novelraw Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199: The South’s Calamity (3)
“…….”
Looking into the General Manager’s empty, glass-like eyes, the Sword Demon swallowed hard.
But the tension filling his body didn’t easily dissipate.
He feared the village.
Since his earliest, barely remembered childhood, he’d been forced into survival competitions by the village’s threats.
By the age when ordinary people would start families, he’d had to leap into fiery pits on the village’s orders.
That fear didn’t vanish even after the Restriction was lifted and he escaped the village.
He changed his appearance.
Turned his back on the world.
Lived in the darkest, foulest alleys, the most shadowy places… It all spoke to how much he feared the village, Calamity.
And now,
the Village’s General Manager stood before him.
‘I’m still trembling.’
The Sword Demon recalled the past.
The General Manager was old when he was a youth, old when he was a boy. Even in his earliest memories, the man looked the same, so he might have lived twice as long as the Sword Demon.
How vast was the swordsmanship experience accumulated over those years?
Could he, against a monster who’d crossed the line of life and death two or three times more than him, wield his full strength?
…Thinking this far, the Sword Demon shook off all distractions and let out a hearty laugh.
Seeing this, the General Manager spoke for the first time.
“Is this funny? The current situation?”
“It’s not funny.”
“Then why laugh?”
“Because I realized my meaningless life is finally doing something worthwhile.”
“Something worthwhile…”
“Yes.”
The Sword Demon nodded.
If it were him from two years ago, he wouldn’t have acted this way. Hearing of Calamity’s activities, he’d have gone into hiding again, never emerging.
But not now.
He didn’t want to anymore.
Because he saw possibility.
Because he saw hope in youths 40 years younger than him.
“Step back now.”
“…….”
“Harang, Hagio… even Gael, the son of Calamity’s Lord, are forging their own paths. Not by the village’s will, but by their own, they’re shaping their lives.”
“……You knew about Gael’s identity? How?”
“He told me himself. A commendable act. A tremendously brave one. Far greater than me, who hid from you all my life out of fear.”
“I see…”
“No need for further talk.”
The General Manager tried to say something, but the Sword Demon didn’t wait.
Wooong—!
Crackle, crackle!
A Yellow Sword extended with bright yellow sparks.
It illuminated the dark night sky, revealing his expression.
He was smiling.
Though still afraid, terrified, and tense… the Sword Demon was undoubtedly smiling.
To ensure Godoks no longer lived as Godoks.
To prevent them from wasting their lives as Calamity’s puppets.
‘I’ll make this old body give its all!’
Nodding firmly, the Sword Demon shot forward, skimming the ground.
Zip.
Appearing before the General Manager like a flash.
It was an uncomfortably close distance, too tight to stab or swing a sword. From that narrow gap, he struck at the General Manager’s solar plexus with his sword’s hilt.
Bang!
But it was easily blocked. The General Manager, defending with his empty left hand, slid back to create distance, swinging his sword three times like conducting an orchestra.
Whoosh—!
A razor-sharp triple strike!
A chilling sword wind flew in. The Sword Demon dodged every attack with lightning-fast movements, but he couldn’t prevent his clothes from being sliced.
Most would think it trivial, but it wasn’t.
Swish—
“Hm!”
The Sword Demon, about to pursue, stopped and groaned.
It was the aftermath of the sword wind.
Frost settled on his exposed skin, gradually slowing his body. The General Manager’s icy sword, the Blue Sword’s aftermath, didn’t just exert physical force but chilled the surroundings like a northern snowfield.
Crackle, crackle—!
Of course, the Sword Demon wasn’t one to be hindered by this.
Raising his energy to envelop his body in lightning, he glared at the General Manager. The haze from the temperature difference briefly blurred his form, and the irritated General Manager swung his sword fiercely to create wind.
But the Sword Demon was no longer there.
The General Manager, hardening his expression, quickly spun and swung his sword backward.
Clang!
For the first time, their swords clashed.
That wasn’t the end.
Though the start was tough, they swung their swords at each other with ferocious speed, clashing multiple times. As hot heat and cold chill intertwined, the surroundings filled with dense fog, forcing the two old men to widen their eyes to see each other.
Clang!
Clang, clang, clang!
Boom—!
Over ten exchanges passed in the blink of an eye.
