Chapter 868

Kuwaaaaaaaa!

Raon’s Sword Field Creation and Martirus’s breath collided, sending a golden pillar surging up as if linking heaven and earth.

The clash of overwhelming power scattered sparks in all directions, black cracks tearing across the sky and ground.

‘As expected…’

Raon bit his lip as he watched the Holy Radiance Breath pour down, as if to destroy the world.

‘Am I being pushed back?’

With gravity added to the Holy Radiance Breath, even Genesis Blade couldn’t break through completely. Even when he cut it down with Sword Field Creation, the breath kept pushing back against him.

– Raon!

Wrath looked at him with anxious eyes.

‘It’s all right.’

Raon calmly shook his head.

‘I knew from the beginning this wouldn’t be easy.’

Even if he fought Martirus one-on-one at his best, defeat was likely. Being pushed back while exhausted like this was only natural.

[Foolish wretch!]

Martirus, thinking he’d secured victory, let out a mocking laugh and poured out an even stronger breath of Holy Radiance.

The pressure grew so intense it felt like his bones would shatter.

“Hmph…”

The Green Snake Demon licked his lips without letting his guard down, perhaps remembering what happened before.

‘Sorry, but…’

Raon gripped the ground with his toes, thrusting Heavenly Drive and Rimmer’s sword forward.

‘I still haven’t brought out everything I have.’

Facing the terrifying pressure of the Holy Radiance Breath, he dredged up every emotion lying at the bottom of his soul.

Gooooooo!

<Sloth>, <Envy>, <Gluttony>, <Lust>, and most of all, <Wrath>. Into the blade of Genesis, pressed back by the Holy Radiance Breath, Raon infused the Authorities of the Demon Kings.

The Demon Kings’ Authorities were powers originally drawn from negative emotions—but for Raon, it was different.

Just as the wielder of a sword determines whether it saves or kills, the Authority of the Demon Kings that bloomed in his hands became a darkness to save people, and merged with Genesis.

Kuwaaaaaaaa!

The brilliant golden color of Genesis changed.

No longer the dawn of a rising sun, but the hue of a setting sun—after enduring the years, the true will of a swordsman who has realized the world unfurled along the two blades.

Jjeojeojeojeojeok!

The sunset light that withstands the night—a dusky golden slash embracing both light and darkness—sliced through the Holy Radiance Breath.

Chwaaaaak!

No matter how much mana Martirus gathered, it was useless.

This new value, embodied in his Sword Field Creation, even cut through the gravity supporting the breath as it advanced.

[W-what is this!]

For the first time, a flustered voice burst from Martirus’s huge jaws. The eyes that had been certain of victory looked as though they might split apart.

“As expected, you don’t just go down quietly.”

The Green Snake Demon nodded, as if he’d known this would happen.

“That’s how Raon Zieghart should be.”

[Don’t just stand there! Help me take him down!]

Sensing danger as Raon’s sword pressed on, Martirus yelled at the Green Snake Demon for help.

“Will you be all right? What about the pride of a dragon…?”

[Just shut up and go!]

“…All right.”

The Green Snake Demon nodded lightly and let the wind carry him. He appeared at Raon’s right, moving on a slender gust.

“Don’t take it personally. You killed us three times already.”

His eyes cold, the Green Snake Demon thrust his wind-clad sword at Raon’s chest.

Chiiiiiik!

Just as his blade was about to pierce Raon’s heart, a blue-tinged arrow flew in and a crimson magic circle appeared.

Kwaaaaaang!

The red magic circle blocked the Green Snake Demon’s attack, and the blue arrow slammed him away.

“Mmm…”

The Green Snake Demon groaned and looked up to see an old woman in a mask standing before Raon.

“Don’t interfere with my man’s fight.”

Merlin’s red eyes flashed, threatening death if he approached. (T/N: YESSS! Let’s go Merlinnnnnnnnn!!!)

“I’ll protect this child, even if it kills me.”

Stehrin, coughing black blood, drew his bow. The blue-glimmering arrow he nocked was filled with desperate resolve.

“It’s hard enough with just one Guardian…”

The Green Snake Demon raised his hand and backed away, signaling he’d retreat.

Chiiiiing!

Raon paid the Green Snake Demon no attention, focusing solely on the battle with Martirus. Drawing together the joys and sorrows of transcendence and the Authorities of the Demon Kings, he unleashed an even sharper Sword Field Creation.

Kuwaaaaaaaa!

Finally, the full-powered Holy Radiance Breath from Martirus ended first, and the flow of mana he’d forced together also stopped.

Chiiiiing!

But Raon’s sword had not stopped yet. Wrapped in an aura sharp enough to slice the world itself, it soared into the sky.

[Kgh!]

Martirus swallowed dryly, seeing Raon’s sword technique—a chill running down his spine.

