Chapter 300

The red lightning covered the extent of the dark sky.

As if the lightning dragon of the sky had descended on the world, the entire world sparked red.

The lightning energy, which was spreading out like a spider’s web, gathered on top of the barrier to create a majestic line.

Rumble!

Even before the tremendous sound of thunder faded away, the lightning strikes twisted with each other like a chain to pierce through the Lunar barrier.

Whaam!

The Lunar Barrier that he claimed to be invincible was shredded as easily as a piece of paper. The moon and star emblems that previously managed to withstand Wrath’s coldness were shattered into pieces and slammed onto the ground.

A lone man descended upon the destroyed barrier. His red eyes, looking down on the whole world, crushed the surrounding area.

The moon that used to hide from darkness in fear returned to support him with an auspicious light, and the distorted starlight returned to its original position to gleam down upon him.

The balance of the world, twisted by the demonic power, was being fixed by a single person’s presence.

“Glenn Zieghart…”

The White Blood Religion's leader ground her teeth while looking at the man who was overwhelming the entire world with his presence.

“How could you appear without any sign? Did you even bend the laws of nature?”

The Fallen’s eyes were trembling as he looked up at the red sky, which was still sparkling.

“Wh-what the hell…?”

“Glenn Zieghart!”

“I-is that truly the Destructive King of the North?”

“I never imagined that this would happen…”

The White Blood Religion and Eden officers were crushed under Glenn’s destructive pressure, unable to even straighten their backs.

“Human scum has crossed the line.”

Glenn’s quiet voice drove away the darkness from the land.

“You will die if you move.”

His voice became a declaration that resounded throughout the land.

“Ah…”

The fifth apostle groaned, unable to endure the pain in his chest caused by the Blade of Requiem, and a red line was created on his face.

Pssh!

The line widened to the sides and the fifth apostle’s body split in half. His regeneration ability didn’t even have time to be activated. He instantly died.

He didn’t even swing his sword or use his aura. Even though there was no cause, the result still existed, which was that the fifth apostle had been slain.

Raon swallowed nervously while watching Glenn’s back.

‘This is the Destructive King of the North…’

He was the man who dominated the continental war and was called the lightning god as a result. His reputation as the closest swordsman to being the strongest man on the continent wasn’t for naught.

‘Is he even stronger than him?’

He hadn’t seen Derus Robert for over twenty years, but he couldn’t imagine him being stronger than Glenn.

As expected of the King of Essence’s rival.

Wrath nodded with an enervated voice.

He would’ve put up a good fight if only he could bring his main body here.

He frowned, saying that it was regrettable that he couldn’t use his main body.

“Raon Zieghart.”

While Raon was ignoring the bluffing Wrath, Glenn’s voice could be heard.

“You’ve been kidnapped despite wearing Zieghart’s name. That’s so pathetic of you. However…”

He continued without looking back. It should’ve been a mistake that Glenn’s voice sounded like it was trembling.

“Good job on holding out until now.”

His voice seeped into his heart. His nose was tingling, likely because it was the first bit of warmth he’d felt from him. Raon bit his lip to prevent his vision from turning blurry with tears.

“How dare you come here when you are just an old man who doesn’t even have the strength to wield a sword?”

The White Blood Religion's leader raised her upper body. Formless energy spread out from her on top of the mysterious presence she had.

“Your grandson must be pretty important for you to bring you all the way here. However…”

The Fallen raised his hand and narrowed his eyes. His energy wave engulfed the entire area in an instant.

“It looks like you are on your own.”

The Fallen’s lips rolled up into a thin smile upon realizing that Glenn didn’t bring anyone with him.

“So what?”

Glenn raised his chin slightly. His extremely arrogant expression gave the impression that he was the one who received the demon king of Pride’s power instead of the Fallen.

“Since you came to your grave on your accord, I shall treat you accordingly.”

The Fallen opened his hands and looked at the sedan chair of the White Blood Religion's leader.

“Fine. Let’s work together for the time being.”

The sedan chair’s curtain was gently lifted, and her face was revealed.

She was a peerless beauty with black eyes and black hair, and her skin was as transparent as the first snow. She was wearing a blood-red dress that revealed the line of her body, and a sweet fragrance coming from her tickled the nose.

‘That’s the White Blood Religion's leader.’

Despite how she acted, she looked like she was only in her mid-twenties. Raon’s head felt dizzy just from looking at her. It felt like she was spreading a charming spell just by existing there.

‘But… Have I seen her before?’

He couldn’t pinpoint why, but her appearance felt familiar somehow.

