Descent of the Demon Master

The burning pain shot across Nakata Yuji’s face. However, that description still seemed sorely lacking for what this situation felt like to him. What happened just now was undoubtedly horrifying. Terrifying. Even then…

Somewhat funnily enough, he also found this situation curiously interesting.

Because he could vividly feel everything!

Nakata Yuji reflexively jerked his head back. Thanks to his last-second evasion, the sword stabbed into a spot below the chin instead.

The cold blade pierced through the jawbone, sliced past the nose bone next, then cut straight into the right eyeball before emerging into the open by splitting the right eyebrow.

Nakata Yuji vividly experienced all these sensations in slow motion. And that was why he felt so mystified. Of course, this experience was also indescribably horrifying at the same time. There was no denying that!

Kang Jin-Ho’s sword thrust was obviously not slow. And Nakata Yuji wouldn’t be standing still like a stone statue when his face was being split open. That wouldn’t make any sense.

Everything happened in the literal blink of an eye. It was just that this series of actions seemed to take forever to complete in Nakata Yuji's greatly sped-up mind.

After detecting the incoming danger, his brain must've automatically overclocked itself despite the threat of burning his skull to a crisp during the process!

Being able to enter the territory of transcendental human beings, even for a brief moment, proved to be a violently visceral experience. Even if Nakata Yuji had to put his life on the line… No, even if he had to risk his brain frying to a crisp for this privilege!

Any martial artist thirsting for ever-greater strength would've wanted to experience this moment, even at the cost of their life.

However, Nakata Yuji was still dismayed. Why? Even though he had to risk so much and ended up paying a hefty price just for his brief entrance to the realm of transcendence, all he could do was barely dodge Kang Jin-Ho's sword thrust.

...And he couldn’t even do that properly!

This was how insurmountable the gap between Kang Jin-Ho and Nakata Yuji was! And this was the moment a despair-inducing giant wall appeared in Nakata Yuji’s mind.

He already knew that attack just now was probably nothing more than a casual thrust for Kang Jin-Ho, something on the same level as waving his hand dismissively to chase away a fly buzzing in the air.

However, Nakata Yuji still nearly lost his life while dodging that simple attack. Heavens had looked on him favorably just now. He genuinely had gotten lucky this time. If this had been in any other situation, he wouldn't have been aware of what happened, even as death took him away.

This situation was the result of Nakata Yuji's extremely tense state combined with his fear of not knowing when his head might go flying away. All these factors helped him avoid the fate of instant death by a sword piercing his skull, but…

Maybe it would’ve been better to die from that strike. If he did, Nakata Yuji would have been spared from this crippling sense of despair!

“Kkuh…!”

When he realized he was still alive, Nakata Yuji was instantly beset by indescribable pain. Words like “searing” and “burning” were simply too inadequate to describe it.

It felt like… Worms covered in acid were crawling and wiggling on every corner of Nakata Yuji’s face to melt his skin and bones!

Thanks to this damnable overclocked state, Nakata Yuji now experienced this horrifying pain a thousand times slower and in far more excruciating detail. And he couldn't even scream or do something about this pain either. All he could do was… Just endure it.

“...Huk!”

...And then, the world abruptly started moving at its normal speed again.

All the indistinct voices that sounded like echoes underwater regained their clarity. And the paralysis stiffening Nakata Yuji's body like a block of concrete and preventing him from even flicking a finger gradually came undone.

That didn’t mean Nakata Yuji could enjoy his freedom, however.

If anything, he was only getting a far starker reminder right now. And that reminder was about how dangerous this situation really was!

As long as Kang Jin-Ho was still alive, nowhere on this ship was safe or free. Which was exactly like the situation for people trapped in a cage with a starving monster!

The sword responsible for cutting through a person's face was pulled back. The subtle shockwaves from the sword disturbing the air awakened even more intolerable pain in Nakata Yuji's face.

“Yuji!”

“Yuji-san?!”

