Chapter 472 - Man(萬).
Looking at the sword caught by the Heavenly Demon, So Geomseong thought.
'...To this extent....'
The gap was this wide?
What on earth could be done against such a being?
Chiiiiik....
From the Heavenly Demon's hand gripping So Geomseong's blade came a sound of something burning.
It was the sound of demon-subduing energy purifying demonic energy.
It was the very power that had allowed her to be called the hope of the Central Plains, yet.
The Heavenly Demon glanced at her own burning fingers, then.
Jjaeng—!
She put strength into the hand that held it and snapped the sword.
The blade, full of So Geomseong's energy, broke far too easily.
"..."
Afterward, the Heavenly Demon extended her hand.
It was to grab So Geomseong's neck.
Seeing that, So Geomseong closed her eyes unconsciously.
Is this the end?
Thinking so, absurdly, her heart grew at ease.
The moment So Geomseong's strength left her hands and she neared that calm.
"...I have experienced this countless times. Yet this too never changes, not even once."
The Heavenly Demon's cold voice was heard by her ear.
For some reason, a very faint hint of irritation was mixed in that voice.
"No matter how many times it repeats, you still choose this wretched woman."
At those words, So Geomseong opened her closed eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, what she saw was someone's back.
"And it seems that is the case no matter what you have been through."
Someone had stood in front of So Geomseong and blocked the Heavenly Demon.
As So Geomseong was filled with confusion at the unexpected situation, the owner of that back opened his mouth.
"I don't know what bullshit you're talking about, but...."
A voice that hadn't fully matured yet, still carrying a trace of youth.
A slightly rough and blunt manner of speaking that was somehow nostalgic.
"A person's trying to talk, so you can't just start swinging out of nowhere. We still have things to talk about, don't we?"
In the young man's voice as he spoke thus... a faint trembling was clearly felt.
******************
Looking into the Heavenly Demon's eyes, which had gone coldly still, he thought.
'I'm fucked.'
It was certain. He was really fucked.
'...What the fuck was I thinking.'
Why had he butted in like this?
No matter how much he thought about it, this was a pretty stupid move.
It was an opponent he couldn't possibly block, yet he had jumped in so boldly.
'I must've decided to die.'
It was something truly impossible unless that were the case.
Blocking the Heavenly Demon's path?
It was impossible with mere guts.
If there had even been demonic energy, he wouldn't have been able to take such action in the first place.
He saw the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
They were similar to when they had faced each other earlier, but he could feel they had settled far colder.
"Daeju."
Her voice was full of winter, as if frost had settled upon it.
"This One is in quite a good mood today."
Yet the words that came out were truly contradictory.
"A very... truly a very fresh and pleasant day that I haven't felt in a very long time, is what I mean."
The corners of her eyes curved as the Heavenly Demon smiled.
Seeing that, chills ran down his spine.
Because the Heavenly Demon was smiling with only her eyes.
"...However. With you coming out like this, it is quite unpleasant."
Tap.
"...!"
In an instant, he felt something touch his forehead.
It was the Heavenly Demon's hand.
Until she extended her hand and brought it to his forehead, he hadn't noticed in the slightest.
"I am angry and must vent, so understand."
"What the...."
Kwaang—!
"Urk...!"
From the massive impact felt on his forehead, he immediately had to sink down.
What? What had he just been hit by?
He wrapped his arms around his forehead.
His head rang dizzily, as if struck hard by a blunt object.
A flick?
Had he just been flicked? He couldn't believe it, but the shape of the Heavenly Demon's hand was exactly that.
Getting flicked out of nowhere was absurd enough, but the impact from that flick was at a level that made no sense.
"It has been quite a while since This One struck Daeju. Do you perchance have any memory of being struck by This One?"
"Haa... haa...."
His mind was reeling from a single flick.
The Heavenly Demon was saying this and that, asking questions, but he couldn't give an answer.
"By your expression, it seems fortunately you have no such experience."
Kkeuk, kkeuk.
A laughing sound was heard.
Barely collecting his senses, he managed to ask.
"What are you doing right now...?"
"Is it not truly affectionate? When I should have torn out your neck and it still wouldn't have sufficed, I merely gave you a light caress."
"..."
Saying so, the Heavenly Demon stroked his hair.
Cold sweat beaded up drop by drop at that touch.
"If it displeases you, I shall tear out your neck even now. Do you wish for this?"
It seemed she was gently touching his hair, but he could feel thorns densely bristling within that touch.
He was afraid.
Was it because he had seen the fight just before?
'Still a monster.'
