Should I say it’s nice to see you? (2)

Fwoosh.

Chung Myung shot forward at a speed so terrifying it made one’s blood run cold. With his stance lowered as far as it could go, he charged with murderous intent, reminiscent of a starving beast.

‘M-Maehwa Geomgwi!’

A straight path stretched from Chung Myung to Ho Gamyeong. Unfortunately, the man standing in the middle of it let out a desperate scream.

“B-Block him!”

It was not a cry born from the resolve to protect Ho Gamyeong. It was the scream of someone who realized he could not escape the beast already upon him.

As he reflexively raised his blade, the Plum Blossom Sword – brimming with sword energy – came crashing down.

Clang!

The moment the sword and blade collided, a sliver of hope flickered in the eyes of Sapaeryeon’s warrior. Maybe, just maybe, he could buy himself even a little time against that notorious Maehwa Geomgwi. And if so, perhaps a way to survive might present itself.

At that moment, Chung Myung used the sword resting on the blade as a lever to launch himself up. He soared into the air, spun once, and brought his raised sword down with tremendous force.

Wheeeeng!

“Uh……?”

The blade broke clean in two, and in the brief flash of white that followed, Sapaeryeon’s  warrior’s final moment came. Having sliced him from head to toe, Chung Myung kicked the body away before it was even fully severed.

Boom!

The corpse bounced apart to the left and right. Crimson blood and fragments of flesh burst like fireworks.

“Ugh!”

The member of Sapaeryeon, recoiling in horror at the flying remains, hastily deflected it with his blade.

Crunch!

Just then, something forced its way into his mouth. As Chung Myung twisted the Plum Blossom Sword lodged between his teeth, the jaw he had instinctively clenched was pried open.

“Grrk……”

The pain spreading through his mouth was so intense it felt scorching hot. In front of the frozen member of Sapaeryeon stood Chung Myung, drenched in blood. Chung Myung’s lips twitched, revealing his white teeth.

“A Sapa bastard… squeamish about blood?”

Crunch!

With a horrifying sound, a sword protruded from the back of the Sapa’s neck. Having mercilessly severed his cervical spine, Chung Myung grabbed the collapsing man by the hair and flung him forward with all his might.

“I-Impossible!”

As their comrade’s corpse came hurtling towards them, Sapaeryeon’s warriors reflexively swung their blades. There was no reason to fall for such an obvious trick – using the corpse to block their view and launch an attack.

Crunch!

Rather than being a slicing sound, it rang more like something being torn apart, again and again. The hurtling corpse was ripped apart, scattering in every direction.

However, Chung Myung – who should have been behind the corpse – was nowhere to be seen, no matter how hard they looked. Instead, excruciating pain seized their ankles.

Slice! Slice! Slice!

“Aaaaargh!”

Those whose ankles were suddenly rendered useless collapsed to the ground. Like a snake slithering through undergrowth, Chung Myung had hurled himself along the ground and severed their ankles with a single stroke.

“Aagh! My legs! Damn iiiit!”

Crunch!

Chung Myung’s sword impaled the neck of the man who was screaming. His scream halted abruptly. In a single moment, he was freed from his pain. Driven straight into the ground, the blade bent as though testing its limits.

Taaang!

With the recoil of the sword snapping back straight, Chung Myung was propelled forward in an instant.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

Amid a beastly howl – whether it was a scream or a wail, none could tell – long spears flew towards Chung Myung in midair. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword towards the spears, bristling like a dense bamboo forest.

And the moment Chung Myung’s outstretched sword and the spears were intertwined, his body spun in midair. All the rotational force converted into counter-force, and Chung Myung’s sword sent the spears aimed at him flying in every direction.

Taaang!

“Huk!”

With no time to react, the members of Sapaeryeon widened their eyes at the sensation of their spears slipping from their grasp. And then Chung Myung’s sword came flying in, tracing a long arc through the air.

Paaaang!

With a fierce tearing sound that seemed to rip the very air apart, the upper bodies – robbed of everything below the waist – were hurled into the air.

Thump!

Brushing past those remains, Chung Myung landed lightly.

