Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 93

He stomped on the head of the approaching foe with his right foot, launching himself into the air, and then moved in a straight line through space. This was a perilous method. If the encirclement had been only a single layer, he could have easily escaped, but the current encirclement was so wide that he couldn’t even tell where it ended. Jumping over them would not only fail to avoid attacks but also leave him almost defenseless against attacks from below, making defense difficult.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time hesitating, so he chose this method. He swiftly ascended the tree next to the split old tree, stepped on the end of a branch, and leaped again. Arrows and hidden weapons rained down on him, but they were not powerful enough to cause any real harm, and he could easily deflect them with a few waves of his hand.

*Phew*

Sensing a murderous intent from behind, the Mad Demon Lord instinctively swung his sword.

*Clang*

‘Hmm?’

He felt a subtle shock in his grip and was surprised. Who on earth could shoot an arrow with such power? His eyes quickly searched for the source.

In the distance, he saw several old men cutting through the wind, rapidly closing the distance. The Mad Demon Lord ignored them and once again propelled himself into the air.

*Wham*

“What is this?”

This time, it was from the front. Three old men, who he guessed had approached while he was distracted, launched a coordinated attack. He quickly brought his sword down vertically. The sword energy shot forward, colliding with their power.

*Crash*

The Mad Demon Lord’s body flinched and was thrown backward. It was only a few yards, but even though it was a surprise attack and he wasn’t prepared, they were strong opponents, a rare encounter for him.

‘Ho, look at this. So they’re not so soft after all?’

He thought that if he didn’t have the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak [a person of great importance] in his possession, he could have slaughtered them with a single strike, but he decided to be cautious and acknowledge their presence. He could no longer stay in the air and had to descend to the ground. As he landed, the surrounding enemies surged up like a swarm of bees, attacking him. A sneer formed on the Mad Demon Lord’s face.

“You lot. You really are like a pack of dogs. Fine. I’ll wipe you all out.”

In that instant, his sword left his hand.

“It’s the Sword Flight Technique [a technique where the sword is controlled remotely]. Get out of the way!”

Even if no one had shouted, everyone could see it, and those who knew they couldn’t handle it, especially those who valued their one and only life, would surely retreat. But they didn’t budge an inch. They were clearly mechanical beings devoid of emotion, even of the fear of death. How else could they do such a reckless thing? The Mad Demon Lord’s sword, enveloped in light, sliced through the figures leaping toward him, creating a scene that seemed both short and drawn out. In those fleeting moments, as if time had temporarily stopped, the sword pierced through the heads, bellies, torsos, and thighs of the group, and their bodies shattered into fragments, scattering across the ground like exploding fireworks. The sight of blood splattering, flesh tearing, and bones breaking was beyond description. No screams were heard. It was so brutal and fast that it stole their consciousness the moment it passed. Screams always belong to the living. The dead can no longer cry out in pain. It is only natural that one can scream only when they have a body, isn’t it?

“Th-that, could it be Sword Burst [a powerful sword technique]?”

One of the old men who had approached, uttered a word that was neither an exclamation nor a groan. It was unclear.

“It’s definitely Sword Burst.”

If it was a Sword Burst unleashed by the Sword Flight Technique, even they couldn’t handle it. Those who were more cautious, cunning, and valued their lives above all else, unlike the reckless subordinates, knew when to retreat in the face of a stronger opponent. As if on cue, they quickly widened the space and retreated. And in that gap, loyal subordinates, armed only with their loyalty, filled the space. As the Mad Demon Lord pointed his hand at them, the sword, still enveloped in light, circled around him in a large arc. The circle grew larger and larger, and in the midst of it, the subordinates of the Great Punishment, who were faithful to their instincts, fell like blossoms without even a scream. Where would their shattered souls wander? Would they be reborn as humans again, still clinging to their foolishness? No one knew, but the Mad Demon Lord was vaguely thinking about it. He, too, would die someday, so he was neither happy nor sad about their deaths. Reality had cast them as enemies, and since it was a situation where he would die if he didn’t kill them, he was simply fulfilling his role.

As the sword landed in the Mad Demon Lord’s hand, the subordinates of the Great Punishment, who were now his enemies, trembled in despair. They had chosen to wield the sword themselves, so who could they blame? But it was only natural to despair in the face of absolute power that could not be overcome by effort. Their martial arts, which were beyond their common sense, seemed to them as if a celestial being had descended or a demon had come to disturb the world. If the man before them was truly human, wouldn’t their own meager martial arts seem too vulgar?

“Who on earth are you?”

One of the old men asked. The Mad Demon Lord lowered Ja-un from his arms and held her in front of him. She was still half-embraced in his arms. One of the group, who had surrounded the Mad Demon Lord more widely, or rather, were surrounding him from a distance, cried out when he saw the face of the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak.

“You are the traitor of the Blood Demon Heaven…”

One of the old men picked up on the sharp-eyed one’s words.