“It’s extremely painful to see the branch being destroyed, but it will be worth it if I can take the life of the Destructive King of the North.”

The Fallen’s murderous intent was dripping from his quiet voice. Light and darkness crawled from his hands.

“You would’ve been able to die from old age if you stayed in your hole in the north.”

White energy spread from the White Blood Religion's leader. The peak of bloody energy bursting towards the sky had an even higher purity than nature's mana.

‘Ack!’

Raon went to his knees while grasping his chest. Even though he was using the Ring of Fire, he couldn’t even breathe because of the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen’s pressures. He felt like his throat was completely blocked by wet paper.

Glenn looked completely unaffected despite being the sole target of the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen’s pressures. He was simply looking down on everything in front of him, just like when he was sitting on the audience chamber’s throne.

“Huff…”

Raon barely managed to open his mouth to continue his weak breathing.

‘I have to watch this fight even if I end up dying as a result.’

Glenn Zieghart, the White Blood Religion's leader, and the Fallen were some of the strongest people of the continent as the heads of the Six Kings and Five Demons.

Witnessing the fight until the end to make it into his own was bound to allow him to progress even further.

“Stay back…”

Glenn slightly tilted his chin and spoke to him.

“…and watch carefully.”

As soon as his voice reached him, the pressures coming from the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen became weaker and it became a lot easier to breathe.

‘Is he helping me?’

He thought Glenn would’ve left him to survive on his own considering his usual demeanor, but it wasn’t the case. Raon felt like the Glenn he was watching was slightly different from the one he’d been seeing in the audience chamber.

“Two of the Five Demons.”

Glenn pointed at the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen with his chin while looking at them with icy cold eyes.

“Not too bad for a warm-up. Come at me.”

“You old man…”

“Hmm!”

The White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen frowned at the same time upon hearing Glenn’s arrogant voice.

“You haven’t changed at all.”

The Fallen’s mouth curved into a thin smile. His prideful smile was brimming with murderous intent. His murderous aura manifested in the world by turning the land completely dark.

“You shouldn’t believe that it will be the same as thirty years ago. You’ve gotten older, and we’ve gotten stronger since then.”

The White Blood spread around the White Blood Religion's leader. The land melted down and the sky started to scream.

Rumble!

The entire world trembled from the clash of power between the three supreme beings. It almost felt like the whole world was about to collapse.

Whap!

The White Blood Religion's leader signaled the start of the battle. The moment her hands touched each other, her bloody energy created a flame that burst from the ground. The firepower that engulfed Glenn’s body was something that Raon had never seen before.

Swoosh!

The Fallen stretched his hands forward. The holy and demonic powers, the light and darkness, crossed each other as they advanced towards Glenn’s upper body.

The White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen’s attacks were activated in an instant, just like Wrath’s Frozen World. It felt like their energies had already reached Glenn’s body the moment they appeared.

Glenn’s expression didn’t even change as he faced the two monsters’ attacks, which were targeting his lower and upper body at the same time. It felt like his serene expression was telling them that their attacks were unworthy of his emotions as he stomped the ground.

Thud!

The entire land trembled from the simple step as red lightning appeared. The sky looked distorted from the powerful lightning, and the fire and light created by the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen dissipated from it.

“Warming up is unnecessary.”

Glenn bobbed his hand while looking down on the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen.

“Come at me with everything you have.”

“Blood Explosion!”

The White Blood Religion's leader gathered her hands once again. The bloody energy blazing around her expanded in size and changed its shape.

Snap!

The land split apart, and a white tidal wave was created to engulf the entire branch. Every single one of the bloody waves was more powerful than an astral sphere.

Raon never thought it was possible to create such a phenomenon with bloody energy. Even though she was an enemy, her prowess was worthy of admiration.

Cring!

The Fallen raised his hand. The white sphere rising from his hand spread around to materialize thousands of swords of light.

They were holy swords. Every single one of them was an extremely powerful sword and magic at the same time.

A thousand blades fell upon him, and the bloody tidal wave flooded onto him. Raon couldn’t see any way to dodge the attack.

Even though Glenn was facing a fearsome attack that had surpassed the boundaries of reality, he slowly raised his sword.

“Lightning Quake.”

A red light glimmered on Heavenly Tremor as if the lightning were dwelling inside, and Glenn used the sword to sever the sky and the land.

Crack!

The holy swords dominating the sky and the Blood Explosion crushing the land clashed against the blade, capable of slaying everything in the world.

The clash of power crushed Eden’s buildings into powder, and the surface of the land revealed its interior.

