Chapter 406

He couldn’t even see the smallest star in the dark sky, and an olive-colored swamp as shallow as a brook was splashing beneath his feet.

Raon inhaled and could feel that the atmosphere was different from before.

The air wasn’t stuffy and sticky, brimming with the energy of death—it was a pleasant, hot, and refreshing heat.

He slowly raised his head while calming himself down, and he could see the back of a man. The swordsman, with his characteristic brilliant golden hair contrasting the silver armor he was wearing, was the first head of Zieghart.

‘So it was his traces after all.’

Raon got a familiar impression as soon as he saw the trace of the sword, and it was left behind by the first head of Zieghart—just like he’d thought.

‘He’s a bit younger.’

Unlike the previous encounter, his hair was short. He couldn’t see his face, but he looked younger than when he’d seen him in the dungeon or the Central Martial Palace’s cave.

After he confirmed that he was the Zieghart ancestor, he looked next to him. A blue-haired swordsman wearing a yellow uniform was holding his sword.

‘He must be the first head of Arianne.’

The navy blue hair and narrow eyes were similar to Wendy Arianne's. It might be because they had a similar appearance that she inherited his will.

Lastly, Raon looked up to the sky.

Clad in a robe as dark as the night sky, the archlich holding a staff with a dark bead engraved in it was looking down on them.

There were over thirty death knights and banshees below him, and they revealed their intense bloodlust against Zieghart and Arianne’s ancestors.

‘It must be that situation.’

It was the story he’d heard from Judiel. It must’ve been the battle where Zieghart and Arianne’s first heads killed the archlich that arose from the Swamp of Death.

The archlich raised his staff and countless black magic circles appeared on the sky and land. Dark magic fired from the magic circles rained down toward the two warriors.

Zieghart’s ancestor used footwork to advance while leaving red footprints behind and drew his sword like lightning. The fire bursting from his blade easily incinerated the death knights and banshees.

Arianne’s ancestor called upon a blue storm with his green sword to sever the archlich’s magic and magic circle altogether.

The archlich stepped back in surprise. His back reached the black temple that was brimming with the energy of death.

‘The pillars I saw must’ve been the remains of that temple.’

Raon had thought it was strange because the three pillars in the swamp were way too big, and it must’ve been the pillars of the temple where the archlich used to serve the demon god.

The archlich summoned the death knights once again with the power of his staff and the temple, unleashing even more powerful black magic spells. However, the two warriors annihilated the undead and the magic even faster than before. It was as if they’d finished warming up.

As soon as the Zieghart ancestor killed the last death knight, he jumped while crushing the swamp to rush towards the archlich.

Just like the Specter, the archlich created a black barrier with the energy of death, but it couldn’t stop the fire of the Zieghart’s ancestor and was torn apart like a piece of paper.

Zieghart’s ancestor continued his advance and went to sever the archlich’s chest, and Arianne's ancestor unleashed astral energies of blue wind to cut the archlich’s neck.

It was a perfect victory. The two warriors managed a sophisticated combined attack without holding any conversation or gestures. They almost looked like the Light Wind squad, who could understand each other just from looking into their eyes because of the countless training they’d done together.

However, Zieghart and Arianne’s ancestors didn’t lower their swords. They frowned while looking at the archlich, who was still floating in the air despite his severed neck and chest.

The archlich gathered all the energy from the bead on his staff and the temple to create a huge death sphere from his body. A suicide attack. It was an expression of his determination to kill his two opponents—even if he had to blow up all of the energy of death in the area.

Zieghart’s ancestor thrust his sword towards the sphere. The flame breath bursting from the center of his blade was the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s Flame Dragon Art. However, even the fire dragon’s roar was unable to break through the death sphere and scattered in vain.

Arianne’s ancestor also unleashed sharp astral energies of wind in the shape of a scythe one after the other, but he couldn’t cut through the death sphere that was getting bigger and bigger.

The archlich’s head giggled at them while rolling on the ground.

