N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 321
King Leckros said with a smile, covering the thick pile of documents. His complexion brightened as the meeting, which had been sluggish, seemed to be coming to an end.
"The exchange to share information between the White Blood religion and Eden will take place at Magic Tower, which didn't participate in the meeting."
"And the lazy bunch from Magic Tower will handle that annoying task?" Chamber raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised.
"Yes, the Tower Lord offered to take care of it since he couldn't participate this time."
"Come to think of it, why didn't those guys show up? You're only curious about that now?"
Ogrem chuckled at Chamber's remark.
"I wasn't interested in other matters before. I came to see that old man," Chamber gestured towards Glenn with a smirk.
"To see how much he has improved, and he certainly doesn't disappoint."
She playfully pouted her reddened lips.
"So, why didn't the Magic Tower folks show up?"
"They..."
"Well?"
As King Leckros began to answer, Glenn, who had been silently perusing the documents, suddenly looked up and turned his gaze towards the window.
"Your Majesty?"
"What's the matter?"
"Oh no!"
Sheryl and Roenn exchanged glances and giggles as they looked at Glenn.
"Like a bunch of idiots!"
Glenn smashed the conference room window and rushed outside. The other heads of the Six Kings hurriedly followed Glenn.
"Waaah!"
Seeing the distant light and darkness falling on the dueling grounds, they all furrowed their brows.
"Light and darkness! Is it Tacheon?"
"It's still far away. We might be too late!"
Ogrem gritted his teeth and Glenn bit his lip.
"There's interference with the coordinates. We can't teleport."
Chamber finished her calculations and furrowed her brow.
"We'll have to intercept it from here."
She aimed her staff at the falling light and darkness, her gaze determined.
"Just wait."
Glenn raised his hand to stop her, shielding the front.
"Sir?"
"Wait."
Glenn watched the falling light and darkness with cold eyes. Before even a breath could be taken, a golden-haired swordsman rose from between the light and darkness, resembling a sunset.
"That kid is the old man Grandson!"
Ogrem squinted as he looked at Raon, flying towards Tacheon's mana.
"Is he really sane? How can that brat erase Tacheon's magic?"
"I don't think this is the right time for that. It might be better to deal with it first."
Chamber and King Leckros shook their heads in agreement. Derus watched Raon without saying a word.
"Raon learned about tacheon's power from me.."
Glenn's hand descended gently, as if to reassure them. He smiled faintly and took in Raon's soaring figure with his two eyes.
"He's not just moving without any thought."
"Ugh!"
Raon bit his lip. He clashed the full power of the Heavenly Drive Sword and the Blade of Requiem against the energy of light and darkness, but he was pushed back.
The mana wasn't that strong, but it felt like hitting a massive iron lump with a fist. It was extreme elasticity.
"This won't work as it is."
To proceed with the plan, Raon realized he needed to dissipate more than half of the aura of light and darkness before him. However, their strength was stronger than he had anticipated.
If things continued like this, the chaotic mixture of light and darkness would explode, leading to the death of everyone in the dueling arena.
"I wanted to keep this hidden, but I have no choice."
Raon tightly gripped the Blade of Requiem and unleashed the aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier according to his plan.
"I'm counting on you."
Wooooong!
In response to his words, an overwhelming burst of energy erupted from the Blade of Requiem, filling the sky.
Whaaaaa!
As if in reply to Raon's request, the blossoming petals of red and blue energy from the Blade of Requiem spread through the sky, resembling the trajectory of fireworks.
It was a manifestation of Raon using both the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacirr simultaneously, creating a brilliant display of fire and ice.
"Argh…"
Suppressing the intense pain emanating from the Mana Circuit, Raon gritted his teeth and continued to draw his sword until the very end. Fragments of red and blue energy resembling shards of brilliant steel spread through the sky, filling the atmosphere.
That's still too much to handle.
Wrath chuckled upon witnessing the fire and ice display soaring toward the light and darkness.
The other half is a magician worthy of the acknowledgment of the King. Even though chaos hasn't been fully triggered, you still... Hm?
Contrary to his confidence, the petals of the fiery display started slicing through the light and darkness created by the monster called Tacheon's aura.
