Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1223

“This way, Elder.”

Akinoori guided Jang Min with a slightly tense expression.

Jang Min, after hearing the translation, nodded lightly and walked in the direction Akinoori was leading. Akinoori, following a step behind Jang Min, had a clearly nervous look on his face.

‘Is this going to be okay?’

Akinoori had quite a bit of doubt about Jang Min. The way he acted in front of Kang Jin-ho was, to put it a bit harshly, not much different from a senile old man.

‘First of all, his attire…’

He didn’t give off any feeling of being a martial artist at all.

A slightly bright gray suit.

A crisp white shirt with two buttons undone, no tie.

And…

‘What do you call that again?’

Akinoori couldn’t quite recall the word ‘pocket square’. The red handkerchief tucked into the front pocket of his suit caught his eye.

His pure white two-block hairstyle was slicked back with pomade.

‘Is he Italian?’

His attire was something you wouldn’t expect from an East Asian.

Who would think this man was a director of the General Assembly and an elder of the Demonic Cult? He looked more like a playboy, searching for pretty older women on the streets.

Of course, his strength was undeniable.

A person who treated the directors of the General Assembly like subordinates couldn’t be ordinary.

Even without seeing it firsthand, the unique aura and intense feeling emanating from Jang Min made it clear how accomplished he was as a martial artist.

However, a martial artist’s abilities and their personality are not related. What Akinoori needed now… or rather, what the General Assembly needed to control Japan, was not a strong martial artist, but a ruthless one.

Akinoori knew the nature of the Japanese martial arts world very well.

They wouldn’t even think of showing their pride to an oppressive tyrant, but if they saw even the slightest opening, they would bite their superiors and try to take advantage of them.

Therefore, to control them, you had to show the unwavering image of a strong leader.

Sometimes violent, sometimes dictatorial.

But in his opinion, Jang Min didn’t seem to have any of those qualities.

‘There’s no way Master and Chief Lee would send someone incompetent…’

For Akinoori, doubting Kang Jin-ho was out of the question.

His loyalty didn’t need proof. It was like not needing to prove that birds fly in the sky or that fish breathe underwater.

What was bothering Akinoori now was the conflict between his determination to perfectly carry out Kang Jin-ho’s orders and his belief that Kang Jin-ho couldn’t be wrong.

“Did you say they were waiting?”

Akinoori, startled by Jang Min’s words, quickly raised his head.

After the translator relayed the words, Akinoori nodded.

“Yes, sir. The influential figures are waiting for you ahead.”

To be precise, they were waiting for Akinoori, but there was no need to convey such details.

“Akinoori, was it?”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Min looked at Akinoori with a slightly playful glint in his eyes.

“I don’t think there’s any need to doubt your loyalty. You don’t seem strong enough to maintain your sanity after facing the Demonic Eye.”

He couldn’t understand exactly what he meant.

Even the translation felt inaccurate. But he could definitely understand the next words.

“But there’s always a chance of something happening. Don’t forget. The moment you forget your loyalty to the Demonic Lord, you will die by my hand. The only way for you to survive is to dedicate everything to the Demonic Lord.”

Akinoori quickly bowed his head.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Good.”

Jang Min chuckled and nodded.

“It seems I’m working with a Jap now. Westerners, Japs, even Mongols. Well, it doesn’t matter. It just means the Demonic Lord’s majesty is covering the world. The cult’s status will also rise.”

“Um… Elder.”

“Speak.”

“I apologize for being presumptuous, but the people you are about to meet are not very friendly to the Cult Leader and the General Assembly. So, I think you should also…”

“Of course, those who are being dominated won’t be friendly. Don’t worry. I know how to handle them. Above all, the Demonic Lord ordered me to subdue them, so I will do my best to make them submit.”

Akinoori bowed his head silently.

It would be fortunate if that were the case, but he wasn’t very confident.

After walking through a wooden corridor, a door guarded by two escorts appeared.

“Open the door.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the two men opened the door to the left and right, a large room with tatami mats [traditional Japanese flooring] was revealed. People were lined up on both sides of the room, sitting upright.

“Hmm.”

Jang Min scanned the scene from left to right, then walked inside with confident strides. He then looked at the cushion prepared at the head of the room.

“Am I supposed to sit here?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I see. This must be Japanese culture. But the Demonic Lord did not order me to respect your culture. Bring a chair. A ruler should not sit at the same level as those who are submitting.”

Akinoori hesitated slightly.

If he tried to show his difference by using a chair from the start, the backlash would be significant.

“…Bring a chair.”

At Akinoori’s words, the men guarding the door exchanged glances, then quickly ran to bring a chair.

Thud!

Jang Min sat on the chair and crossed his legs.

«Ugh»

“Ahem.”

Low coughs came from here and there. They were clearly expressing their subtle discomfort, but Jang Min didn’t react to the sounds. He simply leaned back in his chair, as if he had handed over all authority to Akinoori.

Akinoori, assessing the situation, opened his mouth.

“First of all… I would like to thank everyone who has gathered here…”

“Enough with the obvious pleasantries, Chief Akinoori. It doesn’t seem like this is a place for such formalities.”