Whaam!

The majestic sound of an explosion engulfed the world. The lightning spread out like a flame to make the bloody wave disappear and shatter the swords of light.

The absolute power was capable of dealing with the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen at the same time. Glenn’s title as the strongest in the continent wasn’t excessive at all.

“Is that all you have after acting all high and mighty?”

Glenn scornfully narrowed his eyes.

“You are jumping to conclusions.”

“We are only getting started.”

The Fallen and the White Blood Religion's leader laughed coldly and gathered the black light and the bloody energy. Their power only grew stronger. They weren’t using their full strength in their previous attack.

“I shall be on offense this time.”

Glenn’s left foot crushed the land and his body appeared in front of the Fallen at the same time. It was the completed version of the Supreme Harmony Steps, capable of leaping through space.

Cring!

Glenn looked like he was simply getting rid of a hindrance as he slashed down with Heavenly Tremor. It was a fast yet simple strike, and that made it extremely powerful. The blade stretched out like a ray of light, and the darkness appeared the moment it reached the Fallen’s neck.

Growl!

The darkness grabbed Heavenly Tremor as if it were a living creature and refused to let it go.

“Hold it tightly.”

A huge whip in the shape of a dragon’s tail was in the White Blood Religion's leader’s grasp. It was a bloody whip created with white blood energy.

Cring!

The falling whip multiplied into hundreds to coil around Glenn’s body.

Whap!

Even though it was a crisis, Glenn’s composed eyes weren’t wavering in the slightest. Heavenly Tremor started to incorporate the intense red light of the sun to push the darkness back.

“The demonic power is getting pushed back!?”

The Fallen stepped back with a frown on his face and Glenn’s sword created a long, elliptical trajectory.

Zap!

A powerful lightning strike was created at the same time as the blade’s trajectory to dash through the land like the distant horizon.

Whaam!

The lightning slash severed the hundreds of bloody whips and even managed to cut through the Fallen’s darkness.

Baam!

Eden’s entire branch started to collapse from the tremendous shockwave, and cracks appeared on the land like the earth during a drought.

Glenn clicked his tongue while looking at the land being split apart.

“It’s too narrow.”

He extended his right foot and slashed upwards with Heavenly Tremor. The storming lightning and tempest pushed back the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen.

Thud!

Glenn used the Supreme Harmony Steps once again to appear in front of the White Blood Religion's leader.

Wham!

The White Blood Religion's leader noticed his move and defended herself by turning her bloody energy into a sword. The Fallen licked his lips and created darkness to interfere between them.

Slam!

A magnificent radiance spread out to the surroundings from the endless clashes between the white, red, and black lights.

The three supreme beings gradually moved away from the branch and started to show their prowess in the sky over an empty field.

Rumble!

Even though Raon was at a significant distance away from them, it was difficult to stay standing because of the shockwave coming from their powers.

Bang!

The sound of an explosion could be heard from the collapsed building. 

* * * 

Raon turned around while breathing roughly. Merlin was looking at him with widened eyes.

“Wh-what’s happening here…?”

“The Destructive King of the North personally came to attack us because of the man you kidnapped, you bitch. Ack…”

Unfaceable Snake ground his teeth while trying to stop his bleeding after escaping the ice pillar.

“And the reason you kidnapped him was all for naught as well.”

He raised his finger to point at Raon’s face.

“That bastard managed to devour your dragon instead.”

“What…?”

Merlin turned her head around, as stiff as a machine. Her eyes became extremely distorted upon noticing that Raon wasn’t wearing the helmet.

“…Loctar?”

“I’m sorry about that.”

Raon frowned while grasping his stomach to hold back his nausea.

‘I can’t lie to her.’

Taking advantage of her would’ve made it easier to escape the situation, but he couldn’t lie to her—probably because Loctar’s soul was absorbed into his own.

“I won the duel in the mental world.”

“Ah…”

Merlin sank to the ground. Her eyes behind the mask lost focus. She looked like she was completely out of her mind.

“Argh!”

The tenth apostle who’d been crushed under Glenn’s pressure managed to snap out of it from Merlin’s scream and stood up.

“Now is the time. Capture Raon Zieghart.”

As soon as he gave the order, the four people who were carrying the White Blood Religion's leader’s sedan chair moved at the same time.

“……”

Soul Severing Sword stretched out his hand from the other side, and Eden’s officers also started running at him.

“Damn it…”

Raon bit his lip.

‘I don’t have any strength left to resist.”

His body was completely messed up from spending Wrath’s energy. He wasn’t even able to lift Heavenly Drive.

