Chapter 34

A small inn bustling with people, located on the road between villages. Five men dressed in black martial robes enter.

“Hey, we’re just here to eat. Any seats?”

Their stiff expressions and disciplined movements clearly mark them as martial artists. The innkeeper, with a servile smile, tries to appease them.

“Ah, sirs, I’m so sorry. As you can see, we’re full. You might have to wait a bit.”

The black-clad men glance around the inn. One with a large scar on his face grins eerily.

“No problem. If there’s no seat, we’ll make one.”

“…Huh?”

•

•

•

Corpses. Corpses everywhere.

The once lively inn is now a scene of carnage, with only the chef and the black-clad men left alive amidst the cold bodies scattered on the floor.

“I believe weak martial artists deserve to die. What do you think?”

The scarred man casually eats his noodles, asking the pale-faced chef amidst the bloodbath.

“Y-Your words are… correct. Absolutely right, sir.”

“Sir? I’m just a guy who makes a living with a sword.”

The scarred man pats the terrified chef’s shoulder, trying to ease his tension.

“But you know, there are those who call themselves martial artists but can’t even feed themselves with their swords. Isn’t that funny?”

“…Haha.”

The chef, unsure where to laugh, forces a dry chuckle to avoid provoking the murderer.

“If a martial artist can’t live by martial arts, can they really be called martial artists? I don’t think so. Do you understand?”

“Yes! Yes, I understand, sir!”

Without hesitation, the chef nods vigorously. The scarred man smiles eerily, his grin sharp as a blade.

“Good. Then, what should happen if a chef can’t cook? Huh?”

The chef’s answer never comes. As the scarred man finishes speaking, he swings an empty plate, severing the chef’s head.

The headless body collapses, blood gushing, while the head spins in the air before landing safely on a plate enveloped in dark energy.

The scarred man, Ying Dao of the Heavenly Demon God Sect’s Black Execution Squad, smiles contentedly at the chef’s head neatly placed on the plate. He then offers it to his comrades eating braised pork and liquor.

“Want some?”

“We’re not the Blood Church. Why would we eat human flesh? Get rid of it.”

The sight of the severed head, with its rolling eyes and the urge to vomit, doesn’t faze the black-clad men. They continue eating expressionlessly.

Ying Dao shrugs, placing the plate next to the tasteless noodles, and starts stealing braised pork from his comrades.

His eyes widen as he eats the pork. He downs a cup of liquor, letting out an involuntary sigh.

“Ah~ I should’ve ordered braised pork instead of noodles. Then this guy wouldn’t have died.”

He playfully taps the chef’s severed head, half-joking, half-serious. He fills a cup with liquor and places it before the head.

“Let me offer a drink as an apology. Have one on your way to the afterlife.”

Caw- Caw-

The squad, enjoying their late dinner, suddenly freezes at the sound of a crow’s caw. A crow flies into the inn, landing on their table with a small message tube tied to its leg—a messenger crow from the Heavenly Demon God Sect.

The sect’s orders are absolute. They can’t delay, even for a meal. They immediately check the orders.

The first to read the orders downs a cup of cold water to wash away the liquor taste and stands up.

“Finish your meals. We have a new mission.”

“What’s the mission?”

Ying Dao’s eyes and mouth twitch, not from anger at being interrupted, but from excitement at the prospect of killing again.

“The reconnaissance team was wiped out. The rumors about the Sima Family and Baehwa Church joining forces are true.”

“…So, it’s a wolf hunt.”

“Exactly. Kill the Sima Family head, Sima Bu, and retrieve the Baehwa Church’s monster.”

Ying Dao’s eyes roll. The stronger and smarter the animal, the more they feel the difference in power.

“We might not be enough on our own. Any reinforcements?”

“We are the reinforcements. Elder Qiu Gao’e is already leading other disciples to the Sima Family.”

***

“Ah~ That was delicious.”

Mantian, feeling the satisfaction of a full stomach, happily pats his belly. Yeonghwa smiles warmly, sharing his joy.

