C948
Raon clashed his swords with Karoon’s, slightly bending his knees and narrowing his eyes, ready to move in any direction at any moment.
“As expected, your swordsmanship is tricky to handle.”
Karoon’s swordsmanship had an elegant and grand quality, like watching an orchestra playing. While it lacked some practicality, like the ceremonial sword dances nobles learn, Karoon had transformed that weakness into a strength by reaching Transcendence.
Among the elegant sword movements that unfolded like fine silk, sharp, knife-like strikes emerged that seemed to oppress the heart. They were so sharp that it seemed as if even the Heavenly Drive could be cut.
Raon deflected Karoon’s sword, which had fallen with a chilling aura, while biting his lip gently.
“I wasn’t the only one who grew during the last war.”
Karoon seemed to have developed through endless battles, displaying his swordsmanship at a different level than before. Raon had thought he had fully understood Karoon’s skills, but that was a big mistake. While Karoon’s physical abilities and aura hadn’t obviously increased like Raon’s, he had grown significantly both mentally and martially.
‘Interesting.’
Raon briefly licked his lips and raised the Heavenly Drive as if it were dragon scales. Above the red-hot blade, a massive tree that resembled the World Tree rose. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Fire Spirit. Thousands of bright red, fiery petals bloomed on the tree, engulfing Karoon in a firestorm.
“I need to press harder here.”
Since Karoon could probably break through the Fire Spirit flames without much difficulty, Raon needed to attack with intense swordsmanship now to easily resolve this encounter. Raon advanced forcefully, employing Glacier to its fullest. A silver sphere formed over the refreshing sword energy. Raon’s Zieghart-style swordsmanship.
Second Form: Heavy Sky Cannon.
Just as the condensed sphere of frost was about to cause a massive explosion, Karoon casually suppressed the storm caused by the Fire Spirit and emerged.
‘He broke the Fire Spirit I unleashed with all my power so easily?’
While Raon expected Karoon to escape the Fire Spirit, he hadn’t anticipated him destroying it so quickly. He shattered the flames with an incredibly sharp sword strike.
‘Still, I have to keep going.’
A powerful aura was already condensed on the blade of the Heavenly Drive. Even if Karoon could block it, Raon had to detonate the Heavy Sky Cannon. Just as Raon was about to detonate the Heavy Sky Cannon, Karoon’s sword drew a deep blue line. The energy of the Heavy Sky Cannon that touched that line split diagonally.
The Heavy Sky Cannon didn’t explode in front of Karoon, but in the air, causing a massive tremor in the training ground.
‘He even broke through the Heavy Sky Cannon so easily?’
Raon had imbued the silver spheres that formed the Heavy Sky Cannon with enough cold energy to freeze an entire village and more. He couldn’t help but laugh ironically at Karoon, who had split that enormous energy in a single breath.
“There are two reasons why I requested this encounter with you.”
Karoon raised his fingers while remaining still.
“First, to understand you. And second, to show you my abilities.”
He waved his hand as if to say it would be troublesome to underestimate him.
“Just as you develop, I’m also growing.”
Karoon slightly moved the hand holding his sword as if he were telling Raon to attack him with all his strength.
“Well, there’s no need to prolong this when we already know each other so well.”
Raon curled his lips upward and plunged the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem into the cracked training ground. Sword Domain - Divine-Demonic Harmony. A golden sun overlapped the sun illuminating the training ground, and alongside it, a silver moon rose majestically. Raon gripped the divine and demonic swords, seemingly carved from the sun and moon, and lifted his chin.
“As you wish, I’ll give it my all.”
***
Karoon frowned as he blocked Raon’s divine sword with its flame-sharp edge.
“It’s different. No, it’s not just different, it’s as if he’s become a completely different person.”
Raon’s sword attacks, which Karoon had believed he could easily stop, now pierced his defenses relentlessly. It seemed like he was facing a Transcendent of a higher level than him, not Raon.
“I have to admit it. In terms of strength, speed, perception, and the amount of aura, Raon is superior.”
Raon’s body was so strong and agile that even Karoon, who had undergone a complete transformation, couldn’t keep up. If it were only physical abilities and aura, he wouldn’t have any chance of winning.
“The problem is that’s not all.”
If it were only Raon’s swordsmanship with more power and speed, Karoon could have easily overcome it. But now, Raon’s sword contained an even higher level of subtlety. It seemed like this was the true swordsmanship of Raon Zieghart.
—Yes, it should be at least this.
Karoon had requested this duel because he wanted to surpass Raon’s true martial prowess. If it weren’t at least this level, he would have been in trouble. Karoon blocked Raon’s divine and demonic swords simultaneously while raising his aura to the extreme.
