Ah, this isn’t right. (2)
Noe-ah is in the possession of the Murim Alliance.
In the atmosphere where the Young Sword Saint’s words had somewhat changed, I had to think a lot.
‘Why does the Murim Alliance have Noe-ah?’
Originally, Noe-ah is the cherished weapon that the Demon Sword Empress should possess at this time.
A precious item that contains abundant thunder qi and amplifies its effects even more greatly.
Depending on the situation, it’s an object that can easily double the Demon Sword Empress’s combat power.
‘But now, the Demon Sword Empress doesn’t have it?’
No, more precisely, it seems like she had it, but the Murim Alliance took it away.
‘How did this happen…?’
This was at least something that didn’t exist in my memories.
In my previous life, the Demon Sword Empress held Noe-ah until the moment she died.
And after that, the person who owned Noe-ah after it left the Demon Sword Empress’s hands was none other than me.
It was an item I had carried around as her relic after she died.
After meeting the Demon Sword Empress, I had never once seen her go around without Noe-ah.
‘Why now…?’
My eyes rolled quickly.
No matter how I looked at it, something was strange.
From the situation, it seemed like the time when Noe-ah was taken away had passed for quite a while.
Since entering this illusion, I hadn’t seen the Demon Sword Empress carrying Noe-ah.
And I hadn’t heard any talk about it, so it must mean it was much earlier….
‘What is this.’
This was at least something that hadn’t happened in the previous life I knew.
If that’s the case…?
‘It means this world is different from the one I knew….’
I had thought this world was an illusion created based on my memories.
But if things completely different from my memories were unfolding.
‘What on earth is this place?’
I immediately corrected the thoughts I had been having.
‘Something is different.’
The world I thought the Tang Clan had sent for a test seemed to have something more, contrary to my expectations.
‘No.’
Was it even the world sent by the Tang Clan in the first place?
I had to doubt even that.
‘If it’s not an illusion and not a test…. What else is left?’
I couldn’t figure it out that far yet.
But I knew I had to raise the tension I was already feeling even more.
I had to remind myself that this was a place different from my expectations.
My brows furrowed involuntarily.
Even if I thought it was just an illusion, it was overwhelming, but it felt like I was entangled in something deeper and more irritating.
‘In any case, whenever I get involved with these humans, nothing is ever normal.’
Whenever I get involved with those so-called heroes of the past, it always ends up like this.
Not only does time stop, but the space itself shifts.
‘…Sigh.’
While forcibly excluding the deepening emotions, I tried to cool my head.
In times like this, I had to keep my wits about me even more.
I must not forget my purpose.
I have to return to the original world in one piece.
I thought only of that.
“…Return Noe-ah.”
The Demon Emperor repeated the words he had heard.
“Anyone listening would think it was yours to begin with.”
“It’s not wrong, after all.”
At the Young Sword Saint’s words, the Heavenly Venerable beside her stepped forward one step.
“Noe-ah originally belonged to the Namgung family. It has merely returned to its rightful place.”
“Old monster, are you trying to play word games with me?”
The Demon Emperor twisted the corner of his mouth.
If it originally belonged to the Namgung family, then there would be no problem with the Demon Sword Empress possessing it.
Hearing those words, the Heavenly Venerable looked at the Demon Sword Empress with his faded blue eyes.
“The child has long abandoned the Namgung family’s name. Can you really say this is wrong?”
“…”
The Demon Sword Empress didn’t give any particular response and just stared at the Heavenly Venerable with sharp eyes.
“If that child herself has abandoned Namgung, then the last remaining Namgung on this land is myself. Noe-ah has simply returned to where it should be.”
“And yet, you’re proposing a trade with Noe-ah…. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s right.”
At the Heavenly Venerable’s answer, the Demon Emperor glanced behind him.
It was filled with white-clad martial artists, and each one of them was someone who had reached a considerable realm.
In terms of numbers, it was a situation packed with the alliance’s full power.
The number of demons on this side wasn’t small either, and if they wanted to wage war, they could sufficiently do so.
However.
‘Victory is impossible.’
This was an objective assessment.
