Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 886

Lee Sung-hwi chuckled, observing the look in Nakata Yuji’s eyes.

‘Looks like he’s finally come to his senses.’

Though he had been pressing him, Lee Sung-hwi fully understood Nakata Yuji. No one could remain composed after witnessing such a sight.

Even Lee Sung-hwi, who prided himself on knowing Kang Jin-ho best after endless tracking and investigation, felt his heart pound. How much more would Nakata Yuji be affected?

‘That monster of a man.’

Kang Jin-ho was growing stronger and stronger.

The first time Lee Sung-hwi faced Kang Jin-ho, he felt utter despair. He and Kang Jin-ho were not even comparable.

But back then, there was a glimmer of hope.

That’s why he embraced demonic arts. He believed that if he became stronger, overwhelmingly stronger than he was now, he could face Kang Jin-ho.

The second time he faced Kang Jin-ho, Lee Sung-hwi realized.

It was a pipe dream.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never catch up to Kang Jin-ho.

The same human?

Coal and diamonds are both made of carbon. But the value of coal and diamonds is as different as heaven and earth.

Those who spout nonsense about being the same human, or that there is a possibility because they are human, do not know the harshness of the world. From the start, he and Kang Jin-ho were born different.

That’s why he mobilized Japan.

That’s why he clung to China.

If he couldn’t defeat Kang Jin-ho with his own power, he would try to destroy Kang Jin-ho by borrowing the power of others.

But the third time he saw Kang Jin-ho, he was different again.

Magnificent.

When he saw his figure, he lost his reason due to hatred. But as he looked at his divine aura, even that hatred faded. He thought he had completely erased his identity as a martial artist, but seeing Kang Jin-ho’s divine aura made a corner of his heart boil.

Was there still something left in him?

In him, who had learned demonic arts and sold out his country?

‘What a joke.’

He wasn’t so foolish as to not realize his own position. He couldn’t dare utter the words ‘martial spirit’. He was the most inferior and filthy trash among all martial artists. He was a being who had fallen into the deepest abyss, one that even those demons would spit on.

Compared to that?

Yes, that figure was rather brilliant.

Utterly cruel and utterly ruthless. It was a demonic sight that made his skin crawl just by looking at it.

But wasn’t that the essence of martial arts? Martial arts were originally like that. They intimidate, threaten, and trample.

Respecting and persuading others is the job of literature. Martial arts are simply about killing and subduing the opponent most efficiently. In that sense, Kang Jin-ho was embodying the most perfect martial arts with his entire being.

The ideal of a martial artist.

That figure, unwavering by any emotions like affection or pity, facing the enemy like a machine, might be the ideal image that martial artists have been striving for countless years.

While he fell into the abyss, Kang Jin-ho had risen to that place.

Lee Sung-hwi bit his lip.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Whether his insides were churning or whether he was blinded by that dazzling figure, it didn’t matter at all.

Yes, rise.

Rise higher, Kang Jin-ho.

That way, the fall will be more miserable. Just like I was.

“Now, stop spacing out….”

*Thwack.*

Nakata Yuji knocked away Lee Sung-hwi’s hand that was grabbing his collar.

Then, he raised his hand and swept back his disheveled hair. After clearing his throat a couple of times, Nakata Yuji spoke in a low voice.

“That’s enough, stop there.”

“Hmph.”

Reason had returned to Nakata Yuji’s eyes.

“To think it would be this much.”

But just because his reason had returned didn’t mean his surprise had faded. It just meant he could see the situation more objectively. The situation he saw objectively was the worst.

It couldn’t get any worse.

“It seems several times stronger than I thought.”

“Frogs in a well finally seeing the world.”

“Frogs?”

“You islanders.”

Lee Sung-hwi smirked.

“You haven’t even seen the world properly, yet you delude yourselves into thinking you’re comparable to China. It’s pathetic. That’s all you are.”

Nakata Yuji’s brow furrowed.

But he didn’t open his mouth to argue. Now was not the time to bicker with this guy. They had to stop them no matter what. If they didn’t, they would be annihilated.

‘Annihilation, huh…’

A hollow laugh escaped him.

Annihilation? These people on this ship?

How could they be annihilated by just four people when their forces here were so strong?

But this absurd thing was happening in reality. If they delayed any longer, it would become irreversible.

Nakata Yuji erased the martial artists on the deck from his mind.

They were no longer a fighting force.

Soldiers who were terrified and demoralized could not be a fighting force. Rather, they would only lower the morale of those around them. And even if their morale was high, it would be the same.

Those small fries couldn’t face Kang Jin-ho even if they numbered in the tens of thousands, not just thousands.

Then the ‘real’ ones had to step up.

But to do that….

Nakata Yuji turned his head back. Behind him, the leaders of each group who had participated here were already lined up.

But their expressions had long since lost their spirits.

‘Pathetic.’

He was annoyed, but it was not a problem he could blame them for. Wasn’t he the same? If anyone saw such a sight with their own eyes, they wouldn’t be able to help it.

First, he had to calm them down.

