Chapter 6: Sword and Magic Sword (5)

Swish!

The black blade sliced through soft flesh, spraying crimson blood.

The splattered blood stained green leaves and white petals red.

The sound of grass dancing in the cool breeze was drowned out by the terrified screams and agony of men.

“S-Save me! Urgh!”

“Argh! M-Monster!”

“A demon! A demon! Run—argh!”

“Please, spare my life—gurk!”

Each swing of Yunmyeong’s sword unleashed human screams like an untuned instrument.

Merciless violence wielded from an overwhelming position.

And in this moment, he reveled in it.

Grandmaster of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the despair of all swordsmen, the public enemy, Sword Demon.

Such infamy doesn’t come lightly.

It was a badge forged through countless atrocities, proof of his existence’s worth.

“Eek!”

Targeting a fleeing bandit, Yunmyeong unleashed a sword aura infused with demonic energy.

Boom!

The bandit’s body was cleaved in two by the enhanced sword aura, scattering blood and flesh as he collapsed.

Relishing his dominance through his fingertips, the great demon and brutal slayer Yunmyeong surveyed the carnage he’d wrought.

Drenched in blood alongside Soul-Severing Blade, he smiled, consumed by a rare sense of overwhelming superiority.

“Hmph, yes. This does lift my spirits.”

Feeling the pent-up frustrations wash away with the blood, Yunmyeong sensed a small part of the gaping hole in his heart being filled.

But that moment was fleeting, as Soul-Severing Blade whispered to him.

[I see the unhealed wound in your heart.]

“Shut up. I don’t want to ruin this mood.”

[You can avoid it, but you’ll have to face it eventually—the frightened child curled up inside you.]

“…”

Yunmyeong closed his eyes, suppressing the irritation, trying to ignore the sword’s voice.

But Soul-Severing Blade wouldn’t leave him be.

[Your touch, connected to me, reeks of undeniable emptiness.]

[Do you need this slaughter to feel superior, to affirm your worth? How pitiful, Yunmyeong.]

“—I said shut up!”

Unable to hold back, Yunmyeong shouted at the sword.

“Be quiet! I could take you back to the blacksmith right now and smash that mouth of yours!”

[Will silencing me heal the wound inside you? Foolish master.]

Yunmyeong tried to retort, but his subordinate, cautiously approaching, interrupted.

“Uh, Sword Demon, sir? Are you alright?”

“Phew, I showed an unsightly side. This dmn sword keeps yapping, and I got carried away.”

Yunmyeong felt ashamed for losing his composure in front of his subordinate.

‘Getting caught up in its sly tongue…’

But his subordinate, with an awkward expression, replied, “Sir, are you… hearing voices from the sword?”

“Yes, didn’t you hear it? It’s been grating on my nerves since the carriage.”

“Um, I’m truly sorry, sir, but I haven’t heard anything.”

“What?”

Yunmyeong looked shocked, and his subordinate carefully explained.

“I was hesitant to mention it, fearing it might upset you, but you’ve been talking to yourself since the carriage. Even during this fight, you were muttering to the sword, so I came out of concern.”

“You can’t hear it?”

Staring at Soul-Severing Blade in disbelief, the sword responded in a mocking tone.

[Seems my voice is only audible to you. Isn’t that grand?]

‘No way.’

Yunmyeong realized he’d been ranting to the sword like a lunatic in front of his most trusted subordinate.

‘But the blacksmith clearly heard it too! Was it because he reforged it? Dmn it!’

Caring deeply about his reputation, Yunmyeong coughed to cover it up.

“Ahem, it seems the high-ranking Blood Ghost’s attack affected me mentally. Sorry for the scene.”

“No! I’ll return to the cult and fetch a healer at once.”

“No need. Healers are vital to the cult. I won’t call them for something trivial.”

“But, sir, healers exist to serve the Seven Demons like you—”

“Enough. A good rest should fix it. Keep heading to Qinghai.”

