Chapter 16 - Soul Chasing Technique (2)

The thick clouds parted.

Moonlight instantly swallowed the manor whole.

Maeng So-Un went berserk.

＂Don't talk nonsense! You pathetic bastard! Second?! That Maeng Wi-Ryeong is dead! I killed him!＂

His obese body moved with unexpected agility, a swiftness belying his corpulence.

Kwaaaaaaaaang!!!

His palm slammed against the outer wall of the building. A section crumbled, echoing with a tremendous roar.

I drew my sword from within the chaos. The Nine Heavenly Demon Arts I wielded clung to the tip of my blade, chasing the soul of the dead.

Nine Heavenly Demon Arts.

Second Form.

Soul Chasing Technique.

Blood stained the tip of my sword. Maeng So-Un squealed like a slaughtered pig.

But after striking, I realized. Maeng So-Un's exterior… what appeared to be ordinary skin was thick and tough.

The blood drawn was a mere trickle, a superficial wound on the outermost layer.

＂You son of a bitch!!!＂

A domineering aura surged. I barely dodged the incoming fist with Ghost Shadow Step.

The attack itself wasn't sharp. But the danger lay in the strange energy that followed.

Inner Qi was mixed within the rush of air. The clumsy movement, hardly deserving the name of a martial arts move, carried an aftershock.

Like blades of Qi exploding behind his hand, it ripped at my clothes. Blood spurted from the cuts.

＂I'll crush you!!!＂

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!

His descending arm embedded itself deep within the wall. Amidst the showering debris, I unleashed Nine Heavenly Blood Demon Sword Arts once more.

Soul Chasing Technique. The sword strike that extends to sever.

Chwaaaaaaaaak!!!

Blood sprayed again. But again, the wound was shallow. No matter how much inner energy I poured in, I could only cut the outermost layer.

Maeng So-Un laughed.

＂Don't act up, you pathetic cripple!＂

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!

My chest caved in. I failed to dodge the palm strike that slammed into my ribs.

My body slid down the wall. Blood filled my mouth, and I spat it out.

Each blow.

Every single movement was fatal to me.

Thousand Veils wailed. Mocking my weakness, it restored my body. The shape of my chest slowly returned, but the lingering agony made me scream internally.

The enemy's flesh was near invincible. Something utterly impossible for me to cut through.

Like a rock.

It was like endlessly striking stone.

＂White Demon God is an unparalleled martial art, incomparable to the Black Heaven Squad's techniques! You pathetic fool! Do you think your petty sword can cut me?!＂

Along with the insults, a fist flew towards my face.

Still a clumsy movement. Aside from its force, the motion was crude.

I could dodge it. But just before I did, I met someone's eyes.

In that instant, I understood.

I shouldn't dodge this.

---Crack.

A gruesome sound erupted. My neck twisted as I was slammed to the ground.

＂My father's second son? A ghost? With such meager skill, you dare utter that name…＂

Maeng So-Un ripped an entire pillar from the building.

＂White Demon God surpasses all that. Your pathetic martial arts are nothing compared to this!＂

Crack!

The pillar impaled my body. I vomited blood.

The broken bones immediately regenerated. But as my flesh reformed, the pillar shattered another part of me.

Crack!

Blood exploded. Splintered bone protruded through my skin.

I wanted to scream. But I bit down on my tongue with all my might.

Endure.

I must endure.

There was a reason I intentionally took these blows I could have avoided.

Blood dripped from my mangled tongue. Through the horrific pain, I turned my head.

I see them.

People gathering. The shadows of warriors.

Only Maeng So-Un, oblivious, remained focused on beating me down.

Crack!

The pillar partially broke. Maeng So-Un snorted and drove the splintered piece into my flesh.

My body convulsed as it pierced my internal organs. I choked and clawed at the ground.

＂Haa...haa...Pathetic bastard…You really think…＂

My fingernails cracked. My head throbbed, making it difficult to think.

Only Maeng So-Un's mocking laughter reached my ears.

＂Father is dead. The ghost is dead too. You can’t do anything. Wang So-hong? Such a pathetic name, just like you. The name Maeng Cheon wasn’t much better either."

I tried to grasp my sword. But my hand was stomped on.

The shattering sensation traveled up my bones and throughout my spine.

＂I guess you were Father's last resort. Why? Did Father tell you to kill me after he died? Well...Father must have had an inkling. About who killed his second son!＂

＂.......＂

＂But I'm the one standing in the end. Me, Maeng So-Un. I won't settle for this measly Black Heaven Squad. I will rise higher. I was born to be strong. I even killed my second brother just in case, to gain power. Yes. I'm the master of power. If I join the Ten Thousand Demon Squad, I'll have more than I could ever want. Then everyone will know my name.＂

Maeng So-Un cackled.

