<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 123>
Star Hero Headquarters.
The meeting room dimmed as all eyes turned toward the photographs displayed at the front.
“Please take a look at this.”
A container filled with powder clumps.
A glass bottle emanating a sweet, pink-looking smoke.
A group of people sprawled out in a private room of a bar, with mysterious remnants left behind in the bottle.
“This powder is a narcotic that has been rapidly spreading across emerging gangs in New York recently. It goes by names such as ‘Starphone,’ ‘Hekas,’ ‘Dream Gate,’ among others—14 varieties investigated thus far.”
It’s impossible to nail down a specific name. It spreads so widely, and they’ve arbitrarily named it themselves.
It’s a common occurrence.
Gangs causing trouble.
Narcotics having different names.
Such narcotics showing up—it’s all typical in the U.S.
This group of people gathered here and found it odd that they were holding a meeting just for drug-related issues, to the point it seemed unworthy of significant attention.
“However…”
But then the following revelation changed their expressions.
“The initial detection of this narcotic was traced back to ‘Korea.’ Centered around illegal organizations in Korea, this drug was being distributed. The Korean government branded it ‘Soul Drug’ and classified it as a Grade 1 Psychedelic Drug.”
“What…?”
A sigh escapes someone at the mention of a Psychedelic Drug.
Now that’s different.
Even though drugs are abundant in the vast land of America, Psychedelic Drugs operate on a different wavelength.
It’s not just a case of an individual’s delinquency here—this poses harm to the surroundings and, in extreme cases, could easily be exploited for the act of terrorism, which America despises the most.
Should an act of terrorism break out in their jurisdiction…
But it doesn’t end there.
“…and we’ve received intelligence that the entity leading all of this is the ‘Triad.'”
“What? The Triad? BullSit!”
“Fk!! Why? d*mn it!!”
Curses erupt from various corners.
Psychedelic Drugs combined with the Triad?
What is this outrageous combination?
The alarm bells in everyone’s heads started ringing loudly.
This is serious. It’s a ticking time bomb. An explosion could occur at any moment.
The atmosphere in the meeting room heated up. The speaker, emboldened by the mood, continued the explanation with a resolute expression, one word at a time.
“So, let’s refer to this as ‘Soul Drug’ from now on. Let’s see how the Soul Drug is utilized. For instance, it is heated up in a closed space…”
…
…
The emptied meeting room at the conclusion of the meeting.
Once again, John C. Tyler, wearing his signature cowboy hat, lit a cigar.
“Phew~ Everyhem.”
At his beckoning, Everyhem pulled out a notepad and quickly flipped through it.
“Consultation with Park Ki-hyuk. Discussion with Kim Yeon-hee. Investigation into the Triad. Investigation and analysis of Soul Drug…”
Consultation, discussion, investigation, securing, and analysis…
Everyhem rapidly listed the information before concluding.
“Conclusion: Crisis Level 3. Response Level 3.”
“Level 3?”
Level 3 means that instead of an aggressive response, such as an investigation or pursuit, the action would be more about enhancing vigilance and allowing the responsible jurisdiction to investigate at their discretion.
“I thought it would at least be Level 2. Why not?”
“It’s true that Psychedelic Drugs have dangerous elements. Given the involvement of the Triad, a review of the risk level should be necessary. However, unless there’s a bigger risk involved… Case added for consideration.”
Everyhem pulls out an envelope of documents from the pocket.
Mutilated bodies and spilled bl**d. The horrific photos pointed to one thing.
“Battle Frenzy?”
“A possibility of TA resuming its activities detected.”
TA (The Top of Arena).
Along with the Evolutionary Group and Celutis, TA is one of the world’s three major villains.
These guys are a breed apart from other villains.
While the Evolutionary Group chants about humanity’s evolution and engages in various kinds of cruel research, and Celutis seeks salvation through superhumans and opposes them, what about TA?
They’ve got nothing fancy. They just scream: Power! ‘Only the Overwhelming Power!!!’
These reckless battle fanatics can go anywhere.
They always search for the strongest and fight to the d*ath with them. Whether you d*e or they d*e, it’s a life-or-d*ath match.
