Raon bit his lip tightly. The strength left his body and his vision became blurry. He felt like he was going to collapse if he didnât pull himself together.
âI heard it would be, but the rebound is powerful.â
Rimmer and the Gambling Monster had compared the Sword Field Creation to a final, desperate weapon.
Theyâd advised him to kill his enemy no matter what once it was activated, or at least finish the battle.
Raonâs body was telling him the reason why theyâd said that.
âI feel like all of my muscles have ruptured. My energy center is also empty.â
He felt like he could collapse at any moment because of how hard his limbs were shaking. He didnât have any heat or coldness left in his energy center either, and all he could feel was the energy of wind and the Divinity Blooming from the Underworld.
He could understand that he wouldâve been the one to lose if he failed to cut Cloud down at the end.
âHaa⊠But I can still endure it.â
Thanks to his various titles and Slothâs regenerative ability, his stamina and aura were replenishing rapidly. He could tell that he would soon recover enough to move normally.
He was confident in his ability to pretend to be fine. He hardened his eyes and lips to pretend he didnât receive any damage at all and walked up to Cloud, who was on his knees.
âUghâŠâ
Cloud was gripping and tearing the two lacerations on his chest.
âKuaaah!â
He was unable to hold himself back anymore and screamed from the intense pain.
Raon realized that Cloud wasnât bleeding from his wounds at all.
The laceration starting from the left shoulder was a burn, causing the wound to be cauterized, and the tearing wound starting from the right shoulder was frozen by frost.
He wasnât bleeding thanks to the burn and frostbite, but he looked like he was in so much pain that death would be preferred.
âArgh!â
Bloody foam was emerging from Cloudâs mouth. His eyes turned to the other side, the ruptured capillaries giving him a demonic appearance.
âYou⊠you monsterâŠâ
He forced himself to raise his head. He started to ramble, his lips trembling in pain.
âYou arenât even human. This wouldnât be happening if you were a humanâŠâ
Cloud shook his chin, red saliva flowing down it. He said that Raon had to have a demonic talent and hit the ground powerlessly.
You are right! Someone finally understands!
Wrath immediately nodded.
Donât be deceived by his human appearance. This monster is a whole different species! But heâs not a demon either! Heâs just a lunatic race of his own!
He tapped on Raonâs shoulder, saying that he should become a demon king.
âIâm a perfectly normal human being. Iâm more humane than anyone else in the world.â
Raon responded to Cloud and Wrath at the same time.
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Cease your nonsense! The King of Essence has never seen a human like you!
âY-you arenât even making any sense!â
The human and demon king shook their heads at the same time.
âA-and you were wrong about that.â
Cloud bit his lip while grasping the wound on his shoulder.
âThe Holy Sword Alliance didnât lose to Zieghart. I simply lost to your talentâŠâ
âYouâre on that talent nonsense again.â
Raon kicked Cloudâs chin with his right foot.
Smack!
Despite having no aura left and being exhausted, his strong body caused Cloud's body to rise to its full height, spitting bloody teeth from his mouth.
âUaaahâŠ.â
Cloud covered his mouth after the teeth left and groaned in pain.
âLosers should shut up.â
So, this is the talent to become a demon kingâŠ
Wrath spoke with admiration while stroking his chin, and Raon pushed him away before picking up Cloudâs broken sword and the blade with two hands.
âWh-what are you trying to do?!â
Cloud pulled himself back while dragging his feet on the ground. He was even slower than a snail because he had no aura left and his body was ruined.
Moreover, his back bumped into a tree trunk and came to a halt.
âNothing special.â
Raon calmly exhaled and walked up to Cloud, whose chin was trembling in fear.
He went on his knee and shoved the broken blade into his left shoulder.
Crack!
Since the aura barrier wasnât there to protect Cloud anymore, the blade easily pierced into his flesh and cut through his bones and muscles.
âAaaack!â
âShut up.â
Raon kicked Cloudâs chin again because he started to scream his head off. Three more teeth fell out before he finally shut his mouth.
âYouâd better not move.â
He stabbed his abdomen next with the broken sword. Cloudâs body was trembling in pain, but he couldnât defy him because he was afraid of more beatings.
