The Incompetent Hero and the Sichuan Tang Clan (2)
"Annoying."
"Still, seeing how far you've come, you did well. As your older brother, I couldn't be prouder."
"Hmph...."
Dan Seollin was returning to the Sichuan Tang Clan by carriage. Accompanying her was the young master of the Tang Clan who had come with her to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Dan Seollyun.
Watching Seollin stare out at the scenery beyond the carriage with a sullen, displeased expression, Seollyun gave a bitter smile.
His little sister, whose pride ran extraordinarily deep, seemed resentful that she had ultimately failed to surmount the wall of the Namgung Clan.
Even if she had surpassed the Namgung..., she would have stopped before that man in the end.
Seollyun recalled the final sparring match of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Those who had advanced to the end were Namgung Dogun of the Namgung, who had defeated his own sister Seollin, and Jang Cheon-woo of the Yeom Kingdom, who had overcome the strong contenders from each sect. From the spectators' perspective, Jang Cheon-woo's expected skill was overwhelmingly superior.
Of course, not everyone said it outright..., but anyone would have thought so in their hearts.
He himself had thought so as well.
And as expected....
No—he had shown power beyond imagination.
The Emperor's Sword..., to think he would shatter it with sheer force alone.
Although it was not the true Emperor's Sword of the Namgung Clan's head, Namgung Do-cheon, but the immature Emperor's Sword of the young master Namgung Dogun like himself, the mere fact that he had broken it was astonishing beyond measure.
Could he himself perform such a feat?
He considered it briefly, then soon shook his head. His own power would be insufficient.
He could constantly check and block to prevent the use of the Emperor's Sword itself. But from the moment the sword of the emperor that crushed everything was revealed, he would probably..., find it hard to handle.
When I return, I must report this to Father first.
Jang Cheon-woo of the Yeom Army.
Perhaps this Yeom Kingdom would see great waves centered around him.
Just as he was thinking that, the carriage suddenly stopped.
"What is the matter?"
"I-It's an ambush!..."
"What? An ambush?..., What madmen would attack the Tang Clan!"
Seollyun wondered if he had misheard the report.
What lunatics would dare ambush a carriage bearing the Tang Clan's emblem?
But the additional report made Seollyun's face harden.
"I-It seems to be... the Beastman Alliance!..."
"The Beastman Alliance?..., Why on earth would they be here!..."
"...."
Seollin, who had been silent until now, rose from her seat.
"Seollin!"
"Don't stop me, Brother. Whatever reason those things came for, once they've bared their fangs at the Tang Clan, all that remains is to annihilate them with full force."
"...."
Grace twofold, grudges tenfold.
That was the Tang Clan's attitude toward favors and grudges. So this situation might be inevitable.
But it felt off.
The Beastman Alliance's headquarters is Cheonsan, which is much further north from here...., What reason could they have for coming all this way and picking a fight with the Tang Clan!
The first thing that came to mind was a trap they had set.
At the same time, the most likely possibility. Then what kind of trap had they dug....
He could not know clearly.
"Be careful. Their headquarters is Cheonsan, far to the northwest of here. They wouldn't come out of Cheonsan and mess with our Tang Clan for no reason. It's right to assume there's some kind of trap."
"I know."
After firmly cautioning his sister, he stepped out of the carriage.
The situation outside was more serious than expected.
A considerable number of beastmen surrounded the carriages. Even if they chose to flee, there were so many that escape would not be easy. Seeing them, the thought that this might be a carefully planned trap crossed his mind once more.
"How dare you! Do you know that this carriage belongs to the Tang Clan and still commit such an act!!"
"Krruk krruk, of course we know. Aren't you the young master of the Tang Clan, Dan Seollyun?"
"You know me and still do this?...."
A man who seemed to be their representative approached.
He appeared dressed according to some formality, but looking at his face that could not hide his vulgar and base nature, Seollyun could recall a memory that had been sleeping in a corner of his mind.
"Beastman Alliance..., the toad beastman Seomgae...."
"Krrruk, I'm delighted beyond measure that the young master of the Tang Clan knows me."
"Why are you here? You..., should be wanted in the Yeom Kingdom!..."
At Seollyun's question, Seomgae grinned as if his mouth would tear.
Then he made his unique laughing sound—"krruk krruk"—and his eyes flashed.
"Is that important right now?"
"....What do you want?"
"Well..., nothing much. I'd like to take Miss Seollin with us.... Krruk krruk."
Sending a filthy gaze toward Seollin, the bastard licked his lips.
There was no time to think why Seollin.
Since their demand was something that could never be accepted, only one thing remained.
