Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 859

Chapter 859

“Aaaaaargh—!!!”

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader howled as the fire devoured his face. He stumbled back, clawing desperately at the flames, but they clung fiercely, searing as if his very skin was melting away. Overcome by the torment, he dropped to the ground and thrashed wildly.

Perhaps the rolling helped, for the fire gradually began to recede.

“What… what kind of fire is this…?”

Smoke and heat still rose from his ravaged face as he shielded it with his hands and pushed himself up unsteadily.

Just then—

“I said stay down.”

A voice cut through the air.

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader looked up.

“Insects belong in the dirt.”

In the same flat tone, another wave of blistering darkness crashed down upon him.

Fwoooosh—!!

“Aaaaaargh—!!!”

This scream was even more piercing. He was immobilized, the flames adhering to his flesh and roaring violently.

“Grrhh…!!”

He convulsed, writhing on the ground as the suffocating heat swallowed him whole. He fought to break free, but his limbs refused to obey.

“Insects take too long to burn.”

The voice was monotonous and cold, devoid of any feeling, and it sent a shiver through him even amidst the agony. There was nothing human in that sound, yet it radiated a palpable intent to kill.

How could those two things exist together?

It made no sense. And yet—

[“How… how is he using fire…?”]

Only moments ago, this man had been incapable of any fire technique, and now he was conjuring these devastating black flames. Had he been concealing his true power? If so, why? Why wait until now to reveal it?

The inexplicable situation provided no clarity.

“Grrrgh!!”

This was no time for contemplation. Merely enduring was struggle enough.

As the Sect Leader fought against the pain, Gu Yangcheon spoke.

“Does it hurt?”

His tone conveyed authentic curiosity.

“Does something so trivial truly cause pain?”

“Ghh… gah!!”

With a surge of effort, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader twitched his fingers, summoning his energy. Four swords scattered on the ground shot toward Gu Yangcheon.

Shiiing—!!!

The blades sliced through the air at blinding speed. Gu Yangcheon simply turned his head and observed their approach.

Then, he uttered a single, soft word:

[“Stop.”]

Clang—! Clang, clang—!

Mid-flight, the swords lost all momentum and clattered uselessly to the earth.

“Grrr—!!”

There was no time to process the shock of this impossibility.

“You are pathetic.”

Abruptly, the flames on his face extinguished. But before relief could register—

Crack—!!

“Aaaaaargh—!!!”

His arm twisted at a grotesque angle. The force was so brutal the bone nearly tore through the skin.

“Y-you… monster—!!”

Through the overwhelming pain, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader managed to glare at Gu Yangcheon. His melted flesh was already beginning to regenerate, the process accelerating rapidly. He could feel the power of the Dragon Orb flooding through his veins.

Just a little longer. If he could hold on, he would become complete.

Judging this, he gathered his strength.

However—

“Insignificant.”

Gu Yangcheon’s gaze remained the same—the cold stare one gives a bug. Only now, a new emotion simmered within its depths.

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader recognized it.

“Your eyes displease me.”

It was contempt.

Gu Yangcheon reached out and plucked the Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s left eye from its socket.

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

Swoooosh—!!!

A tidal wave surged forward, sweeping across the land and dominating the terrain.

I dug my feet in and leaped back, putting every ounce of speed into creating distance. That massive wall of black fire was deceptively fast. Ordinary speed wouldn’t be enough to escape it; this required my absolute limit. Even a glancing touch would be fatal.

This was no ordinary wave.

«Damn, it’s boiling.»

The entire surge was composed of scorching black flames, chasing me with a single-minded intent to melt everything in its path.

«You insane lunatic.»

Even while dodging, I couldn’t stop the curse from leaving my lips. Who in their right mind uses a technique like this?

«No wonder your skills are so crude, you idiot.»

Recklessly expelling energy like this only amplified raw destructive power; it did nothing for technical refinement. The flaws were painfully obvious.

«…It’s terrifying, though…»

Experiencing it from this side was a different story altogether.

The overwhelming wall of fire advanced like an all-consuming deluge.

How could it not be terrifying?

I finally understood the fear I used to see in people’s eyes when they looked at me.

It made perfect sense now.

Obliterating entire villages, incinerating armies on a battlefield with a casual gesture—of course people saw me as a monster.

That bastard… he’s completely mad.

«Shit.»

I shot a glance over my shoulder, scowling.