Some factions argue that it’s unreasonable to classify TA as villains since they don’t bother civilians, but that’s beside the point.
They don’t bother civilians because they don’t consider weak humans as ‘humans’ at all.
If needed, a massacre? That’s child’s play for TA.
If these belligerent fighters go berserk one day…
Tyler frowned and exhaled smoke.
“Phew~ More headaches emerge.”
“As per the contract with ‘The White House,’ Star Hero focuses on TA. On the other hand, the Triad and Soul Drug are not covered by the contract.”
“So, it’s about the priority, right?”
“An objective judgment. Between TA and the Triad, TA is significantly more dangerous.”
“That’s true.”
Tyler seems dissatisfied as he gnaws on the end of his cigar.
Everyhem’s words aren’t wrong, yet it feels uncomfortable for a Psychedelic Drug to spread in the heart of New York, especially one tainted by the sordid hands of the Triad.
“How about keeping the Response Level at 3 but slightly increasing the funding? We could attach a decent bounty to get some work done.”
“A sound suggestion.”
“Meanwhile, can you make some calls to the agencies?”
“FBI?”
“No, the CIA. Report an infiltration of Chinese spies.”
“A proper response.”
By this point, the Triad thugs will have realized they’ve been exposed and will handle themselves accordingly.
“By the way, what’s our protagonist up to?”
“Park Ki-hyuk?”
“Since he was the first to discover this situation, he’s the protagonist, right. Hmm~ He seems promising, but is he still cooperating with the coast guard?”
That’s when an unexpected reaction came from Everyhem.
“Ah…”
“Uh? What did you just do?”
“…”
Huh? The embodiment of cold reason, Everyhem, letting out a sigh? A guy who dislikes emotive speeches so much that he doesn’t even finish his sentences?
“Park Ki-hyuk is voluntarily tracking the Soul Drug.”
“Well, that’s not the issue. What was your reaction just now?”
“…Park Ki-hyuk made a strange request.”
“A strange request?”
“Exactly…”
The words that followed made Tyler pause for a moment before laughing uncontrollably.
“Hahahaahahahhaha!!”
What, what is it? What did he ask for?
“Haha!! Wow, this guy is completely off his rocker~ Absolutely from a crazy family.”
Sword Master being weird is already a known fact, but this Sword Master seems to be genuinely eccentric.
An alley cloaked in darkness.
Under flickering neon signs, two men stood guarding the entrance, yawning.
Static. Static…
Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the darkness, advancing.
A hulking figure piercing through the night, not fully revealed yet.
However, the oppressive atmosphere radiates even from its hazy silhouette.
The two men drew their guns from their coats with caution.
“Are you a visitor?”
“……”
Despite their inquiries, the figure continued to approach without stopping.
Now the two men pulled their guns out in full view.
“Stop.”
“Who are you?”
“……”
The flickering of the neon lights revealed the shadow.
And yet, what rested where his head should be…
“Mask…?”
A goggle-covered face, a gag over the mouth, some symbols drawn.
It was a red mask, like the kind you wear during childhood when playing hero games.
And that wasn’t all. On his body, there was a red spandex tights, with a red cape billowing behind him.
They didn’t realize it then.
This was the look of a protagonist from a tokusatsu cartoon aired across the seas in Korea.
“……!!”
“He’s insane!”
This guy is truly crazy! He’s definitely gone off the deep end!
Overwhelmed by shock and dread, the two men instinctively pulled the triggers.
Bang! Bang-!
The bullets shot out.
A man in a red mask, and red spandex tights, and a red cape swirling around, blocked the bullets bare-handed while rushing toward them.
“Uh… Cough!”
He immediately plunged daggers into their shoulders before moving on down the steps. The red cape billowed as he descended the stairs, and at the bottom waited—
Dozens of guns.
“What the—?!”
Amidst the firing weapons and a hailstorm of bullets.
This man threw himself forward.
And wielding daggers in both hands—
He slashes. He cuts them all down.
Swish, swish, swish…
Like peeling fruits, he cleaved through the bullets and advanced. Eventually, he hacked through the weapons, and even incapacitated the men who wielded them.
