C1006
The Eden Phantoms knelt, bowing their heads to the ground.
"The Heavenly Demon Bell has awakened the demonic sky!"
"Worship the Heavenly Demon who will open that day!"
Even the Eden executives who hadn't been brainwashed bowed similarly, offering praise to the Heavenly Demon. Their strange appearance resembled that of a cult no less fanatical than the White Blood Religion.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon showed no reaction to the worship of his subordinates. He simply held the strangely resonating bell in his hand, looking down at Raon.
"Ugh..."
Raon bit his tongue, straining against his body that seemed to crumble under the Heavenly Demon's aura.
'I feel like I'm going to die.'
With his physical and mental strength at their limit, just being under the Heavenly Demon's gaze made it difficult for him to breathe. If it weren't for the Ring of Fire, he would have been on his knees like the other Eden Phantoms. The Heavenly Demon remained motionless, maintaining his overwhelming aura as if he were testing Raon's resistance.
"Hnngh..."
Raon exhaled a forced breath as he plunged the Heavenly Drive into the ground. He gritted his teeth, using the sword like a cane to support himself.
'I never knew a being like this could exist.'
The Heavenly Demon was crushing Raon's soul just with the aura of his breath. The air felt heavy, as if all of space was under his control.
'I have to hold out.'
If he gave in, the Heavenly Demon's aura would reach Evelyn and Mark Goetun behind him. He had to resist at all costs.
'Urgh...'
As Raon bit his tongue, his vision blurred, and ten daggers fell in front of his eyes. Larian descended, hooded, and stood in front of Raon. She levitated the ten daggers simultaneously, her lips trembling.
As Larian protected him, the Heavenly Demon's aura that had threatened to tear flesh and crush bones disappeared.
"Hah..."
Raon exhaled the breath he had been holding, his body bending as if it were about to collapse.
"A-Are you the Heavenly Demon?"
Larian, seemingly seeing the Heavenly Demon for the first time, slightly raised her gaze with a strained voice.
"Magician Tower Master Larian."
The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Larian. His voice was calm, but it sounded fierce, as if it contained a violent storm.
"You are different from what I have heard. Both your martial prowess and your temperament."
The Heavenly Demon nodded calmly, as if he had understood everything about Larian the moment their eyes met.
"Y-You're the same."
Larian's shoulders trembled as she covered her face more with her hood.
"T-They said you were a demon who ascended to heaven... but you just seem like the child of a beast."
Suddenly, she pulled off her hood, twisting her lips into a mocking smile. The bold personality she had shown when fighting The Fallen resurfaced.
"Is that so?"
The Heavenly Demon dismissed Larian's words and averted his gaze. He frowned as he looked at the ground where The Fallen had died and turned to ashes.
"Truly, he died like a worm."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head, his voice a mixture of pity and mockery. As he extended his tattooed finger, a small piece of wood floated up from the black pit.
'That couldn't be...'
Raon swallowed hard as he watched the wood fragment be drawn towards the Heavenly Demon's hand.
'Is that The Fallen's mask?'
Although blackened, its shape and material suggested that it was a fragment of the mask that The Fallen had been wearing.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon turned the fragment of The Fallen's mask over with his fingers, examining it. Raon remained tense, expecting an attack at any moment, not knowing what the Heavenly Demon was thinking.
"You..."
Larian frowned as she looked at the Heavenly Demon.
"What are you trying to do?"
She frowned deeply, seeming to share Raon's thoughts.
"Because I need to hear the reason I was summoned."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head, holding the dark red bell and the fragment of The Fallen's mask in one hand.
'The reason he was summoned?'
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at the dark red bell.
'They called it the Heavenly Demon Bell before, right?'
The Eden Phantoms had shouted that the Heavenly Demon Bell had rung and that the Heavenly Demon had descended. It seemed that the bell was called the Heavenly Demon Bell and was an object used to summon the Heavenly Demon.
'And...'
Raon clenched his fist as he looked at the mask fragment next to the Heavenly Demon Bell.
'The Fallen was the one who rang that bell.'
