The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

Aron Hobas, who had been chattering into the staff like a skilled announcer, pulled it away from his mouth and asked us.

"Are you ready?"

Van Dyke nodded silently, and I also took a long breath before answering.

"Ready."

Aron nodded and then shouted into the staff.

Van Dyke looked at me silently. I did not avoid his gaze. He was backlit by the sun, so he appeared completely black. If there were a messenger dispatched from the underworld, would he look like this?

Simultaneously, his long two-handed sword came at me in an instant. It felt as if it had suddenly popped out in front of me. Despite the considerable distance between us, the gap was easily ignored by his long limbs and long two-handed sword.

I lightly dodged his thrust by dragging my back foot and moving to the opposite side.

Whoosh!

The two-handed sword, which had fiercely pierced through the air, stabbed where my chest had been and returned. The aftermath sent my hair fluttering.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Van Dyke maintained the distance and thrust his two-handed sword like a spear. He repeated the thrusts at a rather high speed, and each thrust was by no means light, but heavy.

Fwit!

Just the wind from the sword slightly cut my clothes, a part of my hair was cut, and a scratch was drawn on my cheek. It was a monstrous force.

I entered the battle with the thought that the moment I was properly hit by that giant two-handed sword, it would be the end.

I did not rashly attempt an attack. I dodged Van Dyke's fierce thrusts, getting used to his spacing and sense of distance, and gauging how far I needed to penetrate.

The thrusts continued. Dodging itself wasn't difficult, but as I kept dodging... it felt as if the countless thrusts had gathered to form a single wall. I couldn't rashly break through the wall made of countless sword tips and approach. It was a feeling that made you give up on attacking at some point just by looking at it, as if your breath was caught in your throat.

Offense is the best defense. Is this what they mean? It was a rare sight of achieving an ironclad defense through a relentless offense. Attack, defense, and checking, all at the same time.

I thought he had a rather cautious personality, unlike his appearance. But I am not a man to give up on attacking so easily.

I watched the tip of the thrusting sword, learning his patterns and habits... then slightly moved my body to guide the attack to my head.

Whoosh!

'That's right.'

I confirmed the sword rushing towards my head and carefully brought my own to its tip.

Kang!

Then, I rushed in, sliding along it as if scraping.

Kagagagang!

Sparks flew from the friction between the swords. Instead of immediately retrieving his two-handed sword, he put more force into it, trying to cut me down. I endured the force and rushed towards him.

Kagagang!

The moment I thought I was close enough, I released the force I was enduring all at once and lowered my stance.

Whoosh!

His two-handed sword cut through the air above my head. Without slowing down, I pivoted on one foot and slashed diagonally upwards from the lower right to the upper left. But he quickly retrieved his sword and blocked my attack with the long hilt, which was as long as the blade itself.

Kang!

But my sword didn't stop there; it slid in and aimed for his wrist. Just before the Snake-Curved Sword could sever his wrist.

Hwoong!

A leg like a log flew and kicked my side. Of course, it wasn't unexpected, so I countered with my palm. But his strength was far beyond my expectations.

Thwack!

I found myself flying in the air. I was bewildered. I flew about 3-4 meters before landing, rolling on the ground. The pain from my left arm was unusual, so I checked it.

"What in the..."

My left arm, which had blocked the kick, was broken. Even though my left shoulder was hit by an axe and the flow of my internal energy wasn't as natural as before, did this make sense? My side was throbbing, so it seemed some of my left ribs were also broken or cracked.

From just one kick? It was a strength beyond imagination.

"...."

I was so dumbfounded that I just stared blankly at Van Dyke. He was still holding his ground, his two-handed sword aimed at me, watching me with incredibly cautious eyes.

I glared at him.

"...This is the third time."

"What is?"

"My left arm being broken. Give me a break. Stop breaking it already!"

"...."

"Why do these sons of bitches keep picking on my left arm?"

Whether I roared or not, he just stared at me calmly without the slightest movement. I guessed that if I approached him like this, he would create a wall of countless thrusts again. He was a guy who used a two-handed sword like a spear. What he held was a sword, but what he wielded was a spear.

...Like a cautious stubborn old man. Why was he so cautious against a guy who was half-dead? He should let his guard down so I can see an opening. He was the polar opposite of the manly Victor, who had joyfully exchanged only attacks with me before.

It was a caution that didn't match his size. Looking at them, I would have thought Victor was the cautious one and this guy would just swing his spear like a brute. I guess this is why they say you can't judge a book by its cover.

