Inside the smoke from the Smoke Bomb, Silver Moon sent Throwing Tags toward Killing Moon, drawing out his attacks.

THWACK— THUD! THUD THUD THUD—! THUD THUD THUD!

The hidden weapons Killing Moon hurled pierced through one tree and then flew on to bury themselves in the tree behind it.

As Silver Moon drew out his attacks, he measured the time between those two impacts.

In the meantime, unable to fully avoid the hidden weapons, he suffered wounds here and there across his body, but Silver Moon tried again and again.

Until he could precisely grasp the difference in time between the hidden weapon piercing one tree and then striking the second tree.

THUD— THUD THUD THUD— THUD—

He shifted his position like that, drawing out Killing Moon’s attacks several times.

At a certain moment, just before the hidden weapon that had pierced the first tree struck the second tree, Silver Moon caught that hidden weapon with his own hand and, at the very same time, drove his sword into the tree.

KRAK!

The sound was different from that of the hidden weapon, but in that instant, Silver Moon sent another Throwing Tag flying, then revealed himself and drew Killing Moon’s attention.

The smoke from the Smoke Bomb, not yet fully dispersed, hid Silver Moon’s sword blade.

To give Killing Moon no chance to look back, he endured the pain of the Soul-Breaking Severance Sword’s wounds digging into his flesh and poured out attacks.

And then, in a single instant—

Silver Moon poured his entire cultivation into pushing Killing Moon back.

Toward the sword blade he had planted in advance.

THUNK—

The sword blade pierced Killing Moon’s heart exactly.

He had simply forced him back toward the sword blade, but the fact that it led to an instant fatal wound was purely luck.

Huff— Huff—

Silver Moon drew in rough breaths.

“Y-you... since... when....”

GURK—

Killing Moon vomited up congested blood.

The smell of death was on him.

Silver /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Moon approached him.

If, by chance, it was not a wound severe enough to kill, he intended to make absolutely certain to cut off the bastard’s breath.

But then he saw Killing Moon, who had with difficulty lifted his head, freeze with a shocked expression upon seeing him.

Only then did Silver Moon realize that the mask covering his face had been torn.

“Y-you are....”

Silver Moon’s face resembled Blood Demon.

His eyes resembled his mother’s, but apart from that, just at a glance one could tell from his features that he was Blood Demon’s son.

That was also why Silver Moon had insisted on the mask.

Because he did not want the fact that he was his child to be discovered.

Because he wanted to deny that he was the son of such a blood-crazed murder fiend.

Killing Moon’s bewildered gaze worked soundlessly at his lips.

He looked as if he wanted an answer to something, but Silver Moon did not say a single word.

“...Ha....”

A hollow laugh leaked out through Killing Moon’s lips.

So that was it.

Even though they had grown up as the same Blood Demon’s children. Even though they had similar skill.

The reason he had been able to hold on to the position of Second Moon. The reason Blood Demon had placed such particular trust in him.

‘We... weren’t the same kind of child... after all....’

He had lived his entire life trying to catch Blood Demon’s eye.

In that hellish world of the Law of the Strong, he had trampled countless children and stolen their food to survive.

If he was going to live such a disgusting life, then he would just trample them all and become the best.

He would climb to the very top and enjoy the Cult Master’s trust and authority and power, enjoy all of it.

He had lived committing slaughter with nothing but that single goal.

“...What a dog’s... life....”

Killing Moon muttered in a resentful voice.

Those were his last words.

With that, without even closing his eyes, his body went slack and drooped.

“....”

Silver Moon watched Killing Moon for a brief moment, then walked around behind the tree and drew out his own sword.

Deprived of its support, Killing Moon’s body collapsed to the ground with a THUD.

Just as Silver Moon was giving the fallen Killing Moon one more brief look—

“Khk....”

The sharp, tearing pain he had forgotten for a moment surged in as if pouring over him.

Silver Moon, his face twisted in agony, groped at his own chest.

Dark red blood soaked his hand.

Silver Moon’s shoulders rose and fell in great heaves as he stared down at that blood-soaked hand.

After a brief moment—

Huff... Huuuuff....

Silver Moon steadied his breathing.

He tilted his head back toward the sky, and his gaze turned toward the foot of the mountain.

“....”

How long could he endure like this.

The wounds of the Soul-Breaking Severance Sword could only be treated by refraining entirely from using cultivation and leaving his body in the hands of a physician.

The more he used his cultivation, the more the Blood Art’s wounds would dig into his body.

But once they heard the commotion, the Great Blood Cult’s killers would soon be on his trail.

He had no time to treat his wounds.

Silver Moon raised his right arm and looked at the red cloth revealed beneath his torn sleeve.

Time to hesitate was a luxury he could not afford.

RIP—

Silver Moon tore off the already-torn sleeve of his clothes and covered his face.

And then—

TAP—

Silver Moon once more broke into a run.

