Swoosh!
The sword of lightning, which had been cutting through the center of the purple radiance, seemed to reverse time as it returned to the sturdy grip of Glenn Zieghart.
The Heavenly Tremor sword, back in its master's hand, roared with a majestic hum, releasing crimson lightning.
Each of the dozens of lightning bolts carried the force of a Transcendent Warrior's sword strike. The fierce lightning bolts, extending like pillars of light, swept away the dragon's breath and the auras of the Transcendents.
Boom!
The concentrated power exploded in an instant, creating a terrifying shockwave that crashed into the ground. A bottomless, pitch-black chasm appeared.
Glenn Zieghart descended onto the ground, where red sparks were erupting. As he waved his hand, a fierce wind arose, erasing the black smoke.
Through the settling dust, the retreating figures of the Transcendents became visible.
"Grr!"
"Hah."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion, having been struck directly by the breath and sword strikes, spat white blood from his lips, and the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance's eyes burned as if meeting an old friend.
"Ugh…"
The Demonblade, clutching his severed shoulder, was trembling on the ground. His lips turned blue as if he would die any moment.
"This damn old man is interfering again!"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion gritted his teeth at Glenn.
"You've graced us with your presence."
The Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance spread his arms, displaying a brighter smile than ever.
"Glenn Zieghart! I have never forgotten that stubborn face for a moment!"
He licked his red lips as if eager to clash swords with Glenn right away.
"…"
Ignoring the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance and the Leader of the White Blood Religion, Glenn narrowed his eyes at the gaping hole in the center.
'Has it disappeared?'
There had been a terrifying presence cloaked in demonic energy in the heart of the battlefield, but now that energy was gone.
It couldn't have died, so it must have escaped during the chaos of the lightning and breath.
"Heavenly Blade Division Leader, Light Wind Division Leader."
"Yes!"
At Glenn's call, Rimmer and Sheryl stiffened their expressions and bowed behind him.
"Report the situation."
"When the Light Wind division arrived here with the civilians, Orgoth from the Black Tower appeared. While the Light Wind division was being overwhelmed, Raon…"
Sheryl briefly summarized the events after the attack by the Holy Sword Alliance and the White Blood Religion.
"…According to the demon king, Orgoth was the only one killed, and Raon wasn't harmed. He's likely within the barrier or nearby. However, we can't completely trust those words."
"I see."
Glenn nodded indifferently as if it were nothing. But inside, he was burning with anxiety.
'That boy…'
When he heard that Raon had activated large-scale teleportation to save the severely injured Light Wind division, he felt both proud and worried.
Raon, who always put others before himself, made his heart ache even more.
'Just stay alive.'
I will find you no matter what.
Swoosh!
As Glenn calmed his turbulent heart and gripped the Heavenly Tremor sword again, a brilliant golden light descended with an elderly man holding a stately staff. He exuded an otherworldly, divine presence.
"The demon king…"
Ignoring everyone else, the elderly man approached the gaping hole.
"What happened?"
With his eyes narrowed, he peered into the hole, solely focused on the demon king.
"Hey, old dragon."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion glared at the elderly man with his bloodshot eyes.
"After causing all this, aren't you going to apologize?"
She pointed to her scorched arm, gritting her teeth.
"Even as the Dragon Lord, you're not invulnerable, are you?"
"What's most important is the annihilation of the demon king."
The Dragon Lord, without a word of apology, extended his hand. Golden shards fell from his grasp into the pitch-black hole.
The mixed energies exploded chaotically, but the size of the hole remained unchanged.
After a while, the end of the hole was barely visible, but there was nothing there.
"The demonic energy has disappeared, but I have a bad feeling."
The Dragon Lord frowned as he stared into the empty hole.
"There's no way the demon king who descended onto the continent would die this easily. We must verify properly."
As he clasped his hands together, innumerable particles of mana spread in all directions.
"I don't care about the demon king."
The Holy Sword Alliance Leader's black sword, floating behind his shoulder like a cloud, let out a thin hum.
"We should have a fight, after so long."
He rolled his sinister eyes at Glenn.
"Heavenly Blade Division Leader, Light Wind Division Leader."
Glenn didn't even look at the Holy Sword Alliance Leader. He turned his gaze backward, calling for Rimmer and Sheryl.
"Search the surroundings and find the Light Wind division."
It was clear that Raon had sent them to a safe place, so despite the order, the real task was to find Raon alone.
"We obey."
"By all means…"
Biting their lips, Sheryl and Rimmer moved east and west respectively.
"Roenn."
"I understand."
Roenn, who had followed behind, rolled up his sleeves and drew a thin rapier from his waist. He moved lightly as if walking, then disappeared into the darkness.
Crack!
As the 3rd and 10th Apostles, who had received the Leader of the White Blood Religion's gaze, tried to move, a red lightning bolt surged from the ground, blocking their path.
"Until I allow it, no one is to leave this place."
Raising the Heavenly Tremor sword, Glenn pointed at the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance and the Leader of the White Blood Religion. His voice, imbued with the power of Wrath's language, pressured the Transcendents.
