Ah, this isn’t right.
When was it?
No, around how much time had passed?
I don’t remember properly.
It’s such a long time ago, and also a memory I don’t particularly want to remember.
Something I want to latent deep in my heart or completely erase from memory.
Even with such emotions, there are definitely things that aren’t forgotten.
No, rather, such memories tend to remain even more vividly.
The memory from this time was like that for me.
The scent mixed with the unique foul smell of the demonic realm had become familiar.
The risen red moon also now felt like an ordinary lamp.
It was when I got up late at night to stand watch as always.
As time passed, survivors decreased, and accordingly, the turns were twisted beyond twisted at this point.
Whoosh.
As darkness deepened, obstructing vision, I lit a flame.
With qi only the size of rat droppings, it only brightens right in front, and the body doesn’t get particularly warm.
But thinking it’s fortunate to have even this, I was keeping it lit.
Flick-!
Wind blows from somewhere and poof! extinguishes the flame.
[…]
Looking at the pathetically extinguished flame, I furrowed my brows and looked to the left.
[What are you doing, wanna die?]
I raised irritation to the max.
Because the wind just now was artificial energy created with qi.
The person who extinguished my flame was looking at me with her unique cold eyes.
[You are the one. I clearly warned not to light fire carelessly.]
At the woman’s cold voice, I shortly clicked my tongue.
[Nothing is visible, so what do you want me to do. I need to see something to stand watch or whatever.]
[If nothing is visible, rather don’t look. If you can’t see even this, you won’t see anything anyway.]
At the firm words, my brows furrow involuntarily.
[You sure talk like shit.]
[Because it’s the truth. It’s better than monsters rushing in seeing your flame.]
She spits out chilly words nonchalantly, then grabs her long golden hair and ties it tightly back.
The briefly visible white neckline would make men unable to take their eyes off.
But I rather averted my gaze from there.
Because rather than the woman’s beauty, her words dug deeper.
[Since weak, crawl on your own. Something like that?]
At my words, I saw the woman’s shoulders tremble slightly.
[…That’s not what I meant…]
[What do you mean not. Whatever, it’s not the first or second time I’ve been through it.]
Now, such words wouldn’t hurt my pride anymore.
What more is there to break in already crushed and shattered pride.
No, perhaps a little remained.
[…You superior bastards probably don’t know.]
So, did I unknowingly spit out such words?
[What kind of feelings I have rolling at the bottom. You wouldn’t know.]
[…]
Golden eyes turn this way.
In those pupils, subtle irritation was seeping.
I couldn’t even understand that irritation.
The top late bloomer starting to stand tall replacing the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes as unprecedented talent.
That’s her current alias.
Why would words praising talent irritate so much.
It was a part I couldn’t know.
[What do you know to say that…?]
She said that to me as her mood became uncomfortable.
But I just accept it indifferently.
[Do you know me well to say that?]
[…]
At my words, the woman, the Little Sword Venerable bites her lips.
Seeing that, a sigh comes out.
This is unnecessary argument.
Especially, I hate arguing with superior ones.
It’s obvious we won’t understand each other no matter what we say.
Why would I bother with such annoying conversation.
Shaking my head at such thoughts, this time she asks me a question.
[Why are you always so full of complaints?]
[What?]
[If you act like that in everything, does your heart feel a bit at ease?]
[This bitch. Now even trying to teach me? Why are you trying what even my parents didn’t do.]
Right.
Since my parents didn’t, I ended up like this.
I swallowed such words inwardly.
[No matter how superior you are, this is.]
[I’m not superior.]
[Who are you fooling now?]
You who have gathered all kinds of superior aliases, saying not superior. What bullshit is this.
However.
[…I’m really not superior.]
The Little Sword Venerable said that to me in a weary voice.
I still couldn’t understand those words.
[Yeah, you’re not superior.]
I just decided to roughly pass it since annoying.
If she says she’s not superior, what more can I do.
I just hoped this time passes quickly.
Not only is standing watch annoying, but especially uncomfortable to do it with the Little Sword Venerable.
Because the guy who was standing before became monster food, the turns ended up like this.
We already grind our teeth whenever we meet.
To stick us two like this.
That damned Seol-bong, she must have done it knowing.
The damned one who arranges the watch turns.
Since she knows I find the Little Sword Venerable uncomfortable, she must have made it like this deliberately.
Anyway, a bitch I don’t like.
Anyway, it’s around seven days and nights in days since we became a pair like this.
Among them, today had unusually a lot of conversation.
Ah, of course, the conversation wasn’t peaceful but sharp like before.
After growling a few more times, silence started to flow.
For me, such silence was rather comfortable, so I was just quietly counting the number of pebbles on the ground.
The Little Sword Venerable suddenly asked something strange.
[What is your goal.]
[…Huh?]
At that, I furrowed my eyes unknowingly.
What is she saying…?
It was too unexpected a question. Goal, what.
[What bullshit suddenly.]
[I wondered if someone like you has a goal.]
[Why suddenly picking a fight. Really crazy?]
It was absurd.
Feeling like quietly looking at stones and got hit once.
In the midst, goal. Goal?
