Raon narrowed down the range of his aura perception and examined the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master.
The green eyes seen under the shadowy deep blue hair were brimming with excellence. Raon could feel that his martial art wasnât anything evil, unlike the other Five Demons.
âHeâs extremely powerful despite his young appearance.â
Raon could tell that the Holy Sword Alliance masterâs disciple was a monster that had surpassed Masterâs realm just from looking at his perfectly tightened meridians and the movement of his aura, which was as nimble as flowing water.
âYou are as good at running your mouth as the rumors suggest.â
The disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master snorted while stroking his smooth chin.
âBut you are delusional.â
He rolled his eyes coldly without yielding to the provocation. His mental state seemed to be as good as his might.
âDelusional?â
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master.
âWhat are you talking about?â
âThe alliance master ordered me to bring you to him, but he never mentioned âhowâ. It means that itâs perfectly fine to bring your corpse.â
The disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master twisted his lips, and a frightening energy crept up from beneath his feet. It was his murderous intent infused with will, powerful enough to crush the body and tighten the heart.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon frowned while feeling the murderous intent crawling up to him like a chain.
âSo he is a Grandmaster.â
The way he freely manipulated his will allowed him to confirm the fact that the disciple of the Holy Sword Allianceâs master was a Grandmaster who had already surpassed the Masterâs wall.
Victory wasnât guaranteed because there was a huge difference in realm between them.
âIâll persevere for now since the Holy Sword Alliance shouldnât know that I can use my will.â
He determined that enduring his opponent's will through the strength of his soul while looking for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack was the best course of action.
âHis realm shouldnât be that high even though heâs surpassed the wall.â
Judging from his appearance, he seemed younger than forty years old.
Surpassing the wall required some time no matter how gifted a person was. That was why Raon guessed that he was most likely still at the entry level of Grandmaster.
âHaaâŠâ
Raon sighed faintly and met his opponentâs eyes.
âWhatâs your name?â
âWhat?â
âI asked you your name.â
ââŠâŠâ
The Holy Sword Alliance masterâs disciple frowned without responding. It looked like he wasnât expecting to be asked for his name in that situation.
âDonât you even have the courage to announce your name when you are the Dark Night Sword Godâs disciple? How patheââ
âCloud.â
Cloudâs lips parted as Raon sneered at him.
âI see, Cloud.â
Raon tilted his head while accentuating the name, Cloud.
âYou should use your brain if you are going to lie. You canât just blabber without even thinking.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI wouldnât have been able to escape from that city if the Holy Sword Alliance master wanted to kill me.â
Raon continued while rolling his lips into a long smile.
âThe fact that he left me alive after he recognized me implies that thereâs something he wants from me. It could be my talent, swordsmanship, or both.â
It wasnât an instance of overinflated ego. Since the Holy Sword Alliance was a gathering of sword demons who could kill anyone for the sake of sword and sword techniques, there was no reason to bring a corpse back.
ââŠâŠâ
Cloudâs eyes darkened. They were as frightening as a sharp blade. Raon could understand why heâd become the Holy Sword Alliance masterâs disciple upon seeing the cursed look in his eyes.
âYes, I also heard that you were rather smart.â
He nodded, saying that it was all according to the information heâd received.
âWho even told you about it when youâve been sitting on your ass?â
âThe Master of the Bloody Sword told me that you are the most talented person on the continent.â
âMaster of the Bloody Sword?â
Raon tilted his head because he wasnât sure who that was, and Cloud continued.
âBut thatâs only because you havenât encountered me yet.â
His murderous intent intensified visibly as a smile spread across his face. It was breathtaking pressure.
âEven though youâve reached the highest level of Master at a young age, nothing guarantees that you will surpass the wall towards Grandmaster. There are countless vermin who couldnât become a Grandmaster after reaching Master at a young age.â
He made his declaration with a dry voice and brought his hand towards his waist.
âIâll teach you about real talent.â
Considering the fact that he kept talking about talent, Raon could guess that Cloud was extremely confident about his talent.
âHe must be extremely talented, of course.â
There was no way the Holy Sword Alliance master would accept an ordinary person as his disciple. The mere fact that he was a Grandmaster at such a young age testified to his talent.
