episode_0240

Thud!!!

A heavy impact covers my body.

Despite defending against Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s attack, the impact, not fully absorbed, travels through the sword and directly into my body.

“Kuheup!!”

I deflected the palm fan that was meeting the sword.

But in that moment, what appeared before my eyes was a woman’s white fist.

Swae-aaehk!!!

It seemed like a frail woman’s fist, but it contained a terrifying murderous intent.

Barely dodging that fist, what appeared next were ice spears holding a chilling coldness.

“….”

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwak!!

Following Hyeonmu’s gesture, the ice spears formed in the air instantly flew towards me.

I grabbed one of the ice spears flying at the front.

The moment I grabbed the spear, the cold rapidly eroded my palm, making me frown, but I had no time to care about it.

I swung the spear in my left hand, knocking away the spears flying in succession.

Chae-chae-chae-chaeng!!!

After knocking away all the ice spears, I immediately threw away the ice spear in my hand and rolled forward.

At that moment, a silver lump of metal plunged down where I had been.

Kwaaaaang!!!

The ground scattered with tremendous impact, creating a deep pit.

I immediately regained my posture and swung the sword.

A single line drawn in one strike, dividing the world.

The sword energy of the Sword King that once split Mount Tai. I perfectly reproduced it, cleaving through what was before me.

“Mount Tai Split!!”

Surpassing space, it cuts everything in that area.

However, Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s silver palm fan had absorbed all of Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s demonic energy, maximizing its strength.

The already sturdy palm fan that could withstand Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s overwhelming power was strengthened beyond imagination by receiving Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s massive demonic energy.

Kaang!!!

The drawn line distorted and shattered.

“This is really tough….”

I felt it when I met him after fighting Bokhae Daeseong before, but Hyeonmu, this guy is strong.

I had already guessed Pyeongcheon Daeseong’s strength because I had crossed swords with him once before, but with Hyeonmu added to that, it’s quite tough.

‘…Should I just cut them all down?’

If I were to fight with the intent to kill Hyeonmu or Pyeongcheon Daeseong, suppressing them would be possible.

That kind of calculation was made.

But first of all, Pyeongcheon Daeseong is someone who helped me, and he’s also an acquaintance of Baekho, and Pyeongcheon Daeseong is….

Well, he keeps running at me because he likes me, so I’m hesitant to kill him mercilessly.

‘But if I keep going like this, I’ll get exhausted.’

If I don’t somehow reverse the current situation, the end result will be the deaths of Hyeonmu and Pyeongcheon Daeseong.

“?”

The moment I thought that, I felt countless beings gathering here.

At the same time, Pyeongcheon Daeseong and Hyeonmu, who had been constantly attacking, stopped their attacks and stepped back.

It’s good that I finally had a chance to catch my breath, but I knew that the current situation was not one to be relieved about.

Yes, like the calm before the storm.

The feeling of facing the quiet sea before a tsunami hits.

“Yo, Hero-nim!”

“Young Master Leon…. I’m sorry.”

“Kkeungh…. That monster-like woman….”

It seems that there was some benefit to buying time while confronting Pyeongcheon Daeseong and Hyeonmu, because Baekryeon, Seollin, and Lucy, who were almost half-dead, were able to improve their injuries thanks to Levia’s healing.

So our party has 6 people, including me.

And the opponent is….

“Wow…, there’s a lot….”

Countless monsters.

The power of each one of them is not at the level of Pyeongcheon Daeseong. But just like it’s easy to break one arrow, but it’s hard to break multiple arrows stacked together, if that many monsters gather, something will definitely hold me back.

No, it would be fine if there were just monsters of that level, but among them, there are two beings who can fight me on somewhat equal footing.

In a fight between strong individuals where a small variable can make a big difference, that large amount of variables is difficult to handle.

“Leon!!”

“Human!!”

“!”

“Oh, Mother!!”

Fortunately, in that situation, there were two people approaching from afar.

Baekho with white hair and Jujak with red hair flew in.

Fortunately, the two of them didn’t seem to have fallen under the control of the demon’s evil influence.

“So it was you. I felt your power in the heavens and earth, so I followed the power.”

“Human!! How is he? Is Emperor Yeom okay?!”

Jujak rushed over in a hurry.

Come to think of it…, Emperor Yeom was cursed, so Jujak didn’t resist and was willingly kidnapped, right?

That’s probably why she seems so worried.

“Levia did a curse removal once, but she couldn’t completely remove the curse. The way to remove the curse is….”

“…We must kill the demon. That is the most certain way to remove a curse.”

Jujak turned her gaze with a firm expression, as if she was prepared.

At the end of her gaze were Pyeongcheon Daeseong and Hyeonmu, who were at the forefront of the countless monsters.

