Descent of the Demon Master

Kang Jin-Ho silently studied the battlefield.

The enemies were fleeing. Lost to fear, these once-proud warriors were madly climbing over the backs of their fallen comrades and trampling on them to jump into the ocean below.

Kang Jin-Ho promised not to kill those who had jumped into the ocean. In that case, were the enemies clamoring to jump into the ocean right now still targets of extermination in the criteria Kang Jin-Ho had set?

It seemed he had to make a decision here. That was when an epiphany of sorts dawned on Kang Jin-Ho.

The past him when he was still called Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, and after his return to the modern era and learned about the Martial Assembly’s existence, would not have hesitated like this.

Without a doubt, he'd have rushed up to the crowd and thrust the Crimson Destiny into their unprotected backs instead of wasting time debating over stuff like this. And the fact that he was doing it could only mean Kang Jin-Ho had completely changed from his old self.

‘Hmm…’

Was this something to be happy about or not? Kang Jin-Ho couldn't tell.

As a human being, it was obviously a good thing. The sin of a human robbing other humans of their lives couldn’t really be absolved regardless of what the justification was, after all.

Of course, no amount of excuses could exonerate Kang Jin-Ho from being an unforgivable villain. But that was a discussion for another day.

This change couldn't fully be viewed as favorable to Kang Jin-Ho the martial artist.

A warrior crossing swords with another in mortal combat must not let the thoughts of avoiding murder cloud their judgment. A moment of indecision could dull their blade. And such dullness could become a noose tightening around their throat.

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. Unfortunately, he had no say in this matter.

Even if Kang Jin-Ho resolved himself not to do that, his body wouldn't necessarily respond as he wanted it to. No matter how committed he was, conscious actions and natural responses wouldn't always match each other.

‘In other words, changes are inevitable.’

This applied to not just Kang Jin-Ho but to everybody else as well.

All humans changed. There was no exception. What was important in that situation wasn't whether they changed or didn't change, but… But whether the direction of these changes was right or wrong. That was it.

For now, it was too difficult for Kang Jin-Ho to determine that.

“Ku-ru-ruk!”

Kang Jin-Ho turned his head to look when he heard that growl.

Vator and his dyed-crimson eyes stood there, panting heavily and viciously. The big man’s bloodshot eyes were glaring murderously at the backs of the fleeing Japanese warriors. It looked as if he’d pounce at any second to rip those poor bastards apart with his bare hands.

“Hmm…”

Vator’s state shouldn’t be too concerning… But it wasn’t good, either.

Losing one's mind to demonic cultivation's side effects didn't mean you wouldn't remember anything afterward. Once Vator regained himself, he would be forced to reflect on his decisions and actions.

As long as Vator still had some humanity left in him, he’d probably get shocked and appalled by his own desire to murder and maim.

“Khu-aaaahk!” Vator roared, then charged forward. At least, he tried to.

However, he was stopped in his tracks by a sword thrust below his chin.

Kang Jin-Ho had placed his Azuremourne there, and then…

Snick!

He lightly cut Vator’s neck skin, causing a trickle of blood to seep out. Vator’s glare slowly shifted toward Kang Jin-Ho next. Unmistakable hostility burned in the big man’s glare.

“...Out of my way, master.”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly when Vator growled at him.

Losing his mind and rampaging around like a wild beast was more or less understandable. However, him still trying to kill and destroy despite someone who was his ally dissuading him?

That was undeniable proof of Vator completely losing control over himself.

Since he had lost it, Kang Jin-Ho should help him find it again.

“Get out of my way, master! Even if it’s you, I will rip you apart and…!”

Whoosh!

Kang Jin-Ho's sword lightly spun around before pressing against Vator's throat again. And then, Kang Jin-Ho powerfully pulled his weapon back.

When the sword emitted irresistible pulling force, Vator’s considerable physique lost balance in the blink of an eye and got yanked toward Kang Jin-Ho.

That wasn't the end, however, as Kang Jin-Ho pressed his palm on the head of the kneeling Vator next. And then… He proceeded to suck out all the demonic qi filling up Vator's skull.

“Kuh-kuhuk?!”

Vator tried to resist. However, he couldn’t do anything as his body was paralyzed like a boulder. Even with his godly strength, resistance was futile!

