Runaan and Martha's combined aura shattered the Astral Ring of demonic energy and even sliced through Felix and Calob's bodies.
"Arghhhhhh!"
"T-This is..."
Calob screamed as if his throat would burst from the pain of having both arms torn off, while Felix couldn't move, his spear shaft broken and legs frozen in place.
"Now's our only chance!"
"Yes."
Martha and Runaan sensed that this was their only opportunity to kill Calob and Felix, and even while coughing up blood, they executed their footwork.
"Urgh!"
"W-Wait! Just wait a moment!"
Calob retreated while regenerating his arms with demonic energy, and Felix swung his broken spear shaft while shouting for them to wait.
"You didn't listen to Rensia, so why should I listen to you?"
Martha twisted her lips as she plunged her sword into Felix's chest. As if to make him feel Rensia's pain, she crushed his bones and flesh with her blade.
"Aaaarghhhh..."
Felix let out a scream as if his breath was being cut off, then his eyes rolled back and his head drooped.
"A pain that won't be erased..."
As if keeping her promise to Rensia, Runaan dodged Calob's kick and thrust her Snow Flower into his abdomen. Chiiiiik! The cold energy emanating from Snow Flower's blade began to freeze Calob's entire body.
"Hnngh!"
Calob tried to block the cold energy with demonic energy, but he couldn't withstand the frost of the awakened Runaan. Before he could even exhale fully, Calob's entire body was buried in silver ice.
"Damn it..."
Calob's eyes trembled in fear as he felt his body losing sensation, and then his breath stopped.
"Haaa!"
"Ugh..."
Martha and Runaan, as if finally relaxing, bent deeply at the waist and caught their breath.
"Thank you, sisters."
Rensia smiled faintly and bowed her head to Runaan and Martha.
"Ugh..."
But even that seemed painful for her, as she immediately bent over, groaning.
"Hey! Stay still!"
"Don't move..."
Despite their own severe external and internal injuries, Martha and Runaan immediately went to Rensia and supported her body.
"They're good sisters. Quite strange, but good."
Raon smiled faintly as he watched Runaan and Martha tending to Rensia.
"You could've left out the 'strange' part!"
Martha frowned, warning him to watch his words.
"Raon..."
Runaan looked at Raon, slightly lowering her chin.
"Did you know we would break through our limits?"
She blinked, as if very curious about this.
"That's right. How did you know?"
Martha also tilted her head, seemingly amazed.
"I never imagined I would awaken either."
She narrowed her eyes, asking for an explanation.
"I didn't know, actually."
Raon slightly tilted his chin.
"What? You clearly said you believed in us..."
"I didn't know you would awaken. I just thought you would win."
Not just Martha and Runaan, but all members of the Light Wind Palace had experienced numerous real battles and various combat training. They had repeatedly undergone training where they could feel the moment of death, so he thought they could win with that experience, but he didn't know they would awaken.
'Did you know?'
Raon nodded slightly at Wrath.
-Didn't you say it yourself? They've gone through various experiences that ordinary humans couldn't. Even if they were just supporting from behind, the difference between direct experience and merely hearing about it is stark.
Wrath shook his head as if it were obvious.
-Especially that training you did on the mountain, beating them to near-death. It's crude, but a very effective method of cultivation. Humans who experience death have their realm of the soul elevated.
He waved his hand, saying that the reason the Light Wind Palace members were becoming abnormally strong was due to that focus enhancement training.
-Considering that you, who's right ahead of them, directly taught them and they've gone through so many experiences, it might even be said that their awakening was late.
Wrath snorted, saying that if they were lucky, they might have awakened even earlier.
'Well, they've kept up well.'
Raon looked at Martha and Runaan with proud eyes.
"You should have won without awakening, but you barely won even after awakening. I guess we'll have to increase the training intensity when we get back."
Since even Wrath acknowledged them, it seemed fine to make the focus enhancement training even harder from now on.
"Should we kill him now?"
Martha grabbed her sword again, as if seriously considering it.
"I thought he was handsome today, but he's actually ugly..."
Runaan also bowed her head deeply, as if disappointed.
"It's a joke... Hm?"
Just as Raon was about to try and appease the sulking Martha and Runaan...A black-haired middle-aged man covered in black thorns like a hedgehog rose from the ground that had collapsed due to demonic energy.
"So they were defeated after all."
The middle-aged man's eyes, flickering with demonic energy, darted between the lifeless Calob and the frozen Felix. His low voice exuded intense killing intent and demonic energy. He was a much stronger demonized human than either Calob or Felix.
"It seems you've awakened, but your strength is depleted."
