Raon looked at the hand holding the Heavenly Drive as he climbed the stairs to the next floor.
'As expected, it's powerful.'
Karoon seemed to have grown even more than when he had last seen him, displaying strength beyond his own. Judging by how he tried to break down his swordsmanship at times, it was clear he hadn't even shown his full abilities.
'Of course, I was holding back too.'
Unlike Karoon, whose power was suppressed by the Black Tower's demonic energy, he was actually gaining even greater strength. It would have been difficult outside, but if they had fought all-out inside the tower, he would have won without question.
'No, not just the Central Martial Palace Master, I don't think I'd lose to anyone.'
The Authority of Wrath was growing stronger the higher he climbed the Black Tower. His power was overflowing to the point of being uncontrollable, giving him confidence he could crush any enemy.
-You fool!
Wrath suddenly smacked the back of his head.
-Don't get carried away by power! You must be even more careful at times like this!
He furrowed his brow, telling him to snap out of it.
'Sorry...'
Raon rubbed the back of his head where he'd been hit and lowered his gaze.
'I guess I got too drunk on power.'
As Wrath said, he shouldn't become arrogant just because his strength had increased. Since this current energy wasn't originally his own, he needed to be even more cautious in battle.
'As expected, wrath is a dangerous power.'
The authorities of the demon kings seemed to have as much mental influence as they granted strong power. He hadn't expected to develop such arrogance that he could defeat any opponent.
'For once, you're right.'
-What do you mean for once! This king is always right!
Wrath raised his hand, telling him to remember that well.
'I don't think that's true.'
Raon chuckled as he stepped onto the last stair and went up. As he entered through the fluttering curtain-like entrance, the smell of old books and blood wafted over him simultaneously.
'A library? No, not just that.'
On the left was a library with numerous books and bookshelves neatly arranged, while on the right was a pitch-black space as if night had fallen, with various weapons strewn about haphazardly.
'The colors are too different to be on the same floor.'
The library was extremely bright as if the sun was shining directly on it, but the space where weapons were scattered about was like a darkroom without even a hint of light. The juxtaposition of such opposite places overlapping gave him an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
'Who is the Floor Master here...'
As he spread his Aura Perception to find the Floor Master of this level, he sensed an unimaginably massive demonic energy above the ceiling. Just detecting its presence sent chills down his spine.
'Above.'
Raon swallowed dryly and raised his trembling eyes.
'It's right above us.'
The floor above was the top floor, and the Black Tower Master existed within. As if not yet fully prepared, he was coiled like a serpent waiting to ascend, drawing in an enormous amount of demonic energy.
-Hmph.
Wrath furrowed his brow as if dumbfounded.
-Even for crude demonic energy, to gather this much... he's certainly not in his right mind.
'It's surprising even to you?'
-Indeed. If that demonic energy were to burst, Montiro itself would be wiped off the map. Of course, they would all die too.
He let out a hollow laugh, saying this wasn't a normal situation.
'I don't think that will happen.'
A mole too scared to come out of its chamber wouldn't self-destruct. He was surely preparing some special spell or magic.
'It makes me angry.'
Raon glared at the ceiling, grinding his teeth.
'That one of the continent's strongest is such a creature.'
Seeing him toying with countless people's lives yet not showing himself and biding his time, indignation boiled in his chest. Unlike before, it wasn't arrogant emotion, but pure anger towards the enemy.
"Truly a monster."
Karoon exhaled as he looked up at the ceiling.
"If we don't arrive quickly, everything really could end."
He too seemed to sense the demonic energy the Black Tower Master was holding, furrowing his brow.
"Yes. We need to end this quickly."
"I didn't think you'd actually make it this far."
As Raon turned his gaze to Karoon, a man walked out from behind a bookshelf. He was an elderly gentleman with white hair wearing a monocle, exuding such a gentle aura that if not for the rapier at his waist, he could have been mistaken for an ordinary librarian.
"...I told you we should have gone down to kill them."
A figure in a black robe rose up from the dark space. No, rather than a robe, it was as if he was cloaked in darkness itself, with black droplets dripping from his body.
'Strong...'
Due to the Black Tower Master's overwhelming demonic energy, he hadn't properly sensed it, but the auras of these two were on a completely different level from the demonized humans he had encountered so far. They exuded the lofty dignity that only Transcendents could possess.
"That demonized human cloaked in darkness is Sigel, the Black Tower Vice Master. Despite his dull-looking body, he's proficient in all weapon arts and magic. He's not called the Black King for nothing."
Karoon narrowed his eyes, pointing at the demonized human who seemed to have merged with the darkness.
'Black King Sigel...'
Raon exhaled slowly as he looked at Sigel.
