Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1179

“Stop playing with the kids and play with me, you bastard.”

Kazuhito’s gaze fixed on Bang Jin-hoon, who was walking forward.

‘This guy?’

His aura was unusual.

He looked exactly like a Yakuza [Japanese organized crime member].

If he had some tattoos and was taken to Japan, no one would suspect he was Korean. He looked like he belonged to that world.

But the aura he gave off was….

Surprisingly clear.

There was no murky feeling that one would get from a person who lived a life of crime. It was like he had the appearance of a villain and the demeanor of a saint at the same time.

“You arrogant fool, I spared your life, and now you’re offering it up.”

“What are you saying, you Jap?”

Bang Jin-hoon, who didn’t understand Japanese, cracked his knuckles as he walked forward. He looked like a neighborhood thug picking a fight after drinking.

Kazuhito slightly bit his lip.

‘This guy?’

The way he was casually walking forward made it seem like he didn’t even consider Kazuhito a threat.

Who was he?

The head of the Yamashiro-gumi, who ruled Kanto [a region in Japan].

There were few in Kanto who could claim to be stronger than him. If you excluded the old leaders who were too old to fight, Kazuhito was the strongest warrior in Kanto.

Yet, he dared to act like that in front of Kazuhito.

“Your guts are hanging out.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I know it’s an insult. Ha, you punk.”

Bang Jin-hoon rolled up the sleeves of his arms.

“You’ve committed a crime worthy of death by invading another country, and now you’re insulting me? You bastard, don’t even think about dying peacefully.”

Bang Jin-hoon hardened his face and took a stance.

At the same time, he subtly surveyed the surroundings.

The fierce battle was slightly subsiding. This wasn’t some movie world, and the people fighting wouldn’t stop and watch just because the leaders were fighting.

But it was possible to slow down the intensity of the battle. If they could buy time, they would win. It would give Wiggins and Bator time to run wild.

So, wasn’t that why that guy was targeting the weakest point and coming forward? If he could stop that guy, he could minimize the damage and lead this battle to victory.

‘I’m shaking.’

On the outside, he had a calm expression, but Bang Jin-hoon’s heart wasn’t at ease. Above all, he had never fought a life-or-death battle in front of others like this.

‘Well, that’s how it is for everyone.’

Unless the war with the Yeongnam Association or the war with Lee Jung-geol had become full-scale, no one in Korea would have had this kind of experience. At most, they had only engaged in small-scale skirmishes.

“Hoo.”

Bang Jin-hoon took a deep breath.

‘The more I think about it, the more amazing that man is.’

Just the fact that he was responsible for the lives of so many people and was going into battle made his legs tremble and his heart beat wildly, but Kang Jin-ho had fought even more important battles than this several times.

Bang Jin-hoon slightly tilted his neck left and right.

His condition was good.

Close to perfect. At this level, he would be able to unleash 100% of his skills.

‘He’ll be strong.’

Of course, he would be strong.

If it had been just a year ago, he wouldn’t have dared to stand before Kazuhito. No matter how strong he was in Korea, being among the top ten, that was only within Korea.

Everyone acknowledged that the difference between Korea and Japan was extreme.

But strangely, he didn’t think he would lose.

And he didn’t really feel Kazuhito’s strength.

Arrogance?

No.

He knew Kazuhito was strong. But he had seen too many strong people to be intimidated by Kazuhito now.

Having spent time with Kang Jin-ho and Bator, he couldn’t be afraid of Kazuhito.

Crack.

Bang Jin-hoon raised his fist.

Now was the time to prove how faithful he had been during the past time.

Sss.

Kazuhito took an upper stance and glared at Bang Jin-hoon.

“Arrogant Joseon [old name for Korea] bastard, die while feeling your limits.”

“Ha, you Jap sure talk a lot.”

Bang Jin-hoon took a stance.

He said that, but this guy was definitely not someone to be taken lightly. Just by raising his sword, he could feel a sharp energy that seemed to cut his skin.

Kazuhito raised his aura.

There wasn’t enough time to probe each other. The situation on the battlefield was still fiercely escalating. He had to defeat Bang Jin-hoon as soon as possible and open a path.

Bang Jin-hoon seemed to know Kazuhito’s intentions, as he shifted his center of gravity backward.

‘No need to be rash.’

Didn’t he say it?

Muhak [a fictional martial art] was for the weak. Muhak was created to fight against the oppression and tyranny of the strong. The path of Muhak was to endure, persevere, and overcome.

If he didn’t get penetrated, he would win.

Fwoooosh!

Kazuhito’s foot kicked off the ground.

Fragments of broken concrete soared into the air. Kazuhito, who had charged with lightning speed, swung his sword. Kazuhito’s Japanese sword, filled with blue energy, fell towards Bang Jin-hoon’s head at an invisible speed.

It was a move that made one’s body tense up.

Just by looking at that one strike, you could feel how much time he had spent swinging his sword. It was a perfect strike, worthy of the word ‘soul-carved’.

But….

Whoooom.

Bang Jin-hoon’s hand, imbued with white energy, gently pushed the incoming sword aside.

Strength against strength.

Speed against speed.

Bang Jin-hoon also knew. Perhaps that was the essence of Muhak that couldn’t be hidden.

But there had to be a way for those who couldn’t win in the battle of strength and speed to live through Muhak.

