Chapter 1261
Burren lunges forward, channeling the full force of Cutting Wind through his physical frame. He charged with the feral intensity of a predator closing in on its kill, only to be redirected and launched backward in that exact same stance.
"Ngh..."
Burren tumbled violently across the stone before skidding to a halt and straining to look up.
"Cutting Wind is completely ineffective..."
Knowing Raon was moderating his output, Burren had entertained the hope of parrying at least a single blow, but he had been utterly shut down from the very first exchange. A breathless, self-deprecating laugh bubbled up at the sheer, ridiculous gap in their capabilities.
"Gah!"
"Don't solo him, strike together!"
"He's right! If we hesitate, we won’t even graze his clothes!"
"Charge!"
The martial artists of the Light Wind Palace, vocalizing their frustration at the repeated one-sided beatings, surged toward Raon in a coordinated wave.
Kwaaaang!
Predictably, the entire group was repelled at a velocity far exceeding their initial charge, rolling across the dirt just as Burren had.
"Yes! This is the sensation I’ve been craving!"
Martha flashed a jagged grin. Despite the crimson smear of blood across her teeth from a split lip, she rolled her sword arm with visible relish.
"You are truly something else..."
Burren muttered another hollow laugh as he witnessed Martha’s growing fervor.
"Exactly! Trading blows with that damn freak is worth ten times more than a real field battle!"
Martha bit her lip, confessing that a bout with Raon was more terrifying and bone-chilling than the actual war they had just survived.
"Hyaaaaa!"
Martha leaped toward Raon’s front, a manic smile plastered on her face as she brought down a blade wreathed in the fires of Titan's Aura. She wove the brutal lessons learned from her mother into the strike, creating a downward cleave that was both massive and razor-sharp—a truly magnificent display of swordsmanship.
Craaaack!
Raon didn't even draw his blade; he simply thrust out the scabbard of Heavenly Drive. With a fluid motion, he shattered the momentum of Martha’s strike and drove the pommel of the weapon into her shoulder.
Thwaaack!
Caught in mid-air, Martha couldn't brace for the impact and was slammed vertically into the earth.
"Graaagh!"
The agony was clearly immense; she gripped her shoulder, let out a series of strangled moans, and looked to be on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Y-yeah, life only has flavor when you can feel the pain!"
Pushing herself up with trembling hands, Martha forced herself to stand and tilted her chin defiantly. The capillaries in her eyes had hemorrhaged, and her blood-streaked face combined with that eerie smile created a haunting image.
"Hic!"
"Ugh..."
Krein and Dorian felt their stomachs churn, visibly rattled by Martha’s ghastly persistence.
"There’s a reason people call her Miss Rakshasa."
Burren shook his head in disbelief, watching her state.
"Call me whatever you want! I'm going to keep going until my heart stops—Kahuk!"
Martha was preparing for another suicide charge when Raon blurred behind her, delivering a precise strike to the base of her skull. She crumpled instantly.
"Why... why..."
She fought to keep her heavy lids open, her teeth gritted as she demanded to know why he wouldn't engage her in a full-scale duel.
"You'll only aggravate your wounds. Your participation ends here."
Raon informed her they would resume the following day and rendered Martha fully unconscious.
"Moving on..."
The moment Martha hit the dirt, Raon pivoted to his right, appearing instantly before Krein and Dorian.
"Eeeek!"
"He's here!"
The two let out panicked yelps, swinging their blades in a pincer attack targeting his head and legs. Their long history of traveling together showed in their seamless, instinctive teamwork.
Chaaaak!
Raon’s scabbard swept through the air, effortlessly dismantling their synchronized assault before knocking their heads together with a dull thud.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Grugh..."
Krein and Dorian collapsed, clutching their skulls as they rolled away.
"Why are you just standing there? Engage me regardless of how it ends."
Raon scolded them for their passivity, urging them to stay in constant motion as he delivered sharp flicks to their foreheads.
"Hyaaah!"
