The World's Greatest is Dead

The atmosphere had gone cold.

I felt the air change. It was not a difference created by mood alone.

She’s strong.

A master. This was what one felt from someone who had reached the level called an absolute master.

The level where the inner qi a martial artist emitted affected nature itself.

That was what I considered an absolute master. And the existence before me now was exactly that.

Mi Yeonhwa. Judging by age, she looked like a woman a little past thirty.

Her age made her seem like someone who could still be called younger generation, but whether that appearance of thirty was really true remained unknown.

At my words, Mi Yeonhwa had shattered every bit of the mask she had been wearing. The face that had shown confusion and unease until just a moment ago was gone without a trace.

What stood before me now was a martial artist hiding cold killing intent.

And—

A Demonic Cultist.

She was a Demonic Cultist.

“How annoying.”

Mi Yeonhwa looked at me as she spoke. Crack. She moved her pale neck, making her bones pop. Woooong—! My middle dantian reacted to the sight.

“I heard you were clever, but... I didn’t expect you to notice even that.”

“I don’t know who told you that, but that’s a fine compliment.”

“Brat.”

Sssssss.

Energy surged from the tips of her feet. I could tell by instinct even though I could not see it. It was killing intent. A fairly large amount of it, compressed and fierce.

Anyone could tell she was no ordinary martial artist.

“I don’t know what you were thinking when you approached me, but I do wonder whether that was truly a good choice.”

“Your way of speaking changed too?”

Clink. A sword was gripped. Fascinating. Where had that sword popped out from? I had not seen it.

“So, if you realized I was a Demonic Cultist, what changes?”

“For one thing, we can talk a little more comfortably, I suppose?”

“Talk?”

“Why did someone from a famous orthodox family become a Demonic Cultist? Without anyone knowing, at that. Even one of the Eight Demons? That is quite the achievement.”

“...Hmm?”

She tilted her head. Killing intent and fighting spirit still coiled in her gaze.

“And why would I have any reason to answer you?”

“You don’t. But if you don’t, what are you going to do? Kill me here?”

“That would be easiest. And—”

Shiiiiing—!!!

The woman before me vanished. Her presence faded. Seeing that, I drew Divine Sword.

Kaaang—!!

My body was shoved back by an attack that dug in from the left. I endured it with energy gathered in the soles of my feet. Kiiiik—!!! I was pushed back. Feeling the ground scrape beneath me, I glared at my opponent.

“It would be the most correct method too.”

“...Well now.”

I did not really want to fight. I had wondered if it would come to this.

Still.

Even if this place was a little away from Henan, Henan was still Henan. She was saying she would kill me in a place where the Murim Alliance was perfectly intact?

Did she think that was possible?

There are two possibilities here.

Either she had enough strength to do it.

Or she was desperate enough not to care.

Hopefully it’s not the latter.

I hoped she was not that sort of idiot. I needed her not to be.

Kirik!

Feeling the sword press in through the impact, I moved my blade. I changed the angle and seeped hard aura into it, increasing the friction.

Then I rode the flow and knocked Mi Yeonhwa’s attack aside.

Kaaang—! A sharp sound rang out as the impact burst. She had hard aura gathered too. I unleashed Radiant Moon Flash Aura, then opened Moon Eye. I read the trajectory and sword path.

It was already flying in. Fast. Sharp was sharp, but it was also terribly fast.

And amid that—

Heavy.

It was not just an attack. It was heavy. Meaning she was not merely fast. Eight Demons. That phrase came to mind.

Is she Sword Demon level?

The opponent I had fought was Sword Demon. No, I had not even fought him myself, but the bastard Yoo Cheongil had fought.

I had met one other besides him, but—

That one was below Sword Demon.

He did not reach Sword Demon’s level. So my standard was the existence known as Sword Demon. I had set Sword Demon as the standard for the Eight Demons.

Looking at it that way—

What about this one?

What about her? I thought that while facing the martial artist charging as though she would tear me apart and kill me.

She’s insane.

She had clearly lost her mind. There was no other explanation.

But.

That’s that.

For now, I had to do what needed doing.

Fwooooosh—!!!

I did not measure the angle or anything of the sort. I immediately attempted Moonbolt. My field of vision widened, and the world faded pale.

Mi Yeonhwa’s charging speed seemed to slow. No. This was my world speeding up.

The drifting leaves. The rising dust. The fragments bouncing into the air.

All of it felt slow.

In that twisted sense of time, I took one step forward.

Baaaang—!!!

“...!”

Speed surged in an instant. Mi Yeonhwa’s eyes widened at the sudden change. Kagaak—!!

Her sword was knocked away. Sword Aura collided against Sword Aura, but mine was stronger.

“Ha—!”

The corner of Mi Yeonhwa’s mouth rose. Her confusion vanished. What spread in its place was fighting spirit. Yes, this much was not all she had. She had to show what she had to show.

Since I had shown mine first, I looked forward to what would change. As though Mi Yeonhwa had noticed my expectation, she changed her force.

Her hard aura strengthened. Power entered her sword path. The number of things reflected in Moon Eye decreased. Fewer lines meant she would no longer bother with unnecessary methods.

Proof that she’s going to do this properly.

It meant she had placed intent into her sword strikes.

The half-hearted probing stopped. Mi Yeonhwa’s sword changed its trajectory. I had to click my tongue at the enlightenment contained inside it.

Ferocious.

It was far too ferocious for a woman’s sword.

Though it’s ridiculous to talk about men and women when it comes to martial artists.

The bones one was born with and the flexibility of one’s muscles were set. And there were certainly types of swords that suited the body.

That was also why the sword used by a woman and the sword used by a man differed. Using what fit was efficient.

But.

What is this?

Mi Yeonhwa’s sword was not like that. It was as though—

A man’s sword?