The middle-aged man sharpened the thorns covering his entire body as if to end it now. The thorns began to writhe as if they were alive.
"Damn it..."
Martha bit her lip as she raised her sword with weakened hands.
"Phew..."
Runaan took a deep breath to hide her exhaustion as she stood protectively in front of Rensia.
"Bathortan."
Raon smiled thinly as he looked at the middle-aged man.
"Thanks to you, we were able to find this place. I should express my gratitude."
Bathortan, a high-ranking Floor Master of the Black Tower, was the one who had led them here by revealing the sacrificial magic to the Demonblade. Raon mockingly thanked him, as if to provoke him.
"What nonsense! I never revealed this place to the Demonblade!"
Bathortan shouted, seemingly flustered by the gazes of the demonized humans around him.
"You underestimated the Transcendent too much."
Raon shook his head without saying anything more.
"It seems I can't just kill you. I'll have to extract your brain and examine your memories."
Bathortan muttered these chilling words as he raised his thorn-covered arm.
"Where do you think you're going!"
"Absolutely not."
Martha and Runaan unleashed their sword strikes, but their depleted strength and stamina couldn't penetrate Bathortan's thorns.
"Hmph. I have no interest in youngsters."
Bathortan ignored Martha and Runaan's attacks and charged towards Raon.
"If you come any closer, you'll die."
Raon tilted his chin slightly as he watched Bathortan rapidly approaching.
"You're bluffing."
Bathortan sneered as he looked down at Raon.
"I already know that you can't move."
He shook his head, saying he had grasped the entire situation here through Calob and Felix.
"I'm not afraid of a Transcendent who can't move."
Bathortan crossed the line Raon had warned about, sneering.
"It's over."
Raon closed his eyes.
"It's not over yet!"
"Right. We must protect until the end..."
Martha and Runaan stood in the way, as if they would fight to the end even at the cost of their lives.
"Foolish ones! The likes of you..."
Just as Bathortan was about to reach out with his thorn-covered hand, curling his lips. Swoosh. A red line appeared across his neck, and his head fell off.
"That's why I told you not to come."
Raon opened his eyes, saying he knew this would happen.
"W-What..."
Bathortan died without even being able to scream, as if he still didn't know what had hit him. Thud! Behind Bathortan's falling corpse appeared Roenn, wearing a jet-black uniform.
"Both of you were excellent."
Roenn lowered his sword, not a single drop of blood on it, wearing his usual gentle smile.
"The others have worked hard as well."
He looked at all the Light Wind Palace swordsmen, not just Martha and Runaan, with an appreciative gaze.
"Lord Roenn?"
Runaan blinked as she looked at Roenn.
"Y-You were here the whole time?"
Martha widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Then why didn't you come out..."
"My first task was to create an escape route for the residents and tourists to evacuate."
Roenn chuckled, saying he had returned after saving people.
"Of course, I arrived when you two were fighting the heroes of Montiro, but since the Light Wind Palace Master said he believed in you, I also believed."
He smiled, saying the reward for that trust was truly sweet.
"I see..."
"Haa..."
Martha and Runaan, upon seeing Roenn, seemed to completely relax and lay down on the spot.
"Ah, and..."
Roenn smiled as he stepped between Runaan and Martha. He raised his thin sword and stabbed down into the right chest of the dead Felix.
"Kuhek!"
Bright red blood spurted from the mouth of Felix, who they had thought was already dead.
"Very rarely, there are demonized humans who are still alive even though their aura and vitality have disappeared. It's best to deal with them thoroughly."
Roenn chuckled as he flicked the blood off his sword blade. Seeing him laugh as usual while killing someone was a bit frightening.
"Lord Roenn. Then I'll leave the rest to you."
Raon bowed to Roenn, seemingly unfazed by Felix, as if he had known everything.
"Of course."
Roenn looked at Raon and Rensia for a moment before disappearing like the wind.
"I heard Lord Roenn was strong, but..."
Martha let out a sigh as she looked at the high-ranking Floor Master Bathortan, who had died from a single surprise attack.
"I didn't know he was that strong."
"Actually, that probably wasn't even his full strength."
Raon shook his head with a smile.
"The title of Killing King is more significant than you think."
* * *
After meeting Raon, Roenn immediately moved to the southern coast. The battle had already begun, with the Warring Steel Division engaging numerous demonized humans.
'The Warring Steel Leader's opponent is a Grandmaster, it seems.'
Trevin, the Warring Steel Leader, was engaged in an intense battle with a high-ranking Floor Master wielding a halberd. The fierce contest continued, making it impossible to predict who would win.
