Episode 311: Return to the Demonic Academy
Thud!
Goo Gang-ryong’s foot slammed into Ong Gi-seung’s chest.
Cough!
Ong Gi-seung staggered back, blood spewing from his mouth. Crimson trickled down his lips.
“Brother… why are you so… selfish?”
“Selfish?”
“I was the one drowning in hell, yet you, who only dipped your toes in, act like it was your personal inferno and push me to the brink!”
“Fine, call it selfish. Wasn’t I always this way?”
”…”
“I cared for you as a brother. But my overprotectiveness led to everything going wrong. I just want to set things right.”
Ong Gi-seung shook his head slowly, a sorrowful expression on his face.
“It’s too late. What’s done is done.”
“Exactly. That’s why I need to eliminate the root cause to prevent it from happening again.”
“So, you plan to kill me?”
“Why not? Everything started with you. Removing you might finally bring me peace.”
Goo Gang-ryong assumed a fighting stance, a fierce energy swirling around him.
Ong Gi-seung sighed deeply, steadying himself as he raised his sword.
“Sorry, but I won’t give up my life so easily.”
“How shameless.”
“Even so, I can’t die like this. I was born with a cursed body, but I’ll live defiantly. That’s my resolve.”
“Then I’ll crush that resolve!”
With a swift motion, Goo Gang-ryong lunged at Ong Gi-seung again, his shadow stretching long as he closed in.
Clang!
Their swords clashed, sparks flying. This time, Goo Gang-ryong’s strikes were more relentless, like a storm.
Boom! Crash!
Each blow resounded like thunder, echoing with explosive force.
“Ugh!”
Ong Gi-seung, eyes shut tight, felt himself being pushed back, cold sweat trickling down his face.
‘This is dangerous… truly dangerous!’
Goo Gang-ryong showed no mercy. Before long, cracks appeared in Ong Gi-seung’s defense.
“Take this!”
Thud!
“Argh!”
Ong Gi-seung was sent flying, landing hard on the ground. Before he could gather his wits,
“I can’t forgive you!”
A chilling voice came from behind him, as if Goo Gang-ryong had suddenly appeared there.
Gritting his teeth, Ong Gi-seung twisted his body, swinging his sword diagonally.
Clang!
Their swords met again, but Goo Gang-ryong’s force was overwhelming, spinning Ong Gi-seung like a top.
As Goo Gang-ryong kicked out, Ong Gi-seung was sent tumbling, rolling across the ground.
“I will… I will…!”
Goo Gang-ryong’s eyes were bloodshot as he marched toward Ong Gi-seung, who lay sprawled on the ground.
Just five steps away, a figure stepped in front of Goo Gang-ryong.
“What’s this? Didn’t you say I could do as I please with him?”
“I did.”
“Then why? Are you afraid he’ll die now?”
“No, quite the opposite.”
“Opposite?”
Goo Gang-ryong frowned, glaring at Sa Bi-gang, who clicked his tongue, looking him up and down.
“I thought you’d unleash your true feelings, but you’re surprisingly sentimental.”
“What?”
“Do you think that’s enough to kill him?”
“What?”
“Have you forgotten what’s inside him? Do you take the innate demonic energy lightly?”
“Who said that? I intended to kill him…”
“Enough. I can’t trust a blabbermouth anymore. I’ll handle this.”
“What…?”
In an instant, Sa Bi-gang appeared before Ong Gi-seung.
‘What kind of movement technique is that…?’
While Goo Gang-ryong stood dumbfounded, Ong Gi-seung, barely on his feet, looked at Sa Bi-gang with half-closed eyes.
“Instructor, why are you…?”
Thud!
“Argh!”
Without warning, Sa Bi-gang’s fist struck Ong Gi-seung’s face, sending him crashing into the wall.
Goo Gang-ryong’s eyebrows twitched as he watched Sa Bi-gang’s ruthless actions.
‘What is this instructor… doing?’
Ignoring him, Sa Bi-gang charged at Ong Gi-seung, slashing diagonally with his sword.
Clang!
Their swords clashed, the sound ringing clear.
“Ugh! Instructor…! Why suddenly…”
“Silence.”
Clang!
Another strike, and Ong Gi-seung lost his grip on his sword.
The blade flew through the air, embedding itself in the ground.
“Instructor…!”
“I said, silence.”
Sa Bi-gang swung his sword with a cold, detached gaze.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ong Gi-seung gritted his teeth, dodging the lethal strikes.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Ong Gi-seung shouted, eyes wide with desperation.
A faint smile played on Sa Bi-gang’s lips.
“Do you really not know?”
“I don’t!”
“Because of the demonic energy within you.”
“Do you want that power too, Instructor?”
“Hardly. I have no use for it.”
“Then why!”
