N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 640
Raon looked at the ring on his middle finger. It seemed as if Kaiyan's feathers had melted onto the surface, forming the wing pattern of a phoenix.
He nodded briefly and channeled mana into the ring. The flames that were dancing on the ring turned golden, spreading into majestic wings of fire.
"Wh-what is that?!"
Delphiros stepped back as he saw the solemn flames rising from the ring, his face filled with fear.
Fwooosh!
The wings of fire, as if teasing the retreating Delphiros, descended upon Raon's shoulders, enveloping his entire body.
He didn't feel any heat. It was only warmth, like the spring sunshine erasing the winter.
Chiiiiik!
As soon as the flames touched his skin, the wounds inflicted by the Saber Sword Sovereign were erased in an instant, as if time had been reversed.
Not just external wounds. His internal organs, muscles, bones, and mana circuits returned to their original state. The pain in his abdomen that had been causing his hands to tremble vanished without a trace.
Wooong!
His empty energy center was filled with a new flow of aura. The fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the ice of Glacier filled his energy center and overflowed into his mana circuits.
Finally, his mind, which had been drying up from the extreme battle, felt refreshed as if he had just woken up from a good sleep in his room at the annex building.
He was now in a condition ready to
engage in another sword fight.
What, what did you do!
Wrath asked, staring at Raon with wide eyes.
Replenishing aura is understandable, but restoring mental strength is impossible!
He had always said that mental strength couldn't be restored. The fact that this small ring could achieve something even the Demon King couldn’t was naturally surprising.
'It's the Phoenix Ring.'
The Phoenix Ring?
'Just as a phoenix is reborn from death, this ring restores all of the wearer's wounds and aura. Even mental strength.'
Th-that's cheating!
‘Isn’t it more capable than you, huh?'
Sh-shut up! If I had my original body, I could also... ugh.
Wrath couldn't finish his sentence. It was a reaction typical of someone who couldn't lie.
‘But you don’t need to be jealous.’
Raon shook his head as he looked at the fading light of the Phoenix Ring.
'It's a one-time use.'
This ring had a recovery ability surpassing that of Wrath, the Demon King, but it could only be used once.
O-one-time use? Hmm, it's useful when needed, but a bit of a waste…
'Indeed. A waste.'
It was an artifact that could only be used once, so it was no wonder it was a waste. As Wrath said, there might be a better time to use this ring in the future.
But his instincts and emotions told him that using the ring now was the right decision.
‘I won’t feel satisfied until I crush that guy myself.’
Raon clenched his right fist and raised his gaze.
"What?! What are you! Who the hell are you!”
Delphiros yelled, clutching his head as if he couldn't understand.
“You haven’t changed.”
Raon shook his head as he met Delphiros’ eyes, filled with panic.
‘Coward.’
Delphiros had countless opportunities to strike him.
Every moment he was fighting the Saber Sword Sovereign was a chance for him to ambush.
But Delphiros showed his foolishness by only moving when it was time for Raon to burn the martial arts books.
The reason was simple.
‘He’s a coward.’
Delphiros, afraid that he might fall victim to Raon's hidden move, kept pushing the Saber Sword Sovereign to the end.
He probably intended to move only after Raon had exhausted all his strength, and thanks to that, Raon was able to burn the martial arts books and subdue the Saber Sword Sovereign.
The fact that Delphiros retreated as soon as his aura and wounds recovered was proof of that.
'That's his limit.'
Derus Robert must have entrusted this place to Delphiros, believing in his cautious nature, but now he was betraying Derus' expectations in the worst possible way. It was fortunate for Raon.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Raon tilted his chin at Delphiros.
“You were charging at me like you were going to kill me. Why stop now?”
“Damn it….”
Despite having superior power, Delphiros hesitated to move recklessly. It wasn’t caution, it was fear.
“If you give me time, that’s good for me.”
Raon shook his head and thrust Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem into the ground.
Rumble!
In the darkness, a golden sun and a silver moon rose once more. Under the resplendent light illuminating the fifth floor, the divine sword and the demon sword floated.
“You, you’re using the Sword Field Creation consecutively?”
Delphiros widened his eyes in disbelief.
“It must have been nice watching from a distance.”
Raon smirked as he gripped the divine sword and the demonic sword, both now hotter and colder than before.
“You will die more miserably than any death you’ve ever witnessed.”
