Appearance of the Iron Demon - 2
Wuuuung!
Dok Sugwang had to fight with all his might just to keep from losing hold of his violently trembling spear.
His palms felt as though they were being torn apart.
But the pain in his hands was nothing compared to the shock he felt at the monstrous foe before him.
A demon.
Not a Miao tribesman, but a Han—transformed into a demon. And not just any demon, but one wielding martial arts.
It was unimaginable.
And now that demon was charging at him, twin palms outstretched, forcing aside the spearhead aimed at his chest as if it were nothing.
Still unable to control his weapon fully, Dok Sugwang could not possibly block the strike.
His face blanched as he foresaw the inevitable.
"Khghh?!"
But his life was not yet over.
At that instant, members of the Fifth Squad rushed in, blades flashing toward the monster.
"Squad Leader!"
"You fiend!"
Their swords struck true—aimed at its neck and arms.
But with the sound of metal clashing, their blades rebounded.
Jjaeeeng!
"Urgh!"
"What?!"
Their attacks had failed to pierce—but at least they managed to break its rhythm.
Seizing the moment, Dok Sugwang rolled aside to escape the twin palms.
He shouted desperately:
"Fall back!"
His men, long used to fighting demons, were already retreating the moment their swords bounced away.
But the monster moved first.
Papak!
It sprang like a predator, pouncing upon them with the speed of a peak master.
The Fifth Squad warriors screamed as its twin palms closed in.
"Urgh!"
"So f-fast…!"
A heartbeat later, its devastating palm strikes smashed into their chests.
Puh-puhng!
"Kugh!"
"Ghhhk!"
It was over in an instant.
Two men's chests caved in, leaving them unable to scream.
Others cried out in horror:
"Yeong-u!"
"Ji-gyun!"
But Dok Sugwang did not waste words on the fallen. He shouted instead to the living:
"Evade! It's coming for you!"
And indeed, after slaughtering the two, the demon immediately turned on the rest.
Papak!
"Tch!"
Sugwang threw himself forward, teeth clenched.
There was no way ordinary squad members could handle a demon that not only used martial arts but also possessed durability equal to a mid-level ghoul—perhaps even a Lord Ghoul.
He had to hold it off himself.
Puh-puhng!
"Dodge!"
"Haaap!"
The demon unleashed another shockwave, but this time the squad scattered in all directions and narrowly escaped.
Relieved, Sugwang swung the spear shaft hard at its legs.
"You bastard!"
Buaaang!
If he couldn't pierce its skin, then he would topple it, throw it, anything to buy time until reinforcements arrived with inner force.
But what he saw next left him aghast.
"What?!"
Buuung!
The demon actually leapt lightly, like a true martial artist, avoiding the sweeping shaft.
Then it spun midair and came crashing down upon him.
Its movements were feral, beastlike.
"A demon… fighting like this?!"
Sugwang barely rolled aside.
Puh-puhng!
He avoided the twin palms—only for a vicious kick to whip toward his abdomen.
Bbeeok!
"Khhhk!"
He barely managed to block with his spear shaft, but the impact sent him hurtling like a cannonball, crashing into the ground.
Puh-uhk!
Ku-dangtang!
His head rang with pain. Without the spear to buffer the blow, his bones would surely have been shattered.
But there was no time to rest.
Sugwang forced himself up, only to see the beast charging like a predator.
The distance was nothing. Too close to dodge.
"Urgh!"
The demon's twin palms filled his vision.
This was the end.
Then—
"Haaaap!"
"Die!"
"Fiend!"
Three Fifth Squad members hurled themselves at the demon, weapons crashing down.
A desperate charge, ignoring their own safety.
Puhk! Puh-puhk!
The suicidal assault threw the demon slightly off balance—just as a blast of deadly force skimmed past Sugwang's ear.
Puh-uhng!
Cold sweat dripped down his neck. It felt like standing at the gate of hell, the wind of the abyss brushing his face.
"Tch!"
He threw himself aside with every ounce of strength. If he missed this chance, he truly would die.
Papak!
Rolling frantically, he shouted:
"Everyone, retreat now!"
But when he turned back, he saw it—
The demon's clawed hand tearing into those who hadn't escaped in time.
Puhwaaak!
"Aaaghh!"
"Squad Leader!"
Puh-seok!
"Ghhhk!"
In an instant, two more had their chests ripped open, another's head crushed by a palm strike.
Dok Sugwang howled:
"No!"
The survivors stood frozen in shock.
But they could not afford to freeze.
The monster, moving like a machine, turned at once and lunged at the rest.
Sugwang cried out in panic:
"Dodge!"
The squad scattered with all their might.
But the demon was faster.
It closed in behind Vice-leader Jang Yeo-yeo.
Sugwang hurled himself after her, shouting:
"Jang Yeo-yeo! Behind you!"
She spun in horror—only to see the monster upon her, its shadow looming.
Her eyes widened, filled with terror.
"Aaahhh…"
And then—
"Haaap!"
