Raon left the rampaging Wrath alone and closed his eyes.
'I can expand my mental world a bit more.'
The demonic energy of Baphomet, purified by Runaan's frost, seeped into his entire body.
Since he was in his spiritual form, Baphomet's energy naturally nested within his mental world.
Because the energy was born solely for combat, the fierce aura settled onto the blade embedded in the mental world.
'It's better to accept it as it is.'
Although he could have altered Baphomet's energy to suit his disposition, he intentionally preserved its primal nature.
Just as Glenn had advised him to experience many things to achieve the Sword of Ten Thousand, Raon wanted to introduce a new stimulus to his mental world by accepting an unprecedented energy.
Thanks to Baphomet's energy, Raon felt his realm of the soul becoming more solidified and opened his eyes.
Runaan, still gathering her energy, was trembling with her eyes tightly shut.
-What the hell!
Wrath pounded the ground with his fist that looked like a red bean bun.
-Why is the King the only one who gets nothing!
He fumed, complaining that despite their joint efforts, he alone had nothing to gain.
'What do you mean? You also got something, didn't you?'
-Really?
'Yeah. When we get out of here, you can have some ice cream.'
-Oh, that's true! Certainly, that's… but that was already decided!
Wrath furrowed his brows and threw a punch.
'I'll also buy you the foods you wanted. Just wait quietly.'
Raon lightly dodged the punch by tilting his chin and waved his hand.
-Then, I must… No, that's also what you were supposed to do! The three weeks aren't over yet!
'You don't get fooled easily anymore.'
He muttered regretfully and sighed softly.
-You rascal….
'Anyway, today I'll do as you wish. So stay quiet.'
-Really?
'Yeah. As long as you don't do anything unnecessary and stay quiet.'
As Raon nodded to the skeptical Wrath, the entire mental world of Runaan began to vibrate fiercely.
Rumble!
The darkness that Baphomet had infiltrated melted away, and Runaan's mental world expanded to an unimaginable extent.
Snow fell on the newly risen land, beautiful crystals forming as the white world of Runaan's mental world glistened with a pure, serene light.
Boom!
The ice castle that had protected Runaan collapsed, and the ice cream dolls embedded within began to move on their own.
"Ha."
Raon exhaled lightly as he saw the Beren and Martha dolls start to quarrel as soon as they came out.
'This is….'
-The Ice Cream Girl's mental world has grown.
Wrath smiled as he watched the dolls begin to walk.
-It means the mind of the child who wanted to protect her family at all costs has matured.
'Yes, it seems that way.'
Seeing the shattered ice castle and the precious dolls within moving on their own, it seemed that Runaan's mind had indeed matured significantly.
"Hmm…."
As Raon watched the dolls roam the white world, Runaan let out a low groan and opened her eyes. Her purple eyes shimmered like starlight.
'She has become stronger.'
It wasn't just her mind that had grown. Although it was not entirely certain until they left, it seemed her martial power had also developed significantly.
"Raon."
Runaan reached out her hand as she approached. Since she was still in the form of an ice cream doll, Raon lightly jumped onto her palm.
"How do you feel?"
Raon asked, looking up at Runaan. Despite being in the mental world, the fresh scent of her hair tickled his nose.
"It feels like I was covered in mud and then bathed in warm water."
Runaan lifted her hand to meet his gaze. Her eyes no longer looked blank.
Her clear eyes, like dewdrops on a leaf, were so beautiful that they reminded him of a starry night.
"Raon, thank you."
"You did it."
Raon waved his hand at Runaan, who was nodding her head.
"No. I never could have done it alone."
Runaan raised the corners of her mouth slightly. It was a small but definite smile.
"Talking about ice cream gave me strength."
"That's good."
-No, it wasn't! That was the King's idea! This guy did nothing! He's a vile thief who stole my intellectual property!
Wrath, who had been admiring the grown Ice Cream Girl, jumped up and waved his hand.
"The dust is still here."
Runaan tilted her head as she looked at Wrath.
-Dust….
Wrath trembled and fell.
-Ice Cream Girl, how could you….
