"Raon! Are you awake?"
Sia ran toward Raon with a bright smile that resembled spring flowers.
"Yeah, just now."
Raon carefully caught Sia as she jumped into his outstretched arms.
"I'm so glad you're safe."
Sia held him tight, saying she had been very worried. Though her warm body temperature naturally made him smile, there was something he needed to ask first.
"Why is that person with you, Sister?"
Raon pointed at Darkan, who was still standing by the lake.
"I'm not sure either. He suddenly showed up and started giving swordsmanship advice, teaching as easily as you do."
Sia bowed her head, saying her skills had improved thanks to Darkan's teachings.
"Of course! No one in this world has mastered more sword techniques than I have!"
Darkan burst into hearty laughter, saying he couldn't help but teach well given how many sword techniques he knew.
"Why? Is he a bad person?"
Sia tilted her head, seemingly having taken a liking to Darkan.
"He's not a bad person. However..."
Raon shook his head as he set Sia down.
"He's not a good person either."
The most fitting word to describe Darkan was chaos. Neither good nor evil. He was a madman who would do anything for swordsmanship.
"Well, he can see perfectly fine, yet he wears an eyepatch as if pretending to be pitiful."
Sia shook her fist, insisting that Darkan could clearly see.
"Th-that's not it."
Raon's shoulders trembled slightly. He felt uncomfortable explaining the mad act of Darkan gouging out his own eye in pursuit of strength.
"Anyway, learn what you can from him, but don't get attached. He's the type who could point his sword at you at any moment."
He gripped Sia's shoulders while warning her to be careful of Darkan.
"He's been constantly asking me to fight, saying my swordsmanship is interesting."
Sia folded her fingers, saying Darkan had challenged her to spar more than ten times.
"Are you really insane? Why would you want to spar with my sister!"
Raon frowned as he looked at Darkan.
"You're underestimating your sister. She already has the basics down. Since it's come to this, you be the referee."
Darkan ignored his words and instead gestured for him to officiate the match. He was truly insane.
-Sigh! I knew he would be like this.
Wrath sighed, saying Darkan hadn't changed.
"Sister. Ignore his challenges. Don't ever cross swords with him."
Raon shook his head at Sia, telling her to keep ignoring the sparring requests.
"Okay. I understand."
Sia smiled sweetly, agreeing to follow his words. Whether during her teenage years or now, she had always prioritized his advice above all else.
"What a shame. It would have been fun."
Darkan smacked his lips, seeming to regret not being able to fight with Sia.
"Fun only for you."
Raon shook his head repeatedly.
"I taught my sister. Once my injuries heal, I'll be your opponent."
Raon pointed to himself, offering to spar in Sia's place.
"That wouldn't be bad either."
Darkan slightly raised his eyebrows, looking intrigued.
"Now tell me. Why are you at Zieghart?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Darkan's thin smile.
"What a strange question. I came because I was called."
Darkan pointed to himself, saying he had received a formal invitation.
"You received an invitation?"
"Yes. Actually, I nearly died too."
He lifted his shirt to show the pitch-black scars etched into his chest and shoulder.
"Death aura..."
Seeing how it had pierced through Darkan's aura and willpower to leave such horrifying sword wounds, it was clearly Derus's death aura.
"That's right. It was completely different from regular death energy."
Darkan frowned, saying that while death energy and death aura came from the same root, their power was worlds apart.
"Honestly, it was very dangerous. I barely survived thanks to your grandfather saving me and that beggar living there treating me."
He clicked his tongue briefly while touching the wound on his chest.
"It was that dangerous? For someone like you?"
Raon swallowed hard as he watched Darkan lower his shirt.
'Was Derus that strong?'
Even though Derus had grown stronger, he thought Darkan would be able to handle him easily. Especially since Darkan had mastered the Soul Sword realm, he thought he might even be able to capture Derus, but he never imagined Darkan would be defeated like this.
-That madman...
Wrath furrowed his brows deeply as he looked at Darkan.
-He has grown weaker.
'Grown weaker?'
-Indeed. Those physical wounds are just the tip of the iceberg; his mind and soul have suffered great trauma.
'Now that you mention it...'
Following Wrath's lead, Raon bit his lip as he observed Darkan.
