Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1202

He turns away.

Kang Jin-ho does.

At that unexpected reaction, the Lord stared blankly at Kang Jin-ho.

A face of incomprehension.

But soon, the Lord’s face, understanding Kang Jin-ho’s intent, contorted into an indescribable shape.

It collapses.

It felt like something that had been supporting him was crumbling from within his heart.

“You!”

But no words come out.

A resolute back.

An indifferent back.

The back that turned away, leaving the Lord behind, showed not a hint of hesitation.

Blood vessels burst in the Lord’s eyes.

An insult.

This was an insult beyond words.

“…Shinya.”

Shinya hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

But the Lord did not give Shinya any consideration.

“What did that man say?”

He already knew half of it. But he needed confirmation.

Shinya glanced at the Lord once, then lowered his gaze.

“Answer me.”

“He said…”

Shinya took a low breath, as if he couldn’t bear to tell the Lord the truth.

But in the end, Shinya, unable to withstand the pressure from the Lord’s gaze, opened his mouth.

“That you are not a warrior…”

Crack.

The Lord’s fist clenched so tightly it seemed to twist. His nails dug into his palm, and thick blood flowed down his hand.

His whole body trembled like an aspen.

A sense of humiliation so great that he couldn’t even feel the pain from his teeth digging into his lip.

“Not a warrior?”

The Lord’s hand trembled.

Not a warrior.

There are many words in the world.

But in the current situation, there could be no greater insult to the Lord.

He is a samurai [a Japanese warrior].

The greatest samurai in Japan.

He had thought many times that he had strayed from the path, but he had never thought that he was not a warrior. No, he had always prided himself on being a greater warrior than anyone else.

But not a warrior?

“…Are you trying to insult me!”

It was more of a scream than a shout. And more of a cry than a scream.

To a Japanese samurai who lives with aesthetics in his heart, the words ‘not a warrior’ are an insult that cannot be compared to any other curse in the world. Of course, Kang Jin-ho didn’t say it knowing that.

Step.

Step.

No matter what commotion was happening behind him, Kang Jin-ho did not turn his head. There was no particularly solemn feeling either. He just walked out with a face like a child who had lost interest in a toy.

“Lord?”

“Let’s go back.”

“…Aren’t you going to finish it?”

Kang Jin-ho glanced back.

The Lord, with an indescribable face, was glaring at him.

“That’s just a shell.”

“I don’t feel like it. Take care of it yourself.”

Wiggins couldn’t help but laugh.

‘He’s a devil in disguise.’

He was in a life-threatening situation, caught in the enemy’s scheme. From the moment Kang Jin-ho appeared here, the Lord was as good as dead.

He had aimed at the enemy with all his might, but he had been defeated by the enemy’s strength. If he was a true warrior, he would have two choices in this situation.

He could run away with a bitter heart and try to make a comeback, or he could accept his fate and face a clean death.

But Kang Jin-ho did not allow him either.

He could not run away, nor could he enjoy the glory of being cut down by the enemy’s sword.

What greater insult could there be?

‘The scary thing about the Lord is that he didn’t do it on purpose.’

Kang Jin-ho probably didn’t intend to insult the Lord. Kang Jin-ho is the type to trample on his opponent without leaving even their spirit behind when he attacks, but Kang Jin-ho’s expression now was truly one of lost interest.

But with that simple act, the Lord was collapsing.

“Kang Jin-hooooooooo!”

The Lord’s figure, screaming Kang Jin-ho’s name, showed none of the dignity befitting the leader of Shin-Nichi-Kai [a fictional Japanese organization], who ruled Japan.

Only the despair and pain of a man who had lost everything he had believed in as he approached the end of his life filled the air.

At that moment, Wiggins genuinely pitied the Lord.

He was a man worthy of respect.

Even though he was an enemy and someone who could never be forgiven, it was undeniable that he had led the Shin-Nichi-Kai and dominated and led the Japanese martial arts world.

Hating an enemy and respecting an enemy are not mutually exclusive.

You can hate an enemy and still acknowledge them.

But Kang Jin-ho refused to acknowledge the Lord.

He turned away as if even drawing his sword to cut off the Lord’s head was meaningless.

Utterly heartless…

Utterly cruel.

Well…

Perhaps it was only natural.

Kang Jin-ho, who faces warriors, and Kang Jin-ho, who faces politicians, are the same yet different beings. He shows interest and wildness to warriors, while he shows reason to politicians.

To such a Kang Jin-ho, an enemy who does not pique his interest in crossing swords would be meaningless.

It was a pity for the Lord.

“Let’s go back.”

“Lo, Lord, what are we going to do with him…”

Kang Jin-ho answered indifferently.

“Kill him.”

“Considering what he did, we can’t let him live. Kill him and bring me his head.”

“Understood.”

Wiggins answered in a slightly subdued voice.

At that moment, the Lord let out a shriek.

“Kang Jin-ho! Do you think you can get away!”

The Lord, drawing his sword, charged straight at Kang Jin-ho.

It was a foolish act.

This place was already under the control of the Round Table [a fictional organization]. Even if the Lord was the best fighter in Japan, it was impossible for him to face them all at once. He was not Kang Jin-ho.

