C1058
"F-Father?"
Martha stared at Denier with eyes as dull as a dead fish. She dropped the sword she was holding, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"Why is Father attacking King Lecross...?"
"An interruption, I see."
Denier Zieghart frowned as he looked back, not even sparing a glance at Martha. He twisted his wrist holding the sword, as if determined to end Lecross for good.
"Stop!"
Raon abandoned his pressure on the Leader of the White Blood Religion and used *Supreme Harmony Steps*. He launched *Frost Snap* towards Denier's neck as he was about to pierce through Lecross's upper body, tearing through space. Denier slightly dodged *Frost Snap* by throwing Lecross aside, as if he had predicted Raon's move.
'He dodged that?'
Raon bit his lip as he watched Denier casually dodge his sword strike.
'A Grand Master shouldn't be able to dodge at that level.'
With the *Sword Domain* still active, Denier, as a Grand Master, shouldn't even be able to properly see his sword, but he easily deflected Raon's attack.
"You can keep that. Instead..."
Denier stepped back to the right and moved behind the stunned Martha. His movement was as stealthy as a ghost, but it matched the speed of *Supreme Harmony Steps*.
"I'll take this person."
He grabbed Martha by the neck, treating his adopted daughter, whom he had personally raised, like an object.
"Martha!"
Raon caught the falling King Lecross with his left arm and gritted his teeth so hard they could break.
"F-Father, why...?"
Martha shed tears that welled up in her eyes, as if she was suffering from Denier's cold gaze as he squeezed her neck.
"..."
Without giving any answer, Denier used his blood energy to paralyze Martha's entire body, preventing her from moving.
"If you touch Martha even slightly in that state..."
Raon pointed *Heavenly Drive*, which had returned to its original form upon ending the *Divine-Demonic Harmony*, at Denier's heart.
"I'll make you experience a pain that you couldn't even imagine in death."
He glared at Denier, unleashing a rage that he hadn't even shown the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"..."
Denier calmly accepted Raon's fury and tightened his grip on Martha.
"Nngh..."
Martha let out a pained sigh. She seemed to be suffering more from the grief of Denier's betrayal than from the physical pain of being strangled.
-I can't believe it.
Wrath frowned, unable to comprehend the situation.
-To think that that black-hearted bastard was hiding his power all this time!
He let out a bitter laugh, saying it was a force even he hadn't been able to discern.
'Yes. Denier was a Transcendent...'
Raon nodded forcefully.
'And at a level similar to mine.'
How is that possible? Even if he's at a similar level, it should be impossible to deceive Glenn and Wrath. Denier must have some special ability to conceal his power.
'No wonder I lost track of Denier's movements.'
Because he never fully trusted Denier, Raon had kept his aura perception extended, thinking that Denier might stab him in the back.
It seems Denier sensed this and waited for the moment when Raon's concentration shifted towards the Leader of the White Blood Religion. Then he unleashed his hidden power and instantly stabbed Lecross from behind. A man with a mind both ruthless and cold.
-Damn it! Hurry up and save the girl!
Wrath frantically waved his hands, saying Martha was in danger.
'I want to unleash my rage on Denier too, but...'
Now is not the time for that. Raon kept his gaze fixed on Denier as he checked Lecross's condition with his left hand.
'He's not dead yet.'
Although a sword and blood energy had pierced the left side of his chest where his heart was, Lecross was still breathing. Raon immediately used *Divinity Born from Darkness* to heal Lecross's wounds.
'But for him to survive a surprise attack from behind... Hm?'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he noticed the dagger lying at Lecross's feet. Judging by the remaining aura, this dagger seemed to have interfered with Denier's sneak attack.
"It was a matter of fractions of a second."
Balder's strong voice came from behind. It seems he had thrown this dagger to slightly deflect Denier's sword.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Balder ran to Raon's side and pointed a finger at Denier.
"Raon asked me to keep an eye on you, and I thought it would be a piece of cake, but what is this!"
He let out a roar loud enough to shake the city, demanding to know what Denier was thinking.
"..."
Denier seemed to have nothing to say, not even looking at Balder as he firmly restrained Martha and cradled her in his left arm.
-To think that that fool would be useful at a time like this.
