C1068
"Please, wake up..."
Martha clutched Denier's hand tightly and called him father, but his time had come to an end.
-Tsk.
Wrath clicked his tongue with a hint of regret.
-That strange guy ended up splitting like the "beef" girl's father.
He frowned, thinking there must be a reason for Denier's betrayal.
'That's probably true.'
Raon let out a soft sigh.
'Since Martha saw Denier's memories.'
Denier had passed his memories to Martha, and after reading them, she accepted him as her father once again. There must have been many complicated circumstances within those memories that he couldn't understand.
-I wonder what kind of life that guy led.
Wrath licked his lips, wondering what kind of life would lead someone to commit betrayal after betrayal.
'I'm not sure either.'
He had also considered Denier a villain similar to Derus, so today's events left him confused in many ways.
'But one thing is for sure.'
Raon clasped his hands together as he looked at Denier in Martha's arms.
'As you said, that man is Martha's father.'
-True. The oath bound to the "beef" girl's soul was even harder to break than a Transcendent-level curse, yet he took it on and multiplied it several times. Such a feat is impossible for a human mind.
Wrath nodded solemnly, saying it was only possible thanks to a father's heart.
"Aaaaahh!"
"..."
Runaan silently approached the weeping Martha and silently offered her his shoulder.
"Hic."
Martha seemed to understand the gesture as she bit her lip and leaned on Runaan. The two who were once rivals now seemed like friends who didn't need words between them.
"Is it over...?"
Burren looked up at the still dark sky and let out a long sigh.
"This war was particularly difficult."
He collapsed where he was, saying he was physically and mentally exhausted.
"I-I'm so scared..."
Dorian's eyes darted back and forth.
"I-I think the Leader of the White Blood Religion could resurrect and attack us at any moment..."
He swallowed, saying he felt like the Leader of the White Blood Religion could come back to life and find them.
"Don't say that! Stop talking nonsense!"
Krein frowned and kicked Dorian.
"It's not strange to think that way."
Raon smiled wryly as he acknowledged Dorian's words.
"It was terrible."
Normally, he would have hit Dorian on the back of the head for talking nonsense, but after witnessing the Leader of the White Blood Religion's obsession with life, he understood his words.
"Unlike that coward, I handled it easily! The White Blood Religion was nothing!"
Krein boasted, seemingly trying to appear tough now that it was all over.
"Something seemed strange to me."
Trevin turned his gaze back with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
Raon tilted his head as he looked at Trevin.
"Whenever we faced danger, opportunities arose through collapsed buildings or splitting earth. Suddenly, our aura was restored and we were able to help the Palace Master. Thanks to that, though there are many seriously injured in the Light Wind Palace, there are no casualties. It's too much luck."
Trevin suspected the situation, saying the timing was too perfect and their luck too good to be believable.
'He's not wrong.'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked around.
'I experienced something similar.'
While blocking the Divine Blood Summoning Ritual in his exhausted state, there were times when the enemy's movements slowed down. He had thought it was because his bloody energy was almost depleted, but now that he thinks about it, that didn't seem to be the only reason.
'Besides...'
The restoration of his aura clearly meant someone had intervened. The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen said they gained the strength to block the Divine Blood Summoning Ritual thanks to their suddenly increasing aura. At the time, they were too busy to think about it, but it was clearly artificial for anyone to look at.
'Don't you know anything about this?'
Raon nudged Wrath with his elbow.
-This king doesn't know anything.
Wrath whistled and looked away, indicating he didn't want to say anything, regardless of whether he knew or not.
'I don't even have the strength to use Aura Perception.'
With his remaining aura and stamina depleted, he could barely stand, let alone use Aura Perception.
"Ugh..."
As he sighed while looking around, Evelyn grabbed her waist and stood up.
"Evelyn? Are you alright?"
He walked towards Evelyn with trembling legs, exhausted from strength.
"No, I'm not alright."
Evelyn spat out the blood that had accumulated in her mouth and shook her head.
"My head feels like it's splitting, my heart feels like it's exploded, and my limbs aren't moving properly."
-Then you should be dead already!
Wrath shook his head, saying it made no sense.
"Let's apply first aid for now."
"That treatment..."
As he was about to give Evelyn the Internal Medicine for Wounds, she extended both arms towards him.
"Think a hug from you would fix everything?"
