Chapter 297: The Two of Us (5)
Cheon Yura shouted with a face full of frustration.
“Does it look like our bond is weaker than theirs?!”
I tilted my head slightly.
“But we already call each other informally. Even if we go further than them….”
The words came out of my mouth before I could even think them through.
“Maybe something like… a kiss?”
“A… a kiss?!”
Cheon Yura gasped.
Judging by the horrified look in her eyes, she seemed deeply shocked.
“No, I don’t think you need to be so surprised over just a kiss….”
“…‘Just’? Don’t tell me you’ve done it before, Jin Yeomyung?!”
Her tone turned cold in an instant.
‘Damn!’
This era was still rigid when it came to relationships.
I had just stepped on a landmine by carelessly running my mouth, bound by old customs.
Cheon Yura strode up to me and locked eyes with mine at close range.
“Look me straight in the eye and answer.”
“Uh, well….”
I opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish.
To be honest… back in my previous life, I had fooled around with courtesans plenty of times, and things like kissing had happened lightly….
As I dug through my memories, I tilted my head.
‘…None?’
I was the grand heir of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.
Naturally, I only visited top-class courtesan houses like Miok Fortress.
Ironically, such places were surprisingly strict about chastity, and unless you intended to completely claim a woman, even something as light as a kiss wasn’t easily allowed.
‘Then, going back to my first life….’
That life had been complete chaos from the start.
I hadn’t even made it to the stage of being lovers… there had been someone I had vaguely promised a future with, but before anything could happen, I died alongside my comrades.
I had even said something like, ‘If I survive this, I’ll propose to her,’ but in the end, those words became my greatest regret of that life.
After that, life kept getting worse, and I had been too busy fighting and surviving to even think about such things.
Come to think of it….
‘…None?’
I sank into sudden self-loathing and muttered blankly.
“I… I really don’t think I have…”
What the hell had my life been…!
I silently screamed as I grabbed my hair in frustration.
Regret for digging up memories I should have left buried.
Humiliation for never having had a proper romance in any of my lives.
As all those emotions mixed, I crumbled to the ground.
But then.
“…Hmm. Hm?”
Cheon Yura curved her eyes into a satisfied smile, as if she was enjoying the sight of me crumbling.
“So, you really haven’t? No experience?”
‘…What is this?’
What was with that strange sense of smugness?
No, rather than smugness, it felt more like pure happiness.
“Then the answer’s simple.”
“Huh?!”
Cheon Yura roughly grabbed the front of my robe.
And then, she pulled me straight toward her.
The distance between us closed so much that if I exhaled, I would feel her skin.
“Then there’s no reason for this lady to feel embarrassed. You won’t remember it once we return anyway.”
“What do you mean by that… mmph!”
I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Because my lips were covered by Cheon Yura’s.
‘…Chrysanthemum scent.’
As her familiar fragrance reached me, time seemed to stop.
With her eyes closed, her hand gently wrapped around the back of my head.
I, too, naturally placed my hand on her back.
At first, I was flustered, but that feeling didn’t last long.
Soon enough, I calmly accepted her lips.
“……”
“……”
From a short distance away, Ma Seoyeon, who had been watching the whole thing, shouted with her mouth wide open.
“Th-That brazen little witch! Look at her completely flipping her attitude like that?!”
Yoo Jeon also exclaimed in amazement.
“…The youngest’s partner is truly bold!”
“Wh-What kind of kids grow up these days to do such shameless things without hesitation…!”
Despite her scolding words, Ma Seoyeon’s face was full of envy.
Before long, Cheon Yura and I parted our lips.
“Next time, it’ll be your turn.”
“…Huh?”
I mumbled dumbly.
“Since I won’t remember today’s events anyway.”
Blushing deeply, she averted her gaze.
“Since I was the one who gathered the courage today… n-next time, it’ll be your turn.”
“…Alright.”
“A-And when that time comes, I’m counting on you.”
