Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 868

“Hmm?”

Nakata Yuji looked at Nobuo with a strange gaze. The words that had just come from the man’s mouth were definitely Korean.

Korean in a place where Japanese people gather?

Nakata Yuji chuckled.

It wasn’t that strange. The two guys in front of him were also Korean.

“Are you a Zainichi [Korean residents in Japan]?”

It was a part that everyone implicitly didn’t reveal, but there were quite a few Zainichi Koreans among the Yakuza [Japanese organized crime]. They were discriminated against in general society, so they were easily exposed to the temptation of crime.

The martial arts world was a little different, but similar things were happening there as well.

The mainstays of the martial arts world were the samurai families that had been passed down since the Warring States period [a period of civil war in Japan, 1467-1615], but not all lower-level martial artists could be from prestigious families.

There was always a need for people who would act as bullet shields.

Zainichi, who were thirsty for success and discriminated against, were a perfect fit for such needs.

Of course, they couldn’t climb to the top because of their background, but they didn’t want to go that far either.

The desires of Zainichi who wanted a moderate level of success in society and the needs of the martial arts world that wanted to use such people matched appropriately, and this situation occurred.

“Y-Yuji-san!”

Nakata Yuji frowned as he saw someone running towards him.

“I’m Motobe from the Eihanakai [a fictional organization].”

“Ah.”

Nakata Yuji nodded quietly.

‘Who cares about that.’

He was a guy he had never heard of. Still, judging by the fact that he recognized his face and showed respect, he seemed to be a man of some status.

“I’m sorry, our idiot here.”

Motobe reached out and grabbed the back of Nobuo’s head, pressing it down. Nobuo immediately bowed his head.

“I’m sorry!”

“…You have a lot to be sorry for.”

Nakata Yuji sighed.

“I don’t get angry just because someone is talking to themselves.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Oh, my. I wonder how my image has spread for this to happen.”

Kim Seok-il, who had been watching the situation quietly, chuckled and said.

“You’re talking as if there was a misunderstanding. It’s actually spread quite accurately.”

“I wish you’d shut your trap. My patience is already at its limit just by keeping you alive when you’re no longer of any use.”

“Are you talking about your image while saying that? That’s why you Japs are like this.”

Nakata Yuji shook his head and said.

There was nothing more difficult to deal with than a guy who had nothing to lose. The reason he tolerated Kim Seok-il’s rudeness was very simple. It wasn’t difficult to tear Kim Seok-il to pieces right now, but it didn’t seem like Kim Seok-il would be particularly pained by it.

That guy was living in hell.

The hell he would go to after death wouldn’t be much different from the hell he was experiencing now. So, there was no need to provide him with the comfortable rest of death.

Kim Seok-il probably felt the same way.

He was in so much pain that he wanted to end his life right away, but he couldn’t let go of his hatred for Kang Jin-ho, so he was still alive. Even at this moment, he was probably enduring the urge to bite his tongue to death.

Perhaps his constant provoking remarks were an expression of that feeling. He couldn’t kill himself, but if he died by someone else’s hand, he would have to accept it.

‘There’s no need to set him free.’

Nakata Yuji smiled and turned his head.

“It’s not a big deal, so just go… no, wait a minute.”

Nakata Yuji looked at Nobuo with interest and opened his mouth.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Nobuo.”

“Okay, Nobuo. Nobuo, you say?”

Nakata Yuji gestured to Motobe with his chin.

“I have something to say to Izawa, so I’d like you to leave for a moment.”

“B-But…”

“Please.”

Motobe nodded his head.

Everyone who belonged to the group was his responsibility. The group demanded strong responsibility as much as it gave authority. If any problem arose from handing Nobuo over to Nakata Yuji, he would have to take all the responsibility.

However, it was also true that he didn’t have the power to refuse Nakata Yuji’s request.

“Then.”

In the end, Motobe stepped away from the spot.

Nobuo swallowed hard as he watched Motobe walk away.

‘Why me?’

Nakata Yuji.

He had heard of him. No, he had heard of him countless times. He was a big shot who led the famous Nanahoshi Group. Why would such a person care about a nobody like Nobuo?

“So, you said your name was Nobuo?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

He couldn’t help but get fired up.

It felt like his voice was two tones higher than he had thought. He had tensed his body so much that it was bent like a bow.

“Are you a Zainichi?”

“Answer me.”

“Y-Yes, I am.”

“Hmm.”

Nakata Yuji slightly turned his head and looked at Kim Seok-il and Lee Seong-hwi.

“How does it feel to meet someone from the same ethnic group? To meet a Korean in a foreign country, it must be quite moving.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Kim Seok-il said through gritted teeth.

“Why? Are you telling us to have a party with traitors?”

“Heh heh, we can’t be the same. You guys are definitely traitors, but this guy has room for extenuating circumstances.”

Nobuo’s head went blank at the word traitor.

‘A traitor?’

It wasn’t wrong.

