C838
"Aunt..."
Raon's fingertips trembled. His mind went blank. He knew he had to rush to Alice's side immediately, but his body wouldn't move, as if his mind and body were disconnected.
"Huh...?"
Burren dropped his sword in disbelief.
"Damn it!"
Martha spat out a curse, her face contorted.
"...Sif?"
Runaan stood motionless, as if she had turned to stone.
"Sif!"
Raon slapped his cheek, forcing himself back to reality.
"Bastard!"
"Enough."
As Raon was about to use the Steps of Supreme Harmony to save Alice, Sif calmly shook his head.
"It would be best if you didn't move from where you are."
Sif slightly twisted the Black Cursed Sword embedded in Alice's chest, as if threatening to kill her if anyone approached.
"Urg!"
Alice let out a gasp as if her breath were being cut off, her entire body trembling.
"You..."
Raon gritted his teeth, staring at Sif's calm gaze.
'Damn it!'
At first, Raon had harbored a suspicion when Wrath said he had seen Sif somewhere. But Sif's body was so stiff that he could barely hold a knife, let alone a sword, and his aura was so dry that Raon thought he couldn't harm anyone.
No, more than that, the affectionate scene between Alice and Sif had reminded him of himself and Sylvia, causing him to let his guard down.
He never imagined something like this would happen, especially that Alice would be subjected to such treatment.
"S-Sif..."
Alice turned to look at Sif, coughing up black blood.
"I don't hold any grudges against you, Mother."
Sif smiled softly as he brushed Alice's red hair aside.
-I only need you, that's all.
He laughed in the same soft voice as before, unchanged.
"W-why? I would have done anything you wanted..."
Alice's darkened lips trembled, seeming more pained by Sif's transformation than by the sword piercing her chest.
"Was it because I pushed you too hard in training? Or because I arrived too late to save you...?"
Even in this situation, she thought of Sif first and asked for reasons.
"Training? It was certainly difficult. Others showered me with praise for my talent, but back then, I wasn't particularly interested in strength."
Sif shook his head with a calm gaze.
—But things changed after I left you, Mother.
He chuckled with a broken voice.
"I realized how extraordinary I am and how insignificant other human beings are in comparison. Power is truly wonderful."
Sif stroked Alice's cheek, thanking her for making him understand this.
"I didn't train you for something like this!"
—Didn't you tell me not to lose to anyone, Mother? Tormenting and dominating the weak is truly pleasurable.
He curled his lips into a long smile, as if trampling on Alice's hopes.
"But I never heard anything about your actions..."
"I had to hide my identity to avoid being caught for doing stupid things. Crimson Blade Vass, Blood Wolf Danshu, Deadly Arrow Isran. I've used quite a few names."
Sif listed infamous aliases known for being assassins, revealing he had killed over a thousand people.
"It's all thanks to you, Mother. I met my god and learned about the meaning of this Zieghart blood."
"Blood?"
Raon frowned, speaking with dry lips.
"What I said about our blood being special isn't a lie. It really is different."
Sif shook his head, insisting that at least this wasn't a lie.
"I don't know what you're thinking. But I know I have to stop you!"
Alice bit her lip and grabbed the Black Cursed Sword protruding from her chest. It seemed she intended to break it.
"Ah..."
But she couldn't break the blade of the Black Cursed Sword, and her hands trembled weakly.
"Aunt?"
Raon swallowed dryly, watching Alice.
'What's happening?'
Even if they had caught her by surprise while she was exhausted, Alice was a Transcendent Warrior who had overcome countless difficulties. She should have been able to break Sif's seemingly powerless sword, but for some reason, she couldn't move.
"What have you done...?"
Alice tried to gather her strength to pull the Black Cursed Sword out of Sif, but her sword didn't budge, as if it were a rock.
"This sword is special. It was forged with my blood and my soul."
Sif shook his head, saying it was natural she couldn't pull it out.
"But if it's a request from my beloved mother, I can certainly pull it out for you. Anyway, it was about time."
He smiled and pulled the Black Cursed Sword out of Alice's chest. The moment the sword was removed, Alice collapsed, and a terrifying amount of blood gushed from the hole in her chest. When Alice's blood touched the ground, the dried blood clots on the ceiling, walls, and floor of the cavern emitted a red glow.
