"Rimmer." Glenn stood at the center of the crumbled training ground.
"You've always said you wanted to make Raon the head of house. You often mentioned treating him like a young king. But..." He lowered his chin, looking down at Rimmer performing a sword salute. "Why do you suddenly want to make Raon a true king? Raon himself doesn't even think about becoming the head of house."
Glenn furrowed his brows, unable to understand Rimmer's actions.
"It doesn't matter how Raon views the throne of Zieghart." Rimmer slowly raised his head, meeting Glenn's eyes.
"I am the one who wishes to follow that child's path."
"Raon's path?"
"Yes. If Raon wants to be the head of Zieghart, I'll pave the way to the throne. If he leaves the family to build his own castle, I'll be the first to pick up a shovel and lay the bricks." His eyes gleamed with solemn resolve, as if he had already made his decision.
Glenn swallowed a thin sigh. He's serious. Rimmer's aura was as sharp as if he were in battle, meaning he had made a decision before coming here.
"When Raon was attacked and went missing, I thought a lot." Rimmer bowed his head, biting his lip until it nearly tore. "Why couldn't I protect him? Why couldn't I prevent it? Why did I let my guard down? Despairing at my own incompetence, I couldn't sleep or eat, endlessly swinging my sword."
His hand, still in the sword salute, trembled as he continued. "After Raon reappeared and saved the Head of House, I realized how important Raon is to me—and to the Light Wind division."
Rimmer exhaled a long breath and raised his gaze again. "Although it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, the same thing might happen again, and the day Raon truly dies might come." He gritted his teeth, as if the thought were unbearable.
"That's why I want to establish my own resolve."
"So that's why you want to serve Raon as your lord." Glenn nodded, finally understanding.
"Right now, the first person I must protect is the head of house. Even if Raon and the Light Wind division's children die before my eyes, protecting the head of house takes priority."
Rimmer revealed a chilling killing intent, as if standing in the middle of a battlefield rather than a training ground. "I want to break that framework. I want to protect Raon and the Light Wind division before the head of house." He struck the ground with his tightly clenched fist. "Before I die, I will ensure that no one can harm Raon."
Rimmer pounded his left chest where his heart beat, with his bleeding fist, as if making a vow. "Please grant me permission." He knelt on both knees, refusing to rise until given permission.
Sheryl looked down at Rimmer intently, arms crossed, seemingly anticipating this situation.
"Rimmer. You're still impulsive." Glenn looked up at the sky, then lowered his eyes. "You've been impulsive since we first met. Many elves tried to stop you, but you even stole that sword to follow me."
"Hey, I didn't steal it!" Rimmer shook his head, insisting he had received it legitimately.
"I liked that impulsive side of you. That's why I accepted you." Glenn met Rimmer's clear eyes. "After those children died, you've been hiding your emotions behind false smiles, but now you've finally returned to the Light Sword Rimmer I know."
He smiled brightly, as if pleased. "Do as you wish." Glenn firmly gripped Rimmer's shoulder, urging him to walk the path he had chosen.
"Thank... you." Rimmer bowed deeply, his shoulder trembling under Glenn's touch.
"Haa..." Sheryl let out a long sigh, relieved the conversation had ended well. "You idiot." She leaned her head against the wall, exhausted.
"Still, it's going to be a bit lonely." Rimmer smacked his lips as he stood up. "I haven't even thought about how to treat you if I'm not serving you as my lord." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"It's simple." Glenn turned to Rimmer with a faint smile. "Comrade. And friend. Isn't that enough?"
It was something he would never have said before, but spending time with Raon and Sylvia had helped his emotions grow. Now, he felt he could build new relationships not just with Rimmer, but with others as well.
"That sounds good." Sheryl nodded gently, as if she liked the idea.
"Ah..." Rimmer's fingertips trembled, seemingly moved by Glenn's words.
"What are you doing?" Sheryl jabbed him lightly with her elbow. "You should answer him."
"Um, Head of House..." Rimmer's eyes reddened as he curled his lips. "I'm sorry, but the difference in our face value is too great for us to be friends."
He shook his head, covering his mouth. "I still look like I'm in my vibrant 20s and can blend in anywhere, but you, Head of House, have so many wrinkles that it wouldn't be strange if you ascended to heaven right now..."
"You crazy fool..." Sheryl, who had been smiling, now closed her eyes tightly. "If we become friends, people will curse at me. For now, I'll continue to serve you as Head of House..."
As Rimmer rambled with his hands spread, red lightning gathered in the sky above, forming a sword-like shape.
"Uh, Head of House?" Rimmer's lips trembled as he looked at the red lightning sword covering the night sky. "My aura is completely depleted right now, so if that hits me, I'll really die, you know?" He waved his hands, laughing awkwardly.
"Then die." The moment Glenn lowered his hand, the lightning sword began to descend, splitting the sky.
