Baekhyang's True Name
As the Yokai King, the Heavenly Demon's nemesis, fled, the clustered yokai scattered in all directions. We hadn't exterminated them, but we'd shattered their unity and taken out Baekgang, so the operation was a resounding success.
With the operation over, the alliance between the orthodox sects and the Demonic Cult came to an end as well. But war didn't break out right away.
We both need time to regroup.
The yokai side had some heavy hitters too, so both factions had taken losses. Now was the time for recovery. The Demonic Cult prioritized rewards over dealing with the corpses.
They hastily disposed of the bodies and moved straight to distributions—something that would've sparked immediate complaints from the orthodox side.
But.
"Hahaha! It's their own fault for dying! Who told them to swing swords at us when they're so weak?"
The Demonic Cult's mindset was just different. That's why they could recover from the war faster than the orthodox sects.
"Keep serving the Demonic Cult diligently from here on out."
Chunsik knelt on one knee before the Heavenly Demon. That guy had survived the war.
Not only that—he'd performed so well that the Heavenly Demon was rewarding him personally. I'd claimed the most merits in the war, so my turn came last.
One by one, everyone received their rewards, and finally, it was my turn. I got Baekgang's sword as my prize.
The pinnacle weapon in this dimension. And I'd claimed it as a reward.
Truth be told, I don't really need it.
The Heavenly Demon knew that too. So this was just a formality.
The real reward is something else.
I didn't need money or honors. For someone like me, the Heavenly Demon had agreed to a private audience.
But since I had to accept the award in front of everyone, I took Baekgang's sword formally. The festival dragged on for days.
No one knew how badly I wanted it to end. They just reveled in the celebrations.
"So, what is it you want?"
The festival ended, and now I was alone with the Heavenly Demon in her chambers.
"Hm…."
What should I ask for as a reward? How far would she let me push?
Her affinity for me seemed maxed out…. As I pondered, one perfect reward popped into my head.
"Heavenly Demon."
"Yes? Have you decided?"
She gazed down at me imperiously from her seat.
"Yes. Tell me your name."
Her face stiffened at my words.
"Why are you so obsessed with my name?"
I'd kept asking during spars and training. She'd been amazed by my persistence.
"Isn't it natural to be obsessed?"
"Natural?"
I smirked as I replied.
"Isn't it obvious you'd want to know the name of a woman you like?"
Someone else might call it cringy. But for the Heavenly Demon, who'd never heard lines like that, it hit like a thunderbolt.
Her face flushed as she panicked.
"Th-that's enough for you? There's plenty more! If you want, I could teach you a martial art! Not the Heavenly Demon Art, of course… but how about the Thunder God Style? Or would the Wind God Style suit you better?"
She was rambling now, cheeks red, stumbling over her words.
"Ahem! You really just want my name?"
Realizing I wouldn't back down, she made one last check.
"Yes. I want to know your name, Heavenly Demon."
"Hm…."
She pondered for a moment, then began to speak about her name.
"When I ascended to Heavenly Demon, I discarded my name."
She tapped her foot, pausing dramatically. Then she explained why she'd abandoned it.
The previous Heavenly Demon had been indifferent to her and her mother. With multiple wives and children, he had no interest in his daughter.
Sidelined in the successor struggle, she hadn't cared about becoming Heavenly Demon anyway.
Her passion was solely cultivation. Growing stronger was her joy, so she trained in silence.
That diligence made her surpass the scheming siblings faster. They tried every dirty trick to eliminate her.
When those failed against her, they targeted her mother. In the end, she lost her.
Her mother left her a dying wish.
"Become the Heavenly Demon. Grow stronger than anyone and find happiness."
To honor that, she'd cast off her name and vowed to become Heavenly Demon.
"…That's why I discarded my name."
A clichéd story, perhaps—from an outsider's view.
But not for her.
"Even knowing that, do you still need my name?"
She asked again after sharing her past. I thought it over.
Yes, I need to hear it now more than ever.
"Yes. I have to know your name."
"Why? Because you're smitten with me?"
"Yes, but also…."
I recalled something from her story.