"Annihilate them! Children of the Tang Clan!!"
"Must you really shed blood? Krruk krruk."
And so a small war began.
Papapapapat!!
The Tang Clan's specialties were hidden weapons and poison.
Hidden weapons scattered in all directions allowed them to gain sufficient advantage even against numerous enemies.
"Kyaak!"
"Keok!!"
....What is this?
They fell more easily than expected.
He had thought they must have some confidence to charge in, but the enemies were being defeated more helplessly than he had imagined.
"Krruk krruk."
"...Just what are you after."
Seomgae was still leisurely watching the battle situation.
The enemy's numbers were still many.
But they had enough hidden weapons, and those guys were falling without even proper resistance to their hidden weapons.
If it continued like this, suppressing the enemies would be plenty....
"I permit Divine Beast Transformation."
"!"
At that moment, their aura changed.
The enemies began to tremble, then in an instant their bodies swelled and their entire skin transformed like that of a toad.
"Th-This is?...."
"This is the new power we have obtained. By beastman-izing once more, we amplify that power and characteristics several times over the usual!... Named Divine Beast Transformation! Krrrrruk~~!!"
"Young Master Seollyun! Our hidden weapons aren't working on the enemies!!"
"What?!..."
A sticky mucus-like substance forming on the enemies' skin blocked the hidden weapons.
At the same time, their movements became several times faster, and their strength turned overwhelming, sending the Tang Clan soldiers flying like children.
"Th-This is.... Just like Blood Awakening!"
Blood Awakening.
This technique, named the awakening of blood, awakens the blood of the Sichuan Tang Clan to make their beastman abilities stand out.
A Tang Clan member in Blood Awakening state has snake scales rising on their skin, taking on a clearer snake form.
It was very similar to this Blood Awakening phenomenon.
But they could not keep being surprised forever.
"Scatter the poison mist!"
They hurriedly changed tactics against the transformed opponents.
Scatter poison mist to block the enemies' approach, and imbue stronger internal energy into the hidden weapons to pierce the enemies' mucus skin.
They tried to do so, but....
"Krrrruk. Do you still not understand why we attacked the Tang Clan? Your poisons don't work on us! Krruk krruk!"
"Our poisons don't work?...."
As he said, even though the deadly poison mist was spread, they charged without hesitation and broke through the poison mist.
In the meantime, whether they took no damage at all, their actions were unhindered.
"We can also produce a bit of poison, you see. Just like you people. Krruk."
"Poison toads!..."
It was the worst.
The unknown technique called Divine Beast Transformation, and their characteristics that completely sealed their specialties..., the enemies had thoroughly analyzed them and considered countermeasures. Thus they had created a situation where they could not help but win.
"So what."
"Krruk?"
"I can do that too."
Saaaaaaa
Beside Seollyun, who had been watching the situation for a moment, scales in the shape of a snake began to stand out near Seollin's eyes.
He himself could not use Blood Awakening.
But his little sister Seollin could use Blood Awakening.
"Wh-What! Divine Beast Transformation on her own?!...Krruk!"
"Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers"
At that sight, Seomgae was startled and his eyes widened.
Flash, papapapapapat!!!
Seollin leaped high as if she were a fairy flying through the sky.
At the same time, she threw countless hidden weapons imbued with internal energy in all directions like scattering flower petals.
Even the mucus skin that the other Tang Clan members' attacks could not pierce was helplessly penetrated by Seollin's sharp internal energy-laden hidden weapon techniques.
"Kuk!! You insolent wench!! Krruk!!"
"Soul-Chasing Flying Butterflies"
Soul-Chasing Flying Butterflies
The hidden weapons that had been flying freely in the air like butterflies chasing souls flew straight at Seomgae.
At that sight, Seomgae was startled and fled uglily while screaming desperately.
"Subdue her! Quickly!! Just take care of that one!!!"
"Help Seollin!!!"
The tide of battle changed.
The Tang Clan centered around Seollin, while the Beastman Alliance focused on Seollin who had become the center of the Tang Clan, and the flow of the situation changed.
"Haa..., haa...."
"This wench...."
Most of the Tang Clan had fallen.
The reason was simple. They had run out of hidden weapons. That was all.
With just that, the Tang Clan lacked stamina and failed to block the toad beastmen's attacks.
Seollin tried to resist to the end, but even that struggle was soon subdued.
Perhaps because the fight had become more intense than imagined, Seomgae glared at Seollin irritably, then eventually kicked her once with his foot.
"You bitch! I almost got into big trouble!! Krruk!"
"Keok!..."