No, putting it that way was strange.

A sword a woman would not be likely to use.

I could feel it from the proportion of fighting spirit and the way she used it. This was—

A sword strike that does not match her frame.

Power and intensity that should not exist from Mi Yeonhwa’s not particularly large body. It was an alien sword.

Kaaang—!! Kwagagak—!!!

“Tch.”

I was pushed back. Overpowered. If I had been pushed back purely by realm, I could have accepted that, but this was raw strength pushing me.

Did that hurt my pride? Of course not.

What pride?

I had none of that. I had dropped pride on the ground long ago. If I cared about that crap, I would not survive.

Fwooooosh—!!!

A thin sword, and sword strikes that felt impossibly distant. If I tried to move away, Sword Aura flew in. Approaching was somewhat difficult.

Meaning this would not be solved easily.

So I moved my sword.

Wooooong—! I raised a sword cry.

Slowed time. Mi Yeonhwa flying through it.

Within that, I narrowed my vision instead.

Slow. Slower still. Inside the sword cry, I dug into a state of complete absorption.

Body-and-sword unity.

“...!”

I avoided Mi Yeonhwa’s sword and swept out one strike.

Saaaaaa—!!!

The sword I drew sank straight toward Mi Yeonhwa’s upper body. That was when it happened. Just before contact.

Hwaaaaak—!!!

A vicious force erupted from her body. The focus maintaining my body-and-sword unity wavered. The sword path twisted. Still, it was fine.

That’s enough.

I had expected it. Seeing that force, I immediately pulled my body back.

“...You.”

Mi Yeonhwa looked at me with startled eyes. She spoke while wrapping demonic qi around her body. I did not answer.

Kirik.

Something contained in my heart. I dragged up what had encroached deep into my soul.

I seized it and moved it toward Mi Yeonhwa.

“Was it something like this?”

“What? What are you—!”

Thud—! Mi Yeonhwa, who had been speaking, suddenly dropped to one knee.

“Ghk....”

She knelt and coughed out a shocked breath. Confusion settled at the tips of her trembling fingers. The veins around her eyes stood out as she looked at me.

“You... what... this is....”

“Was this what they called demonic qi?”

I swept my hair back as I approached. Wiping away cold sweat, I closed the distance. All the while, I let demonic qi flow through my body from my heart as its starting point.

I thought this was how it felt. The sensation in my memory had been like this.

I recalled it and held it in my body.

Sssssss.

I felt the change. The color of my hair had changed. The blackened dark hair felt strange now. I did not think it had been quite like this.

“...You....”

I recalled what I had done to Freak Demon last time. Apparently, I could control demonic qi.

Whether it was a Demonic Cultist’s demonic qi or my own.

I had not originally planned to use this. But if things had come to this, I might be able to make use of it.

If I could use something, I should.

“...That... appearance....”

“I want to ask just one thing.”

I approached and knelt. After bringing my eyes level with hers, I asked her,

“Why do you follow the Little Heavenly Demon?”

“What?”

“I am not particularly curious about why you betrayed the orthodox faction.”

There were probably individual circumstances there. And there was no point listening to a turncoat’s words.

“What I am curious about is why you specifically follow the Little Heavenly Demon... That is all.”

“...The Little Heavenly Demon is the one who will become Sky. In the end, he will stand at the summit of every world, so of course...!”

“So.”

I looked at her and tilted my head.

“Why are you so certain that bastard will become Sky?”

“What...?”

“That lowborn thing with no qualifications and nothing to his name... How can you be so confident he will become the Sky of the Demonic Cult and the Sky of this world? That is what I am asking.”

“You bastard...!”

Mi Yeonhwa flared up, as though my words had scraped her raw. At that force, my insides twisted. Perhaps because of the backlash from an expert, I nearly vomited for an instant.

I endured it.

“What do you know, to say that person has no qualifications?”

“He has none. What can a crippled insect who cannot even draw the Divine Sword do?”

“What?”

“You do not seem to know what this sword is.”

“...Sword?”

Mi Yeonhwa’s gaze turned to the sword in my hand. Since it was wrapped round and round with bandages, it seemed she could not recognize it as the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.

It did not matter.

“Would the former Sky truly have said that lowborn thing had qualifications? Do you really think that bastard is his bloodline?”

“...What are you saying right now? Are you saying the Little Heavenly Demon is not the child of the former Sky?”

“No. Of course not.”

I smiled. This was where it became important.

“That bastard has no qualifications and is only a fake. It cannot be otherwise. Because—”

I looked at Mi Yeonhwa and said,

“I am the child of Sky.”

“...Huh?”

[Ha.]

The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter. I ignored him. Honestly, my conscience hurt a great deal, but if I could use something, I had to use it.

And I could tell the Heavenly Demon was laughing simply because he found it entertaining.

“Right now... what... are you....”

“Freak Demon.”

“Yes.”

Freak Demon, who had indeed been watching, immediately approached at my call and knelt.

“What...? Freak Demon?”

Mi Yeonhwa’s eyes widened when she saw Freak Demon appear.

“Did you call?”

“What happened to those following us?”

“I scattered their attention.”

“I need somewhere we can speak quietly.”

“I will prepare it at once.”

Freak Demon rose. Then he vanished.

“Mi Yeonhwa.”

“...!”

I called Mi Yeonhwa. At my words, her body trembled.

“Follow me. We—”

I looked at her and grinned.

“Seem to have a great deal to discuss.”

“.......”

There was no answer. I could see she had already been badly shaken.

That was enough.

Now it begins.

From here on was what mattered. Depending on how I spoke—

I’ll decide whether to kill you.

Or make use of you.

Thinking that, I turned my back.

I did not look to see whether Mi Yeonhwa followed or not.

The answer had been decided anyway.

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