After Ten Millennia in Hell

A demon had ambushed them out of nowhere, and his horrifying tentacles were holding Gaia. She was letting out a desperate cry.

Si-Hun quickly reached for the sword at his waist. The sword was a Unique-grade weapon he'd received from Guardians after the El Cuero Blade had melted.

The sword slipped from his hand.

Clatter.

"Ah," he exclaimed with a frown. Even now, at such an important moment… his hand couldn't hold a sword.

[A-Ahem!] Yogg-Saron, the demon covered in hideous green tentacles, coughed. He looked at Gaia in confusion as if he hadn't expected Si-Hun to drop his weapon.

Squelch.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!! S-Si-Hun!"

"J-Just a second, Gaia!!!"

Si-Hun heard Gaia's screams. Those fear-filled screams were super effective. Si-Hun grabbed his sword so tightly that blood trickled from his hand.

It was just a little bit, but he managed to raise the sword.

[Kekekeke! What a pointless struggle!]

Yogg-Saron let out ferocious bloodlust, and the breathtakingly intense demonic energy weighed down on Si-Hun.

[Kill that foolish human!]

"Kiieekk!"

"Grrrrrk!"

The demon extended his hand. At his command, a group of Undead charged toward Si-Hun.

Si-Hun swung his sword.

Tap.

"Kuh!"

As soon as it touched the Undead, the sword fell to the ground. He was barely able to hold the sword, so there was no way he'd be able to swing it. Using foot techniques, Si-Hun moved as if he were sliding on the ground, leaving behind afterimages.

"KIIEEKK!"

Si-Hun kicked. His body slightly rose, and the spinning kick struck the Undead's head.

Bash.

The Undead's head exploded from the Qi-infused kick.

Si-Hun couldn't use his hands to hold a sword, but he could still use his legs. After all, he possessed exceptional foot techniques to augment the martial God's sword techniques, and that was more than enough to easily wipe out the Undead. However…

[Hm? Why aren't you using your sword? Is it only for decoration?]

"Kuh."

Si-Hun was ultimately a swordsman. Maybe things could have been different if he had used weapons other than a sword, but he could not even exhibit a quarter of his power when his hands were unusable.

'Shit.'

He quickly rolled and reached for the sword on the ground, but it didn't matter how much he concentrated. There was no way he could hold a sword during battle when he couldn't even properly grab it when focusing his entire being on it.

The Undead next to him pushed him back with a kick.

"Kurgh!"

He rolled on the ground. He extended his hands outward to regain his balance; they just flung around in vain since he wasn't able to add any strength to them.

[You are different from what I had expected.]

The demon's voice echoed in his ears.

[Are you hiding your strength, human?]

"…"

Si-Hun remained silent. His body trembled, and his head got hot.

Hiding his strength?

There was no way that was true. He turned his head and saw Gaia, who seemed tired after screaming so much. Her body was weak, and she was so thin that she seemed as if she would break if squeezed too hard.

She was right in front of him, but there was nothing he could do.

[You are different from what Lord Satan had told me. He had mentioned that you would one day be on par with the princes of Hell…]

"Satan… sent you?"

[That is right.]

"Why… now?" Si-Hun asked while looking down at his trembling hands. Why did he have to appear now, of all times?

[He had mentioned that you lacked despair.]

"…"

[Lord Satan has high expectations for you.]

"Wh-Why me? Why the hell would he have expectations for me?"

[That is what I want to know,] Yogg-Saron said mockingly as if finding Si-Hun pathetic.

[Why in the world would Lord Satan put so much interest in you?]

"…"

[Gab your sword, human. Prove yourself to me.]

"Shut… up."

[Kekeke.]

The green tentacles wriggled.

[If you cannot prove yourself, die. There is no reason for my lord to have expectations for a cripple who cannot even hold a sword.]

Swoosh!

The tentacles shot forward at supersonic speed.

Si-Hun stomped on the ground and frantically dodged the tentacles. The tentacles brushed past his body. His flesh was cut, and blood poured in all directions. The tentacles bent and targeted his shoulders.

He reflexively raised his sword, but all he had in his hands was air.

Bash.

"Kurghh!!"

His shoulder was pierced. Intense pain spread through his body. He rolled on the ground miserably and pathetically. He rolled to avoid the attacks, and his sword happened to be where he had ended up.

—The sword he couldn't even hold.

[Grab your sword, human,] the demon said.

Si-Hun felt like crying. He wanted to grab his weapon more desperately than anyone else. He reached for it.

Clatter.

The sword fell from his hands.

[Tsk, you truly are trash.]

"S-Si-Hun…"

Gaia called out to him in a sad voice, but there was nothing he could do.

Squelch.

"Urgh!"

[Will you be able to raise your sword if your woman dies before your eyes?]

The tentacles wrapped around Gaia's neck. Gaia frantically struggled as if her breath was about to be cut short at any moment.

"You motherfucker!!"

He stomped on the ground and desperately leaped forward. He didn't even have time to use a foot technique. He charged toward Yogg-Saron while drawing out all the Qi he had as if he were wringing his soul dry.

Yogg-Saron swung his hand in annoyance.

Smack!

"Kurgh!"

Si-Hun's body bent as he flew away. The rough ground grated his skin and tore his clothes apart.

The demon was right; a swordsman who couldn't hold a sword was just a piece of trash.

"Urgh…! S-Si-Hun!!"

