Chapter: 456
I shouted with all my might.
– “Draw your sword!”
Fortunately, my scream, packed with desperation, seemed to reach the Demon Sword Master.
The Demon Sword Master immediately slipped an arm into her sleeve.
Right after that…
Kwaaaaa-!
A tremendous light burst forth from the Demon Sword Master, shooting up into the sky.
Kuuuu-! The wind mixed with the thunder roared wildly, creating an overwhelming pressure that sent anyone beneath a certain level flying.
“Ugh…!” I barely managed to keep my feet on the ground as I struggled against the force.
Crunch-! My feet sank into the ground as I tried to resist the pressure.
It felt like I could be swept away at any moment.
But I held on.
I absolutely had to witness this.
‘…What the hell is going on?’
I bit down on my lip and stared straight ahead.
A thunderbolt erupted with a deafening roar.
The sheer power was so immense, it felt like the sky was being ripped apart.
In stark contrast to the ominous atmosphere, the once-clear clouds began to dissipate.
Just like that, all the clouds vanished, leaving only the blue light in the sky.
Gurrrrung…!
In an instant, dark clouds began to form out of nowhere, taking over the sky.
The sun that had been shining brightly disappeared.
Kurung… All that remained were dark clouds filled with lightning. Under normal circumstances, they could almost be called a natural phenomenon, but something felt distinctly off.
In a situation so surreal that it inspired awe…
Kurururung–!
Suddenly, the thunderous qi permeating the dark clouds started rampaging uncontrollably.
Every lightning bolt seemed to carry its own will, bursting through the gaps in the clouds.
As soon as I laid my eyes on it, chills raced down my spine.
As my level rose, I could sense how much power that lightning contained.
Kurung-!
The thunder qi, having finished its crouch, gathered at a single point.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaah–!
Unlike the initial surge, it now funneled all its strength to strike the ground with a devastating blow.
The overwhelming force was sufficient to shatter the surrounding ground.
The gale-force winds surged in the opposite direction, pulling my body towards them.
Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
The blinding light calmed down just a few seconds later, leaving only a cloud of dust obscuring my vision.
“…”
It was quite uncomfortable to have my sight obstructed, but I bore it knowing it would soon pass.
And, just as expected…
Phew!
A massive gust of wind blew in, clearing the dust that had been clouding my line of sight.
What then came into view was…
“…!”
Sogeomseong, gasping for breath while his sword remained embedded in the ground.
Before him stood the Demon Sword Master, eyeing Sogeomseong with her own sword lowered.
Upon seeing that, I found myself swallowing hard, almost involuntarily.
‘That’s… it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this.’
The thought flitted through my mind as I stared at the Demon Sword Master’s unusual figure. She appeared completely transformed from her usual self.
Unlike just moments ago when she had collapsed from fatigue, blood dripping from her hand…
Now, she stood tall, noble and unwavering.
The sword in her hand had also changed since the last time I saw it.
The sword’s form was rather peculiar.
It was a sword with only a handle.
In particular, the guard that should have been on the blade was missing, replaced instead by a mysterious blue jewel embedded in it.
That was none other than the sword of Thunder Fang.
At first glance, it might seem unrecognizable.
Clearly, this weapon, termed a sword, seemed impractical for that purpose.
But it was undoubtedly a sword.
This was the legendary Noea, the divine sword wielded by Noecheon Ilgeom, the hero of the Namgung Clan, one of the five great swords of the Central Plains.
In other words…
A sword that only the true Namgung could harness.
This was the name that Namgung Myeong left for his descendants.
There was legend that only those who could wield this sword could ascend to head the Namgung Clan.
The implication here was clear: Noea was not a sword just anyone could wield.
A sword whose blade seemed to vanish, rendering it invisible.
At first glance, it hardly seemed worthy of being called an artifact of legend.
Nevertheless, if one possessed the qualifications, the Noea could become a weapon more fearsome than anything imaginable.
“…”
If the wielder of this sword was the Demon Sword Master, the story takes a different turn.
Sparak.
The Demon Sword Master moved.
Gugugugugu–! With her, the ground trembled. I could feel the air twisting rapidly.
Flash–!
Simultaneously, the jewel of the Noea radiated an intense light.
A dazzling brilliance that illuminated everything around.
I had to momentarily shut my eyes from the brightness.
It was only after the light dimmed that I cautiously reopened my eyes.
‘…!’
My eyes widened at the sight that awaited me.
The blue sword blade rippled atop the jewel of the Noea, once bare.
That was the sword of Thunder Fang.
A blade forged purely from the essence of thunder qi.
The shape, created solely from energy, radiated an inexplicable power.
Phage, phage, phage!
It seemed to curl and expand like an animal, almost as if the blade was alive.
‘Fangs of Thunder…’
That appearance resonated perfectly with the essence of the Thunder Fang.
Moreover, that was not all that the Noea exuded.
Kugugugu–!
A change overtook the Demon Sword Master’s body as she unleashed the power of the Noea.
Her hair began to flicker wildly in the air, while the excess thunder qi circled around her, exuding energy.
The manifestation of the thunder qi looked as though a dragon were in motion.
This was the power posture the Demon Sword Master exhibited after harnessing the Noea.
A divine artifact not even the current Heavenly Lord or the previous Sword King of the Namgung Clan could control.
Witnessing such a sight, the people murmured…
‘The Thunder Monarch descends…’
A sprinkle of fear glimmered in their gazes as they regarded her.
With the transformation into the Thunder Monarch, the Demon Sword Master subtly waved her hand.
Moving slowly in response to her delicate gesture, the dark clouds hovering above began to shift.
Kururung–!
‘…It’s astonishing no matter how many times I see it.’
I knew little about the Noea’s power since I had never wielded it, but its mere summoning transformed the Demon Sword Master’s strength completely.
