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Chapter 442: Don’t Touch It.

It had been about ten days since I fell into this place.

With each passing day, the hope of awakening from this nightmare faded away, and now my purpose was simply to produce the outcome that this world wanted and escape.

Crack-!

Someone’s bone shattered.

“Gurk.”

A short scream escaped as breath left their body. The white martial robe they wore bore the word ‘justice.’

A martial artist of the Martial Alliance.

“…”

Swish—

I hung my head low, silently brushing off my hands as I watched the lifeless figure.

The sensations were still overwhelmingly vivid.

‘…What a disgusting feeling…’

Corpses lay strewn about.

Most were martial artists dressed in white robes from the Martial Alliance, with a few demons scattered among them, but their numbers were minimal.

And those demons weren’t from the Black Flame Sect; they were simply martial artists picked by the Demon Sword Inspection Team.

I observed them quietly.

Drip—

I felt something trickling down my cheek.

Wiping it casually with my thumb revealed it to be blood.

“…”

I frowned at the sight.

I knew where I was injured.

It had happened just before the martial artists of the alliance launched their ambush; I had been unable to respond adequately to the attack, and now I bore the wound.

It wasn’t a proper ambush, nor was it due to carelessness.

I had sensed them with my Qi perception, and at best, I had barely surpassed my peak state.

There was no way I would fall to such scum.

No, it was simply—

‘I hesitated.’

I hesitated to kill them myself.

The despair reflected in the eyes of the martial artist charging at me, that desperate yearning to survive, the fear.

All of it was laid bare before me, and I instinctively paused.

That brief moment of hesitation allowed the martial artist’s sword tip to graze my cheek.

Thus, blood flowed.

‘Damn it…’

Recollecting the sensation still lingering in my hand, I cursed inwardly.

At this point, I couldn’t possibly fear killing someone.

If I was going to feel that way, I should have done so since my return.

‘…Disgusting.’

Everything felt like a joke.

Returning to this damned time. Finding myself waging this worthless war yet again.

All of it was reflected in the eyes of those who made me feel this way.

‘I need to escape quickly.’

Perhaps that was why I felt a growing impatience.

I desperately wanted to break free from this hell.

Tap, tap.

Just as my weary heart swelled within me, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

“New recruit.”

“…!”

A voice that sounded sleepy and dazed, with an eerie undertone to it.

There was only one person that could have such a voice.

“…Yes, Deputy Lord.”

I straightened up slightly as I confirmed the presence of the Demon Sword Queen.

She stopped a few steps away from me, looking at me with her unique tone as she continued speaking.

“…What…are you doing…?”

“…”

“…You’ll die like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

The sudden reprimand brought curious expressions from the demons around, but I understood what she meant.

Among the corpses strewn about, there was one in particular that had been chopped into tiny pieces. That was the martial artist who had cut my cheek.

The moment their sword tip brushed against my cheek, the Demon Sword Queen must have unleashed her Sword Intent from behind.

The burst of energy struck the martial artist dead on, and they were instantly killed after sustaining multiple blows within a mere moment.

Looking at the chunk of flesh that had once been a person, I felt a sharp sensation building within me.

The more I witnessed such sights, the more I grasped what this world truly was.

If it had been Nangong Bi-ah, she wouldn’t have used such a brutal method.

If she had to, she would have simply killed them in one blow.

‘…Ha.’

That thought drew an unintended sigh from me.

In the past, I compared Nangong Bi-ah to the Demon Sword Queen; now, I found myself searching for her within the Demon Sword Queen.

It was a truly filthy feeling. Just how selfish was I?

‘Was I trying to erase that time?’

I had promised Tang Je-mun that I would carry my regrets with me.

Yet inwardly, I might have wanted to forget.

Perhaps that was why I was being shown this world.

To remind me not to forget my regrets.

‘If that’s the case, it’s terrifying.’

This wretched world felt especially menacing now.

