“…Cough!!”
Something was wrong. Koyumi definitely used poison correctly, right? Did she betray us? No. She is a follower of the will of Cheolhyeol. Then…
“Call the bastards!!”
Somewhere, a mission must have leaked out.
With his shout, one of his subordinates hurriedly pulled out a flare from his pocket and launched it.
A red firework burst in the sky. If they saw that, the ones waiting would move soon.
But nothing changed.
The ones who should have come were not arriving.
Cheolhyeol Master ground his teeth and shook his head.
“Ah, fine. Let’s have a real fight!!”
His hand moved quickly. The moment he struck his blood vessels, an immense energy surged up.
He unleashed the will of Cheolhyeol to amplify his power.
As the giant energy surged, Hongryeon bared her teeth and prepared to spring out, but the Sword Saint lightly swung her sword.
-Swoosh!!
“Cough!!”
Blood burst forth from his inflated chest. But this level of injury was nothing. As Cheolhyeol Master burned with even more fighting spirit, the Sword Saint gazed at him with endlessly deep eyes and said.
“You’re wrong.”
-Swoosh!!
“Cough!!”
His left ear dropped right off. Blood gushed out, but Cheolhyeol Master gritted his teeth.
And then shot forth a sharp blue energy. Cheolhyeol Master extended his fist, launching an energy strike, which the Sword Saint deftly deflected with her sword, stepping forward towards his subordinate.
“What you need to say is.”
The sword of water unsheathed. Pitch-black water spread out, turning the evil monsters it had previously swallowed into water-type monsters that lunged at the Sword Saint.
But.
-Poof!!
With a swift motion of her small white hand, the wicked monsters froze in their tracks and were obliterated. Their necks snapped, jaws hit and launched into the air before crashing down and shattering. Heads vanished under the strike of her long legs.
Even the energy strike that tried to take advantage of the chaos was easily swatted away by her sword.
Cheolhyeol Master thought about her overwhelming prowess, which seemed beyond human.
The only way to capture a tiger is by using its cubs as bait.
“Dammit…”
As his face twisted in response to the strength of the Sword Saint, her cold voice whispered into his ear.
“I just want you to kill me quickly without pain.”
She had only enraged the tiger.
If there was a chance for counterattack, it must not be missed.
However, even so, the crucial matter was his sisters.
Thus, Hongryeon saw her sisters while launching a strike at the approaching black-robed assailant.
She noticed Yoohee being pushed back by the enemy’s sword strike, her stance faltering. This was dangerous.
As she processed this information, just as Hongryeon was about to throw her sword, the black-robed figure targeting Yoohee was repelled by an intangible force, losing the chance to attack.
Taking advantage of that moment, Yoohee regained her stance and calmly continued her assault.
She was the Sword Saint.
Even while bringing down the water monsters summoned by Cheolhyeol Master, she kept applying pressure on him.
She was steadily reading the flow of battle, aiding where help was needed. Hongryeon had witnessed her saving not just Yoohee, but several times before.
Even in this battle where Hongseong’s sect was under siege, the Sword Saint was dedicated to her disciples’ growth.
So what was there to fear?
If the sisters could grow through this large-scale battle, then as the Grand Master, she too had to lead them.
If the sisters can grow, then I, the Grand Master, must lead them!
“Hongseong Sword Draw!!”
At her shout, the disciples pushed back their assigned foes with a powerful strike and quickly sprinted forward. Led by Hongryeon, the Hongseong clan disciples formed their ranks and charged.
Of course, the enemies also attempted to halt the advance with their own sword techniques, but the nature of Hongseong Divine Art was like a star that destroys everything, making it no easy feat to counter with just their sword techniques.
And then…
“Uaaaah!!”
Before they knew it, the formation deployed by Hongseong was starting to affect the Hongseong Sword Draw. Was it because of that? The momentum, as powerful as a falling meteor, shattered the enemies’ formation.
– Crack!!
Hongryeon’s great sword smashed through the heart of the enemy’s formation, targeting the gaps that opened up.
“Ryuhyun!!”
“Counter Sword Technique!!”
