Woooong!
Raon raised the Heavenly Drive, activating the newly unlocked level of Ten Thousand Flames within his Mental World.
A golden sun rose from his dantian, filling the blade with limitless power, as though his reach could extend forever.
Hwaaaah!
A searing flame erupted from the sword's tip, obliterating the undead army in an instant. Even the Bone Dragon's breath attack was cleaved in two.
With a wave of unstoppable force, Raon's sword cut through the air, and his target—the Soul-Eating Specter—was reached. The Specter, midway through casting a high-level dark spell, was struck down.
Slash!
The concept of distance ceased to exist. The Specter's head tumbled to the ground, his expression frozen—not in pain, but in sheer disbelief.
Ssshhh.
His remains melted into black mist, sinking into the depths of the river.
Raon slowly lowered his sword and cast his gaze skyward. The once-cluttered battlefield had cleared, every trace of the undead wiped from existence.
"I suspected something was off with your aura. Now I see why."
Wrath's voice carried a note of approval.
"You've learned to compress your power and control it more efficiently."
The corner of Wrath's mouth twitched in amusement.
"Impressive. You've finally got the hang of it."
Raon smiled softly, summoning a miniature sun into his palm—a representation of the power he had unlocked.
The insights he had gained during his life-or-death duel with Roman and the intense experience within his Mental World had allowed him to wield Ten Thousand Flames with greater force and precision. It felt as though he was constantly in a state of Transcendent Harmony, a peak form of existence.
"It's not just a feeling," Wrath added gravely.
"Right now, your aura resembles that state—just like when you unlocked the Genesis Blade."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. Although you haven't used Glacier yet, your current form is close to the realm you achieved back then."
Wrath flicked his fingers, signaling how close Raon had come to mastering his power.
Raon exhaled deeply, feeling the scorching heat of Ten Thousand Flames and the icy chill of Glacier swirl within him.
'This… This is beyond what I imagined.'
He had only intended to use the concept of Transcendent Harmony to refine his skills. He hadn't expected such overwhelming results. His hands trembled with excitement.
"Whoa…"
Garam, who had been silently watching, let out a breath of awe.
"Raon… Are you a god now?"
Her wide eyes blinked in disbelief.
"No, I'm not."
"Absolutely not!" Wrath howled indignantly.
"What kind of god would be such an insufferable brat? Impossible! Out of the question!"
Wrath grumbled to himself, muttering complaints about Raon's unsuitability for divinity.
'Fair enough,' Raon chuckled, ignoring Wrath's tantrum.
"I don't want to be a god. All I want is to see Derus Robert fall and ensure the happiness of those I care about."
"What about becoming a demon king? That's fine, right?"
Wrath sidled closer, his eyes gleaming mischievously.
"I've always thought you'd make the perfect demon king—wicked enough to scare even demons out of their wits!"
'I'm not that bad.'
"Have you lost your mind?"
Wrath twirled his finger beside his temple, feigning disbelief.
"You tricked the mighty Wrath himself. Don't try to pretend you're some saint!"
Raon just grinned, making no attempt to deny it.
"You're exactly the kind of chaos I'd love to unleash on the Demon Realm!"
Wrath waved his hands dramatically.
'Not interested.'
"Gah! You wretch!"
Raon casually brushed Wrath off and turned toward Garam.
"Garam, can you bring Merlin out now?"
"Okay!"
With a nod, Garam dove into the river.
After a minute, she resurfaced, carrying Merlin over her shoulder. The woman was draped in a tattered black robe, her body barely clinging to consciousness.
"I've stopped the worst of her injuries," Garam said, flexing her webbed fingers.
"Thanks."
Raon ruffled Garam's hair, then carefully carried Merlin to the riverbank.
Pulling away the torn robe, Raon revealed Merlin's true face—dark violet hair like the twilight sky, and skin so pale it seemed almost translucent. Her beauty was otherworldly, the kind that could topple nations.
"Not bad, though not as dazzling as me."
Wrath remarked as he scrutinized Merlin's face.
