The Grand Showdown (4)
“You think you can kill me?”
The smirk vanished from Cheonwang-gun’s lips.
“Yes, today you die by my hand.”
His eyes sharpened, realizing I wasn’t joking.
“Then go ahead, try.”
“Follow me.”
I leapt downwards, starting my descent.
Whoosh.
With my hands pressed against my thighs, I plummeted swiftly. These days, I find more freedom in the sky than on the ground.
Cheonwang-gun followed me down. By now, Cheon So-seon must have completed her mission.
The reason for my descent was to use the Demonic Sword Rain.
Even if used from the sky, the sword’s rain would reach the ground. In a situation where I couldn’t pinpoint anyone’s location below, everyone would perish.
Did I really need to use the Demonic Sword Rain to kill him?
I had considered using the Light Speed Flying Sword, a technique from the Demonic Sword Art.
But I had a hunch it wouldn’t be enough to kill him. His regenerative ability, as I confirmed when I slashed his shoulder, was extraordinary. Unless I severed his head, he wouldn’t die.
Having expended considerable energy fighting in the sky, it was better to eliminate him in one decisive blow rather than waste my strength.
I landed softly on the ground. Cheonwang-gun followed suit, landing with a loud thud.
Boom! Thud!
While I landed gently, he deliberately stomped down, making a loud noise.
Around the main hall, martial artists of the Murim Alliance had gathered, startled and stepping back.
They were members of the Tiger Squad and the White Tiger Squad, responsible for the alliance’s defense.
As we suddenly descended from the sky, they dared not approach, forming a distant circle around us.
They feared Cheonwang-gun. At least the inner circle martial artists knew he had overpowered the Iron Army and taken control of the Murim Alliance. Yet, they had no choice but to follow their leaders’ orders, knowing his power was overwhelming.
I shouted loudly.
“Everyone, step back!”
Then Cheonwang-gun bellowed.
“Anyone who moves dies!”
His murderous command froze them in place.
I laughed at Cheonwang-gun and spoke loudly.
“The roles are reversed. The master endangers his subordinates, while the guest tries to protect the master’s people.”
I spoke deliberately to convey the situation clearly to everyone, hoping they wouldn’t interfere in this fight.
The seasoned martial artists, having faced countless battles, understood the situation just from our exchange.
Their gazes softened towards me, while they looked at Cheonwang-gun without a hint of concern.
Of course, Cheonwang-gun was unfazed. To him, the martial artists of the Murim Alliance were no different from objects.
Though I had conveyed the situation, it remained dire. The range of the Demonic Sword Rain was so vast that using it here would kill them all.
“You were so confident up there. Go on, try to kill me.”
“Before I do, let me ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you create the Dark Heavenly Weapon?”
Cheonwang-gun was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“How do you know about the Dark Heavenly Weapon?”
“I said answer, not ask.”
“I see. There was a rat among us.”
“One last question. Why? What do you plan to do with mass production?”
“Heh, traitors will die by my hand.”
Cheonwang-gun kept evading.
“I know why you can’t answer.”
This time, he reacted to my words.
I looked into his startled eyes and spoke softly.
“Because you don’t know.”
“What?”
“You know nothing. You were born a fool. You pretend to be grand, but you’re nothing. Just a pawn for someone else, created to lead the Dark Heavenly Weapon.”
His eyes wavered.
Sensing his turmoil, I pressed harder.
“If not, then answer me. You’re not Cheon So-seon’s grandfather. So who are you?”
A dark aura emanated from his body. Yet, he still couldn’t answer. He seemed confused himself.
“Let me tell you. You’re the greatest killing machine in the history of the martial world.”
Whoosh!
The most powerful dark aura I’d seen since meeting him began to flow from his body.
The man who rose from the chaos was unfamiliar to Cheon So-seon. He was a man of indeterminate age, perhaps in his thirties or forties, with a very likable appearance. Surprisingly, he was the same man Wallidan had met in her dreams.
Cheon So-seon, still on guard, asked quietly.
“How do you know me?”
She couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice. She had never imagined facing such a situation.
“Put down the sword first.”
After a moment of staring, Cheon So-seon lowered her sword. She was certain he wasn’t one of the Dark Heavenly Weapons she had faced before.
If he were, her unique martial arts, the Light Killing Wind, would be more effective than the sword. Even if told not to, she had to put the sword down.
“Who are you?”
“Who do you think I am?”
“I don’t have time for games.”
“Does my question sound like a game?”
Cheon So-seon flinched. The moment he looked at her, a chill ran down her spine.
The fear he instilled was different from Cheonwang-gun’s. While Cheonwang-gun’s fear came from raw power, this man’s fear was more fundamental.
Cheonwang-gun was unpredictable, capable of killing her at any moment without warning.
But this man was different. He exuded the fear of someone who had planned and prepared everything. It felt like any trick would be futile against him.
His friendly and trustworthy appearance only intensified that feeling. It was the kind of fear that warned of severe consequences if underestimated.
“Are you with Cheonwang-gun? I’ve never seen anyone like you.”
“I’m not with Cheonwang-gun.”
“Then why were you here?”
“Were those you just beheaded here because they were with Cheonwang-gun?”
Following his gaze, Cheon So-seon looked at the fallen Dark Heavenly Weapons.
“They aren’t human.”
“No, they are human. You and Cheonwang-gun made them this way.”
“I… didn’t.”
“Is that so?”
Cheon So-seon realized she was being drawn into his words. Despite possessing unparalleled martial skills and being so close, she found herself anxious.
She missed the opportunity to attack, feeling suppressed by his presence.
