〈 Episode 447 〉 Resonance. (2)
Flames rising from the mountainside were touching the clouds.
‘That crazy bastard.’
The moment I saw it, I cursed.
The distance was surely considerable, yet the heat reaching all the way here was far from ordinary.
If the heat was this intense from such a distance, just how hot was the center of those flames?
I gazed at the flames.
Their size was so massive that they exuded an overwhelming majesty even from afar.
‘Ha.’
How much energy would be needed to unleash flames of that magnitude?
One thing I could be certain of was that the current me could not unleash flames of that extent.
Feeling the heat, I increased my speed.
I wasn’t the only one. Mukgwon and Mageomhu, who had been running in the lead, raised theirs, so I cautiously raised mine to keep pace.
Crackle.
A sound like lightning crackling burst from up ahead.
Vrrrrm-!
Mageomhu abruptly accelerated and shot forward.
“Vice Leader…!”
Mukgwon urgently called out to Mageomhu upon seeing that, but she was already far ahead.
Confirming this, I wrapped energy fully around the tips of my feet.
‘Tch.’
The sensation was far from pleasant.
Unable to use the Nine-Flame Wheel Technique, I couldn’t employ explosive propulsion.
Moreover, the internal energy in my dantian hadn’t properly recovered either, so trying anything felt incredibly awkward.
‘What can I do? It’s all my karma.’
Since I was the one who had caused the trouble, I couldn’t blame anyone else.
In my heart, I just wanted to follow along at a moderate pace.
‘Haa….’
But looking at those absurd flames, I simply couldn’t do that.
Thud-!
I leaped, pouring power into it.
Using a great deal of energy, the difference in speed was distinctly felt.
The problem was.
‘That was close.’
When I tried to release power excessively, it felt like flames would burst out uncontrollably.
Since I was still maintaining my demonic transformation, if flames erupted like this, it would be a total disaster.
“Paljeollyeop!”
Mukgwon called out as I dashed ahead, but I ignored him just the same.
Even in the midst of this, the name grated on me. If he was going to give me one, he should have used a proper alias.
The closer I got to the destination, the harder it became to breathe.
The black flames were still blazing fiercely, holding their position. Truly a vicious heat.
I surveyed the air.
Above the towering flames, I could see someone floating in the air.
‘That rotten bastard.’
Maje was floating in midair with black flames coiled around his body.
Even then, he must have been using tremendous energy, but to him, it was probably nothing.
I looked around.
Enormous flames surrounded the area on all sides, yet they did not cling to and burn the forest.
This meant he was controlling them to this extent.
‘Rather than controlling….’
It looked impossible, but.
These flames themselves were closer to a mere display.
They were large enough to send shivers down one’s spine just by looking.
There was no better way to intimidate the enemy.
‘…Not just anyone can do this.’
Honestly, I could dare to say that this was a method only I could use.
If I had to name another, perhaps Cheonma could do it.
‘When it comes to overwhelming others, I’m better.’
Flames reminiscent of tidal waves were all too easy to instill terror in those who beheld them.
I knew this aspect all too well, which was why I would use this method before beginning.
Look.
‘…It’s already affecting them.’
As I arrived in the domain of heat, the others gathered there came into view.
Dressed in similar white clothes, they were staring at the tidal wave of flames before them in despair.
Just as Mukgwon had said.
A considerable force of martial artists had gathered.
‘What the hell.’
Moreover, the martial prowess they possessed was no ordinary matter. I could see almost no martial artists below the Peak realm.
If compared to great families, a great number of them seemed to be at a level worthy of holding the position of vice leader of the Sword Squad.
‘They gathered a force like this?’
And in such a short time?
If I recalled the past I knew, it wouldn’t have taken long to deploy such a force to Sichuan.
They must have gathered them urgently.
Still, for what it was, it was a considerable force.
As I slowed down while looking at them, the martial artists’ gazes turned toward me.
Far from friendly gazes.
Some looked at me with contempt.
Others looked at me with sad eyes.
‘Sadness.’
The reason they looked at me with such eyes was probably because my outward appearance was quite young.
Thinking that even such a young martial artist had become a demon. They must be looking at me with such gazes because of that thought.
Feeling their gazes, I kept moving.
Only upon arriving at the destination could I stop my body.
Mageomhu had already arrived and was looking at the air, her gaze directed toward Maje.
I too sent my gaze to him following her eyes.
In the high air, a man could be seen with flames surrounding his body.
Maje was looking down at the gathered people with his characteristic gaze.
This place was exactly the border.
The withered forest was a sign of the demon’s domain.
The green forest close enough to reach in a single step was Cheonma’s mercy.
The Alliance’s forces were stationed beyond Sichuan, behind the borderline.
Meaning they had not yet entered Sichuan.
Kwarrreureureuk-!
The flames began to sway.
Given their size, even the slightest movement caused a reaction.
The wave that seemed about to crash down on the people roared violently and simultaneously shot up into the sky.
Rrrumble-!
As the flames rose, pressure burst forth.
From the aftermath, cracks began to form here and there on the parched ground.
It was an indescribable sight.
‘To think I’d see this with my own eyes.’
I hadn’t known when doing it myself, but seeing it from another’s perspective was truly horrifying.
So many flames rising to the heavens at once—how could others not find it wondrous?
Moreover, if they imagined those flames being fired at them.
Could they truly maintain their sanity?
Kwaaaaaaaa-!!
The sound coming from the flames was like the roar of a monstrous beast.
Soon, all the flames floating in the air gathered at a single point, taking the form of a sphere (球), but this was a power different from the secret technique Flame Jade (炎玉).
‘Secret technique, my ass… That’s just.’
Truly, he had simply lifted and gathered an enormous amount of flames.
He must have poured considerable energy into unleashing the flames.
