The Twin-Headed Demon rubbed his hands together as he
watched the Green King, who seemed to dominate the souls
of monsters with her emerald aura.
'Now that's the real deal.'
The previous Green King had focused solely on controlling
monsters, always staying in the background. But this young
girl was different.
'Her talent is truly exceptional.'
Both her ability to control monsters and her martial prowess
were unparalleled. It was said that Raon Zieghart possessed
the greatest talent of all time, but this girl didn't seem far
behind.
'No wonder she caught His eye.'
Originally, the Green King was meant to be a puppet of the
Fallen, but after seeing her talent, the Heavenly Demon
personally took her in and taught her martial arts. That
alone was proof enough of the child's undeniable potential.
"And on top of that..."
The Twin-Headed Demon licked his lips as he eyed the Lion
Sword and the crescent-shaped earrings the Green King was
wearing.
'With those artifacts, she's practically grown wings.'
Just moments ago, the Green King, himself, and the
Severing Sword had conquered the dungeon of the Great
Sword Master who had ascended to transcendence 500
years ago.
After enduring a series of traps and battles, and obtaining
treasures, everyone's martial prowess had grown
significantly. He felt that with these four, they could even
face a Transcendent Warrior.
"How do you feel? Proud?"
The Twin-Headed Demon twisted his lips as he looked at the
Severing Sword standing behind him.
"Though I suppose it doesn't matter to you now."
"..."
The Severing Sword gave no answer or reaction, only
staring at the Green King. The flickering gaze within his
helmet seemed to express joy, sorrow, or perhaps despair.
"..."
He moved forward as if to protect the Green King, without
even glancing at the Twin-Headed Demon.
"I didn't cut out his tongue, so I don't know why he won't
speak."
The Twin-Headed Demon clicked his tongue as he watched
the Severing Sword walk slowly.
"What did that bastard Fallen do to him?"
He knew the Fallen had implanted 'something special' in the
bodies of the Severing Sword and the Green King, but lately,
it seemed like he had tampered with their minds as well.
"He's such an unpleasant fellow to deal with."
The Twin-Headed Demon shook his head as he stared at the
Severing Sword's scabbard.
"..."
After strengthening her control over the monsters, the
Green King turned to look at the Twin-Headed Demon. Her
calm eyes seemed to ask what he planned to do next.
"Hmm..."
The Twin-Headed Demon surveyed the monster army, which
was too vast for even his Aura Perception to fully grasp,
before turning his gaze to the center.
"It would be a waste to just abandon an army of this size."
He curled his lips as he looked at the small lights visible in
the distance.
"We might as well crush that much before we go."
"..."
As the Green King raised her hand, the monster army began
to advance, shaking the earth. Towards House Arianne,
which had once overcome death. The ground trembled with
their approach.
***
Raon smiled faintly as he gazed at the gently burning
campfire.
-Seeing you smile at the fire, I assume you're thinking the
same as this king!
Wrath nodded vigorously, as if he had expected this.
'What were you thinking?'
-I was thinking that if we grilled some freshly caught fish
over those flames, it would be absolute heaven! Weren't
you?
He waved his hands enthusiastically, asking if Raon could
almost taste the smoky flavor.
'We ate less than two hours ago...'
-This king has already digested that meal!
Wrath raised his chin, warning Raon not to underestimate a
demon king's appetite.
'You're not the Demon King of Gluttony...'
Raon chuckled. Despite being on a camping trip, they had
eaten heartily, but it seemed insufficient for the jobless
demon king.
-If it wasn't hunger that made you smile, what were you
thinking about?
'I was thinking about how to use fire to become stronger.'
-Fire?
'Yes.'
Having vowed to ascend to transcendence without missing a
single detail, he wanted to maximize both his Ring of Fire
and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
-You're more greedy than this king's appetite.
Wrath waved his hand, suggesting Raon should befriend
Greed.
'I don't like that guy.'
Unlike likable demon kings like Sloth or Gluttony, Raon
didn't want to associate with Greed.
-You have good taste. The only true demon king is this king!
Though I must admit, Pride is somewhat... hmm.
Wrath briefly smacked his lips, seeming to both dislike and
acknowledge Pride's arrogance.
'I see.'
