neverlikedstickingmynoseintootherpeople’sbusiness.
hadseentheendsthatuselessddlingledtooftenenough.Andmorethanthat,knew—notrationally,butinmysoul—thatgettingtangledincausalitywasneveragoodthing,nomatterwhatheartyouactedwith.
hatedinterferinginotherpeople’saffairs.
o—moreprecisely—
hatedknowinginthefirstplace.
Knowingthatsothingwashappening.
nceknew,itbothered.Andonceitbothered,uselesscomplicationswereboundtofollow.
twouldhavebeenniceifwerethesortofpersonwhocouldjustignoreit.
Unfortunately,wasn’t.
hat’showruinedit.
verything.
Mylifeitselfhadbeenruinedthatway.hatwaswhatlearnedwhilelivingit.Ah.Soifddleinotherpeople’sbusiness,mylifegetsexhausting.
otjustexhausting.
tgetswrecked.
learnedthatmuch.Andwhenmylastlifeendedinruinandthisonebegan,madeupmymind.
Don’tgetinvolvedinanything.
Whetheritwashumanaffairsorghosts’affairs,don’tgetdraggedintothestormjustbecauseotherpeoplehadcausedtrouble.
hatwashowhadsteeledmyselfandlived,but—
tallgottwistedanyway.
tstartedtwistedfromtheverybeginning.
herewasnowayitwouldn’t.hesedamnedeyesalwaysruinedintheend.
hatwaswhyputonthering.
Sowouldn’tgetentangledwithanyone.
hadtriedbindingmyownwrists—
andeventhathadn’tbeeneasy.
Maybethatwasjustwhatlifewas.
randmotherusedtosay:
ivethewayyouwanttolive.
didn’tknowwhethershesaidthatbecausesheknewwouldnevertrulygettolivethatway,orbecauseshegenuinelywantedto.
Butifhadtoanswerhernow—
...hat’sadifficultthingtosay.
flivedexactlyaswanted,’dfallapart.
Soitwasbettertoendure.
hatwashowhadresolvedmyselfandgottenthroughthepresent,andyet—
“foundwheretheyare.”
herealwayscamontslikethis.
“hey’renotfar.”
AtFreakDemon’swords,turnedmyhead.heplacereallywasn’tfar.
“MySky.”
Stillkneeling,FreakDemonspoketo.
“fyougivetheorder,willhandleitmyself.”
isvoicewascold.
herewasnokillingintentinit.oneatall.
Butcouldunderstandhisemotionsanyway.
hereasonFreakDemonwasn’tgivingoffkillingintentwassimple.
Becausetheyaren’tevenworththatmuchtohim.
oFreakDemon,thoseunorthodoxmartialartistswe’dseenearlierwerenothingmorethaninsects.
Whatemotionwouldtherebeincrushingandwipingoutsothinglikethat?
ookingathim,wasremindedagain.
heonestandinginfrontof...
...wassooneclosetothebeingsbeyondheaven.
AndaDemonicCultistwhohadmovedthroughwar.
“t’sfine.”
fleftittohim,itwouldbeeasy.ereallywouldtakecareofitsimply.
But—
“’llhandlethisonemyself.”
“Understood.”
hadtostepin.
herewasonethingbothering.
*****
hedistancewasn’tthatgreat.
otbyamartialartist’sstandards.
oanordinaryperson,itwouldhavelookedlikeatleasthalfadayaway.
FreakDemonsaidthiswastheplacewaslookingfor.
“...”
couldsensepeopledeepinsidetheforest.
otjustpeople.
waswonderingwhythereweresofewspiritformsinthewoods.
heywereallgatheredoverthere.
heplacewasthickwiththetracesofevilghosts.
Andtherewereotherghostsallaroundittoo,reactingtothesoul-formsofthoseevilghosts.
hostswerespiritforms,soresonancecaeasilytothem.hatwasalsowhyghoststendedtogatherinlargenumbersincertainplaces.
hen—
“heoneswesentoutaretakingtheirti.”
“Didsothinghappen?Alltheyhadtodowaskillsogirlsandbringthemback.owlongcouldthattake?”
Atthevoicescomingfrominside,theevilghostsoutsideflinched.
hewaytheywaveredmadeitlookliketheywerereactingtothosewords.
“Shouldn’twegolookforthem?fthecaptainfindsout,we’rescrewed.”
