WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 773: Episode 34: Brothers (4)
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The activation condition for [Hour of Judgement] of the ‘Demonbane Judge’ was simple.
「Obtain the support of Constellations in the same channel.」
The important part was that not every Constellation in the same channel had to agree.
Unlike the [Hour of Judgement] of the ‘Judge of Evil,’ which would not activate if even one Constellation of the absolute good alignment opposed it, the [Hour of Judgement] of the ‘Demonbane Judge’ could activate with the agreement of just one Constellation.
[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation (Proxy) has agreed to the activation of Hour of Judgement.]
In other words, [Hour of Judgement] could activate even if there was only one Constellation in the channel who agreed.
[The Constellation Plague-Calling Rat opposes the activation of Hour of Judgement!]
[The Constellation Snake Who Cuts Its Tail opposes the activation of Hour of Judgement!]
[The Constellation Dog Who Threw Himself into the Flames opposes the activation of Hour of Judgement!]
As expected, the small fry objected. It didn't matter, though.
What were they going to do when I agreed?
[Hour of Judgement has activated!]
[The Constellation Plague-Calling Rat opens its eyes wide!]
[The Constellation Snake Who Cuts Its Tail cannot hide its embarrassment.]
It felt good to see the shocked Constellations, but this wasn't an especially favorable situation for us.
「All three Judge Attributes share one thing in common. They borrow the Plausibility of ‘Constellations.’」
The Judge passed judgment upon a target on behalf of the Constellations' will, and the Constellations paid the corresponding Plausibility.
The problem was that Plausibility.
[There is currently only one Constellation in this channel that has agreed to Hour of Judgement.]
[Plausibility is insufficient.]
[The activation level of Hour of Judgement is low.]
The ‘Demonbane Judge’ made [Hour of Judgement] easier to activate, but its effects were greatly affected by the Status and number of Constellations agreeing to the skill's activation.
Put simply, Huiwon could only borrow as much Plausibility as one ‘Demon King of Salvation (Proxy)’ could provide.
Tssst, tssst.
Surely the skill wouldn't end before I even had a proper fight?
The high-ranking demon holding the Moon Halberd, the ‘Master of the Spear,’ muttered while gripping my Incarnation body's collar.
[Interesting. To think there would be an Incarnation with the ‘Judge’ Attribute.]
Using Huiwon's mouth, I spoke to him.
“The Gourmet Association has really gone downhill. They're even accepting Historical trash like you into the Gourmet Association.”
[Trash?]
Judging from his expression, I had struck a nerve.
Of course I had. These bastards were probably subcontractors rather than members of the Gourmet Association's main group.
In other words, they were the ones who procured things like 「the Heart of a Ten-Circle Great Mage」 or 「the Right Arm of Some Poor Swordmaster」 for the Gourmet Association to devour.
[You little brat without even a Patron Constellation...]
“Are you disrespecting the Demon King of Salvation?”
I immediately put strength into my back foot. As expected of a born swordsman's body, its muscles moved differently.
As the distance between us closed in an instant, the Master of the Spear commanded lazily.
[Stop her.]
The two high-ranking demons loitering behind him stepped forward as if they had been waiting.
[Master of the Spear. You dare order me around?]
[I was already planning to eat her!]
One carried a pouch of hidden weapons, marking them as a typical assassin.
The other wore battle gauntlets, marking them as a martial artist.
The assassin moved first. Puffing out their cheeks like a frog, they spewed a green poisonous mist and turned the surroundings into a swamp.
[The high-ranking demon Filth Addict has activated Contaminated Zone Lv. 10!]
Filth Addict.
This bastard had been here too?
This Constellation had originally been one of those who followed Yu Junghyeok around like a stalker in the middle rounds of TWSA.
Their battle routine was to lay down a Contaminated Zone, restrict their opponent's movements, then subdue them with highly poisonous needles.
[You look easy to squeeze!]
They liked hunting prey with minimal wounds and had the bizarre hobby of squeezing freshly caught prey dry before eating what came out.
As it happened, TWSA contained a scene where Junghyeok subdued them.
Explained in Junghyeok's style, the method was as follows.
「First, use the protruding tree trunks as footholds and do not step on the ‘Contaminated Zone.’」
Junghyeok's ‘combat textbook’ was too difficult for Inho Cheon to imitate.
But what about ‘Jeong Huiwon’?
[You're quick!]
The moment I leaped into the air to avoid the Contaminated Zone, they spat something out again.
