The sky was starting to turn black, resembling the night.
Night was a time of danger. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the time for evil monsters. Because of this, the soldiers on the walls of Seomhwa Village tensed up, weapons in hand.
They could see moving figures beneath that black sky.
As something began to walk out of the darkness, the people gulped.
It was the dog demons with blue fur.
Leading those dog demons were the evil monsters.
With them came the yakshas.
And also the horses, or the iron ghosts, or the creatures they could hardly name.
Countless evil monsters were emerging from the shadows, chuckling away.
A horde of dozens, if not hundreds, of evil monsters was coming out of the darkness.
“…What in the world.”
The soldiers’ expressions began to stiffen. With this many, shouldn’t an army be called forth?
But even so, could they just put down their weapons and run away?
That was not an option.
Seomhwa Village was also the soldiers’ home.
Thinking of the loved ones behind those walls, they could not retreat.
“Leader!!”
The local leader, donned in armor, was walking up to the wall. The soldiers looked at him with admiration and anticipation.
If it weren’t for the solid stone walls, everyone’s morale would have crumbled.
If it weren’t for the expensive watchtowers and defenses, they would have dropped their weapons and sat down in terror.
If they hadn’t trained properly…
If they hadn’t received help to learn the martial arts from the military…
If they hadn’t replaced their gear…
As if he had anticipated such events, he had built the wall and defenses since last winter, and recently provided armor and equipment for the soldiers.
So from the soldiers’ perspective, they were looking at him with eyes full of respect.
There’s a saying: Those who are unprepared can only suffer. So, can those who are prepared overcome their trials?
The officer looking at the local leader swallowed hard.
“Leader.”
“Prepare yourselves.”
Even facing that many evil monsters, the leader remained calm.
As everyone gripped their weapons tightly at the coolness of their commander, an Ilseong from the Murim Alliance rushed to the leader.
“The martial artists of the Murim Alliance and those who stayed in Seomhwa Village are ready.”
As Yu Wol began to actively operate, many martial artists were visiting Seomhwa Village.
Among them, many operated right out of Seomhwa Village.
Those who wandered without belonging to a sect, honing their skills or making money, didn’t run away amidst this oddity.
“Can we form ranks?”
“Can we get ready?”
“Yes.”
Ilseong calmly spoke as he gazed beyond the castle walls.
From the darkness, a massive evil monster was slowly emerging from the rear of the fiendish horde.
A tiger with a human head.
Resembling Mabok but several times larger, its muddy yellow fur displayed patterns that insulted virtue and praised wickedness.
The most ominous of all the monsters emerging from the shadows.
Sahyung and Dool.
“I never thought I’d see Dool here.”
As Ilseong swallowed hard, Hyeonryeong shrugged.
“Any unjust trial can be faced while living. The important thing is…”
-Slurrrr…
Drawing his sword from his waist, Hyeonryeong spoke softly.
“It’s simply whether or not you can overcome it.”
Just as he said this seriously, cheers erupted from the trembling soldiers and warriors.
“It’s Hongseong Clan!!”
“The Sword Saint has come out!!”
An extraordinary being who wields immense power.
One of the world’s greatest masters was leading her disciples into battle.
Seeing the Sword Saint of Hongseong and her disciples clambering onto the castle walls, Hyeonryeong smiled bitterly.
“Sword Saint. Let’s begin.”
“Let’s do it.”
Hyeonryeong raised his sword high, and the flag of Seomhwa Village was planted atop the castle wall. Countless flags, affixed with talismans painstakingly made by Changju, adorned the walls.
With those talismans, those affected by the darkness wouldn’t be able to move properly.
Casting a sidelong glance at it, Hongryeon clenched her great sword and said, “We’ll take care of Dool as per the plan.”
“In that case, we will carve a path. Sword Saint, you…”
“I will deal with the evil monsters trying to climb over the walls.”
The Sword Saint spoke calmly as she surveyed the approaching Dool and the horde of monsters.
Next to Dool stood a man with his arms crossed, gazing at this place indifferently.
That must be Cheolhyeolmokje.
“They’re coming!!”
-Kraaaah!!!
Black flying monsters began to soar towards this place from the darkened sky. Were they trying to invade the castle, avoiding obstacles like walls and defenses?
Would she just let that happen?
With eyes sparking, the Sword Saint swung her great sword.
Hongseong Divine Art – Great Sword Technique: Cheonjo.
Hundreds of sword arcs began to blanket the sky, crafted from her great sword. Like a massive net sprawling wide, the Sword Saint struck down the flying monsters in one blow and said to Hongryeon:
“Go.”
“Yes! For Hongseong Clan!!”
