Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the white waves blocked by the piece of cloth.
'What is this?'
He could sense blood energy, but it didn't seem aggressive, so he couldn't figure out what it was.
"It's a Blood Spirit Pathway."
Glenn's red eyes reflected the white waves as he moved his lips.
"If it's a Blood Spirit Pathway..."
"It's a dimensional gate that only the Blood Demons of the White Blood Religion can use."
He frowned, saying it was both a transportation magic and a spell created by the White Blood Religion.
"You've seen it before too."
Rimmer pointed with his chin at the rippling white Blood Spirit Pathway.
"When we first met the 10th Apostle, that's how he appeared - through a Blood Spirit Pathway."
"Ah..."
Raon nodded.
'So that's what it was.'
Hearing Rimmer's words, he remembered how the 10th and 7th Apostles had emerged from the blood on the floor.
It seemed the White Blood Religion was using these Blood Spirit Pathways for long-distance travel since they couldn't openly use dimensional gates.
However, there was a big difference between the Blood Spirit Pathway used by the 10th Apostle and the one in front of them now.
"The Blood Spirit Pathway we saw then was red, though?"
"I've never seen a white Blood Spirit Pathway like this either."
Rimmer nodded gravely.
"It's probably one of two things. Either a pathway created by the Leader of the White Blood Religion, or the White Blood Religion's headquarters is below here."
He smacked his lips as if confident in his prediction.
"That means..."
Sheryl turned to Rimmer, placing her hand on her sword hilt.
"If we enter this pathway, we can catch the Leader of the White Blood Religion!"
"That's right."
A chilling sharpness flowed over Roenn's kind eyes.
However, Glenn frowned as he looked not at the Blood Spirit Pathway, but at the Death Aura clinging to the piece of cloth.
"Is this Death Aura?"
He immediately recognized the black, rippling aura as Death Aura.
"That's right."
Raon stuck the Blade of Requiem into the floor to keep the Blood Spirit Pathway from closing, then pulled out the piece of cloth and handed it to Glenn.
"It's the same aura that attacked me in front of the Sword Saint's Tomb."
It was just as he had expected. Ogram hadn't been defeated by the Leader of the White Blood Religion, but ambushed by Derus Robert.
"That's right. That's it!"
Rimmer nodded, raising his eyebrows slightly as if certain.
"It seems the one who attacked me ambushed Ogram while he was fighting the Leader of the White Blood Religion."
"..."
Glenn's red eyes burned with an intensity deeper than magma. He seemed to be expressing deep anger at Ogram falling victim to such a cowardly tactic.
"Whew..."
Raon let out a sigh of relief as he watched Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn grinding their teeth.
'I'm glad we found it.'
They had found evidence of Derus's ambush and discovered a way to rescue Ogram.
Having accomplished all the reasons for coming here, his rapidly beating heart began to calm down.
"Right. I thought that idiot wouldn't just go down easily."
Glenn twisted his lips as he fiddled with the piece of cloth.
"He infused a piece of the White Hawk Gauntlet with Fierce Wave Arts and Death Aura, so the Blood Spirit Pathway can't close. He's still as clever as ever."
"I agree."
Raon nodded as he looked at the piece of the White Hawk Gauntlet in Glenn's hand.
'Even saying it's amazing doesn't do it justice.'
Just the fact that he had made such preparations while evading the eyes of Derus Robert and the Leader of the White Blood Religion gave a glimpse into Ogram's cunning.
"The same goes for you."
Glenn rubbed his chin as he looked this way.
"Huh?"
Raon opened his eyes wide, not understanding what he meant.
"Even I wasn't certain if Ogram had left any traces here. How did you find it?"
"Thanks to the Fierce Wave Arts."
He drew out the energy of the Fierce Wave Arts with his fingertips.
"The Fierce Wave Arts is a Supreme Martial Art, but it has no light, form, or aura. It's just a natural flow, and I sensed that subtle quality down here."
"You've been learning the Fierce Wave Arts for less than a year, right? You've reached that level already?"
"It's thanks to meeting Ogram in the mental world."
This was a level he had achieved thanks to seeing Ogram in the mental world. Without him, he wouldn't have been able to discover the piece of the White Hawk Gauntlet.
"Hmm..."
Glenn's eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed somewhat displeased.
"Our Division Leader learns faster than anyone."
Rimmer nodded, letting out an admiring sigh.
"Isn't Ogram the only one with a higher level of Fierce Wave Arts than Raon now?"
"That might be the case."
Sheryl smiled faintly.
"He mastered my dual sword technique right away too. He's a frightening guy."
Her eyes lowered slightly as if recalling old memories.
"Hahaha."
Roenn just laughed as if pleased.
"Ahem!"
Perhaps because the three were laughing, Glenn cleared his throat to erase his uncomfortable expression and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
"The problem is how to open this pathway."
Raon sighed, pointing at the Blood Spirit Pathway struggling to push away the Blade of Requiem.
"Moreover, if the White Blood Religion knows this pathway hasn't closed, they might have set a trap..."
"That's unlikely."
