The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 86
Celutis.
Under the pretense of salvation, this group cries out for the extermination of “superhumans” and is one of the world’s three major villain factions.
The reason they’re infamous is due to their approach, which is through “religion.”
While most religions preach rest and peace, this one hides behind such teachings to spread evil and incite chaos. They don’t discriminate, using their doctrines to brainwash anyone, be they superhumans or civilians.
This is why Celutis is considered the most powerful among all villain groups.
It’s also why they’re so terrifying.
That person walking on the street might be a follower of Celutis. The person who just greeted you might be a Celutis member, or your kind neighbor might be wearing their mask.
Celutis is everywhere.
Park Su-hyeok had overlooked this fact.
—
CLANG!!!
Park Su-hyeok’s blade deflected a cascade of arrows.
“Absurd.”
In the poor district, while helping an elderly couple push their heavy cart, this happened.
A mana bomb detonated, followed by magic flying, and now arrows were raining down.
“Really, they’re even using civilians.”
Though he knew it, the thought still sent chills down his spine.
Matters concerning superhumans are meant to be settled amongst superhumans – that’s the unwritten rule of this world, yet…
“I’ll have to eliminate them.”
Park Su-hyeok’s eyes turned fierce.
From round and friendly to those of a predator.
As his dark hair turned golden–
SQUEAK!
Everything that came at him was instantly bisected.
Arrows falling through the air, magic spells – all split in half. Whether it was a Fireball or a Flame Buster, Water Arrows or Ice Chains – regardless of their level or type, all magic spells were cut in half, hanging midair before fading away.
Naturally, the masked figures realized something was wrong and screamed out.
“Everyone, retreat!!”
Too late.
The beast had awakened.
A golden flash illuminated the scene as the head of a leading masked figure fell off. Another flash followed, and a masked figure further back lost their waist.
From the front lines to the rear, it all happened in the blink of an eye.
The implications were clear.
There will be no escape.
This was Park Su-hyeok’s resolve: not a single one would be spared.
His sword executed his commands perfectly.
Chopping down—
“My arm, my arm! AAAAHHH!!!”
Chopping again—
“Hahk!!”
Merciless.
“It can’t be.”
He cleaved them.
“Run!!”
Utterly futile.
Those cancerous masses that bring nothing but ruin to the world were being systematically excised by Park Su-hyeok’s blade.
Just then, a sudden feeling of unease passed over him.
Instinctively, he swung his sword.
CLANG!!
What he had struck was an arrow.
A magical arrow emanating pure white light.
“What?!”
Before his eyes, the scattered mana particles dissipated like mist, and between the vanishing mists, figures appeared.
Angels, flapping their white wings, descended upon the earth.
Or rather, monsters disguised as angels.
Gate-traversing mutant monsters.
Entities capable of “cannibalization,” absorbing some of the abilities of those they consume.
Impurities resulting from ecosystem collapse.
Such was the true nature of the beings Park Su-hyeok had identified.
Through unknown means, Celutis had foreseen their appearance and had been ‘recovering’ them to orchestrate their plans.
Today’s ambush and these creatures’ debut confirmed his hypothesis to be true.
Lowering his sword, Park Su-hyeok moved forward. As he did, the foremost angel approached him.
“We want to… talk.”
“Dialogue? That’s fine. Dialogue… but remember, it’s something…”
SWISH!
The angel’s head was cut cleanly off at an angle.
“…done between sentient beings, you pigeons.”
KYEOWWWWWWW!!!
The angels roared to the heavens and charged toward Park Su-hyeok. He charged right back.
Showers of luminous arrows rained down.
Park Su-hyeok’s form flickered with a golden afterimage as he dodged the light arrows.
CLANG!!
An angel’s spear clashed with Park Su-hyeok’s sword.
Two short daggers crossed, displaying highly skilled technique, without a single flaw.
But Park Su-hyeok’s eyes turned savage.
“What did you eat?”
What had this pigeon consumed to wield daggers with such proficiency?
The fiery rain that sent scorching heat his way, the vines anchoring his feet, and the mysterious flying insects—what humans had been sacrificed to grant this creature such power?
With a troubled expression, Park Su-hyeok cleaved through the spear blocking his path.
“Monsters that eat humans…”
He grabbed the falling spear and hurled it.
Cough!
A hidden Celutis follower dropped.
“…and you who give humans to such monsters.”
They were all the same. All accomplices.
Thus,
Today, you will d*e. By my hand.
Equally.
A golden sword pierced the sky.
It was large. It was long. And, most of all, it was beautiful.
A blade worthy of a radiant monarch.
So, it shall be named the Monarch’s Blade.
Geomho-ryu: Impartial Monarch
The verdict of the monarch must be entirely devoid of doubt.
“I’ll eliminate you all… impartially.”
—
As soon as I reached the hospital, I rushed to the operating room.
“Thank you, Yu-ri. Take care of Spring for me. I still don’t know the extent of the injuries, but I’ll be back soon. Ah, don’t tell Spring. Alright, thank you.”
As I turned a corner after hanging up, familiar faces appeared. My older sister, Yoonbitna, and some of the team members I’d only seen a few times.
But the atmosphere was tense. Yoonbitna and the team were raising their voices at each other.
“…Huh? Seriously? Acting alone? Throwing the captain into enemy territory and then calling it acting alone? Oh my goodness, what a world.”
“Don’t mock us. We know we messed up.”
“You should. The captain is in surgery, naturally you should! If you don’t, are you even human?”