At Hongryeon’s call leading the Hongseong Sword Draw, Ryuhyun broke away. The disciples following her unleashed their sword and ki energies, and those caught in it collapsed, coughing up blood.
So,
Watching as her loyal subordinates were falling,
Cheolhyeol Master could only grit their teeth and endure.
Damn it.
Where did it all go wrong?
It was a perfect plan!
Why aren’t they coming?
Did that Koyumi really betray us?
Countless possibilities flickered through Cheolhyeol Master’s mind, but none made sense.
– Swoosh!!
“How arrogant. Do you dare think of anything else in front of me?”
The great sword, swung to deflect the water’s grip, severed another ear.
Flesh fell, blood flowed.
Gritting their teeth, Cheolhyeol Master lunged at the Sword Saint, aiming for her head with a rapid thrust.
But she merely twisted her body slightly. The near miss of the attack cut through emptiness without a trace.
– Bang!!
A strike to the abdomen.
As pain twisted through their insides, and they staggered, the Sword Saint wore a chilling smile.
A beautiful smile.
But behind it lurked a true savage.
The Sword Saint calmly swung her sword again, and with it, Cheolhyeol Master’s arm fell away.
“Kraaaah!!”
A scream filled with pain and despair mixed together.
Yet, the Sword Saint did not stop.
“Now. Speak. Please, ask for a painless death.”
A ki strike resembling a shooting star slammed into their chest. Even while rolling on the ground, Cheolhyeol Master’s grim smile did not fade.
Cough! Ugh… Cough! Fits well. Yes. Destruction is all you’re capable of. Kekekek…!
– Bam!!
The Sword Saint’s outstretched leg struck Cheolhyeol Master’s face directly. With a crumpled nose and several broken teeth from the forceful blow, he fell again, but still, he only sneered.
However, the thought in his mind was singular.
It was to escape quickly from this situation.
To do that, he needed to rattle the Sword Saint.
And both Cheolhyeol Master and the Sword Saint knew very well how to do that.
No, in this situation.
The Sword Saint was already furious for touching Hongseong.
Then, what if he shook her just a bit more?
He might create an opening for escape.
“Ha. Hehehe… Hehe…”
A grim smile crept onto Cheolhyeol Master’s lips. Just seeing it made the Sword Saint realize what he was hinting at.
The Sword Saint realized what the Cheolhyeol Master was trying to say just by looking at him.
His own wrath.
The most painful past.
He couldn’t let it be spoken.
How dare he. How dare he.
At that moment, what caught the Sword Saint’s eye, as he was about to swing his sword to cut off the Cheolhyeol Master’s tongue, was a beautiful woman.
It was Hongryeon.
His first disciple. Knowing that the Sword Saint had killed his dear Senior Sister, who was like a biological sister to him.
The first child who asked to be his disciple despite knowing that she had to give up many things to learn the Hongseong Divine Art.
Since that child, his eyes have wandered to other kids.
Ryuhyun. The second disciple. Always hardworking and suffering to support his own lacking self.
Jingo. A child who quietly trains and will soon realize the value of diligence.
Other kids. Other kids.
Finally, the youngest Sayoon, who came holding his hand to Hongseong.
When they first met, she gazed at the world with dying eyes, but now she knows happiness and follows the will of Hongseong.
All precious disciples who diligently follow the will of Hongseong.
After briefly scanning all his disciples, the Sword Saint finally turned his gaze to the man before him.
Arms severed and blood splattered all over his face.
His ears cut off, and his body marked up like a toy that had been played with.
He could kill him right away, yet he tortured that man as if playing with him.
The Sword Saint squeezed his eyes shut.
The martial arts that should be used to protect were being swept away by his rage.
“Hoo…”
I still have a long way to go.
She calmed her heart, glanced at the Cheolhyeol Master with a face like she just bitten into poop, then threw her great sword into the sky. And with a light step.
Just that alone made her rise into the air, and she looked around Hongseong.
Proud disciples fighting against the intruders of Hongseong.
They were all fighting calmly, not swept away by anger, just as taught by Hongseong.
