#11. Showdown ( 8 )
Soya recalled the events of the distant past.
It was when he was young, before he became the successor of the Hyeongwimun and went hunting for demons. When the village was being burned by the demons, she was hiding in the furnace with her brother. The structure of the kitchen in Soya’s house was different from other houses. So, even though the demons searched the house several times, the demons passed by without finding the two children hiding under the fireplace.
It was my brother’s wit. With the time his parents had earned with their lives, he had found a great hiding place with Soya. Soya was too young then. I didn’t understand the situation properly. Clinging to her brother’s back, she whined softly.
“Brother, I am afraid… ”
“Shh. Don’t waste it like a child.”
“What!”
And, I heard. A high-ranking demon tribe, whose nerves were sensitive enough to hear even that small voice, was patrolling the house. The sound of violent footsteps approached. If they stayed like this, it would be obvious that both would be caught and burned. My brother made a decision. He pushed Soya back and walked out of the furnace with his own feet. Soya lay face down amidst the burnt pyre and the soot, watching the scene. The ponytailed demon with horns on its head was smiling at her brother, baring his teeth.
“Hahaha, this rat was hiding. It looks a little odd. So, why did you suddenly crawl out on your own feet?”
“I want to say thank you.”
“ok?”
At her brother’s words, the demon made a strange expression. My brother kicked a stone and said curtly. It was great guts.
“I was going to kill all the scumbags in this town someday. I died well.”
“What is it, did you have a grudge?”
“no. I just thought it would be fun. I was annoyed by the smell.”
It was obviously smoke. He deliberately picked out the words that the demons would like the most. However, it was very natural for a child’s acting. As if he liked it, the demon showed his teeth and laughed.
“Is this a funny madman?”
Then, he took out a sword and threw it at his brother. It was a sword with sharp protrusions like saw blades on the blade. It was only later that I found out what it was, but it was a skin cut.
“Hey, I liked it. If you pass one test, I will make you my servant.”
“What kind of test is it?”
“Poke it through the heart and try to harm yourself. I’ll replace your heart and make you a demon.”
“If you fail.”
“It’s going to die, what.”
Rather than really trying to make it a servant, it was more like entertainment playing with children. Soya’s brother hesitantly picked up the sword with all his might and hesitated. After a few minutes of hesitation and no action, boredom began to grow in the demon’s eyes. Okay, should I just kill it? It seemed like those words would come out at any moment. Soya’s brother, who was in a hurry, finally made up his mind and took a few steps. To a place out of Soya’s sight. Perhaps, he seemed worried that his immature younger brother would scream after seeing himself stabbing a knife into his own heart.
“Hahaha, this is a masterpiece. Did you really do this kid? hey. Wake up.”
So, the story that followed, I only remembered what I heard indirectly. The sound of blades tearing flesh, the sound of blood spurting out, and the crazy laughter of demons echoed. And, after the demon turns her brother into a demon, they walk outside together…
The memory of this day led Soya to the Hyeongwimun. In a completely burnt-out village, a belated teacher came. Soya accepted the teacher’s invitation to become a disciple. In order to find her brother who became a demon because of her mistake.
It must be alive somewhere. With that thought in mind, Soya had been wandering around in search of demons, demons, and the scars of leather cutting until now.
And today, I found it.
A man who exudes strong demonic energy as if his nose would fall off. He looked like he was in his early to mid 20’s. If my brother were alive, he would have been exactly that age. In addition, it was an Asian with black hair, which is rare in this world. Crucially, no matter how you look at the knife in that hand, there was no doubt that it would cut leather. Soya took a step forward with a throbbing heart and asked. There was already confidence in that voice.
“Brother, is that right?”
However, Zain, who was suddenly called older brother, only put on a puzzled expression.
*
Conversely, Jain, who was sitting guarding the spirit jade of the forest, immediately noticed the opponent’s identity. In the first place, various arrangements were made to bring Soya here, so there was no way he would not notice. It was another reason that puzzled Jain for a while.
‘Brother?’
It was because Soya suddenly called himself brother out of the blue. The title collided with Jain’s thoughts and created confusion in his mind. This was the thought he always had.
‘Maybe my sister is also in this world.’
The reason he started playing this game in the first place was because of his sister’s suggestion. Then, it’s strange that he possesses only himself and doesn’t have a younger sister. Maybe somewhere, I’m wandering around with a completely different face and name. He had always had such doubts. But, Oh, come on. Jain, who was shaken, said to Soya with a complex face mixed with various emotions.
“What is it, maybe you… ”
and swallowed It was because her younger sister never called herself by titles like her older brother. Jain, who had regained his composure, quickly analyzed the situation by retracing the settings he knew about Soya, the Sword Demon.
She had an older brother whom she separated from. Leather Slash is my brother’s sword, so I go looking for it. Only that is known, no detailed settings. It was because Soya was not a heroine that could be captured in the first place. My brother’s story was left as a MacGuffin. So, if you didn’t even know how your brother grew up because you were separated from life when you were young, it was possible to mistake yourself for your brother.
‘And that brother is probably dead.’
The fact that the sword flowed into him in this way hinted at his death. As her head cooled down, it was understandable that Soya mistook herself for the grown-up image of her separated brother. It was because there were very few oriental people in this world, and Soya was an oriental beauty. Jain, who lost steam, scratched his head and said.
“I think I saw the wrong person. What are you?”
However, Soya’s doubts turned to certainty because of Jain’s reaction. Jain, who had just clearly recognized who he was, suddenly pretended not to know. He even spilled meaningful words.
‘Could you… Ramen, did you mean to ask if you became a demon too?’
The successor of Hyeongwimun will one day become a demon. That’s why the demons used to misunderstand themselves as human traitors. I felt it and thought it was a sound. Soya asked with a sad face.
“Why are you pretending not to know, brother? The eyes cannot be fooled. You, you just knew who I was right away.”
“Did you hear? That’s it, sword demon cow. I recognized you because you are a famous crazy bitch.”
When I met again, my brother’s tone was quite harsh. Soya thought so. At that time, the tone of speech became similar to the demon who took my brother. Jain continued to speak bluntly.
“I don’t know if your goddamn brother or what. Your brother is already dead.”
“It’s no use even pretending, brother. It was very difficult, right? I will give you rest here.”
To give rest to my older brother who is suffering from being a slave to the devil because of his mistakes. That was Soya’s biggest purpose for holding the sword. Jain clicked his tongue. It seemed that he mistook himself for an older brother who had become a demon because of the large demonic energy that was generated when the spirit jade of the forest was purified, flowing from behind him. If you say it that way, it doesn’t seem like it would be easy to deny.
‘No, it’s rather a good opportunity.’
The pattern of a golden snake appeared on the nape of Jain’s neck. It was a tyrannical snake. Ja-in had to take away the ‘older brother of the bad boy’ from Soya. And, the conditions for activating the tyranny snake were ‘to use the opponent’s special skill and to sincerely subdue the opponent’. Soya was a name on a different level from the Star Seekers. These people were not easily sincere. If he misunderstood himself as an older brother and offered his sincerity, it was certain that it would be a rather good opportunity. Jain placed his hand on the handle of the leather slasher and said as if to affirm.
“I’ve said it many times, but your brother is already dead.”
“Still, saying that… ”
“Don’t waste it like a child.”
The manner of speaking is still the same. Soya muttered inwardly, raising a red sword full of swords, and attacked Jain.