Glenn calmly shook his head.
"Unlike dimensional gates, Blood Spirit Pathways are one-time use. The Leader of the White Blood Religion and his lackeys are probably too elated about capturing Ogram to realize this pathway hasn't closed."
"Certainly..."
When a feast is laid out before starving people, no one would pay attention to a tiny mouse hole.
As Glenn said, the possibility of it being a trap seemed extremely low.
"That doesn't mean there are no traps at all, though."
"What?"
"Entering this pathway itself is dangerous."
"What do you mean...?"
Raon's eyes widened. He never imagined he'd hear the word "dangerous" from Glenn's mouth.
"The White Blood Religion's headquarters has a formation made of blood energy. It's a formation that drains the energy and vitality of those who don't possess blood energy."
Glenn raised his finger, drawing a semicircle.
"There was a time when the king of the Bellan Kingdom, a force not much inferior to the Six Kings, was overwhelmed and killed by the formation at the former White Blood Religion Headquarters."
"Ah..."
Hearing those words, he recalled when Derus had mocked the Leader of the White Blood Religion in his past life.
[The White Blood Religion Headquarters location being exposed? It was of course to draw in the Bellan king to drain his blood. The Demonic Blood Ascendance Formation there can't be broken. You'll just be slowly devoured by the bloody energy. She's like a black widow.]
Raon frowned, trying to erase the sound of Derus's laughter echoing in his mind.
It seemed that bastard had been planning to use the Leader of the White Blood Religion from that time.
"Moreover, the one who spread this Death Aura might be inside, and Ogram's condition is likely critical."
Glenn frowned, brushing off the piece of the White Hawk Gauntlet.
"Then instead of fighting..."
"Right. We need to set a time limit and prioritize rescuing Ogram above all else."
He nodded, saying there wouldn't be much time for fighting.
Seeing this today, it seemed that even Glenn, who was thought to be invincible, didn't move recklessly and made decisions after considering various plans. He had learned yet another thing.
"What a shame. If Ogram was alright, I'd want to cut them all down..."
Sheryl slapped her palm hard, expressing her regret.
"Still, we should be able to have some fun."
Rimmer smiled faintly, brushing his hair back.
"Haha. We're not going there to play."
Roenn grabbed Rimmer's shoulder, who seemed excited. The three of them wore light smiles as if they were going on a picnic, even though they were about to enter the White Blood Religion headquarters.
However, there was something more important than them right now.
"I don't know how to open this Blood Spirit Pathway either..."
"Just open it with force."
The moment Glenn lowered his finger, a red lightning flashed, and the Blood Spirit Pathway, which had seemed too narrow for even a sheet of paper, split open as tall as Raon.
Crackle!
Raon's jaw dropped as he watched the red lightning twisting and squeezing the Blood Spirit Pathway.
'He's insane...'
He was speechless. This was as brutish as ripping open a person's mouth with bare hands to nearly 2 meters wide.
He thought Glenn would use an artifact or understand the flow of the Blood Spirit Pathway to open it, but to force it open with sheer strength... Looking at it now, Glenn had some similarities with Wrath.
"They'll have noticed our presence inside by now."
Glenn lowered his eyebrows as he looked at the widely torn Blood Spirit Pathway.
"We have 15 minutes until this pathway closes completely. We need to find Ogram and get out within that time."
"15 minutes is plenty."
"That's more than enough time to sweep them all away."
"Haha, it's been a while since I've had a chance to stretch my back."
Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn were still calm. They seemed to have complete trust in Glenn's existence.
"Raon."
Glenn finally turned his gaze to Raon.
"We'll buy time up front, you go find Ogram."
"What?"
His eyes widened at the unexpected instruction.
"You found this place, didn't you?"
Glenn rubbed his chin, pointing at the Blood Spirit Pathway.
"Knowing the Leader of the White Blood Religion's personality, the new headquarters will be vast. Even with 15 minutes, it'll be hard to search everywhere. You searching while concealing your presence is the safest and best method."
He put his finger to his lips as if whistling.
"If you're in danger, send the Light Wind division's signal."
"...Understood."
"I'm counting on you."
Strangely, Glenn's words of trust resonated deeply in his chest.
"Then let's go."
Before he could answer, Glenn entered the Blood Spirit Pathway first. It seemed he was seeing many different sides of Glenn through today's events.
"If you can't find Ogram, all your gold coins are mine!"
Rimmer said it was a man's promise and entered second.
"Don't worry. If that guy takes your gold coins, I'll cut off his wrist for you."
Sheryl gave a gentle eye smile. She uttered those chilling words and threw herself into the Blood Spirit Pathway.
"It feels like we've gone back to the old days."
Roenn hid a chilling killing intent beneath his hearty laugh before descending into the Blood Spirit Pathway.
'Phew...'
Raon took a deep breath and entered the pathway last. As he passed through the darkness, Glenn's words suddenly came to mind.
'The Light Wind division's signal?'
It was surprising that Glenn knew the Light Wind division's signal. It would be understandable for Rimmer, but Glenn?
