Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 291

Swoosh.

It started very simply.

Slicing in half the one who charged head-on was an all too easy task.

Even Kang Jin-ho, who had done the slicing, felt it was excessively easy.

But that was when the real fight began.

Kang Jin-ho’s face hardened as he saw another shadow emerge from behind the ninja who had charged at him.

The one who had clearly revealed his presence had a comrade who had completely concealed his presence behind him.

With a small tearing sound, fine needles like cotton fluff flew towards Kang Jin-ho’s face.

‘Hmph.’

Kang Jin-ho, swinging Red Dew to deflect the flying needles, saw several long iron spikes rise from the ground beneath his feet.

Stepping back two steps, Kang Jin-ho thrust Blue Dew into the floor.

Crack!

With the sound of concrete breaking, blood gushed from the floor.

It was a bizarre sight, as if a well of blood had appeared.

Kang Jin-ho looked at the ninjas with a subtle expression.

The assassins of the Central Plains [a region in China], who prioritize stealth and concealment, would never charge in this manner.

For those who value secrecy, facing a martial artist head-on is akin to suicide. They learn stealth and assassination techniques precisely because they cannot face a martial artist directly.

What were they thinking….

‘A pathetic method.’

Kang Jin-ho smirked.

It wasn’t as if Kang Jin-ho felt anger at the fact that they were sacrificing their comrades to attack him. The reason he was dumbfounded was because this method was so pathetic.

Trying to face him with such a petty tactic?

That was a mistake.

A huge mistake.

In a battlefield where lives are at stake, if there is an error in judgment, there is only one price to pay.

Life.

And Kang Jin-ho was about to show them that.

‘Scuttling around like rats.’

Kang Jin-ho slowly raised Red Dew and Blue Dew.

‘I’ll show you why you guys had to slink into the shadows in the Central Plains.’

Kang Jin-ho slowly drew Red Dew back and then unleashed it in a single strike.

Whoosh!

A tearing sound that seemed to rip through the air followed the sword a moment later.

Then, a low silence filled the hall.

Thud.

Soon, the silence was broken by the sound of something falling and hitting the floor.

Thud thud thud.

Starting with that sound, a sound like rain began, as if something was falling to the floor in a flurry.

Splat.

Bang Jin-hoon trembled at the familiar sound in his ears.

‘Damn it, I can’t get used to that sound no matter how many times I hear it.’

He didn’t know why he was hearing a sound he never used to hear so often these days. The sound of blood gushing from a cleanly severed human body.

A sound that ordinary people would never hear unless they were in the world of martial artists.

One sword.

It was just one sword.

Kang Jin-ho, who had sliced in half all the ninjas in front of him with a single swing, shook the wrist of his hand holding Red Dew as if he was displeased.

‘The sword isn’t quite used to my hand yet.’

This wouldn’t have happened before.

He could have cut them more cleanly and decisively. This had nothing to do with martial prowess. How familiar one is with a sword is a slightly different matter from the depth of inner energy or the level of martial arts.

‘I guess it’s understandable.’

When he thought about it, it was natural that he couldn’t wield the sword as he used to.

Because it was different.

Although he and the Demonic Heavenly Lord shared the same spirit, their bodies were different. It wasn’t a matter of being perfect or not. Everything was different, from the length of his arms to the length of his legs.

In the world of martial arts, where subtle differences can lead to significant changes, this was a bigger problem than expected.

‘I need to train a bit.’

Until now, he had mainly used his body rather than the sword, so he hadn’t felt any particular discomfort, but as soon as he used the sword properly, he immediately felt the awkwardness.

A chilling feeling washed over him as he thought about what would have happened if he had encountered a powerful enemy without realizing this fact.

‘Should I be thankful?’

Kang Jin-ho looked ahead with a subtle smile.

Living in the hidden world, one sees many unpleasant sights. Their fate was to face horrific scenes daily that ordinary people might see once in their lifetime, if ever.

Especially those who, like ninjas, live with human death by their side, are naturally accustomed to such sights.

…Or so he thought. At least until a moment ago.

For Ogata Satoshi, death was an everyday occurrence that he always had to be wary of. But humans sometimes face situations where the ordinary crosses into the extraordinary.

This was exactly that kind of situation for Ogata Satoshi.

Blood.

The blood of his comrades was staining everything from the walls to the floor red.

A single sword swing.

Kang Jin-ho had simply swung Red Dew once horizontally and cut down everything in front of him.

Air, people, and even the walls.

The black line visible through the thick, flowing blood showed how sharply that sword had cut through the world.

And….

The aftermath was immense.

Those whose chests were split open or whose heads were cut off without knowing why were the lucky ones.

Because they could die without feeling any pain.

But most of them were not so fortunate.

Those who had their heads half-severed while bowing or those who had their legs cut off while jumping into the air were writhing on the blood-soaked floor, unable to die.

They couldn’t even groan.

The harsh training they had undergone had made them unable to scream even in this situation.

But….

