Chapter 1225
The murky clouds saturating the sky were shredded like scrap paper, the ground fractured, and the very pillars of the world seemed to warp with violence. The concentration of death aura amassed by Derus Robert was so monstrous that it threatened to obliterate the entire surrounding territory, even though the detonation occurred within the confines of the dimensional rift.
Raon dropped to his knees on the vibrating earth, his throat tight as he swallowed hard.
'That was a razor-thin escape...'
Had that surge of necrotic energy erupted here as Derus Robert intended, everyone present—Raon included—would have perished unless Glenn had unleashed the absolute totality of his power. Even then, Glenn, having revealed the true depth of his martial transcendence, would have been forced to shed his mortal coil and ascend, leaving the continent defenseless against Derus Robert’s eventual shadow.
It was a monumental stroke of luck that they had avoided the absolute worst-case scenario.
'We marched here to execute Derus Robert, yet we were nearly the ones wiped from existence.'
Raon ground his teeth against his blood-stained lip, his brow furrowing in deep thought.
'Derus Robert. Truly, he is a man I can never afford to underestimate for even a second.'
He had believed the strings of this conflict were firmly in his grasp. He was convinced that regardless of the villain’s schemes, victory was a mathematical certainty. Yet, Derus Robert had pivoted from the brink of defeat to craft a trap designed to slaughter the finest warriors of Zieghart and force Glenn’s departure from this world.
Just as Raon had evolved and sharpened his skills, it was clear Derus Robert had also been relentlessly honing his own dark arts and stratagems, never content with his previous level of power.
'I must sever my ties to the past version of him.'
Derus Robert had stopped viewing him as the boy from years ago, treating him instead as the powerhouse Raon Zieghart. In contrast, Raon had still been measuring his enemy against old memories, a mistake that nearly cost him everything today. Without Glenn’s intervention, he might have been a corpse.
Moving forward, he realized he had to discard his preconceived notions of Derus Robert and judge the man solely on his current, lethal reality.
'Still...'
Raon narrowed his eyes, peering at the sky and the settling earth as the tremors began to fade.
'Is it possible that monster survived?'
Derus Robert had been caught in the epicenter of that necrotic blast immediately after Raon’s Soul Sword had cleaved through his very essence. The shockwave of the explosion was so immense it resonated across dimensions; it seemed impossible for anyone, even someone of Glenn’s caliber, to endure such a hit and live.
'Furthermore, that was his stronghold.'
The gateway had led to the sanctuary where the Shadow elites and the Angels had retreated. It was his nerve center, a place he couldn't simply flee from. The explosion should have reduced everything within it to dust.
'However...'
Raon’s expression remained grim.
'There was something unnatural about his soul.'
Derus Robert did not possess a singular spirit like a normal human. Instead, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of souls were fused together, their faces resembling withered bark, shrieking as they were torn asunder. Even with the Soul Sword technique, Life Beyond Death, and the following cataclysm, Raon couldn't shake a lingering doubt about the man’s demise.
—What is there to dwell on!
Wrath nudged his mind, dismissive of Raon’s lingering anxieties.
—If anything survives a collision of that magnitude, it has ceased to be a mortal creature!
The entity snorted, insisting that even a wretch as persistent as Derus Robert had to be dead.
'You think so?'
Raon managed a faint, tired smile as he looked at Wrath, whose features were flushed with uncharacteristic excitement.
—I am certain!
Wrath gestured with a pudgy hand, his tone full of arrogance.
—I admit that man is a specter, but between that explosion and the quality of your strike, there is no ambiguity!
Wrath shook his head emphatically, making it clear he wasn't just banking on the blast.
—That combination of blade and fire would be fatal even to a demon king!
Wrath clicked his tongue, telling Raon to put his mind at ease.
'Fair enough.'
Raon gave a soft laugh, watching the agitated Wrath.
"Raon."
Glenn walked toward him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"That was an extraordinary display of the sword."
He wasn't referring to the physical push against Derus, but the Soul Sword technique, Life Beyond Death, that Raon had manifested at the climax. Glenn wore a soft, uncharacteristic smile.
"A man's swordsmanship is the mirror of his life."
Glenn looked at his own Soul Sword, his eyes closing briefly in reflection.
"Even kin who study the same style will produce different results based on the lives they lead. My blade was forged in the fires of conflict and ruin, yet because of all of you, I found a different path at the sunset of my journey."
He felt the warmth of his Soul Sword settling into his spirit.
"But you, Raon, are unique."
Glenn’s gaze was thick with pride and affection.
"You have drawn your steel to protect others since you were a child. Though death and malice may touch your blade, it has been the foundation of life for so many."
With a slightly trembling hand, he ruffled Raon’s hair.
"Continue on your journey. The path that is yours alone to tread."
Glenn emphasized that a warrior's will is their very existence, gripping Raon’s shoulder firmly. The warmth of a grandfather’s love and the respect of a master radiated from him.
—I’d usually mock him for being a sentimental old fool, but for once, I agree!
Wrath looked at Glenn and gave an appreciative nod.
—Your final strike even caught me off guard!
The small being mimicked a sword swing, still impressed by the memory.
—I suppose I can't keep calling you a mere brat after that.
For the first time, Wrath’s praise was devoid of sarcasm.
"I understand."