‘But I shouldn’t be a hindrance to him.’

Since Glenn was currently fighting against two of the Five Demons’ heads, he couldn’t allow himself to be a burden to him.

He resonated the Ring of Fire. He lifted his two swords while enduring the throbbing pain in his heart.

‘I’ll resist until the last moment, even if I have to die!’

It was as he was about to force himself to swing his sword at the old man running from the right and the black orc helmet approaching from the left side that it happened.

The wind started to blow.

With emerald wind ruffling his hair, a tall elf appeared in front of him.

Slam!

The familiar swordsmanship performed from his hand turned into green wind to fend off the old man and the black orc helmet at the same time.

“Ah…”

Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at the fluttering red hair.

“You look miserable right now.”

Rimmer turned around with a gentle smile on his face. His smile expressed his worries and anger at the same time.

“Zieghart’s Sword of Light!”

“……”

The tenth apostle and Soul Severing Sword moved at once to attack Rimmer.

“I’m not the only one who came here though.”

The moment Rimmer shrugged his shoulders, a blade as thin as an awl pierced into the tenth apostle’s neck.

“Kuh!”

The tenth apostle hurriedly swung his spear to defend himself, but blood was flowing down from his neck.

“I was planning to finish him off in a single strike.”

A man holding a blue rapier somersaulted before landing on the ground. It was Roenn, the old butler, with his hair neatly combed back.

“My skills must’ve gotten rusty.”

“The Assassin King…”

The tenth apostle violently ground his teeth while covering his neck.

Whack!

Raon turned his head to the right upon hearing a boulder-shattering sound.

A purple-haired woman was holding twin swords of different colors in her hands, stopping Soul Severing Sword head-on.

Rumble!

Even though Soul Severing Sword was at least twice as big as her, the way she was pushing him back with sheer strength almost looked like a miracle.

“Raon.”

The Heavenly Blade division leader, Sheryl, lowered her swords and turned her head.

“I’m glad you are safe.”

Her lips slightly curved upwards into a faint smile.

Raon’s chin trembled as he watched the three people who came to help him. His heart was pounding violently. It felt like his turbulent emotions, which he’d been trying to hold back after hearing Glenn’s voice, were about to explode.

“Raon Zieghart can’t even move a single finger right now! Capture him at all costs!”

The tenth apostle ordered everyone before grasping his spear to charge at Roenn.

“……”

The same went for Soul Severing Sword as he narrowed his eyes slightly before gathering his aura of death and combative energy to attack Sheryl with his sword.

“My bad, I misspoke.”

Rimmer snickered and pointed at the sky.

“I should’ve said that we aren’t the only ones who came here.”

At the same time as he sneered, dozens of dimensional gates opened up in the air.

Whir!

Swordsmen wearing Zieghart’s emblem came running out from every single one of the dimensional rifts.

The Heavenly Blade division, the White Lotus division, the Void Sword division, the Crimson Ultimate division, the Tiger Strike squad. The armed groups that he’d frequently interacted with weren't the only ones there, and even the swordsmen who were on a mission outside the house had gathered in the same place.

Rumble!

The swordsmen surrounded Eden's branch with an icy cold gaze in their eyes.

A blockade was formed in no time, where not a single person would be able to escape.

Familiar people came out from the last dimensional rift that appeared.

Burren, Martha, and Runaan. The Light Wind squad looked a lot more mature than before as they came running at him.

“Light Wind squad! Protect the vice squad leader!”

Rimmer shouted, and the Light Wind squad formed the Light Wind formation to stand in front of Raon.

They didn’t say anything about how worried they were, how relieved they were, or how glad they were to see him safe. Their voices were replaced by the unshakeable determination to protect him no matter what, visible in the lines of their backs.

Rumble!

The auras bursting from hundreds of Zieghart’s swordsmen merged into one and engulfed the world.

Raon clenched the hilt of his sword to the point that his hand started to bleed.

‘Am I not alone anymore?’

Unlike his previous life, where his head was cut off at the same time as his collar, people were currently standing next to him.

They were together with him in his life and his sword.

“Raon.”

Rimmer grabbed his trembling right hand to make him point at the enemy.

“Since you went through so much hardship, I’ll let you have the most delicious part.”

He grinned. Every other swordsman, including Sheryl and Roenn, was looking at him as they fixed their grips on their swords.

“Destroy…”

Raon swallowed nervously. He shouted out the exalted feeling surging from his mind.

“Zieghart’s enemy!”

At Raon’s silvery voice, Zieghart started to move.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]