Could he fight Bator in a battle of strength?

Could he compete with Kang Jin-ho in speed?

Absolutely not.

But Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t give up on catching up to them. The moment you define your limits, you’re done as a martial artist. Only those who strive endlessly, even if it’s unrealistic, will eventually reach that place.

When there is a high mountain, when there is a steep cliff, most people give up on climbing. But only the fools who risk their lives to climb the cliff and the mountain can conquer the summit.

And the path that Bang Jin-hoon found was essence.

Fwaaaat!

The sword barely grazed Bang Jin-hoon’s shoulder. The energy carried by the sword caused his skin to split and blood to spurt out, but Bang Jin-hoon didn’t even blink.

He extended his remaining hand through the gap he had created by deflecting the sword.

Bang Jin-hoon’s palm strike landed on the elbow of the arm holding the sword. But it wasn’t excessive at all.

Thud!

Bang Jin-hoon lightly struck Kazuhito’s elbow with his palm, pushing the sword far away, and then rammed his shoulder into Kazuhito’s side.

Thump!

Kazuhito’s body was thrown back.

“This!”

Even as his body was flying through the air, Kazuhito swung his sword, trying to slash Bang Jin-hoon’s face. He slightly bent his waist backward to avoid the sword, but he couldn’t completely dodge it.

The skin on his cheekbone split, and blood flowed out.

Thud!

Kazuhito, who had flown about 3 meters and landed on the ground, glared at Bang Jin-hoon, unable to hide his anger. Bang Jin-hoon raised his hand and wiped the blood flowing down his face.

If it had gone in just 1cm more, his bone would have been broken.

‘He’s not easy.’

A normal person wouldn’t have been able to think of counterattacking like that in the moment they were flying. It seemed like he hadn’t just gotten the position of the head of the Yamashiro-gumi by chance.

If it had been the old Bang Jin-hoon, he would have been killed or injured in one blow without even having the chance to face the second attack.

But after that exchange, he was certain.

‘I am strong.’

He had created martial arts to teach children. But that process had helped Bang Jin-hoon more than the children. The process of re-establishing what he knew, what he needed to know, and the direction he needed to go had dramatically increased Bang Jin-hoon’s martial prowess.

Besides….

‘The Lord is definitely different.’

The nagging that Kang Jin-ho had given him while he was creating Muhak was hitting his mark.

At the time, he thought it was an inappropriate objection, but each of those words had remained deep within Bang Jin-hoon and had created the current Bang Jin-hoon.

“You bastard!”

Kazuhito glared at Bang Jin-hoon with a face full of anger.

Why wouldn’t he be?

Their Muhak was a Muhak of one strike.

It was a swordsmanship where if you couldn’t cut off the enemy’s head in one strike, you would be the one to be defeated.

The fact that he had allowed Bang Jin-hoon to hit his elbow and side was an unforgivable humiliation for Kazuhito. If Bang Jin-hoon had been holding a sword, he would have already been dead.

‘But the world isn’t that easy.’

If Bang Jin-hoon had been holding a sword, the result would have been different. People are ultimately good at different things. Bang Jin-hoon was a Kwon-sa [a martial artist specializing in unarmed combat]. He was someone who showed his best abilities when he was unarmed.

“How dare you! How dare you! You dog-like bastard!”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes lowered heavily.

Watching the opponent get agitated, Kang Jin-ho’s words came to mind again.

“It’s natural for someone on the battlefield to get angry, to harbor hatred, and to express rage. It’s impossible to kill emotions. Because we’re human. But being swayed by emotions is different. If you want to kill your opponent, you have to be calm. That’s what true rage is.”

‘That’s right.’

“If your opponent is angry, wait. An angry person will always become linear. If you know how your opponent will attack and can wait, the fight is already over.”

‘Let’s see if that’s true from now on.’

Bang Jin-hoon slightly spread his hands to the left and right.

The opponent was now desperate to kill him. He would want to kill him in one blow to restore his lost honor.

Then, what should he aim for?

The center line.

The line that runs from the head to the groin.

A vital point where you can take a person’s life in one blow.

As the target became clear, Bang Jin-hoon instead opened his center by spreading his arms.

A blatant temptation that wouldn’t work under normal circumstances.

But what about Kazuhito, who had slightly lost his reason due to the urgent situation on the battlefield and his anger?

“I’ll kill youuuuu!”

Kazuhito pointed his sword forward and charged at Bang Jin-hoon at lightning speed.

‘That’s it!’

Bang Jin-hoon cheered and welcomed Kazuhito.

That sword that was piercing the center was definitely sharp. But if you knew it, you could deal with it. He would move his body to the side….

That was the moment.

The sword that was flying in spun around and instantly changed direction, slashing at Bang Jin-hoon’s waist.

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes widened.

‘Huh?’

The sword that was cutting his waist in half was filled with a chilling energy just by looking at it. The blue, refined energy was proving how much power was contained in that one strike.

In that instant, Bang Jin-hoon and Kazuhito’s eyes met.

The moment he met those cold eyes, devoid of any excitement, Bang Jin-hoon felt the blood in his entire body turn cold.

‘This bastard, he tricked me…!’

In that instant, Kazuhito’s sword pierced into Bang Jin-hoon’s side with a chilling sound.

Swoooosh!

Bang Jin-hoon’s blood spurted into the sky like a fountain.