Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Omen (2)
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On the shore of a lake, far from the pleasure district.
Unmyeong sat leaning against a tree, watching the ripples on the water glitter under the moonlight.
Without the noise and sweet scents that muddled his mind, his body and soul grew calm.
As he silently gazed at the scenery, he noticed that the eye of the Soul-Severing Sword, lying beside him, was also turned toward the lake. He asked casually.
"I thought you'd be noisy, but you're surprisingly quiet."
[It would be rude to act otherwise in front of a view like this.]
"Oh? I never knew you had such a sentimental side."
[I was human once, too.]
"Hmm..."
Unmyeong saw his reflection and that of the Soul-Severing Sword shimmering on the placid water's surface in the moonlight.
Perhaps because the night was so deep, a wave of sentimentality washed over him, and he asked the demonic sword in a gentle tone.
"Suddenly, I'm curious about your past."
[You want to know?]
"Well, if you don't feel like talking, you don't have to."
Feeling a bit awkward, Unmyeong turned his head away.
In a voice calmer than usual, the Soul-Severing Sword replied.
[I was born the eldest daughter of a general's family. I carried the expectations of everyone.]
As the story began, Unmyeong slowly turned his head back to look at the demonic sword.
[But the imperial family betrayed us. My father and sisters were dragged away and executed for treason. Only my mother and I managed to escape and survive.]
Unmyeong clicked his tongue and muttered softly.
"Damn imperial bastards."
The Heavenly Demon Cult's primary goal was the collapse of the imperial family, and his own father, who had abandoned him and his mother, was a high-ranking official of the court. The story didn't feel like someone else's.
[My mother, her heart broken, told me to climb higher. To become so strong that no one could ever touch me.]
"..."
[So I stepped into the world of martial arts. Having built my strength from a young age, it wasn't a particularly difficult world for me. After some time, I had made quite a name for myself in the unorthodox factions.]
"What was your title?"
[I don't even remember. It changed countless times, and it was all so long ago.]
"Then how did you end up trapped in a sword?"
[The Blood Cult. It was their doing.]
"The Blood Cult. I should have known."
They were a group capable of any evil.
Fanatics who wouldn't hesitate to commit the atrocity of capturing a living person and forging them into a lump of iron.
[One day, I returned home to find it burning, with my mother inside. She may have always burdened me with pressure, but she was still my parent. The same rage I felt when the imperial family betrayed us surged through me once more.]
[I lost my senses and charged at the Blood Cult bastards who had set fire to my home and my mother. And then...]
The Soul-Severing Sword fell silent for a moment. Unmyeong prompted it.
"And then...? What happened? Did you get your revenge in the end?"
[Well, I killed all the ones who burned down the house. But after that, someone overwhelmingly powerful appeared. I was defeated before I could even put up a proper fight.]
"Damn."
[In the end, I was captured and my body was melted alive in a furnace. And what was created was this 'Soul-Severing Sword.']
"..."
[I still have things I must do. A revenge that I must exact once I regain a body. I cannot rest until my goal is achieved.]
Unmyeong, his heart heavy, stared at the lakeshore before slowly opening his mouth.
"You... what's your name?"
[What do you mean? It's obviously...]
"No, not the sword's name. Your real name."
[My real name, you say.]
The Soul-Severing Sword seemed to fall into thought for a moment before answering.
[Come to think of it, I no longer remember what my real name was. It's been too long. No one has ever asked for my real name before. You would be the first.]
"You're the first sword like this I've ever met."
[Ha, how amusing.]
For a while, the two said nothing, simply gazing at the lake.
Reflected under the moonlight, they seemed considerably closer than before.
"Demonic sword, lend me your strength."
[Why should I? I will seize your body and accomplish what I must.]
"You may not have known this, but the mission I've been given is to hunt the Six Paths Blood Demons."
[And?]
