The Day of the Small Church – Part 2

Explosions and gales, various external stimuli.

And as the revitalizing pill that Youngma had administered as an emergency measure took effect, Inho was able to regain a semblance of his faltering consciousness.

“Ugh…”

Fighting against his drooping eyelids, he faintly opened his eyes.

Youngma, who was tending to him, was focused on one spot, biting her lip.

He tried to rise, supporting himself on the ground with trembling arms, and only then did Youngma realize that the Young Cult Leader had awakened, and she supported him.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

“Yeah… I’m okay.”

In truth, he was not okay. The revitalizing pill only helped him recover a minimal amount of energy.

Having walked a long distance without proper nourishment and suffering a great shock to his mind, he resembled a martial artist who had barely survived Qi Deviation.

“What happened?”

As he vaguely recalled the Three Demons trying to support him, he asked, and Youngma briefly summarized the situation.

The fight between Soyou and Namgoong Soyeon had already escalated into a battle that Youngma or Inho could not follow.

The sound of swords clashing.

The ground rumbled and shattered with loud bangs.

The sight of red and black masses intertwining and unraveling.

He could only grasp the nature of the fight through these fragmented glimpses.

“Is Master winning?”

Asking Youngma, who was at least an expert, Youngma did not answer.

Inho realized that the unfamiliar emotion on Youngma’s face was, in fact, bewilderment.

The red figure relentlessly unleashed attacks, driving back the black figure.

The black figure deflected the attacks by tracing trajectories, but could not mount any significant counterattacks.

It managed to interrupt the flow of attacks with Black flame from time to time, but the opponent stubbornly dug in, regardless of whether her body was burned.

“An exchange is not being established.”

“Exchange?”

“Yes. When martial artists of similar… levels fight, they fight by giving up something to gain something.”

Youngma frowned as she said the word ‘similar,’ as if reluctant to admit it.

“They would give up what they can afford to lose and try to gain something important from the opponent.”

“The Cult Leader’s fight is proceeding in a way that does not allow this exchange. Because if you fight with Black flame surrounding your body, the opponent cannot approach.”

The intense heat that melts flesh just by getting close.

This was the power of the Martial arts possessed by the Heavenly Demon, which had struck fear into the Central Plains.

“But… the current Thunder Sword has gained a recovery ability that cannot be called human. Even if her body melts, she recovers quickly.”

After becoming a Blood demon, the inner energy and life force accumulated through countless Energy Absorption.

And the life force she is currently gaining from the people scattered on the battlefield.

Her recovery ability here is close to infinite.

“Even if she just sticks close and succeeds in attacking little by little, Thunder Sword has nothing to lose. After all, she will recover.”

Youngma muttered, as if resentful.

“Is there a way to win…?”

“With my humble knowledge, I can only think of one. She must destroy her dantian to stop the circulation of inner energy. But whether it is possible to wound her from the outside now…”

“Master must have a plan, right?”

“I believe she does.”

But there was no strength in Youngma’s words.

Inho silently watched the two fight.

They clashed in the air and fell vertically to the ground.

With a bang! Dust flew into his face again.

“Youngma. What weapons can we use?”

Despite his trembling body, Inho asked Youngma clearly.

Youngma listed the available weapons to Inho.

Inho listened to the weapons Youngma listed and fell into thought.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? You should be acting all composed like before, shouldn’t you?”

Namgoong Soyeon, mocking the Heavenly Demon in a taunting tone, jabbed her fist into the Heavenly Demon’s stomach.

The Black flame surrounding her body melted the arm, preventing it from exerting its full power, but the Heavenly Demon clicked her tongue at the accumulating impact.

“You’re having a lot of fun. Are you so happy that you broke through my Black flame?”

“Yes. I am. I feel so good seeing your haughty face contorted like this.”

Thunder Sword licked her lips and grinned.

Pshhhhhhh

In the time it took Thunder Sword to jab her fist, the Heavenly Demon slashed her body several times, and blood spurted from Namgoong Soyeon’s body.

But that was only for a moment.

Before long, her wounds were sealed, and she looked at the Heavenly Demon in perfect condition.

“What should I do? It seems your sword doesn’t work on me.”

“The way you’re acting all cocky is disgusting.”

The situation continued like this.

A situation where no matter what attack she made, it didn’t work. No matter how much she dodged and avoided, she was met with relentless tenacity and stamina.

There was clearly still a difference in the level of Martial arts, but this foreign power that filled the gap was creating an unfavorable situation.

“Kugh!”

Blocking Thunder Sword’s roundhouse kick, a heavy impact shook her body.

The Heavenly Demon flew away and crashed into the ground, and Thunder Sword’s sword fell on top of her.

Quickly dodging, the sword was planted in the spot where the Heavenly Demon’s head had been.

“You’re very quick to run away, aren’t you? Like a rat.”

The laughing face continued to irritate the Heavenly Demon.

‘I have to kill her in one blow.’

If the war of attrition continued, it would be disadvantageous to her.

Having taken on the name of the Heavenly Demon, the Heavenly Demon took a strong stance in a situation where the word ‘defeat,’ which she had never thought of, was gradually showing its face.