Wrath sighed, saying that Balder's simplicity had helped them avoid the worst-case scenario.
"Ugh..."
Raon frowned as he looked at Lecross, who was coughing up dark blood with a pale complexion.
'The wound isn't healing as well as I thought.'
Denier hadn't just stabbed with his sword; he had left powerful blood energy inside Lecross's body. Even using *Divinity Born from Darkness*, the wound wasn't closing properly.
'I have no choice.'
He'd have to use it all. Raon summoned all his *Divinity Born from Darkness* and poured it into Lecross's wound.
Thanks to the trait that reached the 10-star grade, increasing both the quantity and quality of his divine power, he was somehow able to erase Lecross's wound.
"Haaah..."
Lecross exhaled violently and spat the blood from his mouth, as if finally regaining consciousness.
"F-Forgive me..."
His eyes were unfocused, as if he had truly been on the verge of death. Although Lecross was breathing again, his condition was not good. He didn't seem capable of fighting.
"No, it should be me who apologizes."
Raon gritted his teeth as he looked at Denier, who had his arm around Martha's neck.
"For not stopping that bastard."
It was carelessness. If he had firmly suspected and checked Denier as an enemy, he might have been able to avoid this situation. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Martha's complete trust in Denier and his own faint desire to believe in the Zieghart he loved had led to this current situation.
"Aaaaaargh!"
With the Leader of the White Blood Religion's furious roar, Larian was sent flying and crashed into the rubble of a collapsed building.
"Damn it!"
Larian frowned as he discarded his broken dagger.
"Haaah..."
As the Leader of the White Blood Religion pulled the *Wooden Ring Sword* from her neck and channeled her blood energy, the wounds carved all over her body began to slowly heal. It was regeneration and recovery using blood energy.
"I've returned to your call."
Denier went behind the Leader of the White Blood Religion, knelt down, and bowed his head.
"Honestly, I didn't expect this."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion twisted her lips as she watched the flesh grow to fill the hole in her chest.
"I didn't think I'd have to use it today."
She wrinkled her nose, looking at Raon and Larian as if she still couldn't believe it.
"It's good that we established a password beforehand."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion spat the blood that had accumulated in her mouth, saying she survived thanks to that.
"Password? Don't tell me that password was..."
Raon parted his trembling lips as he looked at the Leader of the White Blood Religion and Denier.
"'Come?'"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion had shouted "Come!" to herself, Larian, and Lecross when she was in mortal danger.
Raon had thought it was strange that the Leader of the White Blood Religion was trying to fight head-on instead of fleeing like before, but he never imagined that that word was a code to call Denier.
"That's right."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion nodded as she smoothed out her now flawless skin.
"It was a password prepared to stab Glenn Zieghart in the back, but I didn't expect to use it in front of all of you. Impressive."
Despite acknowledging his skill, her black eyes flashed with genuine anger as they turned blood-red with murderous intent.
'That word prevented me from reacting.'
If it had been a misplaced statement, it would have been suspicious, but since they were preparing for the final battle, it only made him focus more on the fight at hand. As much as he hated to admit it, the preparation of the password was perfect.
"What is that bastard's true identity?"
Raon asked, looking at Denier instead of the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"This child is the thirteenth. The thirteenth Apostle of our main sect."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion gently stroked Denier's head, as if it no longer mattered to reveal this information.
"The thirteenth Apostle was Denier...?"
Raon bit his lip, never having imagined that the thirteenth Apostle that the second Apostle mentioned as being on the move was actually Denier.
"Since when?"
"From the beginning. The thirteenth is a child that I myself created and raised."
"Created and raised?"
Denier is Glenn's biological son. While the raising part made sense, the creating part didn't.
"..."
Denier seemed reluctant to speak for himself, silently looking at the Leader of the White Blood Religion with calm eyes.
"It's a shame to use the dagger intended to pierce Glenn's heart here, but I'll make sure to kill at least all of you."
As the Leader of the White Blood Religion adopted a stance and clasped her hands together, a massive form of a Blood God appeared behind her. It was different from what Raon had seen in the Eden branch or the South-North Union.
