Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 378

Su-ho postponed checking his status window.

Instead, he ran even further.

“Fool.”

There’s nothing as stupid as being drunk on arrogance.

Sugawara no Michizane destroyed himself with his own conceit and arrogance.

The belief that his mind was the smartest, that ordinary people could never withstand what was inside his head.

Of course, if Su-ho had been an ordinary man, he might have succumbed.

But for Su-ho, who had to remember everything he saw once, even a massive flood of information was not such a great threat.

“Of course, I had considered the insurance of Dragon Mind just in case.”

In the end, though, it all ended within the Library of Memory before Dragon Mind even needed to activate.

Su-ho had been running again for some time when—

Shuaaa!

A sharp sound splitting the air.

The moment Su-ho caught it, he twisted his body to dodge.

Pook!

The source of the sound was an arrow.

But it wasn’t just one.

Shuaaa! Pook! Pubook! Pook!

Arrows rained down without pause.

So many that soon their volume swelled, falling like a torrential storm, like the Red Cliff fire arrows.

“It’s begun.”

Su-ho didn’t slow his run, tilting his head up.

Above, something he hadn’t seen before: a giant head floating in the sky like a fortress, spitting arrows like a hwacha.

It was the third spirit of the second stage, the master of this place—Taira no Masakado.

“A rebel executed by decapitation, of course he’s just a head now.”

Exactly so.

Taira no Masakado was once a great rebel of considerable scale and renown. But in the end, he was executed by decapitation.

Yet his power was so supernatural and intense that even with his severed head hung up, his eyes glared for days as he wailed—and in the end, his head was said to have left to search for his body.

His current form, just a head, reflected that legend.

Su-ho immediately prepared to counter.

He began with the Art of Storm and Rain.

[ Art of Storm and Rain activates. ]

Fwhoooosh!

Su-ho used the Art of Storm and Rain he had copied from Otakemaru.

At once, the sky darkened and storm winds rose.

Damn bastard!!

At the sudden storm, Taira no Masakado grimaced and cursed.

It was only natural.

He had fought well against the allied army sent by the court, but at the last moment, a shift in the wind doomed him and he was slain.

And his death wasn’t even glorious.

Just as the wind turned and momentum faltered, the legs of his horse gave way, and a stray arrow struck him in the forehead.

For such a large-scale rebel, it was a shameful end.

Thus, when the system created Taira no Masakado of the Dizzying Mountain, it reflected those traits: a floating head, an arrow stuck in the forehead, and a storm of arrows as his specialty.

So his hypersensitive reaction to Su-ho’s Art of Storm and Rain was only natural—once it activated, fierce winds whipped across the land.

“Not intentional, but lucky for me.”

He had prepared another way to defeat him.

But having gained the Art of Storm and Rain from Otakemaru, it became even easier.

When his storm of arrows no longer landed accurately on Su-ho, Su-ho summoned Cheolma.

“Cheolma!”

“Hiiiiiing!”

The iron horse carrying Su-ho soared high into the sky.

Its body of heavy steel did not sway to Su-ho’s storm winds.

In fact, as a veteran of the skies, it rode the winds to climb even faster.

Su-ho immediately summoned and gripped the Guiyeong Spear.

“Let’s go.”

“Hiiiiiing!”

At Su-ho’s command, the iron horse closed the distance to Taira no Masakado.

Agitated, Taira no Masakado saw him approach and let out furious, wrath-filled cries.

[ Taira no Masakado uses Boss Monster-grade Fear. ]

[ Dragon Blood activates. ]

[ Due to Dragon Mind effect, Fear does not apply. ]

Of course it had no effect.

Whether Three Great Spirits or Four Great Spirits, they were nothing more than evil spirits. There was no way they could surpass a dragon.

As Su-ho closed in, reaching a position less affected by the wind, he hurled his spear.

[ Throwing Spear activates. ]

[ Shadow Pierce activates. ]

[ Shadow Shackles activates. ]

[ Shadow Bleed activates. ]

[ Supreme Restraint activates. ]

The result was excellent.

The spear pierced him true, and the effect of Supreme Restraint flared.

Thanks to the Fragment of Obsession from the Chain Overseer of Suppression, ranked S.

“Let’s go!”

Having locked him in midair, Su-ho charged in with Cheolma.

Then, like paratroopers, he dropped down onto Taira no Masakado.

Su-ho drew his sword.

No need for more buffs.

He was already cloaked in enough.

“I’ll end this in one strike.”

He drew his Blood Sword.

Holy Enchant activated on the drawn blade, radiating sacred brilliance.

Su-ho expanded the Blood Sword’s size, then thrust it down with all his might.

[ Cloud Severance activates. ]

[ Enhancement applies. ]

[ The power of Cloud Severance grows stronger. ]

Ssskkkrrtt!

To cut through Masakado’s enormous head, Steel Severance wasn’t enough—Cloud Severance was the right choice.

And it was.

Su-ho’s sword traced a vast, radiant arc, splitting Taira no Masakado’s head in two, and on the arc of the bisected skull, white flames flared.