A deep rumble echoed. The bright red light, as if melted from the blood, fell upon Sif like a stage light. As the blood light seeped into Sif's body, his wounds began to disappear as if time were reversing, his flesh and muscles filled out, transforming him into a robust figure.
Without hesitation, Raon kicked the ground.
'I have to go now.'
If they left her like this, Alice would die without a doubt. This moment was the only chance to save Alice from Sif, whose power was rapidly amplifying. Raon stepped forward with his left foot and executed Frost Snap.
"You should have only worried about Mom."
Sif shook his head with a slight smile.
"You're too greedy, little brother."
With a quick flick of his finger, the air split and erased Raon's two Frost Snap cuts. As expected of Alice's son, his spatial swordsmanship was remarkable. Raon clicked his tongue and approached Alice.
"Aunt!"
Alice's eyes were open, but she couldn't move a single finger, as if her entire body were paralyzed. The mental shock seemed even greater than the physical pain.
"Damn it!"
Raon gritted his teeth and placed his hand on Alice's chest. He poured all his Darkness-Born Divinity into the wound that was still bleeding. Thanks to exhausting all his sacred power, Alice's wound healed, but she still couldn't move.
"R-Raon..."
Red tears welled up in Alice's distorted eyes. She apologized with her gaze.
"Is-Space Sword?"
Paras, who was approaching Alice, stopped and trembled as he looked at Sif.
"How could Sir Sif use the Space Sword...?"
"What do you mean?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he turned to Paras.
"Sir Sif never learned the Space Sword. He mastered a completely different swordsmanship, so why suddenly...?"
Paras grabbed his head, seemingly unable to comprehend.
-That bastard...
Wrath bit his lip as he looked at Sif.
-He's extracting the rioter's power.
—Power? You mean he's extracting the aunt's aura?
Indeed, Alice's energy was gradually decreasing, while Sif's aura was getting stronger.
-It's not just aura, but power! He's extracting the martial prowess the rioter possesses!
Wrath shook his head, saying he had never seen such a phenomenon before.
'Then...'
Raon understood why Paras was surprised to see Sif's Space Sword. It seemed impossible, but it appeared that Sif had forcibly taken Alice's Space Sword.
-And now I remember who that bastard is.
Wrath stared at Sif and exhaled deeply.
-He's the one who tried to kill you at the river.
'Tried to kill me?'
-Do you remember when I woke up and you said you were on the verge of death? He was the one who chased you and tried to kill you!
Wrath twisted his lips, saying he recognized him now that his aura was exposed.
'No way...?'
Raon had heard that there was someone who had been hiding in the shadow of the Evil Goat Demon and had jumped in at the last moment to stab him with a sword after he collapsed in the life-or-death battle with the Axe King.
"Be...orn?"
Raon shouted Beorn's name as if grinding bones, looking at Sif.
"Huh?"
Sif looked at Raon and let out a hollow laugh.
"Do you remember? But you were clearly unconscious."
He tilted his head curiously.
-Well, there's no need to hide it anymore.
Sif nodded calmly, looking at the fallen Alice.
"That's right. I am Beorn."
He erased his chilling smile and revealed a gaze as firm as a rock.
"...Is Sif dead then?"
—Raon asked, gritting his teeth. It seemed that Beorn had killed Sif and was acting in his skin.
"What are you talking about?"
Sif drew another eerie smile.
"I am Beorn and Sif."
Beorn nodded, saying he was Sif.
"What...?"
Raon's lips trembled.
"Did you think I had died and Beorn was acting as if he were me? That's too naive!"
Beorn mocked as he brushed his red hair back.
"Ah..."
Raon looked down, hearing Alice's groan. She seemed to have also heard Beorn's words, as a blood-stained tear fell from her eye.
"It's like I'm seeing it."
Raon bit his lip until it bled.
"Robert snarled."
Pure malice with unfathomable intentions. It was a dirty feeling, the same as when he faced Derus Robert, who used all humans as his chess pieces.
"I'll kill you myself..."
