Chapter 569
“Aris Zieghart, huh?”
Rektor clicked his tongue briefly, looking regretfully at Aris who had blocked Raon’s path.
“No, not just you.”
He shifted his gaze to the right while facing Aris.
“What?”
Aris narrowed her eyes and pushed away Rektor’s hand with her sword.
“The dogs of the Holy Sword Alliance only know how to use swords, and they’re clueless about intelligence. How did you know my name?”
“You can’t not recognize the Pirate King of the Five Spirits.”
“I’m not the Pirate King!”
She gritted her teeth and thrust her sword towards Rektor’s left chest.
Chiing!
Rektor drew a half-circle with his right hand, deflecting Aris’s sword attack with an elegant motion reminiscent of a setting moon, seemingly erasing the aura itself.
Kuaaaang!
Aris’s twisted sword strike hit the ground, creating a dangerously large crack.
Whoosh!
Black smoke rose, forming a thin barrier between Aris and Rektor.
“How did Lady Aris get here…?”
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Aris grip her sword.
…
Aris didn’t reply, glaring through the smoke with a fierce demeanor.
‘I shouldn’t have spoken during the battle.’
- You really are clueless in this regard!
Regretting his words, Raon was about to retreat when Wrath shook his finger.
‘What?’
- It’s not because it’s mid-battle, but because you used the wrong title.
‘Title…’
He recalled something, but it seemed unlikely. Still, just in case, he tried calling her by that title.
“Auntie.”
“That’s right! My nephew!”
Aris quickly turned her head and smiled broadly, a different person from when she was sending murderous intent towards Rektor.
“How did you come here?”
Caught off guard by Aris’s exaggerated reaction, Raon stuttered.
“I had to return to the clan because you kept calling me, but you weren’t there. I was waiting to see you and go back, but then I got a call for support from the Light Wind Division.”
“Ah…”
Raon was momentarily lost for words upon seeing Aris’s assertive gaze.
‘Such initiative.’
It was clear that Aris had ignored even Glenn’s orders to come here alone.
From the first moment he saw her, she seemed like a free spirit who lived independently of the Zieghart name.
“Auntie, huh… That makes sense.”
Rektor nodded calmly after examining Raon and Aris. His gaze seemed to deepen.
“Jealous, aren’t you?”
Aris curled her lips, her demeanor shifting as she cocked her head mockingly.
“I suppose you would be jealous. If you had a nephew who became a Grandmaster at 21, you’d be boasting about it everywhere.”
“Nonsense.”
“Then why were you trying to take him?”
…
Rektor didn’t reply, but his cold gaze returned, reminding Raon of the tension just moments before.
‘Could it have been…?’
He could have caught me earlier with the Soul Sword.
Even though Aris deployed her spatial sword, Rektor was faster; it almost felt like he let me escape on purpose.
- You are correct.
Wrath nodded towards Rektor.
- That old man deliberately didn’t catch you.
‘As I thought…’
Raon bit his lip, trusting Wrath’s words.
There must be a clear reason why Rektor hadn’t caught him.
‘His eyes are also strange.’
Having received one-on-one instruction from him, Raon could recognize the stark difference in his gaze, reminiscent of the times Rektor had directly demonstrated sword techniques and explained them.
Especially since he is thought to have ties to my father. Such a sudden change implies there must be something influencing him.
‘Brainwashing? Or maybe they found a weakness.’
While it was unheard of to brainwash a transcendent, the circumstances were too unusual not to consider it.
“Lord Rektor. What exactly happened? If you’ve been brainwashed or blackmailed…”
“Brainwashed?”
Rektor turned his chilling gaze.
“Do you think a transcendent can be brainwashed?”
He scoffed, his lips curling slightly.
“I am with the Holy Sword Alliance by my own will.”
Rektor stated the fact calmly as he drew his sword, revealing the intent behind his training with a blade that now pointed ominously at Raon.
‘Is this also fate…?’
If the former life’s Raon, who lived in the shadows, felt betrayed, he would have stabbed Rektor without a second thought. But now, knowing about connections, he couldn’t just display hostility.
“Rektor.”
Aris licked her dry lips and nodded.
“Yes. You truly were a Sword Demon. To think that a Sword Demon belongs to the Holy Sword Alliance, all the honor you’ve built up will just go down the drain.”
“The honor others worry about doesn’t matter to me.”
Rektor raised his eyes proudly, his resolve shining through his blade.
“Important is the purpose I bear.”
“You do have a way with good words for a vile person.”
Aris chuckled, sheathing her sword and lowering her stance, ready to take advantage with a swift blade technique that split the air.
“Either way, it’s better for us both if this ends quickly.”
“What?”
“Soon, this guy’s grandfather will arrive. You know who that is, right?”
She pointed at Raon and laughed.
