Blood Demon's Awakening

🌩️ Crimson Lightning Awakens

The mountain peak trembled as Jin-ho's aura exploded outward, crimson lightning dancing around his body like serpents of pure fury. The revelation of Jin Nae-mu's cold calculation—treating Jin-woon as nothing more than a cultivation resource—had shattered the last of Jin-ho's restraint.

『Now you see their true nature』 the Blood Heaven Emperor whispered, his voice thick with dark satisfaction. 『Let the rage consume you. Let it make you strong.』

『No!』 the Thunder Lightning King countered sharply. 『Remember the Ice Soul Emperor's warning! Emotional extremes lead to—』

But it was too late. The crimson lightning—an impossible fusion of blood energy and thunder power—crackled through the air, scorching the ancient stone beneath Jin-ho's feet.

"Noe Jin-woon was my friend!" Each word was punctuated by a pulse of crimson energy that made the very air burn. "He was kind, gentle, and loyal! And you... you reduced him to nothing more than a tool!"

😱 Jin Nae-mu's Desperation

Jin Nae-mu staggered backward, his sixty years of confidence cracking like ice in a furnace. The power radiating from Jin-ho was unlike anything in Thunder Gate's millennia of history—raw, primal, and terrifyingly beyond conventional understanding.

"Impossible!" he gasped, sweat beading on his forehead despite the mountain's chill. "That technique... what kind of abomination have you become?"

"I am what you tried to create," Jin-ho replied, his voice carrying both human emotion and inhuman authority. "The perfect vessel for thunder power. Except I chose my own path."

The crimson lightning spread outward in waves, causing several Thunder Gate buildings to crack from the energy pressure alone. Ancient stone that had weathered three thousand years of storms split like ripe fruit.

👥 The Disciples' Choice

Around the confrontation zone, the Thunder Gate disciples found themselves frozen between loyalty and horror. Their master's admission had shaken everything they believed about their sect's honor.

Elder Noe Cheong-woon, leader of the internal opposition faction, stepped forward with a dozen followers behind him.

"This ends here, Jin Nae-mu," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of decades of suppressed doubts. "We won't be part of your personal vendetta any longer."

"You dare defy me? In front of outsiders?" Jin Nae-mu's eyes blazed with fury that matched the storm clouds above.

"Defy you? We're saving Thunder Gate from your madness!" Elder Noe Cheong-woon gestured to the young disciples behind him. "These children remember Jin-woon's true nature. They won't fight his brother."

A young female disciple stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Master Jin-ho... Jin-woon spoke of you often. He said you were the brother he never had."

🩸 Professional Positioning

The Blood Flame Sect support team had moved into perfect tactical formation the moment hostilities began. Blood Wolf positioned himself to intercept any flanking attempts, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt—ready to draw and strike in a single fluid motion.

Blood Flower continued her information gathering even as she tracked potential escape routes. Her scholarly mind was cataloging everything: Jin Nae-mu's emotional state, the layout of Thunder Gate's defenses, the exact number of loyal versus opposition disciples.

"Fascinating," she murmured to Blood Position. "The sect master's psychological profile suggests complete narcissistic breakdown. He's not thinking tactically anymore—this is pure emotional reaction."

Blood Position's eyes tracked every Thunder Gate disciple's movement, calculating threat levels and response priorities. "Twenty-three hostiles, eighteen neutrals, twelve potential allies. Manageable odds if the young master can handle the sect master."

⚡ The Opposition's Intelligence

"Master Jin-ho," Elder Noe Cheong-woon called out, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "There are things you need to know about Jin-woon's final days. Things that Jin Nae-mu has hidden from everyone."

Jin Nae-mu spun toward the elder, panic flashing across his features. "Silence, you old fool!"

"Jin-woon discovered the truth about the Thunder Succession Prophecy," the elder continued, ignoring his sect master's threats. "He found the original texts in the forbidden archives. He knew what you planned to do to him."

Jin-ho's crimson aura flickered as new information processed through his mind. 『Ask him more』 both demon kings urged simultaneously.

"What truth?" Jin-ho demanded.

"The prophecy was never about natural succession," Elder Noe Cheong-woon explained, his words carrying the weight of carefully guarded secrets. "It was about ritual sacrifice. The 'heir' was meant to be killed at the moment of peak power development, transferring everything to a prepared recipient."

💀 The Calculated Murder

The revelation hit like a physical blow. Jin-ho's legs nearly buckled as the full horror of Jin-woon's death became clear.

"Jin-woon knew he was going to be murdered," Jin-ho whispered. "He knew, and he still..."

"He still chose to protect you instead of himself," the elder finished gently. "Even knowing his fate, he spent his final weeks teaching you everything he could. He wanted you to have the tools to survive what was coming."