Alarmed screams exploded from all around Nakata Yuji.

The only thing these top-tier Japanese warriors saw was a flash of light. But then, Nakata Yuji collapsed to the floor as copious blood gushed out from his face! How could they not freak out after witnessing this development?

Worse still, Nakata Yuji’s role was to give them the signal to attack. With him gravely injured like this, what were they now supposed to do?

Chaotic confusion instantly descended among the Japanese warriors.

A warrior must never show how flustered and panicked they were in front of their enemies. These Japanese warriors obviously knew that. After all, they were either leaders of their gumis or handpicked to proudly represent their organization in this expedition.

Their martial prowess was obviously top-notch. And their experience as martial artists also didn’t lose out to anyone.

Even then, they were still shocked. Panicked. Because their ally’s face was cut in the blink of an eye. And that ally was the commander of this battle, no less! Worst of all, none of these highly-fancied warriors sensed the enemy’s sword brushing past them to reach Nakata Yuji!

What if that weapon had not been targeting Nakata Yuji but the other warriors? Would they be able to dodge it in time?

If they were not strong enough to dodge that attack, who among them could confidently say they wouldn’t die tonight?!

None of them would’ve survived had Kang Jin-Ho’s target been someone else. When the Japanese warriors became aware of this fact, goosebumps broke out all over their bodies.

‘What a monster!’

‘Just… Just how did a monster like him emerge from the Peninsula?!’

Finally, everyone here realized the truth. They now knew why this Korean bastard's infamy had spread past the national borders and even infected Japan. And they now also knew why Kansai's largest, strongest gumi, Shinichi-kai, tried to kill him by sponsoring this large-scale expedition!

That realization was accompanied by crippling despair.

The Iemoto’s thoughts were right all along. Kang Jin-Ho was someone who had to be eliminated, no matter what!

Give a monster like him enough time, and no one would be able to predict the extent of South Korea’s transformation. The Japanese mainland never allowed the Koreans to invade its sanctity, but with that monster at the helm, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say Japan could fall into the Koreans’ hands!

With Kang Jin-Ho… With him, it might happen sooner rather than later!

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely retrieved his sword, then tilted his head a little. His gesture seemed to suggest he was somewhat puzzled by Nakata Yuji dodging the attack.

However, another smirk formed on Kang Jin-Ho's lips as he studied Nakata Yuji making a strange expression and moaning away in pain.

Nothing had changed. Even if Nakata Yuji had dodged the attack via some freakish stroke of luck, it didn't mean he'd survive today's encounter, anyway. No, it meant he had only worsened the pain he'd be under.

‘Isn’t it strange, though?’

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he was somewhat excited right now.

He often excited himself while entering a battle. Even though he strongly argued for the case of always remaining cool-headed during fights, he never was the type to stay calm as soon as battles started.

It’d be more correct to say Kang Jin-Ho was the type to not care about small details in a fight.

A perfect fight where one never got wounded and managed to preserve one’s stamina? That wasn’t how Kang Jin-Ho fought his battles. Even if doing so meant he’d get grievously wounded, Kang Jin-Ho would still rather prefer to cut the enemy down as quickly and ruthlessly as possible. That was his style.

That was why he instinctively favored excited minds and extreme methods over maintaining composure. And he pursued speedy resolutions rather than perfection.

However, Kang Jin-Ho's current excitement wasn't of his doing. His emotions escaping from his conscious control and doing whatever they wanted was quite a unique experience even for him.

Of course, he already had a good idea of what the cause for this emotional state was.

‘Isn’t this funny?’

Kang Jin-Ho viewed himself as a deeply selfish person. Even though he was involved in many charitable things, all of them were ultimately for his own self-satisfaction.

In that case, how should he go about explaining his current emotional state? Saying he became intoxicated by all the bloodshed wasn’t enough of an explanation to fill out all the gaps. After all, battles and gruesome deaths were like a daily routine for Kang Jin-Ho at this point.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly.

