Chapter 706

"Did they all take drugs together or something?!"

Helgurum ground his teeth so hard they made a creaking sound.

"Your disciple started the fight first, so what nonsense are you spouting?!"

He swung his arm, urging him to look at the situation clearly.

"Started the fight? What do you mean Mustan started the fight?"

Rector furrowed his brow deeply.

"He blocked the way, shouting that the South-North Union were filthy pirates!"

Helgurum's eyes sharpened, filled with unforgiving fury.

"Is that starting a fight?"

Rector scoffed and waved his hand lightly.

"Nowadays, speaking the truth is called starting a fight?"

"You... you dare!"

Helgurum bit his lip as he saw Rector's cold eyes.

"Raon Zieghart defeated the Axe King Roman in a fair and square one-on-one duel."

Rector looked back at Raon, who was still unconscious. A deep pride shone in his old, experienced eyes.

"Even though the Axe King himself acknowledged his defeat and told you to let Raon Zieghart go, you chased him all the way here to kill him. It's disgraceful."

Rector's eyes turned to Helgurum, contorting as if he were looking at a disgusting bug.

"My disciple didn't say anything wrong. How is that starting a fight, Helgurum?"

Rector tilted his chin, daring him to speak.

"You stubborn old fool."

Helgurum glared at Rector, exhaling roughly.

"Do you think I chased him just for the South-North Union? It's all for the Five Demons!"

"For the Five Demons?"

Rector narrowed his eyes, puzzled.

"That's right. With the defeat of the Beast King Ogram, the balance of the Six Kings and Five Demons has collapsed. It's not an exaggeration to say that the new era of the Five Demons has arrived."

Helgurum tilted the spear he was holding downward and looked at the unconscious Raon.

"And what does that have to do with your shameful actions?"

"The Five Demons... no, the Six Demons' greatest obstacle to ruling the continent isn't the current Six Kings, but that Raon Zieghart. If we don't kill him now, he will become a monster that neither you nor I can handle."

He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"The Six Demons? It seems you've decided to accept those shadows."

"Even the Holy Sword Alliance didn't oppose it, did they?"

Helgurum squinted as if it was all already decided.

"Didn't the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance’s master also get killed by Raon Zieghart? I'll offer his head... to your master..."

"You have a big misunderstanding about the alliance master."

Rector curled his lips into a smile as he looked at Helgurum.

"The alliance master doesn't pick unripe fruits. The reason he didn’t get involved in this matter is because he anticipated your disgraceful actions."

He frowned, adding that what the alliance master wanted was a one-on-one fight with Glenn.

"If the alliance master saw this now, your head would have been the first to roll."

"Don’t talk nonsense! It's common knowledge that the Holy Sword Alliance is in bed with the White Blood Religion and the Black Tower!"

Helgurum waved his hand in disbelief.

"This is different from that."

Rector shook his head calmly.

"Anyway, thanks to you, now I understand why the South-North Union is a band of rootless thieves."

He snorted and mocked Helgurum.

"You... you bastard..."

"The chatter has gone on long enough."

Rector shook his head and drew his sword.

"I’ll say it one last time. Leave this place."

"And if I refuse?"

Helgurum took a step forward and shook his head.

"Then I'll make you feel the vast gap between Transcenders."

"Hahahaha!"

He laughed, clutching his forehead as if he had lost his mind.

"Fine. Show me what you’ve achieved with the swordsmanship you sucked out of people."

Helgurum also spun the spear in his hand, mocking Rector.

"Indeed. At that age, one should drink the punishment drink."

Rector nodded calmly as if he had anticipated this situation.

* * *

"Sword Demon!"

Just as the two Transcenders were about to clash, Rimmer's voice came from behind.

"Leave. You have nothing to do with this fight."

Rector turned around.

"What nonsense is that? And you are...?"

"Didn't I say it? I’m not here to help Raon Zieghart. I just can’t stand by and watch this old man’s shameful actions."

His eyes filled with intense emotion as he looked at Raon, then quickly calmed down.

"Go."

When Rector waved his hand, an invisible force gently pushed Dorian’s boat.

The boat, carried by the rough waters of the Rable River, creaked but moved quickly.

"Rector!"

"Sir Rector!"

Rimmer and the Light Wind swordsmen called out to Rector from behind, but he didn’t look back.