“I’m so glad you liked it, brother. It makes me happy.”

It’s not a lie or a polite smile. She genuinely wants to see her brother smile, to do more for him, to be needed by him.

Her heart and mind are filled with such thoughts. She’s happy.

But as she looks at Mantian, her eyes darken.

‘…Do I deserve to be by his side?’

Talking with him, she realizes how warm-hearted he is, fitting for a creation of Ahura Mazda.

All good things are creations of Ahura Mazda, while all evil stems from Angra Mainyu.

The monster of the Baehwa Church, the saintess who would burn the world, just one of many seeds sown, a dirty bastard born without love.

The earth, fire, water, and mind are creations the Creator particularly cared for. They must not be defiled.

“Near vermilion, one turns red; near ink, one turns black.”

A saying she once studied without much thought now pierces her heart, leaving her speechless.

‘…Can a monster like me desire his heart? Is it okay to defile it?’

Moreover, she hides her true identity, pretending to be a cute little sister while craving his love.

…What a cowardly monster.

“You look pale. Are you okay? Did you overwork yourself cooking?”

Yeonghwa snaps out of her thoughts at Mantian’s concerned words. But her beautiful red eyes still hold unease. She wants to confirm his love.

Snap-

Impulsively, she flicks her fingers, creating a small flame in the air. She calms her trembling heart and looks into Mantian’s eyes.

“I know you’re being considerate by not asking. But I want to know… what you think.”

Her trembling eyes, like the flickering flame, search his.

Yeonghwa is perceptive. Half-hearted words would only hurt more. Revealing one’s true feelings takes courage—the courage to get hurt. So, as her brother, I muster my courage too.

I confront her with my true feelings.

I reach out, firmly grasping her slender, trembling shoulder. I don’t avoid her red eyes, which are solely focused on me.

The moment I saw her flick flames from her fingers, I wanted to say this.

“Yeonghwa, if I join Zoroastrianism, pray hard, and donate a lot, can I shoot fire from my fingers like you?”

“…Huh?”

Yeonghwa’s pretty eyes blink in confusion. But the words I just spoke aren’t a joke—they’re my genuine thoughts.

Though I couldn’t say it in the heat of the moment, Yeonghwa flicking flames at enemies was like the Flame Alchemist ‘Roy Mustang’ himself. It was so cool.

I want to flick my fingers and shoot fire too.

My honest desire is to surpass the Flame Alchemist and become the Flame Martial Artist, Sima Mantian.

But it seemed like a topic she didn’t want to discuss, so I held back. Now that she’s opened the door, I’m grateful.

Her eyes sparkle like stars, purely showing her affection. Yeonghwa’s heart races.

…The monster deep within screams that she can only look at me like this because she doesn’t know the details, but for now, it’s enough.

The warmth I feel from her shoulder and the reassurance from her recent actions comfort me.

Yeonghwa smiles brightly at her eccentric, kind, and wonderful brother who indulges her whims.

“Yes~ It’s possible.”

It’s a lie. Yeonghwa can control fire because of her special lineage as a Flame Maiden. No matter how much Mantian prays or donates, he can’t freely manipulate fire like her.

“But you need to follow a few commandments.”

“Good thoughts, good words, good deeds, right?”

“Yes, but there are a few more.”

Mantian’s eyes shine with curiosity. Yeonghwa, feeling a bit shameless but unable to contain her emotions, pours out her heart.

“First, cherish your little sister.”

“That’s my specialty.”

At Mantian’s immediate response, Yeonghwa’s face reddens, but she continues her adorable lies, pouring out her hopes and filling her selfish desires.

“Second, protect your little sister.”

Mantian nods without hesitation. Yeonghwa feels joy but hesitates to reveal the last commandment she just made up.

But, having decided to be cowardly, she goes all the way and confesses her love.

“Th-third… love your little sister.”

“I already love her the most in the world. Loving family is a given, right?”

Mantian’s shameless smile pierces Yeonghwa’s heart.

Yeonghwa really loves her shameless yet kind, eccentric yet wonderful brother.