Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 468: You're Asking If I Can Do It?

Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”
"...What?" Baek Suryong asked the Divine Azure Dragon Sword even as he kept his guard up against the Fourth Apostle, [What do you mean, you sense the Blood Demon's sorcery?]
Conversing with the Divine Azure Dragon Sword in front of the Fourth Apostle wouldn't necessarily reveal her identity, but since this involved the Blood Demon, it was better to err on the side of caution.
[...How cruel. To think he carved sorcery into a living person's heart. I can't imagine how terribly painful it must have been...]
Baek Suryong felt a powerful wave of emotion hit him as the Divine Azure Dragon Sword's sorrow and rage were conveyed directly to him.
[Like yours, I couldn't see the Fourth Apostle's fate at all, but now I understand. It was because his fate had been bound by a heaven-defying spell. Oh my goodness, just how horrifying is the Blood Demon?]
VWOOONG!
The blade of the Divine Azure Dragon Sword vibrated, emitting spiritual qi.
The Fourth Apostle narrowed his eyes and frowned, instinctively repulsed by that pure energy.
BOOM!
He took a step forward, shifting his center of gravity to the front.
Baek Suryong was familiar with this movement. Number Four had a habit of always doing this right before an attack.
Anyway, he didn't exactly have the leisure to hear the details from the Divine Azure Dragon Sword. Channeling the Heaven Defying Divine Art, he quickly asked, [That spell. What exactly does it do?]
[I need to examine the sorcery a bit more to know for sure, but my guess is...]
The Divine Azure Dragon Sword trailed off, but Baek Suryong could guess the Blood Demon's intentions well enough without hearing it.
[It's either a sorcery to enforce eternal loyalty or something to strengthen the restrictions already in place.]
[...Yes, probably.]
Baek Suryong bit his lip. As expected, the Blood Demon or the Demonic Strategist must have done that to ensure that no matter how strong the Fourth Apostle became in the future, he would never harbor thoughts of betrayal or seek freedom.
No wonder it felt strange.
The current Number Four had surpassed Master Maeng, and it was likely the same for the others. Regardless of how intense the restrictions and brainwashing they experienced as children were, it was abnormal for a peerless master who had transcended human limits to remain mind-controlled.
However, he could understand why it was like that if a transcendent existence like the Blood Demon was involved.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, a fierce wind assaulted him, and a giant fist filled his vision. The Fourth Apostle didn't miss even the slightest lapse in his opponent's focus.
CLANG!
A thunderous roar erupted as Baek Suryong slid backward. Thankfully, the Divine Azure Dragon Sword was sturdy enough to deflect the attack, as any other weapon would have shattered from that impact.
The Fourth Apostle didn't give Baek Suryong time to catch his breath. He unleashed a barrage of attacks, determined not to lose the initiative he had seized.
RUMBLE!
Despite his injuries, the Fourth Apostle hadn't weakened at all. Rather, the force behind each of his strikes seemed even greater than before, as if he were venting his anger.
"Kuh...!" Groaning, Baek Suryong frantically blocked the Fourth Apostle's relentless onslaught. If he slipped up even once, his entire body would be crushed.
Despite using the Heaven Defying Divine Art, he couldn't gain the upper hand. Since the Fourth Apostle had never learned demonic arts, but rather the Bandit King's divine art, he was unaffected by the Blood Demon Eyes.
RUMBLE...!
The ground where the two were fighting sank lower and lower with each impact.
Baek Suryong clenched his teeth and called upon the Divine Azure Dragon Sword. [Is there no way to remove the sorcery carved into his heart?]
[If you could make direct contact, even for a moment, I could give it a try...]
WHAM!
Baek Suryong deflected the Fourth Apostle's roundhouse kick.
[What do you mean by direct contact? What do I have to do?]
The Divine Azure Dragon Sword paused for a moment before replying, [...If you let me touch the Fourth Apostle's heart, even for a moment, I might be able to remove the spell carved there.]
