N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 563
Rimmer unleashed a fierce wind that seemed to have blown from the North Sea. Advancing fiercely like grass leaves swept away in a storm, he thrust a bolt of red lightning toward the heart of the Yonghyeon Swordmaster.
Hwaaah!
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster clenched his hand holding the Cursed Sword Kreatus and erected a maelstrom of magic.
Zheeeereeeeng!
The red lightning and black magic clashed, sending a powerful shockwave sweeping through the area.
Kuugugugugugu!
The Light Wind members and the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Union around Rimmer and the Yonghyeon Swordmaster were involuntarily thrown backwards and rolled on the ground.
"...Astral Sphere?"
Yonghyeon Swordmaster frowned, observing the red currents entwined with Rimmer's sword.
"You have recovered your astral sphere again?"
"What's so surprising? It's not like it's your first time seeing someone with astral sphere."
Rimmer smirked, raising the corners of his mouth as he looked at the crumpled forehead of Yonghyeon Swordmaster.
"Indeed, your recovery is fast. However, it's meaningless.”
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster nodded briefly and twisted his wrist holding the Cursed Sword to the right.
The blade of magic whipped like a whip and slashed down towards Rimmer's back. It was a strange move that blocked the front and targeted the back.
"The one deciding that is not you but me!”
Rimmer stepped into the Yonghyeon Swordmaster's space instead and unleashed a blue wind. The astral sphere, entwined in the blade, spread through the air, forming a shield that protected his back.
Kyaaaaang!
The blade of magic fell fiercely, but it could not pierce the thick astral shield and fizzled out helplessly.
“Tsk.”
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster clicked his tongue as if he didn't expect his surprise attack to be blocked so easily.
“I know you're vulgar, unlike how you look.”
Rimmer snickered as he lightly swung his sword.
'That's right. I know it better than anyone.'
Yonghyun Swordmaster, with an innocent look like a priest, is, in reality, a cunning individual with thousands of snakes in his heart. Against him, you can't let your guard down, not only in swordsmanship but also in psychological warfare.
'But I can't afford to let my guard down at all because of that damn magic.'
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster's swordsmanship is formidable, but the magic itself emanating from the Cursed Sword Kreatus is a big threat.
"If you're not a Grandmaster, approaching him will be difficult.”
The Cursed Sword was indiscriminately scattering magic and taking control of the space regardless of friend or foe.
He couldn't move freely because he wasn't confident that I could completely block the magic while fighting.
However, he couldn't run away or back down here. He had to quickly cut down the Yonghyeon Swordmaster, if not for revenge, then for Raon and the Light Wind Division members behind him.
Teoreureung!
Rimmer stepped on rough steps and headed towards the Yonghyeon Swordmaster. Surrounded by wind and lightning, his rushing figure looked like a dragon soaring through the sky.
“Don't be impatient. The fight is just beginning.”
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster twisted his lips and ignited astral sphere with the magic of the Cursed Sword. The ground covered in black turned upside down and the air screamed as the waves of astral sphere expanded in circles.
“No. This is the end!”
Despite witnessing the overwhelming astral sphere of Yonghyun Swordmaster, Rimmer did not stop moving. He quickly closed in and unleashed a powerful sword strike.
“You fool!”
The Yonghyeon Swordmaster also did not back down and thrust his sword towards Rimmer's neck.
Kuaaaaaaaaang!
The collision of the sstral sphere of lightning and the astral sphere of magic erupted, covering house Rakion with a gray vortex.
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Raon frowned as he watched the commotion caused by Rimmer and the Yonghyeon Swordmaster.
'Will he be able to hold on?'
Rimmer had no resistance to magic, and he was struggling to keep his sanity due to his anger towards the Yonghyeon Swordmaster.
Even though his strength was approaching its original level, Raon wasn't sure if he would win.
Cheeeeeeeng!
When he frowned at the chaotic situation, Cloud rushed to the left and swung his sword. The swordsmanship was fast and sharp. His Myriad Swords had improved even more than before.
Raon bit his lip as he searched for an opening in the sword strike that was aimed at his chest.
'I can't clash directly.'
Cloud's sword was imbued with a sharp astral sphere. If he clashed with that sword in his current state, he would surely suffer internal injuries that would be difficult to recover from.
Boom!
He turned his ankles diagonally and unleashed the Supreme Harmony Steps. Instead of pushing away Cloud's swordsmanship, he used its power to retreat, following the current like a coral. He could feel the tip of the sword graze the end of his Black Dragon Coat.
"Where are you looking! Your opponent is me!"
Cloud gritted his teeth and chased after him. His footwork was fast and varied. It seemed like he was trying to press him without giving him a chance to counterattack.
"You're not wrong."
Raon raised Heavenly Drive and frowned.
'That guy is right.'
This is not the time to be worried about others.
