C1052
With a thunderous roar, Haerang, unsatisfied with turning one of the Kraken's legs into a rag, raised his front leg. The beast slammed its blade-like claws into the Kraken's body, tearing the flesh with a sickening sound.
Although its head was torn apart, the Kraken refused to be passively defeated, raising its long tentacle to strike Haerang's jaw.
The battle between the Blue Wolf enveloped in waves and the ancient Kraken holding the white city was fierce, as if it were determining who would be the true master of these seas.
"Kyaaaah!"
Haerang bared his fangs again and tore the tentacle that had struck him. The Kraken seized this opportunity to wrap its remaining tentacles around Haerang, constricting like a snake.
Although the attack had enough power to pulverize mountains, Haerang wasn't just a wolf, but a spirit possessing the essence of the sea.
With a roar, Haerang transformed his body into seawater, freeing himself from the constriction before using his sharp claws to sever a third tentacle. The Kraken's massive limb crashed to the ground, shaking the earth.
"Eh..."
Raon let out a sigh as he watched Haerang overwhelm the ancient Kraken with sheer strength.
'Was Haerang always this strong?'
The current Haerang seemed even stronger than when he had gone mad due to his addiction to bloody energy.
-Didn't I tell you? That dog has overcome death, so naturally he would become stronger.
Wrath nodded calmly, saying that it was the result of overcoming pain and fear that would make one desire death.
-Of course, even I didn't know he was hiding such power. It must be because you awakened that dog.
'Did I awaken Haerang?'
-Didn't you give him that childish name, Haerang? That spirit found its place thanks to you.
He wrinkled his nose, saying that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to claim that he had given Haerang new life and power.
'Looking now, not only is he strong, but the magic inscribed on the Kraken's body isn't working against Haerang.'
The Kraken's body was inscribed with magic that blocked both aura and spells. However, since Haerang used neither magic nor aura, he was able to subdue the Kraken more easily. During this time, Haerang severed another of the Kraken's tentacles, leaving only four, and inflicted five deep wounds on its body.
The Kraken, with its enhanced instincts, seemed to feel the pain more intensely as it screamed loud enough to shake the sea, with green blood flowing from all over its body.
"Grrrrrr!"
Haerang gnashed his teeth, determined to finish off the Kraken imbued with bloody energy, and kicked the sea. The Kraken screamed and tried to retreat, but the bridge connecting the White Blood Religion headquarters to the shore prevented its escape.
Seizing the opportunity, Haerang plunged his extended claws into the Kraken's head.
The Kraken, trembling in unbearable pain, threw the White Blood Religion headquarters it had been carrying on its back. It seemed that the instinct to survive had overcome the brainwashing to protect the Blood Religion, thanks to the instinct-enhancing magic.
The White Blood Religion headquarters crashed between the sea and the shore, causing a tremendous tremor. The sand and waves rose, spraying brown dust in all directions.
Kieeeeee!
"Kyaooooo!"
The Kraken, belied its name as an ancient monster, fled into the sea without looking back, while Haerang plunged after it, determined to finish it off.
"...Is it really the same spirit I saw before?"
The Magic Tower Master Larian let out a hollow laugh.
"Please, let me study it! Just a little!"
She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. Even in the midst of a war with the Blood Religion, a mage would always be a mage.
"The spirit of the sea is one of the legends passed down from ancient times."
Alice smiled deeply as she looked at the waves Haerang had left behind.
"Even after wandering the seas for decades, I never met one. Our nephew is something special."
She patted her shoulder, saying it was a good decision not to kill Haerang, but to let him live.
"Thanks to that, the Blood Religion's defensive advantage has been reduced."
The White Blood Religion headquarters had been on the Kraken's back before falling to the ground, significantly reducing the height of its walls. Breaking through them would be much easier than before. However, the defensive magic on the headquarters itself was so powerful that the Blood Demons inside seemed largely unaffected by the fall.
"Get up! Charge against the walls again!"
Balder, noticing the chaos engulfing the Blood Religion, ordered the swordsmen on the four bridges to charge.
"Don't climb the walls! Destroy them!"
Taking the lead, he brought down his flexible sword imbued with the Astral Ring, causing red cracks to appear in both the walls and their magical barriers.
"Eh..."
Raon clenched his fingers as he watched Balder break the enemy's rhythm.
'He's not just a fool after all.'
The walls of the White Blood Religion headquarters were imbued with powerful bloody energy magic. Entering without eliminating that barrier would put them at a disadvantage, and Balder had realized this, choosing to destroy both the walls and the magic first.
