Chapter 446

Rumble!

The Light Wind swordsmen fell from the ceiling after Raon.

“Get in formation!”

They created a sword formation to protect the Warring Steel division. Their expressions didn’t change in the slightest even though they must’ve noticed the demonic energy inside the boundary.

That was a seasoned warrior’s ability to understand the situation and act.

Whap!

Raon examined the boundary’s inside while burning up the demonic energy with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s heat.

‘So this is the boundary under the frozen surface.’

The sky was black, and evil demonic energy was crawling from the ground. It was surprising that such a huge and dreary space was hidden on the other side of the ice.

It confirmed how insane the Black Tower’s demonized humans were, considering the fact that they used such a superior ability for kidnapping people.

‘Is he the Demon Ring?’

Raon looked at the old man who was about to cut Trevin’s throat with the chakram.

He was as skinny as a twig fallen from a tree in winter, but his gaze was malicious and the demonic energy around him was powerful enough to make a chill run down his spine. Considering his shabby appearance and his weapon, he was most certainly the Demon Ring, the Black Tower’s floor overseer.

‘Which means the one over there is the Frozen Scent.’

The white-haired woman stood up behind the old man who was most likely the Demon Ring.

Her appearance was as slender and beautiful as an elf, but her slanted eyes gave a fiery impression.

Considering the fact that the demonic energy engulfing her was even more intense than the Demon Ring, she must’ve been in charge of a higher floor.

‘They are both stronger than the Black Commander.’

The information from the Shadow Agents wasn’t wrong. Both the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent were more powerful than the Black Commander.

Mysteriously though, Raon didn’t feel like he would lose to them at all. It wasn’t anything like confidence, but he just felt like he was obviously going to win.

“Wh-who are you…?”

The Demon Ring lowered his gaze after he stared blankly at the destroyed ceiling.

“How did you get here?!”

His lips were trembling in disbelief.

“This can’t be happening.”

The Frozen Scent was also stuttering in surprise.

“Let alone breaking the boundary, it should’ve been impossible to find it in the first place. So how…?”

Raon examined the people behind him while ignoring both the Frozen Scent and the Demon Ring.

‘Why are there…ordinary people here?’

Most of the people inside the barrier were ordinary people instead of the Black Tower or the Warring Steel division’s members.

They definitely looked like they were kidnapped by the Black Tower, but he couldn’t understand why they were taken there when they didn’t even have any aura.

“R-Raon. Why are you here…?”

Trevin’s fingers holding the sword were trembling in surprise, just like the demonized humans.

“This place should’ve been hidden on the other side of the ice…”

“I would come to your rescue even if it was Devildom instead of ice.”

“You…”

His eyes, which used to be full of determination, were wavering from turbulent emotions.

“S-Sir Raon.”

The Warring Steel swordsmen bit their lips tightly. They also seemed to realize that Raon was speaking from his heart.

“Rather than that, division leader.”

Raon asked why there were ordinary people around while looking behind Trevin and the Warring Steel division.

“They are sacrifices.”

Trevin ground his teeth while wiping the blood falling from his lips with his sleeve.

“They’ve been kidnapped to be offered as sacrifices to maintain the boundary. And…”

He pointed at the destroyed ceiling of the boundary. The wavering black turbulence, which had lost more than half of its previous form by the Flame Dragon Art, looked like it was enraged.

“They were trying to curse you by using the resentment coming from people when they died.”

“So they were human sacrifices.”

Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the condensed demonic energy filled with the curse of resentment.

‘They are the same kind of people as the Black Commander. Are people nothing but sacrifices for the Black Tower?’

The Black Commander had shoved demonic energy into peaceful people and tried to feed them to the drake. Those villains who were making that curse of resentment by kidnapping people were no different from him.

There was no reason to talk to them. They were trash that needed to be beheaded.

“So you are Raon Zieghart.”

The Demon Ring revealed his pupils, which looked as frightening as a snake’s.

“I don’t know how you managed to get here, but this is even better. We won’t have to look for you anymore.”

He rolled his lips into a deep smile, saying that his target came to him on his own.

“Demon Ring.”

The Frozen Scent licked her lips while looking at Raon’s composed expression.

“You know you shouldn’t kill him, right? Regardless of the vice master’s order, we need to figure out how he found this boundary. Keep him alive no matter what.”

She pointed her finger and asked him to capture him alive because she wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

“I know.”

“But I have no intention of keeping you alive.”

Raon raised Heavenly Drive while sneering at the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent.

“Let’s get started since we don’t need to talk.”

“Wait a moment!”

Trevin grabbed his shoulder when Raon was about to unleash the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s maximum output.

“You can’t be reckless here! We are inside the boundary created by demonic energy!”

“I know.”