'Why...?'
As he was pondering this oddity, the darkness cleared, and a brilliant white light soared up.
A massive royal palace, hidden in the darkness, came into view.
Everything in sight was as white as a snowfield, as if the entire space was covered with a white curtain.
'Why does everything look so identical?'
The buildings had so many similar features that it seemed finding Ogram would be quite challenging.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Glenn had said, a huge bell sound was spreading throughout the White Blood Religion headquarters, seemingly confirming the intrusion.
Raon landed on the white ground, suppressing his presence. It felt like stepping on fine sand, like on a white beach.
'Sand isn't important right now.'
What he needed to think about wasn't the sand under his feet or the similarities between buildings.
'My body feels heavy.'
It seemed the Demonic Blood Ascendance Formation was set up here too, as just standing was draining his aura, dulling his senses, and making his body feel several times heavier.
Boom!
Glenn, Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn were causing destruction as if the formation meant nothing to them.
The White Blood Religion members who approached them were reduced to puddles of blood.
'They're using their power to keep attention away from me.'
They were deliberately exerting excessive force to make it easier for him to move.
Raon bowed his head to Glenn and the three others before running to the right where there were no Blood Demons.
"..."
After confirming Raon had slipped away, Glenn struck the white tower in front of him with lightning.
Boom!
An enormous explosion erupted, the tower collapsed in half, and the Blood Demons beneath were crushed under the debris, their lives snuffed out.
"Come out, all of you!"
This roar wasn't simply to draw attention or to call out the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
'That bastard.'
It was a call for the swordsman who used the Death Aura that had targeted Raon. A call for that damned bastard.
'You dare target my grandson?'
He had told Raon it was to buy time, but if that damned bastard who dared touch his precious grandson showed up, he intended to kill him in an instant.
"Come out now!"
Glenn advanced, spewing streams of lightning. He spread a magnificent aura as if he would destroy the entire White Blood Religion headquarters.
"Uh..."
Rimmer blinked awkwardly behind Glenn.
"I thought we were just buying time..."
* * *
'Wow...'
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Glenn's lightning literally smashing the White Blood Religion headquarters.
'Was the Head of House this close with Ogram?'
Glenn now seemed enraged at the White Blood Religion for attacking Ogram, almost going berserk.
It was astonishing that he could move like that in this space where it was difficult to exert one's original power and aura consumption was severe.
'If I can't find Ogram, I might be in danger too...'
With a wry smile, he climbed to the top of a tower overlooking the entire White Blood Religion headquarters.
'Why is everything so similar?'
It was his first time in this place, but the buildings were all identical as if stamped out from a template, making it hard to tell where was where.
Especially since everyone here possessed blood energy, it was impossible to search using aura perception.
'It's hard to search even with the Fierce Wave Arts.'
In the end, there might be no choice but to take a hostage.
As capturing an apostle would be too difficult, he was looking for an archbishop or bishop.
The Blade of Requiem in his right hand resonated with a sorrowful yet angry sword cry as it sensed the thick smell of blood energy.
He felt the desire to kill all the Blood Demons here.
'Wait a minute...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the trembling Blade of Requiem.
'If everyone here possesses blood energy...'
He just needed to find the person without it.
Ogram would be the only one without blood energy here, so he just needed to find that presence.
'Can you do it?'
Woong!
The Blade of Requiem raised a confident sword cry as if saying "Leave it to me," and spread a very thin demonic energy in all directions.
If this place had been quiet, the demonic energy would have been detected, but with Glenn and the three Grandmasters causing havoc, no one noticed the Blade of Requiem's demonic energy.
Zing!
Soon, the Blade of Requiem vibrated intensely, tracing a path with its demonic energy.
'Is that it?'
A cathedral-like building at the western end caught his eye. Trusting the Blade of Requiem, he moved towards that building.
He hid his body in front of the building and used the Perception of the Snow Flower.
'Two inside. It's Ogram!'
He sensed Ogram's presence from the person collapsed on the floor.
'But the other one happens to be...'
Raon frowned as he sensed the aura of the Blood Demon standing guard over Ogram. That one was also a familiar face.
'The 10th Apostle...'
He felt the unique angular yet sticky blood energy of the 10th Apostle.
However, his energy was much stronger than when he had seen him before.
Given that he hadn't come out despite the noise outside, he was either focused on guarding Ogram or in the middle of training.
'Then there's no need to fight head-on...'
Maybe he should try assassination.
There were no windows in this building, but using this solid door, it seemed there was nothing he couldn't do.
'Phew...'
Raon took a slow, deep breath. After imagining various scenarios that could unfold inside, he kicked the white iron door with all his might.
Boom!
With his superhuman body enhanced by aura, the steel door was torn off and flew towards the 10th Apostle.
Flash!
The 10th Apostle, who had been closing his eyes as if meditating, raised his guard.
Crack!
As the iron door in his hands was torn like paper, a bright yellow light flashed from behind it.
It was Raon. An invisible slash extended from the tip of the Blade of Requiem he was holding in reverse grip.
Slash!