Ch.174Sisters

Late evening. Se-erin was summoned by the Emperor. Since the Emperor wanted a private audience with Se-erin, Seiran couldn’t accompany him.

“I’ll be back.”

“I wish I could go with you…”

“It can’t be helped. Here, we must follow the Emperor’s orders. He’s like the chief of the White Frost tribe.”

“I understand.”

Although Seiran had been inseparable from her brother since obtaining her own body, this time even she had no choice. In the end, Se-erin left the Cheongik headquarters alone.

Walking alone through the night streets was incredibly lonely. During this rest period, Se-erin was always surrounded by people. There was always someone to talk to, and the sound of conversation never ceased.

You notice things more when they’re gone. Se-erin rubbed his arms against the chilly weather and hurried toward the imperial palace.

At the entrance to the palace, as always, there was an old man waiting to greet Se-erin. The moment their eyes met, a path of swords naturally formed in his mind. His accumulated experience and memories absorbed through blessings began predicting the old man’s movements through his every gesture.

He anticipated events before they happened, predicting outcomes. This was an ability that had awakened with his mastery of the Thousand Sword Bloom.

‘One hundred… no, two hundred moves at least…’

This wasn’t a mere estimation like before. It was certainty. In that brief moment their eyes met, Se-erin fought dozens of battles with the old man in his mind. While the intermediate processes might vary, the result remained unchanged.

Confidence in victory.

The tension in Se-erin’s body released. Noticing this change, the old man’s eyes curved.

“Your rate of growth is unpredictable.”

“It was my destiny to be this way.”

“Hmm… His Majesty is waiting. Let’s go.”

Se-erin was now familiar with the palace’s interior structure. The small girl and the old man walked side by side through the moonlit imperial palace.

“Se-erin.”

“Yes?”

“Let me tell you in advance. No matter how surprised you might be, please don’t show it in front of His Majesty.”

“What do you mean…?”

“…It would be faster for you to see for yourself. Just keep that in mind for now.”

“Yes…”

The place where the old man and Se-erin arrived was, as always, outside the Emperor’s office. The old man, as if his role ended there, gradually retreated and disappeared into the darkness.

Creeeeak-

Unlike before, the massive door opened by itself. Se-erin peered beyond the door with a puzzled look. Despite being summoned by the Emperor, there was no sign of anyone inside.

The open door meant someone must be there, but…

“Come in…”

It was an extremely aged voice, so hoarse it was difficult to understand clearly. Strange yet familiar. Se-erin tilted his head but entered nonetheless.

In the center of the Emperor’s office, sitting at a table with his back to a large window, was an old man. His face was covered in wrinkles, his red eyes had a dull gleam, and his hair, reflecting the moonlight, was a pale platinum color hanging limply.

Se-erin had no trouble recognizing the figure before him. This was the man known as the Emperor of the Empire.

“Your Majesty…?”

“I apologize for not summoning you immediately after everything ended. As you can see, I’ve undergone many changes…”

The aged Emperor seemed to struggle even to move his fingers. Breathing heavily, he rose from his seat. His body swayed with the dragging sound of the chair.

Se-erin couldn’t sense even the slightest vitality from the Emperor. He was like a severed branch. Skinny and aged, that’s exactly how he appeared. Nevertheless, the Emperor hadn’t lost the light in his eyes. Though his clouded eyes saw the world dimly, he continued to move forward for the sake of the Empire.

Se-erin sensed that determination in the Emperor.

“Congratulations, Se-erin. You’ve fulfilled all the destiny given to you. You’ve overcome difficult trials and final hardships.”

“…It was what I had to do.”

“Yes. It was what you had to do. The same goes for all of us. We all have things we must do. I, as the Emperor of the Empire, and you, as the Deputy Commander of Cheongik… we will continue our duties.”

*Cough*

After a fit of coughing, the Emperor moved toward the window. He looked out beyond it, his dull eyes reflecting the pitch-black night sky.