Rip.
Since Raon didnât pull out the blades after stabbing him, the wounds were plugged and only a small amount of blood came out of them.
âKuhâŠâ
Cloud couldnât endure the pain and let out a strange groan, his eyes rolling back in his head.
âThe blade in your shoulder is right above your heart, and the one on your stomach is next to your energy center.â
Raon grabbed Cloud by his hair and spoke with a frightening gaze in his eyes.
âUghâŠâ
Cloud didnât dare look back at him and lowered his eyes. An irresistible fear was engraved in his mind.
âThe blade will pierce into your heart or energy center if you move.â
Raon smiled coldly and pushed Cloudâs head against the trunk.
Hmm? Arenât you going to kill him?
Wrath tilted his head to the unexpected situation.
Youâve been killing anyone who is a potential danger.
âI did, but this case is different.â
Ah, it must be because of that man.
Wrath blinked while looking in the direction of Banneret, where the Holy Sword Alliance master was located.
âYes. Itâs impossible to predict his action since he is crazy for swords.â
Wrath had guessed right. Raon had to leave Cloud alive because he couldnât predict what the Holy Sword Alliance master would do if his disciple was slain.
If he disregarded everything else and focused on avenging his disciple, the Light Wind division was bound to be annihilated.
However, leaving Cloud alive lowered that possibility significantly. His disciple was still a Grandmaster even though he was thoroughly defeated, and there was no way he was going to abandon him.
Not much time had passed after the start of the incident. Since the news likely hadnât reached Zieghart yet, he couldnât look forward to reinforcements from the house.
It was necessary to assume that the Holy Sword Alliance master would make the worst decision for him and plan accordingly.
âY-you are just afraid of the alliance master in the end.â
Cloud twisted his lips. He mustâve realized that Raon couldnât kill him because of the alliance master.
âIâm absolutely not going to lose next time. Iâm going to snap your neck before you can activate the Sword Fieldââ
âOnce I win against someone, I never lose against the same opponent. Do you really believe you can win next time when you are so afraid of my talent?â
âArghâŠâ
âAnd you are making a grave mistakeâŠâ
Raon smiled coldly and stimulated Cloudâs mana circuits with his finger by using the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacierâs energies.
âIâm not done yet.â
âWh-what did you do?!â
âYou will find out soon enough.â
He shoved the heat into various places, saving the spine for last, before finally pulling his finger out.
âKuah!â
Cloudâs body bent like a squid. It was the worst torture method, causing the pain of twisting bones and muscles, the itchiness of thousands of bugs gnawing at the flesh, and even heat and coldness added on top of it all. Thick veins were bulging on his forehead as he went through it.
âUaaaah!â
âHuh? But you are going to die if you move.â
Raon chuckled, and Cloudâs body immediately flinched and came to a halt.
âAaaahâŠâ
However, he started to struggle once again, unable to withstand the pain.
The lines of blood flowing from the blades stabbing his shoulder and stomach became even thicker.
âKuaaah!â
âI told you, you are going to die if you keep moving. You shouldnât scream, either.â
âHaapâŠâ
âYou are so dumb. Your limbs should also stay still. Your heart is going to split in half at this rate.â
âSt-stop it! Please!â
âAsk that great alliance master of yours to remove it for you.â
âArghâŠâ
Cloud panicked hard and started to foam from the mouth, his body trembling in something between intense pain and his fear of death.
WowâŠ
Wrath shook his head with wide eyes.
Is this really what a human being should be doing?
âWell, Iâm human so it is.â
Oh, I seeâŠ
Raon ignored Wrath as he kept murmuring, wondering if that was how it worked, and grabbed Cloud by his hair once again.
âWhat did you say earlier again? You said you would eliminate the potential danger by killing me and my crew, didnât you?â
Raon exhaled a warm breath while meeting his eyes, which were distorted from terror.
âDo it if you can, because your head will roll the moment you meet me once again.â
Raon rolled his lips into a smile and violently tossed Cloudâs body away.