“Shut up.”
Delphiros gritted his teeth so hard they seemed about to break.
“I’ve analyzed all your martial arts during the fight with the Saber Sword Sovereign. Even if you use the Sword Field Creation, I have nothing to fear!"
“Such a talker. If you won’t come to me….”
Raon extended his left foot and unleashed the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation from the mana circuit embedded in the center of his soul. He then added Supreme Harmony Steps to his movement, propelling his body forward like a cannonball.
“I’ll come to you.”
In an instant, as if the ground had folded, Delphiros’ figure loomed closer.
"Your mouth is the only thing alive!"
Delphiros swung his arm like lightning. The sword in his grip roughly cut through the air and pierced towards Raon's chest.
‘Was he not lying about analyzing my martial arts?’
He perfectly timed the moment when the Supreme Harmony Steps connected. It seemed he hadn’t just watched the fight with the Saber Sword Sovereign idly.
‘In that case….’
Instead of retreating, Raon advanced faster. He struck the surface of Delphiros's sword before it could fully gain momentum.
Clang!
Despite not perfectly blocking his strike, Raon felt a strong impact. It was powerful enough to rip off his arm if he had been hit slightly wrong.
"You're still far off!"
Delphiros leaned forward like a charging bull, thrusting his sword. The astral sphere imbued in his blade surged violently.
Wooong!
Raon created the Flame Wall with his demonic sword and thrust the Heavenly Heavy Cannon with his divine sword.
He intended to defend with the Flame Wall and counterattack with the Heavenly Heavy Cannon, but Delphiros twisted his lips as if he had predicted it.
"I've seen it all!"
He abruptly changed direction. He ignored the Flame Wall, circled to the right, and struck down the Heavenly Heavy Cannon.
Clang!
The cold energy forming the Heavenly Heavy Cannon shattered, and Raon stepped back.
"I told you."
Delphiros raised his chin and flashed his arrogant eyes.
"I've figured out all of your martial arts. It's over now."
He raised his gleaming sword, as if to finish it as quickly as possible.
"You said you figured out my martial arts..."
Raon brushed back his messy hair and gave a faint smile.
"But which version of me was that?"
* * *
Chapter 641 - 650: https://tinyurl.com/theAxeKing
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"Die!"
Martha charged at the White Blood fanatics, her eyes burning with black light.
"I'll tear you all apart!"
With every swing of her explosive sword, the Blood fanatics fell, spraying blood. She truly lived up to her nickname, Demoness.
"...Looks like we don't have to worry about this side."
Burren turned his gaze from Martha to where Raon was. He was clashing swords with a middle-aged man who seemed to be the cause of this incident, their blades filled with killing intent.
"Will the division leader be okay?"
The opponent's astral sphere was stronger than Raon's, and since he had been watching the fight, it seemed like the other side had the advantage.
"He'll be fine."
Runaan shook her head as she protected the teams 1 and 2, filling in for Martha’s absence.
"Raon is calm right now. He can win."
She glanced at Raon's back and lifted the corners of her lips slightly.
"If you say so, it must be true."
Burren nodded calmly. Runaan knew Raon better than anyone. If she said he would be alright, then it was likely true.
“Then we just need to finish our part.”
The phoenix was holding back the monsters, and the martial artists who had been blinded by greed came to their senses as soon as the Saber Sword Sovereign’s martial arts books burned.
If the Light Wind division and the Void Sword division could just defeat the White Blood Religion and the Holy Sword Alliance, they could end the whole situation.
“I knew you were empty-headed, but this is something else.”
Rimmer sneered, looking at the Ghost Demon Swordmaster.
“Do you think he’ll hand over the martial arts books? That’s as dumb as betting your entire paycheck in a casino.”
“You’re the dumb one.”
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster bit his lip, his eyes glowing and burning with rage.
"The Holy Sword Alliance would jump into hell for swordsmanship and swords!"
"Ugh, these sword-obsessed bastards..."
Rimmer let out a deep sigh.
"To think he'd burn the martial arts manual of the Saber Sword Sovereign right before my eyes! I'll rip out Raon Zieghart's heart myself!"
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster surged forward with the most chilling will yet.
Kwoong!
Although his aura had diminished, the will was so venomous that the impact was deep. It seemed like Rimmer’s prosthetic arm had been slightly twisted.
"The same goes for me."
