Just engrave that name. (3)

It felt as if the entire world had been flattened and crushed.

Amidst it all, the only thing clear was the narrow and sharp metal that had pierced through the back of someone she knew well.

Slowly, crimson blood trickled down the blade protruding from the back. The blood tainted the blade, dripped down in long streaks, gradually falling on the ground.

The heat of the blood splattered on her face, the sights before her eyes, and above all, the sight of Chung Myung’s shoulders slumping weakly, were all too vivid.

Yet, amidst it all, Yu Iseol felt a sense of ambiguity.

Though the sensations were undeniable, none of it seemed to fit into the realm of understanding.

She stopped in her tracks.

Was it because it was already too late?

No, it was because as she rushed forward to save Chung Myung, a blue aura emitted from the tip of the blade that had pierced through Chung Myung’s back.

Any further approach would have been an immediate threat to split Chung Myung in two.

So, she had no choice but to stop.

She witnessed the swords of the Blood Sword Squad flying and piercing into Chung Myung’s left shoulder and right side.

Thud! Thud!

For a moment, Yu Iseol’s body trembled as if she herself had been pierced by the blades.

In her widened eyes, there was not anger or pity, but sheer terror.

Because it was something she had to feel and acknowledge.

If there had been even a bit of strength left, Chung Myung would have had no reason not to defend against the relentless attack.

Perhaps the limits of Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung, which she had considered she might never see, were now revealed in this manner – in the way she least wanted to think about.

No sound escaped her gaping mouth. No, it was more accurate to say she couldn’t make any. Even the slightest movement of her fingers might twist the blade embedded in that small body and cleave his heart.

All Yu Iseol could do was watch in silence.

Just a few steps. Those few steps felt as distant as eternity.

A distinct sensation dug into his hand.

The sense of fulfillment, almost exhilaration, that can only be felt when piercing through an opponent’s body and extinguishing their life.

Goe Ryang’s eyes, now filled with ecstasy, gazed at the sword lodged in the center of Chung Myung’s chest. More than half of the blade was embedded into his chest.

Of course, he knew.

The wound inflicted by the sword didn’t readily cause bleeding as one might expect. If the prey still had strength left and tensed their muscles, only a trickle of blood would flow.

However, from Chung Myung’s wound, blood was gushing out, enough to fill his entire chest. This meant that he had no strength left to apply even the slightest pressure to the sword embedded in his chest and tighten the muscles to stop the bleeding.

Chung Myung’s hand that tried to block the sword slowly approached and brushed against the blade. But that was all. Goe Ryang’s sword received no impact.

Instead, a heavy weight began to settle on the sword Goe Ryang held. It was the weight felt when surrendering one’s body to a sword that could cut through not just flesh but life itself, a weight too familiar to him – the weight of death.

‘…Gotcha.’

It was an unbelievable feat. Yet, the result was unmistakably in his hands now. Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung. He had finally captured that tremendous monster.

This was a triumph beyond words.

When he finally caught elusive prey after enduring all kinds of hardships, he used to feel an indescribable thrill.

But what dominated him now was something entirely different from that thrill.

Unfathomable, conflicting emotions surged within him. Overwhelming ecstasy and irremediable sorrow simultaneously seized him.

Goe Ryang slowly raised his head.

He wanted to see it.

How would the monster, who had tormented Goe Ryang relentlessly and proven an unprecedented divine prowess, face death?

Would his face contort with agony? Remain calm? Or perhaps… would he burst into hollow laughter?

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Chung Myung’s expression. All he saw was the top of Chung Myung’s head, lowering down as if all strength had deserted him.

In that moment, a fleeting sense of futility crossed Goe Ryang’s eyes.

Perhaps even he had believed that.

That Chung Myung would never bow, even in the face of death. Even if he were ruthlessly pierced by dozens of swords and died a brutal death, he would still meet his end with dignity, gazing at the sky until the very last moment.

As the faint sense of futility passed, reality slowly returned.

Unconsciously, Goe Ryang spoke.

“A human… is just a human.”

There was no response.

It was natural. There couldn’t possibly be any energy left to respond. In fact, it was no longer certain whether Chung Myung was conscious at all.

Goe Ryang tightened his grip on the sword.

Just by uttering a word to his prey, he had undoubtedly violated his own principles.

Disrupting a hunt usually comes from complacency that arrives at the very end. Until the heart is pierced, until the throat is cut completely, one must never let their guard down.

It was the moment when he finally drew the sword he grasped and aimed to split Chung Myung’s heart.

“…What…”

A faint sound escaped Chung Myung’s lips. It might have been a small farewell whispered in the final moments of life.

However, Goe Ryang suddenly halted the sword. For reasons even he found difficult to explain.

“…What did you say?”

There was no reason to inquire further. Ignoring and striking would suffice. Yet, strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Chung Myung slowly lifted his head.

With the creaking and groaning of the old, rusty cartwheel, Chung Myung forcibly lifted his head and looked silently at Goe Ryang.

Between strands of hair soaked in blood, his eyes appeared empty, devoid of any light.

“…move…”

Words, barely audible, trickled out from between lips that seemed unsure whether they were open or closed.

