1. Shifting Numbers of the Rift
Every time Leonel unleashed the power of the divine, strange distortions rippled through space.
When he struck—
Whoooom!
The flow of air trembled, and unseen walls shimmered with markings.
"…What is that?"
Damian narrowed his eyes.What radiated from Leonel wasn't simple holy light.
Each blow he landed etched numbers and symbols into the air itself.
They weren't ordinary magic sigils.They resembled the patterns Damian had seen in the rifts—
And then he realized something terrifying.
The numbers were changing.
"No… it can't be…"
2. Holy Power and the Rift – Are They the Same at Their Core?
Damian fixed his gaze on Leonel's movements.
Every surge of holy power caused the remnants of the rift to respond.
It was as if—
"Holy power itself… might be tied to the rift."
If that was true—then what was a god?
Perhaps gods weren't merely beings.Perhaps they were tied to the laws that bound this world itself.
And if so,the rift wasn't just a spatial fracture.
It could be a fragment of the fundamental code that wove this reality together.
3. The Realization of Laws – What Damian Saw
Damian had faced countless foes on the battlefield.
Through every duel, every wound, he had learned how to bend the rules of the world, how to survive against impossible odds.
But this—
What stood before him now wasn't merely another strong foe.
It was a demigod carrying the power of the divine.And that power was rewriting the rift's structure before his eyes.
"The rift… is it the law itself?"
For the first time, Damian questioned the nature of this world itself.
Everything he had believed in,everything he had lived through—
What if it wasn't reality at all?
What if it was nothing more than a manufactured law?
"Is this world… even real?"
Pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place inside his mind.
But there was no time to think further.
Leonel moved again.
4. The Demigod's Power – And the First Clash with the Rift
"Leonel! Stop!"
Leonel stood wrapped in blinding radiance, looking down at Damian and the others.
His eyes flickered, conflicted.
"Am I… truly following the will of the gods?"
Holy energy burst from him again, and the patterns of the rift sharpened.
The markings… were changing—not into chaos, but into something readable.
For the first time, Damian could understand what the symbols were saying.
They read—
"You are… test subjects."
Damian's heart pounded.A warning screamed in his skull.
The markings weren't just patterns.
They were the reason this world existed.
But before he could fully process it—
Leonel's divine power collided head-on with the rift.
And Damian instantly understood:
This was no mere clash of strength.
This impact would summon a greater rift than ever before.
***
Chapter : The Sword That Cuts the Law
1. Grasp the Essence – The Triple Truth Sword Art
Leonel's divine power surged, warping the very space around him.His existence itself was rewriting the rules of reality.
"This isn't just power."
Damian's mind flashed back to the teachings of the Triple Truth Sword Art—the doctrine that understanding the essence is the beginning of all martial skill.
"But… understanding alone won't be enough to stop him."
Now, he had to choose.
It wasn't full enlightenment, but he would call upon the greatest sword art he had ever mastered in the Murim:
A flawless blade.A strike without hesitation.A cut so pure that even the laws themselves could be severed.
"Only a perfect sword can cut through the law itself."
But to unleash that strike, one opening was needed—and to make that opening, they would have to fight together.
2. The Struggle Against a Demigod – Only Coordination Will Save Them
Leonel's gaze flickered with uncertainty,but his body radiated overwhelming power.
"This is… the power of a god?"
He took a single step forward—
The very air trembled.
Then, the sword in his hand, cloaked in blinding light,swung straight down toward Damian.
KRAAAASH!
The ground split apart,a shockwave tearing through everything in its path.
Damian's party scattered, barely evading the blow.
3. Linked Assault – To Make One Opening
Ian moved first.
She hurled smoke bombs across the battlefield,and the chamber filled with choking haze.
She slipped into the shadows,her dagger poised for Leonel's blind spot.
But—
"It's useless."
Leonel closed his eyes.
And still,he pinpointed her position.
"Found you."
Divine power erupted from him,shattering the smoke apart like glass.
Ian's silhouette was revealed,and Leonel's sword rose to cut her down.
4. The Hunter's Support – Arrows and Traps
But at that moment—
Kane's traps and arrow storm broke through.
Dozens of magic-tipped arrowswhistled through the chamber.
Shhhk-shhhk-shhhk!
Leonel deflected them one-handed,then turned his holy power outward,reversing the arrows back toward Kane.
"Tch—!"
Kane ducked and rolled, barely avoiding the returning shots,but there were simply too many.
5. Kaio's Intervention – The Call of Thunder
Then—
Kaio's totem ignited.
"Slow down!"
The very air grew heavy.
His spell momentarily suppressed Leonel's holy energy,slowing his counterattack.
Kane escaped the rain of arrows just in time.
And then—
Kaio lifted his mace, calling down the storm.