The Sixth Apostle gritted his teeth as he glared at Raon's back.
"Since I couldn't complete the leader's orders, at least I'll take that guy's head!"
"Your opponent is me."
Serena stepped forward and swung her sword. The enormous weight of her sword, far beyond a normal heavy sword, pressed down on the Sixth Apostle's entire body.
"You corpse-like thing! To the very end!"
The Sixth Apostle tried to push back the sword with his bloody-boiling energy, but Serena's sword remained unmoved.
"You won't pass until you've killed me."
Even though blood was gushing from her abdomen again, Serena's gaze didn't waver. Instead, she smiled and pressed the Sixth Apostle back with overwhelming spirit.
"You damned bastards!"
"Fine! If that's what you want, I'll kill you first!"
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster and the Sixth Apostle rushed forward, their eyes filled with dark malice.
"Yes. It's time for us to end this as well."
Rimmer lowered his sword and raised three fingers. With a faint smile, he summoned the northern wind.
"Sword Field Creation."
***
Clang!
Delphiros twisted his lips as he deflected Raon's elegantly curving sword strike.
'I’ve seen this swordsmanship before.'
Raon's sword was diverse yet powerful, but having observed it from the second floor, he had figured out all of his techniques.
However, he wasn't pleased.
'Originally, I wouldn't have needed to fight.'
The original plan was to finish things with the Saber Sword Sovereign, but everything went awry because of Raon Zieghart.
The Saber Sword Sovereign's power was cut off, the monsters were being massacred by the Phoenix, and the division had stopped.
The entire plan had fallen apart.
'But it's fine.'
If he killed Raon here, he could brush it off as a mere incident.
Seeing the ring Raon used had lost its light, it was clear he couldn't use it again.
If he could behead Raon here, everything would be settled.
'But I need to finish this as quickly as possible.'
Raon Zieghart had a unique talent for growing stronger during battle. To avoid ending up like the Doppleganger lord, he had to kill Raon as quickly as possible.
[Demon Rain division leader.]
[Yes.]
[Desire is no longer needed. Just enhance my strength!]
[Hmm, it won’t last long.]
[I don't plan on dragging this out anyway.]
[Understood.]
As soon as the Demon Rain division leader's response ended, power surged through his body. The aura in his energy center soared endlessly, giving him a sense of omnipotence as if he could rule the world.
'I'll crush you with all my might!'
Delphiros unleashed a sword strike infused with his amplified aura. The Black Heaven Sword, directly taught to him by Derus, created a storm of astral sphere.
Raon extended both of his swords simultaneously. Each sword emitted a different light, creating a brilliant and sharp slash that cut through space.
Slash!
The storm of the astral sphere created by Delphiros vanished as if it had never existed.
"Wha…?"
He knew the sword technique, but its power seemed vastly different.
'What is this?'
As he swallowed nervously, Raon lunged to the left. Without changing his expression, Raon swung a fiery diagonal slash. A silver blade and a blue blade extended out at the same time.
'Frost Pound!'
It was a unique technique Raon Zieghart had created. A mysterious strike that hit twice with a single swing. Knowing it made it the easiest to block.
Clang!
He blocked the first blade and waited for the second, but it didn't come immediately.
'What the hell is this!'
As tension made him break out in a cold sweat, the second strike suddenly came down.
Clang!
It was much slower than the original technique. However, it wasn’t just the speed that had changed. The power of the Frost Pound was vastly different.
"Argh!"
Delphiros stepped back, releasing the shock from his sword.
"You… what the…?"
But there was no time to ponder. Raon's attacks continued relentlessly.
A dragon covered in scales emerged from the tip of his sword. A chilling ice breath was emitted from its distorted black mouth.
'Wide range but weakened power... Huh?'
As Delphiros widened his eyes, stopping mid-step. Raon's sword strike, which originally crushed a wide area, was now concentrated and charging towards him.
"Oh no..!"
He stopped and hurriedly turned his body, he gathered all his remaining aura.
Kwaaang!
As soon as he clashed with Raon's sword strike, a terrifying shock pressed down on his entire body. His grip trembled, and he almost dropped his sword.
Hwaaah!
Following the dragon's roar was a burst of flames. The energy concentrated at the tip of the flame sword extended instantly.
Crack!
The thick aura shield he had raised shattered. His sword shook as if it was about to break.
