My pupils shook like they’d gone insane as I stared at the man.

DEMON CULT.

The sky of the DEMON CULT.

The god of demon bastards.

A malicious ghost sent down by heaven.

A man wrapped in every kind of epithet—someone who had rooted himself into the Central Plains as pure fear.

Heavenly Demon.

The Demon Cult Leader. The Heavenly Demon.

The one who’d been Yoo Cheongil’s equal—an existence that might’ve succeeded in conquering the Central Plains if Yoo Cheongil hadn’t stood in the way.

And that was supposed to be this drenched, ragged-looking man?

No... I was hoping it wasn’t.

I bit my lips again and again. I’d already suspected it. With everything pointing this way, only the Heavenly Demon fit.

If it was something that felt like Yoo Cheongil or Dokgo Hyeok—something with a similar weight—and it had entered me through the Divine Sword...

There was only one.

The original owner of this sword... no, this sacred implement.

A sacred implement.

Tools Wudang used. A link to the “god” they served. In the first place, anything that held a spirit was called a sacred implement.

The Divine Sword was a sacred implement.

Calling it “just a sword” was wrong. This wasn’t just a sword.

It’s a sacred implement with a spirit inside.

This spiritual space was proof. A god’s room.

A god’s space inside a sacred implement.

The fact that it existed meant the Divine Sword really was a sacred implement.

“...Are you truly the Heavenly Demon?”

[You’re asking again with eyes that already decided. You don’t trust it?]

“...No. I just wanted it not to be true.”

Cold sweat slid down my skin. Just meeting those blood-red eyes did that.

It was written in the records. The Heavenly Demon was a monster with a red glare in his eyes.

That was true.

How can someone’s eyes be...

That red looked like it was filled with blood.

Blue Moon Heart Art had its own changes to eye color, so maybe it was something like that?

I don’t know.

And it didn’t matter. This wasn’t the time.

SPLASH.

The sound of water kept coming. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water fell from the man’s clothes.

In this silent world, it was the only sound.

I hated it. Even that sounded like noise.

I didn’t want to open my mouth. Part of me wanted to run right now.

Why does he feel so heavy?

Looking at the Heavenly Demon made my insides feel sick and swollen.

Not just the sheer presence—

How can a human soul...

How can a human soul carry weight like a disaster deity?

It made no sense. Was the karma he’d built in life really that thick?

No. That wasn’t the question right now.

I felt it in my past life, too.

You don’t get involved with something like that.

I learned it by experience. Spirits with that kind of presence—never get tangled with them.

I was already tangled with Yoo Cheongil, but the Heavenly Demon was different.

That’s just a disaster.

A soul brushing the edge of an evil god was a disaster. A bastard with power, and you never know what he’ll do.

And the worst part—

He’s inside my body.

“...Why are you doing this to me?”

Why did you come into me?

When I asked—

[Who knows.]

The Heavenly Demon answered in a dry, indifferent tone.

[It wasn’t my choice. The sword simply went to you.]

He was saying he hadn’t chosen it. That he hadn’t wanted it.

But—

“That’s not true.”

I rejected it immediately.

“The reason I can hold the Divine Sword— that’s because you allowed it, isn’t it?”

[.......]

The Divine Sword that supposedly couldn’t be held unless you were bloodline.

The reason I could hold it had to be him.

“Isn’t it?”

[Hmm.]

A calm sound.

And then—

CHRRRRRK.

The black water on the ground surged up and reshaped itself.

A chair.

No—was that a throne? A huge, angular seat formed, and the Heavenly Demon sat on it like it belonged to him.

[You’re quick.]

“...It’s not something you can miss.”

Quick? No. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would see it.

“...What do you want from me?”

He allowed me to hold the Divine Sword.

A spirit in a sacred implement allowed it—so I could hold it.

Heavenly Demon bloodline? I’m not. If I can hold it anyway, that’s the only explanation.

So—

What does he want?

Why would he allow it?

And—

Why is he still here?

The Heavenly Demon was supposed to be dead. So why is he still here?

It was wrong.

[Ha ha ha.]

He laughed softly at my question.

Even the laugh was unsettling.

[Want. Why do you assume that?]

“Because if you don’t want something, there’s no reason to do this.”

My voice started to shake. Existentially, I was being crushed.

That was the feeling.

Then—

[Kim Mincheol.]

“...!”

The name stole my breath. My voice died in my throat. It felt like my mind turned blank-white.

“...That name...”

It was the first time I’d heard it since coming to this world. No one had ever said it.

And he—

“How do you know that?”

How is he saying it?

My eyes widened.

At my question, the Heavenly Demon only lifted one corner of his mouth.

[I don’t want anything from you. If I must pick one thing.]

CHRRRRRK.

Something appeared before the Heavenly Demon on the throne.

A sword.

The Divine Sword floated in midair.

[Like I told you before. Don’t lose your sword again. This is a warning.]

“...”

Don’t lose the sword?

I frowned.

“Answer how you know Kim Mincheol.”

[Do I have to answer?]

“Then you won’t?”

How could anything be more important than that?

Sword or whatever—none of that even entered my head.

“...How do you know that name—”

[Did you fulfill your grandmother’s will?]

