Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Puppeteer Revealed
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"He's here!"
The man destined to bring this war to a close, Myung-su, had arrived at Jin-hap Valley.
With Myung-su here, could they finally believe the war was over?
"Huff... huff... Everyone!"
Myung-su's arrival was short-lived.
The moment everyone started to rejoice, Myung-su, panting heavily, shouted out.
"Get ready for battle!"
"Not the end of the war... but battle?"
For the Demon Dragon Squad and the Soul-Exterminating Ghost Slayers who had been awaiting word of the war's end in Myung-su's cry, this was a moment of utter despair.
Naturally, Sword Tiger, who had shouted assuming it was over, asked in shock.
"What happened? And what did you see?"
Myung-su turned his gaze to Jin-cheol.
Then, furrowing his brow, he said.
"The Unwoo Guild Leader was right. Among them... there was someone who could control that monster."
"W-what!?"
This was what they meant by a bolt from the blue.
Someone controlling that blue-clawed monster that reduced everything to nothing.
Darker possibilities flooded the hearts of those who had hoped for an end.
"No time. Hurry..."
"...?!"
Shing.
Mid-sentence from Myung-su.
Sensing something, Sword Tiger snatched a sword from the ground, and Protector Ho-gun gathered his energy.
Myung-su stopped speaking and widened his eyes.
His gaze and head stayed fixed.
Myung-su drew the two daggers from his thighs and crossed them to the right.
And then...
Bang!! Boooom-
Sparks flew from Myung-su's daggers, sending him flying far to the left.
"Ilgwi-hon!"
In the sudden chaos, the Soul-Exterminating Ghost Slayers' Ghost Souls gritted their teeth and unleashed their energies.
The assailant who ambushed Myung-su took his place and rose from its crouched position.
Gunmetal-gray skin, black pupils, the massive bat wings unique to demons.
And the murky gunmetal demonic energy proving it was a demon.
"Demoncry?"
"Baper's orders. Kill them all."
The three Demoncries who had followed Myung-su.
The fastest among them had attacked Myung-su.
The Demoncry that sent Myung-su flying immediately unleashed all its demonic energy.
Whoooosh.
"Block it!"
All its latent demonic energy spread as gunmetal-gray smoke in every direction.
Sword Tiger swung the sword he held straight down at the Demoncry.
Boom! Crackle-zzt.
Sword Tiger's strike hit the Demoncry that had knocked Myung-su away squarely.
The lightning that had charred the Demoncries who entered Jin-hap Valley enveloped its body.
A thunderous roar like a bolt of lightning.
But these were different.
As if proving they weren't like the Demoncries fought before, it smiled while covered head to toe in lightning.
"Impressive strength... but just human."
"Damn it..."
Thud!
Sword Tiger's face twisted, and a fist shrouded in gunmetal demonic energy slammed into his abdomen.
Protector Ho-gun caught Sword Tiger as he flew back.
Screeech.
His two legs dug into the ground, carving two long furrows.
Just before crashing into the Jin family home in Jin-hap Valley, Ho-gun halted.
"You okay?"
"Ugh... that bastard's off."
"I see it too."
Discomfort flickered in Ho-gun's eyes.
Ho-gun had trained in martial arts longer than Sword Tiger.
True to his superior insight into energy even compared to magic-type Hunters, he had already sensed the extraordinary aura emanating from the Demoncry that attacked Sword Tiger.
"That one's..."
"Yeah, a real demon. Unlike the ones we've fought, it's a demon down to its core."
Clear gunmetal demonic energy visible in Ho-gun's eyes.
Utterly unlike the energy of the Demoncries they'd battled before.
'That's probably true demonic energy.'
A unique aura mixed with an inscrutable energy imperceptible in humans.
A predator's nature thick enough to devour even the flow of qi in the air emanated from it.
"Damn... not just one?"
But the enemies didn't end there.
Ho-gun and Sword Tiger sensed the auras of the remaining two approaching from afar.
Thud. Thud.
The three Demoncries landed lightly on the ground and bared their white fangs.
But only for a moment.
The three Demoncries, mid-snarl, froze as if receiving a transmission, then spoke.
"Understood. Let's move."
The Demoncries uttered incomprehensible words, then each opened their mouths.
"You all heard. Hide."
"Ugh... Baper says run, let's go."
These foes, ready to steel themselves for battle, had decided to retreat.
Even if battle started right now, their power was enough to overwhelm everyone here.
Yet they were retreating.
The fear etched on their faces left Sword Tiger and Ho-gun with massive questions.
"You won't escape."
