Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"Ughhh...!!!"

A wretched scream echoed from the man collapsed on the ground.

Clutching his shattered jaw, he crawled along the floor in a pitiful state.

Blood and saliva poured down from his crushed jaw, and his bloodshot eyes showed the sheer agony he was enduring.

And then.

"What the hell is this bastard even saying?"

Crunch-!

"Guhh...!"

I snarled as I stomped on the head of the crawling man.

"Keep your nonsense to yourself, seriously."

"Grrr..."

"If you're going to open your mouth, use it to talk, not spew nonsense. Don't you agree?"

The trembling was palpable.

Was he trying to get up?

It wasn't even remotely amusing.

Crack!

"Gaaaaahhhh---!!!"

Kicking his shin, I watched as his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

He had tried to reinforce himself with Qi just before the impact, as expected of a deputy captain.

If he hadn't, I might have torn the leg clean off.

At least he had some instincts left.

'What a shame.'

I hadn't intended to stop at breaking it. Should I just rip it off entirely?

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I held back.

"Guh... gurgle..."

The man groaned pitifully.

I glanced down at him and then raised my head.

And spoke.

"Stop."

---!!

The people who had been ready to rush at me froze mid-step.

Before I realized it, the area was surrounded by members of the Star Dragon Division.

Judging by their stances, they looked ready to charge at any moment...

"Don't take a single step forward. Can't you see I'm having a conversation right now?"

"Grrr..."

I grabbed the unknown man by his throat and lifted him up.

His bloodied appearance was beyond pitiful.

"If you move, I'll kill him. And whoever moves, too."

My voice carried a killing intent.

Even I thought I might've overdone it a little.

But it seemed to work; the men who had been hesitating froze completely.

Some of them exchanged glances as if looking for an opportunity.

"Go ahead and test it, if you think I'm bluffing. See what happens."

I glared at them, and they flinched under my gaze.

The killing intent I emitted didn't waver, and the pressure from my suppressed Qi steadily increased.

At that moment.

"D-Deputy Captain...."

Someone addressed me.

It was Song Hojung, who was currently serving as a deputy under the Star Dragon Division alongside Tang So-yeol.

He approached with a troubled expression, but I raised my hand to stop him.

"Stay back. I'm having a conversation with this guy right now."

"But..."

"I'll listen to whatever you have to say later. For now, shut up and back off. Is that clear?"

"...Understood. I'll wait."

Song Hojung retreated, though his subdued expression grated on my nerves.

It made me unconsciously grip harder.

"Hey, you bastard."

"Guh... urgh!"

"Finish what you were saying earlier. What was it again?"

The body in my grip trembled violently at my words.

"What did you say? Come on, tell me."

I asked repeatedly, but no response came.

Of course, the man's jaw was shattered—how could he possibly speak?

I knew that too, but it didn't matter.

"Look at this. You ignore someone long enough, and now you think it's okay to disrespect me, huh? Hey, does my word mean nothing to you?"

"Guh... ahh..."

"What the hell are you mumbling? Speak clearly."

Bang!

I slammed his head into the ground.

The sound of his skull cracking echoed, and blood splattered slightly.

"Hi... hiick!!"

"D-Deputy Captain...!"

The horrified gasps of the onlookers didn't faze me.

Wiping the blood off my cheek, I spoke to them.

"He's not dead, so don't overreact. What, do you think I'd kill someone on our side?"

I said it with a smile, but for some reason, the mood only grew more oppressive.

Ah, that's a bit disappointing.

"I just wanted to have a conversation, but you all look so uneasy. Not happy? Then do whatever you want."

I straightened up as I spoke.

The man in my grasp seemed to have passed out from the ordeal.

Blood was flowing excessively, but he probably wouldn't die.

'For about half a quarter of an hour, anyway.'

Not long, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) but enough.

Surely, he could hold on for that long. After all, he was skilled enough to be considered a top-tier martial artist.

Moreover.

'That's just enough time.'

Fifteen minutes would be perfect to deal with the others.

I took a step forward, and immediately, the Azure Dragon Division members braced themselves.

