It had been around ten days since I ended up here.

With each passing day, my hope of waking up from this nightmare faded. Now, my only goal was to figure out what this world wanted from me and escape.

Crack!

Someone's bones snapped.

"Ugh…"

A short cry escaped before they took their last breath. The symbol for "Justice" was emblazoned on their white martial robes.

A warrior from the Murim Alliance.

Thud.

The head slumped forward, and the body fell limp, its eyes rolling back. I brushed my hands off with a grim expression.

Every sensation here was disturbingly vivid.

‘…How revolting.’

Corpses were scattered all around.

Most of them wore the white uniforms of the Murim Alliance, though here and there lay demons as well, few in number. These weren’t warriors of the Black Flame Unit; they were warriors chosen from the Ghost Blade Squad.

I observed the scene for a moment.

A damp feeling ran down my cheek, and I wiped it with my thumb—blood.

Frowning, I knew exactly where it had come from.

During a recent ambush by the Alliance warriors, I had been wounded, failing to defend myself properly. It wasn’t because I’d been caught off guard. I had sensed them, and they were merely warriors who had barely surpassed the realm of peak experts. There was no way I would have been struck by them.

Except…

‘I hesitated.’

I had hesitated to kill.

I couldn’t ignore the despair in the eyes of the Alliance warrior lunging at me—the desperation, the overwhelming will to survive, the fear.

That brief hesitation was enough to let the warrior’s blade graze my cheek.

‘Damn it…’

Remembering the sensation in my hand, I cursed internally.

I had no fear of killing; if I had, my life since the regression would have been very different.

‘…It’s just disgusting.’

Everything about this situation made me sick—the fact that I had come back to this wretched time, fighting in this cursed war again, and the looks in their eyes as I struck them down.

‘I need to get out of here, fast.’

Perhaps that was why I felt so restless, desperate to escape this hell.

Footsteps approached me from behind just then, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Recruit."

“…!”

A lethargic, almost eerie voice. There was only one person who spoke that way.

“…Yes, Deputy Lord."

Seeing Sword Demon Empress approach, I straightened and gave a brief bow. She stopped a few steps away and continued in her characteristic, unhurried tone.

"…What… are you doing…?"

"…"

"…You'll die… like that."

"Understood."

Around us, demons exchanged puzzled glances at her unexpected reprimand, but I knew what she meant.

Amid the corpses around us lay a particularly shredded pile of flesh—that had been the warrior who grazed my cheek.

The instant his blade scratched me, the Sword Demon Empress unleashed a flurry of qi blades, striking him multiple times in the blink of an eye.

As I looked at the remains, I felt something cold and bitter rise within me. With each sight like this, the reality of this world became harder to ignore.

If Namgung Bi-ah had been here, she wouldn’t have killed so brutally. At most, she’d have ended it with a single blow.

‘…Ha.’

I exhaled, half a sigh, half a laugh.

In the past, I had compared Namgung Bi-ah to Sword Demon Empress. Now, I found myself searching for traces of Namgung Bi-ah within her.

It was a foul, twisted feeling—such a selfish thought.

‘Had I wanted to erase the past that much?’

I had told Dangjemun that I would bear my regrets and move forward, yet maybe I had only wanted to forget.

Maybe that was why I was being forced to witness this world, as if to say, Don't forget. Remember your regrets.

‘If that’s true… this is terrifying.’

The sight of this damned place was filling me with dread.

"…"

Sword Demon Empress, observing me, wore a slight, peculiar expression on her face.

Clink.

Then she sheathed her sword and turned to leave.

"…Be careful."

"Understood. My apologies."

With those brief words, she disappeared from sight.

Once she was gone, the demons exhaled the breaths they had been holding, murmuring quietly among themselves. One of them approached me.

"Hey, rookie."

This "rookie" title was still hard to get used to.

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to have some connection with the Deputy Lord?"

"Huh?"

What kind of question was that?

"What do you mean?"

The demon continued as if to clarify.

"I mean, the Deputy Lord… she doesn’t usually treat anyone that… warmly."

The demon didn’t add “except the Unit Lord,” but the implication was clear.

“Warmly?”

Whatever part of her demeanor seemed "warm," I couldn’t fathom.

"There’s no such thing."

I chuckled at the absurdity of it.

As for any connection with Sword Demon Empress? There was no such thing.

At least, not in this place.

She doesn’t know me here, after all.

And that was enough for me.

 

   ******************
 

The Black Flame Squad, with its headquarters near Sichuan, didn't have much to do after successfully capturing the region—unless the Heavenly Demon War were to begin in earnest.