The Heavenly Demon Bell couldn't ring on its own, so The Fallen must have shaken it before he died. However, since the Heavenly Demon had confirmed his death, The Fallen was certainly dead.
"Are you saying you'll hear the reason you were summoned?"
Larian narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
"Are you saying you're going to revive a dead man just to ask him?"
She moved her hand, telling him to stop talking nonsense and disappear.
"This is different from you humans."
The Heavenly Demon lowered his chin, referring to the fragment of The Fallen's mask as if it were an object.
"But I won't be able to get an answer in this state. You've completely shattered him."
He smiled, seemingly satisfied.
"...Yes. He was getting arrogant, so I crushed him."
Larian nodded with a cold smile. She seemed to be trying to divert the Heavenly Demon's attention from Raon and Evelyn.
"You're not very good at lying."
The Heavenly Demon slowly shifted his gaze towards Raon and Evelyn behind Larian. Just by being there, he seemed to know everything that had happened in this land.
'This guy... He's not just strong in martial prowess.'
Raon gritted his teeth, feeling the Heavenly Demon's immense soul.
"Rise."
The Heavenly Demon commanded the mask fragment with a voice imbued with aura, as if he were casting a dragon spell. At that moment, natural mana gathered like a storm, and a bright light rose from the mask fragment. The fragment floated in the air, emitting a soft golden glow, just as it had when it was on The Fallen's face.
"The Fallen...?"
Raon's lips trembled as he watched the mask fragment rise from the Heavenly Demon's hand.
'I can feel The Fallen's aura from within!'
The Fallen's aura, which had been completely erased, seemed to have revived by the Heavenly Demon's command.
'Impossible...'
Raon's jaw trembled as he looked at the fragment of The Fallen's mask.
'That's not magic or sorcery.'
The Heavenly Demon hadn't used sorcery or magic. He had simply summoned The Fallen's soul into the mask fragment with the will of a Transcendent. The absurdity of the situation made Raon laugh hollowly.
"Monster..."
Larian's lips trembled as if she had witnessed something incredible. Even for her, a first-level Transcendent, the Heavenly Demon's ability seemed astonishing.
"Now I can hear him. That ugly voice."
The Heavenly Demon laughed contemptuously as he looked at the fragment of The Fallen's mask.
-Raon...
Wrath called out to him without taking his eyes off the Heavenly Demon.
-This king has made a mistake.
He shook his head as if he had misinterpreted the Heavenly Demon.
'It can't be...'
Raon swallowed hard as he shifted his gaze towards Wrath.
'Is it too much even for you?'
He knew the Heavenly Demon's martial prowess was strong, but he hadn't thought it would be to the point where even Wrath couldn't win. His heart pounded as if it were about to burst.
-It's not that.
Wrath shook his head firmly.
'Then?'
-Do you remember when this king said he smelled a demon king from the masked one?
He frowned as he looked at the fragment of The Fallen's mask.
'Yes, I remember.'
Raon nodded. Wrath had said he smelled another demon king when he first saw The Fallen.
-This king was wrong. That guy was just a shell...
Wrath pressed his lips together as he looked at the Heavenly Demon.
-That bastard's royal authority resides in him.
He frowned, saying that he could now see it clearly.
'Wait a minute...'
Raon's eyes trembled as he looked at Wrath.
'Then the authority the Heavenly Demon possesses is...'
-The Lord of Pride. It's Pride.
Wrath nodded, confirming that the Heavenly Demon possessed the authority of Pride.
-It's because of Pride that he can transcend the causality of the human world without being affected.
He exhaled softly, saying that he was sure after seeing the divine power the Heavenly Demon had just shown.
'Damn...'
Raon's jaw trembled as he looked at the Heavenly Demon.
'How are we supposed to catch something like that?'
With martial prowess that could make even Larian tense, and now possessing the authority of Pride, there didn't seem to be an answer, honestly.
'But is it possible to summon The Fallen's soul just with martial prowess?'
-That's the ability of Pride.
Wrath nodded as if it were obvious that it was possible.
'What is the ability of Pride...?'
