She had memories.

She didn’t dare to call them “reminiscences,” so she simply referred to them as memories (記憶).

It was a night when the full moon hung high in the sky.

While others gradually stopped paying attention to how much time had passed since they had been stranded here, she alone remembered each passing day.

She couldn’t help it—she never forgot anything she had seen once. So, she remembered the flow of time as well.

Two years and a little more.

That was how long she had survived in this place called the Magyeong (Demonic Realm).

The sky was red.

And the rising moon was just as ominous in its crimson hue. Since the sky was the same day and night, she had to judge whether it was night or day by the moon’s position.

[...]

It was truly a cursed world.

This was what she thought as she sat on a rock, gazing up at the sky.

The colors. The dead trees and the land, all withered and drained of life.

How could such a world not be ominous?

Sigh.

She exhaled a white breath that contrasted with the crimson world around her, often wondering.

Perhaps the reason this world, which only seemed ominous, also felt strangely sorrowful was because there was something else here. Something different.

Something was twisted.

Instinctively, she realized there was something wrong with this world, but she couldn’t figure out what the answer was, leaving her confused.

[...]

She opened her eyes and gazed at the moon.

Was it just her imagination?

At times, it felt as if the crimson moon was trying to speak to her.

Should she answer? If so, what should she say? Should she greet it?

She pondered this for a long while.

But in the end, she never opened her mouth to speak.

It was then—

“I finally found you.”

A voice came from below the hill where she sat.

Most martial artists in the Magyeong used sound transmission to communicate, but there were few who still spoke aloud like that.

And even fewer spoke to her in such a rough voice.

With black hair.

Eyes as black as his hair, but with a faint tinge of red.

A fierce-looking young man dressed in a torn and dust-covered red martial robe.

[...]

He was the man she hated most.

Looking down at his fierce gaze, she spoke.

“I told you it’s dangerous to make noise.”

Her voice came through sound transmission.

“You crazy woman, are you mocking me?”

He spoke aloud.

“Do you think I don’t want to use sound transmission?”

“Then make the effort to use it.”

“You always say such shitty things. Today, you’re especially annoying.”

The man smirked, as if amused, his lips curling upward.

Her brow furrowed—a rare expression of displeasure.

He was the only one.

She always maintained a calm, emotionless expression, suppressing her feelings to the maximum, but he was the only blemish on her perfect composure. Every time they met, he had a way of turning her inside out.

—What was this filthy bastard saying? How dare he push his foulness upon her?

Even their first encounter when they were young had been like this. It was one of the reasons she had taken up the sword.

Though that useless man probably didn’t even remember.

“Anyway, why are you here?”

“Why else? It’s time to switch guard duty, so I came to find you.”

Clicking his tongue, the man scanned the surroundings before turning to her with irritation in his voice.

“I told you before, if you’re going to stand watch, stay near the camp. Don’t bother climbing the mountains.”

[...] "It’s more efficient to stand guard from a higher position.”

“Maybe for you. But I hate climbing up and down this mountain.”

“I also told you that if you lit a flare, I’d come down. Just signal, and I’ll come.”

[...]

The man scowled as he turned his head.

It was something they had argued about before.

It was more efficient for her, given her skill, to stand guard from a higher vantage point.

That’s why she often positioned herself at higher terrain rather than near the others at the camp.

This man was next in line to stand watch after her.

She had told him that if he lit a flare from the camp, she would see it and come down, but this man often climbed the mountain just to talk to her.

She couldn’t understand it.

They weren’t exactly on good terms.

She lightly shook her head at the thought and looked down the hill.

“It seems your noisy friend came along too.”

Another man was climbing up behind him.

Unlike his nickname, he was a loud man.

He often approached her to chat, always encouraging her to converse with the people she disliked the most.

She didn’t care for him much, though he was a hundred times better than the fierce man standing before her.

“Ah, here you are!”

He was the one they called “Sleeping Dragon.”

“Flare, why don’t you come down with us next time?”

“You crazy bastard, what are you talking about? You’re next on guard duty.”

“It’d be nice if we could chat and pass the time together. It’d be less boring for you, too, Flare.”

“So you want me to stay up with you during your shift?”

“Hehe.”

“Hehe, my ass… Get lost already.”

Watching the exchange made her sigh involuntarily. She couldn’t understand it.

She believed that all humans were equal in dignity and worth, but paradoxically, not all were equal in rank.

It wasn’t because she was the heir of a great sword master.

Nor was it because of the prestigious bloodlines of noble families and sects.

This man was a twisted human being.

He had no kindness in his nature and never bothered to gauge the level of the person he was dealing with before baring his fangs.

In that sense, he was no different from a monster. It made sense to think that way.

Moreover, he had no talent for martial arts and didn’t even try to improve.

Unlike the others in the Magyeong who struggled to build their skills in order to survive, this man was entirely different. So why did the man they called “Sleeping Dragon” cling to him?

