Descent of the Demon Master

Lee Seong-Hwi thought he had become a monster, an abominable demon.

A piece of irredeemable trash. That was what he saw himself as. It'd be a lie if he said he had never felt guilty about his actions. It was just that his hatred toward Kang Jin-Ho trumped all those feelings.

That was his motivation for coming this far. Even so…

Kim Seok-Il was in another realm of twisted compared to Lee Seong-Hwi!

This bastard was a different type of devil in comparison to Kang Jin-Ho. A true devil who didn't bat an eyelid while dragging thousands of people into the mouth of Hell if that meant he'd achieve his goal!

That was Kim Seok-Il.

Lee Seong-Hwi already knew this. Kim Seok-Il had always been a bastard, after all. It'd be impossible to count all the inhumane atrocities he had committed during his time as the boss of the Yeongnam Group.

Most martial artists weren't aware of these atrocities. Some of these acts were so heinous that even the higher-ups of the Martial Assembly were forced to hide how evil their enemy was from the… "general" populace.

However, not Lee Seong-Hwi. He knew all about those things since he was Lee Jung-Geol's disciple.

Lee Jung-Geol back then didn't even trust the elders he had surrounded himself with and often revealed secrets of the martial world to his granddaughter and Lee Seong-Hwi as a way to destress.

However, Lee Seong-Hwi had forgotten about those atrocities. Why? Simple. Kim Seok-Il's arms and legs had already fallen off due to necrosis.

No matter how evil and villainous Kim Seok-Il was, he wouldn't be able to do much in his current wretched state.

That was what Lee Seong-Hwi thought, but right now… He gained a new epiphany. One's evil nature didn't stem from one's physical body. No, it came from one's mind!

Even if Kim Seok-Il's body crumbled to nothing and left only his head behind, he would still retain his evil, vile nature! As a matter of fact, that abominable nature would only get sharper and deadlier.

...Like right now!

Lee Seong-Hwi grimly looked on. "...Was this your intention all along, Kim Seok-Il?"

"You know how Kang Jin-Ho operates, don't you?" Kim Seok-Il muttered while casually exhaling the cigarette smoke. He then leisurely sucked the unhealthy smoke back into his lungs.

The tip of the cigarette glowed brightly. Its color reminded Lee Seong-Hwi of blood.

"Ordinary methods can't kill that bastard. You already know that, Lee Seong-Hwi," Kim Seok-Il cackled menacingly. "Especially those useless Japanese bastards! They won't even lay a hand on Kang Jin-Ho. Idiots with inflated egos about how superior they are… think they can kill someone like Kang Jin-Ho? If that bastard had been so easy to kill, why would we be jumping through all these goddamn hoops until now?"

"…"

"Useless, useless…! Yes, they are all useless. A bunch of useless trash! Hey, Lee Seong-Hwi? Did you see him? Did you see that idiot's face?! I'm talking about Nakata Yuji, the idiot who thinks he's smarter than everyone else! Ku-hahahahahaha!"

Kim Seok-Il threw his head back and guffawed madly.

"Hahahaha! Yes, he's useless trash, too! A f*cking pile of trash! Do you know who is the easiest to manipulate in this world? It's trash like Nakata Yuji! You only need to suck up to them a bit, and they will cause a scene all on their own, you see?"

The cigarette went flying out of Kim Seok-Il's mouth. Spittle soon followed as his ranting continued.

Lee Seong-Hwi grew even more convinced as he watched veins bulge in Kim Seok-Il's face and throat during this passionate monologue. This cripple was… completely nuts!

He must've lost his mind a long time ago!

"But! But! A bunch of useless trash thought they could actually kill Kang Jin-Ho? Really? Seriously?! When even I couldn't lay a hand on that bastard?! Those f*ckers thought they stood a chance! Ku-hahahahaha! That must be the funniest sh*t I've heard in my entire life! Did you know my face went almost completely red while I tried to hold in my laughter back then? Hah… Not having any limbs can be a blessing, you know? That way, I couldn't have rolled around on the floor, laughing my ass off while flailing about! Ku-hahahahaha!"

Lee Seong-Hwi reflexively took a step back. He was getting overwhelmed by Kim Seok-Il's madness. He gritted his teeth and stopped himself from backing off again.

Killing Kim Seok-Il would be easy for Lee Seong-Hwi. If that was what he wanted, of course. Just a little finger flick should be enough to puncture a fatal hole in Kim Seok-Il's throat.

Despite knowing this, Lee Seong-Hwi was still completely overwhelmed by Kim Seok-Il and had to cower.

However, considering the intensity of Kim Seok-Il's madness…! Who would be able to stand their ground against that onslaught of madness and evil? Even Lee Seong-Hwi, a demonic arts practitioner, felt himself going mad simply by being near Kim Seok-Il!

"Fuu-woo…!" Kim Seok-Il sucked in a deep breath. "Looks like I got a little too excited just now."