Szzzzip!
Like cutting through wood with a carving knife, the combined energy of light and darkness was carved away in clumps.
H-How…
"Forgot so soon after getting angry?"
Raon pointed the Blade of Requiem. A yellow glyph engraved on the red blade shone brightly.
Magic Interference!
"Magic Binding," Raon corrected mentally.
Magic Binding was a unique skills of the Blade of Requiem, obtained after breaking through the Black longseord of the Fourth Apostle. By inserting a glyph within the flow of magic, it had the effect of suppressing magic activation.
While it couldn't suppress the magic already triggered by Tacheon's light and darkness, it was more than capable of interfering like a magic field.
"But it's still not enough."
Despite the considerable amount of energy being sliced away by the fiery display, the light and darkness were still advancing towards each other. Ultimately, they had to clash head-on.
Thud!
Gripping the hilt of the Blade of Requiem with all his might, Raon gnashed his teeth.
"I need to sever the flow."
It wasn't just the energy of light and darkness he needed to erase, but also the nature of their energies attempting to merge.
"To do that..."
Swiftly twisting his wrist, Raon unleashed a new level of Frostwind Sword Technique with the Blade of Requiem. The technique's name, Eunhae Seop Pung, flowed through the blade—a technique imbued with the magic binding glyph.
Crrrunch!
The energy of light and darkness resisted the attack, not yielding easily. Suppressing the pain that made his wrist feel like it might snap, Raon struck with his sword until the very end.
Shriiiiiek!
Amidst the intense clash between the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation technique and the Blade of Requiem, the magic binding's flow entwined with the light and darkness, effectively severing the advancing energies.
The two types of magic triggered by Tacheon began dispersing into the air, but it wasn't over yet.
Raon gazed at the energy of light and darkness adhering to the Heavenly Drive sword and Blade of Requiem, a cold smile forming on his lips.
"As expected."
When I watched Glenn and Tacheon's battle before, I found it strange that traces of light and darkness lingered faintly on Glenn's sword. As I suspected, it was true.
Tacheon's aura wasn't just strong; it also had the effect of adhering to the opponent's aura and delivering a second impact.
Although Tacheon created this adhesive force to attack his enemies relentlessly, it proved to be helpful to Raon in his current situation.
"Derus must be watching."
Figures like Glenn and Derus would already have grasped the situation and be observing this side. Raon needed to use this state without arousing suspicion from them.
Looking around with a worried expression, Raon thought, "I need to demonstrate that there's no safe place to dispose of this energy."
This wasn't mere mist; the surroundings were filled with people, so no matter where he sent this energy, it could cause casualties. In other words, there was only one safe place.
Raon grinned coldly and looked downward. The safest place right now was the training ground protected by layers of magical barriers.
"Argh!"
Pretending to suppress the pain radiating from his waist, Raon turned his body and swung his swords towards the edge of the training ground, where Martio was standing.
Martio tried desperately to defend himself, but it was already too late. Even if he managed to cut through the energy, it wouldn't be easy to dispel Tacheon's aura.
Szzzzt!
The collision between the swords caused a tiny chaos, as a small fusion of light and darkness exploded, covering Martio.
Kuwaaaaaaang!
The six protective spells surrounding the training ground were torn apart, and Martio was violently flung, crashing onto the ground. His arms and legs twisted unnaturally, and blood streamed from his eyes and nose.
'To think I'd see you in such a state, fallen flat on your face.'
Raon pretended to stagger and observed Martio's expression. The normally emotionless face now bore traces of pain and bewilderment, providing a sense of satisfaction as if the pain coursing through his body had eased.
"Ugh, why…"
In agony, Martio squinted his eyes as if the shock was too much to bear.
"Sigh…"
Raon spat out a mouthful of blood and bowed his head toward Martio.
"Because everywhere else was too crowded with people, there was nowhere safe to send this energy. This place, protected by barriers, was the safest option, and I believed you could handle it."
It wasn't an empty excuse. The safest place around here was the training ground with protective spells, and the fact that the Judges possessed the strongest authority was also true.
"I apologize."
Suppressing the desire to let out a laugh, Raon lowered his head again.
"Th-that..."
