Reborn As The Villain-Chapter 341: SS - 23: Two Martial God Candidates Clash

A blazing inferno roared, its flames licking the sky, rising as high as a small house.

Cinders drifted through the air, glowing embers carried by the heat, painting the afternoon sky in flickering orange hues.

Seeing the flames, Ko stood frozen, his body refusing to move. The past he had desperately tried to bury struck him like a sledgehammer to the gut.

Screams echoed in his mind. Faces—twisted in terror, rage, and agony—surfaced one after another, each one a ghost clawing at his conscience.

He remembered the weight of the blade in his hand, the heat of the blood that had splattered against his skin and his call to the god of death.

Every cut.

Every thrust.

Every life he had taken in the name of "strength".

The smell of charred skin.

He recalled them all as if it was happening all over again.

"Your Majesty! Above!" upon the servant's yell, Ko looked up. Several shadowy figures were heading straight for the palace and before he could make sense of who they were, individuals wearing blue clothing suddenly crashed through the windows. Several screams rang out as people tried to flee.

Why would he not move? He's supposed to protect his people even if he took their empire by force. It was the obligation of an emperor to protect his citizens. He was hoping to win their hearts through his strength alone but protecting them might be a better strategy for that.

"Restrain them! Ack—!" one of the guards shouted before being cut down by a blue-robed figure. Blood sprayed across the white tablecloths, staining the once-elegant setting.

"Curs!" one of the inner martials charged at the intruders, however, he was quickly overwhelmed by just one of them, the largest one out of the group.

How are they strong enough to take on an Inner Martial!? Even Ko was bewildered.

Before Ko could give out orders, the big doors to the banquet hall entrance were swung open. Everyone's attention turned towards them as two individuals stepped through.

One was a woman wearing a mask and the same blue colors as the rest and the other—

"It's Funiji Kaijin! He's the one responsible for this!?" one of the nobles shouted.

Accompanying the hourglass-figured woman was a tall handsome man with a piercing icy glare. He wore fancy blue robes that gracefully slid across the marbled floor. Despite wearing these elegant robes, one could still see his broad shoulders and muscular upper body.

"...You breached the oath me made." Ko said, making Funiji stop.

Funiji spoke, his powerful voice reaching even the furthest corner of this large banquet hall.

"—I agreed on the basis of our equal strength. However, due to fortunate circumstances granting me a level of strength beyond what you could even fathom," he clenched his fist, that action alone sending a rumble through the banquet hall, "I need not adhere to the deal we made."

Ko slowly walked towards Funiji.

The woman was about to step in front of Funiji but he held her back.

"Did you offer up thousands of souls to the River of Souls?"

"Why would I want to rely on that snake that hates martials like me? Besides, seeking strength from external sources is something I would be greatly ashamed by."

Ko made an unreadable expression. It wasn't obvious at first but his clenched fists were shaking a bit.

"Standing in front of you now, I am certain it was you..." he said suddenly.

"It was me?"

"...It was you who released your killing intent over the empire two nights ago. Do you feel pride doing such a childish thing? Our decree dictates that once killing intent is released, blood must be drawn—yet you fled like a coward from me."

"I do not care for some decree written for humans by the Martial Gods. I myself am beyond what humans can hope to reach in a million lifetimes!" Funiji glanced around the room, "Hmm. The insolence of lifting your heads while in my presence will be punished dearly once I kill your emperor. I will remember your faces so silently pray for your family because you will never see them again."

"Eek!" one of the nobles, who he made eye contact with, fell on his butt and trembled.

Taking that as a sign, the others hurriedly lowered their heads. They knew that Funiji would even cut their heads off for daring to make eye contact with him.

"What is your second reason for doing through all this trouble ...?" Ko pointed outside the window, "There must be another reason other than the martial art book."

In response, Funiji chuckled before walking past Ko. Then when he was right next to the window, he threw his arm to the side, making his robe flutter magnificently, "Face me at full strength and then I shall indulge you."

The next moment he jumped through the window and vanished.

"P-Papa!" Sing, finally gaining the courage to speak, tried to call out to her father but his own shout drowned out hers.

"Protect my daughter! I will confront the trash responsible for this myself!"

"Aye!" four of the Inner Martials surrounded Sing the next moment while the rest held the intruders back.

Without delay, Ko followed after "Funiji", both of them disappearing into the distance.

"W-Why is Funiji attacking us!?" one of the nobles shouted in disbelief, "He said he wouldn't do so unless Emperor Ko falls in battle!"

"Things have worked out fine so far so what changed..."

"You heard it yourself. He is more powerful and confident he can win against Ko." Nova replied in a voice devoid of concern or panic. Even in this situation, he seemed cool to the people.

"H-Hey, don't his men seem a bit too strong that even the Inner Martials are struggling...?"

Unbeknownst to them, Arnold's clones were among them and easily fighting the Inner Martials on equal grounds. All of them were above level 90 but Arnold's clones could handle them. Chief Soryu—the tallest of the intruders—was also overwhelming his opponents without a sweat.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit...! I should've left this nation a long time ago even at the expense of my wealth!"