“Andifhegetsangry,whoknowshowmanyheadshe’llcutoffthisti.”
“neofthoseheadswillprobablybeyours.”
“Youbastard.”
heirgrowlingkillingintentfilledthespace.
wassteadyingmybreathingaswatchedwhen—
[owstrange.]
heeavenlyDemon,whohadbeenquietthewholeti,suddenlyspoke.
[didn’tthinkyouwerethesorttogetheatedoversothinglikethis.Wasmistakenaboutyou?]
Whetherhefounditstrangeorinteresting,hisvoicecarriedanoteofamusent.
ewasn’twrong.
’mnotespeciallyangry.
trulywasn’t.
umanliveswereshortandplain.
naworlddrenchedinbloodandswordslikethisone,thatwasevenmoretrue.
nmypreviouslife,therehadbeentiswhenburnedwithangerevenoverthedeathofsmalllives,tossedaroundbyeveryjoyandsorrow.
Buteventhosethingsweresothinghadlaiddownneartheendofthatlife.
[henwhyareyousteppinginnow?]
Whoknows.
Maybebecausetherewerestillafewthingshadn’tmanagedtoletgoof.
hatwasprobablyit.
’mannoyed.
akingitoutonthethinginfrontof.
fsoonewantedtocallitthat,wouldn’targue.
[akingitoutonthem—]
heeavenlyDemon’svoicesank.
[hatisnotabadthing.naworldwherethestrongarerevered,thereisnothingstrangeaboutit.]
Afittingresponsefromamanwhohadstartedawar.
Asexpected,therereallywasn’tasinglenormalpersonanywhere.
[Butdonotburyyourselfinit.tisnotanespeciallygoodlookforonewhowouldstandatthesummit.]
Sorry,but...
Shrring.
Asdrewmysword,thought,
liketoldyoubefore,havenointentionofstandinganywherelikethat.
Whatwashetryingtoslipinthere?
letoutafaintsnortandsteppedforward.
“uh?”
hemontshowedmyself,everygazeinsideturnedtoward.
“Whatthehell?”
“Whoareyou,youlittle—!”
“Whogoesthere!”
achofthemdrewaweaponandpointeditat.
twasafreshfeeling.
ormally,iftherewerethismanyofthem,wouldn’tstepoutinfrontlikethis.
’vegottenfullofmyself.
venknowingthereweremonsterscrawlingallovertheworldabove.
Justbecause’dreachedtranscendentpeak,thebloodhadgonetomyheadalittle.
“Whoamdoesn’tmatterthatmuch.”
Ssssss.
grippedtheDivineSwordandletmyarmhangloosely.
“’llleavejustonealive.nemanwho’llworkhardtoanswermyquestions.Anyvolunteers?”
“Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout!”
“Killhim!”
Boom!
nnerqiburstoutastheycharged.Withonehand,sweptmyhairback.
“Sure.’llchooseformyself.”
wasgoodatthatsortofthing.
Clack.
Moonyereacted,andswordpathsburstopenineverydirection.
Crude.Rough.Monotonousswordpathswithoutanyrealshapetothem.
herewasnoneedtododge.
simplylaidmyswordacrossthem.
Slash!
“hk—”
neman’sthroatwascut,andhedroppedtotheground.
spuntheswordonce.
threwtheDivineSwordintothefaceoftheonecomingatfromabove,drivingitstraightthroughhisforehead—
—andwrappedhardauraaroundmykneebeforesmashingthejawoftheonerushinginbelow.
Crack.
Bloodsplashedontomyclothes.
ignoredit.
“ardaura...?!”
“Damnit—he’samaster!”
Maybetheyhadnoticedthebriefwrapping.Panicflashedintheireyes.
“...Sowhatifhe’sama—!”
heloudmouth’sheadcaoff.
herewerealotofthem.
Boom!
stampedthegroundhardenoughtoshatterit.heshocksentbrokenfragntsintotheair.snatchedthesmalleronesinonehand,pouredenergyintothem,andfiredthemout.
enhousandFlowersRain.
Kra-kra-kra-kra-kak!!!
hadadaptedthethingPoisonDragonhadbeensodamnbadat.
wrappedhardauraaroundeachstoneshardandfiredthem;thefragntspunchedstraightthroughtheirbodies.
