Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 870

Chapter 870

The woods were a scene of utter devastation.
For a full ri in every direction, nothing remained intact.
The ancient, sky-scraping trees that had once stood as silent sentinels were now broken and leveled, their splintered remains carpeting the torn ground. Even the great stones that had rested among them were pulverized into pebbles and dust.
And at the center of the destruction—
“Gah…!”
Ilcheon Sword gripped his chest, a stream of blood escaping his lips.
“Cough…!!”
More blood joined the first, staining the ravaged earth beneath him. His face was a twisted mask of pure agony, a perfect reflection of the catastrophic damage his body had sustained.
He was shattered. Already starting from a broken state, he had been pushed far beyond his limits. His left arm hung at his side, completely useless, and each breath was a ragged, uneven struggle.
To lose focus for even a second would mean the total collapse of his energy. His condition was that perilous.
And yet, Ilcheon Sword refused to fall.
The battle was not yet concluded.
“Heeheehee—hahaha!!!”
“…!!”
The sound of deranged laughter cut through the air. The moment he heard it, Ilcheon Sword willed his broken form into motion.
BOOM—!!!
The place he had just occupied erupted in a violent tempest of force. A spear tore into the earth, gouging a massive crater as a shockwave of wind pressure roared outward.
The power behind it was staggering.
Gritting his teeth, he managed a desperate leap to safety, narrowly avoiding the blast. Dust and debris filled the air, and he focused his energy into his eyes to see through the cloud.
In that moment, a gleam of light shot toward him through the haze.
Screech—!
“Ugh!”
The spear clashed against his sword, the impact deflecting the energy skyward. Suspended in the air, his body shuddered from the blow.
Deflecting one strike was not enough.
“Hup!”
The spear whipped around like a serpent, striking his blade a second time.
“Gah!”
The force hurled Ilcheon Sword back toward the ground.
Crash—!!
He slammed into the earth, his protective energy failing. The impact forced another cough of blood from his lungs as pain erupted through his entire being.
There was no time to endure the hurt.
“Heeheehee!!”
“Urgh…”
The assault was incessant. How was she not exhausted? It made no sense to him.
But my attacks landed!
He had not been solely defensive. His own blows had found their mark, cutting into her chest and leaving multiple wounds.
So then… why won’t she fall?
Her relentless, savage offensive was something else entirely, like a wild animal’s.
“Hahaha—!!”
Bang! Bang, bang—!!
Her maniacal laughter echoed as her spear fell again and again, wreathed in destructive energy. Despite her injuries, her speed did not diminish in the slightest.
“Damn it…!”
Clenching his jaw, Ilcheon Sword tightened his grip on his sword. Each time his blade met her spear, shockwaves rippled out, shaking the very forest.
Boom—!!
“Heeheehee—hahaha!!”
The concussive force of their clashes would have staggered any normal fighter, but she pressed forward without a hint of hesitation.
The more he defended and dodged, the more his expression darkened.
He was losing control of the fight.
Initially, he had been confident of victory.
Even in his weakened state, he could not conceive of losing to a mere girl.
And yet—
What in heaven’s name is she?!
As he evaded another thrust, his mind raced.
Her movements were wild, chaotic, and completely formless.
How can there be no pattern?
There was no technique, no discernible style to her attacks.
She doesn’t even try to avoid injury.
She threw herself into every exchange with no regard for her own safety. He had definitely wounded her, but it seemed to have no effect.
…She doesn’t slow.
Despite her blood loss, she showed no signs of weariness. It was as if the concept of pain was foreign to her.
No, my strikes did connect.
Watching her charge toward him with that crazed grin, Ilcheon Sword refused to believe his attacks had been ineffective.
Her white martial arts uniform was drenched in crimson—far more blood than his own.
How can she still come at me after losing that much?
Her endurance defied all logic.
“Damn it…!”
His eyes blazed with determination as he swung his blade. Energy coursed along its edge, glowing with a profound, deep blue light, like stormy night waves.