He seemed deeply shocked.
"It's nothing. Just ignore it."
Raon smiled and lightly brushed Wrath away.
"Poor thing."
Runaan gently picked up Wrath with her left hand and petted him.
-As expected, the King and the Ice Cream Girl are connected! Just wait a little longer!
'Connected… huh?'
As Raon chuckled softly, a light surged from his and Wrath's bodies, returning them to their original forms.
"This is… Ah."
Now that he thought about it, the same thing had happened after fighting the Dragonians. After some time, Wrath had returned to his original form.
It seemed they had adapted to Runaan's mental world and were returning to their original appearances.
"Finally!"
Wrath laughed joyfully as he looked at his long fingers.
"Finally, I can return to my King's form!"
"Who are you?"
Runaan blinked as she finally saw Wrath properly.
"Ice Cream Girl! Listen carefully. This guy is the epitome of evil. Every word he has spoken until now was actually mine, and all the evil deeds he has done were…"
Despite not being fully visible, Wrath started to slander Raon.
Rumble!
But before he could finish, Runaan's mental world began to collapse, and the sky and ground grew dark.
It wasn't that Baphomet was reviving, but that their time in Runaan's mental world was up.
"No, not yet! I still have so much to say! Wait a minute…."
Wrath screamed and reached out, but Runaan was already gone.
"Damn it!"
Wrath kicked the crumbling ground and howled.
"This is too much! Can't the King get a word in too!"
"Oh…."
Raon shook his head as the world turned pitch black.
"You said everything you needed to say about me."
Raon slowly opened his eyes. His right hand was still touching the Baphomet's helmet that Runaan had worn.
Crack!
Despite not applying any force, Baphomet's helmet split in half and fell to the ground. However, Runaan was still asleep.
Raon gently laid the softly snoring Runaan down and smiled faintly.
'She's still getting stronger.'
As expected, the growth of her mental world was extending to her physical body. She would reach a new level when she woke up.
-Damn this sky!
Wrath shook his fist at the sky.
-Why does it keep interfering with the King!
'You should have talked sooner. If you hadn't been cursing me, you would have had plenty of time to talk.'
Raon pushed Wrath aside and checked the condition of Rokan and Clara, who were lying nearby.
'They seem to be poisoned….'
Their blood flow had slowed as if time had stopped. It seemed they had been kept unconscious with a special drug.
'It's not poison.'
Since it was something Federick could easily treat, Raon breathed a sigh of relief.
'Merlin….'
As he wondered why Merlin, who should have rushed over, wasn't there, he saw the limp form of a mole.
'Did she overexert herself?'
It seemed she had fainted from overusing her power in an animal form.
'You keep helping me. Thank you.'
Raon carefully picked up the mole Merlin and walked toward the underground space where Runaan had been confined.
'It's here.'
The body of Syria, who he had killed to save Runaan, was still there.
But there was something strange. His helmet was nowhere to be seen.
'What is this?'
Just as he furrowed his brow, finding it odd, a strong shockwave erupted from the right.
Rumble!
Raon turned his gaze. Martha, Dorian, and the martial artists of the Sullion family who had been oppressed by Syria were fighting against the traitors who followed him.
Several masked ghosts of Eden and monsters with helmets were also visible.
"Ugh…."
Raon, intending to head in that direction, clutched his chest.
'My body isn't moving properly.'
Although his mental world had grown, the aftermath of surrendering to Wrath had not yet dissipated.
It felt like a line of pain stretched from his toes to his scalp. The consumption of aura and mental energy through the Sword Domain made it even harder to endure.
-I've told you before. You're still not ready to handle Wrath.
Wrath shook his head in disapproval.
'I had no choice.'
Seeing Runaan wearing the helmet, he had unconsciously fallen into Wrath.
As the Wrath he received from Wrath grew, even his primal emotions seemed to intensify.
'But I have to settle this.'
Raon bit his lip and took a step. Forcing the Ring of Fire to operate, he approached Martha.
"Is it over?"
Martha exhaled heavily, pushing back her blood-soaked hair. She was severely injured, but it seemed she was exhausted from fighting strong opponents in succession.
