"Derus Robert."
Glenn glared down at Derus Robert, his eyes narrowing like deep ravines.
"So it's you again."
Lightning charged with fury bloomed eerily around him, like cherry blossoms soaked in blood.
"Again? It's been quite a while since I last saw you."
Derus remained unfazed by Glenn's appearance, maintaining a relaxed smile.
"Still, for the Destructive King of the North..."
He casually shifted his gaze to look at Raon, whom Glenn was shielding with his body.
"You seem to treasure your grandson greatly. I never expected you'd dash out like a rabbit with its tail on fire at the first sign of danger to him."
Derus observed Glenn and Raon in turn with his clear eyes. He smiled calmly, as if he knew exactly what both of them were thinking.
"I didn't come here for the Light Wind Palace Master, but to deal with you."
Glenn drew his Heavenly Tremor as if ready to kill Derus right away. Murderous intent from the continent's greatest swordsman rose and flickered over the piercingly cold white blade.
"Please don't say such things."
Derus raised both hands as if calling for calm.
"How could I possibly face the Destructive King of the North? No, the Sword God?"
He gave a small nod to Glenn, suggesting he lower his sword.
"..."
Raon narrowed his eyes thread-thin as he watched Derus facing off against Glenn.
'What is that guy really thinking?'
The previous Derus would have appeared composed on the outside while inwardly panicking and frantically devising an escape plan. But now, Derus was smiling and waving as if Glenn's appearance delighted him. He looked as though he had been waiting for this very moment.
'Was he not targeting me after all?'
Until moments ago, Raon had thought Derus's objective was to absorb his Soul Sword and read his mental images, thoughts, and past. But looking at his eyes now, it seemed he wanted something else entirely.
'That's right. He gave up on the Soul Sword too easily.'
Derus could have absorbed at least some of his Soul Sword, yet he cleanly withdrew the moment Glenn appeared. It seemed certain he had a different purpose.
"You've changed."
Glenn also seemed to sense that the air surrounding Derus had changed from before, furrowing his left eyebrow.
"Have you mastered the Soul Sword?"
As a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Glenn instantly grasped Derus's level and nodded slightly.
"As expected, you can tell."
Derus nodded, letting out a thin smile.
"Thanks to the kindness of the former Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, I was able to reach that unknown realm."
He smiled faintly as he mentioned how truly grateful he was to Darkan. To anyone unfamiliar with the situation, it would sound as if Darkan had kindly taught him the Soul Sword.
"Your ugliness remains unchanged."
Glenn bared his white teeth as he glared at Derus.
"And it's only growing more foul."
He raised his sword, unwilling to let Derus go.
"If you're that eager to duel me, I suppose I have no choice."
Derus stretched his hand toward the empty air with a thin smile. With a crackling sound, space split open and a sword with harmoniously blended white and gold colors emerged. It was a beautiful and sacred sword that looked like it belonged in mythology or depicted in cathedral murals.
"This is the Holy Sword, Sarkanta."
Derus gripped the holy sword that had risen to his hand, wearing a sinister smile.
"With this sword, I won't be defeated as easily as before."
He twitched his finger at Glenn, as if daring him to attack.
"Head of House!"
Raon shouted toward Glenn's back.
"Derus's Soul Sword has the ability to absorb his opponent's Soul Sword! Be careful!"
He shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear about the ability of Derus's Soul Sword that he had experienced firsthand.
'Of all abilities, he had to develop that one.'
Derus already had the ability to absorb others' martial prowess, but Raon never expected it would extend to the Soul Sword as well. He was always a chilling opponent.
"Ha..."
Derus snickered upon hearing his words.
"You needn't worry about that."
He rotated his wrist, suggesting they would merely have a light duel.
"It's fine."
Glenn calmly nodded as if telling Raon not to worry, then fixed Derus with an icy stare.
'Grandfather can win, right?'
Raon bit his lip slightly and gestured to Wrath.
-No one exists on this continent who could kill the Nadine bread old man in a one-on-one fight.
Wrath shook his head as if telling Raon to worry about things worth worrying about.
-However, that inhuman creature you call your nemesis has clearly changed from before.
He frowned while pointing at Derus.
