Chapter 437: Regret (Regret)

“…Who…are you?”

My shoulders trembled at her voice.

I looked at her with disbelief.

Namgung Bi-ah… No, the Sword Empress(Sword Empress).

She was definitely the Sword Empress.

There was no way I, of all people, wouldn’t recognize the Sword Empress.

She was Namgung Bi-ah from my past life, the woman who died for me, standing right before my eyes.

Unlike Namgung Bi-ah, who had silvery-white hair, I saw hair that had turned completely white.

Her appearance seemed unchanged, but the subtle atmosphere surrounding her was completely different.

If Namgung Bi-ah had a hazy, dreamlike feel.

The Sword Empress was like an unknowable darkness.

A deep darkness that felt like it would devour you if you tried too hard to delve into it.

“…”

What should I say?

Looking into the Sword Empress’s blue eyes, I had to shut my mouth.

The heavy silence lasted for several seconds. A wind blew.

The wind carried the scent of blood that had spread throughout the area.

Flick.

The Sword Empress’s sword moved.

My body stiffened completely.

The energy emanating from the tip of the Sword Empress’s sword instantly began to press down on everything around.

‘This…’

Dangerous. Every instinct screamed it.

I couldn’t feel any killing intent. The Sword Empress was always like that. She didn’t express killing intent when killing others.

You probably wouldn’t realize how absurd this is.

Unless someone is killed by accident, killing intent is bound to be expressed.

That’s how it always was.

Though it might depend on how much one could control it.

The Sword Empress was a person who, from the start, lacked that killing intent.

That’s why I used to think back then.

That it wasn’t that she lacked killing intent, but that she had become killing intent itself, which is why it couldn’t be felt.

I’d even ridiculously harbored such thoughts.

Thinking about it now, that wasn’t it. She wasn’t a human obsessed with slaughter.

At least, I just didn’t know it back then…

I felt lightning energy from the Sword Empress’s shoulder.

Seeing that, I frowned.

‘…What should I do?’

This is dangerous.

I don’t know if this situation I’m experiencing right now is reality or illusion.

But if there’s one thing I can be sure of, whichever it may be.

‘If I die here, I might actually die.’

Just like the phenomena I’ve witnessed so far, dying here might mean truly dying.

Creak.

Even with that judgment, the problem is that there’s no solution.

Kugugugugugung-!

“Gack…!”

I half-knelt under the nonsensical pressure.

‘…Emperor…Sword Form…!’

It was a secret technique of the Namgung family, a signature move Namgung Bi-ah used.

And it was unfolding from the Sword Empress’s hands.

My thought upon feeling it directly was:

‘The level is different….’

It was as if the Emperor Sword Form Namgung Bi-ah used was child’s play.

The Sword Empress’s power was on another dimension.

Not just me, but the surroundings were being crushed by the aura she emitted.

Kwaaaaaah-!

I couldn’t even guess the extent of its range.

Kwadeuk-! Trees crushed by the air pressure fell, and rocks cracked with a pjeojeok sound.

The Sword Empress looked down at me, who could only endure, with her blue eyes.

Sreung.

The sword moved.

Though it looked slow, I felt a sliver of enlightenment contained within it, and got goosebumps.

The Sword Empress is strong.

I knew that.

And yet.

It seemed I had forgotten this for a moment, lulled into peace right after my regression.

How strong she was… I had completely forgotten.

Saaaah-!

The sword lightly sliced the air.

It was just a simple, light lift of the sword without any complex movements, but.

Woong-!

A vibration was felt.

I felt death right there.

Seuuk.

The Sword Empress’s raised sword tip was drawn downwards.

Following the path of the sword tip.

Pah-ah-ah-ah-!

The sky split.

A sense of awe naturally bloomed at that nonsensical phenomenon.

It was a single sword strike that a swordsman who had surpassed limits and reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship could achieve.

Hoooook-!

“Gkeuk…!”

The wind pressure surging from the recoil. I braced myself, hands on the ground, so I wouldn’t be blown away.

Even after seeing it after so long, it was overwhelming power.

It was a supreme realm incomparable to Namgung Bi-ah of the present.

‘…Sword Empress(Sword Empress).’

I could once again feel the power of the Sword Empress, who inherited the name Sword Empress.

