Raon's eyes widened as he watched The Fallen fall with his
chest split open.
'What's going on...?'
Just moments ago, he had lost control, unable to contain his
anger. He felt darkness flooding his mind, but he couldn't
understand why he had regained consciousness.
'And...'
In a state of overflowing power. His exhausted mind had
settled into calmness, and an unprecedented, immense
energy was stirring throughout his body. Omnipotence. It
felt like a power that could dominate all things in the world.
-Of course it would!
Wrath popped up from below and thrust his face forward.
-That's my power, after all!
He shouted, accusing Raon of stealing his power again.
'Stole it?'
-Didn't you feel yourself being consumed by anger?!
'I did.'
-Just as I was about to be sucked into your body and go
berserk...
Wrath raised his round hand and pointed to his left chest.
-Wings sprouted from the ring embedded in your chest and
pushed me away! What on earth is that thing?!
He shook his head vigorously, saying it was impossible.
'Wings?'
Raon touched his left chest with trembling hands. As Wrath
had said, above the eight rings spinning fiercely as if they
had become one, wings of flame wrapped in heat had
blossomed.
-The moment those wings appeared, your mind became so
firm that I couldn't penetrate it. How can the power be
transferred while the mind remains here? This doesn't make
any sense!
'So that's why the rampage stopped?'
-That's right. Thanks to that, I was also able to control my
anger.
Wrath frowned, saying that if it weren't for that, everyone
here would have died.
"Hmm..."
Raon looked back. The explosion had knocked down
everyone in House Arianne, but due to the distance, it
seemed no one had died.
-In other words, those wings are the time your sanity is
maintained.
As Wrath said, the feathers of the wings were falling one by
one. It seemed that when they all disappeared, he would
lose control of himself.
-So you need to drive that guy out and get as far away from
here as possible in the meantime.
Wrath slowly raised his gaze to point at The Fallen lying on
the ground.
'But I sliced his heart?'
-That guy won't die from just that.
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at The Fallen. He had
split The Fallen's heart with the Heavenly Drive, but Wrath
was certain he would rise again. A brilliant light spread
around The Fallen, as if to prove Wrath's words true, and he
slowly stood up.
It was a sacred sight, as if the word resurrection had been
brought to life.
'How do you take down someone like that?'
Raon bit his lip as he raised the Heavenly Drive.
'I'm not sure if I can do it.'
-Don't worry. Your body's abilities and energy are definitely
mine right now.
'So that's why I felt this energy.'
-Your mind is lacking. Terribly, terribly lacking, but with the
strongest body and energy, it should be worth fighting!
Wrath shook his head, saying that although Raon couldn't
use all of his power, it should be enough to hold out.
-And it's not a question of whether you can do it, but that
you must do it.
He said this while pointing to the people lying unconscious
before them.
-They're not dead yet, after all.
'Ah...'
As Wrath said, he could hear the breathing of Merlin,
Rimmer, and even Edgar. However, the breaths of Rector,who had blocked all the demonic energy at the forefront,
and Sylvia, who had thrown herself to protect Edgar and Sia,
were so faint that it wouldn't be strange if they stopped at
any moment.
'You're right.'
Raon nodded, biting his lip.
'It's not a question of whether I can do it, but that I
absolutely must.'
As he thought about moving the people, Wrath's energy
moved on its own, lifting the unconscious Merlin, Rimmer,
Edgar, Sylvia, Sia, and Rector into the air. Raon moved the
six people towards House Arianne before stepping forward
to face The Fallen.
"...That terrifying presence has disappeared."
The Fallen's pupils trembled slightly, as if he had felt the
aura when Wrath tried to descend.
"The absurdly powerful energy remains the same, but it
feels incomparably weaker than before."
He narrowed his eyes, as if trying to grasp this bizarre
situation.
"Then come at me. I'll tear that mouth of yours first."
Raon beckoned to The Fallen with his finger.
"Certainly... It would be the right choice to kill you here."
The Fallen raised his hand, saying he should bury Raon here,
who was creating countless variables. A magnificent
radiance rose from his grasp.
-Don't be nervous.
Wrath took a deep breath as he held Raon's shoulder.
-If that masked bastard had been a martial artist, you
wouldn't have had a chance even with my energy. But he's a
magician and a shaman. You should be able to fight
sufficiently.
'Right. I have to.'
The moment Raon nodded, the light lingering on The
Fallen's hand flew towards him. It wasn't in the form of
arrows or blades like ordinary magic, but light itself, so fast
that even with his enhanced vision, he could only see a faint
trajectory.
-The upper and left sides won't reach you! Just block the
front!
'Got it.'
Following Wrath's advice, he poured out the frost filling his
mana circuits towards the flashing front. The wave of frost
that extended from the blade of the Heavenly Drive cut
through the light that had penetrated to just in front of him.