‘This is dangerous.’

More than just a surge of power, the killing intent in that slash was intense. One mistake dodging it and he might end up buried here like the other dragons. It was better to block it head-on.

Vmmmmmm!

Martirus invoked multiple top-tier defensive spells, each labeled “absolute.”

He summoned four spheres of light and built a massive wall of mana.

[If it’s this much… Huh?]

He thought he could block it easily, given that Raon’s sword was weakened. But Raon’s slash shattered the wall of spheres and all his defense spells like glass, slicing straight for his neck.

Puuuuuk!

He managed to twist his head in time, but couldn’t stop the flesh from being ripped open. A chunk of flesh, as large as a house, burst open, and blood rained down like a storm.

[Kuaaaaah!]

Martirus beat his massive wings, letting out a howl that shook the entire forest.

‘Such pain!’

It was the first time in his life he’d felt such pain. He’d fought countless battles with humans but never suffered a wound like this.

‘But…’

Martirus let out a low groan, shaking his head.

‘I’m still alive.’

Just before Raon’s strike landed, he shifted his dragon heart down from his throat. The wound was massive, but he avoided death.

‘Now it’s my turn.’

He still had plenty of mana and stamina left, but the human’s stamina and mental strength were already at their limits.

After healing the wound he just received, he’d be able to kill them all without much trouble.

Vmmmmmm!

As Martirus healed his neck, he summoned a new surge of gravity at Raon.

It was a power that consumed a great deal of willpower, but this was no time to hold back.

Gooooooo!

He pressed down on Raon with gravity and summoned a gigantic spear of light capable of erasing all life below.

Fwaaaaak!

Raon swung both swords desperately. Hundreds of flower petals bloomed on the blades, scattering thousands of flames.

[Tricks like that won’t work!]

Martirus manipulated gravity to detonate the flames scattered in the air. He didn’t want even a spark to reach him.

Kwagwagwagwang!

Thousands of fire fragments exploded, filling the air with thick gray smoke.

Whoooosh!

Taking advantage of the obscured vision, Martirus brought down ten spears of light from above.

Where the spears landed, powerful explosions erupted—an advanced linked spell, Divine Wrath.

Ruuuumble!

As Divine Wrath poured down on the World Tree, a single sword rose through the gray smoke.

A silver blade, filled with powerful mana. The ultimate realm of swordsmanship humans called [Sword Control].

Kwadududuk!

The [Sword Control] fired by Raon Zieghart instantly shattered Divine Wrath and sped toward Martirus.

Vmmmmmm!

Martirus concentrated gravity to suppress Heavenly Drive, but the fierce will imbued in the sword couldn’t be stopped.

[Stop! Stop!]

He was forced to block not only with gravity, but also by shouting a [Dragon Tongue] command that consumed his willpower.

Ttudududuk!

Heavenly Drive trembled as if longing to keep advancing, but under the pressure of gravity and [Dragon Tongue], it slowly lost momentum and began to fall.

[Still struggling to the end… huh?]

Just as Martirus was about to summon Divine Wrath again—

Behind the sinking Heavenly Drive, a leaf-shaped sword, filled with wind, shot out.

[S-sto….]

Just as he tried to utter the [Dragon Tongue], the leaf sword vanished and then shot up right in front of his neck.

Puuuuuk!

Rimmer’s sword slashed through Martirus’s throat at a speed he couldn’t react to. Just below his voice box—the exact spot where he’d hidden his dragon heart.

[Ahh…]

Martirus’s head twisted as dark red blood spurted from his mouth and wound. His wings folded and his gigantic body slowly began to fall.

Martirus crashed down as quickly as the gravity he’d unleashed, slamming his head in front of the World Tree he’d tried to burn himself.

Kuwaaaaaaaaang!

—

“Huff…”

Raon coughed up dark blood and fell to his knees. He clenched his powerless hand into a fist as he watched the life fade from Martirus.

‘It’s done.’

He had managed to wound Martirus with Sword Field Creation, but it wasn’t a fatal blow—the dragon still had the strength to keep fighting.

To avoid giving Martirus the chance to heal, Raon fired a [Sword Control] with Heavenly Drive, then hid Rimmer’s sword behind it and sent them together.

As Martirus used all his power to knock aside Heavenly Drive, he let his guard down, and Rimmer’s sword pierced his weak spot with Garanua.

It was a gamble, but it worked.

[I-I can’t believe I lost… to a mere human…]

Martirus’s massive eyes quivered, still unable to accept what happened.

“Dragons say the same thing every time they die. I’m sick of it.”

Raon twisted his lips and stabbed his gaze into the eyes of Martirus, whom he had disliked from the beginning.

[Kuaaaaaaa!]

Martirus screamed, shrill and torn, unbecoming of a dragon with such a massive body.