'And he's clearly aware of the enemy's moment of weakness.'
Although Raon had thought he was incapable of using his head, that simplicity had become a bestial instinct on the battlefield, allowing him to strike the enemy's vital points.
"Let's go too!"
"Break the walls now and enter!"
"Use all your strength to open a path!"
Burren, who was leading the Light Wind Palace in his place, Lawaine, who was commanding the Azure Wind warriors, and other martial force leaders seemed inspired by Balder's powerful momentum as they charged towards the walls with their subordinates.
The determination of the Zieghart swordsmen to pierce the grotesque walls connected as one sword, carving deep wounds into the Leader of the Blood Religion's solid magical defenses.
As the white walls and the protective magic guarding the White Blood Religion headquarters began to crumble simultaneously, pure white dimensional portals appeared in all directions. As if a beehive was being disturbed, countless Blood Demons in white robes stained with blood droplets emerged from these white dimensions.
"Demons!"
"Stop these demons and protect our god!"
"Don't let them enter the sacred land!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The Archbishops sent the Blood Demons emerging from the white dimensions to block the path of the swordsmen trying to destroy the walls and magic.
"For the Blood God!"
"For the Blood God!"
The Blood Demons charged against the unarmed swordsmen. The moment they were cut by the swords, they detonated the Blood Realm concentrated in their hearts in suicide attacks. On the narrow bridge, consecutive explosions of bloody energy rained cursed white blood on the swordsmen's bodies.
"Kuaaaagh!"
"My, my arm!"
"Aura can't block it!"
While the Light Wind Palace swordsmen, all of them Masters, somehow managed to defend themselves, screams erupted from the swordsmen on the other bridges.
"These filthy bastards..."
Martha gritted her teeth as she watched the Blood Demons swarming like ants.
"Those Blood Demons..."
Raon frowned as he watched the endless stream of Blood Demons emerging.
"They're not coming from inside."
"That's right..."
Evelyn nodded as she let out a heavy sigh.
"They seem to be summoning Blood Demons from other regions to defend the walls."
She bit her lip, saying that they had probably been brought here through teleportation magic to be used as suicide bombers.
-They really are a despicable bunch.
Wrath frowned, saying that even most demons wouldn't stoop so low.
"I guess this is the power of numbers too."
The members of the Blood Religion on the walls fired bloody energy, while those emerging from the dimensions blocked the path with their suicide attacks. The walls that seemed vulnerable thanks to Haerang began to feel distant again.
"You, vermin!"
Balder stomped on the ground and raised his flexible sword high. The trembling blade swayed like a rattlesnake's tail before tearing the Blood Demons in front of him into thousands of pieces.
"Runaan! Trevin!"
At Raon's call, Runaan and Trevin, who had been supporting the swordsmen from behind, leaped forward. Runaan's sword extended gracefully like silk, freezing both the Blood Religion members who were about to sacrifice themselves and the dimensions that were generating them.
Trevin didn't waste the opportunity Runaan created, striking fiercely downwards to simultaneously split both the frozen Blood Demons and the dimensions.
"It's time to use some real power for once!"
Lawaine, refusing to be outdone, gripped his sword with both hands and spun it like a windmill, creating a magnificent wind that flung the Blood Demons about to explode towards the sky and the sea. As the swordsmen on each bridge exchanged glances and charged again towards the White Blood Religion headquarters, a thick, deep smell of blood, unlike any other, flowed from the walls.
A wave of bloody energy, sharp as a scythe, fell and pushed back all the Zieghart swordsmen who were charging.
"The stinking trash has arrived."
The First Apostle, a pale man who looked like he could die at any moment, looked down at the Zieghart forces with cold, bright eyes.
"Not trash, but delicious meals that came to us voluntarily. Each smells wonderful."
The handsome blue-haired man lifted his white robe as he twisted his lips into a smile.
"Ah, nothing but boring old men."
A red-haired beauty covering her left eye sighed as she rested her chin on both hands.
"But that one over there seems quite pleasant?"
She licked her red lips as she looked at Raon in the distance.
"Stop the unnecessary chatter and focus. We need to finish this before that person arrives."
The white-haired young man clicked his tongue as he looked at the red-haired woman.
"Those..."
Raon frowned as he looked at the new Blood Demons appearing.
"They're Apostles."
Although he only recognized the First Apostle's face, he could feel that their martial prowess was on a different level than other Blood Demons. They were definitely Apostles.
