---

Chapter 449: No Way

When was it again?

No, how much time has passed?

I can’t quite remember.

It’s such an old memory, one I don’t want to recall.

It’s something I’d prefer to bury deep within my heart or erase entirely from my mind.

And yet, there are certainly some memories that refuse to fade away, even bringing with them a sharper clarity.

That memory was like that for me.

The acrid smell unique to the Demonic Gate had become familiar.

The risen red moon had begun to feel ordinary, like any other light in the dark.

It was late at night, and as usual, I woke up to take my turn for the Night Watch.

As time passed, the number of survivors dwindled, and it was a point where our turns had become a tangled mess.

Flame Burst.

As the darkness deepened, my vision was obscured, and I ignited a flame.

My bet was so insignificant that it only lit up right in front of me, providing little warmth for my body, but still, I was glad to have it.

Just as I was about to keep it lit,

Fizz!

A wind blew from somewhere, snuffing out my flame just like that!

[…]

Frowning at the pitifully extinguished flame, I glanced to my left.

[What are you doing, trying to die?]

I felt irritation swelling up within me.

The wind just now had been artificially created energy.

The figure snuffing out my flame regarded me with a chilling gaze.

[You must be the one. I distinctly warned you not to light fires carelessly.]

I clicked my tongue briefly at the woman’s cold voice.

[What do you expect me to do when I can’t see anything? You can’t keep watch in the pitch black, can you?]

[If you can’t see anything, it’s better not to look at all. If you can’t see, you won’t be able to see anything, after all.]

Her firm words naturally caused my brow to furrow.

[You sure know how to talk down to me.]

[It’s just the truth. Better this than having demons flocking to your flame.]

She spoke nonchalantly as she tied her long blonde hair back tightly.

Although the brief glimpse of her pale neckline made it hard for men to look away,

I actually averted my gaze from there.

It wasn’t her beauty that struck me, but the weight of her words that dug deeper.

[So, are you basically saying I should just crawl away because I’m weak?]

I could see her shoulders tremble slightly at my words.

[…That’s not exactly what I meant….]

[Not exactly? Come on, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve heard something like that.]

At this point, my pride was tarnished, so I couldn’t care less about such remarks.

A ruined pride held no further pieces to shatter.

Well, perhaps there was a little bit left…

[…People like you wouldn’t understand, I guess.]

Was that why I spat out such words without even realizing it?

[You have no idea what it feels like to be someone rolling on the ground, do you?]

[…]

Her golden eyes fixed on me.

There was a subtle annoyance swimming in those irises.

I couldn’t even understand that irritation.

The latest Late-Stage Talents, heralded as an unparalleled genius, now stood before me.

That was her alias.

What could be so annoying about compliments on her talent?

That was something I couldn’t comprehend at all.

[What do you know to say that…?]

She said that, perhaps agitated.

But I merely accepted it with indifference.

[Did you say that because you understand me?]

[…]

At my words, the woman from the So Sword Sect bit her lip.

Seeing that made me sigh.

This was just an unnecessary argument.

Especially when it came to sparring with geniuses, I hated these petty exchanges.

It was obvious we wouldn’t understand each other, no matter what was said.

What the hell was I doing engaging in this tedious conversation?

As I shook my head in disbelief, she suddenly posed a question to me.

[Why are you always so dissatisfied?]

[What?]

[Does behaving like that make your heart a bit lighter?]

[Now you’re trying to teach me? My own parents didn’t even dare to do that.]

Exactly.

It’s because my parents didn’t say a word, so I ended up like this.

That thought I swallowed down.

[No matter how great you are, this is just…]

[I’m not great at all.]

[Who are you trying to fool, right now?]

She claimed she wasn’t great, yet she boasted all sorts of impressive aliases. What kind of nonsense was that?

One.

[…I truly am not great.]

The So Sword Sect said those words in an exhausted tone.

I still couldn’t grasp that claim.

[Okay, fine, you’re not great.]

I decided to let it go due to annoyance.

What else could I do against someone who insisted they weren’t great?

I simply wished for this time to pass swiftly.

It wasn’t just that being on Night Watch was annoying; it was particularly uncomfortable being along with the So Sword Sect.

It turned out the person who had been on watch before was eaten by a demon, leaving our turns in this awkward predicament.

Even without having conflicts whenever we met, now they had us tightly bound together.

That troublesome gal, Seolbong, surely did this on purpose, knowing my discomfort with the So Sword Sect.

Anyway, it was about seven days since we had been stuck together in this situation.

Among those days, today had been particularly chatty.

Ah, of course, this chatter was anything but peaceful, and it was sharp-edged like before.

After a few more hisses and growls, silence began to descend upon us.

I actually preferred this silence, so I just counted the pebbles on the ground.

Then, the So Sword Sect suddenly asked something strange.

[What’s your goal?]

[…Huh?]

I inadvertently frowned at that question.

What is she even talking about…?

It was such an unexpected question. What was a goal?

[Why are you suddenly asking that nonsense?]

[I was just wondering if a person like you had a goal.]