Seizing the opening, Burren lunged at Raon’s exposed back. This time, he didn't wrap the Cutting Wind around himself; he compressed every ounce of it into the edge of his blade before swinging.
Kyaaaang!
As if he possessed eyes in the back of his head, Raon raised the scabbard of Heavenly Drive to intercept the strike perfectly.
"Ambushes are a valid tactic when outmatched. However..."
Raon’s gaze turned frigid as he rotated the scabbard.
"A flawed surprise attack is less effective than a direct confrontation."
Declaring that half-hearted efforts were pointless, Raon drove the scabbard into Burren's solar plexus.
Thwaaack!
Burren was hammered into the ground beside Martha, gasping for air.
"Urgh..."
Burren watched with a mixture of awe and exhaustion as Raon moved toward the next group of swordsmen without a hint of fatigue.
He was an wall before, but now he feels like a completely different mountain.
Even prior to his period of isolation, Raon possessed the raw power to dismantle the entire Light Wind Palace. But the current version of him was fundamentally shifted. It wasn't just a matter of strength—it was a divine level of perception. Like a Sword God looking down from above, he read every intent and struck only the most critical weaknesses. It was the same aura he felt from the head of the house.
Always...
Burren forced his numbing fingers to grip his sword as he looked up.
You make it impossible for us to be complacent.
Despite Raon having the most prodigious talent in history, making further gains at his level should have been nearly impossible. Yet, Raon consistently shattered those ceilings and returned in an evolved state. Witnessing that relentless growth left them with no choice but to push themselves to the brink of death.
I still hope my father becomes the leader of the family, but...
Burren let out a small chuckle, observing the brilliance in Raon's eyes.
If it ends up being you, I think I could truly be happy for you.
The man standing before him today lacked nothing required to lead the Zieghart clan. In fact, if Glenn weren't the one currently on the throne, it wouldn't have felt out of place for Raon to take it this very second. Burren realized he could now offer his genuine support if Raon ascended.
"Graaagh!"
Despite being completely spent, Burren managed to haul himself up for one more charge, but a sharp blow to his stomach finally laid him out for good.
"Well done."
Raon noted that Burren had truly given everything and nodded in approval.
They didn't slack off while I was away.
The progress shown by the Light Wind Palace suggested that during his two-month seclusion with Glenn, they had doubled their efforts. Feeling both moved and proud, Raon committed himself fully to the training session.
"Temporary head of house..."
As Raon stood among the fallen, a soft, hushed voice reached him from behind.
"Huu..."
It was Runaan. She approached, her breath manifesting as a cold mist in the air.
"Please."
Though she had suffered a devastating mental blow when her Sword Domain was shattered earlier, Runaan had found her footing and gripped her hilt. By all rights, she shouldn't have had the energy to stand, let alone fight, but her posture suggested a deep desire to shed her past weaknesses.
"Step forward."
Raon gave a calm nod of encouragement.
"......"
Without the need for a battle cry, Runaan glided across the terrain and lunged with Snow Flower. A brilliant streak of white blade energy erupted, aiming straight for Raon’s throat.
"Impressive."
Raon remained composed, tracing a semicircular arc with his scabbard.
Chiaaaaang!
He parried the thrust, but as he prepared to counter-strike—
Tuuuung!
Runaan didn't fight his momentum; she used the impact of the scabbard to propel herself backward. Landing gracefully, she raised her sword to her face in a formal knight's salute.
"Sword Domain: Eternity."
Utilizing the brief distance she had created, she immediately manifested her domain.
Uuuuuung!
This time, the domain held firm. Hoarfrost raced across the ground as ten massive, snow-laden peaks manifested behind her.
"I have taken the temporary head's counsel to heart."
Runaan squinted through the frost, her focus narrowing.
"I am coming with everything I am..."
As she leveled her sword at him, the snow burying the mountains surged forward like a tidal wave of clouds.
"A formidable Sword Domain."
Raon watched the crystalline petals rush toward him like a lethal avalanche.
"The sheer scale is truly majestic."
