Just engrave that name. (6)

Where are they? How long have they been fighting?

Swish!

Suddenly, a menacing dagger flew towards the ground where Yu Iseol’s foot was about to land, slicing through it.

Momentarily losing balance, Yu Iseol tumbled to the ground. There was no strength in her leg muscles, no sensation in her foot. But she didn’t falter, didn’t give up.

Thud!

Pushing against the ground with all her might, she propelled herself forward. Despite the intense pain shooting through her wrist, she paid no heed.

‘More!’

Just one more step.

“Die, you bitch!”

With rage blazing in their eyes, the martial artists of Maninbang opened their mouths, unleashing screams as they swung their swords at her, aiming to tear her apart. Yu Iseol immediately countered, swinging her sword with all her strength to parry the blows.

Crash!

Utilizing the force of the collision between the swords, she staggered backwards and slammed into the ground once more.

‘How far have I come?’

No, she shouldn’t think about that.

The moment she starts to think, she might despair at the vast distance still remaining.

And it doesn’t matter how far she’s come. Wherever this is, her task remains the same.

Swish!

A crimson sword energy flew fiercely towards her. In an instant judgment that everything could not be blocked, Yu Iseol’s left hand instinctively shielded Chung Myung’s head.

Crash! Swish!

Amidst the clash of her sword and the sword energy, the sound of flesh being sliced echoed simultaneously.

Though her side was cut, and blood poured out, Yu Iseol didn’t falter or stagger, immediately pulling her body back.

Just a bit more.

“That damned wench!”

The members Maninbang looked at Yu Iseol as if they were fed up.

After being hit by the flying sword energy so many time, her face swelled up already.

She couldn’t open her eyes properly, making it difficult to even see.

However, even in such dire circumstances, she was steadfast, almost stubbornly, pulling herself out of the pursuit.

‘Just a bit more…’

The ground was stained red with the blood she shed.

Now, she felt no pain. All that remained was the determination to escape.

Swish!

As the sword energy flew towards her, Yu Iseol’s sword moved instinctively.

Crash!

However, her sword lacked the strength to deflect the sword energy now. At the moment of collision between the energy and the sword, her wrist broke. The misdirected blow sliced through her thigh as it passed by.

Squelch!

Her thigh split open, revealing the white bone.

However, the bigger issue than the significant wound was that she could no longer use her leg.

‘Just a little further…’

She couldn’t kick the ground with force anymore, nor could she agilely evade enemy attacks. Her right leg refused to move as she wanted.

Squelch. Squick. Squelch.

Nevertheless, dragging her limp leg, Yu Iseol continued to retreat while facing the formidable opponents.

Intermittently, her thoughts were disrupted due to the severe bleeding.

She couldn’t remember when she started fighting or why she was fighting in the first place, it all seemed distant and unclear now.

The only thing driving her forward was the faint warmth against her back – the only thing keeping her moving.

She had to persevere it.

She had always promised to protect, yet she had always been the one being protected. That’s why this time, she had to protect him.

“Don’t… worry…”

Yu Iseol forced herself to raise her sword, but her wrist kept sagging as if it had been dislocated.

“I’m… still… okay…”

It wasn’t clear who she was speaking to – whether it was a message to Chung Myung or to herself.

No, it didn’t really matter.

“…even when it comes to this point…”

The voice, choked with exhaustion, sounded unbearable to her ears.

Strangely, she felt like laughing.

They wouldn’t understand, would they?

Those who live solely for themselves wouldn’t understand.

It was because of him that plum blossoms bloomed on her sword.

It was because of him that Hyun Jong found a reason to smile.

It was because of him that she preserved the home where she wanted live, ensuring that her father’s life and death weren’t in vain.

Wasn’t that enough? Did there need to be more than that for one person to risk their life for another?

“Sago…”

Yu Iseol’s lips barely parted.

“Will protect… Sajil…”

Clearly, it was a situation that had gone beyond the limit.

Even if Maninbang’s warriors didn’t swing their swords again, the situation was dire enough that her breaths could cease on their own. Just clinging to life, it wouldn’t be strange to call her a corpse.

However, Maninbang’s warriors couldn’t rush to simply cut off her breath. It was because they were overwhelmed by something different from fear, something different from helplessness.

“….Sago.…”

But even that was short-lived. Soon, from behind Maninbang’s warriors, a roar erupted.

“What are you doing, you idiots! Kill her right now!”

For those who had just rushed to join from inside the gorge, it was a sight that was hard to comprehend.

Some of them bit their lips nervously. And soon after, they rushed towards Yu Iseol once again.

She had to resist. She had to fight.

But her arms and legs were already limp.

“….…. Sajil…”

The sword flew towards Yu Iseol’s neck. She tried to raise her limp arm to block it, but the end of the sword didn’t even reach the trajectory of the attack.

“… protect…”

Kaaaaaaaaang!

At that moment, with a thunderous roar, the sword that had been about to strike Yu Iseol’s neck was deflected, accompanied by splatters of red blood. Amidst the chaos, someone supported and braced both Yu Iseol and Chung Myunf.

