C805
"Don't you want to?"
Raon touched the sheath of the Heavenly Drive while standing close to Lawrence.
"Want what?"
Lawrence tilted his head as he was about to bring the wine cup to his lips.
"I told you before. Let's have a training spar after all this time."
Raon shrugged as he looked at Lawrence.
"...Wasn't that a joke?"
Lawrence's hand holding the wine cup trembled as he let out a sigh.
"I don't joke when I talk about sparring."
Raon nodded emphatically, insisting that he was completely serious.
"Hoo..."
Lawrence let out a long sigh as he placed his wine cup on the table.
"My appetite for wine has vanished."
He mumbled that he felt dizzy as he took a large bite of the roasted chicken leg on his plate.
"My appetite for food has also disappeared."
"If you no longer have an appetite, offer that chicken leg to this king!"
Wrath gestured to Lawrence to hand over the roasted chicken leg he had set aside, saying it looked perfect.
“We shouldn't take what belongs to others.”
Raon shook his head and went to get a roasted chicken leg from the buffet behind them.
"Eh...?"
Wrath looked at Raon with bewildered eyes.
"You, you really have no conscience! How dare you say those words!"
He shouted angrily again, as if his anger had reignited.
"They say that conscience originally has the shape of a sharp triangle that stabs your chest whenever you do something wrong, but your conscience must not only have dulled but become as soft as the feathers of those bastard angels..."
Raon stuffed the roasted chicken leg into Wrath's mouth to shut him up. The tender meat and the savory chili sauce harmonized to burst with happiness in his mouth.
"Filthy human... mm, delicious."
As soon as Wrath tasted the chicken leg, his frown relaxed and his cheeks flushed. Indeed, delicious food was the best way to calm the Demon King's anger.
"It hasn't even been a week since our last training spar."
Lawrence frowned as he watched Raon munch on the chicken leg.
"Your wounds probably haven't even healed yet, so what spar are you talking about...?"
"I'm much better."
Raon shook his head while hitting his chest.
"Don't lie! It wasn't just external wounds, your internal injuries were serious!"
Lawrence wrinkled his nose and said he didn't believe him.
"It's true."
The Rector approached Lawrence and looked down.
"I've checked. Both his internal and external wounds have healed without problems."
He nodded his chin and told Lawrence to see for himself.
"H-how is that possible? Wasn't he coughing up black blood?"
Lawrence grabbed Raon's wrist, saying he couldn't believe it.
"Are you really completely healed...?"
After checking Raon's physical condition himself, he was speechless with surprise.
"H-how is this..."
"I'm simply a little strong."
Raon smiled as he rotated his shoulders.
"That's more than resilient! Are you a troll or something?"
Lawrence trembled his jaw, muttering that it was incomprehensible.
"It's not that this brat is impressive, it's because those fool Demon Kings gave him so much!"
Wrath snorted, saying that Raon wasn't intrinsically great.
*'Among them, the Demon King of Wrath was the one who gave the most.'*
"Ugh, that's..."
Unable to refute, he simply shrugged.
"Now that you've confirmed I'm fine, you'll train with me, right?"
Raon pointed to the back of the training ground and said they should start immediately.
"Why are you so obsessed with combat? No matter how great you are, you couldn't have achieved transcendence in a week! The outcome will be the same!"
Lawrence shook his head vigorously, saying it wouldn't make sense.
“The outcome may be the same, but it could be a growth opportunity.”
"A growth opportunity? Come to think of it, you said you were meditating, didn't you?"
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.
"Yes. A little..."
"Not a little, but all day, right?"
Martha shook her head while remaining behind Raon.
"Meditating all day?"
"That's right. After training with you, he simply meditated in a corner of the training ground day and night."
"Yes. I thought he was sleeping sitting down."
Runaan nodded, following Martha's words.
"Why are you suddenly meditating? Did you learn to meditate from that old raccoon?"
Lawrence pointed to Zalek, who was conversing with Dorian.
