Descent of the Demon Master

“Yes, you’re right. I need to switch my agency,” said Kang Eun-Yeong.

Choi Yeon-Ha nodded. “Yeah, you do.”

“But…! I’d rather choose one of the existing agencies instead of joining a company my brother runs, you know?”

“How come?”

“It's because you don't know what he's like, unnie. My oppa can be somewhat… No, forget somewhat! He's openly super conservative on things, you see? You let him do this, and he's gonna try to interfere with every single thing we do, like costumes and stuff! Oh my gosh, just thinking about it is giving me a headache!”

Choi Yeon-Ha barely held her chuckles back while shaking her head. “Don’t worry, I will stop him before that happens.”

“Really? You will?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. That changes things a bit…”

Kang Eun-Yeong couldn't help but be enticed by that last condition. As long as Kang Jin-Ho couldn't interfere with stuff like that…! Kang Eun-Yeong focusing on her career, while Kang Jin-Ho looked after the business side of things, sounded like a perfect deal to her.

Kang Eun-Yeong would've been stressed about all the business-related things if she tried to do this by herself. However, a talent agency she and Choi Yeon-Ha, arguably South Korea's top actress, created together had the potential to become the talk of the town literally overnight. When she thought some more about it, it felt like there were more pros than cons to this offer.

“Unnie, are you serious about this?”

“Yeah, I am. Dead serious.”

“But who's gonna run this agency? My oppa doesn't know anything about this industry. He's so clueless that he doesn't even know what an inactive period for an idol is!"

Choi Yeon-Ha pointed somewhere in the cafe. “Him.”

“Eh?”

“He’s gonna run it.”

Kang Eun-Yeong blinked her eyes before turning around in her seat to look. Her gaze followed Choi Yeon-Ha's pointing finger, then spotted Han Eun-Sol sitting all by himself and busy sucking on a cup of Iced Americano through a straw.

‘Ah. That’s right!’

Kang Eun-Yeong urgently nodded away. She knew she had nothing to worry about if it was “Chief” Han. To outsiders, he was like an invisible gopher no one had heard of. But in this industry? Han Eun-Sol was like a legend. A godly being!

Choi Yeon-Ha might still be a famous celebrity right now, but in the not-too-distant past, the industry deemed her the worst witch a manager could work for.

During those days, people joked that any manager who could last one month with Choi Yeon-Ha was guaranteed to find a cushy job with a large corporation. If it was two months, rival agencies would deliberately create a vacant department head position just to scout that manager. However, anyone lasting three months would be deemed tough enough to work as a spy in North Korea!

But Han Eun-Sol did more than that. He actually lasted two years on the job, and the clock was still ticking! Which earned him the label of a living miracle among his peers. To the people of this industry, he was a living Bodhisattva. A second coming of Buddha himself!

One's work experience was legitimate proof of one's capability in this industry. And with Han Eun-Sol's work experience, he could waltz into any media company or TV station tomorrow and get hired on the spot. It was just that he had to devote all of his energy to managing Choi Yeon-Ha, which made it impossible for him to take on other jobs.

“I can definitely trust him on this one,” said Kang Eun-Yeong while her eyes remained glued on Han Eun-Sol.

Choi Yeon-Ha grinned. “You think so, too?”

“Yes, unnie. But, uh, doesn't this mean you'll have to get a new manager?”

“True. I will get a new one, then.”

Kang Eun-Yeong couldn’t help but narrow her eyes and stare weirdly at her conversation partner.

Choi Yeon-Ha covered her mouth while laughing away. “Don't look at me like that. I've changed a lot, you know? I went through lots of things, and… Well, that made me think about some stuff. Most importantly, though, I gotta be on my best behavior if I'm gonna do this.”

“Best behavior, you say?”

“That's right. Because, your oppa will be watching, you know? Even if I can't change into a nice person, I should at least try hard to act like one, right?”

Kang Eun-Yeong cocked an eyebrow. “...Is it okay for you to tell me that? What if I rat on you?”