"Please, spare me…."
Dorian, nearly half-collapsed, was on the verge of tears. He was also severely injured and shaking from exhaustion.
"Well done."
Raon smiled at Martha and Dorian and moved forward.
"Tell me what happened! Is she okay?"
Despite her own dire situation, Martha was thinking about Runaan first.
Although they usually seemed like enemies, they looked closer than sisters in times like this.
"She's fine."
Raon nodded with a smile.
"She'll wake up stronger than you."
"Humph. I hope she wakes up soon, then."
Martha looked down at Runaan and twisted her lips.
"Raon Zieghart…."
"Then Syria is really…."
"Damn it!"
The swordsmen who had betrayed their family by siding with Syria bit their lips as they looked at Raon.
"You're all finished!"
Dorian, panting heavily, raised his hand.
"Look properly."
The ghost of Eden, wearing Nol Rod's helmet, pointed at Raon.
"The White Sword Dragon is not in good condition."
With Nol's keen sense of smell, he seemed to have detected Raon's injuries at a glance.
"Fight. If we don't kill them all, we will die."
"Ugh…."
"How did this happen…."
The traitors of the Sullion family seemed to realize this was their last chance, biting their lips.
"Yes. I'm not in good condition. But…"
Raon acknowledged his poor state and nodded.
"It doesn't change the fact that it's over."
As soon as he spoke, the western wall of the Sullion family collapsed.
Boom!
The Light Wind division surged through the dust, surrounding the traitors and the ghosts of Eden.
"Light Wind division. We follow the Vice Division Leader's orders!"
Burren drew his sword and bowed to Raon.
Slash!
Mark Goetun silently slit the throat of the nearest red-eyed ghost.
The other swordsmen of the Light Wind division followed the two, creating a chilling wave of aura.
"They're just a bunch of riffraff! Fight to the end!"
The ghost of Eden, Sikyungwi, forced himself to raise his morale, but the traitors' faces turned pale.
"It's not just the Light Wind division."
Raon sneered at the ghosts of Eden and the traitors.
Due to the energy wave from fighting the Evil Goat Demon, the family's masters were rushing to this place. It was only a matter of time before the traitors were subdued.
"You, at least!"
Sikyungwi, revealing his yellow madness, rushed at Raon. His deformed blade, sharply honed, sped toward Raon's neck.
"Raon!"
"Watch out!"
Martha and Dorian tried to guard him, but both were so exhausted that their bodies wobbled.
"You underestimate me."
Raon stepped forward with a cold smile. Without even drawing his sword, he raised his right hand.
Slash!
The sharp karate chop he made with his fingers split Sikyungwi's sword and helmet.
"Ah…."
The helmet tore in half, revealing the face of the swordsman he had conversed with earlier. He seemed to die, unable to believe his own death, trembling as he fell.
"Even if I'm injured, you guys aren't enough to take me down."
Raon frowned as he looked at the elderly swordsman following Sikyungwi.
'That man….'
It was Rokan's butler who had come out through the main gate earlier. Having betrayed the family after serving it for so long would be a devastating blow to Rokan and Runaan.
'Should I kill him now?'
There were many others from whom information could be extracted. It seemed best to kill the butler before Runaan felt any more grief.
As Raon was about to extend his hand with murderous intent, he heard a presence behind him.
When he turned around, he saw Runaan calmly getting up. Despite the great pain and mental shock, her gaze was unwavering.
"I'll do it."
Runaan picked up a sword lying on the ground and stepped forward.
"M-Miss, there was a misunderstanding. We just…."
The butler immediately knelt. He lowered his head with a pitiful expression, trying to exploit Runaan's kind heart.
But the Runaan he knew was different from the Runaan now.
Slash!
Runaan mercilessly beheaded the butler with the sword she held.
"Ugh…."
The butler looked at his own decapitated body in disbelief before collapsing.
"As the Acting Head of House Sullion, I command."
Runaan stepped over the butler's body and approached the traitors. With clear and sharp eyes, she stomped her foot.
"All traitors, kneel."