Evelyn's purple eyes sparkled as she said that was all she needed.
"I'm sorry, but..."
Raon raised his hand and pushed away the approaching Evelyn.
"Now is not the time for that."
He shook his head briefly and pointed to Martha, who was still clinging to Denier.
"Ah..."
Evelyn let out a low groan as if she finally realized the other situation.
-A crazy woman will always be a crazy woman...
Wrath shook his head, saying Evelyn could seem pleasant one moment and repulsive the next.
"I'm not sure how it all happened, but in the end, the Leader of the White Blood Religion died with your Soul Weapon, right?"
Evelyn smiled as if to say she might not know the process, but she understood the outcome.
"No."
Raon shook his head firmly.
"Those two did it. I just helped."
He pointed to Martha and Denier, repeating what Rimmer had told him.
"I see."
Evelyn blinked and opened her eyes, saying she got the general idea.
"You worked hard. Without you, we never would have been able to take down the White Blood Religion."
Raon bowed sincerely to Evelyn.
"Thank you, Evelyn."
"I told you there's no need for thanks between us!"
Evelyn waved her hand, saying he shouldn't do such formalities. He wanted to ask what she meant by "between us," but he was too afraid to ask.
"So there are only two left now?"
She raised two fingers, her index and middle finger.
"Where are the patients?!"
The medical team prepared by the Alliance of the Five Kings approached with urgent expressions.
"P-please, check here first!"
"Over here!"
"They're unconscious and their breathing is slow!"
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen pointed to the Five Kings Transcendants and Balder whom they had been attending.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
"This doesn't look good."
"Apply emergency treatment first!"
The healers and priests broke into a cold sweat, seeming to realize that their skills alone wouldn't be enough.
"The ragged Saint and Saintess will arrive soon! Do your best until then!"
They moved their hands quickly, determined to hold on until Federick and Olga arrived from treating others.
"T-this person has already passed away."
"What?"
Raon quickly turned around upon hearing that someone had passed away.
"Please, check again!"
Martha insisted on bringing the healers and priests to examine Denier.
"W-we're sorry."
"This is beyond our ability to..."
The healers and priests shook their heads apologetically.
"Ugh..."
Martha bit her lip as she took Denier's hand again. She seemed unable to let go of her father yet.
"However, this person should survive somehow."
The priest approached Martha's mother, extending sacred power and performing healing techniques. As the divine power and healing magic enveloped Martha's mother, her pale complexion began to flush slightly.
"Mmm..."
A very faint groan escaped Martha's mother's lips.
"Huh...?"
Martha turned her head and widened her eyes at the sound of that voice.
"M-Mom?"
She approached her mother while carefully holding Denier.
"Mom! Are you conscious?"
Martha's lips trembled as she held back from touching her mother, fearing this moment might break like a dream.
"Ma-Martha..."
Martha's mother immediately recognized the adult Martha and smiled weakly.
"D-do you recognize me?"
Martha's red-rimmed eyes filled with tears again, as if she had been worried about being recognized after growing from a child to an adult.
"Of course. A mother knows everything."
Martha's mother nodded weakly as if to say why would she even ask that?
"Mom... Mom!"
Martha shouted that name she had been suppressing and hugged her mother.
"Daughter. You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
Martha's mother patted her back as if she understood everything.
"No. Mom, you've been through so much more..."
Martha couldn't continue speaking as the emotions she had suppressed for over twenty years welled up.
"But..."
Martha's mother let out a short breath as she looked at Denier.
"What happened to that person?"
She shook her head, saying that though she had seen through the Leader of the White Blood Religion's body, she still couldn't understand it.
"It's Dad."
Martha spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"Just as you gave birth to me, he is the father who raised me."
She smiled radiantly, as if she was proud of this fact, seeming to erase her sadness.
"..."
Raon exhaled a puff of white breath as he watched Martha's smile, which mixed sadness and love.
'One person leaves, another returns.'
For every meeting there is a farewell, and those who leave must return - Martha would overcome today's sadness and grow even more as a person.
'I've truly reached my limit now.'
After witnessing Martha's reunion with her mother, the tension finally released and his vision blurred. He couldn't hold on any longer. He wanted to know about the situation in Zieghart and the confrontation between Derus and Darkan, but his mind no longer worked.
'I'm glad, Martha.'