The black-flamed idiot was standing atop the tidal wave, still in pursuit.

He showed no sign of fatigue.

If anything, I was the only one running out of steam.

My energy and skills had improved since the last time, so why was I always the one getting drained?

As usual, the problem was the fire technique itself.

«It’s hopelessly inefficient.»

Even though I’d learned Tua Pacheonmu, the foundation of my movement was still the Flame Revolving Core. While my footwork wasn’t entirely dependent on it, it was still the core of my propulsion. Using bursts of flame to boost my speed worked, but with my fire techniques sealed, it was a major problem.

«I’m too slow.»

To be precise, I had to expend far more energy to achieve the same velocity.

«Damn it.»

Being locked out of a single technique had reduced me to this. It was infuriating.

«No, wait. Isn’t it normal to die if your main technique gets sealed?»

It’s only because of my absurdly durable body that I’ve lasted this long. Anyone else would already be dead.

But that was no consolation.

«What good does that reasoning do me now?»

It wasn’t helpful. It didn’t change a thing.

What was the point of surviving if I couldn’t act?

Fwoosh—!

«Tsk.»

The intense heat closed in, the gap between us shrinking drastically.

There was no more point in running. I’d known that for a while.

Besides—

«That bastard. He’s not even serious.»

That damn idiot was deliberately toying with me. I knew it because I *am* him. If he truly wanted to, he could make that wave twice as fast and twice as large.

«Goddamn bastard.»

The thought made my blood boil.

Thud—!

I stopped retreating and pivoted on my heel.

Energy flooded through me, concentrating entirely into my fists.

Tua Pacheonmu.

Second Form: Prepared Celestial Strike.

A storm of combat energy slammed into the tidal wave.

Boom—!!!

A gigantic hole was torn through the center of the advancing wall of fire.

It wasn’t a complete block. The disparity in raw power made that impossible.

«Tua Pacheonmu isn’t meant for brute force.»

No matter how much my flames improved, Tua Pacheonmu was a technique of compression. Trying to overload it with power only diluted its effectiveness.

This was the best I could do.

«Besides, I never meant to block it.»

If I wanted to stop it, I wouldn’t have done this. This was just to create an opening—to halt the wave’s momentum and force a reaction.

As expected, the bastard moved exactly as I predicted.

He levitated slightly above the stalled wave and raised his hand.

Fwoooosh—!!!

The massive wave beneath him churned violently before slowly lifting into the air.

Watching that immense volume of flame ascend, I couldn’t help but think—

«Seeing it this close, it’s really a spectacle.»

No wonder he earned that ridiculous nickname.

It was undeniably impressive.

The flames rose higher, dominating the sky, all coalescing toward his outstretched hand.

I already knew what he was doing.

Fwoooooom—!!!

All that fire was being drawn into his palm, steadily compressing into a form.

A massive, black orb.

As I watched it take shape and solidify, I frowned.

Great Flame Orb.

Just looking at it, the density of energy was enough to make my spine tingle.

But that wasn’t why I was scowling.

«He’s such a moron for using it like that.»

The compression was pathetic. With all that energy, that’s the best he could do? And the rotational force? It was a joke.

What I saw in that orb was utterly meaningless.

A true Flame Orb required perfect compression and rotational energy to maintain its integrity. But his? It was just a hollow shape—devoid of intent, empty of technique.

«Embarrassing.»

A profound sense of shame washed over me.

«And he calls that a martial technique?»

The words of Paejon—and even earlier, of Noya—echoed in my mind.

*A martial art without conviction is nothing but empty showmanship. What conviction lies in your techniques, child?*

What had I answered back then? I couldn’t remember. Whatever it was, it must have been pitiful.

And now—

«I was no different back then.»

Unwanted memories surfaced. And at the end of those memories stood that bastard.

I clenched my fist.

Even if I couldn’t use fire techniques, it didn’t matter.

Unlike then, I had more tools now.

Rumble—!!!

The enormous black Flame Orb roared to life.

As it finished forming, he began to slowly lower his hand, clearly intending to drop it on me.

In response, I gave a slight twist of my hips.

A subtle motion traveled up through my shoulders.

It wasn’t a large movement.

I’d learned something recently.

«It doesn’t have to be big to be effective.»

The efficient use of one’s body—this was a lesson I’d been learning.

Thud.

A short, sharp punch struck the empty air.

In that instant—

Crunch—!!!

[“…!!”]

