C755
"He already taken down two Grand Masters?"
Martha frowned as she looked towards the upper floor observation deck where Raon stood.
"That annoying monster."
Just like her, Raon hadn't wielded a sword in two months, but he seemed to have grown much stronger.
While it was incredible, she felt a torrent of envy burning on her forehead.
"Raon Zieghart just did what Raon Zieghart does."
Burren snorted, suggesting that this was typical of Raon.
"Yeah. Always handsome."
Runaan also nodded, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Let's leave the Division Leader to his own devices and take care of those guys first, okay?"
Krein, also unsurprised, pointed to the approaching demonized subordinates.
"There, there are more over there."
Dorian's lips trembled as he saw the Black Tower's demonized humans summoning demonic energy in their fingers and the Sword Fanatics raising their swords.
"There are too many..."
"It's okay."
Burren stepped forward, unsheathing his sword.
"We won't lose."
He unleashed a fierce wind, exuding confidence beyond mere bravado.
"No Bright Wind Formation today! Don't rely on your comrades, but on the time and sweat you've invested!"
Burren charged forward first, shouting for everyone to use their individual strength to crush the enemy. The wind imbued in his sword took shape, splitting the demon's subordinates in half.
"Alright."
Runaan nodded and plunged his Snow Flower into the ground, causing silver frost to rise and catch the ankles of the demonized humans and Sword Fanatics.
"That's great!"
Martha stepped forward with a refreshing laugh. She stopped in front of the arena manager who was giving orders to the Greedy Demon's subordinates.
"You're the strongest here, right? Veraun."
Veraun, the arena manager and referee, was an assassin known as the "Knight Slayer" for massacring numerous knights. Martha wanted to fight this evil demon because he possessed the strongest aura among the Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen and the Black Tower's demonized humans.
"Maran..."
Veraun frowned as he looked at Martha.
"I'm not Maran, I'm Martha."
Martha announced her name as she spun her sword-holding wrist.
"So you're the Rakshasa Miss of the Bright Wind division..."
Veraun narrowed his eyes, seeming to recognize Martha.
"Don't call me that, will you?"
Martha snorted, discontent.
"After all I've done for you, and that's how you thank me, ungrateful..."
"Did you do anything good for me?"
Martha raised her chin and laughed disdainfully.
"After feeding me with poison that induces berserker mode?"
"That, that was..."
"Ah, forget it."
She lightly dismissed her hand.
"You're at the peak of Master level, right?"
Martha licked her lips and pointed her sword at Veraun.
"Come at me. I'll devour you and take your place."
"The Zieghart brats are all so arrogant."
Veraun gritted his teeth and stomped on the ground. His thick longsword fell as if it were going to crush Martha's head.
"It's not because of Zieghart, I've always been arrogant!"
Martha leaned forward on her knee and raised her sword upwards. The two swords collided in the air, creating a shockwave that seemed to tear apart space. Martha bit her lip as she struggled to resist the blow of Veraun's sword, which was pushing down with its weight.
'He's strong.'
In terms of aura quantity, sword power, and accumulated experience, her opponent was superior in every way. If she let her guard down even a little, she felt she would be crushed like a weed trampled by a child.
"It's too late for regrets. You..."
"Regrets? What nonsense."
Martha curled her lips into a wide smile.
"Fighting you makes sense because you're strong."
Raon had taught her. There's no point in fighting someone weaker than oneself. Only by risking one's life against a strong opponent can one advance far and high. Martha stepped forward, adding more power to her sword blow. Even though she lacked aura or experience, her will to win must not falter.
As if her will had turned into strength, Martha's sword pushed back Veraun's and regained its original position.
"W-what is this...?"
Veraun's eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected Martha to resist his attack.
"Alright! I'll crush you to dust!"
His pride apparently wounded, he unleashed stronger and faster sword blows, pressing against Martha's entire body. Veraun's cuts became even more powerful, but Martha didn't dodge, facing them head-on with her sword. Due to the difference in strength and aura, Martha staggered backwards, but ultimately didn't fall.
"This is useless."
Veraun twisted his lips as he watched Martha stand firm like a toy that straightens itself.
"In the end, you won't be able to resist and you'll fall... Huh?"
He sneered, but then his eyes widened. Zzzt! The blow of Martha's sword, which had been as light as paper, suddenly became as heavy as a rock. Kwoong! She was no longer pushed back and held her position, enduring her own sword blow.
"What is this now...?"
Veraun let out a sigh as he faced Martha's sword blows that had become heavier than his own.
"Now I understand."
Martha smiled, showing her teeth as she looked at her sword that had stopped trembling.
"So this is what it meant."
During her training, Raon had advised her to find the proper center of gravity for her swordsmanship style. Even while fighting in the arena, she hadn't let go of that thought about the center of gravity. Now, it seemed that that effort had finally transformed into understanding.
"Die!"
