"Please wake up..."
Martha gripped Denier's hand tightly and called him father, but his time had already come to an end.
-Tsk.
Wrath clicked his tongue with a hint of regret.
-That strange fellow ended up departing as the father of the beef girl.
He furrowed his brows, thinking there must have been a reason for Denier's betrayal.
'That's probably true.'
Raon let out a soft breath.
'Since Martha saw Denier's memories.'
Denier had passed his memories to Martha, and after reading them, she accepted him as her father once again. There must have been many complicated circumstances within those memories that he couldn't understand.
-I wonder what kind of life that fellow lived.
Wrath smacked his lips, wondering what kind of life would lead someone to commit betrayal after betrayal.
'I'm not sure either.'
He had also thought of Denier as a villain similar to Derus, so today's events left him confused in many ways.
'But one thing is certain.'
Raon clasped his hands together as he looked at Denier in Martha's arms.
'As you said, that man is Martha's father.'
-Indeed. The oath bound to the beef girl's soul was even harder to break than a Transcendent-level curse, yet he took it upon himself and multiplied it several times over. Such a feat is impossible for a human mind.
Wrath nodded solemnly, saying it was only possible because of a father's heart.
"Aaaaahh!"
"..."
Runaan silently approached the weeping Martha and quietly offered her shoulder.
"Hic."
Martha seemed to understand the gesture as she bit her lip and leaned against Runaan. The two who had once been rivals now seemed like friends who needed no words between them.
"Is it over...?"
Burren looked up at the still-darkened sky and let out a long sigh.
"This war was particularly difficult."
He collapsed where he stood, saying he was exhausted both physically and mentally.
"I-I'm still scared..."
Dorian's eyes darted back and forth.
"I-I feel like the Leader of the White Blood Religion might resurrect and attack us at any moment..."
He swallowed dryly, saying he felt like the Leader of the White Blood Religion might come back to life and find them.
"Don't jinx it! Stop talking nonsense!"
Krein frowned and kicked Dorian.
"It's not strange to think that way."
Raon smiled wryly as he acknowledged Dorian's words.
"It was that terrible."
Normally, he would have hit Dorian on the back of the head for talking nonsense, but having witnessed the Leader of the White Blood Religion's obsession with life, he understood his words.
"Unlike that coward, I handled it easily! The White Blood Religion was nothing!"
Krein thrust out his chest, seemingly trying to act tough now that everything was over.
"Something felt off to me."
Trevin turned his gaze with furrowed brows.
"What do you mean?"
Raon tilted his head as he looked at Trevin.
"Whenever we faced danger, opportunities arose through collapsing buildings or splitting ground. Suddenly our aura was restored and we could help the Palace Master. Thanks to that, while there are many seriously injured at the Light Wind Palace, there are no casualties. It's too lucky."
Trevin was suspicious of the situation, saying the timing was too perfect and their luck too good to be believable.
'He's not wrong.'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked around.
'I experienced something similar.'
When blocking the Godly Blood Summoning Ritual in his exhausted state, there were times when the enemy's movements would slow down. He had thought it was because their bloody energy was almost depleted, but thinking back now, that didn't seem to be the only reason.
'Moreover...'
The restoration of their aura clearly meant someone had intervened. The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen said they gained the strength to block the Godly Blood Summoning Ritual thanks to their suddenly surging aura. At the time, they were too rushed to think about it, but it was clearly artificial to anyone who looked.
'Don't you know something about this?'
Raon elbowed Wrath.
-This king knows nothing.
Wrath whistled and turned his head away, indicating he didn't want to tell regardless of whether he knew or not.
'I don't even have the strength to use Aura Perception.'
With his remaining aura and stamina depleted, he could barely stand, let alone use Aura Perception.
"Ugh..."
As he sighed while looking around, Evelyn clutched her waist and stood up.
"Evelyn. Are you okay?"
He walked toward Evelyn on trembling legs, drained of strength.
"No, I'm not okay."
Evelyn spat out the blood pooled in her mouth and shook her head.
"My head feels cracked, my heart feels like it's burst, and my limbs won't move properly."
-Then you should be dead already!
Wrath shook his head, saying it made no sense.
"Let's apply first aid for now."
"That treatment..."
As he was about to give Evelyn the Internal Injury Medicine, she stretched out both arms toward him.