Their stances were perfect for drawing their swords at a moment's notice.

This was, in essence, how one would treat an enemy.

"Hm. I thought we were on the same side. Shouldn't you be treating me better than this?"

Walking forward, I flicked my hand, and droplets of blood splattered to the ground.

Of course, it wasn't my blood—it was from the man lying there.

Seeing this, the men's wariness only intensified.

Turning someone into that mess and then claiming to be allies must have been absurd to them.

I could understand. But I had my reasons.

"Well, he kept spewing nonsense, so I thought he wanted me to beat him. There's an old saying: the only cure for a mad dog is a beating."

What had he said again?

Something about being part of some useless offshoot, a worthless insect.

Or was it that even among the deputies, the gap in skill was too vast?

'I mean, he's not entirely wrong.'

I wouldn't deny it. There was indeed a difference in skill levels.

The Star Dragon Division was less than a year old, while the Azure Dragon Division had a long and storied history.

Even among the deputies, Song Hojung and that idiot were on completely different levels.

Song Hojung was at the pinnacle of his craft, while that bastard had long surpassed mere mastery.

If you compared their skills, it was true that the gap was immense.

But saying it out loud was a completely different matter.

"That's the kind of thing you don't say aloud."

In other words, it was either a declaration of war or a blatant sign of disdain.

"Don't you agree?"

"..."

"..."

I asked, but silence was all I received. Such quiet individuals they were.

Or perhaps, they were simply embodying the righteous sect tradition of clamming up when things didn't go their way.

"I just don't get it."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Why do you keep making things difficult? I'm not even asking for much."

Shing!

As I took a step closer, the sound of swords being drawn echoed.

Amid the dark, their blades glimmered in the moonlight.

"I don't need us to get along. Just keep your mouths shut and do your jobs. Is that so hard?"

What was the issue? I didn't know.

And honestly, I didn't care.

"...Captain of the Star Dragon Division, if you take another step—!"

Whatever it was, I didn't need to know.

After all, hadn't it always been this way?

"Another step, and what? You'll draw your blades? Sounds good."

If something displeased me, I'd break it.

I'd always wanted to cause a scene, but I hadn't acted on it for one reason.

'Because I'm weak.'

I was weak, and recklessly stirring up trouble would only lead to consequences I couldn't handle.

So, what about now?

Regrettably, that hadn't changed. That thought remained the same.

I was still weak in the heart of Zhongyuan.

Even if there were fewer stronger than me now, countless variables remained.

And in the face of those uncertainties, I was weak.

It couldn't be helped.

I had too much to protect and too many responsibilities to shoulder. So I had to hold myself back.

One.

'No matter what, this...'

Even if I endured and endured, this was not something I couldn't handle.

Boom-!

I released my pressure.

"Hiiiik-!!"

"Grrrkk!!?"

The force emanating from my body surged outward, and a gust of wind swept through the area.

The wind swirled around, enclosing the space as if forming a barrier.

"This can't be...."

"How could such a thing be done with mere energy...!"

They were all martial artists, and they must have realized how absurd and irrational what I had just done was.

As with anyone who witnesses something terrifying, fear crept into their eyes as they looked at the barrier.

Even those who had been brimming with hostility moments ago.

Watching them, I didn't erase my grin as I asked:

"What's wrong? Go ahead, do what you were about to do. You were ready to charge at me, weren't you?"

Crack. I loosened my neck. Uplоаdеd by thе М|V|L(ЕМРYR) tеаm.

As I continued approaching, they began backing away instead.

Seeing them retreat hesitantly, I let out a sigh and asked:

"Where do you think you're going?"

My low voice made one of the men at the front hurriedly speak.

"...Captain of the Star Dragon Division, please, calm yourself."

"What?"

What an unamusing statement. Calm down?

"If I were going to calm down, I wouldn't have done this in the first place."

"I understand your anger, but I believe there's been some sort of misunderstanding... Perhaps we could start with a conversation—"

"Conversation, my ass."

I stomped the ground and shot forward.

