C919
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Karoon enter through the door.
"The swordsmen of the Central Martial Palace are gone."
It seemed that Karoon had experienced something similar, as the swordsmen of the Central Martial Palace were nowhere to be seen. He also seemed to have been climbing the tower alone.
"It seems that the Master of the Light Wind Palace also left the others behind."
Karoon briefly nodded as he looked at Jayna and the mages behind her.
"What happened?"
He lifted his chin as if asking for an explanation of what had happened so far. Not seeing Burren, he seemed curious about the situation.
"There was a floor that perfectly recreated the situation in Montiro. There..."
Raon briefly explained to Karoon what had happened.
"Confident..."
Karoon met his eyes and slightly moved his lips.
"Similar. We also had a floor where we had to enter each room and eliminate demonic beasts. I left that to my subordinates and climbed alone."
He lowered his chin heavily, saying that he had also left his subordinates behind and climbed.
"What happened to Lord Morel?"
Jayna clasped her hands together as she mentioned Morel Kazan's name.
"He took care of the next floor. He proved to be an even more reliable man than he seemed."
Karoon placed his hand on his sword, saying that he was able to save time thanks to Morel.
"You shouldn't worry about someone leading everyone here."
He nodded to Jayna, seeming to trust Morel Kazan.
"Ah, I understand."
Jayna let out a sigh of relief, seeming reassured by Karoon's confidence.
"But here..."
Karoon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two entrances, the arena in the center, and the exit that was on the opposite wall.
"Hmm, now I understand why they said the floor masters have unpleasant personalities."
He also seemed to have understood the purpose of this floor, lowering his eyebrows.
"Yes. It seems that only one of the people who came out of the two entrances can go up."
Raon clicked his tongue, calling it a despicable place.
"Indeed."
As Karoon looked at the arena with an irritated look, a strange voice that sounded like metal scraping was heard.
[Only one entrance is connected to the exit.]
It seemed to be a message sent by the Floor Master who ruled this floor. As expected, he didn't intend to let everyone go up.
"Did you try to break down the walls and doors?"
Karoon seemed uninterested in the Floor Master's message and immediately asked Raon a question.
"Yes. I hit with all my strength, but they didn't break."
Raon shook his head with a brief sigh.
"They seem to be using condensed demonic energy and artifacts, like the outer walls of the Black Tower."
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his current martial prowess was at its peak so far. Considering that he couldn't leave a mark despite the condensed demonic energy, it was safe to say that special artifacts were being used.
"I see."
Karoon slowly raised his sword and struck the exit that led to the next floor. A tremendous shockwave exploded as if he had invoked the realm of transcendence, but not the slightest scratch appeared on the door or the walls.
"Just as you said."
Karoon lowered his hand calmly, as if he had expected it.
"Wasn't the Floor Master here from the beginning?"
Now he was looking around as if trying to find the Floor Master.
"Yes. It seems he's hiding."
Raon shook his head, saying that he couldn't feel his presence at all.
-The demonic energy is spinning chaotically, making it difficult even for this king to find it.
Wrath frowned, saying it was an unpleasant space.
-However, he's surely watching you.
He moved his eyes, saying he could feel someone's gaze.
'I'm sure.'
Although the demonized humans he had encountered so far had the purpose of buying time, they had constantly sent intense gazes to take advantage of the opportunity to kill him.
"The Floor Masters were trying to block our way even at the cost of destroying their own unique domains. It seems that the Master of the Black Tower is preparing a reversal weapon."
Karoon looked towards the ceiling, saying it would be better to go up as quickly as possible.
"......"
Raon ran his tongue over his lips as he looked at Karoon, who was surrounded by a calm aura.
'Is he really Karoon Zieghart?'
This was a question he had had since Karoon first stepped onto this floor. That person could be the real Karoon, but there was also the possibility that a demonized human had changed his appearance.
"Master of the Central Martial Palace."
Raon looked at Karoon as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"May I ask you a question?"
"...Are you doubting me?"
Karoon looked away without changing his expression, even though he had read his thoughts.
"It's not a bad judgment. Very well."
Instead of getting angry, he nodded, saying it was fine.
'It should be a question that would be embarrassing. And difficult to answer, but one that I know the answer to.'
Raon thought of a question that would bewilder Karoon, and then slowly opened his lips.
"Do you love Burren, Karoon?"
To give a stronger stimulus, he called him Karoon instead of Master of the Central Martial Palace and asked about his affection for Burren. It was a question he would never have asked before, but he gained confidence through Karoon's behavior he had seen today.
"Hmm..."
Karoon opened his eyes as if he hadn't expected a question about Burren.
"Please, answer."
Raon unsheathed his Heavenly Drive as if he was going to cut him immediately if he didn't answer.
"That question would have different answers depending on the moment. However, if you ask now..."
