So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon? Chapter 24 : Short Fuse (3)

Chapter 24: Short Fuse (3)

The mont Eldest Brother's energy locked onto , I felt my life was in danger. Was that why my body's survival instinct reached its peak, making the world seem to flow in slow motion?

I could faintly see Third Brother's sword trajectory, which I normally wouldn't have been able to follow with my eyes. Even as the world slowed down, Eldest Brother's figure filled my vision, approaching at a terrifying speed.

Third Brother's sword managed to wound Eldest Brother's arm, but he charged at as if such an injury ant nothing. In an instant, the madman's greatsword flew at , threatening to cleave my body in two. And surrounding that greatsword was an even more massive red energy―a terrifying yang energy that dwarfed my ager internal energy.

But I couldn't die here. Though the world moved slowly, the problem was that my body also moved like a slug.

'Move!! Move!!!'

Maybe that desperate thought actually got through. The hand that had been gripping the sword since Eldest Brother charged began to draw it, deploying the Soul-Departing Sword I had been practicing.

The form I unleashed perfectly intersected the path of Eldest Brother's greatsword. The mont my sword, carrying energy incomparably weaker than Eldest Brother's, clashed with his greatsword, it showed a strange movent and veered to the side. It was an attempt to deflect the force of the greatsword using the seventh form of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword, the Soul-Guiding Sword.

Clang!!!

But the power gap was just too huge. My sword shattered, barely altering the greatsword's trajectory. However, that split second created by the Soul-Guiding Sword was enough. As I deployed it, I was already pulling my body back.

Of course, I was still sent flying backward by the force that the Soul-Guiding Sword couldn't fully dissipate, but I avoided instant death. I survived thanks to successfully combining the Soul-Departing Sword, the Soul-Guiding Sword, and my lightness skill in one go. Even I didn't know how I managed to pull it off. It felt like my body moved on its own in that mont of extre crisis.

As I flew back, I saw Third Brother instantly closing in on Eldest Brother, swinging his sword at his back. But Eldest Brother, as if he had eyes on his back, twisted his body to narrowly avoid Third Brother's sneak attack that supposedly didn't even leave a shadow.

At that mont, Jin Hayeon dove in from the side, thrusting her twin palms towards Eldest Brother's flank. Her hands, now coated in bone-white frost, radiated a lethal chill—far colder than anything she’d shown during our sparring.

But no matter how chilling her White Hand Demonic Art was...

Whoosh!

It was no match for Eldest Brother's Raging Demon Sword Art, which bordered on reaching Transcendence. The yang energy surrounding Eldest Brother's greatsword instantly lted her cold energy.

Bang!!!

Unable to withstand that trendous force, Jin Hayeon was sent flying far away.

Thud!

"Ugh..."

My airborne trajectory ended abruptly as I crashed a wall, knocking my breath out of . If I hadn't mixed in the Soul-Guiding Sword at the last mont to reduce the force even slightly, my spine might have been completely shattered.

However, this was no ti to lose myself to the pain.

"Big Brother!!"

Seeing get hit must have set her off.

Seon-ah eyes eyes glowing redder than ever as she glared and charged at Eldest Brother.

It was madness. Even Jin Hayeon, far stronger than her, had been sent flying in one exchange. But thankfully, the tragedy of Seon-ah being sliced in two didn't occur.

"Young Miss!"

The Hyeokryeon Family guard who had just entered Windrock Palace swiftly approached the crazed Seon-ah, pressing her acupoint to knock her unconscious.

Whoosh!

As a consequence, Eldest Brother's greatsword, which had been flying towards Seon-ah, redirected towards the guard.

"Urk..."

He couldn’t take a single hit either and went flying. He had fulfilled his duty as a bodyguard by protecting Seon-ah in his arms, but the situation was spiraling into a total disaster.

With just three swings, myself, Jin Hayeon, the guard, and Seon-ah had fallen. Only Third Brother remained standing.

“Get out of here!” Third Brother shouted, his usual gloomy deanor replaced by grim resolve. But it didn't look like he could hold out for long.

In the first place, Third Brother's martial arts were specialized in ambush and sneak attacks rather than direct confrontation, and not to ntion their gap in skill. He was barely holding on, like a candle in the wind.

If I fled alone to save myself, I might survive, but…

'Everyone else would die.'

The deranged Eldest Brother might take out his anger on those here in my place.

But how could I stop that crazed monster...

"!!!"

An idea flickered. A way for all to survive. I bolted toward my manor’s main gate like I was running for my life and just before I exited the Windrock Palace, I roared with all my might at the madman who was toying Third Brother:

"Hey, you brainless athead!!! Is your head just for decoration?!"

Fuck it, we ball.

With that, I bolted out of the courtyard with everything I had.

"I'll kill you!!!"

Bang!!!

A thunderous roar erupted as Eldest Brother launched himself into the air and ca flying right after .

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!”

Feeling the imnse energy from behind rapidly closing in, I cursed at the top of my lungs and ran for my life.

Whoosh!

A chill shot up my spine. Sensing incoming force, I flung myself sideways.

KABOOM!!!

A fireball of red energy slamd into the ground right where I’d just been.

