N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 676
Under the frosty sky where even moonlight froze.
Gooooo!
A star of wrath rose above Wrath’s blue eyes.
“You still have the same personality, not fitting for a Monarch of Wrath.”
Greed curled his lips as he pulled back the fingers facing Wrath.
"Don't try to gauge the King of Essence, you lowly merchant."
Wrath brushed his finger down, shaking his head.
"The King of Essence is always the King of Essence."
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
Greed stepped back with a playful smile, unfazed even after witnessing Wrath’s true form.
“I told you Greed, he’s Wrath.”
Gluttony frowned, asking why things had to get more complicated.
"Sometimes I envy your cluelessness."
Greed lightly tapped Gluttony's head with a faint smile, slowly rolling his eyes to scrutinize Wrath’s entire figure.
"You lowly merchant. You said it with your own mouth. If it's truly the King of Essence, you would pay the price."
Wrath met Greed’s snake-like gaze, lifting his chin.
"Can that price be paid with your neck?"
"Do it if you can. But..."
Greed tilted his head mockingly.
"You seem to have gotten weaker."
Greed's eyes glistened yellow, like when he realized Raon's true identity.
"Lowly swindler."
Wrath's blue eyes turned a serene shade. Looking down on a fellow demon king was as natural as breathing. It was the demeanor befitting the Monarch of Wrath.
"Have you already forgotten the time you ran with your tail between your legs?"
"That time, Lust interfered. I don't do two-on-ones."
Greed drew a small triangle with his index finger and laughed. He still showed no sign of any intent.
“Before that, you had only one arm left.”
Wrath snorted, glancing at Greed’s right arm.
“Well, the past is the past. For this lowly merchant, the present and future are what matter. But you know...”
Greed clasped his hands behind his head, laughing like a carefree loafer.
“These merchant eyes are telling me. You've gotten weaker.”
"Yes, the King of Essence and you are not meant to chat like this."
Wrath snapped his fingers, and the unconscious Light Wind swordsmen and priests floated up, gathering beneath the Ice World Tree.
“If you think the King of Essence has weakened, then come at me. Feel it with your body.”
"Here we go."
Greed lightly twisted his neck and loosened his fingers. Golden rings on his fingers glimmered brightly.
"For the Monarch of Wrath to give me the first move, that's something that would never happen in the devildom."
"No more need for that mouth of yours."
Wrath twisted his chin sideways. The blue demon king's eyes burned with clear wrath.
"I'll snap that neck of yours right now."
"Your neck might be the first to fall."
Golden light surged from beneath Greed's feet. A light of greed, as if it had gathered all the gold in the world, enveloped his entire body like a cloak.
Gooooo!
A halo of clear light descended upon Wrath’s shoulders as he faced the Monarch of Greed. The sky, filled with starlight and moonlight, seemed to bow down to the Monarch of Wrath.
As the kings standing at the highest point in the devildom faced off, the space tore long and wide, and the ground's crust peeled away, revealing white, raw layers beneath.
The entire kingdom seemed to transform into devildom, with dark demonic energy blazing like wildfire.
Wrath and Greed exchanged sinister smiles within the black inferno.
Boom!
As one of the creaking iron frames of the tower fell to the ground, the blue demon king and the golden demon king clashed.
* * *
Crash!
Wrath's fist and Greed's grip met. As the gold and ice-colored demonic energy clashed, the space between the two demon kings crumpled like a sheet of paper.
Despite the tremendous impact, Wrath and Greed did not retreat, their hands reaching for each other's hearts. Countless collisions occurred between the golden light and the blue ice.
The ground hollowed out in black, and the air shattered like broken glass.
‘Ha...’
Raon clicked his tongue, experiencing the battle through Wrath’s eyes.
‘I can barely see anything.’
Greed approached, reaching out only to vanish like a phantom. It was so fast that even recognizing it as an attack was challenging.
Wrath’s perspective shifted countless times. The right sky, the left crater, the building ahead. His gaze moved so quickly it was dizzying.
Even with his eyes as a Grandmaster, the fight between the two demon kings was hard to track, as if blue and yellow lightning were constantly striking.
‘It's not just their speed….’
Their power was insane too.
Every time Wrath and Greed moved, massive explosions erupted across the kingdom. The shockwaves overlapped, seemingly erasing the very fabric of space.
As the battle continued, though it was difficult to discern, Raon began to get accustomed to the movements of the two demon kings.
He could see which direction Greed's sharp flashes were striking from, and how Wrath obliterated the golden glow with his snow flower magic techniques.
No, it wasn’t just that he could see it. He felt as if he were inside Wrath’s body, moving it himself.
