Delphros frowned as he peered into the crystal ball showing Raon's image.
"Don't tell me that bastard is taking the phoenix too?"
"I-It seems so."
Sabi also grabbed his temples, as if he couldn't have imagined Raon would drag the phoenix along.
"Haa, he's truly an unmanageable bastard."
Delphros let out a deep sigh. To think he would grab the gatekeeper's leash and take him, it was something even their master hadn't considered.
"...The preparations are all complete, right?"
He turned his gaze to Sabi with irritation etched above his eyebrows.
"Of course."
Sabi nodded confidently.
"No matter which direction they go, they'll encounter formations, traps, and waves of monsters."
"Good. They won't be able to escape easily this time."
Delphros nodded while looking at the crystal ball again.
He had no intention of killing Raon in the maze. The other floors were merely appetizers for the final floor, so for now, it was enough to grind down their stamina and aura.
"Foolish bastard."
Delphros snorted as he watched Raon trying to cross the maze wall.
That wall was a barrier of willpower that even Transcendent Warriors couldn't guarantee to break. Seeing the fool's futile actions, his boiling anger subsided a little.
"It must have started now. I wonder what expression he'll make... Hm?"
Delphros's lips trembled as he watched Raon in the crystal ball.
"W-What is that now..."
Raon Zieghart didn't think about advancing through the maze, but suddenly placed his hand on the wall.
Curious about what he was thinking, Delphros stayed still, when suddenly a door of flames engraved with mysterious patterns opened on the wall.
However, it wasn't just one door that opened. A passage of the same form opened on the wall at the end of the third floor maze.
In other words, the flame passage Raon opened was connected to the end of the maze.
"What the hell is that!"
"I-I don't know either."
Sabi clicked his teeth as if he had never seen such a passage before.
"Don't tell me..."
Delphros clenched his fist as he looked at the phoenix Kaiyan captured by Raon.
"Did that phoenix bastard tell him about the hidden passage?"
When they subdued the phoenix and manipulated its mind, it had mentioned that there was a dimensional door that could pass through the maze.
It seemed that Raon had opened that dimensional door.
"Even our master couldn't do this..."
Derus Robert had opened a similar door, but he couldn't reach the end of the maze in one go.
It took him three tries to reach the end of the maze, but now Raon had opened a passage to the end in just one attempt. It was unbelievable.
"Block it."
"Pardon?"
"I said block it!"
Delphros raised his fist and slammed it down on the table where the teacup was. The snow-white table crumbled to dust as if it had never existed.
'We absolutely must not let him go.'
If Raon escapes like this, all the traps and monsters prepared in the maze would become useless. It was a loss he didn't even want to imagine.
"I-It's not working."
Sabi shook his head as he manipulated mana with his fingertips.
"I've been trying to block that passage since it first appeared, but my manipulation abilities don't work. Perhaps..."
He bit his lip and lowered his gaze.
"It seems to be the unique ability of the creator who made this place..."
"How could that bastard..."
Delphros clenched his fist so hard it made a cracking sound. Raon didn't even know about the existence of this tomb until this incident happened.
He couldn't understand how Raon had opened that passage.
"Are there any Five Demons left in the maze right now?"
"The Glacial Wraith is nearby. She seems to be deliberately exploring the maze, as she didn't go down despite having the opportunity."
"Send her over there."
"Pardon?"
Sabi widened his eyes as if asking what Delphros meant.
"If he meets the Glacial Wraith, won't Raon Zieghart die?"
Unlike Raon, the Glacial Wraith is a renowned expert who has been famous for a long time.
No matter how much Raon Zieghart had risen to Grandmaster, it was impossible for him to defeat the Glacial Wraith now.
"It's more problematic if he escapes our control any further."
Delphros shook his head with a frown.
"We can manipulate the corpse appropriately. One body like his is enough to work with."
"...I-I understand."
"And."
He raised a finger while catching his breath.
"Prepare the fourth floor in advance too."
Delphros bit his lip, his face contorted like an evil spirit.
"Make sure he absolutely cannot survive!"
* * *
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the demonized humans standing behind the Glacial Wraith.
'They've gotten stronger.'
He could feel a fiercer aura than when they were outside. It seemed the demonized humans had grown a bit while passing through the first and second floors.
"What's this? It's those Black Tower bastards."
Martha, who had come through the fire passage, snorted as she saw the Black Tower's demonized humans.
"The trash came to us on their own."
She rotated her wrist, raising a fierce aura.
"We're lucky."
Burren also curled his lips as if they had caught a good prey.
"Test subjects."
Runaan nodded with blank eyes, as if wanting to test the martial prowess she had developed while passing through the first and second floors.
"Compared to the phoenix, they're nothing but a drop in the bucket."
"I still haven't forgotten what happened with Orgoth."
"Since their very existence is harmful, no one would blame us for getting rid of them."
The Light Wind division also glared at the Black Tower's demonized humans with confidence-filled eyes.
Many swordsmen were burning with revenge as they recalled the incident with the Flame Demon General.
"Insolent bastards!"
"These young punks dare to..."
"Please give us the order! We'll rip their heads off right now!"