“…”

The Demon Sword Queen, gazing at me, wore her characteristic strange expression.

Clang—

She withdrew her sword and turned her back to me.

“…Be careful.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

After briefly speaking, she vanished elegantly.

Once the Demon Sword Queen was gone, the remaining demons finally broke their silence.

It was a somewhat buzzing noise.

One among them approached and asked me.

“Hey, Youngest.”

That title still felt uncomfortable.

“Yes.”

“…Do you have some special relationship with the Deputy Lord?”

“…What?”

What kind of random question was this?

“What do you mean by that?”

I raised an eyebrow as I inquired, and the demon added an explanation.

“No, it’s just… I’ve never seen the Deputy Lord treat anyone so warmly.”

The demon didn’t finish with ‘except for the Great Lord.’

“Warmly?”

I wasn’t sure how they arrived at that conclusion.

“Not really.”

I replied with a smirk.

A connection with the Demon Sword Queen?

That didn’t exist.

At least not here with her…

‘Since we don’t know each other.’

That was enough for me.

Located near Sichuan, the Black Flame Sect’s headquarters.

While the Heavenly Demon Great War might have officially begun, ever since they successfully conquered Sichuan, their tasks weren’t particularly grand.

At most, they dealt with the remnants of the alliance hiding in Sichuan today or patrolled the area to assess the situation.

One change that had occurred was that, having heard about the Heavenly Lord, their vigilance had somewhat intensified.

‘Just knowing that the Black Flame Sect is actively patrolling says it all.’

Each individual was on par with a Deputy Lord of the martial artists.

And within the Black Flame Sect, aside from the Great Lord, the next seven or so were individuals who surpassed the status of elders or clan leaders of other clans.

The fact that those individuals were directly out patrolling indicated that the Heavenly Lord’s involvement had considerable repercussions.

I observed the Demon Sword Queen as she walked toward the Great Hall from a distance.

‘The Heavenly Lord will face the Demon Sword Queen.’

That was the memory I recalled.

When the Heavenly Lord diverted attention from the outside, it was none other than the Demon Sword Queen who directly faced them.

She would fight the Nangong clan’s swords with the Nangong clan’s swords.

Furthermore, it was her intention to eliminate the remaining bloodline of the Nangong clan herself.

The problem was.

‘Ultimately, it means that she didn’t succeed.’

Winning against the Heavenly Lord was never an easy task, to begin with.

Even if the Demon Sword Queen was a master who inherited the title of Sword Demon, the Heavenly Lord had been a legendary figure in the Central Plains for decades.

There was no way she could easily defeat such a person.

Knowing that very well, she had gone all out to confront the Heavenly Lord.

But that was where the issue arose.

‘Pejon launched an assault on the main forces.’

While the Heavenly Lord drew attention, Pejon had stormed the headquarters, and in that chaos, I found myself facing Pejon.

That was the problem.

Essentially.

‘…She came to my aid.’

While I was embroiled in a fierce battle with Pejon, just before most of the demons met their demise and I was about to be killed by Pejon, the Demon Sword Queen appeared, pulling me away.

By the time the highest power, the Demon Sword Queen, dissipated, those confronting the Heavenly Lord were devastated.

The only remaining Muk-Gwon lost one of his arms.

Fortunately, the wounded Heavenly Lord retreated, and Pejon was pursued by the intervening Cheonrahegamot and ultimately faced the Great Lord, Pildu Ma.

At that moment, Peng Woojin appeared to rescue Pejon.

This sequence of events had unfolded as a result of the Demon Sword Queen abandoning the battlefield to save me.

Moreover, it led to her death.

Facing the Heavenly Lord with the injuries sustained from Pejon, the Demon Sword Queen stood her ground.

Fortunately, she managed to escape from Pejon, and the Sichuan was not lost.

However, the wounds inflicted by the Heavenly Lord and Pejon eventually led to her demise during a later ambush.

‘No, that’s not right.’

Let’s clarify.

