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She has memories.

Daring not to call them memories of nostalgia, she simply referred to them as memories (記憶).

It was a full moon night.

While others gradually stopped caring about how long it had been since they fell into this place,

she was counting each day.

It was only natural, for she never forgot what she had seen once.

She also had to remember the flow of the days.

Two years and a bit more.

That is how long she had lived in this place known as the Demonic Gate.

The sky was red.

The rising moon was of no better an ominous color. With both day and night skies looking the same, she had to determine whether it was night or day by observing the moon.

[….]

What a truly ominous world it is.

That was the thought she recalled while sitting on a rock, gazing at the sky.

The colors were all dead. The old trees and the dried-up earth were devoid of vitality.

In such a world, how could it not be ominous?

[Hah.]

She often thought while exhaling a white breath, different from the red world.

That this world, which looked so ominous, felt oddly sad.

Is it perhaps because there is something different in this world?

Something is twisted.

Instinctively, she realized that something was wrong with this world.

But she was confused, not knowing what the answer was.

[…]

She opened her eyes to face the moon.

Is it an illusion?

She felt as if the rising red moon was speaking directly to her.

Should she respond? What should she say? Should she even greet it?

After contemplating for a long while,

she never opened her mouth to speak.

Just then,

[Finally found you.]

A voice came from below the hill where she was sitting.

Most martial artists in the Demonic Gate used mental communication, but very few spoke aloud like that.

Let alone, it was the only person with such a fierce voice addressing her.

With black hair,

and the same black eyes, with just a hint of red energy swirling in them.

A rough-looking young man clad in a tattered, dust-filled red martial robe.

[…]

He was the man she hated the most.

She looked down at his fierce gaze and said,

[Didn’t I tell you it’s dangerous to make noise?]

She was using mental communication.

[This crazy bastard, who do you think you’re fooling?]

He spoke verbally.

[Do you think I don’t want to keep quiet?]

[Then make an effort.]

[You often spout nonsense, and today is particularly outrageous.]

The man let out a smile that held a hint of mockery.

Seeing that expression, she rarely frowned her face.

He was unique.

Always maintaining a blank expression, her emotional fluctuations were kept to a minimum.

He was the only blemish in her demeanor. No matter when they met, he had the talent to turn her stomach upside down.

– What does this insignificant pest think he is? What filthy thing does he dare to touch?

Even their first encounter as little kids had been like that.

Eventually, it became the reason she picked up a sword.

That incompetent man wouldn’t remember it, though.

[Anyway, what’s the matter…?]

[What do you mean what’s the matter? It’s time to switch the Night Watch.]

As he clicked his tongue and spoke, the man glanced around, then spoke to her with annoyance.

[I told you last time, if you’re doing the Night Watch, stay around the barracks. Don’t bother climbing up the mountain.]

[…It’s more efficient to guard from a high place.]

[That might be true for you. I find it bothersome to go up and down this high place.]

[Didn’t I tell you to light a fire if that’s the case? I’ll see it and come down.]

[…]

The man, hearing her words, frowned and turned his head.

That was something she had said long ago.

Her method was to use a higher ground for a more efficient lookout.

Because of that, she had taken a position on elevated terrain rather than the barracks where others gathered.

And this man was merely next in line for the Night Watch after her.

If he lit a fire near the barracks, she would see it and come down.

Yet this man often climbed the mountain and spoke to her.

She couldn’t understand.

They didn’t seem to have a good relationship at all.

Shaking her head slightly at such thoughts, she glanced down the hill.

[…I see your noisy friend has come too.]

Another man climbing there came into view.

Contrary to his nickname, he was a loud man.

He often approached her, encouraging her to talk to someone she disliked.

He was not someone she particularly adored.

Of course, he was a hundred times better than the rough man in front of her.

[Ah, here you are?]

He was the so-called Sleeping Dragon.

[Fire, let’s go together when it’s time to leave?]

[What the hell is this crazy bastard saying? You’re next in line after me.]

[It would be nice to chat while we go. The fire would be bored too.]

[Does that mean when it’s your turn I won’t sleep?]

[…Hehe.]

[Hehe, for crying out loud… Get lost already?]

Watching them made her sigh effortlessly. She could not understand this either.

Humans believed everyone had dignity, and their value was equal.

Yet, paradoxically, they didn’t think everyone was equal in rank.

It wasn’t because she was a descendant of the great Sword Sovereign.

She didn’t care about bloodlines of great houses and clans like the Four Great Clans or Gu Sect.

That man was a twisted human being.

He had not a shred of civilized demeanor.

He showed his teeth without gauging the level of his opponent.

What was the difference from a demon beast then? It was enough to provoke such a thought.

Moreover, he had no talent for martial arts and made no effort.

Unlike those who had desperately amassed power to survive in this Demonic Gate, taking different steps.

Why would that Sleeping Dragon stick to such a man?

To her, he resembled someone who seemed to have given up on everything.

