Twist.
Crackle.
Amid the falling dust, I looked at the Demon Sword Empress with surprised eyes.
Crackle crackle.
The Demon Sword Empress was glaring at the shattered wall with fierce eyes, generating lightning qi.
The lightning qi felt was unusual. There was no direct damage, but the difference in level coming from it was clearly felt.
Woo woo wooong-!
The pillars supporting the main hall began to tremble slightly.
It was due to the Demon Sword Empress’s presence.
“Keuuuk.”
“Keuhuk….”
“Keuuu.”
Those crushed by it gradually knelt down. Even the Black Flame Squad that had been holding out didn’t last much longer.
Barely enduring, I observed the Demon Sword Empress.
‘What? Why is she like this?’
I couldn’t understand it.
Suddenly outright smacking the Sword Demon wasn’t enough, and now she’s getting this angry.
Why on earth is she acting like this?
While I was utterly flustered by the Demon Sword Empress’s behavior.
Kwaang-!
A rough explosion sound came from the wall where the Sword Demon had been slammed.
Moreover, a killing intent incomparable to before was felt.
This damned bitch–!!
Something flew out piercing the dust cloud with a savage roar.
It was sword qi made of demonic qi.
Shwiiiik-! Paaaang-!
Then, it clashed with the sword swung by the Demon Sword Empress, bursting out with a tearing sound around.
My body shook slightly from the aftermath left by the demonic qi. Because the power contained in it was no joke.
I withstood the impact.
As I was composing my surprised body, someone appeared in the distance with a distorted expression. It was the Sword Demon.
Grit grit grit-!
The Sword Demon ground his teeth heavily and began expressing rage with his whole body.
The demonic qi coiled around the sword tip and the fighting spirit and killing intent rising from his shoulders to the ceiling were proof of that.
“This fucking bitch, you must really want to die.”
“…”
The Demon Sword Empress didn’t utter any words even at the Sword Demon’s rage-mixed words.
Looking at her reaction, I had to feel as if she didn’t even want to mix words.
“Damned bitch, because the leader keeps you by his side, do you really think you’re something?”
‘Hm.’
Listening to the Sword Demon’s sarcasm, I had to inwardly express doubt. It was a very fundamental doubt.
‘What the hell is that bastard showing off for?’
The Sword Demon acting so arrogantly toward the Demon Sword Empress. I couldn’t understand that.
Objectively, the Sword Demon wasn’t a weak martial artist, as he held the position responsible for one unit of the demonic cult, but compared to the Demon Sword Empress, he was a bit lacking.
Such a Sword Demon had always been like that from before, but he particularly hated the Demon Sword Empress.
‘Well, the Demon Sword Empress is the same.’
I wonder if there are demons who like the Sword Demon, excluding the Ghost Surveillance Sword Squad in the demonic cult.
Anyway, it was true that those two had a particularly bad relationship.
“Is it thanks to the skirt wind that you took that position? You seem unaware of your place.”
“…”
Wooong.
The Demon Sword Empress reacted to the Sword Demon’s words.
Sword hum began to rise from the sword she was holding.
At that sight, the Sword Demon grinned wickedly.
“Yes, this is a good chance to defeat you and take that position myself.”
‘Position?’
If the position the Sword Demon is talking about is the Demon Sword Empress’s, it must mean the vice-leader of the Black Flame Squad.
‘Did he covet that?’
Come to think of it, it seemed so.
He had complained to me a few times about why that woman was sitting as vice-leader and why he had to take charge of the Ghost Surveillance Sword Squad.
Each time, it was annoying to answer, so I beat him and chased him away…
‘Is that why he hates her so much?’
I hadn’t paid attention back then so I didn’t know, but perhaps that’s the case, the thought fleetingly crossed.
‘The reason I didn’t put him as vice-leader.’
Nominally, there would be no problem if the Demon Sword Empress took the leader position of the Ghost Surveillance Sword Squad. Conversely, no problem if the Sword Demon took the vice-leader position of the Black Flame Squad.
If only considering martial prowess, it wouldn’t cause much ripple.
The reason I deliberately gave the vice-leader position to the Demon Sword Empress in this situation was simple.
‘Because she’s stronger.’
Because the Demon Sword Empress is stronger, that’s all.
In terms of ease of handling, the Sword Demon would be easier, but I just assigned positions based solely on strength.
The Sword Demon seems unable to accept this.
Click.
The Sword Demon straightens his sword.
Then.
Hwiiiik-!
“Ugh!?”
The Demon Sword Empress grabbed the back of my neck and threw me backward as is.
What the hell is she doing suddenly?
Slash-!
