Raon emerged from the dimensional gate, taking in the sight of the blue southern sea.
'We really arrived in an instant.'
The dimensional gate, as Chamber and Larian had assured him, opened without any delay, directly reaching the House Robert. They truly were not monsters who had transcended through magic for nothing.
"Hah..." Raon slowly exhaled and turned his gaze to the right. A mansion so grand it could be mistaken for a kingdom palace stood with its back to the sea.
'It's been a while since I've seen this damned house head-on.'
It had been a long time since he'd faced House Robert, not since he came to steal the treasures from the underwater dungeon. But nothing seemed to have changed. The most powerful force in the south stood proudly as if nothing had happened. Raon extended a thin layer of his senses towards House Robert.
'As expected, he's not here...'
He scanned the direction of House Robert's main building, but couldn't sense Derus's presence. Given that Glenn was also quiet, it seemed the bastard wasn't here.
'Well, if he's not a fool, he wouldn't have fled here.'
Both Derus and Uriel were injured by Wrath's anger, so they must be hiding somewhere no one could find them.
'However...'
No matter how thoroughly he prepared, he couldn't have evacuated all his subordinates from here. Right now, House Robert was full of assassins who knew Derus's true identity. They needed to deal with them quickly so they couldn't escape and become Derus's strength.
As Raon flexed his hands, recalling the layout of House Robert, Glenn approached the walls of Robert's fortress. The sky split with a thunderous roar as Glenn raised the Heavenly Tremor.
The lightning imbued with the power of the Azure Sky Sword mercilessly tore through House Robert's protective barrier, said to repel even transcendent attacks. Glenn's lightning had enough power left after breaking through the barrier to destroy half of House Robert's gate and walls. It was absolute power that could demolish a fortress with a single strike. Glenn's sword had already transcended human limits.
"It might not be enough, but..."
As King Lecross's silent sword tilted diagonally, the remaining half of the walls crumbled like a sand castle. The faces of House Robert's swordsmen turned pale as they lost their walls in an instant.
"Now it's our turn!"
As Chamber chewed on the candy in her mouth and began a high-speed incantation, a massive magic circle appeared over House Robert and the sea behind it. It was the magic circle that blocked spatial movement, which she had shown in the Beast Union.
"Hmm..."
Larian nodded and twirled her fingers as if playing cat's cradle. Shadow-attribute threads poured down like rain, completely enveloping House Robert's main building. It looked like a spider wrapping its prey in a web.
"Aaah..." Dorian sat down on the spot, his jaw trembling.
"So this is the power of transcendents. And upper transcendents at that..."
Burren swallowed hard, his face filled with astonishment.
"...I want to catch up."
Runaan bit her lip, showing a rare display of sincerity. She didn't even blink, as if trying to burn Glenn and Lecross's swordsmanship into her memory.
"It's not about wanting to catch up, we have to catch up!"
Martha frowned, clenching her fists tightly. She too fixed her gaze, bloodshot eyes straining to remember the transcendents' martial prowess.
"W-What is the meaning of this!"
A middle-aged man with a gray beard emerged from behind the crumbled walls, his legs shaking. It was Malein, the external commander of Robert.
"S-Suddenly destroying our walls, even if you are the Six Kings of the sky, this is going too far!"
Despite his voice cracking with fear, he spoke his piece to the end.
"If you have something to say, come through this gate yourself!"
"Open it!" Malein pointed at where the gate used to be and stomped his foot hard. It was the image of a true martial artist, showing dignity and courage even in front of the leaders of the Six Kings. Raon sneered as he watched Malein stand proudly before the Six Kings' leaders.
'He's one hell of an actor.'
Derus had dragged most of House Robert's executives into the blood-soaked darkness. Malein, the external commander who oversaw all external affairs, was naturally part of the shadow.
"Where is the Head of House who attended the Six Kings Conference, and why are you attacking us? Speak!"
Malein continued to run his mouth to the end, even as his shoulders trembled from Glenn's aura. The fortress's martial artists also seemed to be inspired by Malein, gripping their swords tightly.
"Right. You deserve to know the reason." Chamber nodded and raised her hand, causing a massive blue spear to appear in the sky. The blue spear vibrated slightly, then began to replay the scene where Derus's identity was revealed in the arena. Chamber expanded the magic to project it in the sky, so that even those inside the inner fortress could see it. She seemed to have prepared this recording magic from the beginning.