'To think I'd meet the monster from the stories here.'
Though Sigel rarely ventured outside the Black Tower, whenever he showed himself, he created shocking incidents. During the Six Kings era, he had annihilated three martial arts families single-handedly, and even Owen's Transcendent who had gone to support them late had fallen to his hands.
He was called the Black King because he devoured everything without leaving a single drop of blood or fragment of bone from the corpses, leaving only black earth behind.
"Monocle and rapier..."
Jayna's lips trembled, turning pale as she looked at the elderly man with the monocle.
"That man is Karet. He's the butler who raised the current Black Tower Master and his only family. I heard he still manages all the internal affairs of the Black Tower, but to be here..."
She swallowed dryly, saying Karet had an even greater influence on the Black Tower than the Black King.
"I've heard that name."
Raon nodded, looking at Karet.
'He's said to handle all the Black Tower's affairs.'
Unlike Black King Sigel who had demonstrated tremendous martial prowess, Karet was the chief administrator who managed the Black Tower's human and material resources. As the butler who raised the Black Tower Master and a Transcendent himself, he was said to wield power exceeding that of the Vice Master.
'They're all gathered here.'
To think the two individuals who could be the biggest obstacles to striking at the Black Tower Master were gathered here - it seemed rather fortunate. If he could just kill Karet and the Black King, there would be no one left to stop them.
"This is the last chance for you trash."
Karet shook his head slightly, lifting his monocle.
"If you come any further, I'll put holes in your heads."
He walked out in front of the bookshelf, raising his chin as if to block the way. True to one who raised the Black Tower Master, arrogance oozed from him.
"...It's troublesome, but can't be helped."
Black King Sigel also clicked his tongue briefly before dragging his limp body forward to block the path.
"If you don't cross this line, I'll allow you to save those filthy lives."
As Karet wiggled his finger, a thin, deep groove was etched into the floor.
"The butler who raised the Black Tower Master..."
Raon smacked his lips as he looked at Karet.
"Will that mole show his face if you die?"
He stepped on the line Karet had drawn, twisting his lips in a deep sneer. The moment his foot touched the ground, the blade of the rapier at Karet's waist lunged towards his brow. It was an astonishingly fast strike, befitting his title - Demonic Thunder.
But it wasn't enough to surpass his own reaction. Just before the rapier's blade touched his forehead, he bent backwards at the waist to evade it.
A massive hole opened in the wall behind him, as if struck by a hammer, from Karet's sword strike that had pierced through instead. Not only was it fast, but the power was also terrifying.
"Dodging will only increase your suffering."
Karet frowned, extending his hand as an even faster rapier blade dove towards Raon's neck. Though it moved at a speed invisible to the eye, he read its direction and deflected it diagonally. The shockwave from the Heavenly Drive clashing with the rapier caused bookshelves to collapse and books to spill out.
Karet's sword strikes weren't just fast. The energy contained within was so powerful that it made his sword-holding hand tremble.
"You... something's strange."
Karet frowned, seemingly trying to end things quickly as he thrust his rapier in rapid succession. Though the sword strikes didn't touch him, the overwhelming speed and power of the attacks caused pain throughout his body as if pierced by thorns.
Raon lightly deflected Karet's incoming sword strikes while stepping in the Supreme Harmony Steps. With his original strength it wouldn't have been easy, but the power and senses he had developed coming here made it possible.
"Are you really the one who raised the Black Tower Master? You're too weak. Is it because you only look at documents?"
He took a step forward, harshly provoking Karet. He rotated the blade of the Heavenly Drive even faster than Karet's rapier, putting strong pressure on him.
"Wh-what is this..."
Karet's eyes widened in shock at Raon's swordsmanship that not only kept up with but even overwhelmed his own speed.
"...Insolent bastard."
As Raon circled to the right to slash at Karet's waist, Black King Sigel spewed forth black energy. Magical energy writhing like octopus tentacles twisted towards his ankles to grab him.
"Hmm..."
Raon frowned, drawing the Blade of Requiem. As he prepared to defend, a blue blade shot out from behind, slicing through Sigel's magical energy.
"Leave this to me."
Karoon extended his sword towards Sigel's neck as he entered the darkness-filled space. Sigel blocked Karoon's sword strike with a hand rippling with magical energy, but frowned as if displeased with the situation.
"Reliable."
Having seen how strong Karoon was while fighting him earlier, Raon turned his gaze back to Karet without looking back.
"Now you have no one to help you?"
Raon twisted the corner of his mouth, tilting his chin sideways.
"Ah, there's one left. Why don't you call that mole you raised for help? Though he's too scared to come out."
He waved his hand up and down, sneering.
"Shut your mouth!"