Raon slowly fell backward as he watched Martha cry and smile.
"Yes! I'm going to catch you!"
As he closed his eyes and the world's sounds faded, someone caught him with a cheerful voice.
"..."
-Too much. That's too much!
***
"Hmm?"
The Beast King Ogram raised his trembling hand.
'My strength is returning.'
His aura and martial arts mastery, which had been useless no matter how much he trained after the Leader of the White Blood Religion drained his blood, were slowly returning.
'Did they really do it?'
There was only one thing that could change his martial prowess, which hadn't returned no matter what he tried until now. The Alliance of the Five Kings must have repelled the White Blood Religion and killed their Leader.
'Finally...'
Ogram clenched his massive stone fist.
'I can fight again!'
Though he hadn't said anything, his pride had been severely wounded by having to stay behind while the other Five Kings leaders moved. But now he could fight on the front lines like before. His heart pounded in his ears with joy.
"I should tell Derus."
Ogram licked his lips as he looked up.
'He'll be surprised when he hears the Leader of the White Blood Religion is dead.'
Just as he was about to raise his voice to provoke Derus, dozens of impact sounds resonated through the air before he could even blink. Derus and Darkan were clashing swords in a realm beyond his comprehension.
'...Were they that strong?'
Now that his strength was returning, he could feel Derus and Darkan's martial prowess on his skin. He would lose his head the moment he entered their battle.
'It's impossible even if I fully regain my strength.'
Even if all the martial prowess he lost to the Leader of the White Blood Religion returned, he could never win. He collapsed upon realizing the vast difference in power, even though they were all Transcendants.
'Damn it...'
As Ogram bit his lips, Derus and Darkan's swords fell towards each other's necks. With a thunderous roar, a dark rift opened between Darkan and Derus. The balance of the world began to collapse under their overwhelming aura waves.
"Seems like the Leader of the White Blood Religion is dead?"
Darkan moved his chin as if he had read Ogram's condition even while fighting Derus.
"You probably expected it, but it must be disappointing to not achieve what you wanted."
He shrugged as if mocking Derus.
"Not particularly."
Derus shook his head calmly as if he already knew about the death of the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"Killing you here and taking your power would be more beneficial."
He twisted his lips upwards as if this was even better.
"You're dreaming of the impossible."
Darkan snorted as he looked at Derus.
"Only Glenn Zieghart, the strongest sword on the Continent, can take my head."
He lowered his hand, saying it was impossible with Derus' current skill.
"Of course, you're not bad. I didn't expect to find another person who could handle my sword to this point."
Darkan licked his lips, saying he was glad he had listened to Raon's request.
"I've seen enough of your mettle, now let's fight properly."
He leaned his upper body forward and pushed Derus back, their swords still crossed. As Derus retreated, Darkan aimed his sword at his heart.
"Until one of us dies."
As those cold words spread, his sword disappeared and an invisible, shapeless blade appeared. It was a Soul Weapon carved from his soul.
"A Soul Weapon..."
Derus narrowed his eyes as if he immediately recognized Darkan's Soul Weapon. Sensing he couldn't dodge it, he stood firm and raised his sword burning with death aura.
"That's the right attitude!"
Darkan lifted his head in approval and unleashed his Soul Weapon. His Soul Weapon, surging like a storm, pierced Derus' body and sank into the soul that resided within him. When two souls at the peak of Transcendence clashed, the balance of the world collapsed and a new world unfolded.
Everything sank into a gray space of swords as Darkan's Mental Image opened.
"..."
Despite being dragged into an unknown space, Derus remained calm as he looked around with calm eyes.
"What a boring reaction!"
Darkan clicked his tongue briefly.
"This place..."
"Must be your Mental Image."
Derus nodded slightly as if he already knew.
"If you understand, this will be quick. Here, we'll swing our swords until one of us dies. You'll be the one to die, of course."
Darkan tilted his head as if asking wouldn't it be fun?
"A space like this..."
Derus tilted his chin diagonally and took a fighting stance. An immense soul realm surged from him, shaking the Mental World itself.
"Can it resist my soul?"
As Derus smiled mysteriously, something black with tens of thousands of eyes embedded in it spread infinitely behind him like the branches of the World Tree.
"You..."
Darkan's jaw trembled as he contemplated Derus' grotesque soul that couldn't be described as human.
"Are you really human?"
-
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