Chapter 138 - Blood Steam Battle - 3 (1/2)

Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing went where Sok Yeong-Gi was fighting. Jin-Sang's last remaining spirit soldier looked nervously at the approach of that pair of young martial artists who had completely reversed the situation. If his other two companions hadn't had a chance to survive, he too wouldn't have been able to.

Plunging from the sky, Hei blocked the way for the enemy spirit soldier. On the other side, Sok Yeong-Gi smiled as he prepared to savor revenge against the enemy who had overpowered him so far.

”Nice job, Hei. Keep him busy so that I can deal the final blow.” Sok Yeong-Gi grinned wickedly at the enemy who instead had a look full of terror and despair. It was over now. There was no escape.

Upon hearing the words of Sok Yeong-Gi, Hei smiled and replied, ”Of course, I will do as you say.”

Hei then launched a series of attacks against the poor unfortunate who had remained without allies. With the amplifying effect of spirit power resulting from the Battle Formation, it wasn't a problem to face the second stage spirit soldier, considering that the enemy had spent part of his energies against Sok Yeong-Gi.

Sok Yeong-Gi charged his spirit power left in his sword and made his final move. The metal blade flashed in the air with a hissing sound as it cut towards the enemy. The spirit soldier of Jin-Sang tried to defend himself with his weapon; however, Hei prevented it by intercepting the trajectory of the weapon.

Slash!

Jin-Sang's sword tore the enemy's chest with an oblique wound from the right shoulder to the left hip. The spirit soldier who had just been cut could only curse his bad luck as he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

Swoosh! Clench!

It was at that moment when the enemy's corpse had just begun its descent, and Sok Yeong-Gi still had his sword lowered from the movement previously performed. Lian's two ribbons furtively moved and went to wrap the two fighters forcefully. Sok Yeong-Gi, currently without strength, was taken aback as he was tied to the still-hot corpse of his enemy.

”HEY! What the fuck are you thinking of doing?!” Sok Yeong-Gi roared angrily, not understanding Hei's intentions.

So far, Hei had helped Won Byung-Chul and Ryuk‌ ‌Gyeong-Su so that they could go to help Ho Ri-Na. Sok Yeong-Gi thought Hei would do the same with him too, but apparently, he was wrong. Hei didn't think of reserving the same favorable treatment at all.

”A simple showdown,” Hei replied as he lowered himself to the same height as Sok Yeong-Gi and looked him in the eye. ”If you think I haven't understood your hostility towards me, you're wrong. Not to mention the whale episode - you didn't give the order because you were confident in our abilities; you just wanted to use us as a shield.”

Hearing this, Sok Yeong-Gi turned white. Swallowing a bitter bite, he tried to reply, ”But no... what are you saying? I have never had any hostility towards you. Besides, the order of that time with the whale was because you and your partner were the only ones in the seventh stage capable of stalling a second-level spirit beast. You have to believe me.”

”Although what you say is true, and I doubt it. However, I can't let you go. I can't afford to put my family's life at risk. Goodbye, Sok Yeong-Gi.”

”No, no... wait. Wait I told you-!” While Sok Yeong-Gi pleaded to be spared, Hei twisted the neck of Ho Ri-Na's spirit soldier. Then, to make sure he was dead, he took his head off and threw it into the sea with his body, after recovering his space ring and the killed spirit soldier of Jin-Sang's one.

From a distance, Jin-Sang laughed madly at that scene. ”Ho Ri-Na! Ho Ri-Na! Haha! You make me laugh. You like putting on airs with that stupid name of Steam Goddess, but in reality, you are just a stupid woman who is being manipulated by two kids.”

Hearing the Red Devil's provocation, Ho Ri-Na snorted before replying, ”You don't have the qualifications to scold me Jin-Sang. Weren't you also made fun of all the time by them?”

At Ho Ri-Na's reply, Jin-Sang's smile faded. It was true. He couldn't deny it. Those who had considered two small insects had ended up destroying his plans. But the last word had yet to be said.

”Ho Ri-Na. I propose an agreement. With these two spirit soldiers who are fighting with you, you have the strength to defeat me. But for what purpose? We'll just end up killing each other, and those kids will have won effortlessly. Join me and kill those brats. After that, we'll end our fight.”

Jin-Sang's plan was simple - to appeal to the dislike Ho Ri-Na felt towards Hei and Lian after Ho Yeon-Hong's kidnapping and forcing her to hand over the map fragments. But his proposal didn't go as well as he hoped.

”Haha! Red Devil, how low have you fallen?. With your contemptuous behavior deriving from your trust in your Red Shark Bloodline, you have dominated so far with an iron fist. And now you want to propose an alliance instead? Do not make me laugh. Since you like to define women as objects that are only good at heating men's beds, then as a man, you should behave as such.”

”Bitch! Don't get your head up. Even so, don't think you can handle my strength. I will kill you three and then those two brats and become the Pirate King!”

The fight between Jin-Sang and the group formed by Ho Ri-Na, Won Byung-Chul, and Ryuk‌ ‌Gyeong-Su continued. The reason Hei had killed Sok Yeong-Gi was to avoid giving too much advantage to the Steam Goddess. Not only against the Red Devil but also himself. By doing this, the fight would have consumed almost all the forces of both sides. At that point then, it would have been easy to kill the Red Devil and make Ho Ri-Na obey their agreement, even by force, if necessary.

And so, Hei and Lian waited as they meditated in midair to recover their lost spirit power. Xing and Ye began to look lazily at the clash between the four spirit soldiers. Sparks and metallic noise spread from all sides - the Red Devil was using his blood swords created by his Blood Law to torment Ho Ri-Na and his with a myriad of attacks. The group of Ho Ri-Na parried as they could, filling their gaps between them and making sure not to be injured under the blows of the Red Devil. However, it was easier said than done due to the power of the enemy.