"The one who trapped you in that sword was likely one of the Six Paths Blood Demons. Or perhaps the even stronger Blood God. There are only a few beings that powerful within the Blood Cult. If you lend me your strength, you can achieve what you've always wanted."
[.....]
Unmyeong spoke to the Soul-Severing Sword, his voice filled with sincerity.
"I'm not just saying I'll use you. I'll also find a way for you to get out of there."
[Impossible. Do you have any idea how long I've struggled?]
"I know. I can't possibly know how long you've suffered in there. But I know a genius who can get you out."
[Don't tell me you mean that blacksmith who woke me?]
"Yes. Of course, it won't be easy. But if we can find some clues after hunting the Six Paths Blood Demons... that possessed blacksmith will be able to do it."
[How can a mere blacksmith forge a physical body?]
"I don't know that either. But he's the kind of man who works miracles."
[Well, let's say that's true. But why are you trying to help me? It would be far easier to just extinguish my will and take full control.]
At the Soul-Severing Sword's question, Unmyeong fell silent for a moment, then let out a smirk.
"Well, I hate troublesome things as much as the next person, but seeing that intense will of yours, I'm just not so sure I could. You're not just any ordinary nuisance."
Unmyeong then turned his head slightly, looking into the Soul-Severing Sword's crimson eye as he answered.
"Besides, isn't it good for both of us? You get your body back, and I get a quiet demonic sword. If we don't do this, I can't even begin to imagine how much you'll pester me from now on."
[Hmph. If what you say is true, then I suppose I have no reason to interfere with you any longer.]
"And I'm a little curious, too."
[About what?]
"About what you looked like when you were human. I'd like to see it."
A faint smile spread across his lips.
[Hmph. What a useless curiosity you have.]
"When you get your body back, I'll give you a good punch, so look forward to it."
[The feeling's mutual. When I get a body, I'll be sure to fix that weak mind of yours.]
Unmyeong and the Soul-Severing Sword bickered as they usually did, but the tone of their exchange was different now.
What once sounded like a conversation between enemies now felt like old friends trading jokes.
A faint smile had unknowingly spread across Unmyeong's lips.
[So, what's the plan now?]
"First and foremost, the Blood Cult's..."
Just then.
-BOOOOOOM!
"What was that?!"
Unmyeong whipped his head around to look toward the brothel district.
Thick smoke was rising from that direction, and the screams of many people could be heard.
Even from such a considerable distance.
In that moment, he thought of Sohwal, whom he had left back at the inn.
"Dammit, looks like there's trouble."
[Go. This time, I'll lend you my power without reservation.]
"It's reassuring to have my biggest pain in the ass on my side."
Unmyeong hurriedly grabbed the Soul-Severing Sword and launched himself toward the pleasure district.
***
-Kaaaaang!
-Chaaaaeng!
Sharp metal clashed against metal, filling the air with savage screeches.
-Splat!
"Aaargh!"
The man at the very front was struck by Sohwal's sword, his arm severed.
"K-hugh!"
Sohwal took a step back to assess the situation.
She had been ambushed in a room at the end of a hallway and was now cornered.
In front of her stood a horde of men, brandishing various weapons with menacing auras.
'Judging by their stances and auras, most are third-rate or second-rate. A few might be first-rate. Individually, they're not that strong, but the problem is their numbers.'
Fortunately, the hallway was narrow, and her back was to a wall, which prevented the enemy from fully exploiting their numerical advantage.
'If I were surrounded, it would be dangerous, but I can just deal with the ones in front of me, one by one.'
As Sohwal raised her sword, the men flinched and took a slight step back.
Their comrades who had recklessly charged in first were already dead.
"Ugh, who is this woman?! This isn't what we were told!"
"Surrender peacefully! You're surrounded by our Red Rain Gang!"
"If you put down your weapon now, we'll at least spare your life!"
Sohwal scoffed, her sword beginning to emanate a black-violet energy.
Normal sword energy was blue.
But a blackish tint usually indicated a connection to demonic arts.
