Chapter vv15c2

Two years ago.

The memory of that day, when they were surrounded by three hundred enemies, the lingering terror, the vivid sense of dread, all came flooding back.

Two years ago…

The two young men stood before him, their hair disheveled, blood trickling from their lips, their clothes torn and bloodied. He, the silver-masked reaper, observed them silently, his gaze piercing. His own chest was marked by a long, diagonal gash, revealing a thin, red line beneath.

He traced the line with a finger, as if inspecting a wound. A faint smile curled his lips.

“Incredible! You actually managed to wound me… Are there still such talents hidden in this crumbling martial world?”

He seemed more amused than angry. His voice was deep and resonant, echoing from the depths of an abyss.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen my own blood. I don’t know where you came from or who trained you, but you’ve learned well! Your skills and potential surpass any warrior I’ve ever encountered!”

It was the highest praise he could offer. But the two young men weren’t flattered. They knew that few who had faced him had survived to tell the tale. Praise from someone who was about to kill them was nothing but mockery. They couldn’t very well say, “Thank you! It’s an honor! We’ll cherish this moment forever!”

“Damn it!”

Clank!

The sound of chains clashing.

“Kill them!”

Hyuk roared, his eyes blazing with fury. He held a pair of blood-stained sabers, the Demonic Sabers, Heaven-Shaking Blades, but they were silent now, useless.

They were bound, their limbs wrapped in thick, black chains, eight strands in all, like a beast trapped in a cage.

“I apologize for the restraints. I wasn’t confident that ordinary ropes would be enough to hold you. It’s a bit cumbersome, but please bear with it.”

He apologized politely, as if he were inconveniencing them. Was he toying with them? Hyuk gritted his teeth. He felt a pang of guilt for dragging his friend into this.

“I’m sorry, Rin! I failed to capitalize on the opportunity you created!”

Rin shook his head at his friend’s remorseful words.

“Don’t blame yourself! You wounded him! That’s a victory in itself! It was my fault for not creating a better opportunity… I hesitated, I was afraid!”

Rin was no better off than Hyuk. His unique robe, a blend of crimson and azure, was torn to shreds. But even in his disheveled state, his beauty was undeniable.

His eyes still burned with a fierce fighting spirit. Despite being bound, he refused to release his grip on his weapons, the Ice Tear sword in his left hand and the Red Flame saber in his right. It was a final act of defiance.

‘Damn it! If I had another chance…’

But there would be no second chances. He had been too arrogant, too careless. He had failed to give it his all. He bit his lip, swallowing his frustration.

‘If I had taken that blow to the stomach, instead of dodging it… If I had endured the pain, Hyuk might have had a better chance…’

But regrets were useless. The past couldn’t be changed.

They had lost. It was a complete defeat.

Death awaited the defeated. But he wasn’t afraid of death. He was only saddened by the thought that their hopes, their dreams, would die with them. But they had no strength left to fight.

Their elite strike force, a hundred strong, was dead. Only the two of them remained. And they were surrounded by three hundred enemies, their swords and sabers gleaming, their leader a figure more terrifying than all of them combined. There was no point in begging for mercy.

The reaper turned his gaze to Rin, his eyes studying him intently. Even the god of death, it seemed, was capable of curiosity.

“You…”

He had one question.

“Are you a woman?”

Hyuk closed his eyes, wishing he could cover his ears as well. But his hands were bound. As expected, a deafening roar erupted.

It was a roar of outrage, more ferocious than any beast’s.

“What?! A woman?! I’m a man! Can’t you see? Are your eyes just for decoration? What part of me looks like a woman?!”

Rin shouted, his face flushed with anger. Hyuk winced.

‘I should have covered my ears…’

But he didn’t have time to dwell on his regret. Rin, forgetting that he was bound, lunged at the reaper.

“Whoa!”

Clank! Clank! Whirr!

The six men holding the chains that bound Rin were dragged forward, unable to withstand his strength.

His feet, digging into the ground, left deep furrows. It was an incredible display of power, unimaginable from such a slender frame.

“He is a man? That’s… a shame.”

Hyuk was startled. He had almost nodded in agreement, forgetting his own predicament.

It was a dangerous thought. If he agreed, his journey to the afterlife would be a painful one. But what could he do? Even with perfect vision, it was easy to mistake Rin for a woman. Hyuk forgot his own situation for a moment and thought the same thing.

