Chapter 437: Regret (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 437: Regret (3)
My shoulders began to tremble the moment I heard her voice.
I stared, disbelief clouding my vision.
Namgung Bi-ah… no. The Demonic Sword.
It was undoubtedly her. I could never mistake her.
This was the Namgung Bi-ah from my past life, the girl who had died for me, standing right before my eyes. Yet, the hair that was a bluish-white on Bi-ah was a pale, stark white on her. While their features were nearly identical, the aura they emitted could not have been more different. Namgung Bi-ah carried a dreamy, sleepy gentleness. The Demonic Sword was shrouded in an abyssal darkness, a mystery so profound that to peer into it felt like risking being consumed whole.
“…”
What could I even say to her?
My jaw clenched shut as I met the Demonic Sword’s icy blue pupils. A heavy silence stretched for several long seconds, broken only by a cool breeze carrying the thick scent of blood.
Shing.
Her blade moved.
My body froze solid.
The Qi erupting from the tip of her sword instantly pressurized the entire area.
This is…
Danger. My every instinct screamed it.
I felt no killing intent. That was how the Demonic Sword had always been. She slaughtered without a trace of malice. It defied belief, but it was the truth. Every person, when taking a life, emits killing intent—unless it's a pure accident. But the Demonic Sword never did. It wasn't that she controlled it; she simply lacked it entirely. In my past life, I'd even entertained the absurd notion that she was killing intent incarnate, which was why I couldn't sense it from her.
But that wasn't the case. She wasn't obsessed with slaughter. I just hadn't understood that then.
I felt Lightning Qi crackle to life around the Demonic Sword’s shoulders. The sight made me frown.
…Why?
This was genuinely perilous. I didn’t know if this was an illusion or reality, but one thing was certain: If I die here, I will most likely die for real.
Just like all the other illusions I had experienced, death here almost certainly meant true death.
Crack-!
Knowing that changed nothing. The real problem was that I had no way out.
Rumble-!!
“Ugh…!”
An unimaginable pressure forced me to my knees.
…The Master of Swords…!
It was the Namgung Clan’s Secret Art, and the Demonic Sword was wielding it. My first thought was one of sheer awe.
It’s on a completely different level…
Compared to this, Namgung Bi-ah’s Master of Swords was like a child’s imitation. The Demonic Sword’s power was in a league of its own. Her Qi didn't just press down on me; it crushed the very environment around us.
Craaash-!
I couldn't even perceive the full range of its influence.
Crack-!
Trees splintered and fell; rocks fractured under the strain. I was the only one barely managing to endure, and the Demonic Sword looked down at me with those chilling blue eyes.
Shing!
Her sword began to move.
The motion seemed slow, but a wave of horror washed over me as I comprehended the profound enlightenment contained within that simple movement. I knew the Demonic Sword was strong. But in the peace following my regression, I had grown complacent, forgetting the sheer magnitude of her power. I knew she was strong… but I had completely forgotten she was this strong.
Swish-!
Her blade cut lightly through the air. It was a simple, almost casual upward lift.
Woong-!
Yet, from it, I felt minute vibrations and the unmistakable touch of death.
Swish.
The Demonic Sword’s blade, poised in the air, swung down in a perfectly straight line.
In the direction it traveled,
Swoooosh-!
The sky was severed in two.
I could only stare, dumbfounded by the sheer absurdity of the sight. This was a level only achievable by a sword master who had become one with their blade, having surmounted countless barriers.
Swoosh-!
“Ugh…!”
A violent gale erupted in the attack's wake. I clung to the ground with all my strength to avoid being blown away. Just as I remembered, her power was overwhelming. The Demonic Sword existed on a plane incomparable to Namgung Bi-ah.
…The Demonic Sword Queen.
Once again, I was witnessing the might of the swordswoman who had inherited the title of Sword Queen.
Was this really an illusion? The clarity of it all felt terrifyingly real.
The insane storm gradually began to subside. When the pressure eased to a marginally more bearable level, I finally managed to exhale a heavy breath and turned to look.
“Holy shit.”
Fortunately, the Demonic Sword hadn’t been aiming at me. It seemed she had swung at something behind me, and the sky had been split as a result. I looked up. A scar from her sword still marred the heavens, preventing the clouds from passing through.
Just as I began to wonder what she had targeted,
Rumble-!
A wild, unfamiliar Lightning Qi went berserk.
This is?
It wasn't the Demonic Sword’s energy. From the direction she had attacked, I could feel a powerful, unknown Lightning Qi. The Demonic Sword’s slight frown confirmed my suspicion. What was happening?
Slam…
A small, concussive sound came from the direction of the foreign Qi. I understood a moment later. A massive wave of Qi was hurtling toward us from that direction.
My eyes widened in shock, but the Demonic Sword was already moving. She swung her sword.
Claaaack-!
Something collided with her blade, which was sheathed in immense power. The impact was spectacular. I stood frozen, watching the explosive Lightning Qi scatter. A stray strand of energy grazed my cheek, slicing the skin and drawing blood.
After a brief clash with the oncoming attack, the Demonic Sword repositioned her blade and cleanly bisected the Qi wave.
Crack-!
The wave shuddered briefly before detonating on the spot.
Swooosh-!
Another storm, this one harder to endure as it was laced with violent Lightning Qi.
