Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 475

The scene could be summed up in a single word: carnage. It was exactly what it would look like if a bloodthirsty beast were to run wild among a flock of sheep. His heart hammered in his chest. ‘Hah…’ A groan escaped Bangsang’s lips. What the hell was going on? He already knew their identities. The Nanahoshi Gumi. A round table that analyzed the power of each country under the pretext of maintaining world peace. As the leader of the Chevaliers [French for ‘Knights’], representing France and a member of the round table, he couldn’t not know the name Nanahoshi Gumi. They were a notoriously belligerent group of warriors in Japan. Even if they weren’t the best Gumi [Japanese for ‘gang’ or ‘group’] in Japan, they had firmly established their own territory. And to have a force in Japan meant that they were among the top warriors in the world. Yet, those people were now being slaughtered like weak sheep. ‘Kuh-euk!’ ‘Kup!’ Even their screams couldn’t come out properly. There was no such thing as being injured and falling. Their bodies were cut in half or their necks were broken in one blow. Instant death. There was no boundary between life and death. Kang Jin-ho was forcing them to choose only one side. And… most, no, everyone was being forced to choose death. ‘What the hell is that sword made of?’ He knew it was nothing special. Legends about divine swords existed in various forms in every country, but a true divine sword didn’t exist. In the past, there might have been swords called famous swords or divine swords, but the swords made with modern science easily surpassed the performance of those old swords. The Japanese swords used by the Nanahoshi Gumi were the same. They looked like they were made in the traditional way, with an antique feel, but in reality, all of those swords were made using modern casting methods. Yet, those swords were now being cut like paper swords made of cardboard. Swords were clashing, and one side was being unilaterally cut off. How could he not doubt the performance of the sword? ‘How is that even possible!’ If he had a better understanding of Eastern martial arts, it might be easier to understand, but Bangsang’s understanding of Eastern martial arts was poor. Because of that, he couldn’t understand how a sword with no aura could cut a steel sword like a piece of wood. Of course, it wasn’t just the Japanese swords that were being cut. Swish! A person and a sword were cut in half in one blow. Blood gushed from the severed waist, and intestines spilled out. Kang Jin-ho kicked away the cumbersome corpse and jumped up, simultaneously slicing through three Japanese men blocking his path. Fwaaaang! The sound of the sword being swung. Bangsang’s body trembled at the ear-splitting sound. ‘What the hell am I looking at?’ He was seeing it with his own eyes, but he couldn’t believe it. And what was even more unbelievable was… that he himself had come here to kill Kang Jin-ho. He remembered how he had worried that someone else might be hiding here instead of Kang Jin-ho while coming here. ‘I’m crazy.’ Capture that man? The Chevaliers? Elena’s words came to mind. Kang Jin-ho wasn’t a fuse, but a bomb itself. He shouldn’t have ignored her words. He knew very well the basic rule that he should never ignore the information brought by an informant, but he ignored her claim. Because she was British and the daughter of Knight Wiggins. He would now pay the price for bringing personal feelings into public matters. With his own life. So far, there had been no casualties among the Chevaliers. Unlike the Nanahoshi Gumi, who had actively reacted to Kang Jin-ho’s movements, they were frozen stiff and couldn’t move. Because of that, they were prolonging their pathetic lives. But if time passed like this, they wouldn’t be able to escape Kang Jin-ho’s clutches either. This was a deserted island with no place to run. ‘Hah, shouldn’t we join them?’ Bangsang scoffed at Mathieu’s words. ‘Join them?’ ‘Yes… We must join forces with the Nanahoshi Gumi. Otherwise, we’ll all die.’ ‘You fool…’ Bangsang gritted his teeth. ‘There’s no way a hundred cats can fight a tiger. So what the hell are you going to do?’ ‘But, if we stay like this…’ ‘Stay still.’ ‘Captain.’ ‘Didn’t I tell you to shut up!’ Mathieu closed his mouth. Bangsang gritted his teeth quietly. Why wouldn’t he be frustrated? But moving without thinking just because he was frustrated would only hasten his death. ‘Think.’ Now was the time to use his head, not his body. Just like when you’re being bitten by a tiger, you need to keep your wits about you, not use your body. ‘Kkyaaaaaaak!’ Another terrible scream was heard. Bangsang shuddered. The sword that had fallen from above had pierced his shoulder and stopped around his stomach. If he had been cut in half, he would have died without feeling any pain, but unfortunately, a colleague had blocked the sword that was sticking out halfway with his own sword. Because of that, the warrior caught in between was neither dead nor alive, only letting out a miserable scream. ‘Kuh-euk, kuh-euk…’ But Kang Jin-ho was merciful. As if it was hard to watch the man writhing in pain, Kang Jin-ho put strength into his sword and swung it down. Then, the Japanese sword that was blocking his sword was cut in half, and the body of the pierced man was cleanly cut in two. The sight of the body split in two and twitching on the floor was always gruesome. Kang Jin-ho’s sword, heated by blood, emitted a white steam. ‘Ah, ah…’ The last remaining samurai of the Nanahoshi Gumi was trembling as he looked at Kang Jin-ho. A smile formed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips as he saw that. ‘Where did the Japanese spirit go?’ ‘It seems it’s not here. Then I’ll have to go find it.’ Swish. A head soared into the air. Thud. Then it fell to the ground. Did those wide-open eyes find what they were looking for? That was something no one could know. The dead have no words. Tears of blood flowed from Saito’s eyes. Annihilation. A clean annihilation. Not a single one survived. Not his adjutant, Oizumi, nor the core forces he had painstakingly raised. His hand holding the Japanese sword trembled. With a look of anger, hatred, and fear mixed together. ‘You… you bastard.’ Kang Jin-ho laughed as he looked at Saito Genryu, who was spewing curses. ‘Is this something a human being would do! Look with your own eyes. What have you done!’ At Saito’s gesture, Kang Jin-ho turned his head back. A hellish scene was unfolding. Severed bodies, spilled intestines, and the beach stained red with blood that had soaked the ground. The waves that were slowly rolling in were mixed with blood, spewing out bloody foam. If there was a hell, it would be a scene like this. Kang Jin-ho slowly turned his head back. It was difficult to guess his emotions from his appearance covered in demonic energy. ‘Even though it’s the fate of a warrior to live by seeing blood, is this something a human being would do! This! After committing such an act, are you going to live with a human face?’ The demonic energy covering Kang Jin-ho’s body slowly faded. Kang Jin-ho’s body, which had been covered in demonic energy, revealed its appearance. Then, Saito saw it. Kang Jin-ho’s face with the corners of his mouth curled up. ‘…You?’ Kang Jin-ho chuckled. He couldn’t interpret what he was saying, but strangely, he could understand it. Because it was obvious what that guy was going to say. Just by looking at that face and expression, it felt like Saito’s words were being interpreted and heard on their own. ‘That’s amazing.’ Kang Jin-ho’s voice came out half-filled with air. ‘The guy who chased me all the way here to kill me is saying such things.’ ‘You…’ ‘Should I thank you if I kill you nicely?’ ‘The manners of the Japanese are strange. Are you saying that you’d be grateful if I cut off your breath without leaving a scar? Then bow your head. Put your head on the ground and express your gratitude. Then I’ll kill you nicely.’ The laughter mixed in with his words was ringing in Saito’s ears like thunder. Saito trembled, holding his sword. ‘The result is only one of two things. Either you die or you live. The process is meaningless. So I’m just using the most efficient method. Isn’t that what martial arts is?’ Kang Jin-ho’s answer was not conveyed to Saito. All Saito could see was Kang Jin-ho’s mocking expression, and all he could hear was Kang Jin-ho’s tone, which had not lost its composure at all. Saito felt the strength draining from his body. Dialogue was meaningless. From the beginning, he shouldn’t have had anything to say. Because he was the loser. No matter what he said, it was just a loser making pathetic excuses. ‘…This won’t be the end.’ Kang Jin-ho looked at Saito without answering. ‘You can be proud of killing us. It’s something to be proud of. But you’ll die because of it. If everyone finds out that our Nanahoshi Gumi was annihilated by your hand, they will consider you a dangerous existence. And they will use all their power to eliminate you. Hehehe. Yes, we will die here, but you will also die because of us. If I have to give up my life to kill you, it’s not a bad deal.’ Kang Jin-ho quietly looked at Saito. ‘It’s no use regretting it. You…’ That was the moment. Fwaaaang! Kang Jin-ho’s sword tore through the air and flew towards Saito’s neck. ‘Kuh!’ And Saito’s sword also shot up like lightning, blocking Kang Jin-ho’s sword. Clang! For the first time, a sound like metal clashing against metal rang out. Kang Jin-ho looked at Saito, who had blocked his sword, with interest. ‘You’re strong.’ Saito retrieved his sword and took an upper stance. ‘You arrogant bastard. I’ll show you with your own eyes how strong a true Japanese warrior is.’ Kang Jin-ho’s eyes began to gleam. ‘Strong, you say you’re strong…’ Dark demonic energy began to gush out in streams from his hands. The demonic energy began to wrap around his body like clothes, riding on his feet and hands. ‘Hehehehe.’ Saito saw it. Before the demonic energy covered even his face, Kang Jin-ho’s expression was changing to something more sinister. ‘Then you’ll last a little longer.’ Kang Jin-ho slowly approached Saito. ‘I don’t know if you’ll understand my words, but…’ Language is for conveying intent. But at this moment, Saito learned a new fact. Even if words don’t make sense, the context can be conveyed just by the tone. ‘Don’t die easily.’ So I can enjoy it a little more. A chilling red light shot out from Kang Jin-ho’s eyes.