Chapter 86

Heavenly Chivalry (2)

The Wolf King was a man who carried a heroic heart.

Even in the face of death, he could remain calm.

'Even I couldn't become indifferent to death until I passed forty. How can a brat who hasn't lived even half my life be this composed?'

He himself could manage it.

But seeing Cheon Muyang so calm made it feel almost absurd.

"What if the Lord of Yama showed up?"

The killing intent felt ahead was dangerous enough to be compared to the Lord of Yama in a different sense.

Dangerous enough that even the Wolf King was forced to think of him.

"Wolf King, aren't you here?"

Yet Cheon Muyang remained calm.

It was almost laughable.

Hadn't they already settled this matter?

"Have you already forgotten that the one meant to face the Lord of Yama is you?"

"Mm…."

The Wolf King had nothing to say.

Wasn't that the condition under which he agreed to remain with the Cheon Clan?

"I trust the mighty Wolf King of the world isn't getting cold feet."

Crack!

The Wolf King's brow furrowed.

"C-cold feet?"

"If not, then never mind."

Cheon Muyang walked past the Wolf King.

"Seriously. What kind of bastard are you…."

As always,

the Wolf King grumbled and followed after Cheon Muyang.

"...."

Suppressing the rage boiling inside her, Namgung Seohee followed behind the two of them.

Beyond a certain point, not a single trace of presence could be felt.

They were clearly still within the Namgung Clan grounds, yet it no longer felt like the Namgung Clan.

"Blood…."

Seohee faced the blood scattered around them.

It was unmistakably the blood of those who had been guarding the Namgung Clan.

Crunch!

Otherwise, the rage boiling inside her wouldn't have been this explosive.

This place, overflowing with killing intent, felt like a dense jungle filled with unseen assassins.

"Do you have any names in mind?"

"Hmm…."

The Wolf King tilted his head slightly.

Among the figures of the Demonic Cult, one counted among the Seven Great Demon Lords alongside the Lord of Yama.

"I haven't faced him personally, but they say there's someone in the Demonic Cult who can even kill the heavens."

One who kills the heavens.

Under the sky, who could escape his hidden blades?

"And who would that be?"

"The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord."

Shwaaaaa—!

The moment the Wolf King spoke that name,

the air in the surrounding area grew even heavier.

Halt.

That was when Cheon Muyang's steady footsteps finally stopped.

"...."

Nothing could be heard.

Yet Cheon Muyang sensed the threat closing in on this place moment by moment.

'Where? Where are you?'

This made no sense.

How could there be no sound, no presence at all?

It felt as though he were searching for something that didn't exist.

'They're nearby.'

There was no proof—but of that, he was certain.

The problem was how, and from where, they would reveal themselves.

"This isn't good."

None of this was good.

That was why Cheon Muyang felt the need to overturn the situation.

"If you won't come out."

A boundary came into view.

That place was the line of death—one that should never be crossed.

"Then I'll force you to."

In other words, it was a position overwhelmingly advantageous to them.

Cheon Muyang stepped toward it.

Swoosh.

The instant he crossed that boundary—

his knees bent involuntarily.

Sssak!

Along with a barely audible sound,

something flew into the spot where his heart would have been had he been standing still.

"Oh? This is interesting."

It should have been chilling,

but Cheon Muyang felt amusement instead.

"If you can kill me, then try."

Death was everywhere.

At every moment, Cheon Muyang stood at a crossroads.

Life or death hinged on choices as trivial as whether to exhale or hold his breath.

Sasak!

Paht!

Countless hidden weapons flew at him.

Every single strike was enough to drive Cheon Muyang into death.

'Impressive. So this is the true terror of real assassins.'

Assassins were beings to be feared.

Compared to these, all the assassins Cheon Muyang had faced so far were no more than children.

'Between life and death, they are the ones who bring death.'

There was no trace of personal desire.

Within their domain, no life existed at all.

Whoosh!

A fleeting glint passed by.

Whether by chance or intent, blood from Cheon Muyang clung to the tip of that glint.

"Is it over already?"

With that strike as the last, the rain of assassinations aimed at Cheon Muyang came to an end.

"You don't get to decide when it ends."

Chill!

A voice so cold it raised goosebumps echoed from somewhere.

"...!"

That voice came from the very place where Namgung Seohee's shadow was cast.

"It's me."

A killing intent sharp enough to cleave the heavens hung there.

"You bastard!"

With the Wolf King's furious roar, his great saber lunged forward like a ferocious tiger—

but it couldn't overcome the limits of distance and speed.

"It's already too late."

He had already carried out the execution of death.

Yet his will was not fulfilled.

Kaang!

"...."

There was no familiar sensation of a throwing blade carving into flesh.

Instead, he felt a strange sensation—his hand rebounding.

It was something no one had anticipated.

"Oh?"

The Wolf King, no longer needing to swing his saber to the end, smiled at the scene before him.

"For causing chaos within the Namgung Clan."

"...!"

Namgung Seohee.

With eyes colder than a North Sea blizzard, she stared straight at the one who had tried to take her life.

She recited his crimes one by one.

"For spilling the blood of the Namgung Clan."

"...."

"And also."

Hooouung!

Her sword—

the Namgung Clan's treasured blade passed down from the Sword King, the Emperor Sword—cried out with fury.

"For attempting to take the life of the one destined to become the head of the Namgung Clan."

Kuuuuung!

This was the Namgung Clan—

yet until now, it had not truly been so.

For the one dominating this space had been that presence, still staring coldly at Namgung Seohee.

