Hyeok Docheon’s Heavenly Demon Soul felt a tangle of emotions.
The original plan had been to absorb Geom Mugeuk’s Heavenly Demon Soul, then use that strengthened power to absorb Hwa Mugi’s Heavenly Demon Soul.
If he succeeded in absorbing the power of two Heavenly Demon Souls?
Might he not be able to return to his original Heavenly Demon Soul?
He wanted a body. A body of his own.
He was supposed to offer eternal loyalty to Hyeok Docheon, who had given birth to him, but after three hundred years, even that loyalty had faded.
After being together with them, he was a Heavenly Demon Soul that had become half-human. That was why he did not mind becoming Hwa Mugi’s Heavenly Demon Soul. As long as he could obtain a body, it did not matter whose Heavenly Demon Soul he became.
That was what he had been thinking—until he saw Geom Ujin’s Heavenly Demon Soul refrain from annihilating Hwa Mugi’s Heavenly Demon Soul.
If a Heavenly Demon Soul lost to another and was extinguished, it would vanish forever; but if it disappeared because its master died, it might one day meet another master.
Geom Ujin’s Heavenly Demon Soul had not stolen that chance simply to make himself stronger.
At that moment, Hyeok Docheon’s Heavenly Demon Soul remembered. He remembered what sort of being he had once been.
Yes. He had been such a proud, aloof being, overflowing with self-respect.
An absolute existence before whom all demons looked up in awe and trembled in fear, without ever coveting another’s power.
By contrast, now he was filled with all manner of stray thoughts, reduced to a truly vulgar Heavenly Demon Soul—and the realization filled him with despair.
Then a voice resounded in his heart.
—So you are wavering too.
It was Hwa Mugi’s voice.
Whoosh.
The instant he heard those words, the soul of the Heavenly Demon Soul was sucked into the darkness in a flash, as though plunging off a cliff.
The black pupils vanished, and Hwa Mugi returned once more.
Even though his own Heavenly Demon Soul had been defeated, Hwa Mugi was not enraged, nor was he shaken.
“You people even shake the souls of Heavenly Demon Souls.”
Until he had seen the other souls inside him waver and collapse, he had thought such a thing might be possible. They had been trapped in his body for far too long; the fact that they had not gone mad was fortunate enough.
It was not because they had been masters that they had endured. They had endured that long span of years because they had been together.
It was understandable that they, being human, would waver, but he had never imagined that even a Heavenly Demon Soul would be shaken by these people. Not only his own Heavenly Demon Soul, but even Hyeok Docheon’s Heavenly Demon Soul had been shaken.
The question truly came out of him on its own.
“What in the world are you people?”
At that, Geom Mugeuk looked back at the people lined up behind him. Though a long battle was unfolding, they had been silently watching it through to the end.
“People who gathered because of you. If not for you.”
If Hwa Mugi had never existed in the first place? If, because of that, he had never regressed? What sort of life would he be living now?
His elder brother would have become Young Cult Leader, and perhaps he himself might already be dead. Most likely, that was how it would have turned out.
Even if he had been lucky enough to survive, his relationships with his father and the Demon Venerables would have been a mess. As for those two Alliance Leaders, they would have been people he could scarcely meet face to face. Would he have even met the Sword King?
“Rather than because of you, I suppose I should say thanks to you.”
Because of you, my whole life was painful; because of you, my life now is so very happy.
That was what Hwa Mugi was to him.
Hwa Mugi sensed the deep, complex emotions contained in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes. Why was he looking at him with such eyes? That Young Cult Leader had been like that from the very beginning.
Hwa Mugi stared quietly at that gaze he could not understand in the slightest, then suddenly said,
“I regret it.”
Hwa Mugi was not speaking idly; he regretted it sincerely.
“I should have killed them all one by one, then killed you last.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at him and smiled an inscrutable smile.
Hwa Mugi, you already did something similar once.
You killed the Alliance Leaders, killed my father, and tried to kill me as well. You have already lived such a life once.
Then came Hwa Mugi’s honest self-reproach.
“I was arrogant.”
In truth, he had every reason to be arrogant. That tremendous martial prowess, that internal energy beyond imagination, and on top of that, protective gangqi that could replenish his internal energy, as well as two Heavenly Demon Souls.
How could he possibly have imagined that he would lose?
Hwa Mugi’s self-reproach continued. Even if he had come this far in arrogance, this was what he should have done.
“I should have driven them madly into a corner and finished them all off before you arrived.”
From the moment Geom Mugeuk arrived, the situation had gone completely awry. He had even been dragged into eating a meal. He did not want to admit it, but in the end, it had not only been the souls who were swayed by this Young Cult Leader.
Regret and self-reproach.
Hwa Mugi was acting like a man who had already lost.
But Geom Mugeuk did not trust that sight. Earlier, when his Heavenly Demon Soul had attacked Hyeok Docheon’s Heavenly Demon Soul, Hwa Mugi had tried to set some sort of trap, though he did not know what.