“No, you know nothing. The demonic energy inside the boundary is reducing our stamina and aura while amplifying the demonized humans’ demonic energy. You will get exhausted in no time if you do the same thing you did outside!”

Trevin furrowed his brow, saying that it was also a problem for him, and he couldn’t fight properly because of the demonic energy inside the boundary.

“Did you really fail to notice it? You are a lot denser than I’ve heard.”

The Demon Ring raised his two chakrams with a confident expression on his face. He seemed to be counting on the boundary.

“But it’s too late to realize it. You came to your grave on your own accord.”

“Really?”

Raon twirled Heavenly Drive with a casual expression on his face.

‘I don’t feel anything, though.’

Trevin, the Warring Steel division, and the Light Wind division’s pressure told him that they were being suppressed by the demonic energy, but it didn’t have any influence whatsoever on Raon.

Instead, it was easier to breathe, and his body felt lighter.

It would’ve been strange if it had any influence!

Wrath frowned and straightened his back.

The energies of three demon kings are dwelling inside you. You should just die if this much demonic energy could influence you.

He shook his head, saying that the demonic energy of a barrier like that would be completely ineffective against him, even though a direct attack could be a different story.

You should thank the King of Essence! Buy him something delicious later on!

‘I’ll do so.’

You are surely going to say no, but… Ehh?

Wrath’s lips parted into a circular shape.

R-really? For real?

‘Yes. I’ll buy you a bead ice cream set after we return.’

Raon was planning to repay the favor to Wrath to begin with, as it was thanks to him that he’d managed to enter the boundary.

“Light Wind division.”

Wrath was jumping at him with a huge grin on his face, and Raon simply pushed him away before shaking his hand at the Light Wind division.

“He said that there’s intense demonic energy inside the boundary. Can you still fight?”

“I’m not feeling anything!”

“I’m waiting for your order!”

Even though they should’ve been influenced by the demonic energy, unlike Raon, they wielded their swords without showing it at all.

Their eyes were more serious and deadlier than ever because they’d seen the corpses of their fellow warriors.

“Kill the demonized humans. Don't leave even one alive.”

“Affirmative!”

The Light Wind division shouted loudly enough for the entire boundary to tremble and charged at the demonized humans. 

* * * 

The first one to jump in was, of course, Martha.

“You don’t even deserve to be called a son of a bitch! I’ll grind your brains and drink it!”

She activated Berserk without suppressing her anger and slashed powerfully at the demonized humans.

Whaam!

Martha’s aura blade, filled with madness, split their heads in half.

“You fiends.”

Burren clicked his tongue and unleashed his blue aura. The barren wind appeared as fiercely as the storm in the northern sea and separated the bodies of the demonized humans keeping the hostages diagonally.

“Disgusting.”

Even Runaan seemed extremely furious. She engulfed her blade with intense blue frost with her lips tightly closed.

The slightest touch of her blade was enough to turn the demonized humans into frozen statues with grotesque expressions on their faces before they could even defend themselves.

“Die! You trash!”

“You are even worse than demons!”

“Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The same went for the Light Wind swordsmen. Their furious attacks were brimming with murderous intent as they followed their team leaders. The demonized humans were more numerous, but they were helplessly killed because they were overwhelmed by their spirits.

“You are as arrogant as the rumors.”

The Demon Ring was still smiling despite the screams of the demonized humans.

“But I wonder how long your confidence is going to last?”

He tilted his chin and threw his two chakrams. The chakrams rolled like a full moon and rushed towards Raon with a frightening sound as they pierced through the air.

Shring!

Raon casually hung Heavenly Drive down and examined the violently rotating chakram.

‘A freaking rotation was added to swiftness, sharpness, and precision.’

He could feel what principles and power were dwelling inside the chakram rushing towards his neck and chest just by looking at it.

Clang!

He targeted the first chakram’s weak point and swung down with the Fangs of Insanity. The red fangs of a savage beast blocked the chakram’s trajectory and easily destroyed its flow.

Whoosh!

The second chakram moved like a living snake towards his wrist, but he had already predicted it.

He twisted his wrist to the right and slashed Heavenly Drive upwards.

Crack!

Just like the first one, the second chakram stopped rotating and was violently bounced back.

“Is that all?”

Raon sneered while cheerfully shaking his wrist.

“There was supposed to be something about the boundary. How disappointing.”

“Shut up!”

The Demon Ring moved his hand, and the two chakrams that were slammed on the ground returned to his grasp as if they were pulled by a string.

“You seem to be rather skilled with a sword, but this is as far as you go.”

He violently ground his back teeth and exploded his demonic energy. The white blade of the chakram turned black as if it were covered in ink, and power on a whole different level gushed out from him.

Considering the fact that the chakram was blending into darkness, the Demon Ring seemed to be getting serious.

“Go!”