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"Funiji is going to kill us..."

All of them wanted to run from this place but—too afraid to get attacked while running away—decided to huddle close to Nova.

"You there!" one of the martials looked at Ruria, "Take Her Highness to her room and pick up the lamp that's right next to her door on the floor—that will activate a magic seal that will keep her safe! I'll be right behind you!"

"Got it!" Ruria was worried at first that they'll get in the way of the plan but this was fine too. She can just make sure Sing is safe and while running, snatch the necklace from her neck, "Let's go, Princess!" with the chaos going on outside, she can use it to her advantage.

"B-but Mama! Where is she!?"

"With Lian! She's a pro with talismans so she'll be alright! We need to hurry! Look, one of the intruders is fighting on equal grounds with an Inner Martial! It's dangerous here!"

That was probably Rasuke fighting the Inner Martial. Ruria didn't expect the former prince to be that strong.

"N-No way."

Sing never imagined there were people who could match the Inner Martials in power besides her Papa. There's a rumor going around that the Inner Martials miraculously got a power boost through some enlightenment ritual that Ko performed. This rumor wasn't that absurd since there's a legend that martial gods extended that same honor to humans back when they still lived in the mortal worlds. If it's a martial god candidate, perhaps something similar to that is possible?

But how was the enemy capable of standing equally to the empire's most elite?

Even though Sing knew her Papa was the strongest, she feared how powerful the leader of these men was.

Could her Papa be... in danger...?

"H-Hey!" Sing broke free from Ruria's grip and ran towards Nova, who for some reason, was standing idly in all this chaos. He wasn't helping anyone, as if their lives were insignificant. Be that as it may, people were cowering behind him after they realized the enemies weren't attacking him, thinking they were scared of Nova.

"Nova!" Sing pulled on his sleeve when she arrived in front of him.

"?" he glanced down.

"Help Papa!"

Sing had a bad feeling about all this. She wasn't certain her Papa would survive this clash.

"The current Funiji is out of my league." He said simply, surprising the nobles.

"...Eh?" Sing's eyes turned blank hearing that, "T-That's not true! You defeated Miss Mian and that ape face man easily! You haven't fought at full power, right!?"

"Just because the gap between me and those two are large doesn't mean it's large enough for me to be near or above Ko's level. Your father could die in this fight."

'N-No way..."

"We need to go, Princess. I'll go find Miss Mian and tell her to help your Papa, okay? But we need you to hide in your room." Ruria held out her hand to the princess.

"...Okay..." she bit her lip but gave Ruria her hand.

The two soon left the banquet hall.

Ruria clutched Sing's hand as they sprinted up the sweeping marble stairs. The palace corridors echoed with panicked shouts and clashing sounds from the chaos below. Suddenly, a violent explosion rocked the ancient walls, sending tremors down the hall. Chandeliers swayed overhead, and bursts of dust and debris danced in the flickering torchlight.

"Kyaah!"

In that split second of disarray, Ruria's eyes darted to the glint of the necklace resting against Sing's collar. With a swift movement, she snatched it away before catching the princess. You would think there's some protection holding the chains together but it was surprisingly easy to snap.

Sing's eyes widened in confusion and fear as they continued their frantic ascent, the reverberating blast fading into a distant rumble behind them.

'Geez, how many targets are they thinking of blowing up?' Ruria and Sing arrived on the second floor. She could sense someone following them. It must be the martial from earlier who ordered her to flee and hide the princess.

Thinking it would be troublesome if he finds out where she's going, Ruria erased her presence and pulled Sing into the shadows with her.

"W-What's going on!?" bewildered, the little princess clutched Ruria in this unending darkness.

Ruria jumped from room to room, using the shadows as footpaths. In just under 10 seconds, they reached Sing's room.

"I-I think I'm gonna throw up." The little princess held her small hands over her mouth. Shadow jumping can be disorienting for first timers so she could understand why the princess felt nauseous.

"Your Highness, listen to me carefully." Ruria placed her hands on the princess' shoulders, "Under no circumstances should you open the door. We don't know what these people want or what abilities they have."

"B-But Mama..."

"I'll find the empress and Lian and lead them here. I promise." Since Lian shouldn't be capable of shadow jumping, Ruria will just have to create a path in the walls of the palace which she can follow.

"..."

"Will you be okay?"

"...Nn."

Ruria patted Sing's head before walking over to the door and picking up the lamp. Immediately after, the same kind of barrier that surrounded the mausoleum appeared in front of Sing's door.

'Her necklace must be the key for this door. I should come straight back after we open the mausoleum.'

She looked back at the princess, noticing that she was hugging that ugly doll and trembling.

"...I won't take long, I promise." Ruria reassured before jumping through the same wall she entered.

**

Ko and Arnold were now standing in a desolate wasteland, the scorched trees and mountains of debris a reminder of a battle that once took place here.