I scrambled up from the dirt and just kept running.

"Aim better, you moron!!!"

"You insect!! I’ll tear you limb by limb!!!"

The shouts of the completely enraged madman grew closer, and more bursts of red energy flew at in succession.

How long had I been running while provoking this ticking bomb bastard?

Though it felt like an eternity in this life-or-death situation, barely ten seconds had passed before the mad demon finally caught up to .

"Die!"

As the living bomb swung his greatsword at again—

Clang!!

A spear, a sword, and a saber flew in from sowhere, blocking the madman's greatsword.

These strangers whose faces I didn't even recognize were martial artists stationed nearby by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

It was only natural. This was the main headquarters, and martial artists were crawling all over the place.

It was a natural arrangent considering this place was a place where people falling into the Qi Deviation is practically a norm. When soone went insane, those stationed nearby would subdue the maddened individuals.

This was precisely why I had deliberately provoked Eldest Brother and lured him out here.

Waiting for reinforcents to arrive at Windrock Palace would’ve gotten soone killed, so I reversed the situation by leading Eldest Brother to where martial artists were likely to be.

While the three martial artists blocked Eldest Brother's greatsword—

"We just need to buy ti until Master arrives!"

Third Brother, who had sohow caught up to Eldest Brother, shouted as he joined the three.

Now that it was four-on-one instead of one-on-one, it looked like they might actually have a chance.

Bang!!

"Urgh..."

Or so it seed, until another person failed to withstand the attack and was sent flying, crashing into and crumbling a wall.

More demonic cultivators were converging on the scene, but the situation suggested that those here might die at this rate.

"Why pick on weaklings, you blockhead!"

I provoked Eldest Brother again.

"You bastard!!!"

As expected, because he was completely consud by rage or simply lacked the capacity for thought, Eldest Brother ignored the three surrounding him and charged straight at .

Bang!!

Thanks to his predictable and simple movent, the three were able to block Eldest Brother’s attack more easily.

Clang!!

And stopped his sword right before my face.

"Eek."

I stumbled back, watching the scene of them subduing the raging fiery boar.

"Not just dumb, but blind too?"

Whenever they seed to be pushed back, I provoked Eldest Brother again.

"Kill! Kill!! I'll kill you!!!"

After several rounds of ragebaiting, the deranged boar found himself surrounded by dozens of cultists.

I watched him flail his sword, spewing fire like a one-man fireworks show, when—

"Everyone, stand back."

A familiar voice pierced my ears.

The Lord of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and the teacher of both myself and that raging fiery boar over there, had finally arrived.

As if his words were imbued with power, those surrounding Eldest Brother imdiately retreated far back at our Master's command.

Eldest Brother, already consud by rage, swung his greatsword at as soon as those blocking him disappeared.

Bang!!

And our Master effortlessly blocked that strike with a sword drawn so swiftly I couldn’t track it.

Woong!!!

A deep, ink-black energy seeped from his body where their clashed with Eldest Brother's.

Unlike the wild and violent energy that Eldest Brother emitted, this aura radiated a crushing weight, like how majestic mountains pressing down the world.

Eldest Brother buckled under that mountainous pressure and within a mont, his knees slamming into the ground. And so, the rampage of the rage-filled maniac ca to an end with Master's intervention.

***

Eldest Brother's rampage resulted in a total of nine injuries.

Miraculously, there were no fatalities. Just six with severe injuries and three with minor injuries.

Considering Eldest Brother's level, they say this level of damage is practically nothing.

And I, classified as one of the severely injured, was resting in the infirmary.

My entire body was bruised and my muscles shocked from blocking Eldest Brother's attack and hitting the wall. I had also suffered internal injuries.

I had received treatnt, but with Windrock Palace half-destroyed, I was to remain in the infirmary until it was repaired.

And by my side...

"Young Master, it's ti to begin your studies."

… was Jin Hayeon with bandages on both arms and splints applied. She was there with her signature expressionless face.

Apparently, the force of Eldest Brother's attack had fractured the bones in her arms.

And her takeaway was that she was lucky her bones hadn’t shattered? Yeah. She was completely nuts.

“We’re both injured and you still talk about study?”

I asked incredulously, but her reply was as blunt as ever.

“Since your injuries prevent you from practicing internal art and forbid you from practicing external art, why not use this ti to make progress on our cult’s laws? Once you recovered, I will ramp up your training to catch up the martial arts training you missed.”

"..."

Yep, definitely not right in the head.

Still, I couldn’t really yell at the woman who’d gotten her arms fractured trying to save from that raging boar.

Besides, I had bigger problems.

‘Well, my life in this cult is officially fucked.’

I had babbled whatever ca to mind because my life was in imdiate danger, but I had turned the Heavenly Demon’s First Disciple into my enemy.

Regardless of the situation, I had continuously insulted his intelligence, which he hates more than anything and the main trigger to his outburst.

"Very well, let us begin. Since my arms are like this, please open the book, Young Master."

As I was lost in thought, half-dazed by Jin Hayeon's insane ramblings and worries about the thorny path ahead in my life in this damned cult.

I heard a commotion from beyond the dical wing.