'Darkan's realm of the soul has diminished.'
Except when pretending to be a beggar, Darkan always openly displayed his spiritual pressure. As someone who demonstrated his strength to everyone, the reduction in his soul's power was clearly noticeable.
"Seems you've noticed."
Darkan chuckled and nodded.
"As you thought, I've grown weaker. I made a huge mistake by falling into Derus's trap."
"A huge mistake?"
"Actually, rather than a trap or mistake, I was just unlucky."
"Is it about the Soul Sword?"
"Exactly."
He snapped his fingers, confirming the answer.
"Derus was certainly strong, but I could have blocked him with my martial prowess at the time. However, when I used the Soul Sword to properly fight him, I realized something was wrong."
Darkan's face turned pale.
"Derus didn't have just one soul. Beneath the soul we knew about, there was an enormous soul of unimaginable size..."
Darkan told him everything that had happened in the Soul Sword realm.
"If Glenn Zieghart hadn't come, both I and that muscular old man would have died."
Darkan let out a short breath, saying he survived thanks to Glenn. Seeing how he referred to Frederick as a beggar and Ogram as the muscular old man, it seemed he barely acknowledged anyone who wasn't a swordsman.
"A massive soul formed by the combination of shadow-like entities..."
Raon imagined the soul Derus had been hiding as Darkan described it. A massive congregation of souls covering the entire mental world, with thousands of blinking eyes. Just thinking about it made his hair stand on end.
-Do you know what it is?
'No, I don't know either.'
Though he thought he knew more about Derus than anyone else, he hadn't known about the existence of another massive soul within him.
'He said it was like a shadow, right?'
What was the connection between Derus and shadows? Derus favored the term "shadow" enough to name his important assassination organization after it. Since even his soul rippled darkly like a shadow, there had to be some relationship.
'Of course, I shouldn't overthink it.'
With so few clues about Derus's soul, it seemed best to just accept the current information for now.
"So you became weaker because the mental image created by your Soul Sword collapsed."
Raon nodded, saying he understood now.
"Yes. The upper dantian took enough damage to nearly shatter, so I couldn't help but weaken. However, that's not all."
Darkan raised his finger and tapped his temple.
"Derus possessed the ability to steal others' power."
"What?"
Raon swallowed hard as he saw Darkan's stern expression.
'Stealing martial prowess?'
He knew Derus had various abilities, but stealing others' power during battle was something he'd never heard of before. Now he understood why that guy had grown so rapidly.
"Wait..."
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at Darkan.
"If you were defeated in the mental world created by the Soul Sword..."
"Yes."
Darkan calmly nodded in confirmation.
"He took my Soul Sword. Though he didn't steal all of it, he'll certainly be able to reach the realm of the Soul Sword."
He furrowed his brows, saying the next time they meet, Derus might be able to use the Soul Sword.
"If he creates a Soul Sword with that massive soul, no one will be able to withstand it."
Darkan twisted his lips, saying even Glenn might struggle.
"Except for me, of course!"
He clenched his fist as if confident he could still defeat Derus.
"Now that I've told my story..."
Darkan approached him while licking his lips.
"Let's have a match!"
He drew his sword, ready to fight immediately.
-Isn't he just a dog?
Wrath let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
-Just as dogs drool at the sight of bones, that fellow clearly gets excited at the mere sight of a sword.
He looked as if he were mad, but firmly mad.
"I told you I haven't recovered yet."
Raon shook his head, saying he still had wounds and his physical and mental strength hadn't fully recovered.
"Then I'll wait. Five minutes should be enough, right?"
"..."
Five minutes, he says. This man's sense of time seemed different from normal humans.
"The Head of House must know about Derus taking your Soul Sword, right?"
Raon jerked his chin while watching Darkan repeatedly grab and release his sword.
"I doubt it."
Darkan shook his head as if it were obvious.
"Huh? Why?"
"Because he didn't ask."
He lowered his hand, saying he didn't tell because he wasn't asked. Smack! Raon slapped his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut.
'This person really is...'
An impossible madman!
***
As soon as day broke, Raon left the annex building.
"I'll come with you!"
Darkan followed him into the Lord's Manor's audience chamber, saying it would be interesting.