Exposed to the killing intent of the master swordsman, they shivered.
"As expected of the Destructive King of the North. You haven't changed at all."
The Holy Sword Alliance Leader's emotions flared as his black sword emitted a piercing hum.
"Come on, let's see whose sword is superior."
"…"
Glenn raised the Heavenly Tremor sword without a word. The murderous will surrounding the black blade spread like ripples.
"Don't worry. I intended to kill you from the beginning."
Like Wrath, he seemed prepared to face both the Holy Sword Alliance Leader and the Leader of the White Blood Religion alone.
"Stop this!"
The Dragon Lord raised both hands and shook his head.
"If the three of you clash here, the continent's balance will collapse. The causality…"
"Balance, causality…"
The Holy Sword Alliance Leader looked at the Dragon Lord with irritated eyes.
"Why do you keep interfering in human fights, spitting on everything?"
"We act for the balance of the continent."
"The King of Essence in the western sea thinks of balance? That mad lizard who crushes coastal villages when bored?"
"Ugh…"
The Dragon Lord groaned but didn't back down.
"What's important now is the demon king. It's obvious he escaped alive, we shouldn't be fighting here!"
"We will find him too."
Glenn's eyes hardened as he looked at the Dragon Lord.
"If we don't find the Light Wind division, no one here will leave alive."
"You're troublesome."
At the Dragon Lord's gesture, two enormous dragons appeared in the night sky through spatial movement.
"If you continue to fight, you'll regret it."
"Now…"
A foreboding energy seeped into Glenn's red eyes.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Ugh…"
The Dragon Lord, sweating under the crushing aura, stepped back.
"I feel the same way."
The Holy Sword Alliance Leader rested his sword on his shoulder and tilted his chin.
"The main dish has finally arrived, and I'll get angry if you keep interrupting."
He twisted his lips as if eager to fight Glenn immediately.
Crackle!
As Glenn and the Holy Sword Alliance Leader glared at each other, raising their swords, the air split diagonally, revealing a crimson space as if painted with blood.
"Raon! It's Raon's barrier!"
Merlin, without regard for anyone, threw herself into the barrier.
Glenn, too, lowered his sword without hesitation and stepped into the barrier. Nothing was more important to him now than his grandson's whereabouts.
Raon let out a sigh as he saw the small wisp of gray smoke rising from the far right.
-Then…
He squinted at Wrath, sitting leisurely on the cliff.
-You planned to escape from the beginning?
"I told you. The King of Essence has no time. The frost I laid on the ground was preparation for teleportation."
Wrath explained that the geometric pattern he had drawn on the ground before the battle was a teleportation spell from the Devildom.
-Then why did you waste time fighting?
"There was something I needed to do."
Wrath narrowed his eyes, caressing the white bloody energy in his grasp.
-Bloody energy? Don't tell me…
"Yes. I checked the inside of the body where that parasite had taken root. And…"
Wrath suppressed the bloody energy, smiling faintly.
"I found that the owner of that body is still alive."
-Really?
"Yes. Although suppressed by the parasite, the soul itself is still alive."
Wrath said that when he grabbed the Leader of the White Blood Religion's neck, he felt a small soul trembling inside.
"However, in that state, the King of Essence cannot intervene. I could kill the parasite, but the body would die too."
-Then what should we do?
"You must act."
Wrath turned his serious gaze.
"You, who have the bond with that body, and the weakling who harbors intense hatred for the parasite, can save her. Of course, you must defeat the parasite with force."
Wrath flicked his hand. The white energy floated up and flowed into the Requiem Sword.
"Can you do it?"
-We must do it.
Raon nodded as he met Wrath's eyes.
-Thank you.
"Hmph. It's not for you. I'm taking care of my subordinate."
Wrath turned his head sharply, muttering not to say nonsense.
"Now the King of Essence must do his final task…"
-Wait, I have a request.
Raon blocked Wrath's path as he stood up.
"There's really no time. I could change any moment…"
-I will take your wrath.
Raon lifted his chin with a determined voice.
-I have something I must do too.
Martha bit her lip as she looked at the thick needle stuck in her arm.
'They weren't lying when they said it would be tough.'
The needle was an artifact that drew aura from a warrior to replenish the patient's vitality. It was a method that materialized the essence of martial arts as equipment, so the burden on the caster was considerable.
It wasn't just painful; the continuous drain of energy made her dizzy, and her whole body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.
But Martha didn't let out a single groan. If she couldn't endure this much, it would be too embarrassing for the Light Wind division, who had protected her till the end.
"How are they?"
Martha approached the healer, checking on Dorian, Burren, Runaan, and Mark Goetun in turn.
"Those two can survive."
The healer pointed to Burren and Runaan, stating their lives were not in danger. As she sighed in relief, he continued.
"However, their shoulders are dislocated, and the internal injuries are severe. They might never fight again."
"That can't be…"
Martha's jaw trembled. For those two, martial arts were more precious than life.
Hearing they might never wield a sword again left her speechless.
"This one will be fine if we amputate the arm. We need to decide quickly."
The healer clicked his tongue as he looked at Mark Goetun's arm.