The scenery shifted rapidly, and my hand was already moving.

Crunch-!

"Guhh!"

I grabbed the neck of the man who had been speaking and lifted him into the air.

"Grrkk...!"

He struggled and flailed desperately, but he was lifted powerlessly.

"If you were going to talk, you should've done so earlier. You're way too late."

"P-Please... listen to... us...."

"Sure, I'm sure you all have your reasons."

There must have been some kind of issue that led to this situation.

It was only natural. They were probably frustrated and full of grievances.

"But I'll listen to those later from my subordinates. Right now, this is more important."

Honestly, I couldn't care less.

What mattered now was venting my emotions.

Clench. I tightened my fist. Power coursed through it.

It was a simple application of Qi reinforcement. There were no flames, but this much was more than enough.

I twisted my waist, channeling strength into my shoulder.

I intended to strike with my fist.

If I did... this man in my grasp would—

'Die.'

His organs would rupture, and he would meet his end.

And I planned to do the same to the rest of them standing nearby.

I was going to kill every single one of them.

Not a single person would leave here alive.

That was the thought driving me as I swung my fist.

Until—

"...Hm?"

Just before my fist struck his abdomen, I froze.

Boom---!! The Qi gathered in my fist dissipated, creating a shockwave.

At the same time, I released my grip.

"Cough...!"

The man I had been holding collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

I looked at him and then at my own hand, lowering my gaze.

'What was that?'

What was I about to do just now?

I widened my eyes, trying to make sense of the strange feeling.

'Was I going to kill them all?'

That's right.

I had been planning to kill the man in my grasp and everyone else around me.

If I hadn't pulled back my punch at the last moment, he would already be dead.

And after that, I would have killed everyone else here as well.

It was an overwhelming urge—an irresistible need to kill them all.

The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Ah, this is a mess."

I ran a hand down my face, struggling to regain my composure.

The fact that I had nearly killed them all wasn't the issue.

It wasn't an impossible thing to do, and I was genuinely angry.

The real problem was that the thought and emotions driving me to kill them weren't mine.

Sure, venting my anger by beating them made sense, but if it were truly me, I wouldn't have gone so far as to kill them.

Killing allies will only get me in trouble..

I knew that clearly, so I had only intended to create trouble within manageable limits.

'So why did I try to kill them...?'

Why had I done that?

I furrowed my brows, still feeling the lingering traces of the emotions.

The killing intent I felt was real.

It wasn't a rational decision but an instinctual desire to crush something disgusting in front of me, like stepping on a bug.

'What is this?'

This wasn't my emotion.

This wasn't my killing intent.

Something had surfaced from within and momentarily taken over my thoughts.

'What on earth?'

What could this be?

As the question sprouted in my mind, a scene I had seen before surfaced.

—Why are you still alive?

That moment when I had faced my past self.

"Could it be...?"

As if I were beginning to understand something, I took a deep breath.

Shiiing---!!

Booom---!!

The pressure encasing the area trembled violently as it was struck.

It didn't just tremble—it tore slightly, creating a fissure.

Shiiing---!!!

From that fissure, a pale green flash accompanied by a sword tip lunged at me.

I twisted my body immediately, creating distance.

The flash struck the spot where I had been, unleashing a loud explosion.

Dust obscured my vision.

"...What the hell are you doing?"

A voice, trembling with barely suppressed fury, came from within the dust.

Swoosh!

With a short, cutting sound, the dust was blown away by a sword's wind.

As the view cleared, the one who had broken the barrier and spoken revealed themselves.

Unsurprisingly, it was none other than Ilcheon Sword.

He surveyed the surroundings, then, with a deeply furrowed brow, addressed me.

"Have you gone mad?"

The expression on his face clearly asked why I had caused such chaos in his territory.

Seeing that, I ran a hand over my face once more.

"Ah..."

This was bad.

Realizing the state I was in made it all the more evident.

I couldn't fight Ilcheon Sword right now.

Because—

'I might really kill him.'

If we fought now, I felt I wouldn't hold back and would truly kill him.