"I come before the Head of House."
"Shall we have a match?"
Unlike Raon's polite greeting, Darkan immediately jerked his chin, suggesting a fight. However, unlike when he challenged Raon or Sia, he didn't seem serious.
"I'll pass."
Glenn waved his hand, saying now wasn't the time for fighting.
"Rise."
At his command, Raon's knees straightened and his back rose naturally. Glenn's aura reached to the heavens.
"It seems you have no major injuries."
Glenn nodded calmly, saying he had been worried about not being able to visit, but was glad Raon was safe.
-That old geezer tells lies so smoothly!
Wrath shook his head in absolute denial.
-He came every day and took turns watching with that mad woman, yet claims he couldn't visit! There should be limits to lying!
He frowned, saying Glenn's obsession rivaled Evelyn's.
"Thank you for your concern, Head of House."
With Darkan present, he bowed while addressing him as Head of House rather than grandfather.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Glenn's curled lips trembled slightly, seeming satisfied just with those words.
"Did you catch a cold? Why are you coughing like that?"
Darkan lowered his eyebrows as he looked at Glenn.
"Just go clear your throat!"
He openly pointed out what no one had dared mention before.
"...No."
Glenn quickly averted his eyes in embarrassment.
"Well. Since you were unconscious, you must be curious about what happened."
He seemed to try changing the subject by addressing Raon.
"Yes. I heard about Derus from Darkan, but I don't know about the other matters."
Raon lowered his hand, saying he would listen.
"Hmm? I'm sure I told you not to tell him?"
Glenn frowned as he looked at Darkan.
"I don't need to listen to you. Unless it's about swordsmanship, of course."
Darkan shrugged as if asking why he should listen. He wasn't wrong, actually.
"Haaa..."
Glenn let out a deep sigh while massaging his temple as if he had a headache.
"I'll just explain from the beginning. After you fell unconscious..."
He explained in detail what had happened after Raon lost consciousness.
"Thanks to Princess Jayna, we were able to go to the Beast Union and save Darkan and Ogram."
"Princess Jayna went that far..."
Raon smiled softly as he remembered the look in Jayna's eyes when they first met and during this war.
'She really has changed a lot.'
There's a saying that people don't change, but looking at Jayna and Karoon, that didn't seem absolutely true.
"I have one question."
Raon raised his hand toward Glenn.
"How strong was Derus Robert?"
"Besides the Heavenly Demon and myself, no one can face him."
Glenn shook his head, saying the current Darkan couldn't stop Derus.
"That..."
"There's no need to worry."
Darkan smirked as he looked at Glenn.
"Even after consuming my power, Derus was still beaten down by your grandfather! It was beautiful swordsmanship!"
He revealed an ecstatic look in his eyes, saying he wished he could have been on the receiving end of Glenn's sword instead. He really wasn't normal.
"And I can win too. Fighting isn't just about martial prowess."
Darkan beat his chest with his fist, showing his confidence.
"Um, I have something to tell you, Head of House."
Raon bit his lip deeply as he looked at Glenn.
"Speak."
"It seems Derus has reached the realm of the Soul Sword by consuming Darkan's mental image."
He sighed heavily as he relayed to Glenn what he had heard from Darkan.
"I see."
However, Glenn's expression remained unchanged, as if he already knew.
"You knew?"
"Since Derus stole Darkan's power, and it happened in the mental world created by the Soul Sword, I naturally thought it was possible. Moreover..."
Glenn raised his finger to point at Darkan.
"That fellow came and told me directly. He was rambling about wanting to fight Derus after he masters the Soul Sword."
"What?"
Raon turned to stare at Darkan with wide eyes.
"You said you didn't tell him!"
"That was a lie."
Darkan giggled while waving his hand. Perhaps due to the shock to his upper dantian, he seemed even more insane than before.
"I told you not to believe my words unless they're about swords and swordsmanship."
He openly told them not to trust him.
"But this was about swordsmanship!"
"..."
Darkan kept his mouth shut as if he had no response to that. He was truly insane.
"You must be worried about Derus using the Soul Sword with that massive hidden soul."
Glenn nodded as if reading his thoughts.
