"Hmm..."
Raon bit his lip as he watched Evelyn setting up her Magic Circle in the Unyielding Blade's great training ground.
'We don't have much time.'
Evelyn was preparing her magic much faster than before, but so much time had passed since Rector's blood had stained the letter that his hands began to tremble with worry.
'On top of that...'
I need time to go after grandfather. No matter how injured Rector might be, he wouldn't have been defeated right where he stood. He likely retreated while fighting, which means tracking him will take considerable time.
'Quickly. The magic needs to be completed quickly...'
Raon couldn't hide his impatience as he tapped the Heavenly Drive's hilt with his fingers.
-Calm yourself.
Wrath lowered his hand and grasped Raon's shoulder.
-Even an Archangel won't be able to catch that old man easily.
He urged Raon not to think hastily, demonstrating by taking a deep breath.
'Yes. That's right too.'
Raon steadied his breath and nodded.
'Grandfather has reached the same level as the leaders of the Five Kings. Even an Archangel wouldn't easily defeat him one-on-one. However...'
He furrowed his brow and gripped the Heavenly Drive's hilt tightly.
'If he's protecting other Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen, that's a different story.'
Unlike the previous Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, Darkan, Rector is compassionate. He would sacrifice himself to save everyone rather than watch his subordinates die or get injured, which made Raon worry even more.
-Hmmmm...
Wrath let out a pained groan, seemingly unable to refute that point.
'But your advice not to be hasty is correct.'
Raon nodded as he exhaled a heavy breath that seemed to constrict his insides.
'As soon as we arrive. The enemy might still be there.'
Since he needed to track Rector as soon as Evelyn completed the Magic Circle, it was important to relax his tense mind and prepare for any situation that might arise.
"I-I'm sure everything will be fine."
Dorian nodded while clutching his sword tightly.
"Master will be alive and well too."
He pressed his lips firmly together, seemingly recalling Zalek, the Holy Sword Alliance swordsman who had taught him the Mind's Eye.
"Well said for once. Starting with the belief that everything is fine and well is the right approach."
Martha nodded, encouraging positive thinking. Hearing such words from her was surprising yet empowering.
"Phew."
Raon rotated his wrists and stretched his legs as he watched Evelyn's Magic Circle slowly begin to glow.
'If there are enemies, I'll cut them down and move immediately.'
Since he needed to run straight toward Rector's location following the swallow, he resonated with the Ring of Fire and circulated the aura of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier throughout his body, ready to smash through anything in his path.
'You help too.'
Raon called to Wrath, who was floating in the air.
'If this ends well, I'll get you bead ice cream until your stomach bursts...'
-It is done!
Wrath firmly brought his hand down.
-What do you take this king for! I don't make deals with family, only with friends!
He nodded emphatically, saying he would also do his best to find Rector.
'...Thank you.'
Raon smiled faintly. Seeing Wrath's scrunched face gave him more strength.
'Thanks to you, my mind is at ease and I feel stronger...'
Just as Raon was about to speak to Wrath.
"Raon!"
Evelyn called out to him while standing on the Magic Circle that was emitting a deep light.
"I'll send you first!"
She activated the Magic Circle, saying it would take too long otherwise so she would send him first. The mana circling around sprouted like thousand-year-old tree roots as blue light spread across the sky and ground.
"Just me?"
Raon approached Evelyn and asked.
"Yes. It would take more time to transport everyone together. It's better if you go first."
She nodded as if she had read his mind through his stern expression.
'She's been that considerate.'
Evelyn seemed to have sensed his anxiety and modified the Magic Circle to send at least one person ahead. Though she usually drove him crazy, in urgent situations like this, she was his most trustworthy companion.
"I've already sent a letter to your grandfather at the family home, and I'll bring everyone else along."
She smiled brightly as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
"Thank you."
Raon thanked Evelyn and stood in the center of the Magic Circle.
"I'll definitely repay this debt."
"No need to repay it. Just go on a date with me after you save your grandfather."
The moment Evelyn mentioned their promise, the blue light of the Magic Circle blazed intensely, and his vision darkened. As he felt his body floating, he opened his eyes again to see a white castle collapsed into half.
'This is...'
It's grandfather's sword mark. The castle being split in half was clearly Rector's sword strike. He seemed to have been ambushed after destroying that castle.
'The attacker is...'
Raon bit his lip as he observed the Holy Power of lightning spreading around the castle and its surroundings.
'No, this isn't the time to think about that.'
Grandfather's location first! He spread his Aura Perception with full power, but the thick residue of divine power and aura in the area prevented him from properly sensing anyone else's presence.
'In that case...'
Raon pulled out the young swallow he had brought in his arms.
"Please. Find my grandfather."
He transmitted hot fire energy to the swallow and sent it flying into the sky. The swallow immediately spread its wings and began moving south as if it had found the direction.
-It's an Archangel, just as you said!
Wrath raised his chin and bared his teeth.
-The energy intertwined with your Old Man's aura is the high-purity divine power of an Archangel. There's only one who uses lightning like that. Archangel Ramiel!
He furrowed his brow, stating that among the Archangels, this was certainly Ramiel's handiwork.
'Ramiel? Is he that powerful an Archangel?'
-He's extremely prideful and has high self-esteem. For an Angel, his good and evil are quite ambiguous. He's not much of a threat to this king, but...
Wrath narrowed his eyes ominously.
-His use of lightning makes him extremely threatening to humans.
He shook his head, saying that the lightning ability was like a natural counter to humans.
'It's okay.'
Raon shook his head as he caught up with the swallow's flight speed using the Supreme Harmony Steps.
