The silver demonic sword traced a trajectory like a saw blade.
Slash!
Delphros's right arm was torn to shreds, and a chilling cold seeped into his shoulder.
"Urghh..."
Delphros let out a blood-soaked scream while clutching his frozen shoulder.
"It's troublesome if you scream already."
Raon shook his head calmly as he approached Delphros. He gripped the divine sword in his right hand in a reverse grip and swung it down.
Slash!
Delphros's left leg was torn off, burning with flames.
"Aaaargh!"
Delphros writhed like an insect as he crawled on the ground.
"This is just the beginning."
Raon smiled coldly as he repeatedly tapped Delphros's body with his fingers.
"Y-you bastard. What are you doing to me... Huk! Urghh!"
Blood vessels bulged on Delphros's face. He trembled all over, unable to even scream from the intense pain.
-Could it be that you're torturing him using the aura in that sword?
'That's right.'
-It's brutal, but a fitting torture for that bastard.
'It'd be a waste to just kill someone like him.'
He employed torture methods using heat and cold through the divine sword and demonic sword.
Delphros must be feeling pain so intense that he'd rather die.
"Ungh..."
Delphros's lips split and blood trickled down. His eyes distorted. His expression seemed to beg for death.
Thud!
He struck Delphros's chest with his palm, knocking out the Rage Worm inside his heart.
After creating an aura barrier to prevent sound from escaping, he twisted his lips into a smirk.
"You're still a coward, Delphros."
"Huh...?"
Delphros's eyes widened in pain. He was extremely flustered that Raon knew his name.
"H-how do you know my name..."
"Where is your master?"
Even though he had knocked out the Rage Worm, he only said "master" since mentioning Derus's name might trigger the brainwashing implanted in his head.
"Master? What nonsense. There's no such thing!"
Delphros wrinkled his nose as if acting, even while being tortured.
"You know, the guy holed up in the south. Looks like he's not here?"
"W-who are you? What the hell are you!"
At the mention of the south, he seemed to recall Derus, his jaw trembling as he screamed.
"Judging by that reaction, it seems he indeed didn't come. Well, that's to be expected."
Derus would never enter this tomb, if only to show that he had nothing to do with this incident.
'That will be poison for you.'
If Derus had been in this tomb, no one here would have survived, and everything would have gone according to his plan.
His greed for wanting too much at once ruined everything.
"Who are you..."
"..."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Delphros's face, which was gradually losing color from pain and fear.
'He won't last much longer.'
He must have recalled Derus's identity in his mind, so his brain would likely be destroyed soon. There was something he needed to know before that.
"Your master's goal is war, right?"
"W-what are you talking about? What war..."
Delphros's expression became like that of someone possessed. The mental shock seemed greater than the physical pain.
"Why does he want to start a war?"
"Ungh..."
"So you don't know after all."
Raon laughed coldly. Derus was cautious, so he didn't reveal all of his plans even to his direct subordinates.
It would have been more strange if this guy knew the reason for starting the war.
'This is enough.'
The prediction that Derus wanted war became a certainty. It was a great gain, as knowing the purpose would allow him to anticipate his movements.
"Y-you can't possibly know him! Everyone who knew him is dead! Who the hell are you!"
Delphros screamed despite feeling intense pain.
"I'll send your master to hell too. Ask him there."
"Y-you're insane. You don't know. What he's really like..."
"No. I know very well. Better than anyone."
Raon chuckled and covered Delphros's mouth. He stood up after planting Koman Knight Commander Kuzan's sword and Barfil's staff in front of his eyes.
"Beg for forgiveness until you die. No, keep begging even after death."
With a grim smile, he destroyed Delphros's entire mana circuit. The lost heat and cold began to burrow into his flesh, destroying his body and mind.
"Aaaah..."
Delphros groaned despite his mouth being covered. His eyes rolled back in pain, but he continued to feel the agony without being able to pass out.
"Still, you won't be forgiven."
Raon stood up. He gave a brief silent bow towards Kuzan's sword and Barfil's staff, which were trembling slightly due to Delphros's convulsions.
'Thank you. And may you rest in peace.'
After finishing a short prayer for the two, he turned around.
"Chirpy."
Raon gestured to Kaiyan the phoenix, who had burned all the monsters to ashes.
"Come here."
[Chi-chirp?]
Kaiyan lowered his wings in surprise.
[Chirpy? Did you just call me Chirpy?]
"Who else would it be?"
[Why am I Chirpy!]
"Because you go chirp chirp."
[I clearly said my name was Kaiyan...]
"Forget the name. There's still someone hiding. Find his location. Don't touch him or he might escape. Just find out where he is."
There was still a shaman hiding in this tomb who had supported Delphros. He needed to deal with him to end everything.
[Chirp! I am the great phoenix! Human orders are...]
Kaiyan turned his head to refuse but met eyes with the tortured Delphros.