"No, I simply found it easy to concentrate."
Raon calmly shook his head.
"Of course you can concentrate easily! Because you have that quality!"
Wrath frowned, as if still annoyed at the thought of it.
"Someday you'll face divine punishment... mm, delicious."
Raon stuffed another remaining roasted chicken leg into Wrath's mouth to shut him up.
"Well, you're not wrong."
Thanks to Forever Unrippled Mind, mental training had become easier. Originally, practicing mental imagery required concentration similar to real combat. Even he, with his Concentration trait, often failed, but after obtaining Forever Unrippled Mind, his success rate increased significantly.
Although it wasn't for long, by entering the mental world once a day to hone his swordsmanship, he was able to organize the missing sword principles and lay the foundation to advance further.
"It certainly seems like you've gained something."
Lawrence twisted his lips as if displeased.
"But not today! I feel like I've seen your face more than my own grandfather's!"
He shook his head, saying that Raon's face had become more familiar than Rector's, whom he had seen his whole life.
"Then, to commemorate our familiarity, how about a training..."
"Leech! Get lost already!"
Lawrence threw his empty plate at Raon, who still didn't give up.
"Says only one match. Why don't you do it yourself?"
Zalek caught the plate and wiggled his finger.
"You'll miss this noise later."
"You don't understand, old man. No, you do know! When I train with this guy, I spend the whole night!"
Lawrence glared at him and said, "Absolutely not."
"Oh, yeah? Then would you spar with me for one round, Master Zalek?"
Raon smiled and extended his hand to Zalek. He liked that in the Holy Sword Alliance there were masters everywhere.
"M-my back aches a little."
When it came to him, Zalek immediately refused, patting his hunched back.
"Eh?"
Dorian tilted his head as he looked at Zalek.
"Master. Your back is fine now, isn't it? You don't need anything in particular..."
"Shut your beak!"
Zalek covered Dorian's Mind's Eye while lowering his white eyebrows deeply.
"See! When it comes to him, he changes his mind."
Lawrence snorted, saying he knew this would happen.
"Then how about you two do one round each?"
Raon licked his lips, still trying to get a training spar.
"Ah! I didn't mention that."
Zalek let out a dry chuckle as he blocked Raon's words.
"If the day comes when we face an all-out war with the White Blood Religion, contact this kid."
He pointed to Lawrence after making eye contact with Raon and Martha.
"He says he'll definitely come to help."
"The old man will help, but I won't."
Lawrence calmly shook his head.
"I have to take revenge myself, so I won't help you, but I will fight alongside you."
He revealed a solemn look as he spoke of avenging his mother, who had been his nanny.
"That's right."
Martha sketched a slight smile as she looked into Lawrence's eyes. She seemed to empathize with him, as they had a common enemy in the White Blood Religion leader.
"We'll definitely call you, so please come."
"Of course. And, ahem! If there's any other matter, you can also call me..."
Lawrence mumbled that he would help if he felt like it, looking down.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head respectfully, feeling that he understood Lawrence's heart.
"H-has the effect of the Tenacious Leech activated? Why would someone who had their blood sucked offer to help?"
Wrath gritted his teeth and said that the title's effect was already working.
"It's probably not that."
Raon shook his head seeing the sincerity in Lawrence's eyes.
"I don't know what it is, but call us too!"
"We'll go anywhere to fight alongside you!"
The Demon Sword Lord and the String Sword Lord, who had been training with him daily, raised their hands and said they would definitely help.
"Hehe."
The Rector sketched a slight smile, as if pleased to see people gathered around Raon.
"Understood."
Raon nodded with a smile. He felt that the greatest treasure he obtained by joining the Holy Sword Alliance wasn't the growth in power and swordsmanship, but these people.
*'The Five Demons weren't completely evil either.'*
Thanks to them, he realized that not everyone in the Five Demons was evil.
