33. Okuah (2)
“You cannot defeat me with the power gained from your sorcery.”
Moyongchan pointed his sword at Okuah.
“The sword of Cheongseong is imbued with the power to vanquish evil. Just as darkness cannot overcome light, you cannot defeat me..”
[What a foolish thing to say.]
Okuah responded.
Moyongchan disliked his tone. From the very beginning, Okuah had spoken in a gentle tone, as if teaching a child.
[Darkness does not fight against light.]
Okuah lifted his gaze toward the sky.
[Do you see it?]
His grotesque face twisted, deepening the wrinkles, as if the sunlight were blinding him.
He opened his palm.
Five claw-like fingers stretched out, casting a shadow.
Okuah no longer frowned.
[It is because the light has hidden itself that darkness is born.]
“You’ve even learned to spout nonsense.”
[You cannot defeat me.]
Okuah clenched his hand, the one blocking the sun, into a fist.
Yet, that hand was a more powerful weapon than any sword. Those hands had nearly severed his neck several times, Moyongchan narrowly escaping each.
[You will understand soon enough. Do not despair too much.]
And then Okuah swung his fist towards Moyongchan with a powerful twist of his waist. Dark energy gathered like a ball and flew towards Moyongchan.
Moyongchan drew a gentle curve with his sword, deflecting the attack.
“You cannot harm me with such a foul power.”
Okuah launched another attack of dark energy.
Moyongchan countered with his own sword strike.
The two forces collided and exploded.
[Come.]
Okuah spread his arms wide. They seemed even larger than before.
He was literally growing stronger by the moment.
Moyongchan’s lips twitched.
“Is he still absorbing power?”
It was truly revolting.
The Cheongseong Sect’s internal energy was pure and righteous.
Since childhood, Moyongchan had accumulated the mana spread throughout nature within himself.
But that Okuah absorbed the energy of other living beings. He was truly a demonic being, an existence that needed to be eradicated.
But suddenly, Okuah’s face contorted.
Noticing his gaze, Moyongchan glanced over.
His disciple, the descendant of the Overlord Swordsman, was fighting the orcs. Despite his severe injuries, he was still wielding his sword; a stubborn one indeed.
“Could it be…?”
Yuri’s actions, Okuah’s reaction… a chilling realization dawned on Moyongchan.
He extended his senses.
The evil energy that filled this land wasn’t stagnant. It was flowing towards Okuah.
“You were even draining the power of your own kind?”
[Own kind?]
Okuah chuckled.
His voice was gentle, but that hideous laughter was purely that of an orc.
[Just as humans and orcs are different, I am different from orcs.]
It was nonsense.
Moyongchan raised his sword.
Now that he knew that Okuah’s power was still growing, there was no reason to drag things out.
Even if it was risky, he decided to kill Okuah quickly.
Moyongchan readied his sword.
He could feel the flow of the atmosphere against his skin. From the texture of the sunlight pouring down from the sky to the pulse of the grasslands throbbing beneath his feet, his senses embraced every aspect of the grasslands’ landscape.
His sword was simply in harmony with the rhythm of nature.
The Azure Sky Crimson Mist Sword Technique.
Following the Flow.
His sword moved slowly.
But with each step forward, its power increased exponentially.
Within his sword, there was a typhoon, a tsunami. Earthquakes, lightning, wildfire, flood – all the calamities of nature converged in this single strike.
Okuah thrust both his arms out to block.
Okuah’s mouth opened wide, and his fangs bared. From within, darkness poured out, wrapping around Moyongchan’s sword strike.
But Moyongchan didn’t force his strength. He simply took a step forward, in harmony with the flow of the world.
Okuah’s body was lifted.
Moyongchan took another step.
Like morning dew rolling down a leaf, his movements didn’t defy the natural order.
Okuah staggered backward.
For the first time, a flicker of dismay crossed his eyes.
Moyongchan spoke.
“Have you ever gazed blankly at the blue sky?”
Okuah didn’t answer.
“Have you ever shut your eyes because the crimson sunset was too vivid to bear?”
Before he realized it, Okuah was floating in mid-air.
His eyes were bloodshot. But an unseen force held him in place like a target.
Moyongchan closed his eyes.
An image formed in the darkness.