Thinking this was typical of Wrath, Raon turned back to the
campfire when he sensed a small presence behind him.
"Staring into the fire?"
Rimmer sat down across from Raon with a faint smile.
"Why are you up so early? There's still time left."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the still-dark
night sky. It was Rimmer's turn for the next watch, but it
wasn't time yet.
"Couldn't sleep, so I came out early."
Rimmer waved his hand, saying that sleep becomes scarce
as you age.
"Well, I suppose you've had plenty of rest."
Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at Rimmer. As
expected, he had been late for the mission's departure time.
Truly an impressive person. No, an impressive Elf.
"Hey! People make mistakes, oversleep, and take breaks
sometimes!"
"That's something the person who was waiting, not the one
who was late, would say."
"Oh, come to think of it, you're right."
Rimmer immediately admitted it and chuckled. Raon and
Rimmer exchanged a few more jokes before falling silent,
both staring at the campfire.
"Raon."
As one of the logs finished burning and settled, Rimmer
called out to Raon.
"Yes?"
"Why aren't you interested in becoming the head of the
house?"
"What do you mean all of a sudden?"
"You're a direct descendant who's reached the highest level
of Grandmaster in your early twenties. You might not be as
good as Karoon or Denier, but you're not inferior to Balder.
With that position and martial prowess, it's natural to desire
the position of head of house."
Rimmer clashed his index fingers like swords as he
continued speaking.
"The highest throne of Zieghart, considered the strongest
among the Five Kings. There are plenty of people who want
to wear that noble and majestic crown, but you show no
interest at all. I find that curious."
He shrugged his shoulders as if asking for an answer.
"I'm satisfied with my current life."
Raon gently shook his head. Having possessed and left
behind nothing in his past life before dying, he was happy
with the value he had gained in this life. He had little desire
for the position of head of house, which he wasn't sure he
could handle well.
"Even if the position of head of house is high and
impressive, it means nothing if it doesn't suit me."
"Hmm, I can't argue with that."
Rimmer lowered his finger in acknowledgment.
"And the reason Zieghart's throne is great is because of the
current head of house sitting on it."
If Glenn were to disappear and someone else became the
head of house, Zieghart might maintain its position among
the Five Kings, but would have to relinquish its title as the
continent's strongest force. The name Glenn Zieghart
carried that much overwhelming weight.
"It's true that Zieghart is what it is now because of the head
of house."
Rimmer nodded in agreement.
"But I think you could make Zieghart grow even more than
the current head of house."
"That's absolutely not..."
"You might not know this, but even the head of house was
trembling when he first sat on the throne."
He chuckled as he raised his eyes.
"Really?"
Raon blinked. It was hard to believe that Glenn had
trembled.
"He couldn't even give orders properly and stuttered.
Sheryl, Roenn, and I had to write scripts for him, iron his
clothes. It was quite a struggle."
Rimmer waved his hand, uttering words that would surely
incur Glenn's wrath if he heard them.
"If that's true, I'd like to see it."
Raon smiled softly. Whether it was true or not, imagining
Glenn's awkward demeanor naturally brought a smile to his
face.
-Then this king has won!
Wrath raised his hand triumphantly.
-Unlike that old geezer Nadine bread, this king excelled at
everything from the start!
He held his nose high, claiming he was the perfect monarch.
Thwack! Raon flicked his finger, hitting Wrath's nose.
-Gack! Why did you hit me?
Pushing aside the rowdy Wrath, Raon turned his attention
back to Rimmer.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"You were trying to encourage me, weren't you?"
"I'm just being honest."
Rimmer revealed a serious gaze within his smiling
expression.
"I believe that if you become the head of house, Zieghart
could prosper even more."
He grinned as he lightly tapped his scabbard.
"Seeing that is my new goal."
"I'll think about it seriously for now."
With Rimmer speaking so earnestly, Raon felt he should
consider the goal of becoming Zieghart's head of house.
"Good. That's enough."
"But what if I continue to have no interest in the position
and leave the family?"
"Well, then I'd have to follow you."
Rimmer laughed as he cradled the back of his head with
interlocked fingers.
"Where would you follow me? You should stay with Zieghart!"
"How could I stay apart from my division leader?"