The most they dealt with were remnants of the Meng Clan who had hidden around Sichuan or patrolling the area to check for problems. The only notable change was that, after hearing of the Celestial Lord, their vigilance had intensified somewhat.

‘You can tell just by the fact that the Black Flame Squad is patrolling in person.’

Each member could match the rank of the Deputy Chief of Meng’s Sword Unit, and among the Black Flame Squad, aside from the Squad Leader, six or seven others could rival the elders or heads of other prominent clans.

The fact that even such high-ranking members were patrolling in person meant the Celestial Lord’s presence was having a significant impact.

From afar, I observed the Sword Demon moving toward the main hall.

‘The Celestial Lord was her opponent.’

That was how I remembered it.

While the Celestial Lord diverted everyone’s attention, the one directly facing him was none other than the Sword Demon.

She wielded Namgung Clan’s sword against another Namgung sword, intending to end her own bloodline with her own hands.

The problem was…

‘She ultimately didn’t succeed.’

Defeating the Celestial Lord, even under normal circumstances, was no small feat.

No matter how skilled the Sword Demon was as the inheritor of the Sword Empress title, the Celestial Lord had stood above the world as a supreme warrior for decades.

The Sword Demon knew that best, so she mobilized all her forces against him.

Then came the real issue.

‘That was when the Defeated Lord assaulted the main base.’

While the Celestial Lord drew attention, the Defeated Lord launched a sudden attack, and I ended up confronting him. That was the real problem.

The thing is…

‘...She came to save me.’

In the midst of a brutal fight with the Defeated Lord, with most of the demonic cultivators dead and me moments from death, the Sword Demon arrived to pull me away from him.

By doing so, she left her post as the main force against the Celestial Lord, causing her forces to fall apart.

Mookwon barely survived but lost one of his arms.

The Celestial Lord, having suffered injuries, withdrew, and the Defeated Lord, also wounded, was eventually pursued by the Heaven-Suppressing Black Shadow Squad and almost killed by the Squad Leader of the Demon Clan.

It was only then that Paeng Woo-jin arrived to save the Defeated Lord.

The Sword Demon’s death was caused by abandoning her post to save me.

With wounds from her battle with the Celestial Lord, she stood against the Defeated Lord.

She managed to escape from him and prevented Sichuan from being lost, but the injuries she suffered from the Celestial Lord and Defeated Lord led to her death during a later attack.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Let’s be honest.

The Sword Demon could have escaped if she wanted to.

If she’d wished, she could have lived. But she…

‘Ultimately died for me.’

She came back for me. She died for me.

What an incredibly messed-up thing.

Did she ever know? That I had wished for death every moment?

At first, I wanted to die at my father’s hand.

Then I wanted to die by the Defeated Lord’s.

In the last attack, I only hoped that I would be the only one to die.

I watched her back.

‘Will you make the same choice this time too?’

I knew it.

In this world, the Sword Demon would likely make the same choice, and if I interfered, maybe I could change things.

But even knowing that, I couldn’t do anything.

“...”

If things faltered now…

‘The Sacred Sword… he’ll die.’

Closing my eyes tight, I thought.

The Sacred Sword would die.

Yes, that’s what would happen.

I would be forced to move at all costs.

Gritting my teeth.

Clenching my fist as I watched her back.

That’s why this life is like hell.

No matter what choice I made, someone would die.

Even if this is all an illusion, none of the choices are easy.

Even if my regret was bound up with the Sword Demon’s death…

If I chose to save her, then the Sacred Sword might die.

Would that regret be any less?

‘On the other hand… what if I just let the Sword Demon die?’

Would it be all right to choose the same path as before? Would that be enough?

‘Ha...’

Reflecting back, I remembered what Tang Jemun had once told me.

He said it wouldn’t matter what choice I made. Nothing would change.

“...”

Now, looking back, that seemed like a meaningful statement. Did he know I would face this situation and give me that advice?

If so, it was an incredibly cruel thing to say.

‘Nothing matters?’

Bullshit.

‘How could it not matter?’

It couldn’t be.

Even if this is all an illusion, to watch it all so vividly and remain calm…

I…

I absolutely couldn’t do that.

“...”

That’s why my thoughts only grew heavier and more exhausting.

Because nothing about this was simple to choose.

However—

Fortunately, there was another option. Perhaps the easiest or maybe the hardest one.

If I wanted to accomplish something, I would choose that path.

Creeeeak

I moved, bloodstained, as I entered the headquarters.