"Haa..., haa..., but..., yeah. Krruk. Your looks are decent enough...., so it should be fine to have a little taste before leaving. Krruk."
"...What a filthy, base bastard lusting after whose body. Ptui."
"....This bitch really..."
Even in her injured and subdued state, seeing Seollin spit while denouncing Seomgae, his expression twisted.
Thud thud thud
Just as he was about to punch her once to quiet Seollin's continuously cheeky mouth, a deliberate footstep sound was heard.
Following the sound of footsteps with his gaze, a single swordswoman was approaching with leisurely steps.
"What are you, you? Grruk."
"I have something to tell you all in advance."
"Krruk?"
"First of all, I came to save the Tang Clan people..., but I'd like you all to surrender quietly."
When the swordswoman who suddenly appeared out of nowhere demanded surrender, Seomgae went beyond being dumbfounded and just let out a hollow laugh.
Then he immediately shouted.
"Catch that wench too! Krruk!"
"Oh dear..., so it's come to this after all? It seems words won't resolve this."
Papapapat
"Bone Severance"
Slash whoosh!!!
"!"
"Indeed, this is the feeling. Young master."
Seomgae could not understand the situation just now.
Clearly his subordinates had charged to catch the suddenly appeared female swordswoman.
They charged, and yet...,
Suddenly the situation reversed and his subordinates were cut, spewing red blood.
The process in between was invisible.
"Where the hell did you pop out from!! Krruk!"
"Please call me a passing swordswoman."
"Kyaaaak! Human bastard!! Do you think you'll get away safely after pointing a sword at us beastmen! Krruk!"
"Don't worry. I'm a beastman too."
Beastman? That swordswoman? No matter how you looked, she was human.
Thinking she was telling an impossible lie, Seomgae was about to get greatly angry, but at that moment Seomgae's body began to tremble.
"....Grruk?"
Grrrr...
It felt like he was hearing a tiger's roar.
The predator's roar that pierces the whole body. Even though his body's instinct was telling him to run away from this place right now, he had a near-certain premonition that if he carelessly moved his feet, his neck would be sliced right there, so he could not do this or that.
Meanwhile, the female swordswoman's black hair began to turn white, and eventually the black hair's domain gradually decreased and turned into tiger patterns.
Even the most ignorant person, seeing that, could realize what blood this beastman inherited.
"Wh-White Tiger!...."
"I didn't want to take this form..., but to reveal that I'm a beastman, this is the best, you see."
The female swordswoman took her stance.
She firmly planted her lower body as if taking root by pressing the ground.
All actions must ultimately be performed while stepping on the ground.
Therefore, firming the lower body puts stronger power into all techniques.
"One-Stroke Tiger Hunt."
Kwakwakwakwang!!!
She rampaged against the opponents, raising a rough sword wind as if a storm were raging.
As if hit by a tiger's forepaw, the many personnel fell like autumn leaves in the wind, and in an instant the distance between Seomgae and the female swordswoman narrowed.
"H-Hieek?!"
"It's over."
"I-Impossible!..., Impossible!! Clearly Lord Red Oni succeeded in bringing the White Tiger under his command, so why is a beastman who inherited the White Tiger's blood...."
"...What did you just say?"
"...Huk!..Krruk..."
As if he had said something he should not have, Seomgae's face darkened, and the female swordswoman looked at Seomgae with the light gone from her eyes.
Seomgae's judgment was accurate and swift, and his actions were faster than anything.
Seomgae detonated the poison bomb he had in his bosom.
A poison bomb that spreads a poison mist that is nothing to them as poison toad beastmen, but fatal to those who do not handle poison, along with black smoke.
Because the bomb exploded at close range, the female swordswoman who ended up inhaling the poison mist frowned.
"Kuk!..."
"Retreat! Krruk!!"
"Wait!! You bastard!! Just now Red Oni!! Did you say Red Oni!!! Speak quickly!!!"
"Hieeek!! Krruk!!!"
As if a tiger were roaring.
She charged at Seomgae and his party who were scattering while howling fiercely.
Literally, she ran wild and cut down the toad beastmen indiscriminately.
She cut, cut, and cut again, but in the end she lost Seomgae himself.
Rather, due to the poison they had spread, her body gradually grew heavier and her vision even began to blur.
But even so.
The female swordswoman howled with murderous intent and rage covering her whole body.
"Come here!!! You damn bastaaaard!!!"
But the more she howled, the more desperately she had to realize.
That she had let the clue to the enemy of her family, whom she had been searching for and wandering after, slip away right before her eyes.
That she had let it slip due to her own carelessness. She had no choice but to realize it.