“Doesn't matter. You already know what kind of person I am, anyway,” Choi Yeon-Ha laughed again. “You can't hide something like that forever, you know? Besides, Mister Jin-Ho already knows, anyway. Still, it won't hurt to be on my best behavior. Wouldn't you say?”

Something about what was said at the end concerned Kang Eun-Yeong juuuust a bit, but overall… Choi Yeon-Ha was right.

“When will you start, unnie?”

“You coming on board, then?”

“Of course. How can I not? My oppa is about to set up an agency, after all.”

“You are such a loyal little sister, aren’t you~?”

Kang Eun-Yeong sighed grandly.

‘She’s treating me like a kid and all…’

She was well aware that Kang Jin-Ho barely held any interest in the entertainment industry. The sliver of interest he did have was solely due to Kang Eun-Yeong's presence in the industry. That was it.

A dude who couldn't be bothered to remember the name of the most successful idol group in the scene working as the boss of a talent agency? Wouldn't that lead to a disaster of an epic scale?

Despite this massive hurdle, Kang Jin-Ho still wanted to create an agency. The intent behind his decision was as clear as day to Kang Eun-Yeong. He probably wanted to make things a bit easier for his little sister.

After sighing again, Kang Eun-Yeong nodded. “It's okay. You don't have to be considerate of how I might feel about this. I can handle this sort of burden just fine, you know? Besides, I know my oppa is setting up this talent agency for my sake, anyway. In that case, how can I not join it?”

“Mm? That’s wrong, though?”

“...Sorry?”

Choi Yeon-Ha relaxedly leaned against her chair and stared haughtily at Kang Eun-Yeong. “He’s doing it for me, you know?”

“…”

“Miss Se-Ah, I know you're Mister Jin-Ho's little sister and all, but I'd much prefer it if you don't misunderstand things. This whole thing is for me. I'm the reason. And we're accepting you to our agency only because you're family.”

A vein subtly bulged on Kang Eun-Yeong’s forehead.

‘Ah, that’s right. This is the real Choi Yeon-Ha, isn’t it!’

“In any case, I’m happy to have on board, Miss Se-Ah. If you said no, things might have gotten a bit complicated for us. But! There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll do whatever it takes for you to reach the top. I will turn you into the best in this industry.”

Kang Eun-Yeong cocked her head to the side. “But, I’m already at the top, though? And I’m already the best, you know?”

“…”

“…”

Sluuuurp…

The sound of Han Eun-Sol sucking his coffee through the straw noisily shattered the awkward silence in the cafe.

“In any case…” Kang Eun-Yeong quickly changed the topic. “It sounds like you guys still don't have any concrete plans yet, so let's pause this discussion till later. For now, you only need to confirm that I'm interested, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Choi Yeon-Ha coolly nodded.

“That’s that, but…” Kang Eun-Yeong cautiously studied Choi Yeon-Ha’s mood before leaning forward to whisper quietly. “You know, when oppa said he was going to Europe, I figured he was going there with you. But I guess I was wrong?”

That was when Choi Yeon-Ha’s brows quivered ominously. “...Mister Jin-Ho’s on a business trip. That is all.”

“Eiii, really? I thought he was up to his old tricks again, you see…?” Kang Eun-Yeong smirked in satisfaction, causing Choi Yeon-Ha’s forehead to crease up a little more. “After all that talk of boyfriend and whatever, I thought things have advanced quite a bit for you two, but I guess I was wrong on that one, too.”

“Things have advanced quite a bit for us."

“Doesn’t look that way to me, though?”

“What would a kid like you know?” Choi Yeon-Ha smirked back. However, that smirk no longer contained her previous haughtiness. Anyone with eyes could see that she was forcing herself to smirk.

Kang Eun-Yeong had to work extra hard to suppress the corners of her lips from curling up even higher.

‘This unnie can be such a weirdo!'

Even the top directors of Chungmuro shuddered in fear at Choi Yeon-Ha's presence. So, why did someone that fear-inducing lose her usual confident demeanor when it came to all things related to Kang Jin-Ho?