Zieghart and Arianne’s ancestors spoke to each other for the first time and nodded.

Arianne’s ancestor grabbed his sword with two hands and gathered the wind in the area. The wind advancing through the blade’s trajectory intensified even further to sever the energy of death and carve a path toward the dark sphere.

Zieghart’s ancestor raised his sword around his shoulder’s height and used his footwork—as if he was telling him that was enough. Red astral energy burst from his snow-white blade.

He crushed the land with his left foot and thrust his sword. Dozens of red lights burst from the single blade to pierce the dark sphere.

There were thirty-six in total. A single strike had created fires to engulf the dark sphere from thirty-six different directions.

Spark!

The dark sphere tried to resist and keep expanding even further, but the thirty-six fires created by Zieghart’s ancestor crushed the dark sphere with the navy blue wind’s support from behind.

Whaaam!

Like a pumpkin getting crushed by chains surrounding it, the dark sphere was crushed by the combined power of fire and wind before a huge explosion occurred. The shockwave reached the back and destroyed the temple of death.

Zieghart’s ancestor slashed down diagonally with his sword towards the falling archlich. He turned into ash and disappeared before he could even scream.

He raised his head slightly. Raon met his crimson eyes like a burning fire, and the principles of the technique he’d just witnessed were drawn into his mind alongside a burning pain in his brain.

‘It is a technique from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.’

However, the technique wasn’t the only thing he’d obtained. He could feel with his skin that the principles used to achieve that trajectory had achieved further growth.

Zieghart’s ancestor nodded faintly. He must’ve been nodding at Arianne’s ancestor instead of Raon, but Raon felt like he was asking him whether he could do it.

‘Of course I can.’

Raon nodded back to tell him he could, and darkness even darker than before covered his eyes. He could hear a buzzing sound.

“---on.”

“Raon!”

 He blinked his eyes and could see Rimmer waving his hand at him.

“What are you even thinking right now?! We have no time to waste!”

He pointed at the dark sphere, saying that they needed to take care of it before it was too late.

“Hmm…”

Raon raised his head to look at where he was pointing at. It didn’t even feel like the trance had lasted for ten seconds, but the death sphere had already grown big enough to cover the sky.

You bastard.

Raon bit his lip, and Wrath suddenly appeared to shove his face onto him.

Where did you go again this time?!

‘What?’

What did you eat this time to get stronger again?!

Wrath ground his teeth violently at Raon.

‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?!’

It was already annoying enough that he was falling into trances way too often, but his soul sometimes disappeared just to return even more powerful than before. The damn brat had gotten stronger during that short timeframe—it didn’t even last ten seconds!

Which doormat is giving you power now?!

‘Doormat, you say…?’

Raon smiled faintly while pointing at the sky.

‘A generous person in heaven keeps sending gifts. He must’ve taken a liking to me.’

D-don’t tell me, are you even extorting the hypocrites in heaven? That’s…

‘That’s?’

A good thing.

Wrath suddenly started to nod, saying that that scum deserved to be extorted to their bones. 

* * * 

“Raon.”

Raon shook his head because of Wrath’s unexpected reaction, and Rimmer walked up to him.

“You got the ring from Chamber, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s use it. There’s no other wa—wait, he might be here.”

Rimmer pointed at his ring but suddenly raised his head.

He shouted with a lot of aura in his voice, but no one appeared.

“What are you doing?”

“Shit! I thought he would definitely be here, but I guess not. Let’s use the rin—”

“There’s no need. I’ll take care of it, so just help me.”

Raon shook his head and rotated the Ring of Fire. The resonance of the rings spinning around his heart awakened his mind.

“Y-you are taking care of it?”

“Yes. I think I can cut it. But I’m going to need some help.”

He bobbed his hand at Wendy Arianne, who’d been watching them.

“Lady Wendy!”

“Eeh?”

Wendy widened her eyes like a surprised rabbit because she didn’t expect that her name was going to be called.

“Please come this way!”

“Ah, yes!”

