The World's Greatest is Dead

Sword Emperor.

Or the greatest sword under heaven.

The greatest man of all time and the greatest man under heaven had been Sword Saint Yoo Cheongil.

And the pinnacle of the demonic path was naturally called the Heavenly Demon.

If one had to choose the greatest man under heaven, those two were the obvious answer. And since the Heavenly Demon had ultimately lost to the Sword Saint, Yoo Cheongil could be considered the strongest in martial arts.

However, people said this:

The greatest man under heaven was Yoo Cheongil, but the greatest sword under heaven was someone else.

Even Yoo Cheongil himself had acknowledged it.

He said that although he was called the pinnacle of martial arts, he was not the one who handled a sword best.

Even the Heavenly Demon had said the same thing.

The greatest sword under heaven was indeed the Sword Emperor.

A madman obsessed with the sword. A being who had lived for the sword.

Among those born from prestigious families, he had walked with his sword as a wanderer. In the end, he had even taken part in the war and displayed an overwhelming presence as one of the beings beyond heaven.

The greatest sword under heaven, Sword Emperor.

The one who had reached the pinnacle through the sword was none other than him.

‘...Fast.’

Today, I came to witness his reputation properly.

‘When did he cut him?’

The speed at which Death God swung his scythe had been insane, but the Sword Emperor’s sword just now was something I could not even dare to distinguish.

[Heh heh heh. He has not rusted.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke as if intrigued.

[He is still fast. Far too precise to call it rusted. What lies within it has grown much denser.]

The Sword Emperor had said, after cutting Death God, that his body had aged and he had failed to do it properly. In direct contrast to those words, the Heavenly Demon gave a different assessment.

He was saying the Sword Emperor’s sword had actually been tempered even further.

Hearing that, I asked, puzzled.

‘If it was precise, should it not have cut him?’

Contrary to what he said, the arm had not been severed. That made me think it was a failed sword, but—

[Outwardly, yes. What is contained inside is different. Even at that age, he is using another method for the sake of continued progress. An impressive fellow.]

The Heavenly Demon had an attitude similar to Yoo Cheongil’s when it came to looking down on other martial artists, but he acknowledged the Sword Emperor’s sword.

Was there something more, even though he had only cut the wrist? The Heavenly Demon seemed to have seen something I could not.

What we saw was different. I had already known that for a long time.

‘It would be nice if I could see whatever there is to see.’

I had to be able to see it before I could judge it.

Ignoring the throbbing through my body, I looked at the Sword Emperor.

The Sword Emperor was looking at me as well.

The younger-generation prodigies who were still conscious were also staring wide-eyed at the Sword Emperor who had appeared. To them, he must have looked like nothing more than a coachman. It was only natural they would find it strange that he had suddenly appeared holding a sword.

Especially because—

‘Is that even a sword?’

It was a sword with half its blade smashed apart. No, not even half. It was so ruined that it had become shorter than an ordinary kitchen knife.

Was he really using that as a sword?

Just as I was wondering that—

“You fail to use what I went to the trouble of teaching you. Surely that was not why you learned the sword?”

The Sword Emperor clicked his tongue briefly and spoke to me.

Even in this situation, I was getting scolded.

“...I did try my best, in my own way... but it was not easy.”

“Do not make excuses. You used that much pressure, so of course your body would bear the burden. I believe I made myself clear. Your body is in an abnormal state, so do not use excessive force.”

“...Well, given the circumstances, there was something of a situation.”

“If you intend to simply die, I will not stop you. But with that sharp mind of yours, there is no way you do not know it was a rather foolish method. That is what I dislike.”

“...”

Every word I could have said was cut off.

As always, the Sword Emperor was disgustingly good with words.

Should I say he knew how to scrape at a person’s insides?

[Words spoken without malice are sharp indeed. They suit his title quite well.]

‘Have you been on the receiving end?’

[To the point that failing to kill him remains a regret.]

It was funny that even the Heavenly Demon said that. That old man’s way of speaking was already bizarre enough, but his evaluation of the Sword Emperor was even worse.

‘And he does not even have malice.’