If he had even a shred of reason, he should have restrained himself. Even if he didn’t choose to run away, he should have waited for an opportunity. But now, the Lord didn’t even have that small amount of reason left.

“Hup.”

The Master drew his sword and stood in front of the Lord.

Clang!

The Master’s sword and the Lord’s katana [a Japanese sword] clashed, creating a sharp metallic sound.

Unlike the Lord’s distorted face, the Master’s face was full of composure.

No matter how strong the Master was, it was impossible for him to face the Lord with swordsmanship alone. Nevertheless, the Lord’s face was devoid of composure, while the Master’s face was full of it.

It was a sight that showed how important a warrior’s mindset was.

Keep your head cool and your heart hot.

It was a maxim always passed down to those who practiced martial arts. The fact that something obvious is passed down means that it is that important.

The Lord was proving with his whole body how important it was to keep a clear mind.

“Kang Jin-hooooooooo!”

The Lord, clashing swords with the Master, cried out to Kang Jin-ho. His eyes were fixed on Kang Jin-ho, beyond the Master.

Perhaps the Master might have felt bad about it, but the Master was rather pitying the Lord.

He would never want to be in the same situation as the Lord, even if he died a hundred times. He had fallen into hellish situations many times while dealing with Kang Jin-ho, but he had never felt the soul-crushing pain that the Lord was feeling now.

As a warrior and as the leader of a force, the Master could not help but feel pity.

Kang Jin-ho turned his body and looked at the Lord.

The Lord, blocked by the Master’s sword, was shedding tears of blood with his eyes turned red with burst blood vessels.

Resentment.

Anger.

And injustice.

It felt like his emotions would burst out of his body.

The trembling of his whole body and the saliva dripping from his mouth showed how agitated the Lord was.

In contrast, Kang Jin-ho still had a completely indifferent face.

Kang Jin-ho, who frowned as if he was a little annoyed, opened his mouth.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“I’m going first.”

“Yes.”

Wiggins glanced at the Lord.

Then, he put his hands together and began casting. Kang Jin-ho’s body was instantly surrounded by a pure white light.

“St, stop! I said stop!”

The Lord’s voice became urgent.

Kang Jin-ho had appeared with that light.

That meant…

He would disappear with that light.

The Lord reached out his hand, not even caring if his body was cut. It was full of openings. It was a movement so full of openings that his neck could be slit at any time if one wanted to.

But instead of cutting the Lord, the Master put all his strength into the sword that was blocking him.

The Lord reaches out his hand.

Going?

Is he just going to leave like this?

Is he just going to ignore him like a bug and leave?

Then what was it all for?

What was the life he had lived so far?

What value was left for a warrior who was ignored by his final enemy?

Humiliation.

A terrible humiliation pressed down on his whole body.

There was no one to cut his belly or his neck. Even if he committed seppuku [a Japanese ritual suicide], even if he stabbed his neck, his shattered pride would not return.

The Lord looked at Kang Jin-ho, shedding tears of blood.

An indifferent gaze.

If it had been hatred…

If it had been an angry gaze filled with killing intent, he wouldn’t have felt like this.

Kang Jin-ho was looking at him with eyes that were like looking at an inanimate object. He did not acknowledge the Lord as an opponent. He did not recognize the Lord as an enemy.

And he did not acknowledge the Lord as a warrior.

With that indifferent gaze…

Kang Jin-ho’s figure disappeared.

The Lord stared blankly at the scene.

An empty space.

Kang Jin-ho, who had been next to Wiggins, had disappeared from this place. All that remained was the space where Kang Jin-ho had stood and those who were looking at him with pity.

Thud.

The Lord slumped down on the spot.

The Lord, whose face had aged ten years in that short time, put his hand on the floor.

He thought he would say at least one word.

To insult him.

To provoke his anger even more.

He thought he would curse him with insulting words as if spitting them out.

But Kang Jin-ho did not even show that minimal kindness. The opponent he had tried to face with all his might did not even see the Lord as an enemy.

“Kuh…”

The Lord’s shoulders trembled.

It collapses.

The giant who had supported Japan and led the Shin-Nichi-Kai had collapsed.

“Kuh…”

Looking at the Lord sobbing while clutching the floor, Wiggins quietly closed his eyes.

He could no longer bear to look at that sight.

Regardless of friend or foe, that sight was too miserable. It would be better to have his whole body torn to shreds by Kang Jin-ho’s sword. A sword that cuts the soul is sharper and more cruel than a sword that cuts the flesh.

Wiggins raised his head.

His gaze met the Master’s.

Kang Jin-ho had treated the Lord like a bug and left, but they could not do that. They might have been able to do so a little while ago, but they could not do so now.

So, the most skilled among them had to show the kindness of cutting off his head.

The Master, understanding what Wiggins’s gesture meant, nodded and raised his sword. Then, he took a step towards the Lord.

At that moment.

The Lord, who had been sobbing, opened his mouth.

“I…”

The Lord raised his head. A face from which the soul had escaped.

The Lord, who was alive but already dead, said self-deprecatingly.

“What did I do wrong?”

Wiggins let out a soft sigh.