The sky was growing dark, and the storm clouds were slowly gathering, preparing for rain.
The dense clouds obscured the moon, leaving the forest shrouded in darkness.

Rumble...

The monsters lurking nearby held their breath.
Even the beasts, driven mad by hunger, still retained a sliver of instinct—
enough to recognize that the figures before them were too dangerous to approach.

Swish.

The rustling of fabric broke the silence.
A sword hummed, resonating as if responding to the quiet night.

The clouds covering the moon shifted slightly, and a beam of moonlight momentarily illuminated the forest.
In that brief light, two figures became visible.

One was a beautiful woman with snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes.
The other, just as stunning, had golden hair and golden eyes to match.

The white-haired woman, The Demon Sword Queen,
held a sword that glowed with a blue aura, Thunderchild. Its tip was pointed directly at the golden-haired woman.

Crackling lightning gathered around the sword, coiling and swirling violently.
Yet the expression on the Demon Sword Queen's face remained serene, showing no trace of emotion.

Though her face was calm, the faint scent of blood lingering in the air made it clear—
she was anything but safe.

• "What do you want?"

 

Her voice was cold and firm.
The murderous intent in her tone was so palpable that even the beasts hiding nearby pressed themselves deeper into their shadows.

A wind blew through the trees, carrying the sharp scent of blood from the battlefield beyond.
There, in the clearing, lay the bodies of the ambush squad sent by Shaolin and Wudang, their blood pooling beneath them.

Dozens had attacked her at once, but the Demon Sword Queen had killed them all without suffering a single scratch.
She was as untouchable as ever.

When I first saw her, that was how I perceived her.

The woman with the golden hair hesitated at the Demon Sword Queen’s question.
The tip of the sword never wavered, aimed steadily at her, ready to strike at any moment.

The tension was thick.

For the first time in a long while, the Demon Sword Queen felt a sense of danger.
The woman standing before her—Wi Seol-ah, the Sword Saint, heir to the Swordmaster and the hope of the martial world—was someone who made her feel truly on edge.

As the faint moonlight flickered between the clouds,
the golden aura surrounding Wi Seol-ah grew brighter.

The Demon Sword Queen raised her energy and poised her sword,
eager to finally face someone she had long wanted to challenge.

Rumble...

The air around them grew heavy as the deadly intent between them stalled the very wind.

But before the fight could begin, Wi Seol-ah spoke.

• "I have something to say."

• "To me?"

 

The Demon Sword Queen paused, the energy she had been gathering halting for a moment.

It was an unexpected statement.

For the Demon Sword Queen, the only language that mattered was the language of swords. She had never engaged in conversation any other way.

• "What do you want to say?"

 

Even so, she listened.
Wi Seol-ah was someone who mattered to him, and because of that, the Demon Sword Queen was willing to hear her out.

Wi Seol-ah hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing.

• "Tomorrow, the Alliance’s strike team will come for you."

 

The Demon Sword Queen blinked, momentarily thinking she must have misheard.

The woman who was the hope of the martial world was warning her, a demonic being?
It didn’t make any sense.

• "What are you doing?"

 

Her wariness spiked.

Despite how detached she appeared, the Demon Sword Queen wasn’t one to take such things lightly.
No matter how indifferent people thought she was to the affairs of the world, this was strange.

Crackling with lightning, Thunderchild released a burst of energy.
But the golden aura around Wi Seol-ah blocked it effortlessly, the two energies clashing and vibrating through the air.

• "I’m not joking."

• "If it's not a joke, then why are you telling me this?"

 

The Demon Sword Queen’s eyes narrowed as she waited for an answer.
But Wi Seol-ah didn’t explain herself.

• "The Heavenly Master will be part of the assault."

• "So?"

• "Even with you and the Demon Lord, you won’t escape easily."

 

The Heavenly Master, along with the elites of the Alliance—
they were all coming.

Hearing that, the Demon Sword Queen finally understood why Wi Seol-ah had come.

• "Sword Saint."

• "Yes?"

• "Are you worried about him?"

 

Wi Seol-ah’s shoulders flinched at the question.

It was a ridiculous response.

For the woman known as the hope of the martial world to ignore the bodies behind them, to come here just to deliver this warning—
how hypocritical. How absurd.

And yet, the Demon Sword Queen wouldn’t tell him about this.
She wouldn’t give him this information.

Because...

• "Even if I tell him, he’ll go."