“Hyeonmu-nim…. Have you really become a subordinate of the demon?”

“….”

Of course, there was no answer.

Baekho also looked at Hyeonmu with a pitiful expression, then looked at me and said.

“Jujak and I will somehow keep Hyeonmu-nim in check.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“No, I can’t just let you two do that.”

Someone charging in amidst that situation.

The countless monster horde.

And two people standing in front of Pyeongcheon Daeseong and Hyeonmu, who are at the forefront of the monster horde.

A woman who seems to be on the border between a child and an adult with blue hair, and a masked figure wearing thick clothes that completely cover their body.

“C, Cheongryong?!”

“I heard that two of the Four Divine Beasts have come to share the same purpose…. The remaining one must be you.”

Baekho’s eyes widened as he looked at the woman with blue hair, Cheongryong, and Jujak gritted her teeth.

…But that side is Cheongryong.

Then who is the other one?

It feels somewhat familiar…, yet unpleasantly alien.

“That guy is the ‘Demon’.”

“Tammiel?”

Tammiel, who was recovering her strength from behind, threw out the comment casually.

“I was going to tell you earlier, but I couldn’t get around to it…. Maybe the Demon right now isn’t the Demon.”

“Not the Demon?….”

“Yeah. Tamamo, the Demon’s power that she had is gone. And that missing power must be with that guy.”

“….”

…So the Demon, Tamamo, didn’t lose her power, but had it stolen?

“Hero, I’ve heard quite a bit about you. You moved faster than I expected. No…, maybe the problem was that it took longer than expected to subdue Hyeonmu and sister.”

“…Who are you.”

“It’s not a very impressive name, so it wouldn’t mean much even if I revealed it, but… if you still want to know, I’ll tell you.”

He slowly raised his hand and grabbed his mask.

Then he took off the mask.

“?”

“I am Mihuwang. One of the ‘Seven Great Demons’ called Tongpung Daeseong.”

“Mihuwang?…. If it’s Mihuwang, then it must be….”

The name of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven…, no. Wasn’t it a title?

As I was thinking suspiciously, he smiled bitterly and said.

“Yes. As you’re thinking, I am Mihuwang, but I’m not the only Mihuwang. The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, he is also Mihuwang.”

Another Mihuwang?

Or is it the same name?

“Yeah, why is that great monster causing a ruckus in a place like this?”

“There’s no reason to tell you that…, but I’ll be kind and answer. It’s to gain power.”

Kugugugugugung!!

At the same time as those words, tremendous power overflowed from his body.

The sense of incongruity I felt a little while ago.

A familiar sensation I had felt somewhere…. The sensation I felt when facing the ‘Demon King’s Fragment’ is definitely felt.

I could be sure of it with that. That guy is the ‘Demon’.

“Wh, what….”

“Unbelievable power….”

“…This might be a little dangerous….”

Overwhelmed by the power of Tongpung Daeseong, Baekryeon and Seollin unconsciously took a step back.

Even Tammiel is sweating from Tongpung Daeseong’s power, so Baekryeon and Seollin’s reactions are inevitable.

“Do you feel it? This power.”

“Yeah, well…. I can feel it well.”

“The power I have is my own power, and on top of that, all the demonic power gathered by the ‘Demon’ in this Tayo Country. The power of the two great demons who once ruled this place, Ootakemaru and Shuten-Doji, as well as Hyeonmu’s power and sister’s power.”

The energy overflows to the point that it begins to press down on the surroundings.

However, the monsters around Tongpung Daeseong didn’t seem to feel it, and they were fine.

Rather, everyone except Tammiel and me, including Baekryeon and Seollin, were suppressed by his power and couldn’t even breathe properly.

Pajik! Pajik!!

“Heo-eok…, Heo-eok….”

“Su, suddenly it’s easier to breathe….”

“The Hero is offsetting his power with his own power.”

In response to Tongpung Daeseong’s power that suppresses everything, I also release my power.

An invisible, intangible energy collides with each other, and sparks erupt in the empty air.

Tongpung Daeseong, who was watching the scene with interest, reached out his hand and said.

“This power is far beyond the realm of an individual. But I’m not satisfied with that. So Hero, I have a suggestion for you.”

“What is it?”

“Become my subordinate. Hero. Then I will grant you anything you want. Honor, fame, women, money, everything.”

“….”

Tongpung Daeseong is reciting the typical villain boss lines. I scratched my head and answered bluntly.

“Sorry, but I already have enough women, and I don’t really need money, honor, or fame.”

“Is that so? Negotiation failed.”

His eyes flashed red for a moment.

At the same time, the monsters that had been standing quietly around him all began to emit energy.

“The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, be crushed by the power of hundreds of monsters. Hero.”