Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: A Brother's Sacrifice
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A murky grayish-black demonic energy that seemed to belong to a demon repeatedly scattered and dissipated in the air.
As Zero One circled her surroundings at blinding speed, spraying that turbid energy everywhere, bewilderment gradually crept across her face.
It was the first time.
There had never been a precedent for failing to make any progress in capturing a Demon Cry.
Zero One, who had been cornering Barum, shot an uneasy glance toward Polant and the Death Demon Cry members.
Normally, she would have long since bound the target with Demon King runes and forcibly terminated the contract.
But even after a long while, the Death Demon Cries showed no sign of escaping their binds—let alone doing anything at all.
"Damn..."
Unable to speak, Zero One conveyed her feelings through her eyes alone, which Polant could easily read.
Anxiety and confusion in Zero One's gaze.
Polant immediately twisted his body in a final desperate struggle to break free from Myung-su's grip.
But the more he struggled, the closer the dagger's razor-sharp edge drew, forcing him to cease his thrashing.
"If this keeps up, it won't just be us—you'll die too."
Had he realized his struggles were futile?
Polant suddenly flashed a smile and looked up at Myung-su.
"It won't work."
With nothing else he could do, he seemed to have switched tactics—trying to unsettle his captor's mind with cryptic words.
Unfortunately for him, the one gripping Polant was Myung-su, who had spent his life as an assassin and begun his training by first killing his own heart.
Such paltry words couldn't even make Myung-su's eye twitch.
"Who would've thought guys like you were hiding in this tiny land? Running off and leaving them behind—you trusted the War God way too much. Heh heh."
Polant suddenly burst into laughter.
Then, with a manic glint in his eyes, he continued.
"Zero One is a Demon Cry. One contracted to a high-ranking demon beyond anything you could imagine. When do you think a demon contract goes berserk?"
Noticing the strange shift in Polant's eyes, Myung-su quietly countered.
"When?"
"When the contractor feels anxiety. And unfortunately... Zero One is extremely anxious right now."
In other words, Zero One could be devoured by her demon.
"As I said, the demon contracted to Zero One is a high-rank one. What do you think happens if she's swallowed by it?"
Polant's lips stretched into a wide grin.
"This land gets annihilated by that demon."
Of course, if that came to pass, Polant and the Death Demon Cries would be in peril too.
Yet Polant refused to wipe the mad smile from his face, as if he relished the situation.
"Too bad. I figured the War God stuck around to suppress disasters like that... What now? Without the strongest hunter, the War God, if Zero One rampages..."
Polant wore a relaxed expression, as if it were none of his concern.
Myung-su glanced at Yong-un.
The Supreme One would have heard every word.
"What should you do? Why not let me go right now and let them retrieve Zero One? Unless you want to watch this little land reduced to rubble."
"......"
Myung-su offered no reply to Polant's prattling.
Instead, he silently stared at Yong-un, awaiting orders.
'Good.'
Seeing Myung-su's uneasy look, Polant judged he had fully seized control of the conversation.
Of course he'd be scared.
Even a viscount-level demon would keep them all scrambling just to hold it back—no, not even a count.
And a high-rank demon? At minimum, a count or marquis.
The instant Polant's words became reality, even their impressive powers and skills would dissolve into a puddle of blood before a high-rank demon.
'Of course, we'd die just the same if it came to that.'
Even pinned down, Polant shrugged.
"Decide fast. If we keep stalling like this, it'll be—"
Polant had assumed they'd be quaking in fear.
In this urgent moment, as he pressed for an answer, he felt the sting of Myung-su's dagger burrowing into the back of his neck instead.
Drip.
Blood from the wound trickled to the ground.
Polant's smirking face hardened.
"What the—"
"Shut your trap. With the Supreme One here, high-rank demons or even the Demon King descending in person—this land stays intact."
"What...?"
Polant lifted his bowed head in shock.
The dagger carved a little deeper into his neck, sending fresh blood dripping down.
But Polant cared more about Myung-su's eyes right now.
And the instant he met them...
Polant could only smile in utter disbelief.
'Those eyes... he's dead serious?'
His head snapped toward Yong-un.
'They really think... they can beat the Demon King?'
His subordinates truly believed that?
Disbelief lasted only a moment.
True astonishment followed.
"What we're worried about isn't some demon. It's whether Cheon-il's sister crosses that irreversible river."
After biting his lip briefly, Myung-su finally called out to Yong-un, unable to hold back.
"Supreme One."
"I heard."
"Yes..."
He bowed his head, saying no more.
Then Yong-un slowly raised the Demon-Slaying Sword into the air, stirring his crimson demonic energy.
"I understand your intent well."
After tossing out that odd remark, Yong-un wielded the crimson-infused Demon-Slaying Sword like a conductor's baton, tracing a pattern through the empty air.
"...Huh... Huh?"
With each stroke etching the airborne sigil, Polant's eyes grew wider and wider.
Swoosh.
Sharp. Precise.
At times like the wind, at times like death itself.
The razor-edged gale of death struck in the brief instant eyes turned away.