“By the way, unnie? Do you know why my oppa went to Europe? You said it’s a business trip, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Choi Yeon-Ha contemplatively nodded. “He said it’s related to his work.”

“What kinda work does he do that he’s gotta travel to Europe?”

“As a family member, don't you have any idea?”

“...Sorry, but I don’t know anything.”

“That’s fine, because I also don’t know anything.”

“…”

“…”

Another round of weird silence descended between the two women.

Even though two people who could claim to be the closest to Kang Jin-Ho in this world were sitting face-to-face with each other, they were no closer to figuring out why that man had to go to Europe.

Kang Eun-Yeong frowned deeply. “You know, isn’t this a bit…”

Choi Yeon-Ha weightily nodded. “Yup, it’s a problem, alright.”

“Don't you think this is a bit unreasonable?”

“It definitely is.”

Dissatisfaction quickly filled the expressions of these two women.

“I just don’t understand what my oppa is doing anymore.”

“I used to have no idea what Mister Jin-Ho does for a living, but it kinda feels like the scale of whatever he’s doing has gone global lately. And I still have no idea what he does.”

“Still, I’m his little sister, you know?”

“So what? I’m his girlfriend, you know.”

“...Why does a man have so many secrets, I wonder?”

“I totally share your sentiment on that one.”

Since time immemorial, nothing has been better than talking behind someone's back to bring people closer. These two women gossiped about Kang Jin-Ho and managed to blow away the awkward atmosphere that had been threatening to derail this meeting.

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask oppa about that stuff, unnie.”

Choi Yeon-Ha shrugged helplessly. “What about you?”

“I did ask. But oppa brushes me off every time I do, saying a kid shouldn’t ask what adults are doing. What a stuck-up jerk he is…!”

“Hmm…”

Kang Eun-Yeong leaned forward and asked curiously. “What about you, unnie?”

“Me? I didn’t ask him.”

“...Why not?”

Choi Yeon-Ha smiled refreshingly brightly. “I figured that being too nosy would make me look uncool. I gotta think about my image, you know?”

“…”

“Besides, I’m not all that curious, anyway. Who cares about what he does for a living?”

“But… Shouldn’t you know what your man is doing? I mean, unnie, you’re thinking about marriage and all. In that case, shouldn’t you be thinking about all the finances-related stuff?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’m rich, after all.”

“…”

Choi Yeon-Ha coolly brushed aside Kang Eun-Yeong's worried look. “As long as Mister Jin-Ho's healthy, I'm cool. I can make all the money for both of us. Actually, I'm thinking of telling him to stay home and run our household instead. But he's a man, so it looks like he can't help but keep himself busy by doing something. Honestly, though? I hope his business goes bankrupt soon.”

Kang Eun-Yeong nearly fell off her chair. “B-bankrupt?! Why?”

“Well, when a business goes under, the man who used to run it has no choice but to become a stay-at-home hubby, right? I'd much prefer that, you see?”

That confirmed it again. This woman…

Kang Eun-Yeong had noticed this several times already, but for real this time, Choi Yeon-Ha was beyond help!

‘Hang on a sec. Isn’t this like the weirdest man and the weirdest woman I know are going out?’

The more Kang Eun-Yeong thought about it, the wackier this situation seemed to become!

Choi Yeon-Ha tutted loudly. “Besides, you also haven’t asked your oppa why he must go to Europe, anyway.”

“...Well, that’s true.”

“Even though you say all these, you also blindly trust your oppa, don't you?"

“Urgh…” Kang Eun-Yeong groaned deeply. When she thought some more about it… “Well, even though my oppa can be a bit of a hothead sometimes, he's also surprisingly meticulous, too.”

“Yes, he definitely is.”

“And that's why I trust him. I know he's gonna do a great job of whatever he's involved in.”

“That's what I think, too. Aaaand that's why I don't ask him about stuff like this.” Choi Yeon-Ha smiled gently. “Even though he doesn't look like it, Mister Jin-Ho's actually a warm and considerate person, wouldn’t you say? You only need to look at how he takes care of the orphanage to know that. So… You're right, Miss Se-Ah. Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll do a great job.”