His destination was the main headquarters of MARTIAL ALLIANCE, located in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

The place where Namgoong Seolhwa was.

****

On the highest pavilion of Fire-Crow Pavilion in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

“Cult Master.”

One killer held something out to Blood Demon, who was looking down at Kunming’s lake.

It was a Carved Token stained with blood, bearing the character “Three.”

It meant that Killing Moon, whom he had ordered to capture Silver Moon, was dead.

Which was to say, they had let Silver Moon escape.

“We are pursuing the bastard’s trail, but have not yet captured him. He is so adept at concealment... please kill me!”

The killer dropped flat to the floor.

He had come to make his report with the resolve to die, and he had no doubt that he would soon die at Blood Demon’s hand.

But contrary to his expectations, Blood Demon showed no reaction at all to Killing Moon’s death or to the news of Silver Moon.

He simply kept looking down at the lake.

How much time passed like that.

For that long stretch of time, the killer did not so much as twitch as he lay prostrate toward Blood Demon.

Then something fell—THUNK—right in front of him.

The killer lifted his head slightly and looked at it.

“!”

It was a Carved Token bearing the character “One.”

The First Blood Token.

“From this moment, you are First Moon.”

“...!”

The killer was aghast.

And then he rejoiced.

That he had become one of the twelve Moons—and not just that, but the highest seat among the twelve Moons, First Moon!

That his worth had been recognized!

“Th-thank you!”

“Are you pleased?”

“!”

The killer snuck a glance at Blood Demon and then immediately slammed his forehead onto the floor with a THUD.

“I will burn this life away and offer my loyalty to the Cult Master!”

“Good.”

A faint chuckle slipped from Blood Demon.

“That is what it is. To obtain an opportunity you never even imagined.”

So that person, too, would see it that way.

When a chance he had thought was his last was given to him once more.

He would weep tears of gratitude and rejoice.

Now that he had clearly realized his mistake, all that would remain was for him to finally cast away his hatred and cling to Blood Demon.

“Why have I never thought of this until now. So my realization is still this far away.”

A small but distinct chuckle leaked out from Blood Demon’s lips.

The killer, unable to understand his words, flinched with a bewildered expression.

“First Moon.”

“Y-yes, Cult Master!”

“It would be such a shame to end things like this. I suppose I must hold a grand feast.”

“!”

The killer’s face, as he looked up at Blood Demon, filled with emotion.

A feast!

To think he would even hold a feast to celebrate his becoming First Moon!

“Rise and come closer.”

“Y-yes...!”

The killer rose at once and walked toward Blood Demon.

Blood Demon led him and set him at his own side.

“Do you see that beautiful lake?”

“Y-yes! I see it!”

“Is it not truly beautiful.”

“It is beautiful with all my heart!”

It was a bit exaggerated, but the word “beautiful” was not a lie.

The lake at night, filled with the brilliant lights of the pavilions, was like the night sky spread out below one’s feet.

“The world is this beautiful.”

To be able to stand side by side with the Cult Master and gaze upon that beauty.

He felt so moved he could almost cry.

“Remember it.”

Just as he was about to answer with all his heart that he would never forget it as long as he lived—

“GURK-!”

In an instant, his vision went black as a crushing pain enveloped his whole body, and in the next moment, his body was already withered and shriveled.

FLOP—

His body, deprived of all strength and Blood Qi, collapsed limply like a sack.

KABOOOOOM—

In Blood Demon’s hand, beside him, a dark crimson ring was rotating.

It was the Blood Qi he had harvested from the killer.

“Hear me, all of you. The time draws near when Blood Heaven will cover the world, and that will be when you may unfurl the resentment you have been suppressing to your hearts’ content.”

KRRR KRRR KRRRRR—

The dark crimson ring grew larger and spun faster and faster above Blood Demon’s hand.

“The foolish masses will kneel before your blood, and the vicious and selfish rabble will lose their heads. O blood brothers sleeping throughout the central plains.”

At the same time as Blood Demon stretched his hand out from the pavilion toward the lake—

“At last, come.”

SHAAAA—

The massive Blood Sphere began, in an instant, to spread out in all directions.

Divided into tens of thousands of tiny droplets, they circled in midair as if they possessed wills of their own, and then soon each flew off toward its own destination.

Blood Demon, hands clasped behind his back, watched his qi as it spread rapidly.

Soon, on the pavilion where the massive Blood Sphere had vanished without leaving a trace as if it had never existed, a tranquil silence flowed.

Only the faint music drifting out from Fire-Crow Pavilion could be heard.

At some point, Blood Demon was once more looking down at the darkly glimmering lake.

His gaze was tinged with loneliness.

“It seems I must at last make ready to receive you.”

A bitter smile flickered at the corner of his mouth for a moment.

Then he turned and left the pavilion.

On the pavilion above, only a single withered, shriveled corpse remained.