Akinoori’s gaze followed the speaker.

‘Who is that?’

He wasn’t someone who could be called a big shot. Seeing him speak so arrogantly made him feel a surge of anger.

“As you know, we lost this war.”

“Ahem!”

“But Kang Jin-ho, the head of the Korean Martial Arts Association, has shown mercy to the archipelago. Instead of massacring and destroying all the martial artists of the archipelago, he has given us a way to live through submission. It is incredibly merciful…”

“What nonsense are you spouting, Chief! You ran away with your tail between your legs from Korea, and now you’ve lost your mind? What? Submission? Are you saying we should submit to those Joseon [old Korean dynasty] people from the peninsula?”

It wasn’t just one person.

“Can the Chief decide that on his own?”

“We are the representatives of the Japanese martial arts world. Even if Shin’nichikai led this war, who gave you the right to hand over Japan to them? Are you crazy?”

“You’re more than crazy. What did you get hit with to be spouting such nonsense!”

The atmosphere quickly turned hostile.

Akinoori glared at everyone with a stern look.

“Is that your opinion?”

“The Chief should think about his position. Shin’nichikai was completely destroyed, so what right do you have to represent us and pledge allegiance to that Kang Jin-ho or whatever his name is?”

“Whether there was an agreement or a deal, it’s all invalid! You have no right!”

The leaders of the various factions who had gathered from all over Japan raised their voices in protest against Akinoori.

“If you suffered such a great defeat, you should have committed seppuku [ritual suicide by disembowelment], yet you shamelessly returned! And on top of that, you’re telling us to surrender and submit? Do you have no pride as a warrior?”

“Our ancestors would be lamenting in their graves if they saw this!”

“There’s no need for long words. Let’s cut off Chief Akinoori’s head. That’s the least we can do to save our pride. And then we’ll cut off the head of that Kang Jin-ho!”

It was at that moment.

Swoooosh!

Suddenly, a sound like tearing silk rang out, and the body of the man who had been shouting was ripped vertically into five pieces.

Thud.

The torn body fell to the floor, spraying blood in all directions.

Speechless at the gruesome sight, everyone turned their gaze at once. Towards Akinoori, or rather, towards Jang Min behind him.

Jang Min retracted the sharp, claw-like demonic energy and lightly licked his fingertips.

Then, he slowly rose from his seat.

“It seems I made a mistake. I forgot to tell you something first. Translate.”

“Yes!”

Thump.

Jang Min slowly walked forward and spoke.

“I will tell you a few things that you must never forget. You should engrave this into your minds.”

A tone like a beast growling.

At the same time, Jang Min’s eyes began to turn blood red.

“First, I am not here to have a conversation. Keep your mouths shut.”

As the quick translation followed, anger flared on the faces of the faction leaders.

Even though they had lost the war, their homeland had not been occupied. There were still many martial artists left in Japan. And yet, such arrogance!

“Second, the Demonic Lord, the absolute ruler of this world, has ordered the complete subjugation of Japan. Those who do not submit will only face death.”

Thump.

Jang Min’s steps stopped in front of one person.

The man, seeing Jang Min stop in front of him, raised his head with slightly trembling eyes.

“And third.”

Jang Min’s hand reached the face of the faction leader looking at him.

Swoosh!

The torn body flew in all directions.

The sight of a human body being ripped apart like paper filled their faces with terror.

“You should not even think of living after committing the blasphemy of uttering the Demonic Lord’s name with your insignificant mouths. Normally, I would have peeled your flesh piece by piece and made you suffer until your last breath, but the merciful Demonic Lord has ordered me not to treat you too harshly, so be grateful that you can have a clean death.”

Jang Min’s eyes were filled with complete madness.

“The Demonic Lord has ordered you to surrender. And yet, you dare to defy the Demonic Lord’s orders?”

Demonic energy poured out.

Jang Min, his face twisted like a demon, glared at everyone with bloodshot eyes and extended his long nails. The nails made of demonic energy, the dark red, demonic claws, dug into the floor with terrifying force.

“Then I will have to smash your useless heads. Akinoori!”

“Yes, Elder!”

“Gather others, not these ones.”

“Yes!”

The words of what to do with these people did not come out. He didn’t even dare to ask. Akinoori, overwhelmed by the force Jang Min was emitting, hurriedly ran outside.

And Jang Min’s gaze was fixed not on Akinoori, but on the people here.

“You should have known. The Demonic Lord is infinitely merciful. He is gentle and delicate, unlike the lord of demons.”

Jang Min’s face momentarily softened. Just thinking of Kang Jin-ho made him unable to contain his joy.

“However…”

But that face didn’t last long.

Jang Min, his face turning demonic, licked his lips.

“I am not.”

Thump.

Jang Min took a step forward and approached the faction leaders.

“I am not merciful enough to let those who raised their voices in the place where I came to deliver his orders live. Let your corpses tell the world what price those who defy his will pay. I will use your useless bodies to spread the name of the Demonic Lord throughout Japan.”

Jang Min, covered in bloodlust, burst into a mad roar and charged at the faction leaders.