“...!”

My body moved before I could think. I lunged at him—

CHRRRRK.

“Ghk!”

Water burst from the ground and latched onto my ankle.

I pitched forward.

[You’re quick to anger. You resemble your teacher.]

“...You—!”

[But you should know your place.]

GRAB—!

Agony slammed through me.

“—!!”

I screamed. Something drove into my back.

What—?

What is that?

[Don’t bare your fangs at me.]

“...Ghh... uuuuh—!”

[No one has ever bared their fangs at me and lived.]

It hurt. It hurt like I was dying.

Even so, I tried to force myself up through the pain.

KRRRICK.

Whatever was embedded pressed into my flesh.

[Oh?]

The Heavenly Demon smiled down at me.

[Good. That spirit. Yes. It should be like that.]

PAHSSSUK—!

“Ghk—!”

Something ripped free from my back.

I looked—

It was the Divine Sword.

It drifted through the air like it had a will.

“Haah... haah...”

A suppressed groan spilled out. My head spun.

It wasn’t even “real” pain—so why did my soul take a hit this hard?

Fuck.

I clenched my teeth and grabbed my chest.

KRRRICK.

I was about to release the seal I’d been keeping locked inside.

I couldn’t let this go.

Even if it meant grappling with the Heavenly Demon, I was going to hear what I needed to hear.

Just as I started to undo it—

GRAB—!

The Heavenly Demon appeared right in front of me and perched there.

[Won’t you regret it?]

My hands stopped.

[You endured so long. Will you ignore your grandmother’s last words and choose that?]

“...What are you?”

How much does he know?

I stared wide-eyed, but he just kept smiling.

Like before.

“What the hell are you?”

[Endure a little longer. It isn’t time to tell you yet.]

Not time?

“...What are you trying to do to me?”

He spoke like he had a purpose, then refused to answer. It made my blood boil.

[I’m not trying to do anything. I want nothing.]

Bullshit.

[Just live. That’s all I want.]

“...Live?”

[Don’t let go of your sword. It will be your lifeline. And—]

Heavenly Demon pressed a finger into my forehead.

[Don’t trust Yoo Cheongil too much.]

“...!”

Before I could react—

“Ghk!”

My eyes snapped open.

“Huuk... hk....”

I braced a hand on the floor, sucking in ragged breaths. I forced down the vomit climbing my throat.

[Kid. What’s wrong?]

Yoo Cheongil spoke. I rolled my eyes to look at him.

“...Old man.”

[Yes.]

“How much time passed?”

[Time?]

“Yeah. How long since I closed my eyes.”

[Not long. You opened them right away.]

“...”

Time was twisted. It was like a spirit-dream.

[What did you do?]

Yoo Cheongil asked, confused.

I was about to answer—

Don’t trust Yoo Cheongil too much.

“...”

The Heavenly Demon’s words clogged my tongue.

Do I ask? Can I?

That thought flickered—

Then I decided.

“...Old man.”

[Yes.]

“There’s a Heavenly Demon inside my body.”

[What?]

I didn’t “trust him too much,” but I didn’t obey the warning, either.

Not yet.

*****

“I greet the Branch Chief.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

The Strange Demon was back in position, waving a hand. His subordinates all bowed, while his aide, Cheolseom, asked with shocked eyes—

“...Branch Chief! Your hand—!”

“Ah. This.”

The Strange Demon looked down at his palm and smiled. The skin was split open. The blood looked like it had only just stopped.

It was a serious wound at a glance, but—

“It’s fine.”

If anything, the Strange Demon looked pleased. Cheolho froze, flustered.

“First, treatment—”

“Don’t touch it.”

When Cheolho tried to reach, the Strange Demon’s eyes turned vicious.

“Ghk...!”

Killing intent brushed over him.

“Don’t put your hands on my body. Understood?”

“I... I’ll remember.”

“Good. Thanks.”

The Strange Demon moved past him. Cheolho finally steadied his breathing and hurried after him.

“Branch Chief... The little master sent a letter.”

“Hmm?”

The Strange Demon reacted to the words “little master” and sat lightly in a chair.

Cheolho handed him the letter.

“The little master?”

“Yes... It seems he’s curious about the status of the mission.”

“Ah... Yeah?”

His expression was lukewarm. Not the reaction a Demon Cult warrior should show toward the little master.

Cheolho knew that—but didn’t point it out.

Because he knew what kind of eccentric the Strange Demon was.

A man loyal to no one but the Cult Leader.

The little master knew that, too.

“Status... He’ll do fine on his own.”

“Should I send the report we prepared?”

“Mm...”

There was a report letter summarizing their progress.

They could send it as-is.

But—

“No. Don’t.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll check it one more time and send it myself. Tell him not to worry.”

“Ah...”

Cheolho wanted to ask why, but swallowed it.

He’d just seen what happened if he pushed—his instincts screamed not to repeat it.

“...Understood.”

“Good. Get out.”

Cheolho saluted and turned away.

Watching him go, the Strange Demon smiled down at the letter.

The little master? That didn’t even enter his head.

All that remained inside him ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) was the little heaven.

That noble, beautiful little heaven.