It was then, as the Demoncries tried to flee.
Myung-su, who had been sent flying by the attack, soared back with murderous eyes and swung his two daggers.
Slash! Slash!
Caught off guard, the Demoncries couldn't dodge, suffering deep gashes on arms and legs from Myung-su's daggers.
"Ugh..."
"Good enough. Retreat for now."
But even under Myung-su's assault, the Demoncries had no thought of counterattacking.
They just flapped their wings to escape this space.
"Not going anywhere!"
Myung-su leaped high at the sight of the Demoncries taking to the sky, slicing off one Demoncry's wing.
"Kieeeek!"
One Demoncry plummeted with a agonized scream.
But the others showed no camaraderie, fleeing without saving their fallen comrade.
"No!"
Myung-su moved to finish the crashed Demoncry with his dagger.
Infusing it with demonic energy, he aimed to sever its neck.
Pfshk!
But as Myung-su's dagger neared.
Blood sprayed from the wingless Demoncry's chest as a long blue claw burst out.
"Gah!"
The blue claw withdrew, and the Demoncry's body slumped lifelessly to the ground.
It closed its eyes without another word.
Thud!
The blue claw withdrew, and the Demoncry's body hit the dirt.
Myung-su caught the scene behind it.
Baper, shaking red blood from the blue claw.
The monster that had terrified everyone here...
Was glaring at Myung-su and the others with killing intent.
"Kill..."
Just like back then, slaughtering friend and foe indiscriminately.
"B-block it!"
The war they thought ended...
Was starting again.
'Jackal... kill...'
Bang!
Baper's blue claw battered Sword Tiger's sword aside.
The demonic energy on Sword Tiger's blade shredded under the blue claw, shattering the sword itself.
Sword Tiger tumbled dozens of rolls across the ground amid the fragments.
"Cough!"
It was a monster among monsters.
No energy meant anything before that blue claw.
It felt like facing a demon with pure physical might, devoid of even a speck of mana.
Slash!
"Grk..."
Protector Ho-gun, charging with energy flaring, had his forearm split, blood spraying.
Thwack!
Baper's foot mercilessly kicked Ho-gun's bleeding chest.
Screeech.
"Protector!"
Jin-cheol shouted toward Ho-gun, whose situation looked dire.
Ho-gun writhed but couldn't rise.
He just clutched the dirt, struggling to stand.
But the blood pouring from his chest showed time was short.
'Useless...'
Sword Tiger eyed his broken sword.
A colossal foe immune to any attack.
Fighting it felt like a massive wall denying all their training.
This wasn't just Sword Tiger's feeling.
Everyone in Jin-hap Valley guarding the Supreme One felt it.
We can't win...
"Damn it!!!"
"Stop! Stop him!"
Even the mighty Ho-gun's life hung by a thread.
Jeong-won, snapping to his senses late, gripped his sword, infused it with demonic energy, and charged at Baper.
At that sight, everyone from all factions in Jin-hap Valley reached out toward Jeong-won.
"Sto...p...!"
Even Ho-gun, crawling through blood and dirt.
Baper ignored demonic energy.
They thought Jeong-won would surely die colliding with it.
"Stop!!"
Even Sword Tiger, who had been contemplating surrender, yelled desperately.
But.
"I'll kill you!"
Anger at Ho-gun's defeat, perhaps.
The voices around Jeong-won fell on deaf ears.
He only thought to unleash his rage at Baper.
"Die!"
"Damn!"
Sword Tiger kicked off late.
But Jeong-won's sword was already nearing Baper.
"Die!"
"No!"
Faster than Sword Tiger.
Slower than Baper.
Jeong-won's sword swung at Baper.
'No...'
The Poison Witch closed her eyes, tears flowing.
'Please... stop...'
Ho-gun pounded the ground with his blood-and-dirt-caked fist.
'Ha...'
Mu-hee let tension drain from her body.
'Remember... remember! A way!'
Jin-cheol glared wide-eyed, biting his lip.
"Raaah!"
"Kill..."
Jeong-won's sword and Baper's claws were about to clash.
Right then.
"Now! Brother!"
"Got it..."
The only two without negative auras.
Soul-Exterminating Ghost Slayer Yi-gwi-hon Cheon-il and Demon Dragon Squad member Jong-hyun.
They burst their demonic energies simultaneously, shouting.
"Must Shot!"
Fwoosh!
Must Shot?
Sword Tiger's gaze turned to Jong-hyun.
A flash before Jong-hyun's eyes, and Cheon-il vanished from his spot.
And.
Crunch!