Could this really be an illusion?

But it was too vivid no matter how I looked at it.

The wildly surging wind pressure gradually subsided.

Once it became somewhat bearable, I had to keep letting out ragged breaths.

I looked back.

“Crazy.”

Fortunately, the Sword Empress hadn’t swung her sword at me.

Behind me.

She had swung her sword as if aiming at something far away,

And the result was the sky splitting.

I looked up at the sky.

The trace of the Sword Empress’s slash still remained,

And due to its aftermath, the clouds had stopped, unable to pass.

Just as I wondered what on earth she was aiming for with that strike.

Kugugung-! The lightning energy surged.

‘This?’

It wasn’t the Sword Empress’s lightning energy.

Unknown lightning energy was felt from the direction the Sword Empress had attacked.

As proof, the Sword Empress slightly furrowed her brow.

Just as I wondered what the situation was.

Kwahng….

A small roar echoed from the direction where the lightning energy was felt.

Not long after, I realized.

That a vast energy was flying in from that direction.

Just as my eyes widened in surprise upon sensing the energy.

The Sword Empress was already moving.

She swung her sword.

Kwagagagagak-!

Something flew and collided with the Sword Empress’s sword, which was enveloped in sword energy.

It was an immense repulsive force.

From the discharge of tingling lightning energy, my cheek was grazed just by being close, and blood began to flow.

The Sword Empress briefly confronted the energy, then, Cheol-geok.

She readjusted her grip on the sword and proceeded to cut the energy.

Kwadeuk-!

The energy, split in two by the sword tip, trembled briefly before exploding right there.

Pah-ah-ah-!

Another gust of wind pressure. This time, it was mixed with lightning energy, making it a bit harder.

“Gack….”

Right after barely enduring it, I looked around. The vicinity had already turned into a mess.

The corpses scattered everywhere had been blown about by the wind pressure, becoming a wreck,

And the pools of blood covering the ground were scattered, making for a terrible sight.

‘What was that just now?’

Just as I was momentarily stunned by such an unexpected situation.

Cheol-keok.

Someone approached this way.

Naturally, it was the Sword Empress.

The harsh wind pressure must have blown away even her bloodstains, leaving only faint traces.

As the Sword Empress came closer.

“Gack…?!”

Suddenly, my body began to float up.

It was levitation.

The Sword Empress had used levitation on me.

The pressure making my body float was no joke, and I could have broken free if I wanted to.

Still, I endured it for now.

Because I knew resisting would immediately bring her sword down on me.

“…What… are you?”

The Sword Empress spoke, then came closer and sniffed as if trying to smell something.

“…Why… is there… no… smell…?”

What smell was she talking about?

She approached me, floating aimlessly in the air, and kept sniffing.

What is she doing…?

‘This…’

A fleeting thought crossed my mind, like a memory of her often acting like this in the past.

Didn’t Namgung Bi-ah act like this even in this life?

‘What kind of shitty hobby is this.’

I don’t know what she’s doing, it’s not like I’m a dog.

Especially when we’re in the middle of being attacked right now.

Does she have time to be doing this?

The Sword Empress, who kept sniffing, looked at me for a moment and then asked.

“…Where?”

“What…?”

I blurted out an informal reply without realizing it and was surprised.

Habits like these are terrifying.

The fortunate thing was that the Sword Empress didn’t seem to care much about it.

As if uninterested in such things, she merely asked me a question.

“…Affiliation…Answer….”

“…!”

I swallowed dryly at the Sword Empress’s words.

Who would have thought she’d ask this here.

It seemed the Sword Empress mistook me for a cultist belonging to the Demonic Cult.

‘Does she not recognize me…?’

It seems she doesn’t recognize who I am.

Should I consider this fortunate?

As I was pondering, the Sword Empress tilted her head slightly and then gripped her sword.

Shit.

She’s going to kill me.

It seemed she was really intending to kill me for my brief hesitation.

Seeing that, I immediately spoke up.

“I’m… from the Black Flame Brigade…!”

I uttered the name I swore I’d never speak.

Fuck… I can’t believe the day would come when I’d say this myself.

Perhaps thanks to how I spat it out with the feeling of vomiting blood, the Sword Empress’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing it, and her moving sword stopped.