"…"

"But, so what if I did? It doesn't matter, right? When I'm about to die soon? Why should I care about whether I got too excited or whatever?"

Kim Seok-Il stopped smiling and became stone-faced. He peered closely at Lee Seong-Hwi.

"Hmm. It's probably a good thing that you're here. Dying alone can get a little… lonely, you see? I figured it'd be nice to have someone nearby as I die. Although it's unfortunate that that someone has to be you… No, hold that thought. Maybe this is for the best? You are probably the only idiot in this stinking world who understands me the best, after all!"

Lee Seong-Hwi grimaced deeply. "That has to be the worst evaluation I've received in my life. Now I feel like crap."

"Is that right? Kekekeke!" Kim Seok-Il cackled quietly. "Even trash has its uses, no matter how trashy it is. And the role these pieces of trash will unwittingly play is the detonator. No, wait. Maybe calling them fuses might be more appropriate."

"…"

"If these idiots got wiped out after touching down on Korean soil, at least the Iemoto would have had some kind of an excuse to fall back on. However, if all these fools become fish food even before reaching Korea… Everyone will hold the Shinichi-kai responsible.

"When that happens, the Iemoto will have no choice but to strike South Korea with everything he has. Because, that would be his only way to preserve his position within the Japanese martial society! So, to make that happen…"

Kim Seok-Il casually shrugged. His gesture seemed natural, yet it still sent an indescribable chill down Lee Seong-Hwi's spine. Even though nothing about that shoulder shrug seemed notable or strange!

"...I must ensure everyone here dies tonight."

Lee Seong-Hwi secretly clenched his fists. "...Everyone? On this ship?"

"Lee Seong-Hwi… You know Kang Jin-Ho well, don't you?"

Lee Seong-Hwi didn't immediately respond. Did he really? Did he know about Kang Jin-Ho as much as Kim Seok-Il was saying? He couldn't answer that question.

He used to think that was the case. But now? His confidence in that regard had been shot. All he did was nothing more than memorizing what Kang Jin-Ho had been doing and where that bastard had been to.

'However, how can I be sure of anything now?'

Lee Seong-Hwi learned something valuable through Kim Seok-Il just now, didn't he?

He also knew all about Kim Seok-Il's actions and itineraries. Even then, he never expected this damn bastard to go ahead and pull a stunt as crazy as this.

It didn't matter how deeply you thought you knew someone. At the end of the day, humans were unpredictable creatures. This event taught Lee Seong-Hwi that painful but invaluable lesson.

Kim Seok-Il continued with his rant. "Kang Jin-Ho is a cruel and persistent bastard. On the other hand, though? He can be very charitable and nice, too. So, anyone he sees as his enemy? He will be utterly ruthless. Merciless. Heartless! However…"

Kim Seok-Il casually pointed at the ship's wall. However, what he was actually pointing at wasn't the wall but the ocean beyond the ship's hull.

"Are those trash swimming in the water Kang Jin-Ho's enemies?"

"…"

"Nope. Of course not. Kang Jin-Ho doesn't recognize those small fries as his enemies. His tendencies mean he always, always! Targets the higher-ups. Why? Because he knows. He knows that cutting off the head will render the body useless! So, here's a question for you. After eliminating all the heads, what will Kang Jin-Ho do next?"

Lee Seong-Hwi could answer that one, at least. After all, once the range of possibilities had sufficiently narrowed down, predicting someone's actions would become that much easier.

"He… will simply head back home."

"Bingo!" Kim Seok-Il animatedly waved what remained of his arms. It was as if he was trying to clap his hands.

What a bizarre and chilling sight this was to Lee Hyeon-Su.

"Yes! Kang Jin-Ho will go home. That bastard will leisurely stroll away! What happens next will become obvious in that case. Those who had jumped into the ocean will return to this ship, then turn it around to head back to Japan. Why, you ask?

"So they can report what happened to their bosses! They will say, Kang Jin-Ho did this and that and slaughtered all the higher-ups! That's why they came home! Then… Then, what do you think will happen next?"

"…"

"A failed war will not commence again, Lee Seong-Hwi. The Japanese will start dragging their feet under the pretext of reorganizing their forces and finding a better, more foolproof plan and some other nonsense! When that happens, it'd be all over. Because Kang Jin-Ho will keep getting stronger while the Japs waste their f*cking time!

"Eventually, not even the full might of the Japanese martial society will be strong enough to kill Kang Jin-Ho. And that's their final chance, gone!"

"Is that so? But the Crimson King's faction surely won't sit still?"

"The Crimson King's faction? Those losers? Hah! They couldn't even touch Kang Jin-Ho out of fear of the Azure King's faction! You think such losers will gather enough forces to conquer Japan? Listen here, Lee Seong-Hwi. You're supposed to use your head to think about stuff, okay? Although, I guess you use your head to do other things…"

Lee Seong-Hwi briefly gritted his teeth. However, he couldn't deny that Kim Seok-Il was right about most things.