It was a slash imbued with all his remaining inner strength and fighting spirit.
“Hah!”
He executed two swift cuts, sending a cross-shaped wave of energy shooting toward her.
It was a powerful technique, not meant to kill, but to create a crucial opening.
But instead of evading—
“Heehee—hahaha!!”
She laughed even louder and enveloped herself in a surge of energy.
She wouldn’t…!
By the time he understood her intention, it was far too late.
BOOM—!!
“You madwoman—!!”
She crashed directly through the energy attack, the force tearing at her body, but she did not halt her charge.
“Hahaha—!!”
“You insane bitch…!”
The distance between them closed in a flash. Ilcheon Sword swung his sword, but a moment of hesitation created an opening.
Her spear deflected his weakened blade and drove deep into his abdomen.
Thunk—!!
“Guh…!”
He dropped to his knees, the spear impaling him completely. Blood gushed from the wound as she viciously ripped the weapon free.
“Cough… huff…”
The pain was overwhelming; his vision swam and his consciousness began to flicker.
“Heehee… heeheehee…”
Her laughter echoed around him. Through his failing sight, he saw her raise the spear once more, aiming directly for his skull.
I’m going to die.
Death was upon him.
So this is my end… for a man who turned his back on honor and allied with heretics.
A worthless death, in the middle of nowhere.
No. It cannot end like this.
He did not want to die. There was still too much he needed to do.
Please… just let me live.
At that very instant, before the final blow could land, a voice cut in.
“That’s enough.”
Thwack—!
“Gah—!”
A kick slammed into the woman’s stomach, sending her flying backward. She tumbled across the ground, groaning in pain.
“Ugh… ngh…”
She had shrugged off his most powerful techniques without a flinch, yet a single kick from this man had her writhing.
As Ilcheon Sword stared in stunned confusion, a familiar voice spoke.
“You lost.”
It was Gu Yangcheon.
“And you lost spectacularly. Pathetically, even.”
“…”
“You were so incredibly arrogant, and this is the result.”
“You… bastard…”
Ilcheon Sword glared up at Gu Yangcheon, his eyes burning with a mixture of shame and fury, but the other man’s grin only widened.
“What? You think you would’ve won if you weren’t already hurt? Maybe. Probably.”
Gu Yangcheon did not disagree.
Because it was the truth.
Had Ilcheon Sword been at his peak, Bong Soon would have been defeated. No matter how ferocious she was, some gaps in power were too great to overcome.
But—
“Even so, you were the one who chose to draw your sword. And this disaster is the consequence. Am I wrong?”
“…Kuh… grrr…”
His mocking laughter was more painful than any physical wound.
The sheer scorn and contempt amplified the misery of the situation, making it even more bitter.
“Ugh… ow… that hurts! Why did you hit me?!”
From a distance, Bong Soon scrambled back to her feet, glaring at Gu Yangcheon with an expression of pure indignation.
“You said I could kill him! Why did you stop me?!”
Sigh…
Gu Yangcheon let out a heavy, exasperated sigh and swung his fist.
Thwack—!
“Guh-uek!”
His knuckles connected with the top of her head. Fresh blood welled from the new wound and dripped down her face. Bong Soon staggered, her legs almost buckling beneath her.
Gu Yangcheon grabbed her arm to keep her upright.
“If you’d kept going, you’d be dead, too. Do you have any idea what shape you’re in right now?”
“Eugh… but it was so much fun…”
“…Goddamn it.”
Hearing her reply, Gu Yangcheon’s face twisted in disgust and he released her.
“Ugh…”
He shook his hands as if he’d touched something filthy, then continued his scolding.
“I told you not to fight so recklessly just because you can’t feel pain. Why is that so difficult to understand?”
Can’t feel pain?
Hearing those words, everything finally clicked into place for Ilcheon Sword.
So that’s it… that’s why she kept charging forward no matter how injured she became.