Just when Raon was about to ask Wrath about the authority of Pride.
"Speak."
The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the fragment of The Fallen's mask.
"What is the reason you called me?"
However, Raon couldn't hear The Fallen's words. It seemed that only a fragment of his soul remained, speaking only to the Heavenly Demon.
"Revive you and kill them?"
The Heavenly Demon turned his cold eyes towards Raon and Larian.
"So it all comes down to this in the end?"
Larian bit her lip as she looked at the Heavenly Demon. She gathered mana as if she were preparing for an immediate fight.
'Damn...'
Raon pulled the Heavenly Drive out of the ground and gripped it with both hands. He might not be able to withstand even a single blow, but he had to fight to the end.
"Impossible."
However, the Heavenly Demon shook his head firmly as he looked at the fragment of The Fallen's mask.
"There is only one request you can make of me now. Choose one of the two."
The Heavenly Demon lowered his hand, saying that The Fallen could only choose one of the two reasons. Their relationship didn't seem to be that of mere comrades. The fragment of The Fallen's mask continued to emit a soft light, as if it were talking to the Heavenly Demon.
"In the end, your own life is the most precious to you."
The Heavenly Demon laughed contemptuously as he grabbed the mask fragment and crushed one of the Heavenly Demon Bells.
"I will return now. Do you have anything to say?"
He looked at Larian as if he were asking her what she would do. His arrogant attitude suggested that he would fight if she wished.
"Eh..."
Larian bit her lip as she looked at Raon and Evelyn.
"Y-It's okay."
Evelyn smiled awkwardly, as if she were saying it was okay to let The Fallen go. She was choosing a path where everyone could live, rather than seeking 500 years of revenge.
"...Let him go."
Raon nodded weakly to Larian.
'Damn.'
It was frustrating not to be able to completely avenge Evelyn despite seeing all her memories. He never thought he would feel so powerless even after reaching Transcendence.
"Consider yourself lucky."
Larian sighed briefly and stepped back.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon nodded silently and turned around. He was about to disappear into the air when he suddenly stopped.
"Those words..."
The Heavenly Demon looked down at Raon and Evelyn again, emitting a chilling aura.
"You should have said them first."
He turned around immediately as if he had heard something from The Fallen and descended in front of Larian.
"What are you thinking?"
Larian summoned her daggers in front of her chest, wrinkling her nose.
"I've changed my mind."
The Heavenly Demon raised his finger, pointing at Raon and Evelyn.
"I'll take those two."
He declared, as if ignoring Larian, that he would take Raon and Evelyn with him.
"Ha, you must think I'm worthless."
Larian laughed at the Heavenly Demon, raising her fingertips.
"Alright. I've been wanting to see how strong the strongest of the Four Demons is."
She twisted her lips as she spun her ten daggers like wagon wheels. As Larian quickly formed a spell and clasped her hands together, the ten daggers glowed with their individual lights and shot towards the Heavenly Demon. However, the Heavenly Demon blocked the dagger assault simply by raising his hand.
"Spiritual Explosion."
As Larian extended her hands again, the daggers spun, piercing the Heavenly Demon's aura and causing a powerful explosion. A huge amount of mana erupted, strong enough to repel the Heavenly Demon's aura, tearing apart the space where he stood.
But the Heavenly Demon remained in the same posture, floating in the void where the ground had been erased.
Despite taking Larian's ultimate magic head-on, not a single scratch appeared on his body.
"Tsk."
Larian clicked her tongue as she slid the daggers back onto her fingers.
"A disgustingly resistant aura."
She frowned, acknowledging that he was living up to his reputation.
"I have no intention of killing you, Magician Tower Master."
The Heavenly Demon shifted his gaze towards Raon.
"Just hand over those two."
He lowered the hand that had blocked Larian's magic, indicating that that was all he wanted.
"I told you that's not possible, right? If you want to take them, you'll have to kill me."
As Larian clenched her fists with the daggers on her fingers, two new daggers appeared. The Light Sword and the Dark Sword. The ten daggers transformed into the two, releasing a magnificent amount of mana. It must be why the ten daggers were called the Twelve Stars Formation.
