Blood on These Hands

The messages from Cheon Hayeon arrived just before I reached the scene.

If Cheon Hayeon was saying that much, then Nan-hwa’s side hadn’t been easy either. Still, hearing that all the hostages had been rescued lifted a weight off my shoulders.

The moment I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arrived, I kicked one of the Blood Slaughter Demons standing in front of Lee Jia and sent it flying. Thanks to my enhanced strength, even a light kick carried completely different force. The status window blared with alarms announcing the simultaneous activation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and Hyeop-in-ji-ro.

CCCS. Compared to the previous FFFA, the difference was enormous. My inner qi seemed to have hit some kind of ceiling and stopped at S, but that was more than enough. I’d felt it before, but the gap between A and S was far too vast to call it “just one rank.” On top of that, even the single additional point I’d gained was clearly noticeable.

Following my instructions, Lee Jia scooped up Shin Ari and vanished from sight at high speed. Even before I arrived, a metallic stench had been drifting through the air. It wasn’t just from the blood Shin Ari had spilled. Every single one of the enemies reeked of blood that couldn’t be hidden. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many humans they must have slaughtered and devoured for that stench to cling to their very presence.

These things didn’t deserve to live.

“How dare a mere student—!”

The man in front of me snarled, his face twisting like a demon’s. His rage and killing intent at having lost his target were palpable. Perfect. Thanks to him, my senses sharpened like a razor’s edge.

“Kill him right now!”

The man shouted, yet the Blood Demons’ movements remained sluggish. Two lines appeared on the status window—something I hadn’t expected at all.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art apparently possessed the ability to suppress “demonic qi” itself. That raised my odds considerably. Only one Crimson Blood Demon remained beside the man. Objectively speaking, this was doable.

Every time I stepped with the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps, the enemies flinched and froze. The openings were small, but sufficient. I grabbed the head of one Blood Slaughter Demon charging at me. Thanks to my enhanced strength, lifting a human body felt as light as lifting cotton. The creature thrashed, its red eyes flashing as it tried to break free. From the way it had rebounded earlier when I kicked it, it seemed fairly resistant to external attacks. Didn’t matter.

I poured the energy of the Blood Hand Demonic Art straight into its skull without mercy.

Crack.

The Blood Slaughter Demon’s head exploded from the inside. Fragments of cooked brain matter and blood sprayed in every direction. Sticky pieces clung to my face. Thud, thud, thud. Thump. The headless torso collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Hot steam rose from the shattered remains. Amid the thick scent of blood came a stench so foul it made me want to retch.

Step.

I moved forward, one after another. I killed them without pause. Even if they were closer to artificially created weapons, they had once been human. Of course, the moment they transformed into Blood Demons, returning to a normal body was impossible. The Blood Sect had no intention of allowing it, and the demonic qi that had filled them to the marrow after devouring countless humans had no way of being dispelled.

They ignored weak attacks and charged straight in, so it felt like fighting a horde of zombies. I’d tried several methods, but blowing their heads off completely was the most effective. Naturally, all sorts of byproducts that made up a human body ended up stuck to me. The sensation of blood, flesh, and lumps of fat clinging to my hands couldn’t be called pleasant even as a joke.

So this much blood really could gush out of a human body. Using a weapon might have been cleaner. The thought felt oddly out of place amid such violent combat.

Crunch.

I crushed another one’s head. My body moved mechanically, separate from my thoughts. The Extreme Yang energy and the Blood Hand Demonic Art, specialized in the Ijaejoongsu method, were like a miracle cure against the Blood Demons. Their sturdy bodies collapsed with surprising ease. A force capable of easily annihilating a mid-to-small sect was disappearing in real time at my hands.

“Kieeeek!”

They bared yellowed teeth and let out inhuman shrieks. The man tried desperately to control them, but the Blood Slaughter Demons, already ruled by fear down to their marrow, only charged mindlessly. With nothing left but instinct, they were all the more prone to panic.

How many had I killed? I didn’t know. If this had been reality, I probably would have been trembling all over and collapsed right there. Yet even though this was my first time killing, my mind remained calm. I felt neither excitement nor guilt. Only the languid exhaustion that came from pouring out my inner qi without restraint wrapped around my body.

Rather, as I grew accustomed to it, the Blood Demons started to feel no different from stepping on ants. Slightly larger ants, perhaps.

Thud.

I drove my hand blade, blazing with scorching yang energy, into the stomach of the last remaining Blood Slaughter Demon. My hand pierced through its belly skin and ribs, turning all its internal organs into pulp. Thud, thud. Something hot poured out of the gaping hole. Instant death, of course.

I casually shook the blood-soaked hands.

“How… how could you slaughter Blood Demons so easily?! Impossible…! What kind of demonic art did you use?!”