"By thunder's judgment—STRIKE!"
His weapon slammed into the ground.
KRRRRRRAK-BOOOOM!
Lightning surged through the chamber,clashing violently against Leonel's holy barrier.
But Leonel—
Leonel stood his ground,lightning crawling over his armor and dispersing harmlessly.
"This won't be enough."
6. Damian's Counter – The Triple Strike
But that was the opening Damian had waited for.
He moved like lightning itself.
His sword—
First cut—Leonel's shoulder.Second cut—his waist.Third cut—his neck.
Each strike landed,blood spraying where his blade carved flesh.
But—
Leonel's wounds sealed almost instantly,holy power surging to mend him.
He shoved Damian back,his voice cold and unshaken.
"That sword won't cut me."
Damian clenched his teeth.
Leonel's divine power wasn't just healing—it was erasing every wound.
If Damian wanted to win,he needed something more.
A sword that could cut beyond holy power.A sword that could cut through the law itself.
Damian reset his stance,his grip steady, his eyes unwavering.
"The next strike… will be the real one."
***
Chapter : Those Who Offer Their Convictions
1. Those Who Follow the Law of the Strong
Leonel realized it mid-battle.Damian was a strong man—one who lived by the law of the strong.
But Leonel was more than a man.He was a demigod,a being that had crossed the line between mortal and divine.
And that meant—he needed an absolute victory.
His gaze shifted to the Punishment Paladins behind him.They stood in full armor,still worshipping the will of the god they served.
Men and women prepared to offer everything.Even their faith.
2. Offer Your Conviction. Offer Your Strength.
"Offer your conviction. Give me your strength."
Leonel reached out his hand.
In that moment,the commander of the Punishment Paladins trembled—and understood exactly what he meant.
"If it's the will of God…!"
Without hesitation,the paladins knelt.
One by one, they began pouring their holy essence into Leonel.
The one who would channel the power of God—the one who had truly become a demigod.
Leonel's body ignited with radiance.His divine power surged, flooding the chamber.
Damian's party stared, horrified.
"He's sacrificing his own followers?""Is that… supposed to be godly?"
"No. That's what a devil would do."
The same paladins who fought by his side moments agowere drained just to make him stronger.
Leonel's eyes didn't waver.
"You cannot understand.This is the will of God."
He grew even stronger.But—
Strength alone doesn't guarantee victory.
3. Greater Power – But No Certain Victory
Leonel's newfound power crushed down on Damian's group.
Rhean staggered to her feet,summoning every last bit of magic she had.
"This ends here!"
A torrent of fire magic erupted,a storm of flame threatening to engulf Leonel whole.
But—
Leonel merely flicked his hand.
The inferno shattered instantly,snuffed out as if it had never existed.
He snapped his fingers.
"Vanish."
Rhean gasped,her body jerking violently as she collapsed.
Not dead—but she wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
4. Kaio's Berserk Assault – The Thunderstrike
"God or not—I'll break you!"
Kaio unleashed his berserk fury.
His warhammer crackled with thunder,and he swung with the force of a storm.
"Thunder's Judgment!"
The strike slammed into Leonel—for the first time, Leonel flinched.
But he gritted his teeth and endured.
"This… won't bring me down."
He countered with a brutal kick.
KRASH!
Kaio was sent flying,slamming into a mound of shattered stone.
5. Kane's Ranged Support – Arrows and Fire
As Kaio was thrown back, Kane loosed an explosive arrow.
The arrow struck Leonel's greave—BOOM!The blast rattled his armor.
But from the smoke—another arrow came.
Leonel swatted it away,the shaft spinning back toward Kane.
"Damn—!"
Kane couldn't dodge in time.
The arrow buried deep into his shoulder.A sharp gasp escaped his lips.
6. Ian's Dagger – The Unexpected Weakness
But in that chaos—
Ian moved.
She darted in,her dagger slipping between the seams of Leonel's plate.
And then—
"What…?"
Even Ian hadn't expected it.
Her blade struck something.
Leonel's divine flow wavered.
The dagger disrupted it.Just for a moment—but it was enough.
Leonel shoved Ian away,confusion flashing across his face.
"This… what is this?"
7. Damian's Black Cloud Sword Art – The Ultimate Cut
"Heukwoon Sword Art."
Damian reset his grip on his blade.
Watching his allies suffer,he finally understood why he was fighting.
He stepped into the state of man-and-blade as one.
Plate armor means nothing.And beyond that—
The heart will be pierced.
SHHHHK—!
Damian's sword flashed,slicing through Leonel's body.
KRAAANG!
His plate shattered.
Leonel recoiled,eyes widening in shock.
He was wounded.
"This…?"
Damian's blade was tearing through his divinity.
Leonel staggered.For the first time,he felt his power unraveling.
This fight—
was far from over.