Chapter 11: These People Can't Be Trusted
In the room where the Six Demons gathered.
"Squad Leader Yu has arrived!"
The door swung open as if on cue, and six smiling faces turned to greet him.
"Squad Leader Yu, did you sleep we—"
But then—
Their warm greeting—the kind any cult member would kill to receive from the Six Demons—got cut off mid-sentence before it could fully leave their lips by Yu Gyeongseong's booming voice.
"Divine Demon!"
"...?"
Six mouths snapped shut.
What the hell was that?
Yet the voice that rang out was dead serious, and the eyes that met theirs were equally sincere.
Crushing Demon felt confused.
'What...?'
Rock Demon, who was already pissed off about something, just looked darker.
'...Is this a side effect of the Great Law?'
The Flying Demon genuinely wondered.
‘Has he lost his mind?’
The Mind Demon was dumbfounded.
'This son of a bitch is completely insane! Does he know who he’s talking to?’
The Illusion Demon, who was already trying to wrap his head around the whole Great Law business, tried to find a way to make it make sense.
'Maybe he was this kind of lunatic to begin with, which is why he didn't turn into a complete idiot after inheriting the Great Law...'
After all, different test subjects often yield different results, even within the same experiment.
Just then, a cheerful and pleasant voice cut through the awkward silence. It was the Life Demon. She'd already gotten a voice transmission message from Wu Wonta outside the door and finished her calculations in a split second.
"Divine Demon... what a fitting name! You are the hero of our Divine Cult who will face the Sword God; of course, you will fit a name like that! Actually, I’ve never liked calling you Squad Leader Yu. From now on, I'll address you as Divine Demon!"
The other Clan Lords watched her.
Ah!?
Oh…?
So that was it?
They all quickly fell in line.
And just like that, they were all on board. For a bunch of supreme martial artists, they were pretty damn quick on the uptake.
"Hahaha! I was just thinking what a perfect nickname that is!”
"The Divine Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!"
"Make sure to imprint the terror of the Divine Demon into the Sword God's mind!"
"Hahaha!"
And just like that, the mood in the room was cheerful again, and the one who'd caused this whole situation just smiled gently.
To those watching, it seemed like an attitude suggesting he was pleased with his new title of Divine Demon.
However, in this moment, the Six Demons who were doing their best to play along had no way of knowing.
That inside Yu Gyeongseong's mind, a certain rule was cementing itself in his mind.
'...These people can't be trusted.'
***
As they ate, conversations naturally began to flow.
"So, how was yesterday?"
“It was good. Thanks for letting me look around.”
The Six Demons nodded.
So he does recognize that we've been taking special care of him.
"Well, how was it? Did anything feel familiar, or did any memories come back?"
Yu Gyeongseong shook his head.
"Everything felt completely new."
Those present stared at him intently.
Everyone at the table stared at him.
He was saying that nothing of note had happened. But for an uneventful day, he’d sure caused a hell of a scene. Why start that fight on purpose? Why sneak off to meet his squad members one by one?
They couldn’t just let that slide.
‘So how do we bring that up?’
'He went out of his way to avoid us... Won't he dislike it if we point it out directly?'
'Should we ask the Law Enforcement Hall Master instead of this guy?'
Whether he knew what was contained in those gazes or not, Yu Gyeongseong casually changed the subject himself.
"By the way, the common folks seemed anxious. They said the Sacred Flame has gone out."
“Well, of course they are. Did Squad Leader Wu not explain it to you?”
“He did. I know what the Sacred Flame is, and what it means to everyone here.”
Yu Gyeongseong paused briefly before throwing out a question.
"Aren't you, Clan Lords, worried? That the Sacred Flame has gone out?"
Rock Demon opened his mouth, acting like it was no big deal.
“Does worrying about it fix the problem?”
"..."
"When those at the top waver, those below will naturally crumble."
It was the classic speech about how leaders need to be strong. However, it was too textbook of an answer. Far removed from the subtext underlying this conversation topic.
Had he sensed Yu Gyeongseong's dissatisfied mood?
Crushing Demon stepped in. “Hey, enough with the preachy old-man routine. We need to think from Squad Leader Yu's... no, from our Divine Demon's perspective here."
