As I stared at my sword, held tightly in Cheonma’s grasp, a single thought took hold of my mind.
‘…To this extent…?’
Was the difference in our power truly so vast?
What could I possibly hope to do against an existence like hers?
Hiss…
A faint, unsettling sound came from where her hand gripped my blade, as if something were burning. It was the purging energy within my sword, trying to purify her dark aura.
This power was the very reason I was known as a beacon of hope for Zhongyuan.
But Cheonma only glanced at her scorched fingers.
Snap!
With a simple motion, she shattered my sword, breaking it in two as if it were nothing—even though it had been infused with all my energy.
"…"
Without pause, Cheonma extended her hand toward my neck.
Seeing this, I closed my eyes instinctively.
Was this… the end?
Strangely enough, the thought brought a sense of calm. My grip loosened, and just as I was surrendering to that strange peace—
"I’ve seen this countless times, and still, nothing changes."
Her cold voice broke through, laced with a hint of irritation.
"No matter how many times it repeats, you always choose this weak girl."
The words forced my eyes open, and I found myself staring at someone’s back.
"And it seems that, no matter what, that never changes."
Someone had stepped between me and Cheonma, shielding me.
Stunned, I looked at the figure standing in front of me as they spoke.
"I don’t know what kind of nonsense you’re spouting…."
The voice was young, a little rough, yet somehow familiar.
"When someone’s trying to talk, you don’t just start a fight out of nowhere. We still have things to discuss, don’t we?"
But even through his words, a faint tremor in the young man’s voice was unmistakable.
As I faced Cheonma’s cold, piercing gaze, a single thought flooded my mind.
‘This is bad.’
No doubt about it—this was seriously bad.
‘Why the hell did I…?’
What was I thinking, jumping in like this?
Standing against Cheonma? It was reckless beyond belief.
But here I was.
‘Was I asking to die?’
There was no other way to explain it.
Standing in Cheonma’s way like this? That wasn’t something you did without a death wish.
Cheonma’s gaze settled on me.
It was the same as the last time, but now, it felt even colder, more unforgiving.
"Patriarch."
Her voice was filled with winter frost, each word cutting and frigid.
"I’m in a very good mood today."
The words that followed were painfully ironic.
"For the first time in a long while… today is a refreshing, pleasant day."
Cheonma’s lips curved into a smile, and a chill ran down my spine.
Only her eyes smiled.
"And yet, your presence here makes it rather… bothersome."
Tap.
"…!"
Suddenly, I felt something press against my forehead.
It was Cheonma’s hand.
She had reached out and touched my forehead before I even realized it.
"I’m angry, and I need a way to vent. Understand?"
"What are you—"
Boom!
"Guh…!"
A massive impact struck my forehead, forcing me to my knees.
What just happened? What hit me?
I clutched my forehead, my head throbbing as if I’d been struck with a blunt object.
A flick?
Did she just flick my forehead? It sounded absurd, yet the shape of her hand suggested exactly that.
Being flicked out of nowhere was surprising enough, but the sheer force behind it was beyond reason.
"It’s been a while since I last struck you. Do you remember ever being hit by me?"
"Haa… haa…."
One flick, and my mind was in disarray.
Cheonma continued talking, but I could barely respond.
"Judging by your expression, I suppose this is a first for you."
Chuckle.
Her soft laughter echoed in my ears.
Barely managing to recover, I forced out a question.
"What… what the hell is this…?"
"Isn’t it considerate of me? I could have torn your head off, yet I merely gave you a light touch."
"…"
As she said this, Cheonma reached out and ran her fingers through my hair.
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead from her touch.
"If this displeases you, I can still rip your head off. Would you prefer that?"
Her hand moved softly, but I could feel the hidden thorns in her touch.
I was terrified.
Was it because of the fight I had just witnessed?
‘She’s still a monster.’
I didn’t know how strong Wi Seol-ah was in this world, but I could tell from her attack just now—she wasn’t weak.
And yet Cheonma toyed with her as if she were nothing more than a child.
‘Toyed with? Not even close.’
It wasn’t even that.
