WOOOONG.
I watched him through the sword cry ringing stark and clear.
That smiling face was still sickening to look at. Killing intent hovered in the air.
I felt like throwing up.
My muscles were locking tight. My body was reacting on its own to the tension.
Primal Origin Blade. One of Sky-Crushing Palace’s Four Kings.
Even his name sounded damn unpleasant, but his skill was not.
He’s strong.
Absolute master.
The words were not wasted on him at all. Even setting aside whatever he was born from, the sensation he gave off was a wall.
Thick. Heavy.
A wall that looked impossible to get over no matter what.
It was hard just to look up at it. Telling me to fight something like that was absurd.
Me stepping forward to fight something like that was absurd too.
Honestly.
I had expected trouble to happen. I had just hoped it would not be this kind of trouble, but my life was always like this.
Nothing has ever gone easily.
Not one thing had ever gone properly the way I wanted. This time seemed no different.
I had not expected much, but I had not hoped it would be this bad either.
Let’s see—
I examined Primal Origin Blade with my eyes. A massive build, and a massive blade to match.
I had already heard what Dohyang had to say. There was not much information about his martial arts. His subordinates were not exactly different in that regard.
The feeling and general direction when he used his martial arts. That was about all I had gotten.
Still better than nothing. At least for me.
“I will ask again before I kill you. Nameless martial artist. Do you have a name to leave behind before you die?”
WHOOONG.
The massive blade was driven into the ground.
“I’ll tell you before you die.”
“Arrogant. Good. I happen to like that kind of temperament too. It has flavor when I tear it apart.”
My eyes went to his arm. The wound I had just cut was already staunched. I had tried to cut him fairly deep, but it seemed that was still not enough.
Fine. This much was within expectation.
“...What are you doing right now?”
A voice reached me. It was Mo Yong Yeongsun, held against me.
“What.”
“I’m asking what you’re doing right now...! You should have just gone and called reinforcements. Why are you interfering?”
“Then I should just leave you? When it’s obvious what will happen if you’re dragged off?”
“That is my business. It has nothing to do with you—”
“Oh, sure it is. Was it your business when you kept sticking your nose into mine?”
“...That was!”
“Be quiet. You’re distracting me.”
She was annoying me. I already needed to concentrate right now. I did not want to waste time on a pointless argument.
The deed was already done. What was I supposed to do now?
Do what needs doing.
I forced away the cold sweat running down me. Narrowing my eyes, I stared only at him.
I let go of Mo Yong Yeongsun.
“Stay out of it.”
“...You...!”
“Don’t even think about joining in. You know you won’t be any help even if you do.”
“...”
Mo Yong Yeongsun’s face twisted. Her expression was clear. It seemed she had thrown off the mask she usually wore so well.
Mo Yong Yeongsun slowly widened the distance. That was when Primal Origin Blade looked at me and spoke with a smile.
“I permit a joint attack. Do as you please.”
I saw the people behind me flinch at his words. Should they step in? I could feel them hesitating.
“No need. It’s obvious they’ll only get in the way if they join.”
They meant nothing. At least, that was how I saw it. They would only create useless deaths.
I settled my mind. Then I asked him.
“Why are you trying to take the Mo Yong Family’s daughter?”
Why did it have to be Mo Yong Yeongsun?
I could not understand a man of his level taking someone just because she was pretty. I judged there had to be some purpose behind it and asked.
“A reason? Is she not luscious?”
“What?”
“She is simply luscious. The fact that she can remain rational even in this situation. Everything that girl possesses. If so, should I not naturally obtain her?”
“...”
My head hurt. It was a far more crude and simple reason than I had expected. He wanted to covet her, so he coveted her.
He wanted to obtain her, so he would obtain her.
“What are you, a three-year-old brat?”
Words skewed entirely toward desire made me sick to death.
“Enough.”
I did not need to hear more.
WOOOONG—!
I raised a sword cry. I poured energy into it. Radiant Moon Flash Aura softly wrapped around my body.
[You’re really doing it?]
Before I moved, Dohyang asked.
[...You’ll die, you know?]
I almost laughed at that. We had not even started fighting yet, and what a lovely blessing that was.
I ignored her.
I lifted my sword and looked at him.
He did not move.
It felt like he was telling me to come at him.
“...”
His beloved weapon was still planted in the ground. I shifted my feet slightly.
One step.
The instant his eyes blinked faintly—
WHOOSH!
My body arrived right in front of him.
PAJIJIJIK.
I thrust with Sword Aura pushed fiercely to the front.
SHIIIK!
The rapidly driven sword reached his neck.
TUNG!
But the sword did not touch.
Ha.
It bounced off something. Hard aura. The hard aura wrapped around him had deflected my sword.
I opened Moon Eye.
Something came into view.
My body moved first.
KOOOONG—!!!
It felt like a gigantic typhoon had slashed past. Primal Origin Blade’s fist brushed by my cheek.
KWAAAAANG!
An explosive roar came from the ground behind me. Fist aura had swept across it.
One punch.
That alone let me judge what level of master he was.
No. I already knew.
I just had not known I would feel this much difference. I narrowed my eyes. Twisting my waist, I moved my sword again.
KAANG!
It was no different. The sensation of being deflected was unpleasant as hell. Why was his hard aura this solid?
With an ordinary sword strike...
Did that mean I could not even reach him?
I accepted it. It was true. It was something I should have known already.
I added more power to Radiant Moon Flash Aura. Primal Origin Blade’s movement registered. It was a punch similar to the one from before. I used footwork, barely slipping past his fist.
Then—
GIIIIING—!!!
The trembling sword cry and Radiant Moon Flash Aura.