Anyway, because he was a cautious guy, there was an advantage I could gain. Even though he could have rushed in and attacked me right away, he didn't, and just held his ground, watching me carefully. As if he was deeply wary of some kind of trap.

I took that opportunity to check my dantian. The internal energy that had filled the lake was now lapping at the bottom. Could I kindle the moonlight one more time with this? Even if I could, I would only have one chance.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for me. Because that grim reaper guy was full of energy, but I was not.

I had no choice but to use another ultimate skill that I had been saving, one I didn't want to use.

The blood-red world.

The blood-red world was truly a last resort. It was a technique so dangerous and with such severe side effects that even the Heavenly Demon told me to refrain from using it unless absolutely necessary. There was a risk of being swallowed by Qi Deviation. It was like walking a tightrope on the border between entering a demonic state and its opposite.

I had figured out how to use it, but it was an ultimate skill in an unknown territory, to the point where I still hadn't figured out its principle. Even when I was fighting a close battle with the manly Victor, I didn't use this. Because if I had used it then, the side effects would have hit me by now, and I would have collapsed. Then, what would come for me would be certain defeat.

But... now I was cornered. A cliff was waiting for me right behind. I can't fall off a cliff again. Once is enough.

What can I do? I have to move forward somehow. As life always is. I had to defeat that grim reaper who was pointing a spear-like sword at me, pushing me towards the cliff.

"Hoo..."

I took a deep breath, then squeezed my eyes shut. I felt the internal energy in my dantian boiling. The internal energy circulating in my body grew hot and ran wild through my system.

Hwoong!

At the same time, I felt the wind wrapping around me grow stronger. The hem of my clothes fluttered as if it would tear. My hair flew wildly as if it would fly away, and at the same time, a welcome sound reached my ears.

Kiyaaak! Kuaaak!

It was the roar of a fierce wind, so strong it could be mistaken for the scream of a ghost.

I was standing on the edge of despair, and if I took just one step back, it would be a cliff. But for some reason, I felt good and grinned.

"Hehe."

My thoughts flowed simply. What am I worrying about? If there's someone blocking my way, I just have to cut them down. Why? Because there's nothing I can't cut.

Who am I? I am the one and only disciple of the absolute being of another world, the Heavenly Demon. What the Heavenly Demon can do, I can do too.

Do you understand?

I am the second heaven.

The Second Generation Heavenly Demon.

Flash.

I opened my eyes. The world was dyed in blood-red. I felt Van Dyke, who had been aiming his sword at me without letting his guard down, flinch for a moment.

I grinned and looked around the blood-red world. ...Wasn't the world originally red? I felt like I was the only sane person in this world. They were the strange ones. It wasn't that I was standing upside down. I was the only one standing upright.

"Do you understand?"

Tat!

With the wailing spirits in my ears, I rushed at the grim reaper holding a spear. I can't maintain this for long.

In an instant, I entered his range and stabbed his side.

Puk!

The surprise attack was successful, but the sword didn't go deep. This was because he had pulled his body back with incredible reaction speed and at the same time swung his log-like leg again. It was an excellent response, considering that since his two-handed sword was long, he wouldn't have the angle to swing it once I got into his range, and thus his speed would be slower.

But I am not one to be hit by the same thing twice.

I looked at his thigh as it was swung powerfully. Since he was tall, his striking point was high. Even when he just naturally kicked at my midsection, his striking point was fixed at my shoulder.

I'm not going to get hit. Not this time.

Instead, I stepped in the direction the kick was coming from and bent my waist backward. With that strange motion, I lowered my stance and slashed his thigh as I passed.

Chwaak!

Blood splattered. As soon as I dodged the kick, I used the elasticity of my bent waist to stand up and switched my sword to a reverse grip. At the same time, I infused the moonlight I had been heating up into the sword.

As soon as I confirmed the faint, blood-red moonlight seeping into the sword, the moment I was about to plunge the knife into his back with the shortest form.

His broad back disappeared from my sight. Instead, a giant two-handed sword suddenly appeared in front of me. He had spun around in the direction he had kicked, creating distance, and then used that rotational force to swing his two-handed sword with all his might. It was a smooth and natural connection of movements, like flowing water.

The giant two-handed sword reached my eyes in an instant. Even before it touched me, just the wind pressure from it sent my hair flying all over.

"...Damn."

KWAAANG!

The world turned upside down. I flew for a long time before hitting the ground and rolling over and over.

"...Ah."