A serene scene unfolded, overlooking the peak of Cheongseong Mountain.
The Azure Sky Crimson Mist Sword Technique, once the pinnacle of martial prowess.
Its true form was being revealed.
The Azure Sky Crimson Mist Sword Technique.
Empty Mountain Bright Moon.
Okuah flailed desperately, but Moyongchan’s sword did not waver.
The bluish light emanating from the tip of his sword illuminated Okuah’s entire body.
[What are you doing?]
Okuah’s body contorted.
His muscles contracted, and his massive frame withered.
Okuah tried to summon his dark energy, but the light emanating from Moyongchan’s sword scattered it like dust.
The blue sword energy slashed through Okuah.
Okuah couldn’t put up any resistance. Like a withered tree battered by rain, he was torn apart by Moyongchan’s sword.
No blood flowed. Only his flesh was split open.
The attack ended
The formless demonic energy that had enveloped Okuah vanished.
Blood erupted from his body all at once, and his massive frame collapsed to the ground.
Okuah, his body practically dismembered, crawled on the ground.
Moyongchan took a deep breath.
Even for him, the Azure Sky Crimson Mist Sword Technique was a demanding advanced martial art.
But it was incredibly effective against those like Okuah, who had accumulated impure strength by indulging in demonic energy.
Without letting his guard down, Moyongchan approached Okuah.
He had eradicated countless wicked beings while wandering the world. He was well aware of their deceitful tendencies—feigning death, only to spring up and strike a fatal blow from behind.
“Vermin.”
Moyongchan drove his sword into Okuah’s head.
The blade pierced his skull without resistance.
Blood flowed down.
Moyongchan, leaving his sword embedded in Okuah’s head, walked past his corpse.
He stopped in front of the pit.
Up close, it looked even larger.
It was filled with naked human corpses. Brands marred their foreheads like cattle. Every corpse was naked, eyes wide with the terror of their final moments.
They were human sacrifices.
Their souls would have been bound to Okuah even in death
A wave of nausea swept over Moyongchan.
“We’ll need a purification ritual.”
Moyongchan muttered as he turned away.
And froze.
Despite having pierced his skull, he was still standing.
[Your little performance was amusing.]
The being he thought was dead was standing there.
Okuah pulled the sword out of his head.
A hollow cavity was exposed.
Even as blood and brain matter seeped out, Okuah grinned.
“That pit, isn’t it quite small?”
Okuah approached Moyongchan.
[But you don’t know how deep it is, do you?]
His soft voice drifted right into Moyongchan’s ears.
[Deep. So very deep.]
Okuah handed Moyongchan the sword he had pulled from his head.
“For a long time, I’ve been filling it, filling it.”
Having piled up many corpses meant he had offered that many sacrifices. Okuah was flaunting his power.
[So ravenous they were, tearing each other apart inside. Like vermin.]
Moyongchan activated the Azure Sky Crimson Mist Sword Technique once more.
Okuah’s body was torn to shreds.
But his mouth remained, moving.
[You are insignificant.]
Moyongchan’s sword pierced Okuah’s mouth.
Even with the blade skewering him, Okuah muttered softly.
[Insignificant.]
The sword spun.
Okuah’s head was torn apart, leaving no mouth to speak further.
Moyongchan panted as he obliterated the corpse completely..
The physical body was gone.
Yet, a sinister premonition continued to send chills down his spine.
[Insignificant.]
The voice came from behind.
Moyongchan turned around.
The voice was rising from within the pit.
Jaw clenched, sword vibrating faintly, Moyongchan approached the pit.
The corpses, crammed together in the pit, were speaking in unison.
[Insignificant.]
Moyongchan stumbled backward and fell on his backside.
[Insignificant!]
A dark mass was rising from the pit. Human corpses had merged into one form.
Moyongchan stared blankly upward.
Okuah’s words were true.
The pit was deep.
The body continued to climb out of the endless pit, revealing its massive form.
Moyongchan muttered softly.
[Oh, Primordial Celestial Lord…]
* * *
Yuri suddenly turned around.
Moyongchan was slicing through Okuah without mercy. Okuah was unable to resist, his body being hacked apart.
A smile crept across Yuri’s lips.
“That’s my master.”
In his past life, Moyongchan had been defeated by Okuah.
