## Chapter 1270
"Grrruuk!"
Death Sword Spirit's head dropped forward, a spray of crimson staining the interior of her helm.
"How is this possible..."
Through the slit of her visor, her scarlet eyes fixed upon the Demonic Sword buried in her torso, her gaze flickering with a refusal to accept the reality of her wound.
"The explanation is uncomplicated."
Raon met her bewildered stare, his chin lifting in a subtle, cold gesture.
"I simply possess greater strength than you."
This wasn't an attempt at a taunt.
In every measurable way—velocity, power, versatility, and fluid integration—his bladework had eclipsed hers. While Death Sword Spirit was undoubtedly among the elite handful of warriors on the continent, she could not bridge the gap created by Raon’s intense, isolated training alongside Glenn.
"Uuu..."
Unable to dispute the clear disparity in their martial heights, Death Sword Spirit merely pressed her lips together, drawing blood.
"Curse it all!"
The agony of her pride being dismantled by a superior sword seemed to cause her more distress than the physical steel currently lodged in her chest.
"Start talking."
Raon gave the Demonic Sword a sharp twist within her ribs, his eyes remaining dispassionate.
"Tell me the location of the Heavenly Demon."
He possessed the means to end her life in an instant, but he held a shred of respect for her straightforward, honorable combat style. Because of that, he preferred to let her provide the information herself.
"Huuu..."
Death Sword Spirit stared down at the blade in her chest and released a breath heavy with frost. The glacial energy of the Demonic Sword had already begun its deep infiltration of her internal systems.
"Your power exceeds the rumors."
She gave a slow, heavy nod, finally conceding the point.
"The Heavenly Demon claimed we were of a similar caliber. This marks the first occasion I have seen his foresight fail so completely."
A self-deprecating laugh escaped her, noting that Raon’s current level of mastery was far beyond what the Heavenly Demon had predicted.
"It is only natural, given how much time has passed since he last laid eyes on me," Raon replied, shifting the weight of the Divine Sword in his other hand.
"No, such growth is typically impossible. You are a singular existence among mortals, Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart."
Exhaling a weary sigh of defeat, Death Sword Spirit let her grip on her dark blade slacken.
"The Heavenly Demon is currently..."
She hesitated, glancing again at the weapon piercing her, before forcing the words out.
"In Cameloon."
She spoke the name with a visible scowl of displeasure.
"Cameloon...?"
Raon’s eyes narrowed in shock at the revelation.
"The merchant hub, Cameloon? Are you claiming he is at the very site where we forced open Eden’s rear entrance to infiltrate this place?"
In his sudden agitation, his grip tightened involuntarily on the Demonic Sword.
"Krruk..."
Death Sword Spirit winced, her teeth bared against the sudden spike of pain, but she nodded firmly.
"Precisely. The Heavenly Demon remains in Cameloon, the gateway you used. He stated his intention was to observe the human race from that vantage point."
Her expression turned profoundly solemn, signaling that this was no deceptive ploy.
"As a warrior of your standing should understand, once one reaches his summit, the growth gained through physical exertion is negligible. He seeks to grasp the essence of all things by studying the human condition."
She continued to explain his motivations without further prompting. Just as Raon had suspected from the start, she didn't seem to hold any genuine loyalty or affection for the Heavenly Demon.
"The Heavenly Demon is in Cameloon? That's preposterous..."
Burren shook his head in violent denial, unable to process the claim.
"Exactly! If he were truly there, he would have known the moment we stepped through the door! That woman is weaving a web of lies!"
Martha shouted her agreement, her teeth grinding in frustration.
"If that's the case, why did he just sit there and..."
"It’s all garbage! Don’t let her get in your head!"
Dorian’s entire frame shook as a new wave of terror washed over him, prompting Krein to grab him by the head and demand he focus.
"......"
Runaan appeared equally shaken, yet she kept her composure, steadying her breathing and tightening her hold on Snow Flower while waiting for Raon’s lead.
'Wrath.'
Raon shifted his focus from the defeated spirit to the entity beside him.
'Did you detect his presence while we were in Cameloon?'
He harbored a hope that Wrath’s unique senses might have picked up a trail.