The reason he revealed himself to those he couldn’t possibly win against was

that he had no problem dying right there on the spot.

Or perhaps, he was even hoping for it.

Why was that?

Why did he wish for death?

If he wanted to die that badly, he could just take his own life.

[…]

She realized she had come upon a chilling thought.

She struggled to erase it from her mind.

Such cold thoughts needed to be excluded.

Each time they surfaced, she felt the remnants of her humanity crumble away.

No, rather, it was more accurate to say she must prevent what little humanity she had left from falling apart.

[…I will go down first.]

After saying that, she intended to head down to the barracks. She didn’t really need to sleep.

But she felt the need to rest her tired head.

At that moment.

Clutch.

The Sleeping Dragon grabbed her wrist.

[Hey, why are you trying to go already?]

[…!]

[You’re not going to sleep anyway, so why not chat a bit while you go?]

For some reason.

She knew the Sleeping Dragon was a free spirit, and she wouldn’t get angry if he pulled such stunts.

However,

for reasons unknown, she was angry at that moment.

[…Hmm?]

The Sleeping Dragon flinched.

[Sword Sect?]

Why was she getting angry over such trivial matters?

Yet it was infuriating at that moment.

Perhaps it was due to the accumulation of all the absurd situations that had unfolded, or perhaps for some other reason.

She simply felt an overwhelming disgust at an ignorant being touching her body.

[Let go.]

And what severed that feeling from herself and the Sleeping Dragon was ‘that’ man.

[What are you holding onto her for when she said she’s leaving?]

[No, I was….]

[And while you’re at it, you can get lost too.]

His words came out as a low growl.

[Ah, that’s a bit much.]

The Sleeping Dragon chuckled as if to brush it off. Leaving such a situation behind, she resumed her steps.

As she walked, she suddenly turned to look back at the two.

The Sleeping Dragon began chatting happily next to the man.

The man, however, remained seated on the same rock, not saying a word.

She gazed at his back.

The not-so-broad back looked especially dark.

His eyes didn’t glance back in her direction.

She was the same. She didn’t bother to read the emotions hidden in that back.

Yet, for some reason, it felt like the emotions that had rapidly surged had calmed all of a sudden.

Why was that? She didn’t know, but for now, she prioritized calming her briefly ignited thoughts.

She walked down toward the barracks.

Her pounding heart felt exceptionally warm, but her chest felt cold in contrast.

Did she initially label this as a memory?

It needed to be corrected.

This was regret.

Regret over how things could have been a little different.

That’s why she was still incessantly recalling it.

Knowing full well she couldn’t return to that time.

Yet she continued to think about it and eventually regretted it.

Telling herself she had no choice then.

So what remains for her?

Can it be that she can gaze at him from afar?

Or can she find satisfaction in bearing the karma that would fall upon him?

Should she be pleased that she was forcefully piecing together the remnants of a shattered soul that should have perished long ago?

She knew nothing.

“Let go.”

Even so, there was only one thing left to do.

“Don’t you dare touch him with those filthy hands.”

I will protect him.

That was the reason for everything.

Thud.

The ground, part of Mount Tai, crumbled away.

A long trail began to widen, creating a new space.

With a single swing.

The aftermath it created was beyond imagination.

“Ugh… Hah….”

The demon energy’s resonance that surged up to her chin momentarily quieted.

Gu Yangcheong barely shook off the pressure, but could not calm his trembling eyes.

Not feeling this kind of emotion when facing the Heavenly Demon or when the demon energy had begun to run rampant.

Boom.

A sound echoed from where the ground had crumbled.

As dust swirled, what re-emerged was the Heavenly Demon.

Thud.

The Heavenly Demon, shaking off the dust clinging to his body, was uninjured.

‘…Even if it’s still early, indeed a Heavenly Demon is a Heavenly Demon, isn’t it?’

The youthful figure from that time.

Having just exceeded ten years old, he now looked a few years older, similar in age to her.

It meant his growth speed was different.

“…”

The Heavenly Demon emerged through the dust, quietly gazing at Wi Seol-Ah.

The Heavenly Demon observed Wi Seol-Ah holding her sword,

then, slowly,

he formed black energy into the shape of a sword in his hand.

As if to mimic her.

Wi Seol-Ah’s expression twisted upon confirming this.

Then, her body rapidly shot toward the Heavenly Demon.

Boom—! Bang-bang-bang!

The energy collided.

In its wake, the damage spread in all directions.

The rebound hit Gu Yangcheong’s exhausted body. Right now, persevering to not be thrown away was the best he could manage.

‘This is strange.’

It wasn’t about the Heavenly Demon showing up at this time.

That was indeed strange.

What was crucial, however, was Wi Seol-Ah.

As far as he knew, Wi Seol-Ah was at the peak.

If he had to put it simply, an accomplished peak, but it did not mean she could display power like this.

He could see it.

Boom—!

The Heavenly Demon was gradually being pushed back by Wi Seol-Ah’s sword path.

