Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 972

“Will you try to stop us?”

There was no answer.

However, everyone present knew what the outcome would be. Sometimes, humans accept death calmly for the sake of pride and honor. But those who remained were clearly terrified of death.

Of course.

Just facing an overwhelming enemy is enough to break a person’s will. But this wasn’t just about facing an overwhelming enemy.

From their perspective, the demons of the Assembly were incomprehensible beings.

How could they understand these demons, losing their minds and rushing in, spewing out black demonic energy they had never seen before?

To them, the Assembly was no different from a horde of devils led by the great demon king, Kang Jin-ho. So, it was understandable that they would lose their will to resist.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Clean this up. If they resist, kill them.”

“Thank you, Lord.”

Wiggins bowed deeply.

He knew it well. If it were the usual Kang Jin-ho, he would never have spared those who had opposed him even once. Kang Jin-ho was someone who did not forgive those deemed enemies, whether they had lost their will to resist or not.

The reason he had stopped his attacks several times was because these people were the ones who had once followed Wiggins.

And Wiggins had to seize that opportunity.

“Listen.”

The wounded and exhausted people, panting, turned their gazes to Wiggins.

“You can’t stop them. You know that, right?”

“I’m not asking you to cooperate. Just step aside. And then wait. I came here to return the Round Table to the Master, not to Knight Levo.”

“…Knight Wiggins.”

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Otherwise, there’s no reason for me to go to such lengths to save you.”

“You don’t need to understand. There’s no need to choose a pointless death. Whether you understand or not, just step aside. So, move aside. Right now!”

It was a resolute voice.

But those who heard it could all tell. The current Wiggins was not so much resolute as he was desperate. His voice was filled with how much he wanted to save them.

“…Are we also becoming traitors?”

“I’m not asking you to side with me. Just step aside. I’ve always said that it’s foolish to fight an enemy you can’t defeat.”

“But Knight…”

“I am no longer a Knight.”

Wiggins shook his head.

“There are things that can be corrected because I am not a Knight. So, step aside this time. Your lives are too precious to throw away here.”

A strange silence fell.

But the result was already as good as decided. If they had wanted to fight, they should have responded when the warriors of the Assembly stopped attacking and retreated.

There was no way they could fight again now.

Just as those who had sighed lowly were about to open their mouths.

“You also said that the value of a knight is proven by how much will they show when facing an insurmountable enemy, Wiggins.”

Wiggins turned his head.

“…You.”

From the corridor leading to the opposite side of the hall, people in heavy armor were slowly marching out in formation.

“Wilson.”

The knight at the front, called Wilson, answered with a subtle smile.

“I understand what you’re saying. Certainly, there’s no need to die a pointless death. They won’t fight anymore. But we are different. The Garter Knights [a high-ranking order of chivalry in England] do not retreat in the face of the enemy. You know that, don’t you?”

“Because you were the one who taught us that, Knight.”

Wiggins let out a groan.

This was the situation he wanted to avoid the most.

If the Chevalier [a knight] guarded Knight Levo, the Garter Knights were the ones who guarded him. When he was a Knight of England, the ones he trusted the most and put the most effort into were the Garter Knights.

And those people were now blocking Wiggins’ path.

“…Are you going to stop me?”

“I don’t know if I need to say it. To correct one thing, we didn’t come here to stop you. We came here to stop the intruders.”

Wilson’s gaze swept over those behind Wiggins.

“We won’t let anyone pass.”

“Wilson.”

Wiggins said in a slightly urgent voice.

“If you stall for time, Knight Levo will take the Master’s place. You know that no one will be able to stop him then.”

“Why should we stop him?”

“…What?”

Wilson shrugged.

“Why should we stop him from becoming the Master? Even if he usurps the Master’s position, if he goes through the proper procedures and gets the consent of the Round Table, it’s a legitimate matter. Why should we stop someone who is legitimately taking the Master’s position?”

Wiggins bit his lip.

“If that happens, the Master will not be safe. And England will also suffer terrible things. Don’t you know that?”

“Even if it costs me my life…”

Wilson smiled.

“If that’s the decision of the Round Table, I will follow it without complaint. That’s what you taught us. Isn’t that right?”

“Decide. Knight… no, Wiggins. We will never retreat. However…”

Wilson shrugged.

“The only order the Round Table gave us was to stop the intruders. There was no order to chase them if they ran away, so if you go back now, we won’t chase you. Go back. We don’t want to kill you with our own hands. You know better than anyone how strong we are, don’t you?”

Wiggins closed his eyes.

Stubbornness that only knows principles.

But it wasn’t their fault. It was Wiggins himself who had instilled such ideas in them. Confronting his past, inadequate self was incredibly frustrating.

