N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 707
"Did they all take drugs together or something?!"
Helgurum ground his teeth so hard they made a creaking sound.
"Your disciple started the fight first, so what nonsense are you spouting?!"
He swung his arm, telling him to see the situation clearly.
"Started the fight? What do you mean Mustan started the fight?"
Rector furrowed his brow deeply.
"He blocked the way, shouting that the South-North Union were filthy pirates!"
Helgurum's eyes sharpened as if he would never forgive it.
"Is that starting a fight?"
Rector scoffed and waved his hand lightly.
"Nowadays, speaking the truth is called starting a fight?"
"You... you dare!"
Helgurum bit his lip as he saw Rector's cold eyes.
"Raon Zieghart defeated the Axe King Roman in a fair and square one-on-one duel."
Rector looked back at Raon, who was still unconscious. A deep pride shone in his old, experienced eyes.
"Even though the Axe King himself acknowledged his defeat and told you to let Raon Zieghart go, you chased him all the way here to kill him. It's disgraceful."
Rector's eyes turned to Helgurum, contorting as if he were looking at a disgusting bug.
"My disciple didn't say anything wrong. How is that starting a fight, Helgurum?"
Rector tilted his chin, as if daring him to speak.
"You stubborn old fool."
Helgurum glared at Rector, exhaling roughly.
"Do you think I chased him just for the South-North Union? It's all for the Five Demons!"
"For the Five Demons?"
Rector narrowed his nose, as if asking what he meant.
"That's right. With the defeat of the Beast King Ogram, the balance of the Six Kings and Five Demons has collapsed. It's not an exaggeration to say that the new era of the Five Demons has arrived."
Helgurum tilted the spear he was holding downward and looked at the unconscious Raon.
"And what does that have to do with your shameful actions?"
"The Five Demons... no, the Six Demons' greatest obstacle to ruling the continent isn't the current Six Kings, but that Raon Zieghart. If we don't kill him now, he will become a monster that neither you nor I can handle."
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"The Six Demons? It seems you've decided to accept those shadows."
"Even the Holy Sword Alliance didn't oppose it, did they?"
Helgurum squinted his eyes as if it was all settled.
"Didn't the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance’s master also get killed by Raon Zieghart? I'll offer his head... to your master..."
"You have a big misunderstanding about the alliance master."
Rector curled his lips into a smile as he looked at Helgurum.
"The alliance master doesn't pick unripe fruits. The reason he didn't get involved in this matter is because he had anticipated your disgraceful actions."
He frowned, saying what the alliance master wanted was a one-on-one fight with Glenn.
"If the alliance master saw this now, your head would have been the first to roll."
"Don't talk nonsense! It's common knowledge that the Holy Sword Alliance is in bed with the White Blood Religion and the Black Tower!"
Helgurum waved his hand in disbelief.
"This is different from that."
Rector shook his head calmly.
"Anyway, thanks to you, now I understand why the South-North Union is a band of rootless thieves."
He snorted and mocked Helgurum.
"You... you bastard..."
"The chatter has gone on long enough."
Rector shook his head and drew his sword.
"I'll say it one last time. Leave this place."
"And if I refuse?"
Helgurum took a step forward and shook his head.
"Then I'll make you feel the vast gap between Transcenders."
"Kuhahahaha!"
He laughed, clutching his forehead as if he had lost his mind.
"Fine. Show me what you've achieved with the swordsmanship you sucked out of people."
Helgurum also spun the spear in his hand, mocking Rector.
"Indeed. At that age, one should drink the punishment drink."
Rector nodded calmly as if he had anticipated this situation.
"Sword Demon!"
Just as the two Transcenders were about to clash, Rimmer's voice came from behind.
"Leave. You have nothing to do with this fight."
Rector turned around.
"What nonsense is that? And you are...?"
"Didn't I say it? I'm not here to help Raon Zieghart, I just can't stand by and watch this old man's shameful actions."
His eyes filled with intense emotion as he looked at Raon, then quickly calmed down.
"Go."
When Rector waved his hand, an invisible force gently pushed Dorian's boat.
The boat, carried by the rough waters of the Rable River, creaked but moved quickly.
"Rector!"
"Sir Rector!"
Rimmer and the Light Wind swordsmen called out to Rector from behind, but he didn't look back.
"Tsk. Look at you, playing the hero."
Helgurum sneered and turned his back.
"Beorn. You take command... huh?"
He widened his eyes as he checked the bandits behind him.
"What's going on? Where's Beorn?!"
"Uh...?"
"He was definitely right beside me!"
"He disappeared suddenly!"
The bandits, too, seemed unaware that Beorn had vanished, their jaws trembling.
"Typical of rootless thieves. Can't even manage your own subordinates."
