The one who split the space was Alice, and the one who raised the blue sword to the heavens was the Sword Demon Rector.
The powerful sword strikes unleashed by the two Transcendent Warriors turned into light and clashed with the blade imbued with death.
Kuuuung!
However, perhaps because they moved too hastily, Alice and Rector's sword strikes couldn't completely erase the flow of death.
Ppudeudeuk.
Raon gritted his teeth. He could feel death breaking through his ribs.
Just when he thought it was all over, suddenly the flow of the spear stopped. It was just for a moment, but it felt as if time had frozen.
Jjeeoeoeoek!
Alice, who had torn through space, and Rector, who had rushed in like lightning from mid-air, crushed the stopped Black Blade.
Huuuuk!
The aura that had contained death melted away into a dim light, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Piiiik!
Just as the black aura was about to sink into the ground, Raon threw a piece of the scabbard floating in the air onto the floor.
The diamond-shaped scabbard piece turned black as if painted with ink.
"Raon!"
As soon as Raon picked up the fallen scabbard piece, Alice tightly embraced him and threw herself backwards.
"It might come again! Everyone, duck!"
She bit her lip as she raised a thick sword barrier. It was an urgent expression never seen before. A look not even seen when facing the Blue Dragon Kaivar.
"A-Alice?"
"What's this all of a sudden...?"
"Huh?"
Burren, Martha, and Runaan opened their eyes wide in confusion. Even those at the Master level didn't know what had just happened.
"Everyone, fall back!"
"Lower your heads and hide behind trees or rocks!"
Only the Grandmasters Rimmer and Serena realized the urgency of the situation, and pulled back the Light Wind and Void Sword divisions.
"..."
The Sword Demon Rector didn't even look back. He stood in his original spot, exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you all even if it costs me my life."
Alice bit her lip hard. Her embrace was unwavering and warm, as if trying to erase anxiety. It seemed to convey her will to protect no matter what might come.
-Kuuung...
Wrath let out a deep groan while clutching his head.
'Was it you who stopped the Black Blade?'
-Y-Yes, it was.
He nodded weakly.
'But why?'
Right now, Wrath is in a spirit state parasitic to me, so using physical force would violate causality.
Although we had built up some affection, it was strange because there was no reason for him to save me at the cost of great damage to both his main body and spirit form.
-Because I was pissed off.
'What?'
-To think someone could evade my senses even when I'm in spirit form, what an insolent bastard! If I had a body, I would've beaten him to death right away!
Wrath clicked his tongue long in regret. It seemed he was enraged that someone had evaded his presence, which he believed could perceive everything.
-Don't even think about going after him. He's a strong one.
'I know.'
Raon nodded calmly.
-You know? Don't tell me you're acquainted with him?
'Yes. I can't not know him.'
He twisted his lips as he looked at the blackened scabbard piece.
'Because only Derus can use the Dark Current.'
The Black Blade that contained death was an aura named Dark Current, one of Derus Robert's true powers.
In fact, I could have predicted it was Derus even without the Dark Current. He's the only Transcendent Warrior who would attack to kill me from an unseen location.
'However...'
His actions were beyond my expectations.
I thought Derus wouldn't come here unless absolutely necessary, and even if he did, he would never attack.
But Derus appeared here and shot Dark Current at me. It meant that even he, whom I thought would be as cold as a machine, was human after all.
'Derus Robert.'
Raon twisted his lips as he glared in the direction where he expected Derus to be.
'You've finally started to show your tail.'
***
Kubara's dry lips trembled as she watched Raon disappear through the gap in space. She swallowed hard and turned her eyes to Derus.
"Why are Alice Zieghart and the Sword Demon here...?"
"How truly coincidental."
Derus Robert didn't show anger, but rather a faint smile.
"I knew Alice Zieghart and the Sword Demon were hiding. I thought I could kill Raon Zieghart before those two arrived. However..."
He continued, looking at Raon in Alice's embrace.
"The reason Raon Zieghart survived is purely due to his own power. He bought a moment of time by breaking the scabbard."
"Ah..."
"That moment saved his life. However, there are a few strange points."
"Strange points... Ah!"
Kubara looked towards the Sword Saint's Tomb and then raised her eyes. As Derus said, there was one strange point.
"You're talking about the Sword Demon Rector, aren't you?"
