Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The True Nature of the Demon-Slaying Sword
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The moment he gripped the Demon-Slaying Sword, he realized it.
The sword's killing intent stemmed from none other than Yong-un himself.
The reason the martial world called the Demon-Slaying Sword a demonic blade was that it allowed its wielder to wield crimson heaven demonic qi, but in exchange, it summoned an unrelenting killing intent.
That was also why Yong-un had abandoned the Demon-Slaying Sword upon returning to the real world.
The Sword Demon who gripped it became the very embodiment of a slaughter fiend, butchering all his enemies.
But.
The instant he gripped the Demon-Slaying Sword, he realized it was all his own misconception.
Of course, he hadn't known at first.
As soon as he took hold of it, the surging killing intent and familiar crimson heaven demonic qi made him aware that he had become the slaughter fiend once more.
Yet that lasted only a moment.
What followed was a profound sense of peace that completely overturned Yong-un's expectations.
'It's so peaceful.'
That was the first emotion he felt upon resonating with the Demon-Slaying Sword and reverting to the slaughter fiend.
It was serene.
The killing intent boiled up just as it had when he was the slaughter fiend, but unlike back then as the Sword Demon, it didn't drive him to lose his reason and slaughter everyone in a frenzy of cruelty.
On the contrary, it felt as natural and effortless as reclaiming a lost arm—as if the surging killing intent were simply a part of him, bringing an effortless peace.
And then Yong-un let out a disbelieving laugh.
'So that's how it was.'
He had lived for decades in the martial world without knowing, only realizing the truth after coming to reality.
All the crimson heaven demonic qi and killing intent emanating from the Demon-Slaying Sword.
It wasn't from anyone else—it derived from Yong-un himself.
Everything flowing from the Demon-Slaying Sword held the property of turning others into reasonless slaughter fiends.
But for Yong-un, it was merely one of the many emotions and powers he already possessed.
In other words, the Demon-Slaying Sword was no demonic blade—at least not for him.
Wasn't that ridiculous?
For decades, they had fought side by side, shared joys and sorrows, and he had never let it leave his side even in sleep.
Yet only now did he learn the truth about his companion.
'Well, it's no wonder I didn't know.'
Even so, Yong-un didn't cling long to his disbelief upon realizing the killing intent he now felt wasn't from the sword.
'It makes sense.'
No one could call him a fool or an idiot in this situation.
Yet Yong-un understood himself completely.
The Sword Demon of that time had no choice.
He was surrounded by enemies on all sides.
For the Sword Demon, who had vowed to walk the bloody path of vengeance, the Heavenly Demon Cult was merciless.
According to the law of Supremacy of the Strong, weakness meant being discarded and stripped bare—and that was his daily reality. The Demon-Slaying Sword was his only weapon against his foes.
The killing intent was the courage that let him wield it.
The cruelty was the fear that made him seem larger than life.
Thus, every time Yong-un drew the Demon-Slaying Sword, he stirred up killing intent and displayed that cruelty.
He showed his enemies the fear that kept them from toying with him—the courage to swing the one weapon protecting his utterly weak self.
The result?
Yong-un became the Sword Demon, and the Sword Demon became the slaughter fiend.
The Demon-Slaying Sword, his sole weapon, became a source of terror for some and an object of desire for others.
The courage that allowed him to wield it turned into despair, forcing countless souls to face the horror of death.
And the cruelty that had once been his fear became a natural habit.
A habit that no longer frightened him.
The Demon-Slaying Sword was no demonic blade.
The slaughter fiend wasn't created by the Demon-Slaying Sword.
The slaughter fiend Sword Demon wasn't born from the sword...
'It was me all along.'
Wooong... wooong...
Blind to its master's heart, the Demon-Slaying Sword hummed joyfully.
A bittersweet feeling washed over Yong-un.
He had resolved to abandon it for his family's sake, but in truth, it wasn't the sword—it was himself.
Yet as the bitterness faded, a deep sense of relief took its place.