Wait, who's calling who what now?!
Rock Demon's mind went blank with disbelief.
If we're talking about preachy old coot, who would dare to claim the first if you claim to be the second? What kind of bullshit is this?
Regardless, the Crushing Demon didn't give him any chance to protest and kept talking.
"There's a good reason why the Sacred Flame ended up that way."
The voice resonated in Yu Gyeongseong's ears.
The truth... or close to it, that's how it felt.
Crushing Demon didn't say any more, but he didn't need to. Yu Gyeongseong felt he understood what he was trying to say.
The meaning contained in those words was clear.
After all, there was only one major event recently that could have caused this.
"Is it because of the Great Law I received?"
"That's right. Our six artifacts and even the Sacred Flame. All of them were used for the Great Law."
In this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Yu Gyeongseong's mind.
The Sacred Flame had disappeared.
Then... what happened to the other things used in the Great Law?
“…Are the six artifacts gone too?”
I, who received the Great Law and became the strongest martial artist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The moment I woke up, I displayed a lightness skill comparable to the Flying Demon's.
I used illusion arts on the Illusion Demon's subordinate.
And Crushing Demon's Hand Aura manifested from my hands.
Why... can I use martial arts that share the same essence as theirs?
Crushing Demon nodded. "That's right. It is not so much that the artifacts vanished… but that the power contained within them vanished.”
The other Clan Lords listened to the conversation in silence.
In that moment, what echoed in their minds was the Cult Leader’s voice from before performing the Great Law.
[If the Sacred Flame goes out, the power in the divine artifacts will vanish.]
It was the one line that forced their hand.
If they didn't stop the Sword God, the Divine Cult would be annihilated, and the Sacred Flame would go out. They couldn't run and save their own skins. They had to stay and protect their artifacts.
That's why they participated in the Great Law.
To preserve the power contained in their artifacts.
But… the second the ritual was over, the Sacred Flame went out.
The Cult Leader hadn't lied. The flame went out, and the power in their artifacts vanished.
He just conveniently omitted that the ritual itself was going to put the flame out.
Crushing Demon asked Yu Gyeongseong.
"How were you able to use the Soul-Slaughtering Art?"
"The Soul-Slaughtering Art?"
“I am speaking of that Hand Aura that you used at the restaurant.”
"It just happened naturally."
“…Can you be a little more specific?”
"I thought of the most powerful thing I'd seen so far. And then it worked."
"Mm, I see."
Outwardly, Yu Gyeongseong showed an expression of indifference. But inside, his mind was racing. He could read the same shock on Crushing Demon's face and on all the others.
'They had no clue I could use their signature moves.'
The Illusion Demon asked.
"Was it the same with the illusion art?"
"Yes. It just happened naturally too."
The Six Demons exchanged conscious glances with each other.
The Six Demons exchanged glances, each aware of the others. After hearing Crushing Demon’s story yesterday, they had each checked their own artifacts and discovered that Crushing Demon’s artifact isn’t the only one whose power had vanished.
'Was the Great Law... meant to gather all our powers into one person?'
Yu Gyeongseong saw their reactions and put the pieces together.
Divine artifacts.
How precious must these items be?
The Six Demons are the pillars of the cult. If masters of their caliber cherish those items dearly, their value must be immeasurable. And yet, the Six Demons had offered them up for the sake of the Great Law.
However,
'They didn't know the power would vanish from the divine artifacts.'
This was an important point.
He could guess what was going through their heads now.
They think the Cult Leader played them for fools.
And they think I am the one who stole their most prized possessions.
And Yu Gyeongseong isn’t exactly wrong. It was a hell of an accurate deduction.
But there was one thing he couldn’t have known.
He had no idea just how serious this was for them.
Yesterday, when they’d first realized the power in their artifacts was gone, the fury that exploded inside them had been terrifying.
They immediately wanted to find Yu Gyeongseong and tear him to pieces.
They were hoping, just maybe, killing him would bring the power back.
Suppressing that primal emotion hadn't been easy at all.
It had taken every ounce of willpower they had to calm that murderous rage. Even now, they were practically holding themselves physically from attacking him in rage.