But his dominion was beginning to crumble.

"I will hold you accountable for those crimes."

Her sword, unleashing the rage she had long suppressed, was truly overwhelming.

"Good."

Cheon Muyang saw it.

The invisible sword of Namgung Seohee carved a path forward, advancing through and occupying their very space.

"So, the Emperor Sword Form. An excellent choice."

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

His domain collapsed.

As a result, even the killing intent that had seemed capable of slaughtering the heavens—one that had filled the space where Cheon Muyang stood—began to thin.

Heh.

Cheon Muyang smiled.

'She's grown even deeper while I wasn't looking.'

A sword that subjugated space itself.

The might of the Emperor Sword Form was enough to suppress even the domain of the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord—one of the Seven Great Demon Lords alongside the Lord of Yama.

"Crime, you say…."

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

His physical form vanished.

As if he had never existed there in the first place.

"How does one pass judgment on death itself?"

Once again, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord's voice came from Namgung Seohee's blind spot.

"This is the Namgung Clan."

Yet Namgung Seohee, as though she had anticipated being targeted, swung the Emperor Sword naturally.

"And I will become the Sword Empress of the Namgung Clan."

Kkadeuk.

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord's hidden weapon was blocked.

Twice.

Something that should have been impossible.

"Sword Empress…."

For the first time in decades, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord looked once more at Namgung Seohee, who had refused the execution of death.

"A sprout."

A strange light entered his eyes.

Only then did he understand why he had been forced to step in personally.

"A deeply rooted sprout…."

It was already a sprout with roots sunk deep.

Roots so firm that—

all that remained was for it to grow into a towering tree.

"How regrettable."

He truly felt regret.

That he would never see how that sprout would grow.

That he must kill one of the few beings who could deny death's execution.

"...."

Namgung Seohee raised her sword.

She had sensed the danger.

At that moment, Cheon Muyang moved to step forward.

"Stop."

The Wolf King restrained him.

"It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? When has it ever not been?"

"...."

"What flower blooms without being shaken by the wind?"

In other words, the Wolf King believed this too was a trial she had to overcome.

For a sprout to grow into a great tree, it had to endure the storms of the world.

"But…."

This was the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

A being whose presence rivaled even the Lord of Yama.

How could she possibly handle that alone?

"Trust her."

"...."

"That's your role."

Cheon Muyang saw it.

The Wolf King's hands, fingers digging into flesh until blood flowed.

He, too, was enduring.

"Just one second."

"Yes. That will be enough."

"...."

Cheon Muyang nodded.

If she could endure just once—

that would be the moment for the two of them to intervene.

"How arrogant."

Watching the two of them, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord mocked their foolishness.

Since he knew she was a sprout that must be cut down, there would be no third chance.

Goooooo—!

Intent to kill.

Killing intent rivaling the Lord of Yama's world-scorching flames condensed into a single point.

Whooong!

Cheongwang resonated of its own accord.

There was a sense of eagerness—

and yet, faintly, fear.

'Are you afraid?'

Cheongwang was a greedy sword.

It should have welcomed a clash with a strong foe—

and yet it feared.

'Loss.'

The source of that fear was loss itself.

Death, in the end, was the loss of life.

It was only natural for Cheongwang to fear loss.

A sword, too, possessed life.

"...."

The air around the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord sank even heavier.

Even the Emperor Sword Form was clearly reaching its limit.

A question arose.

'Can she really block that strike?'

He wondered if even he himself could.

Glance.

It was coincidence.

As Cheon Muyang hesitated, his eyes met Namgung Seohee's.

"Ah."

A gaze that lasted only an instant.

Yet within her eyes, Cheon Muyang saw unwavering resolve.

'Worrying for nothing.'

A sword wielded with firm resolve would never break.

Kugugugugung!

The earth trembled.

In a single instant, the heavens split open.

At one point beneath it, life and death clashed for dominance.

The one who sought to kill—

and the one who sought to live.

Kwaaaang!

With a thunderous roar, blood scattered.

That blood belonged to Namgung Seohee.

Blood was life.

Her life shattered faintly into the air.

"Go!"

At that moment, the Wolf King and Cheon Muyang intervened simultaneously, and the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord retreated with an unreadable expression.

"Where do you think you're going!"

With a roar like a beast's howl, the Wolf King charged relentlessly.

Seizing that opening, Cheon Muyang checked Seohee's wounds and let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew."

She had been cut.

But she had not died.

Which meant—

once again, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord had failed to execute death.

By that measure, this was her victory.

"You knew he'd aim for the heart."

From the start, she had known she couldn't block his attack completely.

So she abandoned all other defenses and protected only her heart.

"The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord executes death. That was the correct choice."

She had anticipated that he would aim for her heart.

Even while hovering at death's edge, Namgung Seohee never lost the dignity of a sovereign.

Kwaaaang!

The Wolf King was blasted backward.

But the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord—

ignored him.

His gaze fixed on Namgung Seohee, collapsed on the ground.

Heh.

Seeing this, Cheon Muyang smiled.

"You lost."

"...."

Cheon Muyang saw it.

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord's face twisted with rage.

"...."

"You said there wouldn't be a third time. Already changing your words?"

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord's killing intent shifted—

away from Namgung Seohee, and toward Cheon Muyang.

"Oh? Not going after Seohee anymore, and now you want me?"

With a faint grin, Cheon Muyang stepped beside Namgung Seohee.

"Good. Then try it."