The Sword Demon’s sword tip slashed down on that spot. Seeing that, I immediately widened my eyes.
‘That fucking bastard?’
The Sword Demon seemed to intend to deal with me first while speaking as if targeting the Demon Sword Empress.
The speed was so fast I didn’t notice.
The Demon Sword Empress who blocked the Sword Demon’s sword and the Sword Demon with a regretful expression.
Immediately, lightning qi burst from the Demon Sword Empress’s sword.
Crackle crackle-!
It’s not narrow, but the main hall is far too confined for high-level martial artists to battle.
Within it, the Demon Sword Empress’s lightning qi began to spew out madly.
In the midst of that, seeing it, I swallowed a groan.
The lightning qi seemed to branch into at least thousands, and with that, it began to dominate the surroundings.
‘There’s no damage to the surroundings.’
Surprisingly, it wasn’t damaging the walls or the demons of the Black Flame Squad.
It meant she was completely controlling that much lightning qi even in a situation preparing for battle.
“Keuk… Keuaaa!”
“Le, leader… Save… Heuaak!”
The Black Flame Squad was safe, but the demons of the Ghost Surveillance Sword Squad were not.
The Demon Sword Empress had no intention of caring for such guys, pouring out lightning qi as is.
The Sword Demon, watching that, wore an indifferent expression and ignored them.
What he was looking at was solely the Demon Sword Empress.
Kuguguguguk-!
The sticky demonic qi unfolding from the Sword Demon’s sword tip soon began to envelop the Sword Demon’s body.
The lightning qi is fierce and grotesque, but its end couldn’t pierce the Sword Demon’s demonic steel qi.
This was proof that the Sword Demon wasn’t a weak figure either.
The Sword Demon moves.
Kwaak-!
It seemed like a light leap, but the floor caved in and caused vibration.
Fast.
‘I can’t see it.’
Clang-!
The Sword Demon who leaped from afar was already in front of the Demon Sword Empress. Accordingly, the Demon Sword Empress also drew her sword and received the Sword Demon’s sword.
Seeing that, I was convinced.
‘I can’t endure.’
In my current state, against either of them, I wouldn’t last a single second.
Boom-! Boom boom-!
Thunder and killing sword clash, spewing rough tearing sounds.
It was as if the swords were roaring.
The impact created by those thin sword bodies was unbelievably grand.
Creak creak.
“…!”
The sensation of my body being pushed back from the coming impact fleetingly passed.
The movements aren’t even properly visible, and I’m not directly experiencing that power, yet this much damage.
What I could barely see were the sparks bursting when swords clashed briefly and the traces of sword paths left in the air by sword force.
Those traces were unbelievably flashy and also chaotic.
It showed how many sword forms had been exchanged between them in this short moment.
Kwa crackle-!
Lightning strikes down from the ceiling.
Slash-! Thud-!
A pillar is cut by a mysterious sword strike.
‘This is dangerous?’
Seeing that, I rolled my eyes this way and that.
No matter how I look, it’s quite a dangerous situation. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if the main hall collapsed. Furthermore, it could be a situation where everyone inside dies.
‘What to do?’
I don’t care if the others die or not. The problem is me being in danger.
While repeatedly pondering how to stop those bastards.
Clang-!
Sparks burst once shortly, and the two figures appeared, having distanced themselves from each other.
Wondering if it was already over, I examined the situation.
“…!?”
I had no choice but to swallow a hollow breath at the visible situation.
Contrary to expecting the Sword Demon to lose, the Sword Demon was in the same unscathed state as at first.
Rather, the Demon Sword Empress, who I expected to be unscathed.
‘She injured her arm…?’
I could see blood flowing from the hand holding the sword of the Demon Sword Empress.
What on earth happened?
The Demon Sword Empress also seemed to know her situation, furrowing her brows slightly.
Seeing the blood, it didn’t seem like a shallow wound.
Kikik.
The Sword Demon, seeing that, smiled broadly.
“As expected.”
As if confirming something, the Sword Demon vilely raised the corners of his mouth.
And then.
Swish.
‘Hm?’
The guy abruptly pointed his sword tip at me and, looking at the Demon Sword Empress, continued.
“You must treasure that guy quite a bit.”
‘What?’
Wondering what the Sword Demon was suddenly saying.
“…”
To that, the Demon Sword Empress wasn’t denying anything.
“He must be quite important, to the point of throwing away one arm.”
“…!”
At the Sword Demon’s words, I finally understood why the situation turned out like this.
‘That bastard really.’
During the exchange of sword strikes, the Sword Demon seemed to have continuously targeted my side.
And the Demon Sword Empress, blocking that, got wounded.
