Urban Vagabond: Reload

“A last desperate struggle.......”

I looked up at the sky and muttered under my breath.

The black pillar of flame shooting up from Black Heaven Society’s main base rose endlessly into the sky. By now, it was so high it could probably be seen from other cities.

KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA!

Even through the screen, the scene was being broadcast live in real time. Outside the fiercely blazing black flames, the formations laid down by Mystic Hall’s spellcasters were activating.

I caught a brief glimpse of Dr. Man’s urgent face, and behind him, Kim Bokja too.

[Right now, Mystic Hall’s spellcasters are controlling the scene! A little while ago, black flames began erupting from the collapsed underground area, and they are doing everything they can to keep the fire from spreading! Fortunately, the black flames are only shooting upward into the sky for now, and there are still no signs of them spreading outward into the surrounding area.]

The reporter on site was delivering the breaking situation live.

[However, just moments ago, several martial artists from the Martial Alliance and the Eight Great Sects who participated in the Black Heaven Society extermination approached the flames and were seen suddenly losing consciousness and collapsing. At the scene, speculation is already beginning about what exactly these black flames are—]

At that moment, the live feed went black, then abruptly switched back to the news desk.

The anchor hurriedly continued in a flustered voice.

[We apologize to our viewers for the sudden loss of video due to an unknown communications error. As soon as our field connection is restored, we will bring you the latest developments as quickly as possible. First, though, we will speak with Dr. Kim, an expert researcher on the unorthodox martial world, about what may be happening—]

“The government blocked it. Whatever it is, the situation must be worse than it looks.”

That was Oho.

He looked at me, his expression having turned grim a while ago, and gave a faint smirk.

“Did you think wiping out the Five Great Unorthodox Sects would be easy? If it were, I would never have needed to accept your proposal in the first place.”

I let out a sigh as I stared at the black pillar of flame spearing through the sky, then turned to look at him.

“I know. Wiping you people out is about as hard as wiping out cockroaches.”

“......You people?”

For a moment, Oho’s eyebrow twitched, but I ignored it and changed the subject.

“We’re done with each other, so let’s part ways here.”

“You’re still an arrogant little bastard.”

Oho glared at me, then let out a small sigh and opened his mouth with an oddly awkward expression. His voice was surprisingly serious.

“......This time, I owe you one.”

If I hadn’t stepped in during the process of persuading the Black Night Gang boss, one of the Blood Tigers would have had to fight in the fight to the death.

Or Blood Tiger Gang would have ended up in a full-scale battle against the Black Night Gang elites, boss included.

Either way, there would have been major losses. There was no question that, thanks to me, Blood Tiger Gang had finished the negotiation without shedding blood.

“I’ll pay it back later. One way or another.”

Oho was the kind of man who calculated debts and grudges down to the last detail.

So for him, this was something he had only brought up with some difficulty.

But I answered in a flat voice, staring at my phone like I could not care less.

“Keep an eye on Black Night Gang instead. Looking at that mess over there, they might start entertaining ideas they shouldn’t.”

“......I will.”

Shaking his head, Oho left with the Blood Tigers.

Before they went, the Blood Tigers, every one of them carrying that thick, sticky killing intent, gave me brief nods.

“Your sword. It made an impression.”

“Let’s meet again sometime, Wolf.”

“I’ll remember you as a friend.”

But seeing those Blood Tigers greet me so warmly only made me frown.

‘Why the hell are those bastards acting friendly? Creepy as hell.’

I had absolutely no desire to get close to blood-soaked unorthodox trash.

Right then, my phone vibrated.

It was Choi Geon.

[Mu-hyuk. Are you looking at the sky?]

“Yes. I’m looking at it now.”

[It seems the Black Heaven Society’s society leader has learned Demonic Void Art. It feels similar to what Jang Jinmyeong used, but far more vicious. Do you know anything about it?]

“I think it’s probably......”

I already had a rough guess what that pillar of flame was.

It looked far too similar to a specific demonic art I knew.

“I think it’s the Dark Flame Demonic Art.”

[......You mean one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts?]

At my master’s disbelieving voice, I answered with certainty.

“There’s a high chance it isn’t the original, but it’s definitely one of the copies of the Dark Flame Demonic Art.”

The Dark Flame Demonic Art, classified as one of the world’s Ten Great Demonic Arts, was such a dangerous demonic art that merely possessing it could bring down an extermination order from the World Martial Alliance.