'If it's grandfather, he'll definitely hold out.'
Raon engraved Rector's face in his mind and pushed forward with all his might.
***
Thunderous spears of lightning fell one after another as if a god was enraged, shaking the earth. What was once a forest had been completely incinerated, leaving only blackened, crumbling earth.
No, the center of the land where lightning struck had not yet collapsed. A thin, elderly man holding a blue-blazing sword was splitting the massive lightning bolts.
Sword Demon Rector, the current Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance known as the ghost of swords, did not back down from Archangel Ramiel's assault despite a serious injury to his right arm. Rector's sword strike, imbued with the mysteries of Ten Thousand Swords, cut through the brilliantly flashing lightning and shot toward the neck of Archangel Ramiel standing in the sky.
"Hmph!"
As Ramiel spread his hand, a shield of rippling lightning rose up and completely absorbed Rector's upward sword strike.
"Archangels aren't so special after all."
Rector raised his sword to aim at Ramiel, ignoring the blood and fluid flowing from his shoulder and forearm.
"That old man. He's truly insane..."
Lawrence's mouth fell open, seemingly in awe of Rector's martial prowess.
"Master..."
Mustan bit his lip as he noticed Rector's waist trembling slightly.
'He must be in pain. If only I hadn't been there...'
When Rector was about to deal with Derus's remaining subordinates in the Angel castle he had cut down, suddenly space split open and lightning burst forth. When Mustan closed his eyes expecting death, unable to react to the speed, Rector stopped writing his letter to Raon and immediately rushed over to block the lightning.
But that was Archangel Ramiel's trap.
Ramiel had targeted Rector from the beginning, not himself, and inflicted a serious wound on his arm. Though he appeared fine now, Ramiel's lightning remained inside his arm and shoulder, causing him continuous pain that would make it difficult to move.
"It's alright."
Rector shook his head as if to say not to worry.
"I'll make sure all of you get out of here alive, no matter what."
He smiled calmly as usual, saying that no one would die today.
"No one will die, you say..."
Ramiel looked down at Rector with arrogant eyes as he withdrew his lightning shield.
"I didn't know such a powerful being existed among nameless humans. You have the right to say those words."
He nodded, saying he was honestly impressed.
"Of course, that's only if your opponent wasn't me."
Ramiel descended to the ground, riding a cloud rippling with lightning.
"I've already figured out all your attack patterns."
Rector raised his sword and aimed it at the space between Ramiel's eyes.
"Your lightning may be powerful and fast, but not beyond what I can handle!"
He curled his lips, saying he could endure and counterattack.
"This is why humans are insufficient."
Ramiel gave a cold sneer as he looked Rector up and down.
"What?"
Rector furrowed his brow as if asking what he meant.
"First, I haven't been striking with my full power lightning."
As Ramiel spread one finger, the sky split apart and the largest lightning bolt yet came crashing down. The massive lightning seemed capable of erasing the earth itself, casting dark shadows across the world as if night had suddenly fallen.
"Hnngh!"
Rector amplified the energy in his sword and swung toward the mountain of pouring lightning. When the yellow lightning and blue sword energy collided head-on, the resulting shockwave twisted and tore apart all visible space.
Rector's magnificently extending sword strike was certainly sharp enough to cut the sky, but Ramiel's lightning was so massive and powerful that it couldn't be easily severed.
The sword strike and lightning consumed each other's energy, creating dense lightning and clouds in the void before slowly dissipating.
"Hah..."
Unlike before, Rector exhaled heavily, cold sweat running down his forehead. His arm was beginning to turn black and necrotic.
"Second."
Ramiel raised two fingers as his lips twisted upward.
"My specialty isn't raining down lightning from a distance, but close combat."
As soon as he finished speaking, bright yellow lightning blazed and enveloped his entire body.
"Feel it. What true divine punishment is."
Along with Ramiel's voice, his physical form vanished. With the crackling sound of lightning, a yellow-blazing fist appeared before Rector's eyes. Although Rector blocked Ramiel's fist with superhuman reflexes, he was pushed back more than twenty paces, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
"You're lucky."
Ramiel snorted as if he thought Rector's defense was mere luck.
"But that luck ends now. This time I'll put a hole through that body of yours."
After saying he would end it here, he vanished and reappeared behind Rector. Ramiel aimed his lightning-wrapped fist at the left side of Rector's back where his heart was located.
Rector twisted his sword behind him as if he could see Ramiel's attack, blocking the fist. Though pushed back again by the powerful force, the lightning-imbued strike failed to penetrate his defense.
"You think you can catch me with just that level of speed? Not a chance."
Rector waved his hand dismissively, but blood flowed from his lips, and dead flesh fell from his arm.
"A worm struggles in its death throes."
Ramiel shouted that he would erase Rector's right arm completely as he stomped his foot. He appeared above Rector's head, exploding lightning in all directions and bringing down a lightning-infused strike. Rector's blackening right arm burst like a balloon before Ramiel's attack.
"This is the difference between humans and Angels..."
Just as Ramiel raised his chin to sneer at him, Rector, despite losing his arm, didn't panic but revealed a calm gaze as he twisted his waist backward.
"What..."
Ramiel's lips trembled as if he couldn't have predicted Rector's reaction.
"You can have my right arm."
Rector, with his sword gripped in his left hand in place of the lost right arm, charged with speed and trajectory that Ramiel couldn't react to.
"Unlike the likes of Angels, I never fall."
The desperate Willpower-infused sword strike of the old swordsman flashed blue like the North Star as it pierced through Archangel Ramiel's chest.