Sensing the change in Martha, Veraun unleashed all his Astral Energy in an attempt to end the fight quickly.
"You die first!"
But Martha had already entered the realm of enlightenment. She stomped hard, channeling the weight through her thighs, waist, and arms to her wrist, creating an intense wave along her blade. Having grasped the true meaning of the Heavy Sword, Martha's blade was imbued with a moment of berserker power, ruthlessly tearing through Veraun's sword blow.
"Urgh..."
Veraun's chest opened deeply, spewing bright red blood.
"Ah, it's not over yet! It's not over!"
Despite his mortal wound, he summoned all his remaining aura in an attempt to survive.
"No, it's over."
With a serene gaze, Martha lowered her sword, breaking Veraun's blade and cutting his throat.
"Ugh..."
Veraun looked into space, seemingly unable to believe his own death, before his life finally faded.
"Ugh..."
Martha leaned over, exhaling heavily.
'That was hard.'
Although she had gained a small understanding, it was difficult to use it correctly in real combat. Her body felt as heavy as a soaked sponge from the intense concentration.
'Even so, I can't stay still.'
Despite being severely exhausted, the exhilaration of becoming stronger made her want to keep fighting. She thought she understood why Raon wanted to face all the Grand Masters.
"The next one is... Huh?"
Martha's mouth formed a perfect O as she searched for her next opponent to embody her new understanding. Burren had overwhelmed and shattered the Assistant Demon Master with his swordsmanship, while Runaan had completely frozen a high-ranking demonized human.
The other members of the Bright Wind division were no different. The swordsmen were absolutely crushing their enemies, as if they were showing off their newly acquired Master level martial prowess.
Their overwhelming strength, even without a sword formation, was such that it wouldn't be strange to call them demons.
"You bastards!"
Martha swallowed and charged towards the few remaining enemies.
"Leave some for me too!"
***
"Hey."
Raon narrowed his eyes and gestured with a finger to the White Demon Swordsman who was looking down at the arena.
"Isn't it time you worried about yourself instead of your subordinates?"
"You don't know your place."
The White Demon Swordsman bit his lip as he raised his longsword.
"A fake swordsman who resorts to surprise attacks is no match for me."
He insulted Raon while showing confidence in his own martial prowess.
"Then let's see what you've got."
Raon raised his chin, holding his Divine Sword high and his Demonic Sword low. As the White Demon Swordsman gritted his teeth, an intense aura burst from his entire body like a volcanic explosion. His already long arms seemed to stretch even further.
"Alright! I'll kill you!"
The moment the White Demon Swordsman twisted his wrist, his sword was already at Raon's throat. It contained the essence of Quick Sword, Void Sword, Precision Sword, and Severing Sword.
'I can see it clearly... Huh?'
Just as Raon was about to raise a sword barrier in front of his neck with the Divine Sword, the White Demon Swordsman's sword path suddenly changed. Instead of aiming for the neck, his sword plunged downwards, aiming for the collarbone. Raon hastily raised his Demonic Sword to deflect the White Demon Swordsman's sword with difficulty.
'As expected.'
Speed and precision weren't the most important factors.
'The real key is adaptability.'
Thanks to his abnormally long arms and flexible wrists, the White Demon Swordsman's swordsmanship moved freely, as if he were witnessing Sword Control. It was amazing that he could achieve such changes with a sword he was holding directly.
'Let's focus.'
Raon licked his lips as he watched the White Demon Swordsman move again.
'A new dish has been served.'
Glenn had advised him to find and learn from the strengths in an enemy's swordsmanship. As he had said, this was a chance to see a new world and grow. Raon resonated the Ring of Fire, absorbing every detail of the White Demon Swordsman's swordsmanship.
However, because the sword movements were both strange and fast, he couldn't see everything at once, and inevitably, he ended up getting hurt.
"Not bad, huh?"
Despite suffering a wound that tore a piece of flesh from him, Raon curled his lips in apparent enjoyment.
"Your bravado is useless."
The White Demon Swordsman shook the blood from his blade and raised his chin.
"You can't defeat me. I didn't even show half my skill to that elf."
He couldn't give it his all against Rimmer because there were many remaining opponents to fight. However, if he faced Raon first, the strongest here, he could use all his power to crush him. The White Demon Swordsman pressed Raon with his Formless Sword technique, which contained extreme variations using his flexible body and long arms.
'This will be over soon.'
Raon couldn't grasp the path of the Formless Sword technique and was unilaterally pushed back, receiving cuts on his forearms, thighs, and waist. If this pressure continued, the White Demon Swordsman could tear Raon's entire body apart like a rag.
'If I capture Raon Zieghart...'
The White Demon Swordsman licked his lips as he watched Raon's expression gradually harden.
'I can increase my influence in the Holy Sword Alliance.'