‘Is it because I hastily opened the sword field?’
It seemed to be a side effect of Wrath entering before his soul fully left his body.
‘However, in his current state, this wasn't a side effect but rather a fortunate opportunity.'
Because he can experience the battle between Wrath and Greed firsthand.
Even if their fight was on a level far beyond his comprehension, maintaining this sensation would greatly aid his future growth.
He captured every minor collision with his eyes and skin without blinking once.
Whoosh!
From the tip of Greed's finger, a light carrying the heat of hell shot out. He completed a transcender martial art with immense power and speed, devoid of any unnecessary movements.
Ssssss!
Wrath nodded slightly, his eyes leisurely as if enjoying a snack. A transparent ice wall rose in the space under his gaze.
Boom!
The ice wall, struck by Greed's light, shattered like a spider web.
The sharp fragments of ice spread toward Greed.
“You're using techniques I haven't seen before.”
Greed muttered briefly, digging into Wrath’s left side. Before his words even ended, A golden palm technique approached. It was a speed and judgment beyond transcender.
Crash!
Wrath seemed to anticipate Greed's surprise attack, deflecting the golden palm with the back of his hand and slammed down his right fist.
The Monarch of Wrath and the Monarch of Greed endlessly clashed fists and hands at a close distance where they could feel each other's breath.
Half of the kingdom melted, and the other half froze due to the terrifying clash of energy caused by the two Demon Kings.
Raon watched the clash between Greed and Wrath, not even sparing time to breathe. He couldn’t interpret everything, but he gradually got used to their movements.
'Greed has the upper hand in speed.'
Greed, befitting a Demon King with sharp and light energy, possessed terrifying speed. Just looking at his movements, it was no exaggeration to say he was truly like light, making even Wrath unable to keep up.
‘But it’s not just a matter of speed…’
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Wrath withstand the impact of the clash without moving from this spot.
‘He can’t leave this spot, so he’s at a disadvantage.’
Wrath didn't move from his initial position to protect the Light Wind swordsmen under the Ice World Tree.
Insisting on protecting his 'subordinates' at the cost of his life, even while fighting a fellow demon king, was a truly unbelievable act for a demon king.
Crack!
Raon turned his head to the right at the sound of something breaking. Gluttony was chewing and swallowing a rock wrapped in Wrath and Greed's energy with a satisfied grin.
'...Is there really no one sane among the Demon Kings?'
To think of filling his stomach during such a chaotic battle, it seemed the title of Monarch of Gluttony was thoroughly deserved.
‘Hoo…’
Raon shook his head to clear his mind and refocused on the battle between Wrath and Greed.
"Shall we try it after a long time?"
Greed extended his hand toward the sky with a cheerful smile.
“One Million Gold.”
The moment his voice resonated through space, the sky filled with frost was torn apart by golden brilliance.
Kwaaah!
Golden light beams filled the sky and poured down. Each flash contained extreme speed and sharpness.
“Silver-White Aurora.”
Wrath lifted his hand as if to block the descending brilliance of golden beams.
Cold mist extended from his grasp, solidified into the shape of an umbrella, swallowing all the falling flashes.
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Wrath fend off Greed's onslaught with ice.
‘Silver-White Aurora…’
Silver-White Aurora is a technique Raon had used several times. However, its form, power, and firmness were incomparable to Wrath's.
Experiencing the Silver-White Aurora in Wrath’s body, Raon now had a sense of how to develop it. Every breath, every movement of his fingers was an invaluable experience.
Chiiing!
The ice blade extending from Wrath's elbow clashed with the light shot from Greed’s fist, causing a fierce shockwave to explode.
All the surrounding debris was swept away, leaving only the charred earth behind.
Whoosh!
When the dust and light settled, Wrath furrowed his brows while Greed wore a faint smile.
“My guess was right.”
Greed dusted off his hands and nodded calmly.
“You’ve weakened.”
‘Ha….’
Raon let out a sigh at Greed's words. Saying that this state was weakened was absurd.
“Stop licking your own bones.”
Wrath sneered at Greed, turning his chin sideways.
“Stop running your mouth and let’s finish this.”
“Even if you are protecting those humans behind you, in the past, you would have landed at least one punch on me. Indeed…”
A strange distortion appeared over Greed’s eyes.
“My eyes haven't failed me.”
Raon swallowed dryly as he observed Greed's eyes. It seemed that those eyes could see something special.
“Let me tell you something interesting.”
When Greed snapped his fingers, a giant scale appeared behind him.
The perfectly balanced scale, seemingly made of platinum, radiated a dark golden light.