“Fuu… Fuu-woo…!” Vator panted and huffed heavily.

“Get yourself together,” said Kang Jin-Ho, his voice cold.

When those words stabbed into his hearing, Vator raised his head to look. His expression was dyed in shock and disbelief.

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “Can’t you hear me?”

“N-no, I can, master. I do hear… you. I do,” Vator hurriedly replied, the tips of his hands trembling unsteadily.

'What have I done?’

He lost his mind. That was the only explanation available.

Vator was a martial artist, but more importantly, he hailed from the orthodox side of martial arts. Thus, he never saw human lives as worthless. He might not hesitate to kill those who had to die, but the ones he killed on this ship didn’t really have to die.

To make matters worse, he was about to chase down the ones fleeing just so that he could rip them apart into shreds! That was something the sane-minded Vator would never do.

However, what shocked him beyond words was something else.

‘I… I got suppressed?’

And in the blink of an eye, too?

Vator losing his rational mind didn't mean his strength had been reduced. It'd be safe to say he actually experienced an explosive increase in his strength instead!

The whole point of mastering demonic arts was to strengthen Vator's physique, as well as to amplify his qi reserve, now wasn't it? Compared to his old self, it'd not be an exaggeration to say his power output had doubled thanks to demonic cultivation.

So, to think he got suppressed in one move!

Vator had expected Kang Jin-Ho to do something to him. His attention was completely focused on Kang Jin-Ho, after all. Despite watching with both eyes wide open, though… He still couldn't stop Kang Jin-Ho from suppressing him!

Like a three-year-old getting helplessly picked up by an adult, Vator couldn’t even lift a finger while his body’s control was taken away from him. The shock of how easy it was had rendered the big man utterly speechless.

‘How is that even possible, though?!’

Obviously, Vator knew Kang Jin-Ho was stronger than him. And he also knew that Kang Jin-Ho’s strength had improved incomparably since the last time they had fought. Even then, wasn’t this situation still too absurd?

How long had it been since Vator had that duel against Kang Jin-Ho? Some months ago? Back then, they were about equal in terms of strength. But now, the gap between them had widened to this degree?

Kang Jin-Ho quietly called out to the big man. “Vator.”

“…”

“We’re in the middle of a battle.”

“…! Ah!” Vator hurriedly bit his lower lip.

Kang Jin-Ho was right. This was the middle of a battlefield. It was fine to worry about stuff like this later on.

Since they were in a battle, Vator should focus on fighting the enemies.

‘One can make mistakes. However, making one mistake after another can no longer be excused as mistakes.’

It seemed Vator's mindset had gotten too lax these days!

Vator finished sobering up, then turned his head to look at the Japanese. Any casual bystander looking at this scene might get the impression that the fight was almost over. However, Vator and Kang Jin-Ho knew that wasn’t the case.

They knew that the fight had only just begun. After all, the Japanese still had not called on their true fighting forces!

“...Truly exceptional,” said Nakata Yuji. He was walking toward the front while accompanying those “true fighting forces” of this expedition.

His expression was as stiff as it could get. And the crowd of strong-looking warriors following him from behind were making largely similar expressions. Even so, their demeanor suggested that they were a little more relaxed than before.

That shouldn't come as too surprising in this situation. After all, they were all riding on a ship. A ship that was traveling on a vast, empty ocean!

There was no escape here, so why should they be tense?

Nakata Yuji pursed his lips. Yes, there was no escape. Usually speaking, the side with zero chance of survival in a battle of four versus a thousand-plus would be the former.

However, Nakata Yuji couldn’t help but feel like he was trapped inside a massive pen. Wasn’t that funny?

‘Fine. It’s time I acknowledge the truth.’

Although it was as absurd as it sounded… Objectively speaking, the Japanese were on the back foot.

They were the rats here. And they simply had no choice but to try to tear into the throats of those monsters if they wanted to survive!

“Kang Jin-Ho…” Nakata Yuji muttered that one name still circulating in his mouth. That was when his gaze met Kang Jin-Ho's.

Flinch!

Nakata Yuji flinched nastily, his whole body shuddering. The shock he felt when looking into Kang Jin-Ho’s cold, withdrawn eyes was beyond his ability to describe.

