Chapter 1166: Scorched World.

Kwagagag-!

A battle broke out. The opponents attacked in unison from the start. The woman gripped a peculiar sword and unleashed swift strikes.

The old man gripped a blunt weapon and charged at me.

Kwagang-!

As energy erupted, a deafening sound echoed. The impact was unusual. Dodging their combined attack, I was certain.

‘These are strong ones.’

They were experts on the level of the Fire Sorcerer Demon.

Moreover.

‘They aren’t Orthodox sect members either.’

This crude, unrefined killing intent. I could tell just from the emotions mixed within the murderous aura.

‘These bastards are from the Demonic Cult.’

Both were Demonic Cult members. And quite strong ones at that.

Kwak-!

Dodging the sword, I batted away the charging blunt weapon with my hand.

As pressure exploded, my body was pushed back slightly.

Kwageugeuk-!

Falling from the air, I landed on the ground, dispersing the impact.

The successive assaults I dodged or deflected here and there. Mixing my dark flames with my internal energy, it wasn’t difficult to withstand them.

‘Their combined attack is awkward, too.’

Their skill level was high, but the way the two attacked together was incredibly clumsy. They didn’t seem like they’d ever coordinated before.

Swiriric-!

The woman’s sword thrust forward.

Moving slightly, I trapped the woman’s arm against my side.

“……!”

Not only had I dodged her attack, but now her body was caught, the woman’s eyes widened. She struggled desperately to break free, but…

Kuung-!

“Gah!”

Inside the body I’d sealed, I drove my palm into her solar plexus.

Tung-!

“Kyaak!”

The shock exploded internally, sending the woman flying backward. The damage wasn’t deep. It wasn’t feasible to properly control the strike given the circumstances.

“Huuuugh!”

Because to have that time, the old man was charging in.

The blunt weapon came down towards my head.

Using my footwork, I stepped back half a pace.

Kuwaaaa-!

The blunt weapon smashed violently where I had been. Pressure exploded, shattering the ground. Dust billowed up, completely obscuring my vision. The old man scowled at the situation he’d created.

He immediately turned his head, trying to find me, but…

“Where are you looking?”

“……!”

At my voice, the old man quickly turned around. Just as he swung his weapon back in reaction…

Kwang-!

I struck the underside of the weapon with my hand, sending it upward. As his arm rose, the old man’s upper body was exposed.

Swiiik-!

‘Oh.’

That old geezer reacts quickly. Now that his upper body was open, he quickly gathered his internal energy in the opening.

It was for defense, but…

“Good.”

As if welcoming it, I clenched my fist.

“Try and withstand this.”

I thrust my fist into the spot where the energy had gathered. As the flat surface of my fist met his energy…

Kwajik-!

His energy shattered instantly, and my fist burrowed into the old man’s torso.

Kuwaaaaang-!

“Kuhuruk!”

From the impact, the old man vomited blood and was flung backward. He tumbled through the air several times before finally hitting the ground.

“Cough…… Hurk……”

Watching the old man collapsed on the floor, I brushed off my hands.

“Don’t move.”

He froze.

Though my eyes were on the old man, I sensed a presence beside me.

It was the woman I’d hit in the solar plexus earlier.

She tried to stab me with her sword, aiming for a surprise attack, but…

“Thinking of trying something else?”

I had already read her intentions.

“……Who are you?”

The woman asked me in a flustered voice,

“I’ve never heard of a powerhouse like you. Who are you? How are you wearing the guise of the Fire Sorcerer Demon?”

Her voice trembled. From the brief exchange just now, it seemed the woman had grasped the difference in our strength.

“That’s what I’m more curious about. Who are you?”

“……You don’t know me?”

Perhaps her pride was wounded, the woman’s face contorted.

She seemed to be quite famous.

‘……I really don’t know.’

A famous Demonic Cult figure recognizable just by face? She was certainly a pretty woman, but…

Still, if I didn’t know, I didn’t know.

“I’m asking because I don’t know. Would I ask if I knew?”

“……”

“Just answer me. Or don’t, if you don’t want to.”

I wasn’t that curious, after all. I figured she didn’t have to answer, but…

“You don’t know me, the Black Moon Empress (黑月女帝)…? That makes no sense.”

“……Aha.”

Perhaps her pride was wounded, the woman directly revealed her sobriquet.

‘……The Black Moon Empress?’

It sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe I’d heard of her?

‘The fact that I’m included in that…’

The words in her sobriquet. And her Fire Sorcerer Demon-level strength.

Seeing as she was at least a martial artist who had reached the Hua Jing level,

“You’re one of the Four Demonic Emperors too, aren’t you?”

“……”

It was highly likely she was one of the current Four Demonic Emperors whom I didn’t know. Mentioning this, the Empress’s face contorted. It seemed I was right.

Wait.

‘That means…….’

My gaze shifted from the Empress to somewhere else.

“Cough.”

It was towards the old man still bleeding.

‘Then that guy too?’

If the Fire Sorcerer Demon, and this unknown woman called the Black Moon Empress were both Demonic Emperors…

Could that old geezer be one as well? As that suspicion crossed my mind…

“……Old man, stop pretending to be weak and get up quickly. It doesn’t look like a good situation.”