 

Even if he knew it was a deathtrap,
he would still go.

With a flick of her hand, the energy surging around Thunderchild dissipated,
and the oppressive aura that had been suffocating the area vanished.

• "It’s the Demon Lord’s order."

 

The Heavenly Demon’s commands were absolute.
But that wasn’t the only reason.

The Demon Sword Queen knew he had other reasons to go.

Even so, she couldn’t understand.
She couldn’t fathom what tied him to the woman standing before her.

She didn’t want to understand.

Her life was devoted only to perfecting her sword and seeking liberation.
Nothing else mattered.

At least, that’s what she thought.

Perhaps, if things were different,
she might have understood more.

But it was too late for that now.

The Demon Sword Queen’s answer left Wi Seol-ah with a conflicted expression.
What was that emotion?

The Demon Sword Queen, never one to understand others’ feelings, couldn’t quite grasp it.

• "If you’re so worried, why don’t you stop him yourself?"

 

Wi Seol-ah had come to her instead of taking matters into her own hands.

The Demon Sword Queen wouldn’t have hesitated.
If it had been her, she would have killed whoever stood in her way.

Biting her lip, Wi Seol-ah felt the sting of the Demon Sword Queen’s words,
and the Demon Sword Queen added one last remark:

• "Coward."

• "…!"

 

As soon as the word left her lips,
the Demon Sword Queen turned her back and walked away.

She had no interest in the Sword Saint anymore.
She remembered that he had warned her not to be late again.

And she would never tell him about what had happened today.

The reason?
The same as before.

She simply didn’t want to.

A slight tantrum, perhaps.

As the Demon Sword Queen departed,
Wi Seol-ah looked up at the sky.

The faint moonlight had once again disappeared behind the thick clouds.

And there it was—
the word that cut deep into her heart.

• "Coward."

 

The Demon Sword Queen’s parting words echoed in her mind.

• "Coward…"

 

It was true.

She was a coward.
Unable to make any real decisions, just hiding and waiting.

What else could that be but cowardice?

She felt exhausted, suffocated.

And yet, she had to keep walking.
But until when? Until where?

Why?

Like a habit, she questioned herself.
But as always, there was no one to answer.

• "Master...!"

 

A voice suddenly called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She opened her eyes.

Turning her head, she saw members of the Alliance approaching.

• "Ugh...!"

 

One of the members covered his nose as he neared the area.
Even from a distance, the smell of blood was overwhelming.

• "Master... where is the Demon Sword Queen?"

• "By the time I arrived, she had already fled."

• "Damn...! Even though you rushed here, we were too late. What a pity. Thank you for your efforts, Master."

 

Wi Seol-ah nodded slightly at his words,
his voice completely free of suspicion.

• "There are traces of others further back. Let’s recover what we can and retreat."

• "Understood! Move out!"

 

As the others began to move,
Wi Seol-ah forced her exhausted body to follow.

She couldn’t show weakness.

She was the Sword Saint.
She was their hero.

And a few days later, the Demon Sword Queen kept her word.

She died in his place.
And he survived.

• "..."

 

“Sister?”

Wi Seol-ah’s voice interrupted the woman’s thoughts.
It was a memory she did not want to recall.

How much time did she have left?
She knew it wasn’t much.

So before it was too late,
she had to finish everything she needed to do.

• "I told you once before."

• "Yes?"

• "Moonlit Sword Dance chases the moon, but you must not follow it."

• "Yes."

 

It was a sudden statement, but Wi Seol-ah nodded.
The urgency in the woman’s voice was evident.

• "I hope you find the meaning of those words soon."

• "Yes."

 

Moonlit Sword Dance must not follow the moon.

What did that mean?

Wi Seol-ah had asked the meaning many times,
but the woman had said it wasn’t something she could be told.

It was something she had to find on her own.
Only then could she achieve what she truly desired.

‘What I truly want.’

Wi Seol-ah thought.
What is it that she truly wanted?

Since the beginning,
her goal had never changed.

She would protect him.

That was the reason she had learned the sword.
That was the goal she had set from the start.

It would not fade.

It could not.

   
   ********************
   

And so, lying flat on the ground in the aftermath of a fierce battle, there was someone staring up at the sky.

“Wow… damn it.”

The exhaustion was overwhelming, to the point that their body wouldn’t obey.
Even moving their fingers seemed like a monumental effort.
Ha.
They exhaled heavily, their body aching all over.

“Seriously… so damn strong.”

