Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Time Has Come
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"Kuaaaargh!"
Sohwal coughed up blood, barely managing to support herself with her sword plunged into the ground.
"Just give up already."
Asura Path's cold voice bore down on Sohwal.
There was no hope in sight.
"Kuh, I..."
*Thwack—*
Asura Path kicked Sohwal, sending her flying limply before she collapsed.
"And you can't even support your own body."
"I... I..."
Through her wavering vision, she looked at the fallen Sword Demon.
The ultimate power who had always resolved everything with ease.
She had grown up watching his back.
As a child, she had lost her family and home after being caught in a battle between heretics.
At the moment she was about to die, the one who saved her was none other than the Sword Demon, Unmyeong.
The sight of him indifferently cutting down the heretics with a single strike, ending the situation, was no different from that of a hero.
Sohwal joined the Heavenly Demon Cult to follow in the footsteps of that hero.
Although the Sword Demon didn't seem to remember her from her childhood, she knew for certain.
She had always admired the Sword Demon for his perfect and powerful image.
But who was it that said it?
Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding.
She had never once tried to understand the man named 'Unmyeong,' only the 'Sword Demon.'
The result.
The hero she admired was falling.
He had held on, lonely and alone, only to finally crumble.
"It's almost over. The Sword Demon will soon be my subordinate."
Hell Path spoke emotionlessly from behind his half-shattered mask.
"So it seems. The Sword Demon will now become a pawn of our Blood Cult."
Asura Path said as she approached the collapsed Sohwal.
"Don't worry. I see you have talent for your age, so I'll put your body to good use as a Blood Corpse."
"E-Eek!"
Listening from the side, Yuhwa stared at the Six Paths Blood Demons, utterly terrified.
She had thrown the Demonic Sword to Unmyeong, but when there was no response, Yuhwa was seized by despair and terror, her body shrinking in on itself.
"That little one seems completely useless. Well, can't be helped. She'll have to die."
"Kuuuh..."
Sohwal felt a profound sense of powerlessness at her inability to do anything.
*Shing—*
"Well then, let's end this."
The moment Asura Path raised her sharply honed straight sword.
"Keo-heok!"
"Hmm?"
Asura Path turned her head to see Hell Path coughing up blood, his body trembling.
"What's wrong?"
"Kuuuh... Keu-heuuk!"
He let out a continuous, pain-filled groan as red smoke rose from his body.
"What's the problem?"
"My... my ability... how did he... break through..."
"Ability? What are you..."
Asura Path suddenly realized that Unmyeong, who should have been in front of Hell Path, had vanished along with the Demonic Sword.
"Wait, where did the Sword Demon..."
Just as Asura Path was frantically looking around.
"Looking for me?"
*Swiiiiiish—*
Sensing something flying toward her at high speed, Asura Path quickly raised her straight sword to block.
*Claaaaang!*
Having blocked the attack, Asura Path's eyes widened, her shock plain to see.
"Sword Demon...! How are you!"
"Ghost Demon. No, I should call you Asura Path."
*Clang!*
Swinging his sword wide to create distance, Unmyeong spoke with his back to Sohwal.
"Your injuries are severe. You've done well. Take Yuhwa and get back. Leave the rest to me."
"S-Sir Sword Demon...!"
Seeing this, Asura Path slowly opened her mouth, as if in disbelief.
"You... how did you get out? And that power... Don't tell me you've surpassed Demonic Possession and reached Demonic Transcendence?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know what's happened to me either. It's a feeling I've never experienced before."
He said, looking down at the Demonic Sword in his hand.
"My heart is racing, and I feel like I can do anything. Is this... love?"
"Wh-What are you talking about? Such disgusting nonsense all of a sudden..."
While Asura Path was flustered, Hell Path coughed up blood and barely managed to speak.
"Keu-heuk, in this body... I can't hold on any longer. I must... return to my domain immediately."
"...Understood. I'll handle this situation alone, so you go first."
"Can you... do it?"
"Yes. I could have beaten him by myself without you in the first place."
