Chapter 456: Thank Goodness (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 456: Thank Goodness (3)
I poured all my strength into a single, desperate shout.
“Pull your sword out!”
My agonized cry must have reached her. The Demonic Sword’s hand moved towards her waist.
Then—
Rooooaaaarrr!
An impossible light erupted from her, a blazing pillar that shot violently into the heavens.
RUMBLE-!
A shockwave of pure power, mingled with a howling gale, exploded outward, scouring the immediate area clean. The force was infused with Lightning Qi, potent enough to send any martial artist below the Peak Realm flying.
“Ugh…!”
Digging my heels into the earth, I reinforced my body with my own Qi, barely managing to hold my ground. My feet skidded backwards, carving deep furrows in the soil. The pressure was immense, a tangible force threatening to hurl me away at any second. Yet, I held fast. I had to see this through, no matter the cost.
…What in hell is happening now?
Gritting my teeth, I forced my eyes forward.
Lightning crashed down with an ear-splitting peal of thunder, its impact so violent it seemed to tear a hole in the very sky. Paradoxically, the terrifying display began to clear the heavens; the clouds shattered and dispersed, leaving only a vast expanse of blue.
But it was a fleeting peace.
Rumble…!
In the blink of an eye, a new mass of cloud boiled up from nowhere, a roiling darkness that blotted out the sun.
Rumble…
Now, the sky belonged solely to this thunderhead, crackling with contained lightning that twisted and writhed with a life of its own. The sight was profoundly unnatural, sending a chill down my spine. The sheer power contained within those nascent bolts was terrifyingly evident.
Rumble-!
The Lightning Qi within the cloud began to coalesce, swirling into a single, concentrated point.
ROAAARR-!
With a deafening roar, the energy that had moments ago sought the sky now slammed down into the earth with catastrophic force. The ground heaved and fractured, the implosion pulling at my body. Thankfully, the cataclysm lasted only a moment. The blinding light gradually faded, leaving my vision obscured by a thick cloud of dust and debris.
“…”
The inability to see was unnerving, but I waited, knowing clarity would return soon.
It did.
Swoosh-!
A sudden, tremendous gust of wind swept the obscuring dust away, revealing the scene before me.
“…!”
There stood the Celestial Sword, breathing heavily, her own blade stabbed into the ground for support. And facing her was the Demonic Sword, her weapon pointed decisively at her foe.
The sight made me gasp.
I… haven’t seen her like this in a long time.
The Demonic Sword was utterly transformed. Moments ago, she had been on the verge of collapse, arm bleeding and eyes clouded with exhaustion. Now, she stood firm and resolute. And the sword in her hand was different.
Its form was unique, defined mainly by its hilt. Instead of a traditional guard, a strange blue gemstone was set at its base. This was the Thunder Fang. Its bizarre shape made it seem less a weapon and more an artifact, but a sword it was. One of the five great treasure swords of the Central Plains, once wielded by the legendary hero, the Thunderous Sword of the Namgung Clan. Its use was a right reserved solely for the true bloodline of Namgung, a proof of legitimacy for the clan leadership.
A sword without a physical blade. Calling it a treasure seemed strange, yet in the hands of one worthy, the Thunder Fang became a weapon more ferocious than any other.
“…”
And for the Demonic Sword Queen, it was a key that unlocked a completely different level of power.
Step.
She took a step forward.
Rumble-!
The very earth trembled with her movement. The air around her distorted violently.
Flash-!
Simultaneously, the gemstone on the Thunder Fang blazed with an intense, brilliant light, illuminating the surroundings with the radiance of high noon. I was forced to shield my eyes.
When the glare subsided and I dared to look again—
…!
My eyes widened in disbelief. Where there had been nothing, the Thunder Fang now possessed a blade—a shimmering, solid length of pure blue energy. A blade forged entirely from condensed Lightning Qi. An overwhelming pressure radiated from the weapon.
Crack-!
As if to prove its might, sparks of incredibly dense Lightning Qi crackled along the energy blade.
Fang of a thunder…
The name had never felt more apt.
But the transformation didn’t stop with the sword.
Rumble-!
A change overcame the Demonic Sword herself. Her hair floated and waved as if charged with static, and Lightning Qi seethed from her body, unable to be fully contained. It wreathed around her like a furious dragon. This was the battle stance of the Demonic Sword armed with the Thunder Fang—a power that even the Heavenly Venerable or the Sword King, Lord of the Namgung Clan, could not hope to command.
Witnessing her like this, one understood why they called her, in fearful awe, the descent of the Lightning Empress.
The Demonic Sword, in her empress-like state, made a slight gesture with her hand. Obediently, the dark clouds in the sky began to churn and shift at her command.
Rumble-!
…It’s breathtaking, every single time.
I had never wielded the Thunder Fang myself, so its full power was a mystery to me. But its effect on the Demonic Sword was undeniable. It elevated her to another plane entirely. A blade that could cut through anything, its dominion expanding endlessly to claim the territory around her. Calling it a new level was an understatement.
