Episode 460: Return to the Demonic Sect
The southern courtyard of the inner palace was a scene of utter carnage.
Corpses piled up in layers, and the wounded crawled across the blood-soaked ground, groaning in pain.
Yu Baek-ho, the leader of the Blood Wind Division of the Demonic Sect, ground his teeth as he surveyed his fallen subordinates.
“Useless fools…!”
His outburst wasn’t out of sorrow for their deaths. It was frustration that they hadn’t lived long enough to be of more use to him.
Wiping the blood from his eyes with his sleeve, he scanned the chaos around him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Aaargh!”
Screams echoed as members of the Demonic Sect fell, writhing in agony.
The relentless onslaught of the mechanical traps seemed never-ending, as if they would operate forever.
Arrows flew incessantly from holes in the walls, and spears shot up from the ground, piercing even the piled corpses to threaten the sect members.
Those who attempted to leap over the spears with their martial skills were met with a barrage of fire attacks.
The flames and scorching stones erupting from the ground like a volcanic explosion were enough to throw the warriors into disarray.
These traps were, in fact, modeled after volcanic magic by Jo Shin-ryang.
In addition to these, the southern courtyard was a chaotic battlefield filled with throwing spears, daggers, poison, smoke, and explosives.
Boom! Boom!
The air was thick with acrid smoke, and the noise was deafening.
Yu Baek-ho turned to look behind him, grinding his teeth.
‘Is it still not time?’
The One-Eyed Demon, watching from atop the pavilion with arms crossed, remained motionless.
It seemed they had decided it wasn’t their time to intervene yet.
There was no choice.
If they were to be used as cannon fodder, they had to fulfill that role and survive by any means necessary.
‘I will survive, you bastards of the Extermination Sect.’
With a fierce determination, Yu Baek-ho glared at the southern gate, where Maeseol-ran stood.
If he could break through that gate, he would capture Maeseol-ran and present her to the sect leader.
If luck was on his side, he might even get his turn.
His eyes gleamed with a mix of frenzy and lust.
“Spit!”
He spat on the ground and began to walk forward.
Suddenly,
Clang, hiss!
A thick black smoke billowed up, obscuring everything.
Screams filled the air as the sect members, disoriented, fell victim to the traps they couldn’t see.
“It’s too dangerous! We have to retreat!”
As the smoke thinned, some subordinates turned and fled.
“You useless fools! Can’t you fight back?”
Yu Baek-ho shouted, leaping forward to decapitate the fleeing subordinates with a single strike.
Swish! Thud!
As his sword cut them down, the others hesitated and retreated.
Yu Baek-ho unleashed his demonic energy, shouting,
“Anyone who retreats will die by my sword! Your only path to survival is to break through the southern gate!”
“Yes, sir!”
The warriors turned back, charging desperately at the gate.
It was a human wave tactic.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first wave, the Mad Demon Squad, had long been annihilated.
The Blood Wind Division and the Dark Demon Brigade that followed also suffered heavy casualties.
“They’re truly relentless.”
Maeseol-ran bit her lip as she watched from atop the southern gate.
It was as if they saw people as mere disposable tools.
Even though they were enemies that needed to be killed, watching them charge to their deaths without a plan was unsettling.
At the same time, a sense of urgency grew.
Jo Shin-ryang felt it too.
‘I thought we could hold for two days.’
He clenched his teeth.
Even two days had been an optimistic estimate.
If the mechanical traps failed under the pressure of the enemy’s human wave tactics, he had thought they could last about two days.
But at this rate…
Could they hold for even another hour?
The problem was that this fire would eventually burn out.
Even now, he could see some of the traps malfunctioning.
They had been operating continuously without a break, so it was a wonder they hadn’t failed sooner.
“We should start preparing.”
At Jo Shin-ryang’s words, Maeseol-ran nodded.
Just then, Gojok-san returned to report to her.
“We’ve moved all the wounded from the Healing Hall to the underground chamber.”
“Good work. Prepare for battle; they’ll be here soon.”
“Understood!”
Gojok-san replied with a determined expression and left.
“In case of emergency, have Master Murang set up a simple maze in the inner palace.”
“It won’t hold for long.”
“Just enough to buy us some time.”
“Understood.”
Maeseol-ran gripped her two swords tightly.
Though it was sooner than expected, Jo Shin-ryang’s traps had held as long as they could.
They had decimated more enemies than a sizable army could.
Now it was her turn.
“We’re moving to secondary defense! Be aware of the trap locations and fight carefully! The secondary defense is to cover the gaps in the traps!”
“Understood!”
The instructors lined up behind her responded with grim determination.
Maeseol-ran bit her lip hard.
‘I will not be defeated!’
**
‘Finally, it’s open!’
Yu Baek-ho deflected an arrow aimed at him and saw the warriors of the Extermination Sect pouring out from the southern gate.
The mechanical traps that seemed endless were now creaking to a halt.
Arrows no longer flew from the wall, and the spears rising from the ground were less threatening, thanks to the piled corpses.
Yu Baek-ho roared,
“They’re out! Crush them!”
“Yes, sir!”
The warriors, their morale boosted, clashed with the Extermination Sect fighters.
“Hold the line!”
The Extermination Sect warriors also raised their fighting spirit and charged.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clash of weapons rang out, sparks flying as metal met metal.
