Chapter 774

Raon’s eyes narrowed as he watched The Fallen One plummet to the ground, his chest split open.

‘What… is this?’

Moments earlier, he had been consumed by uncontrollable rage, losing all rationality as darkness clouded his mind. Now, he was calm again. But why?

‘And on top of that…’

His body surged with an unfamiliar power. His once-exhausted mind felt serene, and his body thrummed with overwhelming energy—a force that felt omnipotent, as if he could command all of existence.

– “Of course it does!”

Wrath appeared below, shoving his face into view.

– “That’s my power you’re feeling!”

He snarled, accusing Raon of stealing it.

‘Stolen, you say?’

– “Didn’t you feel yourself being overtaken by rage?!”

‘I did.’

– “Right before you completely lost control, I was pulled into your body…”

Wrath pointed a stubby finger at Raon’s chest.

– “And then, wings of flame erupted from the ring embedded in your heart and threw me out! What in the world is that?!”

Wrath shook his head, muttering that it was impossible.

‘Wings?’

Raon placed a trembling hand on his chest. Just as Wrath described, eight interconnected rings spun furiously, blazing with fiery wings.

– “The moment those wings emerged, your mind became unshakably firm. While I retained control over the power, your consciousness stayed intact! How does that make any sense?!”

‘So, the wings stopped the rampage?’

– “Exactly. Thanks to that, I was able to control the rage as well. Otherwise, everyone here would already be dead.”

Wrath frowned, acknowledging the disaster averted by the strange phenomenon.

“Hmm…”

Raon turned to look back. The explosion had knocked everyone in the Arian family unconscious, but none of them appeared to have died. Perhaps the distance had mitigated the worst effects.

– “Let me be clear: those wings are the only reason you’re still in control right now.”

As Wrath pointed out, the fiery feathers were beginning to fall off one by one. Once they were all gone, Raon would lose control.

– “You need to finish him off and get as far from here as possible before that happens.”

Wrath raised his gaze toward The Fallen One, who lay collapsed on the ground.

‘I pierced his heart.’

– “That won’t kill him.”

Raon frowned as he observed The Fallen One. Despite being struck by Heavenly Drive, Wrath was certain he would rise again.

‘Kugugugugu!’

As if to prove Wrath’s words, a radiant light spread around The Fallen One, and he slowly began to stand.

The sight was sacred in its own grotesque way, embodying the word “resurrection.”

‘How do I even kill something like that?’

Raon bit his lip and readied Heavenly Drive.

‘I don’t know if I can do it.’

– “Stop doubting yourself. Right now, my body and energy are yours. Use them.”

‘So, that’s why this power feels so unfamiliar.’

– “Your mind is severely, disgustingly weak, but with the strongest body and energy at your disposal, you can fight.”

Wrath smirked, shaking his head.

– “And this isn’t about whether you can or can’t. You ‘must’ do it.”

Wrath gestured toward the fallen figures nearby.

– “They’re still alive, aren’t they?”

‘Ah…’

Just as Wrath said, faint breathing could be heard from Merlin, Rimmer, and Edgar. Even Sylvia and Sia, though their breaths were shallow, clung to life.

‘You’re right.’

Raon clenched his teeth and nodded.

‘This isn’t about whether I can—it’s something I have to do.’

Resolving to move the injured first, Raon’s energy instinctively flowed into Wrath’s power, lifting Merlin, Rimmer, Edgar, Sylvia, Sia, and Rektor into the air.

After carefully moving them toward the Arian family’s grounds, Raon turned back and faced The Fallen One.

“…That overwhelming presence is gone.”

The Fallen One narrowed his eyes as if trying to analyze the situation.

“The energy is still absurdly strong, but it feels significantly weaker than before.”

He tilted his head, studying Raon as if trying to comprehend the bizarre turn of events.

“Come at me. I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart first.”

Raon motioned with a crooked finger, taunting him.

“Killing you here is certainly the right choice.”

The Fallen One raised his hand, declaring that Raon’s unpredictable nature must be buried here. Blinding radiance surged from his palm.

– “Stay calm.”

Wrath gripped Raon’s shoulder and exhaled.

– “If that masked bastard were a warrior, even with my power, you wouldn’t stand a chance. But he’s a mage and a sorcerer. You can win.”

‘Alright. Let’s do this.’

As Raon nodded, the radiant light shot toward him. Unlike ordinary magic that formed arrows or blades, this light was formless and so fast that even Raon’s heightened perception could only see faint streaks.

– “Ignore the top and left; block the center!”

‘Got it.’

Following Wrath’s advice, Raon channeled frost energy through his mana circuits and unleashed it toward the incoming light.

‘Kwoooosh!’

The frosty wave from Heavenly Drive severed the light just before it reached him.

“Your energy is ludicrously powerful, but your skills remain the same.”

The Fallen One was unfazed and summoned even denser light. The thin beams coalesced into a massive pillar, not only increasing in power but also accelerating to an incredible speed.