âCough!â
Cloud gripped the blades stabbing his shoulder and stomach to avoid death. However, the pain mustâve gotten even worse because his body was trembling on the ground.
âHaaâŠâ
Raon averted his gaze and looked at Banneret, where a strange tornado was rising.
âI wonder if those two are alright.â
He was worried about Rimmer and Sheryl, but it wouldâve been foolish to return to the city. He was only going to be a hindrance instead of helping them.
Raon wished for their safe return, including the Heavenly Blade division, and pulled Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem from the ground. The two blades felt heavy for some reason.
* * *
* * *
The Holy Sword Alliance masterâs dark sword, which was flying in the air to indulge in the sword techniques of the Queen of Swords and the Demonblade, started to rotate in a semicircle and dark lightning occurred from it.
âThis isâŠâ
The Queen of Swords furrowed her brow upon seeing the swordâs movement.
âD-donât tell me, youâŠâ
The Demonblade barely managed to fend off the sword and bared his yellow teeth.
âAre you copying this great oneâs technique?!â
âIt was a nice technique that isnât fixated on form. I like it.â
The Holy Sword Alliance master slowly nodded. The manipulated sword resonated faintly from the air. It seemed to express the cheerful mood of its owner.
âHaaâŠâ
The Queen of Swords quietly sighed and returned her sword to its scabbard before drawing it right after that.
The blade emerged quietly, and a tremendous amount of energy advanced while being focused on a single point. The point was even smaller than the width of a hair, but the achievement of a swordswoman whoâd reached transcendence was dwelling inside.
âThis is pretty goodâŠâ
The Holy Sword Alliance master nodded with slightly flushed cheeks. The manipulated sword was putting pressure on the Demonblade but flew in front of him in an instant and created a sword barrier the size of a palm.
Whaaam!
It was difficult to believe the explosive sound came from the clash between an extremely small strike and a sword barrier. The sky was crushed like an egg inside a clenched fist and a huge rift appeared.
âTsk.â
The Queen of Swords briefly clicked her tongue. However, she immediately started to prepare her next move. She mustâve thought that it wouldnât be enough to finish off the Holy Sword Alliance master to begin with.
âHmmâŠâ
The Demonblade managed to pull himself together. He bit his lip and wrapped his sword with a purple current of air to unleash a hexagonal sword formation into the air.
They were behaviors befitting transcenders, as they trusted their own martial arts despite being surprised by the Holy Sword Alliance masterâs abilities.
âWahahaha!â
The Holy Sword Alliance master burst into laughter while looking at the distorted sky.
âYes, this is how it should be. It wouldnât have been worth it to come out to the world if you couldnât even do this.â
His flushed face almost looked like he was drunk. His eyes glowed red as they indulged in the sight of the Queen of Swords and the Demonbladeâs swords.
âIâm also curious about them, butâŠâ
The Holy Sword Alliance master turned his head to the right. It was difficult to tell who the winner was because Raon and Cloudâs energies had subsided at the same time.
He wanted to spread his aura perception to figure out the situation, but it was much too far away. Focusing on the opponents at hand was the correct course of action, as a distraction could prove critical during a fight against two transcenders.
âKellin.â
A swordsman whose face was hidden behind a mask jumped down from the Sword Wing.
âIf Cloud won the fight, he might try to kill Raon. Stop him if thatâs the case, and bring them both if itâs the other way around.â
âUnderstood.â
The woman called Kellin gestured with her finger, and the warriors wearing the same outfit appeared behind her.
They were the Floating Soul Division, in charge of secretly defending the flying warship, the Sword Wing.
Thud!
Just as they were about to leave through the collapsed part of the rampart, red lightning struck from the sky.
Whaam!
It was Rimmerâs doing. Heâd been observing the battlefield while using his Sword Field and had stopped Kellin from leaving.
However, the Master of the Wise Dragon Swordâs blade took the opportunity and brushed past his waist.
Pssh!
It wasnât a serious injury, but it was still thick enough to make the difference between victory and defeat during a fight between extremely powerful warriors.
âAckâŠâ
Rimmer frowned and bit his lip.
âI heard you could use the Sword Field Creation, and it was true.â
The Master of the Wise Dragon Sword slowly nodded while shaking the blood off his blade.