'There are a lot of them.'
Had they recruited new people? There seemed to be more Apostles than he expected, suggesting that they had filled the positions of those who had died.
-Isn't that amount about right for those who are left?
Wrath looked away, saying that the numbers matched if you counted the Apostles who hadn't appeared yet.
'That can't be all.'
The one opening the white dimensions must be an Apostle, and the one summoning Blood Demons and maintaining the wall magic must also be an Apostle, so they must have accepted new Apostles.
'The problem is...'
The number of Transcendants.
While the First Apostle was known to be a Transcendent, the blue-haired man in the center also radiated power beyond transcendence.
'Those two will have to be handled by Alice and me.'
Only Transcendants can face Transcendants. It was time for him and Alice to step forward.
"Auntie, who will you face?"
Raon asked Alice as he placed his hand on the Heavenly Drive.
"I'll take care of the First Apostle."
Alice, seeming to realize it was time to fight, shook off the sand and stood up.
"I have a history with that one."
She clenched her fist, promising to definitely behead the First Apostle.
"Then I'll take care of the blue-haired one."
Raon loosened his wrist as he looked at the blue-haired Apostle who was smiling at them.
"As you probably know, we need to finish this as quickly as possible. The fact that the Leader of the Blood Religion isn't showing means they must be planning something."
The Leader of the Blood Religion he knew was a woman who would come out to see things with her own eyes instead of hiding behind others. The fact that she sent the Apostles and didn't show herself at all meant that she must be scheming something else inside the headquarters.
"Also, many of our men are exhausted."
The mages of the magic tower were catching their breath, having exhausted their mana, and Evelyn couldn't move after dispelling the Blood Religion's white mist. They needed to break the walls and get the Leader of the Blood Religion out as quickly as possible so that Owen could join the battle.
'However, the casualties will increase no matter what we do.'
He wanted to break the walls of the headquarters before the Apostles appeared. But that hadn't happened, and with the Blood Demons continuing to multiply, casualties would inevitably increase.
"Martha. Support the Void Sword division and the Vanguard Sword Squadron..."
"Sorry, but my opponent has also appeared."
Martha ignored his instruction and looked towards the right wall.
"I'm going to kill that bastard."
She growled like a wounded beast as she looked at the newly appeared 10th Apostle.
"No."
Raon shook his head as he examined the 10th Apostle Martha was looking at.
"You can't win alone against..."
"It's a good choice."
A low voice came from behind just as he was about to tell her to wait.
"Revenge must be taken with one's own hands."
Denier Zieghart. He was emerging from a blue dimension, leading the Wise Martial Arts Palace.
"Father?"
Martha's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why is the Wise Martial Arts Palace master..."
Raon swallowed as he looked at Denier's serene eyes.
"After seeing the external Blood Demon summoning, the Head of House ordered me to join the battle."
Denier drew his sword, saying that he had come to provide support under Glenn's orders to reduce allied casualties. The Wise Martial Arts Palace swordsmen who served as his lord also raised their swords, releasing a magnificent aura that spoke of their determination to annihilate the Blood Demons.
"..."
Raon bit the inside of his lip as he looked at Denier's determined eyes.
'Did the Head of House send him?'
Well, there was nothing strange about it. Denier had shown such a serene reaction despite being ordered to stay on the sidelines that he seemed to have gained Glenn's trust.
'There's no other choice.'
Although Denier was suspicious, he had never done anything to harm Zieghart. To Glenn, he was just a somewhat less capable son, so it wasn't strange to send him here.
"Let's go to the fifth bridge and divide their attention. Martha, follow me."
Denier charged towards the empty fifth bridge, telling Martha that he would open a path for her.
"Yes!"
Martha nodded, seeming to trust Denier as much as herself, and followed him.
"Don't die, any of you."
Alice muttered these words like a spell to the swordsmen before leaping towards the left wall where the First Apostle was.
"Raon! Come back safe and sound!"
Evelyn waved her hand as if saying she would trust him. Judging by her trembling fingers, she seemed very exhausted.
"Don't waste too much energy on people like them. You'll also need to fight the Leader of the Blood Religion."
Larian nodded confidently, asking for his help as well when they faced the Leader of the Blood Religion.
"That's right."
Raon nodded briefly as he looked at Evelyn and Larian.
'These two won't do.'
Evelyn was exhausted, and Larian needed to conserve strength for the battle with the Leader of the Blood Religion, so he couldn't ask them to keep an eye on Denier. Well, he could have asked Evelyn, but he couldn't even mention it to Larian.
