[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 123

Even though there are many people around, a moment of silence flows.

I haven’t even held a wooden sword, let alone practiced swordsmanship.

The only time I’ve ever done any “sword work” was while cooking.

But it doesn’t matter.

*Click.*

With a flick of my thumb, I push the scabbard slightly.

Even just looking at it, the sharp blade makes my eyes sting.

*Clink.*

The scabbard falls to the ground, drawing a concentric circle in the midst of the silence.

I take a deep breath and lower my stance in sync with the ripples.

I put strength into my toes,

and push off the ground.

**〔Gale〕**

—Whoosh!!!

A green wind splits and accelerates.

As the surroundings distort, my left eye throbs, and the world slows down.

Even though I explosively bounce forward and reach right in front of them, the lumps just stand there dumbfounded.

I lower my body even more, almost touching the ground.

And I slash.

*Splat!*

Even though I just lightly touched the blade, blood spurts out from the calf.

I slash.

The feeling of flesh splitting through the blade is unmistakable.

I slash.

The thigh splits open, revealing white bone.

I slash.

The ankle splits apart, unable to bear the weight of the body, and soon snaps.

I slash.

The armpit of the guy who belatedly raised his knife tears apart.

“Phew—”

I exhale the hot air that had gathered in my lungs and take in a second breath, filled with the metallic tang.

I slash.

Every time the blade cuts through the air, a sharp whistling sound assaults my eardrums.

*Swoosh—!*

Third breath.

“Phew—”

I slash like crazy.

I swing like crazy.

Fourth breath.

“Haa—”

The lumps in front of me are just children holding sharp toys.

They’re just lumps of meat that will slice apart if you bring a sharp blade to them.

No incredible skill is needed.

Just,

with overwhelming speed.

Slash!

*Swoosh—!!*

Blood spurts out from the split white flesh, scattering into the air along the blade.

I dance with the sword.

*Swoosh—!!*

Something splits at the tip of the blade, spraying blood.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash again.

Slash once more.

“Haa, haa—”

As if protesting that there’s nothing left to cut, the blade slices through the air, producing a sharp friction sound.

As my strength fades and I drop the two swords from my hands, they embed themselves into the ground, still as sharp as ever.

—Click, click.

“Phew—.”

The last breath is filled with cigarette smoke.

The world, which had been flowing slowly, regains its speed, and the leisurely drifting cigarette smoke soars into the air.

“Kyaaaaah!!!”

“My, my leg…!”

The floor is soaked with blood, and the writhing figures moaning in pain make it seem like hell itself.

—Bang!!

“Shut up before I put a bullet in your mouths, you brats.”

After the warning shot, the groaning sounds noticeably decrease.

Even though they’re friends who live by the sword, they don’t want a bullet in their heads.

“I went easy so you wouldn’t die, stop exaggerating.”

As I savor the cigarette smoke that erases the deep peach scent permeating my body, I sense movement behind me.

“Young lady.”

“Thank you.”

Albert handed over the scabbard and handkerchief he had dropped on the floor.

As he wiped his face, the handkerchief he held was stained with blood.

“Whew─”

Unlike Albert, who quickly regained his composure, Jeremy was still blinking blankly, staring this way.

The VIP customers, also dazed, were staring this way with glazed eyes.

After shaking off the blood and sheathing the sword, he touched his head, and Baekseol was still clinging to his hair.

“Baekseol, it’s over.”

“Exciting!”

As he took a step toward Jeremy, the VIP customers stepped back.

Thud, thud.

With each step he took, they retreated one step.

“Why are our druggie friends doing the backstep? Are they showing off their dance moves?”

As soon as he finished speaking, they abruptly stopped.

Thud, thud.

When he reached the guy who clearly looked like the boss, his pupils were dilated and shaking violently.

“Did you get high big time?”

“…I’ll talk.”

“Didn’t ask.”

“W-we, the Arirang Group, are in charge of this area…”

“Shut up before I break your neck with Arirang.”

“……”

The heart of the boss standing in front of him was pounding so loudly it could be heard from here.

Click.

“I ask, you answer.”

He pulled out a gun and waved it in front of him, making the boss nod vigorously.

“Why did you sell drugs?”

“It was a necessary and obvious choice to attract VIPs.”

“That guy earlier mentioned celebrities and stuff. Do they come too?”

“They do.”

“Do high-class folks come too?”

“They do.”

“Do you have a list?”

The boss nodded and gestured toward a guy who looked relatively intact, who then ran off somewhere.

It was somewhat admirable how he tried to stay composed despite being heavily drugged.

If you ignored his flaring nostrils and wobbly legs, he looked like a proper boss.

“Are you the police?”

“Nope.”

The Arirang Group boss seemed to have no clue what was going on.

“The stuff you’ve been shoving up your noses is Hongmun’s drugs, right?”

“That’s what we heard. We just receive it, though.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

While talking to the Arirang Group boss, the guy who ran off returned with a thick ledger.

“Find drugs from another neighborhood or something.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yep. Told you, I came because of Hongmun’s drugs. Whatever you do, I don’t care. Just not Hongmun.”

He handed the ledger to Jeremy, who quickly skimmed through it and stuffed it into his bag.

“We’re leaving. Good luck with your business.”

“W-wait!”

“What?”

The Arirang Group boss chewed his lip.

“If we don’t take the drugs from the higher-ups, we’re in danger.”

“Just take it for now. They’ll be dealt with soon.”

“Got… it.”

“If you keep snorting that stuff, you’re gonna die, you know?”

