A chilling air settled in.

The man looked at Black and spoke.

"Now, choose."

No answer came.

How was he supposed to make a choice in this situation?

Questions rose in his mind, but Black quickly realized the answer.

Woooooooong—!!!

This is...?

Something was seeping in.

From the hand gripping his throat, a force was creeping into his body.

"If you choose to follow me, then do not resist. Accept it."

Woooooong—!!!

"Kh...!?"

What was this energy? He couldn’t tell.

Slowly, it burrowed from the outside into his core.

Like insects gnawing away at flesh, devouring it little by little—

Like a wound festering, refusing to stop rotting.

The pain was relentless.

He felt like vomiting, but even that was beyond him.

"If you refuse, then speak. I will grant you that mercy."

"Kgggghh—!!"

He was told to speak, yet his lips could form no words.

All he could manage were strained, choked breaths amid the agony.

How could he reject anything like this?

As he struggled, failing to utter even a single word—

"No answer? That means acceptance, doesn’t it?"

The man smiled, as if he had expected this all along.

Only then did Black realize—

This bastard... from the very start...

He had never been given a choice.

This was never a negotiation.

The path had already been decided—

all he was meant to do was walk it.

With that bitter realization, Black clenched his teeth.

Kwoooooooosh—!!!!!

"AGHHHH—!!"

As the energy surged, his consciousness finally shattered.

***

CRAAACK—!!!

With a deafening crash, a tree toppled over.

It had looked like an ancient giant, but it fell too easily.

THUD-! THUD-THUD!!

Not just trees.

Rocks, the flat ground itself—

Everything around was breaking, crumbling into ruin.

Amidst this chaotic storm—

KRRRROOOOOOOH—!!!

For some reason, the roar of a beast echoed through the destruction.

The wind lashed, lifting sand high into the air.

The debris scattered, suspended for a brief moment—

BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG—!!

Then, as if weighed down, everything came crashing back to the ground.

THUD—!!

THUD-THUD-THUD—!!!

A downpour of shattered remains turned the earth into a wasteland.

"Haa... haa..."

At the center ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) of it all, the cause of this carnage gasped for breath.

Not out of exhaustion.

A mere young man would not tire from something like this.

It was nothing more than an expression of rage.

His labored breaths, his twisted face, his swelling muscles—

None of it was fatigue.

It was a means to vent.

Damn it.

What had he done? The memories of the banquet made him grind his teeth.

Damn it...!

Gritting his teeth in fury, the young man turned his gaze backward.

Fangs bared, he growled.

"Stop staring. If you have something to say, come out and say it—!"

He shouted and grabbed a fallen tree, hurling it forward.

The moment he threw it, his shoulders expanded, his frame enlarging.

WHOOOOOSH—!!!!

The massive trunk sliced through the air like a missile.

And then—

Slash.

A sharp sound rang out.

The tree split cleanly in two, scattering into pieces.

THUD—!!

The broken halves crashed to the ground.

Through the gap, a figure stepped forward, approaching the young man—Yusa.

"Tsk. Still as ill-tempered as ever.

Did throwing a tantrum help clear your head?"

"...Kggghhh—!!"

Yusa’s face contorted like a demon’s.

His rage twisted his expression, his pupils splitting apart.

Seeing that, the old man chuckled and shifted his footing slightly.

And in that moment—

Somehow, the old man was already standing right in front of Yusa.

"Look at those eyes."

The old man—Shin Noya—peered at Yusa with sharp, unyielding eyes.

"What? You wanna take a swing at me?"

"You damn...!!"

"Heh."

Yusa immediately moved his arm, ready to strike.

And yet—

Shin Noya did not move.

He merely watched.

His vivid crimson eyes locked onto Yusa, unwavering.

Yusa hesitated.

"Well?"

Shin Noya taunted.

"Why stop? Keep going. Why are you hesitating?"

"...Tch."

The mocking tone made Yusa grind his teeth.

And yet—

Despite himself, he did not continue his strike.

Not for any grand reason.

Only because—

If I swing my arm now—

If he extended it just a bit further—

It’ll be cut off.

His arm would be severed clean.

Yusa trusted his instincts.

He was certain that, among everyone in Mangye, his instincts were the sharpest.

They had won him countless battles.

They had kept him alive.

This wasn’t just a hunch.

It was certainty.

That damned old bastard...!

Yusa narrowed his eyes at Shin Noya.

The old man’s hands were behind his back.

There was no sword at his waist.

Then where...?

Where was this overwhelming killing aura coming from?

There wasn’t a single weapon in sight.

And yet, from Shin Noya —

A blade’s presence.

So sharp it would slice flesh with the faintest touch.

So honed that it carried the weight of countless deaths.

And that—

That was what Shin Noya carried within him.

"Hmm."

For some reason, as he silently watched Yusa, Shin Noya clicked his tongue.

"Tsk! How boring. Still as much of a coward as ever."

"...Shut up."