Martio couldn't finish his sentence and closed his eyes. Unfortunately, he hadn't died; he seemed to have fallen unconscious due to the intense shock.
"Well, what's this?"
"It seems like someone attacked from the sky."
"Although it wasn't clear, an unbelievably powerful clash occurred."
"Did Raon ascend to fend off the attack? That's impressive."
The spectators, unable to fully understand the situation, looked around in confusion.
"Who attacked? Did he really need to directly fend it off?"
"Most things would have been blocked by the protective spells anyway."
"True? Just the Judges taking the impact and passing out was enough."
"It might have been a spur of the moment jump to try to save someone. Pointless…"
"Oh, great. Even when he saves the day, he's still here causing trouble."
A chilling voice swept away the chatter of the spectators, silencing them.
"If that handsome guy hadn't stepped forward, not a single piece of your bones would have been left intact."
Chamber, who had appeared out of nowhere, was floating above the spectator seats.
"Regardless of what anyone says, it was Tacheon's magic."
"Ta-Tacheon?"
"The Eden's Tacheon?"
"Ta-T-Tacheon, you say..."
In response to Chamber's words revealing that the magic that had fallen from the sky was Tacheon's, the spectators' jaws dropped in shock.
They realized that they had narrowly escaped death, thanks to Raon's intervention.
Goooh!
With just his gaze, Chamber emitted an energy so strong that it seemed like it could tear people's hearts apart. It was an energy directed towards the spectators who had been mocking Raon earlier, while Glenn stood in the arena.
"Ugh!"
"Ack..."
"Gguaaaak..."
Under the influence of Glenn's energy, they collapsed, foaming at the mouth and rolling their eyes before losing consciousness.
"Seolhwaseomhye, huh? Not bad with the name."
King Leckros smiled gently as he looked at Raon, who remained standing despite stumbling.
"Hmph. He's crazy. However, he's properly crazy."
Even Ogrem, who hadn't particularly liked Raon, gave him credit this time and let out a satisfied chuckle.
"..."
Deirus Robert paid no attention to the fallen Martio; his gaze was fixed solely on Raon.
"Tacheon, you say..."
"That's right! Didn't you see the flickering light and darkness between the sunset? Only Tacheon can use that kind of magic."
"Then Seolhwaseomhye..."
"Yes. He jumped up even though he was stabbed in the waist by the Spearblade, all to save everyone."
"If he hadn't stepped in, everyone here would have died."
"Not only did he block it, but he also realized the attack was coming from here."
"Is that Raon Zieghart's true form?"
Now that they understood the situation, the audience looked at Raon with awe and gratitude, clenching their fists. Their lips quivered, and they shivered with excitement.
Taking a deep breath, Raon approached Martio and turned his head.
"Healers!"
At his call, the healers, who had been standing dazed, rushed over to assess Martio's condition.
"His bones are broken, and he has severe injuries, but his life isn't in danger! To the infirmary!"
The healers lifted Martio with care and hurried toward the infirmary.
"Raon, are you alright? Your waist injury looks severe."
One of the healers approached, as if wanting to accompany him.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Raon nodded and turned away. Borini Kitten looked at him with an astonishment that exceeded surprise.
"The duel isn't over yet."
Despite the pain in his waist and the discomfort in his mana circuit, Raon couldn't afford to give up fighting here. He wanted to win today and continue fighting tomorrow, raising the Proficiency of the fangs of insanity techniques and the frostwind techniques.
"Ugh..."
"To be worrying about others in this situation..."
"Are you planning to keep fighting in that condition?"
"Hyup... I've seen many nameless warriors, but someone like him... it's my first time."
"Frostfire Sword of Valor. The name and reputation were real after all..."
Now understanding the situation, the spectators admired Raon's mental strength and sighed with admiration, though it was in vain.
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"Frostfire Sword of Valor ! Frostfire Sword of Valor!"
"Woaaah!"
"I may be from Owen Kingdom, but I'll cheer for you for the rest of my life!"
The spectators filling the arena shouted Raon's name. It wasn't just the Owen Kingdom; it felt as though everyone present was shouting Raon's name with all their hearts.
'Derus...'