It wasn't false praise. Runaan’s domain was immensely powerful, though its range was perhaps too broad—likely a reflection of her overreaching desire to protect all of Zieghart.
Suuuuu!
Despite the compliment, Raon’s eyes turned stone-cold as he raised Heavenly Drive. A crimson World Tree shimmered into existence above the scabbard, and from its branches, burning petals drifted down to form a Flame Storm.
Kuwaaaaaa!
The inferno of heat vaporized the incoming frost and incinerated the very fabric of the reality Runaan had conjured. The disparity in their realms was laid bare.
"However, to reach your objective, you must push yourself even harder. You must train as if your very soul is on the line."
Raon acknowledged her protective will but warned that the path ahead was still long, shaking his head slightly.
"I... I will remember that."
Runaan offered a final, respectful bow before her legs gave out and she fell into a deep faint. After having her domain broken twice in one day, the mental strain was unparalleled.
Clap!
With Runaan down, Raon sheathed his weapon at his hip and clapped his hands once.
"Excellent work. The growth you’ve shown today has surpassed my anticipations."
He admitted he had been concerned about them stagnating, but he was genuinely satisfied with their progress.
"Huu..."
"Thank the gods."
"He actually praised us."
"That means the hellish training is over!"
The members of the Light Wind Palace began to relax, small smiles playing on their bruised faces.
"If we maintain this intensity for a full week, we will see real results."
Raon suggested a week-long continuation of this regimen, a sharp smirk crossing his lips.
Instantly, the smiles vanished, replaced by faces of pale, frozen horror.
"Gasp!"
"A... a whole week?"
"That’s insane! I’d rather do focus enhancement three times over than survive a week of this!"
Protests were whispered among the ranks, but no one dared to voice them directly to Raon.
"Report to the medical wing for recovery. We assemble at the same time tomorrow."
Ignoring the grumbling, Raon gave a dismissive wave and began walking back toward the Lord's Manor.
"We were so wrong..."
Burren panted, struggling to lift his head. He watched the unconscious forms of Martha and Runaan with a shudder.
"If that man ever truly becomes the head of house, none of us are making it out of here alive!"
A week passed at the central training grounds of the head of house.
The warriors of the Light Wind Palace stood in perfect formation before the raised platform, their hands behind their backs. A vibrant, blood-red fighting spirit flickered and surged around their shoulders.
Their appearance mirrored the intimidating presence of Eden’s high-ranking officers, but their aura was filled with a righteous, unyielding resolve rather than malice.
Step.
The moment Raon stepped onto the edge of the platform, the volatile energy of the swordsmen vanished instantly, replaced by a heavy, disciplined silence.
"You have survived the week."
Raon’s eyes traveled over every single face in the crowd.
"Finally, you possess the expressions I expect of you."
He nodded, noting that only with this level of spiritual fortitude could they hope to stand against the forces of Eden.
"Eden unleashed the Evil Goat Demon and the Bear Fire Demon, hid behind the lie that they were rogue elements. Because of their cowardice, Birdnew Village was slaughtered, and our own house faced a grave threat."
Raon spoke the name 'Eden' with a venom that suggested he was grinding it under his heel.
"Regardless of whether they follow the Heavenly Demon or not, Eden remains Eden. I intend to drag those vermin out of the shadows and make them pay for every life lost in Birdnew Village."
Declaring his intent for retribution, he stepped off the platform, seemingly walking on the air itself as he descended to the ground.
Gooooooo!
The Light Wind Palace caught the spark of Raon’s killing intent, releasing a crimson aura even more violent and concentrated than before.
Suuuuuu!
Raon walked through the center of the formation, his Black Dragon Coat snapping in the wind. Burren, Martha, Runaan, and the others fell into step behind him.
"Move out."
Raon led the Light Wind Palace, the group moving with the singular, devastating purpose of a drawn blade. In his eyes, a flicker of red lightning—reminiscent of Glenn himself—danced with cold fury.
"It is time to settle the debt for one hundred and thirty-three souls."