'So grandfather could be in danger?'
Raon tore his gaze from Glenn and urgently looked at Wrath.
-No, not that. He could still kill someone of that level. But...
Wrath continued, smacking his lips.
-Your old man might have to leave this world.
He clicked his tongue briefly, suggesting that Glenn might ascend while killing Derus.
'Derus has reached that level?'
Raon lowered his chin as he stared at Derus, who was still smiling.
-That's right.
Wrath nodded briefly.
-To cut him down for certain, the Nadine bread old man would need to be prepared to leave this world.
He wrinkled his nose, saying that Derus Robert had accomplished much more than expected.
"Then, as your junior, I'll make the first move."
Derus curled his lips and vanished from his spot. He appeared not from Glenn's blind spot or behind, but directly in front, bringing his sword down. With a sharp sound, Glenn raised his Heavenly Tremor with just his fingers, showing no emotional change. Their swords clashed with a thunderous noise!
The terrifying shockwave from the collision between Glenn's Heavenly Tremor and Derus's Heavenly Drive Sarkanta swept across heaven and earth.
The ground split and tore away, while endless cracks opened in the air. True Transcendents—those who had reached the peak—their battle resembled a war between gods.
"As expected!"
Derus muttered, impressed, and thrust his sword faster than light. Glenn once again deflected Derus's blade with a simple twist of the Heavenly Tremor, sending his body flying. The two clashed in close quarters, unleashing their endless swordsmanship, each move resonating with the other's rhythm.
'This is insane.'
Raon pressed his lips tightly as he watched the contest between Glenn and Derus, which seemed to leave only trails of light.
'To think such a gap still exists.'
He had thought he'd caught up considerably, but it seemed that was his own delusion. Those two, who had surpassed the level of the Five Kings, had reached a different dimension from his own.
'Still, I can see it.'
Because his skills had improved greatly, he could sense how Glenn and Derus were fighting and what they were aiming for. Just watching their fierce battle was an immense learning experience.
'But...'
Something was a bit strange. Raon frowned as he watched Derus facing Glenn's Heavenly Tremor.
'Grandfather's sword strikes are much stronger, so why isn't Derus at a disadvantage?'
It was true that Derus had become stronger, but Glenn's level and aura were still in a higher realm. Raon couldn't understand why there wasn't a bigger difference, as if they were fighting at similar levels. With a rumbling sound, Derus blocked Glenn's high-level sword strike by merely taking two steps back, as if to amplify Raon's suspicions.
'This doesn't make sense.'
Despite his already lofty level, Glenn had continued to grow and had now literally become a god of the sword. Blocking his sword strikes without being greatly pushed back should have been impossible, even with Derus receiving an Archangel's power. A deep humming sound resonated.
Raon resonated the Ring of Fire until his heart ached and opened his Azure Clear Eye.
'There must be a reason.'
To discover Derus's secret, he focused all his senses on the battle between Transcendents unfolding before his eyes. With a rumbling sound, Glenn continued to swing his sword without any particular reaction, though he must have sensed something strange about Derus. It seemed like a resolve to crush his enemy regardless of what they might do. Their swords clashed with a ringing sound!
Derus was managing to parry Glenn's sword, but the fixed smile on his face grew heavier as if he was finding it increasingly difficult to endure. Though he continued the fight using special techniques, he seemed to be reaching his limit.
'Still, I need to find it.'
Raon didn't blink once as he committed every movement of Derus to memory.
'His aura and swordsmanship are both lacking, so how is he blocking the martial prowess of someone stronger... Hmm?'
As he continued examining Derus, he noticed a phenomenon where nature's mana seemed to be automatically drawn into his sword. It was very subtle, but natural mana was definitely moving toward Derus.
'Stone, wood, earth, space... Ah!'
Raon clenched his fist as he felt the changing flow around them following Derus's sword.
'I understand now!'
***
With a thunderous clash! Derus Robert barely blocked Glenn's Azure Sky Sword before stepping back.
"It seems I'm still not quite there yet."
He muttered under his breath, gazing at his trembling holy sword, Sarkanta, which looked as though it might shatter at any moment.
"The reputation of Sword God Glenn Zieghart remains as solid as ever, it seems."