Is it even possible?

Could the Heavenly Demon’s realm be shallow?

That might be.

It was not impossible to speculate on the Heavenly Demon’s current position or what level he had reached.

Thick demon energy spread in all directions.

Following the Heavenly Demon’s gestures, it was rough, yet still orderly.

Wi Seol-Ah forged ahead, cutting through the demon energy.

Every time the sword carved through the air, a white trace was left behind.

That was the trace of the energy Wi Seol-Ah was currently enveloped in.

That was the problem.

The black demon energy was helplessly extinguished before Wi Seol-Ah’s energy.

The white energy that surpassed golden light.

The reason that the previous incarnation of Wi Seol-Ah could exert overwhelming might against demons,

and ultimately the power that held back the Heavenly Demon.

‘How could that be?’

The strength Wi Seol-Ah was wielding wasn’t fitting for her current self.

Could it be the martial arts of the Sword Sovereign? He recalled that the Sword Sovereign himself had been beaten helplessly by the Heavenly Demon.

That power is something Wi Seol-Ah would acquire through her own enlightenment, yet she was currently wielding the strength that Wi Seol-Ah had achieved at the end of her previous life.

What could be the reason for this?

It was oddly more important than the appearance of the Heavenly Demon.

She felt tingling at her back.

Her ears rang as strange sounds filled them.

Her breaths grew harsh.

Why?

Was the rebound of the demon energy still there?

That was also true.

The rebound of the demon energy remained.

The pain arising from it was enough to make her feel as if she would lose consciousness at any moment.

‘Why?’

Her focus wasn’t on that, but on Wi Seol-Ah.

Clad in white energy,

she was wielding her sword against the Heavenly Demon.

Even now, Wi Seol-Ah is strong.

She was so talented that she would be called the Divine Sword in the future.

Even if just a few years hadn’t passed since they parted ways, she had already reached the peak.

So, the fact that Wi Seol-Ah was powerful was certain, but something felt off about her current appearance.

‘Why…?’

Her current figure was not of the girl who was smiling brightly while approaching her.

Nor was it of the girl who delighted in food and showed her greedy side.

She was akin to the Wi Seol-Ah who bore her sorrow and pain while concealing most of her emotions, possessing only the singular ambition of saving the world.

Boom-boom-boom—!

While the white energy and the demon energy repeatedly crashed against each other,

it became gradually evident that the demon energy was gaining the upper hand.

It had previously been Wi Seol-Ah leading ahead, eliminating the demon energy.

Her gaze shifted towards the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon wore the same expressionless face as before.

Though he looked somewhat surprised when pushed back, that was only for a moment.

The demon energy increasingly fed into strength.

Although the swirl of demon energy was still being devoured and scattered,

the amount spewed forth had grown large.

As if saying if it was devoured, it would spew out even more.

A truly monstrous approach.

“Ugh…!”

As the demon energy swelled, Wi Seol-Ah groaned.

Unblocked energies grazed her, leaving traces of wounds. In the midst of them, she was even directing energy away to avoid it coming her way.

‘No.’

This was a scene she didn’t want to see.

She didn’t want to see her face opposing the Heavenly Demon once more.

That was why she had been rolling around trying to gain strength.

Whether it was due to the Blood Calamity being unleashed,

or whether countless lives would be lost, it didn’t matter much to her.

Only one thing was important.

That she should not have to live bearing such a burden again.

That had been the reason for her life.

But,

was she going to be powerless and just watch?

What had she ascended to the Transformation Realm for?

Protecting that one small girl should not leave her feeling like she was the one being protected.

‘What should I do?’

She wanted to act immediately and pull her away. And she wanted to stop the Heavenly Demon right there.

If she did that, many things would change.

‘Then I need to act.’

So it was telling her not to remain uselessly restrained and to move.

“Guuu….”

Though she tried to rise to her knees, the pain felt in her lower dantian made her collapse again.

How? What should she do?

With bloodshot eyes, she recalled.

What method could lead to her escape?

To calm the demon energy that was rampaging around the Heavenly Demon and find a way to stir her body.

“…”

It dawned on her quickly. It was a method she had known from the start, after all.

The moment she was lost in the resonance of the demon energy,

she recalled the only way that would grant her comfort here.

By doing so, her current life would draw slightly closer to her previous one.

But she had at least found a means to feel at ease for the moment.

Then what arrived was hesitation.

Because of that, her life could once again be thrown into hell.

And after everything ended, finding peace could become even more distant, or possibly vanish completely.

But she lifted her head and gazed directly ahead.

“Ugh…!”

She looked at the woman wielding her sword as she defended against the demon energy to protect her.

Would the peace of the future hold greater importance than this?

No, it did not.

The contemplation came to an end.

It was not a consideration that needed to be had in the first place.

Guuuu—.

She relinquished the power that was holding the raging demon energy in check.

Right after that.

Instead, she drew in a huge amount of demon energy.

 

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