Some fled, but he quickly chased after them.
“Cough!”
Stabbing their knees with daggers.
Clearing out the first basement floor, he descended to the second.
From cramped rooms emerged gang members.
“d*mn it, k*ll him!”
“You b*stard, d*e!”
To an ordinary individual, these gang members might seem formidable. But he’s larger, towering over them by more than a head. They looked like children compared to him.
Members rushing from all directions.
The masked man casually defended against their punches.
Crack!
And shattered them.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
He broke the hand of anyone who struck with their fists. He chopped off the limb of anyone who kicked. For those who brandished swords, he severed their hands, and for those who wielded magic—
“Cough!”
He shattered their mana cores.
Without hesitation, he moved toward the third basement floor.
Although it was just one more floor, the atmosphere was different. As if indicating that the real game starts now, the lights illuminated ominous surroundings.
The red spandex reflected the light with its glossy material.
Upon descending to the third floor, the adversaries here were no longer the ones who just lunged at him blindly—they stood watching, calmly taking combat stances.
“Where do you hail from? Did Dormi send you?”
“……”
“Or Alfuccino?”
“……”
“Your unusual outfit… so you’re indeed a pro?”
At a signal from the apparent leader, gang members charged.
They were indeed different from before. Maybe they had taken a power-up potion; their movements were faster and stronger.
The gang members closed in, calm and calculating, not letting loose with curses unlike their less proficient counterparts, for fear of revealing their movements.
Restrained motions, concealed within them: lethal blades.
The frontline fighters lunged forth with drawn swords, exuding ki, pressing the masked man. The rear line cast various debuffs, entrapping the masked man.
The masked man being overwhelmed under combined attacks.
He fended off the attacks, swinging his arms, but eventually was forced to retreat. Contrasting sharply with his previous unstoppable momentum, it was a different scene now.
It’s working!
Encouraged by this success, the gang members pressed their advantage even harder.
But one of the middle bosses in charge here felt uneasy about something.
“Ahh!”
Soon, he identified the unease.
He rushed into the nearest room containing customers using drugs.
But…
Clack— Clack!
The door wouldn’t open! It wouldn’t even break!
“You bastards! You’re playing with us, aren’t you?!”
At that exact moment.
Boom! Boom!
Bones erupted from afar, forming doors.
One at each emergency exit, one at the main front exit, and several more along the corridors.
These bone doors rose with an ominous sound, tightening the grip on the gang members, and when all escape routes were completely blocked, the masked man drew his sword—a longsword adorned with red-wing decorations.
Click, one of the wings fell off due to the makeshift construction.
No matter.
A minor mise-en-scène mishap but, after all, who among those about to witness this would survive to talk about it?
A horizontal slash, a vertical slash with the sword.
The gang members, who were fiercely colliding earlier, had the marks of a cross carved on their bodies.
Gaggh!
Spitting out bl**d, the gang members all collapsed collectively.
Zero fatalities. All members successfully captured alive.
Operation completed.
Shortly after,
Police cars lined up and blockades were erected.
Officers dispatched down below, while the masked man ascended nonchalantly.
Approaching him was a police officer.
“Pak. Another job well done…”
The masked man twitched his fingers.
No, it wasn’t Pak. It’s not him. It’s…
“I am Captain Tiger.”
With the cape billowing, Park… rather, Captain Tiger, disappeared.
The police officer, looking back at his vanishing figure, thought,
What an a**hole…
The start of the incident was one morning.
That day, I woke up early again and sat by the computer with a racing heart, waiting for a call with my beloved Bom.
“Bom!”
– Daddy…
But our sweet daughter seemed unusually down today.
“What’s wrong, Bom? Is anything the matter?”
– No… Bom’s fine…
Her face was the darkest I’d ever seen.
My head started spinning.
Why? What’s happened? Did someone say something? I asked calmly, but my fists were already clenched.
All kinds of scenarios flashed through my mind. Did she get into a fight with friends? Or was she threatened by someone?
Could it be the Triad? Those bastards?
Rationally speaking, that’s preposterous, but raising a daughter isn’t about rationality. It’s nurturing her with emotions.
