Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Generally speaking, people live by predicting the future, whether consciously or unconsciously.

They might predict what will come out for dinner right now, or they might think about what they’ll do in the future, and in the case of martial artists, they might predict what chivalrous deeds they’ll perform.

Moreover, if this isn’t such unconscious prediction but conscious prediction and preparation for something, the bewilderment when it goes awry is beyond imagination. And.

Gwang Yeon was currently experiencing that bewilderment beyond imagination firsthand.

“……How much time has passed?”

“Pardon? Uuuum……!”

“I mean the time we’ve been waiting here.”

At Gwang Yeon’s heavy question while placing his hand on his sword hilt , the gate guard  who had been staring ahead with a tense expression blinked and gauged the time. And soon the answer burst out.

“It seems at least one shikgyeong  and one gak  have passed……!”

“……One shikgyeong and one gak.”

Gwang Yeon, who murmured quietly, looked beyond the horizon and stroked his chin.

“They’re late.”

When Gwang Yeon first moved to establish the defensive line, he didn’t have much expectation even while gathering martial artists. The reason was just one. Because the number of martial artists who could fight was too small.

If it were dealing with a conventional opponent, they might be able to borrow the help of the government office. If they locked the castle walls and entered defensive warfare, they could hold out for about half a shichen. However.

‘The opponents are yokai.’

The moment they locked the castle walls, this situation of hundreds of yokai invading Akyang would become clearly known to the people of Akyang. And the anxiety and fear originating from within Akyang would become the yokai’s power.

If fear fattened the yokai like that, it would become uncontrollable. They had to fight in a place where fear couldn’t fatten the enemies. In other words, it would be an all-out frontal battle, and that was the worst situation for them with insufficient numbers.

So he hadn’t had high expectations. However.

“……Not bad.”

Whether heaven helped or the hundred demons changed their whim, the Hundred Demons Night Parade’s invasion was considerably delayed. At least more than one shikgyeong. The time they had to hold out ahead was another shikgyeong.

The possibility of holding out increased a bit. Light showed through a needle hole in the overwhelmingly low probability.

Then, it was worth trying.

“They’re finally coming.”

Gwang Yeon, who had been waiting with his arms crossed and then felt a strange sensation, turned his gaze beyond the horizon again and let out a groan. Far away, something slowly revealing its form.

To clearly confirm that shape, Gwang Yeon, who raised his eyesight, let out a groan and unconsciously uncrossed his arms and gripped his sword hilt. Beyond his vision.

“Uuum……!”

Evil demons  were there.

Musty, dim, bewitching, and vicious. Something that looked like a goblin was leading while banging a club on the ground, and above it, pale ghosts were floating around making cackling laughs.

What looked like a chicken had three eyes, and the cat ahead was swishing two tails. Something that looked like a carp was flying through the sky, while a shadow with three horns rippled. That appearance was truly a gathering of hundred demons .

In other words──

Hundred Demons Night Parade .

“U, uuuu……!”

Teok!

“Don’t step back.”

At the sight of the Hundred Demons Night Parade, the wandering martial artist  who unconsciously stepped back in terror had his arm grabbed by Gwang Yeon, who quietly let out his voice and looked directly at the wandering martial artist. The wandering martial artist trembled.

“……Are you afraid of yokai?”

“I, I’m afraid.”

“So am I.”

“……Pardon?”

“It’s not just me. Everyone here will fear them.”

No matter how much martial artists cultivated their spirits, in the end they were only human, weren’t they?

Ordinary humans couldn’t help but feel fear when faced with a situation where they might die. So feeling fear wasn’t strange either.

However.

That didn’t mean it was okay to step back here.

“If you can’t overcome fear, throw yourself away.”

“Being in this place means you have something you must protect even at the cost of death, doesn’t it? Then be prepared to die.”

If you’re afraid of dying, throw away your own life. Because no one fears losing what they’ve already lost.

One shikgyeong.

The probability of holding out was slim. You could say there was none. At best it was less than ten percent, and if you faced reality, you’d wonder if it was even one percent.

There was no guarantee that reinforcements would definitely come after one shikgyeong. If contact arrived late, or if for some reason the great sects couldn’t intervene here, it might be even later.