The next leader of Hongseong, currently known as the “Falling Sun Sword” in the Murim, Hongryeon raised her great sword high.
With her shout, the disciples raised their weapons, and Hongryeon, grinning, leaped down from the city wall, followed closely by Ilseong and the martial artists of the Murim Alliance, who laughed wildly.
“Support Hongseong!!”
The Murim warriors began to move. The local leader, Hyeonryeong, shouted to the soldiers.
“We will!! win!!”
At Hyeonryeong’s cry, the archers drew their bows.
As the defense of Seomhwa Village was about to begin, Dool, leading the evil monsters, grinned grotesquely.
“I will kill them all.”
And so, the battle between humans and evil monsters began.
‘It’s flowing just like he said.’
As she sliced through the charging Mabok, Hongryeon recalled what had happened not long ago.
Hongryeon, the Sword Saint, and even the Ilseong of the Murim Alliance had gathered, and Yu Wol shared all the points to be cautious of when fighting Dool.
Evil monsters can devour those weaker than themselves or take them as subordinates.
Naturally, the Sahyung at the pinnacle of the evil monsters could do the same, and Dool was expected to act accordingly.
Among them, Dool was slightly more special than the other Sahyung.
Rather than digesting what he has eaten, he could trap them within himself and summon them as subordinates at any time.
In other words, the darkness that covered the sky was the monsters Dool had devoured and kept inside him.
If so, that darkness could be considered Dool’s domain.
Feeling her momentum sharply decrease the moment she stepped into the darkness, Hongryeon let out a bitter smile.
The words he had told her swirled in her mind.
“In the darkness created by Dool, momentum is most important. There may be those who lose their fighting spirit and flee.”
That’s a given. That darkness is, simply put, no different from being inside Dool’s belly.
However, even so, you shouldn’t worry. Being in that belly means that you can stab from within and burst it open.
As Yu Wol’s words surfaced, light began to radiate from the armor she wore, Hyeonun-gap.
The light of the stars strengthened her spirit, pushing back the darkness as it spread strongly around her.
“Yahaaah!!”
Thanks to that light, perhaps? The Murim warriors, who had been intimidated by the evil monsters, began to roar with renewed strength.
Inside the darkness, deep in Dool’s belly, they started to erase their despair and flee in fear.
-Kraaaah!!
A mysterious evil monster lunged at Hongryeon, who was guiding everyone with the light of the stars.
An unidentified evil monster charges at Hongryeon.
A headless creature with eyes and two mouths on its belly tries to envelop her completely when a long spear pierces its side.
“Watch out for the Falling Sun Sword!!”
It was a female martial artist from the Murim Alliance. Her name… right. It was Chunseon.
She spun around, picked up her second spear, and jabbed it into Dool, killing it, before picking up her own spear that had fallen to the ground.
“Let’s go!!”
Light creates a path in the darkness.
The starlight led by Hongryeon was carving a route through the darkness towards Dool.
The martial artists of the Murim Alliance knew well that supporting this was their duty.
“Don’t worry about what’s behind us!!”
One young martial artist from the Murim Alliance shouted. No, it wasn’t just him.
While the Hongseong Clan, the Murim Alliance, and the martial artists staying in Seomhwa Village fought against the monsters in the darkness, the soldiers of Seomhwa Village were successfully fending off those monsters that attempted to attack.
And up on the city wall, a woman was swinging a great sword while staring straight at her disciples.
A beautiful woman with navy blue hair swung her great sword, dropping a grotesque creature. Then she slightly parted her plump lips.
“Go!”
“…Haha.”
Hongryeon laughed.
That was her beloved master.
The martial artist she truly respected.
The love rival of the person she truly loved.
That amazing person was protecting Seomhwa Village.
Then, there was nothing to worry about.
Slowly, Hongryeon looked around.
Her younger sisters, like siblings, were fighting the monsters alongside the martial artists.
Even in this darkness, in the horrifying despair created by Dool, they were fighting without losing their light.
None of them had despaired, and none of them had given up.
Also, the disciples of the Hongseong Clan had become much stronger than before.
They were no longer the younger sisters needing protection; they had become martial artists capable of holding their own.
As she looked around at them, Hongryeon slowly closed her eyes.
There was no hesitation.
There was no fear.
Only the overwhelming resolve to fight and win remained.
“Haah!!”
With a roar, Hongryeon’s momentum intensified. The light of stars radiating from her body grew stronger.
Then, what she needed to focus on was something different.
Now, as the Senior Sister of the Hongseong Clan, as the Great Disciple protecting her sisters, no.
As an individual martial artist, the Falling Sun Sword, she began to cut down the evil monsters.
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