'What a relief.'
Yong-un's gaze dropped to the Demon-Slaying Sword, which was savoring the taste of Marquis Gristarin's blood with delight.
Its appearance was no different from after it had beheaded the enemy commander during the righteous-demonic great war.
But his changed mindset brought a smile to Yong-un's face.
A misconception.
Sometimes it approached with terrifying intensity, but other times it brought profound relief and immense joy.
Especially now, when what he had seen as negative turned out to be positive.
"Kuhahaha!"
His blood-red eyes gleamed crimson within the sanguine haze.
The same mad laughter as the slaughter fiend's echoed through San Marino Demonus.
'This time, I won't let go.'
Wooong... wooong...
Within the sanguine haze after felling the boss, Yong-un's crimson eyes turned toward his subordinates.
The Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand let out a delighted hum, as if amused.
And so, Yong-un directed his sanguine haze toward his subordinates, who stared at this unfamiliar version of him with tension and fear.
And that led to the current situation.
"I-Is that really the Supreme One?"
Myung-su, dagger raised at the forefront, stared at Yong-un with wide eyes as the sanguine haze receded.
Yong-un replied with the smile hidden within the haze.
"Who else would I be?"
"Ahh..."
Myung-su let out a deep sigh of relief at Yong-un's unchanged appearance and demeanor.
"Myung-un!"
"Seong-min!"
Confirming Yong-un was unchanged, the subordinates finally checked on Yuk-gwi-hon and Myung-un.
Myung-su's relieved expression twisted subtly at their shouts.
His lowered dagger slid back into position.
"Are you really the Supreme One?"
"I am."
"Then why... did you attack my younger brother?"
At Myung-su's words, Sword Tiger tightened his grip on his sword once more.
He added,
"And that killing intent... it was directed at us. Are you truly the Supreme One?"
The leaders of the two factions Yong-un had created refused to drop their guard.
They raised their blades once more against their master, the one they had sworn to protect with their lives.
Yet Yong-un didn't berate their apparent betrayal. Instead, his smile deepened.
"You're doing well."
"P-Pardon...?"
Myung-su's face shifted to shock.
It wasn't the answer he expected to his question.
Then came the follow-up.
"Who attacked whom?"
Myung-su's expression changed with every word from Yong-un.
"Clearly..."
"What!?"
As Myung-su tried to speak, a loud voice rose from the subordinates rushing to Myung-un.
But Myung-su didn't turn hastily.
Instead, he asked Varum behind him.
"What happened?"
At his command, Varum finally looked back.
And an incongruous sound followed for the situation—the sharp click of retracting blue claws and Varum's unfamiliar laughter.
"Heh, your brother is fine."
Myung-un was unharmed?
He had clearly seen the Demon-Slaying Sword pierce him.
Disbelieving Varum's words, Myung-su whipped around.
And he was dumbfounded.
"Unharmed...?"
No, Myung-un was actually getting pummeled by the Poison Witch and Jin-cheol.
It was utterly at odds with Myung-su's tense, battle-ready stance.
"Mu-hee! What the hell is going on!?"
Myung-su shouted at the smiling Mu-hee.
She shadow-stepped to his side and explained.
"The Supreme One commanded it."
Myung-su's head snapped toward Yong-un.
"The Supreme One did?"
"Yes. He said not to panic, relax, and that he needed to check something."
Why the hell would he? was Myung-su's first thought.
Then, Check what?
Myung-su's curious gaze stayed fixed on Yong-un.
Yong-un sheathed the Demon-Slaying Sword and spoke.
"I wanted to test if you'd remember my orders in the heat of battle."
Myung-su froze in place.
Sword Tiger was stunned too, but his booming voice pressed on with lingering questions.
"What about that killing intent, then?"
"You wouldn't recognize it otherwise."
"Ah..."
Thud.
Sword Tiger's sword slipped from his hand and stabbed into the ground.