The man’s eyes widened as he backed away. Hearing the words “demonic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠art” from a Blood Sect lackey was almost funny.

Step, step.

Without answering, I approached him. The Crimson Blood Demon moved to protect him, blocking my path. It was easily over two meters tall, a massive frame. While stepping with the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps, I converted the Heavenly Demon Divine Art’s energy and gathered it in my palms. It came naturally now, like breathing.

Matching the timing of its charge, I released the gathered energy.

Thud.

The heavy force released from my hand struck its abdomen.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

With a fierce shockwave, the sound of bursting drums rang out in succession. That was the end. The Crimson Blood Demon’s body shattered into unrecognizable pieces and scattered. Through the flying blood and flesh, I saw the man’s face—the last one left. A look of utter shock.

Unlike the Blood Demons, he was still a rational human. Didn’t matter.

Step.

I took another step forward.

“H-Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps? That’s impossible. It can’t be! The Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps was lost long ago. No, it’s a little different? Just what the hell are you?!”

The man, having lost his composure, began babbling nonsense.

“Doesn’t concern you.”

“You bastard…! Are you mocking me?!”

Bang!

The man drew the chain sword from his waist and slammed it into the ground. I stared at him in silence, then opened my mouth.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Right on cue, two men in black robes who had just arrived placed their swords against the man’s neck.

“W-Wuhyeon Demon Shadows? Why are you people here…? Aaaargh!”

The man screamed as his demonic acupoints were sealed, then fell silent once his speech acupoints were blocked as well. I picked up the smartphone I had thrown into the grass earlier. It was hard to operate with all the blood on my hands. I wiped the screen on my sleeve and glanced around without much thought.

I was tired. Staring at the scene of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood filled with things that had once been human, that was the only feeling I had. It didn’t feel like slaughter. More like I’d done some slightly boring, exhausting labor.

Drip, drip.

Sudden rain began to fall from the cloudy sky. I slowly rubbed my hands together, letting the rainwater wash away the blood. It didn’t come off easily.

“Are you all right? Doing all this alone…”

One of the middle-aged Wuhyeon Demon Shadows who had subdued the man approached me.

“…I’m fine. Judging by how they commanded Blood Slaughter Demons and Crimson Blood Demons, they’re definitely from the Blood Sect.”

I said, sweeping my forehead with both hands. It felt like I’d taken a bath in blood. The Wuhyeon Demon Shadow stared at me intently, then bowed his head.

“Understood. Will you be returning immediately?”

“Yes. I’d like to rest today. The Murim Alliance will probably show up too, so I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”

“Don’t worry. Would you like an escort? The Young Sect Leader instructed us to provide maximum assistance.”

“Rather than an escort… I just want to wash up. And change clothes. I can’t exactly walk around like this.”

More precisely, I didn’t want Han Yeoreum to see me like this.

“That makes sense. I’ll guide you to one of our nearby safe houses. You’ve worked hard.”

Following one of the Wuhyeon Demon Shadows, I moved away.

…I didn’t look back.

Han Yeoreum was biting her thumbnail, chewing on it anxiously. Kim Mugong, who had said he would return, still hadn’t contacted her even after a long time. She sent messages, but no replies came.

What the hell is going on…?

She could tell from his expression alone that something serious had happened. He had told her to go to sleep first, but there was no way she could sleep after seeing that face. When he wore that expression, it meant he had made up his mind about something. A resolve that even her own stubbornness could never break.

An incident in this world serious enough to require Kim Mugong to make such a firm decision? Han Yeoreum couldn’t even begin to guess. She paced back and forth across the living room, trying to calm her anxious heart.

Ding-dong.

How much time had passed? Along with the sound of the door lock, he entered, exhaustion written all over his face.

“You’re not asleep? What time is it?”

Kim Mugong said with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. It was clearly a forced smile.

“…How could I sleep.”

He had changed clothes. He had sprayed perfume, but a faint, unmistakable scent of blood still brushed sharply against her nose.

…He had killed something. And if he was making that kind of face, the identity of that “something” was obvious.

Humans. Probably more than a few.

Han Yeoreum pieced together the truth from several facts.

Thud.

Kim Mugong sank onto the sofa and stared blankly ahead.

“It wasn’t a big deal, so don’t make that face.”

“No, I’m just sleepy.”

She had made a mistake. She fixed her expression and took a step closer.

“Is that so. Then go to sleep quickly.”

Han Yeoreum stood silently in front of Kim Mugong. Meeting his eyes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she pulled his head into her chest.

“Hey, what’s this all of a sudden.”

His slightly flustered voice came from near her heart.

“Just because.”

She wrapped his head tightly with both hands and murmured softly. Unlike before, the urge to pry had disappeared.

“….”

After a moment of hesitation, he quietly leaned into her embrace. For quite a long time.