"I think a hug from you would fix everything?"
Evelyn's purple eyes sparkled as she said that was all she needed.
"Sorry, but..."
Raon raised his hand and pushed away the approaching Evelyn.
"Now is not the time for that."
He shook his head briefly and gestured toward Martha who was still holding onto Denier.
"Ah..."
Evelyn let out a low groan as if finally noticing the other situation.
-A mad woman will always be a mad woman...
Wrath shook his head, saying that Evelyn could seem nice one moment but repulsive the next.
"I'm not sure how everything played out, but in the end, the Leader of the White Blood Religion died by your Soul Sword, right?"
Evelyn smiled as if to say she might not know the process, but she understood the result.
"No."
Raon shook his head firmly.
"Those two did it. I just helped."
He pointed to Martha and Denier, repeating what Rimmer had told him.
"I see."
Evelyn closed and opened her eyes, saying she got the general idea.
"You worked hard. Without you, we could never have brought down the White Blood Religion."
Raon bowed sincerely to Evelyn.
"Thank you, Evelyn."
"I told you there's no need for thanks between us!"
Evelyn waved her hand, saying not to make such formalities. He wanted to ask what she meant by "between us," but was too afraid to ask.
"So are there only two left now?"
She held up two fingers, her index and middle finger.
"Where are the patients!"
The medical team prepared by the Five Kings Alliance rushed over with urgent expressions.
"P-please check here first!"
"Over here!"
"They're unconscious and their breathing is slow!"
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen pointed to the Transcendents of the Five Kings and Balder whom they had been tending to.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
"This doesn't look good."
"Apply emergency treatment first!"
The healers and priests broke into cold sweat, seeming to realize their abilities alone wouldn't be enough.
"The Ragged Saint and Saintess will be here soon! Do everything you can until then!"
They moved their hands quickly, determined to hold out until Federick and Olga arrived from treating others.
"T-this person has already passed away."
"What?"
Raon quickly turned around at hearing someone had passed away.
"Please check again!"
Martha insisted on bringing the healers and priests to examine Denier.
"W-we're sorry."
"This is beyond our ability to..."
The healers and priests apologetically shook their heads.
"Ugh..."
Martha bit her lip as she held Denier's hand again. She seemed unable to let her father go yet.
"However, this person should make it somehow."
The priest approached Martha's mother, spreading holy power and performing healing techniques. As the divine power and healing magic enveloped Martha's mother, her pale complexion began to redden slightly.
"Mmm..."
A very faint groan escaped from Martha's mother's lips.
"Huh...?"
Martha turned her head and widened her eyes at the sound of that voice.
"M-mom?"
She approached her mother while carefully holding Denier.
"Mom! Are you conscious?"
Martha's lips trembled as she held back from touching her mother, afraid this moment might shatter like a dream.
"Ma-Martha..."
Martha's mother immediately recognized the adult Martha and gave a faint smile.
"Y-you recognize me?"
Martha's reddened eyes filled with tears again, as if she had been worried about being recognized after growing from child to adult.
"Of course. A mother knows everything."
Martha's mother weakly nodded as if to say why would she even ask such a thing.
"Mom... Mom!"
Martha called out that name she had been holding back and embraced her mother.
"Daughter. You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
Martha's mother patted her back as if she understood everything.
"No. Mom, you've been through so much more..."
Martha couldn't continue speaking as emotions held back for over twenty years surged up.
"But..."
Martha's mother let out a short breath as she looked at Denier.
"What happened with that person?"
She shook her head, saying that although she had seen through the Leader of the White Blood Religion's body, she still couldn't understand.
"He's Dad."
Martha spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"Just as you gave birth to me, he's the father who raised me."
She smiled radiantly, as if proud of this fact, seeming to erase her sadness.
"..."
Raon exhaled a white breath as he watched Martha's smile, which mixed both sadness and love.
'One person leaves, another returns.'
For every meeting there is a parting, and those who leave must return - Martha would overcome today's sorrow and grow further as a person.
'I've really reached my limit now.'
After witnessing Martha's reunion with her mother, the tension finally released and his vision blurred. He couldn't hold on any longer. He wanted to know about Zieghart's situation and the confrontation between Derus and Darkan, but his mind wouldn't work anymore.
'I'm glad, Martha.'
Raon slowly fell backward as he watched Martha crying and smiling.
