Episode 301: Return of the Martial Arts Instructor
The battle was one-sided.
The martial artists of the Red Demon Squad were not only highly skilled, but they also outnumbered their opponents significantly.
Moreover, the new recruits were already exhausted from a fierce fight with the men in black.
It was a fight that was never meant to last long.
They fought desperately, clinging to survival.
Indeed, “desperate” was the perfect word to describe the brutal and grueling battle.
Jang was gravely injured, a deep cut in his side threatening his life, while Jin had taken a powerful blow to the abdomen from the squad leader, leaving him unconscious with internal injuries.
Others were also severely wounded, unable to move.
Squad leader Maeng gathered the injured in the center and formed a defensive circle around them, keeping a wary eye on all sides.
But calling it a defense was almost laughable.
Maeng frowned as he looked at the Red Demon Squad.
“These guys… this energy is unmistakable…”
The other recruits couldn’t quite grasp it.
They only felt an unfamiliar, unsettling aura, unable to identify its true nature.
But Maeng had a hunch.
“Yes, this is definitely… demonic energy!”
The reason the recruits couldn’t recognize it was simple.
Since the end of the Great War between the righteous and the demonic, most martial artists had never encountered those who practiced demonic arts.
Even if they did meet a demonic practitioner, they usually concealed their energy.
Thus, the recruits found the aura of the Red Demon Squad strange and unfamiliar, never considering it might be demonic energy.
But Maeng was different.
As the oldest in the group, he had once encountered a demonic practitioner and felt their energy.
So he could easily identify the aura as demonic energy.
He kept this to himself, fearing it would unsettle the recruits.
Meanwhile, Baek, limping, grumbled as he rotated his shoulders.
“Damn it, is the instructor not coming?”
Bang chuckled and muttered in response.
“He probably doesn’t even know we’re here.”
“No way. He left so openly.”
“Maybe he just didn’t want to teach.”
Baek considered this possibility. The instructor was notoriously unpredictable.
“Still, if he were here, these guys would be…”
Baek trailed off, chuckling at the irony of hoping for rescue from someone he usually clashed with.
It was almost comical.
Just then, the masked leader of the Red Demon Squad, observing from the rear, spoke with a hint of admiration.
“As expected of the new recruits. To hold out this long… But this is the end. Wipe them out.”
“Yes, sir!”
As the Red Demon Squad surged forward again,
Whoosh!
A stranger suddenly appeared before them.
It was none other than Sabikang, as if he had materialized out of thin air.
The masked leader’s eyes widened.
“Is that…?”
Judging by his appearance, it had to be the Sabikang he’d heard so much about.
The recruits’ shouts confirmed it.
“Instructor!”
“You came after all!”
Their faces lit up with relief.
Had they ever been so glad to see their instructor?
Sabikang, however, looked at the battered recruits with a nonchalant expression and asked casually,
“You said you were leaving because you weren’t feeling well. What are you doing here?”
”…”
The recruits were speechless, staring blankly at Sabikang.
The same thought crossed all their minds.
“Did he really believe that?”
Sabikang, not expecting an answer, turned his attention to the Red Demon Squad.
“You’ve been too harsh on my students. I’m starting to get a little angry.”
He wasn’t joking.
The killing intent emanating from Sabikang was more intense than anything they’d felt before.
The masked leader’s expression twisted as he glared at Sabikang.
“I knew we’d clash eventually…”
Stronger than expected.
In that case, the first move was crucial.
“What are you waiting for? Attack!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Red Demon Squad hesitated for a moment before charging.
In the next instant,
Sabikang extended a hand and cast a spell.
“Ice Storm!”
In a flash,
A massive block of ice formed in front of Sabikang and shot towards the charging Red Demon Squad.
“Watch out!”
“Dodge!”
The squad scattered, trying to evade,
Boom!
The ice shattered with a deafening explosion, sending shards flying in all directions.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The squad members, caught off guard by the ice shards, cried out in pain and fell.
What happened next was even more astonishing.
“What… what is that…?”
Even those who avoided critical hits found their bodies growing cold and sluggish.
A path opened straight to the gate.
Sabikang turned to Maeng and the others.
“Take the injured and get out. Come back when I call.”
“Understood!”
Maeng and the others quickly supported the injured and began to retreat through the open path.
Of course, Jeong was among them.
Meanwhile, the masked leader, witnessing Sabikang’s magic, twitched his cheek.
“So, you’ve mastered demonic arts!”
“What nonsense? This is called ‘magic.’”
“Kill him by any means necessary!”
The masked leader’s shout changed the atmosphere.
Sabikang’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Oh? Converting demonic energy into mana?”
No, it’s different.
They’re using demonic energy itself, but in a way that’s completely different from typical internal energy or mana.
The aura they emit makes it clear.
“If they were using mana, it wouldn’t leak out like that.”
