Chapter 142: Our Era
After checking the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s condition, I made my judgment at once.
This is doable.
The plan I’d put together with my crew while passing through the secret passage was working.
While Master holds back the Black Heaven Society’s society leader, Shin Kangheon controls as much of the Dark Flame’s heat as possible. In that opening, Bokja weakens the spell formation itself. If we succeed even that far, we can turn this around.
That prediction was right. The Black Heaven Society’s society leader, who had been pouring out endless Dark Flame with the support of the spell formation, had visibly lost momentum.
KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA......!
Even the dark crimson flames shooting up to the surface had begun to noticeably thin out.
Yeo Pilgeuk, who had finally gotten a moment to breathe thanks to the reinforcements, stared at me in surprise as I passed him.
“Why are you here...?”
Even with the wolf mask on, Yeo Pilgeuk recognized me immediately.
His lips moved as if he had a great deal he wanted to say, but after a struggle he forced the words out.
“...Just buy us a little time. Even if the spell formation has weakened, Sword Demon and the rest of you alone can’t handle this.”
Yeo Pilgeuk clearly thought that if I faced the Black Heaven Society’s society leader at my current level, it would be suicide.
I was timber that would astonish the world someday, no doubt—but in his eyes, I was still raw material that needed further refining.
Just a little time would be enough. While Sword Demon bought that time, he could recover even a bit of his internal energy and then—
[With all due respect, Martial Alliance Leader, you’re no longer in condition to keep fighting.]
But I refused Yeo Pilgeuk’s participation in a firm tone. Without even turning around, I leveled Phantom Dream at the Black Heaven Society’s society leader and continued.
[The best way for you to help us now is to stay back.]
“What...?”
Yeo Pilgeuk’s face twisted at once, as if I’d just insulted him outright. The Glacier Priestess was starting to look displeased as well.
“Now, now, let’s step outside the spell formation first. Isn’t the boy only saying it because he’s worried about us?”
Na Ilcheon picked up the unconscious sect leader of the Supreme Pole Sword Gate and retreated first.
When he tugged at their sleeves, even the Martial Alliance Leader and the Glacier Priestess let out reluctant sighs and stepped back.
“...Make sure you know the difference between courage and recklessness.”
At the Martial Alliance Leader’s words, which clearly held genuine concern for me, I nodded while keeping my eyes fixed on the Black Heaven Society’s society leader.
[I’m not planning to throw my life away. If it weren’t for the four of you, I wouldn’t have even tried to fight him.]
That was the truth.
My opponent was one of the leaders of the Five Great Unorthodox Sects—a thing that had turned itself into a monster through every drug, spell formation, blood art, and demonic art imaginable.
At the start, he must have been a monster no one could even approach.
If the Martial Alliance Leader and the three sect leaders hadn’t already drained most of his strength, I’d be thinking about how to flee with the crew right now.
[But thanks to the four of you... now we’ve got a chance.]
Maybe it was just their imagination, but in that instant, the Martial Alliance Leader and the two sect leaders felt as though the mouth of the mask I wore had curled upward.
Like a wolf crouching low after discovering bleeding prey.
I carefully observed my master’s movements as he fought the Black Heaven Society’s society leader in fierce combat.
“Kahahahahahahaha!”
Even with the spell formation weakened, the Black Heaven Society’s society leader still radiated overwhelming ferocity. The Dark Flame whips split into five strands and swept across the surrounding area.
KWA-KWA-KWAANG!
Every time they struck, the ground burst apart, and the whole area shook as if it were about to collapse.
But Choi Geon, facing him head-on, was wielding his sword like a fish returned to water. He deflected the whips with his blade, then slipped into the opening they created.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLAAANG!
A thunderous roar rang out as if lightning had struck. Sword strokes carved into the air ripped across the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s body, but by then he had already withdrawn, leaving only shallow wounds behind.
[Heh-heh. For a body as skinny as a dried stick, that thing’s tougher than steel cable. Makes it all the more worth cutting.]
He really was something like a demon born solely to punish evil.
A hideous killing intent poured out from Choi Geon’s eyes behind the mask.
A supreme sword master who was no less than the sect leaders of the Eight Great Sects.
He slashed, batted aside, and forced back wave after wave of Dark Flame whip attacks aimed at him. When the arm holding his sword began to tremble, he simply switched hands and kept swinging.