The Demon Sword Queen could have escaped anytime she wanted.

If she had wished, she could have lived countless lives.

Yet she—

‘In the end, she died for me.’

She returned for me, and she died for me.

What a truly fucked-up situation, isn’t it?

Did she realize? That I had wished for my own death in every single moment.

Initially, I wished to die at my father’s hands.

Later, I wished to die at Pejon’s hands.

And in that attack, I just wanted to die.

I pondered while gazing at the back of the Demon Sword Queen.

‘…Will you make that choice again this time?’

I knew.

Since the world remained unchanged, the Demon Sword Queen was likely to make the same choice again, and that perhaps my involvement could alter that choice.

Yet, even knowing that, I was powerless to change my situation.

“…”

If anything disturbs the current state…

‘…the Divine Sword will die.’

I shut my eyes tightly and thought.

The Divine Sword will perish.

Yes, that was the state of affairs.

I had no choice but to move desperately.

Creek.

My teeth grinded together.

Gazing at the Demon Sword Queen’s back, I clenched my fists.

This life felt like hell for that very reason.

No matter what choice I made, someone would die.

Even in this fantasy, choosing was not easy.

Even if the death of the Demon Sword Queen was fundamentally the basis for my regrets.

If I opted to save her, the Divine Sword could die.

Then would there be no regrets from that choice?

‘Conversely…. What if I just allow the Demon Sword Queen to die?’

Choosing the same trajectory as my original life, would that be acceptable?

‘Ha….’

Having come this far, I suddenly remembered what Tang Je-mun had said.

It didn’t matter which choice I made. Nothing would change.

“…”

Looking back now, those were indeed profound words. Did they say that anticipating such a scenario would happen, they conveyed it to me?

If that were the case, it truly seemed like a twisted sense of humor.

‘Does it matter what I choose?’

What a load of crap.

‘How could it not matter?’

It couldn’t be true.

No matter how much this situation was a fantasy, to serve it up like this and expect me to watch in peace.

I—

Could never accept that.

“…”

Thus my thoughts grew heavy, only leading to exhaustion.

In such a situation, nothing was easy to choose.

Of course.

Even so, thankfully there was one other way.

It might be the easiest of choices, or perhaps the hardest.

If I intended to do something…. I would definitely pursue that choice.

Creeeeak—

Right after arriving at headquarters, I walked while drenched in blood.

Now, the harsh scent of blood hanging in the air didn’t bother me at all.

Having lived this kind of life, adapting again was a simple task.

Thinking this, I passed through the corridor and arrived at the Great Hall, but for some reason, the stench of blood felt much thicker than usual.

‘Hmm?’

I wasn’t the only one who sensed the difference; the Demon Sword Queen ahead of me emanated a subtle indication of killing intent.

It seemed she sensed something unsettling.

Boom.

Upon entering the Great Hall through the massive doors.

Inside, there were already others present.

Curious, I scanned the room only to find, compared to the Black Flame Sect, this blood scent was overwhelming, and the killing intent was radiating outward.

Each wore swords at their waists; I could tell who they were just by looking at them.

“Chuckle.”

A laugh met my ears as I raised my head.

Someone sat where the Great Lord of the Black Flame Sect should be.

A man with his hair laid down on the ground had his lips curled into a grin.

Along with that, an unsettling madness and killing intent raised goosebumps along my spine.

‘…That guy.’

Frowning as I recognized him.

The hall was filled with demons from the Demon Sword Inspection Team.

Which meant the man sitting in that seat was their master.

‘Sword Demon.’

That was the Sword Demon known as Heaven Kill Spirit.

The Sword Demon glanced at the Demon Sword Queen with a smile.

“It’s been a while, Demon Sword Queen.”

“…”

Swish.

The Demon Sword Queen immediately unsheathed her sword in response.

Then, quietly whispering to the Sword Demon, she said.

“…Get down….”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Come down from there… That’s… not a place for you to sit.”