"Yes! I get to catch you!"
As his eyes closed and the world's sounds faded, someone caught him with a cheerful voice.
"..."
-Too much. That's too much!
***
"Hmm?"
Beast King Ogram raised his trembling hand.
'My strength is returning.'
His aura and martial arts mastery, which had been useless no matter how much he trained after having his blood drained by the Leader of the White Blood Religion, were slowly returning.
'Did they actually do it?'
There was only one thing that could change his martial prowess which hadn't returned no matter what he tried until now. The Five Kings Alliance must have pushed back the White Blood Religion and killed its Leader.
'Finally...'
Ogram clenched his massive, rock-like fist.
'I can fight again!'
Though he hadn't said anything, his pride had been severely wounded having to stay back while the other Five Kings leaders moved. But now he could fight at the forefront like before. His heart was pounding in his ears from joy.
"I should tell Derus."
Ogram licked his lips as he raised his gaze.
'He'll be thrown off when he hears the Leader of the White Blood Religion is dead.'
Just as he was about to raise his voice to provoke Derus, dozens of impact sounds rang out in the air before he could even blink. Derus and Darkan were clashing swords in a realm beyond his comprehension.
'...They were this strong?'
Now that his strength was returning, he could feel Derus and Darkan's martial prowess on his skin. He would lose his head the moment he stepped into their battle.
'It's impossible even if I fully recover my strength.'
Even if all the martial prowess he lost to the Leader of the White Blood Religion returned, he could never win. His shoulders slumped as he realized the vast difference in power, despite them all being Transcendents.
'Damn it...'
As Ogram chewed his lips, Derus and Darkan's swords fell toward each other's necks. With a thunderous roar, a dark rift opened between Darkan and Derus. The balance of the world began to collapse under their overwhelmingly powerful aura waves.
"It seems the Leader of the White Blood Religion is dead?"
Darkan jerked his chin as if he had read Ogram's condition even while fighting Derus.
"You probably expected it, but it must be disappointing not to achieve what you wanted."
He shrugged his shoulders as if mocking Derus.
"Not particularly."
Derus calmly shook his head as if he had already known about the Leader of the White Blood Religion's death.
"Killing you here and taking your power would be more beneficial."
He twisted his lips upward as if this was even better.
"You're dreaming of the impossible."
Darkan snorted as he looked at Derus.
"Only Glenn Zieghart, the Continent's strongest sword, can take my head."
He lowered his hand, saying it was impossible with Derus's current skill.
"Of course, you're not bad. I didn't expect to find another person who could handle my sword to this extent."
Darkan licked his lips, saying he was glad he had listened to Raon's request.
"I've seen enough of your mettle, now let's fight properly."
He leaned his upper body forward and pushed back Derus, their swords still crossed. As Derus stepped back, Darkan aimed his sword at his heart.
"Until one of us dies."
As those cold words spread, his sword vanished and an invisible, formless blade emerged. It was a Soul Sword carved from his soul.
"A Soul Sword..."
Derus narrowed his eyes as if immediately recognizing Darkan's Soul Sword. Feeling he couldn't dodge it, he stood his ground and raised his sword burning with death aura.
"That's the right attitude!"
Darkan raised his head approvingly and released his Soul Sword. His Soul Sword, surging like a storm, pierced through Derus's body and dug into the soul residing within. As two souls at the peak of Transcendence clashed, the world's balance crumbled and a new world unfolded.
Everything sank into a gray space of swords as Darkan's Mental Image opened.
"..."
Despite being pulled into an unfamiliar space, Derus remained calm as he looked around with quiet eyes.
"What a boring reaction."
Darkan briefly clicked his tongue.
"This place..."
"Must be your Mental Image."
Derus gave a small nod as if he already knew.
"If you understand, this will be quick. Here, we'll swing our swords until one of us dies. You'll be the one dying, of course."
Darkan tilted his head as if asking wouldn't that be fun.
"A space like this..."
Derus tilted his chin diagonally and took a fighting stance. An immense realm of the soul burst forth from him, shaking the Mental World itself.
"Can it withstand my soul?"
As Derus gave an eerie smile, something black with tens of thousands of embedded eyes stretched endlessly from behind him like the branches of the World Tree.
"You..."
Darkan's jaw trembled as he beheld Derus's grotesque soul that could not be described as human.
"Are you really human?"