“… …”

In that moment, Goe Ryang saw it.

Chung Myung’s lips, stained black with dried blood, curled up in a chilling grin. As he witnessed that smile, Goe Ryang’s blood ran cold, as if he had entered an icy cave.

“…your legs…”

Desperately, Goe Ryang exerted all his strength to bring down his sword. Yet, despite expending every ounce of remaining power, his sword lodged in Chung Myung’s chest remained stuck. It was as if it had wedged between colossal rocks, resisting any attempts to press it down.

‘What?’

An energy with a purple hue began to seep from the wound, enveloping Goe Ryang’s sword.

In that moment, Chung Myung pushed the hand pierced by the sword towards Goe Ryang.

Thunk!

With the sound of bone scraping against metal, the hand moved all the way to the guard of the sword.

Holding onto the guard, Chung Myung abruptly pulled Goe Ryang towards himself. Goe Ryang, whose center of gravity had shifted forward due to excessively pressing down the sword, couldn’t resist the force.

Finally, Goe Ryang saw it.

The sight of Chung Myung’s sword, which had been hanging down, now beginning to radiate light.

It was Hwasan’s sword energy as crimson as blood, as sharp as dawn.

‘Oh, no…’

Paaaaaaaaahhh!

A familiar yet unfamiliar sound echoed through the gorge.

Goe Ryang stared blankly at his sword, lodged forcefully into Chung Myung’s chest. The sword, forcibly pulled, was buried almost to its hilt in Chung Myung’s chest.

“You…”

Goe Ryang’s mouth hung open. After a moment of silence, his mouth twitched before finally opening again. A voice filled with complex emotions spilled out.

“You, you did this on purpose…”

For a moment, Goe Ryang’s dazed eyes met Chung Myung’s eyes, which were gradually losing their strength.

Chung Myung’s voice, slightly clearer than before, reached Goe Ryang’s ears.

“If I can’t… go…”

Despite the metallic tinge to his voice, Chung Myung smiled, revealing blood-stained teeth.

“…then you should come… shouldn’t you?”

Goe Ryang’s eyes flickered.

A moment of silence passed. Then, a stream of red blood gushed from his lips.

Goe Ryang realized belatedly why he had hesitated for a moment in the end.

Animals feel an instinctive hesitation before taking the bait. Even if it’s the bait of Hwasan Geomhyeop’s life, an irresistible bait nonetheless.

From the beginning, it wasn’t Chung Myung who was being hunted, but Goe Ryang himself.

“You…”

With blood reluctantly spewing from his mouth, Goe Ryang slowly collapsed.

With his last ounce of strength, Goe Ryang pulled the sword out of Chung Myung’s body. Blood pouring from the wound covered Goe Ryang’s face as he knelt.

“You really…”

Thud.

Goe Ryang, unable to finish the words he was about to spit out, collapsed onto the ground along with the Blood Sword Squad members who had rushed forward together.

At the same time, Chung Myung’s body staggered forward.

“Chung Myung!”

Yu Iseol rushed forward urgently, catching and supporting the falling Chung Myung from behind.

“Sajil! Chung Myung-ah!”

“Ugh…”

Feeling the firm grip of Yu Iseol’s arms, Chung Myung weakly raised his head and smiled.

“It’s… late…”

“You…”

“Well… anyway…”

As if all the barely held connections had finally snapped, Chung Myung’s head drooped downward.

Yu Iseol’s hand instinctively reached for Chung Myung’s neck. She felt a faint pulse beneath her fingers. Confirming that Chung Myung’s heartbeat still persisted, Yu Iseol quickly tore her own clothes to bandage his wounds.

‘He’s alive.’

Though he had sustained wounds grave enough to end a life at any moment, he was still alive.

For now, he was alive.

That was enough. What more reason did she need to risk her life?

After glancing at Chung Myung’s unconscious face, she lifted him up, ripped off the clothes that could have been ripped, and tightly bound him with herself.

She felt the faint and slow heartbeat against her back.

Her body temperature had dropped so much that her hands trembled faintly. She was afraid.

Afraid that the heart would gradually stop beating. Afraid that the last remaining warmth would extinguish.

Yu Iseol looked up.

She saw the approaching members of Maninbang, their expressions ruthless. They would never let Chung Myung go easily. They knew how precious the opportunity was to end the life of Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung.

Especially Ho Gamyeong, who was glaring from behind, would stop at nothing to drive a sword into Chung Myung’s heart and put an end to all of this.

Yu Iseol reached out and grasped the fallen Dark Plum Sword, which lay on the ground. The handle felt unfamiliar in her hand, yet still retained some warmth.

Oddly enough, that warmth calmed and steadied Yu Iseol.

Her eyes, which had been trembling incessantly, grew cold.

As the members of Maninbang gradually closed in, Yu Iseol took aim without hesitation and struck the ground forcefully.

‘I will protect him.’

Bang!

With that, as she swiftly withdrew her body, the members of Maninbang surged towards her like a burst dam.

‘Absolutely!’

She swiftly swung the sword, slicing through the neck of the foremost member of Maninbang charging towards her. Yu Iseol’s sword blazed with unwavering determination.