“Yup, totally agree.”

The two women smiled happily at each other.

***

Splaaaaash!

A severed head went flying in the air. The victim’s eyes were wide open and bloodshot in utter disbelief at his own beheading. The head spun around multiple times in the air before falling on the floor with a loud plop.

SPLAT!

Kang Jin-Ho stepped on the head to utterly crush it, then scanned his near vicinity with his eyes shooting out crimson light.

“Huh-wuph!”

“Urgh!”

The sounds of people hurriedly sucking in their breath rang out.

These people were supposed to be Knights. The holders of a noble, proud office!

They represented their country in the Round Table. Their voice was the voice of their nation! Despite occupying such a noble and mighty position, though, they were all shuddering in crippling fear while trying to surround just one man.

‘What kind of a monster is this?!’

‘How am I supposed to fight someone like him?!’

This monster before their eyes completely defied common sense... Even though the Knights of the Round Table were also common-sense-defying martial artists!

What would ordinary people feel after learning about the existence of martial artists living in society? Would they be awed? Envious? Jealous? If not, mystified? It was none of the above.

The lengthy human history amply proved that… The first emotion ordinary people usually felt after learning about the existence of martial artists was fear.

Any creature that defied common sense was bound to foster fear and unrest among the populace. Humans feared what they couldn’t understand, and such fear usually fed into their despair next.

That was the current state of these Knights of the Round Table. They couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing.

Even though Kang Jin-Ho was supposed to be the same martial artist as they were, he… He was different.

That man was definitely not something these people could recognize!

Kang Jin-Ho's existence was a “thing” that not even a group of people practicing martial arts their entire lives could fathom.

“Fuu-woo…!”

The area near Kang Jin-Ho's mouth wavered, then a coarse exhalation leaked out from that spot.

Was he a devil that had escaped from Hell?

Maybe it would've been easier to deal with an actual devil. At least one could attempt to perform an exorcism in that case, after all! However, that thing merely took on the appearance of a devil but none of its weaknesses, making him a flawless killing machine!

Plop!

The headless corpse of Knight Šarić slowly collapsed on the floor.

The implication behind that chilling noise was not lost on these Knights.

Even though ten-plus Knights had surrounded Kang Jin-Ho, not only did they fail to injure him but even lost one of their own in the process, too!

Someone urgently cried out, “K-kill him!”

Unfortunately, such a shout could never raise anyone's morale. How could it, when it was clearly a shout of panic and fear?

Even then, these people still proved why they deserved to be called the Knights of the Round Table.

The situation was clearly desperate and despair-inducing. Despite not knowing how they should even fight Kang Jin-Ho off, these Knights still responded to the panicked shout.

They enveloped their swords in aura, greatly accelerated the circulation of mana within their bodies, and then… charged heroically at Kang Jin-Ho.

The devil enveloped in pitch-black flames smirked derisively. As the crimson light of Hell gushed out of his eyes, the devil began swinging the sword covered in the black flames.

Craaaaaack!

The swords filled to the brim with aura were unceremoniously sliced apart in half, then two more severed heads went flying in the air.

“U-uwaaaaah?! You, you abominable devil!” Knight Rodriguez, with tears of blood dripping down from his eyes, charged straight toward Kang Jin-Ho next. Unfortunately…

Kang Jin-Ho bisected Rodriguez in half, starting from the top of the Knight's head right down to his crotch.

SPLAT!

Two halves of a once-living man slid apart while issuing the noise of a ripe watermelon getting sliced apart.

Silence quickly descended among the Knights. They stopped moving without realizing that they did and stared in terrified silence at Kang Jin-Ho.

“Next,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“…!”

Next? Did he really say… next?

“What are you all waiting for?” Kang Jin-Ho smirked deeply while addressing the Knights. “You are all going to die, anyway.”

“…!”

The air grew even more bone-chilling just then.

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