‘Slash!’

With a fraction of a breath, Raon swung Heavenly Drive, unleashing a frosty blade that cleaved through the light pillar. The chilling energy froze even the radiance itself, an unnatural force that defied the world’s laws.

“I don’t understand this….”

The Fallen One furrowed his brows, staring at the frozen light shattered before him.

“Suddenly gained power always has its limits.”

He scoffed, his voice brimming with certainty that Raon’s borrowed strength would eventually collapse. With a snap of his fingers, a more intense and overwhelming light surged to life.

– “Normally, he’d be right. But….”

Wrath trembled, his stubby arms shaking as he frowned.

– “This one is different! He bends causality on his own!”

Wrath shook his head furiously as if trying to convince The Fallen One himself.

“Let’s end this now.”

At The Fallen One’s command, eight massive pillars of light erupted around Raon, sealing off all escape routes. The magic pulsed with a sinister intent to erase his very existence.

– “There’s no need to fear! Trust in my power, and trust in your blade!”

‘Of course.’

Without hesitation, Raon stepped forward, summoning Frost Inferno Dragon.

‘Kwoooosh!’

From the gleaming edge of Heavenly Drive, a massive, frost-covered dragon emerged, larger and more menacing than the legendary Kaibar.

As the dragon’s maw opened, a freezing breath swept across the battlefield, shattering all eight pillars of light.

‘Hwoooooosh!’

The once blood-soaked and miasma-filled plains transformed into a pristine, snow-white field, untouched by even a single footprint.

“Haa…”

Raon straightened his back, exhaling frost-laden breath.

‘I’m starting to understand.’

Years of mastering Glacier’s frost techniques made channeling Wrath’s power feel surprisingly natural.

Though the scale was enormous and taxing, Raon’s enhanced body could withstand the strain.

– “Ugh… It’s working well, but why does it still make me angry…?”

Wrath grumbled, half of his face smiling in relief while the other half twisted in irritation.

“How persistent….”

The Fallen One raised his hand, and the heavens and earth filled with radiant light as the night sky vanished. Everything within sight became an extension of his luminous power.

Various forms of light, as diverse as sword techniques, converged and hurtled toward Raon from all directions.

‘Chiing!’

Raon stood tall, lifting Heavenly Drive into a noble stance. Frosted petals bloomed atop the blade, releasing countless shards of ice.

Thousands—no, tens of thousands—of frost fragments collided with the incoming light.

‘Kuwaaaaaang!’

The endless clashes shook the earth and sky, flipping the land and unleashing deafening thunder.

Amid the relentless storm, Raon pressed forward, refusing to remain on the defensive. Frost bloomed like wings behind him, and from the earth’s fissures rose frost-covered world trees, emanating even colder energy.

‘Slash!’

Heavenly Drive shot forward like a blue lightning bolt, piercing through The Fallen One’s wall of light and carving deep wounds into his left shoulder and chest.

‘Flash!’

As Raon prepared to deliver a finishing blow, The Fallen One retreated, his body fracturing into fragments of light.

“It seems that first strike wasn’t a fluke.”

His crimson gaze met Raon’s, his expression darkening.

‘Woom!’

The Fallen One clasped his hands and muttered an incantation. In mere moments, radiant trails spread like clouds above him, and rain made of pure light poured from the heavens.

‘I have to block it all.’

Clenching his teeth, Raon activated Heavenly Drive’s Grand Banquet. Frost imbued with Wrath’s energy surged upward, twisting around the torrent of light as it descended.

‘Kwoooosh!’

The frost swallowed the rain of light, freezing even the towering pillars it created. The brilliance of Wrath’s energy turned the skies pale white.

Raon marveled at the power he wielded—power that felt like it transcended the limits of human skill and delved into the realm of the impossible.

– “Don’t just stand there admiring it! Push him now!”

‘I know!’

Raon suppressed his labored breaths and darted toward The Fallen One’s left side. Raising Heavenly Drive, he unleashed Silver Lotus Dream.

‘Chiing!’

The blade fragmented into dozens of frost-laden slashes, all converging on The Fallen One’s neck.

‘Woom!’

In response, a swirling ring of darkness emerged around The Fallen One’s throat, halting the incoming strikes. The oppressive gravity of the rotating darkness pulled at Heavenly Drive, nullifying its momentum.

“You’ve saved me the trouble of closing the distance.”

The Fallen One smirked, extending a hand imbued with radiant energy toward Raon.

“This will be your end!”

Raon thrust his left hand forward, meeting the attack head-on.

Lord of Fury’s Final Art: Silver Moon Demon Palm.

Harnessing Wrath’s energy, Raon unleashed a devastating burst of frost that engulfed not just the radiant hand, but The Fallen One himself.

‘Kuwaaaaaang!’

A towering mountain of ice erupted across the shattered battlefield, encasing The Fallen One entirely. It was a power capable of freezing the very world.

