## Chapter 1600 – The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated In The Baek Family
-Stop.
I stopped.
Of course, it wasn’t by my own will. I was forced to stop.
It wasn’t like some force was holding me back, or that my body wasn’t listening. I just stopped, and that’s the only way to explain it.
-In the Demon Realm, there was a rotating waterfall. It was a popular spot among demons for its beautiful scenery. One demon, wanting to see that view forever, used his power. The power of stopping. That demon used his power as he pleased. He would see a pretty bird flying and then taxidermy it, or he would see a dying demon and stop it from dying, putting it in a transparent glass case. I sealed him deep underground where even moonlight couldn’t reach to prevent chaos in the Demon Realm. You’re looking at me like you’re wondering why I’m telling you this. I only created an opening to make that woman appear. It seems she noticed my intention and hasn’t shown herself.
The power of stopping.
Another troublesome power.
The Demon King approaches me. I held my breath, waiting for an opportunity.
He was within arm’s reach. I used magic.
It was fortunate that I was a fairy who could use magic with just my will.
‘Ether magic.’
Ether wraps around my body.
It felt like swimming through the earth, my whole body heavy, but I started to move. The surprised Demon King flew upwards.
[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 6]
I followed with Flash and swung my sword at his waist.
Clang!
The aura blade that could cut through steel like tofu was blocked. The energy flowing through the Demon King’s body was neutralizing the aura blade.
Thunder Heaven Style Ultimate Technique: Sealing Thunder.
Crackling.
Lightning with the property of scattering mana flowed through the aura blade and into the Demon King. The energy flowing through the Demon King’s body wavered unstably.
-Impressive. If I had been a little more careless, I might have suffered a fatal wound.
He waved his hand.
The stop was released. Instead, gravity grabbed my body and pulled me to the ground.
Bang!
The impact, starting from my back, spread throughout my body. I groaned and tried to get up. It wasn’t easy because of the gravity still pulling me down.
-Did you know? There were demons who had the power to turn back time. It was a convenient power, one that I used to favor. But recently, it disappeared, and the power vanished. That woman probably killed them. Am I wrong?
“Do you think I’ll answer your questions so easily?”
-Calm down. I’m just trying to have a conversation with you.
“I have no reason to talk to you.”
-Really? No reason to talk? You need to buy time until that woman arrives.
I realized that Yuria wasn’t here.
I desperately tried to manage my hardening expression and gripped my sword again. It could just be a test.
-I could have killed you earlier. I had 17 opportunities. That woman would have noticed it for sure. But she didn’t appear. If that woman didn’t abandon you… then she must not be here.
The Demon King’s words were filled with certainty. I sighed.
I changed my approach. I decided to buy time by talking, while also recovering from the fatigue caused by the aftereffects of the Thunder Heaven Strike.
“You said you wanted to talk? What’s your purpose?”
-I don’t understand why you are hostile towards me.
“You tried to take Yuria’s body first.”
-Didn’t that end in failure? And I know. You came to this labyrinth to kill me. I don’t know how you found out I was here, though.
“Are you trying to hold hands or something?”
-I will acknowledge half of this world as human territory. I will recognize you as its ruler. In return, I will rule the other half as demon territory.
“What if I refuse? Are you going to try to kill me? You Demon King bastard.”
-Human. I have acknowledged you, but the only reason I’m negotiating is because of that woman who follows you. I can kill you anytime I want. Watch your mouth.
“I refuse. Do you think I don’t know your dirty intentions? In the end, you’ll stab me in the back. Just like how you stabbed the Great Demon in the back to become the Demon King!”
-…You’re a human who knows a lot. I see. First, I’ll break your spirit, then we’ll talk again. I’ll grant you the power of immortality. After dying about a hundred times, you’ll feel like talking to me.
The gravity that was binding my body disappeared. Immediately after, red energy flew towards me from his hand. I knew that was the power of immortality. I decided to take it. If I couldn’t die, I could kill him until he died. Even if I couldn’t kill him, I could buy a lot of time.
-Got you.
The moment the red energy touched my body, it turned into metal restraints. The restraints bound my body. I fell to the ground, unable to do anything.
‘I can’t… use my power!’
-The power of immortality doesn’t exist. If there was such a great power, I wouldn’t be going through this trouble.
“What kind of power is this? The power of restraint?”
-It’s the power of heavenly punishment. Once restrained, you can’t escape until I release you. You’re a hostage. And from now on, I will torture you. Tell me everything about that woman, what her weaknesses are.
Tzzzzzz.
His hand, made of energy, reached out.
I had no intention of being tortured.
‘Heavenly Heart.’
[Activating Heavenly Heart. Duration: 1 minute.]