"Tsk. Look at you, playing the hero."

Helgurum sneered and turned his back.

"Beorn. You take command... huh?"

He widened his eyes as he checked the bandits behind him.

"What’s going on? Where’s Beorn?!"

"Uh...?"

"He was definitely right beside me!"

"He disappeared suddenly!"

The bandits, too, seemed unaware that Beorn had vanished, their jaws trembling.

"Typical of rootless thieves. Can't even manage your own subordinates."

Rector scoffed and beckoned with his finger.

"Shut up!"

Helgurum trembled with rage and raised his hand.

"Kill all the traitors of the Six Demons! I’ll take responsibility!"

At his command, the Azure Wolf surged forward, cutting through the water.

BOOOOM!

The bows of the two warships collapsed further, opening a passage connecting the two ships.

"Kill them!"

"Don’t let a single one live!"

"You damn thieves!"

"Traitorous bastards!"

The warriors of the South-North Union and the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance jumped onto each other's ships, clashing swords.

Although the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance had the upper hand in skill, the warriors of the South-North Union used the advantage of the unsteady battlefield to compensate for their lack.

WOOOOOSH!

Even as the battle between the South-North Union and the Holy Sword Alliance intensified, Rector and Helgurum stared at each other without moving.

"Let’s change the location."

Rector stepped on the air and moved towards the river, nodding his head.

"Hmph."

Helgurum, not wanting to harm his subordinates, followed Rector and stood on the river.

"Thanks for coming to my battlefield. Here, I can..."

"Helgurum."

Rector's voice sank low, like it came from the depths of hell.

"You’ve made a grave mistake today."

The energy emanating from him became so dry that not a single drop of moisture could be felt.

"What the hell do you..."

“Die.”

With a menacing expression reminiscent of an evil god, Rector thrust his sword forward. The energy blazing above the white blade spread a magnificent light along the horizon.

KRAAAAAK!

* * *

“There are a lot of familiar faces today.”

Rimmer exhaled, feeling the massive wave of energy that exploded from the center of the Rable River.

“Uh, uh….”

Dorian turned around, swallowing hard.

“Co-could it be that the Sword Demon has come to save us?”

He shook his head, refusing to believe the Sword Demon’s indifferent words.

"I think the same."

Burren, unusually, spoke without his usual calm demeanor.

"The Sword Demon had several opportunities to capture us, but he let us go every time."

He stroked his chin, saying it was similar to Merlin’s case.

"Auntie Aris said the same thing before. He was stronger than her, but he left after a moderate exchange."

Martha nodded.

"He was glad to see Raon today as well."

Runaan nodded toward Raon.

“Hm?”

"He was glad to see Raon?"

"How do you know that?"

The Light Wind swordsmen tilted their heads, confused by Runaan’s claim.

"It was a look filled with pride."

Runaan blinked, meeting everyone’s gaze.

‘I’m sure of it.’

Though she struggled to express emotions, she could recognize them in others. Rector, for a brief moment, looked at Raon with admiration and pride. That must be why he stepped forward.

"It doesn’t matter what the Sword Demon thinks."

Mark Goetten calmly opened his eyes with his hand on his sword hilt.

"The important thing now is to safely escort the division leader. Everyone, stay focused."

He stood at the end of the deck, taking a deep breath.

"Yes, let’s worry about the Sword Demon and Merlin later. Stay alert until that ship comes out."

Rimmer nodded calmly, looking ahead.

‘But I am still curious.’

Rector definitely had a deep connection with Raon and Sylvia.

Though he had a rough idea, he couldn’t be sure without evidence.

“Dorian. How’s the boat?”

“Not good.”

Dorian let out a long sigh, adjusting the shaking control stick.

“I patched it up with wooden planks as a temporary measure, but it won’t last long. Even a small impact could break it….”

He bit his lip.

“It could break with a small impact?”

“Is it that bad?”

The swordsmen hammering wood into the leaking bottom exhaled heavily.

“It’s taken hits from a breath attack, collided with other ships, and even been pierced by rocks….”

Dorian lowered his head, ashamed.

“It’s alright. We just need to hold out a little longer.”

Rimmer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he looked ahead.

‘Phew, keeping my aura perception active like this all the time isn’t something a human should do.’