“Now I feel a little better.”

Raon exhaled a rough breath and slowly reached for Rimmer’s sword as it descended.

[W-wait! Let’s make a deal. If you spare me, I’ll give you information! Gold and jewels, anything you want…]

Martirus showed a pathetic side, nothing like the proud dragon who looked down on others as insects. He was even more pitiful than a worm.

“I don’t make deals with worms.”

Shaking his head resolutely, Raon slashed Martirus’s neck.

[Kuhhh…]

Martirus couldn’t even scream properly before his life ended.

“Huff…”

Raon dropped both swords and collapsed on the spot, unable to even hold them anymore.

‘I can only call it luck.’

In truth, if both had been at full strength, Martirus would have won. The gap between them was that wide.

But because of that gap and his exhaustion, Martirus underestimated him.

Thanks to never missing an opening, Raon was able to seize victory.

– It’s not luck, it’s skill.

Wrath shook his head with a rare, long smile.

– I can’t call you a rookie anymore!

He patted Raon’s shoulder, apparently quite pleased and even approving, which was rare.

“Ha.”

The Green Snake Demon gave a hollow laugh.

“I didn’t expect things to turn out like this…”

He shook his head, seemingly still not believing Martirus had been defeated.

“Three dragons. Even if one was only an elder, the other two were ancient dragons—and you took them all out by yourself. It’s unbelievable.”

The Green Snake Demon narrowed his eyes, saying Raon had changed more than he could have imagined.

“Shut your mouth.”

Merlin sent a bolt of lightning at the Green Snake Demon and pressed a finger to her lips.

“Don’t interrupt while Raon is enjoying his victory.”

“…You’ve changed even more.”

The Green Snake Demon clicked his tongue.

“I’d better withdraw for today. It would be troublesome to die here.”

He said he’d have to run and flicked his finger.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Merlin snorted, surrounding the Green Snake Demon with a magic circle.

Ttudududuk!

Stehrin also drew his bow fully, determined not to let him escape.

“Let him go…”

Raon weakly waved his hand.

‘If we try to take him down now, there will definitely be casualties.’

Even if the Green Snake Demon was wounded and exhausted, he was still a transcendent.

Raon himself couldn’t move a finger now, and Merlin alone couldn’t stop a transcendent.

Stehrin was badly wounded as well, so fighting further would be reckless.

“Yes! Understood!”

Merlin nodded brightly, but kept the magic circle up just in case.

“Wise choice.”

The Green Snake Demon nodded, as if it was a good decision.

“One thing, though—how did you end up working with dragons?”

Raon lifted his chin, looking at the Green Snake Demon. He knew he wouldn’t answer anything else, so he asked the question he was most curious about.

“It wasn’t hard. Dragons already hated you.”

“You mean hatred of humans?”

“Humans, and Zieghart.”

The Green Snake Demon muttered something cryptic, then wrapped himself in wind like a cloak.

“Zieghart? What does that—!”

“Next time, one of us dies.”

Without answering, he vanished on the wind.

“I-is it over?”

Dorian collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Seems like it.”

Burren sat beside him, wiping cold sweat from his brow.

“The tree survived…”

Runaan bowed her head, praising the World Tree for enduring to the end.

“I killed hundreds of monsters, but you took down three dragons by yourself…”

Martha shook her head in disbelief at the corpses of dragons in three different colors.

“I can’t believe it. How did you even do it?”

She shook her head, not understanding.

“It’s thanks to master.”

Raon slowly turned his gaze to the Soul Requiem Sword stuck in the roots of the World Tree.

‘Yeah. I didn’t do this alone.’

When the World Tree was filled with brilliant radiance, a wind from Rimmer’s Soul Requiem Sword blew through.

It felt as if he was still worried for them, not yet able to move on, so Raon fought to the end to let him leave without regret.

‘Now you can rest easy.’

Hoping Rimmer could finally move on without worry, he closed his eyes, then opened them to see a blue message appear before him.

[You have achieved an impossible feat.]

[All stats +40….]

[New trait….]

[Trait <Legend of Snow…>]

The reward message popped up much faster than usual.

– Guhh!

Wrath let out a scream at the message.

– Wh-what is this! Why are they giving it so quickly! It’s like they were just waiting for you!

‘I know.’

Raon smiled faintly.

– Well, it’s fine! You never look at them anyway!

Wrath breathed a sigh of relief, as if it didn’t matter.

‘No, I think I can look now.’

Ever since Rimmer died, he’d deliberately avoided looking at the messages, but now he felt he could.

– Wh-what? Why would you! Just don’t look!

Wrath shook his head, telling him to ignore them forever.

‘I’m just a little satisfied, that’s all…’

Raon fell in the warm wind of the World Tree, smiling bitterly as he overcame his regrets.