Screams, curses, and battle cries mingled in a chaotic symphony.
Yu Baek-ho fought like a man possessed.
With each swing of his sword, an Extermination Sect warrior lost their head, and with each strike of his palm, another’s stomach burst open.
Someone, with a burst of courage, charged at Yu Baek-ho from behind, shouting,
“Die, you Demonic Sect scum!”
But they had chosen the wrong opponent.
Yu Baek-ho turned like a ghost, slicing the attacker’s throat in one swift motion.
Splat!
The Extermination Sect warrior fell, blood gushing from their severed neck.
“Those cowards hiding behind their traps…!”
Yu Baek-ho gripped his sword hilt tightly, grinding his teeth.
The thought of being unable to fight back properly until now fueled his rage.
As he turned, he noticed someone watching him with calm, sunken eyes from across the battlefield.
A member of the Demonic Sect attempted to attack from behind,
Swish!
But the figure turned and cut down the attacker in a single motion.
Remarkably, the move mirrored the one Yu Baek-ho had just used against the Extermination Sect warrior.
A clear provocation.
Yu Baek-ho’s cheek twitched as he approached the figure.
Amidst the chaos of screams and shouts, the two seemed to exist in a space of their own, focused solely on each other.
Yu Baek-ho sneered coldly at his opponent.
“Why is a rogue like you playing house with the righteous sects?”
He had sensed the aura of a rogue emanating from his opponent.
Jeok Mu-rin smirked back, equally cold.
“I may be a rogue, but I despise the Demonic Sect more. Do you know why?”
”…?”
“Because you…!”
Suddenly, Jeok Mu-rin launched himself at Yu Baek-ho, striking head-on.
Clang!
Their swords clashed with a metallic ring.
Yu Baek-ho quickly extended his left hand, shouting,
“Fireball!”
Whoosh, boom!
But the spell merely grazed Jeok Mu-rin, exploding against a trap behind him.
Jeok Mu-rin had trained extensively to counter magic.
Twisting his body, he swiftly swung his sword, slashing Yu Baek-ho’s neck.
Slash!
A line of blood appeared on Yu Baek-ho’s neck, trickling down.
“Tch!”
Clutching his neck, Yu Baek-ho clicked his tongue and retreated, while Jeok Mu-rin continued with a steady gaze.
“…lack style.”
“What?”
“Your thinking is just too shallow!”
In an instant, Jeok Mu-rin shot forward, thrusting his sword.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
Yu Baek-ho gritted his teeth, stepping back.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
‘Damn it… how is he so strong…!’
Yu Baek-ho swung his sword desperately to block the attacks, feeling his arms tremble from the impact.
Jeok Mu-rin, wielding a heavy sword, was relentless in his assault.
For him, the best defense was a strong offense.
In reality, Yu Baek-ho found himself unable to seize any opportunity for a counterattack amidst the relentless barrage.
The relentless barrage of attacks had left Yu Baekho struggling to maintain his balance, his body swaying uncontrollably.
“Damn it! If this keeps up, I’m done for!”
Realizing the dire situation, Yu Baekho quickly scanned his surroundings. Not far off, he spotted a mechanism in action—a trap with spears shooting up diagonally from the ground.
“Maybe…!”
With a plan forming in his mind, he swiftly dodged to the side.
Shiiing!
The enemy’s sword narrowly missed him, striking the ground and sparking violently.
Swoosh!
The enemy, Jeok Murin, didn’t relent, aiming another fierce strike at Yu Baekho’s back.
Clang!
The force of the blow collided with Yu Baekho’s sword, dissipating the attack. His arm throbbed with pain, as if it might tear away.
“What incredible strength… but still!”
Yu Baekho retreated, stepping back with calculated precision. As Jeok Murin pursued him, using his momentum to close the gap—
Whoosh!
Yu Baekho dodged again, and Jeok Murin’s sword crashed down where Yu Baekho had just been standing. Yu Baekho felt a surge of triumph. The spot he had vacated was precisely where the spears would erupt.
Now, it was a matter of which would happen first: Jeok Murin destroying the mechanism with his sword, or the trap piercing through him.
Either outcome worked in Yu Baekho’s favor. If Jeok Murin broke the mechanism, Yu Baekho could seize the moment to strike from behind.
But then…
“What the…?”
Yu Baekho’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Why wasn’t the mechanism activating?
In the next instant, Jeok Murin twisted his sword with inner strength, sending a deadly wave of energy straight at Yu Baekho’s neck.
Swoosh, thud!
Yu Baekho’s head fell, blood gushing like a fountain as his body crumpled to the ground. His severed head lay there, eyes wide open, still unable to comprehend what had happened.
Jeok Murin spat disdainfully and offered an explanation, as if to satisfy Yu Baekho’s lingering curiosity.
“The traps of the Demon Slayer Hall only respond to demonic energy, you fool.”
He flicked the blood from his sword and surveyed the battlefield. The fight raged on, brutal and unyielding. Though the traps had thinned the enemy ranks, there were simply too many foes to begin with.
Jeok Murin turned his gaze to the three demon lords standing tall on the pavilion roof.
“Isn’t it about time you came down?”
As if hearing his muttered challenge, the first of the demon lords unfolded his arms for the first time.