「Second, evade the ‘highly poisonous needles’ flying at you through the air.」
The highly poisonous needles could cut combat ability in half for ten minutes with a single hit. They were the key technique that had allowed the combat-weak Filth Addict to retain their place as a Constellation.
[Exclusive Skill Way of the Wind has activated!]
Of course, it wouldn't work on me.
The instant the stunned Filth Addict opened his eyes wide, I spun in midair, accelerated, and swung my sword at him.
[Pathetic fool. Step back!]
The one who blocked my sword at the last possible moment was the martial artist-style high-ranking demon.
[The high-ranking demon Fist-and-Kick Daoist manifests his Status!]
Fist-and-Kick Daoist.
Like the Master of the Spear, they were a Constellation from the <First Martial World>.
「Once one of the twenty greatest masters of the <First Martial World>, a human who sold his sect and martial arts to a nebula in exchange for preserving his place as a ‘Constellation.’」
Seeing that they were still living as a subcontractor for the Gourmet Association, it seemed that even becoming a Constellation couldn't change the habits someone had when they were human.
[Brat, take this! This is the ‘hundred-step godly fists’!]
Of course, it wasn't [hundred-step godly fists]. The real hundred-step godly fists weren't that sloppy.
[It is the martial art that even forced the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint to kneel!]
If the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint had been here, their head would have flown off in an instant for saying that.
But the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint wasn't here, and Huiwon and I were the only ones who could deal with them.
Faced with a barrage of fist strikes that instantly filled every direction, I staggered backward.
Fast.
No matter how bound by Scenario restrictions they were, a Constellation was still a Constellation. They had once been strong enough to rank among the twenty strongest in the <First Martial World>.
Still, I could manage this.
I could see trajectories that Inho Cheon's eyes had never been able to follow.
[Exclusive Skill Swordsmanship Lv. 10 has activated!]
Being able to see them meant that, if the body's stats could support it, I had a chance to counterattack.
Rumble.
Sword Aura settled into Huiwon's [Swordsmanship], which had already begun to peer beyond the realm of Transcendence.
A talent who had awakened Sword Aura alone. If she had been in the <First Martial World>, she would certainly have competed for the title of strongest under heaven.
The moment the careless Fist-and-Kick Daoist drew in a breath, Huiwon and I were already before his eyes.
[What...]
Sharp sword aura blossomed, avoiding their fist strikes as it traced brilliant arcs.
[Aaaaaargh!]
All I could do was draw out every possibility Huiwon possessed while [Hour of Judgement] lasted.
[Exclusive Skill Demon Slaying Lv. 10 has activated!]
Red ghostly flames flickered around my eyes, and explosive strength surged through me.
Holding Mikazuki Munechika in both hands, I swung again and again.
From top to bottom. Then from left to right.
[You...!]
The wrist of the off-guard Fist-and-Kick Daoist flew through the air.
I didn't miss the opening and slipped into their guard.
[Some Constellations are shocked by the combat ability of the Incarnation Jeong Huiwon!]
The sound of flesh tearing.
Panicked, the Fist-and-Kick Daoist grabbed Mikazuki Munechika's blade with one hand and unleashed a barrage of fist strikes with the other.
[How dare you!]
As long as I didn't let go of the sword, there was nowhere to evade. One hit would burst this body apart.
Even so, I didn't release the sword.
I believed in Huiwon's history.
[Exclusive Attribute Berserk Butcher has activated!]
The indomitable Attribute that had placed her among the hundred strongest in TWSA activated.
Rumble!
Even beneath the pouring fist strikes, Huiwon's body didn't break. The aura covering her whole body burned more fiercely.
The moment the Fist-and-Kick Daoist let out a scream, Huiwon's sword moved again.
[Swordsmanship] and [Demon Slaying]. On top of that, sword strikes wrapped in the power of [Hour of Judgement].
「“I have to become stronger.”」
The time Huiwon had accumulated until now settled over it.
「“I have to swing faster and stronger.”」
I knew who Huiwon had thought of while training with her sword.
It was the most beautiful sword strike she had ever witnessed.
「“That way, I can protect Inho-ssi.”」
Huiwon swung her sword again and again to catch up to that sword strike.
[H-How can a mere human of the Scenario...]
Every single stroke she had swung came together, finally reaching its culmination at Huiwon's fingertips.
A realm ordinary humans could never reach. A wall that even martial masters couldn't cross after hundreds of years of training.