“Cough…”
When I finally managed to steady myself, I saw the surroundings had been utterly devastated. The pile of corpses had been blown away, and the puddle of blood was splattered everywhere, creating a gruesome mess.
What was that just now?
As I struggled to make sense of the situation,
Clack.
Someone approached. It was, of course, the Demonic Sword. The powerful shockwave seemed to have blown the blood clean from her clothes, as barely a stain remained.
As she drew nearer…
“Ugh…!?”
My body suddenly levitated into the air. The Demonic Sword had used a Spatial Art on me. The pressure squeezing me as I hung there was immense, and I knew I had the power to break free. But I resisted the urge. I knew that sword would instantly be aimed at my throat if I did.
“…What… are you?” she asked.
After uttering those words, she came closer and brought her nose near me, sniffing the air.
“…Why… do you… have no smell…?”
What smell was she talking about? She continued to sniff as I hung suspended in the air.
What is she doing…?
This is…
Now that I thought about it, she had done this occasionally in my past life. Moreover, didn't the current Namgung Bi-ah have the same habit?
What kind of strange hobby is this?
She was acting like a dog. And given that she was just ambushed, did she really have time for this?
After sniffing me a moment longer, the Demonic Sword stared intently and asked another question.
“…Where?”
“What…?”
I’d accidentally used informal speech and shocked myself. Habits are terrifying. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to care. Without a flicker of reaction, she repeated her question.
“…Tell me… your association…”
“…!”
I gulped nervously. I hadn’t expected that question. It seemed the Demonic Sword had mistaken me for a Demonic Human from the Demonic Cult.
But does she not know who I am…?
It appeared she didn’t. Should I be relieved?
As I hesitated, the Demonic Sword tilted her head and tightened her grip on the sword.
Fuck.
She was going to kill me. She was genuinely prepared to kill me because I paused for a second. Seeing her blade tense, I responded immediately.
“I’m… from the Black Flame Army…!”
I spat out a name I never wanted to utter again. Damn it… I never thought I’d have to say it aloud again. It seemed my desperate, blood-flecked reply worked. The Demonic Sword’s eyes widened slightly, and her sword stilled.
The Black Flame Army.
The name I had just uttered. The Demonic Cult was officially known to have three great armies under the Heavenly Demon: the Heavenly Black Army, the Ghostly Sword Army, and the Green Aerial Army. These three were famed for burning the Central Plains to ash.
That wasn't wrong. Those were the three armies known to the world.
But the Demonic Humans within the Cult knew a truth the Central Plains did not: there were actually four armies. The fourth army oversaw the other three and was directly under the Heavenly Demon’s command.
The Black Flame Army.
That was the army the Demonic Sword before me belonged to.
And not only that…
…I’m also the Captain of it.
I was the one who had led that embarrassingly named army.
Fucking hell.
A rare frown appeared on the Demonic Sword’s face upon hearing my answer.
“…Lies… I didn’t hear anything about… a newcomer…”
As I expected, she didn’t believe me. But I wasn't out of options. I had a way to prove it.
“…I… I only follow the Leader’s command. I’m not lying.”
“…”
The Demonic Sword stared deep into my pupils after my response. Her gaze locked onto my violet eyes.
Thud.
“Ugfh.”
She released her hold, and I fell to the ground. She was trusting me—for now.
…Phew.
I sighed in relief. She really had no choice but to believe me. A Demonic Human could not swear a false oath by the Heavenly Demon; to do so would cause the Demonic Qi in their heart to explode, ensuring a swift death. Since I had invoked the Heavenly Demon and remained unharmed, she had to accept my claim.
Of course, she didn't know that my connection to the Heavenly Demon had been severed long ago. His name held no power over me anymore.
After dismissing me, the Demonic Sword moved to sheathe her blade.
Clang-!
But the sword suddenly shattered in half.
“…”
It seemed it hadn't withstood the impact from earlier. After a moment's stare, she tossed the broken weapon aside without a hint of attachment.
Where is her Thunder Fang?
I glanced around her waist but saw no sign of the legendary sword. It seemed she hadn't brought it this time.
After observing me for a moment longer, the Demonic Sword turned away.
“…Follow… me.”
“Pardon?”
I couldn't help but question her. Follow her? Where?
She slightly turned her head back and explained.
“…Heavenly Venerable… He’s coming.”
“…!”
“…We must… return… It’s an order.”
So that was the source of the foreign Lightning Qi. It was from one of the Three Venerables himself, the Heavenly Venerable. That man was nearby? Then we truly had been wasting time. It seemed the Demonic Sword now saw me as an ally, for she intended to take me with her.
But…
Where…?
Even in this urgency, the question nagged at me. I was glad to have escaped death at her hands, but where would I end up if I followed her? That was the real problem.
“Demonic Sword Queen.”
Hearing my call, she stopped and turned back. I still couldn't get used to those lifeless blue eyes. Then again, that meant I had grown accustomed to the current Namgung Bi-ah, who never looked at me with such chilling emptiness.
Meeting that cold gaze, I asked as calmly as I could, “…Where are we going right now?”
“…”
Silence hung for a moment. She looked at me as if questioning why I would even ask.
“…Main base…”
“…”
As she turned and continued walking, a cold sweat broke out on my face. The "main base" could only mean one thing: the headquarters of the Black Flame Army. And in that place…
…That’s where I am.
That was where the army's captain, the Black Flame Demon Emperor, resided.
The realization struck me with full force.
…My situation is getting worse and worse.