Chapter 457: Chapter 457

On a scorched battlefield, a woman sat with a solemn expression.

"…"

The air was heavy, and her eyes reflected exhaustion.

Holding onto the sword before her as a lever, she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Even though her body and spirit were drained, she couldn’t afford to remain seated.

She had no right to show weakness.

Recalling this resolve, she finally stood upright.

"Haah…"

As she rose, a wave of dizziness struck her.

It was the backlash from attempting to draw on her energy forcefully.

Stopping midway had only intensified the pain.

"Cough—!"

The Little Sword Star suddenly coughed violently, blood mingling with the fit and staining the ground.

She glanced around, ensuring no one was watching, and wiped the blood from her lips.

"…"

Tap, tap.

She brushed the blood off the ground with her foot and reached into her robes for a small bamboo vial.

Drinking its contents in one gulp, she finally exhaled deeply.

"…"

Her dry eyes scanned the surroundings.

The lingering lightning Qi continued to scorch the ground.

Uprooted trees lay scattered, evidence of the violent battle that had unfolded.

Assessing her condition, she began to reflect—not on the fight itself, for such reviews had long ceased to be necessary for someone of her caliber.

Nor was it regret over failing to capture the Demon Sword Queen.

If there was any regret, it was—

‘Rather…’

The Little Sword Star recalled the young man who had intervened, halting the battle between her and the Demon Sword Queen.

"…"

The one whom the Dancer had instructed her to bring.

The prophetic figure she had been ordered to retrieve with the full force of the Black Flame Division.

The instructions had been vague—no details about his appearance or identity, only that she would know when she found him.

Her expectations had been accurate.

She had confronted the demonic forces and encountered him.

The prophesied figure, just as the Dancer had said.

She had recognized him immediately.

‘So that’s what she meant by you will know.’

How could she not?

He carried an unmistakable aura—one that could not exist elsewhere under the same sky.

And he seemed aware of that aura as well.

The resonance had been profound, and yet…

‘…’

Even if his face had changed,

even if his voice and scent were different,

She knew he was the anomaly the Dancer had sought.

She also knew who he was.

How could she not? It was impossible not to recognize him.

Of course, accepting it was another matter entirely.

The idea of two identical people existing in the same world was deeply unnatural.

That was why she couldn’t act recklessly.

‘…’

She thought of the young man who had stepped between her and the Demon Sword Queen.

Who had carried the Queen’s collapsing form away as she stood frozen.

All she had managed in the end was a fleeting exchange of gazes before he left.

And the words she hadn’t spoken lingered faintly on her lips.

–What is your name?

She had asked him the night before, but he hadn’t answered.

If he had, what would he have said?

Would he have spoken the name she was thinking of?

Or would it have been something else entirely?

Whatever the answer, it was too late now.

"…"

She hadn’t stopped him.

No, to be precise, she couldn’t stop him.

She had failed to capture the Demon Sword Queen when she should have.

She should have acted for the sake of what was to come.

But when their eyes met, she found herself unable to move.

‘…Why?’

Why had he looked at her that way?

His gaze, filled with bittersweet longing and inexplicable concern, lingered in her chest.

It was a look she had never seen from the one she knew.

Why had he gazed at her like that?

She wanted to ask.

If you truly know me, if the aura you bear is as I suspect,

what were we to each other in your memories?

She had wanted to ask, but she couldn’t.

The burdens on her back were far too heavy.

"…"

After wiping the blood from her lips, the Little Sword Star glanced at the spot where the young man had disappeared.

A powerful backlash would soon follow.

It wouldn’t last long, but she needed to deal with the situation quickly and retreat to a quiet place to recover.

"Ah…"

Fatigue suddenly struck her, a thought she quickly dismissed.

She couldn’t afford to feel tired.

Reaffirming her resolve, she forced herself upright, steadying her gaze and preparing to move.

But then—

"Are you sure it’s fine to let them go like that?"

"…!"

A cold voice pierced the air.

She turned her head sharply toward the source, and there he stood—Cheonjon.

His signature blue eyes were frigid as they locked onto hers.

"…Cheonjon?"

"It’s incomprehensible."

Crackle.

Electricity sparked around Cheonjon as his voice grew sharper.

"There was a clear opportunity, yet you let it slip. Why?"

"…"

"Or did you intend to leave this chance for an old man like me?"

He smiled, but his voice dripped with overwhelming killing intent.

As his body began to rise slowly off the ground, the restrained lightning Qi swirled around him, confined but menacing.

The Little Sword Star involuntarily broke into a cold sweat under his oppressive aura.

"What a pity… Had I arrived sooner, things would’ve been much simpler."

"Cheonjon… what are you—wait—!"

"Permission has been granted."

"…!"

Her eyes widened in shock at his declaration.

"The Lord has given the go-ahead. There’s no longer any reason to hold back."

The weight of his words was clear, and she bit her lip in response.

She knew exactly what they meant.

"Decide. Will you come with me, or will you stay here?"

"…"

She couldn’t answer.