Kra-kra-kra-kak!
“Aaaagh!”
“aaaah!”
heydroppedscreaming.
“M-monster...e’samonster...”
neofthemcollapsedtothegroundandscrambledbackward,trembling.glancedathim,thenflickedafinger.
helittlepebbleinmyhandburieditselfinhisforehead.
“hk.”
Andthatmadeonemorecorpse.
“iiik...!”
Atsopoint,onlyonemanwasleft.
slidtheDivineSwordbackintoitssheath.
Clack.
heworldreallyisfrightening.
herehadbeendozensofthem,andthey’dbeenwipedoutbeforeenoughtihadpassedtofinishacupoftea.
treallyshowedwhathappenedwhensoonewithpowerletmaliceloose.
“S-spare...spare...please...”
“didspareyou.”
“...hk...”
walkedupandlookeddownathim.
“...Blueeyes?”
hemanonlyrealizeditafterseeingmyface.
“Don’ttell...AzureMoonSect?Andthoseclothes...theesserMoonUnit...?”
“Youknowyourstuff.”
“-howistheesserMoonUnitallthewayouthere...?!”
“hat’snotwhatyoushouldbeasking.Whatareyou?”
Whatthehellwerethey,tocoallthewaytoiaoninganddosothinglikethis?
“Whatwereyoutryingtodowiththosegirls’corpses?”
“...”
Atmywords,themanclampedhismouthshut.
Watchinghim,movedmyhandslightly.
Crack!!
“...!!!”
benthisthumbbackuntilitsnapped,andheletoutashriekthatsoundedlikeascreamtorninhalf.
“Whatareyou?”
askedagain.
“aa...haak...”
“henextone’syourcock.”
“S-SamaSect...!heSamaSect!”
SamaSect.
Atthosewords,stoppedthehandthathadbeengrippinghiscrotch.
heSamaSect?
Where’sthat?
didn’tthinkhadeverheardofit.
“heSamaSect?”
“-that’sright.’m...fromtheSamaSect...!”
“Forwhat?”
“-there’savillagenearhere,onedoesn’tgetmanyvisitors,so...weweregoingtobringbacksogirls...”
“Youshouldsayitproperly.here’sadifference.”
Youkilledthemandbroughtthemback.
hatwasthepointthatmattered.
“fyouwerekidnappingthemtoselltobrothelsortraffickingthemtheusualway,youwouldn’tbotherkillingthemfirst.Sowhykillthem?”
“...hat...”
heman’seyesshook.
“...don’tknow.Wejustdowhatwe’retold...”
“You’retold?Bywho?”
“...hecaptain...”
“hecaptainoftheSamaSect?”
“hat’sright...!really...reallydon’tknow!’mjustdoingwhat’mtold—!”
hwack!!
“hk.”
isheadslumpedbeforehecouldfinish.
Dead.
ookingcloser,sawadaggerburiedinhisforehead.
hatwasn’tmydoing.
lookedbehind.
“Wellnow.”
Soonewasstandingthere.
“oodthingcaadayearly.”
Awoman.
er⊛оvеlιght⊛(Readthefullstory)clothesclungtightlytoherbody,andaveilcoveredherface.
“caaheadjustincase.ookslikesothinginterestingwasgoingon.”
“Whoareyou?”
gottomyfeetasasked.
“My,my...lookatyou.”
ervoiceshiftedthemontshegotalookat.
“You’reprettyasajewel.’veneverseenonequitelikeyoubefore.”
Myhandwenttomywaist.
“Youwanttobemine?”
Attheseductivequestion,drewmysword.
hemaninfrontofhaddied,butwasn’tparticularlysurprised.
hadalreadysensedsooneapproaching.
Andhadlethimdieonpurpose.
herewasonemorepersonnow,afterall.
Andbesides—
“Sorry.”
tiltedmyheadslightly.
“lderwonaren’tmytype.”
“What?”
hiswomanlookedlikeshemightknowsothing.
couldn’tseeherface,buttheenergybehindhertoldwhatshewas.
“Auntie.”
“Aun—”
crookedafinger.
“You’refromtheSky-CrushingPalace,aren’tyou?”
“......”
Foraninstant,silencefell.
hen—
“a...”
hewomanlaughed.
Andinthenextmont,withadaggerinhand,herbodyshottoward.
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