Cheon-il's fist, brimming with demonic energy, plunged deep into Baper's side.
Slash!
"Die!"
Baper staggered sideways, balance crumbling.
Simultaneously, Jeong-won's sword carved a deep diagonal gash across Baper's chest.
"Gah!"
Whoooosh- Boom!
Baper, who had never taken a hit, sprayed blood and flew to the array's edge, crashing.
With a thick death rattle.
"We did it!"
"Ugh..."
Cheon-il cheered, while Jong-hyun knelt on one knee from Must Shot's recoil, grimacing.
But a smile crept onto Jong-hyun's lips too.
The massive wall looming over everyone.
These two had shattered it.
Precisely, including the reckless but brave Jeong-won, the three of them.
"Ah..."
Sword Tiger, charging in, gaped.
'These kids...?'
Pathetic, he'd been thinking of giving up.
Yet it wasn't the Demon Dragon Leader, nor a Soul-Exterminating Ghost Soul, nor Protector Ho-gun, nor Unwoo Guild Leader who broke that wall.
It was their subordinates.
They'd done what even the faction leaders couldn't.
"Heh."
Sword Tiger chuckled at the youngsters celebrating their successful strike.
'Am I the pathetic one?'
Not others, but near-subordinates hadn't lost will, yet he, the leader, had considered surrender.
Grip.
Sword Tiger clenched his fist tight.
"I'll kill it!! Roooaaar!"
Then, Baper, embedded at the array's end, erupted with massive demonic energy and roared.
Killing intent thick enough to shake the ground.
'Yeah, that's it.'
He raised his lowered head.
And bit his lip.
"I'll kill you!!"
Baper glared with steel-blue eyes and kicked off the ground.
Sword Tiger gathered demonic energy and tensed his legs.
'Even if I die like at the start, I'll protect.'
"Die!!!"
Baper's blue claws swung to bisect Cheon-il in a blink.
"H-heek!"
Cheon-il blinked, eyes shut then open, and Baper was upon him.
Startled, Cheon-il hastily crossed his arms with demonic energy.
And squeezed his eyes shut.
Kaboooom!
"You alright?"
He thought he'd die for sure.
But Sword Tiger's voice reached Cheon-il's ear.
"Well done."
Followed by Jin-cheol's.
Cheon-il slowly opened his eyes.
There, blocking Baper's blue claws before him: faces of his allies.
Soul-Exterminating Ghost Soul Myung-su.
Demon Dragon Leader Sword Tiger.
Unwoo Guild Protector Ho-gun.
And finally, Unwoo Guild Leader Jin-cheol.
Cheon-il, who had faced death.
The four leaders united to oppose Baper, protecting him.
"Brothers..."
"Roooaaar!"
"Here we go!"
"Charge!"
Sword Tiger kicked Cheon-il aside and spun, swinging his sword.
Baper's blue claw shattered Sword Tiger's cracked sword instantly.
Sword Tiger grimaced, holding the fully broken blade.
"Grrr..."
But Myung-su's follow-up forced Baper to shift from Sword Tiger.
Myung-su's twin daggers whipped around Baper at blinding speed.
Each time, Baper's blue claws grazed the moving daggers, chasing Myung-su's pace.
"Fireball!"
But just as it matched Myung-su's speed.
Jin-cheol's skill inevitably disrupted Baper's surroundings.
"Where?!"
As Baper stepped to kill the annoying Jin-cheol, Sword Tiger—sword freshly picked up—attacked again.
From Sword Tiger to Myung-su.
Myung-su to Jin-cheol.
Jin-cheol back to Sword Tiger.
"Grrr... annoying!"
The leaders' combined assault was formidable.
Even Baper, felt like a wall, began struggling against the three relentless attacks.
Ignore them, and the strikes were fierce; fight them, no escape.
As it pondered alternatives.
Slash!
A moment's lapse created an opening.
Myung-su's dagger grazed Baper's thigh in a flash.
"Grk."
Blood sprayed, snapping Baper alert.
But wounds accumulated on Baper's body.
'It's working.'
They'd thought no way.
United, the leaders instinctively found a new method.
Baper was no longer a wall.
"Keep it up! Slack off and we're done!"
Ho-gun, despite his state, rallied them.
The leaders tightened their focus and pressed the attack.
Victory edged closer in their hearts.
"At this rate..."
As Ho-gun tried to boost morale by voicing victory.
"Who dares say they'll beat us?"
Another forgotten presence.
Baper entered Jin-hap Valley.
And their hardening victory...
"Plague Evil Eye."
Flipped in an instant.