It always made me wonder: with such power at her disposal, was the Demonic Sword truly inferior to the Three Venerables?
I wasn't sure.
Yes, she relied on a treasure's power.
But if no one else can wield it, does that not make it her own power?
It was precisely because only she could use it that the Demon Emperor had felt no threat when the Heavenly Venerable possessed the sword. Had the Heavenly Venerable been able to unleash this…
He would never have died such a pathetic death against the Heavenly Demon.
The thought alone was a testament to the Thunder Fang’s might.
Step.
The Demonic Sword advanced. Thunder roared in her wake. Seeing her move, the Celestial Sword struggled to her feet. Brilliant golden blades of light materialized and hovered behind her back.
Damn.
I couldn’t just stand and watch. Even with the Demonic Sword in this state, the Celestial Sword showed no intention of backing down. Truthfully, I had no idea what would happen if the Celestial Sword decided to go all out, even against the Thunder Fang.
She’s never been serious before, after all.
But there was a critical problem. The Celestial Sword could not afford to use her full strength here. In the past, I had mistaken her ultimate power for a pinnacle of martial arts. I was wrong. It consumed her very life force. I couldn’t allow that to happen now.
My eyes scanned the surroundings. The fact that the Heavenly Venerable hadn't intervened, despite the direness of the situation, confirmed his absence. For that, at least, I was grateful. His presence would have complicated things immensely.
But on the other hand…
Where was the bastard known as the Demon Emperor?
Did she come here alone?
I saw no other Demonic Humans, no sign of the Demon Emperor. It meant the Demonic Sword had charged into the heart of enemy territory by herself.
Has she lost her mind?
Why? Why would she come here alone like this? Could it possibly be… to save me?
I couldn’t make sense of it. She was a mad swordswoman who cut down Alliance members and fellow Demonic Humans alike without hesitation. She shouldn't have come. Then, at least, she wouldn't have been hurt like this.
As I scowled, deeply troubled—
Roaaarr-!
A monstrous roar erupted from the Thunder Fang. It was a battle cry, a signal that the offensive was beginning.
This was bad.
Dammit.
I knew all too well the destruction she was capable of with that treasure. Which made me wonder why she hadn’t drawn it sooner, even when her life was at risk.
The answer came to me immediately.
I told her not to.
That was the order I had given her after witnessing the carnage she wrought with the Thunder Fang. I’d had no choice.
Back then, when she had used it…
It was a disaster.
Her lightning hadn’t discriminated; it had rained down indiscriminately, scorching allies and enemies alike to ash. She, with the Thunder Fang, was a danger unto herself. Even she couldn’t fully control its rampage, and its destructive power was enough to annihilate everything in the vicinity. Though I myself was no stranger to burning all in my path, even I found her methods extreme. Hence, my order.
…And she actually listened all this time?
It seemed she had. I hadn’t known. I’d never given it much thought, and the circumstances had never prompted me to. I wouldn’t have cared much if she had disobeyed.
Yet, she never had.
I bit my lip as I looked at her.
Is it because this is the Demonic Sword of this timeline?
Perhaps the girl in this world was different. According to the Blood Demon, this reality was not the one I came from. But something told me that wasn’t the sole reason for her behavior.
Rumble-! Rumble-!
Her Lightning Qi grew even more ferocious, until the very air felt like a storm of razor-sharp blades.
Shing.
The Demonic Sword leveled her blade at her opponent. In response, the Celestial Sword enveloped herself in a cocoon of golden light.
This was it. The final clash was imminent.
Swooosh…!
A palpable change began to occur in the Celestial Sword as she gathered her energy. The shift in her aura was so profound it became hard to breathe.
I couldn’t let this continue. The moment I saw her preparing to burn her life away, I threw myself forward.
“…!”
“…Hgh!!”
In a powerful leap, I landed squarely between the two swordswomen.
Both the Demonic Sword and the Celestial Sword stared at me, stunned.
“Stop—” I began, intending to command the Demonic Sword.
“Ah…”
Thud.
But the moment her eyes met mine, the light of the Thunder Fang flickered and died. The brilliant blue blade vanished, leaving only the simple hilt with its gemstone once more. Above, the dark clouds dissipated, retreating to reveal the clear sky again. The overwhelming pressure of her Lightning Qi vanished without a trace.
It was I who was left shocked by the sudden reversal.
“…Thank goodness.”
That was what the Demonic Sword said, her eyes fixed on me.
“…”
Her words left me speechless.
How could she say such a thing in her condition? Her left arm was a mess, blood dripping steadily from the wound. Her eyes were still clouded with pain, her breathing labored. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but raise a hand to my face.
“…You.”
You still chose to protect me, to the very end, even while falling apart yourself.
The thought was a heavy, painful weight in my chest.