But then, why did she react so strongly to Gu Yangcheon’s strike?
She had ignored his own attacks completely, yet a simple hit from this man had her reeling.
As confusion clouded his thoughts, Gu Yangcheon turned his back on Bong Soon’s gleeful form and walked over to Ilcheon Sword.
“Cough…”
Ilcheon Sword fought to remain conscious, clinging to the last shreds of his awareness.
If he blacked out now, his energy would drain completely, and death would follow swiftly.
Then—
Hummm—!
Gu Yangcheon suddenly grabbed him and channeled his own energy into Ilcheon Sword’s broken body.
The flow of energy stemmed the bleeding and steadied his breathing. Gradually, the pain receded just enough for him to draw a full breath.
“Hah… haah… ha…”
As his condition stabilized slightly, Ilcheon Sword looked at Gu Yangcheon with trembling eyes.
“Why… why are you…”
Why was he saving him? Before he could finish the question—
“You don’t get to die like this.”
Gu Yangcheon stared directly into his eyes as he spoke.
“It would be a terrible waste for you to die so easily. After all you have done, you don’t deserve such a simple end.”
“…!”
A cold shiver ran down Ilcheon Sword’s spine. The malice saturating those words made his breath catch in his throat again.
“You still need to sink much lower before you die. That is the only reason I spared you.”
The utter sincerity in Gu Yangcheon’s tone was undeniable.
Ilcheon Sword felt a terror far greater than the death he had faced moments ago—a dread that promised a fate infinitely worse.
Fear consumed him.
“You… you…”
Grab!
“Gah—!”
Gu Yangcheon’s hand snapped shut around his throat, preventing him from biting his own tongue.
“No. I made a promise, remember? If you won, you lived. You lost, so now I do whatever I wish with you.”
“Guh… it’s… a false charge…”
“Oh? You’re still clinging to that story?”
“It’s… slander! I tell you, it is!”
“We have the evidence. What other nonsense will you spew?”
His voice strained with desperate conviction, Ilcheon Sword shouted back.
“At the very least… I have no connection to the Demonic Cult… that much is…!”
“Oh, that?”
Gu Yangcheon tilted his head, as if giving the point some thought.
That part was true. Ilcheon Sword had no ties to the Demonic Cult. If he had, Gu Yangcheon would have known.
But—
“That was accurate… until this very moment.”
His words were sharp as a knife.
“Now, however…”
Gu Yangcheon reached into his robes and withdrew an object.
Ilcheon Sword’s eyes widened in recognition—a mask. A white mask, with a faint crack running through it, yet utterly unmistakable.
The instant Gu Yangcheon placed the mask upon his own face—
Crack—!!
His body began to transform.
His frame expanded, his muscles swelling to unnatural proportions. Already tall, his height surged until he stood nearly eight feet. His hair grew longer, and his features distorted into something completely inhuman.
Ilcheon Sword could only stare, frozen in shock and disbelief.
“…You… you’re…”
The figure looming over him was unmistakable.
It was the entity who had brought ruin to Hanan and was proclaimed the Martial Alliance’s greatest enemy.
“The… Cheonma…”
Ilcheon Sword stammered out the name.
[From this moment forward, everything changes.]
The voice that answered was no longer Gu Yangcheon’s.
Even his voice had been transformed.
The Cheonma’s grip tightened around Ilcheon Sword’s throat as it sneered down at him.
Feeling the suffocating pressure, Ilcheon Sword managed a whisper.
“Heaven… Heaven and Earth, hear my plea…”
If any divine power existed, he prayed for one final chance to warn the Alliance of this horrifying truth.
His plea was met with dark laughter.
[Gods do not exist.]
Fwoosh—!
A surge of black energy erupted from the Cheonma’s fingertips, engulfing Ilcheon Sword completely.
[If they did, neither you nor I would have been allowed to live this long.]
Those unspoken words hung in the air as the demonic aura consumed Ilcheon Sword whole.