Slash.
It carved a deep gash into Barum's arm before vanishing.
Red blood trickled down his lightly severed forearm.
Stretch. Rip.
A fatal wound no human could survive—but Barum was different.
Barum was a high-ranking demon among demons.
A moment to catch his breath was plenty to regenerate a severed arm.
Slash-slash-slash.
Barum's blue claws raked the air in ten directions.
The black winds of death dissolved into nothingness before them, reduced to a cool breeze that whipped sand through the alley.
And there, at the breeze's edge—Zero One, bewilderment plain on her face.
Halt.
Normally, he'd charge straight in, plunge his blue claws into her chest, and sever her neck.
Dozens of times already.
Yet each chance that arose, Barum bit back his instincts.
"Brother..."
Feeling Cheon-il's warm presence at his back.
Slash-slash-slash.
He tore his gaze from the vanishing Zero One once more and cleaved the deathly winds.
"Don't worry. I won't kill her."
"Yeah..."
No time to glance back at Cheon-il.
The death winds would close in if he blinked.
Slash.
An endless chill of mortality, no end in sight.
Barum slashed the approaching gales ceaselessly, uncertain when it would stop.
That was when it happened.
Yong-un's voice rang in Barum and Cheon-il's minds.
A faint sound as Cheon-il turned to look at Yong-un—but Barum couldn't turn.
Turning now might leave Cheon-il exposed.
Barum nodded.
He'd known since the fight began.
Cheon-il's sister—Zero One—was bound to an ominous demon.
And that demon was nearing its limit, stealthily rooting itself in her wavering heart, biding its time to seize her body.
"What... what do we do...?"
Cheon-il's voice fell flat, as if he'd surrendered everything.
Barum's eyes widened.
Slash.
Even as his blue claws flashed, he yearned to look back.
Instead of turning, he spoke.
"You knew."
"Yeah. Sis too... like me before... she hit the limit."
"I see..."
Barum's eyes returned to normal.
He'd thought himself the only adult here.
A misconception.
Even Cheon-il, whom he'd pegged as clueless, knew.
There was only one way to stop his sister.
Grip.
Realizing it, Barum clenched his fist tight and voiced what he'd held back, resolute.
"Subduing her will make her rampage. One way only. Cut... the demon contract."
Cheon-il's body quivered faintly at Barum's words.
Gulp.
The dry swallow from Cheon-il echoed.
But against his tension, the moment Yong-un finished, Cheon-il bellowed.
"Do it! Brother Supreme One! Do it!"
Blood seeped from Barum's bitten lip.
"Living like that... I know. It's hell. It hurts—she'll want it to end."
"I was the same. I wanted to die..."
Barum's lips trembled faintly, blood trickling.
The pain of failing his precious little brother as an older brother shook him.
"Brother Supreme One... I hate seeing sis suffer. Just... do it..."
Tears rolled. Drip. Drip-drop.
The moment he hated being a demon.
Why this keen hearing?
He didn't want to hear it, but the crystal-clear plink of Cheon-il's tears hitting the ground from his cheeks rang out.
Whoosh.
From afar, Yong-un's signature domineering crimson demonic energy washed over Barum and Cheon-il.
'What should I do...'
A wind grazed Barum's cheek as he cleaved every black gale, drawing blood.
'What can I do... to help my little brother as his big brother.'
Battle-straying thoughts piled wounds on Barum's body, one after another—even as he shattered every assault.
"Brother...?"
Blood splattered onto Cheon-il, drop by drop.
Sensing wrongness, Cheon-il placed a hand on Barum's back.
Slash.
More blood sprayed.
For the first time since the fight began, Barum turned to face Cheon-il.
"Cheon-il."
"Brother...?"
Horror flashed in Cheon-il's tear-muddied eyes.
Slash.
"You trust this brother, right?"
The cost of turning was steep.
The blade wind gouged a massive wound across Barum's chest—too grievous even for a demon to easily heal.
His body lurched, but Barum smiled at Cheon-il.
"Brother...? Don't..."
"Cheon-il."
Slash.
"No... Brother... don't..."
Even pure, oblivious Cheon-il knew Barum's intent now.
And that it was no good idea.
Tears welled anew in Cheon-il's eyes.
Slash.
Though his body rocked, Barum beamed radiantly at Cheon-il.
"This brother will help. This time... I won't miss."
Slash-slash-slash.
Barum whipped his head back and swung his blue claws again.
The oncoming black winds scattered entirely.
Every attack parried.
So why the ever-greater sprays of blood?
"Brother...!?"
Having shattered the assault, Barum clenched his teeth and bellowed.
"Supreme One!!! If... if!! I grab that kid... what happens?!"
"If I hold her!! So she can't move!! What happens, Supreme One?!"
"Tell me!"
The Ghost Souls flinched at Barum's uncharacteristic outburst.
"No need for the rest. Then..."
Thud!
Barum, rooted like his legs were staked to the earth.
"I'll do it."
He kicked off the ground and charged the deathly blade.
"Brother!!!!!"
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