Karoon looked at him again with sharp eyes, as if he had made a decision.
"I love him. To the point of loving the Zieghart family."
He nodded, saying that he loved Burren in a similar way to how he loved Zieghart, whom he valued most.
-Huh!
Wrath opened his mouth wide as he looked at Karoon.
-T-that guy is a fake! There's no way his father looks like that!
'No, he's real.'
Raon briefly ran his tongue over his lips.
'As he himself said, that person has changed a lot.'
Karoon sincerely repented for his past blinded by jealousy and greed, which allowed him to reach transcendence. Now he stayed up all night to accompany Burren's training, and just before, he congratulated him on reaching the Grand Master level in front of everyone. It wasn't strange that the current Karoon would give such an affectionate answer.
"May I ask a question too?"
Karoon lifted his chin with a cold look.
"Please, do."
He nodded without hesitation. It was natural to be questioned, as Karoon would also be doubting him.
"What do you plan to do if you become the Head of House Zieghart?"
"The Head of Zieghart..."
Raon deeply frowned. He hadn't expected a question about becoming the Head of House, so his mind went blank. However, he remembered what he desired through previous conversations with Glenn and Rimmer.
"More than raising Zieghart to the highest position, I want to make it a place where people belonging to the family can be happy."
He looked up, saying that he wanted the family members to live comfortably and happily instead of becoming the strongest among the Five Kings and Five Demons.
"That's an answer worthy of you."
Karoon nodded calmly. Seeing him erase his cold gaze and form a small smile, it seemed that the answer wasn't bad.
"Shall we begin then?"
He pointed his sword at Raon, saying they should start even if he wanted to talk more, as there was no time.
"Yes. I will go with all my strength."
Raon emphasized the words "with all my strength" and raised his Heavenly Drive towards Karoon's neck.
"Are you really going to fight..."
Jayna shook her head as if she couldn't believe it.
"Because there's no other way."
"Please, stay away."
Raon and Karoon told Jayna to retreat as they pointed their swords at each other.
"Ah..."
The moment Jayna, intimidated by the fierce auras of the transcendents, stepped down from the arena, Karoon and Raon simultaneously took off from the ground. Their swords clashed as they aimed for each other's necks, emitting red and blue auras that contrasted with their identical red eyes.
The collision of the sword strikes of the transcendents, unleashed with all their strength, wore down the arena and created vibrations that seemed to shake the entire Black Tower.
Raon twisted his lips as he saw Karoon pushing forward, cutting through the aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
'You're serious.'
Karoon was truly unleashing sword strikes filled with killing intent, as if he truly intended to kill him. If he had been careless for even a moment, his neck would have been torn apart on the first strike.
'Right. That's the best option now.'
Raon nodded and intensified the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. He burned Karoon's aura with the intense burning flames.
"Hmph!"
Karoon, as if he had expected this, condensed his blue aura to create a blade that could cut even through the flames. Seeing the aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation being cut, a chill ran down Raon's spine.
'Heart.'
Raon bit his lip as he deflected Karoon's sword aimed at his heart.
'Precise and powerful strikes. But even more dangerous is that elegant sword technique.'
Karoon had refined the Precision Sword, Quick Sword, and Destruction Sword to the extreme, and then placed them on a plate of elegance. Originally, elegance was a value recognized in sword dances rather than in actual combat, but upon reaching transcendence, a new power was created that was unlike any other sword technique.
Karoon was overcoming Raon's physical superiority and aura with his elegant sword strikes. It was truly mysterious how a seemingly unnecessary value he had had since childhood had granted his master special power upon reaching transcendence.
'But I can't fall behind here.'
Raon unleashed the Thirty-Six Crimson Flash Techniques against Karoon, who was blocking all the sword strikes like an iron wall.
"That sword technique."
As if he already knew, Karoon drew a semicircle with his sword shining blue to create a path that blocked the sword strikes that were launched simultaneously at thirty-six points. Countless sparks erupted over the arena as the red and blue sword lights collided countless times.
Raon unleashed a huge sword strike as if he wanted to end this this time, with a red sky seeming to descend, while Karoon imbued the blade of his sword with the aura of a tyrant, trying to erase everything in front of him.
The collision of power and power. Before the tremendous wave of aura, Jayna and the Balkar mages fell to their knees, unable to properly open their eyes. Raon and Karoon entered the space where sparks continuously erupted and clashed their swords.
Karoon's shoulder was shattered by Raon's sword strike, and red blood gushed out.
This time, Karoon's sword cut Raon's waist, tearing flesh and blood. The two continued to emit increasingly dense killing intent, as if they were facing mortal enemies instead of companions, and pushed their swords towards each other's hearts.
* * *
While Raon and Karoon were engaged in a fierce battle, cutting their breaths, a transparent eye appeared above their heads. It was the detection magic of Treive, the Floor Master who ruled one of the upper floors.