“Ah…”
Raon’s eyes widened. It seemed she planned to reuse the lie she told the Dragon Lord, but it wouldn’t work on Rektor.
“It certainly might be.”
Contrary to expectations, Rektor briefly nodded and raised his sword. The blade approached slowly, appearing tremendously large.
Kugugugugu!
This land. No, it seemed like he was piercing the world itself with his sword. Observing the perfect execution of myriad sword techniques from an enemy’s perspective sent shivers down Raon’s spine.
‘Is this the true Myriad Swords?’
The Ring of Fire analyzed the mysteries imbued in Rektor’s Myriad Swords by itself.
Middle sword, Flowing sword, Blunt sword, Illusory sword, Cutting sword, and Defeating sword. Like instruments in an orchestra, each mystery harmonized intricately, creating a power beyond mere swordsmanship.
Kuwoong!
Aris pressed her left foot into the ground and executed a sword technique. A brilliant light and a genuine slash of space struck Rektor’s sword technique.
Jeeeeerung!
It wasn’t just sword against sword, but rather like pillars crashing into each other, an enormous roar erupted, and waves of aura overturned the earth.
“Kuh…”
Raon trembled as he faced the terrifying spectacle.
‘I can’t back down. I need to be here.’
Even if it meant preparing to ambush Rektor, he had to keep his distance from Aris.
But rather than the ambush, his eyes were drawn to the art-like series of sword exchanges between Aris and Rektor.
I really have become a swordsman, to be perplexed and think only of advancing my swordsmanship even in such a life-threatening situation.
Chiing!
Aris stepped back from Rektor and thrust her tilted sword forward.
The space in front of Rektor’s chest split open, and a lightning-fast sword strike surged.
However, Rektor, knowing where Aris’s spatial sword would strike, twisted his shoulder and showed a relaxed evasion. He was reading the flow of this battle.
‘As expected…’
Raon frowned, recognizing that Rektor was a level above, even though they were both transcendent beings.
“You can afford to be relaxed? His grandfather is coming if you drag this out.”
Aris flicked her finger, seeming to provoke Rektor into exposing a weakness.
“Hmm…”
Rektor scattered light from his sword without changing his expression.
The rotating wrist extended a flurry of lights, piercing through Aris’s spacing in an instant. It was a new kind of spatial slash, different from Aris’s spatial sword.
“Tsck.”
Aris clicked her tongue and raised her double-handed sword diagonally. The unformed aura clashed strongly, pushing back the wall that blocked the space.
The split rift allowed Aris’s sword shield and Rektor’s sword strike to meet.
Jeeeerung!
Inside the rift, an enormous shockwave exploded, and a thin crack carved in the air thickened violently.
Tuwooong!
A dusty wave of psychic energy collapsed the ground, and dragon-like lightning fell from the mashed sky.
Chiing!
Rektor and Aris continued to pour sword strikes at each other from within the storm created by their psychic clash.
It seemed evenly matched, but in reality, Aris was being gradually pushed back.
However, she did not retreat despite her injuries, instead lashing out even more ferociously with her sword. It really seemed like she was trying to stall time before Glenn arrived, facing Rektor directly.
Kuuuuung!
The transcendents’ final battle shook heaven and earth. The already fractured land crumbled further, revealing dark holes, and the split sky emitted a faint red light.
Aris and Rektor did not stop exchanging blows even within the crushed space of the rift. Their auras were boundless, and their breathing seemed unending.
However, Rektor’s sword abruptly turned, shifting the battle. Like a lightning bolt extending a blade, a unified sword strike wrapped around.
Jeeeeeerung!
Aris’s sword could not extend further, blocked entirely by Rektor’s psychic energy. It was literally a prison of psychic energy.
Raon watched Rektor’s sword change like a thin wind or a fierce lightning bolt, his fingers trembling.
‘Something’s off…’
In a battle of transcendents, I, having risen to a Grandmaster, shouldn’t be able to see much.
Indeed, Aris’s spatial sword exceeded my understanding, making it difficult to grasp many details.
However, Rektor’s sword extended straight and honest, as if he were teaching me through sparring. His teachings resurfaced in my mind, feeling how to achieve Myriad Swords on my skin.
“A great talent indeed. However…”
Rektor lowered his sword and shook his head.
“You’re still inexperienced.”
“Unlike you, I’m still in my prime!”
Aris curled her red lips, forcibly twisting the psychic prison. Despite bleeding from her lips, her final blade strike released Rektor’s intense pressure.
“I’ve seen enough of your skill, let’s end this.”
Rektor nodded calmly and positioned his sword. When he aimed his swordplay at Aris, it seemed as if he was the only existence in this world, like a man transformed into a sword with absolute presence.
“You haven’t just aged for nothing.”
Aris, realizing she was being overpowered, bit her lip hard. With both hands, she wielded her sword and launched a spatial cutting strike that seemed to cleave even the breath of the mighty dragon Kaibar.