He was now on the side of Japan, invading Korea. Even though he used a Japanese name and lived in Japan, he was Korean. And he was invading Korea?

“Nobuo.”

“Yes!”

Nobuo was startled and answered at the voice calling him.

“You don’t look too good?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“There’s no need to worry about it.”

Nakata Yuji grabbed Nobuo’s shoulder.

“In this day and age, it’s ridiculous to emphasize things like country or patriotism. Don’t you think so?”

“Right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay.” Tap, tap!

Nakata Yuji tapped Nobuo’s shoulder. As if he liked the answer.

“Times have changed. It seems like there are still some old fogies who say such things, but I’m too busy trying to survive to talk about patriotism.”

It sounded like he was saying his own thoughts, but it also felt like he was subtly forcing it on Nobuo. Whichever was Nakata Yuji’s intention, Nobuo had no choice but to nod his head vigorously.

He didn’t want to be on his bad side.

Nakata Yuji was known as a good person, but Nobuo knew very well that there was no such thing as a true good person in this world.

“Okay. There’s one thing I want to ask you.”

“Yes!”

“What do you think?”

“…Yes?”

“Japan and Korea aren’t on good terms. What do you think about invading Korea from Japan’s side, that’s what I’m saying.”

At Nakata Yuji’s words, Nobuo rolled his eyes.

What should he answer?

He could feel it.

Behind that outwardly gentle demeanor, there was an undeniable cruelty. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. No, a snake in sheep’s clothing.

He could sense that his fate would be determined by what answer he gave now.

Nobuo opened and closed his mouth several times. Then, he finally opened his mouth as if spitting it out.

“I-I don’t have a country.”

“Oh?”

“They didn’t do anything for me, so why should I be loyal to them? I think patriotism only has meaning when the country protects me.”

“That’s right.”

Nakata Yuji nodded his head.

That was the answer he wanted.

“I have high expectations for your performance.”

“T-Thank you.”

Nakata Yuji patted Nobuo’s back a couple of times and then moved on.

Lee Seong-hwi and Kim Seok-il were still behind him, but Nakata Yuji no longer paid attention to them.

Their usefulness was over.

There were ways to use them once they got to Korea, but that was a minor issue. They had already done their part by acting as a bridge between China and Japan.

‘Then I should boil them.’

When the hunt was over, the dogs were boiled.

But what Nakata Yuji was concerned about now was something else.

‘How many Zainichi are there here?’

He had brought a select group, so the riffraff would have been excluded. Even so, there would be quite a few Zainichi here. There were also Koreans who had hidden their Zainichi status or had naturalized to Japan, making it impossible to identify them.

Perhaps their existence could be a variable.

‘I need to investigate.’

Nakata Yuji stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

It might be a minor variable, but he couldn’t ruin the grand plan because of a minor variable. Nakata Yuji looked at the passenger ship where people were boarding, thinking about what he had to do.

‘It’s a ship of death.’

From Korea’s point of view, that is.

The moment they entered the peninsula, the Korean martial arts world would become hell. The thought made him laugh.

‘Oh, my.’

Nakata Yuji raised his hand and rubbed his face.

‘I need to calm down. I’m a pacifist. I need to look sad now. As if I have no choice but to do something I don’t want to do.’

That way, it wouldn’t look strange to others.

‘Wait, Morikawa Atsushi. I’ll get revenge for you now.’

By taking Kang Jin-ho’s head.

Lee Seong-hwi clenched his fist as he watched Nakata Yuji slowly walk away.

He knew that their usefulness was over.

Now that they were going to Korea, the only thing they could do was act as human navigators.

They were just going to chatter about where the headquarters were and where Kang Jin-ho was staying. They were neither strong enough to be of help to them, nor were they clever enough to provide them with absolute strategies. In the end, their role was over.

They had done it.

They had endured humiliation for a long time and finally brought down Kang Jin-ho.

Finally!

“…Damn it.”

But Lee Seong-hwi’s heart was not as happy as he thought it would be. He didn’t feel any anticipation of being able to get revenge or any satisfaction from seeing Kang Jin-ho die.

All that was left was a sense of unease.

Only a lingering, sticky unease was making Lee Seong-hwi annoyed.

‘What the hell is the problem?’

What Nobuo had said earlier was correct.

While they were collapsing miserably, neither the martial arts world nor the country helped him. So why should he have a sense of obligation to the Korean martial arts world?

He would laugh at them.

He would prove that their choice was wrong!

It was then.

“Um…”

Nobuo looked at them and quietly opened his mouth.

The awkward Korean that came out was irritating. But the meaning was clearly conveyed.

“You two are Korean, so why…?”

Lee Seong-hwi couldn’t answer.

Even if he had a thousand reasons and ten thousand grounds, he wouldn’t be able to answer at this moment.

Lee Seong-hwi bit his lip and turned away from Nobuo’s gaze, heading towards the ship.

This ship was now going to Korea.

There was no turning back.