In a way, she felt relieved. If this mysterious man was a hidden ally of Cheonwang-gun, everything she had done today would be reported to him.
“We shouldn’t be here. We need to leave. Cheonwang-gun will come down soon. Then both you and I will die.”
The man stepped out of the chaos and asked an unexpected question.
“Do you know why tsunamis are feared?”
Cheon So-seon was puzzled by the question. Unable to answer, the man continued.
“When a tsunami hits, people think they’ll drown, but that’s not the real danger. The real threat is the debris swept along with the water. More people die from being struck by debris than from drowning.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“To show you that you don’t understand your situation. The real danger isn’t the tsunami that is Cheonwang-gun.”
Cheon So-seon tilted her head, still confused, but a thought crossed her mind.
“Are you saying…?”
“Yes, Cheonwang-gun will die up there today.”
Cheon So-seon swallowed hard, looking at the man’s serious expression.
“So we have plenty of time. Enough to share a moment with another you, so there’s no need to rush.”
Cheon So-seon felt a weight on her heart. This man knew everything about her.
“Who are you?”
“That depends on how you respond.”
The man smiled warmly and added.
“I could be your master, or a friend. Or, if not, I could be the one who kills you.”
The martial artists watching from a distance stepped back.
The aura emanating from Cheonwang-gun was so powerful that staying there meant certain death.
With his aura at its peak, Cheonwang-gun was brimming with confidence.
“You think you can kill me? Go ahead, try!”
Having found my answer, I was equally unhesitant.
“Alright.”
Swish.
The Suramyeongwang Sword flew out, soaring into the air. Cheonwang-gun tensed, but the sword’s tip wasn’t aimed at him.
Swoosh.
The Suramyeongwang Sword began to draw a line on the ground. It traced a circle around us, as if a child were drawing lines in an alley.
The sword marked a large circle on the ground, enclosing us within.
“What are you doing?”
“We’ll fight within this circle.”
“Hah! Trying to protect those outside, are you?”
The expressions of the martial artists surrounding us hardened again.
They were there, forming a perimeter, for Cheonwang-gun’s sake, even if reluctantly. Yet, he dismissed them with such disdainful words.
“Don’t be foolish. Did you think I’d play by your rules? When this fight begins, those vermin will all die.”
“They’re here, unable to leave, to protect a vermin like you.”
“What a joke. They’re just afraid of dying.”
The expressions of the warriors watching grew even more rigid. It was clear how much their pride was wounded without needing to ask.
“This bright moonlight is too good for you.”
As soon as those words were spoken, the surroundings plunged into darkness as black as pitch.
The sixth form of the Demonic Sword Technique, the Blood Rain of the Demon Sword, had been unleashed.
Amazingly, only the area around us darkened. To be precise, only the circle drawn by the Suramyeongwang Sword was shrouded in darkness.
Throughout the fight with him, I pondered. How could I unleash the Blood Rain of the Demon Sword without harming others?
And this was the solution I found: to limit its range. It was a perilous attempt to alter the incantation of the Blood Rain of the Demon Sword.
But it was worth trying. Given the nature of the technique, expanding it to a broader area was extremely difficult. However, I was confident I could confine the sword energy to a specific spot.
The Heavenly King looked around the darkened area with a somewhat fearful expression and asked, “What is this?”
“It’s hell.”
“What?”
“Farewell!”
With my parting words, a rain of sword energy began to pour down. Only the circle was darkened, and the rain fell precisely within it. I had succeeded in narrowing the scope of the Blood Rain of the Demon Sword.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The sword energy, like a torrential downpour, struck the Heavenly King’s body.
Just sword energy?
The Heavenly King, who had scoffed with such thoughts, suddenly changed his expression.
Each streak of energy was incredibly powerful. Moreover, the downpour was relentless.
He tried to leap away, but using lightness skills was impossible.
“Ugh! Ugh! Argh!”
Short cries of pain burst forth in succession.
The Blood Rain of the Demon Sword was not just rain; it was a deluge, imbued with my determination to kill.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The Heavenly King couldn’t move his body. He couldn’t even dream of counterattacking.
He tried to step out of the circle. As his knees bent, sword energy rained down.
I was expending an enormous amount of internal energy. It was like a large water tank with a hole, gushing water.
The Heavenly King’s body was torn apart and regenerated repeatedly. The sword energy tore through him again and again.
Swoosh!
If I considered the possibility of this attack failing, I should have saved some energy to escape.
But I didn’t.
I was certain. I could kill him.
With the power of the Demonic Sword Technique at its peak, I would surely kill him.
He displayed an incredible regenerative ability. Severed parts regenerated, only to be severed again.
Go ahead, regenerate all you want.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The seemingly endless tension broke with the Heavenly King’s scream.
“Aaaaargh!”
My attack had overcome his regenerative power. His body began to be torn apart.
Splatter! Slash! Rip! Tear! Thud! Thump!
“Spare… me…”
He couldn’t finish his last words.
Swoosh!
Until the very end, the sword energy continued to pour down, reducing his body to pieces.
When the rain stopped and the surroundings brightened, I stood alone within the circle.
Before me, a pool of blood, which I assumed was the Heavenly King, spread across the ground.
Everyone stared at me in shock.
I spoke to them calmly.
“No matter how chaotic the leaders and those above may be, I hope you remain unchanged.”
May the roots of the Martial Alliance never rot, for the sake of all those who rely on you.
After a moment of looking at me, they quietly withdrew. Their expressions were not dark. Instinctively, they knew I was not another evil to replace the Heavenly King.
Left alone, I leapt into the gaping hole where Cheonsoseon had entered.