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**

구화린 took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

The tip of her sword trembled again. No matter how hard she tried to regain her composure, it just wouldn’t cooperate.

This was strange.

Every fiber of her being was screaming that her opponent right in front of her was real.

That person is real.

No doubt about it.

…But.

That’s not true.

“…Sister.”

She ignored the trembling voice coming from behind her. Striving not to be tossed around by simple emotions, she attempted to make a rational judgment.

It’s too staged. It’s too perfect.

A reunion with someone she had longed for happening at just the right moment.

That’s… just too strange.

With her opponent silently watching her, she fully drew her sword.

The night was dark. Where the scattered moonlight fell, deep shadows mixed.

Her opponent was no different. Beneath the wide-brimmed hat, a stranger’s face surely lurked.

So she would strip it away right now.

To hang it beside the cruel Martial Alliance Leader’s face.

“…You truly have nothing to say, do you? You fake.”

The other person merely stared at her. The unwavering facade was unnervingly similar to his.

It mimicked him perfectly. But even so, her judgment wouldn’t change.

“Do you have any final words?”

“…Now that I’ve drawn my sword, I have the feeling that nothing I say will matter.”

That voice was eerily identical. 구화린 bit her lip hard.

“That’s a wise judgment.”

“Then shouldn’t we discuss things with our swords?”

Don’t use that tone.

Don’t mimic his anymore.

—Creak.

Blood dripped from her bitten lip. Once more, her eyes confirmed his waist, feeling it quickly.

The drawn sword. The space beneath which bled a disturbing sight.

One. Not four.

Moreover, the sword he drew was a peculiar shape. It looked as if several metal fragments were stuck together like a jigsaw.

Regardless, it wasn’t his sword. It became increasingly certain.

That’s not him.

The real Jeok-un is not here.

“…Go ahead.”

구화린 shifted her stance.

The cold plum blossoms engulfed the world.

“You shall die.”

. . .

구화린’s plum blossoms are beautiful.

She had seen that sword before. Going beyond mere experience, she had even taught her what was lacking in her technique.

While her state of mastery was high, what stood out even more was her attitude towards the plum blossoms.

From the extended sword, a blade similar to that of her master blossomed. But it wasn’t entirely the same as his.

A singular flower that could shake the world. But this was a plum blossom swathed in endless gold, unlike any ordinary one.

It comes.

Elegant and sparkling.

A sword that felt somewhat alien to the Sword of Huashan.

—Bang!!

A tremendous sound erupted as their swords clashed. In an instant, a shockwave pushed her back without her realizing it.

The power exceeded her expectations. Compared to two years ago…

It’s absurdly stronger.

It far surpassed her predictions.

“Huff!”

Within a brief shout, the sword trajectory twisted. The modified Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique was being rewritten anew in her hands.

The scent of plum blossoms filled the air, as if golden snow were falling from the heavens before her very eyes.

A golden storm followed the tip of her sword. Just when the movements seemed to scatter in multiple directions…

The wave of destruction started to crash continuously.

“……!”

Change.

A literal change.

The sword of the Plum Blossom Divine once unleashed waves of plum blossoms that controlled thousands of blades. The change was diverse, but it was based on an overwhelming ‘quantity’.

However, the 구화린 right before her unleashed a different sword that seemed vaguely similar but was entirely distinct.

The total volume was less. But the few plum blossoms’ blades were sharper than anything she’d ever seen before.

A golden storm that flowed with the wind. Wherever it passed, everything was torn to shreds. The ground, woods, and even rocks were reduced to dust, scattering like gold powder.

If the sword of the Plum Blossom Divine poured forth infinite plum blossoms…

Her sword was a rough movement that bloomed within a limited quantity of plum blossoms.

A sword that turns things to dust.

It feels far too dangerous, like looking at a thorny flower.

—Crash!!!

Parrying was also tricky. The newly interpreted Sword of Huashan already contained change within itself, making it cumbersome to judge the very sword form.

Wasn’t it like swinging a sword against the wind? The opponent’s attack definitely reached her, but she had to contend with the constantly shifting blades.

An ordinary martial artist would likely die before they figured out the countermeasures. No matter how sharp the returning sword was, navigating through the ever-changing waves of destruction would be impossible. Even countering with an equal Yi-hyeong Ki would struggle to keep pace with that change, ultimately washed away by the onslaught.

A sword that leads you to give up defending.

Her sword was just that.

But…

That wasn’t a problem for her now.

Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique

Fourth Form

Flash Dispersal – Nine-Headed Dragon Slayer

The gleaming sword split into nine heads. It engulfed the front, completely severing the flow of change in an instant.

The severed sword technique lost its momentum. The core portion of the Yi-hyeong Ki let out a tremendous roar.

As forces and impacts scattered, new powers surged forth.

“…Ugh?!”

구화린, who had lost her grip on the sword, gasped. Trembling, she stared at her own hand in disbelief, blinking her eyes.

