Chapter 717

“Haa…”

Raon lowered Heavenly Drive, exhaling a rough breath.

The sensation still lingered in his hand. It was his Azure Sky Sword that had cut Dranos's neck.

“I-Impossible.”

Dranos trembled as he touched his neck.

“I used all my energy, how…?”

He let out a gasp, seemingly incredulous that he couldn’t block the Azure Sky Sword even after risking his life.

“To think I would be defeated by a brat like you…!”

As Dranos was about to hurl insults at Raon, the wound on his neck, which he had been holding tightly, tore open.

“Damn it…”

Red blood gushed from Dranos’s neck, and his head fell onto the riverbank where the water met the gravel. With a dull thud, his headless body collapsed forward. The clear river water, so transparent that the bottom could be seen, turned crimson.

Dranos—the King of Thieves who had conquered Mount Terukan and the Rable River, wielding immense influence across the continent—the Leader of the South-North Union, had finally breathed his last at the edge of Raon’s sword.

Perhaps because no one expected Dranos to fall to Raon instead of Glenn, the waves of aura erupting from all directions ceased. Everyone on the battlefield held their breath as they looked on.

“Raon…”

Sylvia lowered her sword, her hand trembling. More than Dranos’s death, she was relieved that Raon had survived, and let out a long sigh.

“Is that crazy guy the main character the moment he shows up?”

Martha clenched her damp fist while wiping her eyes.

“It’s always like this. He always gets the good stuff.”

Burren laughed, saying it finally felt like things were back to normal.

“Handsome Raon.”

Runaan blinked with her usual blank expression, finally finding peace.

“That’s our nephew!”

Aris raised her thumb while holding off the Vice Leader of the Helgroom Union, as if to say ‘well done.’ With the death of the Leader of the South-North Union, both the Light Wind Division and Zieghart's swordsmen regained their composure. A firmer aura than ever settled over their blades.

“L-Leader!”

Helgroom’s jaw trembled as he stared at Dranos’s headless corpse.

“N-No…”

“Leader of the Union!”

“Ah…”

“How could Lord Dranos be in this river…?”

The Water Demons and the thieves of the South-North Union couldn’t take their eyes off Dranos’s body, as if they couldn’t believe it.

“That stupid bastard!”

The Leader of the White Blood Religion gritted her teeth, staring at Dranos’s head submerged in the river.

“Now it’s your turn!”

“I’ll crush you like a mosquito!”

King Lecross and Ogram burst through the trembling space surrounding the White Blood Religion’s leader, delivering heavy sword strikes and devastating punches.

“Ugh…”

The leader’s hands trembled as she was knocked back, her spine slamming into a tree.

“Ah, the situation doesn’t look good in many ways.”

The Fallen clicked his tongue as he watched her get pummeled.

“Worry about yourself!”

Chamber extended a curtain of mana while chewing on her candy. It was a net that suppressed the mana the Fallen was drawing upon.

“Hm…”

The Fallen narrowed his eyes at the approaching web.

“This will take some time to undo.”

He clicked his tongue, eyes flicking left and right.

“Who said you’re allowed to undo it? You’re going to die in there!”

Chamber, determined not to miss this chance, fired red and blue spheres into the net enclosing the Fallen.

Meanwhile, Derus remained calm, even after seeing Dranos die. He calmly dodged the attacks from Ifrit and Elayim, as if waiting for something.

“Raon Zieghart!”

Helgroom turned and surged forward, violently kicking off the ground as if to strike the exhausted Raon.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Not so fast!”

Aris cut through space, appearing beside Helgroom and severing his right arm with a slash of spatial energy.

“Argh!”

Helgroom screamed as he fell, coughing up black blood—his internal injuries evidently grave.

“Finally showing an opening.”

Aris said she hadn’t aged in vain as she drove her sword into Helgroom’s back.

“Kuhek…”

Helgroom dropped his spear, unable to reach Raon. The young swordsman approached and looked down at him.

“I-I’ll never forgive you…”

“Who forgives whom?”

Raon tilted his head, locking eyes with him.

“Disgracing Roman, attacking me—it was all your choice.”

“Ah…”

Helgroom’s dry lips trembled at Raon’s icy tone.

“It wasn’t us who destroyed the South-North Union. It was you. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it self-destruction.”