The blade charged with thunder qi could slice through anything.
The realm dominated by the thunder qi expanded limitlessly.
Even if it were deemed a change in classification beyond mere levels, it fell short of expressing its true scale.
Witnessing this, an ongoing doubt lingered in my mind.
Did such power wielded by the Demon Sword Master truly place her below the Three Lords?
I couldn’t be sure.
If I were to make excuses, it would be that she had borrowed the strength of the artifact.
‘In the first place, Noea cannot be used by anyone but the Demon Sword Master.’
That was why the demon didn’t seem overly concerned even when the Noea had fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Lord.
Only the Demon Sword Master could wield the Noea.
If the Heavenly Lord were capable of utilizing the artifact…
‘At the very least, they wouldn’t have died a disgraceful death in front of the Heavenly Horse.’
They wouldn’t have met such an incompetent end. This meant that the strength of the Noea was monumental.
Sparak.
The Demon Sword Master made her move.
As she did, the thunder qi trembled. Sogeomseong noticed this and began to rise.
Golden blades began to manifest behind her.
‘Oh no.’
This wasn’t the time for simply watching the spectacle unfold.
Regardless of the Demon Sword Master wielding the Noea, Sogeomseong showed no intention of backing down.
Even if the Demon Sword Master gripped the Noea…
It was impossible to foresee what might ensue should Sogeomseong display his force.
‘Because she hasn’t gone all out yet.’
But therein lay the problem.
What that meant was that Sogeomseong shouldn’t reveal his power recklessly in this moment.
Given the current state, I believed Sogeomseong would finally unleash his true strength by recognizing the essence of his abilities and the meaning of martial arts.
However, such might would gnaw away at her ‘life’.
That was not an option.
I scanned my surroundings.
Not having seen the Heavenly Lord intervene in this chaos, it seemed likely that the old man was absent.
At least that was fortunate; had he been here, it could’ve spelled disaster.
‘But on the flip side…’
Why couldn’t I spot the demon lord in this scenario?
‘Could it be that the Demon Sword Master arrived all alone?’
Not only had the demon vanished, but so had the other minions.
This meant it was safe to assume the Demon Sword Master had come alone.
‘Has she lost her mind, seriously?’
What was driving her to waltz right into such a situation?
Was she here to rescue me?
It made no sense.
The mind of that crazy woman who had been slicing through both friends and enemies was incomprehensible now.
She would’ve been better off not coming.
Had she stayed away, she wouldn’t have been hurt at all.
Just as I was frowning in confusion…
Kwaaaaaaaah–!
A monstrous roar erupted from the Noea.
That was nothing short of a declaration of war to unleash its offensive power.
It was dangerous.
‘Damn it.’
It was obvious she’d be formidable given the current situation, but I recalled the reason she hadn’t drawn her sword despite the peril she was in.
It dawned on me then.
‘I told her not to draw it!’
Do not unseal the Noea without permission.
Those words were spoken right after facing the Demon Sword Master, who engaged in battle wielding the Noea.
There was no choice in the matter.
The skirmish she had involving the Noea before…
‘It was absolute chaos.’
I had witnessed both enemies and allies burned alive under a storm of lightning and thunder cascading down from the heavens.
That was an incomparably dangerous power.
Even the Demon Sword Master struggled to control it.
Though it had unparalleled destructive capacity, it frequently turned the surroundings into scorched earth.
Of course, I could match her destruction easily. I must’ve been desperate enough to advise against it back then.
That’s precisely why I had given her that warning.
‘…Was she guarding it all along?’
It seemed that since that moment, the Demon Sword Master had adhered strictly to the command I’d issued.
I hadn’t known.
I hadn’t cared.
Moreover, I hadn’t even been able to care.
I wasn’t thinking it mattered whether or not she kept that promise.
Did that mean she abided by my words?
I bit my lip at the realization.
‘Is it because she’s the Demon Sword Master of this world?’
The version of her I originally knew might’ve been different.
According to the Blood Demon, this world must differ from the one in which I used to reside.
But still…
Somehow, it felt like that explanation didn’t quite fit.
Kkurung–! Kkurung–!
The atmosphere thickened, turbulent with surging thunder qi and the sound of blades slicing through the air.
Shing.
The tip of the Demon Sword squared off towards Sogeomseong.
In kind, the small sword saint began to emanate a golden aura from her body.
The tension in the air intensified.
Suuuuuuuuu…!
As Sogeomseong concentrated and summoned all her energy, a transformation began to occur within her.
With the surging energy, I felt an impending sense of suffocation.
The moment I confirmed that, I launched myself forward.
This situation could not be left as is.
“…!”
“…Huh!!”
Pushing myself to the limit, I leapt between the two women.
Both the Demon Sword Master and Sogeomseong stared at me, eyes wide in shock.
“Stop….”
I was trying to stop the Demon Sword Master, urging her to back down.
“Ah….”
Thud.
Upon noticing me, the glow from the Noea in the Demon Sword Master’s hand instantly extinguished. This implied that the sword’s blade had vanished, leaving only the handle in her grip.
Moreover, the heavy dark clouds that had enveloped everything gradually receded, restoring the sky to its previous brightness.
The oppressive aura of the thunder qi that bore down on us also dissipated.
In the midst of this sudden change, I found myself bewildered.
“…Thank God.”
The Demon Sword Master regarded me and spoke those words.
“…”
The brevity of her statement rendered me speechless.
How could I respond?
My left arm was running with blood.
From her weary eyes and ragged breaths, I could tell just how dire her condition was.
Realizing this, I unknowingly wiped my face with one hand.
“…You.”
You continuously risk yourself just to protect me, even to this extent.
That damned thought twisted uncomfortably in my gut.
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