The Black Tower's demonized humans bowed their heads to the Glacial Wraith, seemingly angered by the Light Wind division's confidence, asking for orders.
"Hah, do they take after their master? The dogs are getting cocky."
The Glacial Wraith snorted as if she found it absurd.
"They wouldn't be mad dogs if they stayed still at the sight of prey."
Raon raised his finger, his eyes tinged with madness.
"Mad Dog Division."
He twisted his lips as he pointed at the demonized humans standing behind the Glacial Wraith.
"Tear them all apart."
"We accept your command!"
The Light Wind division drew their swords and charged towards the demonized humans. The same light of madness that shone in Raon's eyes bloomed in theirs.
"Wait! We're not mad dogs...!"
"Please stop calling us dogs!"
"I like puppies."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan each muttered a word as they stepped into their footwork.
Kuuuuung!
Martha's powerful sword strike shattered the wall of demonic energy raised by the demonized humans.
Burren's precise and sharp blade didn't miss the opening, slicing the necks of the demonized humans.
Runaan walked between Martha and Burren, thrusting her Snow Flower. The frost on the tip of her blade fluttered like cherry blossoms as it cut through the vital points of the demonized humans.
"Let's go!"
The Light Wind division advanced through the path opened by the three squad leaders, clashing swords head-on with the demonized humans.
Kuwaaaang!
The aura and demonic energy of dozens of people exploded at once, causing the sand covering the maze to rise like a storm.
"Kuuuk..."
"W-What kind of monsters are they!"
"I heard they just came of age, how could they..."
In the settling storm, it was the demonized humans who were being pushed back.
The Light Wind division condensed their aura like a single swordsman, overwhelming the demonic energy of the demonized humans. The difference in momentum was clear.
"None of them are cute at all."
The Glacial Wraith nodded, not even caring that the demonized humans were dying.
"I'll show you the difference in power. Both of you, come."
She flicked her finger towards Raon and Rimmer.
"Can you handle it?"
Raon glanced at Rimmer and chuckled.
"A one-armed cripple and a young brat? Anytime."
The Glacial Wraith nodded confidently.
"Don't underestimate her just because she looks young."
Rimmer smiled faintly with his arms crossed.
"That old monster became a Grandmaster before you were even born. She has the right to say such things. If you peel off her face, you'll see a wrinkled old granny..."
"Shut up!"
The Glacial Wraith glared at Rimmer and raised her finger. She seemed more angered by being called a granny than anything else.
"I have some unpleasant memories about the Black Tower."
Raon looked down at the Glacial Wraith as he lowered his Heavenly Drive.
"Consider yourself unlucky."
"I said shut up!"
The Glacial Wraith screamed, unable to contain her anger, and stomped her foot.
Kuung!
Raon immediately stepped into the Supreme Harmony Steps without any preparatory movement, trying to take advantage of the Glacial Wraith's heightened emotions. He exploded his aura on the toes of his left foot as he took his second step.
It was a speed that could only be described as extreme. The edges of his vision seemed to turn black.
"Foolish bastard."
As he rushed towards the Glacial Wraith to strike with his Crimson Slash, the corners of her mouth curled up.
The Glacial Wraith calmed her excitement as if she had never been angry and stretched out her left hand.
The black frost condensed in her grasp shot out like a dagger. It was a near-perfect counterattack.
Raon bit his lip thinly as he watched the Glacial Wraith's demonic energy rushing towards his heart.
'I thought it might be, and sure enough, it was.'
His opponent was a Grandmaster, and a renowned expert at that. He had thought her excited appearance itself might be a trap, and it turned out as expected.
Teudeudeuk!
Just before the Glacial Wraith's frost could dig into his heart, he switched the Supreme Harmony Steps to the third step.
Smoothness following speed. His body slipped as if losing strength, deflecting the Glacial Wraith's attack by a paper-thin margin.
"What in the...!"
The Glacial Wraith widened her eyes, seemingly unaware that the transition in footwork could be so fast.
'This is real.'
Unlike her earlier excited appearance, the surprise she showed now was a genuine emotion.
To take advantage of the momentary gap revealed in her confusion, he dove towards the Glacial Wraith's left side. He thrust the Heavenly Drive, which he had bent to the right, like an awl.
Chwaaaak!
The sword strike, blooming with red radiance, grazed the Glacial Wraith's shoulder and passed by.
"Tsk."
Raon clicked his tongue as he stepped back. His original target was the Glacial Wraith's neck, but befitting a Grandmaster, she had turned her body in a brief moment to avoid the sword's trajectory.
"You bastard..."
The Glacial Wraith frowned as she looked at the wound on her shoulder. As she raised her demonic energy, the blood flowing from her shoulder stopped, and the wound disappeared as if time had been reversed. It was a regenerative ability beyond human limits.
"You're not as good as I heard. Your willpower is weak, and your aura is ordinary."
"You should relax your expression before saying such things."
Raon smiled thinly as he looked at the Glacial Wraith's face, contorted like an evil spirit.
"Your wrinkles are showing."
"Shut up!"
The Glacial Wraith screamed as she stretched out her hand. Black cold energy, as if summoning the night, spread out from her grasp.