“……Kuhuhu…….”

At the woman’s words, the old man got up.

“……Surprising. To think you could land a blow on the Heaven-Defying Emperor (易天帝).”

“……”

It seemed so. They introduced themselves directly, making it easy to understand.

‘The Heaven-Defying Emperor.’

What a flashy sobriquet. That guy seemed to be a Demonic Emperor too.

‘Seeing as I don’t know him…’

He must be dead,

‘……Or someone whose identity was washed clean by that person.’

All I knew was that the Fire Sorcerer Demon was dead. The fact that these people were here…

“You guys were also trying to receive a new life from that guy earlier, weren’t you?”

“……You know that much?”

“I wasn’t trying to find out, but they explained it themselves.”

“Just who the hell are you? Why are you interfering with us like this?”

The Heaven-Defying Emperor asked, wiping away blood. Hearing him, I chuckled.

“I wasn’t exactly trying to interfere… I just came because there was a foul smell, that’s all.”

“How are you wearing the Fire Sorcerer Demon’s appearance?”

“It doesn’t seem like a human skin mask…?”

To the Empress’s question, I grabbed my own cheek and stretched it.

“……How.”

“How this is happening isn’t important. What is important is that three of the so-called Four Demonic Emperors of the world have gathered here, and what the hell they’re doing.”

It’s absurd.

“For the so-called supreme figures of the Demonic Cult, did you crave new lives that badly? Aren’t you ashamed?”

“……Shut up.”

The Black Moon Empress spoke, biting her lip. She was quite alluring, and the expression suited her, but it didn’t particularly move me.

“What do you know……!”

“I don’t know much, and I don’t want to know, which is why I’m saying this.”

What the Demonic Cult bastards think doesn’t matter. I had no interest whatsoever.

Just then.

“Listen here.”

The Heaven-Defying Emperor, who had been listening quietly, spoke to me.

“Won’t you join hands with us?”

“Hmm?”

“……Old man. What are you talking about?”

The Empress scowled.

“We know you’re a master we haven’t heard of, but you aren’t from the Orthodox sect either, are you?”

“Well, yeah.”

Technically, I am an Orthodox sect member now, but I’ve never thought of myself that way.

“Instead of fighting like this, how about we join forces and gain freedom? It doesn’t matter if we aren’t the Fire Sorcerer Demon. All that matters is obtaining freedom.”

“……Freedom? What could be freer than you bastards?”

Living as they pleased, doing whatever they wanted, the idea of Demonic Cult bastards seeking freedom was laughable even to a passing dog, but…

“What are you talking about?”

At my words, the Black Moon Empress interjected.

“As long as the Alliance members exist, how can we be free? We’re nothing more than pawns.”

“……Hmm?”

Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes. Pawns?

“There is no freedom for members of the Demonic Cult. If we cannot break free from this vile chain, shouldn’t we at least run away?”

“……”

What could that mean?

Talk about the Alliance and freedom? It was strange coming from the mouths of Demonic Cult members.

‘Hmm.’

Whether it was the Fire Sorcerer Demon, the Heaven-Defying Emperor, or the Black Moon Empress.

‘Is there something going on with the Demonic Cult bastards too?’

The current situation between the Martial Alliance and the Four Demonic Emperors seemed to involve something more.

“So, how about we join hands for now to handle this matter? Since you aren’t from the Orthodox sect either……”

However.

“Ah, sorry.”

Kwadeuk-!

“Gnk……?”

I had no intention of joining hands with those guys.

My hand went straight through the Heaven-Defying Emperor’s chest.

“I dislike the Orthodox sect members, but I dislike the Demonic Cult bastards even more.”

I wasn’t curious about the reasons.

I was sick of the Orthodox sect members, but I hated the Demonic Cult bastards more. Especially when I recalled what they did during the Demonic-Orthodox War.

“Nnngh…… Nnngh……”

The Heaven-Defying Emperor’s heart was ripped out, and the old man died right there.

“Wh-what……!”

Seeing this, the Black Moon Empress quickly turned her back.

Then she bolted, starting to flee.

Watching her back, I nodded. I could have caught her immediately, but I didn’t.

‘Where will she go?’

It wasn’t some weird game of tag.

This was simply a more efficient way to catch prey.

Prey cornered by danger gets a chance.

And while fleeing is fine, now that she’s wounded, there’s only one place she can run to.

‘Where her pack is.’

The safest direction, towards where her pack would be. That’s where she’ll go.

If there’s no pack, then it’s back to square one.

‘I doubt it’s just these three.’

Three of the Four Demonic Emperors.

While it’s impressive that they gathered, I doubt this is the end of it.

‘The guy from earlier is missing too.’

The man who dragged me here was nowhere to be seen.

That’s why I let the Empress go intentionally.

‘Where will she go?’

I don’t know where she’s headed, but wherever she goes, I suspect something will be there.

I’ve already put a leash on her.

‘By marking her with demonic energy.’

Wherever the Empress heads, I’ll find her quickly.

Feeling the direction of the demonic energy I’d left, I started moving.

‘Shall I get going?’

Lingering on the front lines. That foul stench.

It was time to figure it out.