The Sword Emperor did have that kind of feel. A being more rational than anyone.

Whether that was an advantage or a disadvantage was somewhat ambiguous.

“We will talk later. There is something to do now.”

My scolding had been reserved for later.

Should I run?

That thought seriously crossed my mind.

“...Ha.”

Death God laughed.

I could not leave. An absolute master. A being beyond heaven and another being on that level were about to fight a duel to the death.

How could I not watch this?

I controlled my breathing and watched the situation with focus.

“...I see. Now I know.”

Death God spoke as if he had realized something.

“Sword Emperor. You are that Sword Emperor, are you not?”

Ssssh.

Instead of answering, the Sword Emperor moved the sword in his hand.

A sword with its blade shattered.

The thing that was barely fit to be called a sword drifted through the air.

SHAAAAK—!

‘What is that?’

The missing blade was filled in with Sword Aura.

The moment I saw it, chills ran all over my body.

What was that?

‘This is driving me insane.’

A distant degree of compression.

The pinnacle of Sword Aura, its density raised to the limit.

The thing I sought to pursue existed there.

So that was why.

‘That was why the Heavenly Demon said I should learn my power from the Sword Emperor.’

Someone who had reached the end of the path I pursued.

Even if it was not the end, he was someone close to it. Or perhaps someone who had gone the farthest.

I could tell just by looking at his Sword Aura.

“Sword Emperor. I did not expect to meet you like this. I heard it had been a long time since you disappeared. Is there a reason you have shown your face again?”

“You do talk a great deal.”

The Sword Emperor spoke calmly.

That was when it happened.

Whoosh.

A short gust of wind blew.

KWA-GA-GA-GAK—!!!

“...!”

Death God crossed his two scythes and defended.

Even so, he was pushed back.

A sword strike.

Death God staggered under the flying slash.

“I do not like such people.”

I had not seen when he swung this time either. It was faster than sound, and the destructive power inside it made my body tremble.

“Wretch of Sky-Crushing Palace.”

He arrived in front of him.

Now it was becoming difficult to follow him with my eyes.

“I will ask you something.”

Death God moved.

The chains attached to his scythes rose into the air, then immediately began to circle around him.

The atmosphere itself was different from before. I could tell he had only been playing with us moderately.

KWA-GA-GA-GAK—!!

The chains and scythes rushed toward the Sword Emperor.

There was only one opponent, yet looking at the attack made it feel as if many people were attacking at once.

“Do you know of the green mask?”

Before the chains could bombard him, the Sword Emperor spoke.

KWA-GA-GA-GA-GAK—!!!

Distant slashes swept through every direction.

At tremendous speed, they struck away the chains. He was even cutting them apart.

KU-GU-GU-GU-GUNG—!!!

It felt like an earthquake.

The Sword Emperor’s sword was not moving, yet sword strikes were being created.

What was that?

It was a sight I could not understand.

“Urgh!”

Death God gritted his teeth and was blasted away.

Whiririck—!

The hard aura contained in the scythe erupted violently. The Sword Emperor deflected it lightly.

“No answer. Must I ask again?”

Clang—!

Blades began to clash.

Cha-ja-ja-jak—! Kwa-ga-gak!

Sparks flew at unbelievable speed.

The two of them moved too quickly.

It looked as if clones were fighting.

Only by forcing strength into my eyes could I savor a few of the movements.

Even that made my chest tremble.

‘So this is...’

A fight between martial artists who had touched the heavens?

The broad branch was ruined in an instant. Its size became meaningless as it turned into a wreck in the blink of an eye.

“Uaaagh!”

“Aaagh!”

The martial artists nearby screamed.

A natural disaster.

The Sword Aura and force they released were enough to kill people.

Bang—!!

“Urgh!”

Peng Dojun, who had gotten up at some point, struck away Sword Aura. As he was pushed backward, I stepped in and stopped him.

“Cough... Haaah... thanks.”

“Get a grip.”

“I have to. I absolutely have to.”

Blood streamed from Peng Dojun as he looked straight ahead.

His will not to miss even a single instant stood out clearly.