The sky, seen from their position, seemed to spin endlessly.

“Ugh…”

Attempting to rise from the ground wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t just one or two places that had taken a beating.
That damn old man.

Even after landing a solid hit to his abdomen, Bi Uijin seemed completely unfazed.

“What did he say again? ‘Not bad’? Is he some kind of masochist?”

After taking the blow, he casually remarked, “Not bad,” as if it were nothing.
But the real trouble started after that.

I couldn’t even touch him.

At first, he seemed taken aback by my speed. But after exchanging a few blows,
it was as if he had adapted to the blood energy coursing through my body, dodging every strike with ease.

It was agony fighting him in my weakened state.
Even at full strength, I might not have stood a chance.
...But to be outmatched by this much?

Bi Uijin…
He understood the distance, the angles, and even how my joints moved.
It was as though he could see not just the final movements but every moment leading up to them.

I had experienced this before in my past life, but encountering it now, in this state, made the difference all the more glaring.
They didn’t call him a master of martial arts for nothing.

The result, of course, was my defeat.

“...Lost the belt too.”

In the end, I lost the belt I had fought so hard to protect.
The blood energy I had mustered could only last so long,
and the moment my energy ran dry, the battle was decided.

I ended up flat on my back.
How long had it been since I experienced defeat?

It was the first loss I’d had since reaching the level of a late-stage martial artist.
Though, technically, Bi Uijin wasn’t exactly just a late-stage martial artist either.

Considering his identity as the fallen master and the fact that he had undergone rejuvenation,
my situation should have been more advantageous.
I could make excuses about my internal injuries, but…

Even if I had been at full strength, could I have won?

Perhaps if I’d unleashed all my energy, the result would have been different.
But just thinking about it wasn’t enough.

Was I resentful of my defeat?
Not really. I had lived a life filled with loss after loss in my past life,
so one more defeat didn’t stir much emotion.

Funny, in a pitiful sort of way.

“You are a curious one. Despite your talent, your hand-to-hand skills are severely lacking.”

That’s what Bi Uijin said as he took my belt and left, reverting to his usual tone.

Hand-to-hand skills lacking, huh?

It was something I had noticed lately.
I had adapted to wielding flames using my overwhelming energy,
but when it came to close-quarters combat, punching and grappling…
That was something I still needed to work on.

He said something about making an appointment later.
But that wasn’t going to happen.

No, that's not right.

I had enough on my plate just refining the skills I already had.
I didn’t need to learn something entirely new at this point.
Instead…

It’d be better to seek out my father.

The person who might have mastered the peak of my martial art was close by.
It would be wiser to learn from him.
Though imagining my father actually teaching me anything… well, that was another matter entirely.

“I should… rest a bit more…”

Just as I was thinking about how I still needed to find another belt,
I turned my head and sighed.

“…Ah, what a pain…”

I noticed an unfamiliar presence.
It seemed I was too exhausted to sense it properly earlier.

What a nuisance.
This really wasn’t the time for this.

And they’re close.

Very close.

Judging by the proximity…
Right next to me?

At that moment—

Swish!

A hand reached into my chest, clearly aiming for my belt.

But…

Smack.

“Why are you so slow?”

“Gah…!”

Despite being ambushed, the attacker was so slow that even in my current state, I managed to grab their wrist.

If someone like me, in this condition, could catch them,
then they were painfully slow.

How did they even survive up to the third test?
I really wanted to rest, but with things as they were, I forced myself to stand.

My muscles screamed in protest as I pushed myself up,
but I gritted my teeth and bore it.

The figure struggled to pull their wrist free from my grip,
but they clearly didn’t have the strength.

Using their arm as leverage, I pulled them closer to take a better look.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I… I’m sorry…!”

The figure had black hair,
with long bangs covering most of their face.

They were clearly panicking, surprised that I had caught them so easily.
Pathetic.

It was a guy, but he seemed incredibly frail…

“Hm?”

Through the strands of hair, I caught a glimpse of trembling eyes.
The moment I saw those watery eyes, I grabbed their throat, pinning them down.

“Gah…! W-wait…!”

“You.”

I let go of their wrist and lifted their bangs to get a better look at their face.

“…Huh?”

The moment I saw their face, I let out a hollow sigh.

How was I supposed to find them when they came straight to me?

No…

Was it even right to call them "them"?
In my past life, they had clearly been a…

Why do they look like this?

I could have sworn they had been a woman.