In the memories of my previous life, I recalled a black pillar of flame that looked very much like this one.

Because it resembled the martial disaster that, a few years from now, would burn down half a city in America and shock the world.

“The martial artists who got too close to the pillar of flame and collapsed probably had their internal energy suddenly burned away and dropped from exhaustion.”

KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA!

Those black flames had the trait of burning away an opponent’s internal energy.

That was why anyone who mastered the Dark Flame Demonic Art held an overwhelming advantage in combat against other martial artists.

[......So you have heard of it. But if the Black Heaven Society’s society leader learned one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts, why would he have stayed quiet until now?]

“Because the side effects must be severe. Even now, he probably isn’t using it properly. And......”

The real problem was that even the flames of the Dark Flame Demonic Art, unleashed in an abnormal state like this, were still that overwhelming.

‘They’re not called the Ten Great Demonic Arts for nothing.’

Most things called demonic arts could be learned by anyone.

But the ones known as the Ten Great Demonic Arts were said to be so difficult that only true martial prodigies could even attempt them.

Because of that, there were multiple copied versions that had been modified to make them easier to learn, and the side effects from those copies were too many to count.

I didn’t know which copied version the Black Heaven Society’s society leader had learned, but there was no way he wasn’t enduring massive side effects.

‘If he really decided to drag everyone down with him.......’

Even the Martial Alliance Leader and the Azure Sky Sword Elder could be in danger.

“Master. I think we need to gather at our meeting point right now.”

[Understood. I’ll move immediately.]

The moment I ended my call with Choi Geon, I contacted Kim Bokja.

She answered at once, her voice urgent.

[Things are total chaos here. My master and I have been running around like crazy because of that pillar of flame, but it’s my first time seeing something like this, so there isn’t really much I can do.......]

Master?

I was curious who the hell she meant, but this wasn’t the time to ask for details.

I explained the situation to Kim Bokja too and told her to come to the meeting point.

[Okay! I’m heading there right now!]

The moment I hung up, I drove my lightness technique at full power.

Buildings whipped past me in a blur, and in my head, I organized my thoughts.

‘To prepare for the Dark Flame Demonic Art, we need a martial artist trained in blazing-yang martial arts.......’

But among the crew members, Shin Kangheon was the only one who had learned blazing-yang martial arts.

This was exactly the moment his absence hit hard.

‘As a stopgap, I’ll have to ask Bokja to imitate something similar if she can. And there are other things we’ll need too.......’

Just as I was heading for the meeting point, running through several countermeasures in my head—

DING!

A new message popped up in the Blue Wolves group chat.

[God Kangheon : Don’t leave me out at the important moment!]

It was Shin Kangheon.

Another message came up immediately afterward. It was a selfie of him with Shin Junhyun tied up after being captured.

[God Kangheon : Shin Kangheon the Hero! Heading to the battlefield now!]

“Ha, that crazy bastard.......”

I shook my head in disbelief.

But there was a smile on my lips all the same, one filled with unmistakable relief.

*****

At the source of the dark flames rising endlessly into the sky.

Deep underground, in a place that looked like the heart of hell with flames boiling in every direction, a fight to the death between supreme masters was underway.

KWAAANG!

With a violent explosion, Yeo Pilgeuk and Na Ilcheon were flung back dozens of meters.

A moment later, from the center of the blast, the Black Heaven Society’s society leader came walking out with a grotesque laugh.

“You damned old men. You never tire of throwing yourselves at the place where you’ll die. Heh heh heh.......”

The Black Heaven Society’s society leader, who had once boasted a towering frame over 190 centimeters tall, no longer looked like something that could be called human.

His shriveled skin clung almost directly to bone, making him little different from a mummy, and the body wrapped in dark flames looked as though it were burning itself as fuel.

In that grotesque state, he lashed the dark flames like a whip.

WHOOOOSH!

“You thought you had cornered me with nowhere left to run, didn’t you! But you never imagined what kind of poison I had been carrying inside me!”

The Black Heaven Society’s society leader had waited until his enemies pushed all the way into the deepest part of the main base.

The moment he realized that his lifelong dream of Unorthodox Unification had collapsed into meaninglessness, he decided not to flee and cling to life in disgrace.

