The Double Agent of the Heavenly Demon Sect

“Who was it?”

“It’s alright, Brother Thirty. I…”

“Who did this?”

He panted, lifting the corners of his mouth into a faint smile.

“Do you remember when we first met, Brother Thirty? I had this thought. Even though I couldn’t clearly see past your hood, I felt like you were someone I could talk to.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Brother Thirty, I was always a bit of an oddball in the cult. I didn’t have much skill, but I meddled in everything. I managed to get into the Martial Arts Academy, but my grades were mediocre.”

Seong Jamyeong coughed up blood, the sound gurgling as it mingled with a blood-filled rasp.

“If one can’t master the sword, then a martial artist must eventually let it go. Maybe become a merchant or a farmer, haha… Or work as a hired hand. Sure, I’d earn money, but feeding three with just my strength would be impossible, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

“And so, going back and forth, I finally chose this path. I barely qualified, but I began learning the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art. The depth of my knowledge is shallow, so it’s embarrassing to even say I learned it. Still, I met the minimum requirements, ended up in Devil’s Valley, and now, here I am in front of you.”

Seong Jamyeong closed his eyes.

“Brother Thirty, can you hear the wind? My home was high up in a barren place. Winters were cold there. Do you know how the cold can cut down to the bone, Brother Thirty?”

“… I know.”

“Good. You never shared anything about yourself, so I worried. I wondered if you were from a rich family, and that maybe you wouldn’t understand what I’m saying. But I’m glad. If fate exists, perhaps this is it.”

His voice grew faint.

“Brother Thirty, are you there?”

“I’m here.”

“Brother Thirty, as I said before, you’re a rare type in the cult. Maybe that’s why I forced myself to talk to you. Do you know how long I searched for you after catching my first snake? Haha. It wasn’t affection, of course. Nothing like that. I just wanted to repay the kindness. While others drew their swords as soon as I approached, you didn’t. That made me so happy. To have someone here, in this hell, to whom I could open my heart, even while chewing on poisoned meat… Isn’t that a blessing?”

“…”

“Brother Thirty.”

“Yes.”

“Brother Thirty… Are you there?”

“I’m here.”

I took his hand. Its trembling gradually stilled.

“Brother Thirty, Devil’s Valley is such a cold place. But there’s no sound of the wind. A pity, really. It would be nice if at least my spirit could return home… But it seems even that won’t escape.”

I took off my outer garment and draped it over him.

“… Pfft. Brother Thirty, there’s no need to take this too seriously.”

“Who did this?”

“What does it matter, Brother Thirty? I came here expecting death. Whether it’s a year later or now, it makes no difference. But… But…”

He gripped my hand tightly.

“I was so glad someone like you was here. Do you know how rare it is in the cult to find someone who returns kindness for kindness?”

“… I don’t know.”

“Then remember this from now on, Brother Thirty. People are treacherous. Don’t let them deceive you. Brother Thirty… Brother Thirty, you…”

He pulled me close, whispering in my ear.

“Survive… For both of us.”

I opened my mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. I closed it once more, my lips trembling slightly. 

Not wanting him to hear the quiver in my voice, I cleared my throat lightly.

“… Jamyeong.”

“…Yes… Brother Thirty…”

“My name is Jeokwoon.”

“…Ha…ha… it’s a fine… name…”

I whispered to him.

“I had a younger sister. She starved to death. But I wasn’t all that sad.”

“… I see…”

“Your parents would have reacted the same way, Jamyeong. To me, family was like a shackle. As long as I was burdened with it, I could barely breathe.”

“I… am… no different…”

“Jamyeong, I respect you. I admire the courage it took for you to walk in here, carrying such a heavy shackle on your shoulders without letting it show. What other warrior could do that?”

I felt his breath growing weaker.

“I don’t regret sharing my story with you on the first day. You were someone worthy of it.”

“…”

“Jamyeong, you can rest now. It’s okay. You don’t need to tell me anything, nor whisper any final words.”

His hand slipped from my grasp, falling lifelessly.

His last breath would not come again.

I gently laid him down. The ground was cold, so I spread my outer garment over him for warmth.

“We’re too deep here to hear the sound of the wind, Jamyeong. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring it to you. But…”

I placed the sword from my waist over him.

“I’ll bring back something else to remember you by.”

I turned and walked into the darkness.

———-

Roll call came. A lantern passed by, its light fleeting.

“Twenty-nine. Thirty. Confirmed alive.”

As always, Twenty-nine stood up. She was about to rush into the woods immediately after the roll call, but I stepped in her path. 

I stood firm under her gaze from beneath her black hood.

“Twenty-nine.”

“What?”

“I have a request.”

I bowed my head.

“Do you know who killed Seventeen?”

“…”

She looked me up and down, like I was some strange creature.