As the Demon Sword Queen’s words spilled forth, the killing intent flooded out from her body.

The profound disparity made my Lower Dantian feel constricted.

Even amidst the surge of her Qi, the Sword Demon merely chuckled.

“Well, since the Great Lord isn’t here, it’s a bit much to just sit for a while.”

“…”

As the Sword Demon spoke, the moment the Demon Sword Queen prepared to raise her Thunder Qi—

Creak.

The Sword Demon slightly shrugged his shoulders and began stepping down from his seat.

‘That lunatic.’

The Sword Demon, whom I hadn’t seen in a long while, was still as much of a madman as the rumors suggested.

If Muk-Gwon was the least demonic among the demons I knew, then the Sword Demon was the most demon-like demon.

Step, step.

As the Sword Demon descended the stairs, he approached the Demon Sword Queen.

“Rumor has it that the Great Lord is out; do you happen to know where she went?”

“…”

No response came to the question. The Demon Sword Queen merely kept her eyes locked on the Sword Demon.

Was that the issue? The Sword Demon clicked his tongue and continued to speak.

“Hmm, I still can’t get used to those angry eyes of yours. If that weren’t the case, you’d be truly beautiful.”

As the Sword Demon spoke, killing intent surged from the demons behind him.

In turn, the killing intent from the Demon Sword Inspection Team also began to thicken.

In the gap formed, I was left with a dumbfounded expression.

‘These crazy bastards?’

They suddenly gathered, preparing to fight amongst themselves.

Since I usually roamed outside of headquarters, I had no idea that relations had soured so much.

As I pondered what to do amidst the unexpectedly troublesome situation—

“Hmm?”

“…!”

Suddenly, my eyes met with the Sword Demon, who was caught in a battle of nerves with the Demon Sword Queen.

His killing intent-laden gaze turned toward me.

In that moment, the gleam in his eyes morphed into unmistakable intrigue.

“I don’t recognize that face. Who’s this brat?”

The Sword Demon took a step closer, a chilling smile twisting on his lips.

What to do? Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I reflexively furrowed my brow.

The Sword Demon’s expression twitched with unexpected change.

“Your expression, eh? You don’t know who I am? That’s why you’re making such a face in front of me, huh?”

Damn it.

This bastard’s twisted temperament had piqued his interest.

I probably should have just kept my head down and stayed quiet; now I was in a bind.

Swoosh.

The Sword Demon then reached out, grabbing my chin and scrutinizing my face.

“Honestly, if the training had been done properly, there wouldn’t be brats like this, would there? Are you a newcomer? How strange. You look different somehow, but you strangely resemble that human.”

It was without a doubt apparent who that human was.

The Sword Demon’s brow furrowed more deeply as he spoke.

“…Maybe that’s why I find your eyes unpleasant. If you keep looking at yourself like that….”

It was then.

“To provide a lesson, I’ll personally pluck out your eyeballs…!”

Boom—!

In an instant, an overwhelming wave of killing intent erupted, and the Sword Demon’s body was slammed against the wall in a split second.

Crash-! Crackle-!!

Dust erupted as debris fell towards the spot where the Sword Demon collided.

It was a situation that unfolded in the blink of an eye.

Stunned, I gazed at the one responsible for this unexpected turn of events.

Rumble. Crackle.

The Demon Sword Queen, who had just walloped the Sword Demon, showed no intention of concealing her erupting killing intent, displaying it with her entire body.

While her energy surged, the Thunder Qi mingled, exerting a considerable presence.

Feeling the overwhelming aura emanating from the Demon Sword Queen, the space around me felt subtly distorted.

The demons from the Demon Sword Inspection Team were still caught off guard by the sudden incident and hadn’t even drawn their swords yet.

In that moment, the Demon Sword Queen gradually expanded her energy and opened her mouth.

“…With those… filthy… hands… don’t touch me….”

The voice of the Demon Sword Queen carried a rare clarity of anger as she directed it towards the Sword Demon.

 

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