It was something he hadn’t noticed when fighting the masked ones before.
How did they come to use such a method?
Of course, just as pure internal energy differs from demonic energy, demonic energy is entirely distinct.
Among the energies of righteousness, evil, and demonic, demonic energy is most closely tied to the demonic realm.
Could that be the reason?
If their method of using demonic energy resembles how demons use magic…
Perhaps…
“That demon must know the secret.”
And something Jeong passed to him must have awakened him.
“Well, it’s nice not to be the only one aware of the demonic realm’s existence… but if they’re going to use that power like this, I’ll have to teach them a lesson.”
“What are you babbling about?”
“What I mean is… I’m going to wipe you all out now.”
“Madman! Die!”
The masked leader shouted fiercely, launching himself into the air.
He had come here with the cooperation of the Nine Dragons to obtain the Celestial Demonic Energy.
But an unexpected obstacle had appeared.
The one who had been thwarting their plans all along.
So why not use this opportunity to bury him for good?
In mid-air, he commanded the squad members.
“Show him the heat of battle!”
“Yes, sir!”
In an instant, the squad members gathered their hands and shouted in unison.
“Fireball!”
Hundreds of fireballs appeared and rained down on Sabikang.
Whoosh!
Crackle!
Boom!
A fiery inferno unfolded before their eyes.
The recruits watching were left speechless, unable to move.
“My God… what kind of martial art is that?”
“Is it a technique with extreme yang energy?”
Listening to their murmurs, Maeng shook his head.
“Their martial art is demonic.”
The recruits turned to him in shock.
“Demonic arts?”
“Then, are they from the Demonic Cult?”
Maeng shook his head again.
“I don’t know. But… the technique they just used might not be demonic arts. The aura feels different from what we’ve sensed so far…”
The recruits agreed.
Until now, the Red Demon Squad had exuded a dark, sinister energy.
But now, the aura felt different.
Unfamiliar, yet not entirely foreign.
Yes, the energy they sensed now was similar to what they’d felt from Sabikang.
Bang, realizing this, muttered in disbelief.
“Could it be… our instructor is from the Demonic Cult?”
“When did he become ‘our’ instructor?”
“Well… he’s responsible for us, after all.”
Maeng chuckled.
“He’s not. I never sensed demonic energy from him. I’ve felt it before, so I wouldn’t mistake it.”
“That’s a relief.”
Bang’s words prompted Yu to speak with a serious expression.
“But if the instructor dies, it won’t be a relief.”
Everyone’s gaze returned to Sabikang.
Fireballs continued to rain down on him.
“How dare they attack my husband…!”
Seol Seorin, unable to stand by any longer, grabbed a whip and was about to rush forward when Churyang quickly blocked her path.
“It’s too dangerous. You need to take care of yourself first, Miss Seol!”
“Move aside! If he dies like this…!”
“Is that all the faith you have?”
Churyang’s eyes suddenly turned sharp.
Caught by his gaze, Seorin flinched and stared at him silently. After a moment, she let out a small laugh and brushed her hair back.
“Hmph! If he dies, I’ll make sure to desecrate his corpse.”
Hearing her chilling words, Churyang glanced anxiously towards where Sabigang was. The fiery bombardment had nearly ceased, leaving the area where Sabigang stood cratered and shrouded in smoke and dust.
‘Master! Don’t let them get the better of you! If that crazy woman goes on a rampage to desecrate your body, I won’t be able to stop her!’
Meanwhile, the masked enemy who had unleashed the massive firestorm retreated to a rooftop, watching the clearing intently. A faint, satisfied smile played on his lips.
‘This is how it should have been from the start. If I had intervened earlier, or even just sent the Red Horse Brigade, it might have been enough.’
He felt a decade’s worth of frustration lift from his chest. Though the dust and smoke still obscured Sabigang’s condition, there was no way anyone could survive that inferno.
“What about those who escaped the city gates?” asked the leader of the Red Horse Brigade, who had approached quietly.
“Our target is the Heavenly Demon Spirit. Just close the gates and deal with anyone who tries to break in.”
“Understood.”
Just then, a voice cut through the haze of dust and smoke.
“Who said you could lock the gates?”
Everyone, from the masked enemy to the Red Horse Brigade members, stared in shock at the source of the voice. As the smoke and dust began to clear, a dark silhouette stood tall in the center of the clearing.
Finally, Sabigang emerged, twisting his lips into that familiar, unsettling smile.
“Seems you have a taste for heat.”
“H-how can you still be standing after that attack…!”
The masked enemy stammered, too stunned to form coherent words. Ignoring him, Sabigang spread his arms wide and murmured,
“Let me return the favor with something even hotter.”
“W-what…?”
“Hell Fire!”
In the next instant, the masked enemy’s eyes widened in horror as he screamed,
“Impossible!”
His eyes were filled with a blazing red light.