“What does it matter if I’m a man or a woman? I’ve heard that you don’t show mercy to women either. Just kill me already.”

But the reaper shook his head.

“Tsk, tsk, to lose your composure over such a trivial provocation… Are you even a warrior? You should know the most basic principle of swordsmanship.”

“Th-That’s…”

Rin’s face flushed with shame.

An unmoving heart!

Every swordsman knew the principle, but few could put it into practice. The gap between knowledge and action was vast, and only a select few could bridge it.

“The martial world must have gone through a lot of trouble to raise someone like you. I suppose you were their last resort. What a shame that you failed.”

It was ironic that their greatest enemy, not their own allies, recognized their true worth.

“Hmm… What should I do with you?”

He murmured, as if he were genuinely troubled.

The death sentence hadn’t been passed yet. It seemed that he was still intrigued by them.

Hyuk couldn’t take it anymore.

“Damn it! I won’t be insulted! Just kill us already! What’s with all the talk?!”

He could endure death, but not humiliation. He would rather die with dignity than be toyed with.

“You’re impatient. That’s why you rushed into battle, half-baked and reckless. There’s no need to hasten your death. All men die. The only difference is when… I am the judge, the arbiter of your fate. If I choose to spare you, you will live, even if you wish to die. And if I choose to kill you, you will die, even if you wish to live.”

Was this truly the Blood God, the legendary figure of terror? It was hard to believe. He had imagined a hulking brute, covered in scars, dripping with blood, a beast driven by a thirst for blood. That was the limit of his imagination. But the reality was far different. The only notable features were the silver mask that covered half his face and the two eyes that burned behind it, swirling with a terrifying power.

“Do you want to die that badly?”

He raised his right hand, and a blinding white light erupted from his fingertips. It was some kind of energy blast.

“Kill us!”

They didn’t want to beg for their lives. Hyuk and Rin closed their eyes, awaiting their fate.

Swish!

The reaper smiled, his lips curving beneath the silver mask, and flicked his wrist. And then, something incredible happened.

The chains that bound Hyuk and Rin shattered, falling to the ground like rotten rope.

They opened their eyes, confused. They checked their bodies, but there were no injuries. And then they noticed the broken chains scattered around them. The chains that had held them captive, that they had struggled in vain to break, had been severed as easily as straw.

‘What incredible power…’

The chains, judging by their dark, glossy finish, were no ordinary chains. They were probably made of black steel. And he had broken them with a flick of his wrist… He was truly the Heavenly Calamity, the embodiment of fear and death.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Hyuk was bewildered by his newfound freedom.

“Just a whim. Your ambush was disappointing. The key to a successful ambush is speed and stealth. Only then can you utilize your individual skills effectively. Next time, be more like mist, more like lightning. Don’t let yourselves be detected so easily. It spoils the fun! I wouldn’t want to break my new toys so soon, would I?”

He was smiling. A chilling smile. A demon’s smile. Hyuk and Rin shuddered.

“Let’s play a game. Seven Releases, Seven Captures, was it? A tale of Zhuge Liang, I believe? I’m going to release you three times. You have no choice. I am the victor, and you are the vanquished. The victor sets the rules. And the vanquished must obey. Struggle as much as you like. But if I capture you three times, you die.”

“Master! They tried to kill you! You can’t let them go!”

One of the warriors surrounding them shouted. It was Am-roe, the leader of the Dark Thunder Squad, the commander of the three hundred men who had surrounded them. His eyes were filled with venom as he glared at Hyuk and Rin. A long, diagonal scar marred his face, a burning reminder of his encounter with Rin’s Red Flame saber.

“Silence, Am-roe! Do you dare to defy me?”

Am-roe immediately prostrated himself before the reaper’s wrath.

“You are the law, the god of the martial world!”

The reaper nodded.

“And you would defy the law?”

“I-I have sinned! Forgive me, Master!”

A heavy silence fell over the clearing. No one dared to speak. They had learned their lesson.

“Go! Struggle as much as you like! But next time we meet, I expect you to entertain me.”

Hyuk and Rin gritted their teeth, their humiliation burning like fire. But they couldn’t die yet. They still had a duty to fulfill.

“You’ll regret this!”

“I’m counting on it.”

The reaper replied calmly.

They vowed to never forget his words.

‘I will make you regret this, even if it costs me my life!’

They swore to the heavens.