He had already consumed most of his stamina and aura, and on top of that, he was seriously injured.
Even if he were in normal condition, Cloud was an opponent he had to risk his life to face, so it was not enough to focus solely on his attention.
Cheeeeeeeng!
Cloud's sword strikes came like lightning. A single sword strike split into dozens like sunlight reflected on a lake, aiming for the vital points of his entire body.
'After the illusion sword and the precise sword, is it the severing sword?'
Since Cloud had mastered the Myriad Swords, each of his ordinary sword strikes possessed a power similar to the ultimate techniques of other martial artists. It was challenging to block, but even more difficult to evade.
Raon stopped breathing and stepped into the waves of sword strikes. As he resonated seven Ring of Fire at the same time, time seemed to flow slowly, as if it had stopped.
He saw his own reflection in the sword strikes that was aimed at his glabella. His concentration was at its peak. He felt like he could even sense the enemy's breathing.
Cheeeeeeeng!
He tilted his head to the left to avoid the sword strike that was aimed at his head, and he wrapped a thin aura around Heavenly Drive to deflect the thrust that was aimed at his waist.
Every time Cloud's sword strike passed by, he felt a chill run down his spine. There was a limit to his concentration. It wasn't something he could do for long.
"Since you can't use that sword field or whatever it is, you're nothing but a scarecrow!”
Cloud sneered and pushed forward with brute force. Instead of complex swordsmanship, he charged in recklessly with sword strikes that only embraced the principles of martial arts.
'He's Smart.'
He didn't forget the experience of having his swordsmanship completely destroyed in the previous confrontation, so he simplified his swordsmanship as much as possible and focused on strength. It was a difficult way to deal with.
'Should I ask Wrath for help?'
If he made a deal with Wrath, he would be able to recover his stamina and aura.
However, he would have to receive wrath that was on a different level than before, just as he had become stronger.
In a state where he still couldn't control wrath, receiving any more would lead to unpredictable consequences.
'On top of that, there are still enemies remaining.’
He might need to fight the Yonghyeon Swordmaster later, so now wasn't the time to seek Wrath's help, he had to overcome this on his own.
Wrath seemed to understand this as well, and he watched silently.
"How long are you going to keep running away!"
Cloud continued to wield his sword with simple techniques in his strikes. However, being simple, fast, and precise, each strike was not easy to dodge.
'Even if he simplified his techniques, it is still swordsmanship.’
There must be an opening somewhere, had to figure out the flow.
Gooooo!
Raon used not only the Ring of Fire, but also the Eye of Wrath and the Perception of the Snow Flower to observe the flow of the aura created by Cloud's attacks.
'As expected.'
Cloud was not just using brute force to wield his sword. He was using a swordsmanship that had simplified the Myriad Swords to the extreme to make it look ordinary.
Did he learn that from the Holy Sword Union leader?'
No, it feels a little different.
It was the same Myriad Swords, but it seemed to be different from the swordsmanship that Cloud had used before. However, his flow felt strangely familiar.
Hooowoooo!
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Cloud's ferocious strike.
'Right waist.'
The aura was approaching the left shoulder, but the real target seemed to be the right waist.
Cloud turned his strike to target the right waist as he had planned. Since his prediction was correct, he had room to move.
Cheeeeiiing!
After deflecting Cloud's sword, Raon slipped into the gap and swung down the Blade of Requiem.
The sword strike imbued with ghastly energy cut through Cloud's aura and created a wound on his thigh.
"Y-you bastard!"
Cloud seemed genuinely surprised by the fact that he was wounded, glaring as he unleashed a flurry of sword strikes.
"Hoo..."
He exhaled heavily and stepped back. Of course, his gaze remained fixed on Cloud's sword and aura.
'This time, is it the center?'
Cloud adjusted, aiming for the spine with strength and speed.
'No, there's something more.'
The Ring of fire rotated intensely as Raon examined the movement of Cloud's sword strokes to the very end.
The straightforward trajectory of the sword suddenly veered to the left. He intended to cut through Raon's heart in an instant.
Staying in the same spot, Raon leaned his waist backward. Aligning his back horizontally with the ground, he used the recoil to lift Heavenly Drive.
Piiiaaaak!
This time, the blade of Heavenly Drive cut through Cloud's chest. Red blood oozed out of his chest.
'Shallow.'
The magic that had dug into his waist prevented him from moving as he usually did. He clicked his tongue in regret.
"Ugh..."
Cloud wiped the blood from his hand and gnashed his teeth.
"That's his swordsmanship, how can you!"
His eyes trembled as if he couldn't understand how his simplified swordsmanship had been countered.
'That person?'
Raon repeated the word 'that person' that Cloud had spoken.
‘Not his master or Ryeonju (union leader)?’
Judging by the fact that he didn't say 'master' or 'Ryeonju', but 'that person', it seemed like he had learned from someone else.