*"Of course, that bastard is an exception."*
Derus Robert. No matter the circumstances, he would kill that evil demon spreading malice in the world with just the summoning of an Archangel, with his own hands. As Raon clenched his fist again, swearing revenge, it was then.
"The food here is really... hm?"
Wrath frowned as he enjoyed the smell of the food.
"N-no way..."
Almost at the same time, the Rector swallowed dryly as he looked towards the entrance.
"Grandpa?"
Raon cautiously approached the Rector's side.
"What's happening..."
"Step back! No, leave this place!"
The Rector gestured towards Raon without even turning his gaze.
"Right now!"
He revealed distorted eyes as he shouted at them to leave that place.
"Why..."
Raon extended his Aura Perception as he stepped back following the Rector's hand.
*'Eh...?'*
He sensed an indescribably massive aura coming from the entrance leading to the rocky mountain.
*'This aura...'*
It was powerful enough to remind him of Glenn, with a familiar quality emerging from the immense pressure.
"Holy Sword Alliance Leader?"
Although the size and flow of the aura had changed, the qualities of the former Holy Sword Alliance Leader were clear.
"Lawrence, Zalek!"
The Rector called Lawrence and Zalek by name with gritted teeth.
"Get the children out through the back passage!"
He bit his lip as he mentioned a passage that wasn't the rocky mountain.
"I-I got it!"
Lawrence seemed to have also sensed the aura of the former Holy Sword Alliance Leader, as he gestured towards Raon's group with a trembling jaw.
"No time for explanations! Hurry!"
He immediately turned his back and shouted at them to follow, but Raon didn't follow Lawrence and remained motionless.
*'It's too late.'*
Just as he had seen the Holy Sword Alliance Leader, the other had also seen him.
"Raon! What are you doing? Hurry..."
"Where are you going?"
As Lawrence tried to grab Raon's arm to take him away, a broken voice echoed from the center of the banquet hall. With a strong gust of wind, a red-haired man descended. He wore a black eye patch and was dressed in a tattered dragon robe. The Holy Sword Alliance Leader. The Sword Fanatic believed to be dead had returned.
"But that guy..."
Something was different. A strange softness had settled in the aura of the Holy Sword Alliance Leader, which previously only contained fighting spirit. Although the qualities were the same, he seemed to have become a different person.
"Darkan..."
The Rector bit his lip as he shouted the name of the former Holy Sword Alliance Leader.
"It's been a while, Rector. Or should I call you Holy Sword Alliance Leader now?"
Darkan turned his head towards where the Rector was, despite wearing a black eye patch.
"Were you alive?"
"Luckily so."
He drew a small smile, saying it was by a hair.
"Why appear only now?"
"My soul was shattered on the brink of death and I had things to think about. But..."
Darkan slowly turned his chin as he answered the question. He twisted his lips into a smile as he looked at Raon's group behind Lawrence.
"I'm not sure if this is the Holy Sword Alliance or Zieghart."
Darkan revealed a ghastly smile as he immediately recognized the identity of Raon's disguised group.
"As expected, you and that boy are no ordinary acquaintances."
He murmured words suggesting he had suspected the relationship between Raon and Rector.
"That's..."
"Ah, it's alright."
Darkan waved his hand calmly.
"You're the Holy Sword Alliance Leader now, aren't you? By law, one can only sit in the leader's position once. The leader doesn't need to explain his reasons to me."
"Do you really mean that?"
The Rector lowered his eyebrows as if he couldn't believe it.
"Of course. The swordsmanship I received while sitting in the leader's seat was quite attractive, but it's meaningless now."
Darkan gestured with his hand, saying he really had no attachment to the leader's position.
"Because I have a new objective and a new prey."
A strange desire gleamed in the black patch he wore.
"You..."
Raon bit his lip as he positioned himself in front of Lawrence.
"How are you alive?"
Even if the others didn't know, the Holy Sword Alliance Leader had been right in front of Glenn. He couldn't understand how he had survived.
"Raon Zieghart. Yes. An explanation would be quite useful for you."