“Knight Chadwick, following his orders is not a pleasant thing, but it can’t be helped. It’s because you abandoned your position as a Knight. Now, please decide…”

“Wilson.”

Wiggins cut off Wilson’s words.

Then, with eyes that had turned endlessly cold, he opened his mouth.

“If it were the old me, I would have hesitated. And I probably would have turned back here. You probably believe that I will act that way now too. That if we just put up a decent front, we can end this without spilling each other’s blood.”

“But I am not the old Knight Wiggins. I can no longer be who I was back then. I know now. Sometimes, humans must endure anything to achieve their goals.

Even if it means the lives of those who were like family to me!” Wiggins said, gritting his teeth.

“I will not hesitate.”

The resoluteness in Wiggins’ words shut Wilson’s mouth.

“The decision is not mine, but yours. There is no time. The person behind me is not very patient. Now, decide. Will you all die, or will you open the path?”

Wilson’s gaze followed those behind Wiggins.

‘Is that Kang Jin-ho?’

Kang Jin-ho, whom Knight Chadwick had repeatedly warned about, must be that oriental man in the center.

He was definitely different.

The people guarding Wiggins’ back were all exuding an extraordinary aura. Especially that huge man, just looking at him made his heart tremble with the fighting spirit he was emitting.

Even so, that man’s presence was different.

He wasn’t particularly emitting any aura or threatening anyone. Just existing on the battlefield was enough to create a suffocating presence.

Yes, that must be it.

He must be someone of that caliber to have taken Wiggins as his subordinate.

Wilson’s gaze swept over the British warriors who had collapsed from exhaustion and even the corpses who had gone down a path of no return.

They were broken.

That was the perfect word. This wasn’t the aftermath of a battle. It was the aftermath of a massacre. Even if they weren’t as strong as the Garter Knights, these were carefully selected people who were unilaterally massacred without even putting up a proper resistance.

If he couldn’t guess how strong they were after seeing this scene, he should step down from his position as the commander of the Garter Knights.

“I will not retreat.”

Even so, Wilson’s decision was firm.

“Are you saying you’ll throw away your life to buy time for Knight Levo to become the Master? Is that your pride?”

“Yes!”

Wilson’s voice exploded.

“Is it the pride we must uphold to side with a traitor and open the path? Are you forcing us to take that path now? It was none other than you who taught us what pride we must uphold!”

“When you abandoned your position as a Knight, perhaps this conclusion was already decided. So, don’t make us…”

It was at that moment.

“Kuk…”

A low chuckle was heard.

The chuckle had a strange resonance that even made Wilson, who was shouting, shut his mouth.

Kang Jin-ho, who had burst into laughter, coughed awkwardly when he saw the gazes focused on him.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“What’s so funny?”

At Wilson’s urging, Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“It’s funny.”

“So, what is it?”

“It’s funny to see grown adults spouting childish nonsense, arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong.”

“…Childish nonsense?”

“Yes, childish nonsense.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly stepped forward.

“Pride, honor, all that ridiculous talk about who’s right and who’s wrong… if that’s not a game, then what is it?”

He wanted to retort.

He wanted to scold this rude oriental man right away.

But Wilson couldn’t do anything.

The moment Kang Jin-ho started approaching him, an immense pressure that felt like the air had turned to lead pressed down on his entire body. It was a terrifying force that felt like his insides would burst out of his throat if he opened his mouth.

‘H-How can this be?’

It wasn’t magic.

It was different from any magic he knew. But if it wasn’t magic, how could he exert such control without even lifting a finger?

“Honor? Pride?”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled softly.

“I don’t care what you want to protect here. But one thing is certain. Whether you block me or step aside, the result will not change. So, you need to understand clearly. The choice you have here is not about protecting your pride or not. It’s about whether you will die a pointless death or survive.”

Kang Jin-ho came right in front of him.

But Wilson couldn’t avoid it, nor could he resist. He was just trembling slightly, his whole body stiff like a mouse that had just faced a cat.

Kang Jin-ho slowly reached out and grabbed Wilson’s face.

Between the fingers that gripped his face, Wilson could see Kang Jin-ho’s bloodshot eyes.

“Now, answer me. Will you die, or will you live?”

Wilson’s hand, which had been gripping the sword’s hilt, fell limply.

The devil always forces a choice.

There seemed to be choices, but in the end, the choice was already decided.

Once he was caught in the devil’s hand, there was only one choice he could make.

“Guide me.”

Without even waiting for an answer, Kang Jin-ho released Wilson’s face.

“To where that Knight Levo or whatever is.”