Which of the two had the advantage?

There was no need to even ask.

The Sword Emperor was overwhelming.

Death God was being pushed back again and again.

They called him one of the Four Kings. One of Sky-Crushing Palace’s absolute figures. Even so, did he still fail to reach a being beyond heaven?

The Palace Lord had fought Divine Spear to a draw. In contrast, it seemed the Four Kings beneath him were not quite the same.

‘The level is different.’

The Sword Emperor was toying with someone I could never defeat.

It was a fight that made all talk of an old, aged body sound absurd.

They fought for a long while.

Then—

“Keuheuk!”

Death God vomited blood and stopped moving.

He staggered, then dropped to one knee. Blood burst from his chest.

The Sword Emperor stopped when he saw it.

“Cough.”

“Do you feel like answering now? I will ask again.”

He spoke with calm eyes.

“Do you know the green mask?”

“...Green... Haha...”

Death God laughed.

It seemed his chest had been cut.

“I see what you are looking for. Why are you curious about that?”

“So you do know. From now on, I will cut off your fingers one by one. Answer before they are all gone.”

Perhaps the problem was his dangling hand, but Death God seemed to be struggling against the Sword Emperor.

The Sword Emperor pressured him as if he wanted to know something.

That was when—

Whiriririririk—!!!

Tremendous energy erupted from Death God’s body.

It seemed he was preparing another strike.

Not only the air, but even my dantian shook.

‘...Wow.’

It tingled.

Could the pressure of energy really reach this height?

What I had been emitting felt like a child’s game.

Five-Demon Barrage Lotus.

Death God crossed his scythes as if he intended to use an ultimate art.

The chains floated up again.

The Sword Emperor did not seem inclined to wait for him. He moved the Sword Aura that had replaced his broken blade.

A slash.

The moment he was about to fire it at Death God again—

[Move.]

“...!”

The Heavenly Demon warned me.

At that moment, Death God’s gaze turned toward me.

He was suddenly looking at me?

No way.

‘Was he aiming for me?’

I thought that and moved my body.

But Peng Dojun and Yu Yeon were nearby.

I could not dodge like this.

‘Damn it.’

Pajijijik!

I attempted Moonbolt again.

I roused all the energy in my body.

Death God’s speed was fast. He did not dare give me time to evade.

No, I could evade, but—

‘Those two cannot.’

So I could not leave them alone.

I was about to use the fiercely rising energy to block Death God’s attack.

KWA-GA-GA-GA-GA-GA-GA-GAK—!!!

A tremendous impact shot toward us.

We were screwed.

I could not properly block that.

The instant I clenched my teeth and was about to enter body-and-sword unity—

“Tch.”

I heard a short click of the tongue in front of me.

The Sword Emperor had appeared before me at some point.

Slice—!

He swung his sword and cut through the impact.

The distant sky split.

He cut the sky.

That was the Sword Emperor’s strike.

I stared blankly at the sight without meaning to.

“He is a clever one.”

The Sword Emperor said, withdrawing his sword.

“To think he would use this. I made a mistake.”

“Pardon...?”

“Take care of your body. It seems we must clean this up now.”

“What does that—”

“He has already fled.”

“...!”

At those words, I looked forward.

Death God was gone.

‘Ah.’

Had he used me as bait to escape?

The moment I realized it, I spoke to the Sword Emperor.

“...Why...!”

If he had let me handle it myself, I might have been injured, but I could have blocked it.

It seemed he had missed Death God because he blocked the attack in my place.

He did not seem like the type to choose to save me.

Why had he made that choice?

I was grateful he had saved me, but the question rose in me, so I asked.

“That is what I mean.”

The Sword Emperor muttered, sounding displeased.

“This is why I did not wish to take a disciple. It makes a person stupid.”

“Pardon...?”

“Clean this up. I will try chasing him.”

After saying that, the Sword Emperor disappeared.

And the Sword Emperor’s words, calling me his disciple, lingered around me.

[Haha. You are strangely popular.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke playfully, but even that did not reach my ears.

Something about the situation had become bizarre.

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