Chapter 698

Boom!

The warriors of the South-North Union, waiting by the river, burst forth, shattering the ground.

"You little shit! What did you just say?"

“Insolent!”

"How dare you speak to him like that!"

A middle-aged man with long black hair tangled like a mop, an old monk dressed in monk’s robes, and a young man with blue hair wearing an eyepatch on his right eye came running over the water, each brandishing a spear, harpoon, and sword.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the three warriors exuding powerful auras among the South-North Union warriors.

‘I know those faces.’

He remembered seeing them in the South-North Union's list he had investigated before coming here.

They were the leaders of the Black Wolf Unit, White Mountain Unit, and Martial Wolf Unit, leaders of the mountain and water units of the South-North Union.

Though they were strong, Raon paid them no mind and focused his senses on Roman. There were others to cover his back.

Kwaaang!

Trevin, Burren, Runaan, and Martha rode the wind and intercepted the Unit leaders.

"Hey! You bastards! What's with the surprise attack! Do you want to die?"

Martha ground her teeth, glaring fiercely.

"I guess you can't escape your roots as bandits and thieves."

Burren clicked his tongue in a low voice.

"Want me to kill you?"

Even Runaan, with a chilling remark, pressed her lips together tightly.

“Stand down. What’s the meaning of this in a one-on-one duel?”

Trevin frowned, looking down at the three unit leaders.

Rimmer and Sheryl, by the river, did not move, watching the two large unit leaders who stood still.

“You little brats! Move aside!”

The Black Wolf Unit leader pushed towards Trevin, shouting.

“Oh dear. Good for you, getting old. Can you straighten your back?”

Martha taunted, lightly patting her own back.

The house Zieghart’s swordsmen and the warriors of the South-North Union glared at each other through the crossed weapons, grinding their teeth.

“Black Wolf Unit leader.”

The Axe King Roman twisted his mouth as he looked at the Black Wolf Unit leader.

“Did you call him insolent?”

“Yes! He will give you three strikes? He doesn’t know his place! He’s not worthy of your time…”

“You don’t understand.”

Roman shook his head firmly.

“The reason I spared him is precisely because of his insolence.”

“What?”

"Ever since I agreed to a duel to the death with Raon Zieghart, countless fools have tried to survive in the same way. But I didn’t let a single one of them live. Do you know why?"

"Uh…."

The Black Wolf Unit leader couldn’t answer, trembling.

"Because of those eyes. No one else has shown such madness."

Roman bared his white teeth, looking at Raon.

"Madness?"

Raon squinted, as if asking what he meant.

“Yes. When you spoke of the duel to death at this very spot three years ago, your eyes had the certainty that you could defeat me. They were the eyes of a madman, different from the trash who only think about surviving the moment."

Roman let out a maniacal laugh, as if this moment brought him immense joy.

"Everyone, step back. Raon Zieghart deserves to speak to me in such a manner."

“Uh…”

“I-I’m sorry.”

As he waved his hand, the warriors of the South-North Union, including the Black Wolf Unit leader, bowed his head.

"There's no need to apologize. It was quite entertaining as an appetizer. Don't you think, Raon Zieghart?"

“Yes, it wasn’t bad.”

Raon nodded calmly and looked back.

"You all should step back too. Don't waste your strength needlessly, and watch the duel to death until the end."

He passed on the words that Rimmer used to say to the Light Wind division swordsmen whenever he fought.

“Understood.”

Burren bowed his head and returned to the left river bank with Martha, Runaan, and Trevin.

"Returning the three strikes, huh? You seem to think of it as a debt."

Roman tilted his chin, massaging his shoulder.

"It's not that I think of it as a debt, it is a debt."

Raon nodded, looking into Roman’s intrigued eyes.

"I need to erase that debt to fight in the duel to death without any reservations."

“Then I must accept it. You are…”

Roman nodded, and just then, a gray warship approached from the direction where the Misfortune had appeared.

“That is…”

Raon squinted at the approaching warship. An overwhelming energy stronger than Roman’s was emanating from the deck.

“It’s the vice leader’s ship.”

Roman snorted, shaking his head.

“I wondered if he would come, and he did.”

He stomped his foot roughly, showing his displeasure.

“The vice leader?”

"Yes. He’s a thief to the core, so you'd better be careful."

Roman advised to beware of the vice leader, furrowing his brow.

