Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 998

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Voltexes poured forth. Even while unleashing a barrage of spear strikes with tremendous power, Gawain did not slow his charge.

The feeling of his toes crumbling.

A sensation as if everything in his body was drying up and turning to ash.

And this was not just a sensation.

Gawain was now pouring everything contained within his body into the tip of his spear.

Power that could not be understood simply by the difference in mana [magical energy]. Sword strikes that could not be explained by having reached a higher realm.

Now he understood how Kang Jin-ho created such unbelievable power.

He had been unleashing each strike like Gawain was doing now.

‘Hah…’

It was a ridiculous thing.

The more he fought, the stronger he became.

The more he unleashed attacks of unimaginable power, the more respect he felt for Kang Jin-ho, which was paradoxical.

This man lived here.

Only by risking his life and equating the end of this battle with his own demise could he barely grasp the edge of that realm.

And in that realm, that area, this man lived as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

It wasn’t respect for his strength.

It was respect for his way.

After a thousand years, Gawain had finally met an opponent he could respect with all his being.

It was regrettable that he was an enemy… no, perhaps it was a blessing. If Kang Jin-ho hadn’t been his enemy, this moment would never have come.

Only after a thousand years could he truly call himself a warrior.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

One more strike!

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Hair shattered.

Fingernails crumbled, and skin dried up like sand and fell away.

All vitality was draining from his body.

‘I am now in a place I cannot reach.’

Ecstasy.

Unparalleled ecstasy.

But the price was too high. He had already passed the critical point. Even if Kang Jin-ho did not intervene, he would not be able to sustain his life.

He had to pay the price for extracting everything.

Yet, Gawain had not a single regret.

“Ooooooooooooooo!”

A voltex, stronger and larger than any he had unleashed before, flew towards Kang Jin-ho.

Kagagagak!

Kang Jin-ho’s Red Blade struck the voltex, but it did not deflect it as easily as before. Kang Jin-ho’s upper body swayed, breaking his balance.

And without needing to say a word, Tristan and Percival seized the opportunity and shot forward.

“Death to the enemy!”

“Dieeeeeee!”

Percival and Tristan were also different from before. Having completely given up their lives, they poured all the strength and focus they would have used for defense into their attacks, making their strikes truly threatening.

Tristan’s crescent-shaped silver sword energy, Silver Moon, sliced through Kang Jin-ho vertically.

Percival’s sword also emitted a dazzling light like the sun.

Kang Jin-ho’s bloodshot eyes trembled with joy.

A battle where lives were at stake.

A battle where they aimed for each other’s throats, giving their all. In such a battle, Kang Jin-ho felt that he was alive.

Black demonic energy erupted from his body, burning black.

Injuries?

Quite critical.

And it seemed that poison had been applied to the blade, as his head had been spinning for a while now.

But it didn’t matter.

He had experienced such injuries dozens of times.

The black flames covering his face flickered. With an uncontrollable smile, Kang Jin-ho swung his Azure Blade.

Chwaaaaaaaat.

The moon split.

The silver moon that illuminated the world was split in half, disappearing into the darkness.

At the same time, the body of the one who had created the silver moon was also split in half.

Paahhhhh!

Tristan’s body was split in two from head to groin, flunging to the left and right. Even though his comrade had died right next to him, Percival did not even blink.

Their purpose was no longer to protect their comrades.

Nor was it to protect the Round Table [a legendary group of knights].

It was to kill Kang Jin-ho.

They had forgotten the grand goal of protecting the Round Table and the world, and even the sense of duty as the last bastion of the Round Table. The grand and sacred battle had now been reduced to a battle filled with simple resentment and hatred.

But it was all the more intense, all the more desperate.

It was the purest form of battle, in and of itself.

Percival’s sword emitted a dazzling aura. It blinded the eyes, obscured the world. In a world filled with white light, his sword was aimed solely at Kang Jin-ho’s neck.

It was a scene that was almost sacred.

But his opponent was Kang Jin-ho.

A demon among demons, the Heavenly Demon Sovereign.

A single black dot appeared in the world that had been dyed white.

Hwaaaaaak!

The small dot, barely visible, instantly devoured the light of the world, growing in size. And from within that darkness, a red bloody light revealed itself.

Those beast-like eyes met Percival’s.

Paahhh!

With an ear-splitting sound, Percival’s wrist, which was holding the sword, was severed. Such was the force of the blow that the severed wrist, still clutching the sword, was embedded in the ceiling.

Paahhh!

Before he could even regain his senses, both of his legs were severed. Before his unbalanced body could fall to the ground, his waist was cut and his head was severed.

Even as his head spun away, Percival did not fully understand what was happening to him. In the blink of an eye, something seemed to happen, and then the world was turned upside down.

And in that upside-down world, all he could see was a pair of red eyes.

Two eyes that emitted a fiery, blood-red glow. Those eyes were staring at him until the very end.

Ah….

At that moment, Percival realized.