‘It’s not that Black flame doesn’t do damage. The problem is the recovery.’

How does she recover from her wounds?

The answer is simple. The inner energy from her dantian circulates through her body and heals her body.

“Ah!!”

The Heavenly Demon, who had been dodging attacks, suddenly lunged forward.

Because she rode the sword by a hair’s breadth, blood flowed from the Heavenly Demon’s left cheek.

The Heavenly Demon thrust her arm into Thunder Sword’s dantian.

The sensation of tearing flesh and breaking bones, the feeling of the soft inside of the body, was transmitted through her skin.

The Heavenly Demon then ignited Black flame.

“Kyaaaaaaaaak!!”

Namgoong Soyeon screamed as flames erupted from within.

“Now die, you bitch.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke as if talking to a disgusting bug.

The smell of burning flesh stung the Heavenly Demon’s nose.

-Thud

As the Heavenly Demon, feeling the completely destroyed dantian, tried to pull out her hand, Thunder Sword’s hand grabbed the Heavenly Demon’s arm.

The Heavenly Demon, looking up at Namgoong Soyeon, had an expression of bewilderment.

“Got you!”

-Crack

Namgoong Soyeon crushed the Heavenly Demon’s arm with brutal force.

“Keugh…!”

The Heavenly Demon kicked Namgoong Soyeon away, but her arm was already broken and dangling.

Namgoong Soyeon, who had fallen away, stood up again in perfect condition.

“You have a blank look on your face. A face that says, ‘Why… why are you okay even though I destroyed your dantian?'”

She giggled and continued.

“My recovery doesn’t come from my dantian. It’s just that the blood circulating in my body heals my body. It has nothing to do with inner energy.”

Thunder Sword, who had quickly approached the Heavenly Demon, knocked her over.

Thunder Sword, who was riding on top of her, punched the Heavenly Demon’s face repeatedly.

–

Bang!

–

Bang!

–

Bang!

“Now! Just! Die!”

The Heavenly Demon’s mind became hazy from the continuous punches.

She tried to counterattack, but it was just a futile gesture. She couldn’t reach Thunder Sword.

‘Is this the end?’

Foreseeing her futile end, she sighed inwardly.

Regardless, Namgoong Soyeon’s fist continued to fall on the Heavenly Demon without mercy.

In her fading consciousness, the Heavenly Demon saw someone flying behind Thunder Sword.

As soon as the Heavenly Demon was pinned down by Thunder Sword, Youngma grabbed her weapon and ran out.

Youngma attached all the weapons she could use to wires and threw them at Thunder Sword.

Some missed, and some hit Thunder Sword’s body.

She had long since abandoned the idea that these weapons would do any damage.

It was just an action to stop her movement for a very short time.

The weapons acted like nails firmly embedded in Thunder Sword’s body, and Youngma occupied the rear of Thunder Sword and pulled the wires as if pulling the reins of a horse, blocking her movement.

“Did you think you could stop me with this?”

When Namgoong Soyeon asked as if she was dumbfounded, Youngma didn’t answer and pulled the wires even harder.

Blood flowed from the hand holding the wire.

“Something like this!”

As Namgoong Soyeon tried to break free from the restraints with force, someone jumped in front of her.

The person with weakened legs looked like it was a miracle that they were standing.

As soon as she saw that someone, Namgoong Soyeon smiled brightly.

“Young Master!”

Young Master is coming to me! Namgoong Soyeon was happy like a child.

However, her face soon contorted because he was holding a small dagger in his hand.

“Young Master… what is that?”

Namgoong Soyeon’s face contorted like a demon as she saw the knife Inho was holding coming towards her without stopping.

The dagger aimed for her neck, but unfortunately, Namgoong Soyeon was not one to be hit by that attack.

“Kyaak!”

As she put strength into her arm, the wires snapped and Youngma flew far away.

The red bundles that spewed out from her back restrained Inho’s body.

Inho, with his limbs bound, was lifted into the air.

The Heavenly Demon slowly got up. The red bundles brought Inho to her.

Namgoong Soyeon slowly stroked Inho’s cheek and asked.

“Why?”

“……”

“Why? Why did you try to attack me? Could it be… is the brainwashing not completely undone? If that’s the case, I can understand.”

Hurry, say that’s the reason.

Say that you were forced to attack because of the Heavenly Demon’s evil Sorcery.

But contrary to her wishes, the words that came out of Inho’s mouth were full of malice.

“Fuck… you, you bitch.”

“…Huh?”

“You fucking bitch. You’re just a psycho, you bitch. You son of a bitch.”

Ptooey!

Inho, hanging in the air, spat.

“I’m sane enough, you crazy bitch.”

“Why… why are you saying such harsh things? We love each other… we even kissed.”

“Did I want to do that? It’s fucking disgusting that I kissed you.”

“D, don’t say that. No. You’re not Young Master Kang!!”

“Whether I am or not. The kiss I had with you was fucking disgusting, okay? It felt much better with Master!!!!”

“Shut uuuuuuuuuup!!”

At Inho’s last words, which he shouted as if possessed, Namgoong Soyeon pulled a huge awl from her body and pierced Inho’s stomach.