A terrifying shockwave erupted as the all-consuming flames and the all-cutting sword energy collided. The training ground cracked like a spiderweb, revealing completely black fissures.
Even though the training ground was crumbling beneath their feet, Raon and Karoon didn’t back down and thrust their swords at each other’s throats. The blue sword energy suffocated the raging flames, and the silver frost drove back the blue sword energy. The battle of the sword energies devouring each other continued endlessly. It was a fight that could be said to be evenly matched.
‘It’s certainly tricky.’
Karoon frowned as he observed the trajectories of Raon’s sword that were rapidly changing.
‘This Ten Thousand Swords style…’
Raon’s swordsmanship constantly changed color like an unfathomable sea. Sometimes it was fast, sometimes slow, sometimes light, and sometimes heavy. There were times when he incorporated all these subtleties into a single sword, making it seem like he was facing dozens of swordsmen at the same time.
‘However…’
Not all sword techniques are perfected yet. The Ten Thousand Swords style aims to master all the principles of existing sword techniques. Naturally, not all the sword principles Raon had learned were perfect.
‘I’ll have to aim for those points.’
Karoon gripped his sword tightly as he dispersed the pressure of the divine and demonic swords with his footwork. Raon’s swords, falling with extreme sharpness, generated red lightning as if they were trying to pierce Karoon’s defense. It was a thunder sword technique intended to momentarily paralyze the opponent’s body.
‘Now!’
Raon’s thunder sword was certainly powerful, but not as refined as his other techniques. There was enough room to exploit. Karoon lunged forward, shattering the ground beneath him. He leaped into Raon’s space and attacked with his sharp sword.
Using the ultimate technique of his swordsmanship that could cut all things, Karoon severed Raon’s thunder sword and thrust his sword toward Raon’s chest.
“As expected, you came.”
Raon curled his lips upward and nodded slightly.
“Towards my weakness.”
Despite his elegant swordsmanship, Karoon possessed senses as sharp as a wild animal’s. To lure him, Raon had to demonstrate a truly flawed sword technique, not just a clumsy trap.
‘Was it a trap?’
Karoon frowned but pressed on. Even though he realized Raon had set a trap for him, his body was already committed. Pressing on was the best option now.
Raon’s divine sword, deflected to the left, erupted with a majestic aura and sparkling lightning. The Hundred Petals of Heaven-Piercing Thunder. Glenn’s inherited martial art had spread new wings.
When Karoon’s sword and Raon’s Heaven-Piercing Thunder collided, a blue light and red lightning spread in all directions. Karoon, unable to withstand the powerful force of the Heaven-Piercing Thunder, was pushed back. He lifted his face and frowned.
“Were you aiming for this?”
“No, I just thought you would come.”
Raon smiled and said he had faith in Karoon.
“If that’s how you want to play it…”
Karoon nodded with a smile similar to Raon’s.
“Don’t blame me if you can’t enter the Room of Self!”
He attacked Raon and declared that he would decisively crush him. Blue flashes and red flames repeatedly clashed, causing massive tremors in the training ground. No, not just in the training ground: all of Zieghart was trembling.
***
“I can barely see what’s going on…”
Balder laughed ironically as he watched the training ground filled with light, flames, and frost.
“It hasn’t been long since they ascended to Transcendence, has it?”
He frowned and said the gap had suddenly become too large.
“It’s not normal.”
Alice waved her hand, saying that wasn’t typical.
“Karoon exploded with the experience he accumulated after reaching the peak of Grand Master, while Raon, as you know, is in a different class of talent.”
She chuckled and said those two were exceptional.
“I knew the river was flowing quickly behind, but to this extent…”
Alice clicked her tongue, saying she had fallen too far behind while she was bedridden.
“Father, what do you think? Who do you think will win?”
She approached Glenn, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the training ground.
“Well…”
Glenn narrowed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his palm.
“Before the war with the Black Tower, Karoon was clearly superior, but now it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were on equal footing.”
He licked his lips and said Raon and Karoon had reached similar levels.
“Furthermore, they’re both growing through this match. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if either of them won.”
Karoon and Raon were reading each other’s rhythms and elevating their martial achievements. When Raon advanced a little, Karoon caught up, and when Karoon’s sword became sharper, Raon’s sword firmly blocked the way. It was truly an even match.
“My brother didn’t use his Sword Domain. If he used it, I think he would win.”
Balder licked his lips, predicting Karoon’s victory for holding back his Sword Domain.
“Raon hasn’t used his Sword Control either. Besides, that Sword Domain isn’t something that ends after a single use.”
Alice shook her head, saying Raon also had major weapons in reserve.