"Hey, friend! Comrade! Head of Houuuuuse!" A massive lightning bolt fell with Rimmer's scream, destroying the Head of House's training ground.
Raon felt the powerful aura and looked back. Red lightning? Seeing the huge thunderbolt fall from a clear sky, it seemed Rimmer got himself struck for being cheeky.
Looks like I'll have to train with Gambling Monster alone today. Shaking his head at the apparent daily occurrence, Raon entered his room.
That, that looks a bit big... Wrath narrowed his eyes, noting the unusual aura.
It's fine. That elf will never die. Raon smiled as he took off his outer clothes. Even if he died, even if Wrath died, Rimmer would never die. That was the kind of person he was.
Ooh! There's a sandwich! Wrath licked his lips at the sight of Helen's handiwork.
There's something I need to check first.
Check? What?
The Blade of Requiem's gift:
[The has accepted the energy of the Soul-Severing Orb.]
[The offers purified energy.]
[All abilities increase by 25 points.]
[A new trait is created.]
The power hidden in the Ghost King's orb was beyond expectations, instantly raising all abilities and even creating a new trait.
"Ugh..." Wrath let out a choked groan, realizing the meaning of the messages.
"This is maddening! Not content with taking from my main body, now you're even devouring human blood and resentment! You parasite!"
"The parasite isn't me, it's you," Raon snorted, pointing at Wrath. "When I eat food, you taste it too. You can't do anything without me. If this isn't parasitic, what is?"
"Eh...?" Wrath blinked, at a loss for words.
"N-nonsense! I am not a parasite! The reason I'm here isn't for food, but for your body and revenge—"
"Then I guess it's okay if I have this for tonight's snack?" Raon waved a Nadine bread in front of Wrath's eyes.
"Ah, no, right? You won't eat it, right? There's a sandwich right there..."
"First, I need to activate Gluttony." Raon grinned and put the Nadine bread in his mouth. Chewy, dry yet sticky, it filled his mouth.
"You angel bastard! No matter how I think about it, it's not that bad..."
"Aaaaargh!"
"It's just your preconceptions."
"Guaaaaargh!" Wrath's screams didn't stop until Raon finished the sandwich.
At dawn, Fifth Training Ground, filled with gray fog.
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive, facing Martha.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready?" Martha bared her teeth, brushing back black hair. "I almost collapsed waiting. I've oiled my sword so much it might rust."
She exhaled roughly, eager to start.
"Then let's see your swordsmanship first." Raon jerked his chin, standing two steps away.
"It's the Crushing Ocean Sword I received from my father."
Martha nodded and raised her sword high. As she brought it down, the air vibrated, and the ground shook. The power was immense.
The Crushing Ocean Sword... Raon rotated his wrist, analyzing Martha's swordsmanship, which now unleashed explosive strikes.
"Still extreme offense. No, it's even more intense than before."
Martha's swordsmanship focused on quick, heavy, and strong techniques, now enhanced with the Crushing Sword technique—the strongest among strong sword techniques.
"I sense sorrow from that sword." Wrath frowned, feeling sympathy. "It's a sword to save her mother."
In reality, the chance to strike the Leader of the White Blood Religion would rarely come, so Martha honed only her strongest techniques to ensure she could strike when needed, even at the risk of her life.
"How is it?" Martha rested her sword on her shoulder after demonstrating all the Crushing Ocean Sword techniques.
"It's offensively one-sided to the point of being crude."
Raon approached Martha, twirling the Heavenly Drive. "We can start right away."
"You've finished analyzing already?"
"Your sword style is simple, so it's easy to understand. Of course, I've seen it many times too." He beckoned with his finger, as if saying, come at me anytime.
"I'll make you regret that!" Martha charged with a fierce shout, bringing her sword down. The blade, imbued with Titan's Aura, fell like wind-laden rain.
I'll give her credit for the power. Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched her strikes rush in as if to crush the ground.
Martha doesn't need to change her style. Unlike other swordsmen, Martha had accurately grasped the sword style she should pursue. It seemed best to open a path for her to further develop her strengths.
Clang! Raon blocked her sword strike with the same technique. BOOM! The shockwave spread, shaking the entire training ground.
"Ugh..." Martha staggered back five steps, nearly falling. Raon's stance hadn't even shifted.
"What the..." Martha bit her lip. His aura was definitely weaker than mine, wasn't it? She couldn't understand why she was pushed back despite using the same technique with greater force.
"I can't tell from just one try." She gritted her teeth and unleashed the fifth technique of the Crushing Ocean Sword: the Strong Cloud Crushing Strike. Her strike poured down like a cloud driving lightning.
Once again, Raon countered the strike with the same technique. BOOM! The resulting explosion sent Martha flying back helplessly.
"No way..." Martha swallowed dryly, looking at Raon, who stood unmoved, not even a wrinkle on his clothes.