The Blood God was enormous enough to seem capable of destroying the White Blood Religion Headquarters. It had even more arms and weapons, and the halo that rose behind its back emitted a radiant light that could reject the sun.
A powerful wave of blood energy began to surge through the ruined White Blood Religion Headquarters.
"Uoooooooh!"
"The Leader has returned!"
"Oh, Blood God!"
"White blood will never be erased!"
As the Divine Blood Summoning Ritual neared completion, the followers of the White Blood Religion shed tears with their hands clasped together. Their eyes showed madness, as if their bodies and minds were captivated by the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"Ah..."
"I-Is that the Blood God?"
"It's a monster..."
"How are we supposed to defeat something like that!"
"Your Majesty..."
In contrast, the Zieghart and Owen martial artists who had reached the heart of the headquarters trembled in fear as they saw the Divine Blood Summoning Ritual reaching for the sky and King Lecross gasping for breath from his wounds.
"Heh."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion curved her lips in satisfaction at the reversed situation as she looked at Raon and Larian.
"Today..."
Raon clenched his lips tightly as he felt the pressure of the blood energy weighing down on his entire body.
"This really won't be easy."
***
"D-Did Denier betray us?"
Karoon's jaw trembled as he saw Denier reflected in the blue window.
"How could this happen!"
He grabbed his head in disbelief.
"Denier..."
Sheryl clenched her fist so hard that blood oozed from her palm, feeling anger after her initial shock.
"Huh..."
Even Roenn lost his characteristic carefree laugh and widened his eyes.
"M-Mr. Denier?"
"Why? Why would he betray us...?"
"I can't believe it. Of all people, the direct descendant and son of the Head of House betrays us!"
The remaining swordsmen in Zieghart expressed deep feelings of betrayal and sadness towards Denier, who had stabbed Lecross and kidnapped Martha.
"Haah..."
Glenn let out a sigh heavy enough to sink the ground as he looked at Denier's sunken eyes.
'When did they get to him?'
The Denier he saw before falling into the demonic state and the Denier he observed after regaining his senses hadn't changed at all. As a leader, he lacked initiative and seemed incompetent, but his nature was kind and he cared for his subordinates more than anyone else. Glenn had trusted him as much as Karoon, never imagining this outcome.
'Was he not incompetent, but pretending to be?'
How? Judging by how he easily dodged Raon's sword strike, Denier was clearly a Transcendent. And a high-level one. Glenn couldn't understand how Denier had concealed his power from his eyes.
'Is it a skill that isn't martial prowess?'
Even when he checked Denier's emotions and power before sending support, just in case, he hadn't noticed anything strange. He didn't know what the Leader of the White Blood Religion had done to his son.
[Damn it!]
Chamber's irritated voice came from inside the blue window.
[What is this! Why is Denier acting like this!]
She gritted her teeth, saying she couldn't understand the reason.
"I'm sorry. I've ruined everything you all prepared..."
Glenn bowed his head deeply, saying he had no words.
[Save the apologies for later! Now is not the time to worry about those things!]
Chamber shook her head, saying it wasn't the time to discuss right and wrong regarding Denier.
[We need to catch the Leader of the White Blood Religion first. If we let her escape here, everything will be ruined!]
She frowned, saying that the axis of the Five Kings and the Five Demons could be reversed.
[Lecross is severely injured, Larian has lost his strength, and Raon is also exhausted. Can you go?]
Chamber raised her confident eyes, saying that Glenn was the only one who could move now.
"I'm sorry, but..."
Glenn exhaled a short breath as he looked at Chamber.
"I can't move from here."
[What? Why not?!]
Chamber's jaw dropped, unable to understand.
[Derus is holding back that madman! If the Heavenly Demon comes...]
"No."
Glenn turned his gaze to the window where the faint sunlight was distorting. He shook his head as he felt the ferocious red fighting spirit rising from behind the North Tomb Mountain, as if calling him.
"He's already here."
***
The Leader of the White Blood Religion further inflated the aura of the Divine Blood Summoning Ritual, as if she intended to crush everyone in Zieghart and Owen. Just the exposure to that powerful blood energy made one's body feel heavy and one's soul crushed.
'This is...'
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he saw the Blood Demons lined up behind the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
'I don't see a way out.'