In the haze of her vision, Yu Iseol saw someone looking down at her.

“…Jo… Geol?”

“This…

Jo Geol’s face was horribly distorted.

“These worthless dogs of Sapaeryeon… how dare they…”

With one hand supporting Yu Iseol, Jo Geol thrust his sword forward. The explosive blast of the swift blade created massive wind holes in the bodies of the startled Maninbang’s members who had just encountered a new enemy.

“Aaaargh!”

Jo Geol’s anger showed no signs of subsiding. From the tip of his sword, crimson plum blossoms erupted, sweeping away those who staggered back with a violent force, tearing them apart.

“Sago!”

Jo Geol shouted to the faintly conscious Yu Iseol. When she weakly opened her eyes, she saw tears streaming down Jo Geol’s face.

“Sago, are you alright?”

“…Sajil…”

“For heaven’s sake, start thinking about yourself!”

As Jo Geol shouted as if his soul was bursting, a faint smile appeared on Yu Iseol’s lips. In an instant, Jo Geol tightly held onto her as she began to collapse.

There wasn’t a single spot on her body that wasn’t wounded. Both Chung Myung and Sago fought fiercely until they reached this point.

‘It’s my fault!’

If only he had been a bit faster, perhaps they wouldn’t have been so badly injured. If only he had been a bit stronger, perhaps he could have defeated the enemies blocking their path and reached this point sooner.

The sight of their bodies covered in wounds all stemmed from his weakness, and the realization made his blood boil and go in reverse.

Jo Geol gritted his teeth as he lifted both of them onto his shoulders.

What he needed to do now wasn’t to calm his boiling rage but to rescue them.

With a fierce determination, he surged forward.

“Chase after them! Right now!”

Maninbang, momentarily taken aback by Jo Geol’s sudden appearance, quickly followed suit as they realized his intentions.

“Get out of the way, you bastards!”

Sapaeryeon’s warriors, who had been chasing Haenam with little to no enthusiasm, who had already passed by once, suddenly sprang into action, their faces turning pale as they noticed Jo Geol’s unexpected arrival from behind.

Jo Geol mercilessly pierced through their ranks.

Thunk! Thunk!

Those with fist-sized holes in their bodies crumbled on the spot.

“What, what’s happening!”

“They’re behind us! They’re coming from behind!”

Despite the frantic attempts of Sapaeryeon’s warriors to swing their weapons, their sudden and uncoordinated attacks couldn’t stop Jo Geol.

“Get out of the way!”

“Grab him, you idiots!”

Maninbang, who had been tracking Jo Geol from behind, roared fiercely at their tangled allies.

As Maninbang approached, the regular Sapas, startled, tried to make way, but it wasn’t easy for them to retreat all at once due to the density of the crowd.

The collision between those who couldn’t move aside and the momentum of Maninbang charging from behind was inevitable. Sapaeryeon’s warriors were thrown back as if hit by a speeding carriage, blood splattering as they fell.

“This, this is…”

The pursuing Maninbang wore expressions of disbelief.

The forces they had mobilized were now becoming a hindrance, a scenario even the most cunning strategist couldn’t have foreseen.

“These damned useless bastards!”

Maninbang, driven by urgency, unleashed their fists on their alies without hesitation. Some, fueled by rage, didn’t even hesitate to tear through them with a sword.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Sapas, who couldn’t even fathom that their allies would wield swords against them, screamed as they stumbled and tumbled.

Certainly, this chaos wouldn’t last long, but for Jo Geol, it was a golden opportunity.

Crash!

“Aaaagh!”

Jo Geol’s foot stomped down on the shoulder of a Sapa, causing him to stagger. Using the momentum, he lunged forward like an arrow.

Swish!

A spear, swiftly charging from below, aimed for Jo Geol’s left arm. However, he let it be. To stop is to die. All he had to do now was to keep moving forward, to join the main force ahead.

Thunk!

“Aaaaaa!”

Flying over another Sapa’s shoulder, Jo Geol descended in an arc. In his eyes, ablaze with determination, he caught sight of a steel spear rising up.

Retreating or bending his body – the situation demanded one or the other.

But Jo Geol’s choice was different. In an instant, he pushed his sword into its sheath and reached out his hand to firmly grasp the spear shaft.

“What?”

Shaaaak!

The force behind the spear tore through Jo Geol’s palm in an instant. However, instead of releasing the spear, he exerted even more pressure. The sturdy steel spear bent and straightened like a bowstring.

Using that force, Jo Geol shot forward like a cannonball.

Thunk! Thunk!

Sapas swung their swords hastily grazing his body, but Jo Geol remained unfazed, his gaze fixed solely on the direction he needed to go.

It has to be there! It must be there!

And finally, the moment he spotted the familiar figure, he couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted out as if letting out a cry.

“Monk Hye Yeooooooon!”

Hye Yeon, who was pushing back the group of Sapas chasing their main group, raised his eyes. Upon confirming Jo Geol, who had been carrying Chung Myung and Yu Iseol, swiftly approaching through the distant sky, she hurriedly headed towards that direction.