"......" Baek Suryong ground to a halt, hesitating.
SWISH!
Above his head, the Fourth Apostle's foot swooped down like an axe. Baek Suryong stared blankly at the terrifying sight before spinning his body around and executing a powerful back kick, matching the Fourth Apostle's leg technique move for move.
BOOM!
Baek Suryong allowed himself to be propelled backward by the force of the collision, widening the distance between them. However, the Fourth Apostle pursued him immediately, refusing to give him even a moment of respite.
BOOM! RUMBLE!
Severed red hair fluttered in the air as the two combatants exchanged dozens of blows in rapid succession.
Baek Suryong winced painfully. [...You want me to stab his heart?]
[......] The Divine Azure Dragon Sword couldn't bring herself to acknowledge that. She could sense Baek Suryong's agitation through their mental connection.
However, Baek Suryong no longer tried to avoid thinking about the worst-case scenario. [What happens if the sorcery is removed?]
[...I can't be certain, but the Blood Demon's influence on the Fourth Apostle will decrease. There's a chance... he might even break free from the restrictions that have bound his soul for so long.]
It wasn't definitive, just a theory, and the odds were extremely low.
Still, Baek Suryong couldn't ignore it.
"...You should've told me that earlier, damn it!"
CLANG!
Feeling a repulsive force unlike anything he had felt before, the Fourth Apostle ceased his offensive and retreated briefly. The look in Baek Suryong's eyes had suddenly changed.
The Blood Demon Eyes were shining like jewels.
The instructor was still staring at him stiffly, but a new resolve now shone in his eyes.
The Divine Azure Dragon Sword said worriedly, [Can you really do it? If you make even a slight mistake, you'll end up killing your own student!]
She knew how Baek Suryong felt about his former students. If he made even the slightest mistake and stabbed the Fourth Apostle's heart, could he live with the result?
"You're asking if I can do it?"
Flames blazed in Baek Suryong's eyes. He knew what the Divine Azure Dragon Sword was afraid of. He understood how dangerous a plan this was against a peerless master who could adjust his movements dozens of times in a split second.
However, having found the only method that might save his old trainee, dismissing it was impossible.
"If that's the only way I can help him, then I'll do it no matter what it takes."
WHOOSH!
Baek Suryong's fighting style changed dramatically. His resolve had sparked a metamorphosis. Clad in crimson enhanced qi, his tattered robes burst apart as he disappeared for an instant before reappearing in front of the Fourth Apostle.
The Fourth Apostle didn't dodge and swung his fist.
CLANG...!
Baek Suryong locked eyes with his old student. For a moment, fist and sword competed for dominance.
"Number Four."
"......" The Fourth Apostle's eyebrow twitched.
That was all he had in the way of a reaction. Since the old days, he had rarely expressed emotions.
Baek Suryong studied the countless scars on the Fourth Apostle's body. "There's no way those don't hurt, yet you don't let out a single groan, let alone a scream."
"......"
There was no answer.
The Fourth Apostle pushed Baek Suryong away and swung his fist with destructive force.
SWISH!
His fist grazed the side of Baek Suryong's face, leaving a sharp cut.
Blood flowed down Baek Suryong's cheek and dripped off. "You weren't like that from the start. It's because I told you to endure the pain, isn't it? I commanded you to become accustomed to suffering. Every time you failed and whimpered, I whipped you even more harshly."
"......"
Baek Suryong sighed. Number Four was a gentle soul unsuited for the Blood Cult, and had never once rebelled against him in the ten years they had known each other. That must have made it even more painful, yet at the time, Number 27 had only pushed him even harder, berating him for being weak-minded.
SLASH!
The Fourth Apostle's kick grazed Baek Suryong's shoulder, tearing flesh and spraying blood.