"Why would she hide behind an old crone's mask all this time?"
'I have no idea.'
But now wasn't the time to ponder her beauty. Raon retrieved a healing elixir from his storage space and gently administered it to her. He used the Ring of Fire and his Ten Thousand Flames technique to circulate the potion's effects throughout her body.
'This should be enough.'
Just as he was about to leave the rest to Garam, Merlin's eyelids fluttered open.
"Ugh…"
She exhaled a shuddering breath, her peculiar violet eyes focusing on Raon. A red cross flickered deep within her gaze, reflecting his image.
"Raon…?"
"Merlin. Are you okay?"
"Raon. Raon…"
Merlin's voice grew more frantic, and before Raon could react, she began repeating his name over and over, like a spell.
"Raon. Raon. Raon. Raon. Raon. Raon. Raon…"
"Ack! This lunatic!" Wrath screeched, retreating into his bracelet.
"Merlin! Stop!"
Raon tried to calm her, but she suddenly grabbed his wrist, her grip unnervingly strong.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you…"
Her crimson-crossed eyes shone with a disturbing light, as if possessed by divine madness. The intensity of her gaze constricted Raon's chest like a vice.
"Enough!"
In desperation, Raon struck a pressure point on the back of Merlin's neck.
"…Love…"
With a final whispered word, Merlin's body went limp, her grip on him loosening as she fell unconscious.
"Hah…"
Raon let out a shaky breath, his entire body trembling from the eerie encounter. He wiped cold sweat from his brow.
"I told you we should've eaten mint chocolate instead of dealing with her!" Wrath peeked out from the bracelet, his voice indignant.
'You might've been right,' Raon shivered slightly, still unnerved by the experience.
"Garam, can you take care of her?"
"She's… scary." Garam bit her lip nervously, clearly unsettled by Merlin's obsessive behavior.
"Just keep her asleep for now. Use whatever spell you need."
With that, Raon stood up and stretched.
"So, we're heading to the battlefield now?"
Wrath asked eagerly.
'Not yet. There's one last thing to do.' Raon gazed toward the dense forest behind them. 'I need to end this properly.'
Meanwhile, near the Label River...
A tear in space opened, and the Soul-Eating Specter emerged, gasping for air.
"Damn you, Raon Zieghart…"
Furious, the Specter slammed his fist into the ground.
'How… How did he kill me so easily?'
Despite all the preparation, the Specter had been utterly destroyed, even after receiving power from The Fallen One.
'I can't let this go.'
Seething with hatred, the Specter began heading toward the river, determined to exact revenge on Merlin. But as he approached the place where she had been hidden, he froze in disbelief.
'They're gone?'
Before he could process what was happening, a cold sensation pierced his back.
"Urgh…!"
Turning slowly, the Specter saw a blade embedded in his chest. Above him, crimson eyes glowed like a blood-red moon.
"You… how?" the Specter gasped.
"I knew you'd come back," Raon said, twisting the sword. "Let's end this for good."
BOOM!
A crimson lightning-coated sword clashed violently against a spear conjuring azure dragons. Each impact between Glenn Zieghart's Heavenly Drive and Dranos' Sea Dragon Spear shattered the skies, sending waves surging violently across the Label River.
It felt as if a cataclysm had descended upon the battlefield. A vortex of pitch-black aura spiraled into the heavens, wrapping the entire river in chaos.
Zzzzt!
Amidst the storm of aura, Glenn raised the Heavenly Drive high. Red lightning sparked along the blade, leaving trails of light as it branched in every direction, blanketing the river in an eerie crimson glow.
Woom!
Across the battlefield, Dranos twisted the shaft of his spear. The spearhead split into three prongs, summoning three fearsome water dragons that roared defiantly against the crimson lightning.
Rooar!
When the dragons clashed with the streaks of lightning, the resulting explosion rocked the river, scattering shockwaves that obliterated everything in their path.
"This ends now, Dranos!" Glenn's voice rang out, the challenge hanging in the air.