For a while, my ears were deaf, and then a high-pitched ringing sound was heard. I had no sensation in my whole body. The sword I was holding was, of course, broken and only half remained, and my body was half-hanging off the edge of the arena.

Even the manly Victor had to throw his axe after our clash to drive me here. But this guy had sent me flying here with just a single sword strike.

...He was a monster.

The red moonlight I had been holding was gone without a trace. It was only natural, since the sword I had scraped together my remaining internal energy to infuse had broken. The world that had been dyed in blood-red had also returned to normal. The blood-red world must have been forcibly closed.

Was it the aftereffect? Suddenly, something hot surged up. I turned my head and vomited blood outside the arena.

"...Sir Ashuban. Sir Ashuban."

Amidst the ringing, I heard a voice. I stopped vomiting blood and looked in the direction the voice came from. Aron was looking at me with a stiff face.

"Can you hear me?"

I slowly nodded.

"Will you surrender?"

I shook my head.

"...Are you saying you will continue?"

Nod.

"But..."

I waved my hand to dismiss Aron, who was about to say something, then pushed myself up with my trembling right hand. I couldn't use my left hand to support myself. By then, some sensation had returned. My whole body screamed as if it were broken. Nevertheless, I gritted my teeth and forced my trembling legs to stand up, and finally stood.

"Heok... heok..."

Then I raised the half-broken sword and aimed it at the black grim reaper who had come for me.

Aron asked.

"I'll ask one last time. Will you really continue?"

Nod.

"...Then."

Aron shouted into his short staff.

I staggered towards the grim reaper who had come for me, my sword aimed at him. My vision kept shaking. Something was coming down from my forehead and covering one of my eyes, but I had no time to wipe it away.

As I returned to the center of the arena, the black grim reaper asked me.

"Can you fight?"

"...Of course."

My voice sounded like someone else's. I vomited a mouthful of blood as I spoke.

The grim reaper stared at me blankly and said.

"Surrender. I don't want to kill you."

I grinned.

"I can't... do that."

He, who had been looking at me silently, said something unexpected.

"Awaken the monster."

"...What?"

"I said, awaken the monster sleeping inside you."

I grinned and retorted.

"He is not someone you can summon so carelessly."

"Then die."

I shouted some incomprehensible words and charged.

"I am... immortal!"

A giant two-handed sword came flying.

I closed my eyes and opened them to find myself lying on the ground. In the tilted world, I watched the black grim reaper walking towards me.

...How futile. After all the shit I went through to get stronger, am I going to collapse here in the end? The world is inherently cruel, so it wasn't that strange. The world flows regardless of my resolve or will. If I could change the world with just my will, I would have become one of the Eight Sword Masters.

'...What kind of bullshit is this.'

My consciousness was fading. I reached out a trembling hand towards my fading consciousness.

'No... I can't... end like this...'

My vision went black. And then came a chilling silence.

"...."

In the complete blackness, from far away, I saw a giant, as red as if it were covered in blood, approaching. As soon as I saw it, I knew its identity.

It was a Heart Demon.

He strode towards me... and gave me a sly smile.

***

The arena was dead silent. Everyone was watching the two men on the stage. The giant knight standing tall, and in front of him, the Red-Eyed Devil, covered in blood and collapsed.

—...Ah.

A sigh was heard from somewhere. It was the realization that the fierce match, the decisive battle, had finally come to an end.

In the complete silence, the First Prince raised his hand and shouted.

"Yes! It's over!"

At the same time, cheers of joy erupted from a part of the audience.

"We won! We won!"

"Hahahaha! I knew it!"

But the arena was still quiet. Was it because they had witnessed his desperate struggle? The number of people watching the fallen Red-Eyed Devil with pity was overwhelmingly large.

The Black Prince squeezed his eyes shut, and the nobles on his side also bowed their heads. Sir Fluffy watched the arena with deep, silent eyes, and Count Hermann, who had come out with his shoulder bandaged and was watching the match next to him, had a bitter expression. Shushruta was watching from the waiting room with a face on the verge of tears, and Linda, who had tried to run out of the waiting room, had collapsed and was sobbing.

At that moment when everyone was plunged into despair, Van Dyke of the Iron Spear, who was looking down at the Red-Eyed Devil, delivered the final verdict.

"...It's over."

With those words, Van Dyke turned around as if there was nothing more to see.

As he took a few steps.

The fallen man stood up in a bizarre posture. As if someone was pulling him up with strings from above.

(End of Chapter)