Most of the offense came from the Sword Demon. His sword, brimming with Thunder’s power, was like lightning, as were his steps. Moving freely in all directions as if unbound by inertia, his strikes seemed poised to skewer the General Manager.
But that didn’t happen.
The General Manager’s sword was heavy, calm, and precise.
Though it seemed slow, it blocked the opponent’s sword path. Though unremarkable, it systematically cut off the opponent’s movement routes. Simply put, it was maddeningly difficult. A sense of frustration, like facing a chilling ghost, bloomed deep in the Sword Demon’s heart.
Even more confounding was that wherever the General Manager’s sword swung, wherever his steps landed, biting frost settled.
Swish…
The frigid cold restricted the Sword Demon’s movements. Like the hands of cursed corpses, it grabbed his ankles and pulled his arms.
Conversely, the General Manager’s sword grew faster.
The difference was minor at first but grew undeniable as the fight continued.
Slash.
Spurt—!
Slice.
Gush!
“Ugh…”
Once on the leg, once on the torso.
Not serious wounds. Too minor to call light injuries, merely grazing the skin.
But the Sword Demon felt a crisis.
The areas touched by the sword were freezing solid.
“Hup!”
Crackle—!
He quickly raised lightning to thaw his body, but that alone wasted Aura. Moreover, in that brief moment, some tissue had necrosed, making sword swings and movements less comfortable.
‘Most importantly… it’s the gap in swordsmanship skill. His fundamentals are simply a level above mine!’
The Sword Demon gritted his teeth.
He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. The General Manager’s sword seemed unremarkable but was free from predictable patterns or forms. Its unbound movements made it hard to anticipate, causing the Sword Demon to lose ground bit by bit.
What was more infuriating was that, despite his advantage, the General Manager never showed excitement or haste.
Their eyes met again.
Looking into those murky, unreadable glass-like eyes, the Sword Demon realized he had to make a decisive move first.
Crackle—!
Scattering yellow sparks, the Sword Demon quickly stepped back.
The General Manager didn’t pursue recklessly. Despite the prolonged fight, his breathing remained steady, and he showed no mental excitement or agitation. He merely fixed his unreadable eyes on his opponent, maintaining his static pace.
But that very trait was an opportunity for the Sword Demon.
A brief moment to gather strength.
A secret technique, the essence of over 60 years of swordsmanship.
Normally, it would take more time to execute, but the Sword Demon decided to push himself further.
Cough!
Crackle, crackle—!
A cough mixed with blood burst out.
He’d raised Thunder’s energy far faster than usual, leaving irreparable wounds across his body.
But he didn’t care.
Not at all.
If he could kill the Village’s General Manager.
If that could let Harang, Gael, Hagio… and other dream-filled youths live new lives.
‘Then… unlike my miserable life so far, it would be a rather meaningful end!’
Crackle!
Finishing his thoughts, the Sword Demon widened his eyes. Yellow sparks flowed from his eyes, creating a ghostly appearance. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the General Manager swiftly swung his Blue Sword. A far stronger ice storm shot toward his opponent.
Pop.
It didn’t hit.
It wasn’t even seen.
Moving at a speed beyond human perception, the Sword Demon passed the General Manager, perfectly taking his rear. Crackle. Sparking again, he swung his sword at lightning speed.
Though within the General Manager’s arctic domain, the speed was so terrifying it didn’t matter.
But.
Stab—
The opponent’s sword was faster.
No, to be precise, the Sword Demon’s attack was much faster.
But the General Manager had moved first, and the Sword Demon, seeing the sword pierce his solar plexus, couldn’t dodge. His inability to control his immense speed was his weakness.
“Cough, urk!”
Splatter—!
Blood spurted from the Sword Demon’s mouth.
With an incredulous expression, he looked at the General Manager, who had already turned.
Fortunately, the General Manager wasn’t unscathed either. Though he tried to dodge during the attack, it wasn’t perfect—his left arm was cleanly severed below the shoulder.
But that wasn’t enough to satisfy the Sword Demon.
With a despairing expression, he asked in a dying voice:
“How… did you know where I’d attack…”
“Huff.”
Shaking off pain with a single breath, the General Manager answered calmly with his usual expressionless face:
“Because I taught you that way.”
“…….”
“If you have the leeway, striking from behind is the most certain. As your teacher, I’m proud you didn’t forget my words.”