Karet stomped his foot roughly, seemingly enraged at the insult to the Black Tower Master he had raised. Black horns sprouted from his white forehead, and magical energy that looked like it was made of lightning enveloped his entire body. It seemed he was trying to unleash his full power by accepting the tower's magical energy.
"They say you have to pound the ground to make a mole come out..."
Raon mocked the demonized Karet as he thrust the Heavenly Drive and Blade of Requiem into the ground. A blue moon rose over the collapsed library, and a red sun bloomed in the pitch-black darkness.
"Maybe the Black Tower Master will show his face if you die."
Raon wiggled his finger as he pulled the divine and demonic swords from the blackened earth.
"It is you who will die!"
Karet charged forward like a black flash, cloaked in jet-black lightning. His sword had already reached Raon's left chest, faster than sound. It was a speed that transcended perception.
'I can see it.'
But he had already seen Karet's swordsmanship, so he was reading the trajectory rather than the speed. He brought down the demonic sword he had placed above his neck to strike down Karet's rapier aiming for his heart.
Karet's sword hit the ground, completely shattering the library floor. Books were torn apart and scattered, obscuring vision from the powerful impact.
"They say moles have poor eyesight but good hearing, but I guess your mole is deaf too? He's still not coming out?"
Raon curled up the corners of his mouth as he brushed aside the books blocking his view.
'The provocation is working.'
Karet had pride in raising the Black Tower Master and had likely never been mocked before, so he was being stung by Raon's taunts.
"Don't tell me he's already run away and left you behind..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Karet thrust his rapier forward with his wrist upright. Reddish-black lightning flashed as countless sword strikes surged in.
He unleashed his sword strikes, seemingly forgetting even to breathe. The attacks were so powerful and swift that Raon's waist and thighs were cut, spewing red blood.
If he had reacted even a little slower, it would have been his heart pierced instead of his waist. As expected, this was an opponent he couldn't let his guard down against.
"You have no right to insult him!"
Karet continued thrusting his sword, determined not to let go of his advantage. It was like an endless downpour of lightning filling the sky. Raon narrowed his eyes as he blocked Karet's sword strikes with the Fire Wall.
'Now I can read it.'
Though Karet's sword had become faster and stronger, its fundamental nature remained unchanged. Raon entered the storm of sword strikes, opening the mental world inscribed with ten thousand swords.
The divine sword wreathed in flames slipped into the reddish-black lightning. Though it was neither fast nor strong, Karet's magical energy was pushed back helplessly as if encountering a natural enemy.
The demonic sword sprinkling silver frost followed, deeply slashing across Karet's chest as it passed through. Black blood spurted from Karet's chest as it was split wide open.
"How can this be..."
His lips trembled in disbelief.
"Your sword no longer works on me."
"Nonsense!"
As Karet roared, the horns protruding from his forehead grew even thicker. He thrust his rapier, dyeing his entire body in magical energy as if abandoning his humanity. As the magical energy concentrated in the rapier's blade exploded, it seemed like a massive spear that could topple the entire Black Tower was being fired at him.
Raon threw himself into the expanding explosion of magical energy. He swung the divine sword raised above and the demonic sword lowered below in an intersecting motion, creating a river of blue and red.
Even the greatest explosion loses its power underwater. Karet's sword strike of magical energy, unleashed with his life on the line, was slowly submerged within the red and blue aura.
"Im-impossible..."
Raon approached the stunned Karet and extended the divine sword. Just as the flaming blade was about to sever his neck, the ceiling collapsed with a jet-black current. A black tidal wave that could only be described as darkness itself surged in, and red eyes rose above it.
An evil that had transcended humanity and even demons. Now it was an aberration whose existence could not be explained.
"Ah..."
Karoon held his breath as he looked at the being that seemed to have become darkness itself.
'The Black Tower Master.'
Though he had only crossed one floor, an immense aura that made it difficult to even move a finger pressed down on him. Time seemed to stop in the face of such an overwhelming presence. The Black Tower Master raised a hand made of darkness, seemingly enraged at Karet's crisis, trying to rip out Raon's neck.
Compared to this god of darkness, Raon's presence was as feeble as a firefly before the sun. The future where his neck would be torn off flashed before him, but he could do nothing.
At the moment the hand of darkness filled with despair was about to deliver death to the tiny human, Raon reacted. The demonic sword wreathed in wrath deflected the dark hand, and the divine sword cloaked like the sun traced a golden flash as it grazed Karet's neck.
As Karet's head fell, red blood rained down upon the pitch-black darkness.
"You only show yourself after it rains..."
Raon glared at the king of darkness, stepping on Karet's fallen corpse. Red lightning like that of Glenn flashed in his eyes.
"It seems you were not a mole, but an earthworm."