"Is it the center of gravity?" Her lips trembled as she swung fiercely. "Such a difference just from the center of gravity?"
"It's not just that." Raon shook his head calmly. "The body's center of gravity can change the very essence of swordsmanship. It can make heavy things heavier, light things lighter. It's a crucial factor."
"It's an important factor that can make heavy things lighter."
"But I moved exactly as the sword manual instructed!" Martha stomped her foot, frustrated.
"The sword manual doesn't know who you are." Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive. "Don't be satisfied with just following someone else's teachings. Find your own sword and path. Strong swordsmanship doesn't necessarily make a strong person."
He turned his shoulder slightly, as if emphasizing that she should understand.
"There's no need to rush. You're not alone."
"Ah..." Martha bit her lip, repeating Raon's words. The urgency in her eyes slowly subsided. Was I so rushed that even that oblivious guy could notice...?
No, he couldn't have missed it. The Leader of the White Blood Religion she faced had grown far stronger, mocking her progress. Every day had been hell since sensing that absolute martial prowess. No matter how much she trained, she felt powerless to save her mother, and nightmares plagued her sleep.
On the surface, she trained as usual, but it hadn't been enough. Raon's words reminded her that she wasn't alone, rekindling hope and faith in her abilities.
"Right..." Martha nodded. "Miss Rakshasa who rose from hell can't stop here!" She charged at Raon, bringing her sword down. By slightly tilting her knee forward and lowering the angle of her arm, the power of her strike increased by half. A gasp escaped her at the result.
"Still a long way to go." Raon beckoned with his finger, urging her to continue improving rather than praising her.
"I know!" Martha unleashed all the techniques of the Crushing Ocean Sword to maintain her newfound sensation. She used Raon as a mirror, perfecting her movements.
"Let me tell you clearly." Raon deflected her sword, his expression dry. "You've mentioned Grandmaster, but the chances of you and the other squad leaders reaching Grandmaster level by the next war are extremely low. It's not an exaggeration to say it's impossible."
He shook his head, voice cold. "Then what will you do?"
"What do you mean, what will I do!" Martha smiled fiercely and beautifully. "I'll keep going anyway!"
This wasn't like before, where she didn't care what happened. It was a hopeful commitment to do her best in the given situation. She finally managed to push Raon back a step before lowering her sword. She felt a thrill, thinking that if she could organize her current realization, she might advance to the next level.
"Not yet. Let's keep going!"
Just as she was about to charge again, Runaan stepped in front of her, shaking his head.
"Why suddenly...?"
"Time." She pointed at the sky, well past noon.
"Ugh, but it's just the right moment..."
"I'm next. Miss Rakshasa is done." Runaan shook his head, stopping her.
"Who are you calling Miss Rakshasa!" Martha frowned.
"You called yourself that. 'Miss Rakshasa who rose from hell.'" Runaan repeated her words, nodding slightly.
"Eek..."
"Move aside, Miss Rakshasa."
Just as Martha and Runaan glared at each other, about to draw their swords, a powerful wave of aura erupted from the right side of the training ground. It was Dorian and Krein. Clusters of materialized aura burned from the swords of the two sparring.
"Astral Energy."
"Have those guys reached Master level?" Runaan and Martha widened their eyes at the flickering Astral Energy from Dorian and Krein's swords.
"Is this Astral Energy...?" Krein's eyes welled up with tears. "M-my hands feel like they're going to fall off! H-help me!"
Dorian's hands trembled, frightened by his own Astral Energy.
"With this... the first step has been taken." Raon curled his lips, observing the differently colored Astral Energy flickering from Dorian and Krein.
Meanwhile, in a distant chamber:
Four gray windows appeared before Derus Robert's faded throne.
"It's been a while. Or should I say, this is the first time in this form." He beckoned to the figures reflected in the gray windows.
Derus Robert. The Leader of the White Blood Religion, reflected in the first window, crossed her legs and lifted the hem of her dress.
"You've been deceiving everyone quite well." She frowned, displeased with Derus.
"Haven't we gained our own benefits thanks to that?"
The Fallen, reflected in the second window, smiled faintly. "Of course, if you had explained the situation, we could have gained even more." He muttered regretfully, giving Derus a strange look.
The third window reflected no one—only darkness like a bottomless abyss rippled within it.
"But why a Five Demons conference?"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion waved her hand, looking at the fourth window. "If the sword-obsessed old man and those water demons are dead, it should be Four Demons, right?" She snorted, clearly unimpressed.
"Whether the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance is dead or not, the Holy Sword Alliance participated in the conference."
At Derus's gesture, the last gray window flickered, revealing an old swordsman with sharp features.
"From now on, I am the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance."
Rector, the Blood Sword Master of the Holy Sword Alliance and known as the Sword Demon, raised his chin.
"If anyone has objections, speak now." His eyes burned quietly, illuminating the surrounding darkness.