[…]
Pondering deeply, but nothing particularly comes to mind.
Life isn’t one seeking goals deliberately.
No affection for life itself, would there be a goal.
No way, just breathing and living, what.
The more I think, the more my mood sours.
With a sour expression, looking at the Little Sword Venerable, I asked back.
[Then you. Do you have a goal?]
[…]
At my question, the Little Sword Venerable turns her head to avoid eyes.
[What. You don’t either? Same then.]
Scoffing and saying that, the Little Sword Venerable turns her head this way with eyes lit up.
It seems saying same as me irritated her considerably.
[…I… have…]
Unlike the fierce expression, the voice is extremely docile.
Feeling like mixed with a bit of embarrassment.
[You have? What is it.]
This I wasn’t curious at all, just asked.
No need for me to know others’ goals.
[…]
To my such question, the Little Sword Venerable didn’t utter any answer for a while.
Wondering how grand a goal to hesitate so much.
Martial Alliance leader or something, world’s best or such?
That would be a bit hard.
Well, since superior, could have such goals.
Thinking that, waiting sourly for the answer, the Little Sword Venerable spits words in a very small voice.
[…Ma yo.]
[What?]
Too small, couldn’t hear well. As I perked my ears and asked again.
[…Mom yo…]
The Little Sword Venerable said that to me with slightly reddened ears.
Mom?
[…?]
Hearing that, I made a strange expression and slightly distanced.
[…What.]
Suddenly mom, what does this mean?
Misheard?
[…Mom?]
[…]
Just in case, asked back, but seeing the reaction, doesn’t seem misheard.
Seeing my reaction, the Little Sword Venerable, even though she said it, starts getting angry out of embarrassment.
[…Why…? Is it weird?]
[Wouldn’t it be weird? Suddenly goal is mom.]
[…Mother is a great goal. Why don’t you know that?]
[Maybe because no mom. Don’t know well.]
[…]
At the blandly spat self-deprecation, the Little Sword Venerable suddenly shuts her mouth tight.
Didn’t mean to make it like that.
[Anyway, so why is the goal that of all things.]
Leaving aside quite grand things, why ‘mom’ of all.
It was the most incomprehensible talk I’ve heard so far.
[…It’s not necessarily that the goal is that.]
[You said goal just now.]
[I just meant dreaming of an ordinary life.]
[Hm?]
Ordinary life?
[Meet someone. Love. Marry too and have kids… Fight while living and reconcile too. Growing old together like that… Such life.]
The more I hear, the more bitter taste in mouth.
[Just do it. What’s the problem?]
Because it didn’t seem like something grand enough to set as goal.
Not wanting to become a mighty master.
Not wanting to become head of great family.
The Little Sword Venerable’s words wanting to live like a truly ordinary woman feel difficult to me in another sense.
Something she can do right now. I couldn’t understand why she calls it goal deliberately.
Did she notice my such feelings?
The Little Sword Venerable makes an unknowable smile and smiles bitterly.
[Right. It’s really easy.]
Saying that, but I could clearly hear the quietly spat follow-up.
-That easy thing is really hard…
With those words as end, she didn’t utter any more words.
I didn’t ask more either.
Along with the illusion that the night somehow got darker, I shut my mouth following her, as if in silent agreement.
Like that, that day’s time came to an end.
But strangely, the memory of this day didn’t disappear from my mind.
Was it such a grand conversation that I can’t forget this.
If seeking the reason.
Perhaps because it was the starting point where I unknowingly started to hold her in my eyes.
The reason I came to chase the Little Sword Venerable, was it because the grand woman’s goal was merely ordinary that it was fascinating.
Or was the problem the pathos contained in the woman’s face saying that.
Even now, I don’t know well.
Because when I noticed myself, it had already become like that unknowingly.
Probably around this time the goal she asked about formed in my heart.
A goal I didn’t tell anyone.
A goal even myself didn’t know until death.
The funny thing is…
Whether her goal or my goal.
Until the moment we died in the previous life, we didn’t achieve either.
Is it an illusion?
No.
No matter how I look, it’s not an illusion.
The Little Sword Venerable’s gaze was clearly directed at me.
Why look at me among these countless demons?
Hoping it’s coincidence, I keep checking, but the Little Sword Venerable’s gaze is stuck on me without moving.
Looking at her golden pupils, containing bewilderment.
Thump.
“…!”
Something unknowable vibration is felt inside the body.
I stroke my chest.
‘What?’
Thump… Thump.
The vibration doesn’t stop and is continuously felt in the chest.
Swallowing a groan at the sensation seeming to grow larger.
‘…This.’
The vibration felt inside the body.
I think I know the identity of this.
Immediately sent gaze to the Little Sword Venerable.
She was still looking at me with surprised eyes.
This time, I too would have a similar expression.
Somehow, she too seems to be feeling something like me.
Recalling that, I clenched my hand.
‘Damn it.’
Thump. Thump.
The vibration that keeps ringing.
No.
This wasn’t vibration.
Resonance.
This is the same energies resonating with each other.
Confirming that, my eyes roll quickly.
Why didn’t I predict this.