"Lastly…"
His gaze turned to Dorian, lying at the front. Dorian's arms and legs were still crushed, and the wound on his abdomen had not healed.
"I don't know about this one. It's my first time seeing someone survive after being hurt this badly. Even if the priests come, they might not be able to save him."
The healer lowered his eyes, suggesting that it might be better to let Dorian go without pain.
"I can give more of my life and aura. Please…"
"You're already overdoing it. Stop."
He gestured with his hand, warning that overstraining could cause severe internal injuries, but suddenly stopped.
"Ah…"
The healer blinked and then collapsed. It wasn't just him. All the patients and healers in the treatment center bowed their heads.
"What… Ah."
Martha's lips trembled. Her mind went blank, and she couldn't stay conscious. She too fell to the ground, unable to resist the sleepiness.
Swoosh!
As everyone in the treatment center fell, blue frost scattered, revealing Wrath.
"Sigh…"
Wrath sighed briefly after examining the state of the Light Wind division.
"Let me be clear. You've already accumulated a lot of wrath from summoning me, and you've lost part of your mental state. This is a much greater loss than losing abilities or martial arts."
-I know.
"Yet you still want to take more wrath?"
-Yes.
"Are you mad? If you do this, you'll find it hard to control the emotion of wrath. If I descend into your body in the future, you might never return."
-Someone once told me…
Raon smiled as he looked at the sleeping Light Wind division with a twisted face.
-Having something precious makes a person weak.
Actually, it was from his past life. Derus Robert had ordered never to create anything precious, saying those who have precious things inevitably become weak.
-I thought it was true back then, but now I realize it wasn't.
If he had trained alone, he would never have reached his current level.
It was because Wrath, Rimmer, and the Light Wind division were with him that he could stand where he is now. Losing them would be a far greater loss than losing his mental state.
-I became strong thanks to them, and they became strong thanks to me. Bonds are not weaknesses, they are strengths.
"Humans…"
Wrath clicked his tongue and extended his hand. The demonic energy that had been tearing at the Light Wind division's wounds was entirely sucked into his grasp.
"It's hard to fix this one."
He frowned as he looked at Mark Goetun.
-Can he be healed?
"Demonic energy is yin. It can heal itself but not others. However, the King of Essence can distort it."
Blue energy flared in Wrath's left hand, and silver energy in his right.
"When yin and yin concentrate and twist, they become yang, positive energy."
As he clasped his hands together, a deep blue light emerged.
"Be grateful. Other foolish demon kings can't do this."
Wrath smiled brightly as he spread the light over Mark Goetun's arm.
Swoosh!
As the blue energy touched him, the dead flesh of Mark Goetun's burned arm peeled away, and new flesh began to grow.
His arm regenerated with a cleaner and clearer color than before the injury.
"That's enough for him."
Wrath passed Mark Goetun and stood in front of Runaan.
"Our ice cream girl. I wanted to eat ice cream with her."
He gritted his teeth and spread the light over Runaan.
Swoosh!
As the light touched her, black blood oozed from the unhealed hole in her abdomen, and fresh white flesh sprouted like buds.
Wrath healed all the wounds on Runaan's face and body before moving to the next.
"Eyeball."
Burren's other injuries were severe, but the loss of his eyes was the worst.
Swoosh!
As Wrath snapped his fingers, blue eyes appeared in Burren's blood-soaked eye sockets. Although different from his original color, his eyes blinked slightly.
-This is…
"An eyeball without eyes is not an eyeball."
It seemed more like an artifact than a treatment. Wrath said he wouldn't count this as healing and also treated Burren's shoulder and abdominal wounds.
"Sigh…"
Finally, Wrath stood in front of Dorian and sighed.
"This stupid wallet guy. He should have pulled back appropriately."
-I didn't expect Dorian to do this either.
"Humans sometimes do stupid things beyond the level of their souls. How did he survive like this…"
Wrath shook his head after examining Dorian's state. Even the Lord of the Devildom seemed unfamiliar with such injuries.
After burning a bit more demonic energy, Wrath applied it to Dorian's wounds.
Crack!
With the sound of bones twisting, Dorian's crushed arms and legs began to return to their original form.
Despite the severe pain, Dorian's body trembled, and he sweated profusely. However, his arms and legs regained their shape in a short time, and fresh flesh grew in the hole in his abdomen.
Dorian's face, which had been deathly pale, regained color.
"This is harder than fighting."
Wrath wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and sighed.
-Thank you.
"I'll bear half the burden."
-What?
"These guys are my subordinates too. Due to causality, I can't take everything, but I'll take half your burden."
He smiled coldly, saying he would only consume half the wrath he should.
-Are you really a demon king?
"Why ask the obvious! I am the majestic, terrifying Lord of the Devildom!"
Wrath put his hands on his waist and shook his head.
-Terrifying…
"You're the one who doesn't seem human!"
-Maybe so.
Raon smiled faintly and nodded.
-Now, what did you have to do? What have you done?
"That's right! There's really no time now!"
Wrath nodded quickly, concealing his presence as he stepped out.
In the treatment center he left, only the sound of quiet breathing remained.