‘He has not given up yet.’
If anything, he was in an even more dangerous state. He was inducing complacency on this side while plotting something.
Originally, he had intended to do this.
Father, let us fight together as father and son.
If not for an opportunity like this, when would he ever fight alongside his father? He had intended to eliminate Hwa Mugi for certain with his father.
But Geom Mugeuk’s instincts told him this.
—Fight alone.
Geom Mugeuk followed the will of the instincts that had protected him for so long.
Geom Mugeuk looked at Hwa Mugi and spoke with ease.
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not because you were arrogant, but because I lived too diligently.”
Though outwardly he pretended to be off guard, Geom Mugeuk was never careless.
Geom Mugeuk drew the Black Demon Sword.
Before the fight, Geom Mugeuk looked at his Heavenly Demon Soul. It had not yet disappeared and remained there.
With pitch-black eyes, it was staring at Hwa Mugi. Geom Mugeuk could feel the Heavenly Demon Soul’s heart.
“I know you want to fight to the end.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul still only looked straight ahead. It likely wanted to eliminate that Hwa Mugi itself. Perhaps the Heavenly Demon Soul could feel that he was the fated mortal enemy of its master.
With everyone’s eyes focused on him, Geom Mugeuk calmly spoke to the Heavenly Demon Soul.
“I have not lived my life trying to become the protagonist.”
At those unexpected words, the Heavenly Demon Soul turned its head slightly and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
Standing behind him, Cult Leader Pungcheon finally could not hold back and said, “That’s absurd!” while the Sword King beside him nodded in agreement with Cult Leader Pungcheon’s words.
But when they thought about it, everyone knew there was no one who had lived for others rather than himself as much as Geom Mugeuk had.
Because whenever one met Geom Mugeuk, one felt as if one had become the protagonist. He made them realize what kind of person they were and what they loved.
That was why, even if they were not the protagonist but supporting characters, even mere extras, he made them willing to stand here.
“If you are to live on as my Heavenly Demon Soul from now on, you must grow used to a life that is not the protagonist’s. There will be many times when you must step back and watch, endure, and yield.
There will likely be many things that do not suit your nature. Even so, I will not live as the protagonist of this world. From now on, we will not be standing in places that decide the fate of the murim; we will be lying in a wagon, looking up at the sky, wandering the Central Plains.”
After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk conveyed his fate. It was not only for the Heavenly Demon Soul, but for everyone.
“But in this fight, at least, I must become the protagonist.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s gaze remained on Geom Mugeuk. Until now, it had only glanced at him now and then, but now it stared at Geom Mugeuk in silence.
And this was what Geom Mugeuk most wanted to say.
“Thank you, truly, for descending for my sake today. I know that it was a descent prepared for annihilation. Thank you, my friend.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul, which had been silently gazing at Geom Mugeuk, disappeared without a sound.
“I said so much, so how could you leave without saying a single word!”
After sending off the Heavenly Demon Soul, Geom Mugeuk walked forward.
To Hwa Mugi, that sight seemed truly pathetic. It was nothing more than an evil spirit derived from martial arts.
“You truly do talk a great deal, and you concern yourself with every little thing.”
At Hwa Mugi’s words, Geom Mugeuk answered with a smile.
“You’re no different, living with all sorts of things hanging off you, are you? In that sense, we’re alike.”
At the word “alike,” the thought This madman! naturally rose in Hwa Mugi’s mind.
To Hwa Mugi, Geom Mugeuk was a man utterly beyond comprehension. The more he looked at him, the more unpleasant he felt, so he wanted to kill him immediately—yet at the same time, he was curious what more nonsense he might say.
“How about it? I’m still willing to talk with you.”
He had naturally expected to be treated like a lunatic, but this answer alone was different.
“Once the fight is over, I’ll talk to you as much as you want.”
Swaaaaaak.
Hwa Mugi launched himself toward Geom Mugeuk first, and Geom Mugeuk likewise charged without avoiding him.
Because they had already fought once before, they both knew that their abilities were neck and neck. That was why, from the very beginning, they unleashed their strongest moves.
Chaeeng!
The instant they exchanged the first move, a thrill ran all the way to their hearts.
Now began the final battle, in which everything had to be revealed without hiding anything.
Shiiik!
Geom Mugeuk’s sword flew in, aiming for Hwa Mugi’s waist. The sword was faster than the thought, I should aim for his waist.
Of course, the movement to dodge was faster than the thought, I must block that sword.
Hwa Mugi twisted aside to avoid it, and his sword stabbed toward Geom Mugeuk’s throat.
Shiiik!
Geom Mugeuk narrowly dodged and thrust at his heart, while Hwa Mugi aimed for his eyes.
To the point that it was hard to believe these were the same two people who had just exchanged a frivolous conversation, both men’s attacks were aimed solely at killing the other.