The Demon Ring twisted his two chakrams and fired them. The chakrams rotated so quickly that the blades couldn’t even be seen anymore and merged with the darkness.

Whir!

The number of chakrams increased in an instant, and Raon’s vision was filled with black chakrams.

“A mixture?”

Raon kept his serene mind and calmly examined the variation of the chakram.

‘He added illusion and variation to the previous principles.’

The Demon Ring had managed to add variation and illusion on top of amplifying the rotation even further.

The complexity and power were on a whole different level from his previous attack.

‘However… It’s already exposed to me, just like the last one.’

He could clearly see what was making the Demon Ring’s martial art. Glenn and Rector’s teachings must’ve been bearing their results.

Thud!

Raon kicked the ground. He crushed the land brimming with demonic energy and moved forward.

Cring!

He unleashed the Fangs of Insanity towards the chakram rushing towards his neck. The claws of a crazy beast engulfed by madness ignored the illusion and variation and mercilessly destroyed the chakram filled with demonic energy.

Crack!

The demonic energy’s flow created by the Demon Ring was completely ripped apart, and his weapon, the chakram, crumpled like paper and rolled on the ground.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

The Demon Ring widened his mouth to the brim.

‘How could he deal with the Demon Ring’s Special Rotation so easily…?’

He hadn’t simply thrown the chakram. It was a special technique that he’d used while exploding his demonic energy, and it was completely unimaginable for it to be stopped so easily.

The power, speed, and precision of his swordsmanship seemed to have transcended human limits.

However, he had no time to admire Raon’s technique because he was charging at him alongside a crimson heat.

“Damn it!”

The Demon Ring swore and stepped back.

‘I have no other choice.’

He took the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation from his clothes. It was his cherished weapon that he’d been saving all along.

Rumble!

He even mustered his hidden potential on top of his demonic energy. The moment a black flame burst from the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation’s blade, he threw it to the best of his ability.

Criing!

Alongside a tremendous noise that sounded like the entire world was splitting apart, the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation spread around like the dim moonlight of the night.

The chakram dripping in demonic energy covered the entire boundary. It was the ultimate technique of the Demonic Chakram Slash, the Golden Dance of Demonic Chakram, which had reached the extremity of power, speed, rotation, and even variation and illusion.

Crack!

When the wave of demonic energy created by the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation was about to destroy everything inside the boundary, a red glow appeared in Raon’s eyes.

Cring!

Raon read the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation’s flow through the Ring of Fire and thrust Heavenly Drive.

The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s maximized fire burst from the silver blade advancing towards its target.

Whap!

The fire that was heating the blade created dozens of flower buds before blooming.

Flourish. The fire petals scattered through the wind. It was a spectacle that looked like the constellations in the sky were connected by red lines.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Hundred Flames.

Flame Spirit.

It was the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s technique that used to be flashy and sharp at the same time, but it was different from before.

Every single one of the flower petals born from the heat was dancing like a living creature and blocked the Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation’s path.

Whaam!

The raging pieces of fire and the chakram filled with demonic energy clashed against each other countless times, and the entire boundary convulsed.

Crack!

The Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation was completely destroyed and fell to the ground, but the Flame Spirit’s flower petals still danced in the air.

“Wh-what the hell is wrong with you?”

The Demon Ring raised his bloodshot gaze. He kept screaming even though his internal injury was making him cough up black blood.

“How can you use such a ridiculous technique…?”

His eyes became distorted as he watched the crumpled Sturdy Chakram of Annihilation. It looked like he couldn't believe what had just happened.

Whir!

Raon raised Heavenly Drive above his head. The pieces of heat gathered up while diagonally rotating around the sword’s movement.

It almost looked like he was polishing the sky to forge a red blade.

“You don’t deserve to know.”

Heavenly Drive slashed down as he spoke. The Flame Spirit’s flower petals dropped from his blade. Hundreds of astral energies rained down at once like a storm.

“Kuaaah! It’s not over yet!”

The Demon Ring ignited his demonic energy while screaming. The demonic wall that surged up was even thicker and denser than when he was using the chakram.

Whaam!

The clash between the concentrated heat of the Flame Spirit and demonic energy created a second explosion.

The thunderous noise sounded like a mountain was being split apart, and the violent tremor felt like the boundary was about to burst.

The Flame Spirit’s flower petals descended like cherry blossoms that finished their lives in the spring, and the red pool sloshed as they landed.

“D-Demon Ring?”

“How could the great Demon Ring be defeated so easily…?”

“Impossible…”

The demonized humans were unable to hide their shock as they stared at the Demon Ring’s corpse.

Raon raised Heavenly Drive, which didn’t have a single speck of blood on it. The blade was directed at the Frozen Scent, who was biting her lip to the point of bleeding.

“Next.”

***

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]