Lecross was injured and couldn't exert his full strength, Larian had exhausted all the artifacts she had prepared for the Leader of the White Blood Religion, and Raon himself was exhausted from opening his *Sword Domain*. He didn't know how to stop the Leader of the White Blood Religion, Denier, and their fanatical followers.
"I-It's okay..."
Lecross raised his sword with his bloody hand.
"I can still fight."
He burned with a spirit worthy of the name of one of the Five Kings, saying that this wound was something he could easily overcome.
"Experiments don't usually succeed on the first try..."
Larian levitated a magic-imbued dagger above his head and pulled out a staff that looked like it was made of twisted wood, striking it against the ground.
"A magician tries until she succeeds."
She nodded, showing that she had no intention of giving up until the very end, as befits a magician. A blue dimensional gate opened between the two who were renewing their determination, and Chamber jumped out.
"Lady Chamber?"
Raon widened his eyes as he saw Chamber.
"Sorry, it's not your grandpa."
Chamber closed her eyes and then opened them, as if that's how things turned out. It seemed that Glenn was unable to move.
"But that's okay. Anyway, I work better with these two."
She smiled as she popped a lollipop into her mouth, as if telling Raon not to worry.
"It seems Glenn Zieghart couldn't come."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion licked her lips, as if there was nothing left to bother her.
"Even if the number of insects unable to spread their wings has increased, the outcome won't change."
She scoffed, sensing Chamber's exhausted state.
'No.'
Raon shook his head as he looked at Lecross, Larian, and Chamber.
'With Lady Chamber here too, we're not completely hopeless.'
Although two of them weren't at their best, excluding Larian, the same was true for the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
'Even if she's healed her wounds, the injuries must still remain inside her.'
The Leader of the White Blood Religion had completely recovered her physical wounds, but her insides must still be damaged.
'And she must have also exhausted much of her power.'
The Leader of the White Blood Religion had consumed a large amount of stamina and blood energy while simultaneously healing her wounds and fighting. Although her power itself had increased by summoning the Blood God, it wouldn't last long either.
'If only we had one more person...'
Just as Raon was shaking his head, wishing for one more Transcendent. A terrifying aura exploded from the direction of the city walls. Something enveloped in white blood energy crashed into a building behind him. (N/E: I can't help but think we're missing someone... Like a Transcendent with a deep grudge against the White Blood Religion... Like someone who would basically be a brother to Denier... hmmm...)
"Ugh..."
The person crawling out of the building's rubble was the First Apostle. He gasped, having suffered severe injuries that exposed his ribs.
"Leader! P-Please..."
Just as the First Apostle tried to crawl towards the Leader of the White Blood Religion on his bloody knees,
A white line traced the First Apostle's neck, and his head fell and rolled on the ground like a child's ball. It was a dimensional cut that ignored distance.
Alice landed on top of the First Apostle's headless corpse, emitting blue air currents.
"I came to help because I saw something disgusting."
Alice nodded, saying she had opened her *Sword Domain* and had taken down the First Apostle as soon as she saw the Leader of the White Blood Religion summoning the Blood God.
"But..."
She lowered her left eyebrow as she looked at Denier behind the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"Why is my brother dyeing his hair like a delinquent and standing there?"
Alice tilted her head, unable to comprehend the situation.
"Denier Zieghart has betrayed us."
Raon lowered his gaze towards Alice. He didn't want to tell her this story with her deep wounds, but he had no choice.
"Betrayed...?"
Alice's lips trembled as she looked at Lecross, who had been stabbed in the back, and Denier standing behind the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"That damn bastard..."
She raised blood-red air currents above her eyes, seemingly remembering what happened to Sif.
"I'll kill that bastard myself. Absolutely can't forgive..."
"No."
Raon blocked Alice's path as she was about to pounce on Denier.
"Aunt, please, stop the Leader of the White Blood Religion with the others."
He pointed to the Leader of the White Blood Religion, who was looking at them with mockery.
"I'll take care of that traitor myself."
As Raon unleashed the cold fury sunk in his soul, the blue frost began to bloom like snowflakes, rejecting the blood energy that filled the area.
"As quickly and painfully as possible."
-
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