"The energy itself is absurdly strong, but your skill remains
the same."
The Fallen, unfazed as if this was just the beginning, shot
out an even denser light. The thin light condensed to form a
thick pillar, not only increasing in power but also doubling in
speed. Raon drew a Frost Snap while exhaling half of half a
breath.
The massive blade of frost that surged from the sword split
the pillar of light that had been fired like a shell. It was a
cold that froze even the radiance, a power that transcended
the laws of the world.
"I don't understand, but..."
The Fallen frowned, as if he couldn't believe the frozen light.
"Power gained suddenly tends to have limits."
He raised an even denser and more intense light, saying
that it would eventually reveal its flaws.
-That's usually true. But...
Wrath trembled and wrinkled his nose bridge.
-This guy is different! He even twists causality by himself!
He shook his head vigorously, as if pleading to The Fallen.
"Let's end this here."
As The Fallen flicked his fingers, eight pillars of light rose
around Raon. It was a chilling magic that blocked all escape
routes and seemed intent on erasing his very existence.
-There's no need to be afraid! Believe in my energy, in your
sword!
'Of course.'
Raon stepped forward without hesitation. As he advanced
towards the pillars of light, he unleashed the Flame Dragon
Strike of frost.
A dragon even larger than the blue dragon Kaivar rose from
the white blade. As the blue dragon's mouth opened, a
breath of cold that seemed to freeze the entire world poured
out, shattering all the pillars of light.
The plain that had been filled with red blood and black
demonic energy turned into a pure white snowfield without
a single footprint.
"Haa..."
Raon exhaled a white breath as he straightened his back.
'I'm starting to get the hang of it now.'
Having naturally handled Glacier's cold energy before, he
had no major problems using Wrath's energy. Although it
was burdensome at times due to its scale, his body had also
grown, so he could endure it sufficiently.
-Ugh, it's going well, but why am I getting angry...
Wrath's face was half smiling and half frowning, saying he
felt both relief and irritation at the same time.
"You're being quite troublesome."
As The Fallen spread his hands wide, the night disappeared,
and the sky and earth were imbued with brilliant light.
Everything before his eyes seemed to be The Fallen's light.
Diverse lights, like various types of swordsmanship, flew in
from all directions.
Raon raised the Heavenly Drive with a noble posture. Above
the blade that seemed to pierce the sky, petals of blue cold
energy bloomed.
Thousands, no, tens of thousands of frost fragments collided
with the mass of light The Fallen had raised. Countless
collisions followed, turning the earth's surface inside out and
causing the sky to scream with thunder-like sounds. The
intense shockwaves that seemed unreal continued
endlessly.
Raon was not satisfied with just defending and advanced,
pushing back the earth.
The faintly blooming cold energy drew a wing-like shape
behind his back, and the World Tree of frost that surged
from the cracks in the earth was imbued with even whiter
cold energy. The Heavenly Drive, shot like a blue lightning
bolt, split the wall of light The Fallen had raised and carved
deep wounds on his left shoulder and chest.
When he was about to thrust with a Crimson Slash, The
Fallen retreated backward, becoming a fragment of light.
"It seems that first sword strike wasn't a coincidence after
all."
He frowned as he met Raon's red eyes. The Fallen moved his
lips while clasping his hands together. After finishing an
ultra-high-speed incantation, light trajectories spread like
clouds above his head, and then a rain of light poured down
from the sky.
'I have to block it all.'
Raon gritted his teeth and unleashed the Azure Sky Drive.
Within the sword strike that embraced the sky, the demon
king's aura spread, enveloping the rain of light pouring
down from the heavens. The cold energy of Wrath froze
even the pillars of light and then turned the sky white as if it
still had power left.
It was a power that transcended the concept of martial arts,
producing such results without reaching transcendence.
-Now's not the time to be amazed! Push forward now!
'I know!'
Raon suppressed his intensified breathing and dove towards The Fallen's left side. He raised the tilted Heavenly Drive
and unleashed a Silver Sword Dream.
The blade of the Heavenly Drive, split into dozens of pieces
like the mass of light The Fallen had raised earlier, rushed
towards The Fallen's neck. The Fallen brought his fingers
together, and a slowly rotating ring of darkness rose from
his neck.
The Heavenly Drive stopped in front of the darkness, unable
to reach The Fallen's neck. A terrifying gravitational force
pulling the sword could be felt from within the rotating
darkness.
"You've saved me some trouble by coming close."
The Fallen smiled as if it was all over and extended his hand
filled with light.
"You're the one who's finished!"
Raon stretched out his left hand towards The Fallen's hand
flashing with light. Wrath King's Decisive Technique. Silver
Moon Demonic Seal. As he unleashed Wrath's technique
with Wrath's body and energy, the intense cold energy that
surged from his fingertips engulfed not only the light but
The Fallen himself.