[Why bring that up out of nowhere? Are you really crazy?]

It caught me off guard.

It felt like I’d been hit while staring blankly at the stones.

And now she was talking about goals. Goals?

[…]

I racked my brain, but nothing significant came to mind.

I wasn’t living a life that required finding a goal.

With how little I loved life itself, what kind of goal could there possibly be?

There couldn’t be one; I was merely breathing and existing.

The more I thought about it, the more ill at ease I felt.

Casting a sour expression toward the So Sword Sect, I asked,

[So what about you? Do you have a goal?]

[…]

At my question, the So Sword Sect turned her gaze away, avoiding my eyes.

[What? You don’t? You’re the same then.]

She smirked at me with a grin, making it clear she felt bad about our similarities.

[…I do have one….]

Despite her fierce expression, her voice was oddly gentle.

It sounded like there was a hint of embarrassment mixed into it.

[You do? What is it?]

I didn’t care at all, but I just asked out of mild curiosity.

There was no need for me to know anyone else’s goals.

[…]

In response to my question, the So Sword Sect hesitated in silence for quite a while.

What kind of grand goal could be so difficult to state?

Was it something like becoming the leader of the Martial Alliance or the best in the world?

If that was it, it may indeed be tough.

Well, if she were capable, she could have such ambitions.

I thought that while waiting with a sour mood, the So Sword Sect finally spoke up in a barely audible voice.

[…A mom.]

[What?]

I could barely hear it. So, I leaned in closer and asked again.

[…Mom….]

She said it with slightly reddened ears.

Mom?

[…?]

Hearing those words, I took a strange expression, creating distance between us.

[…What?]

Out of nowhere, she mentioned the word ‘mom.’ What did that even mean?

Did I mishear?

[…Mom?]

[…]

Just to confirm, I asked again, but judging by her reaction, it did seem like she didn’t misspeak.

Seeing my response, the So Sword Sect seemed flustered, angry she had said it.

[…Is it weird to say that?]

[How could it not be? Who suddenly declares a mom as their goal?]

[…My mom is a remarkable goal. Why don’t you understand?]

[It might be because I never had a mother, so I don’t get it.]

[…]

My blunt self-deprecation made the So Sword Sect clamp her mouth shut suddenly.

I hadn’t intended to stir feelings like that.

[But why specifically that as your goal?]

Why not pursue grand achievements instead of settling on ‘mom’?

This was the most incomprehensible thing I had ever heard.

[…I didn’t mean to say that it must be that goal.]

[But you just called it a goal.]

[It just means I dream of an ordinary life.]

[Ordinary life?]

[To meet someone, to love them, to marry, to have children… living, experiencing fights and making up, and growing old together… that’s the life I wish for.]

The more I listened, the more it felt like my mouth was filling with cotton.

[That’s achievable, right? What’s the problem?]

It didn’t seem like something so monumental to call it a goal.

She didn’t want to become an exceedingly powerful master nor the head of some famous clan.

The So Sword Sect’s desire to live like an ordinary woman felt difficult to grasp in a different light.

I couldn’t understand why she would frame something she could simply do as a goal.

Did she sense my feelings of confusion?

The So Sword Sect wore an inscrutable smile, a little sadly.

[Right. It really is simple, isn’t it?]

Even as she said so, I could hear her unspoken follow-up words.

-That simple thing is really difficult….

With those words hanging in the air, she said nothing more.

I didn’t ask anything further either.

With a strange sensation as if the night had grown darker, I fell into silence alongside her.

This day would draw to a close, yet strangely, the memory of it did not vanish from my mind.

Was it because it was some monumental conversation that I couldn’t forget?

If I searched for the reason,

Perhaps it was the turning point where I began unconsciously taking her in with my eyes.

Was it because the reason I started following the So Sword Sect was that her remarkable goal was simply to seek normalcy?

Or was it perhaps the sorrow reflected on the face of the woman who spoke those words?

Even now, I’m not quite sure.

When I realized it, I had unwittingly crossed into that territory.

I think the goal she had mentioned must have developed in me around this time as well.

It was a goal I never voiced to anyone,

And one I wouldn’t even realize until the day I died.

What’s amusing is…

Whether it’s her goal or mine,

Neither of us ever achieved that dream until the moment we died in our previous life.

Is it a delusion?

No.

No matter how I look at it, it was no delusion.

Those golden eyes from the So Sword Sect were undoubtedly focused on me.

Why was she looking at me among countless demons?

I wanted to believe it was just coincidence, but her gaze remained firmly locked onto me.

Feeling flustered while I stared into her golden eyes,

Thud.

“…!”

Something unknown vibrated deep within me.

I patted my chest.

‘What is this?’

Thud… Thud.

The vibrations wouldn’t stop, continuously echoing within my chest.

The feeling seems to grow stronger, and I swallowed hard.

‘…This.’

The vibrations I felt within my body,

I had an inkling of what they were.

I turned my gaze right toward the So Sword Sect.

She was still looking at me, astonished.

This time, I would likely have a similar expression in return.

Somehow, it appeared she was feeling something too, just like me.

