Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"…Who…are you?

"Her voice made my shoulders tremble.

I stared at her in disbelief.

Namgung Bi-ah… No, it was the Sword Demon Empress (Ma Geomhu).

There was no mistaking her identity.

I knew her better than anyone.

The woman before me was the Namgung Bi-ah from my past life, the one who had died for me.

Her hair, once an ethereal silver, had turned pure white.

Her face was unchanged, but the atmosphere around her was entirely different.

If Namgung Bi-ah had an ethereal, dreamlike quality, then the Sword Demon Empress was like an abyss, dark and unknowable.

Trying to reach into that darkness felt like it would consume me.

“…”I didn’t know what to say.

I looked into her icy blue eyes, and my words failed me.

An oppressive silence stretched between us, broken only by the breeze, which carried the thick scent of blood.

Tap.

Her sword moved, and my body froze.

The aura emanating from her sword weighed down on everything around us.

‘This is…’Dangerous.

Every instinct screamed at me to flee.

But there was no killing intent.

The Sword Demon Empress never had a need to show her intent.

She never needed to radiate malice to kill.

How absurd, really.

For most people, some trace of killing intent would seep through when they intended to kill.

That was just human nature.

But she was different.

I’d thought once, in the past, that perhaps she didn’t lack killing intent—rather, she embodied it so completely that it became imperceptible.

Of course, I’d later realized she wasn’t some mindless killer.

But back then, I hadn’t known…Lightning Qi (Noe-gi) crackled from her shoulders, and I felt my brows furrow.

‘…What should I do?

’This was dangerous.

Whether this was reality or illusion, one thing was certain.

‘If I die here, I might really die.

’Just as everything else I’d experienced so far seemed real, I couldn’t shake the feeling that death here would mean true death.

But even understanding that, I was out of options.

Boom—!

“Gah…!

”The immense pressure forced me down on one knee.

‘…The Emperor’s Sword Technique…!

’It was the Namgung Clan’s secret technique, the same one used by Namgung Bi-ah.

Experiencing it directly, I realized…‘This is on a whole different level…’Compared to this, Namgung Bi-ah’s mastery seemed like a child’s play.

The Sword Demon Empress’s strength was on an entirely different plane.

The overwhelming aura radiating from her pressed down not just on me, but on everything around us.

Whoosh—!

The range of her aura was beyond estimation.

Under the crushing force, nearby trees cracked and collapsed, and rocks split apart.

As I struggled to endure, she looked down at me with those cold blue eyes.

Srrrrng.

Her sword moved.

It seemed slow, but just a glimpse of the insight behind it sent chills down my spine.

The Sword Demon Empress was powerful.

I’d always known that.

But it seemed I’d grown complacent since returning to a peaceful life.

I’d forgotten just how strong she truly was.

Swoosh—!

Her sword cut through the air effortlessly.

There were no complex movements; it was simply raised, almost casually.

Buzz—!

A faint vibration echoed.

And in that moment, I felt death drawing close.

Swish.

The tip of her sword swung downward.

At the trajectory of her blade—Spllllllit!

—the sky itself split open.

The sheer impossibility of it filled me with awe.

This was a technique that only someone who had surpassed countless limits could achieve—a Sword Unification cut that could rend the heavens.

Whoooosh—!

“Urgh…!

”The backlash of the technique whipped up powerful winds, and I had to brace myself against the ground to avoid being blown away.

The Sword Demon Empress’s power was overwhelming.

This was nothing like the current Namgung Bi-ah.

‘…The Sword Empress.

’It hit me again, just how incredible the Sword Demon Empress’s strength was.

Was this truly an illusion?

It was all too vivid, too real.

As the storm of wind and power gradually subsided, I finally caught my breath.

I looked behind me.

“Damn.

”Luckily, her attack hadn’t been directed at me.

Instead, she had aimed far beyond me, as though targeting something in the distance.

I looked up.

The split she had carved in the sky was still visible, and the clouds had stopped, unable to drift past the tear she’d created.

I wondered what she had been targeting.

Then, suddenly, the Lightning Qi surged violently.

‘That’s not…?

’It wasn’t her Lightning Qi.

Instead, an unknown source of Lightning Qi emanated from the direction she’d attacked.

She frowned slightly.

Before I could comprehend the situation—Bang.

A deep rumble echoed from the direction of the Lightning Qi.

And soon, I felt it—an immense force barreling toward us.

I could only widen my eyes in shock as I sensed it.

But by then, the Sword Demon Empress was already moving.

She swung her sword.

Crack—!

Her sword, infused with powerful Qi, collided with something hurtling toward us.

The sheer power of the collision was immense.

Just being close to the burst of Lightning Qi left shallow cuts on my cheek, and blood began to drip.

After a brief standoff, she readjusted her grip on her sword and sliced through the energy entirely.

Spllllllit!

The force, cleaved in two, wavered briefly before dissipating entirely.

Whoooosh!

Another gust of wind blew through, this time mixed with traces of Lightning Qi, making it even harder to withstand.

“Gah…”Barely managing to hold my ground, I looked around.

The area was already a disaster zone.

The bodies scattered across the ground had been thrown into disarray by the wind, and the blood puddles had splattered everywhere.

‘What was that just now?