“That’s not all.”
Glenn lowered his chin slightly as he listened to Balder and Alice’s words.
‘Raon hasn’t used all the power he possesses yet.’
In his soul slept a special power that only Raon could use. If he used that energy, he could probably defeat Karoon, but it seemed like Raon intended to win this match with his own strength alone.
“It’s good to see.”
Glenn formed a slight smile as he watched Raon and Karoon fiercely wielding their swords.
“I never thought I’d see something like this.”
His son and grandson were dueling for each other’s benefit. He had thought it was a scene he, who had failed at raising his children, would never witness, but there it was.
“It’s all thanks to you.”
Glenn looked at Raon with eyes as warm as sunlight.
—Thank you, Raon.
***
Raon pushed Karoon back with his divine sword, with a slight smile on his face.
“Now I can see it.”
Through the long duel, he had learned Karoon’s swordsmanship with his eyes and his body. Now he could create a flow of Ten Thousand Swords that wouldn’t be cut by Karoon’s sharp techniques.
“Haha…”
Karoon, pushed back abruptly, let out a deep sigh.
“Your growth rate is certainly unmatched. And besides, I’m at a disadvantage in strength and speed.”
He gritted his teeth and said the situation was unfavorable in many ways.
—You still have reserves, don’t you?
Raon chuckled and waved his hand.
“You haven’t used your Sword Control either.”
Karoon nodded, saying he was well aware.
“If we count like that, you’re even more so, Central Martial Palace Master. You haven’t even opened your Sword Domain yet.”
Raon pointed his divine sword at Karoon, telling him to stop making excuses.
“Haha…”
Karoon slowly raised his sword, closing his eyes before opening them again.
“It’s been very enjoyable, but it’s time to end this.”
He lifted a chilling gaze and said they should settle it here.
“I agree.”
Raon leaned his divine sword behind his shoulder and his demonic sword behind his waist. He also raised the wooden ring sword Sword with Sword Control, making all the preparations.
“Don’t die.”
Karoon swung the sword he was holding with both hands. Although it looked like a simple vertical cut, his sword was imbued with a massive aura that seemed capable of destroying the continent and more.
“Sword Domain - Emperor.”
Karoon’s calm voice became the axis that changed the world, and the sword he swung created a majestic wave as if splitting the horizon.
‘Is the sword getting bigger?’
No, was it actually growing? Karoon’s thin sword gradually swelled until it became large enough to fill the entire training ground. It felt as if his body, no, his soul, was being crushed by Karoon’s sword.
“He called it Emperor.”
It felt as if his soul, his body, and his swordsmanship were being bent. It was power worthy of the name Emperor.
‘Even though I feel like my heart is going to burst…’
I can’t back down here. Raon gritted his teeth tightly and advanced toward Karoon. He exploded all the remaining energy in his divine and demonic swords toward the enormous Emperor sword that covered the sky.
Raon Zieghart-style swordsmanship. Sixth Form: Linked Divine-Demonic Harmony Technique - Invincible Azure Red Sword.
The divine and demonic swords emitted a majestic light as if they were about to burst, drawing two streams of radiance that blocked the giant sword.
‘One more here!’
Raon imbued the wooden sword Sword with the lightning of the Heavenly Thunder Arts and the wind of Garunua. The two energies harmonized like watercolors spreading, creating a red lightning. It was the ultimate technique of the Heaven-Piercing Thunder, the Emperor Thunder Slash.
The sword carrying lightning and wind was launched over the pillars raised by the divine and demonic swords. The Ten Thousand Swords style containing four attributes clashed with the Emperor sword that could destroy heaven and earth.
An immense force collided, causing the ground to crumble and the training ground itself to begin to collapse. Even the clear sky seemed to freeze in awe, turning completely black. Raon bit his lip as he saw Karoon’s Emperor counterattack even after using the Invincible Azure Red Sword and the Emperor Thunder Slash.
“It doesn’t seem like I’m repelling it, but rather I’m being repelled.”
Karoon’s sword, true to its name Emperor, possessed a firm yet majestic power.
“I see why he’s so strong.”
Karoon’s goal was unique: to become the head of the Zieghart family. The concept of Emperor that he had dreamed of since childhood was manifesting in this world through his Sword Domain. The difference in the time spent accumulating this concept and his desperation made his Sword Domain stronger than the Invincible Azure Red Sword.
‘But…’
I can’t hesitate at this point. There’s no such thing as perfect swordsmanship in this world. Raon gripped his swords tightly as he watched Karoon’s Sword Domain become heavier and more powerful.
“If he keeps pressing from there, this time I’ll break through.”