Like a meteor, someone struck at the demon.
A brilliant flash of blue sword-qi.
Dok Sugwang's eyes lit with relief as he shouted:
"Han Gyo-seong!"
It was the Blue Wind Sword Dragon, Han Gyo-seong, hailed even within the Cheongseong Sect as a genius swordsman.
Officially acknowledged as the strongest among the Thirteen Squad Leaders, he slashed at the demon with his azure sword-qi, and the survivors erupted in cheers.
"The Blue Wind Sword Dragon!"
"It's the First Squad Leader!"
"We're saved!"
His blade shone with radiant blue, wrapped in dense sword-qi.
Surely, even the toughest of demons—a Lord Ghoul—could not withstand such a strike.
But their faces froze in the next moment.
Jjeojeojeong!
Han Gyo-seong's sword-qi had not cut through the demon. It had rebounded.
The sight left them all paralyzed.
"…What?"
"Impossible!"
To think that his radiant sword-qi, no different from true inner force, could not pierce its hide—just like Sugwang's spear.
Even the hardest Lord Ghouls could not boast such defense.
Yet Han Gyo-seong did not falter.
The demon, briefly staggered by the blow, instantly countered, blasting a shockwave at him.
Puhng!
"Tch!"
It was an attack he had not expected, striking with incredible speed. But Han Gyo-seong reacted in time, slashing his sword-qi to deflect it.
Teo-uhng!
"Grrrhhhhh!"
The monster pressed on relentlessly.
Its savagery was beastlike, yet unlike other demons it used martial forms, striking with techniques like a true warrior.
Its speed rivaled that of a peak master, its chain of attacks ceaseless.
Puh-puh-puh-puhng!
Han Gyo-seong's body flowed like a dance, his sword-qi brushing aside each blast with graceful ease.
Fast though it was, the demon's moves were rigid, formulaic—easy enough for him to counter.
Teo-teo-teo-teo-teong!
"Its force is manageable—at best, top first-class. But its speed is at peak-master level. Is it because it's a demon?"
Measuring his foe as he deflected its storm of blows, Han Gyo-seong finally shifted back to offense.
"Haaap!"
His azure sword-qi flared like a tempest.
The Cheongseong Sect's ultimate art—Blue Wind Sword Technique.
Like a raging storm, his slashes hammered the demon in a merciless whirlwind.
Teo-teo-teo-teo-teo-teong!
"Grrrrrrrrhhhhh!"
The monster tried to block Han Gyo-seong's onslaught.
It swung its arms wildly, as if to swat away the sword, but it was useless.
No matter how it flailed, the torrent of azure sword-qi rained down like a storm, mercilessly battering it.
Kwakwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
At the sight, the Fifth Squad cheered.
"As expected of Squad Leader Han Gyo-seong!"
"Crush it, First Squad Leader!"
But while they shouted in unison, Dok Sugwang's face remained grim.
Despite enduring dozens of strikes, the monster's skin had not suffered so much as a scratch.
Han Gyo-seong knew it too.
"The sword-qi isn't penetrating at all. How can this be? Don't tell me this thing…"
He suddenly remembered what Seonu Jin had said before departing a month ago:
"Its sword-qi doesn't work. It uses martial arts. And it's not Miao—it's Han. Could this be the very Iron Demon Seonu Jin warned about?"
Unlike Dok Sugwang, who had dismissed Jin's warning outright, Han Gyo-seong had taken it to heart. He had even carried the Skullfire Mountain that Tang Yeoeun had given him on every patrol, just in case.
The problem was—this wasn't a patrol.
He had come rushing for support and had only brought his sword.
Still attacking, Han Gyo-seong shouted over to Dok Sugwang:
"Dok Sugwang! This thing—it's the Iron Demon Seonu Jin spoke of! The Skullfire Mountain! Where's the Skullfire Mountain Tang Yeoeun gave you?!"
Dok Sugwang flinched and shouted back:
"I-I didn't bring it!"
"What?!"
"How could I believe his nonsense and carry around something so dangerous?!"
"You fool!"
It was then that the monster stopped trying to block.
It no longer defended against Han Gyo-seong's blows. Instead, it simply took them with its body and launched counterattacks.
It had learned that it could endure them. Abandoning the instinct to defend, it attacked like a predator.
"Grrrrhhh!"
As Han Gyo-seong's sword-qi crashed down, the monster hurled shockwaves in return.
Puh-puh-puh-puhng!
The shockwaves were nothing compared to the sword-qi—but while the monster could ignore sword-qi, Han Gyo-seong could not ignore even the smallest blow.
The balance of power was obvious.
Forced to retreat, Han Gyo-seong could no longer press the attack.
Unlike other demons, it didn't even open its mouth, leaving him no weak point to aim for.
"Damn it!"
Thankfully, none of its attacks landed—because though its speed matched a peak master, Han Gyo-seong was a true peak master himself.
But he could feel it—this wild, beastlike barrage was even more dangerous than its earlier martial forms.
