982 (edited) - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Step. Step. Something echoed in my ears. What was that sound? It sounded like footsteps. My hearing reacted first. Then came my sense of smell. A faint trace of flowers brushed the tip of my nose. Not heavy, not sharp—soft. And yet, the scent lingered long after. As sound and fragrance overlapped, I felt something else. A back. Someone’s back. Was the scent and warmth coming from the person carrying me? ‘…It’s comfortable.’ It really was. So much so that my eyes almost drifted shut again without me realizing it. ‘…Wait.’ A back? Fragrance? Someone else? ‘That means—’ I was being carried? “……!” The realization jolted me awake, eyes snapping open. I hurried to raise myself up. The hands holding me slackened, and naturally, I slid down to the ground. As I landed, I turned to see who had been carrying me. Crack—!! “Ghh—!!” Agony ripped through me before I could even check. My knees buckled under the weight of it. Pain tore along every meridian, sharpest of all near my heart. I staggered, clutching my chest. “…Damn it… what the hell…” How long has it been since I felt pain like this? Even the backlash when I first succeeded with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art hadn’t been this bad. This wasn’t even comparable. “Haa… haa…” Veins bulged in my eyes. My hand on my chest trembled violently. ‘I must have blacked out.’ It seemed obvious now. I had lost consciousness. At least I wasn’t dead, so maybe it wasn’t the worst outcome. Forcing myself through the pain, I slowly lifted my head. ‘Who was it?’ It was one thing to collapse like this—but who was carrying me while I was out? I turned my gaze to confirm. “……!” The figure in front of me made my eyes widen. “You…” A woman stood there, watching me. Brown hair. A black mask. Here, she was called Yarang. But I remembered her by another name. “……Why are you here?” Why was she standing in front of me? If she was here… then she had been the one carrying me? Suppressing my confusion, I glanced around. A forest. I couldn’t tell where exactly. It didn’t look that different from the forest where I had collapsed. So… maybe we hadn’t gone far? ‘No. I can’t be sure.’ A forest is a forest. I couldn’t judge distance from that alone. Should I spread my senses? I steadied my breathing and tried to circulate qi— Zap—! ‘Tch.’ Nothing moved except pain. My body was recovering, but I still couldn’t control my qi. Sensing presences was out of the question. For now, I fixed my eyes on Yarang. “What are you? Why are you here?” Yarang should’ve been with her master, in Yaweol (Night Moon). Yet not only had she found me collapsed— “Where are you trying to take me?” Where was she trying to bring me? I stared at her, waiting. “……” She just stood there, silent, looking at me. Her mask hid her expression. Her presence, as always, was hard to grasp. “……” No answer. Just silence. “…Say something. You have to have a reason.” I frowned. This was just like before. Why didn’t she ever speak? Unless— “Can’t you talk?” “……” Yarang nodded. ‘…She really can’t talk?’ Mute? So that was why she had never answered me. Only now did I understand. No wonder she’d stayed silent all this time. ‘Whether it’s true or not…’ Even if it was, it didn’t change anything. “Why do you keep hovering around me?” I asked anyway, knowing she couldn’t reply. The Heavenly Demon had hinted at it, and I had felt it too—Yarang was always close. The eyes and ears of the Myriad Realms, Shin Noya had called her. If that was true, then whatever she saw and heard, her master knew as well. ‘…Does that mean she knows, too?’ Did her master already know everything? And still, she had sent Yarang here? Or was this Yarang’s own choice? “…Do you know something?” Unlike her master, who had lost her memories— Did Yarang remember? Did she carry knowledge that her master didn’t? I tried to draw an answer out of her. “……” Nothing. No reaction. The mask made her unreadable, which only added to my frustration. But I was certain. Yarang was the Divine Sword. Every instinct screamed it. How she could still walk, when the Divine Sword’s soul had been completely erased, I couldn’t say. But then again— ‘Noya is the same, isn’t he?’ He, too, had a body and moved freely. Why not Yarang as well? I believed something had happened to her—something that explained why she lingered around me even now. “What, you can’t talk, but you could at least give me some kind of sign.” But she didn’t. “…Damn it.” Still no reaction. I sighed. Hard. Then I forced myself upright. The pain raged on, but it was bearable. Crack. Ah. No, it wasn’t. My bones screamed, and I nearly screamed with them. “Gh…” I barely held it back, gritting my teeth, steadying myself. Then I asked again. “You’re really not going to answer?” “……” “…Fine. Whatever.” Scowling, I turned my back. She might have some goal, but if she wouldn’t say anything, there was nothing I could do. If she went back and reported to her master, what then? Was this visit her master’s order? Or her own decision? The question lingered. ‘…Doesn’t matter. I won’t get an answer.’ It had been the same last time, even when the Heavenly Demon himself had appeared and a battle had broken out. Besides— ‘She doesn’t look hostile.’ I doubted she meant to attack me. It seemed like she had only watched me. But now… she had carried me here. So it wasn’t just watching, either. What was her intention? Her master’s? Or her own? If it was the latter… I hoped so. ‘If I’m right—if you really are her—’ Not just a shell wearing her face. Even without her memories, maybe something of her lingered. Enough to bring you to me. That was what I desperately wanted to believe. I started forward— Grab. “…!” Yarang’s hand clamped around my wrist. “What…” I turned back. She was pointing somewhere. “What is it?” “……” “You want me to go there?” She nodded. I grimaced. “…Why should I?” Not a word, and yet she wanted to drag me somewhere? Annoyed, I tried to shake her off— “……” But I had no strength. My body gave out. “Let go.” “……” “I said let go.” “……” “Let go—!” Suddenly, she yanked me toward her. My body stumbled forward before I could resist. Shhhk. “…What?” A sharp edge pressed against my throat. Yarang’s white blade was leveled at my neck. “……” “…Are you serious?” I let out a hollow laugh. “You’re planning to kill me if I don’t follow?” “……” No words. Just her eyes—burning with certainty. That was her answer. “…Unbelievable.” She couldn’t talk, so she threatened me instead. Ridiculous. But— “…Where the hell are you trying to take me?” Either way, I stopped resisting. Not because I had no choice. But because the sight reminded me of my past life. The Divine Sword had often resorted to this exact method when words failed. And now Yarang was doing the same. It softened me, just a little. “……” When I didn’t fight back, Yarang lowered her blade and began walking forward, pulling me along by the wrist. Dragged by her grip, I followed. How long did we walk like that? Led by Yarang, we wandered the forest. Sometimes circling. Sometimes straight. Sometimes turning sharply. Soon, the path gave way to wild ground. And by the time the sun began to set— ‘Where are we going?’ A knot of unease tightened in me. Nightfall wasn’t ideal. ‘This could be bad.’ Though some strength had returned, I was far from ready for battle. If I had to fight Yarang in this state… ‘If she really has the power of the Divine Sword…’ There was no chance. I hadn’t even gotten a clear read when she fought the Heavenly Demon before. I had to assume the worst. Even so, what had happened to her? Why did she still walk? Why bring me here? I was tense as we moved deeper into the wilderness when— Yarang stopped. I glanced around. Just a clearing. Empty. Was this the destination? “Why bring me he—” Shhhk. Her sword appeared again, qi condensing along the blade. “You…!” That force made me instinctively try to draw my own strength— But she was faster. Slash—!! The sound of something being cut rang out. Not me. She had cut the air. “What the hell…” I stared, baffled— Ssssshhhhh—!!! The space itself split open like torn paper. Fwoooosh—!! Something burst out. Butterflies. Hundreds of them, dyed in a crimson-violet glow. “…What the…” They swarmed around us, blinding me in a flurry of wings— And then scattered in an instant. “What…?” Before I could even process it— I saw it. Something massive now stood where there had been only empty clearing. “…This is…?” I lifted my gaze. “…A tree?” Yes. A tree— Its leaves shimmering in pure, radiant violet. Beautiful.