“Stop!”
It did not stop.
“I said stop!”
It would not stop.
“We’ve arrived! You bastards! I said we’ve arriiived—!”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword’s scream echoed long and desperate, like a death throe, until…
Craaaaash!
Eventually.
The Ironclad Fortress rammed straight into a building.
There was no way a structure, already charred black by fire, could withstand that overwhelming impact.
Crack! Snap!
The sound of pillars snapping in succession rang out ominously.
Rumble!
With a vibration that shook the earth, the building collapsed completely.
“……!”
At the sight of that overwhelming destruction, the people on Moyong Woonjeong’s side, who had rushed to the main gate wondering what was happening, were left speechless.
“…Wh-What on earth is this?”
No one could answer the question of the elder who had suddenly been covered in dust and ash.
“…Are they d-dead?”
Amidst the rain of dirt and ash falling like a shower, the gathered crowd murmured.
“There’s no way they could be unscathed after a collision like that, is there?”
“It looked like an incredibly expensive carriage; what a waste.”
At that moment.
Curses drifted out from the direction of the collapsed building.
“Damn it all…!”
Cough, cough.
“Crazy cow bastards!”
People were shocked to see the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword kicking away debris and walking out of the ash and dust cloud with his body perfectly intact.
“—–!”
“—–!”
Behind him, with thunderous cries.
As the two spiritual beasts and the scratch-free Ironclad Fortress burst through the debris of the building they had been buried under—
“……!”
“……!”
The crowd could not hide their astonishment.
“Not a single scratch even after such an impact!”
“Just who is that man?!”
“Truly an extraordinary martial artist…!”
As the gathered crowd buzzed while looking at him, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword, who had been pouring a stream of curses at the spiritual beasts, suddenly became conscious of the gazes.
“Ahem, hmm!”
One of the elders shouted a question at him.
“Who on earth are you?!”
At that question.
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword pointlessly rattled the five swords in his scabbard, showing off his presence.
He grinned and opened his mouth.
“If you speak of me—”
At that moment.
“Oi!”
Through the parting crowd.
Grand Young Master Yeon Sohyeon walked out and scolded the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword as casually as always.
“Gatekeeper! Why are you so late?!”
At that, the crowd buzzed rapidly.
“Gatekeeper…?”
“He’s a gatekeeper…?”
“He says he’s a gatekeeper…?”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword shouted in a rage.
“I am not a gatekeeper!”
The people murmured again.
“He says he’s not a gatekeeper…?”
“But didn’t the Grand Young Master clearly just call him a gatekeeper…?”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword shouted at the Grand Young Master with a look of injustice.
“My Lord! What grudge do you have against me to humiliate me like this every day—!”
However.
“Haha! Have you guys been well? I am glad to see you looking so energetic!”
The Grand Young Master was completely ignoring him and petting the two spiritual beasts.
Moooo! As the spiritual beasts rubbed their heads against him, the Grand Young Master smiled and introduced them to Moyong Woonjeong.
“Woonjeong. These children are called Yellow and Blackie. They are spiritual beasts my mother used to raise.”
Moyong Woonjeong’s eyes went round.
“Y-Yellow and Blackie, you say?”
At that, Moooo, Yellow and Blackie seemed to nod their heads.
“Hah…! Does it not seem as if they are answering?”
The people in the assembly could not help but admire.
“Yellow and Blackie?”
“Truly marvelous.”
“Indeed, they are spiritual beasts…!”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword, who had been branded a gatekeeper in an instant and then fallen out of people’s interest, shouted with an expression of supreme injustice.
“No, where in the world is there a lord who ignores the person who arrived after such hardship and takes care of the beasts first—!”
This time, too.
His words could not reach their conclusion.
Thud-thud-thud—!
A group of cavalry poured in through the main gate with the thunderous sound of hooves.
The riders each carried a sword on their backs, and their long black robes fluttering behind them seemed to absorb the sunlight like the shadows of reapers.
Each and every one of them seemed like a sharp sword.
“…Are they warriors of the Sword Clan?”
“…Their aura is savage.”
Even those without internal energy could instantly feel their extraordinariness.
The horses stopped with a cloud of dust and snorted. The man at the very front leaped from his horse and gathered his hands toward the Grand Young Master.
“We are late, My Lord. We apologize.”
The Grand Young Master shook his head.
“No. You arrived just in time. You have worked hard.”
“Not at all. We are not very accustomed to horses, so it took more time than expected.”
At that heartwarming display of the ideal lord-vassal relationship, the most aggrieved person was naturally the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword.
“No, why am I the only one—?!”
Leaving his outcry behind, Moyong Woonjeong asked the Grand Young Master.
“Grand Young Master. These people are…?”
Yeon Sohyeon turned toward her and smiled.
“These are the ‘proper martial artists’ you wanted.”
From behind, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword shouted, “What about me…?!”
***
Moyong Clan, Rebel Encampment.
Temporary Command Post.
The atmosphere in the command post was grim.
“…It would be better to surrender even now.”
“Stop spouting nonsense! Did you not hear Moyong Woonjeong’s declaration?!”
“Rather than surrender to the culprit who reduced our Moyong Clan to this state, I would rather fight to the bitter end!”