âHoweverâŠâ
Raon smiled faintly while looking at Wrath, who was yawning while lying on his right shoulder.
âHe is no match against me since I have the King of Doormats with me.â
Raon was confident that he could trounce the biggest talent in the continent or whatever as long as he had the giving Wrath with him.
âI donât know about being more talented, butâŠâ
Raon tilted his chin while rubbing his foot on the ground. He sneered while looking down on Cloud.
âSince even someone like you managed to become a Grandmaster, I think I can achieve it this year.â
âYouâŠâ
Cloudâs expression hardened for the first time. He seemed so triggered by the mention of his talent.
However, he mustâve gotten enough mental training befitting his realm since he wasnât attacking over the irritation.
Raon weakly clicked his tongue and examined the warriors standing behind Cloud.
âAre they the guards dispatched for the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master?â
There werenât that many, but every single one of them was a powerful warrior, and multiple Masters were present. It was pretty clear that they were Cloudâs bodyguards.
Whir.
Raon expanded his aura perception behind him without taking his eyes off the enemies.
âThere arenât many warriors left.â
The neutral factions and most of the civilians had already gone far away because the Light Wind division had been protecting them from the rear. Raon estimated that it would be difficult to protect all of them if they started to fight right there.
âI need to take him far away from here.â
If a Grandmasterâs astral sphere landed in a bad location, it was going to annihilate the civilians and even the Light Wind division.
Luring Cloud far away while leaving the rest to the Light Wind division was the best course of action.
Raon made up his mind and sent an aura message to Burren, Runaan, and Mark Goetten at the same time.
[Iâll draw that talented parrot away with me. I leave the rest to you.]
The three people immediately nodded. Raon liked how he didnât need to explain any further thanks to the long time theyâd spent together.
âIâm rather confident in my footwork.â
Raon sheathed Heavenly Drive and turned his right ankle towards the right, where no one was around.
âLetâs see if you can follow me with that amazing talent of yours.â
Raon kicked the ground with full power, utilizing his fastest footwork, the Supreme Harmonyâs Second Step.
âCatch me if you can.â
Are you crazy or what�
Wrath shook his head while mumbling in wonder.
âYou fucking jackass!â
Cloud ground his teeth violently and turned around.
âTake care of them all before I come back!â
He leaped towards Raon right after he gave his subordinates that order. His body, as refined as an excellent sword, dashed through the forest like a ray of light.
A smile appeared on Raonâs lips as he felt the prickling sensation of bloodlust reaching his back. He slightly turned his head to check behind him, seeing that Cloud was chasing after him with a cold expression on his face.
âI knew it.â
He wasnât running without a plan. He knew Cloud was going to follow because the Holy Sword Alliance master mustâve wanted him, rather than the others, judging from what Cloud had said.
He thought Cloud was obviously going to follow since his mission would fail if he allowed his target to escape even after killing everyone else.
âItâs a shame that the others stayed behind though.â
He was hoping for Cloudâs guards to join the chase, but it was apparently too much to hope for. Raon didnât stop his advance until the ramparts could no longer be seen while hoping that the Light Wind division would put up a good fight.
âHmph.â
Raon stopped at an open area far away from the others, and Cloud landed on the ground with a frown on his face.
âIs this the limit of your ability after boasting about your talent while running?â
Raon had stopped there on purpose, but Cloud seemed to believe that his footwork was faster as he looked at him with a sneer on his face. He was powerful but seemed to have enough openings in his mentality.
âI was the only person that the Holy Sword Alliance master asked you to capture, right?â
Raon smiled coldly while sweeping his disheveled hair back.
âCan you even become the Holy Sword Allianceâs successor when you are so easy to read? Are you sure you wonât be devoured by your higher-ups?â
âShut your trap!â
Cloud furrowed his brow and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. The energy wave emanating from him was on a whole different level from before.
Raon could feel that his body and aura were close to being complete.
Haa.
Raon calmly caught his breath while facing Cloudâs distorted eyes.
âI need to go all-out from the start.â
He could anticipate that Cloud wasnât going to go easy on him in order to prove his talent. A sloppy response could end up in a defeat after a single strike.
Raon unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier to the highest output and lightly grabbed Heavenly Driveâs hilt.
