<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 141>
This story begins with two abandoned individuals.
A prestigious bloodline with a long history and tradition.
The Divine General Family.
The ‘Divine General Family,’ which has been part of Korea’s history, was one of the few ‘elite clans’ that maintained their lineage alongside the Jin-ryong, a family with a storied heritage.
A child is born into this Divine General Family.
It is a boy.
Small and frail, the child was born with congenital leg paralysis.
Not only does he have a disability, but decisively, he also does not inherit the power of ‘Divine General.’
The parents instinctively sense the child’s future.
“He will be abandoned.”
Just because a lineage is noble doesn’t mean everyone inherits its legacy. In fact, when considered in terms of probability, not inheriting the lineage is more common.
That’s why it was the destiny of every noble bloodline member to try to increase the ‘inheritance rate’ of the bloodline.
The Divine General Family was no exception and managed its lineage strictly; during this rigorous process, inhumane actions sometimes did occur.
The parents could not sit idle and watch.
“It’s unacceptable. We can’t abandon him. That’s impossible.”
“You….”
“Why should a poor child be abandoned? If anyone is to blame, it’s me for causing him pain. I could never abandon my child.”
Ultimately, the parents leave the Divine General family with their child, losing all the power and privilege gained from the family.
And so, they live simple, unassuming lives.
Running a modest noodle shop, giving food with generous hearts to children who are hungry.
“Excuse me, is this one serving of tteokbokki?”
“What? What? Eat until you burst.”
“You’re in your growing years, you need to eat a lot. Tell us if it’s not enough.”
Thanks to the efforts of this couple, the child grows up well.
Even though he has a disability and his legs are paralyzed, he grows into a kind and bright young man.
This is the story of the boy.
A story about being abandoned, yet still finding happiness.
But, as the world works, happy endings are rare around us, while tragic endings abound.
The girl’s story is like this.
Across the sea in Japan, there’s the esteemed Oni family, a noble bloodline.
Magic, sorcery, witchcraft, alchemy, necromancy.
Mastery in all fields of mana control makes them a magical family of great repute. In Korea, one would say ‘Jin-ryong,’ in Japan, ‘Oni,’ a family renowned for its prestige.
The symbol of this Oni family was their deep-eyed ‘Yoan,’ a mysterious and alluring gaze.
However, the tragedy began with these mystical Yoan.
“Unfortunately, she will be unable to see.”
“Indeed. Understood.”
The girl could not open her eyes.
Born blind, the Oni family branded her a disgrace.
“That, that’s the child. A blind person.”
“Tch, how could such an inferior offspring come from our family! It’s cursed, cursed. Bah, tch.”
“If only she had some sense, she wouldn’t come to the main house. Oh, without eyes, she lacks common sense?”
Even her own parents abandoned the girl heartlessly.
“Aunty, dispose of her. I don’t even want to see her.”
“I’ve told you many times, eat in your room in the morning. If ears aren’t the problem, why don’t you understand what I’m saying?”
It was a life akin to hell.
But, the girl didn’t know this was hell. She had never experienced happiness.
Sadly, this hell was her everyday reality.
Time passed, the girl grew up being overlooked like a ghost, and on the day she came of age, she was cast out from the Oni family.
Although they had differences in nationality, gender, and environment – the boy and the girl shared the commonality of being abandoned due to their disability.
Their fates intertwined.
And, just like a dream, they fell in love.
“I will be your eyes, and you be my legs. How is that? Isn’t it brilliant?”
“… Awful.”
“No, Himiko. That’s harsh.”
“Baka.”
“That too!”
Though they were lacking in some ways, they were happy. Despite shortages, they loved each other.
And, eventually, they bore fruit.
Song Saebyeok.
A hope born at the end of despair.
……
…
Song Saebyeok clenched her teeth and swung her battle axe downward.
Crack!
Advancing forward, she crushed the skeleton’s skull like it was stuck to her. A voice reached her ears. It belonged to her axe ‘Spirit,’ who spoke.
– That skeleton moves like a human. Why is the dead so agile? It’s no ordinary skeleton.
“It’s beyond expectations.”
– Be careful.
“Don’t just talk.”
– Hohoho. Let’s try.