Sweat trickled down his brow as he barely avoided the storm of strikes.
He shouted urgently:
"Dok Sugwang! Send another signal! Tell them to bring the Skullfire Mountain!"
Dok Sugwang grimaced and retorted:
"How the hell do you expect me to signal that?!"
"Then send a runner! Do you want us all to die?! If sword-qi doesn't work, even the Commander can't stop it!"
Just then, the monster abruptly stopped its assault on him.
"?!"
Han Gyo-seong, retreating desperately, seized the chance to widen the distance.
And then he saw—the monster's gaze had shifted.
It was staring at the squad members.
"No…!"
Han Gyo-seong cried out:
"Everyone, scatter!"
But the monster was already leaping—straight at the Fifth Squad members who had been watching.
He realized with horror: while fighting him, the beast had gradually closed the distance between them and the squad.
"Don't tell me this was its plan from the beginning…?"
Impossible. A demon with intelligence?
"Ahh!"
"Evade!"
The squad scrambled in panic.
Until now, they had assumed they were safe—because demons never change targets once chosen.
That assumption sealed their fate.
Puuuk!
"Kughk!"
"Ghhhk!"
This time the monster didn't use shockwaves.
With both hands, it pierced two men's chests, dragging their bodies close.
Then it did something that made both Han Gyo-seong and Dok Sugwang shudder.
Puuuk! Jjuuuuk! Ggul-lug-gul-lug!
"W-what?!"
"No way…?!"
Holding one corpse in its left hand, the monster sank its teeth into the throat of the other, sucking greedily.
Like a Lord Ghoul, feeding on blood and inner energy to grow stronger.
"You beast!"
Han Gyo-seong roared and charged. Dok Sugwang too.
Both were frantic now.
If the monster could grow stronger through blood like a Lord Ghoul—and worse, if it had deliberately chosen to feed mid-battle to gain the edge—it was no ordinary demon. It was far worse.
"Haaaap!"
"Taaaap!"
Puh-uhng!
Jjeoong!
Their strikes slammed into its back.
It staggered—but never turned. It only continued to drink.
"Die!"
"Yaaahhh!"
Puh-puh-puh-puhng!
Attack after attack landed.
Still it hunched over, draining the body dry. Then another.
Neither spear-qi nor sword-qi could stop it.
Desperate, Han Gyo-seong finally shouted:
"Everyone, run! Tell the Commander what we've seen! Bring the Skullfire Mountain!"
The few remaining squad members snapped out of their shock.
"Y-yes, sir!"
Only three left. Four, counting Dok Sugwang.
Han Gyo-seong watched them flee and shouted at him too:
"Dok Sugwang! You must go too! You're in danger!"
For a moment, even he wavered.
But those words only inflamed his pride.
"What nonsense?!"
"You can't fight it! Don't you see?!"
"Don't mock me! To think you'd look down on me…!"
Then, suddenly, the monster stopped drinking.
It lifted its head, eyes locking first on the fleeing squad members—then turning slowly to Dok Sugwang.
Its eyes glowed with an even deeper blood-red than before.
Sugwang froze.
The pressure was suffocating, paralyzing.
"Grrrrhhhhh!"
The monster lunged at him.
"Tch!"
Sugwang thrust with all his might.
Jjaeng!
Useless.
The monster barreled through, trying to seize him.
"Dok Sugwang!"
Han Gyo-seong rushed to his side, slashing desperately.
But Sugwang saw it—a faint smile on the monster's lips.
The next instant, it spun, taking Han Gyo-seong's sword-qi head-on.
Puh-uhk!
Then its arm wrapped around and seized the blade.
Teok!
"?!"
Han Gyo-seong froze as his sword—and himself—were caught, held fast.
The monster's target had always been him.
It had only feigned going after Dok Sugwang.
He should have dropped the sword immediately.
But he hesitated.
The habit of a noble disciple who equated releasing his blade with defeat. The arrogance of a genius who had never faced death.
The monster's massive palm filled his vision.
He whispered without thinking:
"Master…"
And then—
Kwah-aaang!
A sudden explosion erupted right before his face.
The sound of a meteor strike.
"…What?"
Dazed, Han Gyo-seong blinked at the sight that had saved him.
Something huge had slammed into the monster, knocking it flying like a shell.
But it wasn't a shell—it was too large.
Almost the size of a man, moving so fast even he, a peak master, hadn't noticed until impact.
"Could it really have been a meteor…?"
But when he turned, he saw—and was stunned.
Before the half-buried demon, someone stood, panting, rising to his feet.
He smiled brightly.
"Phew… just in time."
A handsome face, radiant with confidence. Han Gyo-seong muttered in disbelief:
"Seonu… Jin? How?"
At that moment, Seonu Jin—who had driven the Iron Demon into the ground with a desperate shoulder charge using Exploding Advance Step—smirked ferociously at the creature climbing back to its feet.
"Long time no see, Iron Demon."
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