＂The world revolves around me! I am the master of the world! This is all destiny!＂

Trembling, I opened my mouth.

＂So…that’s…why…＂

I spat out a fragment of broken tooth.

＂You… killed… the Leader…too…?＂

＂Of course! That was my promise to Master Baek! I made a promise I couldn't keep if I didn't become the Leader of the Black Heaven Squad, so I had to kill Father no matter what! But, you damn bastard. Father didn't completely die. He's still with me… inside me…＂

Maeng So-Un stroked his belly.

＂Only his true Qi remains within me. It’s so much better not having to listen to his nagging or his demands to train. Khehehe. Even though Father's dead, his absorbed true energy makes me stronger. This is the natural order. I… I will devour Father's power and rise even higher!＂

Maeng So-Un gripped the broken pillar. As if to deliver the final blow, he aimed it at my head.

＂So die. Ghost. Damn you. You’ve ruined my mood. I'll throw your corpse away and completely sever my ties with Father.＂

"...Ugh..."

My shoulders shook.

"...Khehe..."

Maeng So-Un's eyebrows twitched.

＂Are you losing your mind before death?＂

＂No way…I'm just…grateful…you blabbed…like that…＂

＂What?＂

Snapping out of his frenzy, Maeng So-Un frantically looked around. His eyes widened at the countless shadows that had gathered.

＂Wh-When…?＂

The warriors of Black Heaven Squad.

Those wielding axes trembled. Some stammered in disbelief.

Unease spread rapidly. Questions hung in the air.

I murmured. My severed tongue had regenerated.

＂You said it yourself, Maeng So-Un. You called them, and they came. And now they've heard everything.＂

Pain raged within me. A pain far surpassing what I felt fighting Yi Ho.

But I rose, fueled by the writhing agony. I retrieved my dropped sword and used it to support myself.

The warriors muttered amongst themselves.

＂Y-Young Master…What was that just now…?＂

＂D-Did he really…kill the Leader…?＂

＂N-Nonsense! That damned brat used some kind of sorcery! I didn't kill Father! It was just an accident…＂

＂Wang So-hong?＂

Our eyes met through the torn mask.

The Gatekeeper I saw every day. The martial artist whose name I didn’t know.

＂You…are you Wang So-hong…? Why are you here…?＂

Still the false name. But it was still useful.

Within the identity that wasn't truly mine, I straightened myself before the night ended.

＂I came to learn the truth. I owed much to the Leader. And I overheard your conversation by chance.＂

＂Could it be…is it really true…?＂

＂Maeng So-Un. The Leader's first son murdered him in cold blood. Together with the Divine Healer's disciple.＂

＂Oh my god…To betray his own family…＂

＂I knew it!＂

＂Aren’t you ashamed?! Maeng So-Un!＂

Maeng So-Un gritted his teeth at the barrage of accusations.

＂Shut up! Just follow me! I’ll give you whatever you want! Money, martial arts, whatever your heart desires! Just because the master changed, what's the big deal?!＂

＂Y-You're truly insane…!＂

＂Bullshit! The strong devour the weak! It’s no big deal that a washed-up has-been is gone! This is the law of the Demonic Cult! Just follow the strong, like you always have! And that’s me! Maeng So-Un!＂

Exploding inner energy swept the surroundings. The warriors of Black Heaven Squad staggered.

＂Such overwhelming power…?!＂

＂Maeng So-Un! You were hiding your martial arts!＂

＂My talent simply bloomed late! This power dwarfs the axes of Black Heaven Squad! This is White Demon God! The unparalleled martial art that will elevate me!＂

"...Unparalleled martial art?"

I asked.

Maeng So-Un looked back at me.

＂Yes. An unparalleled martial art. Corpse. A martial art incomparable to the axes of Black Heaven Squad!"

＂You're wrong. Pig."

＂What did you say?!＂

I turned the sword planted in the ground. I angled it, pointing it towards Maeng So-Un.

I smiled.

＂How can that trifle compare to his greatness?"

"...This bastard… dares to mock me…?＂

＂Yes. I mocked you. I couldn’t help but laugh. To evaluate the martial arts of Black Heaven Squad with something like that is laughable.＂

I drew out my inner energy.

Bloody afterimages flowed down my body.

I heard the wailing of Thousand Veils. Within that sound, I realized what I had to do.

「This is how you hold it.」

I grasped the sword. The hilt adhered to my palm.

The grip. I mimicked it perfectly. Holding the sword correctly, I focused my mind on the tip.

「This is how you strike.」

Following the whispers of 29th, I lightly swung the sword through the air. I felt the flow within the blade.

The whispers of the Nine Heavenly Demon Arts. The domineering roar within.

But it wasn't enough.

Not enough to cut him down.

I silenced the voice of Thousand Veils. I momentarily forgot the pain.