Raon swung Heavenly Drive with a cold smile.

“Ah…”

Helgroom let out a final groan and slumped over, eyes wide open—dead, like Dranos.

“…I’m sorry.”

Raon bowed to Aris.

“Even in that moment, seeing him blame others—I couldn’t hold back.”

Insulting Roman, who had dueled honorably and accepted his loss, enraged Raon more than anything else.

— Damn it!

Wrath shouted at the sky, his face flushing red.

‘Why all of a sudden…?’

— Why? You just killed two Transcenders! What kind of reward are you going to get for that? I can’t even imagine!

‘Probably not a big deal. I just landed the final blow.’

— That damned system always favors you! You’ll get everything just for finishing it!

He ground his teeth, genuinely furious.

— Argh!

“Alright.”

While Wrath had his meltdown, Aris approached and shook her head.

“I can forgive everything just because you’re alive.”

Saying nothing else mattered, she tightly embraced Raon. The fresh ocean scent from her red hair soothed his turbulent heart.

“Lady Aris…”

“You don’t need to call me that anymore.”

Her shoulders trembled, showing just how worried she had been.

“Aunt. Thank you.”

Raon held her gently and called her “Aunt.”

“Kyaa! I finally heard it!”

Aris jumped and laughed, momentarily forgetting they were still on a battlefield.

“Ahem!”

Glenn cleared his throat and turned.

“This is still a battlefield. The war is not over.”

He pointed toward Derus Robert with a frown.

“The most dangerous one remains.”

Glenn’s eyes narrowed as he observed Derus calmly deflecting the attacks of Ifrit and Elayim.

“That guy’s recovery is unnatural.”

He frowned.

“Don’t tell me he’s even healed his internal injuries?”

Aris gasped, following Glenn’s line of sight.

“Death aura and that kind of recovery… is he even human?”

She shook her head, baffled.

“Hm…”

Raon frowned as he watched Derus quickly heal the sword wound in his abdomen.

‘What is that ability?’

In his past life, Derus never had regenerative powers like this. Injuries used to linger. Now, Raon couldn’t understand where it came from.

‘He’s even healing internal damage…’

Even trolls with powerful regeneration need time to recover from internal injuries, yet Derus healed rapidly while fending off two Spirit Kings.

— Hmm…

Wrath squinted.

— I’ve seen that somewhere…

‘You’ve seen it?’

— Yeah. That regeneration isn’t human.

He shook his head.

‘Could he be a demon?’

— No… doesn’t feel like one.

Wrath licked his lips, uncertain.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Raon shook his head and stepped forward.

‘We’ll find out after we catch him.’

With Glenn, Aris, and the Spirit Kings here, Derus wouldn’t get away—no matter what.

“Let’s finish this.”

Glenn nodded and approached Derus.

“Yes.”

Raon followed alongside Aris.

With a thunderous blast, Derus forced Ifrit’s crimson flame and Elayim’s lunar water to collide, creating an opening.

“Phew…”

Derus lowered his death-imbued sword and exhaled.

“Don’t tell me you three are joining too?”

He whistled at the sight of Raon, Glenn, and Aris standing behind the Spirit Kings.

“We won’t kill you right away.”

Glenn’s gaze sharpened.

“We’ve got questions.”

He pointed Heavenly Tremor at Derus.

“Ifrit, keep attacking. Lady Siyana, please handle defense.”

“Yes. E-Elayim, please…”

At Siyana’s command, Elayim formed a massive orb of lunar water.

“Be careful. This guy isn’t ordinary. He’s even using my Crimson Flame!”

Ifrit scowled.

“Thank you.”

Raon nodded and looked at Glenn.

“We’re ready.”

“Then let’s go.”

Just as Glenn stepped toward Derus—

KRA-KOOM!

A massive beam of light tore down from the cloudy sky, cutting between Derus and Glenn. A golden dragon emerged from the storm clouds, large enough to blot out the sky.

It was the Dragon Lord.

[Stop this war!]

The Dragon Lord’s overwhelming will once again stilled the battlefield.

[I said I would not permit any more disruptions to the balance, didn’t I?]

He directed a sharp, angry presence toward Glenn.

“I told you before.”

Glenn met his eyes with a fierce glare.

“If you interfere again, I’ll kill you first.”