“Get a hold of yourselves.”

“Ah…”

“Or you’ll all die.”

They would all die.

It seemed that those words had an effect. Light returned to their clouded eyes. They were all beginning to realize the situation they were in.

“When a beast enters our territory, there is only one way to deal with it. We must kill it. If we don’t kill it, we will die.”

And perhaps Japan would be the same.

The forces here were by no means weak. If this many people were annihilated, Japan would not even dream of invading Korea for a while. It would take them several years just to control the internal situation and reorganize.

That was a path to ruin.

While they were reorganizing, there was no way Kang Jin-ho would just sit idly by. He would surely strengthen his forces.

The minimum time it would take for Kang Jin-ho to overwhelm Japan would be met. If that happened, Japan would never again hold the initiative over Korea.

Rather, they would be terrified and anxious about when Kang Jin-ho would attack.

‘That must be stopped.’

So this was the front line. If they couldn’t kill Kang Jin-ho here, everything would be over. But that also meant that if they could kill Kang Jin-ho here, everything would be resolved.

“There is no retreat.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Nakata Yuji.

“There is no way to escape. With your abilities, you might be able to escape from here and reach the mainland. But even if you arrive there, you will only face the wrath of the leader.”

Silence fell at the mention of the enraged leader.

Kang Jin-ho was frightening.

Bator was terrifying.

But that fear and terror paled in comparison to the leader’s wrath.

If they faced them, they would die, but if the leader was angry, they might not even be able to die. Who would want to suffer that fate?

“The choice is obvious.”

Nakata Yuji raised his hand and pointed at Kang Jin-ho.

“Kill him and gain glory, or die.”

A strange tension began to fill the air at those words.

*KWA-AA-AA-ANG!*

A ferocious aura swirled in Bator’s eyes.

He was now in a realm he had never experienced before.

Something hot was surging from his chest.

A burning sensation and exhilaration that felt like his whole body was on fire excited him.

And murderous intent.

The urge to kill everything alive dominated him. He felt like he could endure anything if he could just grab and tear apart everything in front of him.

Blood, and blood, and blood!

The ferocious aura was exploding.

This was demonic arts!

Even Bator, who had reached a high level after decades of training in orthodox martial arts, could not maintain his reason. The anger and murderous intent to destroy everything in the world took over his mind.

Kill!

Kill them all!

“Hwaaaaaaaaah!”

With a huge roar, Bator’s fist shot out. It wasn’t the pure white energy he usually emitted. A dark, ominous fist aura swept forward.

*KWA-AA-AA-ANG!*

Another explosion erupted.

Its power was incomparable to the past. Bator, who had embraced demonic arts, had become incomparably stronger than before. Bator, with blood foam on his lips, charged forward.

A berserk giant had lost his reason and was rampaging.

Who could handle that?

“…Crazy.”

Bang Jin-hoon quietly retreated.

‘If I get caught in there, I’ll die too.’

He knew instinctively. It was too dangerous to approach Bator and Kang Jin-ho right now.

Bator was literally out of his mind right now. He didn’t seem like he could distinguish friend from foe. So what was the point of helping? Not getting in the way was the best help.

He already knew Bator was strong. But the current Bator had far surpassed the level he knew.

Look.

*KWA-AA-AA-ANG!*

*KWA-AA-ANG!*

Each time a fist was thrown, an explosion erupted. It was as if he had a bomb attached to his fist.

It wasn’t a single blow that gathered power. Each and every punch he threw lightly, casually, unleashed murderous power.

“No, what is this….”

Could he become this strong just by learning demonic arts?

The answer came from Wiggins’ mouth.

“It’s because he has no hesitation.”

“…Hesitation?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it at length, so just take it as it is.”

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

Wiggins smiled wryly.

He needed to have an automatic translator or something. Seriously.

‘Anyway…’

Wiggins looked at Bator’s broad back with a calm gaze.

‘It feels like he’s three times stronger.’

Wiggins could tell. The reason Bator had become stronger was not simply because he had learned demonic arts. Even if demonic arts were added to someone who was based on orthodox martial arts, he couldn’t expect such a sudden increase.

The reason Bator had become stronger was elsewhere.

He prided himself on being a warrior of the plains, a warrior who pursued the joy of battle, but he was not a bad person at heart.

Of course, Bator was used to blood. But that didn’t mean he had no qualms about killing people. Humans instinctively feel a sense of revulsion towards killing other humans.

That revulsion weakens the force of their strikes and slows their reactions. But the current Bator had no such revulsion.

Rather, he was rampaging to kill even one more person. When a master reaches that level, even that small mindset alone can make such a difference.

It was even more so because it was a part that could not be consciously corrected.

‘Should I try learning demonic arts too?’

Wiggins licked his lips.

That was attractive. It was incredibly attractive. Enough to make him want to try it if he could.

‘But no.’

It didn’t suit him. He, who used both swords and magic, always had to maintain his reason. Otherwise, he could ruin himself.

And….

“It’s not like that’s the only way to get stronger.”

There were many other ways.

For example….