Currently, the Holy Sword Alliance is divided into two factions: those who follow the new leader of the alliance, Rector, and those who don't. If he could defeat Raon and kill everyone in the Bright Wind division, he could reduce Rector's influence.
'Let's finish this decisively to eliminate any variables.'
Abandoning any notion of carelessness, he unleashed his Formless Sword technique at full power to cut Raon's chest. Or rather, he tried to, but suddenly Raon's sword shot out. Raon easily blocked the move that had previously been useless against him.
"Hm?"
Thinking it was a lucky shot, he aimed for Raon's wrist, but this time too, Raon defended without difficulty and even launched a sharp counterattack. The White Demon Swordsman was forced to take five steps back by Raon's sudden counterattack.
'What's going on?'
The swordsmanship that had been so effective before now had no effect at all. He couldn't understand what was happening.
'No way...'
The White Demon Swordsman swallowed as he saw Raon's eyes burning like flames.
'Did he adapt in such a short time?'
The Formless Sword technique had such complex variations that even he hadn't fully mastered them. It was incredible that someone could grasp such a transcendent sword technique after seeing it only once.
"No! That's impossible!"
The White Demon Swordsman charged towards Raon with a pale face. His sword moved in kaleidoscopic patterns, aiming for all of Raon's vital points. It was an extreme variation that combined all the techniques of the Formless Sword. Raon didn't back down, but instead lunged towards the sword blows, raising fierce flames and frost.
Although his sword didn't make many changes, it completely broke down the combined techniques of the Formless Sword. It was as if the blades were tearing along their veins.
"H-how...?"
The White Demon Swordsman's jaw trembled as he looked at Raon, who hadn't suffered a single wound.
"I learned well."
Raon nodded calmly, his words filled with sincerity.
'I didn't know this kind of variation was possible.'
Although he couldn't physically replicate the White Demon Swordsman's techniques, he could grasp their principles and effectiveness. Thanks to this, he was able to improve his mastery of variable sword techniques and ghost sword techniques.
"You're a bastard!"
The White Demon Swordsman roared and stomped on the ground. His sword fell with elegant variations, unleashing countless blows like sunlight reflected in a river transformed into blades. It seemed he was using all his power to execute his final technique.
"If you've learned, you should pay the tuition."
Raon crossed his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword diagonally. Gentle cherry blossoms bloomed on the red blade, while captivating frost flowers emerged from the blue blade, emitting a great light. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Twin Spirits of Fire. Hundreds of petals riding the wind of the Gale Wind Style scattered, creating a storm of fire and ice.
The petal storm, with its strange but beautiful variations, broke through the White Demon Swordsman's techniques and enveloped his entire body.
"Aaaaargh!"
The White Demon Swordsman screamed and unleashed a flurry of sword blows, but the variations created by the two Fire Spirits remained intact. Raon unleashed the power of his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword towards the White Demon Swordsman submerged in the storm. Invincible Blue-Red Sword. The combined technique of Divine-Demonic Harmony split the storm and extended an explosive sword path.
As Raon lowered his Heavenly Drive and Blade of Death, now free of flames and frost, the petal storm subsided, revealing the White Demon Swordsman with his chest torn apart, covered in burns and frostbite.
He was already dead, his face frozen in a shocked expression.
-Really...
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn't believe it.
-You're better at finding weaknesses and openings than anyone else.
He shook his head, saying that Raon had a cunning personality like an angel.
'Don't insult me.'
Raon pushed Wrath, who was trembling, aside and put away his Heavenly Drive and Blade of Death.
"Wow."
Rimmer, sitting on a broken couch, clapped.
"To be able to copy the White Demon Swordsman's variable sword technique, you really are my disciple."
He laughed merrily, seeming more satisfied with the money he had secured than with the victory itself.
"I was lucky."
Raon shook his head as he looked at the White Demon Swordsman's corpse.
"He showed me all his swordsmanship techniques."
Usually, swordsmen keep some techniques hidden for later use, but the White Demon Swordsman, perhaps due to his confidence in his physical abilities, showed everything. Thanks to that, Raon was able to understand all his weaknesses and the principles of his swordsmanship.
"Even so, you're probably the only one who could do that."
Rimmer laughed and threw a sword at Raon.
"That sword seemed to be one of the exchange objects too. It's called the Changra Sword."
"Yeah, I know."
Raon placed the Changra Sword, the Holy Sword Manual, and a pearl necklace on the table.
"It seems these three objects were meant to be exchanged. But this necklace..."
As he was about to examine the pearls of the necklace, a black face as if wearing a dark robe emerged from the corpse of Marang, who had died some time ago.
"What is that...?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at the black face that was writhing.
"Wasn't Marang dead?"
It was confirmed that he was dead, yet now he was reviving, which was an absurd thing.
-That's a different entity.
Wrath frowned, insisting that it was a completely different being.
"Back off!"
Rimmer stepped in front of Raon, biting his lip until it bled.
"It's the Black Tower Master!"
-
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