The towering spire of the Grand Conference Hall was clearly visible even from here.
It had been revealed that the one hanging by the neck from the spire was the Grand Chairman, and even the heads of their leaders, Moyong Wan and Moyong Chusan, had been displayed.
They were the power holders of the pro-Dread King and pro-Martial Righteous Alliance factions who had hurriedly sheathed their weapons against each other and joined hands for survival.
“Isn’t this all because you people, the members of the pro-Dread King faction, ran away outside the family without even fighting properly?!”
“And you pro-Martial Righteous Alliance faction people, how many of you are even left to be acting so high and mighty?!”
In the early stages of the chaos.
Those who were quicker on the uptake than others had already vanished from within the family, their whereabouts unknown.
“Acting high and mighty?! Do you want to settle this with us before fighting Moyong Woonjeong?!”
“If you want to fight, I’ll take your head right now!”
As one or two people kicked their chairs and stood up in anger, the air seemed to freeze rapidly.
“Haha! Why is everyone making such long faces?”
Into that atmosphere, a figure entered the command post with a hearty laugh.
“Sword Corps Commander!”
The commander overseeing the entire Sword Corps of the Moyong Clan.
It was Sword Corps Commander Moyong Tak.
“How can the atmosphere be good?!”
“Did you not hear Moyong Woonjeong’s declaration?!”
“If it was going to be like this, shouldn’t we have secured a retreat route in advance?!”
Even though the pent-up resentment that had risen to the bursting point was directed at him—
“Tsk, tsk. Everyone knows only one thing and not the second.”
Sword Corps Commander Moyong Tak clicked his tongue nonchalantly.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime given to us.”
“Opportunity of a lifetime?”
“That is correct.”
Making the sound of heavy armor, he stood in the center of the command post and addressed the assembly.
“Moyong Wan? Moyong Chusan? Those who strutted around calling themselves leaders were the first to run away and lose their lives. The ones not present here now are cowards not even worth mentioning!”
“We agree with that, but—”
“However!” Moyong Tak cut off the complaint that was about to erupt and shouted, “What do you think will happen if we defeat Moyong Woonjeong here?”
A few cynical ones snorted.
“Victory?”
“What kind of impossible nonsense…”
As the people in the assembly nodded as if agreeing passively—
“Tsk, tsk. Victory in war, unlike a mere battle, does not take a single form.” Moyong Tak clicked his tongue in frustration and asked, “Do you think we must defeat Moyong Woonjeong to win?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Just now, contact arrived from an external branch via carrier pigeon.”
Moyong Tak took out crumpled notes from his bosom, unfolded them, and smiled.
“The Vanguards of the Huashan and Wudang sects are coming to help us, and Dread King is in final negotiations with the Neutral Tribe Alliance to hire their mercenary corps.”
Instantly, the faces of the assembly brightened.
“Ohhh…!”
“Huashan and Wudang!”
“And even the Neutral Tribe Alliance’s mercenaries! Dread King has not abandoned us!”
Those with quick minds nodded.
“In that case…”
“As the Sword Corps Commander says, the conditions for victory have changed.”
“Precisely!”
The Sword Corps Commander smiled with satisfaction.
“Reinforcements are in close proximity, and Moyong Woonjeong cannot leave the Great General’s Headquarters empty indefinitely! We just need to hold out now, and it is our victory!”
He spread his arms wide and pointed outside.
“Although the Second Sword Corps perished heroically defending the Grand Conference Hall, I still have two Sword Corps and reliable troops! Furthermore…!”
His smile turned vicious.
“Since we have no retreat anyway, no one can run away. The entire force must hold out, facing death or life.”
And they even had the inner fortress of the Moyong Clan, which had been expanded and renovated over many years to defend against invasions from northern tribes.
“If we just hold out, it is our victory…!”
The assembly cast off the thick shadow of defeat and finally began to regain their fighting spirit.
“Therefore, this is our opportunity!”
Towards them, Sword Corps Commander Moyong Tak clenched his fist and shouted passionately.
“Heroes are born in turbulent times! Instead of the cowards who died running away!”
His two clenched fists reached a climax along with his powerful eloquence.
“We ourselves will become the new masters of this Great Moyong Clan—!”
Craaaaaash!
A roar like a thunderbolt bomb exploding buried Moyong Tak’s voice completely.
“Uh, uhhh?!”
As the inner fortress shook as if an earthquake had struck, the people in the assembly lost their balance and staggered.
“B-Big trouble…!”
A martial artist rolled into the command post, his face pale as a sheet, and shouted.
“The gate has been breached!”
***
Creak-creak-creak!
The massive iron gate, twisted halfway, let out a grotesque sound before slowly tilting inward.
“I-It’s falling!”
“Dodge!”
Revealed beyond the iron gate that toppled with a massive roar were—
“——!”
“——!”
Two spiritual beasts roaring with eyes glowing crimson, and a massive ox cart boasting a sleek black luster.
And atop it.
“…I just arrived, and now I’m deploying? Just when did my treatment start going so wrong?”
There was the figure of a man standing in the driver’s seat, muttering incomprehensible words like a madman.