Satoshi, with trembling legs, mustered his strength to stand up. Then, he took out a dozen throwing knives from his chest and threw them with both hands.

Whoosh!

With a tearing sound that ripped through the air, his throwing knives accurately pierced their targets.

Thud, thud.

The throwing knives he had accurately thrown pierced the necks of his comrades who were still groaning.

They couldn’t be saved.

If so, he had to at least ease their pain.

At the moment their lives were cut short, he could see his comrades slightly raise and lower their hands. They were expressing their gratitude to him in their last moments.

An act that an Inja [a type of ninja] should never do.

Taking care of comrades in front of the mission target or signaling to a comrade who has not completed the mission.

Either way, it was a disqualification for an Inja.

But Satoshi did not regret it.

He just glared at Kang Jin-ho with hateful eyes.

‘I’ll kill you.’

Kang Jin-ho shrugged at Satoshi’s hateful glare.

‘What are you saying?’

Bang Jin-hoon, who had been watching for an opportunity to step in from behind Kang Jin-ho, spoke up.

‘He says he’ll kill you.’

‘Heh heh heh.’

Kang Jin-ho chuckled softly.

‘Interesting.’

And it was also funny.

Those who were arrogant, believing in their petty abilities and acting as if they were ruling over others, had two reactions when faced with reality.

They either trembled in fear or trembled in anger.

‘Aiming for someone else’s life… it’s like this.’

Kang Jin-ho sneered softly.

‘You have to be prepared to die yourself at any time. Why? Did you think you would always be safe?’

Kang Jin-ho swung his sword to shake off the blood on the tip and slowly began to approach the surviving ninjas.

‘If you don’t know, I’ll have to teach you.’

Satoshi’s whole body began to tingle as he saw the smile on Kang Jin-ho’s face.

‘Hmm…’

Lee Jung-geol looked anxiously at the door. The man watching him couldn’t hide his pathetic expression.

‘Is this all there is?’

Even though Korea was a small country among martial artists, a martial artist leading a country should at least have some dignity and majesty.

He didn’t expect them to have the courage to laugh even if their necks were slit. But at least they shouldn’t be fidgeting like rats.

In that sense, the man in front of him was a small person.

And the Korean Martial Arts Association, which believed in and followed such a small person as their leader, was also a predictable place.

‘Calm down.’

‘…Yes.’

Takashira Shingo shook his head at the timidity of the man in front of him.

‘Why is he fidgeting like a dog that needs to pee?’

He had already accepted the contract and brought enough troops. He had said that ten would be more than enough to conquer a region of Korea, but he had brought over twenty people after begging with tears and snot.

That was enough to deal with the entire association if they all came at once. And yet, he was still looking around anxiously.

‘Is a demon king coming?’

There was no way such a person existed in Korea, and if there was, it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed until now. Regardless of the weakness of the martial artists, the importance of Korea as a buffer zone between China and Japan was recognized, so they had not been negligent in gathering information.

‘Don’t underestimate him.’

‘Hmm?’

Lee Jung-geol looked at Shingo with a pale face.

‘I already know what you’re thinking. You must think I’m a coward.’

Takashira Shingo swallowed a groan.

They were not used to such a direct way of speaking.

‘I also know your strength. I am confident that there is no one in Korea who knows more about you than I do.’

‘…Maybe.’

‘Even so, what do you think is the reason why I am so anxious now?’

Even as he spoke, Lee Jung-geol’s face became increasingly pale.

‘He is not the kind of person you think he is. You shouldn’t think of him in terms of the level of Korean martial artists. He is… he is…’

Takashira Shingo frowned.

‘I’m well aware of that. He’s a returnee [someone who has returned from another world or time], so we shouldn’t think of him based on the world he belongs to now.’

Shingo clicked his tongue.

‘Even so, we have enough power. Don’t underestimate my subordinates. Even I am not confident that I can face all of them.’

Even after saying that, Lee Jung-geol still looked doubtful.

‘Tsk.’

Shingo, clicking his tongue, added.

‘You will never understand. How much training they have undergone. You who learn martial arts as a hobby, enjoying it when needed, will never understand the world of Injas who train at the risk of their lives.’

His voice was filled with contempt for Lee Jung-geol.

‘Those who have received all the training of an Inja are almost devoid of humanity. They don’t even scream when their own limbs are cut off. You should think about why we, who have revered martial arts since ancient times, acknowledge Injas. Unlike you…’

Shingo, who was about to add something, closed his mouth.

He had begun to hear a strange sound in his ears.

‘What is it?’

The hall was filled with the subordinates he had brought. If someone were to intrude, they would become a ghost in their hands. So, no one else could approach.

If that wasn’t the case, then his subordinates were coming, but they were making noise instead of footsteps? His own subordinates?

That was impossible.

Then what was it?

What on earth was this sound that he was clearly hearing in his ears right now?

A sound that was like sobbing, like groaning, like a desperate gasp, this terrible sound?

The sound was slowly approaching the door.

Shingo held his breath and looked at the door.

Creak.

Slowly, very slowly, the door was opening.