The restraints were released. At the same time, my fairy body returned to my human form. I felt a sense of discomfort with my suddenly larger body.
[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 5]
My sword, imbued with an aura blade, pierced his solar plexus, the amethyst-colored gem.
Clang!
The sword bounced off. The gem didn’t even have a scratch.
-I don’t know how you escaped the power of heavenly punishment… but you’ve become weaker than when you were a fairy.
Kiiiiiiiiing!
Energy gathered in his right hand and took the form of a sword. Just as he was about to swing the sword at me,
Whirrrrrr.
With the sound of chains rolling, chains rose from the shadows on the floor. Dozens of chains made of shadows targeted the Demon King.
The Demon King gave up his attack and retreated, dodging the shadow chains.
“These chains…”
“I apologize, Master. I’m a little late.”
A silver-haired maid walked out of the shadows.
“Yuria! I knew you’d come.”
“Yes. Thank you for believing in me. I would like to talk to you slowly, Master… but it seems we don’t have that much time.”
She smiled at me, but the moment she looked at the Demon King floating in the air, her expression changed completely. Her eyes were so cold that it made my body tremble.
“You got the shadow chains, Gleipnir, right?”
“Yes. It was quite difficult, but it’s a useful item.”
Click!
Yuria snapped her fingers.
Chains surged from every shadow around us. The ends of the chains were sharp like stakes.
Dozens of chains, each extending from different shadows, moved in slightly different trajectories, pressuring the Demon King. The Demon King flew up, dodging the chains like an acrobat, but he couldn’t completely shake off the pursuit of the shadow chains.
-Stop.
The Demon King used the power of stopping. The shadow chains seemed to stop in mid-air, but then they slowly moved and accelerated rapidly, rushing towards the Demon King.
-Annoying.
The Demon King reached out his hand. The space in front of his hand distorted and coalesced. A small black hole appeared. The black hole sucked in all the rushing shadow chains.
‘As expected, the Demon King’s powers are troublesome. Even with Yuria…’
Suddenly, the world went dark.
I couldn’t see anything. It was a perfect darkness without a trace of light. I knew this technique.
‘The Darkening of the Eternal Heaven Style!’
A technique that instantly darkens space.
I didn’t expect it to darken such a wide space so perfectly.
The darkness disappeared in two seconds.
The Demon King was bound by shadow chains, and Yuria was standing on the chains, stabbing two daggers into the Demon King’s neck and chest.
Two seconds.
It was enough time for Yuria to take the Demon King’s life.
-I don’t understand. Why are you a human?
“I don’t understand either. Why are you so relaxed? My chains have captured your soul. It’s impossible for you to escape from here.”
-It’s not over yet.
The ground shook.
The entire labyrinth was shaking.
Just like on the 50th floor, the labyrinth was collapsing.
‘Damn Demon King bastard. He doesn’t plan to die peacefully.’
Yuria looked slightly up at the collapsing ceiling. She waved her hand. Dozens of shadow chains with a diameter of over 3 meters rose from the shadows on the ground and drove wedges into the ceiling.
-You stopped the collapse of space with those chains? That’s an absurd item. And you, who wield it, are too.
“Have you finished struggling? It’s time for you to die.”
-I admit it. Thanks to you, my plan failed. But it’s not a complete failure. Now that I know there’s a woman like you among humans… let’s call it a gain.
Yuria frowned. She swung her daggers, dismembering the Demon King’s body, and dragged the Demon King’s body out with shadow chains, binding it. The Demon King’s soul began to shatter. The Demon King was calm even as his soul was being destroyed.
-Next time, I’ll face you in a more perfect state.
“……It wasn’t your main body from the beginning.”
The Demon King’s soul shattered. No, it was a clone that shattered.
‘It was a clone from the beginning.’
Thinking about it, the Demon King was using his powers one by one.
‘He used the power of clones to use clones, and the power of domination to use the power of the labyrinth. That’s why he only used one power when facing me and Yuria.’
The Demon King could handle three powers at the same time. He had already used two, and was facing me and Yuria with only one power.
‘Annoying bastard. Where is the main body?’
Yuria came down to the ground. Unlike me, who was anxious, her expression was indifferent.
“Master. There’s nothing to worry about. The Demon King has lost his physical body.”
“That was a clone.”
“The clone was a soul. He sent the soul here to create a physical body.”
Yuria took something out of the shadows. A white, glowing orb. I could feel an unusual power.
“What’s that?”
“It’s the core of this labyrinth. I took it with the administrator’s authority. It’s a pure mass of energy. I brought it to offer to you, Master.”
“…What happens to the labyrinth if I take this?”
“The labyrinth won’t last long and will collapse.”
“Hmm.”
I received the core of the labyrinth.