But even so, they couldn’t give up. Because if they gave up here, it would truly be the end.

“Do you want to let yokai into Akyang?”

“……No!”

“Do you want to protect your beliefs, your family?”

“Yes!!!”

“Then good. Draw your sword. And calm your breathing.”

“……Yes!”

At Gwang Yeon’s quiet voice, the wandering martial artist who took a deep breath drew his sword and calmed his trembling shoulders. And Gwang Yeon, who watched that appearance, turned his gaze forward.

“……Everyone prepare for battle.”

Slowly.

The group of yokai that came over from beyond the horizon squirmed forward and then fixed their gaze on them forming the defensive line. And soon strange cries burst out.

‘Is this where I die?’

His prime as a martial artist had passed. If his declining self could be of final use, that wouldn’t be bad either.

Gwang Yeon, who gripped his sword hilt hard enough to crush it against the various sounds occupying his ears, calmed his pounding heart. 

The moment the Hundred Demons Night Parade, having discovered their prey, gradually increased speed and started running, and the martial artists each drew their weapons and prepared to face the yokai.

Kwaaaaaang-!!!!!

At the sight of something striking the rear of the yokai racing across the plains, Gwang Yeon widened his eyes.

Far away.

“Penetrate-!!!”

A massive iron spear was piercing through a yokai’s heart.

If asked to pick the most intense memory from one’s life, most people can’t pinpoint just one.

In a way, it’s natural. Originally, shock is meant to change the weather with the years, isn’t it?

Even something that was sad enough to collapse the heavens at the time, or joyful enough to explode the heart, gets worn down and ground away over the years, leaving only traces. So it’s normal that most people can’t pick out just one when asked.

However, if someone asked his future self ten years from now what the most intense memory of his life was, Seonwoo Gang felt he could confidently answer like this.

Right now, standing on this battlefield today.

Shouts, cheers, and strange cries mingled to raise a thick bloody mist. The sword swung frantically cut off the yokai’s neck and returned to shake off blood. And beside him, the appearance of his comrade screaming desperately.

“Don’t fall behind! We can’t enter a chaotic battle! Oh Ryeong! Jin Seo! Come back!”

At Seomun Cheok’s cry, the Muryeongwan trainees who had been moving forward flinched and stepped back again to hold their positions. And at the same time, the battlefield became clearly visible at a glance.

After confirming that situation for a moment, then cutting down a yokai that rushed at him, Seonwoo Gang gripped his sword hilt tightly.

‘Better than expected……!’

To be honest, Seonwoo Gang had expected their casualties to be considerable.

Wasn’t that right? Their first battlefield, their first group battle. No matter how much they’d been catching yokai through hit-and-run tactics until now, since those were ultimately just skirmishes, that experience might not apply in a battlefield where killing intent was directly exchanged.

However.

“Unjin!”

“Amitabha!”

At Seomun Cheok’s words, Unjin’s palm strike that shot out swept away an attack aiming for Oh Ryeong from behind. And Oh Ryeong immediately blew off the yokai’s neck with her whip through that gap.

‘Gap-finding training……! I didn’t know it would be this important!’

At that sight of desperately finding and supplementing others’ gaps, Seonwoo Gang felt déjà vu and unconsciously trembled, then hurriedly turned his head at a sight visible in the distance and opened his mouth.

“Seomun Cheok!”

Chwaaaaak!

Seonwoo Gang, who confirmed the battlefield’s state, split a yokai in two and approached Seomun Cheok’s side to shout.

“The defensive line is about to collapse! Just holding on like this won’t work!”

“I know!”

“What are you going to do!”

A yokai’s head that flew in an instant got stuck in the mud. At the same time, Seomun Cheok, who was gauging the air with his spear tip, stretched his arm straight out and gritted his teeth in answer.

“What do you mean what! That’s already decided!”

Pyeoeoeoek-!

Seomun Cheok, who pierced two flying yokai with his spear tip and dropped them in an instant, took a deep breath and looked directly at Seonwoo Gang. Seomun Cheok rapidly pouring out words in a short time.

“We break through in a straight line and join up. You and me, the two of us. Can you do it?”