The moment a dry leaf landed on the ground, Raon and Cloud unsheathed their swords at the same time.
Distance didnât matter to them. As their wills surged, their swords were already moving toward each other's souls.
It was a fight between sword draws.
Blades engulfed by majestic auras were firing off at each otherâs throats.
* * *
* * *
Burren swallowed nervously while watching the slow advance of the Holy Sword Allianceâs swordsmen.
âThere are too many Masters.â
Judging from the frightening energy on their swords, he could tell that five among the twenty-five enemies were Masters, and one of them seemed to be an intermediate Master.
Assuming that Mark Goetten would fight the strongest opponent, he couldnât come up with a solution to deal with the four others.
âThey are the Elite Guard Unit who protect the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance master.â
Denning rose frowned while looking at the swordsmenâs faces, which were as expressionless as dolls. She snapped her fingers, and warriors wearing black clothes emerged from the shadows on the ground.
âWe will join the fight.â
She declared that she would handle one side herself and gave orders to her bodyguards.
âCasia!â
Encia shouted and a woman jumped down from a tree.
âHelp the Light Wind division!â
âAs you wish.â
The bodyguard called Casia bowed to Encia and stood in the way of the Master approaching from the left.
âThis gives us a bit more room⊠Huh?â
Burren let out a sigh of relief and noticed that the White Blood fanatics and sword demons from Holy Sword Alliance were running towards them from behind the Elite Guard Unit.
He realized it wasnât going to be an easy fight.
âInto formation.â
âInto formation!â
He opened the Great Light Formation and stomped the ground. The footprint on the land served as a signal for the Elite Guard Unit to start charging at them through the wind.
âMarthaâŠâ
Martha was still unconscious. It would be extremely helpful if she would wake up, but there was no time to hope for such a miracle. The Light Wind division had to fight without her.
âDorian, focus on protecting Martha.â
âU-understood.â
Burren sent Dorian, who was carrying Martha on his back, to the rear and stepped forward to the front of the formation.
âYou can kill them.â
The warrior, who seemed to be the captain of the Elite Guard Unit, raised his sword and ordered the slaughter.
âYou wonât kill anyone as long as Iâm here!â
Mark Goetten dashed at the captain with a furious shout of concentration. He seemed to be trying to prevent him from causing any damage.
Claaang!
The Brilliance Slash Overflow from the Anarchic Lightning Saber fell like lightning cutting through the sky, but the Elite Guard Unitâs captain withstood his attack with a simple upward swing of his sword.
âIs that all?â
âPatience is my strength instead of might.â
âHow crude.â
The Elite Guard Unitâs captain laughed it off and swung his sword downwards. The diagonal slash bent like a whip towards Mark Goettenâs body.
âKuh!â
Mark Goetten swung his sword in a cross shape to create a saber barrier with the shape of a shield.
Claaang!
The guard captainâs strikes seemed to be endless, but Mark Goetten wasnât pushed back in the slightest as he endured while biting his lip.
Burren clenched his fist while watching Mark Goettenâs back.
âPlease hold out, Sir Mark.â
He wanted to tell him that he was coming to help, but he had no room for that.
The Holy Sword Allianceâs swordsmen were well aware that they had the upper hand and approached with light steps.
However, they unleashed their powerful aura and started to attack as soon as they got close enough.
Claaang!
Since there were two Masters among the Elite Guard Unit, the Great Light Wind Formation wavered significantly upon blocking the first hit, as if it were about to break already.
âWe are going to lose at this rate.â
There was pretty much a hole in the formation because both Martha and Dorian were missing from it. Burren could guess that they werenât going to last for long.
âHeavy Battle Form!â
Burren switched the Great Light Wind Formation into the form with the highest defense and slashed upwards towards the elite guard that had reached him.
Whoosh!
The Barren Wind incorporated the heaviness of the land, but it disappeared in vain without cutting through his opponentâs astral energy.
Whaaam!
The counterattack that followed shook the Great Light Wind Formation violently, like a sailboat on a turbulent ocean.
âDamn itâŠâ
Burren clenched his fist to the point of bleeding.