Over them, I created a sword path.
Moon Wave.
I formed a crescent and fired it at his hard aura.
KWADUDUK!
“Ho.”
Along with Primal Origin Blade’s sound of admiration, the hard aura shattered. Fragments of hard aura scattered through the air. At that moment, Primal Origin Blade finally moved his legs.
KWADUDUK.
“...!”
My body shook. My vision changed.
BANG!
“Ghk!”
Something hit me. I was struck and sent flying into the forest. I did not know how many trees I broke through.
My mind went blank for an instant.
“Astonishing.”
His voice came from in front of me.
I dodged.
KWANG—!!
Primal Origin Blade’s kick slammed into the spot where I had been lying.
“You blocked even in the middle of that?”
...Shit.
The curse came on its own. The arm holding my sword was completely numb. I had barely prevented it from breaking.
I didn’t see when he hit me.
I had failed to grasp his movement. A subtle sensation. I had relied on that to defend. I had focused the Sword Aura on my sword into defense to reduce the damage.
“Interesting. That sword just now too. You.”
Primal Origin Blade said as he gripped his blade.
“You are some bastard from Azure Moon Sect.”
“...”
He noticed.
“Azure Moon Sect. I have heard one thing. Are you perhaps that one?”
“...”
“It does not matter if you do not answer. I can find out from now on.”
Primal Origin Blade’s hand reached out.
Watching it, I put strength into my dantian.
PAJIJIJIJIJIK—!!!!
Power flooded my entire body.
I executed Moonbolt. My body, responding with speed, aimed for Primal Origin Blade’s chest.
SHIIK!
My sword struck past.
Primal Origin Blade’s eyes narrowed slightly. An opening appeared. I did not attack. Instead, I widened the distance.
After putting a good amount of space between us, I caught my breath. At the same time, I stripped off the human-skin mask I had been wearing.
RIIIP.
“Huh!?”
“That... That’s...”
The watching people’s eyes widened when the human-skin mask fell away. I tore off the leather.
“Huhuhuhu.”
Primal Origin Blade laughed when he saw it.
“Blue... eyes... snow-white hair.”
“Don’t tell me...!”
“Moon Hero.”
Primal Origin Blade spoke.
“It really is you. Yes, there could not be another at this level here.”
“It’s moving, being recognized.”
I steadied my breath and looked at him. As expected, he knew me. Since he was acting like he knew me so well, I should return the favor.
“What should I call you? One of Sky-Crushing Palace’s Four Kings. Is that right?”
“...”
Primal Origin Blade froze at my words. His expression hardened.
“How do you know that?”
“I heard it from your oh-so-impressive subordinates.”
“Subordinates...? Those things?”
Doubt entered Primal Origin Blade’s voice.
“That cannot be. They should not be able to say such things.”
“They did have a pretty impressive restrictive seal. But I heard it.”
The fact that I knew was proof. When I spoke while mentioning it, Primal Origin Blade clicked his tongue.
It seemed he could not deny it.
“Enough. Knowing that changes nothing. The Palace Lord has also said the time has come.”
“...You were planning to hide it?”
“Who knows.”
Primal Origin Blade put on that repulsive smile again.
“What do you think?”
He moved.
He vanished from my forward-facing vision. My body moved.
KWAGAGAK—!!!
I slanted my sword and let the incoming blade slide off. A tremendous weight pressed against my shoulder.
I saw it.
It had almost been too late, but I sensed it. My eyes moved. Moon Eye strained to find Primal Origin Blade’s trajectory, but—
Seeing with my eyes was meaningless.
Instinct.
Focus. I had to match Primal Origin Blade’s speed.
BANG!
KWAGAGAK!
My body, refined by Moonbolt, struggled to keep up with Primal Origin Blade’s speed. My thighs felt as if they were burning.
More.
Primal Origin Blade’s heavy blade flew at me from every direction. I could not block it. I understood the difference in grip strength from one exchange.
If I blocked that, my arm would obviously break.
So I had to let it slide.
And I had to find an opening where it flowed.
The opening created that way—
How do I pierce through it?
I knew the method.
KKIGIGIK—!!
While I moved my sword frantically—
WOOOOOONG—!!!
The sword cry continued to thicken. My gaze followed Primal Origin Blade, but from some point on, I focused on my own sword.
As though I were leaving my movements to the air, I searched for calm inside the storm.
BANG!
KKIGIK.
KWADUDUDUK...
KWAK...
The sounds faded. The noise I had heard stopped.
That was when—
A path.
The paths gathered into one place again.
I saw it.
There.
It was the same as before.
The movement of my body became strange. A feeling like I was moving, yet not moving. Feeling it, I stepped forward.
The sword created a line. The sword that advanced that way—
CHWAAAAK—!!!
“...Ha...”
It cut across Primal Origin Blade’s chest.
“You bastard...”
His eyes flashed.
“You can use body-and-sword unity!!”
I had not cut his neck. Even in that instant, he had avoided with his body. My head swam.
“Monster. At that age, you have touched body-and-sword unity.”
The blade flew in. There was no strength left in my body.
“I am glad I found you. I am certain now that you are one who will obstruct the Palace Lord.”
Just as all the strength began to leave my body—
“You die here.”
[Tch.]
Along with the sound of an unhappy tongue-click—
BANG.
“...Huh?”
My hand moved and blocked Primal Origin Blade’s blade. The heavy blade was stopped by the thin Divine Sword.
“To speak of death—”
My mouth moved. It was my voice, but it was not mine.
“You are too meager to reach me, you worthless thing.”
The Heavenly Demon.
According to our promise, he had borrowed my body and descended.