She ran towards him without hesitation even though she could die at any moment.

“Is there, by any chance, a martial art that uses the wind to cut through the energy among Arianne's sword techniques?”

“W-we have a technique called the Windy Path. But how do you know about that…?”

She tilted her head in bewilderment because she’d never used it in front of him, and it wasn’t even an attack skill.

“Please use that technique to carve a path towards that death sphere. And…”

Raon shook his hand at Rimmer.

“Squad leader, please help Lady Wendy. She should be more than capable of doing it.”

“Hmm…”

Rimmer licked his lips while wiping the sweat flowing down his chin with the back of his hand.

“I’m kinda exhausted right now…”

He shook his head, saying that he was too exhausted from the extended fight.

“Are you really panting like a puppy now after that short of a fight? You are going to train your stamina once we return.”

“Eeh? But the Sword Field Creation uses a large amount of stamina and aura…”

“I don’t know about that. Get ready to climb the cliff with the others if you can’t even do this.”

“Ugh!”

Raon returned what Rimmer had told him right back at him, and his face turned as pale as a blank piece of paper.

“How cruel…”

“You are the one who raised me this way, squad leader.”

Raon shook his hand and advanced to stand in front of the dark sphere.

“Hmm…”

Wendy’s lips trembled as she watched Raon’s back.

‘Can I really do it? Someone like me?’

It was Raon’s request, but she wasn’t confident she could carve a proper path of wind. It wasn’t because she lacked training. It was because it was such an important moment that the smallest mistake could cost everyone’s lives, and she was unsure someone like her should be the one to act.

‘I don’t think I can do it…’

Her hands trembled and her heart pounded violently. Forget the Windy Path, she couldn’t even remember how to swing her sword. Her head felt completely empty.

When she was about to tell Raon that she couldn’t do it, he turned around.

“A thousand years ago, our ancestors severed the darkness together. It’s our turn now.”

He smiled gently, as if he knew how nervous she was.

“Wendy Arianne, you are the only person in House Arianne who inherited your ancestor’s will. You can do it.”

Raon didn’t hear her answer, turning his head to look in front of him. His unwavering back told her how much he trusted her.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Wendy’s shivering started to subside, and Rimmer came up next to her.

“Since that arrogant subordinate of mine said that you can do it, you are definitely capable of it. Don’t feel too pressured, and do like you always do.”

He smiled broadly, telling her to stop being so nervous.

“Ah…”

Upon realizing that the unprecedented genius called the White Sword Dragon believed in her, she felt like a thick rope binding her heart was severed. She didn’t stop trembling completely, but she definitely didn’t feel like she was going to make a mistake anymore.

“I-I’ll start it now.”

Wendy bit her lip tightly and thrust her sword powerfully, like a sword draw. The raging wind emerging from the silver blade created a navy blue path toward the dark sphere.

Spark!

However, the path wasn’t completed because Wendy wasn’t strong enough, and it distorted violently, as if it would tremble at any moment. When the blue wind was about to get pushed back by the energy of death, a green wind blew to support it.

Whoosh!

It was Rimmer’s doing. He gritted his teeth and severed the flow of death with his sword engulfed in green wind. The thin green wind of his blade soared like a whirlwind to pierce into the Windy Path created by Wendy.

Cring!

The two different winds entangled with each other to carve a clean path of wind toward the dark sphere.

“Squad leader, you deserve to be worked to the bone since you’ve been lazing around for too long.”

Raon closed his eyes while walking towards the dark sphere. He was imagining the sword of Zieghart’s first head that he’d witnessed a moment ago, the absolute technique that engulfed from thirty-six directions at once.

‘It’s impossible to completely copy it in my current state. Even the head of house that I saw today was stronger than my current self.’

No, it wasn’t even a question of how strong or weak he was. It was simply impossible to perfectly recreate an absolute technique he’d never seen before without any practice, even with the Ring of Fire.

‘That’s why…I need your help.’

Raon smiled while fixing his grip on the Blade of Requiem in his left hand.