-Not a single trace!
Wrath shook his head with absolute certainty.
-I didn't feel a solitary glance or a ripple of energy. Either her tongue is full of deceit, or that Heavenly Demon bastard has achieved a state of perfect concealment.
The sin-lord wrinkled his nose, frustrated by the ambiguity.
"All of you are correct in your reasoning," Death Sword Spirit said, nodding slowly. "The Heavenly Demon has likely been observing every single one of your movements."
She exhaled a ragged breath, validating the suspicions of the Light Wind Palace.
"Your arrival in Cameloon, the opening of the path to Paradise, your victory over the Sphinx—he watched it all unfold."
She bit her lip, her gaze distant as she spoke of her master’s voyeurism.
"Hrrruuk!"
Bear Fire Demon let out a low, guttural moan, as if the phantom weight of that gaze had suddenly become tangible.
"Hmph, so that’s how it is?"
Silent Serpent Swordsman let a thin smirk touch his lips, as though the revelation confirmed a nagging suspicion he'd held.
"But for what purpose...?"
Raon looked past Death Sword Spirit, staring up at the artificial sky of Eden with a deep frown.
"He chose not to intervene? He simply stood by and watched us get this far?"
He bit his lip, finding the surrounding scenery of Eden suddenly much more menacing than it had felt moments ago.
"Perhaps he viewed your intrusion as just another facet of the human experience."
Death Sword Spirit blinked slowly, looking as though she found the logic as baffling as he did.
"To be honest, I don't truly comprehend his mind either. You should seek the answers from him directly. He is likely waiting for your return."
She shook her head, signaling she had no more information to give.
'That look...'
Raon clicked his tongue, studying the unwavering clarity in her eyes.
'She isn't lying.'
He didn't know her history, but he knew the soul of a warrior after their clash. She was not the sort to use her dying breaths for a petty deception.
"Haaa..."
With a heavy exhale, Raon yanked the Demonic Sword out of her chest.
'So this is how it plays out. I’m the one who was played.'
He had come to Eden's heart to shatter their composure and catch the Heavenly Demon off guard, but the realization that his every move had been anticipated left him feeling exposed.
"I suppose the name 'Demon Who Ascended to Heaven' wasn't just for show."
He felt a chill run down his spine, as if a long shadow had just draped itself over his shoulders.
'He might have reached a new peak, just like my grandfather.'
If even Wrath couldn't sense him, the Heavenly Demon had likely transcended to a realm comparable to Glenn Zieghart's. It seemed demons of that caliber were not so easily outmaneuvered.
"Then we are finished here."
Raon turned to depart, intending to settle the remaining matters.
Huuuuuk!
However, the frost that had been sealing Death Sword Spirit's wound suddenly dissolved into a boiling red fighting spirit, and blood began to flow freely once more.
"Where do you think you are going?"
Her voice had regained its lethal edge, calling out to his retreating back.
"You..."
Raon turned, his brow furrowed as he felt the sudden surge of her combat aura.
"Did you not claim that I would reveal his location as I died? I admit my defeat, but that specific prophecy remains unfulfilled."
Despite her injuries, she leveled her black sword at him once more, her intent clear.
"You realize you will truly perish this time?"
Raon tilted his head. He had intended to let her live because of her conduct, but her insistence on a final, fatal encounter was bordering on the absurd.
"It is of no consequence. For a practitioner of the way, falling to a superior blade is a natural end."
Death Sword Spirit pulled her sword back behind her shoulder, tensing her muscles like a predator preparing to spring. Her fighting spirit flared from her feet upward, casting a heat across the entirety of Eden.
"Haaa..."
She swung the blade, her killing intent sharp enough to cut the air. She was preparing the same space-piercing thrust from before.
-Ooh!
Wrath watched her aura with an appreciative glint in his eyes.
-A warrior accepting death at the hands of a better sword! Now that is a magnificent sentiment!
The entity nodded, suddenly finding a new respect for the woman.
-Though I feel like I've heard those exact words in the distant past...
Wrath clicked his tongue, his memories proving elusive once again.
"To find such a soul within Eden...."