With a weary expression, she had merely waved her hand carelessly.
That had been more than enough.
It completely neutralized Wi Seol-ah.
The scene was overwhelmingly daunting.
‘Damn it.’
Just watching drained any will to fight.
An endless reserve of power that rendered any struggle pointless.
And it raised the walls of despair even higher.
Cheonma.
Her overwhelming force had never been clearer.
While Wi Seol-ah poured every ounce of her strength into her attacks,
Cheonma hadn’t moved a single step from her initial position.
And even then, she hadn’t let go of her grip on the surrounding space.
It was as if she had subdued Wi Seol-ah with a single hand.
Looking at this, a thought crossed my mind.
‘How did you defeat this monster?’
Watching Wi Seol-ah, collapsed and struggling to catch her breath, I couldn’t help but wonder.
With such an insurmountable difference in power, how had the Sacred Sword of my previous life managed to defeat Cheonma?
Despite the splitting pain in my head, this question lingered.
"Rest for now. We can continue our conversation after I’m finished here."
"Finished…?"
At my words, Cheonma responded curtly.
"I’m going to kill that refuse over there, and then exterminate every last insect in this area."
There was no mistaking that the "insects" she spoke of referred to the warriors of the Martial Alliance beyond.
She had often referred to the orthodox faction as insects in her past life as well.
"If they received my mercy with arrogance, then punishment is only fitting, don’t you think?"
Her words were laced with sincerity.
Cheonma had never spoken falsehoods before, and this, too, was undoubtedly her honest intent.
It meant that—
‘She intends to kill Wi Seol-ah.’
She intended to finish off Wi Seol-ah, who seemed as if she’d lost the will to fight.
Cheonma extended her hand.
Wooooooom.
Dark energy gathered above it, forming a shape.
Though it was no bigger than half a palm,
Tremble.
the sheer intensity of the energy caused everything around us to shake.
How concentrated must that power be to cause such a reaction?
As the energy continued to coalesce, Cheonma glanced at Wi Seol-ah.
"I’ll give you one last chance. Run away, and I won’t pursue you."
Her gaze wavered as Cheonma offered mercy.
"Mercy…?"
"Yes, a promise is a promise, after all."
"…"
The moment she heard the word "promise," a thought crossed my mind.
The promise Cheonma referred to was undoubtedly the one she had made with me.
‘Please… just go.’
Clutching my aching forehead, I silently prayed for Wi Seol-ah to leave.
But.
"I…"
I knew she wouldn’t.
Wi Seol-ah, with trembling hands, pressed against the ground and spoke.
"I have no intention of fleeing while you’re bringing bloodshed upon us…."
Cheonma’s eyebrow twitched at her response.
"Still clinging to excuses. It would have been better if you’d simply asked me to kill you."
"…"
"A shell wrapped in ideals is the most wretched of all. If that’s what you desire, then so be it."
The dark energy in Cheonma’s hand took on a shape, resembling a slender dagger.
I could tell just by looking at it.
An absurd amount of energy was compressed within it.
If that small blade flew toward someone, the surrounding area would likely be obliterated by the sheer force.
Cheonma’s gaze turned toward me briefly.
"Anything beyond this doesn’t fall under the promise. You understand that, don’t you?"
"…"
I bit down hard.
Her resolute words struck deep, and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated at Wi Seol-ah’s determination.
What could I do?
What could possibly…
"…"
Suddenly, an idea flickered in my mind.
My lips felt dry as I considered it.
It was something I’d been reluctant to voice.
But.
"…Someone told me once."
There was no other way to halt Cheonma.
At my trembling words, her face twisted in rare displeasure.
"If you plan on entertaining me with more drivel…."
"That you were the one who rewound my time and sent me back to the past."
Cheonma froze.
The hand that had been poised to release the energy stopped in midair.
Confirming her reaction, I continued.
"They said it was you… is that true?"
Cheonma’s gaze shifted away from Wi Seol-ah and settled on me.
Looking into her eyes, I felt a surge of shock myself.
For the first time since I had met Cheonma, I saw a look of genuine surprise on her face.