Around Song Saebyeok, mana began to boil.
Steam rose as if from a boiling kettle, and her axe scattered brilliant light.
The bloodline ‘Divine General.’
A power that draws the soul from weapon artifacts, embodying and passing on the experiences and strength of that soul.
The battle axes in her hands danced.
She severed the skeleton’s spine, shattered its skull, and swept away the nearby skeletons with a storm of strikes.
One knight equals a thousand warriors.
No amount of warriors can withstand her.
Like a trance, she swung her axe wildly.
And after a short while.
In the cleaned-out playground, the bone powder left by the crushed skeletons fluttered in the air.
“Hmph, hmph…”
She was soaked in sweat.
It was cumbersome.
Ripping her shirt with the edge of the axe, she revealed her toned physique, muscles twitching proudly, proving her effort.
The size of her muscles would be comparable even to Park Ki-hyuk.
– Your friends are in danger.
“I saw it.”
Huff!
Exhaling powerfully through her nostrils, Song Saebyeok charged like a bull, smashing the skeleton clinging to her friend.
“Saebyeok.”
“I’m fine. Grab my hand and get up.”
Her friend, apologizing with “I’m sorry” in tears, was consoled by Song Saebyeok’s calm smile. She continued her heroics, weaving through the towering skeleton army like a ghost, saving her friends.
And to those friends wallowing in shame, she instead said,
“I’m sorry. It’s my mistake. I should have prepared more.”
– Quite the praiseworthy one. Hohoho. It’s a good sight, a very good sight.
“There’s still a chance. Just follow me.”
– Indeed, indeed. It’s only right for the leader to take the front. I’ll help you.
The battle axe hanging on Song Saebyeok’s back flew into the air, landing with a thud on the ground.
A resonant two.
Human and weapon.
A torrent flowed around them.
As Song Saebyeok gripped the axe with both hands.
Invocation of Divine General
The General Under Heaven
Gong-gong-gong!
Great stakes rose from the earth.
“Follow me.”
Powerful strength.
Outstanding leadership.
And a firm resolve that no matter what difficulty arises, she will never abandon her comrades.
This was why Song Saebyeok was the center of year two.
She blocks my downward axe with her sword.
Clang!
“Whoa!”
A tingling shock ran through my fingertips, and I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of admiration. She’s definitely not ordinary, and she’s living up to my expectations.
Song Saebyeok swung her axe again.
With great force, she slammed the battle axe while bearing her weight, then quickly swung the axe mid-air into her other hand for an aggressive follow-up.
I countered by drawing another dagger.
A longsword in my right hand, a dagger in my left. Two weapons in both hands. I swiftly deflected the swinging axe.
In the meantime, her teammates’ spells were targeting my position.
Here again, something worth noting is that they know their magic has no effect on me directly, so instead, they’re destroying my terrain to restrict my movement, giving Song Saebyeok her chance as their leader.
An extremely well-thought-out strategy.
I was skeptical at first, dismissing it with “Eh, that’s expected.” But I’ve been wrong. These kids outperform my expectations.
I wish I could applaud if I didn’t have two swords.
A back-and-forth clash.
The previously serene playground is already in shambles. If Jin Yu-ri hadn’t been flying around setting up defenses, other club booths would’ve been obliterated by now.
Clang-clang!
Our weapons meet.
Breath-tangible distance.
We catch our breaths by leaning on each other’s weapons.
“Your name is Song Saebyeok, right? You’re good. So are they.”
“Hmph, hmph. Thank you… sir.”
Looking fiercely at me, I see a familiar emotion in her eyes.
Desperation, urgency…
In the past, the driving force that allowed me to become the Demon Lord while wandering the slums.
Malice.
The malice reflected in her eyes is precisely that.
“Your eyesight is impressive.”
“Kamsam…”
The axe descends even before her sentence is complete. Not bound to both hands like before, this one fell straight from mid-air.
A battle axe aiming to cleave my skull.
I could block it with a shield, but I hesitate. For some reason, I want to feel this pure malice up close, reminiscent of old memories.
A half-step backward. I block it with my longsword.
Naturally, Song Saebyeok rushes in to take advantage of this gap.
Clash of the dagger and hand axe.