Kwooooosh—!!

Yusa flicked his outstretched hand into the air.

The compressed energy he had gathered erupted, bursting into the empty space.

The sheer destructive force was immense, yet Shin Noya didn’t seem to care in the slightest. He simply continued speaking as he looked at Yusa.

"Well? I think I’ve given you more than enough time to think it over."

"......"

"You’re free to keep pondering, but don’t you think it’s about time for a proper answer?"

"...An answer to what, exactly?"

"What else?"

Shin Noya smiled.

Yusa, without realizing it, flinched.

Visually, there was nothing off about him, and yet—

that smile felt eerily threatening.

"Stop fooling around and just take our hand already."

"...Ha."

Hearing that, Yusa let out a hollow laugh.

"Take your hand...? Me? With you?"

"No, Yusa. That’s not it."

"What?"

"Not just me—us."

"......"

For a moment, Yusa wore a blank expression.

Not me—us?

As he turned the words over in his mind, realization struck.

"...You’re telling me to align myself with that so-called Hwasan Sect of yours?"

The absurdity of it made him want to laugh.

"As if joining forces with something like that would change—"

"Don’t you want to be the master?"

"...!"

At Shin Noya’s words, Yusa fell silent.

At the same time, his already widened pupils split open.

"You’ve lost your damn mind...! Do you even realize where we are?"

His voice came out rough as he hastily glanced around.

There was only one reason Yusa was reacting this way.

Right now, the Master was somewhere in Yahwol.

If she were to hear even a fragment of what had just been said—

"That would be the day Yahwol meets its end."

If she so wished, she could reduce this place to nothing with just a few flicks of her hand.

Simply as an amusement.

She had that kind of power.

She was that kind of being.

"Damn it."

As that thought crossed his mind, Yusa clenched his face in frustration.

Yet, Shin Noya remained utterly composed.

"At any rate, she’s too occupied keeping the underground sealed. Her true body can’t move right now. Are you really afraid of nothing more than an empty husk?"

Her true body was trapped.

If she moved even slightly, it would trigger an unprecedented disaster.

That was why she had no choice but to remain completely still.

In a situation like this—

"Isn’t this your chance?"

By all accounts, this was an opportunity for Yusa.

"Think about it. Not only would it solidify your place as a General, but..."

Shin Noya paused for a moment before adding—

"It might even allow you to achieve what you originally wanted."

"Ha... And what do you think that is?"

"You wanted to be the Master."

"...!"

At those words, Yusa’s lips snapped shut.

"Among the current Generals, you’re the only one who has lived a life comparable to hers. The only pureblooded Moonlit Night Tribe."

Crunch.

Shin Noya took a step forward.

Somewhere, a single plum blossom drifted through the air.

"I heard that you once dreamed of becoming the Master, but failed. Do you truly have no regrets?"

"...I am satisfied with the position she has given me. Stop with the nonsense."

"Oh? That’s quite strange."

A grin stretched across Shin Noya’s face.

"Because from where I’m standing, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all."

"...What are you implying?"

"What else? You went through the trouble of hosting a banquet, only to waste time exchanging meaningless pleasantries with those so-called leaders."

As he spoke, Shin Noya continued walking forward—until he was standing right in front of Yusa.

Their gazes locked.

"And yet, despite knowing what’s happening in Yahwol, despite knowing how it all ties to Hwasan... you didn’t say a single word about it, did you?"

"...!!"

Yusa’s eyes widened in shock.

How did he know?

There had been no trace of him at the banquet.

Had he been watching?

Yusa hesitated, unsure how to react, and—

"I was right, then."

Shin Noya spoke as if it were already confirmed.

Only then did Yusa realize—he had walked right into it.

"You bastard...!"

"Why did you keep quiet? You know what’s happening in Yahwol. You know it’s connected to Hwasan. And yet, you said nothing. Why?"

"......"

"Because despite claiming to be satisfied, you’re still hoping. Hoping that things can change."

Hoping for a chance to change things.

Those words struck deep.

Yusa stood silent for a long moment before finally grinding out—

"...What exactly... do you want from me?"

That was when Shin Noya’s gaze narrowed slightly.

Because those were the words he had been waiting for.

Now was the moment.

"Do you truly believe this Mangye is as it should be?"

With that, Shin Noya spoke the words he had prepared.

Yusa did not answer.

As it should be?

Of course not.

At least, not for him.

"It isn’t. Which is why—"

Shin Noya’s voice remained steady.

"Together, we will correct this twisted Mangye—with her."

"Her...?"

"Yes."

Shin Noya swallowed the irritation clawing at his throat.

Then, with a flick of his robe—

Whoosh—!

The white martial uniform he wore fluttered as he turned.

"The rightful blood of Mangye. The one who should truly stand in Yahwol."

"Yarang."

"Yarang. She, not the current ruler, is the true heir of Mangye.

"...What?"

Yusa’s eyes widened in shock.