In her eyes, it was as if he had given up on everything.

Perhaps the reason he showed his teeth even to those he could never defeat was because he had no issue with dying right there and then.

Or maybe… he was hoping for it.

Why?

Why did he wish for death?

If he wanted to die so badly, he could just end his life himself.

[...]

She realized she was thinking too coldly.

She tried to erase those thoughts from her mind.

She needed to avoid such cold-hearted thinking.

Every time she did, she felt her humanity slipping away.

No, that wasn’t quite right.

It was more like she was struggling to preserve the humanity she had painstakingly built, lest it collapse.

“I’ll head down first.”

She spoke and prepared to return to the camp. Although she didn’t really need sleep, she did feel the need to rest her exhausted mind.

Suddenly—

Slam.

Sleeping Dragon grabbed her wrist.

“Oh, come on, why are you leaving so soon?”

“...!”

“You’re not going to sleep anyway, right? How about sticking around for a chat?”

Why?

She already knew Sleeping Dragon was a reckless man.

It wouldn’t usually anger her if he acted like this.

But for some reason, it made her furious at that moment.

“Hmm?”

Sleeping Dragon flinched.

“Little Sword Saint?”

Why?

This shouldn’t have upset her.

But for some reason, anger surged within her.

She couldn’t tell if it was because of the series of inexplicable events that had piled up, or for some other reason entirely.

All she knew was that she was filled with a maddening disgust at the thought of this lowly being touching her.

“Stop.”

And it was “that” man who separated her from Sleeping Dragon.

“Why are you grabbing her when she says she’s leaving?”

“No, I just—”

“And take yourself down with her while you’re at it.”

His words were like a growl.

“Oh, come on…”

Sleeping Dragon chuckled, trying to brush it off, while she resumed walking away.

As she walked, she glanced back at the two of them.

Sleeping Dragon had begun chattering energetically at the fierce man by his side.

The man sat back down on the rock without replying, his back turned to her.

She stared at his back.

It wasn’t broad, but for some reason, it seemed darker than ever.

And as always, the man didn’t look back at her.

She did the same. There was no reason for her to try and read the emotions hidden in that back.

And yet, for some reason, the fiery emotion that had flared up inside her had suddenly subsided.

She couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but calming her thoughts seemed more important for now.

She walked down toward the camp.

Her heart was pounding heavily, but her chest felt cold.

At first, she had called this a memory.

But she had to correct herself.

This was regret.

The regret of wondering what could have been if things had been just a little different.

That was why she couldn’t stop thinking about it, even now.

Even though she knew she couldn’t return to that time.

It was regret that she couldn’t stop thinking about.

It was like an excuse she told herself, trying to console herself, saying that she had no choice back then.

So what was left for her now?

To watch him from afar?

Or even up close?

To take on his burden and be content with that?

To forcibly keep together a soul that should have shattered long ago and be satisfied with releasing her regrets?

She didn’t know.

“Let go.”

But even so, there was only one thing she could do.

“How dare you touch him with those filthy hands.”

I protect him.

That’s what all of this was for.

Crack, crack.

The earth beneath the great mountain began to crumble.

The long trail of destruction spread wider, creating a new space.

A single swing.

The aftermath was beyond imagination.

“Huff... Huff...”

The resonating demonic energy that had swelled to my throat suddenly calmed down.

Gu Yangcheon barely managed to exhale, shaking off the oppressive force, but...

He couldn’t stop his trembling eyes.

Not even when he faced Cheonma. Not even when the demonic energy within him went wild.

He hadn’t felt anything like this before.

Boom.

A sound came from the shattered earth.

Emerging through the swirling dust was Cheonma.

Thud.

Cheonma dusted off his body, not a scratch on him.

‘Even if the timing is off, Cheonma is still Cheonma, after all.’

The last time I had seen him, he looked like a child, barely over ten years old. Now, several years had passed, and he appeared to be about my age.

It meant his growth was different.

“...”

Cheonma stood silently, watching Wi Seol-ah.

He observed her holding her sword and then...

Swoosh.

With one hand, he formed black energy into the shape of a sword, as if imitating her.

Seeing this, Wi Seol-ah’s expression twisted.

Then she shot forward, her body hurtling toward Cheonma.

Boom—! Crack!

Their energies collided, the impact spreading in all directions.

Even Gu Yangcheon, standing nearby, felt the shockwave hit his exhausted body. At this point, all he could do was try to hold his ground and avoid being blown away.

‘Something’s strange.’

I wasn’t just talking about Cheonma’s appearance at this point in time.

Although that was strange, too.

What mattered more was Wi Seol-ah.

From what I knew, Wi Seol-ah was in the pinnacle stage. If I had to describe it, I’d say she was in the mature stage of the pinnacle.

In other words, she shouldn’t have been capable of exerting that level of power.

It was clear.

