The World's Greatest is Dead

Shadowless Pavilion, was it? I had wondered what sort of place it would be, but contrary to my worries, we had arrived somewhere remarkably normal.

A flower garden?

A beautifully tended flower garden.

In the Holy Cult, where the faint smell of blood and thick fighting spirit seemed to cover every direction, it was, somehow, a beautiful flower garden.

I found myself wondering why they had bothered to cultivate a place like this. At least, the Holy Cult I knew did not seem like it would want something like this.

Well, it isn’t my concern.

Right. It was not something I needed to care about.

If there was anything I had to pay attention to here—

The concentration of spiritual energy in the garden is thin.

The moment I entered this flower garden, the feast of spiritual energy I had felt from every direction diminished.

That did not mean I could not feel it at all. It was simply at an ordinary level.

The outside had been the strange part, because it had felt far too excessive.

“We have arrived.”

The Cult member bowed his head.

The place he indicated with proper courtesy was the edge of the flower garden. It was a scene that made me wonder whether such a place was allowed to exist inside the Holy Cult.

And at its center—

...That.

I had to narrow my eyes at the single tree standing tall there.

Why was that here?

It’s a Divine Tree.

The underground chamber of the Azure Moon Sect. Yoo Cheongil’s vault. The Divine Tree I had seen there.

One just like it stood here, bold as day.

Ah.

Only after seeing it did I realize.

So that was it? The reason the concentration of spiritual energy here was low.

It’s absorbing the spiritual energy.

That Divine Tree was absorbing all the spiritual energy in the surrounding space. Its range seemed to cover the entire garden.

Did they build this garden expecting that?

Maybe they had. Maybe they had not.

Do you know?

So I asked the man who seemed likely to know.

When I asked the Heavenly Demon, he answered.

[Something close to it. Half right, half wrong.]

That’s an ambiguous answer.

[That Divine Tree is only a sapling at best. It would be more accurate to say the garden exists for the symbolic meaning of that Divine Tree, rather than that it was built for some particular purpose.]

So there wasn’t much intent behind it? But...

Half right and half wrong meant—

It gained meaning later, then.

[You are quick, as always.]

So it did not have no meaning at all.

I nodded.

Right. It would make no sense for a Divine Tree like that to exist here and mean nothing.

What meaning did they place on it?

I looked at it for a moment, faintly curious, but that was all.

I’ll find out more later.

For now, I had a reason for coming to Shadowless Pavilion.

“Welcome.”

At the edge of the flower garden, someone stood before the residence built there.

He was likewise dressed as a Cult member.

“I am Ye An of the Holy Cult.”

The figure greeted us with a thin smile.

At the sharp, tingling sensation that came from him, I narrowed my eyes slightly.

He seems like an annoying one.

My first impression was not very good.

Something felt off. Usually, when that happened, my bad feeling turned out to be right.

“The elder is waiting inside.”

The young man called Ye An opened the door with his hand.

The interior was revealed. Like the decorated flower garden, the inside was also beautiful.

The scent drifting out was different, too. It smelled as if incense had been scattered somewhere.

Just as I was thinking it was strange that even the Holy Cult could have a space like this—

“Come in, all of you.”

“...”

Inside was a man who looked more out of place here than anyone else possibly could.

A body that easily seemed over eight feet tall. If I had to compare, his build was not much different from Peng Dojun’s, and his entire body was covered in scars.

One glance was enough to feel tremendous pressure from him.

Which meant he was not an ordinary martial artist.

His atmosphere alone made that obvious.

He rose.

Once standing, he looked even bigger.

“I am Hong Yucheol, an elder of the Holy Cult. It is an honor to meet you like this.”

“...Nine-Iron Armament Demon. You were alive?”

“Sword Emperor. It is an honor to see you again.”

It seemed he was acquainted with Sword Emperor this time as well.

For someone whose social ability was smashed to pieces, this man’s connections were surprisingly wide.

Ah, could this really be called having wide connections?

That was a bit ambiguous, but in any case.

“I heard you already met another elder. Ah, what a shame. I should have been the first.”

“Did you survive the war and become an elder?”

“It happened that way somehow.”

As he spoke, Hong Yucheol shrugged.

“I am not particularly fond of such titles, but what can one do? If the Holy Cult wants it, I must do it.”

“What a narrow-minded way of thinking. Even then, everyone must have told you that your lust for power would trip you up.”

“I will gladly accept your concern. Still, in the end, is the result not what matters?”

Sssss.

The air turned cold.

Neither Hong Yucheol nor Sword Emperor seemed to be speaking in a calm mood.

“First, sit. I am indeed the one responsible for this matter, so should Sword Emperor not hear what I have to say?”

“...Responsible? Do you truly think this useless affair has meaning?”

“That is not important. What matters is that the Young Cult Leader desires it.”

“...”

Listening to them, I understood.

That man was part of the Young Cult Leader’s faction.

The elder backing that bastard seemed to be him.

“We avoid meaningless conflict. This meeting was arranged for that purpose, and the Young Cult Leader understands that as well.”

“Ha.”

Sword Emperor twisted up the corner of his mouth.

The instant he did, the air froze cold.

“There is a limit to how much dogshit one can tolerate, yet even after what happened, none of you have changed.”

“That is a foolish way to speak. Surely you know it as well. Those words do not apply only to one side.”