Raon pretended to scan the audience while glancing at Derus. His face revealed no emotions whatsoever, like a blank sheet of paper.
'Good expression.'
To others, it might have seemed like he was taken aback, but he was actually suppressing his anger. Realizing that he was the one who caused that expression to appear made a smile naturally spread across Raon's face.
'Now, should I go?'
Having seen Derus' enraged face, it was time to end this situation.
As Raon was about to take a deep breath and step onto the arena, Glenn blocked his way.
"Your injuries are severe."
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon's torn waist and still trembling hand. Glenn didn't hesitate to grab Raon.
"There's no need to fight any further."
"That's right. Let's end it here."
Chamber descended and stood beside Glenn.
"No one will say anything if we stop here."
She also nodded as if suggesting that they should stop.
"I'm alright."
Raon smiled faintly and nodded.
"I came here carrying the name of Zieghart. I can't kneel due to such an incident."
He had observed Glenn, who was overpowering Tacheon and the White Blood religion Leader on his own. Despite his exhausted physical condition and regardless of his swordsmanship achievements, it was disappointing to retreat from here.
"Understood."
Glenn looked into Raon's eyes.
"That's..."
"I stepped forward first. I believe if the Spearblade knew first, he would have done the same as I did. Don't you think so?"
"Hmm..."
Borini Kitten couldn't answer easily. Actions were different from words, after all.
"Our duel isn't over yet."
Raon, as if returning to the moment right before Tacheon's magic dissipated, grabbed the Heavenly Drive Sword in both hands and operated the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
"Come."
"Haah..."
Borini Kitten let out a deep sigh, raising heis gaze to the sky that had grown dark for a while. His gaze lowered as she seemed to gain some realization. The shaken look in his eyes had settled. Hevseemed to have learned something.
"I nearly made another mistake. Thank you for the lesson."
He bowed politely.
"I'll postpone saying thank you. Right now, it's more appropriate to give my all and defeat you."
A surge of blue aura surged around him like a sea. After lifting the sword upwards and then pulling it back, she extended her foot forward with even sharper momentum than before Tacheon's magic dissipated.
"As much as you want."
Feeling the aura that Borini Kitten emitted, which could make one's hair stand on end, Raon smiled with satisfaction.
'Here we go.'
Blocking Tacheon's magic, avenging Martio, and continuing the duel to reach a higher place were all separate matters. He had no intention of missing anything.
More greed than Grid, truly…
Wrath shook his head as if exasperated.
'I have to be greedy. I haven't even stepped on the starting line yet.'
With a smile, Raon condensed the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation above the Heavenly Drive sword, causing the air to ripple. Instead of thickening the aura, it became sharper and thinner, rising like a blaze.
"The swordsmanship I will use is the Blood-Draining Swordsmanship of the Realm-Closing Crown of the Blood-Moon Technique."
Unlike revealing the name of the essence, he emitted a chilling aura, as if he had encountered a mortal enemy.
"I will use the Chokseom called the Red Island."
The Chokseom of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Through his skilled Excalibur and Arondight, he intended to finish it with the Red Island, an advanced form of Chokseom.
"Red Island. It's a great name."
Borini Kitten nodded and squinted his eyes. The aura emanating from her became even sharper. It was like the first time she met King Leckros, a feeling of being pierced by a sword seemed to radiate from her entire body.
Goaoaoaoao!
Raon also left his sword at the mid-guard, pulling the aura of Manhwagong to its limit. Thanks to his extreme concentration, he didn't feel any pain in his body.
Ssssh.
When their auras clashed head-on, a part of the arena where Tacheon's aura had collided collapsed.
Crash!
Borini Kitten had the initiative. He kicked off the ground and advanced, swinging his sword. The magnificent cluster of light that had surged from the extreme of Gyeokguk struck like a spear, enveloping Raon's entire body.
Kwoong!
Raon activated Supreme Harmony steps, raising the Heavenly Drive sword above his head. A deep and intense crimson flame ignited above the silver-white Heavenly Drive.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation Baihua.
Red Island.
The fangs of insanity bared its fangs, cut through both the sinking sun under the Seosan Mountain and the blue cluster of light simultaneously.