Seeing the human with eyes full of blood vessels, the phoenix nodded before he could even think.
[I-I'll go right away!]
Kaiyan shrunk his body to the size of a chick, like when he had died about 20 times, and flew up to the ceiling.
-T-this is strange.
Wrath shook his head after seeing all this.
-The humans I've seen weren't like this, how is there someone worse than a demon king in this world...
He closed his eyes as if contemplating about races.
"Well then..."
Raon turned his back, leaving the pondering Wrath behind.
"Let's end this boring war."
He planted the demonic sword next to Delphros and concealed his presence.
He stepped into the battlefield, where sword clashing sounds still echoed, with the most silent technique.
"Fool! It's too late to back down now!"
"Ugh!"
The first thing that caught his eye was the confrontation between the Sixth Apostle and Void Sword Division Leader Serena.
Unlike the Sixth Apostle raising powerful bloody energy, Serena's hands were trembling as if she was about to die.
In fact, it was remarkable that she had endured this long, given the severe injury to her abdomen.
'I should start from here.'
Raon moved behind the Sixth Apostle while concealing his presence. He erased his killing intent and anger. Treating the divine sword in his hand as if it were a tree branch, he playfully stabbed it into the Sixth Apostle's back.
Slash!
The blade of the divine sword pierced through the Sixth Apostle's abdomen as he was about to strike Serena's head.
"Aaaaargh!"
The Sixth Apostle stopped his attack and shuddered. His eyes were filled with shock as he turned around.
"R-Raon Zieghart! You were clearly over there... Ah!"
The Sixth Apostle coughed blood as he saw the demonic sword planted next to Delphros. He finally realized that trusting his senses had been a mistake.
"Hmm!"
Serena was also surprised, but she quickly regained her composure and raised her sword with difficulty.
"I regret not being able to finish you off with my power alone, but..."
"C-coward!"
"If you're upset, you should have trained your juniors better."
She gritted her teeth and swung down the sword she had raised. The thick blade split the Sixth Apostle's head in half. Transparent blood sprayed in all directions.
"Urgh..."
As expected of a high-ranking blood demon, the Sixth Apostle concentrated his bloody energy as if trying to regenerate despite his split head.
"They really are like insects."
Raon frowned and plunged the divine sword into the Sixth Apostle's heart. The golden flames burned not only his bloody energy but his very soul.
"A-Apostle!"
"No..."
The blood demons of the White Blood Religion screamed, clutching their heads as soon as the Sixth Apostle fell.
"Now's our chance! Kill them all!"
Martha triggered her berserk mode with anger in her eyes. The Light Wind division followed her lead, pressing the blood demons.
"Hah..."
Serena's lips trembled as she collapsed. She looked deathly pale from losing too much blood.
"Is that madman dead?"
"Not yet, but he will die soon."
She hadn't realized my fight was already over since she'd been holding off the Sixth Apostle. Her endurance and mental fortitude seemed even higher than mine.
"Then I'll rest a bit..."
Serena smiled faintly as she leaned to her right.
Raon gently laid Serena on the ground, grabbing her shoulder. Using Divinity Born from Darkness, he healed her abdomen before turning his gaze back to the battlefield.
Clang!
A comet-like light spread between Rimmer and the Demon Sword Master. Their sword strikes were so fast that only the trajectories of their auras scattered.
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer, who seemed to have returned to his state before losing his arm.
'Has he tamed the prosthetic?'
Before coming to this tomb, Rimmer couldn't handle the prosthetic perfectly.
There was an awkwardness because it wasn't his real arm, but now there was no trace of that.
"Damn it!"
On the other hand, the Demon Sword Master's movements were becoming erratic after confirming what happened to Delphros and the Sixth Apostle.
He realized that he was the only one left.
"Your cause of death is excessive greed."
Raon lightly swung the divine sword while looking at the Demon Sword Master. The sword's flames slowly subsided as if exhausted.
"You don't have the capacity to absorb the Sword Saint's martial arts."
"Shut up!"
The Demon Sword Master clashed swords with Rimmer and suddenly spun his body. It was a footwork technique that used the impact to increase speed. He charged at me with a movement that seemed to transcend the word 'fast'.
'Got you.'
He must have thought my sword domain had ended and tried to surprise attack, but this was just an act. His impatience tightened the noose around the Demon Sword Master's neck even faster.
Zing!
Raon smiled coldly as he readjusted his grip on the divine sword. The thinned flames surged up like a dragon, as if doused with oil.
Whoosh!
Dancing flame streams rose from the tip of the blade. Fire Spirit. Flaming petals that had endured four seasons fell and blocked the Demon Sword Master's path.
"T-this!"
The Demon Sword Master was thrown back violently as if he had hit a wall. His arms and legs turned bright red as if burned.
"Ugh..."
He tried to steady himself by kicking off the air, but it was meaningless.