Larian moved both hands, extending the light and dark daggers. Light and darkness sliced through the air, rushing towards the space between the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
The Heavenly Demon once again blocked the light and dark daggers simply by raising his hand. Before his absolute aura, the daggers could only tremble, unable to move.
"It's not over yet."
As Larian bit her lip and clasped her hands together, the blades of the light and dark daggers intertwined as if they were fighting each other, creating intense gray radiation.
'Void!'
Raon's eyes widened as he saw the gray energy. It was the power of the void that The Fallen had used. It seemed that Larian had prepared this void energy to trap The Fallen. The dagger imbued with the gray power of the void pierced the Heavenly Demon's aura and rushed towards his heart.
The power of the void, which could erase existence itself, exploded, opening black cracks in the sky and earth where the Heavenly Demon stood. As the gray void energy slowly calmed, the Heavenly Demon's figure became visible again. The air trembled with his power.
The Heavenly Demon was still holding up only one hand. However, thick veins had emerged on his arm, and a strange red aura floated on his fingertips. It seemed that the Heavenly Demon had also drawn a lot of energy to block the void.
"Indeed..."
The Heavenly Demon nodded, clenching his slightly trembling hand into a fist.
"You deserve to be called a Transcendent."
He nodded, assessing the Magician Tower Master, a Transcendent of the Five Kings, as if she were a far inferior opponent.
"Still, I have no interest in you."
The Heavenly Demon extended his clenched fist. Although it moved slowly like a worm, its impact was beyond imagination. The sky was cut, and the earth burned. It was as if only the Heavenly Demon's power existed in this space, even stopping the flow of mana.
"Damn!"
Larian poured all her mana into the daggers raised in a defensive posture, as if she could feel death approaching. Despite giving it her all, she was violently pushed back. Her hair flew wildly, and blood gushed from her mouth.
"If I had known someone like him would come..."
Larian shook her head, biting the blood flowing over her lips.
"I should have brought different tools."
She let out a hollow laugh as she watched her daggers bend and shatter before the Heavenly Demon's power.
"Magician Tower Master..."
Raon approached behind Larian and lowered his head.
"Send me away. I've experienced this once." (E/N: "It's not the first time Eden has kidnapped me")
He told Larian to retreat, saying that he would be fine.
"That's why you can't go!"
Larian shook her head firmly, saying that because he had experienced that once, he shouldn't have to go through it again.
"But it's dangerous!"
Just as Glenn had easily defeated the leaders of the Four Demons, the Heavenly Demon was overwhelming Larian. If this continued, Larian would die. The Heavenly Demon's power crushed Larian's ten daggers and finally reached her face.
"I-I told you when I first arrived..."
Larian spat out black-stained blood as she tried to block the Heavenly Demon's power with the mana in her hands.
"That I was late because I was making some preparations."
"What?"
"He's here."
The moment a blood-stained smile appeared on her lips, the dark sky split open, and a red sword fell. No, it wasn't a sword of light, but a god transformed into a sword. The trembling of the earth, which had been shaking as if it were afraid, stopped, and the sky that had been rippling as if it were praising evil ceased its resonance.
The dawn of a thousand years ago that had cut the neck of the Demon Dragon and opened a new world. As if that bright light had returned to this era, a red radiation pushed back the pitch-black darkness.
The Heavenly Demon's overwhelming aura that had dominated the sky and earth dissipated, and a black robe fluttered over the settled ground. The pillar of the Five Kings, the peerless swordsman whom this world had named the Sword God, descended upon the crumbling earth.
"Glenn Zieghart!"
The Heavenly Demon faced the old swordsman who had erased his own power, a smile of ecstasy on his face.
"To touch the children, that is different from what you told me."
Glenn stood in front of the Heavenly Demon, trampling the settled fighting spirit. His transcendental aura brought a clear glow to the darkened sky. The Sword God and the Heavenly Demon. The absolute rulers of the era, enveloped in light and darkness, faced each other, their red eyes flashing.
-
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