'Who is that….'
"Damned talent!"
Cloud exploded with the anger he had been holding back and charged forward.
Kwagwagwagwang!
The ground collapsed and the air shook as the astal sphere spread out in all directions.
'Shoulder!'
As soon as he dodged the sword strike that was aimed at his shoulder, astral sphere surged from the left.
'I can't dodge this.'
Raon twisted his body and swung Heavenly Drive down like a crescent moon.
He simultaneously dodged and deflected, but Cloud's blade gouged a rough cut into his thigh.
'Damn it!'
Enduring the pain that made him want to kneel down, he thrust with the Blade of Requiem held in reverse.
Peureureuk!
The blade, glowing with ghastly energy, cut through Cloud's aura and sliced through his shoulder.
"Die!"
Cloud, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, charged forward with a roar.
His leg movements faltered and the blade, burning with astral sphere, grazed his neck. Red blood droplets splattered into the air.
"Hoo..."
Even though death was right before his eyes, Raon didn't panic.
'It's not over yet.'
Cloud's swordsmanship had become rough to the point of being ignorant, but the flow had not changed significantly. Even now, the blueprint to defeat him was slowly being completed.
Ignoring the pain in his waist and thigh, he focused all his senses on Cloud's sword.
'Left shoulder, right waist, right ankle, and neck!'
The flow of Cloud's strikes started to become clearer. Although his strikes had become faster, it was easier to evade.
Raon stopped moving his entire body to dodge, and instead, he simply backed away from the areas that Cloud was targeting, conserving his stamina and aura.
"What, what the hell!"
Cloud took a step back and his lips trembled.
"How the hell are you dodging!"
He roared as if he couldn't understand this situation at all.
“You haven't advanced a single step since that day.”
Raon curled his lips up, feeling the end approaching.
“If I were in normal condition, it would have ended with a single blow.”
"Shut up!"
Cloud, seemingly losing his mind, exploded all the aura he had and swung his sword.
The aura contained in the sword surged violently, creating a storm of astral sphere that engulfed the surroundings. It was a crude but effective attack that erased the very space to dodge.
Kuwawaaang!
Raon didn't back down even as he saw the approaching astral sphere, flipping the situation against all odds.
'Finally, the opportunity has come.'
If observed from the side, it would seem like an inevitable situation leading to death. However, this was the unique opportunity Raon had been waiting for.
'Because his aura is now dispersed.'
Astral sphere is a technique that increases destructive power by concentrating aura blade.
The range has increased, but the density has weakened, indicating that the power of the astral sphere is currently not as strong as before.
Raon endured the time with patience, which he had been holding back, and stepped forward to pick the fruit.
He drew the remaining aura up to his upper energy center and using the sword field once again.
Instant Incomplete Sword Field Creation: Divine and Demon Harmonization.
Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem evaporated, and the Divine Sword and the Demonic Sword soared in his hand. He stepped forward before the two swords could draw their perfect form.
'I can't complete the incomplete sword field right now.'
It is no exaggeration to say that it is impossible to use the incomplete sword field creation again properly with his body in the worst condition.
In fact, the sun and the moon did not rise above his head now, and the two swords did not burn with flames and frost.
The Divine Sword and the Demonic Sword weren't even properly completed, but it didn't matter, the sharpness of the blades was still there.
A golden light erupts from Raon's two hands. The power of his soul pushes back Cloud's astral sphere, and creating a barrier where their swords can clash.
"T-the sword field creation? No, this is...."
The two crossed swords revealed their proud blades towards Cloud, whose eyes widened in surprise. The majesty of the Divine Sword and the eeriness of the Demonic Sword were combined in one swordsmanship.
"I won't lose twice!"
Cloud hurriedly gathered his astral sphere again and flew in. Even in his surprise, there was a clear strength in his sword.
'But.'
I've grasped all of that swordsmanship.
The line created by the Divine Sword and the Demonic Sword distorted the flow of astral sphere and carved a red line on Cloud's neck.
"I, I still...."
Cloud seemed unable to believe his own death, grabbed his split neck and shook his shoulders before falling backwards. He looked up at Raon with bloody eyes and then dropped his head.
"It was a good decision not to kill you back then.”
Raon licked his lips as he dropped the disappearing Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.
"Thanks to that, I was able to grow again."
He bent down to pick up the two dropped swords, speaking his last words to Cloud who could no longer hear him.
"Keughk!"
Raon coughed up black blood instead of picking up the sword. Thanks to the forced extraction of aura, the cursed magic had dug even deeper inside and shook his organs.
'It was a 1-second incomplete sword field creation….'
The sacrifice was great, but thanks to that, he was able to win. If he hadn't made that decision, it would have been Cloud, not him, standing here now.
Raon raised his gaze, clutching his pounding chest.
'Now I have to make a decision….'