Gaia, who was being strangled, desperately shouted, "R-Run away, Si-Hun!!"

"Gaia…"

She was speaking very clearly despite the demon strangling her, but Si-Hun didn't have time to think about that. He looked at Yogg-Saron with shaking eyes. A rage intense enough to make his head go blank surged through him. He reached for the sword on the ground yet again.

'Please.'

Just this once…

Just this moment…

That was all he wanted.

He was okay with never being able to use a sword again after this.

'So please.'

He needed the power to protect her right now.

"A-Arrgghh."

He grabbed the sword and put his focus on each trembling finger. He was sweating as if it were raining outside. His body, as if whispering that he no longer had the power to hold a sword, refused to grasp it.

He ignored the whisper.

"Please…"

His nose bled. The blood passed his lips and gathered on his chin. He tried to do what his head forcibly rejected. He raised his sword, held it tight, and…

Clatter.

The sword fell to the ground.

"A-Aaahhhh."

"Si-Hun…"

He heard Gaia's voice and raised his head.

She was looking at him with a faint smile.

"I'm okay. Si-Hun. Don't worry about m—Ugh!"

[This girl talks too much.]

Yogg-Saron frowned. The tentacles tightened around Gaia's neck, causing her to pass out.

[Wha—] Yogg-Saron exclaimed in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to actually pass out, but he quickly regained his composure. He slowly raised his head and looked at Si-Hun with scornful eyes.

[So, you weren't able to raise your sword.]

"…"

[There is no need to despair, human.]

He kept talking as if it didn't matter.

[It only means that is all you amount to as a human.]

"…"

In the end this is all you amount to.

You cannot do anything.

You cannot achieve anything.

That is simply your limit as a human.

"Shut… up."

Si-Hun trembled. He heard a voice.

"I'm sorry for giving birth to you."

A nightmarish voice… the voice that devoured his life. The trauma… the stigma engraved in his mind… the voice that told him that this was all he amounted to.

He had lived denying those words, but…

"Shut up, you motherfuckeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!"

He screamed. He roared. He raised his sword by holding it between his two wrists.

He stomped on the floor and charged toward the demon. However, there was no way that a sword swung with his wrists would have any power behind it.

The sword bounced away, and Si-Hun collapsed. He saw Gaia, the woman he'd sworn to protect and make her smile, being held hostage by the demon.

"Move…"

He said words that wouldn't work.

"Please, move…"

The sensations in his hands were faint. No matter how much strength he put into them, his hands just trembled.

He couldn't hold the sword.

A swordsman who couldn't hold a sword… couldn't do anything.

"A-Aaahhh…"

A desperate cry left his mouth, and tears dripped from his eyes. He felt a thirst as desire spread through his body.

'I don't need anything else.'

He was okay with anyone, or anything.

He was even willing to sell his soul to a demon.

He needed power.

Power to protect her.

"A-Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!"

A fire ignited in his mind. His vision flickered. Something within him, a giant ball of power, spread to every corner of his body.

* * *

"…"

Oh Kang-Woo frowned as he listened to Si-Hun cry desperately. Si-Hun had truly hit rock bottom.

"It's hard to watch."

Kang-Woo had planned to give Si-Hun a push and had put his thoughts into action, but even so, seeing Si-Hun struggling at rock bottom was difficult.

'Maybe I should've just waited.'

He shook his head at the sudden thought that crossed his mind. He couldn't have waited—Si-Hun needed a push. He needed a desperate situation that would let him overcome the despair and grow.

Humans were cunning creatures. It didn't matter if they tried their best or how desperate they were. They wouldn't sincerely be moved unless they had to face the situation upfront.

It was like an enlistee whose enlistment in the army didn't feel real until they entered the training center.

Something like despair was hard to understand until faced with it.

'... Even if that despair is fabricated.'

Someone needed to put a gun to Si-Hun's head. It had been absolutely necessary.

"A-Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!"

He heard Si-Hun's cry. It was the desperate cry of someone who had hit rock bottom. The tips of Kang-Woo's mouth went up.

"It's done."

He heard the desperation erupt like a volcano. If it were the Si-Hun he knew, there was no way he wouldn't power up in such a situation.

'Stand up, Si-Hun!'

He looked at him with expectant eyes.

Rumble!!

As if Si-Hun were answering Kang-Woo's expectations, an enormous lump of power spewed out of him.

'Good, now accept the power of the Martial G—'

"I don't need anything else!!" Si-Hun cried.

A huge amount of demonic energy poured out of him.

"Eh?" Kang-Woo uttered.

"It doesn't matter what it is! I don't care if this is the end!!"

'Hey, hey, wait. The hell? Why are you exuding demonic energy?'

"I need power!!"

'Oh, fuck. Hey, Si-Hun, what are you doing?'

The soul of the Martial God dwelled within Si-Hun's body, but also… his soul was connected to Kang-Woo's.

"If I can save her, I'm willing to do anything!!"

Horns appeared from Si-Hun's forehead.

"No," Kang-Woo exclaimed.

Bat wings appeared from Si-Hun's back.

"Fucking wait."

Si-Hun's eyes turned black. His irises turned yellow, and his pupils stretched horizontally.

"Si-Hun…"

Kang-Woo clutched his head.

The more Si-Hun's body changed, the more demonic energy flowed out of him.

"Why did you fall, you dumbass…?"