Otherwise, there’s no way the Demon Sword Empress would get injured so easily by the Sword Demon.
“I noticed when you were unnecessarily protective… I wondered, but what on earth is with you?”
“…”
“Is he a hidden son or something? Excluding the age, no matter how I look, it doesn’t seem so.”
Swish swish-!
In the voice speaking while twirling the sword, joy was clearly contained.
Yet, the killing intent gradually thickened.
The demonic qi and killing intent slowly seeping from the Sword Demon’s toes began to gradually dominate the area inside the main hall.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you have a weakness.”
Kuguguk-!
The Sword Demon’s purple eyes gradually became clear, and black smoke slowly leaked from the corners of his mouth.
Seeing the smoke, I too had to break out in cold sweat.
That’s a power only usable by those who reached a certain level among demons.
That meant the Sword Demon was seriously intending to kill the Demon Sword Empress.
The Demon Sword Empress, knowing this, was furrowing her brows slightly.
Seeing that, I had to inwardly harbor doubt.
Why is the Demon Sword Empress.
‘Not drawing Noe-ah…?’
The Demon Sword Empress’s beloved sword and one of the Five Great Famous Swords of the Central Plains called Noe-ah.
The Demon Sword Empress’s own power is unbelievably strong, but the Demon Sword Empress holding Noe-ah is on a different level.
If she had drawn Noe-ah from the start, she could lightly handle someone like the Sword Demon.
The Demon Sword Empress knows this better than anyone, yet she hasn’t drawn Noe-ah up to this situation, raising doubt.
Even now, the Demon Sword Empress is only raising more lightning qi.
She wasn’t changing swords.
‘Should I intervene?’
I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist while pondering.
The situation is turning strange.
Because the doubt wasn’t just about Noe-ah.
‘Why me.’
Strange situations keep repeating. When the Sword Demon ambushed, and when the Demon Sword Empress got angry because he touched me.
For some reason, it feels like the Demon Sword Empress is protecting me.
‘…Perhaps.’
Did she notice who I am?
‘No, that can’t be.’
The thought that arose was immediately erased from my mind. Because it was nonsense.
My face has changed, and I’ve deliberately sealed the Gu Flame Wheel Art to erase its presence.
There’s no way for the Demon Sword Empress to recognize me, and even if predicted, it would be hard to believe easily.
‘Then why?’
I don’t know. Because I don’t know this, it’s only raising doubts.
Why on earth is she doing this to me.
When I was only recalling this and that doubt.
“Well then.”
The Sword Demon tilted his head as if about to move again.
“Let’s see the end.”
At the guy’s killing intent-mixed voice, I tried to raise qi in my body.
Because this wasn’t a situation to hide flames or not.
Even if I use it, it might only graze in this situation. And it’s a situation where the Demon Sword Empress must not die like this.
‘Damn it.’
The Sword Demon points his sword tip at the Demon Sword Empress and leaps again.
In response, the moment I was about to burst qi by putting strength into my dantian.
“Slice and kill…!”
Kwaaang-!
The Sword Demon’s head, who was charging in bursting with madness, was slammed into the wall.
“What…?”
The sound was completely different from the level when the Demon Sword Empress pushed him earlier.
Drdrdrdrduk-!!!
Thick cracks spread widely across the wall.
That wasn’t all.
The killing intent domain that the Sword Demon had been subtly spreading was starting to disappear from the space as if being torn apart by something.
Crunch… Crunch.
Confirming that, I swallowed my surprise. Yet, I arrived at one certainty.
‘No… That’s not being torn.’
Others might not know, but I couldn’t not know.
That’s not disappearing by being torn from space, but burning and disappearing.
The ominous black flames began to devour all of the Sword Demon’s domain.
Ding.
“…!”
A clear sound was heard, so I turned my head, and I saw the Demon Sword Empress’s sword snap! and break, falling.
Someone had shattered the Demon Sword Empress’s sword.
Looking at the half sword blade fallen on the ground.
“First, I’ll ask.”
My gaze turned again at the dry yet heavy tone heard from afar.
Something vicious incomparable to the killing intent the Sword Demon had been spewing was felt from there.
The owner of the voice had, at some point, grabbed the Sword Demon’s face and slammed it into the wall, subduing him.
The flames spreading from the man’s toes were flickering as if ready to devour the surroundings at any time.
The air sinks.
Heat began to surround the area.
With the Sword Demon trembling his fingertips, barely clinging to life, behind him.
The man’s purple pupils turned this way.
I unknowingly shuddered at those eyes.
“What the hell is this now?”
And with the man’s voice that soon followed.
Whoosh-!
Black flames spewed from his entire body, beginning to fill the main hall.