“……”
Using the excuse that she wouldn’t remember it later to save herself from future embarrassment—how crafty.
My Yura really had her sneaky moments.
“A-Anyway! The masters are waiting! We need to regroup!”
I chuckled as I nodded at the sight of her lips quivering.
After that brief emotional storm passed.
Cheon Yura and I turned back to face the two once again.
Ma Seoyeon burst with Blood Demon Qi, spitting out her rage.
“You bastards. How dare you perform such a vulgar kiss in front of the great masters?! Are you really that desperate to die?!”
Cheon Yura, having shaken off her embarrassment by now, shot back with a sneer.
“If you’re that jealous, why don’t you try it yourselves? This lady will be watching closely.”
“Y-You little…!”
Even as she exploded in anger, Ma Seoyeon sneakily glanced toward Yoo Jeon.
“Hmm….”
Even someone like Yoo Jeon seemed uncomfortable with the idea of kissing in front of the juniors.
He shrugged and turned his gaze away.
“……”
At that, Ma Seoyeon’s expression immediately collapsed into disappointment.
Seeing that, I felt like tears were welling up inside.
‘I understand. Our Yura did go a bit overboard.’
Ahem!
Yoo Jeon cleared his throat to shift the atmosphere.
“Come, come. What we’re here for is to cross swords, not to flaunt our relationships, isn’t it?”
“Th-That’s true.”
“…You speak correctly.”
Ma Seoyeon and Cheon Yura also gathered themselves and refocused on the enemies before us.
Once again returning to the stance of warriors, we crossed our swords and locked our attention on the enemies ahead.
“Then, here we go again.”
As Cheon Yura’s sword and mine crossed in an X-shape,
Yoo Jeon and Ma Seoyeon also aligned the tips of their swords together.
In an instant, the area around us filled with black and crimson energy.
In the swirling flow of qi, like wild beasts aiming to devour each other,
I sensed that their momentum this time was nothing like before.
‘The real thing is coming this time!’
The amplification of their qi was on a whole different level than before!
‘I absolutely cannot lose!’
Heavenly Demon Resonance
Primordial Origin Resonance
Until now, she had been adjusting her strength to match mine, but now it was different.
I desperately aligned my flow with Cheon Yura’s rising power.
She too, recognizing my resolve, stopped holding back and focused entirely on increasing her output.
And then.
Both we and they exploded the energy we had gathered, as if coordinated.
Great Catastrophic Extinction
Crimson Desolation Annihilation
KwakwaKWA!
A massive force that shook heaven and earth surged upward like a pillar, unable to push any further forward.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Along with an earthquake that made the earth tremble, the impact stirred a small tidal wave along the coast.
Despite the crashing waves, the Heavenly Demon Founder quietly walked along the path.
All around, the sounds of training echoed.
The sound produced by three disciples and one descendant.
The sound of one disciple tormenting two descendants.
Amidst the sounds of passion and pain intertwining, the Heavenly Demon Founder asked Old Han, who was following behind.
“What do you plan to do?”
Old Han nodded.
“My decision was made the moment I saw my disciple.”
“Do you intend to sacrifice everything for your disciple? If you wish, I could pass on the complete form of the Heavenly Record Sword from Jeon.”
It was a shocking offer, but Old Han shook his head.
“My martial arts have already reached completion as a derivative form. I appreciate the offer, but it is far too late for that.”
“…I see. I understand.”
Old Han was a warrior worthy of respect from the Heavenly Demon Founder.
Even in the chaotic era when the Sun and Moon Divine Cult fell, a thousand years ago when countless powerful figures had appeared, there had been no more than five warriors in the world on Old Han’s level.
“But you won’t be able to easily escape from the Grand Heavenly Lord. You’re still bound by the ‘contract.’”
“……”
“If it were mere isolation or physical restraints, I could break them for you. But a contract bound to the soul is something I cannot touch.”
The Heavenly Demon Founder looked at Old Han with pity.