“Doojaaaang!”

Hye Yeon’s body couldn’t possibly be well. However, like someone who had no intention of taking care of himself, he jumped into the midst of the enemies without hesitation.

Kwaaaaah!

Those struck by Hye Yeon’s shoulders spat out blood as they tumbled away. He firmly planted his feet on the ground and swept away the Sapas. Blood poured continuously from his nose and mouth, perhaps from exerting too much internal energy.

But there was no time to get tired! He had to clear a path for them to come safely!

“A-mi-ta-bha!”

Hye Yeon swept away the enemies as in a frenzy. After a while, finally, a clear path opened up amidst the enemy ranks.

He had already pushed his internal energy to its limits. At the moment of reaching the limit, Hye Yeon’s eyes flashed with an unusual glint.

“Ooooh!”

Hye Yeon’s fist sliced through the air forcefully.

Kwaaaaaaaah!

The pinnacle of the Shaolin’s Divine Fist. It was a level of power that couldn’t be invoked with his current energy… No, it shouldn’t be invoked. The zenith of Shaolin’s martial arts.

With his soul poured into it, that power forcefully threw the members of Sapaeryeon who had been blocking the way, sending them flying in all directions like fireworks.

Thud.

Eventually, Hye Yeon’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. Covered in blood, he grasped the trembling ground with his shaky hands.

‘Not yet…!’

With a determination bordering on desperation, Hye Yeon struggled to rise to his feet. But then, someone burst out from behind, shouting sharply.

“Make way, monk!”

“Do-Dojang…?”

Suddenly, Hye Yeon’s world was engulfed in crimson petals.

“Aaaargh!”

“Aaaaaaa!”

Tang Soso, charging forward, swung her sword fiercely. With each strike, there was a chaos of screams and blood from the Sapaeryeon’s side.

Tang Soso leaped into the air, shouting.

“Sahyeong!”

“Yes!”

She jumped on Sapaeryeon’s warriors’ heads and stretched out her sword. Jo Geol stomped on the sword as if he already knew it was coming.

The moment the sword and foot met.

“Eurachaaaah!”

With a thunderous roar, Tang Soso exerted all her strength in the sword strike.

The sound of shoulder muscles snapping was as clear as day, such was the force behind the strike!

The strike sent the three, who had weighted themselves against the sword, flying forward.

Crack!

Blood spurted from Jo Geol’s mouth.

In an attempt to fly even a bit further, he had suppressed even the minimal energy reserved for self-protection, bearing the full force of the strike with his entire body.

The shock was so intense that the world turned pitch black for a moment.

Despite the darkness obscuring his vision, he never forgot his duty.

“Monk!”

He couldn’t see, but he knew he was there.

Jo Geol threw the two he had wrapped his arms around forward, firmly trusting that Hye Yeon would catch them.

When the world, momentarily shrouded in darkness, regained its color, Jo Geol saw it: Hye Yeon, who had leaped into the air, safely caught the two.

“Aha…”

Finally, a small smile escaped him.

The ground surged towards him.

With a thud, Jo Geol slammed into the ground, bouncing up and down several times.

“Ah…”

With a faint chuckle escaping Jo Geol’s lips, he muttered.

“Finally…”

Where he had fallen was amidst the enemy lines. Like a pack of wolves, they closed in on him.

He couldn’t resist anymore. He had no strength left to lift a finger.

‘What does it matter…’

If the price for saving them was death, then dying with a smile was good enough.

Jo Geol accepted his fate with a smile.

Paaaaaaaa!

Suddenly, a powerful and fierce sword strike, filled with more anger than strength, crashed down swirling through his vision.

The crimson sword strike seemed overwhelming.

Jo Geol’s eyes widened for a moment.

The assailants charging towards Jo Geol were scattered before they could even scream. A large amount of blood poured down like rain on Jo Geol’s face.

From within that torrent of blood emerged someone, gripping Jo Geol’s collar and pulling him up.

“You did well, you crazy bastard!”

“…Can I stay, Sasuk?”

“You better!”

Baek Cheon forcefully pulled Jo Geol up and shouted.

“Soso!”

“Yes, Sasuk!”

Tang Soso swiftly approached and supported Jo Geol, but Baek Cheon still didn’t release his grip on Jo Geol’s collar.

As Tang Soso looked at Baek Cheon with questioning eyes, Baek Cheon remained silent for a moment before speaking to Jo Geol.

“Let’s talk about your punishment later.”

“…I just wish I was dead, seriously.”

“It’s me I want to kill, you damn idiot!”

“…But…”

“What?!”

“Why are you crying? It’s embarrassing…”

“Get going!”

Baek Cheon pushed Tang Soso forward and watched her run for a moment before turning away without hesitation.

Finally, everyone was gone, leaving only him behind.

Now was the moment for him to defend.

He swung his sword forcefully, unleashing an explosive wave of energy that swept away those who dared to approach.

“No one goes past here!”

Baek Cheon declared, his sword gleaming with the light of the sun against the bloodstained scenery.

“Not until you kill me first!”