'Then there's only one person.'
Raon moved with heavy steps across the beach and climbed onto the second bridge. He positioned himself next to Balder, who was cutting his way through the Blood Demons at the forefront.
"Nephew!"
Balder smiled as he looked at him.
"Here to help?"
"Remember what I told you before? I'll teach you all the swordsmanship techniques you asked for..."
Raon pointed to Denier, who was clearing a path on the fifth bridge.
"Please keep an eye on him."
***
"...Just keep him contained so he can't get out. You're close, right?"
Derus Robert curled his lips as he looked at the Dragon's helmet reflected in the transparent orb. With a sharp click, the man in the orb cut off the communication without saying a word.
"Always a man of few words."
Derus shrugged and placed the orb he was holding on the ebony desk.
"It's quite fascinating. How did Zieghart find the Blood Religion headquarters submerged under the sea?"
He let out a hollow laugh as he watched the coast where Zieghart was engaged in a battle with the Blood Religion headquarters.
"No, now that I think about it, what's more surprising is that they found the location and waited until now. That's exactly their style."
Derus curled his lips, saying it was obvious who was behind all this.
"I'll prepare to move to the Blood Religion headquarters immediately."
Just as Kubara bowed to Derus and was about to walk away.
"No."
Derus waved his hand slightly.
"Just throw in the resisters."
"What? What...?"
Kubara's eyes widened.
"So the walls won't be violated. No, send only enough suitable to delay the violation. We'll need some Angels too."
Derus shook his head, indicating that he had no intention of going himself despite receiving the Blood Religion's request for support.
"Then, Master..."
"The Five Kings are gathered at the Blood Religion headquarters. Zieghart, the Magic Tower, Balkar, and the hidden Owen."
As he smiled slightly and raised his hand, a white door opened with sacred energy rising.
"Only a fool would miss this opportunity."
Derus licked his lips like someone about to enjoy a feast as he entered the dimension.
"Three of the Five Kings will disappear today. Prepare the banquet."
Without giving Kubara time to respond, Derus entered the white dimension. He stood in a green meadow instead of the old navy blue carpet, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
"What a pity that the king of the meadows and lord of beasts is hiding in such a dilapidated shack."
Derus lowered his eyebrows as he looked at the decaying shack built with old wood.
"So you've finally found your way here."
Ogram, the master of the Beast Union and known as the Beast King, opened the creaky door of the shack and came out.
"Aren't you going to help the Blood Religion?"
He frowned as if he didn't believe it.
"I prefer robbery to providing support."
Derus let out a long laugh, as if mocking Ogram.
"It turned out just as that kid said."
Ogram laughed merrily, as if he had known he would meet Derus.
"That kid?"
"Although I'd like to cut your head off with my own hands, you have a different opponent today."
As he stepped back with a heavy sigh, another person's footsteps could be heard from inside the shack.
"Hmm?"
Derus frowned as he turned his gaze towards the shack.
'Since when?'
An ominous feeling ran through his chest, as he didn't know there was another person in that shack. With a slight hum, a young man in gray martial arts clothing emerged from Ogram's shack. He wore a black patch covering both his eyes, but he moved with the same naturalness as if he could see.
"Red hair and a black sword..."
Derus' lips trembled slightly as he looked at the black sword at the swordsman's waist.
"Dark Night Sword God? Why are you here...?"
His eyes widened in disbelief as if he had never imagined he would meet Darkan here.
"Dark Night Sword God..."
Darkan turned his head towards Derus and wagged his finger.
"I've abandoned that name."
"What...?"
"I'm just a blind swordsman who barely escaped being a beggar."
He stood directly in front of Derus and unsheathed his black sword.
"When I was called the Sword God, I wasn't free, and when I lost my sight, I wasn't at peace. Thanks to that bastard, becoming a true beggar and letting go of the past opened a new path. I should thank you."
Darkan pointed his black sword at Derus as he recalled Raon's voice. The windless sky of the meadow began to tremble, and the earth roared as if it were furious. Not only this meadow, but the entire world seemed to recognize Derus Robert as an enemy, as murderous intent spread throughout creation.
The will of this swordsman who had lost his sight and abandoned his position in pursuit of perfection had already reached the pinnacle of this world.
"As that kid said, you've become a pretty decent sword."
Darkan smiled with satisfaction. He moved his finger towards Derus, who was frowning.
"You'll be a perfect appetizer before the feast."
-
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