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Daughter.

At that word, my mind froze in an instant.

‘Daughter?’

Did the Blood Demon just call the Heavenly Demon his daughter?

I turned my head to look at the Heavenly Demon.

Creeeak—!

Her face was twisted, and her glaring eyes were filled with hostility and malice, causing my skin to react. The Heavenly Demon’s face was terribly contorted.

‘What the hell.’

What was happening right now?

‘Is she really his daughter?’

As I stood there in shock, unable to comprehend the situation, I heard a voice close by.

“Hmm.”

I immediately shifted my gaze.

The Blood Demon had somehow gotten right in front of me.

The stench of blood made me gag. An overwhelming scent of blood was pouring out from the Blood Demon’s body.

“How could you have such an expression after meeting your father?”

The Blood Demon’s gaze was solely fixed on the Heavenly Demon. He showed me no interest whatsoever.

“Seems you’re not too pleased to see me.”

The Blood Demon chuckled, and at that moment—

Crunch.

I clenched my fists tightly.

Flame Burst—!

Flames spiraled around me, and I unleashed that heat toward the Blood Demon.

At that moment, the Blood Demon’s gaze turned toward me.

[Stop.]

—-!!!

“Gah!?”

In an instant, my body froze.

I tried to force myself to move, but I couldn’t even tremble.

That sensation was all too familiar to me.

‘…Dragon Word…!’

It was a power I often used; I couldn’t mistake it. What the Blood Demon used was definitely the Dragon Word.

Creeeak—!

‘Damn it.’

Not just my joints, but my entire body felt as rigid as stone.

The pressure was so intense that my energy wouldn’t budge at all.

“Aha, you should wait a moment. Unfortunately, there are many things to talk about between a father and daughter.”

The Blood Demon turned his head to glance at me.

Swish—!!!

Something shot down rapidly from where the Blood Demon had been standing.

Boom—!!

It was a strike from the Heavenly Demon’s sword.

“Hmmm.”

The Blood Demon made an odd reaction while watching it.

Whoooosh—!! The black sword struck the ground.

As the sword blade made of demon energy pierced the earth, shadows began to stretch out toward the Blood Demon.

The demon energy, having seized the surroundings in an instant, bared its fangs at the Blood Demon.

Crash—!!

Enormous spikes shot out to attack the Blood Demon.

Upon seeing this, the Blood Demon briefly nodded his head.

Thud.

Crash—!!

He waved his hand lightly, shattering all the spikes.

“Quite aggressive. I like it.”

With an expression of delight, the Blood Demon smiled, and the Heavenly Demon stood before me, presenting her sword toward him.

“Don’t touch her.”

It seemed as if she was trying to protect me.

My body was still immobile.

“Such an enthusiastic greeting.”

“…”

“It seems a bit rude to do that to a father who came to see you in person, don’t you think?”

“Get lost.”

Her voice was filled with sharpness.

Even with such words, the Blood Demon remained unfazed.

“Chuckle.”

With a smirk, the Blood Demon flicked his fingers.

At that moment, the scent of blood began to intensify from his body.

Whooooosh—!!

A red energy slowly rose.

This energy coalesced in his palm, transforming into a sword.

“It’s time, my daughter.”

“…”

“Let’s go together.”

I widened my eyes internally at those words. Did that mean he came to take the Heavenly Demon with him?

Why up to now had he kept silent?

Could he truly mean she is his daughter?

I had thought there was some relation between them, but if it was a father-daughter relationship, that changed everything.

Moreover.

‘Then… what about Wi Seol-Ah?’

What would that make Wi Seol-Ah?

Thud.

Just as I recalled that, my body jolted.

My muscles screamed, and I felt as if my bones were going to shatter.

“I refuse.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke to the Blood Demon. Her voice still seethed with intense emotion.

“Is that so?”

The Blood Demon nodded slightly at her response.

As if he’d expected it.

“What a pity.”

Slowly, the Blood Demon raised his hand.

“I’m not particularly fond of teaching.”

Upon seeing that, the Heavenly Demon unleashed demonic energy and charged.

“If necessary, I will do it.”

Thud—! Creeeak—!!

The clash of sword blades erupted with immense pressure.

The size of the collision was so great that black energy and red energy intertwined as if a giant whirlpool was forming.

Clang—! Clang—!

Pieces of energy scattered everywhere.

Amidst the countless sounds of friction, the only thing short-lived was the burst of energy light.

After some time.

Whoooosh—!!

The whirlpool dissipated in an instant, revealing the same two people as before.

The difference was.

“Ugh…”

The Heavenly Demon was staggering with injuries, while the Blood Demon remained at ease with his hands behind his back.

‘…How?’

Could the Blood Demon be that powerful?

Did the Heavenly Demon, who could single-handedly take down the Three Eminent Beings, get pushed back to that extent?

While I knew the Blood Demon was a powerful being from having faced five masters in the past…

‘No.’

This wasn’t just a difference in skill.

