “Ugh… Ugh…” “Spare me… Please…” The floor was littered with groaning apostles. They gasped helplessly, bleeding across the crumbled and broken ground. Their bodies were clearly burned in several places, with some already charred black, having long since departed this world. In the midst of this chaotic scene, the only thing untouched was a single tree standing atop a prepared mound. The tree to which Paejon was bound. An old man staggered to his feet, centering himself around that tree. “Ptooey.” With a violent spit of blood. Whoosh-!!!! He drew in a stormy breath, his eyes burning with fury. “How insolent…” Sizzle. The burned marks on his skin began to vanish as a murderous aura emerged upon his flesh. A woman standing behind him reacted to his presence. “Buseon, please calm down.” “Calm down? Do you see this situation, and think it's one to be calm about?” His lips were curved in a smile, but the malice above it glistened ominously. “That monster-like woman…” It wasn’t enough to simply call her monstrous. Cheolhyun Buseon corrected himself. “She truly is a monster.” She was no longer deemed human. The same was true for Baek Yangcheon, that young brat. “What on earth is her identity?” Her sudden appearance was still bewildering. From what he could tell, she seemed to be of the Namgung bloodline. “The Heavenly Lord. Even that stubborn old fool wouldn't know.” He thought of the paramount leader of the Namgung family, who despite being one of the Three Venerables, was now relegated to the background, barely a concern anymore. ‘Instead.’ The young woman was far more formidable than those Three Venerables. “That’s the piece you were looking for, isn’t it?” “Indeed it is.” The weary Sword Queen answered. “That child is the last piece I've been searching for.” “So then…” Rumble-!!! Wind pressure burst forth, crushing the cave. “You shouldn’t have stopped me. Why did you?” In that final moment, there was surely a chance to capture the woman. Somehow, they could have imprisoned her, but the Sword Queen had intervened at the last moment. - Stop. With those words, Cheolhyun Buseon ultimately failed to capture the woman. “What are you planning?” “The time wasn’t right yet.” With a crunch, the Sword Queen stepped out from the broken cracks. “We weren’t able to reach the desired moment. The pieces and the key were gathered, that’s all.” “Hah. The desired moment?” “Yes, the desired moment.” The Sword Queen looked at Cheolhyun Buseon. “There are things we both want. You are no different. We just haven’t found that time yet.” Vrrrrr--!!! As she spoke, a vibration erupted around the Sword Queen. A grayish energy swirled at her feet and soon enveloped the nearby apostles and broken rocks. Vrrrrr-!!!! The rocks lifted into the air, attaching themselves to the crushed cave, beginning to repair themselves. “So it was right to wait a little longer.” “Unfathomable words, as usual.” Frustration arose. Though it threatened to boil over, Cheolhyun Buseon couldn’t continue speaking further. “I suppose if you say jump, I jump.” Bound by contract, there were tasks to be done to achieve their respective desires. “But promise me one thing.” Cheolhyun Buseon glared at the Sword Queen. “Paejon and his disciple are mine.” When he spoke with eyes steeped in greed, the Sword Queen shook her head. “Then go ahead. All I need is the key that child possesses.” With words exchanged as if reaching an agreement, Cheolhyun Buseon levitated into the air without looking back. Then, he gazed somewhere. “It seems I didn’t arrive late. Were you just observing?” A young man stood leaning against one wall of the cave, eyes closed. “Divine Dragon.” “…” Divine Dragon Gu Cheolun. He opened his eyes upon hearing Cheolhyun Buseon's words. “I used to find your arrogance rather appealing. But now it grates on me.” “…” Whether it was his absence in the fight or his mere observation that irked him, Cheolhyun Buseon glared at Gu Cheolun this time. “Click.” Without further words, he clicked his tongue briefly and vanished. As the apostles gradually began to rise. “Divine Dragon.” The Sword Queen addressed Gu Cheolun. “Yes.” When Gu Cheolun answered calmly, the Sword Queen spoke as she looked at him. “The time is approaching.” “…” “So.” Erasing her languid expression, she looked at him with cold eyes. “Poison Phoenix. It's time to capture the daughter of the Tang clan.” “…” The command was given. Gu Cheolun responded to it. “I understand.” With that, flames emanated from his body. * * * Rustle. The light obscuring my vision gradually dissipated. As the view obstructing my sight slowly withdrew, I was finally able to open my eyes. “…Ah.” Barely forcing my heavy eyelids open, the first thing I saw was the crimson sky. The sky of the demon realm—it was both familiar and alien to my gaze. ‘Where is this?’ My body felt too heavy to move, so I stayed put, finding an odd sense of comfort without the need to stir. Then I finally realized what was going on. ‘What is this?’ Something soft was under my head. I wasn’t just lying on the cold ground. This sensation…? ‘Strangely.’ It felt oddly familiar. Engrossed in the soft and plush sensation, I pondered for a moment. Swish. “…!” White hair shielded my sight. Then blue eyes met mine. “Hello.” Her gentle voice startled me into sitting up. Bang-!! “Ouch!” “Ugh.” Our foreheads collided. Wrapping my forehead to quell the throbbing pain, I groaned. “Argh…” The impact made my head ring. As I endured the buzzing headache, I looked at the woman. With a slightly dazed expression and a reddened forehead, the woman watched me. It was Namgung Bi-ah. It seemed I had been resting on her lap. “You… you…” In surprise, I looked at her as Namgung Bi-ah gently cradled her own forehead. “…It hurts…” When she glanced at me with slightly reproachful eyes, I apologized awkwardly. “…I’m sorry.” At any rate, I apologized. But more importantly… “You… what exactly happened?” "Where is this?" I murmured and scanned the surroundings. It seemed to be far from the cave where the Sword Queen was. "How on earth did you—" ZAP. “Agh…” I curled in on myself from the pain. “Huff… Huff…” An overwhelming pain enveloped my entire body. I hurriedly assessed my condition, trying to rotate my energy and observe my insides. ‘This is maddening.’ It seemed the use of the Master Transformation left me utterly drained. This felt like the root of the problem. ‘The pain stems from the vessel itself.’ It wasn’t an issue with the acupoints or the muscles; it seemed the vessel itself had been strained. ‘…Damn.’ The heat of the moment had driven me to expend all of my energy, bringing about this wretched state. “Sigh.” I managed to endure, and the pain slowly subsided. As the torment eased, I rolled my eyes to once again meet Namgung Bi-ah’s gaze. “…Why are you here?” "…" As I spoke through my sighs, Namgung Bi-ah gradually reached her hand toward me, her pale fingers brushing against my cheek. “…Are you alright?” Even in this situation, she asked about my well-being. The irony drew a chuckle from me. “Don’t worry about me. Who are you… really?” The demon realm. I found it puzzling even when I saw her in that false world. But meeting Namgung Bi-ah here, within the demon realm, was unexpected. Especially so… “How did you even escape from there?” The place where the Sword Queen and Cheolhyun Buseon had been. I recalled the panic when the Master Transformation dissipated in that setting. And yet, here she was— unaffected. ‘She got out like this?’ It was strange that she’d gotten away without a scratch. Back then, surely… ‘Namgung Bi-ah had tried to do something.’ I remembered Namgung Bi-ah trying to protect me with every bit of her telekinetic power. “What did you do? What did you do to end up here?” “…” She didn’t speak. Her silent gaze at me spoke volumes of strangeness. ‘A binding spell?’ A spell must have sealed her lips. Then… “Who did you meet?” The only explanation was encountering someone extraordinary. Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t have manifested here by ordinary means. “What did you do to come here?” A surge of anger rose within me. She couldn’t have come here as if on a casual stroll. Surely, she must have done something significant to gain entry. I knew whatever she sacrificed to do so wouldn’t have been minor. “Have you lost your mind?” That’s why I was even more infuriated. “What did you do…? Couldn’t you just stay still? What did you sacrifice to come here?” What did she give up? What, or to whom, had she offered something? The silence and bitterness tore at my insides. “You. I am…” What am I fighting so hard for? Did you really discard something else for my sake? Frightened by the thought, I nearly lashed out at Namgung Bi-ah. Swish. Namgung Bi-ah slowly moved her hand from my cheek to stroke my hair. Gently. As if unfazed by my fiery emotions. Just tenderly and softly. Her touch froze me in place. The intense emotions oddly subsided. “Have you eaten?” “…” Her light question made my heart sink with a thud. “Did you eat?” The same question I always asked. A clumsy way of expressing my concerns fell from her lips, and my face twisted. “Oh, damn it…” I swore under my breath and instinctively pulled her into a hug. As warmth enveloped me fully in my arms. Only then did my breath, which had been caught, finally come out in a long sigh. I felt like I could finally breathe.