Because Rimmer was shining a chilling light in his eyes behind him.
"W-wait!"
"Got any money?"
"Huh? M-money?"
"If not, then go."
Rimmer swung his sword decisively. The sword gripped in his prosthetic hand let out a solemn ring as it sliced through the Demon Sword Master's neck.
Slash!
The Demon Sword Master sank into a pool of blood, his eyes wide open as if unable to believe his own death.
"Oh man, I'm really about to die."
As Rimmer sighed and collapsed, his sword domain slowly dissipated.
"Why is it always so hard when I'm with you! Even the Head of House wasn't this bad!"
"You've worked hard."
Raon smiled faintly and bowed his head.
"T-the Demon Sword Master is dead..."
"Impossible!"
"Damn it all!"
The Sword Fanatics of the Holy Sword Alliance stood motionless with wide eyes, as if unable to believe the Demon Sword Master's death.
"The enemy leader has fallen! It's time to end this!"
Burren charged into the Demon Sword Squad, stirring up a cold wind. The Light Wind and Void Sword divisions also poured out their remaining energy as they rushed towards the end of the war.
"Raon... Division Leader."
Runaan approached from the side and nodded. Her face was half-collapsed from the effort of protecting the Light Wind and Void Sword divisions more than anyone else.
"Is it... over?"
"No."
Raon shook his head as he watched Kaiyan descending with chicken-like flapping.
"There's still one last thing to do."
***
"M-monster..."
Sabi dropped the crystal ball he was holding. He just trembled, seemingly unaware that the glass had shattered.
'That's an uncontrollable monster!'
Raon had crushed numerous traps that Delphros and he had prepared, and in the end, even shattered the plan Derus had made himself.
To destroy everything and even kill Delphros, this Raon Zieghart seemed to be a being beyond human bounds.
At this moment, Raon seemed more terrifying than even Derus.
'I need to escape.'
And as quickly as possible!
All the monsters were dead, the barrier was out of control, and there were no remaining personnel or traps.
The only thing he could do now was to go up to the surface and report information about this place.
'Damn it!'
Raon Zieghart might find this place too. He needed to finish up as quickly as possible and get out of here.
Sabi gathered the documents with trembling hands. He prepared to go up after erasing his traces, even reciting spells.
'If I use the device, I can get out within an hour... Huh?'
Sabi stopped in his tracks as he was walking towards the device to go up to the surface.
He trembled as he saw the blade protruding from his abdomen and the blood flowing down.
"W-what..."
"So you were that shaman."
It was Raon Zieghart. His chilling voice echoed along with the sound of blood dripping on the floor.
"H-how..."
[Chirp!]
The small phoenix perched on Raon's shoulder flapped its wings.
[No one can hide from me!]
"D-damn it..."
It seems that phoenix had found his location. It was a clever one.
"You probably don't know any more than him."
Raon sneered as he wiggled the sword stuck in Sabi's stomach.
"W-wait! I..."
"Just die."
"Gah..."
He swung the sword up without hesitation. Sabi's body split in half and slumped to the floor.
"Hmm..."
Raon collected the documents Sabi had been holding and looked around.
"So this is the control room."
It was full of unknown mechanical devices and crystal balls. It seemed they controlled the monsters and traps from here.
Raon searched not only Sabi's documents but the entire control room.
There were plenty of analyses about the structure, explanations, and martial artists, but as expected, not a single word of information about Derus Robert.
"Still a meticulous personality. However..."
Raon threw the documents behind him and curled up the corners of his mouth.
"This time, he'll be very angry."
***
After checking the control room, Raon came back down to the 5th floor cavern. The cleanup was finished here too, none of the Five Demons had survived.
"You're late!"
Martha wrinkled her nose as she looked at him.
"I had some things to find."
He was about to hand over the documents he had brought when he stopped. The Sword Saint, frozen in the same posture as when the martial arts manual burned, caught his eye.
"Is he still in that state?"
"There's no reaction at all."
Burren shook his head, saying he had checked various things but there was no movement.
"He's not even breathing."
Martha clicked her tongue as she stood next to the Sword Saint.
"Sigh..."
Raon let out a short sigh as he looked at the Sword Saint's frozen eyes.
With his core broken, it seemed he couldn't move his body at all.
The Sword Saint was now just an empty corpse.
"Then it's best to send him off quickly."
Having made up his mind, he approached the Sword Saint.
"You are not guilty."
The Sword Saint only tried to do good. All of this was Derus's fault.
He raised the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation in his hand. Just as he was about to burn the Sword Saint's corpse, his shoulder trembled slightly.
Thud!
The Sword Saint reached out and grabbed Raon's wrist.
"Huh?"
"There's something I need to tell you."
His eyes, which had been distorted in black and white, returned to their original state and emitted a clear light.
"Rightful heir of Zieghart."