Fwoooosh!

Gyaaaaaahhh!!

Masakado screamed in agony.

Falling, Su-ho stepped once more in midair with Leap.

And swung again.

[ Enhancement activates. ]

[ Cloud Severance activates. ]

[ Enhancement applies. ]

[ The power of Cloud Severance grows stronger. ]

This time, the vertical slash crossed with a horizontal one.

And with another swing, the blade ripped open the mouth of the head-only spirit.

[ Taira no Masakado ]

[ A mountain lord has been defeated. ]

[ You have received the recognition of the mountain. ]

[ Your level has increased. ]

[ All stats increased by 1. ]

[ You have obtained 1 bonus stat. ]

The instant his gaping mouth was torn, Taira no Masakado finally died.

For a grand rebel and second-ranked among the Four Great Spirits, it was a pitiful, hollow death.

Naturally, nothing remained.

Even as a giant flying head, his essence was still that of a spirit.

“Hiiiiiing!”

Cheolma returned, carrying Su-ho.

Having lost balance in midair after his final strike, his steed caught him splendidly.

Together, they slowly descended.

By then, the Art of Storm and Rain had ended, and the rain stopped.

“Nice.”

A clean finish.

Now, only one remained.

“Status window, open.”

[ An Su-ho ]

Lv : 242

Class : Rage Crusader

Traits ▲ : <New Blood> <Candidate of Heracles> <King of Annihilation> <Power of the Sun> <Power of the Moon> <Guest of Greed>

Strength (N) : 34

Mana (N) : 34

Perception (B) : 6

Command (N) : 61

Bonus Stats : 2

Su-ho finally checked the window he had postponed.

He placed one bonus stat each into Strength and Mana, then unsummoned Cheolma.

He had delayed the status check while running, but the last opponent required more focus.

Not riding Cheolma was due to the nature of the Dizzying Mountain.

“Didn’t it say any movement other than on foot isn’t recognized?”

Like with the cliff path earlier, because of such peculiarities, all methods except walking weren’t acknowledged.

Good thing he was a regressor. If he hadn’t known, he would’ve wasted much time.

With preparations complete, Su-ho began running again.

Not long after, clear skies appeared.

In the middle of the path, on a tree stump, sat an old man, waiting for him—just like with Otakemaru.

Su-ho slowed his pace, watching him.

“Him.”

The one who, among the Four Great Spirits, held a commander’s position like Otakemaru.

Su-ho slowly approached.

The old man was no feeble elder with a hunched back, but broad-shouldered, upright, with strong muscles, and white hair, brows, and beard thickly framing a fierce visage.

As Su-ho neared, the elder rose slowly from the stump and spoke.

Impressive one. It could not have been an easy road. You’ve endured much to come this far. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Just like Otakemaru.

He already saw Su-ho as beneath him.

At his casual condescension, Su-ho smiled faintly.

“Thanks for the praise. You’re Sutoku Tennō, aren’t you? The master of the Dizzying Mountain, the last in line. Right?”

Kkrrrk! Indeed. I am the final guardian of this place. Without the recognition of the other mountain lords, you could never have reached here.

“Thanks for confirming. Then let’s begin. I’ve business with those after you.”

After me...

At the phrase, Sutoku Tennō’s brow furrowed.

Then he chuckled.

Interesting. To say ‘after me.’ Who are you, to know such things?

“I’m from the future.”

The future?

“Yes. So there’s nothing I don’t know. Which means you should fight with all your strength from the start. Even if you’re called Japan’s Great Demon King, what’s that worth, if my real target lies beyond you?”

Japan’s Great Demon King...

Twitch.

At that title, Sutoku Tennō’s brow twitched again.

Do you know that I was once an Emperor?

“I know. That’s why you bear the title Demon King.”

Emperor and Demon King cannot be on the same level. It seems you lack etiquette—no, even basic sense. I’ll have to teach you everything, from one to ten, myself.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

At that moment—

Kwooooom!!

An immense surge of energy burst from Sutoku Tennō.

The force was so great that Su-ho was flung back.

[ Sutoku Tennō grows wrathful. ]

[ Sutoku Tennō releases his yokai power. ]

Kwagwagwagwagwagwa!!

Release of yokai power.

Since they were all yokai, demons, and spirits, the power they wielded was yokai force.

With its release, Sutoku Tennō’s body grew impossibly huge.

Even his name changed.

Great Tengu Sutoku Tennō Lv.???

Seeing the name card, Su-ho chuckled lightly.

Now even the level wasn’t displayed.

Not because he was the final boss, but because he was a special case.

That was fine.

He had come knowing this.

The Great Tengu Sutoku Tennō kept growing.

He was no mere spirit anymore.

He was a Demon King.

A Great Demon King.

That was why Su-ho had waited for him.

Because at this moment, only he could fulfill one of the things Su-ho sought.

And then, a system notification appeared before Su-ho’s eyes.

[ Conditions met to unlock Giant’s Bloodline. ]