VMMMMM----!!!!

The eyeball vibrated like mad. Watching it, I looked toward the owner of that strange wrongness.

...Well, look at that?

Strange. The number and appearance matched the people I’d seen yesterday, but something about them was unnaturally off.

Different.

The same, yet different. Their outward appearance was identical, but the energy I felt inside was completely different.

Who is that?

My eyes narrowed. It was energy, yes, but—

Spiritual energy.

Not a martial artist’s inner qi, but spiritual energy. A deep, subdued presence was wrapped around that Demonic Cultist from head to toe.

Was it always like that? No. No way. I didn’t remember anyone like that. And besides—

If someone is wrapped in spiritual energy...

That meant they could use spiritual energy. Was there really any chance I wouldn’t recognize someone like that?

...Hard to say.

In my current state, maybe.

No.

I shook my head inwardly. This wasn’t just that.

The reaction coming from the shadow beneath my feet made that obvious.

This—

Was bad.

No matter how I looked at it, this felt bad. Very bad.

*****

Separate from that cold feeling, the talks resumed.

“First of all, what we currently want is nothing complicated.”

The moment the Young Cult Leader began speaking, a Demonic Cultist behind him handed over a letter. They were getting to the main point they hadn’t reached yesterday.

“What we want is a meeting with the orthodox faction. To that end, we would like to obtain formal negotiating rights between the Demonic Cult and the orthodox faction, and begin exchanges—”

“...Negotiations and exchanges?”

At the Young Cult Leader’s words, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s brows twitched in displeasure.

“That is correct.”

Ignoring Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s reaction, the Young Cult Leader continued.

“At present, the Demonic Cult is training successors as part of its reconstruction. Through that, I believe we may be able to continue peaceful meetings with the orthodox faction.”

“What are you talking about...?”

Training successors. That part bothered me.

“When one speaks of exchange, is there any better method than showing each other the future of the current age?”

“...You mean.”

“Yes. I hear the Murim Alliance will be opening the Academy before long.”

“Hah.”

The moment the Academy was mentioned, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye reacted sharply.

“What exactly do you think you’re saying? Don’t tell me you mean to place Demonic Cultists inside the Academy.”

“That is correct.”

“Absurd...!”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s eyes sank coldly.

The Academy.

At that reaction, I turned the name over in my head. I knew what it was.

It wasn’t anything especially grand.

It’s just a place where the younger generation go to mix, clash, and tear at each other for a while, isn’t it.

Officially, it was a place for meetings and education.

An educational institution run by the Murim Alliance. The story was that promising juniors representing their sects and clans would gather there to receive instruction from Murim Alliance masters, but— 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

When you get right down to it, it’s just a place for building connections.

No education provided by the Murim Alliance could possibly surpass what the great sects and clans already gave their own people.

In the end, it was just for networking.

The younger generation representing each organization gather there and build connections with one another.

It was a thoroughly political place, packed with narrow internal concerns.

Which was exactly why nobody could afford not to go.

Seen that way, it was fair enough to call it a kind of festival representing the orthodox faction.

And Demonic Cultists are going there?

I understood Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s reaction. Of course I did.

In the first place.

The Academy was—

An institution founded after the Orthodox-Demonic War.

So that nothing like that would ever happen again. So the Murim Alliance could oppose the unorthodox faction and the Demonic Cult more forcefully.

That was why it had been created.

And now he wants to put the Demonic Cult’s younger generation into it?

It was ludicrous.

“Do you truly not understand the meaning of what you just said?”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s words dripped with hostility, but the Young Cult Leader merely shrugged.

“I do understand. That is precisely why I am making the offer from our side. Conversely, if you were to send the Alliance’s younger generation to the Demonic Cult, would that not make the proposal even fairer?”

“It seems you don’t even understand that an exchange of that kind is itself the problem. What exactly is the Murim Alliance supposed to trust in to let your people in here?”

“If you wish, you may place restrictive seals on them.”

“What?”

“The boldest form of exchange is to openly show each other our future. But if the issue lies in what we have done and in the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» circumstances surrounding us, then if you wish to place restrictive seals, I would consider that reasonable as well.”

The Young Cult Leader brought up restrictive seals with a perfectly calm face. Normally, that was the sort of thing martial artists would consider deeply insulting.

Hmm.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

What is he thinking?

A lot of thoughts passed through my mind as I looked at his face. What kind of motive drove him to push this far?

The important thing was—

No matter how far he takes this.

“There is no reason to accept such a proposal.”

Neither Thousand-Mile Divine Eye nor anyone else on the orthodox side had any reason to accept it lightly.

“I reject it. There is no need for the orthodox faction to continue any exchange with you—”

“If you accept this condition, we will return the Orthodox Token.”

“...”

The instant those words left the Young Cult Leader’s mouth—

VMMMMM.

A rough vibration rang out from somewhere. It came from Divine Spear’s side.

“...The Orthodox Token?”

The air trembled. My stomach churned. It felt like I might retch. I swallowed dryly without meaning to.

What is the Orthodox Token?

What kind of thing was it, for Divine Spear of all people to react like this after sitting through everything else without moving?

“That is correct. The Orthodox Token—”

CLACK!