Ppudeudeudeuk!
In the blink of an eye, the Glacial Wraith's demonic energy began to dominate the space.
Even spreading the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation couldn't easily melt the cold energy. The amount and density of demonic energy were enormous.
"W-Wait!"
"Uwaaaaak!"
"P-Please spare us!"
The legs of the demonized humans exposed to the Glacial Wraith's cold energy froze black. The demonized humans cried out for help, but the Glacial Wraith didn't even look at them and raised an even darker and more intense cold energy.
Raon retreated to a corner, drawing the Glacial Wraith's attention to prevent harm to the Light Wind division. He blocked the Glacial Wraith's demonic energy that was freezing the floor and walls by spreading the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
"It's useless. My frost can't be blocked by flames, or even by cold energy."
As the Glacial Wraith said, her demonic energy didn't melt even in the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
'Come to think of it...'
He recalled the scene he had witnessed in the desert and forest before entering this tomb.
Even when engulfed in strong flames and lightning aura, that black cold energy hadn't disappeared.
"I knew you would back into a corner."
"What?"
"Now you can't escape. All you can do is kneel before me!"
The Glacial Wraith spread her hands as soon as she confirmed that Raon was cornered.
The cold energy that had been swirling around rose simultaneously, forming a massive tidal wave. It seemed she intended to end it in one go by pouring out all the condensed cold energy.
Raon lowered his eyes as he watched the tidal wave of demonic energy pouring down.
'Now.'
He had known she would attack this way from the moment she started spreading cold energy around.
It was probably a lethal technique that had never failed before, but that belief would be her downfall.
Raon didn't back down, but instead advanced towards the wave of cold energy, pulling the Heavenly Drive behind his shoulder.
"What are you doing! You can't reach from there!"
As he heard the Glacial Wraith's mockery, he raised the cold energy of Glacier wrapped in willpower.
'The blade under the twilight sky will not waver even before the waves.'
He muttered a line of mantra to himself as he extended the Heavenly Drive.
The blade of the Heavenly Drive, flickering with blue light, pierced through the wave of frost raised by the Glacial Wraith and split the silver space.
Jjeoeoeoeok!
Not even a tiny hole appeared in the tidal wave of frost that seemed about to touch the maze walls.
But there was a black hole in the left chest of the Glacial Wraith standing behind it.
"Kuhek..."
The Glacial Wraith coughed up blood and slumped down. She tried to close the hole in her chest with demonic energy, but the black hole wouldn't close, as if ignoring the demonic energy.
"W-Why is this..."
"You told me yourself. You said your frost and my frost are different."
Raon shook his head as he looked at the Glacial Wraith.
"It's not so much a difference in power as it is like oil and water not mixing. If your cold energy is embedded in your chest, it's only natural that your demonic energy can't block it, right?"
The Glacial Wraith had said that neither cold energy nor flames could block her demonic energy.
If her frost didn't work on him, it meant his frost wouldn't work on her either. In a sense, they were each other's nemesis.
"Ah..."
The Glacial Wraith's lips trembled as if she finally realized what had happened.
"That mouth of yours was your downfall."
Raon approached the Glacial Wraith, swinging the Heavenly Drive.
"W-Wait! I haven't even used my full power yet! It's not over!"
That was true. The Glacial Wraith hadn't revealed her full power. To win against her in a head-on fight, he would have needed to use the Sword Domain.
If he had fought with all his might, he might have grown a bit more, but he needed to conserve his strength now since he didn't know what Derus's purpose was.
"Only fools give time to their enemies."
Raon brought down the Heavenly Drive, mimicking the sneer the Glacial Wraith had shown at first.
Kuwaaaaaaa!
The sacred golden flames devoured the black demonic energy and burned the Glacial Wraith's entire body.
"K-Kill! I'll kill you! I'll never forgive you!"
"Feel free, if you can."
Raon snorted and slashed the Glacial Wraith's throat.
Jjeoeoeok!
Still seemingly unable to believe her own death, she lost the light in her eyes without even closing them.
Raon raised his gaze after cutting off the Glacial Wraith's breath.
"W-What, taking down a Grandmaster so quickly..."
"How is this possible?"
"Not just any demonized human, but the Glacial Wraith..."
Without realizing it, both the Light Wind division and the demonized humans had stopped fighting and were staring at him.
The demonized humans could only gape in shock, unable to speak.
"If you don't finish in 5 minutes, we're training here before we leave."
As Raon flicked his finger, madness bloomed again in the subdued eyes of the Light Wind division.
"K-Kill!"
"Crush them all!"
"Destroy every last one of them!"
He closed his eyes while listening to the refreshing sound of the Light Wind division's sword strikes.
'I've gotten a bit closer.'
By creating a line of mantra himself, he was able to take one step closer to a sword strike that could pierce through space and ignore defenses.
'I received some unintended help.'
Raon smiled wryly as he looked at the maze's ceiling.
'You're there, aren't you?'
It doesn't make sense for the Glacial Wraith to appear as if by chance right when we reach the end of the maze. It was clearly manipulated by Derus's subordinates.
'Just you wait.'
I'll ruin everything, whatever it may be.