Rrrrrrk.

The table shook and the teacups trembled.

Just as the pressure of absolute masters was about to spread in every direction—

“...Are you two going to keep doing this?”

I cut in and mediated.

I slipped into the gap where their energies were about to collide and twisted it open.

WHOOSH—!!

“Oh?”

Hong Yucheol’s eyes widened at my action.

“I apologize for daring to interfere in a conversation between my elders. However, I judged that it would be right to discuss something else for now.”

“You are correct. I invited honored guests here and wasted time on something pointless.”

Hong Yucheol’s grin looked fierce.

The scars covering him only made it more so.

“Please understand a little. Old monsters are naturally full of greed and prone to empty words.”

The way he waved one huge hand as he spoke made him look rational for the moment, but I remained wary even of that.

Because of that young man outside. Ye An, was it?

He’s bizarre.

If I had to classify him, he was in the same category as Freak Demon.

An unknowable eeriness came from him.

Perhaps because of that man, my wariness toward Hong Yucheol had risen as well.

“...”

Sword Emperor looked at me briefly, then closed his mouth.

He seemed to have judged that there was no need to say more either.

“In any case, what you must do during this meeting is nothing special. You will participate in the Demon Tempering Hall currently being conducted by the Demonic Cult and train there together.”

“...The Demon Tempering Hall is?”

“It would be accurate to see it as a training hall for becoming a true member of the Holy Cult.”

“...Ah.”

So a place that raised Demonic Cultists, in other words.

Why dress it up so prettily?

But we had to participate there?

The name alone sounded rough and bloody.

“In the past, people fought with their lives on the line there, or died if they failed. It was a place thick with the smell of blood. Fortunately, it is no longer like that now, so you may enjoy it comfortably.”

“...Is it truly a place we can comfortably enjoy?”

“Of course. Would we invite honored guests from the orthodox faction and make them do something dangerous? Especially when none other than the Young Cult Leader himself is currently there on our side.”

Heh heh.

At the sound of his amused laughter, I rolled my eyes.

The Demon Tempering Hall.

Their side was likewise in a position where they would enter the orthodox faction’s educational institution and receive instruction.

This was a venue created to remind each side that neither would harm the other.

...They probably won’t try anything.

But there was no knowing.

The question was whether I could trust creatures called Demonic Cultists.

[Heh heh.]

The Heavenly Demon laughed at my words.

Right. The Demonic Cult’s demon chief and leader was right here with me at this very moment.

“The Demon Tempering Hall is currently being prepared and will begin two days from now. I hope you will participate and show a fine performance there.”

“May I ask one question?”

The voice that cut in belonged to Peng Dojun.

The guy who had been standing quietly looked at Hong Yucheol and asked.

“Oh? Good. What is your name?”

“I am Peng Dojun of the Peng Family.”

“I thought you had a familiar physique. So you are of the Peng bloodline. Very well. What do you wish to ask?”

The moment Peng Dojun’s name came out, I saw Hong Yucheol’s expression distort for an instant.

Was there something involving the Peng Family?

“When you say we should go to this Demon Tempering Hall and show a fine performance, I am asking how far that applies.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am asking whether, if someone produces the best results there, they can obtain anything.”

“Ha ha?”

At those unbelievably bold words, Hong Yucheol laughed.

“The best results? You?”

“Anyone.”

“Fine words. I do not know what you want, but normally, as a Cult member, one would become an elite Cult member. In some cases, one might catch an elder’s eye and become his disciple as well... But, well. I do wonder what we should give to all of you. What do you desire?”

Hong Yucheol grinned.

His face showed interest.

“If you wish us to offer a spirit pill, that would be acceptable as well. If not that—”

“Is the Ghost-Iron Battle Harness here?”

“...”

At Peng Dojun’s question, Hong Yucheol stopped.

“May I receive that?”

“Heh heh heh...”

Hong Yucheol’s eyes gleamed.

He let out a laugh, but his eyes were not smiling.

“Did your grandfather tell you about it?”

“Something like that.”

The Ghost-Iron Battle Harness.

What did that mean? Was it an item of the Peng Family?

“I did not expect to hear that name here. Good. If you uphold what you said, I will give it to you.”

“...”

There was no answer.

Peng Dojun, who usually seemed lively and stupid, was serious this time.

“Then, is there anything you desire?”

“Me?”

This time, he asked me.

I scratched my cheek.

I wondered whether there had to be anything in particular.

Even if I gained something good here, what would change?

Ah.

There happened to be one thing.

It was not something I necessarily needed to obtain from Hong Yucheol, but it would be good to have.

I did think of it.

But—

Saying it would be dangerous.

It would be dangerous to say it to Hong Yucheol.

“I’ll think about it a bit. I don’t need anything right now.”

“Is that so? That can happen. Ye An.”

“Yes.”

At Hong Yucheol’s call, that strange young man who had been outside entered.

I sent my gaze toward him.

I looked at him and paused.

As expected.

It seemed the sense of wrongness from before had not been my imagination.

“Escort the honored guests back. And, Senior Sword Emperor, I would like to speak with you for a moment.”

“...”

Sword Emperor nodded faintly.

“Understood. I will escort them.”

As Ye An approached with a smile, a thought rose in my mind.

This bastard.

No matter how I looked at him—

He has eyes.

Divine sight.

It seemed he was someone who possessed it.

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