She turns around and blocks my axe again with her longsword, then drives her shoulder into me, unsettling my balance.
However, Song Saebyeok doesn’t give up either. Using her destabilized stance, she lunges, planting a kick, which lands squarely on my abs.
A brawl.
One hit leads to a retaliation. Dodging is like giving it to dogs; our bodies clashed relentlessly.
“Yes, this is it. This is what I’m looking for.”
“Huff, huff.”
“Entertaining companion. Seem like you hit quite hard.”
“……!!”
Song Saebyeok’s eyes widened.
“Can you see it?”
“How could I not? We’re this close.”
Looking superficially, it appears like a fairy spirit or some kind of ghostly attachment.
As we clash weapons again, we continue the dialogue.
“That wooden idol over there is a ‘Totem,’ right?”
“… Already know everything, I see.”
“Then naturally. How about taking one more guess?”
“….”
“You, your companions. You grow stronger based on the faith of your allies.”
“……!!”
What? Strange reaction? Why is she so surprised?
“I didn’t know. It’s the first time I’m learning.”
“You didn’t?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you know? Your lineage…”
Gong!
The battle axe came down with powerful force, unlike before. Clearly, that spirit thing has gotten worked up.
After rolling away and looking back, Song Saebyeok’s pupils have sunken deeply. The oddly black pupils flash with a dark, ominous light.
Is it sadness? Anger? Depression?
Various complex emotions can be felt.
“Something happened, didn’t it?”
“…”
Whatever it is, it’s presumed to be the source of her malice. The unwavering resolve to never back down is palpable.
“I will defeat you, mentor.”
“Why? Why do you want to defeat me?”
“You’re the strongest. If I defeat you, I can become the strongest.”
“Why do you want to be the strongest?”
“I will… prove something.”
Something Song Saebyeok contemplates. The malice in her intensifies.
“I will show them clearly – those who abandoned my parents. I will show them that the child they abandoned has become this strong.”
Her pupils, deep like an abyss, tremble.
“From now on, I’m serious.”
And at that moment, the magic surrounding me disappeared. More accurately, it was sucked into Song Saebyeok’s pupils.
“Uh?”
What the…
I’m disarmed in the blink of an eye.
The other team members’ spells that were targeting me hit me as they were.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
“NOW!!”
Amidst the explosive chaos, Song Saebyeok and the kids launched their all-out assault.
Lightning strikes.
Waves of flames crash down.
Water forms a prison trapping me, the earth crumbles beneath.
Meanwhile, wolf summons bit into me from all directions, and two sniper arrows drove for my abdomen.
Amidst all of this, Song Saebyeok, holding the battle axe, swelled with energy, gathering all her might to strike the axe downward.
“GYAAAH!!!”
I watched her from within the explosion.
No stance.
No form.
It would be excessive to call it a technique.
Honestly, there’s nothing worth seeing.
Just a simple downward strike, no more, no less.
However.
“It draws me in.”
It pulls at me.
Her tenacity, her malice.
At that moment, an old memory’s words resurface.
“Geniuses, prodigies, talents. I have faced countless gifts. People piled mountains of gold to seek my tutelage, but I never accepted them as disciples. Why?”
“Malice! The malice that doesn’t abandon dreams even in the worst realities! The malice that never bends in the face of all trials. The malice I see in your eyes has captivated me.”
Ah…
That’s it. I was captivated.
I saw my own past, the one that had captivated my mentor, reflected in her.
In that moment, the sky split, and the “giant’s hand” appeared.
It crushed down.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
An explosion akin to a bomb dropping. Mushroom clouds form, and after the dust settles, no one remains standing in the entire stadium except myself.
It’s over.
I extended my hand to Song Saebyeok lying on the ground.
“Want to be my disciple?”
Just like how my mentor did once.
She pondered for a long time with a dazed look before finally grabbing my hand.
Just as I grabbed my mentor’s hand.
I smiled while pulling Song Saebyeok to her feet.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat!”
And thus, my first and last festival ended with a disciple who embodies my past.
A few days later.
A surprising piece of news spread across the world.
The Mysterious Angel Descended in Japan
The Birth of a New Guardian Spirit?
A God has descended upon Japan!