Recalling that, I clenched my fist.

‘Damn it.’

Thud. Thud.

The resonance continued to thump against my chest.

No,

This wasn’t mere vibrations.

It was resonance.

This was the energy of our souls responding to one another.

Having convinced myself of that, my eyes darted around quickly.

How had I missed this?

‘…What the hell, why didn’t I see this coming?’

This was a sensation I couldn’t even describe.

I couldn’t verify if it was really part of me, if it had disappeared altogether.

What I had been feeling within my body all along was attached to this divine sword energy.

‘The Divine Sword….’

It was unmistakably the energy of her soul I had touched in this lifetime.

When I recalled the words of my mother, it was the energy she had planted in me.

Right now, that energy was resonating with the So Sword Sect.

If she could sense that too, it made sense for her expression to be filled with surprise.

This was a blunder.

‘How unexpected.’

Never had I thought the energies would resonate together.

I had been confident she would sense the essence of my Gu Clan, the energy inherent to me.

‘…But this too?’

What I hadn’t anticipated was that the So Sword Sect would have reacted to it.

The problem was,

‘I can’t hide this.’

The nature of this divine energy was something I couldn’t manage, so there’s no way to conceal it.

Thus…

Thud, thud, thud-!

My resonance with her was intensifying.

By the time it was making my head ring, a certain queasiness started bubbling up.

“…How dare you invoke my name, you must be preparing for a war, then.”

I caught word of the Mage addressing the So Sword Sect.

“Wanting to see blood is not my desire, it’s your kind, isn’t it?”

The voice that twisted into a smirk was laced with an even thicker killing intent.

A vibe of slaughtering was palpable, as though he would wipe us out at any moment.

Meanwhile, Heavenly Lord remained casually behind, just making casual remarks.

“Again, we have come to deal.”

“If you keep spouting nonsense, I shall cut your tongue right here and now.”

The ground beneath where the Mage stood cracked with a loud sound.

Flames flickered up from the opened ground.

“Perfect timing. With that useless girl here too, I might as well kill you both in one go.”

Such insanity.

He had no intention to kill.

I was certain he would be plotting how to get off the hook.

Thud….

‘Argh.’

The resonance from my lower dantian was getting increasingly intense.

At that moment, I felt a hand on my back approach.

The energy circulating within began to settle.

The resonance was still there, but it was vaguely easing?

Surprised by the sudden sensation, I turned to see the Demon Sword Queen had silently approached and was placing her hand on me.

She looked at me, quietly asking,

“…Are you… alright?”

“…Th-Thank you.”

I was taken aback.

I couldn’t help but stare at the unexpected kindness being shown by a person who typically detested touching others.

But it was fortunate I felt a little more at ease, though I was still terribly confused.

As I tried to calm myself with the help of the Demon Sword Queen,

Swoosh-!

The So Sword Sect began descending from the sky.

“….”

Seeing her up close now, it resonated more clearly.

This was indeed the woman from those days.

With a beauty that could rival that of the Demon Sword Queen, she radiated a magical presence.

Her splendid golden hair and exotic aura exuded charm.

More mature than the Wi Seol-Ah I had met after my regression,

Matured with a flourish in her looks and an even deeper, more entrancing aura.

“…Mage.”

The So Sword Sect landed gracefully, looking toward the Mage.

Recognizing that, the Mage growled angrily.

“Seems your life doesn’t hold much value. You’ve come all this way willingly.”

“…We do not wish for conflict.”

“Pulling in this level of force from behind and claiming you want no conflict? You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“…”

“Better to admit you want a war. Then I might treat you with sincerity.”

“…As the Heavenly Lord mentioned, we wish to negotiate with you.”

Kugugugugu-!

Before the So Sword Sect could finish her sentence, a massive fireball shot from the Mage,

As it sped towards her sword suspended in the air.

I watched as it engulfed her sword in fierce flames.

Black flames mixed with demon energy were obliterating her blow.

During the unexpected attack, the So Sword Sect grimaced in surprised.

The Mage took that moment to taunt,

“You’re still living under a delusion.”

The flames surged around him in a magnificent display.

“You still believe that communication can solve this?”

At the Mage’s command, a horde of demons raised their demon energy.

“I thought I had already burned all the foolish thoughts in your head. Yet it seems some remnants still linger.”

“…Mage.”

The So Sword Sect bit her lip while also glancing fleetingly at me.

“Should you have a wish, let us take a stab at it….”

“…I will return the Thunder Fang.”

The Mage appeared taken aback for a moment at the So Sword Sect’s declaration and froze in his position.

I too shared a moment of hesitation.

Of course, I froze for a different reason altogether.

‘Thunder Fang…?’

Upon hearing those words, I turned to look at the Demon Sword Queen.

She wore a frowning expression indicative of her irritation at the So Sword Sect’s words.

Judging by her look, it seemed that the Thunder Fang genuinely was with them.

‘What does that mean…?’

I felt my heart racing at that realization.

After all, the Demon Sword Queen’s Thunder Fang had never left her hold in my memories.

 

---