"Your mother said it, didn't she?"
She tilted her head quizzically.
"Be happy. That doesn't mean happy as the Heavenly Demon."
The words struck her hard; she froze. I said nothing, just waited.
"Ha, hahaha! You're right."
While silent, she'd mulled over her mother's words and found her own answer.
After laughing heartily, she met my eyes intently.
"Very well. My name is Baekhyang. I permit you to call me by it."
It had been nearly a year since I arrived in this dimension. After all that time, I'd finally learned the heroine's name.
**
Knowing the Heavenly Demon's name didn't turn my daily life into some spectacle. If anything, it intensified.
The training got even harsher than usual.
"Hahaha! One more! One more!"
Her "one more!" now stretched to nine reps.
If you're gonna do this, just set it to twenty from the start….
Not just the intensity—Baekhyang's attitude had shifted too.
Physical contact decreased. Ever since I learned her name, she'd kept a subtle distance, and now even touch was rare.
Normally, she'd grope me everywhere, saying:
"Feels good, doesn't it? These muscles are screaming 'delicious!'"
Showing her muscle-obsessed hell mode. But lately:
"Ahem…!"
She'd pull her hand back hastily and clear her throat like nothing happened. Not a bad sign.
Quite the opposite. Why the sudden change? She'd started seeing herself as a woman.
Baekhyang had lived her whole life as the Heavenly Demon. Now, feminine feelings were budding for the first time. Of course her behavior would change.
And I kept confessing. Our old daily routine ended in spars.
Now, it ended like this:
"Baekhyang, I love you."
"Wh-what?! Enough with the nonsense—get out!"
Even after daily confessions, she still blushed. A far cry from her usual stern demeanor.
My lips curved into a grin, and spotting it made her lash out harder.
"There's a festival tomorrow. Come with me?"
I invited her on a date, expecting "I'll use that time to hone my martial arts!"
"A festival…? Come to think of it, I've never been. It'll be an experience. Fine!"
She agreed. Progress with Baekhyang—in tiny steps, but real.
I didn't rush. Our first date had taught me: everyone has their tastes, their pace. I just matched hers.
"Ah, this is exhausting."
Hell-mode dates were inevitable.
"Park Kiyong, follow me."
The next morning, a subordinate of some high-up summoned me.
What now?
Curious, I trailed him. He led me to a room where Demonic Cult elders sat.
"Leave the Demonic Cult."
Out of nowhere, they ordered me to get out. They unleashed their auras to pressure me.
"You're shaking the Heavenly Demon. She must embody evil."
They took turns speaking.
"The Heavenly Demon must be strong."
"The Heavenly Demon must not waver."
"The Heavenly Demon's marriage must serve politics."
Ridiculous nonsense. That last one especially made my eyebrow twitch.
"So you, who ruin the Heavenly Demon, must leave the Demonic Cult."
The old fools spouted absurdities like it was normal. They were blocking Baekhyang's path to happiness, just as she was starting to seek it.
"Fuck off. Feels good blocking a girl young enough to be your granddaughter?"
As I spoke, their auras thickened.
Pfft—!
Their pressure made me snort.
"Laughing?!"
"Y-you—!!"
Their faces finally twisted properly. The elders shot to their feet.
I gave them a taste of their own medicine.
"Urk!"
"Wh-what is this?!"
My aura crushed them to their knees.
"Hilarious. I took out Baekgang, whom you couldn't handle. You thought I'd lose to you?"
They gnashed their teeth; one spoke up.
"A mere cultist! Threatening us?!"
Still yapping in this situation.
"Why don't old geezers ever know their place?"
I ramped up the pressure; blood trickled from their eyes and ears. Finally sensing mortal danger, they blurted desperately.
"K-kill us, and the Heavenly Demon won't stand for it!"
Dragging Baekhyang into it. Her obsession with the title might stem from her mother's dying words—and these bastards' gaslighting since childhood.
"Oh yeah? Let's check. Who'll she choose—you or me?"
Leaving them alive would mean endless interference. I drew Gram.
"Enough."
A woman's voice from behind. I turned. Baekhyang stood there, watching me.