Red Flame (4)
The Hound let out a sigh and turned away, his face twisted with clear displeasure. It was obvious he didn’t trust his underlings one bit.
“Ugh… How am I supposed to rely on these idiots? I’ll go too, so hurry up and drag him over.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Hound brushed dust from his sleeve with an irritated flick, only to wince as sharp pain flared in his wrist. It seemed he’d twisted it while blocking that fox’s earlier strike. “Hah.” He should have beaten her harder. If it were up to him, he would have left her half-dead, but too many eyes had been watching.
He shot a sideways glare at the guest standing nearby.
“What are you looking at me like that for?”
“…Annoying bastard.”
The guest muttered a curse under his breath. The whole situation left a sour taste in his mouth. He raised a hand to wipe rain from his face as the storm raged on. The wind howled violently, and the ship’s deck pitched and rolled with every crashing wave.
The Hound swept wet bangs from his eyes, irritated. Standing upright was difficult in this weather, yet he maintained perfect balance, the result of rigorous training. “What shitty weather… I hope it dies down soon.”
He was about to head indoors to escape the rain when a faint voice brushed his ear.
“…Burn.”
An unnatural sound. Then—
An intense, spine-chilling aura flooded his entire body.
“…?!”
The cold was instantly forgotten, replaced by a scorching presence at his back. The Hound spun around in panic. Brilliant flames filled his vision.
“What the—?!”
He frowned without thinking. It wasn’t just the blinding light. A dizzying tension crawled down his spine, an instinctive warning that screamed of mortal danger. Danger. No—death. It was a fear he hadn’t felt in a long time.
For the first time, panic flickered across the Hound’s face. In his trembling pupils, the only thing reflected was a girl standing calmly amid the roaring flames.
Fwoosh—!
The night sky was swallowed by searing heat. Beneath it stood a single fox, staring at him with an indifferent expression. Her hair had turned a vivid crimson, and her once-dark eyes now glowed blood-red. The atmosphere around her had completely transformed.
“…Hah.”
The Hound let out a helpless chuckle.
“What the hell is that?”
The girl was walking straight toward him. He muttered a curse and drew his sword with a fumbling hand. His shoulders were shaking like those of prey.
“Goddammit.”
The tables had turned.
***
What was life, really?
When he looked back on the years gone by, what sentence carried the deepest meaning? Even though the question was simple, he couldn’t answer it easily. Perhaps it was a question that had defined him until now, that would continue to define him, and might even shape whatever came after death.
The fox had struggled desperately to find that answer. Every single time. Without end.
Shrieee—!
A fierce slash tore through the air. Crimson lines traced through the void, trailing high-temperature flames in their wake. The sight was mesmerizing.
“You crazy—!”
The man’s face twisted in shock. The Hound barely managed to block the strike with his sword.
Clang!
Crreeeak…!
Sparks of flame erupted between the colliding blades. A painful screech rang out, and then sudden pressure forced the man backward. The Hound ground his teeth and tried to hold his ground, but it was meaningless resistance. A light twist of her blade sent him flying.
“Kugh…?!”
Thud—!
The Hound hurtled backward at terrifying speed and slammed into the ship’s outer wall. He barely stopped himself, gasping for air.
“Ugh, haa…!”
His legs trembled as he tried to regain his stance. The pained groans tore from his throat. He glared at the fox with disbelief, still snarling.
“How dare a mere beast—how…!”
“……”
Irene remained perfectly still. Unlike the frenzied Hound, the air around the girl was deathly quiet. Her crimson hair danced in the wind. Within the blazing flames, she slowly blinked her blood-red eyes. She looked utterly serene.
“This can’t be.”
The man’s voice shook. It was understandable. He had attacked with everything he had, yet not a single blow had landed. Irene simply stood there, calm and composed.
This feels strange.
The girl reflected inwardly. She glanced down at the beautiful flames coating her blade, feeling an overwhelming sense of power. It was as if she had reached an entirely new realm. Right now, it felt like she could cut down anything in her path.
The fox slowly assumed a stance.
“You definitely said I could never win.”
Her lips moved. Her quiet voice carried clearly even through the storm.
The Hound furrowed his brow. “What?”
“You said it yourself. That I was a beast who had lost to you twice, and that I was destined to lose forever.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“I was curious whether the third time would be the same.”
“Are you provoking me? A mere beast dares—?”
The Hound let out a hollow laugh, clearly dumbfounded. Yes, this must have been an unfamiliar experience for him. With a powerful merchant organization backing him, born with strength in his hands, he had always been the one tormenting others. The number of times he had stood in the shoes of the weak could be counted on one hand.
But—
“This time will be different.”
There were always exceptions. The fox leveled her sword at her enemy.
“Here I come.”