A mountain of ice rose over the split earth, completely
trapping The Fallen. It was literally a power that could freeze
the world.
"Huff..."
Raon exhaled a turbid breath while clutching his left chest.
'I hope this is the end.'
Less than half of the wings' feathers remained now. It
seemed that the faster he used great power, the faster the
feathers disappeared. However, contrary to expectations,
the ice mountain mercilessly shattered due to the darkness
The Fallen had raised, as if the completion of the Silver
Moon Demonic Seal was lacking.
-It's far from enough.
Wrath clicked his tongue briefly, saying that if it had been
his own Silver Moon Demonic Seal, it would have ended
here.
"Phew."
The Fallen exhaled empty air as he brushed off the ice
fragments on his sleeve.
"This level of cold energy is more like magic than martial
arts."
He raised his hand edge after erasing the darkness and light
lingering in his grasp.
"I guess it's my turn to wield a sword now."
The Fallen drew his smooth hand downwards. At that
moment, the space where he stood began to split.
'How do I...'
A power that splits space without any sign - he had no idea how to avoid or block this.
-Think of when you caught the blue dragon in the sea! The
sword that cuts through space!
'Ah...'
Hearing Wrath's cry, he recalled Alice's space-cutting
technique that had split Kaivar's breath. He raised the
Heavenly Drive, tracing Alice's trajectory in reverse.
The Seventh Form. Void Slash.
He struck upwards with the Void Slash from the ground to
block the space-cutting strike coming down from above. The
space-cutting strikes from opposite directions interlocked,
creating a black rift in the air. Blue frost rose between the
split spaces, freezing the shockwave that was about to burst
out.
The sight of the sky and earth frozen white with the center
split black seemed to speak of the end of the human world.
"Ugh..."
Raon bit his lip as he trembled at the tip of his hand holding
the Heavenly Drive.
'It feels like walking on thin ice.'
Every time he clashed with The Fallen, it felt like death was
approaching from behind. His heart was beating so violently
that it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.
-This is where it begins.
Wrath shook his head with a low breath.
-Because that guy isn't serious yet.
'I know.'
Raon knew better than anyone that The Fallen hadn't
revealed his true strength. Right now, he was holding back
his power due to the presence of Wrath he had felt at the
beginning.
"Did you sell your soul to a demon?"
The Fallen narrowed his eyes as he looked at the horns
protruding from Raon's forehead.
"Not my soul, but something quite precious."
Raon raised his head, forcibly suppressing his breathing.
'Not much time left.'
The wings of flame protecting the Ring of Fire now had less
than a quarter of their feathers remaining. At this rate, he
would lose his sanity before driving The Fallen away.
"But you keep running your mouth. Are you scared?"
Raon chuckled with his chin raised.
"Planning to say you weren't serious if you lose later? I
guess it would be embarrassing for the leader of Eden to get
beaten by a Grandmaster."
He shrugged, saying he would understand.
"...Very well."
The Fallen nodded slowly, his expression unchanged.
"I don't have much time either, so let's end the play here."
He brought his right and left hands together and let out an
ultra-high-speed incantation. As the light in his right hand
and the darkness in his left hand intersected, a massive
pillar connecting heaven and earth rose.
The pillar, gradually turning gray as light and darkness
mixed, spread out, collapsing the frozen sky and earth as if
to erase everything that existed.
It was truly an unquenchable storm of annihilation.
-That's beyond your power.
Wrath shook his head, saying that the energy contained in
that pillar was not normal.
'Still, I have to try.'
Raon gripped the Heavenly Drive with both hands. He had
to overcome this even if it meant burning up all his energy and soul.
-It won't work.
'What?'
-You can't win even if you give your all. So...
Wrath muttered that it was impossible and then grabbed his
left hand.
-I'll help you just one more time.
He nodded after looking at the fallen Sylvia, Edgar, and
Rector in turn.
-Go. I'll match you, so unleash your best martial arts.
Wrath gripped his left hand tighter, as if telling him to trust
and move forward.
'...Alright.'
Trusting that Wrath would keep his word, he unleashed
Heaven's Rift towards the approaching storm of light and
darkness.
"Sword Domain."
-Demonic Incarnation.
Noble silver frost bloomed over the blade of the Heavenly
Drive, which was dyeing the heaven and earth golden.
"Heaven's Rift."
-Snow Flower.
Within the brilliantly spreading radiance of Heaven's Rift, a
blue flower blooms. The energy of uncontrollable power that
could freeze even light and darkness enveloped the world.
What followed was a grand sword strike that seemed to split
the sky and countless thin, sharp cutting strikes spreading
out beyond count.
The frozen pillar of light and darkness was erased without
leaving a single piece, and flowers of frost fluttered in the
sky.
Everything that existed before his eyes had disappeared.