The people were alarmed as the city neared the land. There was a slight chance of another attack as the explosion spread farther than Antem’s seven regions, but they went up the wall to stand watch.
“This Antem… I’m not sure how hard he tried to do this and asked the favor of the gods around…”
Yuri whistled as she glanced at the devastated lands.
“I would be too ashamed to even walk around if it was me. He made all this mess and couldn’t pull off anything.”
The people around her laughed at her words. There should’ve been at least four or five gods who had been affected by the explosion, and they definitely did not agree to Antem’s sudden self-destruction. Anyway, thanks to the devastation, it was easy to stand watch as there wasn’t much else around.
“Teacher!” one young boy shouted and Yuri turned to the direction.
“…Hm.”
From far away, someone was walking over. Two people. A man and a woman.
“Can someone go and call the Mayor?” Yuri asked and then jumped down the wall. She calmly walked toward the two people, but she was ready to fight at any time. These people were either refugees who wanted to get into the city, or they were from another group that was trying to communicate with them. Considering the fact that it had only been an hour since the great explosion, there was little chance for them to be the former.
‘I don’t have a good feeling about this.’
Yuri was strong enough to measure the opponent’s strength, and based off her guess, both of them seemed to be formidable. She might have a hard time even holding on until Dohyuk arrived, but even then, Yuri was prepared for anything.
“…!”
She couldn’t stay calm anymore as she recognized their faces. She didn’t know the woman, but she knew the man. She had seen him in her previous life for a slight second as an enemy, but she still knew. Why wouldn’t she?
“Hmmmmmm?”
The handsome-looking young man was the one who killed her in the previous life.
“I’ve seen you before… hmm?”
“Of course, she’s from Yoo Dohyuk’s city. She must be his ally,” the woman chimed. Yuri didn’t know what happened between the two of them, but she looked annoyed. Yuri couldn’t see what face she was making, nor did she realize that the woman wasn’t speaking Korean.
“No, I don’t know her.”
She only realized that the man’s face had a bigger scar than she remembered.
“She seems to know me. See her shaking?”
“I’m sure it’s because you are rude and violent.”
“Hmm… OH! Yeah!”
The man clapped suddenly.
“You. You’re that, right? I remember now! I remember everyone I killed. You’re… Jung Ilgyu, that bastard’s crony!”
“…!”
“You weren’t one of the higher ranking ones though. But you did know how to fight. It was fun then…”
The man looked up into the sky, remembering what happened then. However, it was only for a slight second.
“But why are you here?”
He gaze turned cold. She couldn’t even respond.
“Why are you, Ilgyu’s crony, walking out from my bro’s city? It’s too fishy. Was it Ilgyu? Did he put you into Dohyuk’s city as a spy to take revenge? He wouldn’t remember your face. Yeah, that’s probably why.”
The man began speaking mindlessly as he glared. Yuri quickly pulled out her whip and struck. It was a quick and wise action. If she didn’t, the man would’ve charged in and choked Yuri.
The whip struck the man’s face, but his two arms grabbed Yuri’s wrist. The whip did hit his face, crushing his skull and bending his neck, but as if he didn’t even feel the pain or he was willing to die, his arms and legs moved separately.
“Ouch…”
As he bled from his eyes, he smiled with his broken nose and teeth.
“You’ve gotten stronger.”
He began to strengthen his grasp and Yuri’s wristbone began to crack.
“It’s you who hit me first, you f*cking b*tch?”
Yuri kicked the man’s genital area instead of answering, but before she could do so, the man let go of Yuri’s right wrist and swung her left. Yuri was pulled high up into the air and he threw his fist at her stomach.
Yuri braced herself for a heavy blow and gritted her teeth.
A flash of light passed between them. Her body fell onto the ground, and she wasn’t punched by the man. On her wrist, the man’s one arm was still hanging there by itself as it was sliced from the body.
Yuri looked up. The man was standing with his lost arm, and the woman was pushing her sword against the man’s neck.
“What are you… doing…”
The man didn’t seem like he was in pain. He only looked annoyed and shocked.
“I’m stopping you before you do anything that’s uncalled for.”
“Didn’t you just… she hit me first! Look at my fa…”
“What I saw was that you attacked first and she defended herself.”
“You f*cking chink…”
The woman responded to the insult immediately. Three slashes happened at ‘once’. Yuri was looking at it directly, but she couldn’t follow the movement as it was finished…
The remaining arm and legs of the man dropped to the ground, along with his body.
“What the f*ck are you doing, you b*tch!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Shut up.”
Her face twisted disgust and she kicked the man’s face. The man fell unconscious and she turned to Yuri. She began to speak in English, guessing that Yuri didn’t speak Chinese.
“I apologize for what just happened… although it won’t take anything back. Please, forgive us.”
“…”
Even then, Yuri knew the woman wasn’t letting her guard down. The woman seemed to realize the discussion between Yuri and the man, and was ready to cut her down any second if Yuri tried something.
And if the woman did act…
‘I will die.’
There was no chance. The woman was that much stronger. She was so strong to the point that she reminded Yuri of Dohyuk. Yuri stood up.
“You…”
She tried to ask who she was, but realized it was a foolish question. There was only one possible person. The young man’s name was Lee Kyuho. He was one of the lieutenants, known for his power similar to that of his leader, Yoo Dohyuk. He misunderstood Lee Yuri, but the man was surely an ally of Dohyuk’s. She spoke Chinese and used swords.
“You are the Swordmaster.”
“If you prefer that name.”
She responded with a tired look. Yuri placed her whip back onto her belt.
“If you are here to meet our ruler, I will take you to him. But you have to follow my guide and suggestions without any unexpected behaviors.”
“Yes. I will do as you ask,” she answered calmly. The Swordmaster, Feiyen, placed her sword back in the scabbard on her back and grabbed the fainted Kyuho’s neck.
“Don’t worry about cutting limbs.”
Kyuho’s wounds weren’t bleeding as they had already begun regenerating. Yuri nodded and began to walk as Feiyen followed her. She asked after a few steps, “May I ask a question, if it’s not too much trouble?”
“Of course.”
“Yoo Dohyuk. How much stronger is he than you?”
“…”
Yuri tried to speak, but she smiled bitterly.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know how many ‘me’s are required to defeat him.”
“I see.”
The Swordmaster didn’t seem to doubt her words and nodded.