Victory in the current battle would be impossible.
If it were just the Heavenly Venerable, maybe, but with the Young Sword Saint in perfect condition, not exhausted or injured, battle was unreasonable.
The reason they came to confront despite knowing that.
There might be the fact that that damned bastard charged in headfirst because the Young Sword Saint was there.
But it was to maintain the stance that demons must not back down from the orthodox faction bastards.
If they retreated because the orthodox faction had greater numbers and defeat was certain, it would not be anything else but a detriment to the Heavenly Demon’s position back at the cult.
Since they were guys who were more obsessed with the cult leader’s position than their lives. That couldn’t happen.
I also knew that, which is why I was stepping forward like this.
I could roughly grasp the flow of the conversation, but in my view, there was one big contradiction here.
The contradiction here being.
“Young Sword Saint.”
“Yes.”
“You seem to be greatly mistaken about something.”
At the Demon Emperor’s words, the Young Sword Saint’s eyebrows trembled slightly.
“Why do you think our cult would trade with you scum just for Noe-ah?”
Grit.
The killing intent of the demons intensified.
That was exactly the contradiction I had thought of.
I acknowledge that Noe-ah is a considerably important item to the Demon Sword Empress, but overall, it wasn’t an item that was necessarily important to the entire demonic cult.
Even if the Demon Sword Empress is an important force, would they trade with the orthodox faction for that?
The justification was lacking for that.
Rather, it might provoke anger.
“You still look down on us.”
“…Demon Emperor.”
As the Demon Emperor gradually raised flames and demonic qi, the Young Sword Saint’s expression also distorted visibly.
Seeing that, the Demon Emperor smiled.
“Considering the sincerity of crawling all the way here, I’ll ask. What do you plan to do if we refuse the trade?”
“…”
At the Demon Emperor’s words, the Young Sword Saint bit her lips.
If they didn’t accept the trade with Noe-ah.
How would the alliance respond?
Looking at her expression, I could vaguely know the answer.
No, it would be stranger not to know.
Ignoring the Heavenly Demon’s warning, they gathered such forces right in front of Sichuan, and the Heavenly Venerable, one of the Three Venerables, and the Young Sword Saint, the hope of the alliance, appeared together?
‘This is.’
It meant they would wage all-out war if necessary.
Anyone who wasn’t an idiot couldn’t fail to notice this.
In other words.
“Let me ask something else. Young Sword Saint.”
“…Yes.”
“Is this a trade, or is it a threat?”
If you don’t do it, we’ll fight, so ultimately, it’s no different from a threat.
“…”
The Young Sword Saint, who must know that, also couldn’t give any response.
I could detect a faint shame on her expression, and conversely, a deep disillusionment was rising on the Demon Emperor’s face.
“Even if you wrap it in grandiose words and try to cover it up, in the end, you are no different from us. Do you truly not know this yet?”
Contrary to the calmly uttered words, the aftermath erupted.
Because the alliance’s martial artists began to show intense reactions as if responding to the Demon Emperor’s words.
“You disgusting traitor, how dare you…!”
“You fallen demons who sought power through corruption, what are you babbling about!”
It was a sight I hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Looking at it, rather than irritation, a ridiculous nostalgia seeped out.
On the surface, they pursue peace, but inside, the orthodox faction was rotting from the roots.
As the war broke out, these secrets began to be revealed one by one. There was even an incident where those disillusioned with it defected en masse to the demonic cult.
Is the orthodox faction truly clean?
The fact that it’s not is something everyone in the Central Plains knows by now.
They just predicted that if the Heavenly Demon swept through the Central Plains and ruled, everything would burn and disappear.
For now, they only hope that the Murim Alliance wins the war.
From the position of knowing that, their reactions were merely laughable to me.
They collapsed because of the war, but they are barely maintained because of the war.
What makes them think they’re so great.
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t understand.
Though it’s not something I, who became a demon, should say.
Around the time when the martial artists’ momentum began to turn increasingly rough.
Kugugugung-!
An enormous pressure burst out from the Heavenly Venerable’s body and spread around.
