"Tsk."
Derus Robert clicked his tongue harshly as he glared at Jayna, who had defied his expectations by opening a long-distance Dimensional Gate. He emanated an intense killing intent, as if he would kill Jayna the moment he got the chance.
"Ah..."
Jayna's face turned pale, seemingly taken aback by Derus's thick killing intent.
"Where do you think you're looking?"
Glenn brought down a heavy sword strike to prevent Derus from even looking at Jayna. With a resonating boom, Derus failed to completely block Glenn's attack and was pushed back with a deep frown between his brows.
"You won't get past me."
Glenn lifted his chin, indicating that Derus wouldn't be able to get near Jayna before defeating him first.
"Glenn Zieghart..."
Derus savagely spoke Glenn's name as if stripping meat from bone.
"You always get in my way."
He let out a heavy sigh, seemingly recalling all the times Glenn had blocked his path.
"It's not me."
Glenn shook his head firmly.
"You're defeated because you underestimated children like Raon."
He lowered his eyebrows, telling Derus to face the truth.
"Underestimate? You say I underestimate Raon?"
Derus clutched his forehead and chuckled.
"In this continent— no, in the entire world, I am the only one who can truly understand Raon!"
He twisted his lips upward, claiming he knew more about Raon than anyone else.
"Because I acknowledged Raon and all of you, I didn't support the White Blood Religion and came here targeting Ogram instead. Of course..."
Derus clenched his fingers as he looked at the fallen Darkan.
"Though I never expected Raon would recruit that madman."
He let out a bitter laugh, saying that even though he acknowledged Raon, he never imagined Darkan would be involved.
"Ah, one more thing."
Derus turned his gaze to Jayna, who was closing the Dimensional Gate and tending to Darkan and Ogram.
"I didn't expect a stupid, pretentious princess to have the ability to open a long-distance Dimensional Gate."
Derus nodded, acknowledging Jayna's abilities.
"I, I too..."
Jayna parted her trembling lips while meeting Derus's eyes.
"I was able to change thanks to Raon Zieghart!"
She lifted her chin, declaring that her transformation had also begun because of Raon.
"I see."
Glenn's lips curved slightly upward, seeming pleased by Jayna's words.
"Yes. He's always the problem."
Derus ground his molars, directing his killing intent not at Jayna, but at the absent Raon.
"Shouldn't you be paying attention to your opponent?"
Glenn twisted his wrist and thrust forward with the Heavenly Tremor. The silver blade moved faster than sound, already touching Derus's neck. With a piercing screech, Derus barely managed to deflect Glenn's thrust, but blood trickled down his neck.
"That's it!"
Darkan raised his hand while lying down.
"That's a true sword! It seeks perfection!"
He curled his lips up, saying it was a sword that achieved perfection like clothes without visible seams.
"Ha..."
Ogram wiped the blood from his mouth and let out a hollow laugh.
"You're not going to complain about that old man interfering?"
He frowned, asking why there was such discrimination.
"His swordsmanship is magnificent!"
Darkan curled his lips upward without taking his eyes off Glenn.
"With swordsmanship like that, I wouldn't mind if he took my head!"
He licked his lips, hoping Glenn's refined swordsmanship would fall upon him.
"You really are obsessed with swords."
Ogram shook his head in disgust.
"Hey! Glenn Zieghart!"
Darkan waved his hand toward Glenn.
"I never thought you would save me. Since it's come to this..."
He formed the shape of a sword with his fingers.
"Show me all your swordsmanship!"
Darkan forced himself to stand up as he made his request. He showed a vitality that made it hard to believe he had been on the brink of death.
"Shut up."
Glenn ignored Darkan's words and unleashed both the Azure Sky Sword and Celestial Thunder Arts against Derus. The two sword techniques merged as if they had originally been one, shaking the heavens and calling forth crimson lightning with a thunderous roar.
Unable to handle Glenn's Sky-Piercing Thunder, Derus stumbled backward repeatedly. Blood sprayed from his lips, and his death aura dissolved in a red mist.
"You are more dangerous than anyone else."
Glenn's eyes sank terrifyingly deep.
"I'll take your head right here."
Derus had chosen not to support the White Blood Religion during their attack, instead moving to deal with another of the Five Kings first. This wasn't a decision an ordinary person could make. It was right to deal with him quickly before he could create an even more dangerous situation. The air hummed with tension.
Glenn's Heavenly Tremor trembled violently, and crimson lightning spread in all directions. This was the Heaven's Wrath Thunder Strike, a hidden technique of the Celestial Thunder Arts that he hadn't yet taught to Raon.
With a piercing screech, Derus's blue eyes flashed as he seemed to read Glenn's sword flow, raising his blade wreathed in death aura. A terrifying explosion rang out as the heavenly lightning clashed with the death-infused blade.
However, it didn't take long for the outcome of what seemed like an even match to become clear.