This was death.

An absolute command that could not be avoided.

Through Percival’s eyes, he could see a sword wreathed in black flames flying towards him.

And that was Percival’s last memory.

Kwaang!

Kang Jin-ho struck Percival’s head with the flat of his sword, sending it flying towards Gawain. Gawain did not even blink as he unleashed a voltex towards the incoming head.

Percival’s head shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions, but Gawain, taking the impact of Percival’s head, continued to charge forward, forward.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Reach!

Reach!

One strike! Just one strike!

His body, having drawn upon everything, had already lost its speed. His legs, which had been advancing rapidly, had reached their limit just by supporting his body, and his waist, which had been powering his spear strikes, was trembling as if it would break at any moment.

Yet, Gawain did not stop.

One strike.

Just one strike!

One strike to prove that everything he had done was not in vain.

It was as childish as a tantrum.

But it was a desire purer than anything else in this world.

‘Reach.’

Even if it meant giving everything.

Even if it meant burning his soul, just one strike!

Not for the Round Table. Not to console his fallen comrades.

It was just a strike, a strike to prove Gawain as a warrior.

The darker the color of the voltex became, the more faded the color of his body became. But the more that happened, the stronger the voltex became.

More, even more!

And finally….

Gawain’s eyes sank.

He could feel it instinctively, that this one strike was the last. He had no soul left to draw upon.

He had forgotten.

No, he had been forgotten.

Who he was, why he was standing here, and why he had to fight.

He had forgotten all of it.

His purpose disappeared, his will disappeared.

All that remained was….

Crack.

Power surged into his fingertips.

He remembered the first time he had held a spear. Back then, he had simply liked the heavy feeling, and he had swung and thrust it all night long.

Yes, back then it was just….

The power drained from his fingertips.

Only at the very end did he break free from the power that had been holding his spear, and from everything that had been holding him.

Woong.

The spear resonated softly, emitting a silver-white aura.

And then….

“Voltex.”

His final voltex, having drawn upon every last drop of his being, flew towards Kang Jin-ho with a completely different intensity than before. Gawain clearly saw Kang Jin-ho’s body flinch for a moment.

And….

The last remaining mage did not miss that opportunity.

Kay appeared behind Kang Jin-ho. A blink towards an absolute enemy. Even a single counterattack could mean death.

But Kay chose to close the distance, even if it meant risking his life, rather than attacking from a distance. An extreme choice for a mage to close the distance against a warrior.

And now, that choice had worked.

“Freezeeeeeeeeeee!”

An icy chill, so white it seemed to suck everything in, erupted from Kay’s entire body. Such was the excessive mana he had drawn upon that even his body, which was emitting the chill, was freezing.

The end of a mage who had unleashed power he could not handle. It was nothing short of suicide, but his strike had definitely worked on Kang Jin-ho.

A pure white block of ice clung to Kang Jin-ho’s back. Even the burning black flames were freezing.

It stopped.

Kang Jin-ho’s body.

And Gawain did not miss the opportunity that Kay had created by sacrificing his life.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Go.

Go!

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

The voltex, having drawn upon every last bit of his life force, flew towards Kang Jin-ho with terrifying force. The silver-white vortex writhed as if it would tear the world apart, flying towards Kang Jin-ho’s chest.

Two burning swords struck the incoming vortex.

Kagagagagagagak!

The swords collided with the vortex, making a sound as if they were being ground away, and were pushed back before pushing forward again.

More.

One more strike here!

Here!

“Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!”

Gawain’s spear once again tore through the air.

There was nothing left to draw upon. His spear, unable to properly create a voltex, pierced Kang Jin-ho’s sword.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

And then Gawain saw it clearly.

In a world that had become incredibly slow, amidst the deafening roar that shattered his eardrums, he saw his spear deflect Kang Jin-ho’s sword.

Kang Jin-ho’s Red Blade and Azure Blade were flung to the left and right. And the bloody light around Kang Jin-ho’s face wavered.

Pooook!

His spear pierced Kang Jin-ho’s chest.

A sensation that was clearly transmitted through his fingertips.

Feeling that sensation, Gawain stared blankly ahead.

Thud.

Kang Jin-ho’s hand gripped the spear shaft that had pierced his chest. The flames that had been surrounding his body had vanished.

Did it reach?

Did it reach him?

My spear?

Kang Jin-ho lowered his head slightly, looking at the spear that had pierced his chest.

Then, he raised his head again and looked at Gawain.

After staring at Gawain silently for a long time, Kang Jin-ho smiled. Kang Jin-ho, who had bared his teeth and smiled, opened his mouth.

“I take back what I said about you not being a warrior.”

“You are a magnificent warrior. So now, you can die in peace.”

The rest of the words were not heard.

Gawain, having drawn upon everything, grabbed the spear that was embedded in Kang Jin-ho’s chest and breathed his last. A satisfied smile, one he had never worn in his life, was on his face as it grew cold.