Rector scoffed and beckoned with his finger.
"Shut up!"
Helgurum trembled with rage and raised his hand.
"Kill all the traitors of the Six Demons! I'll take responsibility!"
At his command, the Azure Wolf surged forward, cutting through the water.
Kuwaaaaang!
The bows of the two warships collapsed further, opening a passage connecting the two ships.
"Kill them!"
"Don't let a single one live!"
"You damn thieves!"
"Traitorous bastards!"
The warriors of the South-North Union and the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance jumped onto each other's ships, clashing swords.
Although the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance had the upper hand in skill, the warriors of the South-North Union used the advantage of the unsteady battlefield to compensate for their lack of skill.
Gooooooo!
Even as the battle between the South-North Union and the Holy Sword Alliance intensified, Rector and Helgurum stared at each other without moving.
"Let's change the location."
Rector stepped on the air and moved towards the river, nodding his head.
"Hmph."
Helgurum, not wanting to harm his subordinates, followed Rector and stood on the river.
"Thanks for coming to my battlefield. Here, I can..."
"Helgurum."
Rector's voice sank very low, as if it were coming from the depths of hell.
"You've made a grave mistake today."
The energy emanating from him became so dry that not a single drop of moisture could be felt.
"What the hell do you..."
“Die.”
With a menacing expression reminiscent of an evil god, Rector thrust his sword forward. The energy blazing above the white blade spreads a magnificent light along the horizon.
Kuwaaaa!
* * *
“There are a lot of familiar faces today.”
Rimmer exhaled, feeling the massive wave of energy that exploded from the center of the Rable River.
“Uh, uh….”
Dorian turned around, swallowing hard.
“Co-could it be that the Sword Demon has come to save us?”
He shook his head, refusing to believe the Sword Demon’s indifferent words.
"I think the same."
Burren, unusually, spoke without his usual calm demeanor.
"The Sword Demon had several opportunities to capture us, but he let us go every time."
He stroked his chin, saying it was similar to Merlin’s case.
"Auntie Aris said the same thing before. He was stronger than her, but he left after a moderate exchange."
Martha nodded, mentioning that Aris had said something similar.
"He was glad to see Raon today as well."
Runaan nodded towards Raon.
“Hm?”
"He was glad to see Raon?"
"How do you know that?"
The Light Wind swordsmen tilted their heads, saying that Rector's gaze was cold.
"It was a look filled with pride."
Runaan blinked, meeting everyone’s gaze.
‘I’m sure of it.’
Given her difficulty in expressing emotions, she could tell. Rector, for a brief moment, looked at Raon with eyes full of admiration and pride. It must be because of Raon that he stepped forward.
"It doesn't matter what the Sword Demon thinks."
Mark Goetten calmly opened his eyes with his hand on his sword hilt.
"The important thing now is to safely escort the division leader. Everyone, stay focused."
He stood at the end of the deck, taking a slow, deep breath.
"Yes, let's worry about Sword Demon and Merlin later. Stay alert until that ship comes out."
Rimmer nodded calmly, looking ahead.
‘But I am still curious.’
Rector definitely had a deep connection with Raon and Sylvia.
Although he had a rough idea, he couldn’t be sure without evidence.
“Dorian. How’s the boat?”
“Not good.”
Dorian let out a long sigh, adjusting the shaking control stick.
“I patched it up with wooden planks as a temporary measure, but it won’t last long. Even a small impact could break it….”
He bit his lip, saying it was a very dangerous situation.
“It could break with a small impact?”
“Is it that bad?”
The swordsmen, hammering wood into the leaking bottom, exhaled heavily.
“It’s taken hits from a breath attack, collided with other ships, and even been pierced by rocks….”
Dorian lowered his head, admitting his poor steering of the boat.
“It’s alright. We just need to hold out a little longer.”
Rimmer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he looked ahead.
‘Phew, keeping my aura perception active like this all the time isn't something a human should do.’
He had been pushing his aura perception to the limit since Raon started the duel, preparing for any situation that might arise.
The aura consumption was severe, but interpreting the vast amount of information transmitted through the aura perception pushed his mental limits. His head felt like it was going to explode from the inside.
'But I have to endure it.'
Thanks to keeping his aura perception active, he was able to minimize the impact on the boat by detecting the enemies' positions in advance.
The words "hold on" weren’t just for the Light Wind swordsmen, they were a declaration of his own resolve. He had to endure, even if it meant dying, until they could transfer to a ship.
“Hoo….”
While Rimmer was looking at the endlessly flowing river with half-closed eyes, a large sailing ship (Galleon), unusual for the river, came into view from the west. It was as large as the Azure Wolf, the South-North Union leader's warship, and a cute skull flag fluttering at the top of the mast.