âThereâs nothing we can do if we canât withstand the strike in this form.â
The Heavy Battle Form of the Great Light Wind Formation was similar to a turtle hiding inside the shell to look for a chance for a surprise attack. However, the shell was about to shatter because the enemyâs attack was too violent.
Burren quickly looked back. He could see Runaan biting her lip as she maintained the center of the formation.
She mustâve received a large amount of damage because she was protecting the formation without Martha, but she was enduring it without even letting out a groan.
Whaaap!
Runaan exhaled roughly and unleashed her coldness. It was a frost fog capable of fortifying the formation and limiting the enemyâs movement at the same time.
However, the enemy attacks continued amid the fog. The astral energies of the two Masters exploded one after the other, and the formationâs center started to tilt.
âKuh!â
Burren gritted his back teeth.
âWe are all going to die at this rate.â
There were two Masters and ten highest-level Experts. Moreover, there were countless swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance and White Blood fanatics assaulting them like hungry demons. Burren could tell that they were all going to end up dying if they focused on defense.
âWhat about the othersâŠ?â
He quickly looked around, but no other warrior was available to help. It was a trial that the Light Wind Division had to overcome by themselves.
âWe have no other choice.â Æreewebηoveâ.com
Burren swirled his sword and advanced.
âTo the Decisive Light Form!â
He abandoned defense, switched into an offensive formation, and jumped into the space of the Master who was trying to attack.
Claaang!
As expected of a Masterâs strike, Burren felt like his shoulder was about to break even though it was an all-out surprise attack of the Barren Wind Sword.
It was different from when he used to fight Mark Goetten, who wasnât trying to kill them. His opponentâs powerful malice was clutching around his body.
âWhat an idiot. You couldâve lived for a bit longer if you kept hiding like a mole.â
The elite guard sneered and swung his sword.
âBut my companion next to me wouldâve died if I did so.â
âItâs precisely because you care about your weak companions instead of the difference in skills that you canât get any better.â
A frightening smile spread around his lips as he swung his sword engulfed in astral energy down. It was an extremely simple attack, but that made it even more fearsome.
Claaang!
It was too fast to dodge. Burren immediately raised his sword to block it.
Creak!
The astral energy cut through the aura blade and caused a tremendous amount of pressure.
âKuhâŠâ
Burrenâs chin trembled violently as he forcibly extracted more aura from his aching energy center.
âYou are not Raon Zieghart. Know your place.â
The Master from Holy Sword Alliance declared in a cold voice and swung his sword down.
He seemed to be trying to cut him in half along with the sword. Blood gushed from Burrenâs shoulder and the hand that was holding the sword from the astral energyâs influence.
âIâm not Raon Zieghart, you say? I know that better than anyone.â
Heâd looked down on Raon when heâd seen him for the first time, he wanted to catch up to him once he realized what kind of person he was, but he just wanted to support his back at that point.
âBecause heâs given me so many things.â
Raon gave him countless gifts even though Burren had looked down upon him and laughed at him.
He was willing to offer even his life for Raonâs sake, as he considered him closer than his father or brothers.
There was no reason to live on if he couldnât even complete a simple order, let alone be a pillar of support.
âAaaaaah!â
Burren stomped the ground while letting out a scream. The wave of the astral energy ripped his clothes apart and ruined his hair. Moreover, his voice was a scream instead of a shout of concentration, which was the behavior he despised the most since he loved a noble attitude.
âA pointless struggle!â
The Master from the Holy Sword Alliance unleashed his astral energy while twisting his lips. Burrenâs knees bent and his back arched.
However, probably because heâd found freedom, a sense of relaxation that heâd never had before, his heart and energy center pounded powerfully to unleash an imposing wind.
âKuh!â
Burren gritted his teeth and raised his sword. The aura accumulated over and over around his half-broken sword to create a majestic blue radiance. His astral energy advanced alongside a barren wind, shaking the entire forest to pierce through the Masterâs sword and sever his chest.
Slash!
Red blood gushed from the swordsmanâs chest.
âHuffâŠâ
Burren spat out the blood welling up in his mouth and pointed his sword at his opponent.
âRaon Zieghart is incomparable to an idiot like me.â
He twisted his lips while looking at the brilliant light engulfing his blade.
âApologize for what you said.â