“But my role ends here. This body that always maintained its youth has suddenly aged. That is what he—what fate—desires. Discarding the old to make way for a new beginning.”

“By ‘he,’ you mean…?”

“The source of everything, the one who doesn’t wish for the world’s destruction, Fate. He’s been called by many names. I personally called him an insolent brat…”

“…”

“Se-erin. The reason I called you here is to make a request. I want you to continue working for this empire, for this world.”

“That’s…”

“Just because this incident is over doesn’t mean the world has changed. It remains the same. Reincarnators will continue to cross over. What changes… are only the people who guard their positions.”

Se-erin silently bowed his head. He had no intention of leaving immediately. But if this continued, things would be different.

***

After finishing his private audience with the Emperor, Se-erin resumed his suspended training. The world hadn’t changed. What he needed to do hadn’t changed either. Se-erin concluded that to protect his new family and Cheongik, he needed to become stronger.

Seiran silently watched Se-erin as he focused on training. Even without conversation, Seiran understood her brother’s inner thoughts. For years, they had shared a small body. Being so close in spirit meant knowing many things about each other.

“Hmm…”

Her red eyes gazed up at the sky. Even if they became stronger and stronger to deal with the waves of outsiders, it would only be a temporary solution. What her brother wanted was a fundamental solution.

And Seiran wanted to fulfill her brother’s wish.

“Perhaps I should try some training too.”

*Thud*

The jet-black girl sat down on the ground. The sunlight shone upon her, but no shadow formed beneath her. This was because the shadow flowing from her feet swirled around, drawing a large formation on the ground.

The entity they needed to confront was no ordinary being. Something above the sky. The will of the world, they called it. Seiran could vaguely sense its presence. To think that the gaze she felt from the sky belonged to such an entity… when she was young, she thought it was her departed mother watching over her. Seiran was quite shocked.

The preparations needed were enormous. Since conventional attacks wouldn’t work, she needed to prepare powerful curses and spells that could affect souls and space itself.

There are limits to the spells a human body can handle. But now things were different. Seiran had obtained a new body. Not a human one, but one closer to a dragon.

Strong and resilient. That massive body could withstand the backlash of even the most powerful spells. The limitation on the amount of magical power she could use at once had been lifted.

*Hiss*

The dark magical energy flowing around Seiran covered the green grass.

***

In the early dawn, Seiran slipped out of the Cheongik headquarters alone. In her left hand, she held her brother’s sword, Muramasa. She had secretly taken it while he was asleep.

Additionally, Seiran’s body was adorned with strange ornaments. Wolf claws were wrapped around the horns protruding from her head, and several necklaces made of carved old wood rattled, asserting their presence.

Bracelets and anklets made of woven bird feathers also made noisy sounds with every step. Seiran gently stroked the snow-white wolf fur she wore instead of a cloak.

“I’ll be back.”

Though he couldn’t hear her, Seiran left these final words for her brother. She didn’t consider the possibility of not returning. She believed in herself.

Behind the Cheongik headquarters, Seiran arrived at a small walking path. Using the Muramasa in her hand, she began drawing a large formation on the ground. Though there was nothing at the end of the scabbard, red blood flowed where it passed.

Defying Heaven.

She had to go against the sky. Literally. Seiran’s destination was above the sky. She intended to personally meet the entity that was watching everything from above.

“It’s done.”

The path connecting heaven and earth was complete. Seiran stepped back from the formation and formed a hand seal with her small hands.

*Crack*

This was the moment her magical power activated the formation. Space distorted and partially shattered. Yet Seiran didn’t stop.

As magical power flowed from her small body, her physical form began to lose its human appearance. Her horns grew larger, her blunt fingernails sharpened, and massive wings spread from her back.

*Whoosh!*

This was the moment when the enormous wings enveloped Seiran’s body. The shadow began to rise, and as Seiran’s body melted into it, something pitch-black shot toward the sky.

*Swoosh!*

In that instant, the entire continent was covered in darkness. The starlight and moonlight that had illuminated the night completely disappeared.