'They're fighting more seriously than I thought.'
Treive smiled as he watched Raon and Karoon aiming only at each other's vital points.
'The power they're spending is significant, and their injuries are becoming severe.'
Originally, transcendents could draw mana from the atmosphere and fight all day, but this was the upper floor of the Black Tower where demonic energy was denser than mana, so the power they had spent could not be recovered in a short time.
Moreover, due to blood loss from numerous injuries, Raon and Karoon's complexions were becoming increasingly pale. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their current martial prowess had been reduced to half compared to when they first arrived here.
'This is an opportunity.'
Originally, this floor was his unique domain, but it had changed to its current state due to the power of the artifact bestowed by the Master of the Black Tower. In reality, even if one of them survived, it would be useless; they needed his permission or his death for the path upwards to open.
At first, he had planned to ambush the survivor after letting him go up, but now it seemed he could kill both of them here.
'If I kill two transcendents here...'
He could surpass the vice masters. The current state of the Black Tower is special. If he could kill two transcendents simultaneously in this space where demonic energy spins endlessly, he would definitely ascend to transcendence. And in a higher position than the current vice masters.
'No, no!'
Treive slowly shook his head.
'It would be dangerous if I let them pass here.'
Above this floor was the space where the vice masters were, and right above that was the upper floor where the Master of the Black Tower resided. If this place was violated due to his greed, he would suffer even after death, so he had to restrain himself.
'But such an opportunity might not come again...'
The dense demonic energy kept gnawing at his mind with greed.
'Then, when a good opportunity arises...'
He slightly increased the demonic energy, promising to attack only when those two really tried to kill each other, not just acting. At that moment, blood gushed out near Raon's collarbone, and black blood flowed from Karoon's mouth.
"Sword Domain."
"Sword Domain!"
Raon and Karoon raised their swords, reciting Sword Domain as if they truly intended to end this. The caliber of the two began to rise rapidly, enough to push back the demonic energy.
'Now!'
Treive revealed his hidden form in the darkness, igniting the condensed demonic energy. The opportunity was too good; the Master of the Black Tower's orders had already vanished from his mind.
'It's now or never!'
The moment they used Sword Domain while looking at each other, they would be vulnerable to attacks from behind. Moreover, if he killed them now when their caliber had risen, the benefits he would gain would be much greater.
Treive exploded the condensed demonic energy behind Raon and Karoon just as their swords began to shine. It should be impossible even for transcendents to resist this moment.
While he was about to smile, thinking that he had ascended to transcendence, suddenly the two's eyes turned towards him. Their gazes were too calm, in contrast to his expectations.
'Eh...?'
The moment he saw Raon and Karoon's eyes, his body stopped moving. The demonic energy that was about to explode scattered into pieces, and the world he had been seeing was also torn in half.
"What...?"
Treive felt the strength escaping from his hands and his thoughts disappearing as he fell backwards.
"Aaaaargh!"
Then came the terrible pain. Looking down, he saw that all his arms and legs had been severed.
"H-how...?"
"Your greed was too much."
Raon shook his head as he wiped the blood flowing from his mouth.
"Of course, there wouldn't be a fool anywhere who would let go of the opportunity to catch two transcendents."
He laughed with a knowing look in his eyes, as if he had read everything.
"Did you know I would come out?"
Treive moved his jaw and shook his head.
"We've seen it before. All of you tried to buy time by hiding, but you couldn't abandon your desire to become stronger as demonized humans."
Raon shook his head with a mocking smile.
"That greed was your downfall."
Karoon nodded calmly.
"Damn it all!"
As Treive was about to sink to the ground while cursing, blood gushed from his neck and his head fell.
"Ah..."
As the demonized human who had dreamed of becoming a transcendent breathed his last breath, buried in his greed, the door leading to the next floor opened.
"Are you okay?"
Raon approached Karoon and offered him healing medicine and holy water. There were deep wounds, but none seemed fatal, so they should recover quickly.
"We were on the same wavelength."
Karoon narrowed his eyes, saying they had the same thought.
"We had the clue of 'going with all our strength'."
Raon nodded with a soft smile.
"But you came at me with a little too much intensity."
He ran his tongue over his lips, pointing to the wound on his chest.
"...I thought you could handle it."
Karoon lowered his hand, as if he had trusted him.
"...I understand."
Raon let out a soft laugh and gestured towards the next floor.
"There's not much left now. The floor after the next should be the top floor."
He said they should fight together now as he climbed the stairs.
"Right. Let's go up."
Karoon looked at Raon's back as he climbed the stairs after applying holy water to the wounds on his abdomen and waist. His gaze curved gently.
'Someday, we might have to fight seriously. But...'
Karoon frowned as he looked at his own hand.
'Why did I go overboard?'
-
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