Darkan was clearly already aware of his identity.
"Your house head was greedy. He didn't just pursue me, but all the leaders of the Five Demons."
He continued speaking while stroking his rocky jaw.
"If Glenn had used a complete Soul Weapon or attacked only me, I would have died. But he thought too much about protecting them all. Thanks to that, I was able to survive, albeit in a horrible state."
"Horrible?"
"Yes. Seeing that beautiful Soul Weapon, I thought I could die without regrets, but I also wanted to wield that sword with my own hands. So I barely managed to endure it by shattering my own soul."
Darkan let out a viscous laugh, against confessing his own ugliness.
"My soul was mercilessly shattered, but I could survive. Even now, it's chilling to think about it. A mind's blade that cuts the soul! It was a realm I couldn't even imagine, being satisfied with Sword Control. I can only explain it as madness."
He laughed creepily and was overly excited as he prolonged his words.
"Then your eyes..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the Holy Sword Alliance Leader's black eye patch. If he held a grudge for those eyes, perhaps he wouldn't be able to leave alive today.
"No, it's not that."
Darkan firmly shook his head.
"While recovering from the wounds in my soul, I kept remembering your house head's sword. The Soul Weapon that cuts the soul. I traversed the mental world countless times, imagining it. But no matter what I did, it didn't appear in my hands."
The more he spoke, a disturbing chill began to run down Raon's spine.
"I went back to the beginning and thought again. An invisible sword. A sword that cuts the soul. A mind's sword. It's a sword that can't be seen or grasped from the start. So..."
Darkan revealed a grotesque smile as he tore his lips.
"I gouged out my eyes."
He removed the black eye patch. Indeed, as if they had been torn out raw, both his eyeballs had been roughly ripped out.
"What the!"
"Ah..."
"T-that..."
Even the Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen trembled their lips, as if gouging out one's eyes raw was something horrifying.
"Only then could I see what the Soul Weapon is."
But Darkan smiled and said it was a satisfactory result.
"I knew he was crazy from the start, but to this extent..."
Wrath bit his lip and said that Darkan was quite disgusting.
"But I couldn't reach the same level as your grandfather. That's why I'm so interested in you."
Darkan licked his lips as he looked at Raon.
"I believe I can achieve the same result by studying you."
"Step back!"
"Raon! Come behind me!"
Lawrence and Zalek positioned themselves in front of Raon, blocking Darkan's gaze.
"Ja..."
Darkan sighed as if his excitement had subsided and shook his head.
"Destruction Technique and Mind's Eye. I have nothing to do with you bastards."
He extended his hand as he emitted a voice full of murderous intent. With a thunderous sound, Lawrence and Zalek couldn't withstand Darkan's massive aura and were thrown to the ground. Black blood gushed from their mouths.
"What I want is that boy..."
"Then what about me?"
The Rector cast a calm gaze as he remained in front of Raon.
"Surely you must have felt my change as well."
"Of course."
The corners of Darkan's mouth curved again.
"Your growth is surprising even to me. It seems you've achieved enlightenment in a different way than mine."
He nodded his head, smiling as if pleased.
"If I had remained in that position, I would probably have consumed myself completely."
Darkan raised his voice, saying he was excited.
"Shall we begin right now then?"
As he wiggled his finger, the fallen Zalek's sword was unsheathed and grasped in his hand.
"Grandpa!"
Raon couldn't help but call out to the Rector.
"Didn't I tell you? I'll protect you even if I die."
The Rector turned to look at Raon and smiled as if to tell him everything was alright.
"Grandpa, huh? That makes me want it even more."
Although Darkan's eyes were gone, his desire didn't seem to have disappeared, but had become even more intense.
"I won't lose this time."
The Rector stood before Darkan with his sword drawn.
"Good. Satisfy me."
Darkan lifted his chin with his sword resting on his shoulder. The moment Rector and Darkan stopped breathing, their swords extended simultaneously with a deafening clash.
-
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