“Of course, not today. If he causes trouble, I’ll handle it first, so don’t worry.”

He stepped back, saying not to worry.

Rumble.

Soon, a massive warship as big as the Misfortune anchored by the river, and an elderly man with ash-gray hair descended as if walking on invisible steps.

Despite the numerous wrinkles on the old man's face, his body was solid, like it was made of reinforced steel.

‘Is that Helgurum, the vice leader of the South-North Union?’

As expected, he's a Transcender.

As Helgurum, the second-in-command of the South-North Union, approached, the air seemed to grow heavier.

“……”

As Helgurum's gaze turned toward them from the riverbank, Raon's entire body felt a sharp, paralyzing sting, as if his insides were being scrutinized by those piercing eyes.

'I've endured the head of house’s aura, so this is nothing.'

As he coldly smiled and resonated the Ring of Fire, the pressure that Helgurum had exerted disappeared as if it had been washed away.

"Hmm..."

Helgurum’s eyes widened in surprise, then he took a seat in a luxurious chair guided by the Black Wolf Unit leader.

Raon refocused on Roman but abruptly stopped. His gaze was drawn to the red-haired young man who had followed Helgurum.

‘Strong.’

He appeared young, but his power was immense. Though not on Roman’s level, he had surpassed the intermediate level of Grandmaster.

‘Who is he?’

[Raon.]

As he pondered, Sheryl’s aura message reached him.

[No matter what the South-North Union’s vice leader does, I’ll block him. Focus on your fight against the Axe King.]

Raon turned to Sheryl and nodded.

Just as the Heavenly Blade division leader said.

It wasn't the time to worry about the South-North Union’s vice leader or any hidden experts.

“Are there any more latecomers?”

Raon shrugged, looking at the Rable River.

“Call them if there are more, let’s not ruin the mood.”

"There are no more. Even if the union leader himself comes, we won't stop. Don't worry about it."

Roman, gripping his Red Dragon Axe tightly, indicated that he would continue fighting regardless of who showed up.

“Then let’s begin.”

Raon gestured with his fingers at Roman.

"Three strikes, huh. Honestly, I never even dreamed of it, but it sounds fun."

Roman raised the Red Dragon Axe above his head, unleashing an overwhelming energy that sent chills down Raon’s spine.

The Rable River shook violently as if facing a typhoon.

“First strike.”

He swung the Red Dragon Axe down with the energy to split the Rable River. A crimson blaze erupted from the axe blade. It was the technique he had seen behind Rimmer’s back three years ago.

Swoosh!

Raon raised Heavenly Drive to counter the descending Red Dragon Axe, which seemed poised to erase the river.

The frost energy of Glacier dyed the white blade. The blue waves of frost blocked the ferocious axe.

Boom! Bang!

A deafening explosion sounded as if the ground was splitting, but the river's waves remained unchanged.

It meant that the frost energy imbued in Heavenly Drive had absorbed all the force of the Red Dragon Axe.

“Flexible sword, huh.”

Roman rested the Red Dragon Axe on his shoulder, lowering his eyebrows.

"No, it’s not just flexible sword. You've mixed various principles."

He nodded as if understanding.

“You’ve combined flexible sword, severing sword, and blunt sword. You've improved a lot."

“You’re the same.”

Raon shook his still-trembling hand from the shock, narrowing his eyes.

"Your once brute force axe strike now has balance."

Roman had always fought by crushing opponents with force and speed, but today was different. He added elegance and subtlety to his axe strike like a skilled swordsman.

‘Dangerous.’

A thought crossed his mind that if he wasn't careful, he might die before the duel to death even began.

But even if it was dangerous, he couldn’t stop.

‘I owe a debt.’

Roman had accepted the duel to the death because Rimmer had withstood the three strikes.

He had to settle that debt first to fight the duel to death without regret.

“Bring me the second.”

Raon placed Heavenly Drive in middle stance, nodding his chin.

"I was planning to...!"

Roman lifted his Red Dragon Axe with a fierce smile. The dark crimson energy that enveloped the axe blade condensed into a spherical shape.

It was the Axe King’s ultimate technique, the Great Mountain Crusher, which amplified the power of the astral sphere.

Ssss.

Raon held his breath, tightening his grip on Heavenly Drive. He stepped forward with his left foot, unleashing a flame sharper than a blade.

