Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 975

‘An earthquake?’

No.

Lee Hyun-soo realized it immediately. There was a rumbling vibration, but it wasn’t the ‘shaking’ of an earthquake.

Rather than the ground shaking, it was more like…

‘Moving.’

An unknown number of entities were rushing towards this place.

“Lord!”

Wiggins shouted urgently.

“We must block the entrance!”

“Entrance?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes followed Wiggins’ gaze.

‘Doors?’

The doors leading to the huge circular hall weren’t just the one Kang Jin-ho and the others had come through.

‘Three?’

There were three more doors in the front, left, and right.

“Forces will pour into the hall!”

Kang Jin-ho frowned slightly.

‘Forces?’

If there were more forces, why hadn’t they appeared until now?

As if noticing Kang Jin-ho’s thoughts, Wiggins quickly explained.

“While the Master’s seat is vacant, the forces of other nations within the Round Table are prohibited from acting. Those that the Knights brought will now begin to move.”

Kang Jin-ho spoke immediately.

“Bator!”

“I’m here, Master!”

“Lead your subordinates and block the front door.”

“Understood!”

Bator, also aware of the seriousness of the situation, ran towards the front without another word. Gong Young-gil and the others followed behind him.

“Jang Min!”

“Demon Lord, I am ready!”

“Left!”

“Yes!”

Jang Min also quickly ran out and occupied the left door. The demons filled in behind him.

“Bang Jin-hoon!”

“Yes!”

“Right! Take the Chevaliers [French Knights]!”

“Yes!”

As Bang Jin-hoon moved, the elites of the General Assembly followed him. Vincent, having heard the translation, nodded. However, he didn’t move immediately. His gaze was fixed on Knight Levo from the beginning.

“Knight Levo!”

Vincent called out to Knight Levo with a piercing shout.

“Why! Why…”

Before Vincent could say anything, Knight Levo cut him off.

“The traitor has returned to the Round Table.”

“Traitor?”

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

Knight Levo clicked his tongue.

“That’s why you can’t trust people. I raised and fed you, and now you’re wagging your tail at another master.”

“How could you do this to us…”

“Enough.”

Knight Levo firmly cut off Vincent’s words.

He knew that Vincent saying more wouldn’t help him.

‘Fool.’

If he had waited quietly in Korea, he would have been called back first after the situation at the Round Table was settled.

Even if Knight Levo had become the Master, they weren’t unnecessary. Although Knight Vincent’s First Knight Order wasn’t the entire Chevalier force, having more power was always better.

But that fool had committed the stupid act of invading the Round Table with the traitors. Considering what the other Knights would think of this situation, it was a fatal mistake for him.

“The Round Table does not tolerate traitors.”

“Traitor? Am I a traitor? Are you saying we are traitors, Knight Levo?”

“Then why are you standing with the traitors?”

“…Knight Levo!”

Vincent’s voice was filled with anguish. But Knight Levo just smiled smoothly.

“It’s simple. If you feel wronged, then prove that you are not a traitor.”

“Cut off Wiggins’ head.”

Vincent’s eyes wavered.

“If your presence here with them is due to unavoidable circumstances, then you must prove it yourself. As the Master of the Round Table and a Knight of France, and as the acting representative of the yet-to-be-elected French Knight, I order you. If you still follow the orders of the Round Table and your country, then kill those who have invaded the Round Table and prove your innocence!”

The first to react to those words wasn’t Vincent, but Wiggins.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

‘A snake.’

Knight Levo’s words showed just how cunning he was. Now that he had said those words, Knight Levo had nothing to lose.

If Vincent refused Knight Levo’s words and sided with the General Assembly, he would become an undeniable traitor. And if Vincent sided with Knight Levo, he could regain his prestige and secure a useful force here.

Either way, he had nothing to lose. Originally, Vincent should have been the one to denounce Knight Levo, but now Vincent was in a position where he had to prove himself to Knight Levo.

It was the effect of taking the initiative.

“I…”

Vincent gritted his teeth, as if he knew what situation he was in.

“…Vincent.”

Wiggins called out to Vincent with a pitiful voice. But this wasn’t the time to comfort him. Even at this moment, the knight orders of each nation were rushing into the hall.

“Lee Myung-hwan.”

Kang Jin-ho called out to Lee Myung-hwan in a low voice.

“Yes, Lord.”

“Help Bang Jin-hoon.”

“Yes!”

Lee Myung-hwan led the demonic flames and ran behind Bang Jin-hoon. Kang Jin-ho, watching the scene, turned his head and looked at Vincent.

“Choose.”

“…Lord.”

“It doesn’t matter what you choose. This isn’t the time to hesitate.”

Vincent bit his lip tightly.

Knight Levo was his superior. But Knight Levo had abandoned him. At the same time, he had completely ignored him.