Once more to suspend them in the air.
And afterward, maintaining them gathered at a single point like that would require tremendous power as well.
No matter how overflowing with energy I was at that time, pouring out energy that inefficiently….
‘I must have used at least half of it.’
Having a lot of energy didn’t mean it was infinite.
Even if I had possessed absurd amounts of energy back then, having used this much meant it wouldn’t be wrong to say I had used nearly half of what I possessed.
Yet the reason I did this so suddenly was.
‘Intimidation.’
To thoroughly intimidate the enemy camp.
And when I showed such a spectacle, it certainly had an effect based on my experience.
That was clear even now.
“Th…this is….”
Looking at the expressions of the enemy forces, it seemed to have worked perfectly.
Despair.
Their faces were filled with nothing but despair and terror.
Maje slowly confirmed them with his eyes.
Those who met his eyes trembled as if mad or were crushed by fear, some even collapsing on the spot.
That was only natural.
Anyone would show such a demeanor before something overwhelming.
I, at that time, had been particularly good at exploiting and using that.
Just as only the breathing of flames could be heard in the cold silence.
It was Maje who opened his mouth first.
“So many have gathered.”
His voice, infused with energy and carrying a resonant quality, made the enemy flinch.
“I heard insects were hiding and scheming something, so I came to see, and it seems the rumors were true.”
The way he spoke with the corner of his mouth raised obliquely was truly fucking irritating. His choice of words was the same.
Couldn’t he speak normally for once….
I wished desperately, but contrary to my wish, his mouth didn’t stop.
“What were you doing hiding here?”
At Maje’s words, they hesitated and fell back.
No one could answer his question.
Maje’s eyebrows furrowed slightly upon confirming this.
“I will count to three. If I do not hear an answer within that time, there will be no further conversation.”
A threat to start a war.
Maje finished speaking and began to raise his fingers, folding them one by one.
Each time a finger folded, the massive ball of fire behind Maje began to sizzle and boil.
It was obvious he would pour it down if things went wrong.
In the end, two were folded, and just before the last finger folded.
Someone walked out from among the Martial Alliance people.
Judging by the ceremonial robe worn over his martial attire, he seemed to be of leader rank.
He was a man who looked young for a leader.
The man spoke to Maje and me with a highly tense expression.
“…Leader of the Golden Dragon Squad. I am called Biyeonseom.”
As expected, he was a leader….
‘…Wait.’
Biyeonseom?
I was sure I had heard that name somewhere.
‘Where did I hear it?’
I couldn’t remember well.
Looking at this, it didn’t seem to have been a particularly important name.
In any case, the man who introduced himself as the leader of the Golden Dragon Squad approached Maje from the side of the borderline without crossing it and began to speak.
“…On behalf of the Martial Alliance, I request an audience with you.”
“Conversation?”
At Biyeonseom’s words, Maje burst into laughter.
“In your eyes, do I look like someone who came here to talk right now?”
“…”
“You must take me for a cripple.”
Bringing a large number of Peak experts to the borderline for a conversation? It was an incomprehensible statement.
Moreover.
“For an insignificant wretch like you to come out and speak of conversation… It seems our cult is truly held in contempt.”
The very fact that a mere leader-class individual was requesting a conversation was the problem.
Bringing a large force in the rear and then having a mere leader appear to talk?
‘Do they really look down on us?’
Having fought wars numerous times, that shouldn’t be the case.
Even if this was part of a plan, it was not something easily understood.
No matter how idiotic the Martial Alliance was, they wouldn’t be ignorant of their place.
They were not in a position to request a conversation right now.
Before a starving beast that has tasted blood, the prey should be on its knees begging for its life.
The reason they insisted on stepping forward like this was still unknown.
The reason the situation had changed like this as well.
The problem was.
Grrrrrr….
Current me was merely filled with doubts and suspicions.
But past me would not have stopped at that.
The gathered black flames surged even more. Their appearance was like the sun.
Suuuu….
The massive sphere slowly shifted its bulk and changed position.
It created an illusion as if the sun had been blotted out.
At the same time, Maje slowly began to descend from the air.
Slowly, his ceremonial robe fluttering.
Upon seeing this, Mageomhu stepped back a few paces to make room.
Maje naturally landed in that spot.
And approached Biyeonseom, who was brimming with tension.
In my previous life, I was not particularly tall for a martial artist.
I would have been a bit taller than Mageomhu.
And likely much shorter than the martial artist called Biyeonseom.
Yet the approaching figure did not feel small at all, contrary to what one might expect.
With a single step.
Kuuuung-!
Pressure spread throughout the forest.
“Kkuuuk…!”
“Huuuak…!”
Under the spreading pressure, the Martial Alliance martial artists trembled and collapsed.
The borderline drawn by Cheonma.
Maje walked out beyond it.
It didn’t matter.
This was merely the mercy Cheonma had granted the Martial Alliance.
That as long as they did not cross the line, their lives would be spared.
That kind of mercy.
Having crossed the line and left Sichuan, Maje approached Biyeonseom and slowly reached his hand toward Biyeonseom’s neck.
“You wretch.”
He didn’t grab it.
He merely slowly caressed the neck.
Even just that caused the air to grow still.
Brilliant purple eyes met Biyeonseom’s dark eyes.
“Do not employ useless tricks on me. Unlike the Cult Lord, my patience is not so deep.”
Kwaaaa-!
The ball of fire that had blotted out the sun in the air gradually began to change form.
Every time the flames moved, the space distorted from the vicious heat.
A sizzling sound of something burning was heard in my ears.
It changed form once more.
Though it was too distorted to properly make out, from what I could vaguely see.
“A wolf?”
It resembled a wolf with its jaws agape.
It looked as though it would devour everything at any moment.