Derus bowed politely, saying he was truly impressed. Though he had abandoned House Robert, his noble aura seemed even stronger than before. With a crackling sound, Glenn ignored Derus and brought down his Heavenly Tremor. The red lightning summoned by his sword fell toward Derus's head.
Derus twisted his holy sword upward, and blue light flickered as it met Glenn's lightning strike. An immense wave of power spread outward, scattering clusters of lightning and aura in all directions.
"A great shadow has fallen."
Hidden in the cracks created by the collision of lightning and aura, Derus summoned his Soul Sword and thrust it toward Glenn's neck.
"Hmph!"
Glenn summoned his own Soul Sword, forged from his spirit, as if he knew Derus's intentions completely. Derus's Soul Sword didn't try to cut Glenn's but rather stuck to it like adhesive, attempting to drain its power.
"How crude."
As Glenn frowned, his Soul Sword, imbued with his angry willpower, violently split Derus's Soul Sword.
"Kuhak!"
Derus coughed up blood for the first time and retreated backward.
"You truly are different."
He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, curling his lips into a long smile.
"Let's end it here for today."
Derus lowered his holy sword and waved his hand lightly.
"On your side, not a single person has died, right?"
He pointed at Archangel Ramiel's corpse, suggesting that he was the one who had suffered a loss.
"No. I won't let you escape today."
Glenn aimed his Soul Sword at Derus with fierce eyes, as if determined to finish this here and now.
"Unfortunately, that won't happen."
As Derus snapped his fingers, pure white light descended around him, wrapped in holy energy like temple pillars. It was the divine power of Archangel Raphael.
"If you try to kill me, you won't be able to remain in this world either."
Derus smiled gently, as if asking whether Glenn was prepared for that.
"Who could stop the Heavenly Demon in this world if you disappear? Who could break the wings of the Archangels?"
He lowered his hand, telling Glenn to think not of the present but of the future.
"If you still want to fight, swing that sword as much as you want. I'll accept whatever choice you make."
Derus spread his arms wide, as if provoking Glenn.
"You really..."
Glenn glared at Derus with cold eyes, as if irritated.
"Of course, I'm not just running away. The reason I came here today is..."
Derus smiled faintly as he raised his finger toward Glenn.
"To declare war on the Five Kings."
He raised his chin proudly as he mentioned the declaration of war.
"Declaration of war?"
Glenn frowned as he looked at Derus.
"One year and one month from now, in the trading city of Cameloon, I intend to see the end of the long battle of the Five Kings and Three Demons. No, the Five Kings and Two Demons."
Derus curled his lips, proposing to start a war that would determine the master of this world in Cameloon, the center of the continent.
"Are you serious?"
Glenn's eyes surged turbulently as if trying to discern Derus's true intentions.
"Of course I'm serious. Everything will be decided on that day."
Derus stroked his chin as he gazed at the split sky, as if reading heaven's flow.
"As this is a declaration of war, I won't be listening to your opinions."
He clenched his fist, stating that he would unconditionally start the war in Cameloon after one year and one month.
"If you don't intend to kill me now, I'll see you again on that day."
Derus opened his chest wide, as if daring Glenn to use his Soul Sword.
"You won't do it. If you cut down my soul protected by an Archangel, you too won't be able to remain in this world."
He smiled faintly, as if he knew all about their circumstances.
"I'll see you in Cameloon on that day."
Derus lowered his chin, muttering that he was looking forward to the beginning of the war.
"Ah, I'll take that friend's corpse. We should at least hold a funeral."
As he flicked his hand, the burning corpse of Archangel Ramiel gently rose into the air.
"Poor and foolish..."
Just as Derus tried to take Ramiel's corpse into his arms with a faint sneer, a red sword shot out from nowhere and pinned Ramiel back to the ground. Originally, the only person who could penetrate Derus's willpower and break his resolve in this place was Glenn alone.
But now Glenn stood quietly with his Heavenly Tremor lowered, deep in thought.
"How did you..."
Derus's gaze left Glenn and shot toward the ground. For the first time since arriving, he seemed flustered and spat out crude words.
"This one is my trophy."
Raon stepped on Ramiel's corpse and arrogantly raised his chin.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on it."