"...Then I'll... leave the rest to you."
With those words, Hell Path formed a pool of blood on the ground and began to sink into it.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Unmyeong fired a blast of sword energy from his Demonic Sword, and Asura Path quickly deployed an aura shield to block it.
*Kagagagak!*
But instead of being deflected, the projected energy sank its fangs into Asura Path's aura shield and began to dig in.
"Dammit, what in the world happened? Why has he suddenly reached the state of Demonic Transcendence..."
To go from Demonic Possession to Demonic Transcendence requires an incredibly difficult penance.
That's because completely subjugating the inner demon in one's heart is the same as gaining complete control over one's own mind.
But what could he possibly have seen in Hell Path's illusion to overcome his inner demon?
'This is the worst-case scenario.'
Hell Path's body seemed to have taken a strain from his ability being broken, and Unmyeong's realm had ascended.
But it was still fine.
'Right. Blood Demons and humans are fundamentally different in stamina and life force.'
She had over a thousand lives left.
A thousand people.
She held a thousand souls within her body; she would only die after being killed more than a thousand times.
'In the end, if this becomes a battle of attrition, I can't lose. Besides, for some reason, that Demonic Sword... its life force feels weaker than before. Could it be that it was the one that interfered with Hell Path's ability?'
And so, Asura Path's goal shifted from capture to slaughter, and she raised a violent bloodlust on her straight sword.
Seeing this, the Soul-Severing Sword spoke to Unmyeong.
[That one's aura has changed.]
"Don't worry. As long as we're together, nothing can stop us."
[R-Right.]
"And have you forgotten? Our goal."
Unmyeong said, looking at the Demonic Sword.
"I will definitely capture one of the Six Paths Blood Demons and give you a body."
Unlike before, a warmth now tinged Unmyeong's voice as he spoke to the Soul-Severing Sword.
*Fwoooosh—*
A violet-black flame ignited by Unmyeong blazed upon his blade as he faced Asura Path.
*Saaaaa—*
Asura Path also raised a red bloodlust upon her straight sword, aiming it at Unmyeong.
"A swordsman is not swayed by emotion. Don't resent me, Blood Demon."
"I feel the same."
*Paaat—*
And so, the blades of the Sword Demon and the Ghost Demon clashed once more.
*Kagagagagak!*
The Sword Demon's Demonic Sword and the Ghost Demon's straight sword ground against each other.
But the Soul-Severing Sword was a demonic sword that surpassed any masterpiece.
No blade could dare to match it.
"Kuhk..."
Only the Ghost Demon's blade was being worn down.
Judging that her straight sword would break if this continued, she immediately pulled her blade away, only to have her shoulder slashed.
*Fushwaaak—*
Asura Path retreated a good distance, bleeding.
But for her, who held countless lives, such a wound couldn't even leave a scar.
A regenerative power so astonishing it couldn't be matched by human speed.
Knowing this, Unmyeong pressed his assault even more fiercely.
Because if he completely shattered her without giving her a chance to recover, even a Blood Demon with outstanding life force couldn't escape death.
*Clang! Clang-gang-gang!*
Unmyeong's Demonic Sword struck with incredible speed.
"Kuuuuh!"
The Ghost Demon blocked Unmyeong's near-perfect swordsmanship, looking at her blade as it was steadily worn away.
'Clashing blades is disadvantageous. So dodging is the best option... but I can't see any openings.'
Unmyeong's swordsmanship, born of a conviction bordering on obsession and fear, was perfection itself.
No matter how strong the Ghost Demon was—the strongest of the Seven Demons—as long as she wielded a sword, she could not surpass the Sword Demon.
*Kagagagak—*
*Claaaaang!*
Demonic energy and bloodlust mixed together, leaving their marks on the ground.
The ground had long since been torn apart.
The surrounding air was corroded by the malevolent aura from the battle between the two demons.
The concentration of demonic energy and bloodlust was so thick that an ordinary person would faint on the spot if they took a wrong step.
In that hellish battle, Unmyeong and Asura Path swung their weapons for their respective goals.