“Huff…”

Raon clutched his chest, his breaths labored.

‘If only this were the end.’

The fiery wings on his chest had dwindled to half their feathers. The stronger the technique, the faster they disappeared.

‘Crack!’

However, the mountain of ice began to splinter. Darkness poured from within, violently shattering its confines.

– “Not enough… It’s still far from perfect.”

Wrath clicked his tongue, lamenting that if it had been ‘his’ perfected Silver Moon Demon Palm, it would have ended there.

“Haa…”

The Fallen One dusted ice shards from his sleeves and let out a cold breath.

“This level of frost… It’s closer to magic than martial arts.”

He dismissed the remaining darkness and light in his hand, raising his palm like a blade.

“This time, I’ll wield a sword myself.”

He slashed downward, splitting the space before him as if it were fabric.

‘How do I stop this…?’

The sheer precision and silence of his spatial slash left Raon at a loss for how to counter.

– “Remember when we fought Kaibar at sea! The dragon-slaying space-cleaving strike!”

‘Ah…’

Recalling the spatial slash of Aris that had severed Kaibar breath, Raon steeled himself.

Raon traced the trajectory backward, lifting Heavenly Drive to counter the slash that tore through space.

Raon Zieghart Swordsmanship: Form Seven – Void Slash.

To block the descending spatial slash, Raon unleashed his own Void Slash upward from below.

The two spatial cuts collided, slicing through the void from opposing directions, creating black rifts in midair.

‘Crack-crack-crack!’

Frost surged into the fractures, freezing the shockwaves attempting to erupt outward.

The scene of the frozen white sky and land, centered around jagged black voids, resembled the end of the world itself.

“Guh…”

Raon’s fingers trembled as he gripped Heavenly Drive, biting his lip.

‘It feels like I’m walking on thin ice.’

Every clash with The Fallen One felt like death creeping closer, the intensity of battle pushing his heart to its limits. His breath grew shallower with every passing moment.

– “This is only the beginning.”

Wrath let out a low sigh, shaking his head.

– “That bastard hasn’t even started fighting seriously yet.”

‘I know.’

No one understood that better than Raon.

The Fallen One was holding back, conserving his power out of caution after sensing Wrath’s presence earlier.

“Did you offer your soul to the demons?”

The Fallen One’s narrowed gaze flicked toward the horn on Raon’s forehead.

“Not my soul, but something precious.”

Raon forced himself to steady his breathing and raised his head.

‘Not much time left.’

The fiery wings sustaining his mental clarity had lost more than three-quarters of their feathers. At this rate, he would lose control before defeating The Fallen One.

“And yet, all you do is talk. Are you scared?”

Raon smirked, tilting his chin upward.

“Afraid of being humiliated by a Grandmaster? If you lose, are you going to claim you weren’t serious?”

He shrugged, feigning mock understanding.

“…Very well.”

The Fallen One maintained his stoic expression, nodding slowly.

“I don’t have much time either, so I’ll end this game here.”

He clasped his hands together, chanting at an incredible speed. As light and darkness intertwined between his palms, a massive pillar rose, connecting heaven and earth.

‘Kugugugu!’

The pillar, a swirling vortex of light and darkness that turned an ominous gray, spread outward, erasing the frozen heavens and earth around it.

A ceaseless storm of annihilation engulfed everything, threatening to erase all existence.

– “You can’t overcome this.”

Wrath’s tone was grim as he shook his head.

– “That energy is beyond normal comprehension.”

‘I have to try.’

Raon gripped Heavenly Drive with both hands, determined to fight even if it meant burning his life force and soul.

– “No, you can’t.”

‘What?’

– “Even if you give everything, it won’t be enough. So….”

Wrath grabbed his left hand tightly.

– “I’ll help you one last time.”

Wrath turned his gaze toward the fallen Sylvia, Edgar, and Rektor, nodding solemnly.

– “Go. I’ll match the timing. Show me the pinnacle of what you can do.”

He tightened his grip on Raon’s hand as if urging him to trust him.

‘…Understood.’

Raon knew Wrath was a being who kept his word. Trusting him, Raon turned toward the oncoming storm of light and darkness, summoning Genesis Blade.

“Sword Field Creation.”

– “Demonic Manifestation.”

The golden radiance of Heavenly Drive shimmered as a frost-covered blade materialized in the glow.

“Genesis Blade.”

– “Snow Flower.”

In the brilliance of Genesis, blue flowers bloomed. The overwhelming aura froze even light and darkness, covering the world in its ethereal energy.

‘Kuwaaaaaang!’

What followed was an earth-shattering slash that cleaved the heavens, accompanied by countless razor-thin cuts radiating outward.

The frozen pillar of light and darkness shattered completely, leaving no trace. From the sky, a storm of frosty petals rained down.

Everything before Raon vanished into nothingness.

(T/N: Damn, I love Wrath. I think this is the first we see them fighting hand in hand. I love how Wrath cares for Raon’s family and subordinates.)