Seeing the boss nod, he walked away. Near the iron staircase leading to the first floor, the navigator was pale-faced, exhaling heavily.

—Thud!

He kicked the navigator, who floated in the air before landing in front of the boss.

“Hey, don’t kill that guy. Keep him alive.”

“Got it.”

“And cut one off.”

“Huh, where…?”

“There are five of them. Just cut off any one of them.”

After giving the boss a heads-up, I headed outside.

As I moved from underground to the surface, strange noises started to reach my ears.

*Thud, thud. Thud.*

When I opened the surface door, the sky was dark with clouds, and rain was pouring down.

“Albert, we can’t let this get wet.”

Jeremy handed Albert a bag containing the ledger, then ran to the car to grab an umbrella before coming back.

“Let’s go, young lady.”

Jeremy handed Albert an umbrella, then tilted his own umbrella toward me with a big grin.

“Thank you.”

Even though his shoulder was getting soaked, he kept the umbrella tilted toward me.

“Young lady, are you some kind of samurai or something?”

“That’s more of a Japanese thing.”

I played along with the soft whispers as we walked through the rain.

“You were all flashy and stuff, and everyone just fell over. It didn’t seem realistic. And then the sword just disappeared…”

“Actually, I’m from Area 51.”

“Gasp! I knew it…!”

With Jeremy escorting me, I got into the back of the car, and the pleasant sound of rain came through the car window.

But for some reason, Jeremy, who had been driving, suddenly got into the passenger seat.

“Is Albert driving?”

“Yes, I need to gather some information.”

Albert naturally took the wheel, while Jeremy pulled out a laptop from the bag and started typing. Their teamwork looked seamless.

I guess that’s why they call each other partners.

“Our Pposiraegi is my partner too.”

“Sleepy.”

Baekseol, who had been fidgeting to get comfortable, slid down and snuggled into my pocket.

Probably looking for a warm spot because of the rain.

***

*Thump. Thump.*

Something kept pressing against my chin, and I opened my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep as soon as I got home after moving around so much, but when I opened my eyes, it was already pitch black outside.

*Thump. Thump.*

I turned my head and saw Baekseol pressing against my chest, playing around.

“Baekseol, are you bored? Want some food?”

“Hungry.”

Her eyes were wide open, so she must have been awake for a while.

“Hmm, how about we go get some ramen? It’s been a while.”

“Okay!”

“Let’s go.”

Baekseol poked the air, and the world flipped upside down.

Soon, the fresh scent of grass filled the air.

*Chik, chik.*

“Whew— It’s not raining here?”

The rain that had been chasing us was nowhere to be found in this neighborhood.

Only clear, fresh air filled the space.

I thought about lighting another cigarette, but seeing Baekseol bouncing around on the porch, I figured we should hurry.

“Pot!”

“Okay!”

“Ramen!”

“Okay!”

In perfect sync with Baekseol, I started boiling the ramen, and soon the delicious aroma filled the air.

I poured a little broth into a small bowl for Baekseol, and the rest was mine.

“Should we turn on the broadcast? The viewers are probably waiting.”

“Yeah!”

I was adjusting the phone mount to greet the viewers when…

*Rustle.*

My hand holding the mount froze, and Baekseol’s ears perked up beside me.

This place was entirely mine…

It’s a space where divine beings and whatnot have come and gone as they pleased, but no one has ever intervened like this without any warning.

*Rustle.*

A presence that shouldn’t be felt is felt.

After waiting for a while, something jumps out from the dense trees.

“Wh-who are you?”

The intruder doesn’t answer and gradually gets closer.

As the distance closes, the intruder’s face, hidden by the tree shadows, slowly becomes visible.

“Are you the owner of this land?”

“Huh? Well, yes. But who are you?”

The one who appeared, leading a small figure, was an old woman with wrinkled skin.

Could a knife even catch a ghost?

Cold sweat drips involuntarily.

“I’m just a lost old lady. I’m starving, so if it’s not too much trouble, could you spare a meal for an uninvited guest? Even just barley rice with soy sauce would do.”

“Ah, um… How about ramen? It’s a bit spicy though.”

“Thank you kindly.”

The grandmother slowly approaches and sits on the porch.

In the bright light, she smiles with the kindest smile in the world.

“Sorry for showing up so suddenly.”

As I serve the ramen in a bowl and offer it to her, she smiles brightly.

“Don’t worry, just eat.”

Her smile, which makes even the onlookers feel good, goes perfectly with her elegant hanbok.

Except for the ominous scissors hanging at her side.

***

[Side Story]

[The Room Master Wears Anything You Ask]

“Do you have any requests for me?”

[⚔️Ponytail, please!]

“No, not that. I mean game-related content.”

[⚔️Glasses!]

[⚔️What kind of glasses?]

“Ugh, fine. Tell me everything. Glasses, ponytail, what else?”

[Clink!]

[Ariel Land has sponsored 100,000 won]

[Please wear over-the-knee socks, no matter what]

[⚔️LOL, the desperation is hilarious]

[⚔️Ugh, you otaku]

[⚔️Too much styling is no good, let’s go for the casual look, loose hoodie plz]

“If I combine everything you guys said, wouldn’t it be too unbalanced?”

[⚔️It’s perfect, don’t worry]

“Ta-da! Does it suit me?”

[⚔️Wow, as expected of our Room Master]

[⚔️Thank you for being born]

Feeling great from the viewers’ compliments.

“Just say it! What should I wear next?”