"Ah..."
"H-Head of House..."
A moment later, when Derus's identity was revealed and it was shown that Lephon was not a real human but an Archangel, the expressions of the outer fortress martial artists turned as pale as if their souls had left their bodies.
"...Is that really true?"
"To think the Head of House was the swordsman wearing the blue dragon helmet..."
"I don't believe it! There's no way the Head of House would do that!"
"That's right. It must be a lie. Magic can be manipulated, can't it?"
"Where is the Head of House! Bring him here right now!"
The outer fortress swordsmen showed fierce gazes, saying they absolutely couldn't believe it. Malein bit his lip and turned his gaze backward.
"Lord Rebel."
At his call, a young magician in a black robe stepped forward.
"Yes, Sir Malein."
"Was there any manipulation in that video?"
"Transcendent magicians can control mana at will. It's beyond my ability to discern."
The magician called Rebel bowed his head, subtly implying that it might be manipulated.
"I..." Malein gritted his teeth and raised his gaze.
"I believe in the Head of House I've seen!" He raised his sword, indicating he would fight to the end.
"Block the enemies even in death!"
At Malein's cry, the outer fortress martial artists formed a solid sword formation with their auras, blocking the path of the Six Kings.
"They're still being stubborn even after we showed them." Chamber shook her head as if exasperated.
"Attack. You may kill those who resist."
As Glenn pointed his Heavenly Tremor at House Robert, the Heavenly Blade Division and Light Wind Division advanced, raising a sandstorm. Owen's knights charged on horseback, as if to completely push back the sword formation of Robert's swordsmen.
Balkar and the magic tower magicians deployed various magic circles, simultaneously using attack and support magic.
As the Six Kings' martial artists and House Robert's swordsmen clashed, shockwaves erupted from all directions, shaking the earth. Although the swordsmen defending House Robert were certainly strong, they were outnumbered and their morale was low, so their sword formation was shattered and pushed back in no time.
Raon twisted his lips into a sneer as he observed the falling swordsmen of House Robert.
'They're quick, aren't they.'
Malein and Rebel, who had incited the outer fortress martial artists, were already gone, not to be seen. It seemed they had indeed come out to buy time.
To abandon their subordinates and flee! Wrath's face turned red with anger.
They must not be left alive! He swung his fists wildly, urging to chase after them immediately.
'Don't worry. I know where they went.' Raon sent a look to Glenn indicating he would handle it personally, then moved towards the outskirts of House Robert.
"Damn it! It's impossible to buy time with just those guys!" Malein shook his head, grinding his teeth. Even if the outer fortress martial artists were strong, they were facing the entire Six Kings. It was impossible to buy time in this situation.
"If we stay here, we'll die too. We should move somewhere, anywhere." Rebel exhaled softly, looking back.
"That thing is blocking teleportation magic!" Malein frowned, looking at Chamber's magic circle drawn in the sky.
"We should go into the sea. If we move underwater, we won't be detected." Rebel suggested escaping using breathing magic while nervously scanning the surroundings.
"Where are Lord Beorn and Lord Bardiel?" Malein narrowed his eyes, looking at the buildings near the main building.
"I don't know. I haven't seen them since they gave the order to buy time..." Rebel lowered his eyes, saying he only saw them when receiving the mission.
"Surely they haven't escaped without us..."
Just as Malein was turning to the side with a frown, he and Rebel rolled on the ground as if tripping over a stone.
"W-What the..."
"Why suddenly... huh?"
The two men's jaws trembled as they tried to get up, cursing. Four legs had fallen where they had just tripped.
"L-Legs...?"
"Aaaaargh!" Malein and Rebel let out terrified screams as they saw their own lower bodies severed without feeling. With a thin sword sound, Raon descended in front of Malein and Rebel, holding the Heavenly Drive without a drop of blood on it.
"Y-You..."
"Raon Zieghart...?" Malein and Rebel's eyes trembled as they realized who had cut off their legs.
"You've gotten much weaker, Malein." Raon put down the Heavenly Drive and struck Malein and Rebel's chests with his palms, stunning the Rage Worms that would be embedded in their hearts.
"Kuhak!"
"Kheuk..." Malein and Rebel coughed up blood and slammed their heads on the ground.
"R-Raon Zieghart. Why are you here..."