"The end of this expedition will be the end of everything else! So, what I'm about to do now is saving the whole of East Asia, okay? What do you think will happen after this battle? There will come a day when neither the Chinese nor the Japanese can handle Kang Jin-Ho.

"When that happens, Kang Jin-Ho will conquer this whole region. And no one wants to see that future."

Kim Seok-Il bared his fangs in a ferocious smirk.

"Don't you think a thousand or so lives are a cheap price to pay to prevent that eventuality?"

"With this, I know one thing for certain now," Lee Seong-Hwi bitterly chewed his words out. "You are insane!"

"Hah! Hahahaha! Hahaha! You are saying that obvious thing only now? You think I could've lasted this long without losing my damn mind?! Hah! You seriously thought you could fight Kang Jin-Ho with your mind still intact?! Listen, Lee Seong-Hwi! Lee! Seong! Hwi! Lee Seong-Hwwwwwi!"

Kim Seok-Il shouted so viciously that his body violently trembled. However, he soon sagged on the floor, completely drained.

To reach this deepest, lowest part of the cruise ship, Kim Seok-Il had to discard his wheelchair and crawl.

That level of obsession and dedication sent yet another round of chills down Lee Seong-Hwi's spine.

Kim Seok-Il weakly muttered, "...You can't achieve anything with that mindset, Lee Seong-Hwi."

"…"

"To kill a devil, you must also become one. You also need to realize the truth, Lee Seong-Hwi. Kang Jin-Ho is not a human being. You must not get fooled by his outer appearance. Don't you understand that?"

Kim Seok-Il's voice sounded like it'd break down into a sob any time now.

"A human is a human because we die. The fear of death completes us. Completes the meaning of being a human! Humans struggle to not die every day, but we still know all about our impending demise. That is what it means to be a human being, Lee Seong-Hwi. However…!"

Kim Seok-Il was clearly losing more and more of his sanity. Dozens of emotions flitted in and out of his expression in less than a single breath.

From terror to rage, even ecstasy and perhaps some traces of disgust… Kim Seok-Il's expression continued to shift without a rest. And the only way to describe that was to say he had completely lost his mind.

Kim Seok-Il painfully spat out more of his rants. "Did you know? Kang Jin-Ho, that bastard… He doesn't fear death."

"…"

"Look back to what happened so far. That bastard always drove himself to the brink of death. His battle with the Crimson King convinced me of this. Anyone with all the screws in the right places inside their head would have never done what Kang Jin-Ho did!

"Don't say he did all that to protect his surroundings. That is bullsh*t. If he really was thinking about protecting his surroundings, the right thing to do in that situation would've been to escape from that place. Why risk his neck for all those useless demon cult bastards? No, he simply doesn't fear death. That is…"

Kim Seok-Il suddenly broke into a fit of wheezing and coughing. After the coughing finally subsided, he spat out phlegm-filled saliva on the floor. His complexion was pale and sickly.

He was dying.

Lee Seong-Hwi instinctively realized this. Kim Seok-Il's life force was steadily and quickly running out. Which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering how broken his body was. The physical damage didn't end with his limbs falling off. Kang Jin-Ho also made sure to wreck Kim Seok-Il's innards, too.

So, for Kim Seok-Il to be still alive… That had to be some kind of a twisted miracle at work.

Since Kim Seok-Il believed he had achieved his final goal, his body giving up seemed only natural. The final thread keeping him alive had been severed, after all!

"...If you want to kill that bastard, you must be prepared to do anything. Absolutely everything! Remember this, Lee Seong-Hwi. I don't know what you will choose to do in the future. However! You must survive and witness everything that's about to happen. You must be there to witness how… How all the arrangements I've made destroy Kang Jin-Ho! You must!"

Lee Seong-Hwi bit his lip in silence.

Completely insane! Kim Seok-Il was genuinely, indescribably, totally insane. Even then…

Even then, at least in this very moment, Lee Seong-Hwi couldn't bring himself to insult Kim Seok-Il. That was because the horrifyingly intense hatred that led Kim Seok-Il to throw his life away… was also burning intensely inside Lee Seong-Hwi's soul!

Although Lee Seong-Hwi couldn't say this was the right way of doing things, no one could deny or denigrate Kim Seok-Il for his unwavering resolve.

"Now, leave," said Kim Seok-Il.

"…"

"I'm not going to stop you if you wish to die together. However! I don't want to head to the netherworld while holding your hand. That will be too bloody disgusting."

"I won't do that even if you ask me nicely," Lee Seong-Hwi grimaced, then turned around to leave. He unhesitantly walked away from the cold, dim room… Only for his steps to suddenly come to a stop. And then, he faltered. He hesitated.

However, that didn't last for long. Lee Seong-Hwi resumed his walk, his expression stoic. He had nothing to say to Kim Seok-Il at this point.

All he had to do now was watch. Witness what Kim Seok-Il had prepared.

...To become the witness to what Kim Seok-Il's hatred had achieved!