He didn't know how strong the Wi Seol-a of this world was.
Judging by the attack earlier that was barely visible, he could tell she was absolutely not weak.
The Heavenly Demon had toyed with So Geomseong like a child.
'Toying? Bullshit.'
It wasn't even to the extent of toying.
With an expression that seemed merely annoyed, she had roughly waved her hand about.
That had been enough.
To neutralize So Geomseong, that is.
Truly an overwhelming sight.
'Damn it.'
A feeling of losing fighting spirit just from watching.
Endless power made the result knowable without even fighting.
It raised the wall he knew even higher.
Heavenly Demon (天魔).
He could feel anew the overwhelming martial might she had shown.
While So Geomseong poured her strength into unleashing attacks.
The Heavenly Demon hadn't moved a single step from her original spot.
Moreover, she hadn't even let go of the rift she was holding.
It was no different from suppressing So Geomseong with one hand.
Seeing that, he recalled.
'That kind of monster.... just what method did you use to win against it?'
A thought he had while looking at So Geomseong, who was sitting on the ground gasping for breath.
In a situation where she couldn't be an opponent at all, just what method did the Divine Sword of the previous life use to defeat the Heavenly Demon?
Even while his head was throbbing, such a question brushed past.
"Rest. My conversation with you can happen after the matter is finished."
"Matter...?"
At his words, the Heavenly Demon spat out lightly.
"I shall kill that scrap and all the bugs in the vicinity."
There was no way he couldn't know that the 'bugs' the Heavenly Demon spoke of were the people of the Martial Alliance over there.
Because even in the previous life, she had often called the righteous faction bastards bugs.
"If they took mercy for arrogance, they ought to receive punishment, ought they not?"
That was sincere.
The Heavenly Demon had never once spoken a lie, so these words too must be sincere.
That meant.
'She's going to kill So Geomseong now.'
It meant she would kill So Geomseong, who seemed to have lost her fighting spirit right away.
Soon, the Heavenly Demon opened her hand.
Oooong.
Black energy gathered above it and something was formed.
Its size was at most less than half a span.
Tremble, tremble.
From that single cluster of energy, everything in the surroundings began to shake.
Just how vast an energy was gathered for such a phenomenon to occur?
As energy squirmed and gathered, the Heavenly Demon looked at So Geomseong and spoke.
"I shall give you one last chance. Flee. Then I shall show mercy and not pursue."
At the words saying she would be spared if she fled even now, So Geomseong's gaze wavered.
"Mercy...?"
"Yes, because a promise must be kept if made."
"..."
The moment he heard those words about a promise, words brushed past in his head.
The promise the Heavenly Demon spoke of was definitely the promise made with him.
'...Please go.'
He grabbed his throbbing forehead and prayed. That So Geomseong would quietly leave.
But.
"I...."
On the contrary, he knew So Geomseong would not do so.
Hearing this, So Geomseong placed her trembling hand on the ground and gave her answer.
"I have no intention of fleeing while leaving you who have caused a bloody calamity behind...."
At those words, the Heavenly Demon furrowed her brows.
"Still excuses. Rather, had you begged to be killed because you wanted to die, it would have been better."
"..."
"There is nothing as filthy as an empty shell draped in conviction. If you wish it, I shall do so."
The shape of the black gathered energy gradually changed.
It resembled a thin dagger.
He could tell just by looking.
An absurd amount of energy was there.
That it was compressed to be so small.
The moment that flew toward someone, it held enough power to blow away the entire surrounding area.
The Heavenly Demon's gaze briefly turned toward him.
"This much is not included in the promise. You know this as well, do you not?"
"..."
He gritted his teeth.
The Heavenly Demon's resolute words pierced his vitals, and So Geomseong was an eyesore.
What should he do?
How could he....
"..."
A suddenly recalled thought brushed past.
Accordingly, his lips quickly went dry.
Because they were words he had not wanted to speak.
However.
"...Someone once said this to me."
No other way to stop the Heavenly Demon came to mind.
At the tremblingly spat-out words, the Heavenly Demon's face crumpled in a rarely seen way.
"If you think to put on another show with your tongue before This One any further...."
"It was you who turned back my time and sent me to the past."
She flinched.
The Heavenly Demon's hand, which had been about to fire the energy, stopped completely.
Confirming that, he continued speaking.
"They said it was you.... Is that right?"
The Heavenly Demon's gaze left So Geomseong and turned toward him.
Looking into her eyes, he had to be quite flustered internally.
It was the first time.
Since meeting the Heavenly Demon, for the first time, he was able to see an expression of surprise on the Heavenly Demon.