'Rather than intervening directly...'
It would be better to help just a little. Having witnessed Martha and Runaan's growth earlier, it seemed better to create opportunities for skill improvement rather than killing everyone.
Roenn, from an invisible position, only saved the Warring Steel Division swordsmen in dangerous situations and dealt with the relatively strong demonized humans before returning to his original position.
Warring Steel Leader Trevin was already pressuring his opponent despite only having the situation made slightly more favorable. It seemed he would be able to win this battle soon.
'Then, onto the next.'
After greeting Trevin, Roenn moved to the right. Whoosh. In a forest where a chilly wind was blowing, Mark Goetun and a black-haired swordsman were facing each other.
'Is that the hero Barins?'
The swordsman in front of Mark Goetun was Barins, the Thunder Sword, the last of the five heroes. The two martial artists glared at each other, their hands on their sword hilts, as if preparing to fight using quick-draw techniques.
'It seems this has been going on for quite a while.'
They must have been facing off for a long time, as both were sweating from their foreheads and their fingertips were trembling slightly. The mental exhaustion seemed severe.
'I'm not sure how it came to this, but...'
This would be difficult to help with. He could kill the opponent, but unlike the others, it would be hard to assist in achieving victory.
'I guess there's nothing to do but trust.'
Mark Goetun was a man who had climbed out of the pit of deep despair by his own hands. Trusting in his mental strength, Roenn concealed himself. Whoosh. Even as the wind shook the entire forest, with demonic energy and aura clashing violently, Mark Goetun's eyes remained unwavering.
However, Barins, as if his patience had run out, drew his sword first with trembling hands.
The moment Barins' sword cut through the air, Mark Goetun's hand shot out like lightning. Zzzeeeerk! A late preemptive strike. Mark Goetun's wind-wrapped blade became a true thunderbolt, slicing through Barins' neck.
"Haa..."
Mark Goetun exhaled deeply as he took off his sweat-soaked clothes.
"In a quick-draw duel, it's not the fastest who wins, but the one with the strongest patience."
He nodded, seemingly satisfied with this duel.
'Congratulations.'
Roenn applauded Mark Goetun for his victory and new experience, then moved to the right again. Morel Kazan was burning all the approaching demonized humans and demonic beasts along with his magic battalion. As expected of a high-ranking magician from Balkar. There was no need for him to help.
'Keep up the good work.'
Roenn nodded to Morel Kazan, who was looking at him, and moved to where Dorian and Krein were.
"Hey! They're coming!"
"B-Block them!"
"Damn it! Why are there so many!"
"I'm going to die..."
Dorian, Krein, and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen were screaming as they faced the onslaught of demonic beasts.
However, despite their anguished cries, they supported each other like comrades who had worked together for over a decade, not giving even the slightest opening.
'It seems they can defend this place with their own strength as well.'
Roenn looked warmly at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen before moving to the final location. Burren, despite being severely injured and exhausted, was cutting down the incoming demonized humans without moving from his spot.
'Has Lord Burren also reached Grandmaster?'
Roenn let out a bemused chuckle. Perhaps because he had continued to fight alone even after becoming a Grandmaster, Burren seemed more skilled in using his aura than Martha or Runaan.
'You've finally achieved it.'
Burren had swung his sword day and night to catch up with Runaan and Martha, and even here, he had sought teachings from Karoon and Raon. It seemed those efforts had paid off, allowing him to catch up to the two who were ahead of him.
'Head of House.'
Roenn smiled contentedly as he felt the sharp wind emanating from Burren's sword.
'It seems the Zieghart family will become even stronger in the future.'
* * *
Raon looked at the jewel on the necklace Rensia was wearing. The flames that had been flickering at the bottom now filled the entire gem. Raon cut off the aura maintaining the magic circle and grabbed Rensia's necklace.
'It's complete.'
It felt as if the heat would burst through his skin, like holding the source of flames in his hand. A lamp to awaken the darkness. Raon chanted the spell Chamber had taught him and finally emitted the aura of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
The jewel on the necklace pulsed as if it would shatter, and five streams of bright red flames shot out towards the artifacts forming the Five-Pointed Star Formation.
"Ah..."
Rensia slowly opened her eyes, as if the pain had disappeared. She let out a soft gasp as she saw the five streams of flames emanating from the necklace.
"You've worked hard."
"D-Did you do it?"
Rensia swallowed dryly as she asked if the magic circle was now complete.
"It's not that I did it, you did it. Now..."
Raon stroked Rensia's hair as he looked at the barrier of the Five-Pointed Star Formation connected by flames.
"It's my turn to repay you."