‘…Bullshit, how to predict this.’
It’s energy even I can’t feel.
Whether properly contained in the body, or disappeared.
Energy I couldn’t properly confirm and was groaning over.
The energy now resonating with the Little Sword Venerable up there is.
‘The Divine Sword…’
Clearly the energy of her I faced in this life.
The energy of her I held in my body following mother’s words.
That’s now resonating with the Little Sword Venerable up there.
Since she feels it too, she must be making that expression.
This was a mistake.
‘I didn’t know it would be like this.’
I didn’t expect the energies would resonate.
The Gu Flame Wheel Art is my essential power, so I was sure the Black Flame Demon Emperor would feel it.
‘…Even this?’
I really didn’t know the Little Sword Venerable would feel this.
The problem is.
‘This can’t even be hidden.’
Since I don’t know how to handle this Divine Sword energy, I can’t hide or not.
Thanks to that…
Thump thump thump-!
The resonance with her was getting more severe.
At the point where nausea is about to rise with the head ringing too.
“…Even calling that wench. You must really intend to wage war.”
It was heard that the Black Flame Demon Emperor says while looking at the Little Sword Venerable.
“The ones wanting to see blood are not me but you bastards. Isn’t it?”
The voice spat with twisted mouth corners feels much thicker killing intent than before.
Really feels like will kill all right now.
To this, the Heavenly Venerable still speaks to the Black Flame Demon Emperor with hands behind.
“I say again, we came to make a deal.”
“If you keep bullshitting, I’ll rip out your tongue right here.”
Grind grind.
The ground where the Black Flame Demon Emperor stands cracks-! splits.
Shallow flames are seen rising from the opened ground.
“Just in time. Since that incompetent wench came too, I can kill both here.”
Bullshit.
A guy with no intention to kill.
In his head, obviously fervently thinking how to send back.
Thump…
‘Ugh.’
The resonance felt from the dantian side gets more severe.
At that time, someone approaches and places a hand on my back felt.
The qi in the body circulates.
The resonance remains, but feels at least a bit better?
At the sudden sensation, looking at what, the Demon Sword Empress had approached at some point and was touching my back.
The Demon Sword Empress looks at me and asks.
“…Are you… okay…?”
“…Tha…nk you.”
I was startled.
Unknowingly, I had to look at the Demon Sword Empress with surprised eyes.
A kid who finds touching others horribly, why like this.
Thanks to that, feels like will live a bit, fortunate, but couldn’t help being flustered.
When barely cooling my head with the Demon Sword Empress’s help.
Shwiii-!
The Little Sword Venerable who was floating in the sky gradually descends to the ground.
“…”
Seen close, it’s felt more clearly.
That the one in front is her of that time.
Appearance not inferior even compared to the Demon Sword Empress.
A woman with brilliant golden hair and felt heterogeneous atmosphere.
Compared to Wi Seol-Ah met after regression, much more mature, including bloomed appearance.
Felt endlessly subsided atmosphere.
“…Black Flame Demon Emperor.”
The Little Sword Venerable who lightly descended to the ground opens her mouth looking at the Black Flame Demon Emperor.
Confirming that, the Black Flame Demon Emperor growls heightening fighting spirit.
“You must not value your life. Coming here on your own feet.”
“…We don’t wish for fight.”
“With this much force behind, don’t wish for fight? Doesn’t seem words to say to believe.”
“…”
“Rather honestly say you want war. Then I’ll wholeheartedly oppose.”
“…As the Heavenly Venerable said too, we want to make a deal with you…”
Kugugugu-!
Before the Little Sword Venerable’s words end, massive flames shoot from the Black Flame Demon Emperor.
The swords of the Little Sword Venerable floating in the air drill toward the flames.
After, seen the flames extinguished like before.
Since flames mixed with demonic qi, her possessed Anti-Demon power must have erased it.
In the gap where the Little Sword Venerable furrows brows at the sudden attack.
The Black Flame Demon Emperor says to her.
“You are still mistaken.”
Flames don’t stop and gorgeously burn riding the Black Flame Demon Emperor’s body.
“You bastards still believe this can be resolved with conversation.”
At the Black Flame Demon Emperor’s action, the demons immediately open demonic qi.
“I thought I burned all the flower fields in your heads long ago. Seems some remained.”
“…Black Flame Demon Emperor.”
The Little Sword Venerable bites her lips.
Even in the midst, her gaze often briefly heads to me felt.
“If there’s what you want, try stealing onc…”
“…I’ll return Noe-ah.”
The Black Flame Demon Emperor’s body about to charge right now stops rigidly at the Little Sword Venerable’s words.
The same for me who flinched.
Of course, I flinched for a different reason.
‘Noe-ah… she said?’
Hearing the words, I looked at the Demon Sword Empress.
The Demon Sword Empress was openly showing unpleasant signs at the Little Sword Venerable’s words.
Seeing that expression, it seems Noe-ah is really over there.
‘That… what does that mean?’
I had to feel my heart beating fast at this fact.
And for good reason.
Because in my memory, the Demon Sword Empress’s Noe-ah never left her hand even once.