The Fixed Ending – Part 2

It felt like swimming in a dream.

My vision was blurry, and I didn’t quite know what I was doing.

I desperately flailed my hands.

Ah, something touched.

Before I could think, I spread my fingers and grabbed it.

A heat briefly surged through my hand, and I felt something crumble before I swung my arm again.

Hoping to catch anything.

The fire that had risen from my Dantian transcended warmth, burning my entire body with scorching heat.

Like a collapsing wooden dummy, I lost my balance and staggered with each step.

“Haa….”

Sensing no presence around me, I steadied myself and looked around.

My hazy mind slowly returned.

Blood flowing into my eyes prevented me from opening my right eye.

I tried to assess the situation with one eye.

“This is different from the information I heard….”

Yunseok’s face turned pale.

I had a mountain of questions, but the flames consuming my body didn’t allow me any leeway.

Giving strength to my collapsing legs, I lunged at Yunseok’s face like a hunting dog.

-Sizzle

The unpleasant sensation of melting flesh ran through my hand, and the smell of burning protein stung my nose.

Gone was his businesslike demeanor; fear was visible in the cross-section of Yunseok’s melting face.

Shaking off the flesh stuck to my hand, I tried to gauge my direction.

I had to go back.

To Master.

“I have to go to Master.”

They said I was the target, but I couldn’t believe it was the truth.

This whole thing happened because I believed the person who delivered Grand Master’s news was from the Martial Arts Alliance.

I focused all my attention on my deafened ears.

The faint sound of fighting, the vibrations traveling through the air.

Gritting my teeth, I took one step at a time in that direction.

With each step, flames bloomed.

I didn’t know because Master hadn’t told me, but the flames ignited at the cost of my life didn’t seem to stop.

Until I died.

The fight between Soyou and the mysterious assassin was one-sided.

Her mastery of Martial arts was something she could be proud of anywhere, but she was being pushed back to an extent that even surprised her.

She kept rolling on the ground, trying to break through this situation, but it wasn’t easy.

When she tried to attack the assassin, her attacks missed, and when she tried to shake off the assassin and go to Inho, he would somehow stick to her and block her legs.

In this situation where she could neither advance nor retreat, Soyou’s reason was gradually being consumed by anger.

“You bastard!!”

Soyou scattered the embers she created from her fingertips like sowing seeds at the assassin who was launching attacks from close range.

The embers only flew through the air and did not inflict any meaningful damage on the enemy.

“I was nervous because you inherited the name of Yomryun Skill. But you’re not as good as your Master.”

When the assassin mentioned Yeomjin, Soyou’s body blazed fiercely.

“Don’t mention Master with that filthy mouth!”

Soyou leaped into the air and threw herself at the assassin.

But the assassin dodged to the side and punched her in the stomach.

“Cough!!”

With a short scream, Soyou grabbed her stomach and collapsed.

Whether that last blow was effective, she knelt and couldn’t get up easily.

-Shwing

Along with the sound of a sword, a sharp piece of metal touched her neck.

“Yomryun Skill. Die with that empty name.”

Soyou tightly closed her eyes.

She wasn’t afraid of death.

Killing and being killed was a common occurrence in the Martial world.

If you gave grace somewhere, it was natural to gain resentment somewhere.

That’s why her Master Yeomjin died, and that’s why his disciple was dying.

But she was afraid.

She was afraid because there was someone she wouldn’t be able to see again if she died.

“In… ho….”

She spoke the name that made her heart flutter just by saying it.

‘I don’t want to die.’

Her heart ached at the fact that she would not be able to see her disciple’s foolishly smiling face again.

She felt the sword drawing an arc and falling towards her neck.

“Hey, you son of a bitch!!”

Surprised by the sudden outburst, she opened her eyes wide and looked around.

The assassin in the cat mask had also turned his body in the direction of the sound.

A man burning with clear flames was running towards the assassin.

It was Inho. He was hurt and injured, but he was definitely Inho.

“Looks like you managed to survive.”

The assassin said, stepping back and dodging Inho’s kick.

Inho would have retorted in normal times, but he saved his words.

Inho regained his stance and rushed at the assassin.

The assassin deflected Inho’s attacks with fluid movements, but he couldn’t escape the heat he was emitting.

The hot flames were so hot that Soyou was breathless.

The heat was dozens of times the output Inho usually put out, and the assassin’s clothes were gradually burning, and his skin was also starting to get burned.

“Don’t interfere!”

The assassin, who had been running backwards, kicked Inho over and threw himself at Soyou.

Then he swung his sword at Soyou’s face.

Blood splattered on Soyou’s face.

There was a blood-stained sword in front of her eyes.

If it had come any closer, it would have pierced her eyes.

But the sword stood still in that spot. Something was blocking the sword.

Soyou’s pupils began to tremble violently.

She quickly realized what was blocking the sword.

“…In, ho…?”

Inho grabbed the assassin’s arm, spitting out blood from his mouth.

“Ugh… Cheap tricks!”

“Yeah… I got completely screwed by… a cheap trick, right?”

The assassin, whose arm was grabbed, groaned at the burning sensation, and Inho smiled even though he was dying.

Before she knew it, the assassin’s right arm began to burn to the point where it was impossible to regenerate.

The assassin’s choice was quick; he raised his left hand and chopped off his right arm.

-Thwack

The assassin’s right arm was cleanly cut off, and sensing that the situation was turning unfavorable, the assassin ran away without looking back.

“Haha, he’s gone.”

Inho muttered, sending off the assassin who was moving away.

As if turning a dial to turn off a gas stove, the fire that had blazed on Inho’s body gradually began to go out.

As soon as the fire went out, he fell backwards.

“Inho!!”

Soyou screamed, looking at Inho’s pale face covered in blood.

“I’m glad… you’re safe.”

Inho said in a hoarse voice. Soyou slapped his cheeks, seeing his pupils gradually losing focus.

“Open your eyes! Open your eyes!”

Inho’s eye muscles twitched at Soyou’s cry.

He seemed to be struggling to open his eyes, but it didn’t make much of a difference.

His arm reached towards his Dantian.

Blood began to spread where the sword had pierced through.

“Ah, it hurts. I thought I was used to it.”

Soyou’s eyes welled up with tears at his casual tone.

“No… no….”

While Soyou sobbed, grabbing his collar, Inho gasped for breath.

“Master. Ah, Master.”

Inho gave a gentle smile, calling her weakly.

Soyou shouted at his face, which seemed to have let go of everything.

“Don’t talk! Regulate your breathing and gather your energy! Hurry!”

“It’s too late. My Dantian is already destroyed.”

“Ah….”

When she hesitantly put her hand on his Dantian, she felt nothing, it was empty.

An empty Dantian, a devastated interior.

Deep in the mountains where no one could help.

“No… no!!!”

Soyou howled like a beast.

Her only remaining treasure in the world was losing its light.

Inho, who was watching Soyou burying her face in his arms and crying sadly, opened his mouth.

“Don’t cry. Master.”

When Soyou raised her face, his blood-stained hand slowly came up.

Inho smiled brightly, wiping away Soyou’s tears with his fingertips.

“Master, we’ll meet again someday.”

“So….”

“So, you have to be nice to me then, okay?”

With those words of request, Inho closed his eyes.

That was his last memory in this dimension.