âAnd lightning energy as well? Did you beg Glenn for it or something?â
ââŠâŠâ
âAnyway, you are different from before at least.â
A twisted smile flowed from his lips.
âCan I take it to mean that you cherish your disciples more than your subordinates?â
âShut your mouth!â
Rimmer was unable to withstand the nasty provocation and charged at him.
âHmm.â
Kellin nodded at the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword and tried to head towards the rampart once again, but a white ray bent towards her and blocked his path.
âYou arenât going anywhere.â freÄwÄbηovel.cà«Šm
The moment Sheryl created the sword barrier, the apostle she was facing immediately extended his hand toward her. His attack, surrounded by transparent energy, was falling towards her at a tremendous speed.
Whaam!
The speed wasnât the only frightening part. It was also powerful enough to split the land, and Sherylâs feet got stuck under the ground.
Claang!
Sheryl didnât panic even though she couldnât move anymore and crossed her two blades. The black and white energies waned like the sunlight reflected on the surface of a lake, and the apostleâs attack was bounced back violently.
âYou idiot!â
She bit her lip and shouted at Rimmer.
âStop yielding to provocation, please!â
âI know, I know! ButâŠâ
Rimmerâs expression wasnât full of malice anymore. He shook his head, his eyes making it look like he was about to cry.
âHaa, you idiotâŠâ
Sheryl could understand his feelings and murmured idiot in a way than previously before she pulled her legs out of the ground.
âHeavenly Blade division, guard the rampart!â
She roared while slamming the land with her bare, bloody foot.
Rumble!
The Heavenly Blade division created a storming sword barrier above the destroyed part of the rampart, showing their determination to stop their opponents with their lives.
âTry it if you want.â
Sheryl twisted her lips while raising her white sword and lowering her black sword.
âNothing but your heads are allowed to pass!â
* * *
Tsk.
Raon briefly clicked his tongue as he ran back along the path he had taken.
âI came too far.â
He started to get worried about the Light Wind division, as he could finally afford other thoughts than the violent battle against Cloud.
Heâd come so far to reduce the damage of the Light Wind division, but heâd come a lot further than anticipated.
The Light Wind division shouldâve won according to his predictions, as heâd also included the bodyguards of Encia and Denning Rose, but anxiety emerged like an ember in his heart.
âDamn it.â
He was irritated by the fact that he couldnât continuously use the Supreme Harmony Steps because of his lack of aura and unconsciously bit his lip.
They should be fine.
Wrath shook his head while sitting on Raonâs shoulder.
âHmm?â
They are the King of Essenceâs subordinates. They should all be alive.
âThey are my subordinates. I raised them personally. You did nothââ
Anyway, they are the King of Essenceâs children!
Wrath shook his head while saying that a demon king always kept their word.
âI see.â
Raon chuckled at Wrath. It seemed to be his way of relieving his worry. That was why Raon decided to shake his shoulder.
You punk!
âMy shoulder just felt itchy.â
He continued to follow the path while chatting with Wrath.
Since he might have to fight right away, he tried to recover his aura as fast as possible, and Wrath wrinkled his nose.
The fight is over.
âWhat?â
No one is at that spot anymore.
He shook his head, saying that there were no presences there at all.
âWhich meansâŠâ
Raon stopped his advance and looked in the direction of Cameloon.
âThat must be their destination. They must believe in me, just like I believe in them.
Considering the fact that no one was at the scene of battle anymore, Burren mustâve taken the Light Wind division towards Cameloon.
HoweverâŠ
Just as Raon was about to move towards Cameloon, Wrath licked his lip.
It looks like you still have more work to do.
The sound disappeared from the forest as soon as he declared. An extremely small noise was mixed in between the silent wind.
Someone was approaching as covertly as a shadow.
What have you even been doing in your life?!
Wrath tilted his head and asked him about it.
Why do you have so many enemies when youâve only lived for twenty-one years?! Who the hell is that?!
âI donât know. ButâŠâ
Raon furrowed his brow while spreading his aura perception around the forest.
âI smell a familiar stench.â