"It's quite possible for Alice Zieghart to care for Raon Zieghart. Risking her life like this is unexpected, but understandable."
Derus narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rector.
"On the other hand, the Sword Demon's reaction is strange. Even if he gave Raon some small teachings, he's clearly an enemy, yet he seemed more urgent than Alice Zieghart."
He shook his head while stroking his chin.
"There might be a relationship between Raon Zieghart and the Sword Demon Rector beyond the Six Kings and Five Demons."
"I'll look into it."
Kubara nodded immediately, understanding Derus's meaning.
"One more thing."
Derus wagged his finger at Kubara.
"There was also a strange reaction from Raon's body at the end. Reinvestigate everything about Raon Zieghart's life."
"Understood."
Kubara nodded without hesitation, despite already having a mountain of information about Raon.
"Go ahead. They've probably already read our direction."
"Yes."
She answered immediately and sank into Derus's shadow.
"When 'she' said there would be someone to block my path, I naturally thought of Glenn Zieghart. But..."
Derus narrowed his eyes with his hands behind his back. He looked down at Raon with eyes filled with both anger and ecstasy, drawing a dry smile.
"It might be you."
Before his low voice had finished echoing, only a cold wind remained on the mountainside where the two had been standing.
***
-They've definitely left now.
Wrath frowned while holding his temples.
-Damn it! My pride is hurt.
He repeated the same words, saying he would have rushed over immediately if only he had a body.
'Yeah. You would have.'
Raon nodded while patting Wrath's reddened head.
'Derus Robert.'
How strong have you become?
Even though Wrath isn't in his main body, his senses far surpass my aura perception.
Even Wrath couldn't detect Derus's presence until he attacked. It seems Derus has grown beyond my imagination.
"Aunt. It should be fine now."
Raon sighed briefly and grabbed Alice's shoulders.
"Hm?"
Alice opened her eyes wide as if asking what he meant.
"Judging by the surprise attack from afar, they don't want to reveal their identity, so they won't come again."
"I know that, but..."
She nodded briefly, as if she had expected this.
"They've probably already fled. You can relax now."
Raon smiled as he stood up.
"W-What on earth happened?"
"What's going on here!"
"Enemy?"
Burren, Martha, and Runaan, who realized the situation had ended, came running. Not just them, but the entire Light Wind division had confusion in their eyes.
"There was an attack."
Serena frowned as she looked in the direction from which the Black Blade had come.
"A-An attack?"
Dorian's eyes widened as he came out from behind the sofa where he had been hiding.
"Yes. I don't know who, but they were targeting Raon."
Rimmer bit his lip as he looked this way. He seemed frustrated that he couldn't block it himself.
"I-I had no idea."
"Damn it!"
"Hmm..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan also clenched their fists, seemingly angry at not being able to do anything.
"Even I barely noticed it. It was a master of that level. If we hadn't prepared in advance, we would have missed it."
Alice shook her head at the three squad leaders, telling them not to blame themselves.
"They're strong even among Transcendent Warriors. They might even be able to reach Father..."
"Reach the Head of House?"
"Yes."
She sighed, saying it was hard to believe, but there was that possibility.
"I don't know who it was. It was a form of aura I've never seen before."
Rimmer frowned as if unable to predict the opponent.
"T-Transcendent Warrior?"
"Why would a Transcendent Warrior target Raon..."
Cold sweat ran down the bridges of Burren and Martha's noses.
"It's probably because I ruined their plan."
Raon chuckled as he pointed at the entrance of the darkly rippling tomb.
"Ruined their plan?"
Alice quickly turned her gaze as if asking what he meant.
"That place wasn't a tomb. It was filled with countless devices designed to make the Six Kings and Five Demons and the neutral forces start a war. In there..."
Raon briefly explained about the tomb to Alice.
"...Since the plan that consumed astronomical manpower and resources was ruined, it seems the leader of the force behind that plan tried to kill me."
"Hmm, certainly..."
"That must be it."
Serena and Rimmer nodded as if agreeing.
"Who on earth planned this?"
Alice glared in the direction the blade had come from while brushing her hair to the side.
"There's no one like that even among the Six Kings and Five Demons. No, even if there were, we'd know their names."
She frowned, saying she had seen all the masters of the Six Kings and Five Demons, but there was no one like that.
"I don't know either. However..."
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the scabbard piece imbued with Derus's Dark Current.
"They won't be able to hide forever."