Due to his position, Nakata Yuji had encountered countless absurdly strong experts over the years. Unsurprisingly, most of them easily surpassed him. And only a handful of those experts were somewhat on Nakata Yuji's level.

Not only were the majority of them far stronger than Nakata Yuji, but they were also crueler and more vicious than him.

However, Kang Jin-Ho had surpassed them by a wide margin. Compared to him, all those countless experts seemed like paupers and has-beens.

“First of all…” Nakata Yuji grimly muttered. “...It seems I owe you an apology.”

He was speaking from his heart this time.

Nakata Yuji was guilty of underestimating Kang Jin-Ho. He genuinely believed that, in a place with this many experts, Kang Jin-Ho would lose to the numbers game and meet an ignoble death. Even if Kang Jin-Ho was powerful enough to shake up the martial world with his fame, his fate should still be the same.

That was what Nakata Yuji believed. And that was why he thought Kang Jin-Ho was a reckless fool. An idiot of the highest caliber!

However, he was proven wrong. The reckless fools weren't Kang Jin-Ho and his men but the Japanese. The real idiots were Nakata Yuji and the rest of the Japanese warriors!

‘This expedition would have never succeeded.’

Knowing one’s enemy and oneself would guarantee victory every single time. However, Nakata Yuji didn’t know anything about Kang Jin-Ho.

An invasion planned without analyzing the opposition force was bound to fail. Even if this ship had reached South Korea without any interference, everyone on board would still have died.

This invasion's goal was to fight against the Korean Martial Assembly and Kang Jin-Ho. So, in battles that didn't involve Kang Jin-Ho, the Japanese could have enjoyed some victories. However, those would've been nothing more than minor wins.

People would've no doubt died in their droves in battles that included Kang Jin-Ho and Vator. Experiencing a few of those battles would've taken out all the winds from the invasion's sails. And the only fate waiting for the remaining Japanese warriors would be... Burying their bones in a foreign country!

But now…!

‘But now, we have a chance!’

The situation looked absolutely grim. However, Kang Jin-Ho had given the Japanese a chance.

Kang Jin-Ho was indescribably merciless, but the way Nakata Yuji saw it, he didn’t seem completely heartless. Why? Because Kang Jin-Ho’s reason for fighting the Japanese on this ship was easy enough to figure out for Nakata Yuji.

Kang Jin-Ho must know that if the Japanese were allowed to set foot in South Korea, the Martial Assembly would have no choice but to sacrifice its members. That was why he was here, to stop the invasion even before it could enter the country.

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho had the qualification to choose this course of action. And that would be his martial prowess!

However, this choice also had created an unexpected opportunity for the Japanese. No matter how strong Kang Jin-Ho or Vator was, fighting just the two of them should be easier than fighting them alongside all of the Martial Assembly!

In other words, this moment could very well be the best chance to kill Kang Jin-Ho. And perhaps the only chance for the Japanese, too! Fighting him on Korean soil while he was surrounded by the Martial Assembly's men meant the Japanese wouldn't even have the chance to get anywhere near him, after all!

“You…!” Nakata Yuji bit his lower lip before chewing out his next words. “Yes, you’re strong. And absurdly remarkable, too. I’ve never met another man as remarkable as you until now.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t respond and stared silently at Nakata Yuji.

“However!” Nakata Yuji roared loudly. He sounded as if blood was boiling deep within his chest. “That is why you will die here today! If only you were slightly weaker than now… You wouldn’t have dared to show up here! Yes! Your otherworldly strength will be the death of you! I shall ensure that! I stake my honor on it!”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head while listening to the Japanese man's yell. “So… You want to kill me?”

A strange smirk floated up on Kang Jin-Ho’s lips just then. And when Vator saw that smirk, he reflexively stumbled back. By now, he knew all the warning signs. Whenever Kang Jin-Ho smirked like that, someone was bound to get killed horribly.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to address the Japanese. “Yes, I’ve heard that often. But not recently, though. Do you know why?”

“…?”

“That’s because I’ve killed them all. Those who said they’d kill me, of course.”

All semblance of color drained out of Nakata Yuji’s complexion.

“What will happen to you, then? Aren’t you curious?”

Kang Jin-Ho rested his Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne by his sides while leisurely walking toward Nakata Yuji.

Creeeeak, craaack…!

The noises of the sword tips dragging against the floor sent chills down everyone’s spine.