Silver Dragon Chronicles, Episode 72
“These bastards!”
Watching that, the snarling Majaron exploded with demonic power.
KWA-GA-GA-GANG!
Startled by the sudden attack, Magel and Berusen fell back, and Majaron also withdrew, observing the situation.
At that moment, Jiugyeom arrived before Magel and Berusen.
“What is this?”
Because Jiugyeom had appeared before him, Berusen scowled deeply and lightly swung his hand to kill the human before his eyes.
But unfortunately, the being before his eyes was absolutely no human.
THUD!
“Huh?”
CRACK!
“Kurk?”
The instant Berusen was bewildered as his attack had been blocked so effortlessly, Jiugyeom’s fist slammed into his chest. Along with the impact, Berusen’s chest caved in completely.
Among the Four Divine Beasts, Xuanwu was the one with the strongest physical power. Moreover, its defense was considerable.
While Magel watched the chest-collapsed Berusen fall with a blank expression, Jiugyeom’s fist aimed for him.
BANG!
With a flinching expression, Magel used defensive magic to block the blow but staggered in an instant.
‘What strength……’
At that monstrous strength, Magel was rendered speechless.
“This brat!”
Berusen, whose chest had caved in and whose mind had gone blank from Jiugyeom’s attack, spat blood and swung his hand directly at Jiugyeom.
“It’s dangerous!”
Seeing that, Majaron—who had judged Jiugyeom to be on his side—shouted with an urgent face.
BANG!
“……!”
But Berusen’s attack couldn’t pierce Jiugyeom’s hide.
“Wh-what is so tough?”
While Berusen was stiff from Jiugyeom’s incredibly tough hide…
Swish—
Jiugyeom lightly swung his right hand. And in that hand was held a brutal greatsword of such size that being struck by it would surely mean the end.
“Wh-what!”
Looking at the greatsword that could only be described as savagely absurd, Berusen formed an expression of shock.
BWOOOM!
With a tremendous sound of wind, Jiugyeom’s greatsword tried to cleave Berusen.
‘C-can’t dodge it!’
In the instant Berusen hesitated before the greatsword that reached right before his eyes…
BLAM!
Magel fired a demonic bullet at Jiugyeom’s head, and with that, Jiugyeom swayed slightly.
In that meantime, Berusen hurled his body away.
KWAGAGAGAGAGANG!
A terrifying sound echoed all around. A brutish strength that made the surrounding ground shake with purely physical power. If he had been hit by that sword, Berusen would have departed the world on the spot.
Berusen hardened his face as he looked at the ground Jiugyeom had struck.
“If that had hit me…….”
“You’d be dead.”
As Berusen muttered with a pale face, Magel spoke indifferently.
“You’d still be dead, to that monster turtle?”
“Maybe.”
At Berusen’s words, Magel narrowed his eyes.
He had taken the blow to the face, but considering that defense that could only be described as absurdly tough, perhaps…….
“As expected, he didn’t die.”
Seeing Jiugyeom emerge through the smoke, Magel let out a deep sigh.
“Kurk!”
Berusen clutched his chest and let out a groan.
Then, Jiugyeom raised his greatsword. At the same time, an ominous energy began to gather into his greatsword.
Watching that, Magel shouted at Berusen with wide eyes.
“Dodge!”
KUGUGUGUGUNG! BLAM!
As Jiugyeom swung his greatsword, the ground trembled and an explosion erupted where Magel and Berusen had been.
“…….”
Magel and Berusen gulped dryly. On the surface, it had looked like nothing special, but if they had been grazed by that attack just now, they would never have emerged unscathed.
“At this rate, we’re at a disadvantage.”
“Indeed……. Wouldn’t it be best to retreat?”
At Berusen’s words, Magel nodded.
Just as Jiugyeom raised his greatsword to attack them again…….
Poof!
Their forms disappeared like a mirage.
“I missed them.”
Setting down his greatsword, Jiugyeom muttered blankly.
“Damn it! They got away!”
At that, Majaron, who had been blank, shouted. Then he let out a deep sigh and said to Jiugyeom,
“Thanks for the help. But what are you?”
“Do you happen to know Eun Jehwa?”
“Eun Jehwa?”
At Jiugyeom’s words, Majaron opened his eyes wide.
“Do you mean Eun Jehwa, the Silver Dragon Prince?”
“Probably.”
Majaron made a blank expression.
Then, a martial artist shouted.
“He saved us from the demons!”
Starting with those words, the surroundings instantly grew noisy.
“A hero! A hero who saved us from the demons!”
“He drove the demons away!”
Watching the shouting martial artists, Majaron let out a deep sigh.
“Getting the hero treatment, huh.”
“He repelled the wicked demons! Demons who should disappear without a trace!”
Snap!
“Ahahaha! I’m not all that happy about it.”
At one martial artist’s curse, a vein bulged on the demon Majaron’s forehead.
“Let’s go.”
Jiugyeom, who had made his greatsword disappear, started walking.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Cheonmasin’gyo.”
Having said so, Jiugyeom left that place.
***
[Magel and Berusen have raided the Murim Alliance camp at Cheonghae.]
Majaron’s report came through the crystal orb in Hong Yuhwa’s room.
“Two of them came?”
When Hong Yuhwa asked with a grave expression, Majaron answered.
[Yes.]
“There must have been heavy casualties?”
Sensing things were off to a rough start from the beginning, Hong Yuhwa spoke with a sigh.
