The Predetermined Ending – 1

It wasn’t with the thought of sacrificing himself in Inho’s stead that Soyou sent him away.

While fleeing, Soyou gauged the pursuers’ skills.

Their ability to erase their presence was outstanding, and the trajectories of the hidden weapons aimed at vital points, along with the subtly narrowing encirclement, were difficult to shake off.

They were clearly skilled assassins.

However, she thought it was worth a try.

That was, however, only when she had nothing to protect.

After all, the enemies were after her and Inho.

Judging by Yunsuk’s lightness skill, he seemed capable of taking Inho and escaping, and because she was strong with absolute power, she thought she could hold back many assassins.

She turned her direction with the words, “You must be safe,” and drew attention by striking the neck of an assassin rushing at her head-on with a knifehand strike.

“From now on, Yomryun Skill will be your opponent.”

This was Soyou’s first misjudgment.

The assassins, intimidated by her fierce momentum, hesitated to rush in and surrounded her.

“Come at me.”

Flames erupted from Soyou, who had taken a stance, along with her fighting spirit.

Were they frightened? The assassins didn’t charge.

No, it would be more accurate to say, ‘did not.’

They slowly stepped back, then turned and dashed in the direction Inho had fled.

“What?!”

She had clearly thought they would wage an all-out war to capture her.

But Soyou’s mind momentarily stalled at the unexpected situation where they were all chasing Inho.

“Hey, where are you going?! I’m here!”

Spewing flames, Soyou put strength into her legs to chase after the assassins.

This was her second misjudgment.

-Tingling

A sharp Killing intent stimulated her senses.

Soyou, who was about to soar into the air, quickly twisted her body, and the trajectory of a sword appeared where she had been just a moment before.

Soyou created distance and examined the attacker.

An assassin wearing a black suit and a cat mask.

“It’s a trap.”

Seeing that figure, which exuded neither Inner Force nor momentum, she realized one thing.

Then she rushed at the cat mask. She had to disrupt the enemy’s stance with a surprise attack before they could properly settle in, and then go to Inho.

But Soyou’s fist never reached the unknown enemy.

The opponent deflected Soyou’s attack with mysterious footwork.

“……”

There was no need for them to exchange words.

Soyou’s eyes moved quickly, searching for an opening in her opponent.

‘Tch. In this case, I have to force my way through.’

The pursuers might have already caught up with Inho. Soyou was impatient.

She drew her Inner Force to its limit, wrapped her body in flames, and leaped forward.

-Thud

The enemy, who had somehow approached her side, tripped her, and she fell to the ground.

“Damn it, you!”

Soyou growled, not even bothering to wipe the dirt from her face.

“You’ve lost your composure.”

Was it a special device? The voice coming from the mask made it impossible to determine the gender.

“What exactly is your purpose! Did you come to kill me like you killed Master?”

Soyou shouted, throwing a punch. The cat mask retreated a step, avoiding the attacks.

“That’s right. You and your disciple will die here today.”

The opponent said, parrying Soyou’s flying kick with their arm.

“It’s the last of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts of the orthodox faction, shouldn’t we savor it to the fullest before ending it?”

Even though the voice was distorted, she could feel the mockery.

“You…!”

Using the anger rising from her core as fuel, Soyou ignited the flames once more.

“Cough… Cough….”

Inho vomited a mouthful of blood.

The assassins who had fallen around him indirectly showed how great a battle he had just fought.

“Impressive.”

Yunsuk, who had been treating him with a somewhat businesslike attitude, marveled quietly.

“I’m… a little… impressive, aren’t I?”

Even as he said it with a grin, Inho continued to vomit blood.

His body was battered by the Inner Force he had forcibly drawn upon and the attacks of the assassins.

Although many assassins had fallen around him, there were still more people aiming for his neck.

“…Hey.”

Inho said to Yunsuk, looking at the assassins’ formation closing in.

“What is it?”

“I’ve been wondering since a while ago… can I ask you something?”

“I’ll grant you your last wish.”

As Yunsuk spoke, Inho wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Blood smeared thickly.

“You guys… were the ones who delivered the news of Grand Master’s death, right?”

“That’s right.”

The messenger who delivered the news of Grand Master’s death.

He had clearly thought they were sent by the Martial Arts Alliance. There was no room for doubt.

How could he have known it was the enemy’s scheme?

“What… organization do you belong to? Are you from the Demonic Sect?”

What force in the Demonic Sect could he have possibly incurred the wrath of? Inho was purely curious.

“Well… it’s ambiguous. We just move according to the request.”

An ambiguous answer came back.

“You said the target was me…? It’s not… resentment towards Yomryun Skill?”

If it wasn’t resentment towards Yomryun Skill, there was even less reason for Inho to have incurred their wrath.

“……”

When silence returned, Inho closed his eyes for a moment and thought.

“Ha… what the hell is going on? It’s not resentment towards Yomryun Skill… but I have to be killed. Shit. What the hell….”

Inho shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

“Have you finished asking what you were curious about? Well, then, farewell.”

As Yunsuk raised and lowered his hand, the assassins who had been waiting rushed towards Inho all at once.

The assassin running at the very front raised a dagger and struck down towards the top of Inho’s head.

-Whoosh

But before the blade of the dagger could touch Inho, it melted limply.

“What?”

A voice full of bewilderment burst from the mouth of the assassin, who was supposed to maintain silence.

In the next moment, Inho’s hand, who they thought had lost consciousness, grabbed the face of the assassin at the front.

“Kkeuaaaaaack!!”

Flesh melted away, and a foul smell spread through the clearing.

The bodies of the assassins who had been rushing in stopped at the prey’s struggle, which they thought they had already caught.

“He’s clearly in a state where he can’t use Inner Force… how….”

Yunsuk’s eyes narrowed.

The clear flames surging and rising from Inho’s body.

The color of that flame, which seemed to purify the evil things around it, was burning vividly.

“It’s… not Inner Force.”

He recalled the person who had cornered his Master someday.

[My recovery doesn’t come from my core. It’s just that the blood circulating in my body heals me.]

“The basic… principle of Yomryun Skill… to put it simply… it’s a Martial arts that uses Inner Force as fuel to start a fire.”

Inho raised his head, staggering.

His eyes shone in the darkness, despite his pale face from bleeding and the tattered wounds all over his body.

“If it’s something that can catch fire… anything can be burned to create flames.”

“This is a fire… fueled by my life.”

-Inhale

Inho took a deep breath and took a stance.

The same ready stance as when he had his first sparring match with his Master.

“Will you continue?”

Yunsuk asked with a look of weariness.

“It seems… I’m going to die today. If it’s an unavoidable fate… I should at least not show a shabby figure.”

Inho replied with a somewhat steady breath.

“Yunsuk… I don’t know if that’s your real name. Anyway, watch carefully.”

-Whoosh Whoosh

Clear flames burned like an aura from his entire body.

“Today, my appearance… remember it well.”

“Charge!”

Yunsuk, flustered by the level of the opponent’s Martial arts, which was different from what he had heard, shouted.

At the same time as Yunsuk’s words fell, the assassins, who had been pressed down by an unknown fear, screamed and rushed in again.

“I’ll show you the awesome appearance of the deceased while he was alive.”

Inho said in a dry voice, standing before countless blades.