His chest imploded, bones shattering audibly.

The Heart Strike had connected.

Blood gushed from his mouth.

A direct hit? As I narrowed my eyes, I saw his body plummet from the sky and hit the ground.

Thud—!

He landed hard and rolled to a stop.

I rushed over to him.

[“Cough.”]

He was coughing up blood as I approached, his eyes unfocused and vacant.

It was surreal seeing my own face like that, broken and sprawled in the dirt.

Was he dying? His vision seemed blurred, his breathing ragged.

«Damn, this is draining.»

I was also breathing heavily, having expended a great deal of energy.

I grabbed him by the collar.

«Who the hell are you, really?»

[…]

«What’s your problem, bastard?»

Why was he so fixated on destroying me? I couldn’t comprehend it.

«Why do you keep coming after me like this…?»

[“Did you bring the answer?”]

«What?»

I frowned at his cryptic words.

«What are you talking about?»

[“The answer from before. Did you bring it?”]

«The answer?»

Narrowing my eyes, I recalled the question he always asked.

*Why do you continue to live?*

That question, every single time.

«Hah.»

A hollow laugh escaped me.

«Why are you so obsessed with that? What does it matter if I live or die? Are you saying I should just die?»

[“Yes.”]

«You son of a—!»

[“You do not deserve to live.”]

«You’ve got some nerve, you lunatic.»

I wanted to say he had no right to decide that, but the words stuck in my throat.

Seeing me hesitate, he spoke again, his voice faint and hazy.

[“You still have no answer. Then I will ask something else.”]

«And you never answer me! Why the hell do you keep—»

[“Why didn’t you kill me?”]

«…»

My eye twitched involuntarily.

[“A moment ago, you could have killed me. Why didn’t you?”]

He was right. That Heart Strike—if I’d aimed for his heart or his head instead of his chest, it would have been over.

So why hadn’t I?

«That’s because… I had questions for you—»

[“Your excuses are pathetic.”]

For the first time, he laughed.

[“When you were desperately clawing to escape this place, what held you back now? What made you hesitate?”]

With every laugh, more blood trickled from his lips.

[“You are afraid.”]

His voice wormed its way into my ears.

[“You are afraid to erase the me that exists now. That is why you ultimately lost this fight.”]

«…»

I should have denied it. I should have screamed that he was wrong. But again, my lips refused to move.

[“You claim you want to forget me, yet you remain here, where I persist.”]

I tightened my grip on his collar.

[“Is that not the truth?”]

«…You talk too much, bastard.»

[“You have grown dull. Far too dull.”]

I suppressed my irritation and shot back.

«Yeah? So what? You’re about to die anyway, so—»

Mid-sentence, my eyes widened. Something was wrong.

The lifeless eyes that had been fading were regaining their focus. His ragged breathing steadied, and the flow of blood from his mouth ceased.

The moment I realized it—

Fwoooosh—!!

«Damn it.»

I looked up at the sudden wave of heat.

[“That is your downfall.”]

The Flame Orb he’d created earlier hadn’t vanished. It was falling directly toward me.

It was too late to evade. I swiftly wrapped myself in a protective shell of energy.

Boom—!!!

The explosion engulfed me.

«Urgh!»

The concussive force hurled me through the air. I tumbled across the ground several times before skidding to a halt.

«Kuh…»

The aftermath of the blast was severe. My energy shield had kept me in one piece, but the recoil was significant. Now it was my turn to cough up blood.

«Wow. What a dirty trick.»

Gritting through the pain, I looked back toward him.

When had he planned this? He must have faked his collapse to distract me, using the opening to deploy the Flame Orb.

Did that mean he’d planned this from the moment he started forming it?

It was a cunning move.

One I would use myself.

«Hah…»

I swayed to my feet. The damage was substantial, but not critical. The attack hadn’t been a direct hit, not because I dodged well, but because he’d pulled it.

«This bastard… he’s still holding back, isn’t he?»

It was obvious he had deliberately avoided a full-force impact.

Fwoooosh.

Hovering midair once more, he looked down at me.

[“Let me be clear—do not misunderstand.”]

Black flames erupted from his body, spreading outward. For an instant, they took the form of vast, dark wings.

[“If this ends as it did before, you will die. And—”]

The wings of flame tore through the air.

[“I will take your place.”]

Fwoooosh—!!!

The countless fragments that scattered from them transformed into individual Flame Orbs.