Even in my frozen state, I could see it.

She fought far less effectively than the previous life’s Heavenly Demon.

If I had to compare, it was like Bong-Soon. No, it was an even more brutal fighting style.

Without any form of martial arts, just an intention to tear and kill.

The neatness the Heavenly Demon used had vanished, leaving only a destructive form behind.

Of course, even so, her speed and power were still tremendous…

‘But if it doesn’t connect, it’s meaningless.’

She didn’t land a single blow on the Blood Demon.

Furthermore, the reason she was being pushed so ineffectively could involve me as well.

I thought it might be a misunderstanding, but it seemed not.

During the battle, the Blood Demon showed signs of wanting to attack me, while the Heavenly Demon was trying to shield me.

‘…Why not just fight?’

What kind of nonsense was this?

And.

‘When will this wear off?’

Crack.

I kept trying to move my muscles for a long while. My body still wouldn’t budge.

‘Is this just a Dragon Word, or something else?’

It felt different from my own Dragon Word.

The effect seemed similar, but the quality was entirely different.

From what I understood, the Dragon Word didn’t work as effectively against someone of equal or greater strength.

It could halt them briefly, but the rebound would also affect me, making it hard to use freely.

Yet.

‘If that guy can bind me this much…’

It meant that the Dragon Word he used was different from what I had.

Or perhaps.

‘…Is the difference in our levels this vast?’

It suggested that the gap in skill between the Blood Demon and me was substantial.

I couldn’t believe it.

‘Is that even possible?’

At my current level, I was among the top of the teenage masters.

I thought there might be a chance I could rival the Three Eminent Beings, but even that felt far-fetched.

‘That’s nonsense.’

I found it hard to accept that I was that far apart from him.

“Haah….”

The Heavenly Demon sighed softly.

She had once again positioned herself in front of me.

‘Get lost. Just get lost already.’

I wished she would leave quickly, but she showed no signs of doing so.

“If you divert your attention while your opponent is in front of you, that’s not a good strategy.”

At the Blood Demon’s words, the Heavenly Demon clenched her demonic energy.

The Blood Demon observed her with keen interest.

“Since you’re my precious daughter, let me give you a little heads-up.”

He uncrossed his arms and lifted his sword.

“Dodge. If you don’t, you will die.”

Growl—!!!

The sword tip gathered red energy. The moment I laid eyes on it, my heart raced.

‘…What the hell is that?’

I immediately understood.

It was calamitous.

That blood-red energy was a calamity itself.

Shriek—!!!

The energy seemed to scream in agony.

I had never encountered such a vile and brutal energy before.

How could it be so vast? Just looking at it made me grasp the intensity of its density.

No, if just seeing it gives me such an impression…

‘In reality, it must be several times stronger.’

It was a level where I would have to pour all my strength just to block it.

At this point, dodging would be the logical choice.

“Ssss—!”

The Heavenly Demon steadied her breath, channeling demonic energy.

It meant she had no intention of avoiding it.

The reason was probably.

‘Because of me.’

It would be due to the fact that I, whom she was protecting, was the cause.

Seeing that, I steeled myself.

Creeeak—! Forcing my strength made my bones feel as if they would snap.

Could the Heavenly Demon withstand that?

The Blood Demon claimed to be here to take her, so surely he wouldn’t kill her.

‘But she wouldn’t come out of this unscathed.’

If she took a hit of that magnitude, she wouldn’t come out of it intact.

‘So…’

Dodge it.

I wanted to desperately scream that.

To be honest, there were other thoughts bubbling inside me.

If the Heavenly Demon were to take that hit and die, wouldn’t that eliminate one threat?

That thought was certainly there.

However.

‘Damn it.’

Such rationality was swiftly consumed by emotion.

Just then.

“It’s called Blood Jade Demon Spirit.”

The Blood Demon spoke calmly.

“It’s a name my friend gave it. Let’s see how you handle it.”

Screeech—!!!

With a scream, the calamity began to move.

Its size was undoubtedly not that big, yet it somehow seemed to fill the sky.

A sea of blood slowly descended.

Creeeak—!!

My muscles felt like they were being torn apart as I twisted.

My heart thumped louder and louder.

My mouth opened.

“…Get… lost….”

I barely managed to spit those words out. Just saying that made my body feel a tremendous backlash.

The problem was.

“I refuse.”

Once again, she refused.

The Heavenly Demon responded without turning her back.

The determination of never stepping aside was palpable.

I gazed at her back.

It was small and frail.

Had she always looked that small, despite seeming gigantic in my previous life?

The energy was now right before me.

If this continued, I would be swept away.

The Heavenly Demon must have been aware of that as well.

“I will.”

Whoosh—! Gathering demonic energy, the Heavenly Demon declared.

“I will protect you.”

What could be so steadfast?

It was incredibly strange and bizarre that a being I should kill was trying to protect me.

My vision was painted red.

In that moment.

Whoooom.

With the energy I felt from within, my hand moved on its own.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!

 

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