Raon stood in front of Alice, raising Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem as if making an oath.
-Take care of him as soon as possible. That bastard is now...
As Wrath waved his hand, saying there wasn't much time left, a massive wave of mana erupted from Beorn's entire body, as if a volcano had exploded, emitting a magnificent blue light.
A power that shook not only this dungeon but the entire island. It was a dominant aura that only someone who had broken through the Grand Master barrier and ascended to Transcendence could reveal.
"This is..."
Beorn looked at his own hands with satisfaction, clicking his lips.
"True transcendence, indeed."
He smiled and said he had finally achieved it.
"This can't be..."
Raon shook his head, biting his dry lips.
"It's impossible to reach Transcendence this way!"
Raon knew better than anyone how high the realm of Transcendence was. It should be impossible to reach Transcendence with power stolen from others. But Beorn was getting stronger even at this moment after reaching Transcendence. As if he could reach Alice's level.
"It's true. Normally it's impossible. However..."
Beorn smiled as he looked around the cavern that glowed like a ruby.
"It's possible with the despair and fear that permeate this cavern and the Zieghart blood flowing through our bodies."
He nodded, saying he had spilled the blood of over a thousand humans for that day.
"The Zieghart blood...?"
Raon looked at Beorn and exhaled sharply. That bastard had mentioned before that the Zieghart blood was special.
"Have you never wondered why only the direct Zieghart lineage can use the Sword Domain?"
Beorn spun his Black Cursed Sword, pointing it at himself.
"What?"
"There are many Grand Masters and Transcendent Warriors, but only the Zieghart can use the Sword Domain. Do you know why?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You don't know, do you? You probably took it for granted."
"..."
"The reason we can use the Sword Domain is because of the blood that has been passed down to us from above. Our ancestors weren't human, you know?"
Beorn clicked his lips, saying their blood was mixed with that of another race.
"That's why only those with more concentrated blood in the lineage can use the Sword Domain."
He nodded and asked if it wasn't interesting. Raon didn't miss the moment Beorn looked down and stepped onto the steps of Supreme Harmony.
'This is dangerous.'
If that bastard got any stronger, Raon wouldn't be able to win even if he poured out all his strength. Although he was curious about the information related to blood, he had to end this now. As he was about to stomp his foot to unleash the Heaven Rift of the Sword Domain in one go...
-Range!
Just as Wrath shouted, the ground Beorn was standing on glowed bright white, and a young man with a cold expression leaped out.
"Don't interfere."
As a nearly sacred white light erupted from the young man's hand, Raon and the Light Wind division swordsmen behind him disappeared like smoke.
—Bardiel, what are you doing?
Beorn frowned as he looked at the cold-faced young man.
"Have you forgotten his words? Absorbing Alice Zieghart's power is the top priority."
Bardiel shook his head, reminding him not to forget the top priority.
"That guy doesn't even deserve to exercise after eating."
Beorn stomped his foot, seemingly annoyed.
"I'll take care of Raon Zieghart and the other humans. You focus on your task."
Bardiel ignored Beorn and sank into the white light.
"For someone who isn't even human, you sure worry a lot."
As Beorn clicked his tongue and approached the fallen Alice...
"Huh...?"
Dorian, who had belatedly emerged from a hidden room, trembled completely at the sight of Beorn.
"Fortunately..."
Beorn licked his lips with his bright red tongue.
—At least there's one left, huh?
* * *
"What is this place...?"
Raon bit his lip as he observed the completely white world. The moment the cold-faced young man emitted light, he was absorbed into that space with no chance to resist. He had no idea what had happened.
'Still, it's not at a level I can't overcome.'
The durability of the space itself didn't seem very strong. If he could get out quickly, there shouldn't be a big problem. As Raon took a deep breath and launched into Heavenly Drive, the space split, and the cold-faced young man who had put him there jumped out.
The young man revealed a calm gaze as he blocked Raon's sword strike.
"Step aside."
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay here."
He raised a powerful shield of light, indicating they couldn't leave.
—Then you don't intend to back down? Then...
Raon stepped forward, wielding Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem. His eyes gleamed menacingly, as if darkness were erasing the light.
"I'll cut your throat and leave."
-
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