’As I processed the unexpected turn of events, I heard a metallic clink.

Someone approached.

Of course, it was the Sword Demon Empress.

The fierce wind seemed to have blown away most of the blood on her, leaving only faint traces.

As she drew closer—“Guh…!

”My body lifted off the ground, suspended in midair.

Telekinesis.

The Sword Demon Empress was using telekinesis on me.

The force was considerable, and though I could break free if I wanted to, I chose to stay still.

I knew resisting now would likely result in her striking me down.

“…What are…you?

”She drew closer, sniffing the air as if trying to catch a scent.

“…Why…don’t you…smell like anything…?

”What smell was she looking for?

She came closer, continuing to sniff as I floated helplessly.

What was she doing…?

‘This…’A vague memory stirred, as though I’d seen her do this in the past.

Hadn’t Namgung Bi-ah done something similar even in this life?

‘What kind of bizarre habit is this?

’This was absurd.

She was sniffing me like a dog.

And in the middle of what seemed like an attack, no less.

Finally, after sniffing me a few more times, she looked at me and asked:“…Where?

”“What…?

”Without thinking, I responded in informal language, surprising myself.

Habit is a terrifying thing.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind.

She was too focused on her question.

“…Affiliation… Answer….

”“…!

”I swallowed hard.

So, she was asking about my affiliation.

It seemed she had mistaken me for a demonic being from the Heavenly Demon Sect.

‘She doesn’t recognize me…?

’Apparently not.

I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or not.

As I considered my options, she tilted her head briefly before gripping her sword.

Damn it.

She was going to kill me.

That brief hesitation wasn’t enough to save me.

Seeing her intent, I blurted out:“Black Flame Unit…!

”It was a name I’d never wanted to say out loud.

Damn it… I never thought I’d have to utter that name myself.

With a sense of utter loathing, I said it aloud, and the Sword Demon Empress’s eyes widened slightly.

Her sword halted mid-swing.

The Black Flame Unit.

That was the name of the unit I led.

Officially, the Heavenly Demon Sect was said to have three main units:The Sky-Ripping Black Net Unit led by the Head Horse, the Ghostly Sword Unit led by the Sword Demon, and the Green Fury Unit led by the Green King.

These three units were known to scourge the martial world under the Heavenly Demon’s name.

It wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

These were indeed the three units known to the public.

However, those within the cult knew that there was a fourth unit—the unit that managed the other three under the direct command of the Heavenly Demon himself.

The Black Flame Unit.

The very unit the Sword Demon Empress belonged to.

And…‘…The unit I command.

’The loathsome unit, with me as its leader.

Damn it.

The Sword Demon Empress frowned as she heard my words.

“…Lies….

I didn’t hear about…a new recruit….

”She didn’t fully believe me, but there was nothing she could do.

I had a way to confirm my claim.

“…I am merely following the orders of the Heavenly Lord.

I speak no lies.

”“…”She looked into my eyes, focusing on my pupils, which had turned purple.

Thud.

“Ugh.

”Finally, she released her telekinetic grip on me, letting me drop.

At least for now, she seemed willing to trust me.

‘…Phew.

’I exhaled in relief.

She had no choice but to believe me.

Demonic beings were forbidden from lying under the Heavenly Demon’s command.

To lie in his name would be to shatter the demonic energy bound to one’s heart.

Though I’d severed my connection with the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy and could say whatever I wanted, she wouldn’t know that.

The Sword Demon Empress, satisfied for now, began sheathing her sword.

At that moment—clink—the blade shattered in half.

“…”It seemed she hadn’t completely absorbed the previous impact.

She stared at her broken sword for a moment, then tossed it aside without a second thought.

‘Where did she leave her Thunder Fang (Noe-a)?

’I scanned her waist but didn’t see her signature weapon.

She hadn’t brought it with her.

Ignoring my searching gaze, she turned her back on me.

“…Follow…me.

”“Pardon?

”I instinctively responded, confused by her command.

Follow her?

Where?

She shot me a brief glance, as if to clarify.

“…The Heavenly Lord…he’s coming.

”“…!

”“…We have to go back…orders.

”Her words made me realize what the previous burst of Lightning Qi had been.

It was none other than the arrival of Cheonjon (the Heavenly Lord), one of the Triumvirate.

That man was here?

Then this really wasn’t the time to be standing around.

It seemed the Sword Demon Empress had judged me to be an ally and intended to bring me with her.

But…‘Where to…?

’Even amid the chaos, that thought lingered.

I’d managed to avoid death at her hands, but where would she take me if I followed her?

“Lady Sword Empress.

”She stopped and turned to face me.

Her lifeless blue eyes felt unfamiliar.

It was proof of how accustomed I’d become to the Namgung Bi-ah of my current life.

Her gaze was never this cold when she looked at me.

Staring into those unsettling eyes, I calmly asked:“…Where are we headed?

”“…”A brief silence followed my question.

Her expression seemed to suggest that she thought my question was unnecessary.

“…The Great Hall….

”“…”With that, she resumed walking, and I broke into a cold sweat.

The Great Hall.

It was the base of the Black Flame Unit, and there…‘I’m there.

’That’s where the Black Flame Demon, the unit leader, was stationed.

Realizing this, it dawned on me……things were only getting worse.