But the current Okuah hadn’t yet grown strong enough to reach the Ten Strongest. Moreover, Moyongchan had even allied with the Allied Forces.
He wasn’t an unbeatable opponent.
“Wow.”
Yuri marveled as he watched Moyongchan drive his sword into Okuah’s head, delivering the final blow.
“Laurent.”
“Yes!”
He called out to Laurent, who was focused on fighting the Orkbal.
“Look at that.”
“I’m in a bit of a situation right now…”
“It’s a big deal. You’ll regret it if you don’t see this.”
“Yes, understood.”
Laurent quickly finished off the Orkbal and turned his head as Yuri instructed.
And at that moment, something dark soared from the pit.
“Uh….”
Yuri’s jaw dropped.
The Heart and Soul Slash, which resided in his core, sounded an alarm.
“As you said, Your Highness, this is really bad…”
“It seems so…”
An evil aura rampaged wildly. Such a dense aura, even Okuah hadn’t emitted anything like it.
Yuri instinctively took a step back.
The Allied Forces, and even the orcs, were terrified and retreating.
What should he do?
Yuri didn’t know.
Suddenly, Yuri felt an intense sense of déjà vu.
He had felt this same emotion when the Empire’s black army marched towards Briol. He hadn’t known what to do in the face of such a formidable enemy.
He clenched his fist tightly.
He squeezed so tightly that his gauntlet ripped.
“Your Highness, what should we do now…?”
Laurent’s panicked voice reached him.
Yuri silenced him by placing a hand over his mouth.
“Your Highness?”
“We do what we can.”
With his resolve firmed, a decision was made.
Even those with sharp minds couldn’t think straight in the face of a crisis. But Yuri had a natural talent for this.
“Jared!”
He called his trusted allies.
Yuri turned to Laurent and Jared.
“Find the shaman and kill it.”
Their eyes widened. They understood what Yuri meant.
“Understood.”
Yuri looked at Moyongchan again.
He was facing a massive lump of corpses.
His back seemed incredibly large.
Praying that Moyongchan would hold out a little longer, Yuri immediately started moving.
“Where are you going?”
He suddenly encountered the Empire’s Third Knight Commander.
Yuri said,
“See that? Doesn’t seem like it’s time to be swinging swords, does it? I’m going to find and kill the shaman. There aren’t many left. I can feel it.”
The commander nodded, understanding immediately.
“Then we’ll…”
Suddenly, a massive explosion rang out.
Both of them turned to look.
Moyongchan was flying through the air and crashing into the ground. In front of him, a pile of corpses had formed into a shape resembling Okuah, and they were moving.
“Can you just help me with that?”
Yuri boldly asked.
He was stronger than him.
The Third Knight Commander stared at the monster with hardened eyes, then nodded.
“Yes. I trust you, Your Highness.”
“Good. Trust me.”
Yuri spoke in a tone without a hint of jest.
He had asked them to go into danger, so he had to bear that responsibility.
“I’ll do it.”
The Third Knight Commander called out the names of some of the knights.
Strong knights like Graham and Jose were mentioned. They were among the few who could help in the battle against the pile of corpses resembling Okuah.
A group of knights set out to fight the monster.
“Good luck.”
Yuri grabbed a soldier who was standing there blankly.
“W-w-Your Highness, what is going on…?”
The soldier couldn’t grasp the situation. Not only were they fighting orcs, but now a mysterious monster had appeared.
Yuri slapped him on the cheek.
“Get a hold of yourself.”
“Y-yes…”
“I have a mission for you.”
“What mission?”
“Run to the rear and find the mage Hernando. Ask him to launch a fireball. He’ll understand if you say I sent you.”
“A fireball?”
“Yes, a fireball. Can you do that?”
“Y-yes…”
“My life depends on you.”
“W-what? Your Highness’s life?”
“Yes.”
The soldier was still confused.
Yuri grabbed the soldier’s face with both hands and brought their eyes closer. The soldier’s eyes, which had been shaking anxiously, gradually focused on Yuri.
“Was your name Pides?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. How did you know my name…”
“Pides.”
Yuri smiled lightly and gave his cheek a gentle slap.
“I’m counting on you.”
Pides opened his mouth, staring blankly at Yuri for a moment, before nodding with a determined expression.
“Yes, Sir.”