Both Geom Mugeuk and Hwa Mugi could feel it. Perhaps after killing each other, neither would ever again experience a fight like this until the day they died.
Sword-light flashed without rest.
Because their swords moved back and forth so quickly, there was no room for techniques that required preparation or consumed a great deal of internal energy. This was practical swordsmanship solely for slaughter.
Beauty and elegance could not intrude.
Only straight lines.
The shortest lines leading to death.
Only if the opponent were ordinary could one display the aesthetics of curves within the monotony of these straight lines.
Attacks that would pierce vital points if they hesitated even for an instant flew toward each other.
Those watching could not take their eyes away. They could not join in, nor could they help. Their positions changed far too quickly; it was a fight in which one could not even launch sword qi.
Especially those who used swords watched as though they themselves were fighting. Their hearts pounded. They wanted to fight in Geom Mugeuk’s place, not to help him, but because they wanted to experience such a battle.
Amid those swift attacks, sword qi began to be released. Short, rapid bursts of sword qi. The sight created the illusion that the swords were lengthening and shortening.
“Ah!”
Exclamations escaped the mouths of those watching. To move that quickly while releasing sword qi as well was something difficult to believe even after seeing it.
Chwaak! Chwaak! Chwak-chwak-chwak-chwak!
Dozens of lines had already been drawn around the two. On the ground, on the broken walls, the lines they left behind were everywhere. There were so many that it looked as if they were fighting atop a go board.
Had they grown frustrated at being trapped on that go board?
Without either one going first, the two raced along the main road of Maga Village as they fought.
The two exchanged sword blows as they ran.
The sword-lights they created formed long tails. Like the tail of a kite, the sword-lines continued on, running through the streets of Maga Village together with them.
They ran far away, then returned to their original place.
Even while running like mad, the two exchanged sword blows, and not for a single moment did they take their eyes off each other’s gaze. The instant they lost sight of the other, it would be death.
The two were clearly enjoying this fight.
But because such deadly attacks were exchanged, that enjoyment simply did not show.
Because they had no leisure to speak, nor even the leisure to smile once, it did not reveal itself.
This time, they soared into the air.
As though there were an invisible floor, they stepped through the air and fought.
Rising and fighting in flight was something a master could do, but stepping on empty air as though it were the ground while fighting was a realm not just anyone could reach.
They were showing everything that swordsmanship at the extremity of martial arts could display.
Their swords became light, then heavy. When light, they were slow; when heavy, they were fast. It was a battle that ran counter to the fundamental principles of swordsmanship.
And then, at some moment!
Geom Mugeuk experienced something new.
Normally, when one fell into a state of selflessness, one could no longer tell whether one was fighting or not. When one came to one’s senses, the battle should already be over.
But this time, it was the opposite.
Now, he felt as though his soul had left his body and become a third party, watching his own battle. It kept trying to slip out of his body and observe the fight from the outside.
Was this a realm beyond selflessness? If not, then?
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze deepened.
‘Could it be?’
In an instant, dozens of moves were exchanged, and just as that feeling grew even stronger—
Kaaang!
Hwa Mugi knocked away Geom Mugeuk’s sword and shouted. It was the first thing he had said since the two began fighting.
“You lost!”
At the same time, a dark energy erupted from Hwa Mugi’s body as though exploding outward.
Swaaaaaaaaak!
Geom Mugeuk instinctively knew. From the start of the fight, Hwa Mugi had been preparing and waiting solely for this one moment.
This was Hwa Mugi’s winning move.
From the tremendous energy that coiled around and pressed in on his body, he could tell that Hwa Mugi had poured almost all of his remaining internal energy into this single move. What did he plan to do afterward?
Hwaaaak!
At the very moment something unseen swallowed him whole—
Pat!
The world went dark, then brightened again.
Geom Mugeuk stood in a new space.
Thick fog was flowing around him. It was an unpleasant fog that felt as though it flowed alive.
From somewhere came the sound of water running, and he could also hear the sound of flames burning.
There was a fragrant scent, a smell of blood, and even the stench of rotting corpses.
Just then, someone abruptly emerged from the fog.
Astonishingly, the one who appeared was none other than the Divine Sword of the Martial Emperor.
“Young Cult Leader.”
The Divine Sword of the Martial Emperor was not surprised to meet Geom Mugeuk here. It was as though he had known Geom Mugeuk had entered and had deliberately come to find him.
“He has used the Dark Heaven Soul-Binding Art and imprisoned your soul. It is the dark demonic art that placed us inside his body. This place is within his mind.”
Even at those shocking words, Geom Mugeuk did not seem all that surprised.
“I know you are strong, but……”
With a worried expression, the Divine Sword of the Martial Emperor hurriedly added. The reason Hwa Mugi had said he would talk to him to his heart’s content after the fight was also revealed.
“If you cannot escape within one shichen, you will be trapped here forever.”