As predicted, our dear daughter couldn’t lie to my inquiries and finally broke down in tears.
– Huwaa… Daddy! Jin-Hyun. Huwaa, Jin-Hyn says the dinosaur is stronger!! Wahhhhh-!
“Dinosaur?”
– Bommy, come here. Stop crying. Ssh.
– Sister!!
– Okay, okay. You’re fine.
“What is it, Jin Yu-ri? I don’t get it. Can you explain it to me clearly?”
– Ah, it’s…
Jin Yu-ri explained, holding the crying Bom.
When Park Bom visited daycare today, as usual, she took along her Captain Tiger figure, which matched her tastes.
However, Jin-Hyun brought a Magic Ranger Dinosaur toy, which is quite popular nowadays.
Naturally, a conflict ensued when the traditional Captain Tiger met this new force.
Captain Tiger VS Magic Ranger Dinosaur.
They argued over “Who was stronger?” and “Who looked cooler?”
The result was…
She lost.
“Why?”
– Kids don’t know who Captain Tiger is anymore.
– Not cool anymore! They say Captain Tiger is dead!! Huuuwaa!!
– …You heard that, right? It’s been a while since Captain Tiger stopped airing. Children’s trends move fast, don’t they? Bommy, stop crying and wipe your nose on my sleeve. Hmph!
“Hah…”
In the rapidly evolving world of children’s trends, Bommy’s Captain Tiger clearly doesn’t have much market value anymore.
It’s simply an inevitable economic principle that leaves me with nothing to say.
So I very, very gently suggested she switch to Dinosaur. Just a little.
– Daddy, I hate youuuu!!
That was it.
She hated me.
– Hey, seriously, they use guns, okay? Bom likes Captain Tiger because Daddy knows how to use a sword, so she’d never give up on him. She’s really…
“No, I…”
– I don’t care. I’m hanging up. Bommy! Bommyyy!!
Yup.
Later, I learned that the Magic Ranger Dinosaur team consists of five members, all using guns as their main weapons.
Wait, they’re wizards, right? Why no self-respect? Why use guns?
Anyway,
Captain Tiger is being overshadowed.
Swords losing to guns, Bom has been defeated by Jin-Hyun.
“It can’t be.”
Suppressing the rising anger, I first called Mom.
“Mom, I think I’m about to cause some trouble.”
Bommy, don’t cry.
Daddy will fix this.
On the rooftop of the city. I run along the railing.
My target is those two escaping ahead of me.
They’re surprisingly agile for how scrawny they look.
“Huh, huh! That kid’s still chasing after us!”
“Mer Fck!! Get lost, freak!”
A bolt of lightning strikes from the sky.
The area magic ‘Fire Rain.’
Look, this guy knows how to cast at least this much.
Without hesitation, I hurled myself into the Fire Rain, my cape catching ablaze.
That’s because it’s latex.
There’s nothing I can do about that.
But it’s fine.
Before this cape burns off entirely…
All I need is to catch them.
Swordsmanship Flow…
‘No, no, that’s not it.’
Tiger Sword Stage 3
Flash Pierce
Ssshhhhhh!
The space surrounding me flashes.
The scenery rapidly changes.
Two streaks of light pierced through the Fire Rain and impaled the shoulders of those two.
“Cough!”
“Aghhhhhh!”
In the spot where the light faded, I stood.
I bent down and tore apart the spatial bag of one of them. A trashy individual glared at me.
“…Ah, no.”
Yes.
Snap!
Instead of an answer, I gifted him a smack.
A few kernels flew out and scattered on the ground.
Policemen came rushing in from a distance.
Some were searching for me, with occasional reporters among them.
This is the critical moment. If I chatter on here, I’ll only ruin my reputation.
To truly make an impressive impression,
Turning around as if it’s no big deal.
Giving a thumb up.
Jumped down from the building.
The departure of the protagonist must vanish like the wind, after all.
Perfect. Wall.
“…Heh.”
That was d*mn cool.
This is why Bommy calls Dad, Dad.
Captain Tiger lacks market value?
Then I’ll create its market value.
I moved forward lonely, my scorched cape billowing, toward the next foe.