He raised his hand, saying he'd follow even in death.
"Sigh, do as you please."
Raon exhaled softly as he turned his head away. It was
embarrassing, but he felt grateful for Rimmer's promise to
follow him to the end.
-The pointy-eared fellow might not know much else, but he
seems to have loyalty.
Even Wrath nodded in acknowledgment.
"But..."
Rimmer made a money gesture by pressing his thumb and
index finger together.
"You'll pay me, right? You're rich, after all."
He smacked his lips, saying his salary should increase since
the benefits would decrease.
"..."
Raon's previously soft gaze turned salty.
***
Raon bit his lip as he looked at House Arianne's castle in the
distance. Numerous corpses were burning around the castle
walls. The crackling sound was similar to that of a campfire,
but the unique stench of monsters seemed to waft all the
way to where they stood.
"Urgh!"
Dorian screamed as he saw the pile of monster corpses
behind House Arianne.
"Are, are all those monster corpses? There are so many!"
His jaw trembled as he saw far more monster corpses than
he had prepared for.
"I heard the battle hadn't started yet, so when did this..."
Burren bit his lip as he examined the monster corpses piled
up like stone towers and burning.
"Not only are there many, but each monster is incredibly
large."
Martha fidgeted with her fingertips as she looked at the
corpses of Orcs much larger than typical specimens.
"That means they're not ordinary ones."
"Many people died too..."
Runaan sighed heavily as she saw the corpses of
swordsmen and soldiers who seemed to have died alongside
the monsters.
"Look over there."
Rimmer, standing at the edge of the cliff, called Raon and
the Light Wind division. As they approached, they saw a
scene of a green forest of monsters about to engulf the
castle.
"The numbers are staggering. Whether it's the King or Eden,
they're no ordinary opponents."
He bit his lip, as if warning them to prepare for a grueling
battle. Raon surveyed House Arianne's castle and walls. He
could almost hear the labored breathing of swordsmen and
rangers, the distorted cries of monsters, and the continuous
clash of weapons. An intense battle was still raging.
'We're running out of time.'
Not only were the numbers overwhelming, but each
monster was strong. At this rate, House Arianne would fall in
less than half a day.
"There's no time for a detour. We'll descend the cliff directly
and support House Arianne."
To save even one life, they had no choice but to cut straight
through, so he ordered them to cross the cliff.
"Yes!"
The Light Wind division's eyes flashed fiercely, as if the
sheer cliff held no fear for them. The energy of the Gale
Wind Style began to rise beneath their feet.
"Light Wind division. Charge."
Following Raon's cry, Zieghart's strongest wind cut through
the darkness.
***
Small cracks appeared on the walls of House Arianne's
castle, which had been consistently maintained even after
the Swamp of Death disappeared. The sheer weight of the
countless monsters gathering was causing damage to the
walls.
However, the walls weren't the only problem. Giant Orcs and
monsters began climbing up, stepping on each other's
shoulders and digging their claws into the walls.
The elite swordsmen personally trained by the head of
House Arianne blocked the way, and the battle-hardened
rangers fired arrows and crossbows, but the wave of
monsters didn't stop.
"Three Trolls on the right!"
"Orcs have climbed up too! Please concentrate arrows on
the right side!"
"The left side is the same! Orc warriors have jumped in!"
The swordsmen ran as if they had two bodies, cutting down
the monsters that climbed the walls, but they fell one by
one, unable to overcome the numerical difference.
"T-Troll... Ugh!"
A young swordsman who rushed to support the left side was
caught by a Troll's hand. He died before he could even feel
the pain, crushed to a pulp. As the Troll was about to jump
down into the castle for its next prey, a bright flash of a
sword split its head.
"Don't retreat!"
It was Wendy Arianne, the head of House Arianne. She
extended her Astral Energy magnificently, slicing all the
monsters that had climbed the walls.
"This is our home, our land! Guard it with your lives!"
Wendy raised her sword, which emitted an even brighter
light, boosting the morale of the swordsmen and soldiers.
"Follow the head of house!"
"Defend the walls!"
"This is our last line of defense!"
"Pour oil and set it on fire!"
The swordsmen and soldiers, seemingly invigorated by
Wendy's feat, roared as they held off the monsters.