That wall was crumbling before overwhelming talent.
「Transcendence Form, Stage 1.」
A Swordsmanship created to break the Supreme King's sword.
Her Swordsmanship blossomed into brilliant rays of light and split the Incarnation body of the Fist-and-Kick Daoist in half.
[The high-ranking demon Fist-and-Kick Daoist has been killed!]
[The Constellation Fist-and-Kick Daoist suffers a terrible shock and withdraws from the Scenario!]
It was impossible.
Even in the twentieth Scenario, an Incarnation without a Patron Constellation had defeated an Incarnation body possessed by a Historical Constellation.
[Constellations belonging to the Twelve Zodiacs are greatly shocked by the martial might of the Incarnation Jeong Huiwon!]
[Constellations belonging to the Gourmet Association look intrigued!]
[One Constellation that has not yet revealed its modifier watches your battle.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 5,000 Coins.]
[The battle of the Incarnation Jeong Huiwon is being leaked outside the Recycling Center through the Administration Bureau!]
There was no time to be drunk on victory. Huiwon's body was rapidly growing heavier.
[Plausibility is insufficient to maintain Hour of Judgement.]
[The backlash of Madness will begin shortly.]
Without stopping, I swung my sword at the nearby Filth Addict.
Two demons remained. I had to kill the rest while I could still move at all.
However, the Filth Addict, having sensed his companion's defeat, was already fleeing far away.
[Damn it! No one told me there was a monster like that!]
Then only one remained.
[Pathetic. The title of ‘Gourmet Association’ is wasted on you, Fist-and-Kick Daoist.]
Seemingly not very shaken even after watching my battle, the Master of the Spear stared at me with cold eyes.
Then, in the next instant, the Master's figure vanished.
I reflexively swung my sword.
With a deep cracking sound, Mikazuki Munechika broke.
The spear aura released by the Master of the Spear had destroyed Huiwon's Sword Aura and struck Mikazuki Munechika's blade.
Then came a rapid series of spear strikes.
It was frustrating, but the Master of the Spear was the real thing.
Unlike the Fist-and-Kick Daoist, who had sold their sect to a nebula and become a Constellation, he was a Constellation who had truly built his achievements through his own skill.
Blood spurted from wounds carved across my body in an instant.
[Hour of Judgement has ended.]
To make matters worse, [Hour of Judgement] had ended as well.
Terrible pain radiated from every joint in my body. Standing was all I could manage now.
The Master of the Spear smiled as though he had already secured victory.
[An astonishing talent. Had you trained for ten more years, you might have given this old man an entertaining match.]
“If I'd had one more minute, you'd be dead.”
This was enough.
I had reduced three high-ranking demons to one. That was enough to achieve my goal.
[Your mouth is still alive, just as one would expect from someone about to die.]
The Master of the Spear's eyes swept over the body of Huiwon, whom I was possessing.
[What a tremendously desirable Incarnation body. If you wish to live, I shall give you an opportunity. If you become my ‘Incarnation body’...]
The Master of the Spear's expression hardened before he could finish.
The reason was obvious.
A roar came from afar. Something was tearing up the forest path like a tank as it raced toward us.
A pitch-black coat fluttered in the wind.
If Han Suyeong had been here, she would have surely said this.
「“■uck, as expected of the protagonist.”」
Like a fox riding on a tiger's back, I spoke proudly to the high-ranking demon.
“One minute's up, bastard.”
Yu Junghyeok came running up, breathing hard, his eyes directed this way.
It was obvious what he had seen that brought him here.
He must have read the message on the commercial signal flare I had launched earlier.
「There is a demon here who possesses your ‘spear.’」
The Moon Halberd was Junghyeok's decisive weapon in the forty-first round.
From my perspective, it was a stroke of incredible luck that the Master of the Spear had acquired the Moon Halberd.
“Junghyeok! Over here!”
Using Huiwon's voice, I shouted with all my strength.
“Here is the vile scoundrel who stole your spear...”
The Master of the Spear was normally a monster one should never fight, but with the Junghyeok of the forty-first round, he was an enemy we could certainly take on.
If the two of us calmly formed a formation and wore him down...
“Junghyeok?”
But Junghyeok wasn't even looking at me. He was looking somewhere else.
If my Patron Constellation had seen that expression, it would have surely said this.
「“Doesn't that look like the expression he makes when he goes to buy dumplings and there aren't any left?”」
Footnotes:
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