Whir!

Raon stood in front of the dark sphere while listening to the pleasant resonance of the Blade of Requiem.

“You arrogant subordinate of mine! I’m going for real now!”

“Aaaaah!”

Alongside Rimmer and Wendy’s shouts, the energy of death was perfectly pushed back and an emerald path of wind was created towards the dark sphere.

Thud!

The entire land trembled as Raon stomped the ground, and he unleashed all of the remaining energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation from his energy center. He endured the burning pain of his mana circuits and got into the first head’s posture that he’d witnessed in his trance.

With the perfect middle posture, he thrust the two swords from in front of his energy center. Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem advanced like rays of light with the breath of fire dwelling on top of them.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Hundred Flames.

Thirty-Six Crimson Slash.

Eighteen smooth flames advanced from each blade to engulf the concentrated sphere of death.

Rumble!

Just like a shooting star dashing through the night sky, the thirty-six lines of fire surrounded the dark sphere and created tremendous pressure.

Spark!

However, the energy of death in the dark sphere was too huge, and it didn’t disappear so easily.

‘Not yet.’

He couldn’t give up yet. He controlled the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the Ring of Fire until his heart and energy center ached to unleash all of his remaining energy.

Crack!

Blood started to flow from his nose and mouth, and his bones and skin felt like they were being smashed apart. However, Raon bit his lip and advanced one step further.

Whaap!

Wendy Arianne and Rimmer’s winds also intensified. The warm winds felt like they were pushing against his back.

Wind makes the fire grow.

The red flame and the blue wind moved together like well-oiled cogs, and the Thirty-Six Crimson Slash’s lines of fire became even thicker.

Rumble!

The powerful flames crushed the sphere of death and started to incinerate the energy of death inside.

“Uaaaah!”

Raon mustered his aura and the strength in his muscles until the last drop to melt the dark sphere as much as possible before throwing it into the sky.

Whaaam!

The dark energy was almost invisible in the burning sphere, and it created a huge explosion in the sky.

“Haa…”

Raon lowered his sword after he confirmed the black and red energies falling like cherry blossoms.

‘It’s over…’

He managed to completely get rid of the sphere by using all of his power. The three pillars that had enlightened him had turned into ash in the aftermath of that tremendous clash of power.

‘Thank you.’

Raon bowed while thinking about Zieghart and Arianne’s ancestors.

“Haa…”

Raon sighed, and Rimmer came running towards him when he stood up.

“What the hell was that technique?! I’ve never seen it before!”

His shoulders were jolting in joy as he asked if Raon managed to create another technique.

“Thank you, squad leader.”

Raon closed his eyes while watching the sweat flowing down Rimmer’s forehead. He was acting carelessly, but it must’ve been a desperate fight for him as well.

“Not at all, this much is normal as a squad leader. But I really have no strength left now. You should carry me on your back and go to House Arianne.”

“Ah, now that I think about it, why were you so…”

He wanted to ask Rimmer why he came so late, but his vision turned hazy. The blue screen looked like system messages, but he couldn’t bring himself to read them.

“…late, you bastard…”

Raon lost consciousness and fell backward while complaining about Rimmer’s late arrival.

“Huff!”

Rimmer crushed the ground to run and catch him.

‘He’s fainted from exhaustion.’

Raon had fainted because he had used all of his stamina and aura without leaving a single drop.

“Good job.”

Rimmer gently patted Raon’s back. He smiled while looking at his student, who’d grown so big that it was difficult to hold him in his arms.

“You saved all of us.”

He was telling the truth, as everyone could’ve died if Raon hadn’t done that a moment ago.

Just like he’d said he would, he managed to perfectly defend them against the energy of death. He was a reliable student, just like he’d always been.

“It was all thanks to you that I could swing my sword to my heart’s content. It was fun. It almost felt like I had returned to my past self.”

Rimmer bowed at Raon slightly with a warm gaze in his eyes.

“Thank you.”

‘My young king.’

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]