Kang Jin-ho was his enemy. But the reason he was alive was purely because Kang Jin-ho had protected them. He had even supported them without harming those who had come to kill him.

So, who should he follow?

“…Lord, we cannot abandon our country.”

“I understand.”

“So, I will not fight Knight Levo. However…”

Vincent gritted his teeth.

“Not even an ant will pass through the right door. I will protect it with my life until the last one remains.”

“Then.”

Vincent bowed respectfully to Kang Jin-ho and then turned his head.

“You don’t have to follow me.”

Then, he spoke firmly to the Chevaliers behind him.

“Those who wish to follow Knight Levo, go over there right now. I will not follow Knight Levo. To me, the grace bestowed upon me is far more important than my country. And…”

Vincent glanced at Knight Levo and said.

“I do not believe that following that man is patriotism. A twisted leader leads the country to ruin.

Decide.”

No one moved.

They just met Vincent’s gaze with firm eyes. Mathieu, the vice-captain who had been quietly observing the situation, opened his mouth.

“We follow the Captain, not Knight Levo.”

“That’s right!”

In the past, the choice might have been different.

Even though Vincent was the captain, it was clear that the Chevaliers should truly follow the Knight.

But they had spent a long time together in Korea and had come to trust each other more.

In a foreign country where they knew no one, a place that was practically an enemy nation, those abandoned by their country had only each other to rely on. And now, they were going to make different choices?

That was impossible.

If they couldn’t choose between the country that had abandoned them and the enemy country that had accepted them, then they would respect the captain’s choice. That was the conclusion they had reached.

“We will take the right side.”

Kang Jin-ho watched Vincent quietly and then nodded.

“I’m counting on you.”

Vincent smiled without answering.

Once, he had headed to Korea to kill this Kang Jin-ho. But now, he was risking his life to protect Kang Jin-ho.

‘It’s ironic.’

His feelings were complicated, but this was the best he could do.

Even though Knight Levo had abandoned them, he couldn’t bring himself to stab the man who was his superior and the representative of France. He could only….

‘Put everything back in its place.’

He would just trust Kang Jin-ho.

As the Chevaliers, led by Vincent, ran towards the right door, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Pull the demonic flames back and distribute them.”

“Yes!”

“Make sure none of the three places are breached.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Lee Hyun-soo’s forehead.

He didn’t know what kind of forces would be pouring through each door. He had to assess the situation in real-time and manage the forces perfectly.

It was a situation where he had to use his skills in a battlefield that didn’t suit him. Lee Hyun-soo licked his lips and retreated to the back.

Once the deployment was complete, Kang Jin-ho shrugged his shoulders at Wiggins.

“Well, then…”

“Yes.”

Wiggins scratched his head.

“Before our forces suffer too much damage…”

Wiggins’ gaze fell on the Knights who had risen from the Round Table and were looking at him.

“We need to deal with them.”

“I have a question.”

“Yes.”

“What happens if we kill them all?”

“I don’t understand the exact meaning.”

“Looking at the situation, it seems like the Master has to be elected by more than half of the Knights, but if we kill all the Knights there, wouldn’t it be impossible to elect one? Then who would rule the Round Table?”

“There will never be a situation where the number of Knights falls below the majority. If a Knight dies, their country will elect a new Knight.”

“Hmm.”

“However…”

Wiggins gave a subtle smile.

“If the number of Knights falls below the majority and the Round Table cannot operate properly, then the previous Knights and the previous Master will take their place until a new Knight is elected.”

“Hmm?”

“If they are still alive, that is. And fortunately, the Master and I are still alive.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Simple is good.

“So…”

Shhhhk.

Red Dew and Blue Dew were drawn from their sheaths.

“It means we can just kill them all.”

“…That’s basically it.”

“Simple.”

Kang Jin-ho grinned, revealing his teeth.

While coming here, he had tried his best to respect Wiggins’ opinion and consider his position.

If it had been the old him, the moment he entered battle, he wouldn’t have considered Wiggins’ position. He wouldn’t show mercy to his enemies. That was Kang Jin-ho’s iron rule.

But now, he couldn’t do that.

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t just rush forward like he did when he led the Demonic Cult in the past. Now, there were people he had to support, and people he had to rely on.

So, sometimes it was necessary to bend his will.

However….

At this moment, Kang Jin-ho released everything that had been restraining him.

Clench.

His hand gripping Red Dew tightened.

A sense of liberation that made him want to cheer, everything he had suppressed burst out, and demonic energy surged through his entire body.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Step back.”

“…Yes?”

“Don’t try to assist me clumsily, just step back. Don’t stand next to me.”

“Because I might kill you.”

Leaving those words behind, Kang Jin-ho walked forward. Before he could take more than a couple of steps, Kang Jin-ho’s entire body was enveloped in blazing demonic energy.

It was the moment the Demon Lord descended.