Myst, Might, Mayhem Chapter 498.7
Previously on Myst, Might, Mayhem...
Chapter 498.7 – Side Story 8 Part 2
Heavenly Demonic Sword (2)
“Kueuuuu.”
The entity that had been skewered by sword energy and blasted back hundreds of jang regenerated the cavity in its chest with startling speed.
Tatatata!
Having just stepped through the gate, the being was now submerged in pure chaos.
This was the King of Demons.
To be reduced to such a pathetic state by a mere human—a creature he considered less than a bug—and then forced to listen to such condescending words was infuriating beyond measure.
[“I told you not to take an interest in this place.”]
The moment that haughty tone reached his ears, a specific figure flashed through his mind.
However, the Demon King shook his head violently, refusing to accept the possibility.
‘It is impossible.’
That individual was a demon by the very roots of his soul.
But the person standing before him was undeniably human.
Eudeuk!
With his chest wound fully closed, the Demon King extended both hands.
Chachachachachacha!
Voids of black space tore open around him, and shards of black iron erupted from within, latching onto his frame.
The metal pieces rapidly assembled, encasing him in heavy armor.
He had realized from the previous exchange that this opponent was an enemy he could not afford to underestimate; thus, he summoned his protection.
‘I was caught off guard earlier, but that won't happen again…’
Wuung!
Suddenly, the air rippled directly beneath him as a fist lunged forward.
The blow connected squarely with the Demon King’s chin.
Kwang! Wudeudeudeuk!
Puk!
Sent spinning into the air by the impact, the Demon King struggled to maintain focus. As a blinding light flickered in his eyes, a massive black hand manifested in the sky, acting as a wall to halt his flight.
Wuung!
‘He is coming.’
Detecting the vibration in the atmosphere,
The Demon King swiftly tilted his head to the side.
In that heartbeat, a gaping hole was punched through the colossal black hand that had served as his support.
“Too slow.”
“What?”
Tteok!
“Keuhek!”
Despite his evasion, the handsome human—no, the Heavenly Demon who had materialized instantly before him—kicked upward, striking his jaw.
The assault did not stop there.
Maintaining momentum, the Heavenly Demon’s form fractured into dozens of illusions, each one flashing past the Demon King in succession.
Chwachwachwachwachwachwa!
It was the pinnacle of speed, resembling a swarm of doppelgangers.
Every time a shadow of the Heavenly Demon passed, the path of his sword left a lingering trail of light.
Each strike followed a trajectory that precisely targeted the gaps in the armor, carving deep gashes into the flesh beneath.
“Keuk! You bastard!”
Gritting his teeth against the pain, the Demon King attempted to strike back, but
As the Heavenly Demon retracted his formless sword and lunged forward, the Demon King’s head was severed from his shoulders.
Kwajik!
The brutal strike appeared to be the definitive end for the Demon King.
And yet, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.
The stump of the Demon King’s neck began to convulse, and then,
Pusuk!
A new head erupted forth, covered in a viscous fluid.
It was a level of regeneration that defied the imagination.
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue, observing the terrifying recovery that could restore a completely obliterated head.
‘Still the same as ever.’
Even among the demon clan, he had always possessed an abnormal ability to heal.
For one who had fully realized his demonic power, it was only natural that his regenerative traits had evolved to this extreme degree.
Conversely,
‘Damn it!’
The Demon King was shaken. His consciousness had been snuffed out for a split second when his head was destroyed. Without his unique vitality, he would have perished instantly. Such power was simply impossible for a human to possess.
Jjiritjjirit!
Suddenly, sharp needles of sword energy pierced through the seams of his armor, flooding his body and paralyzing him.
Furthermore, that sword energy was focused directly on the core situated in the center of his chest.
“You’ll regret it if you move.”
Glaring at the Heavenly Demon who gave the warning, the Demon King spoke.
“…Who exactly are you?”
He was the sovereign of demons.
A normal human could never have cornered him like this.
The Heavenly Demon replied in a voice that was low and filled with majesty.
“I am the brilliant flame that guides everything into darkness.”
Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung!
Upon hearing those words, the Demon King’s core began to throb frantically.
A suspicion he had harbored began to solidify…
“Impossible!”
[“What are you trying to do?”]
[“In the end, only that insect-like human woman matters to you.”]
[“She’s not everything, but it’s not like you think…”]
[“Enough. I understand well how you think of our clan. If you like that place so much, then rot there for the rest of your life.”]
[“Taura!”]
[“Oh, I forgot. Come to think of it, how did they know about your woman?”]
[“You… don’t tell me…”]
[“Huhuhu. They will come looking for you. Try to survive while running away desperately. If you can survive in that state, that is.”]
He had personally cast him into the gate.
He believed that even if the man survived, his core would be shattered, leaving him as a pathetic wretch clinging to life.
But what was this transformation?
“Why… why are you alive in such a form?”
The Heavenly Demon crossed his arms, answering nonchalantly.
