Chapter 448: Resonance (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 448: Resonance (3)
The colossal sphere of flame began to writhe, twisting into a monstrous form.
“I am aware you lured us here,” the Demon Emperor said. “Did you truly believe I was ignorant of your scheme?”
A smile played on his lips, making the statement all the more terrifying.
“Hgh… Hgh…”
Bi Yeonsum’s fear was palpable, and rightly so. The killing intent saturating the Demon Emperor’s words was enough to freeze the blood.
“I do enjoy watching futile struggles… but I must confess, I’ve grown weary of them,” the Demon Emperor continued, his tone conversational. “I’d rather not indulge for long.”
Click.
The Demonic Sword shifted her grip on her hilt.
The unspoken command was clear, even without direct words. I understood it, too.
That bastard has completely lost it.
His anger was plain to see, paradoxically revealed by the calm smile on his face. As I suspected, he was truly in a league of his own when it came to sheer, unhinged fury.
Bi Yeonsum already seemed to be at his breaking point. “Huff… Hugh…” His breathing was ragged, his Qi visibly fading. It was impossible for him to withstand the Demon Emperor’s oppressive aura at such close quarters.
As the Demon Emperor’s Demonic Qi slowly saturated the surroundings, the Silent Fist and the rest of the army arrived from behind. They had hurried to catch up after the Demonic Sword and I had pressed ahead without them.
The Silent Fist was sharp. He assessed the situation instantly, his brow furrowing slightly before he signaled with a hand gesture. The Demonic Humans immediately began gathering their Qi.
The scene was a ticking time bomb. A battle could erupt at any second.
While the immediate crisis was critical, my attention was divided.
Where is she?
Something else was more important to me. According to the Silent Fist, she was here somewhere.
Celestial Sword…
Wi Seol-Ah of this timeline.
He had reported her location, but I saw no sign of her. Was she in a village further away? As my eyes scanned the area…
Tap.
Bi Yeonsum, standing before the Demon Emperor, finally began to falter. He managed to stay on his feet, but it was clear he could collapse at any moment.
Something was odd. The Demon Emperor, the Demonic Sword, and even the Silent Fist seemed to have already lost interest in Bi Yeonsum.
No…
Perhaps they were never really looking at him to begin with.
I followed their collective gaze. There was nothing there—just empty air. I sharpened my focus, trusting that their attention was fixed there for a reason.
Then—
…!
I felt it. A presence, faint but undeniable.
This is…
A mysterious coldness, as if a blade were being leveled at my throat. The thought spurred me to hone my senses further, and I finally understood why they were all staring. In my fixation on finding the Celestial Sword, I had forgotten another crucial fact.
She wasn’t the only significant power here.
Zaap.
A spark of Lightning Qi flickered briefly in the empty space. The Demonic Sword reacted instantly; it was similar to the Qi she wielded. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at the empty air.
[You seem to be the same.]
A voice echoed as the Lightning Qi expanded.
Zaaaap—! The energy swelled, beginning to outline a human form. Moments later, a figure slowly materialized.
Tap.
As the person descended from mid-air and landed softly,
Swoosh—!
The oppressive pressure blanketing the area was instantly repelled.
It was a white-haired old man. With his hands clasped behind his back, he began walking toward us with light, effortless steps.
I swallowed nervously. The old man’s blue pupils reminded me sharply of someone. It had been a long time since I last saw him. To be precise, I hadn't encountered him since my regression.
“Hugh… Huff…” Relieved of the pressure, Bi Yeonsum gasped heavily for air.
The old man walked up to him and placed a hand on his back.
“Cough!”
Bi Yeonsum coughed up a stream of black blood as the old man mended his internal injuries.
“Take some time to rest.”
“I’m… sorry.”
The old man simply tapped Bi Yeonsum’s shoulder in response.
After watching the exchange expressionlessly, the Demon Emperor finally addressed the newcomer. “I was wondering where you’d been hiding. And here you are.”
“Haha… Hiding, you say? I never did any such thing,” the old man replied with a gentle laugh.
“You’ve been nipping at my heels like a frightened rat, so I assumed you were finally making a desperate stand.”
Jeez.
Just hearing his taunt was embarrassing. I wanted to seal that damned bastard’s mouth shut. Had the Demonic Qi rotted his brain?
…Was I really like that?
I wanted to deny it. To show such bravado before one of the Three Venerables, the absolute pinnacle of the Namgung Clan…
I really lived my life on the edge, huh.
The old man standing before us was the Heavenly Venerable. Despite facing this legendary monster, the Demon Emperor continued to run his mouth without a care.
“I heard an old monster was skulking around my territory and thought I might kill him. I’m glad you saved me the trouble of searching.”
“Haha.”
The Heavenly Venerable merely chuckled at the provocation.
“…An old monster… Yes, that’s right. I suppose I am living on simply because I cannot die.” The Heavenly Venerable’s gaze shifted, a kind smile gracing his lips as he looked toward the Demonic Sword. “It’s been a while.”
“…”
The Demonic Sword offered no verbal reply, only returning his gaze in silence.
The Namgung Clan had been destroyed by her hand, and the Heavenly Venerable had been powerless to stop it. Only the two of them remained as the last bloodline of the Namgung Clan in the Central Plains. Theirs was a profoundly complicated and uncomfortable relationship.