[So you refuse grace and choose punishment instead?]

“I don’t know who you think offered grace.”

Glenn mocked him with a scornful tone.

“Hm…”

Raon looked nervously between the two.

‘This is bad.’

Glenn was still heavily wounded. If he had to fight Derus and the Dragon Lord, things could spiral out of control.

“Wait.”

Raon stepped forward, raising his hand.

Facing both Glenn and the Dragon Lord, he pointed at Derus.

“He is the cause of this war.”

“If we end him, there’ll be no more bloodshed. Please, step back—just this once.”

Dragons were supposed to maintain balance—they had to understand.

[You’re the human who killed Kaivar.]

The Dragon Lord’s eyes turned to Raon.

“That’s right, but—”

[It’s not relevant now. Still…]

He shook his head.

[It’s impossible.]

“Why…?”

[Too many Transcenders have fought in recent days. The balance of the world is crumbling.]

He turned north.

[The glaciers are melting, seas changing color, mountains collapsing. I can’t allow more fighting.]

“But if we leave him alive, an even greater war will erupt!”

Raon raised his voice.

[It’s not permitted.]

The Dragon Lord frowned.

“I didn’t think I’d survive like this.”

Derus smirked, touching his dragon helmet.

“Are you saving me because we’re both dragons?”

He nodded mockingly.

“Don’t tell me…”

Raon’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you siding with the Five Demons?”

[Nonsense!]

The Dragon Lord’s will erupted.

[Stop spouting foolishness. Step back. This is your last chance.]

Mana surged around him like a storm.

“You’re clearly protecting him.”

Glenn narrowed his eyes.

“The strongest race? You’re nothing but filth.”

He raised Heavenly Tremor.

“Try and stop me. I’ll kill you first.”

[Then I have no choice.]

The Dragon Lord spread his wings—and four more dragons descended behind him, each larger than Kaivar.

With deafening roars, the Dragon Lord and the great dragons opened their jaws—preparing to fire Dragon Breath.

“Move!”

“Where do you think you’re going without me?”

Chamber tried to rush to Glenn, but the Fallen blocked her.

“Damn it!”

“Get lost, mosquito!”

“You were always trailing behind me!”

Lecross and Ogram were also pinned by the White Blood Religion’s leader.

“Ifrit! Lady Siyana!”

“I understand!”

“Y-Yes!”

At Raon’s shout, Ifrit and Elayim unleashed the Crimson Flame and Lunar Water. Fire and water intertwined, forming a massive defense.

Roooooooar!

The Dragon Lord and the four dragons released their breath—a massive barrage of power that clashed with the elemental shield.

“Damn it!”

Aris cursed, drawing her sword.

Sword Domain: Annihilation!

As she slashed, the space between heaven and earth cracked—but the sheer power of Dragon Breath bent the barrier backward.

“…”

Glenn didn’t turn. He knew the dragons weren’t the biggest threat.

“Are you just going to let everyone die?”

Derus mocked.

He’s aiming for you and the old man.

Wrath warned.

‘I know.’

“We can’t take our eyes off him!”

“I know.”

Even now, Glenn remained calm.

“I’ll handle this.”

Raon grasped Heavenly Drive.

‘If I use Heavenly Rift again, it could be dangerous, but…’

There’s no other choice.

Just as he was about to unleash it—

BOOOOM!

A colossal black sword fell from the sky, cleaving the battlefield. It erased both Dragon Breath and Spirit King energy, then soared and landed in someone’s hand.

Flaming red hair. Golden eyes. Youthful yet terrifying presence.

The Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance had arrived.

“Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance!”

The White Blood Religion’s leader smiled.

“You said you wouldn’t come. As unpredictable as ever.”

The Fallen shrugged, pleased.

“Well, well… things just got interesting.”

Derus laughed.

“…!”

Glenn’s eyes finally wavered.

“Damn it…”

Raon clenched his teeth.

‘To think it would come to this…’

The Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance could rival Glenn. No one on the battlefield could handle him.

With a dull thud, the man walked calmly across the water and stood in the center of the battlefield.

“All of you, get lost.”

He pointed his sword—not at the Six Kings—but at the Five Demons and the dragons.

“Glenn Zieghart and Raon Zieghart are my prey.”

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – MurimTang]

[Proofreader – Mayank]