"Tell your servant to back off or I will kill her too."

"I can't shake her off no matter how much I try so you will have to bear with it. But not to worry, I am not cowardice enough to face one person in a group. I believe that you are the one in need of allies."

"Your provocations might've worked in our youth but I will not fall for them now."

'Oh? They've known each other since they were young?'

"Oh, Ko Johun is a changed man? Hahahaha! Tell me, have you always sought strength through shortcuts or was this something you decided to follow through after you noticed how low your talent for martial arts truly is?"

"I—"

"Well, it doesn't matter. By seeking shortcuts, you have thrown away your honor as a martial for a little power boost."

"And what of you, old friend? How did you become so strong? Before we discovered the book in the Sword God's relic tomb, you were considerably weaker than me. Yet after the war with the sects—when we established the agreement—you became my equal. Such a fast power gain is not natural. I have withheld any open suspicion so far but would like to know the true reason before I kill you."

"HAHAHAHAHA! The audacity to show such arrogance in front of your betters! You have truly gone senile after all these years! I shall tell you how I surpassed you if you can place your blade to my neck!"

Arnold launched himself forward like a cannonball, his feet leaving deep craters in the shattered earth. In an instant, he closed the gap, his fist slicing through the air toward Ko's jaw.

Ko twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the punch, countering with a palm strike aimed at Arnold's ribcage. The impact sent out a thunderous shockwave, shattering boulders in the vicinity. Arnold skidded back but regained his footing, grinning wildly as he dashed forward again, his fists blurring into a flurry of strikes.

Their battle became a blur of movement—punches, elbows, and knee strikes exchanged with inhuman speed. Each collision of their bodies sent tremors through the land. The sheer force of their blows sent arcs of energy ripping through the battlefield, carving deep scars into the terrain.

Arnold leaped, twisting midair to deliver a downward axe kick. Ko raised his arm, blocking the attack with his forearm. The ground beneath them cratered violently, sending chunks of rock hurtling into the sky like meteors.

Ko retaliated, spinning into a devastating roundhouse kick. Arnold ducked, countering with an explosive uppercut that sent his opponent hurtling back. The moment Ko's feet touched the ground, he propelled himself forward with an even stronger force, meeting Arnold head-on.

A thunderous collision erupted as their fists met once more, splitting the sky apart. A massive shockwave spread across the battlefield, flattening the surrounding forest, sending ancient trees crashing down like brittle twigs.

Neither fighter was showing any signs of fatigue even though they were throwing a thousand punches nearly every second.

The masked woman stood idly by, her presence untouched by the chaos. The swirling storm of destruction passed through her like mist, as if the very laws of nature was refusing to acknowledge her existence.

Arnold suddenly jumped back with a smirk as he bit his finger. He then swung his arm in an arc. That arm was covered in Aether.

[Scorched Blood Wave]. Not an official skill name but something he named himself.

"?" Ko was surprised by that strange action for a second. But the next moment, a torrent of pure destructive infernos that swallowed Ko. An explosion then erupted.

The shockwave from that explosion ripped through the air like a calamity, tearing apart the very fabric of the land. Mountains in the distance quaked, forests were reduced to cinders, and a towering dust storm rose to the heavens. The sheer force of the detonation shattered the earth, creating a crater so deep it looked as if a piece of the world had been gouged out.

For ten kilometers in every direction, the aftermath was absolute devastation. The pressure alone flattened everything in its wake—trees, boulders, even the clouds above were momentarily torn apart by the sheer force of the blast.

'I didn't expect this attack to be so devastating.' Arnold examined the chaos. The last time he used this energy to detonate blood was in his fight with Kalda.

It was dangerous to use his own blood since the spark can travel up his bloodstream but he was already capable of stopping such a thing from happening. It's not like Aether is any different from Sword Intent—which he has used as long as Aura—aside from being astronomically more powerful. His finger was already healed by the time he wiped the blood off his mouth.

When the smoke settled, a white energy was the first thing that caught Arnold's attention.

But the next thing that caught his attention was a gigantic swirling pool of pure red energy in the shape of a phoenix right above Ko who was lifting his arm.

"Hmph!" with a grunt, Ko shot out his raised arm, causing the giant stream of energy to head for Arnold.

Standing still, Arnold waited for the energy.

Strangely, Ko's destructive skill passed right through Arnold.

"Wha—Kuh!" just when he was about to let out a voice of surprise, he was attacked from the side. The attack was anything but weak.

Ko looked to the side, seeing a floating arm next to him.

'Is this Mian Xi's technique!?' he struck the arm with his sword but it went right through.

"Uk!" the arm grabbed his throat. It was ridiculously powerful for just a single arm, "Kah!" another arm appeared and punched him in the gut. Every second that passed by, he felt himself being drained.

"Ahhhhh!" Ko's robes and hair turned into living fire itself as it swallowed up this whole region like a damn that just burst.

Underestimating his old friend and holding back was going to get him killed.

As such, it was best to kill him right here, right now.