‘It’s amusing, isn’t it?’

He never felt a sense of belonging toward this country. And he certainly didn't feel the need to do something patriotic, either. Despite all that, though, Kang Jin-Ho still had to admit that he was more emotional than his usual self. However…

‘It doesn’t matter.’

So what if he was emotional? It didn’t matter where these warriors came from or what their identities were. At the end of the day, they were his enemies. That fact still would not change. And Kang Jin-Ho’s method of dealing with his enemies would also not change regardless of where he was or what era it was!

In that case, it was time to do what he preached.

Kang Jin-Ho gripped his Crimson Destiny. The warmth emanating from his favorite weapon was so intimately familiar.

Before he could make a move, though…!

“A-attack him!” Nakata Yuji roared in desperation. As he did, blood gushed out from the wound on his face. Almost at the same time, the Japanese warriors reflexively pounced on Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes became colder and withdrawn as these people threw away their lives and made a beeline toward him.

This sight of enemies charging at him without concern for their own lives seemed familiar. But the vibe these people gave off felt a little different from everyone else attempting the same thing in the past.

At least the ones trying to stop Kang Jin-Ho in the past had resolved themselves. They were prepared to sacrifice their lives if it meant stopping Kang Jin-Ho in his tracks.

The martial artists of the orthodox sects standing up to Kang Jin-Ho in his final moments during the second life clearly had resolved themselves. Without a doubt, those people must’ve known that fighting Kang Jin-Ho would be the death of them, and that the majority of their allies would also die.

Even then, they confidently stepped forward. To uphold their beliefs, they firmly stood their ground and didn’t back down.

However, what was the story with these people?

Kang Jin-Ho could not feel a shred of such resolve from these warriors. The only emotions he could sense were… Fear and their sense of duty? Only that much?

A group of people who weren't even prepared to sacrifice their lives was about to jump into death's embrace because some weak little bastard had ordered them. And that made Kang Jin-Ho deeply scowl.

His displeasure was instantly transmitted to the tips of his blades.

A wall of human bodies spread out before Kang Jin-Ho’s view. They all pounced at the same time to block his vision and use that opening to attack.

This attack was indeed fierce, not something to be scoffed at. After all, these men were leaders of their respective sects and clans. In Zhongyuan, these people would've been on the same level of status as the heads of small-to-medium sects.

Of course, it was foolish to compare ancient Gangho to the current martial world, as that wouldn't be a fair comparison.

A combined attack of this caliber did possess enough power to trouble even Kang Jin-Ho. However, he had no thoughts of backing away. He certainly didn’t feel like retreating, anyway. Besides…

There was no need to.

Paaaaaaaaaahhhaaang!

That was the shockwave generated from the air ripping apart! For a noise from a sword being swung in the air, it sounded far closer to a massive whip cracking and smashing into the floor instead.

The end result was also too extreme to say it was created solely through a sword wielded by a human being.

As if a painter had used a large brush to draw a distinct white line right in the middle of a pitch-black canvas, the world… split apart.

Shortly afterward, hues of crimson blood dyed this white emptiness.

The world filled with colors but no sound soon regained its noises. Noises of liquid uncontrollably gushing outside of human bodies, final death throes of someone, and sobs and wails of others who had escaped death by sheer accident!

All these noises instantly filled the world and transformed it into something new. And only Kang Jin-Ho stood haughtily within this transformed world.

One after another, droplets of blood fell from the tip of his sword.

“Let me ask you something,” said Kang Jin-Ho, his voice languid and leisurely.

Although Kang Jin-Ho didn’t specify who he was talking to, Nakata Yuji still knew. That question was meant for him.

“Do you still think your deaths tonight mean something?”

“Huk…!” Nakata Yuji gasped, his remaining eye completely bloodshot. “Warriors… are meant to die for their motherland!”

A strange smirk formed on Kang Jin-Ho’s lips when he heard that reply.

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