“Thirty, people die. Inside Devil’s Valley, they die even more easily. Here, death isn’t unusual. Fights over something as small as a snake often end with people stabbing each other.”

“…”

“Whoever Seventeen was, if he’s dead, then forget it. It’s just a connection from within Devil’s Valley. Worrying about it is stranger than not caring.”

“He was a friend.”

“…”

“Just because he died doesn’t change that fact.”

I bowed again. I would bow as many times as needed, for his sake.

“If you tell me who, I’ll repay you in any way I can.”

“It’s not worth it.”

“I’ll decide what it’s worth.”

“No one else will care.”

“But I care.”

She stared at me for a moment.

“… You’re stubborn.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“Even if you know, it won’t help. He’s not someone you can kill.”

“Then you know who it is.”

“Two. Most likely. He enjoys hunting people. I saw him yesterday, with blood still on him. Thirty, there’s something you don’t know about Devil’s Valley.”

She nodded her head slightly.

“The creatures here all contain a faint demonic energy. If you eat them raw, it becomes blood and flesh within you. But if you cook it, it loses its power. You can only absorb it by eating it fresh.”

“…”

“But it’s not only true for animals. Those who practice the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art can also do it among themselves. The condition, of course, is the same—you have to eat it raw.”

… Come to think of it, parts were missing.

Some of his intestines had spilled out, and one of his arms was gone, but it couldn’t be found around the body.

“There’s a limit to what you can absorb at once. At best, you can get as much energy as from one beast in the inner part of the valley.”

One beast.

The weight of a life.

“… Just that?”

“When you begin practicing the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art, sooner or later, you encounter the demonic nature within yourself. Eventually, we all become blood-soaked killers, and the only way to control it is to reach a higher level. We all become numb to killing. You know this—you’re capable of killing anyone without feeling a thing.”

“…”

“Two simply found pleasure in that act. He succumbed to his demonic nature earlier than most and, as a result, began to enjoy killing. His twisted tendencies are well-known. Anyone who’s survived here long enough knows about it.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me tell you something.”

She crossed her arms and looked up at me.

“Second’s martial arts level is close to first-rate. He’s not one of the strongest in the Blood Demon Corps, but he’s not weak either. He’s beyond your level.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“… Tsk.”

She left. Before she fully disappeared, I called out to her.

“I’ll repay your kindness.”

“No need.”

Twenty-Nine disappeared into the darkness.

“If you challenge Two, you won’t live to repay me.”

———

Finding this person named TwoSecond wasn’t difficult. 

I remembered the number on his back. After roll call, when he started moving, I followed. 

I used the Ghostly Steps I had grown accustomed to. Even with my skills barely approaching the second-rate level, I did my best to hide my presence.

Second turned his head. I hid behind a tree.

Noticing something, he quickened his pace. I didn’t chase after him directly. Instead, I observed the footprints he left behind. 

The steady rhythm of his steps told me what I needed to know.

His skill was something I couldn’t imitate. She was right.

He was, at the very least, first-rate.

Could I beat him? 

Probably not. 

Just from his movement, I could tell. His stance was solid, meaning his physical strength must be as well. 

Unlike me, he might be able to use the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword. If he’s mastered techniques I haven’t learned yet, how should I approach him?

I pondered. I wanted him dead. 

At the very least, I wanted to drag his screaming body to where Jamyeong lay before the beasts got to him.

How much more effort would it take to defeat him?

As I worked harder, he would too. The moment I reached his level, he would likely reach the next.

The gap would remain, no matter how much time passed. I was no prodigy, after all, to think I could close it overnight.

… But.

The more I thought, the more it felt like I was just making excuses.

I was not here to make excuses.

I followed his tracks. I stopped thinking and simply followed my instincts.

I saw Two.

He turned his head, reacting to my killing intent, his hand moving to strike.

“Survive… In my place…”

Jamyeong.

You were right. I didn’t come here to die.

I want to be like the Heavenly Demon. I want to survive long enough to stand before her, eye to eye.

… But.

If all of that required looking away and running…

What meaning would it hold?

If I had to turn away from the path I fought so hard to face, what value would any of it have?

—Bang!!

I struck with my hand. The Demon’s Ghost Hand, which I had trained for months, carried through to my fingertips.

But he deflected it with a sneer, his stance steady as he questioned me.

“Who the hell are you?”

Cry out, Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.

‘If my opponent is strong, then let my voice rise even louder. Rip through, even if it leaves me broken.’

In the midst of suffering, endurance shines brightest. So what brings out the light in me now?

A friend’s kindness.

The silence of someone who, until his last breath, closed his lips to protect me.

“I am the friend of Seong Jamyeong.”

Why did I learn martial arts?

To avoid hiding any longer.

“I am Jeokwoon.”

To never hide again.

“You bastard.”