"There it is! The Blue Wind!"
It was Aris Zieghart’s pirate ship, the Blue Wind, which had circumnavigated the sea. It was the last piece Raon had prepared.
“Sir Raon!”
“You’re safe!”
“We were on our way to find you because you were so late!”
From the bow of the Blue Wind, a middle-aged man with a bald head and an eyepatch over his left eye waved his hand.
It was Labawin, the former leader of Zieghart's Blue Wave division (which was under Aris' Holy Martial Palace), who had now become the 'Pirate King.' Even the house Zieghart swordsmen who had once been part of the Blue Wave division bowed their heads.
“Dorian. Head towards the Blue Wind at full speed.”
“Yes!”
Dorian grinned and steered the boat towards Blue Wind.
Uwoooong.
Since the Blue Wind was also moving, the boat and the ship gently touched in no time.
“Rimmer. Why are you so late?”
Labawin frowned as he looked down from the bow.
“Are you really the captain of the Blue Wind? You look like you’ve crawled out of a grave.”
Rimmer laughed as he looked at Labawin’s face.
“It’s a concept! I’m forced to do this because of Lady Aris!”
Labawin lifted his eyepatch and frowned.
"You're going through a lot too."
Rimmer nodded with a faint smile.
“First, transfer to the ship. That one’s about to break apart.”
Labawin, like a true pirate, noticed the state of Dorian’s boat and gestured for a quick transfer.
“Wait.”
Before moving, Rimmer spread his aura perception one last time.
Other than small wild animals and fish in the river, he sensed nothing.
‘Now I can turn it off.’
There were no enemies in sight, and with Labawain, a Grandmaster right next to him, he could finally let his aura perception off.
“Ugh….”
His legs trembled as he reached his limit. If he had maintained it any longer, he might have collapsed.
“Team 1, board first.”
Rimmer forced a calm expression as he pointed to Blue Wind.
“Got it.”
Martha and her team 1 members boarded Blue Wind.
“No problem.”
After checking the deck of Blue Wind, they nodded to indicate it was safe.
"Then team 2, escort Raon with the Ragged Saint..."
Just as Rimmer was instructing Runaan and the team 2, it happened.
“Enemy!”
Labawin shouted as he jumped from the bow.
Paaaah!
At the same time, the Evil Goat Demon of Eden with a Baphomet helmet emerged from the rough waves. Instead of his usual greatsword, he wielded a long sword, aiming for Raon's heart.
Labawin and Rimmer were too late. Both reached out their hands without time to draw their swords, but the astral sphere from the Evil Goat Demon’s long sword was much faster.
However, someone moved as if they had anticipated the attack.
Runaan. She, who knew the Evil Goat Demon’s energy better than anyone here, created a wall of frost to block the oncoming astral sphere.
Crzzzzzz!
The wall of frost made of astral energy cracked as Runaan was slammed into the deck. She coughed up blood but didn’t let go of her sword.
Praaaaak!
The boat that had reached its limit finally split in half, and the Light Wind swordsmen fell into the river.
"Raon is safe!"
The Ragged Saint, Federick, holding Raon, waved his hand.
"Runaaaaan!"
The Evil Goat Demon screamed, thrusting his sword, but thanks to Runaan, Rimmer and Labawin gained time to block him.
Clang!
Rimmer and Labawin's sword strike made the Evil Goat Demon spit blood and get thrown away.
"This filthy bastard!"
"Damn it, why didn’t I sense his presence! Syria Sullion!"
As everyone felt a relief that the hidden enemy was blocked, a light flickered from the shadow of the Evil Goat Demon.
Swoosh!
A swordsman with emotion-worn red eyes, Beorn, broke through the encirclement of Rimmer and Labawin and advanced with his sword raised.
A longsword, sharp like a spike, stretched out towards Raon, who was in Federick’s arms.
"Noooo!"
Federick spread his hands to block the sword, but Beorn's sword pierced through his arm and plunged into Raon's chest.
Zzzzzzt!
At the chilling moment when the sinister blade penetrated Raon's skin, a light that no one else could see burst forth from the ice flower bracelet he was wearing.
Uhehehehe! Complete resurrection!
Wrath burst out from the bracelet, laughing maniacally.
Five boxes of mint chocolate to eat right away... huh?
The Demon King, surprised, blinked his round eyes as he saw the thin sword piercing Raon's chest.
A sword? A chest? Uh... what is this? Why are you being stabbed by a sword as soon as the King of Essence opens his eyes?
Wrath, grabbing the unconscious Raon by the collar, shouted angrily.
Raon Zieghart! What kind of trouble have you caused now!
With the Demon King’s scream, silver steam rose above the river.
Why is this crazy scene the first thing the King of Essence sees when he wakes up?