“In a way, I’m grateful. Taura.”
It was an admission.
Had he truly turned into a human?
Taura, the reigning Demon King, shook with visible shock at the revelation.
“How on earth?”
“I simply chose.”
“Chose? Becoming such a worthless mortal is…”
“Why do you think these worthless mortals resemble our clan so closely? Have you never wondered about that?”
“What?”
Demon King Taura found himself speechless at the question.
He had entertained similar thoughts during his first arrival in the human realm.
Unlike other realms, the inhabitants here bore a striking resemblance to his own kind.
Though their internal biology differed, the external similarity was uncanny.
“It’s only natural. Because the roots of our clan originated from this place.”
“What do you mean?”
“Long ago, when the human realm faced total annihilation, our ancestors opened a gate and migrated to the demon realm.”
Taura was thrown into confusion by this unknown history.
Born in the demon realm as a member of the fourth generation, he knew that the man before him was practically a first-generation ancestor.
He was the living history of their race.
“Gravity several times stronger than here. Thin air, and a landscape filled with lethal predators—to survive, our clan underwent constant evolution.”
All living things change to suit their surroundings.
They had physically transformed to endure the brutal conditions of the demon realm.
“Huh? Are you saying we originated from such inferior humans?”
“Inferior? They have simply evolved to the optimal state for this place.”
At the Heavenly Demon’s words, Taura sneered in disbelief.
“So you’re saying you’ve evolved to fit this environment?”
The Heavenly Demon did not offer a denial.
Taura’s face flushed as he raised his voice in anger.
“Stop talking nonsense! You call that evolution? What you’ve done is regression. Becoming a lowly mortal who can’t even live a hundred years is evolution? Ha!”
Murderous intent flared in Taura’s eyes, fueled by boiling rage.
Though he had betrayed this man out of ambition and spite, the being before him was once the monarch he had respected all his life.
To see such a king become a pathetic human was unbearable.
Disappointment and fury were all that remained.
“Not only did you fall for a worthless human, but you even threw away the pride of our clan. A hopeless case like you deserves to die!”
Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk!
Ignoring the sword energy shredding his insides, Taura forced himself to move.
Even as his flesh was torn, he displayed a terrifying level of willpower.
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes narrowed.
“Your obsession outweighs your duty as a king.”
“I don’t want to hear such words from the likes of you!”
Chachachachachacha!
The armor on Taura’s body detached and reshaped itself into a variety of weapons.
Swords, whips, wheels, and staves—all infused with massive demonic power—swarmed toward the Heavenly Demon simultaneously.
“Die-“
Papapapapapat!
“A foolish act.”
The Heavenly Demon gripped his formless sword and thrust it out.
Even if these were divine artifacts powered by the Demon King, they could not prevail when the master himself was outmatched.
The strike from the formless sword, focusing all its power into a single point, slammed into the oncoming weapons.
Kwachachachachang!
With a deafening explosion, blue light radiated outward, scattering the weapons in every direction.
By chance, the Heavenly Demon reached out and snatched one of the flying weapons.
Ttak!
It was a blade forged from black iron.
The sword, saturated with Taura’s power, vibrated violently as it tried to wrench itself free from the Heavenly Demon’s grip.
Sssssss!
‘Have you forgotten me?’
The Heavenly Demon unleashed both demonic flames and demonic energy, purging Taura’s influence from the blade that had previously obeyed only the Demon King’s authority.
As the foreign power was expelled, a marvelous change occurred.
The black sword, which had just been resisting him, began to hum in resonance, emitting a brilliant sword light.
“Do you recognize me now?”
The sword vibrated with joy, clinging to his palm.
Smiling faintly as he looked at the weapon, the Heavenly Demon recalled a certain individual.
It was the person he had seen in a vision of the future—his supposed descendant.
That child had been wielding this very sword.
“I’ll have to take you with me. You might be of help to that kid someday.”
“Kuaaaa! That belongs to me, the king!”
Taura roared in fury, having lost the most powerful of the clan’s treasures.
In response, the Heavenly Demon simply pointed toward the sky.
“You should return to where you came from.”
“What?”
Looking up, Taura saw a gate hanging open.
He realized then that the artifact he had used to open the portal was gone.
“Larisha!”
Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk!
Enduring the agony of the sword energy cutting him apart, Taura crossed his arms, attempting to trigger a new awakening through a transformation.
The Heavenly Demon watched him and shook his head.
“Foolish to the very end.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon raised his formless sword.
The sword energy already embedded in the Demon King’s body went wild, shredding Taura’s physical form from the inside out.
Chwachwachwachwachwachwa!
“Kuaaaaaaak!”
Taura’s body was annihilated, leaving only his head and the section of his chest containing the core.
Grabbing him by the head, the Heavenly Demon whispered in a cold, menacing tone.
“I’m sparing you only for the sake of the clan. But this is the last warning. Do not appear before me again.”