The smell of blood so heavy in the air was now unremarkable.

I’d once lived such a life before; readapting wasn’t difficult.

Thinking so, I passed through the corridor and arrived at the main hall, where, for some reason, the smell of blood felt even stronger than usual.

‘Hmm?’

I wasn’t the only one who noticed this. The Sword Demon walking ahead of me exuded a faint aura, as though something had disturbed her.

Thud

The large doors opened, and as I entered the main hall, there were already others gathered inside.

Curious, I glanced around, noting the intense, tangible bloodlust thick in the air, seeping from outside the bodies of those present.

They each wore swords at their waists, and I quickly realized who they were.

“Heh heh.”

Hearing laughter, I looked up.

Sitting on the throne where the Black Flame Squad Leader should be was a man with his hair cascading down and a twisted smirk on his face.

The spine-chilling madness and murderous intent emanating from him made my skin crawl.

‘...That guy.’

As I recognized him, I furrowed my brow.

The people filling the hall were the demons of the Ghost Sword Clan.

Which meant the man on the throne was their leader—

‘Sword Demon .’

None other than the Sword Demon, known as the Heavenly Killer.

The Sword Demon laughed as he looked at the Sword Empress.

“It’s been a while, Sword Empress.”

“...”

Swish

The Sword Empress drew her sword in response and calmly whispered as she looked at him.

“...Get down.”

“Hm? What was that?”

“Get down. That is… not your seat.”

Her aura surged powerfully, compressing the energy within the hall to the point it felt like it pressed on one’s core.

The Sword Demon only chuckled as he felt her energy.

“Come now, the Squad Leader isn’t even here. Why make such a fuss over a little seat?”

“...”

Just as the Sword Empress began gathering her lightning aura, he shrugged and obediently stepped down.

‘That lunatic.’

The Sword Demon was just as insane as the rumors said.

If Mookwon was the least demon-like demon I knew, then the Sword Demon was the most demon-like of all.

Step

He descended the stairs and approached her.

“They say the Squad Leader is away. Do you know where he is, Sword Empress?”

“...”

The Sword Empress gave no response, merely watching him in silence.

Perhaps that irritated him, for he clicked his tongue and continued.

“Hmph, still that fierce look. If it weren’t for that, you’d be quite beautiful.”

With his remark, the Black Flame Squad members tensed, and the murderous aura from the Ghost Sword Clan also thickened.

In the midst of it, I found myself baffled by what was happening.

‘These lunatics?’

Suddenly, all gathered, ready to start a fight amongst themselves.

Usually, I was out roaming, so I hadn’t known things were this tense.

As I tried to think of a way to handle it, our eyes met.

“Hmm?”

"...!"

The Sword Demon, who had been locked in a tense gaze with the Sword Empress, suddenly turned his eyes toward me, his gaze filled with murderous curiosity.

“A face I haven’t seen before? Who is this one?”

With a chilling smile, he took a step toward me.

Unsure what to do, I frowned slightly at the sudden approach.

And then his expression shifted.

“Oh, look at that expression! You don’t know who I am, do you? That must be why you’re making a face like that in my presence.”

Damn it.

I’d caught the attention of this sadistic madman.

I should’ve just stared at the floor; now things were getting complicated.

Swish

The Sword Demon reached out, grabbing my chin, examining me closely.

“See? This is what happens when no one teaches them properly. Is he new? How strange. He looks different… but something about him resembles that person.”

It was clear who he meant, even without further explanation.

The Sword Demon furrowed his brow as he continued.

“...Maybe that’s why. I don’t like his eyes. If he keeps looking at me like that, I’ll…”

And that’s when it happened.

“To teach him a lesson, I’ll tear his eyes out…”

BOOM!

In an instant, an immense aura exploded as the Sword Demon’s body was slammed against the wall.

Thud! Crash!

Dust burst forth as debris from the shattered wall rained down on him.

The situation had unfolded in a heartbeat.

Stunned, I looked over at the person responsible.

Crackle

Having just struck the Sword Demon, the Sword Empress radiated a powerful aura with no intention of holding it back.

With lightning intertwined in her energy, her presence was intensely palpable.

The Sword Empress’s aura was so overwhelming that the surrounding space seemed to ripple.

The demons of the Ghost Sword Clan, caught off guard, didn’t even draw their swords.

And in that silence, the Sword Empress raised her energy and spoke.

“...With that… filthy hand… don’t touch me without permission.”

Her voice carried a rare and clear anger as she directed her words at the Sword Demon.