'Wh-what?! This power! And what is this swordsmanship?!'
He knew this swordsmanship, and he hadn't given Raon any time, yet his power far exceeded his expectations.
‘Could it be...?’
Delphiros watched Raon approach with calm steps, his lips turning pale with fear.
‘Was he already stronger before our fight even began?’
***
Raon looked at Delphiros, whose eyes were filled with shock, and let out a mocking laugh.
‘He must be shocked.’
The difference between the martial arts he knew and Raon's current level was so vast that he couldn't help but be shocked.
But it was only natural.
'Because I actually got stronger.'
It wasn’t just that his aura had noticeably increased or his martial arts skills had drastically improved.
By engaging in a life-or-death battle with the Saber Sword Sovereign, he was able to perfectly organize the enlightenment he had gained from this tomb.
Although he couldn't express that growth due to his lack of stamina, aura, and mental strength, the phoenix ring allowed him to show his true level.
"What the hell are you! How long are you going to keep interfering!"
Delphiros yelled and twisted his sword. A shower of astral sphere poured from the blackened blade.
Kwoong!
Raon closed in on Delphiros, curling his lips as he saw the fear in his eyes.
‘He’s scared.’
Until just a moment ago, Delphiros had been attacking to kill him, but now he was only using sword strikes to protect himself.
It meant he had reverted to his original cowardly self.
Raon moved to his left and drew Crimson Slash and Blue Rain.
Clang!
Though his attack was filled with newfound enlightenment, it couldn't penetrate the thick barrier Delphiros had raised. It was incredibly solid.
‘He changed his swordsmanship too.’
Delphiros had switched from the offensive Black Heaven Sword to the defensive Four Directions Sword. Since this swordsmanship was 90% defense, it wouldn't be easy to break.
‘But if you keep pounding on it, it will eventually open.’
Thinking Delphiros was still too small-minded, Raon advanced.
Clang!
The Thirty-Six Crimson Slash and Frost Pound struck simultaneously, repeatedly hitting Delphiros's barrier.
"Get lost!"
Delphiros completely gave up on attacking, only repeating defense and evasion.
"Kill these bastards first!"
As he retreated, he targeted the people around them with wide-ranging strikes. He was the most cunning bastard Raon had ever seen.
"You won't leave this place! This is your grave!"
Delphiros continued to scream even as he was retreating.
"I'll send you to the same place as those two!"
"......"
Raon's eyes turned cold.
He looked at the place where the Koman Knights commander Kusan and the Thunder Hammer Barpil had fallen. He bit his lip as he saw the broken sword and the damaged staff.
"Argh!"
Delphiros sensed the change in atmosphere and gathered all his aura to raise his barrier. The barrier made of astral sphere rose like a wall.
"No matter how hard the shell, a turtle is still just a turtle."
Raon drew his divine sword back. The golden fire on the blade roared like a dragon, drawing a majestic trajectory. The fire, stretching out as if running, danced with brilliant light.
[The blade under the dusk does not waver even before the waves.]
After the first phrase (principle/formula/chant) achieved while cutting down the Snow Demon Queen, a new one followed.
[It is not the sword that breaks the wall, but the person. The one who has honed their will cannot be stopped.]
Enlightenment turned into a phrase (principle/formula/chant), creating a new sword planted in his mental world.
Raon Zieghart Style Swordplay.
Seventh Form: Void Slash. (Void Death is the direct translation)
The blade, which cut through time and space in an instant, pierced Delphiros's barrier.
Crack!
Without touching the barrier, Delphiros' abdomen was split open behind it.
Splurt!
His lower abdomen was torn, and red blood poured out.
"Aaaaah!"
He clutched his belly and screamed. It was a pitiful cry unworthy of a warrior.
But it was natural. It wasn’t just his abdomen that was split open.
Between the red blood, a massive surge of aura erupted like an explosion. His energy center had been cut open, causing the aura to spill out uncontrollably.
"Aaargh!"
Delphiros' complexion turned deathly pale.
Crack!
Raon stepped over the shattered barrier and stood before Delphiros.
"I didn’t cut your throat on purpose. You’re too valuable to die so easily."
"Wa-wait!"
"I told you, right? That I would kill you more miserable than any death you’ve ever seen."
Raon extended his hand with a chilling smile that could send shivers down anyone’s spine.
"Look forward to it."