However, the monsters seemed undeterred by Wendy's
aura, climbing the walls while trampling over their burning
comrades.
"Argh!"
"The right wall has been breached! The Orcs... Ugh!"
"The, the central wall is severely cracked!"
As the swordsmen's stamina and aura depleted, more and
more monsters climbed the walls. Even though Wendy was
a Master, she couldn't protect everyone, and the swordsmen
and soldiers began to crumble under the monsters' hands.
"Damn it!"
Prika, the leader of the rangers, threw down his bow and
drew his sword.
"First and second teams, follow me up the walls!"
The rangers abandoned their bows and engaged in hand-tohand combat with the monsters in a desperate attempt to
defend the walls.
"Just hold on a little longer! They must have a limit..."
As Prika shouted, encouraging his subordinates, a
thunderous sound erupted from beneath the walls, as if the
earth itself was twisting. The steel gates had failed to
withstand the monsters and had ruptured. Orcs, Trolls, and
Ogres swung their axes and clubs, widening the hole in the
gate.
The Orcs entered the castle, further expanding the breach in
the gate. They charged like bulls, seemingly unaware of
pain even as their flesh was torn by the narrow opening.
"The, the bottom has been breached!"
"Second team, go down! Stop the Orcs!"
"Aah!"
House Arianne descended into chaos with swordsmen trying
to defend the walls, soldiers attempting to guard the gate,
and monsters continuing to gather. The stench of death
began to permeate the air from all directions.
"I'll stop them!"
Prika jumped onto the back of an Orc about to attack the
soldiers and stabbed its neck with his sword. He didn't let go
of his sword even as he was struck by another Orc's fist.
"Ugh..."
Wendy's sword-wielding hand trembled as she watched the
monsters gathering from all directions.
'What should I do?'
Although she had trained endlessly to protect Arianne since
becoming the head of house, she couldn't see a way to
overcome this situation. With the gate falling in less than
half a day, she didn't know what to do.
'Even if the Light Wind division arrives, it won't be until
dawn...'
Even if Zieghart came as quickly as possible, they would
have to hold out for at least five more hours, but she wasn't
confident she could protect everyone until then.
'Still, we must endure.'
Hadn't Raon and the Light Wind division shown that nothing
was impossible right here? Now was not the time to tremble
in despair and fear, but to kill as many monsters as
possible.
"Fight! Buy time for our families to escape!"
Wendy tried to stay on the walls, trusting her subordinates,
but there were too many Orcs breaking through for the
soldiers to hold off.
'Damn it!'
Finally abandoning the defense of the walls, she went down
and cut down an Orc that had broken through the gate.
However, as if this had been their plan all along, Ogres who
had been waiting for an opportunity below leapt onto the
walls and swung their boulder-sized fists at the swordsmen.
"Ah..."
Wendy rushed back up to the walls before finishing off the
remaining Orcs, but her feet felt unbearably slow.
'Please! Please don't be too late!'
She forcibly moved her legs and extended her sword, but it
still didn't reach.
'Ah...'
Just as despair gripped her heart at the realization that she
couldn't protect the swordsmen who were more like
disciples than subordinates, a warm yet fierce wind sound
came from behind her. The wind that erased the monsters'
stench enveloped the entire castle, and in that instant, the
heads of the Orcs about to kill the soldiers all fell.
It wasn't just inside the castle. The Ogres who had climbed
the walls to kill the swordsmen also fell, their bodies split in
half, crashing to the base of the castle.
"Ah..."
Wendy swallowed dryly as she saw the swordsman in a
black robe appear in the center of the wall. The man she
had been longing for through this grueling battle stood
there.
"You've endured well."
Raon Zieghart, the absolute swordsman bearing the title of
not just Dragon Slayer but now Kingkiller, nodded heavily.
"I'll make sure not a single one gets in, so please rest."
Raon raised his Heavenly Drive, pointing at the sea of
monsters below the castle walls.
"Light Wind division."
At his low call, the Light Wind division swordsmen stood
behind him. A chilling aura rose, as if the entire force had
become a single sword.
"Erase them."
As red lightning flashed in Raon's eyes, Zieghart's cold wind
cut through the sea of monsters. The earth trembled with
their approach.