With an explosive crack, a fissure split the sky as a blazing red sword wound was carved into Derus's chest.
"Kuhek!"
Derus coughed up blood as he clutched his wounded chest.
"Truly insane swordsmanship..."
He creased his eyes in disbelief as he looked at the wound on his chest.
"Ho!"
Darkan let out a cheer that sounded like a scream.
"What was that sword technique! Use it on me once I recover!"
He waved his hand vigorously as if considering Glenn a friend.
"Hmm..."
However, Glenn's expression wasn't very good.
'I just used that technique intending to kill.'
Although he hadn't opened a Sword Domain or used Soul Sword, it was surprising that Derus hadn't died despite Glenn using his full power in that sword technique.
'He's truly become stronger.'
Derus had grown even stronger since their encounter in Owen. His martial prowess had reached a level where he could pose a threat if Glenn let his guard down. His growth rate seemed to rival that of Raon, who possessed the greatest talent of all time.
'No choice then.'
Glenn raised his Heavenly Tremor and aimed at Derus's heart. His sword's willpower reached the heavens, creating a colorless light. Just as Glenn was about to release his Soul Sword to cut Derus's soul...
"Don't use Soul Sword!"
Darkan shouted with enough force to tear his throat.
"Hmm..."
Glenn's concentration on the Soul Sword broke at Darkan's thunderous voice. With a sharp crack, Derus seized the opportunity, breaking a glass bead to open a brilliantly white Dimensional Gate.
"Let's end it here for today."
He immediately stepped backward, attempting to enter the white Dimensional Gate.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Glenn bent his knee forward and thrust out the Heavenly Tremor. With Darkan's warning about Soul Sword echoing in his mind, he had no choice but to unleash the Celestial Thunder Arts again. The lightning cut through space, carving a wound so deep in Derus's chest that his ribs were visible.
However, Derus didn't stop at defense and swung upward with his sword blazing with death aura.
With a whistle, a black line was drawn across Glenn's hand, blood trickling down.
"Now you can feel it too. The wound on your hand..."
Derus chuckled as he disappeared into the white dimension.
"How much it itches."
He vanished along with the white dimension, leaving behind words that they would meet again soon.
"Darkan."
Glenn turned to Darkan with a furrowed brow.
"Why did you interfere?"
"Because it would've been meaningless unless you were willing to sacrifice your life."
Darkan exhaled heavily and shook his head.
"What do you..."
"Thanks to you, I was able to enter the realm of Soul Sword. Though slightly different, I used it on him..."
He told Glenn everything that had happened during his fight with Derus.
"A soul so powerful it could shatter the mental image of Soul Sword created for battle..."
Glenn narrowed his eyes deeply as he looked at Darkan.
'Darkan couldn't have seen wrong.'
Darkan had become strong enough to cross swords with him. It was inconceivable that a swordsman of his caliber could misread someone's soul.
'That means Derus's enormous soul is real.'
If he had shattered Darkan's mental world through sheer soul size alone, there was a high chance that even Glenn's Soul Sword wouldn't be able to cut Derus's soul.
"Eyes emerging from black shadows..."
Glenn frowned as he looked at where Derus had disappeared.
'What is his true identity?'
He had seen many monsters that could absorb others' souls, but he had never heard of a being that could conceal a soul larger than its own. Just hearing Darkan's words sent an inexplicable chill down his spine.
"Haa..."
Glenn let out a heavy sigh.
'I'm worried about him targeting Raon.'
Strangely, Derus seemed to both acknowledge and obsess over Raon. It was unsettling to have an unknown monster fixating on him.
'I'd like to take him down myself, but...'
The future situation was unpredictable. The Heavenly Demon and Derus seemed to walk together yet on different paths. Though he wanted to eliminate both monsters as threats, it wouldn't be easy.
"Phew..."
As Glenn sighed, Darkan moved his hand slightly.
"Hey, help me up."
Darkan reached out his hand, asking for help to stand.
"..."
Glenn looked at Darkan's black eyepatch before taking his hand and helping him up.
"I never thought I'd be getting up with your help."
Darkan chuckled, saying it felt strange.
"Same here."
Glenn nodded calmly while supporting the stumbling Darkan.
"Princess Jayna. Can you open the gate again?"
He looked at Jayna while supporting Ogram with his left arm.
"I can. But it will take some time."
Jayna nodded, saying she would manage somehow as she looked at the severely injured Ogram and Darkan. A resonating hum filled the air.
Showing the results of her dedicated practice, she managed to open another blue-blazing Dimensional Gate in less than ten minutes.
"I've connected it to where the Ragged Saint and Saintess are at the White Blood Religion."
Jayna pointed to the Dimensional Gate with a pale expression.
"Thank you."
Just as Glenn nodded to Jayna and was about to enter the Dimensional Gate...
"Hey."