HSSSSSS......!
In the process, the shoulder brushed by the Dark Flame blistered as if branded with a hot iron, and blood seeped from his side.
He didn’t care.
If anything, he laughed more savagely and fought harder.
[Excellent! One of the wishes I’ve carried all my life was to cut down the head of one of the Five Great Unorthodox Sects. Looks like I’ll grant myself that wish today!]
Watching the clash between masters so powerful I couldn’t recklessly interfere, I coldly considered what I could do.
I need to create an opening for Master.
The five whip-strands swinging from the fingertips of the Black Heaven Society’s society leader—and the Dark Flame wrapped around his entire body.
For me, who hadn’t yet reached the level where I could handle force aura, breaking through it directly was impossible.
Not with my own strength alone, anyway.
WHUMMM—!
But I had Phantom Dream.
A sacred weapon capable of absorbing spellcraft and anomalous power.
SSSSSS......
A red energy spread out from the blade and began slowly gnawing away at the Dark Flame.
Then, like a beast sensing danger, the Dark Flame started shrinking back from me little by little.
Phantom Dream alone still isn’t enough.
The time I’d be able to enter that fight would last only an instant.
I intended to pour everything I had into that instant.
Five Elements Divine Art.
As I drew out every trace of power from the Five Elements Divine Art, I murmured like I was talking to myself.
[Metal Gives Birth to Water.]
Ssssshhh......
As the metal energy nourished the water energy, white frost formed over the blade.
That was the beginning.
[Water Overcomes Fire.]
The water energy, strengthened by the metal energy, began resisting the Dark Flame.
Metal energy and water energy wound around Phantom Dream with an HSSSSSS— sound.
Still in that state, I walked over to Shin Kangheon.
[Hey, lunatic.]
[...Don’t talk to me right now. I’m dying just trying to keep this under control.]
Shin Kangheon was glaring at the saber held high in both hands, sweating hard.
The Dark Flame wrapped around the blade was thrashing so violently that it looked like it might burst out in every direction at any second.
If Shin Kangheon lost control here, the Dark Flame being wielded by the Black Heaven Society’s society leader would double from five strands into far more.
That was when I placed a hand on Shin Kangheon’s shoulder.
[I’ll help a little.]
I awakened the third energy of the Five Elements Divine Art—the fire energy I had trained without pause until now.
Then I guided part of the Dark Flame Shin Kangheon was controlling into my own body.
WHOOOOSH!
At the pain that felt like my body was being burned alive, I swallowed back a groan.
It felt like my organs were being seared, and my whole body trembled violently.
Even after being filtered once through Shin Kangheon, it was still this bad.
“......!”
I bit my lip hard enough to swallow blood.
Barely enduring the pain, I gathered the three energies into one.
Metal. Water. Fire.
The three energies of the Five Elements swirled together inside my body in harmony.
At the same time, I pulled out the synthetic azure crystal milk Hwang Suksu had given me and drank half of it.
GULP. GULP.
After the temporary doping, blood ran down from my eyes in thick streams.
But this was no time to worry about what came after.
[Y-You okay?]
At Shin Kangheon’s worried question, I smirked.
[Perfect.]
BANG!
I stepped forward at once.
The ground exploded beneath the force of my step, and my body shot forward at the same time.
I closed the distance in an instant and took the Black Heaven Society’s society leader from behind.
I’d aimed perfectly for the moment he retreated while avoiding my master’s attack.
SSSSSS......
The energies of the Five Elements Divine Art, having circulated through my whole body, gathered into Phantom Dream.
On top of the red energy, the three colors mixed together and, for an instant, gave off a darkness as black as night itself.
It works.
For a moment, Phantom Dream carried power comparable to blade aura.
Even for me now, it was strength so excessive that a single swing was almost too much to bear.
SHHHAAAK—!
The Dark Flame protecting the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s back split apart, and a wound deep enough to expose the spine tore open.
But my expression wasn’t good.
Too shallow.
At that critical moment, the Black Heaven Society’s society leader briefly recovered his reason.
Without moving anything but his eyes, he looked at me.
“...So you’re the wolf pack. Have you come to tear out my throat?”
The Black Heaven Society’s society leader let out a dry laugh.
He blocked the sword of Sword Demon, who came rushing at him, with one arm, and aimed the other at me.