'The Sword God is coming!'
Only by constantly reminding themselves of this reality could they barely restrain themselves.
'We need to have this bastard face the Sword God!'
There was no other way to deal with him besides that.
"..."
Of course, this guy might not win.
But even if he loses, he’ll wear the Sword God down. And when he’s weakened, we can jump in and finish him off.
And what if he wins? He’s not going to walk away from a fight like that without a scratch.
The Six Demons' eyes gleamed.
For now... they had to endure.
And then.
When the time comes, they kill him.
***
Yu Gyeongseong broke the silence of the quiet Six Demons.
"The common folks are anxious that the Cult Leader isn't showing himself."
They nodded as if it were obvious.
"He's exhausted from performing the Great Law. We can’t risk an enemy assassin trying something, can we? He’s resting in a secret location.”
They spoke the truth.
But the Grand Grotto Mystic Mantra picked up something else. A feeling that was off.
'Why?'
There was something about their explanation that didn't sit right.
His mind spun rapidly, and he found the reason.
Oh…
‘They’re telling the truth, but they’re leaving out their part in it.’
Right then, Yu Gyeongseong understood.
That even when speaking nothing but the truth, one could still lead others to a complete misunderstanding.
As expected from the lords of the Six Demon Clans. Even their small talk was a masterclass in manipulation.
'...'
He needed to ask a question they couldn't dodge.
How do I get behind that mask? What’s the weak spot?
Yu Gyeongseong reviewed the fragments of his not-so-long memories.
And what he caught in his mind was something they’d said when he was hiding and listening right after he woke up.
[Now that you mention it... there was one more missing from the guards besides this one. Out of twenty, we only dealt with eighteen.]
Dealt with...
Yu Gyeongseong quietly opened his mouth.
"Then what about the Cult Leader's personal guards?"
The Six Demons answered calmly without even a shred of awkwardness in their voices.
“They’re with the Cult Leader. Obviously.”
"I see."
It was the first lie they'd told. And yet, there was no outward sign of it whatsoever.
A sense of wariness bloomed within him.
'The Six Demons... They are not easy opponents.'
What would have happened if he had not possessed the Grand Grotto Mystic Mantra?
They'd have completely manipulated him.
This conversation confirmed one thing.
'So, the Cult Leader is alive... but the personal guards are all dead?'
He had to make sure they didn't realize he'd caught their lie.
As if nothing was wrong, Yu Gyeongseong kept asking. “The cultists are nervous because they don’t know about the Great Law, right?”
It was another way of asking why they were keeping it a secret.
One of them answered with a smiling face.
"It's better not to reveal it to the common folks."
"Why is that?"
“You are our secret weapon. It’s obvious we have to hide it. The bigger the secret, the greater the impact. Think about it from the Orthodox Faction’s point of view. They came in expecting an easy victory, but an Absolute Master capable of contending with the Sword God suddenly appears! How shocking would that be? They would have come without a care, only to find they had stuck their own heads into a tiger’s mouth. So we must absolutely prevent the enemy from knowing in advance."
At first glance, it was a plausible argument. However, what he felt from the explanation was a similar sense of unease as before.
'Besides the surface reason, there's another hidden agenda.'
They asked in a subtle tone.
"What do you think?"
Yu Gyeongseong nodded without showing any particular reaction.
"You speak wisely. Let's do that."
In response, they all gave him their best friendly smiles.
"This is all for the Divine Cult."
“And for you as well. A surprise attack will make it much easier for you to handle the Sword God.”
“If you defeat the Sword God, you will become the true Divine Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”
At the last words, the Grand Grotto Mystic Mantra sensed something.
Something about it wasn't quite true.
'True Divine Demon.'
It was laughable.
The ripple effect from his random declaration of "Divine Demon" had reached this far.
Of course, if he defeated the Sword God and repelled the Orthodox Faction, the title would suit him perfectly.
So it was a completely natural statement.
So why did he feel this way?
[If the Cult Leader is gone, doubt the Six Demons.]
Smiling pleasantly, Yu Gyeongseong thought to himself.
As expected... the message I left behind was correct after all.