But here was the master, the leader of the prestigious sect, simply swept away by rage…
The Sword Saint shook his head.
Indeed, I do not fit as the leader.
Just like how he had feared saying he was the leader when he had to reveal himself in the secret teachings of Hongseong.
Afraid that the secret might not acknowledge him.
Would it say he’s not the leader? Perhaps, he also worried it might deny him.
She was still in anguish.
However, even so, she hadn’t forgotten the things she had to do.
The strength was infused into the drawn sword. The power to destroy the star was contained in the sword.
The power of a star that destroys everything in the world was contained in the sword.
She slowly raised it, aiming the great sword at the intruders of Hongseong.
“Oh.”
The Cheolhyeol Master let out a low sigh.
What floated in the sky was a blazing sun.
But another sun sat next to it.
No, a new star stood there.
The white energy contained in the Sword Saint’s great sword.
Ironically, the moment that white energy engulfed the sky, he thought it had turned to night.
In the darkness that obscured even the sun, there was only one star shining.
The star he had thought was just dust fully revealed itself, and he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Seeing numerous stars appear from the darkness, drawn in by that light, even bigger laughter flowed out.
Looking at the countless stars appearing from within, an even bigger laugh escapes.
This is precisely what every martial artist ultimately desires.
Cheolhyeol Master wishes for countless stars to rain down upon themselves and their subordinates.
The aura of those starlights is like a meteor shower.
Facing the ‘Ganggi’ (Force of Strength) qualifying one as a superhuman, they mutter briefly.
“Damn it.”
That was the last testament left by Cheolhyeol Master.
At the final moment of the Hongseong Divine Art’s great sword ritual, the effect of the meteor shower was incredible. Just one deployment obliterated not only Cheolhyeol Master but everyone who invaded as well.
But the Sword Saint wasn’t in a great state either.
Sure, even though it was a super technique using the Force of Strength, it wasn’t that she was worn out just because she used one technique.
It was simply the fact that her expression was incredibly gloomy.
For a moment, Hongryeon stared at her, then quickly came to her senses. She knew all too well that it was her time to act.
“Ryuhyun. Are there any injured?”
“Um… There aren’t any seriously injured ones. More importantly, it seems like some of them gained insights from this battle. As for losses…”
Ryuhyun looked in the direction the enemies came from. A shattered wall, and various craters and holes in the buildings from the battle and meteor shower made her sigh. When would they even fix that?
But even so, they protected the most important thing.
The sisters, the Hongseong Clan.
That was enough. Ryuhyun resolved not to have gloomy thoughts today.
“None. It’s a great victory. Considering the enemies we faced.”
“Yeah. Thank goodness.”
Hongryeon smiled faintly.
The enemies were strong, and if the battle had been prolonged, some disciples might have gotten hurt.
But the Sword Saint stopped just in time.
Moreover, she perfectly blocked Cheolhyeol Master and the water evil monster he created.
Also, whenever other disciples were in danger, she saved them and kept them unharmed.
Wait, wasn’t that all? To make this raid a chance for training, she had deliberately not intervened in areas that weren’t dangerous enough—it deserved some credit.
In other words, the Sword Saint had done more than her part in this battle.
But her expression didn’t look good.
She seemed on the verge of tears, and Hongryeon sighed softly.
Sometimes it happens like this.
On the day the Sword Saint has nightmares.
And her birthday.
For Hongryeon, the day of the Great Master and the elder’s memorial.
Just like back then, the Sword Saint was melancholic.
Thus, even after a great victory, Hongryeon couldn’t hide her bitter feelings.
“Master.”
“…Huh?”
What should she say?
After pondering for a moment, she shrugged.
“Shall we have some sweets next time? As soon as the wall arch exam period ends…”
At her disciple’s words, the Sword Saint’s eyes widened. Not just because of the sweets, but because she was touched by her disciple’s thoughtful kindness.
In that case, she couldn’t refuse.
“…Was it that one the innkeeper brought last time?”
“Yes. That one.”
“…Okay.”
The Sword Saint beamed with a bright smile, and Hongryeon finally felt relieved and burst into laughter.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