Darkan raised a finger toward Glenn.
"Let's have a match once I'm healed."
"It will take a long time to recover your martial prowess. Considering the situation, your power might be permanently gone."
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Darkan.
"That might be true. But there's always a way."
Darkan shook his head as if telling Glenn not to worry.
"What way?"
Glenn narrowed his eyes curiously.
"I learned Soul Sword by plucking out my eye, so wouldn't cutting off a leg restore my power?"
Darkan rubbed his thigh as if he were completely serious.
"Ha."
Glenn let out a hollow breath, sensing that Darkan wasn't joking.
"Well? Will you fight me?"
Darkan jerked his chin, asking for an answer.
"Fine."
Glenn nodded gently.
"If you live, and I'm still alive..."
He smiled faintly as he entered the Dimensional Gate that Jayna had opened.
"Let's have a good fight."
***
Coughing violently, Derus spat out black, dead blood as soon as he emerged from the Dimensional Gate he had created with divine power.
'That Glenn Zieghart... he's always the real deal.'
He let out broken groans while touching the blazing red wound on his chest.
"Master."
Though Kubara maintained a calm expression, she seemed inwardly startled as she rushed to Derus and showered him with white light. However, the wound left by Glenn ignored her divine power and continued to widen.
"What kind of wound..."
Kubara let out a shallow breath as she observed the sword wound that even ignored divine power.
"Could the Dark Night Sword God use such a sword?"
"It wasn't Darkan."
Derus wiped the blood from his mouth with a trembling hand.
"Glenn Zieghart. The Destructive King of the North came himself."
He frowned as he looked at the Crystal Orb on the desk.
"You fool. If you were going to block him, you should have done it properly!"
Derus ground his teeth as he cursed at the Heavenly Demon.
"How did 'that matter' go?"
Derus turned his gaze to Kubara while forcibly clenching his wound.
"That side progressed even better than planned."
Kubara lowered her chin, indicating there was nothing to worry about.
"We need to focus on treatment now. I'll open the divine power room right away."
"No."
As she stood up and tried to turn around, Derus waved his hand.
"Open the training room first."
Derus straightened his back while leaning on his sword.
"What? The training room now?"
Kubara swallowed dryly. She was confused, as this didn't sound like the Derus who always prioritized his physical wellbeing.
"Thanks to consuming Darkan's mental image, stairs have descended before me as well."
Derus's lips twisted upward.
"The high and noble stairs that lead to the Soul Sword!"
***
"Mmm..."
Raon opened his eyes to strange sounds echoing in his ears.
-Please! Please! Please!
'What's making all this noise...'
As he furrowed his brow, something swept past his field of vision.
'What's that?'
Opening his eyes wide for a better look, he saw Wrath, wearing a white headband, spinning around above his head while waving a blue staff.
"What are you doing?"
Raon couldn't help but part his dry lips to ask.
-Can't you tell by looking?
'I'm asking because I can't tell.'
-I'm praying to the Demon God!
Wrath put on a solemn expression, saying he was offering prayers to the Demon God.
"Don't tell me..."
Raon raised one eyebrow.
"You were wishing for me to wake up healthy? Wrath..."
-Like hell I was!
Wrath shook his head vigorously, telling Raon not to be ridiculous.
-You'll wake up healthy anyway, so I was praying for the rewards you'll get for destroying the White Blood Religion to be terrible!
He waved his staff-holding hand, saying he had been praying for four days straight.
"Haa..."
Raon let out a heavy sigh at the sight.
'I'm getting tired right after waking up.'
Just as he was muttering about being tired and shaking his head, blue messages began appearing before his eyes.
[You have achieved a historic feat.]
[All abilities increased by 100 points.]
However, there were only two lines of messages.
-Oh! Demon God!
Wrath threw his arms wide and cheered, claiming his prayers had been answered.
-100 points hurts to the bone, but I can bear this much!
He grinned, saying his days of prayer had paid off.
"Hmm, there's no way an achievement of this magnitude would end with just two lines..."
As Raon narrowed his eyes and looked at the messages again, the two lines of blue text suddenly erupted like a volcano, shooting upward.
[You have achieved a historic feat.]
[All abilities increased by 100 points.]
[New trait...]
[Trait...]
[Trait...]
[Title...]
[...]
The blue messages rose past the floating Wrath all the way to the ceiling. Looking at it now, it seemed there was a delay due to the sheer volume of information.
-Ah...
Wrath gaped at the messages that couldn't be taken in at a single glance.
"Looks like your prayers were useless?"
Raon pointed at the messages with a fresh smile.
-Why... Why won't you grant this king's wish!
Wrath threw down his staff as if truly enraged.
-You damn Demon God!
'Gasp!'
Raon raised his hand to cover his mouth in an exaggerated gesture.
'I-isn't that blasphemy? You'll be punished by...'
-Shut up, I'm pissed!