“Hey, Yoonbitna!”
I slipped over to my sister.
“You’re here.”
“What happened?”
“They got caught. Stupidly.”
They had been tracking the “angel” we encountered in Pohang some time ago. The one we had investigated together.
“I heard they’re likely connected to Celutis.”
“…Why are those fanatics here?”
“Looks like it.”
Celutis.
Together with the Evolutionary Group I destroyed earlier, one of the world’s three major villain factions. And from what I know, my father is currently pursuing Celutis.
“This came from Dad.”
The phone showed a single item: a white feather.
Angels and white feathers. This is insane.
For some reason… I had thought it was just some run-of-the-mill villains we were dealing with, and I started getting suspicious when I heard Big Brother Su-hyeok got hit.
Knowing his true capabilities, I could barely imagine him losing to some neighborhood villains.
But if it was Celutis’ fanatics—even Su-hyeok would struggle alone.
Actually, thinking about it—
“…Why was Big Brother acting alone?”
“It’s his perfectionism.”
“Because he wasn’t certain, so he went alone? Seriously, that’s just like him.”
“Exactly.”
Apparently, he wasn’t sure they were Celutis. The likelihood was high but not 100%.
Sister was right. His perfectionism.
Only then did I understand why Yoonbitna was so mad.
She was reprimanding the team members on behalf of the captain. “What were the team members doing while the captain went on his own?” she was essentially asking.
They might feel wronged.
If the captain never said anything, how would they have known? “We didn’t know either.”
But what can you do? This is the result.
Time passed.
The argument quieted down, leaving only silence in the hallway. The sound of someone’s watch ticking faintly echoed through the corridor as the minutes went by.
Two hours had passed.
I was getting restless now.
“It’s supposed to be simple.”
Mother had assured us it was a minor surgery, but…
I want to check. Seeing the situation might give me some peace of mind.
As I rose to my feet—
“Nee, can I go inside…?”
At that moment,
SQUEAK! The door opened, and people started coming out.
A doctor in a white coat, some healers I’ve seen before, and also Mother herself.
“Thank you, Teacher Chae. Every time like this, you help us out.”
“Ho ho, no need to thank me. This is what doctors do.”
“No, it’s not. We’ll have dinner next time. Thank you, Yeondoo. I appreciate you coming so suddenly and helping us out.”
“It’s not like you’re anyone else. And it was the CEO’s request.”
“But let me ask again. The ice embedded in the wound was definitely not magic?”
“Yes, the tissue test clearly confirmed it’s not magic.”
“You saw it didn’t respond to recovery magic. That’s impossible if it were magical.”
“Hmm…”
Mother sighed deeply before finally turning to me after things were settled.
“Ki-hyuk, do you know what this is?”
“…?!”
Sealed in a test tube was a piece of ice.
As soon as I saw it, I was drawn towards it instinctively.
“Ki-hyuk! Ki-hyuk! Where are you going!”
I know this ice.
—
Samhan Hotel.
Operated by Samhan Group, called one of Korea’s top conglomerates, this hotel rightly earned its reputation as one of South Korea’s premier hotels. It was the standard lodging choice for state dignitaries.
Naturally, the “American Exchange Delegation,” treated at state-guest level, had checked in here today.
However, Samhan Hotel was unusually noisy today.
“Excuse me, sir… Ow!”
It was very noisy.
KOOM!
Extremely noisy.
“One last warning. Move.”
“No, I can’t.”
“No? Then.”
BAM BAM BAM CRASHHHH!
The wall cracked and crumbled, revealing Park Ki-hyuk.
Holding a man by the head.
“I told you, move. One last warning.”
He tossed the man aside. The man slid down the wall.
He was one of the American Exchange Delegation’s bodyguards stationed on this floor.
“Huh?”
“What’s going on?”
“What… Holy sh*t…”
The sound of walls breaking drew the American delegation into the hallway.
They stood speechless at the scene before them.
The wall was broken, and the bodyguard I had exchanged pleasantries with just yesterday was pinned in a corner. No other bodyguards appeared, so it seemed they were in the same condition.
“Uh… how…?”
“Oh god…”
How could he beat seasoned knights like that?
I would struggle in a 1:1 situation, yet he took out everyone alone.
What do we do now? And, isn’t this a hotel? Is it okay to behave like this here? Doesn’t this indicate a problem with Korea’s public security?
Within just a few seconds, the heads poking out of their doors frantically exchanged glances.
But despite the different appearances of confusion, their thoughts were the same.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
We weren’t going to mess with this person anyway!
That’s definitely someone you shouldn’t provoke. Provoking that person means everyone is in danger.
After everyone exchanged a glance, they silently closed their doors. It was a wise decision.
Park Ki-hyuk is not in a state where he can see reason right now.
He stormed forward boldly.
The ice Mother had shown him.
He knows that ice.
It isn’t magic, nor sorcery, but a very strange form of ice. Its peculiar structure stayed etched in his mind after just one look.
As he rushed down the hallway, he finally reached the farthest room at the end of the corridor, where a familiar face appeared.
The face Park Ki-hyuk had been searching for.
“Park… Ki-Hyuk! Gasp! Gasp!”
In seconds, the man he grabbed by the collar frantically patted his hand.
The man dangling in Park Ki-hyuk’s hand is none other than…
Christopher William.
The leader of the American Exchange Delegation.
“Where is the chunk?”
Indeed.
The true nature of that ice was:
Ice Shift.
The “bl**d Inheritance” of the Chandler family.