“Bullshit. I’ll rip that mouth of yours apart so you can never speak again…!”
Apparently he still couldn’t let go of his superiority. The Hound charged forward, eyes wide with rage. He gripped his recovered sword tightly. Green mana surged around him, whipping the surrounding storm into even greater fury. It was his unique ability—wind magic layered over swordsmanship. On a day like this, with a typhoon raging, its power was absolute.
The man rushed in with a roar.
“Die!!”
To the fox’s eyes, the scene played out in slow motion. The sharply gleaming blade, the winds wrapping around the ship, even the savage gale baring its fangs—she felt as though she could perceive every single speck of dust in the air.
It’s so quiet.
The girl raised her sword tip. Crackle—! Sparks flew from her hand. A tingling thrill ran through her as faint light swallowed the blade. The glow gradually grew clearer, sharper.
I…
What is life? Born as a pitiful flower, withering away in shabby form. What meaning did it hold that made it worth living?
You must find your own star.
She looked back on the path she had walked. A road filled with pain over what was lost, sorrow for her own foolishness, and loneliness because she refused to break. Countless words aligned into lines: grief, regret, rage, weakness, venom, despair.
Yet even so—indomitable will.
In the fox’s wide, blazing eyes, every footprint of her journey converged and ignited. The scorching heat pushed back even the typhoon’s chill.
Fwoooosh—!
My name is—
If someone asked what life was, she would answer without hesitation.
Life is a single spark. A fierce blaze that eventually settles into embers like flower petals. A beautiful blade. A single breath. One heart. If she were to give a name to that entire lifetime—
Hongyeom
—let it be a red flame in full bloom.
The girl whispered the words. Immediately afterward, crimson radiance erupted from her blade like a meteor shower. A strike that contained her entire life. The fox lifted her sword with reverence, drew breath, gathered strength, planted her feet, and swung her life itself.
Schlick—
A single effortless line. It passed through the Hound’s body and continued into the stormy sky. The vivid red flames lingered as if dividing space, then—
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
They exploded outward and devoured everything. The Hound collapsed. His bisected torso hit the deck without so much as a scream, crumbling into black ash that scattered on the wind.
“……”
The storm-torn sky had fallen silent. The fox lifted her head. Only a clear sword scar remained in the air above. Between the horizontally bisected dark clouds, a pristine expanse of blue peeked through. The sea was perfectly still, without a single breeze. The scene left no room for doubt.
“It’s… done…”
She had finally cut down the heavens themselves.
***
“Haa…”
Irene staggered, struggling to stay upright. Her breathing came in ragged gasps. She used her sword like a cane to prop herself up. The strike had been monstrous enough to cleave a storm, yet the ship had sustained almost no damage. Only significant scorch marks remained. In that fleeting instant, she had adjusted the trajectory with microscopic control. The open deck had helped too—if she had fought indoors, the final blow might have sunk the vessel. Hundreds of trapped slaves would have gone down with it.
Was it luck, then?
She pressed a hand to her throbbing temple. Her vision swam. As she swayed, soldiers who had been hiding nearby began to peek out one by one. Were they looking for an opening?
“……”
When she swept her gaze over them, they all recoiled in terror and backed away. Having just witnessed that display, every last one of them looked utterly cowed. Even though exhaustion was written plainly on her face, they didn’t dare approach. That was why.
Irene stood quietly, steadying her breath.
What now?
Her stamina had bottomed out long ago. She had crossed the wall, but even breathing felt laborious. The crimson that had dyed her hair was gradually fading back to its original color. The overwhelming sense of omnipotence receded like the tide. The fox bit her lip, desperately fighting off the crushing fatigue.
It’s not over yet.
The Hound was dead, but that wasn’t the end. Soldiers were still waiting in the wings. The one they called “guest” was still glancing furtively in her direction. And on the lowest level, people who needed saving were still trapped. There was no easy answer. Could she break through? Even if she couldn’t, she had to. She decided to push herself just a little further.
Just as she tightened her grip on the sword once more—
Clap—!
Sudden applause reached her ears. The sound felt eerily familiar, filled with ominous resonance.
“……”
The next moment, someone stood behind her, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. Warmth melted away the cold. The hold felt safe and comforting. The fox grabbed the arm.
She clutched it tightly, her trembling lips murmuring, “You… were watching after all.”
The reply came back in a playful tone.
“The fox I was raising ran away from home, you see.”
A gentle voice. The snake rested his chin on the girl’s shoulder. A faint smile crossed his lips.
“You did well, Miss Irene.”
“……”
“Lean on me and rest for a moment. I know you have a lot to say, but we can save it for later.”
“…Yeah.”
The fox nodded. The boy smiled with quiet joy and carefully lifted the exhausted, rigid girl into his arms. For a long while, Irene remained buried in that warmth.