However, it was him, not Baek Suryong, whose emotions were shaken. His eyes, which had remained unfazed even when surrounded by the unorthodox leaders, shook as if an earthquake had hit.
"Do you recognize me now?"
"......" The Fourth Apostle shook off Baek Suryong with all his might and pounded the ground with both fists.
BOOM!
The ground collapsed and swallowed Baek Suryong, but the Fourth Apostle jumped in after him. Even in the pitch-black darkness, he spotted the jewel-like red eyes and swung his fists wildly.
BOOM! BANG! RUMBLE!
There was no way he wouldn't recognize that man. His opponent's face, voice, and identity weren't important. He had learned martial arts from that man for ten years. Above all else, the proof was in his martial arts.
He was confused at first, but now he was convinced. No, he had no choice but to believe his eyes, despite the ridiculousness of it all.
This man... is my old instructor, the person who taught me the strongest martial arts in the world.
"RAAAAAARGH!"
A rough, cracking scream burst from his damaged vocal cords, and blood vessels popped in his eyes. The emotions that had always remained perfectly suppressed in any situation exploded in an instant.
Baek Suryong bit his lip as he watched the Fourth Apostle rushing at him recklessly. "...As expected, your emotions weren't obliterated."
He just became overly skilled at hiding his feelings, to the point where he believed it himself.
He had deliberately stirred up the deeply buried past in his former student's heart, causing him to lose his reason and go into a frenzy.
And this was only the beginning.
"...I'll apologize later. For now, I have to defeat you."
The berserk Fourth Apostle rampaged like a madman. Baek Suryong dodged his fists and deflected his kicks. He advanced, constantly searching for a chance to thrust the Divine Azure Dragon Sword into his former trainee's chest.
Of course, the Fourth Apostle was still strong even after losing his marbles. He wasn't an opponent who would easily expose a vital point.
Baek Suryong had to use every trick in his arsenal. He employed meticulous psychological warfare, considering the opponent's martial arts, personality, habits, and everything else. Even if it meant paying a devastating price himself, he was determined to win.
"Let's see how much you've improved."
He threw the Divine Azure Dragon Sword to the ground and approached the Fourth Apostle, challenging him to a fistfight.
The Fourth Apostle didn't refuse and swung his fist.
BOOM! RUMBLE!
Baek Suryong endured the steady barrage and continued to press forward.
Finally, he succeeded in pulling the Fourth Apostle into a tight embrace.
"...!"
For a moment, the Fourth Apostle's eyes widened in alarm, but soon killing intent flooded his gaze.
Physically, he was overwhelmingly superior. He squeezed Baek Suryong as if attempting to crush his bones right then and there.
CRACK!
Baek Suryong's ribs fractured, but suddenly, pure white ice qi surged from every pore of his body. For the first time ever, he used the White Ice Divine Art in battle.
CRACKLE...!
The Fourth Apostle stood frozen. Without prior preparation, the cold made even his body temporarily sluggish.
"...I told you, right? That I'd defeat you no matter what," Baek Suryong gasped into his former student's ear. Hugging him tighter, he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I need you to endure the pain for a little longer."
SWOOSH!
The Divine Azure Dragon Sword, which he had thrown aside earlier, levitated into the air.
[You, don't tell me...! Telekinesis...!] The Divine Azure Dragon Sword exclaimed in shock, but before she could finish talking, the sword shot through space...
THUNK!
...And skewered right through Baek Suryong's back before plunging into the Fourth Apostle's chest.
"...!" The moment the Fourth Apostle felt the sword dig into his chest, he pushed Baek Suryong away as hard as he could.
Blood gushed from Baek Suryong's mouth. Wobbling, he stared at the Fourth Apostle. "Did it... reach?"
With a face distorted like a demon's, the Fourth Apostle stumbled toward Baek Suryong, but stopped and sank to his knees before reaching him.
Grabbing his head, he screamed in agony. "GRAAAAAAAAAH!"