“You, monster! Just die!”

As though waiting for this moment, a blade imbued with powerful blade energy slashed down towards Chung Myung’s head. Baring his teeth, Chung Myung swung his sword to meet it.

Clash!

The blade clashing with his sword was knocked upward. The instant Sapaeryeon’s warrior grit his teeth and tried to bring his blade down again, Chung Myung suddenly reached out and grabbed the wrist holding the blade.

“Wha….. Gguk!”

Thrust!

Chung Myung’s sword plunged straight, impaling the warrior right through the solar plexus. Meeting the man’s gaze, who froze with his mouth agape, Chung Myung let out a low growl.

“That’s all?”

Thrust!

“Aaaaaaaaargh!”

As Chung Myung applied force, the Dark Plum Sword finally burst through the Sapa’s back. Without hesitation, Chung Myung twisted the blade. Then, curling one corner of his mouth into a crooked grin, he charged straight forward.

“Gaaaaah! Aaaaaagh!”

With his wrist seized, the member of Sapaeryeon could do nothing but scream. In the eyes of those watching, they could clearly see their comrade’s body – unable to bear its own weight – slowly being torn apart on the sword.

“…Ugh.”

“That devil*…!”

Horrified by the truly dreadful sight, the members of Sapaeryeon instinctively staggered back.

Crack!

Chung Myung, who had crushed the wrist of the still-convulsing enemy – unable even to die properly – twisted his sword horizontally at the same time, slicing the man’s body apart. The sword that had entered through his solar plexus came out through his side.

“Aaaaargh!”

Thud!

Chung Myung struck the screaming Sapa’s jaw upward with his elbow. At last, the warrior of Sapaeryeon, spewing blood, collapsed and died.

“Haaa…”

Chung Myung let out a ragged breath and roughly wiped his blood-soaked face. It felt like the hot blood was burning his skin. His breath caught at the tip of his throat, and the sensation of cutting through bone with his sword lingered in his fingertips.

Yet even then, Chung Myung’s gaze remained fixed on one spot.

Ho Gamyeong, who was watching from afar.

Sending a cold stare, Ho Gamyeong curved his lips into a faint smile, as if mocking Chung Myung.

Before long, Ho Gamyeong turned away. Without a shred of hesitation, he planted his foot on the ground and dashed off, fleeing from Chung Myung.

At the same time.

“Stop him! Don’t let him reach the Commander!”

“Grab onto his ankles if you have to – just keep him here! Anyone who cares about their own life, I’ll kill with my own hands!”

The subordinates guarding Ho Gamyeong shouted desperately. They intended to sacrifice their own lives if necessary, buying Ho Gamyeong enough time to escape.

Chung Myung let out a suppressed laugh.

Actually, even for him, this was not a situation he was particularly used to. Demonic Cult’s followers had no concept of retreat in their minds. When they encountered an enemy, whoever it might be, they would roll their eyes back and charge in – that was their way.

But in the end, when you think about it, there is no real difference.

Chung Myung gripped his sword.

Whether he was chasing someone who fled or delivering a final blow to the neck of a man besieged by a mountain of enemies, the process remained the same. Slash, cut, and slash again, until he finally stood where he wanted to be.

“Aaaaagh!”

Overtaken by fury, the members of Sapaeryeon rushed at Chung Myung without a second thought. Fear and hostility intertwined. Reason had long since flown away. A wave of human bodies [인(人)의 파도], consumed by madness, surged towards Chung Myung.

“Dieeeeeeeeee!”

Three blades descended on Chung Myung’s head with terrifying force.

Bang!

At the same time, Chung Myung kicked off the ground.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Almost simultaneously, three heads flew into the air. With a single slash, Chung Myung had severed all three necks – his face twisted like that of an evil spirit** as he thrust his sword at the onrushing enemies.

Paaaaararak!

His sword trembled violently, as if possessed. Streams of plum blossom petals poured out furiously and engulfed the members of Sapaeryeon.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

“Gaaaaaaah!”

The whirling petals ripped Sapaeryeon’s members to shreds in the most literal sense. Bodies pierced and slashed spewed blood from their seven orifices [칠공(七孔)***] before collapsing.