“……Break through in a straight line? That? Just the two of us?”

At the absurd words, Seonwoo Gang confirmed the yokai swarming thickly and asked back with an absurd expression. That made sense, because the center of the battlefield was currently a situation where you could call it a crucible of chaos.

A yokai that jumped up cackling twisted off the head of the yokai in front of it, and one martial artist from the defensive line watched that sight with dazed eyes and, having his mind seized, slit his own belly. Demonic power that rose up made it a situation where you couldn’t even distinguish friend from foe.

Seomun Cheok was saying to enter that situation.

“We can do it. Even if we can’t, we have to. What, can’t you?”

“……Can’t I.”

Seonwoo Gang, who gauged the amount of internal energy barely remaining for a moment, turned his gaze to the battlefield and stroked his sword hilt. And soon came the answer.

“As if.”

“Good.”

Puuk!

Seomun Cheok, who curved his lips in response, punched a hole in the head of a yokai descending from the sky, retrieved his spear tip, and headed forward.

“When I signal, we break through. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Three.”

At the appearance of Seomun Cheok slowly drawing up his internal energy, Seonwoo Gang also drew up internal energy from his dantian  and infused it into his blade. The blade that started trembling in an instant.

“Two.”

Uuuuuung-!!

The blade that was pushed with excessive internal energy trembled and emitted a thick sword cry . At the same time, the internal energy that started being compressed took on a deep blue color.

“One.”

The moment that blade stretched out in the same direction as Seomun Cheok’s spear.

“Now!”

Samjae  Yukhap  Pilsal

Geukjin

Yeonhwan Pungnoejgeom  Secret Technique

Seonpungnoe

Light split the yokai group in a straight line in half.

Kwagwagwagwagwagwa-!!!!!

The two sword energies  that shot straight out bisected the center of the battlefield as they advanced forward. And two shadows leaping into that center.

One cut off a yokai’s neck, two flew through the air. The blood and flesh scattered below couldn’t catch their steps. The spear breaks through, the sword cuts.

Cut, stab, press, and burst. Seomun Cheok and Seonwoo Gang, who broke and smashed everything blocking the front, split the center of the Hundred Demons Night Parade as if they had promised, and.

“We came to help!”

The moment the two Muryeongwan trainees arrived at the defensive line, Gwang Yeon’s sword swept the area as if responding.

“……Faces I’ve seen before.”

Gwang Yeon, who took advantage of the brief respite created by Seomun Cheok and Seonwoo Gang’s joining to catch his breath, looked directly at the two Muryeongwan trainees who jumped into the front line and spoke. Eyes that settled completely despite being in the middle of war.

“Didn’t you hear the order to flee?”

“We heard it.”

“I should have said that greenhorns would be better off gone.”

“We heard that too.”

“Then, why are you here?”

At Gwang Yeon’s seemingly reproachful question, Seonwoo Gang, who caught his breath that had grown rough from breaking through the center of the battlefield, lowered his blade and answered quietly.

“Because we are martial artists before we are Muryeongwan trainees.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s answer, Gwang Yeon, who momentarily lost his words, looked at Seonwoo Gang with quiet eyes. A silence that formed in an instant.

Everyone here would know this statement was sophistry. Orders were something that couldn’t be avoided with such simple words.

“……Is that so.”

However.

Military strategy, orders—these are things people carry out, and there are exceptions to everything in the world.

“One gak.”

“If we hold out for one gak, reinforcements will come.”

Gwang Yeon, who lightly cut off his words, declared while scattering white sword energy .

“……I’ll ask about the crime of ‘desertion’ then. Can you hold out?”

“Not disobeying orders but desertion?”

“Just answer.”

“That much is more than enough.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s cheeky voice, Gwang Yeon, who involuntarily wore a dry smile, sharpened his blade. And.

“Just hold them off. If we just hold them off──”

The moment Gwang Yeon’s words were about to continue.

Puuuuuuk-!

At the rupturing sound that shouldn’t have been heard, Gwang Yeon’s gaze went to his abdomen.

There.

“Strong, human.”

A black claw was protruding through his belly.

“Kill. First. Geureureureuk!”