[No, not particularly…….]
But Majaron said something unexpected.
“Huh? Did support arrive properly? I heard the others were attacked too.”
[That’s not it; a strange man appeared.]
“A strange man?”
At Majaron’s words, Hong Yuhwa tilted her head.
[Yes. A man wielding absurdly brutal strength and a huge greatsword…….]
“It’s Jiugyeom.”
Just as Majaron was about to continue explaining, Seo Ryongseon, who had been listening quietly from the side, spoke.
“Jiugyeom? You mean the successor of Xuanwu?”
When Hong Yuhwa asked with wide eyes at Seo Ryongseon’s words, Baek Horan nodded.
“Yeah. It’s definitely Ugyeom oppa.”
“Huh? Making up for being late by providing some big help, I see.”
At the two’s words, Hong Yuhwa made a satisfied face.
“Got it. Nothing else happened?”
[Not much……. Other than being called a hero who completely defeated the demons here…….]
“A demon being treated as a hero for beating demons.”
At Majaron’s words, Hong Yuhwa scowled deeply.
[Exactly.]
“Then why didn’t you handle it quietly?”
[How was I supposed to handle two of them quietly?]
“Oh, are you talking back to me right now?”
In that instant, communication cut off along with Hong Yuhwa’s growl.
“Getting cocky!”
Seo Ryongseon opened his mouth to Hong Yuhwa, who snorted.
“It seems they’re starting to move too.”
“Yeah, we should start moving soon too once that Jiugyeom guy arrives, right?”
Hong Yuhwa smiled brightly.
Jehwa, who had been blankly watching the snow fall from the sky, turned his head at the presence he felt beside him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Huh?”
The owner of the presence was a man of considerable size.
“Hmm……. Ah, a good person!”
After pondering for a moment, Jehwa realized the man was Jiugyeom, who had previously given him a huge chunk of gold, and greeted him gladly.
“Long time no see? What’d you come for?”
“Horan called me.”
“Horan did? Then you’re the successor of Xuanwu?”
When Jehwa asked with wide eyes at Jiugyeom’s words, he nodded.
“Huh, I’ll take you to where Horan is.”
And so, Jehwa dragged Jiugyeom along toward Hong Yuhwa’s room.
“You’re late.”
“My apologies.”
Jiugyeom spoke at Seo Ryongseon’s words.
“Well, who cares? We’re all gathered! That’s what matters.”
Yeom Johwi smiled brightly and made the atmosphere cheerful just as it was about to turn awkward.
“So, Yuhwa, what are we going to do now? Ugyeom oppa is here too.”
When Yeom Johwi asked Hong Yuhwa with a puzzled expression, she spoke with a smile.
“The plan is simple. Operation name! The moment we spot them, we attack first, no questions asked.”
“Haah?”
At Hong Yuhwa’s words, Yeom Johwi made a dumbfounded expression. It wasn’t just Yeom Johwi; Seo Ryongseon also looked at Hong Yuhwa with the same expression.
“Their goal is to kill humans, nothing more. Then we need to tie them down. We have to show them that our forces are on par with theirs. If we get divided and conquered by mistake, only they would benefit.”
Having said that, Hong Yuhwa continued with a serious face.
“First and foremost, we need to gather the forces of the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic as one.”
“That’s easy.”
Baek Horan smiled widely at Hong Yuhwa’s words.
“No, it’s difficult.”
“Why? There’s a dangerous enemy now, so it’s better to fight as one rather than scattered and apart.”
Baek Horan tilted her head at Hong Yuhwa’s words.
“That may be true……. But it’s still difficult.”
Hong Yuhwa smiled bitterly as she stroked Baek Horan’s head.
“The Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic—they may be on the same side now, but they were originally enemies. Even with a common enemy, would people who were originally enemies really gather and move together?”
When Seo Ryongseon, who had been silent, spoke with an indifferent face, Baek Horan shook her head.
“For now, I’ve already spoken to that woman Akselin, so the Cheonmasin’gyo is not a concern. The problem is the Orthodox faction and the Unorthodox faction…….”
The next Great Demon, Akselin, held surprisingly strong authority. Moreover, she was clever, so she would be more than capable of persuading the top brass of the Cheonmasin’gyo.
“The Orthodox faction won’t be a problem either. They’ve witnessed that power firsthand, so if they know there are more like them, they’ll follow along in uniting our forces obediently.”
Hong Yuhwa nodded at the words of Jiugyeom, who had been silent.
“What remains is the Unorthodox faction…….”
Just as Hong Yuhwa fell into thought again, Jehwa opened his mouth.
“Ma Taeak.”
“Huh?”
“If it’s Ma Taeak of the Sam Inmucheon, he can move the Unorthodox faction.”
“Ah!”
The sole participant among the Sam Inmucheon in this fight at present—Ma Taeak of the Unorthodox faction! With him, it was entirely possible to move the Unorthodox forces.
Furthermore, he was one of those who best understood the severity of this situation.
“Things are going more smoothly than expected?”
Hong Yuhwa spoke with a satisfied expression.
“Then let’s focus for now on gathering the three forces into one……. Jehwa and Water Snake, you two have something to do.”
“Huh?”
“…….”
At Hong Yuhwa’s words, Jehwa and Seo Ryongseon looked at her.
“What is it?”
As Seo Ryongseon asked with a deep sigh, Hong Yuhwa answered with a smile.
“Go to the Blood Cult’s headquarters and wipe the place out.”