Cheonjon observed her hesitation before shaking his head lightly.

"I hope your indecision now doesn’t persist until the end."

Boom!

Leaving those words behind, Cheonjon transformed into a streak of lightning and shot away.

The Little Sword Star instinctively wanted to call out to stop him, but—

"Guh…!"

The backlash she had been suppressing struck all at once, forcing her to her knees.

"Hah… Hah…!"

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her vision growing blurry. She tried desperately to hold onto her sword for balance, but her strength failed her.

In the end, the fatigue overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness, collapsing onto the charred ground.

*****************

The forest path leading into Sichuan stretched out endlessly, the sun setting at his back as he ran with everything he had.

The scenery blurred past as his rapid pace continuously shifted the environment around him. Despite his breathless dash, one thought persisted in his mind:

‘How much farther do I need to go?’

His goal was the heart of Sichuan.

Frustratingly, he had no idea of the geography. During his transport, his eyes had been covered, leaving him to rely solely on rough estimations and guesswork.

‘Damn it all.’

Originally, he’d planned to head to another region, lie low, and assess the situation from afar.

But now?

‘What kind of mess is this?’

Because of the person draped across his back, he no longer had that option.

The Demon Sword Queen—the very same figure who had just been wielding thunder with reckless abandon—was now unconscious, slumped against him.

"Hoo… Hoo…"

Her even breathing brushed against his ear, a sign that she’d passed out.

‘Backlash.’

It was undoubtedly the toll of having entered her Heavenly Thunder Descent state.

When she’d collapsed right after uttering the words “thank goodness” upon seeing him, it had been enough to make his heart skip a beat.

‘...Her body must have reached its absolute limit.’

He’d known that the artifact Thunder Fang imposed tremendous backlash on its user, but the Demon Sword Queen shouldn’t have succumbed so easily.

Her condition now must have been the result of pushing herself far beyond her limits just to wield it.

‘Why?’

His teeth clenched in frustration.

She hadn’t needed to go this far. Death was the end.

Perhaps, as someone who had experienced regression, he could hold a different perspective. But he knew that such a thing wouldn’t apply to her.

‘Just live well, damn it.’

Even if not for herself, he wished she wouldn’t throw her life away for his sake.

At the very least, not for him.

‘Damn it all.’

Her light weight against his back made his expression twist.

Was she eating properly? How could someone be so light it was irritating?

He pushed harder with his feet, focusing on getting out of this place as quickly as possible.

Still, he glanced back momentarily.

‘...The Little Sword Star.’

He recalled their earlier moment. While he had hurriedly hoisted the Demon Sword Queen onto his back, his eyes had locked with the Little Sword Star's.

Contrary to his expectation that she’d try to stop him, she’d only stood there, scowling, watching him.

Had she let him go?

Even as he leapt away to escape, she hadn’t made a move, which seemed to confirm his suspicion.

If she’d wanted to catch him, there was no way he could have escaped her grasp.

But why had she let him go?

‘Is the version of you here… different?’

As much as this was another world, and even if her personality seemed the same as the one he knew, there could be subtle differences.

Just as he was pondering this—

"Mmm…"

A faint stirring came from his back.

"Are you awake?"

"…"

He called out to her softly, but there was no reply.

She seemed to still be unconscious.

‘So, should I just head back to the main camp?’

There wasn’t much he could do with the Demon Sword Queen in her current state, so heading back seemed like the most logical choice for now.

The problem was—

‘What the hell do I say?’

What explanation could he give when he arrived in this state?

‘...Maybe it’ll be fine?’

After all, she had caused the chaos by charging in to save him.

He could say, “The Demon Sword Queen rescued me, but she collapsed from overexertion, so I brought her back.”

That might suffice.

‘No, it won’t work…’

The issue wasn’t with the explanation itself—it was with who would be listening.

That person would be him.

He could already anticipate the problems: why the Demon Sword Queen had come charging in to save him, why she was in this state while he was unscathed, and how the Martial Alliance’s interest in him tied into all of this.

‘Should I just come clean?’

He imagined himself saying:

“I’m you, from another world. Nice to meet you, dumbass.”

The thought almost made him laugh, but—

‘...Would that even work?’

No, it wouldn’t.

With his personality, there was no way he’d believe such a claim.

The only comforting thought was—

‘At least he won’t kill me.’

Given that he’d returned alive, it would seem he had backing of some kind.

And as someone aligned with the demonic faction, he wouldn’t be immediately executed.

Moreover, the Little Sword Star herself had vouched for him to some extent.

And ultimately, he was returning alive with the Demon Sword Queen.

‘But.’

The real issue lay beyond that—if things progressed any further, it might escalate to the point where the Heavenly Demon himself would be informed.

At this juncture, it would be almost inevitable for the Heavenly Demon to hear of the anomaly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

If that happened—

‘The Heavenly Demon might come personally.’

To confirm the situation, the supreme leader of the Cult might descend upon Sichuan himself.

If that occurred, everything would spiral out of control.

Before it came to that, he needed to either resolve this situation or make a swift escape.