"That is a woman I would have been honored to duel."
Both Burren and Martha looked on with genuine respect, moved by her unwavering resolve.
"The way she holds the tip..."
Runaan’s fingers twitched, her mind already dissecting and absorbing the nuances of Death Sword Spirit's stance.
"Very well."
Raon gave a solemn nod, raising the Divine Sword high and keeping the Demonic Sword low.
"Show me."
Sharing Wrath’s sentiment, Raon stepped forward with his left foot, prepared to meet her ultimate technique with everything he had.
Paaaaang!
The earth shattered beneath her as she lunged. The point of her blade was at Raon’s forehead in an eyeblink.
Kyaaaang!
Raon felt the scorching malice of her black sword and raised the Divine Sword in a precise defensive arc.
Huuuuuk!
But just before impact, she twisted her frame. She bypassed the Divine Sword’s trajectory like a phantom passing through a wall.
Chiaaang!
Anticipating the move, Raon thrust the Demonic Sword toward her exposed torso, mimicking their previous exchange.
Huuuuuu!
Yet again, she utilized a series of ethereal steps, sweeping her own blade across to parry the cold steel away.
"Now!"
Seizing the opening created by his split guard—with the Divine Sword low and the Demonic Sword pushed to the flank—she drove her blade straight for his heart.
'Huh...'
Raon let out a sharp breath of surprise as the black steel closed in.
'Is she evolving even now?'
With every exchange, every clash of metal, she seemed to be refining her techniques. It was a level of raw talent that seemed to rival even his own progress with the Ring of Fire. It defied logic.
'First...'
Raon rotated the Divine Sword mid-air, batting away the thrust intended for his chest.
Kiaaaang!
Using the momentum of the parry, Death Sword Spirit transitioned into a blindingly fast strike aimed at his throat. Raon countered with the chaotic, unpredictable paths of the Fangs of Insanity, his eyes narrowing.
'No, this isn't growth...'
It felt more like a restoration.
No matter how gifted a person is, they cannot perfectly implement new realizations in the heat of a losing battle. She wasn't learning; she was reclaiming a level of mastery she had previously lost.
'This is becoming dangerous.'
She was a warrior who had touched the Absolute realm. If she continued to recover her peak form, she might actually become a threat he couldn't easily manage. It was time to conclude this.
Seuuuuu!
Drawing a deep breath, Raon surged forward. He deflected her ferocious thrust with the Demonic Sword and brought the Divine Sword down in a punishing arc.
Paaaaang!
She attempted to use the recoil to dance out of his range once more.
'You won't escape this time.'
Raon gave a slight shake of his head and stabbed the air. The solar flames of the Divine Sword ignored the physical distance, erupting directly in front of her.
"Uum!"
She swung her black sword to intercept the flames, but the attack bypassed her physical defense entirely, searing into her core.
Peoooook!
The flaming strike tore through her chest, forcing her to drop to her knees. Void Slash. The transcendent technique that rendered evasion and defense moot had finally broken her.
"Ha..."
She stared down at the catastrophic wound, her lifeblood spilling onto the ground.
"A truly... magnificent strike..."
She nodded, a sense of fulfillment in her voice at having witnessed such a technique.
"Finish it."
She looked up at Raon, the lethal intent gone from her eyes, replaced by a calm request for the end.
"You were a formidable opponent."
Raon gave a respectful nod and prepared to deliver the final blow with his Divine Sword.
Seuuuuuu!
Suddenly, from the very ground where she knelt, a tide of crimson—deeper and darker than her own blood—erupted outward.
Kuguuguugu!
The ripples expanded like a stone dropped in a pond, and the entirety of Eden—perhaps even the fabric of reality itself—began to shudder with a violent, screaming vibration.
"What is this..."
As the sky seemed to shrink in terror and the earth groaned, Raon felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. He retreated several steps, feeling the overwhelming pressure of the red waves.
-He is here!
Wrath manifested at his side, his pupils dilated with shock. For the first time, the entity’s eyes burned with a concentrated mix of pure loathing and ancient spite.
-The Monarch of Pride, the one who deserves a thousand deaths!