“So that’s the woman who was said to be a prisoner…”

He stopped speaking, perhaps to be faithful to his instincts? He felt the Mad Demon Lord’s gaze on him, but he didn’t have the courage to continue. The Mad Demon Lord thought he had wasted too much time. He needed to get out of here quickly. Dogs don’t surround wolves. But a pack of hungry dogs will attack a wolf and not hesitate to fill their empty bellies. However, if the target is a tiger, the story changes. No matter how hungry a pack of dogs is, they wouldn’t do something as crazy as attacking a tiger. Before hunger, they would be subdued by the overwhelming pressure of the tiger, which is both an instinct of a dog and a law of nature. It would be unreasonable to apply this to human society, but the current situation clearly showed such a phenomenon. Thousands of warriors were hesitating to attack a single master like a tiger. It seemed that their frozen hearts could not be melted unless at least a leopard-level helper appeared. In this regard, perhaps two figures, or rather two people, who were more than leopards, were appearing.

*Whoosh*

Two figures landed in the arena, their clothes fluttering. They had started from different directions but landed in the same spot. They were Cho-ryang and the Sword Emperor. The two highest-ranking individuals of the Great Punishment had appeared in the arena at the same time. As they appeared, the Mad Demon Lord also became wary.

“Ja-un! Why are you there?”

Cho-ryang’s voice was as gentle as ever. Anyone who heard it would think it was the tone of a loving couple. The Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak stared directly at Cho-ryang.

“I clearly told you, Great Lord, that I have someone I love… Someone I must meet even if it means death. He has come to take me.”

“Hahahahahaha”

Cho-ryang’s laughter was clear and pure. But those who could see through his facade would know how much he was suffering.

“Is that so? Then, you must be very happy now.”

“Yes, I am. I am happy. There are few women in the world happier than me. What woman has ever received a love that risked her life? In that regard, I am very happy. And I am so proud that this man is my husband.”

Each of her words pierced Cho-ryang’s heart. But his face still showed a warm spring breeze. And he genuinely looked like he was congratulating her on her happiness.

“Great Lord, what are you doing? It seems clear that that woman is a traitor from the Blood Demon Heaven…”

He couldn’t say any more. Cho-ryang was staring at him, and his eyes were like those of a wounded beast.

‘That, that guy. He has eyes that could do anything. If I provoke him, he might attack me. That calm guy can show such a side, so I should just shut my mouth at times like this…’

“Ahem… It seems the Great Lord has a lot to say. Please continue.”

Cho-ryang nodded to him as a sign of gratitude. And he returned to his original posture, staring at the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak with an even deeper gaze.

“First, congratulations. I am very happy that you have met the lover you have been waiting for so long. However… Personally, I would like to congratulate you and the young master and let you go… But I am in a position where I must distinguish between public and private matters… I am sorry. This is sincere.”

The Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak seemed to understand his sincerity. But if she truly understood his heart, it would be nothing more than a shallow pity. It would be a blatant lie. How could those who are looking in different directions understand each other’s positions? They cannot see each other unless they are facing each other.

“I suppose so.”

Following Ja-un’s words, the Mad Demon Lord stepped forward.

“So, are you going to block my way?”

Cho-ryang didn’t look at the Mad Demon Lord, who was speaking so bluntly. His gaze was still fixed on the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak, who was called Ja-un.

“Of course. Did you think this was a place you could come and go as you please? I assure you, you will surely die here.”

The Sword Emperor, who had reached the limit of his patience, stepped forward and spoke. The Mad Demon Lord looked around again. Behind the men who had been rushing at him like madmen, thousands more reinforcements had arrived, and they were not like the group he had easily defeated earlier. They were skilled enough to be called masters. In that regard, his chances of escape had decreased. In the end, he wouldn’t be able to escape unless he took down those two leaders. He sighed inwardly. But he was afraid that Ja-un would be disappointed, so he didn’t dare to say it out loud. Cho-ryang’s gaze was still fixed on Ja-un, and he didn’t move. The Mad Demon Lord didn’t feel very good. Not only was he looking at Ja-un, who was his woman, but even though Ja-un had called him her husband, he was still staring at her as if he didn’t exist.

‘What kind of guy is that?’

From the atmosphere, he judged that the two new guys were of equal status, or that the old guy was wary of the young guy. And he thought that when he was in a disadvantageous position like now, the best thing to do was to cut off the head of the enemy, and as soon as he made that decision, he moved. He rushed forward without bending his knees. But he had to retreat immediately. The nasty old guy had made a move as if he was going to approach the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak as soon as he moved.

‘That guy is very cunning. But… he’s also a clever guy who knows how to use the situation.

This is going to be a difficult fight.’

In the end, as long as Ja-un was there, he couldn’t attack or escape rashly. He thought that even he would have a hard time facing the two of them at once while holding her in his arms. Although he hadn’t directly clashed with them yet, it was clear that they were stronger than anyone he had faced so far. The seven old men, who had been relatively far from the center of the battle, had already approached Cho-ryang and the Sword Emperor. They were the seven elders of the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace that the Sword Emperor had brought this time. They were not easy opponents either, but they were being suppressed by the Mad Demon Lord’s extreme martial prowess.