Raon imbued his Invincible Azure Red Sword and his Emperor Thunder Slash with extreme sharpness, just as Karoon had done to him, and unleashed them against Karoon’s Emperor sword. As Karoon’s Emperor, which was continuously gaining power, clashed with Raon’s sword strikes imbued with sharpness that could cut even space itself, the colors of the world began to change.
The training ground, once bright with various colors, turned black and white as an enormous power capable of erasing everything began to condense.
Just as Raon and Karoon swung their swords to the very end in that eerie space, a red lightning bolt fell from the split sky. The lightning, as large as if one were watching a divine dragon, swallowed the energy created by Raon and Karoon.
All that remained after the lightning passed was the aura of the red lightning spreading like an afterimage.
“Enough.”
Glenn stepped forward in front of Karoon and Raon, holding the Heavenly Tremor.
“If you had continued fighting like this, neither of you would have emerged unscathed. This training ground would have been completely destroyed as well.”
He said they had both gained what they could, so it would be better to stop there, and sheathed the Heavenly Tremor.
“…Understood.”
Although Karoon seemed regretful, he nodded and lowered his sword.
“Yes…”
Raon let out a short sigh and sheathed the Heavenly Drive, the Blade of Requiem, and the Wooden Ring Sword.
‘As expected, it wasn’t easy.’
—If you had used this king’s <Wrath> together, you could have won.
Wrath frowned as if Raon had forgotten about <Wrath>.
“I wanted to fight with my own power alone.”
As Wrath said, if Raon had used the Demon King’s Authority from the beginning, he could have pushed Karoon back. But since it was a fight between Zieghart swordsmen, he wanted to win with his own strength.
“It’s a bit disappointing.”
If he had used the Heaven Rift instead of the Invincible Azure Red Sword that faded at the end, he might have been able to cut Karoon’s Emperor sword. It was regrettable that he couldn’t test that.
—Anyway, I can reach him now.
Before the war, Raon had thought Karoon was far above him, but now he felt he could win even without using the Demon King’s Authority. He was excited to see how much he would change after visiting the Room of Self.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Raon bowed his head to Karoon first.
“We’ll have to settle this match after you come out of the Room of Self.”
Karoon said they would see each other later and left the training ground without hesitation.
“You acted so calmly! You completely surprised him!”
Balder gave a thumbs-up, as if saying “well done.”
“You’ve really changed a lot. This is…”
Alice let out an ironic laugh, asking how he had come so far.
“I was just lucky.”
Raon shook his head and said he had many good opportunities.
“Raon.”
Glenn approached Raon and dusted his hands.
“I’ve opened the Room of Self as you wished.”
He nodded as if to say all the preparations were complete.
“Rest for a while and the promised day will come.”
“Yes.”
Raon nodded with eyes full of anticipation.
“I’m finally going.”
—So we’ve finally come to this…
Wrath grabbed his head and his eyes turned red.
—Damn Nadine’s bread!
***
—Well then, I’m off.
Raon greeted Sylvia, Edgar, Sia, Olga, and the maids who were in the garden.
“Be careful. Don’t be too greedy.”
Sylvia nodded, telling him to take it easy.
“A martial artist must have ambition!”
Edgar, on the other hand, clenched his fist, telling Raon to gain as much as possible.
“Come back safe and sound!”
Sia waved her hand, telling him to come back safe and sound without complaining. It was evident that she was maturing.
—Hey, come back soon. It’s hard being alone.
Olga averted her gaze and said she felt uncomfortable being alone in the annex.
“It probably won’t take that long. The axis of time is different,” they say.
Raon patted Olga on the shoulder, telling her not to worry.
“Well then!”
Raon greeted everyone once more before leaving the annex. Perhaps because it was the day he would enter the Room of Self he had so long awaited, his body felt surprisingly light.
—Damn it…
Wrath, on the other hand, had been grinding his teeth since morning, thinking about having to eat Nadine’s bread for a while. Raon dragged the weeping Wrath like a reluctant dog out for a walk as he entered the lord’s mansion.
“I’m here to see the Head of House.”
Raon bowed his head to Glenn while standing in the center of the audience room.
“You arrived before the agreed time. Couldn’t you wait?”
Glenn formed a slight smile as if he understood Raon’s feelings.
—Yes. I wanted to enter since before reaching Transcendence, so I could barely sleep.
Raon scratched the back of his neck and said his heart was still racing a little.
“Then we should enter immediately.”
Glenn said there was no need to waste time as he rose from his throne.
“Yes. Then…”
When Raon was about to leave the audience room again, Glenn raised his hand.
“There’s no need to leave.”
Glenn shook his head and pointed his finger at the floor of the audience room.
“The Room of Self is right here.”
-
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