Instead, he drove his subordinates forward to wear down the Martial Alliance Leader and the sect leaders, and in the meantime he injected himself with every stimulant and miracle elixir he had prepared. Even that was not enough, so he engraved forbidden blood arts into his heart.

“Shouldn’t I at least leave my name in the history of the Korean martial world? Dragging the Martial Alliance Leader and five sect leaders of the Eight Great Sects down to the underworld with me? At that point, that’s a fine death! Hwahahahahaha!”

And the moment they launched their joint attack, he collapsed the ground and dropped together with them into the underground depth a hundred meters below. Two had escaped, but he intended to climb back up soon and kill the rest as well.

“I offer up every remaining year of this old life, so grant me the power to burn my enemies!”

WHUMMMMMM!

From the underground spell formation installed at staggering expense, a virulent poison billowed out, and at the same time, fresh internal energy was continuously poured into the Black Heaven Society’s society leader.

The final move he had prepared for decades in anticipation of a day like this.

The Black Heaven Society’s society leader was certain that this place would become the grave of the Martial Alliance Leader and the sect leaders of the Eight Great Sects.

“......Just like the petty demon lord you are, you dug your trap in a hole as gloomy as yourself.”

Yeo Pilgeuk spoke as he wiped the blood running from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Beside him, the Azure Sky Sword Elder Na Ilcheon let out a low chuckle and settled into a sword stance. His clothes were in tatters, and his beard had been stained red.

“Alliance Leader. Conserve your internal energy. I’ll make an opening, so smash his skull in one strike. That’s the only way this ends.”

“Are you able to hold out, Elder?”

“Heh heh. Do I look like I am?”

The Glacier Priestess scattered frigid energy to shield everyone from the dark flames, while the sect leader of the Supreme Pole Sword Gate used a razor-sharp sword to pierce the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s body again and again.

“......Even suppressing the flames with my power alone is no easy task.”

“Hah. He doesn’t even flinch when the sword pierces him. That thing is no longer even human.”

Each of them was a supreme master who represented the Korean martial world.

Under normal circumstances, the very idea of them joining forces to attack a single person would have been unimaginable.

But right now, even with all of them fighting together, they looked hard-pressed.

KWAANG! CLAAANG! WHOOOSH!

Because of the poison spilling out of the formation, they could barely breathe properly, and the internal energy they had built up over decades was being consumed by the dark flames.

Even in that situation, they had pierced the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s body several times and shattered his bones, yet he still did not fall.

“Heh heh heh. Shall I tell you what I plan to do after I kill you?”

The Black Heaven Society’s society leader burned through his own life to drive his demonic art to its limit. He pointed upward with one finger as he spoke.

“I’ll go up there and kill as many humans as I can. I’ll kill and kill until my final flame burns out, and I’ll remain in history as the worst great demon lord of all time!”

The Black Heaven Society’s society leader was showing them just how terrifying an evil man could be when he had already accepted his own death and was willing to use every means available.

“And you will remain in history as the most incompetent Alliance Leader and sect leaders of all time! You’ll be remembered as the fools who touched me for no reason and brought disaster on yourselves! Heh heh heh heh heh heh!”

The closer death drew, the thicker the Black Heaven Society’s society leader’s madness became.

KWAAANG—!

At that moment, Yeo Pilgeuk’s fist smashed into the Black Heaven Society’s society leader and drove him back hard.

As his staggering opponent reeled away, the King of Fists drove forward and unleashed one punch after another.

KWAANG! KWAANG! BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

Golden shockwaves spread outward like rippling tides.

Yeo Pilgeuk chased after the Black Heaven Society’s society leader as he flew back, his eyes blazing savagely.

“I don’t care how history judges me. If all I can do right now is eradicate the corrupt-path filth before my eyes and make the world a little safer, then that is enough!”

With Yeo Pilgeuk’s shout, his entire body was dyed in brilliant gold.

“A splendid thing to say. The Martial Alliance Leader truly is a heroic swordsman.”

Blue energy gathered along the Namcheon Sword in the hand of the Azure Sky Sword Elder as he ran beside him.

“......I’ll lend a hand as well.”

“When we get back, I intend to demand proper compensation for this.”

The Glacier Priestess and the sect leader of the Supreme Pole Sword Gate hardened their expressions and joined the attack as well, crashing into the Black Heaven Society’s society leader.

But their battle did not look as if it would end easily.