"W-wait, wait, wait...!! That woman, she's using demonic energy! Dammit, no one said she was a demonic practitioner!"
"Ugh, don't fall back! Hold out until the boss gets here!"
Seeing Sohwal's demonic sword energy, the thugs of the Red Rain Gang backed away, creating more distance.
The presence or absence of sword energy was a massive variable in a fight between martial artists.
No matter how sturdy a weapon was, facing an opponent with sword energy without using it yourself would lead to being completely overpowered.
Once some distance was created, Sohwal slightly lowered the output of her sword energy to conserve her internal energy.
'In that case, I'll just hold out as long as I can until Lord Sword Demon arrives. Once he's here, this whole situation will be over in an instant.'
The Sword Demon was one of the greatest combatants in the Heavenly Demon Cult. Sohwal knew well that if he unleashed his power, he would annihilate trash like this in a single blow. She decided to buy time.
"Who sent you?"
At Sohwal's question, a member of the Red Rain Gang shouted back in a rough voice.
"Who sent us?! Did you think we wouldn't find out that your companion beat our men to a pulp?!"
"You should've known this would happen if you messed with the Red Rain Gang in this territory!"
Too scared to fight her directly, the Red Rain Gang thugs resorted to spewing threats at Sohwal.
"Our boss is a peak master! No matter how strong you are, you won't be able to beat him!"
"Surrender obediently!"
"Hmph, I will not surrender, even if it means death."
In truth, Sohwal was also a martial artist at the cusp of the peak level, capable of producing blade force, but she refrained from using it recklessly as it would quickly deplete her internal energy.
Besides, she didn't know the enemy's total numbers or if they had hidden forces. There was no need to take such a risky gamble.
She knew all too well that the surest way to win was to reveal her full strength only after the Sword Demon arrived.
Time ticked by as they remained in a standoff, weapons drawn.
Just then, the Red Rain Gang thugs in the back parted to the left and right, their voices ringing out in greeting.
"""We greet the boss!"""
A man sauntered through the parted crowd.
He had a large frame, built from flesh and muscle.
It seemed the leader of the Red Rain Gang had arrived.
"Are you the one? The one who touched my men."
"..."
The Red Rain Gang's boss slung a massive broadsword over his shoulder, his lecherous smile scanning Sohwal up and down.
"Hoo, you've got a pretty face. A fine body, too. Better than I expected."
A nearby gang member spoke up.
"Be careful, boss! That woman is a demonic practitioner!"
"Oh, a demonic practitioner. I've never bedded one of those before. This should be a good experience. Hey, girl. If you get on your knees and beg me now, I'll be gentle."
The Red Rain Gang's boss let out a disgusting laugh.
Despite the blatant taunts right in front of her, Sohwal remained calm and analyzed the situation.
'He's definitely different from the small fry. Even if I fight him head-on, I can't guarantee victory. Why is a master like him in a place like this...?'
At that very moment.
-Whoooooosh!
Something approached from outside the building at an incredible speed.
"W-what is that?!"
"What's that sou—"
-BOOOOOOM!
In an instant, the wall exploded, sending wooden splinters flying in every direction.
Sohwal immediately deployed a defensive screen of sword energy to block the debris.
"K-kuhuk!"
"Gah!"
But the Red Rain Gang thugs who couldn't block it were riddled with splinters, groaning in pain. Those who were right in front of the wall had parts of their bodies blown apart, scattering blood and flesh everywhere.
"W-what's going on?!"
The Red Rain Gang's boss raised his broadsword at the sudden commotion, frantically scanning his surroundings.
Then, within the thick cloud of dust, the eerie red eye of a sword embedded in the wall began to glow.
Sohwal knew exactly what that sword was, and a smile graced her lips.
-Thud. Thud.
Someone walked calmly from beyond the shattered wall and pulled the demonic sword from it.
And then came a familiar voice.
"Looks like I made it in time. Good work. Leave the rest to me."