“While you were wasting time in the human world, I accumulated even more greed.”
“Bullshit…”
Wrath waved his hand dismissively, as if to shoo away nonsense.
“Bullshit, you say….”
Greed spread his four fingers and then folded three of them.
“Would it still be bullshit if I said a quarter of the human world’s gold coins are in my hands?”
“…What?”
Wrath’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Greed to amass such wealth.
‘A quarter?’
Raon was equally astonished, his mouth agape.
‘Crazy….’
According to Wrath, the source of Greed's power was money.
The more money and greed he acquired, the stronger he became. A quarter of the continent’s gold coins was an unfathomable amount.
“It’s a power you, in your weakened state, cannot withstand.”
Greed smiled broadly, as if he had already won.
“Weakened… Yes, in some sense, you might be right.”
Wrath nodded, placing a hand on his chest. He seemed to be referring to the strength of his body and his energy.
“So, you finally admit it.”
Greed smirked, as if he had expected this.
“It’s clear that the human world doesn’t suit you. The wrath you gained here is nothing but a speck compared to the emotions you already possess. Of course, it's too late for regrets now."
“No.”
Wrath shook his head, meeting Greed’s gleaming golden eyes.
“The King of Essence does not regret coming to this world. He has seen many things and felt many things. And you're mistaken about one thing.”
“What is that…?”
"The King of Essence is the one who climbed from the deepest depths of devildom to the highest peak. Do you think he gained nothing from coming to this land?"
Wrath’s voice resonated with a dignified echo.
“Hm….”
Greed furrowed his brows, sensing a shift in Wrath’s demeanor.
“What is it that you’ve seen?”
“The back of a young swordsman.”
“The back of a young swordsman?”
Greed chuckled, tilting his head back.
“What nonsense. It’s not even worth listening to. What a waste of time.”
Greed sneered at Wrath and snapped his fingers.
“Hundred Million Gold.”
The moment his sharp voice reached the scale, the sky tore open, and an immense amount of gold coins poured out.
Kwaaaaaah!
As the countless gold coins fell onto the right pan of the scale, the balance shifted dramatically.
Whoosh!
Greed’s already enormous energy amplified as the gold filled the pan, eventually expanding to envelop the entire continent.
The scale, now holding hundred million gold coins, shone with a blinding light. It seemed like that light alone could destroy this kingdom.
“……”
The immense energy was so overwhelming that even Wrath's shoulders trembled. It seemed that the more money was poured into the scales, the stronger the power given to Greed.
"It's overspending, but I guess I have to invest this much for a nemesis."
Greed raised a finger. The scale disappeared, and the energy accumulated by the money gathered on his fingertip.
Despite being compressed to the extreme, the sphere was large enough to cover half of this kingdom emitted a bright gold light.
KWAAAANG!
The wall of holy power that had concealed the Demon Kings' energies shattered, and the demonic energy, having lost its way, spread in all directions.
“To continue from what the King of Essence was saying earlier….”
Wrath calmly accepted Greed’s sinister smile and raised his gaze.
“It was the back of a young, unyielding swordsman.”
"It's useless even if you received the blessing of a demon god."
Greed shook his head as if nothing Wrath could bring would matter.
As his finger lowered, a golden energy, vast enough to crush this continent, descended above Wrath’s head.
It was so enormous that it seemed impossible to avoid or block it.
"From dawn till dusk, the endless swings continued. Time changed, but the swordsman did not. The small back grew, and the blurry sword path gradually took shape. He learned so much."
A gentle smile, as if recalling someone, appeared on Wrath’s lips.
“Having watched an unyielding swordsman, how could the King of Essence fall?”
Wrath brought his hands together. A blue hexagram emerged between the fingers forming a triangle.
"Are you watching, Raon Zieghart? This is a flower for you, learned from you."
‘What?’
Before Raon could react, Wrath continued.
“Demonic Field Creation: Flower in the Snow.”
That low murmur twisted the balance of the world. Everything within Wrath’s blue gaze froze white.
Even the golden energy Greed had unleashed and Greed himself, were trapped in transparent ice, blooming with blue flowers.
KWAH-AAAAAAAAH!
What followed was a colorless (invisible) slash. The sword dance that seemed to mock the frozen world continued endlessly.
Greed and his massive sphere of golden energy were shattered into pieces thinner than hair, and the buildings of the kingdom were split to the point where no trace of them could be seen.
It was as if the worst of hell, both the ice hell and the blade hell, had simultaneously manifested.
WOO-OONG!
When the dance of blades ceased, the only thing that remained before his eyes were the petals of the ice flower.