Black Flame Brigade(Black Flame Brigade).

It was the name of the unit I had uttered.

Originally, the main forces of the Heavenly Demon Cult were known to be three.

The Heaven’s Net Black Oblivion Brigade led by the First Demon.

The Ghostly Sword Brigade led by the Sword Demon.

The Green Robe Flying Dagger Squad led by the Green King.

These three units were known to be burning throughout the Central Plains under the name of the Heavenly Demon.

It wasn’t wrong.

Because those were indeed the officially known units.

However, not those from the Central Plains.

Most cultists belonging to the Demonic Cult knew.

That there were a total of four units in the Demonic Cult.

The unit that oversees the three units just mentioned, and the Heavenly Demon’s direct unit that moves only by the Heavenly Demon’s command.

The Black Flame Brigade(Black Flame Brigade).

The unit the Sword Empress before my eyes belonged to was exactly that one.

And.

‘…The place where I am the leader.’

I was the leader of that unit with the fucking name.

Fuck.

Upon hearing my words, the Sword Empress frowned, a rare sight.

“…Lies…. I heard no mention… of a new recruit… coming….”

As expected, she didn’t seem to believe me.

However, her disbelief couldn’t change the situation.

Because I had a way.

“…I… merely follow the Cult Leader’s(Cult Leader-nim) words. There is not an inch of falsehood.”

“…”

After hearing my words, the Sword Empress looked into my eyes.

She stared intently at my eyes, which were likely dyed purple.

Thump.

“Oof.”

Only then did she release my body, which she had kept floating in the air.

It was a sign that she believed me, for now.

‘…Hoo.’

I let out a sigh of relief. She had no choice but to believe me anyway.

Cultists cannot lie while invoking the Heavenly Demon.

To speak a falsehood while invoking the Heavenly Demon is no different from detonating the demonic energy bound to one’s heart.

But seeing that I spoke invoking the Heavenly Demon and am still alive, she had no choice but to believe me for now.

Since I am no longer connected to the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy, it doesn’t matter what I do invoking him, but.

She wouldn’t know that.

The Sword Empress, who had tossed me aside, was about to sheathe her sword when.

At that moment, Jjaeng-! The sword shattered and broke in half.

“…”

It seemed she hadn’t properly absorbed the previous attack.

The Sword Empress glanced at her sword and then casually threw it away.

She showed no hesitation.

‘Where does she keep her Thunder Core?’

I scanned the Sword Empress’s waist, but saw nothing resembling a Thunder Core.

It seemed she hadn’t brought it.

Leaving me looking around with my eyes, the Sword Empress turned her back.

“…Follow… me.”

“Yes?”

I involuntarily asked again at her words.

Follow her…? Where to?

The Sword Empress glanced back at me, adding a bit more explanation.

“…The Heavenly Venerate… he’s coming.”

“…!”

“…We must… retreat…. Order.”

At the Sword Empress’s words, I realized what that previous lightning energy was.

It seemed to have been an aerial assault by the Heavenly Venerate, one of the Three Venerates.

That guy is here?

Then this really isn’t the time to be messing around?

The Sword Empress seemed to have judged me as an ally and intended to take me with her.

But…

‘Where to…?’

Even amidst the complicated situation, that thought crossed my mind.

It was fortunate I wasn’t killed by the Sword Empress’s hand, but where would we be heading if I went with her?

That was the question.

“Sword… Empress-nim.”

At my call, the Sword Empress stopped walking and looked towards me.

Her blue eyes, still devoid of any life, felt awkward.

This was proof that I had grown accustomed to Namgung Bi-ah in this life.

Because her eyes don’t look at me that way.

Looking into those awkward eyes, I calmly asked.

“…Where are we heading?”

“…”

A brief silence passed after hearing my question.

The Sword Empress’s expression was as if asking why I was even asking that.

“…The Great Hall(Great Hall)….”

“…”

The Sword Empress finished speaking and resumed walking.

I broke out in a cold sweat at her words.

The Great Hall she mentioned.

Was the same place as the Black Flame Brigade’s headquarters, and within it.

‘…I am there.’

It was where the leader of the main unit, the Black Flame Demon Lord, resided.

Recalling that, I realized.

…It seemed things were getting increasingly fucked up.