Raon whispered Glenn's words back to himself, reaching for Heavenly Drive, which lay nearby. As his exhausted fingers touched the hilt, a strange phenomenon occurred: the Soul Sword dwelling in his heart and the physical blade of Heavenly Drive began to merge.
"Ah..."
Raon gasped as the two distinct weapons—one spiritual, one material—fused into a single entity.
'The path only I can walk.'
Recalling his victory over the Archangel Raphael, he focused on the unique power he held and gripped the hilt with what little strength remained.
"Heh..."
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he raised the sword.
—What? What’s happening now!
Wrath let out a bewildered, hollow laugh.
—Don't tell me you've stumbled into another breakthrough right this second?
The entity clutched its head, practically begging him to stop progressing for five minutes.
'Not exactly...'
Raon shook his head slowly, sheathing Heavenly Drive, which felt like it weighed a ton.
'Mainly, I just need to sleep.'
As his vision blurred into shadows, he allowed his eyes to close.
'My sword...'
"Hup!"
Glenn moved quickly, catching Raon by the waist before he could hit the dirt.
"Are you... Ah, he’s just passed out."
A heavy sigh of relief escaped Glenn once he realized Raon had simply succumbed to exhaustion.
"It makes sense."
Glenn nodded softly, looking at Raon’s hands, which were so battered the very calluses had been worn away.
"He has achieved something that will be sung about for centuries."
Raon had infiltrated Derus's inner sanctum solo, slain the Archangel Raphael, and orchestrated a master plan to neutralize the Angels and the Shadows. It was a feat that even Glenn, the undisputed titan of the continent, couldn't have managed. It was a victory unique to Raon Zieghart.
'And more than that...'
Glenn hoisted Raon onto his back—noticing how much heavier he was now than when he was a boy—and allowed a small smile to play on his lips.
'He didn't let Derus Robert slip away.'
Raon had foreseen the escape attempt and ensured a tracking spell was ready. Because of Evelyn’s perfect execution of that request, they had been able to hunt him to this spot for the final confrontation.
'I was ready to leave this world behind...'
Glenn laughed quietly to himself.
'But thanks to my grandson, I get to stay a while longer.'
Like a cornered animal fighting with desperate ferocity, Derus Robert had nearly turned the tables. Glenn had honestly expected to have to use his forbidden power to end it, but Raon had ascended to a new level in the heat of battle and finished the job himself.
The reality was so far beyond Glenn's tactical projections that he still found himself in a state of mild disbelief.
'No matter how resilient that snake was, he cannot have survived that.'
Raon had mutilated his soul and shoved him into a dimensional vortex filled with a killing aura that would have strained even Glenn's limits. Unless Derus Robert had ascended to godhood, he was surely dead.
"What's the situation!"
Rector came sprinting toward them, interrupting Glenn's quiet moment.
"Raon! Is he okay?"
Rector was drenched in blood, but his only concern was for the young man. He had clearly fought like a demon to hold the line before rushing to their side.
"Palace Master!"
"Raon! You idiot! Don't you dare be dead!"
"Raon..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan arrived shortly after, looking like they’d been through a meat grinder, all shouting for their leader.
"G-Grandfather, is he alright?"
"Please, tell us something!"
The trio were visibly shaken, fearing the massive energy surge they’d felt had claimed Raon’s life. The genuine love and camaraderie in their eyes were unmistakable.
"Raon is fine," Glenn said, his voice calm and reassuring.
"He’s simply exhausted every ounce of his energy and collapsed."
He signaled that the danger to Raon’s life had passed.
"Thank the gods..."
Evelyn, appearing from the chaos, leaned against a wall and slid to the ground in relief.
"And what of Derus Robert?" Rector asked, his focus shifting to the enemy now that he knew Raon was stable.
"He is gone," Glenn replied with absolute certainty.
"For certain?" Rector’s jaw dropped.
"Derus Robert is finally dead..."
"Typical of the Head! That bastard was long overdue for a grave!"
Burren and Martha reacted with a mix of shock and aggressive joy, while Runaan simply nodded as if the outcome had been a foregone conclusion.
"The Archangels aren't all gone yet, so don't lower your guard," Glenn cautioned the Zieghart warriors who were starting to celebrate.
"But the biggest threat is neutralized! We should be throwing a feast! Truly, my in-law is incredible!"
Rector beamed, clearly assuming Glenn had been the one to strike the final blow.
"No," Glenn corrected him firmly.
"I wasn't the one who ended Derus Robert. It was him."
He shifted Raon on his back so they could all see.
"This young man cut Derus down and dismantled his final trap. This victory belongs entirely to Raon."
Glenn smiled broadly, giving every bit of the glory to his grandson.
"Raon did it?" Rector gasped, his eyes wide.
"You're saying Raon killed Derus?"
"That absolute monster! He's actually done it!"
"I never doubted him..."
While Burren shook with the magnitude of the news and Martha yelled out curses of celebration, Runaan just watched with a quiet, knowing look.
"That's my man! I'd follow him to the ends of the earth and beyond!" Evelyn added, her eyes fixed on Raon with intense devotion.
"......"
Glenn listened to the cheers and felt a warmth in his chest.
'Can you hear them, Raon? They’re all cheering for you.'
He adjusted his hold on his grandson, patting his back with the tenderness he had suppressed for years.
'Since you've done the impossible for me, it's time I did my part.'
A cold, lethal light flickered in Glenn's eyes.
'I will bring the war with Eden to a final, bloody end.'
