Chapter 450: This Isn’t It (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 450: This Isn’t It (2)
The Murim Alliance possessed the Thunder Fang.
The Celestial Sword’s words shifted the atmosphere, sending a cascade of thoughts rushing through my mind.
Why does the Alliance have it?
The Thunder Fang was the Demonic Sword’s signature weapon, an artifact she should have claimed by this point in the timeline. It was a treasure that massively amplified the power of Lightning Qi, effectively doubling her combat prowess in the right circumstances.
But she doesn’t have it now?
No, it seemed worse than that. The Murim Alliance had apparently taken it from her.
What could have possibly happened?
I had no memory of this occurring in my past life. The Demonic Sword had wielded the Thunder Fang until her dying breath. After her death, it was I who inherited it, carrying the blade as a final keepsake of her legacy. In all the years I had known her, I had never once seen it parted from her side.
So why is everything different now?
My eyes darted around, taking in the scene. Something was fundamentally wrong.
Judging by the context, it hadn't been a recent theft. Since arriving in this life, I had neither seen the Demonic Sword use the Thunder Fang nor heard any rumors of it. The loss must have occurred long before my return.
What is going on?
This was a deviation. A significant one. In the life I remembered, this never happened.
Which could only mean one thing…
This world is not an exact replica of my past.
I had assumed this illusion was a perfect copy of my memories, but clearly, there were discrepancies. So then, what exactly was this place?
My perspective shifted entirely.
Something is different.
The world that Tang Jaemoon had supposedly sent me to for a test was not what I had anticipated.
No.
A more chilling thought surfaced. Could I even be sure it was Tang Jaemoon who sent me here? I had no proof.
If this isn't an illusion of my past, and it's not a test… then what is left?
I had no answers, but a cold certainty settled over me: I needed to be more vigilant than ever. I had to accept that this reality was fundamentally alien to my expectations.
A frown etched itself onto my face. It was troublesome enough to grapple with this being a distorted reflection of my past; the idea that I had been thrown into an even more twisted version of events was profoundly irritating.
Nothing ever goes normally when I get involved with these people.
Every encounter with the so-called heroes of the past dragged me into chaos. Time freezing, and now being stranded in an alternate space? It was exhausting.
…Sigh.
I pushed my frustration down, forcing my mind to cool. Panic was a luxury I couldn't afford. I had to stay calm and remember my objective.
I had to get back to my own world. That was the only thing that mattered.
“…The Thunder Fang, is it?” the Demon Emperor finally responded to the offer.
His voice was laced with contempt. “You speak as if it was ever rightfully yours to begin with.”
“Technically, that isn’t false,” the Celestial Sword replied.
The Heavenly Venerable standing beside her took a deliberate step forward. “The Thunder Fang was originally an heirloom of the Namgung Clan. It has simply been returned to its rightful place.”
“Old monster, are you trying to mock me?” The Demon Emperor’s lips curled into a dangerous smile.
The Heavenly Venerable’s gaze, sharp and blue, shifted past the Demon Emperor to settle on the Demonic Sword. “It has been a long time since this child renounced the Namgung name. Can you truly say I am in the wrong?”
“…”
The Demonic Sword offered no reply, her own gaze sharp enough to cut as she stared back at the Heavenly Venerable.
“Since she chose to leave the clan,” the elder continued, “I am the last true heir of Namgung. Therefore, the Thunder Fang has indeed returned to its proper owner.”
“And with that,” the Demon Emperor’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “you propose a deal? Using what is, by your own claim, your property?”
“That is correct.”
The Demon Emperor’s eyes swept over the forces arrayed behind the Heavenly Venerable. Ranks of martial artists clad in white, each possessing considerable strength. Numerically, the Murim Alliance had brought its full might to bear. The Demonic Humans were not few in number either; both sides were poised for a war.
However.
We cannot win.
That was the undeniable truth. Victory in a direct confrontation here was impossible. It might have been a different story facing only the Heavenly Venerable, but with the Celestial Sword present and in peak condition, the odds were insurmountable.
The damned fool of a Demon Emperor had charged in anyway, knowing the Celestial Sword was here, driven by the need to show that the Demonic Cult would not cower before the Orthodox Faction. To retreat simply because they were outnumbered would shatter the cult’s fearsome reputation. Their lives were pledged to their Leader; such cowardice was unthinkable.
I understood that. It was why I had followed them here.
I grasped the broad strokes of the situation, but one point remained deeply confusing.
“Celestial Sword,” the Demon Emperor said, his voice dropping to a deadly calm.
“Yes?”
“You are gravely mistaken.”
A faint tremor passed through the Celestial Sword’s eyebrows.
“Why do you believe we would ever make a deal with you insects over a mere trinket like the Thunder Fang?”
Crack.
The air grew heavy as the collective Combat Qi of the Demonic Humans intensified.
And that was the source of my confusion. I admitted the Thunder Fang was critically important to the Demonic Sword personally, but for the Demonic Cult as a whole? It was insignificant. While the Demonic Sword was a powerful asset, was she important enough to warrant negotiating with our sworn enemies? It wasn't just insufficient; it was an insult.
“You still look down on us,” the Demon Emperor stated flatly.
“…Demon Emperor.” The Celestial Sword’s expression darkened as the Demon Emperor’s Demonic Qi flared, the air around him shimmering with heat.
Seeing her reaction, the Demon Emperor smiled. “I will ask, out of respect for your journey here. What will you do if I reject your… proposal?”