“Urgh…!”

Almost at the same time, blood burst out from Chung Myung’s mouth as well.

“Hah……”

Revealing bloodstained teeth as he laughed, Chung Myung kicked off the ground once more.

Paaat!

He thrust his sword into the heart of the one standing at the very front, and with his left hand, grabbed the face of another rushing in.

Crunch!

“Aaaagh! My eyes! My eyeeeeeees!”

Chung Myung, who had severed the neck of the one screaming as he gripped his face, struck aside the severed head and leapt into the midst of the enemies.

Prrraaaaak!

With his sword raised high as though to pierce the sky, he drew a great circle in the air. An abundance of crimson plum blossoms erupted. Even in this place drenched in blood, that red stood out so vividly it caught the eye.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

The moment Chung Myung lowered the tip of his sword, the blossoms that had been hovering only in midair poured down all at once like a raging torrent.

“Ah…..”

The complexions of Sapaeryeon’s members turned pitch-black with dread. The plum blossom petals looked like death itself surging towards them.

“N-Nooo! Aaaaaaaaah!”

They swung their blades frantically, but it was no use. A sword could be blocked, and sword energy could be dodged, but there was no way to fend off thousands of petals that filled their field of vision as they came rushing in.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

The plum blossom sword energy mercilessly slashed their well-trained bodies.

“Ghhhuuk……”

Those who trembled as they spilled blood so miserably soon collapsed without strength left.

“Cough! Cough!”

Chung Myung, having spewed another mouthful of blood, lifted the head he had momentarily lowered. His vision was blurred. Yet even amidst that haze, the path now laid wide open remained distinctly clear.

‘I have to go…‘

His legs suddenly trembled.

Each time he unleashed his sword energy, it felt as though the evil spirit** residing inside him was gnawing at every part of his body. Even so, he had to take a step now, even if it meant his body would be torn to pieces by that evil thing’s teeth.

Even though he tried his best not to show it, his feet dragged slightly with every step he took. The members of Sapaeryeon did not miss this small change. Their instincts sensed the abnormality in their enemy before their minds did.

They rushed forward reflexively. They had already cast aside any thought of their comrades’ deaths.

Rather, the desperation that if they did not kill Chung Myung now, they would soon share the same fate, gave strength to their legs.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

With shouts that threatened to tear their throats, the members of Sapaeryeon charged in. Just as Chung Myung bit his lip, about to swing his sword.

Swish.

A faint sound of air being sliced spread above his head. At a glance, it sounded like the flutter of a robe in the wind.

Chung Myung, startled by this familiar sound, stopped in his tracks.

Paaaat!

Dozens of sword energies were raining down upon the heads of Sapaeryeon’s warriors who were aiming for Chung Myung.

“W-What?!”

“Moooove!”

Slash! Slash! Slash!

It happened in an instant. The one who had sent five of them to the afterlife in a single swing landed as lightly as a bird.

“You are always……”

Chung Myung stared blankly at the person who turned to look his way.

“…overdoing it.”

Yu Iseol’s soft voice reached his ears. Her calm gaze seemed to reprimand Chung Myung.

Thud.

At that moment, someone grabbed Chung Myung’s shoulder and pulled him towards them.

“Agreed.”

“…Sahyeong?”

It was Yoon Jong. He stepped forward as though to protect Chung Myung.

Chung Myung stared blankly at Yoon Jong’s back.

“The target is Ho Gamyeong, right?”

Chung Myung nodded absentmindedly.

“We’ll clear the way. So shut up and follow us, you damned Saje.”

As if those words had been a signal, dozens of swordsmen shot forward, brushing past Chung Myung.

Their retreating figures were imprinted in Chung Myung’s eyes like a painting.

‘Saje…’

No. That wasn’t it. These were not Sajes he remembered.

These were Sahyeongs he would remember from now on.

“Let’s go, Hwasan!”

“Yes!”

The swordsmen of Hwasan, gathered in front of Chung Myung, scattered plum blossoms as they charged fiercely towards the enemy.