Who knew how much he'd suffered? The middle-aged Sword Tiger threw his arms around Yong-un in a bear hug.
"Don't do that again. It was... really tough."
"Big man like you, tsk tsk."
Yong-un clicked his tongue.
But even as he said it, he didn't push Sword Tiger away.
He just smiled down at him.
"So if you're saying we did well... does that mean we passed the test...?"
Myung-su, dagger now hidden as if he'd never raised it, asked with flushed cheeks.
Yong-un gave a benevolent smile.
"You did well. I won't doubt you again."
"Supreme One!"
"Supreme One!!"
"Bro!!"
Led by Myung-un, all the subordinates rushed toward Yong-un.
Only Myung-su, Varum, and Seong-min of Yuk-gwi-hon stayed back, watching.
Myung-su and Varum finally smiled.
And behind them, Seong-min stared blankly at Yong-un, still out of it.
"Such a fuss."
Despite his words, Yong-un's lips bloomed into a full smile amid their fervent welcome.
He even shook the crimson-bladed Demon-Slaying Sword in his left hand.
If you give up one precious thing...
You can protect everything.
Man's words had come true.
After it all, Yong-un realized his lingering anxiety wasn't created by Man—it was self-made.
And rightly so, for until then, he had believed gripping the Demon-Slaying Sword meant becoming the slaughter fiend again.
In that unavoidable situation, even when the two choices Man described arrived and he chose the sword, he had doubted Man.
He thought becoming the slaughter fiend would let him escape Marquis Gristarin's trap, but he'd lose everything afterward.
But.
Everything unfolded exactly as Man said.
He chose to give up one precious thing from Man's options, and Yong-un protected it all.
????
'Just what are you?'
After everything, one massive question lingered for Yong-un.
What kind of being was Man to possess such overwhelming presence, predict the unseeable future with precise choices, and guide it all so accurately?
Was it true that...
Gods existed?
"Supreme One, what are your plans now?"
Mid-thought about Man, Il-gwi-hon Myung-su approached after sufficient rest from Ghost Killer Annihilation.
Shaking off his reverie at Myung-su's words, Yong-un rose from the tree he'd leaned against.
He naturally reached out and gripped the Demon-Slaying Sword propped to his right.
"I need to let everyone know the operation—and the war—is over."
"Shall I send Mu-hee?"
"No. I'll handle it. You all return to the Italian branch."
"Understood, Supreme One."
Myung-su bowed deeply.
All subordinates who heard bowed deeply to Yong-un as well.
Not a single one had died.
Even gripping the Demon-Slaying Sword and becoming the slaughter fiend again, he hadn't lost everything.
"Go on."
"Yes! Supreme One."
After sending them off, Yong-un infused crimson heaven demonic qi into the Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand.
Just like when the slaughter fiend Sword Demon walked the blood-soaked path of vengeance.
Whoooong...
Crimson sanguine haze, like blood, enveloped Yong-un's body.
Then, as crimson eyes blazed, his rear foot dragged back across the ground, sliding far.
Just shifting his stance lowered his posture.
With his posture lowered, Yong-un's grip on the Demon-Slaying Sword naturally formed the drawn-sword stance.
"It's been a while."
A low chuckle echoed from within the sanguine haze.
And within those crimson eyes, another color bloomed.
The pinnacle of the martial art that had made him the Sword Demon.
Purple pinnacle aura pierced the sanguine haze, surging toward Yong-un's eyes.
"The pinnacle of the first slaughter in Organic Chain Stance is like this. Watch closely, Il-gwi-hon."
And the Demon-Slaying Sword, wrapped in pinnacle aura, rang with a mighty hum as it slashed a great diagonal from lower left to upper right.
His pinnacle-infused eyes fixed piercingly on the heart of San Marino Demonus—the castle that was Marquis Gristarin's lair.
Slash! Craaaack!
The air trembled.
Space rippled as if empty void had been cleaved.
And then, the unbelievable happened.
Rumble rumble rumble!