"Yes... As Darkan said, if he creates a Soul Sword with such a massive soul, no one would be able to stop him."
"There's no need for such worry."
He rose from his throne and stood at the edge of the platform. The sunlight streaming through the window billowed like a golden cloak.
"The Soul Sword isn't a martial art that becomes stronger just because the soul is larger. Just as a noted sword requires tens of thousands of hammer strikes, forging a Soul Sword requires time spent in anguish hammering one's own soul."
Glenn lowered his hand, saying there was no need to rush.
"Since it will take a very long time to forge a Soul Sword using a soul that isn't his own, there's no need to worry about him."
He nodded, saying this would actually delay his growth.
"Focus only on forging your Soul Sword with your own soul. A single sharply forged noted sword can pierce through hundreds of great swords."
At Glenn's words, the shadow of Derus that had seemed to constrict his shoulders suddenly vanished.
"I understand."
Raon bowed his head, saying he would focus on himself.
"I watched your battles from beginning to end. You must have had many difficult times, thank you for enduring well."
Glenn nodded with a serious look, saying they were able to win this war thanks to him.
"We'll soon formally recognize and reward achievements, so you can look forward to it."
His lips curled up like a freshly caught fish as he mentioned rewards befitting their achievements. He seemed truly pleased.
"Thank you. However, I didn't achieve this alone, but thanks to others' help."
Raon bowed his head, thinking of everyone who participated in the war, starting with Darkan beside him.
"Ah, what happened to the wounded?"
Thinking of others reminded him of the Five Kings' Transcendents who had been seriously injured.
"Fortunately, no one has died since the war. Not just Darkan, but Ogram is also alive and well. However..."
Glenn massaged his temple while lowering his gaze.
"Lecross's condition isn't good."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"It's not just about wielding a sword, they say he might never wake up."
"Ah..."
The White Blood Religion Headquarters had both the Ragged Saint Frederick and Saintess Olga. If even their combined power couldn't heal him, it meant his condition was truly critical.
"I see..."
Raon bit his lip deeply.
'I expected it, but hearing it directly...'
His head felt dizzy. Despite being slashed in the heart by Denier's sword, Lecross had stayed until the end to stop the Leader of the White Blood Religion. Having fought with not just his body and willpower but his very life force, even if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to use his power as the Silent Sword Master.
'We finally killed the Leader of the White Blood Religion, but at a great cost.'
Lecross's life was in danger, and Chamber, Larian, and Alice were in no condition to fight. Even Ogram, though his strength had recovered, couldn't fight immediately due to his injuries.
'And on top of that...'
He turned his gaze to look at Darkan beside him.
'Even Darkan, who could have been used as a card against Derus, has fallen.'
Darkan needed a long period of recovery due to the severe shock to his upper dantian. While the Five Kings' alliance hadn't suffered many casualties, the serious injuries to their strongest fighters were painful.
-Still, only two fellows remain!
Wrath snorted, saying it would be over once they killed Eden and Derus.
'Eden aside, Derus still has great power left.'
-Great power? Ah!
Wrath's eyes filled with cold energy as if he just remembered something.
-Those damn Angels!
'Not just Angels, but Archangels.'
Seeing how the number of Archangels had increased one by one since Uriel, even with the death of the Leader of the White Blood Religion and The Fallen, they were still clearly outnumbered in terms of Transcendents.
'There's no choice...'
Raon shook his head with a deep sigh.
'I'll have to start that plan.'
-That plan? What plan are you talking about?
Wrath opened his eyes wide with curiosity.
'Who knows?'
Raon gave a dark, cold smile while looking at the curious Wrath.
-W-why are you smiling at me? It's making me uncomfortable!
'Because looking at you makes me smile.'
He gave an even darker smile toward Wrath, who had opened his eyes wide in confusion.
-Why are you smiling! Tell me!
Wrath seemed to sense something ominous in his smile and backed away with a trembling tail.
'Hehe.'
-Stop smiling, it's scary! What are you planning to do to me!
'Hehehe.'
Raon created a chilling smile by twisting only his lips while keeping his eyes unchanged.
-Th-that mad woman and that sword maniac were nothing compared to this!
Wrath screamed while panting.
-You're the biggest lunatic in all dimensions!