“The Grand Heavenly Lord will never let you go. In the end, you will become the worst obstacle standing in your disciple’s way.”
“……”
Considering the stature of the opponent, this sounded less like speculation and more like a certain prophecy.
However, Old Han responded with a bitter smile, as if he had already anticipated it.
“It’s alright. I have my own plan.”
“Hm….”
“As a master, I cannot allow myself to hold my disciple back. But even if I were to stand as an enemy before him, at that time, surely….”
Though his words trailed off, the Heavenly Demon Founder fully understood his resolve and determination.
“I see. As your fellow master, I respect your decision.”
“It is an honor to hear such words from you.”
Old Han bowed deeply.
The Heavenly Demon Founder let out a light chuckle and turned his body.
“We, as the ghosts of the old era, are now about to perform our final task.”
“I will gladly assist you.”
But the Heavenly Demon Founder refused Old Han’s offer of help.
“No. You, who are still among the living, have no need to get caught up in this. This is a task for the dead.”
“……”
Before they knew it, ahead of them stood Pa Gooncheong, Jin Gwanchun, Hwan Seong, and Sa Gumhui.
Four of the Founder’s seven disciples had gathered.
Pa Gooncheong, standing at the front as the eldest, scratched the back of his neck.
“Click. Well, it makes sense for the eldest, but I’m envious of Sojeong the junior. To have someone to pass on his final insights to.”
Though they couldn’t advance their levels further as spirit remnants,
After a thousand years of contemplation, it was possible to create all sorts of useful mixed techniques by combining what they already knew.
“Talk about luck. To run into the descendant of the youngest while patrolling the outskirts. Why haven’t any of those Sa family brats shown their faces…”
Sa Gumhui also sighed with envy.
At that moment, a gloomy voice echoed from nearby.
“Indeed. Truly, it’s unbearably envious. Hahaha….”
“……!”
‘Damn!’
The voice that sounded like a ghost’s wail belonged to none other than Hwan Seong.
Looking up at the sky with a bitter expression, he looked utterly pitiful.
Realizing their mistake, the two frantically waved their hands.
“M-My apologies, junior!”
“S-Sorry, eldest!”
“Heh, it’s fine. What right does a sinner like me, who doomed his descendants and caused great harm to the future generations, have to complain?”
“……”
“……”
The atmosphere quickly soured after Hwan Seong’s pointless lament.
Heavenly Reverence Hwan Clan.
He had dreamed of building a clan that could astonish the heavens, but the arrogance and innate sense of superiority among his descendants ultimately led them to fall into the enemy’s temptation, destroying Hwan Seong’s dream completely.
What made it even more tragic was that it wasn’t just natural decline with the passage of time, but outright betrayal by his own descendants.
With dead eyes, Hwan Seong pushed the backs of his fellow senior brothers.
“Come, let’s fulfill our final duty for the sake of the youngest. Looks like ‘that thing’ is about to awaken… and it’s looking even more dangerous than before.”
Just as he said, the figure of Heavenly Evil, frozen by Yoo Jeon’s sword, began to tremble slightly.
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon Founder called out to Hwan Seong.
“Seong.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Your will shall not be broken.”
“……”
He placed his hand on Hwan Seong’s shoulder, who had gone silent.
“Though we’ve been reduced to five after a thousand years, we shall become seven once more. Your will does not reside only here. Someday, the youngest will fulfill your wish.”
It was a prophecy from his master, like the word of heaven itself, yet Hwan Seong found it hard to believe so easily.
The Dragon’s Eye.
The greatest ability said to see through all things in existence, and even with that, it was nearly impossible to clearly foresee the future.
Even so.
Despite that, Hwan Seong chose to believe his master’s words.
“…Yes, I will believe.”
“Come now, let us go. Our old friend is waiting for us.”
The Heavenly Demon Founder and the four senior brothers walked toward Heavenly Evil.
They could feel it.
That the Heavenly Evil, about to break free from its seal, was nothing like the hollow shell they had faced before.