Derus acting outside my predictions isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Now that his aura has been revealed, it's not impossible to prove that the Sky Sword Saint Derus Robert and the villain Derus Robert who committed numerous evil deeds in the shadows are the same person.
The biggest gain from today might not be the Sword Saint's martial arts, but the revelation of Derus's Dark Current.
"Anyway, it seems it's really over."
Alice nodded as she looked at the now quiet forest.
"We should leave this place quickly just in case, but before that."
She briefly licked her lips and looked at the Sword Demon Rector.
"Why did you come, old man? No, why did you help block it?"
Alice looked at the Sword Demon with sinking eyes, saying she didn't understand.
"So..."
Rector slowly turned around. He revealed a calm, almost cold gaze.
"Are you dissatisfied?"
"No."
Alice shook her head calmly.
"I'm grateful. If it weren't for you, old man, I couldn't have saved Raon. It moved too fast for me to exert my full strength."
True to her usual character, she honestly admitted her own shortcoming.
"But even though I'm grateful, I don't understand. Why did you save Raon? What's your ulterior motive?"
"..."
Raon nodded briefly as he observed Rector's dry expression.
'She's right.'
Unlike Alice, Rector had no reason to save me at the risk of injuring himself.
"I only saved him because if that child dies, the legacy within the tomb would also disappear."
Rector cast an icy cold gaze.
"How did you know about that?"
"Those guys were babbling about it. It would be strange not to know."
He pointed at the neutral faction martial artists who had come out with the Light Wind division. It seemed he had heard about the internal situation through their chatter.
"Hmm..."
"We're, we're sorry."
The neutral faction martial artists bowed their heads as if at a loss for words.
"That was the only reason."
Rector's sword vibrated slightly as if thirsting for blood.
"Hmm..."
Raon groaned as he looked at Rector's seemingly dry eyes.
'It's not impossible.'
The Holy Sword Alliance is a group obsessed with swords and swordsmanship, and the Sword Demon is no different, so it's not entirely strange.
However, the look in the Sword Demon's eyes today revealed an urgency that went beyond that reason. It seemed like he was lying.
"It's hard to believe, but..."
Alice tilted her head, finding it strange.
"I guess there's no need to pry further."
"..."
Rector maintained his cold expression as if it didn't matter either way.
"Then, do you want to fight for the Sword Saint's legacy?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
He filled his eyes with sword intent as if ready to settle it right now. It was as if a human had turned into a sword.
"Crazy old man."
Alice frowned as she raised her sword to a middle stance. The principles of the Spatial Sword flowed, causing the space around her to ripple like a mirage.
Kugugugugugu!
Just as Alice and Rector were about to thrust their swords towards each other's core...
Ppudeudeudeuk!
The edges of both their blades twisted simultaneously. It was the exact spot where they had blocked Derus's attack.
"..."
"..."
Alice and Rector looked at each other's swords before relaxing their stances.
"Since there's an unknown Transcendent Warrior around, today doesn't seem to be the right time."
"I agree."
As Rector nodded, the Holy Sword Alliance martial artists who had been hiding behind him approached.
"Raon Zieghart. Let me ask two things before I go."
"Please go ahead."
Raon nodded towards Rector, who seemed to be looking at a stranger.
"Is the Demon Sword Master dead?"
"Yes."
"One more thing, did you really obtain the Sword Saint's martial arts?"
"Yes."
"It seems breaking the scabbard was one of the Sword Saint's techniques."
"That's correct."
He nodded, seeing no point in lying.
"I see."
Rector nodded calmly with an unreadable expression, then turned his back without hesitation.
"I won't see you off."
Alice waved her hand as if telling them to leave quickly.
Raon watched Rector slowly retreating, then his eyes widened. A familiar face caught his eye behind Rector.
"Mustan!"
It was Mustan, Rector's disciple.
"..."
At the call of his name, Mustan flinched and turned his back.
"Come here!"
Mustan's soul is bound to me due to the emotion of
"I can't do that."
However, Mustan refused my order. He looked at me with calm eyes before following after Rector.
'What's going on?'
Mustan's eyes were clear, and the aura of
-The reason is simple.
Wrath snorted as if it were nothing.
-If a subordinate whose soul is pledged to you doesn't listen to you, it's because they believe their current action is helping you.
'Then could it be...'
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Rector's back in front of Mustan.