Astral sphere against astral Sphere. The clash of sharpness and weight. The extreme forces generated by the sword and axe tore at the breath of their surroundings.

Boom!

The energy condensed between Heavenly Drive and the Red Dragon Axe exploded, sending transparent river water soaring into the sky.

Splash!

Rain made of river water poured down, and dark clouds gathered in the once-clear sky.

The sheer force of human power had altered the weather.

“Ugh…”

“Is he really in his early twenties? What is that!”

"Am I dreaming? He's blocking the Axe King Roman's axe head-on..."

"Is that the Dragon Slayer Raon Zieghart?"

The unit leaders of the South-North Union trembled, watching Raon withstand the Axe King’s ultimate technique.

"Tha-that old man is still so strong. Has he gotten even stronger?"

“Yes. He’s on a different level compared to when he fought the vice leader (Rimmer) in the three-strike duel three years ago.”

“This duel to the death won’t be easy.”

Even the Light Wind division swordsmen let out uneasy breaths as they witnessed Roman's overwhelming power.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Roman ran a hand through his rain-soaked hair and let out a fiery laugh.

"This is getting more exciting! The three-year wait was worth it!"

He stood the Red Dragon Axe upright and curled his lips into a smile.

Roar!

As a red current flared up on the axe blade, it felt suffocating. The dark crimson astral sphere swelled as if it were about to explode, creating a spiraling vortex that twisted the air.

“This is the final strike, Revolving Void Axe Strike!”

As Roman brought down the Red Dragon Axe, the condensed astral sphere shot out like a colossal beam of light. It was a devastating blast created by martial arts.

Screech!

Raon thrust his right foot and hand forward as if stabbing. He channeled the strength rising from his ankle through his waist and back muscles to extend Heavenly Drive.

Whoosh!

The sphere of flames concentrated at the tip of the blade shot out with a terrifying wave.

Raon Zieghart Style Technique.

Second Form: Heavenly Heavy Cannon.

* * *

As the Heavenly Heavy Cannon, imbued with gravitational force, collided head-on with the Revolving Void Axe Strike, imbued with rotational force, the entire Rable River shook, and the water bubbled and boiled as if evaporating.

Kwaaang!

The massive energy of Raon and Roman, which had grown to the size of a small mountain, cracked as if it had reached its limit, and then caused a massive explosion that seemed to shatter the heavens and earth.

The river surged as if it had become a vast sea, and a torrential storm rained down.

“Monsters…”

“The sky is filled with dark clouds…”

"And the duel to death hasn't even begun yet?"

The warriors of the South-North Union trembled, watching the pouring rain.

“The three strikes.”

Raon tilted Heavenly Drive downward. Clenching his trembling grip, he raised his chin.

"I have blocked it."

“I acknowledge it.”

Roman nodded calmly.

“There is no debt between you and me.”

He, too, raised the Red Dragon Axe with a trembling grip, nodding.

“Whew…”

Raon exhaled deeply and loosened his still-numb shoulder.

‘He’s strong.’

The three strikes made it clear. The current Roman was undoubtedly standing on a higher level than himself.

Though the situation was unexpected, strangely, he felt like laughing.

“You seem to be enjoying this. So am I.”

Roman bared his teeth, laughing as he looked at Raon’s smiling face. He raised the Red Dragon Axe above his head and stepped forward with his right foot.

“Yes. I don't know why, but I feel like laughing."

Raon nodded, bending his knees and drawing Heavenly Drive behind his left shoulder.

Goooooooo!

As if time had stopped, Raon and Roman assumed battle stances and didn’t move.

Even as 10 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes passed, neither moved a muscle.

Only the energy changed. The energy of the two warriors kept rising, causing a thick thunderstorm in the sky.

“Why aren’t they moving?”

“Because they know each other’s skill.”

“Yes. Even the slightest wrong move would mean their head would fly off immediately.”

“Are they evenly matched?”

“I don’t know. Just watching them makes it hard to breathe…”

Zieghart’s swordsmen and the warriors of the South-North Union couldn't take their eyes off the standoff between Raon and Roman, swallowing dryly.

Crackle!

At the moment when the intense spark, which had been building up between the riverbanks, burst with a loud explosion, Raon and Roman moved.

Zhiiiing!

The two bodies shot out like lightning and collided at the center of the Rable River, creating a massive shockwave.

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Irving]

[Proofreader – Mayank]