He had been pushing his aura perception to the limit since Raon started the duel, preparing for anything.

The aura consumption was severe, and interpreting the vast information it brought pushed his mind to the limit. His head felt ready to burst.

'But I have to endure it.'

Thanks to this, he minimized the impact on the boat by detecting enemy positions in advance.

“Hoo….”

While Rimmer looked at the endlessly flowing river with half-closed eyes, a large sailing ship came into view from the west.

A galleon.

It was as large as the Azure Wolf warship, and a cute skull flag fluttered at the top of the mast.

"There it is! The Blue Wind!"

It was Aris Zieghart’s pirate ship—the last piece Raon had prepared.

“Raon!”

“You’re safe!”

“We were on our way to find you because you were so late!”

From the bow of the Blue Wind, a bald, middle-aged man with an eyepatch over his left eye waved his hand.

It was Labawin, the former leader of Zieghart's Blue Wave division, now the ‘Pirate King.’ Even the house Zieghart swordsmen bowed their heads.

“Dorian. Head toward the Blue Wind at full speed.”

“Yes!”

Dorian grinned and steered the boat toward the Blue Wind.

VROOOOM!

As the Blue Wind approached, the two vessels gently touched.

“Rimmer. Why are you so late?”

Labawin frowned from the bow.

“Are you really the captain of the Blue Wind? You look like you’ve crawled out of a grave.”

Rimmer laughed.

“It’s a concept! I’m forced to do this because of Lady Aris!”

Labawin lifted his eyepatch and frowned.

"You're going through a lot too."

Rimmer nodded faintly.

“First, transfer to the ship. That one’s about to break apart.”

Labawin, like a true pirate, immediately noticed the boat’s condition.

“Wait.”

Before moving, Rimmer spread his aura perception one last time.

Only small wild animals and fish in the river.

‘Now I can turn it off.’

With Labawin, a Grandmaster, next to him, he finally let his aura perception go.

“Ugh….”

His legs trembled. He had reached his limit.

“Team 1, board first.”

“Got it.”

Martha and Team 1 boarded the Blue Wind.

“No problem.”

They nodded—it was safe.

"Then Team 2, escort Raon with the Ragged Saint—"

Just then, it happened.

"Enemy!"

Labawin shouted, jumping from the bow.

SHLAAAASH!

The Evil Goat Demon of Eden, wearing a Baphomet helmet, burst from the waves. This time, he wielded a longsword, aiming straight for Raon's heart.

Labawin and Rimmer were too late. They reached out, but the astral sphere from the sword was faster.

However, someone moved first—someone who knew this energy better than anyone.

Runaan.

She created a wall of frost with her astral energy.

CRAAAACK!

The ice wall cracked as Runaan was slammed into the deck. She coughed blood but didn’t drop her sword.

CRUNCH!

The damaged boat finally split in half. The Light Wind swordsmen fell into the river.

"Raon is safe!"

Federick, the Ragged Saint, holding Raon, waved his hand.

"Runaaaan!"

The Evil Goat Demon screamed and thrust his sword again, but Rimmer and Labawin blocked him in time.

CLANG!

Their swords struck, making the demon spit blood and sending him flying.

"You filthy bastard!"

"Damn it, why didn’t I sense his presence! Syria Sullion!"

As relief swept through the group, a glint of light flickered in the demon’s shadow.

WHOOSH!

Beorn, his red eyes emotionless, broke through and advanced.

His sword, sharp like a spike, thrust toward Raon.

"Noooo!"

Federick blocked with his arms, but Beorn's sword pierced through and struck Raon’s chest.

ZZZZT!

At that chilling moment, light burst from the ice flower bracelet on Raon’s wrist.

"Uhehehehe! Complete resurrection!"

Wrath burst out, laughing maniacally.

"Five boxes of mint chocolate to eat right away... huh?"

The Demon King blinked in confusion.

"A sword? A chest? Uh... what is this? Why are you being stabbed as soon as the King of Essence opens his eyes?"

Grabbing the unconscious Raon by the collar, Wrath shouted angrily:

"Raon Zieghart! What kind of trouble have you caused now?!"

And with the Demon King’s scream—

Silver steam rose above the river.

"Why is this crazy scene the first thing the King of Essence sees when he wakes up?!"

***

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]