“…”
The Celestial Sword bit her lip. Her silence was all the answer I needed. In fact, it would have been stranger if I hadn't guessed the outcome.
The Heavenly Venerable and the Celestial Sword, the Alliance's great hope, had arrived with their entire army, blatantly ignoring the Heavenly Demon’s warnings.
This could only mean one thing.
They were prepared for war. Only an idiot would fail to see it.
“Let me rephrase my question, Celestial Sword,” the Demon Emperor said, his voice deceptively soft.
“…Go on.”
“Is this a deal you are offering… or a threat?”
If the alternative to acceptance was battle, then it was a threat, plain and simple.
“…”
The Celestial Sword had no retort. I detected a flicker of shame in her expression, while the Demon Emperor’s face was filled with disillusionment.
“You see?” he said calmly. “For all your lofty words and righteous pretenses, you are no different from us. Do you finally understand?”
His words provoked an immediate reaction from the other side. Murmurs of anger rippled through the Alliance ranks.
“How dare a filthy traitor speak to her like that!”
“You power-hungry demons have no right!”
It was a sight I hadn't witnessed in a long time. I felt more nostalgia than annoyance. The Orthodox Faction, for all its outward desire for peace, was rotten at its core. Wars had a way of exposing secrets, and many had joined the Demonic Cult out of sheer disillusionment with the so-called righteous path.
Was the Orthodox Faction truly clean? Everyone in the Central Plains knew the answer by now. Yet they still rooted for the Murim Alliance, because they knew the Heavenly Demon’s victory would mean a world scorched to ashes.
Knowing this, I found their hypocritical outrage almost amusing. Their world, for all its destruction, was one that only continued to exist because of this very war. Who did they think they were, to act so self-righteous?
I couldn’t understand it, no matter how I looked at it. Though, of course, as a Demonic Human, I was in no position to cast stones.
As the martial artists’ protests grew louder,
Swoosh-!
An incredible pressure erupted from the Heavenly Venerable, a wave of wind so potent it raised goosebumps on my skin.
“Silence!” his voice boomed, and instantly, the Alliance forces fell quiet.
Click.
I heard a soft sound from the Demonic Sword’s direction. She had drawn her blade without me noticing, a faint, lethal Sword Qi already gathering. The Heavenly Venerable had sensed it and preemptively quelled the noise.
The Demon Emperor continued as if nothing had happened. “You bark loudly, but you do not deny my words. That means, in your hearts, you know I speak the truth.”
“…”
“The value of the Orthodox Faction lies in righteousness and chivalry?” The Demon Emperor began walking slowly toward the Celestial Sword.
Several martial artists moved to intercept him, but she raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks.
“Do you truly believe anything of the sort remains?” he asked, now standing directly before her.
The Celestial Sword’s golden pupils met the Demon Emperor’s purple eyes without flinching.
“…There may not be,” she conceded, her voice firm. “But if it does not exist, then I will make it exist.”
“…”
“That is why I wield my sword.” Her tone was resolute, filled with a determination that made my stomach clench.
Stop lying.
It was obvious she wanted to be anywhere else. To claim she wielded her sword for such a noble cause? Another lie. I knew she had never wanted this life, never wanted to hold a sword at all. So why spout such hollow words?
The martial artists behind her looked upon their Celestial Sword with touched, inspired expressions. I wanted to tear those looks right off their faces.
“…You are as foolish as ever,” the Demon Emperor said, a hint of something almost like pity in his voice.
“That may be true.”
“So you would achieve your goal through brute force?”
“…”
The Celestial Sword did not deny it. His assessment was correct.
What does she actually want?
Given her nature, she would typically avoid such a confrontation. Her presence here, advocating for a course of action that made little sense, was baffling. Why had the Murim Alliance sent her? What was her true objective in this charade?
“I wonder,” the Demon Emperor mused, now standing mere feet from her. “What is it that you desire, to go to all this trouble?”
The Celestial Sword slightly averted her gaze.
Hmm?
Then, abruptly, she looked past him.
…Directly at me.
My blood ran cold. Why was she staring at me?
“I was looking for a person,” she said softly.
“A person?”
“Yes…”
They had risked an all-out war, defying the Heavenly Demon’s warning, for the sake of one person? The notion was shocking.
I was still trying to process what she meant when the Celestial Sword lifted her hand and pointed.
Straight at me.
“Hmm?” I looked around instinctively, but there was no doubt. Her finger was aimed directly at me.
A chill shot down my spine.
Wait… could this be—
I stared back at her, my eyes wide with disbelief.
“That person,” she declared, her gaze locked on mine. “That is who I want.”
“…!”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
And at that exact moment,
Rumble-!
“Ugh!”
A horrifying, dense Qi exploded from my side, forcing me to stumble away in shock. It was the most powerful and malevolent energy I had felt in this world.
Boom-!
Dark clouds swirled into existence in the previously clear sky, violent Lightning Qi crackling within them. Instantly, the stances of both the Demonic Humans and the Murim Alliance shifted to high alert.
“You.”
The source of the terrifying Qi spoke to the Celestial Sword.
It was the Demonic Sword.
Her white hair lifted around her, stirred by the Lightning Qi radiating from her body. A terrifying aura of power coiled around her drawn sword. In this moment, she fully embodied her other title.
The Lightning Queen.
Her voice, usually sleepy and quiet, was now sharp and articulate, ringing with lethal clarity.
“Do you want to die?”