As the battle escalated, the two conversed not with words, but solely with sword and blade.
In the continuing battle, the Ghost Demon couldn't help but realize.
'He's certainly reached Demonic Transcendence. He has completely mastered the inner demon in his heart.'
Unmyeong also realized.
'Ghost Demon, though you may have reached the realm of Demonic Transcendence, the inner demon in your heart is still smoldering.'
*Claaaaang!*
Their blades clashed violently, and the aftershock forced the two warriors apart.
Amidst the barrage of countless blades, both Unmyeong and Asura Path were undoubtedly wounded.
Although the Ghost Demon had suffered more wounds due to the significant difference in their weapons, it was meaningless since she was a Blood Demon.
Unlike Unmyeong, whose fatigue and injuries were accumulating, Asura Path kept regenerating.
Moreover, Unmyeong's Soul-Severing Sword had also used up much of its stored life force.
Seeing this, Asura Path spoke to Unmyeong.
"Unmyeong, you have no chance of winning. Your body is human, so your wounds and fatigue will accumulate. Besides, it looks like your Demonic Sword is running out of power."
At the words that the Demonic Sword was running out of power, Unmyeong asked back, looking greatly surprised.
"Wh-What do you mean? What's wrong with my sword?"
"You haven't noticed? I suppose that's possible since you're human."
Asura Path spoke nonchalantly.
"From the perspective of a Blood Demon, who can see the life force of others, that sword is about to end. Do you think you can beat me with an ordinary weapon?"
At those words, Unmyeong quickly asked his Demonic Sword.
"Is that true? Are you really chipping away at your own life force..."
To Unmyeong's question, the Soul-Severing Sword couldn't bring itself to speak.
[...]
Seeing the flustered Unmyeong, Asura Path continued to speak, intending to shake his resolve even further.
"Besides, it forced its way into Hell Path's ability. How could it be fine? That Demonic Sword will soon be finished."
"D-Don't be ridiculous! I won't fall for your nonsense!"
Unmyeong looked at the Demonic Sword with a desperate gaze.
As if praying that her words were lies.
Seeing him like this, the Soul-Severing Sword spoke to Unmyeong.
[Unmyeong, calm down. The enemy is just trying to confuse you.]
"Th-That's it, right?"
[Yes. If you want to win, trust me. I will lead you to victory.]
"...That's right. Yes. There's no way you would disappear."
As Unmyeong let out a sigh of relief, the Soul-Severing Sword explained its detailed plan.
[My master, Unmyeong, you may have the upper hand for now, but if we keep fighting like this, you will fall behind in stamina.]
"..."
Judging calmly, Unmyeong had to agree.
It meant that although he seemed to have the advantage now, a point would surely come when he would be pushed back due to the inherent differences between humans and Blood Demons.
[So, unless you inflict a wound so severe that she cannot recover, it's useless. You know this well, don't you?]
"Yes. But there's no opening to use a major technique. And I don't have much internal energy left, either."
Unmyeong had already used an ultimate technique once.
Because of that, he actually had less than half his internal energy remaining.
[Unmyeong, by any means necessary, drive me into that Blood Demon's body.]
"I know what you're thinking, but the internal energy I have left..."
[Don't worry, Unmyeong. I will do the rest.]
Unmyeong recalled the Ghost Demon's words from moments ago, and a slight anxiety welled up inside him.
"You're not overexerting yourself, are you?"
[It's fine. I am truly fine, so you just focus on winning.]
"But what the Ghost Demon said earlier..."
[Unmyeong, I have firm faith in you. Do you trust me?]
At that question, Unmyeong couldn't bring himself to ask any more.
"Of course. You're my one and only companion."
To those words, the Soul-Severing Sword replied.
[Then trust me and move forward. When we are together, there is nothing to fear.]
Unmyeong smiled at the Demonic Sword's words.
"Alright. I'll trust you."
And so, he charged toward Asura Path.
Without noticing that the red eye of the Soul-Severing Sword flickered for a moment.