The Demonic Cultists behind him grabbed their swords. Just as I was wondering what that reaction was for—

“That.”

Divine Spear’s voice rang out, heavy and low.

“How did the Demonic Cult come to possess it?”

Was it hostility? No. Not even killing intent.

Something beyond that.

The sensation was so distant and overwhelming that sweat broke across my palms.

The Young Cult Leader was the same. He must have felt that thick pressure too, because the cold sweat on his forehead told the story.

“There were circumstances.”

“Circumstances.”

He looked as though he wanted to know exactly what those circumstances were. Divine Spear’s face hadn’t changed, but the energy coming off him had.

“I imagine those circumstances have something to do with what passed between the former Heavenly Demon and the Sword Saint. And also—”

The smile vanished from the Young Cult Leader’s face. With a flat expression, he said,

“If you require the Orthodox Token, we can return it. Provided you accept my condition.”

Because of those three words—Orthodox Token—not only Thousand-Mile Divine Eye, but Divine Spear as well had changed.

Just what was it?

While I was still wondering—

“The condition is simple. As I said before, we desire talks with the Alliance. To that end, I believe the best method is for each side to show the other its future. And.”

The Young Cult Leader’s gaze turned to me.

“If there is unease about that process, then I myself, as the Young Cult Leader, will also enter the Academy. I ask that you look favorably upon that.”

Ha.

A dry breath escaped me at the Young Cult Leader’s words. If he meant he would personally enter the Academy—

That means the Demonic Cult’s devil is willing to walk into enemy territory himself.

It also meant he was putting his own neck on the line.

“And in exchange, you’ll return the Orthodox Token? Something that belonged to the orthodox faction in the first place?”

“Ahaha...”

At Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s words, the Young Cult Leader gave a short laugh.

“Thousand-Mile Divine Eye.”

“What?”

“The orthodox faction also possesses traces of the Demonic Cult. From that position, I doubt there is much point in arguing over whose property something is.”

Items taken from the Demonic Cult through war. There was no way to pretend those didn’t exist.

Right now—

The Divine Sword is proof enough.

The Divine Sword I carried made that obvious.

“So let us move past that issue and look only at immediate gain. After all, you need the Orthodox Token, do you not? To open something important.”

“...”

Crunch. Thousand-Mile Divine Eye ground his teeth. His reaction was as fierce as it could be.

And in that moment—

HSSSSSSS-!!!!

Hm?

My head turned. I felt it. Spiritual energy was moving. The source was the figure I had been on guard against until just now.

This is...?

A prickling sensation ran through me. This wasn’t just spiritual energy.

Could it be—

A baleful force?

It felt like someone was launching one. The way that condensed pressure burrowed in fast was exactly like that.

It seeped into the air and came slicing through it like a scream.

Straight at Thousand-Mile Divine Eye.

The instant I saw it, my body moved first.

Has this bastard lost his mind?

Launching a baleful force in a situation like this? And without even moving?

A chill ran through me. It was dangerous. Thousand-Mile Divine Eye hardly carried any spiritual energy to begin with, and if he took something like that head-on, it could be bad.

Goddammit—

So I moved. There was no time to weigh anything.

Click.

I put force into my heart. I was just about to loosen what I had bound and knock the baleful force aside, when—

[You needn’t bother.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke in that gap.

HSSSSS-!!!

Spiritual energy streamed from the sword and shot toward the baleful force.

CRACK-!!!

The forces collided and collapsed in midair.

What shocked me was that what the Heavenly Demon had fired was a baleful force too.

FZZZT-!!!

The two baleful forces tangled together and vanished on their own, and then—

THUD-!

The Demonic Cultist who had sent it out jolted. I saw the shoulder shake.

It looked like the recoil from having the baleful force slapped aside.

[Ordinarily.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke as he looked at that Demonic Cultist.

[I would have had no reason to interfere. But I find this too deeply distasteful. So just this once, I will help you.]

Just like with the Death King, the Heavenly Demon had stepped in while openly expressing his disgust.

[What a revolting bitch.]

Then came a hostile remark, and it sounded strangely familiar.

A revolting bitch?

...Wait.

At that, I looked back at the Demonic Cultist.

The figure, who had bent slightly, straightened again. The person acted as if nothing had happened, but—

Slide.

Even without seeing clearly, I could tell the gaze behind that mask had turned toward me.

The hidden eyes swept over me.

VMMMM.

The shadow moved again.

—Well now.

I heard a voice. Voice transmission? No. This was different from voice transmission.

Somehow, just from the voice alone, an image of exquisite beauty rose vividly in my mind.

—So it really was you.

At the words that followed, the shadow rose with a hiss. An eye pushed out of it and glared at me.

—Or maybe not. If it isn’t you...

As the words continued, the eye lowered its gaze.

—Then is it this sword?

Only then did I understand who that Demonic Cultist was.

I thought so.

Keeping it off my face, I wet my lips.

So I was right.

That Demonic Cultist—or rather, the one wearing a Demonic Cultist’s mask—

was Bow Ghost.

The woman they called the greatest beauty under heaven.

The Death King’s teacher.

It had to be Bow Ghost.