“This… this is definitely…”

Her eyes shook. The tremor that had started to show slightly soon spread throughout her entire body, leaving her just staring blankly at him.

But she didn’t retract her sword. Instead, she sharply raised it higher.

“Let’s have a go.”

“…You can’t be serious…?”

“Isn’t the number of swords we’ve exchanged a bit too few to turn doubts into certainty?”

Gathering her swords back together, she retook her stance.

“If you really want to be sure, let’s exchange swords like back then. To find the answer.”

She trembled all over. But soon, as if steeling herself, she picked up the sword she had dropped.

“I… I’ll go again…”

Good. Come.

In the end, warriors talk with their swords.

After a long time, she wanted to learn more about her sword. There was no better way than this to understand what she had been through.

Once again, her Yi-hyeong Ki surged toward her ferociously. The golden waves that began to change once more surged to bite at her whole body.

This time, she didn’t cut it off with a strong sword focal point. Instead, she harmonized with every change that came at her.

A fluttering flower. A wavering gaze.

The fragrance of plum blossoms brushed against her nose. Mixed within it was her own frustration.

She tasted it through Gumang. Deflecting the blades that sought to pierce and burst, she threw herself into the crashing waves.

The changing sword strikes sought to swallow her whole. But it couldn’t engulf her.

It was like trying to swallow a beast many times larger than oneself.

If it tried to digest her before it was done, it would burst and die.

—Kaaang!!

Amidst the golden plum blossoms, countless sparks flew. She pressed on without hesitation, smashing everything with her sword.

As long as her opponent was not hurt.

As if matching each other’s moves.

Just like the old times.

“This… this is…”

The gasps from 구화린 grew heavier. As the pace of her sword began to slow, she also diminished the speed of her own sword.

That day. Just like then.

They began to slowly intermingle their swords. The blades, initially filled with Ki, gradually transformed into swordplay that didn’t use any energy at all, eventually fighting purely with the swords themselves.

When her opponent pushed, she received.

When she pushed, her opponent received.

They shared swords. As if exchanging the stories they had missed, they collided and separated, moving the swords without restraint.

The scent of plum blossoms brushed against her nose. Within it, she scattered the fragrance of her blood.

The two years 구화린 had spent.

The two years she had wandered through the Nine Heavens.

In the time they exchanged, they finally met the tips of their swords. Slowly, the swords that had been intertwined abruptly stopped…

Almost close enough to touch faces, the face she hadn’t seen properly in a long time whispered to her.

A distorted face.

A voice that sounded like it would crumble at any moment.

“…Why… were you so… late…?”

She chuckled awkwardly.

“I took a bit of a detour. It wasn’t what I wanted either.”

Retrieving her extended sword, she sheathed it, then extended her hand towards her.

“It’s been a while. Hwa-rin.”

“…Huff…”

Tears flowed down her cheeks. She gently wiped them away with her fingertips before they hit the ground.

I shared the joy of reunion with her just the same. Above all, I had something I wanted to say when I met her.

“Thank you.”

“…For what…?”

“For all the efforts you made for me. All the achievements you did to make sure I wouldn’t be forgotten. So this time, I will help you. Hwa-rin. So…”

She placed a hand on her head.

“You don’t have to doubt anymore.”

“…….”

구화린 reached out her hand. After a brief pause, as if deciding, her hand came closer and wrapped around her waist.

Her shoulders shook. I continued to stroke her hair until they calmed down.

Without stopping.

Until she felt at ease.

. . .

“…I thought you… were dead…”

Just like the time she reunited with Narin after a long while, 구화린 didn’t leave her side.

Still clinging to her shoulder, she rubbed her face against her. Narin, seeing this, even snuck in between them.

“Get off. Leader. The Master feels awkward.”

구화린 sniffled.

“…Is that true…?”

“I wouldn’t say they felt awkward…”

“That’s what they say… You should leave too…”

“I’m their disciple?! Who are you telling to go away?!”

수련 lightly intervened.

“Weren’t you similar back then?”

“Sapa! Why are you bringing this up now?!”

In the noisy conversation, there was something more immediate to ask rather than sharing the joy of reunion.

구사회의. The reason there were so many troops she brought along was clear.

“If I was the fake, was the intention to wage war against the Martial Alliance? It seems there are too many troops just to kill one fake…”

“…That’s true. If you were a fake, it would imply the Martial Alliance used the name of a noble warrior for their own benefit. That wouldn’t be tolerated, not even in death. So I came prepared to reveal the truth to the world, ready for war.”

“It’s like hitting a rock with an egg.”

“And yet, it was necessary to come. Your name is that important to us…”

It was reckless.

But I couldn’t simply tell them they were being foolish.

Everyone standing behind her bore a remarkable aura. Most were well-trained martial artists, and there were quite a few masters among them.

Moreover, there were also familiar faces mingled in.

“…Those kids…”

They were too young to be seasoned warriors rolling around the martial world.

Some of those children timidly approached me. I looked into their still-maturing faces.

 

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