『That explains the memory transfer completeness』 the Thunder Lightning King said, his voice heavy with newfound respect. 『He didn't just die and transfer power—he actively prepared for the transfer to reach you specifically.』

『Even in death, he outmaneuvered his enemies』 the Blood Heaven Emperor added, his usual cynicism tempered by something approaching admiration.

🌪️ Sixty Years of Hatred

"Enough!" Jin Nae-mu roared, his own lightning beginning to manifest around his body. "Sixty years I planned this! Sixty years of preparation! That power belongs to me!"

He launched himself forward, traditional Thunder Gate techniques flowing from his movements in a display of accumulated skill. Lightning Descent, Thunder Clap Step, Storm Blade Dance—every technique honed to perfection through decades of practice.

But Jin-ho was no longer the trembling boy who had fled from Thunder Gate's pursuit months ago. The person who now stood before Jin Nae-mu had faced demon kings, negotiated with cult leaders, and unraveled ancient conspiracies.

"Crimson Thunder Arts, First Form: Blood Lightning Strike!"

The technique was pure innovation—a fusion of Blood Demon Sword Arts with Thunder Lightning Sword Arts that should have been impossible. Jin-ho's blade, wreathed in crimson electricity, met Jin Nae-mu's Storm Blade with a clash that shook the entire mountain range.

😤 The Power Gap

"How—!" Jin Nae-mu gasped as he was driven backward, his traditional techniques seeming suddenly primitive. "That's not possible! You've only had thunder power for months!"

"I have three thousand years of experience," Jin-ho replied, pressing his advantage with fluid sword work that seemed to anticipate every defense. "And Jin-woon's complete technical knowledge. What do you have? Sixty years of jealousy?"

『Show him the difference between stolen power and inherited legacy』 the Thunder Lightning King urged.

Jin-ho's next attack wasn't just a sword technique—it was a manifestation of perfect lightning control. The crimson electricity didn't just enhance his blade; it became the blade, cutting through Jin Nae-mu's defenses like they were made of paper.

CLASH! CRACK!

Jin Nae-mu's sword flew from his hands, spinning end over end before embedding itself in a distant wall. The sect master himself was driven to his knees, blood trickling from a dozen minor cuts.

⚡ The Final Question

"Last chance," Jin-ho said, his crimson lightning still crackling around his sword but now under perfect control. "Admit your crimes. Apologize to Jin-woon's memory. Face justice properly."

Jin Nae-mu looked up at him, and for a moment, something like sanity flickered in his eyes. The weight of sixty years of obsession seemed to crush down on him all at once.

"I... I raised him from a child," he whispered. "He called me 'Master Uncle.' He trusted me completely."

"And you murdered him for power," Jin-ho said quietly. "Power that was never yours to take."

⚖️ The Judgment

Jin Nae-mu's response was a desperate, final gambit—a massive bolt of natural lightning called down from the storm clouds above. It was the sect's ultimate technique, one that typically required hours of preparation and perfect weather conditions.

The bolt struck Jin-ho directly.

And was absorbed completely by his crimson lightning aura.

"Wrong answer," Jin-ho said, his voice carrying the authority of two demon kings and the righteous fury of a betrayed friend.

The counterattack was swift and decisive. Crimson lightning erupted from Jin-ho's position, not to kill but to completely overwhelm Jin Nae-mu's lightning cultivation. When the energy cleared, the sect master lay unconscious, his internal power temporarily sealed.

🌈 The Storm Breaks

As if responding to the resolution of the conflict, the natural storm above Thunder Gate began to dissipate. Shafts of sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the scarred mountain peak where justice had finally been served.

The Thunder Gate disciples—both opposition and former loyalists—knelt in acknowledgment of what they had witnessed. Not just a duel, but a judgment that had been sixty years in the making.

"It's finished," Elder Noe Cheong-woon said softly. "Jin-woon can finally rest in peace."

🕊️ Jin-woon's Peace

Jin-ho felt it then—a sense of completion that seemed to come from beyond his own consciousness. Somewhere in the spiritual realm, he knew that Jin-woon's gentle soul was finally at peace.

『Well done』 the Thunder Lightning King said, his voice warm with approval. 『You've honored his memory perfectly.』

『Indeed』 the Blood Heaven Emperor added, and for once, there was no mockery in his tone. 『Justice served, power preserved, balance maintained. Even I couldn't have planned it better.』

Blood Wolf approached, his expression carrying professional satisfaction. "Orders regarding the sect master?"

"He lives," Jin-ho decided. "But his leadership of Thunder Gate ends here. Elder Noe Cheong-woon, the sect is yours now."

The elder bowed deeply. "We will remember this day, and ensure that Jin-woon's sacrifice is never forgotten."

As the sun fully emerged from behind the storm clouds, Jin-ho felt the weight of another burden lift from his shoulders. Jin-woon's death had been avenged, his memory honored, and his legacy secured.

The thunder had spoken its final judgment.