“…I would love to converse, as our last meeting was so long ago,” the Heavenly Venerable said, his tone regretful. “But unfortunately, there is a matter I must attend to first.”
A matter he must attend to?
My interest was piqued. It seemed he had come here on business, as I suspected.
“A matter you must attend to…” The other ‘me’—the Demon Emperor—had also heard him. He frowned slightly. “Is it so important that you would disregard our Leader’s warning?”
“Indeed,” the Heavenly Venerable said, his kind smile still directed at the Demon Emperor. “We would like to propose a deal.”
A deal? I focused intently, surprised by the unexpected offer.
“Hah.”
But I could only roll my eyes as the Demon Emperor let out a derisive snort.
Ugh, that’s not a good sign.
Sure enough.
“A deal?” the Demon Emperor sneered. “That insect over there begged for a conversation earlier, and now this old man suggests a deal.”
“This arrangement would be beneficial for your side as well—”
“Shut your mouth. My ears might rot from listening to you.”
The pressure in the air intensified once more. The smile vanished from the Demon Emperor’s face, leaving only pure anger in its wake.
“Our great Leader generously showed you mercy… but as always, you insects are devoid of gratitude.” Flames began to coil around the Demon Emperor’s body. “If you do not know your place, I shall be kind enough to teach you.”
“…Must blood always be spilled?” the Heavenly Venerable asked, his tone weary.
The Demon Emperor waved a hand dismissively. “Do not presume to relate to me with your quaint morals.”
Craaaash—!
With a gesture from the Demon Emperor, the massive ball of flame in the sky began to descend with a thunderous roar.
“You bastards have no right to speak of such things.”
The giant sphere of fire plummeted downward. Its speed was far from slow, yet the Heavenly Venerable merely stood there, frowning, showing no intention of moving.
Huh?
I stared in shock.
Is he really just going to let it drop?
Even when I was a crazy idiot, I wouldn’t have detonated something so recklessly in front of the Heavenly Venerable. What was this bastard thinking? I couldn't comprehend the logic behind such insanity.
Could the 'me' of that time actually defeat that old man?
Probably not…?
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed impossible. It wasn't a question of raw power; they were simply existences on a higher plane. The only conceivable way would be if I fought alongside the Demonic Sword. That was the level of the Three Venerables. Yet, this bastard was acting as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Blaze—!
The flames drew closer to the ground. The martial artists below wore expressions of utter despair.
“N-No!”
“Save us!”
Their formations broke as they scrambled in panic. Even then, the Heavenly Venerable did not move a muscle. He neither drew his sword nor summoned his Qi.
Why?
Was the Heavenly Venerable incapable of blocking an attack of this magnitude? Of course not. Even infused with Demonic Qi, that old man was more than capable of neutralizing it.
But then why?
The flames were almost upon the ground. In moments, they would impact and trigger a cataclysmic explosion. As everyone below was about to be incinerated alive—
Swish—!
Something shot down from the sky towards the flames. It was impossibly fast. I couldn't even track it, but dozens of lights streaked into the fiery mass, instantly causing a change.
Swoosh—!
“…!”
The colossal sphere of flame, which had exuded overwhelming power, began to shrink rapidly. As if being sucked into a void, the black flames vanished from the air. It took only a few seconds for the entire inferno to disappear completely.
Oh.
Finally, I understood the Demon Emperor’s intention. There was a reason he had used such an excessive display of power.
To draw her out.
While overwhelming the enemy was part of it, his true goal was to attract a specific person by creating a spectacle of this magnitude.
I saw something spinning gently in the space where the flames had been. A sword. Several strangely shaped blades, glowing with a golden light, were swimming through the air.
As the martial artists witnessed the flames' disappearance, their despair turned to cheers. They knew who owned those swords.
“She’s here…! Our Captain is here!”
The Demonic Humans looked up at the sky, their faces grim. The golden swords hovering in the air suddenly shot toward a specific location—right above where the Heavenly Venerable stood.
A moment before, the spot had been empty. Now, a figure floated there.
“…”
I bit my lip at the sight of her.
Since this was an illusion of my past life, I had considered the possibility of seeing her. I wasn't sure if it was hope, worry, or simple nervousness. Whatever the feeling, I had always acknowledged the chance.
However.
…This is…
The emotions I felt upon seeing her were far more intense than I had anticipated.
Numerous swords moved around her in a protective dance. The woman floated serenely amidst her blades. Her hair was no longer brown, but a radiant, full gold. Though her eyes shone with a bright golden light, they carried a weary, dreamlike quality.
She was utterly different from the girl who had once chattered away to me with a bright, lively smile.
“…Celestial Sword.”
The Demon Emperor muttered the name upon seeing her.
Did she hear his quiet voice? The Celestial Sword seemed to be looking directly at the Demon Emper—
Hmm?
…Or so I thought.
But something was off. What was happening?
The Celestial Sword wasn't looking at the Demon Emperor. It might have been a mistake, but it didn't feel like one. She wasn't looking at him. Instead, she seemed…
To be looking directly at me…?
For some inexplicable reason, I felt her gaze was locked onto me. I didn't know why, but there was no doubt. She was staring straight at me.
And her expression was one of profound shock.