“Why? Because your energy poses a future threat. If not for me, you’d have been a sacrifice to the Blood Demon. Who’s to say it won’t happen again?”
“So you plan to kill me?”
“Of course. Better to eliminate you than let you become prey for evil.”
“Then why save me?”
“Who said I saved you? I merely stopped you from becoming a sacrifice.”
Finally, Sa Bi-gang’s sword grazed Ong Gi-seung’s neck, leaving a shallow cut.
It wasn’t life-threatening, but any deeper, and Ong Gi-seung wouldn’t be standing.
“Ugh!”
Sensing the danger, Ong Gi-seung leapt to retrieve his sword.
“You’re joking, right? Instructor?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Sa Bi-gang’s eyes were icy cold.
In that moment, Ong Gi-seung realized the truth.
‘He’s serious… deadly serious!’
In a flash,
“Fireball.”
Sa Bi-gang muttered, and five large fireballs materialized, hurtling toward Ong Gi-seung.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh!
‘I’m not dying here!’
Ong Gi-seung gritted his teeth, swinging his sword.
Boom! Boom!
The fireballs exploded against his blade, the heat searing his face.
After deflecting all five, suddenly,
Through the smoke, Sa Bi-gang’s face appeared right in front of Ong Gi-seung.
“Gah!”
Ong Gi-seung tried to swing his sword, but,
Snap.
Sa Bi-gang caught his wrist.
“Ugh.”
With a swift knee to Ong Gi-seung’s chest, Sa Bi-gang knocked him down, raising his sword.
“Die, bearer of the demonic energy.”
A clear intent to kill!
Ong Gi-seung felt death looming.
‘He’s really… really serious!’
His life flashed before his eyes.
As Sa Bi-gang’s sword descended with lethal speed,
“What are you doing!”
A sudden shout, and Goo Gang-ryong intervened.
He had watched anxiously, but as Ong Gi-seung faced death, his body moved on its own.
“Don’t interfere.”
Without looking, Sa Bi-gang extended his left hand.
In an instant,
Whoosh! Boom!
“Argh!”
Ice shards flew, striking Goo Gang-ryong’s body.
The freezing cold enveloped him, his body stiffening as if frozen to the core.
Sa Bi-gang spoke in a detached voice.
“Brotherly love blooming now? How touching.”
“You bastard! If you kill my brother, I won’t forgive you!”
Goo Gang-ryong, still on the ground, gritted his teeth, shouting.
Sa Bi-gang scoffed.
“You said you never had a brother with the Ong name.”
“Shut up! You…!”
“Quiet. It’s over now.”
With those words, Sa Bi-gang brought his sword down.
No hesitation.
He poured all his strength into the strike, aiming to end Ong Gi-seung’s life in one blow.
But then, suddenly,
Boom!
With a thunderous noise, the descent of Berthas came to an abrupt halt.
The tip of Berthas’s sword stopped just an inch from Ong Gi-seung’s neck, as if it had struck an invisible barrier.
No, it felt more like it was caught by something unseen.
Sabi-gang exerted more force, but Berthas remained immobile.
Finally, a smile crept onto Sabi-gang’s lips.
“So, you’ve finally shown yourself?”
He lifted his head.
Meanwhile, Gu Gang-ryong was utterly baffled by the unfolding events.
‘What on earth is he talking about?’
But in the next moment—
Boom!
With a sound like an explosion, Sabi-gang was suddenly flung backward.
And then, the seemingly lifeless Ong Gi-seung sprang upright, standing as if nothing had happened.
Gu Gang-ryong could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the scene unfold.
‘Good heavens… what is that?’
A presence exuding an overwhelming aura appeared, its dark blue energy swirling around it. It had three heads, each crowned with horns, and three arms.
The entity emerged like smoke from Ong Gi-seung’s body, its upper half faintly visible.
Had a lesser person witnessed this, they might have collapsed in terror.
“Are you the one who dared to provoke me?”
The mysterious being glared at Sabi-gang, its voice resonating with a soul-shaking intensity. Gu Gang-ryong had to muster all his inner strength to suppress his fear.
In contrast, Sabi-gang nodded calmly, still wearing a composed expression.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“A mere human dares…? Wait… you are…?”
The entity’s eyes widened in recognition.
At that moment, a fierce, fiery energy erupted from Sabi-gang, swirling around him like a storm.
This energy, equally as intimidating as the mysterious being, manifested behind Sabi-gang.
By now, Gu Gang-ryong was completely overwhelmed.
‘What on earth is that now…?’
Of course, Gu Gang-ryong wasn’t the only one witnessing this.
The entity that had emerged from Ong Gi-seung’s body saw it too.
Behind Sabi-gang, a massive dragon, its form shimmering with a dark crimson aura, appeared.
A red dragon, gazing down with a haughty and disdainful expression, as if regarding the entity as insignificant.