I focused. On my fingertips. On my toes.

I shut out even the clamor of the warriors, concentrating on a single point.

「Your sword is heavy. Truly heavy.」

Before me stood a rock. The unyielding stone I couldn’t cut through with my sword.

No matter how much I swung, all I could manage were scratches. Before leaving Demonic Valley, deeply etched marks were all I had to show for my efforts.

Thick outer skin.

His bones must be even thicker than his flesh.

But I’d witnessed an axe that could shatter even rock.

Maeng So-Un laughed.

＂You pathetic cripple. Do you think you can cut me? You must be delusional. You can’t cut me. These scratches mean nothing. My body is rock! The power of White Demon God comes from a Vajra Indestructible Body! You can’t pierce me!＂

＂...Vajra Indestructible Body?＂

I scoffed. I gripped the sword tighter.

I controlled my breathing. Not exhaling all at once, but bit by bit.

I accumulated.

Inner energy.

Strength.

Tenacity.

---A story.

「That might be true for now. But what if countless stories were interwoven within? A sword is life itself. The time you’ve lived flows through it. Therefore, your sword…」

Maeng Cheon, Leader of the Black Heaven Squad.

His first son, Maeng So-Un.

And me.

---Even the name Wang So-hong, who vowed to live as his second son until the end of this night.

I didn't know what White Demon God was. I only knew that the flesh before me was far tougher than any ordinary human’s.

But what difference did it make? The story was simple.

So ridiculously simple it was almost funny.

＂Maeng So-Un. Your father was a man who could shatter rock with an axe.＂

＂He’s dead anyway. And I’ve completely absorbed his power.＂

＂If inner energy could conquer all, what's the point of martial arts? You know nothing. You don’t understand what resided in your father’s hands, or the heart with which he raised you.＂

＂Shut up. I’ll split you in two.＂

＂Vajra Indestructible Body? The unparalleled martial art, White Demon God?＂

For a moment, clouds obscured the moonlight.

In the darkness, I murmured.

＂You are nothing. Even in death, you won't leave a worthy name behind. As the one who killed the father who raised him, your corpse will be left to rot in the streets.＂

＂I’ll kill you! With this invincible body!＂

＂All I see before me is a pig.＂

The sword in my hand sang.

Tenacity wasn't enough, so I poured in the bonds I’d forged.

Maeng Cheon, the Leader of the Black Heaven Squad.

The time we spent together. His teachings.

Even the kindness he showed me, I gathered it all and channeled it into the tip of my sword.

The Second Form of the Nine Heavenly Demon Arts.

＂I still might not be able to cut through rock.＂

Soul Chasing Technique.

The sword that pursues severed souls.

＂But I can certainly cut down a pig.＂

My extended sword strike split the darkness. Maeng So-Un roared and charged.

A crimson flash erupted from my fingertips. It was blocked, but I didn’t retreat. I pushed harder.

I twisted the muscles in my legs. I squeezed out every last drop of inner energy.

I pressed forward. Driving the sword that was lodged in bone. Shouting with a voice filled with rage.

「Its weight will become heavier than a thousand-pound boulder.」

It burst forth, overflowing the sword I gripped.

Shedding the weak shell I wore for ten years.

Moving beyond the story of Wang So-hong.

My own story.

"...What?!"

The forms of the Three Treasures Sword Technique, which I had practiced relentlessly, blended into the Nine Heavenly Blood Demon Sword Arts. The straightforward sword I had wielded with all my might was now layered with something more.

The extreme of extremes.

Beyond the death line, at the very edge, lay the time I had lived.

The simple, overlooked…

---Struggles of an ordinary man.

"...Could this be…?!"

Maeng So-Un’s expression contorted. I spoke through the tip of my sword.

＂The strong devour the weak."

Crimson sword Qi blazed. I calmly gripped it.

Breaking through the blockage, I moved forward.

Maeng So-Un’s scream met my sword. At the very end, as I broke through the wall, I realized.

Belatedly.

Very belatedly.

「Effort never betrays you.」

That the sword I had wielded before and the sword I had newly learned had fused into one.

＂......＂

---Squish.

Our figures crossed. My feet slipped. I forcibly steadied myself, preventing a fall. I finally exhaled the breath I’d been holding.

I wiped the blood from my sword. I sheathed it.

My legs trembled, but I stood firm.

I wouldn’t meet this moment sitting down.

＂It's over, just like you said, Maeng So-Un.＂

＂H-How…＂

Maeng So-Un looked at me. Blood trickled from a thin crack that ran from his head to his groin.

＂In that short moment…you broke through…the wall…?＂

＂Short moment?＂

I turned my head.

＂That instant you just witnessed was ten years for me. Pig.＂

---Crack!

Maeng So-Un, split in two, finally collapsed.