“…Truly admirable. Your unyielding spirit, unshaken even by the Blood Cult’s schemes—I, Sohwal, aspire to emulate it.”

“Hmm, yes. You have potential, so keep training.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Sohwal bowed, Soul-Severing Blade taunted Yunmyeong.

[So eager to hide your disgrace, my master. Aren’t you ashamed?]

Yunmyeong wanted to snap back but couldn’t with his trusted subordinate right there.

[Heh, so docile just to save face. Truly pathetic.]

‘Tch, dmn it!’

Cursing inwardly, Yunmyeong forced a smile and said to Sohwal, “Return to the carriage. I’ll check the surroundings for anything unusual.”

“If anything happens, I’ll join you immediately.”

“Good.”

After sending Sohwal back, Yunmyeong spoke to the sword away from the carriage.

“From now on, stay quiet when I can’t respond. That’s an order.”

[I refuse.]

“You piece of trash! At least fight me on equal terms!”

[I have no body and can only move by your will. And you speak of fairness? How foolish.]

“You’re just a tool! Obey me!”

Fuming, Yunmyeong raised his voice, his face red with anger.

But Soul-Severing Blade, as if enjoying his reaction, kept going.

[Angry? If you dislike it, leave me back at the forge. Why endure this humiliation and still cling to me?]

“Because you—dmn it!”

Telling the truth would be praising the sword, so he faltered.

Soul-Severing Blade, fully aware of his predicament, mocked him freely.

[At this point, I wonder if you’re some masochist. I respected your swordsmanship, but this… disappointing.]

“Gah! Shut up! You defective piece of junk! How dare you insult your master! You’re a failure as a tool and a weapon!”

Unable to argue logically and seething, Yunmyeong resorted to blind insults.

But such childish taunts couldn’t faze Soul-Severing Blade’s thick skin.

[Yet you insist on carrying this defective junk. Some martial artist you are. Is ‘Sword Demon’ just for show? No proper sword, and you call yourself that?]

In a verbal spar, the first to get emotional loses.

Sword Demon, unused to arguments (he never needed them), fell right into the sword’s trap.

“I have plenty! My house is overflowing with better swords than you, you ignorant, insolent hunk of scrap!”

Yunmyeong raged, jumping in frustration.

But the one who loses their temper first is already defeated, so the winner of this bout was clear.

[Tch, so childish. Feels like arguing with a brat. I can’t stand watching your disgrace anymore, so I’ll stop here.]

“What… what did you say?”

[If I keep entertaining your low-level banter, my own class will drop. Get a grip.]

Driving in the final nail, Soul-Severing Blade slowly closed its red eye, as if done speaking.

Seeing this, Sword Demon let out a hollow laugh and, for the first time, uttered a vulgar curse.

“You… you dmn bstard, ha, haha.”

Unable to contain his fury, Yunmyeong threw the sword to the ground and stomped on it.

“You defective junk! Failed tool! Failed weapon! Failure! Failuuure!”

But the sword’s will had already shifted elsewhere, unaffected.

And, unbeknownst to him, his loyal subordinate Sohwal watched with worried eyes.

“S-Sir…”

—

“Argh!”

In the blacksmith’s forge, I opened my eyes in the workshop, stretching my body.

“Man, that was… intense.”

I wasn’t close to Sword Demon, but since he’d always been good to me, I planned to go easy on him verbally. But the thrill of it was so satisfying, I went a bit harder than intended.

“All that pent-up stress just melted away. Wow…”

I couldn’t help but marvel, recalling my exchanges with Sword Demon.

I analyzed his psyche in our talks to prepare for better interactions, but every time I thought back, it was so funny I could only laugh.

“Pfft, hahaha, ugh, it’s such a waste only I saw this. Haha, heh.”

Yeah, I’m always buried in work—gotta let myself have this little rebellion.

“Phew, haven’t laughed this hard in ages.”

And so, for days, clear laughter echoed from the Heavenly Demon Cult’s haunted forge.