"So Beorn, who stabbed me, was also Derus's subordinate. There's no place he hasn't touched." Raon sneered as he drove the Heavenly Drive and Blade of Requiem into Malein and Rebel's collarbones.
"Kyaaaaargh!"
"Kuheeeok!" Malein and Rebel screamed as if their throats were being torn apart, unable to bear the pain as heat and cold were pushed into them.
"Where is Derus?"
"I-I don't know." Malein shook his head, saying he hadn't seen Derus since he left for the conference.
"Then who gave you the order to buy time?"
"B-Beorn and Bardiel..." Rebel exhaled as if he was about to die, mentioning Beorn and Bardiel's names.
"Beorn and Bardiel." These were names Raon hadn't encountered in his past life. It seemed these two were Derus's trusted subordinates who had remained here.
"What do they look like?"
"That..."
"Speak." Raon crushed Malein's collarbone while simultaneously injecting the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier.
"Kyaaaaargh! I-I'll talk! Beorn has red hair..." Malein, as if he had been waiting for this, began to describe Beorn and Bardiel's appearances.
After listening to the descriptions of Beorn and Bardiel, Raon beheaded Malein and Rebel.
"Uheok..."
"Kkeuk!"
Those who had abandoned their subordinates and fled sank to the ground after experiencing only intense pain.
'Aren't you going to extract more information? These guys don't know anything anyway.'
Given that they had received orders to buy time from Derus's trusted subordinates rather than Derus himself, these men were disposable. Keeping them any longer would be a waste of time.
Raon bit his lip as he surveyed the entirety of House Robert, now shrouded in black smoke.
'I need to move faster.'
He didn't want to leave even a small bit of strength here for Derus. He needed to move as quickly as possible to deal with the shadow assassins that remained in his memory.
"Derus Robert." Raon began to walk towards the main building, unleashing the killing intent he had been hiding.
'I'll destroy everything you've built up.'
His steps began to devour everything like flames. After assassinating the shadow executives remaining in the main building, Raon headed towards Mount Lushain, built on the western side of House Robert. He pushed aside a rock that one would naturally pass by, captivated by the magnificent scenery, and examined beneath it.
'They've blocked it.'
The underground cavern used to cultivate shadows had been blocked off. However, it seemed they hadn't demolished it, but rather blocked it with dirt.
'This means there might be something inside.'
Raon carefully dug out the dirt and entered. Fortunately, they hadn't filled the entire interior with dirt, so he was able to step onto stairs after not too long. After descending the number of steps he remembered, he felt the dull ground beneath his feet.
'It feels strange without them here.'
The underground cavern, which should have been full of shadow assassins, was empty, and the lighting that used to cause insomnia by being on 24 hours a day was nowhere to be seen. It felt as if the memories of his past life were being distorted.
'No, that can't be.' Raon smiled slightly in the perfect darkness, recalling old memories. Although the appearance of the cavern had changed, the soul that had wailed here was still in pain.
"-What is this place?" Wrath frowned, saying there was tremendous anger permeating this place.
"Hell." Raon twisted his lips into a smile as he stepped on the sticky floor covered in dried blood.
'The hell of the human world.'
As the scent of blood clinging to the very space tickled his nose, memories of his past life surfaced one by one. The moment he vomited blood while being brainwashed and tortured after being kidnapped, the time he fled from beasts while eating weeds, and the moment he killed the only friend he had shared his heart with by his own hands—all came back vividly.
"-What on earth did you go through..." Wrath exhaled emptily, wondering how a human could harbor such anger.
"-Get a grip. Right now, inside here..."
"Yes. There's an enemy." Raon nodded, saying he knew already.
'I sensed it as soon as I entered.'
In the pitch-black darkness where not even a step ahead was visible, an assassin cloaked in shadow was hiding. He was a master so skilled that even the keenest senses couldn't detect him.
'This one isn't disposable.'
Even Derus wouldn't abandon someone of this caliber. Given that they were in the closed-off cavern, they must know something.
"-Do you know their identity too?"
"Probably." He nodded calmly. It must be the Ghost King, the worst assassin who was said to rival the Killing King, the master of Martio and Lisbon who created this space and kidnapped me.
"Now..." Raon placed his hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Drive as he stared into the rippling darkness.
'I think I can cut down even the Ghost King.'