Boom—!

Wi Seol-ah’s sword path was slowly pushing Cheonma back.

Could such a thing be possible?

Was Cheonma’s realm shallow?

It was possible.

After all, I didn’t know exactly what stage Cheonma was at now.

Demonic energy spread in all directions, rough yet with a strange sense of order, as if following Cheonma’s hand gestures.

Wi Seol-ah cut through the demonic energy as she advanced.

Every time her sword slashed through the air, it left a white trace.

It was the trace of the energy that now surrounded Wi Seol-ah’s body.

That was the problem.

The black demonic energy was being swallowed up and dissipated by Wi Seol-ah’s energy.

The golden energy had surpassed that and turned white.

It was the very reason Wi Seol-ah had been able to dominate demonic beings in my previous life.

And it was the power that had allowed her to eventually stop Cheonma.

‘How?’

There was no way Wi Seol-ah should be able to use that power now.

It wasn’t something she should be able to use now.

That power wasn’t from the martial arts of the Sword Master, especially considering the Sword Master had been helpless before Cheonma.

It was a power Wi Seol-ah had discovered through her own enlightenment.

It was the power she had mastered only at the end of my previous life.

So how was she using it now?

What was the reason?

Oddly, I found that more important than Cheonma’s sudden appearance.

My back tingled.

My ears were ringing with strange sounds, as if filled with static.

My breathing grew rough.

Why?

Was it the backlash of the demonic energy?

That was part of it.

The backlash of the demonic energy was still strong.

The pain was intense enough to make me feel like I might pass out at any moment.

But why...

My focus wasn’t on that.

My focus was entirely on Wi Seol-ah.

On the woman who was slashing her sword toward Cheonma, her body enveloped in that white energy.

Wi Seol-ah was strong now.

She was talented enough to be called the Divine Sword in my previous life.

Even though only a few years had passed since we parted, she had already reached the pinnacle stage.

So there was no doubt Wi Seol-ah was strong.

But something about her now felt different.

‘Why…?’

The woman I was looking at now wasn’t the same woman who used to approach me with a bright smile.

She wasn’t the woman who delighted in food, her face beaming with joy as she ate.

No, now she was the woman who suppressed her emotions, enduring sorrow and pain with a single-minded resolve to save the world.

Boom, boom, boom—!

As the white energy clashed repeatedly with the demonic energy, it became clear that the demonic energy was gradually gaining the upper hand.

While moments ago, the white energy had been advancing and destroying the demonic energy, now...

I turned my gaze to Cheonma.

Cheonma’s expression remained as calm as it had been from the start.

At one point, when he had been pushed back, his face showed a hint of surprise.

But that was only for a moment.

The demonic energy grew stronger.

The demonic energy continued to be devoured and scattered, but...

The amount of demonic energy that was being released increased.

It was as if Cheonma was saying that if the energy was being swallowed up, he would just release even more.

It was truly a monstrous way of responding.

“Ugh...!”

As the demonic energy intensified, Wi Seol-ah let out a groan.

The energy she couldn’t block grazed her, leaving wounds on her body. Yet even in that moment, she twisted her energy to keep any damage from reaching me.

‘No.’

I didn’t want to see this.

I didn’t want to see her facing off against Cheonma again.

I had fought so hard and trained so rigorously to prevent this.

Whether it was the bloodshed that was about to descend upon the world...

Or the countless lives that would be lost...

None of that mattered to me.

Only one thing.

I didn’t want her to bear that burden again.

That was the life I had been living for.

But now...

Was I once again powerless to do anything but watch?

What had I climbed to the realm of Hwakyung for?

I couldn’t even protect this small woman and instead was being protected by her.

‘What should I do?’

I wanted to move immediately, to pull her away from there. I wanted to stop Cheonma here and now.

If I could do that, everything would change.

‘Then I have to move.’

So don’t just sit here like a fool. Move!

“Ugh...”

I tried to rise to my knees, but the pain from my dantian forced me back down.

How? How could I stop this?

I thought desperately, my bloodshot eyes searching for a solution.

How could I calm the demonic energy that was raging toward its true master and regain control of my body?

“...”

The answer came to me quickly.

Of course, it did. I had known the answer all along.

As I became dazed from the resonance of the demonic energy, the only way to relieve this burden came to mind.

It would bring this life closer to the end of my previous one.

But it was the only way to ease the pain right now.

What came next was hesitation.

This decision could plunge my life back into hell.

After everything was over, finding peace might become even more distant.

Or it might disappear entirely.

I lifted my head and looked forward.

“Ugh...”

I looked at the woman who was blocking the demonic energy and swinging her sword to protect me.

Was peace in the future more important than this?

It wasn’t.

My hesitation ended.

It had never really been a decision I needed to make in the first place.

Grit.

I released the hold I had on the rampaging demonic energy.

And then.

I drew in as much demonic energy as I could.