Kwaaaaaaaa!
A grand blade that could slice through the breath of Kaibar tore through Rektor’s space.
Rektor, as if expecting this level of challenge, calmly watched as the mysteries of Myriad Swords surged through his blade. A majestic light attempted to fill the space when Raon acted.
Raon drew the Heavenly Sword from its sheath, embodying a surge of extreme advancement.
Raon Zieghart-style Sword Technique.
Form 4, Blue Rain.
The blade, gnawing at the sheath, burst forth with a sharp sword cry. The blue sound’s blade drilled into Rektor’s ears.
But I was not the only one thinking of an ambush.
Faaaaaaang!
From behind the collapsed wall of the patriarch’s residence, streaks of blazing light burst forth.
The revealed mask of the old woman under the fluttering robe shone brilliantly. It was Merlin. Whether she had been preparing from the start, her magic rushed towards Rektor’s right like lightning.
Kwaaaaaaaa!
Aris, Raon, and Merlin’s three-directional offensive surged from where Rektor stood, exploding in a tremendous storm of light. Magic and sword strikes successively erupted, sending countless glows skyward.
“Are we fated to be together?”
Merlin slightly curled her lips.
“The timing is just right.”
She raised her chin with a sultriness unusual for her.
“Merlin?”
Aris frowned as she looked at Merlin.
“Why is that crazy woman here?”
She shook her head, seemingly unable to understand the situation.
“They’re probably targeting me too.”
Raon joined Aris’s side, shaking his head.
“Let’s finish this situation first.”
“That’s necessary.”
Aris waved her hand, pushing a dust storm with the wind.
Whoosh!
Rektor did not move from his original spot. His clothes were slightly scorched and torn, but he seemed to have sustained no significant damage.
However, a tiny wound had opened on his right shoulder, where Merlin had struck.
“The timing of the ambush and the sharpness of the blade have improved significantly since before.”
Rektor looked this way. His gaze was as cold as if he would cut my throat at any moment, but it also seemed somewhat proud. I thought I was crazy.
“And Merlin. Was this ambush at someone else’s bidding?”
Rektor turned his head to the right to look at Merlin.
“No, I just came out because I was pissed off you were taking Raon Zieghart.”
“A transcendent and two Grandmasters…”
He wiped the blood dripping from his shoulder and nodded.
“Even if it takes time, it’s not too bad.”
“Lord of the Blood Sword.”
When Rektor was about to move again, a middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader of the Sword Demons of the Holy Sword Alliance, approached quietly and whispered.
“We must retreat.”
“What?”
“Didn’t the Alliance Leader say? We should not clash with him now.”
The middle-aged man mentioned the Alliance Leader’s name and shook his head.
“Tsck.”
Rektor clicked his tongue, displeased, and sheathed his sword.
“There won’t be another opportunity like this.”
“Ah, so much talk.”
Aris frowned and shook her head.
“He’s running away, and yet he keeps babbling!”
She smirked, seemingly having quickly grasped who they should not clash with.
…
Rektor did not reply to her but turned his gaze to Raon. He made brief eye contact and then disappeared.
…
Raon felt a surge in his chest as he recalled Rektor’s cold eyes.
‘It’s clear.’
He wanted to say something.
Even if Rektor genuinely wanted to be with the Holy Sword Alliance, he wanted to convey something to me.
From the beginning, he came to warn and teach me. That also being his last teaching.
‘What could it be?’
Rektor stopped following the Sword Demons of the Holy Sword Alliance and stood still.
“Lord of the Blood Sword?”
“Go ahead and report first. I’ll treat my wounds and move.”
He suddenly pointed to his bleeding ear and shook his head.
“Um, okay.”
The middle-aged man nodded and led the subordinates out of the forest first.
As Rektor touched his ear, sticky blood trickled down.
“As expected…”
“Master.”
As he smiled, Mustan walked out from the depths of the forest.
“Are you alright?”
Mustan, unlike before, chewed his lip with clear eyes.
“Such unbelievable talent.”
Rektor wiped the blood dripping from his ear and muttered that Raon was remarkable. For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
“That’s not what I asked. I meant, are you alright emotionally?”
Mustan looked down with a gloomy face, seemingly aware of the whole situation.
…
Rektor did not reply. He slowly raised his gaze to the cleared sky.
“Is there really anything okay? I’m just doing what I need to do.”
He sighed briefly.
“It would be better to speak to Mr. Raon.”
“No.”
Rektor shook his head firmly.
“If I interfere, his light will fade. I’m tired of regrets. I’ll be satisfied just watching over him from behind.”
He smiled, having made all his decisions.
“You said you would do anything for Raon, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then follow me.”
Rektor grasped Mustan’s shoulder and helped him up.
“With today’s events, a path has opened, and the end will soon come.”