Just feeling it made my whole body’s hairs stand on end.
“Enough-!”
At the Heavenly Venerable’s voice, the alliance’s martial artists who had been noisily chattering shut their mouths all at once.
Clink.
Upon confirming that, a sound came from the Demon Sword Empress’s side.
Unseen, the Demon Sword Empress had drawn her sword. If it had gotten any noisier, the Demon Sword Empress might have scattered sword force.
Probably, the Heavenly Venerable noticed that and forcibly made them shut up.
The Demon Emperor didn’t seem to care about such a situation. He continued his words.
“They bark noisily, but they don’t deny it. It means you know it too.”
“…”
“Did you say the orthodox faction’s value lies in righteousness and chivalry?”
The Demon Emperor took steps toward the Young Sword Saint.
At this, the martial artists flinched and tried to protect the Young Sword Saint, but the Young Sword Saint raised her hand to stop them.
“In your view, do you think such things still remain there?”
The Young Sword Saint’s golden eyes met the Demon Emperor’s purple eyes.
“…They might not be there. But.”
As if not to be outdone, the Young Sword Saint also took a step toward the Demon Emperor.
“If not, I’ll create them.”
“…”
“That’s why I took up the sword.”
It was a resolute tone.
Looking at it, I had to feel a bitterness in my stomach.
‘Don’t lie.’
It was obvious she wanted to run away right now.
You took up the sword for that? That’s also a lie.
You probably didn’t even want to hold a sword in the first place.
How can you say such things.
Those in the back looked at the unyielding Young Sword Saint with moved expressions.
I wanted to tear apart the faces of those bastards.
“…You’re still foolish.”
“That might be so.”
“So, in the end, you’ll get what you want by force if necessary. Is that what you’re saying?”
“…”
The Young Sword Saint didn’t deny it.
It meant the Demon Emperor’s words were correct.
‘What on earth does she want?’
Given her personality, the probability of her participating in something like this was low.
Why did she get involved in such an unreasonable matter?
The intentions of the Murim Alliance that sent her here were questionable, and what they were trying to gain by doing so was also questionable.
“I don’t understand. What is it that you want so badly to cause such a thing?”
The distance had closed right in front of her nose.
The Demon Emperor asked her.
At that gaze, the Young Sword Saint slightly turned her head away.
‘Huh?’
She looked toward me.
…What? Why is she suddenly looking at me?
“I’m looking for one person.”
“A person?”
“Yes….”
Those words meant that what the Murim Alliance had to obtain even if it meant breaking the warning and waging war if necessary was, surprisingly, one person.
I wondered what on earth that meant.
The Young Sword Saint suddenly raised her hand and pointed toward me with her fingertip.
“Hm?”
Seeing that, I looked around quickly, wondering if there was someone else.
But no matter how I looked, it seemed like the Young Sword Saint was pointing at me.
Only after confirming that far did a chilling something climb up my back.
‘Uh…. This can’t be.’
Widening my eyes, I looked at the Young Sword Saint again.
“That person. I want that person.”
“…!”
She said that while looking at me.
At that shocking statement, just as I was about to express my utmost surprise.
Kugugugu-!
“Ugh!”
I had to dodge in fright at the terrifying energy felt from the side.
It was the thickest and most intense killing intent I had felt since coming to this place.
Kurung-!
As if resonating with the energy, dark clouds suddenly began to form in the clear sky.
From the dark clouds, intense thunder qi began to crouch, felt vividly.
Soon, not only the demons but also the Murim Alliance’s martial artists started to panic and change their stances.
“You.”
The culprit emitting the unbelievable energy spoke toward the Young Sword Saint.
The perpetrator was none other than the Demon Sword Empress.
Her white hair fluttered in the thunder qi, beginning to lift slightly into the air.
An immense realization wrapped around the drawn sword.
That was the Demon Sword Empress’s other moniker.
It was an appearance befitting the Thunder Empress.
Looking as if she might charge forward at any moment, she said to the Young Sword Saint.
“Do you want to die?”
Her usual slurred and quiet speech was nowhere to be found; it was startlingly clear and precise pronunciation.