“I am the Black Heaven Society’s society leader. This body will unify the unorthodox faction and leave its name in history. Do you think I’ll die to some mangy wolf cub—?!”
With a roar like thunder, two streams of Dark Flame came crashing down on me.
[Muhyuk! Dodge!]
At the urgent shout, Sword Demon shoved me aside and cut through one of the flame-streams.
But the remaining one pursued me like a living thing.
Relying on nothing but instinct, I cut, blocked, and deflected it.
CLANG-CLANG-CLAAANG—!
At that moment of extreme immersion, I read every last trajectory of the incoming Dark Flame.
Blood spread across my body in multiple places, but I refused to allow a fatal wound.
“KHK—!”
My back slammed into the wall, and I dropped to one knee, coughing up blood for a while.
It was the backlash from drawing out power beyond my level, even if only for an instant.
My wolf mask also shattered to pieces and fell to the ground.
But when I rose again, I was smiling.
“Hahaha......”
It was unbearably fun.
There were so many strong people in this world.
The thought that one day I too could reach that level—
No, a place even higher—
made it hard to stop laughing.
“...One more time.”
My eyes lit up.
Once again, I gathered the three energies into one with the Five Elements Divine Art and drew out Phantom Dream’s power.
There was no room for ease whatsoever.
If I judged wrong, or my response was slower by even a hair, I would lose my life.
And even in that moment, there was only one thing I was thinking.
When this fight ended, I would be stronger than I was now.
*****
Na Ilcheon had stepped back and was watching the fight between Sword Demon, Kim Muhyuk, and the Black Heaven Society’s society leader.
“Good grief......”
Kim Muhyuk had been right.
If Na Ilcheon joined that battle in his current state, he would only get in the way.
“Martial Alliance Leader. It seems our era has already passed.”
Na Ilcheon said it as he turned to Yeo Pilgeuk.
That was after glancing toward the Glacier Priestess, who was watching Shin Kangheon with a deep, unreadable look.
“...I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right.”
Seeing Yeo Pilgeuk nod with a bitter smile, Na Ilcheon turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
He already knew how strong Sword Demon was.
Though younger than him, he was still a swordsman who could be called a master of the blade from the same era.
Fame was the reason they called me The Strongest Sword in Korea, but he was one of the swordsmen I could never guarantee I’d beat if we actually fought.
That was why Na Ilcheon had once thought Sword Demon had simply been born in the wrong era.
But now, seeing Sword Demon rampaging freely in tandem with his disciple, Na Ilcheon felt nothing but envy.
KKAGAGAGAGAK—!
Kim Muhyuk rushed into an opening his master had created.
The sharp blade of Phantom Dream burrowed into the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s wounds and ripped deeper through them.
SPURT! SHHHAAAK! CLAAANG—!
Whenever Kim Muhyuk pulled back, Choi Geon immediately filled the space he left.
The mask on his face was half shattered and barely clinging on.
His whole body was drenched in blood, yet the demonic force of his presence had not changed in the slightest.
They really might win. If they can land just a few more decisive blows...
WHUMMM-WHUMMM!
At that moment, Na Ilcheon lowered his gaze at the vibration he felt through his hand.
“You want to fight more?”
The sacred weapon that had spent centuries at the forefront of subduing demons and destroying evil was furious that it could no longer fight.
And suddenly, Na Ilcheon felt like he understood what the Namcheon Sword wanted.
“...I see. That child really could draw out all of your power. Unlike me.”
WHUMMMMMM—!
It hurt a little that the old companion who had stayed by his side for decades wanted that.
But that only meant Na Ilcheon respected its will just that much.
When Kim Muhyuk was knocked backward, Na Ilcheon called out to him in a low voice.
“Muhyuk.”
Kim Muhyuk glanced his way.
His eyes seemed to be rebuking him, asking why he still hadn’t escaped and was still standing there.
“I’ll lend it to you for a moment.”
With a weak smile, Na Ilcheon threw the Namcheon Sword with all the strength he had left.
“...Make sure you cut him down!”
The moment Kim Muhyuk, eyes going wide, instinctively caught the hilt of the Namcheon Sword flying toward him—
FWOOOOSH—!
SHRRRRRRRK!
The Namcheon Sword erupted with demon-subduing power in a dazzling white radiance.
From the opposite side, as though resisting it, black energy coiled around the blade of Phantom Dream.