Raon unconsciously bit his lip while looking at the red-haired man.
'What is that?'
He was a monster. No, no word in the world could describe the violent oppression he was feeling.
Even the moonlight seemed to cower, as if hiding from his existence. His overwhelming presence bore down on hundreds of thousands of people. He was the manifestation of a warrior god from heaven into a human body.
'He's a transcender, and on top of that…'
He hadn't simply reached transcendence. He seemed to have taken another step above that.
The heads of the Five Divine Orders were powerful enough to reach the peak of the continent, but Raon had the feeling that they stood no chance against that man in a one-on-one fight.
'Who the hell is he?'
With his red hair, youthful appearance that made him seem to be in his early twenties, and the blue dragon robe he was adorned in, his might and distinctive features should have immediately revealed his identity. Despite that fact, Raon couldn't think of anyone who matched his description.
"Aah…"
Denning Rose's shoulders trembled violently like a child in the rain.
"Th-the Holy Sword Alliance master…"
She sank to her knees while calling the handsome young redhead the Holy Sword Alliance master.
"The Holy Sword Alliance master…?"
The Holy Sword Alliance, one of the Five Demons, was an alliance of sword demons who collected swords and swordsmanship techniques throughout the continent by any means necessary.
The man who had defeated those hungry demons and ascended to the throne was none other than the Master of the Holy Sword Alliance, Darkan, known as the Dark Night Sword God.
'Did he regain his youth?'
According to the information from Derus in Raon's previous life, he was supposed to be around the same age as Glenn, yet he seemed to be in his mid-twenties at most.
Raon could guess that he must've achieved something during the closure of their faction.
Ooh.
Wrath stroked his chin while watching the Holy Sword Alliance master overwhelm the entire crowd with his presence alone.
He is also pretty decent for a human. He has a rather peculiar energy.
'Peculiar energy?'
He seems to have an ability that you've never seen before.
Wrath licked his lips, remarking that he looked pretty decent. Raon couldn't fathom the demon king's criteria for deeming such a powerful being as merely 'decent'.
"Why is he here…?"
Denning Rose's lips were trembling because she couldn't understand why the Holy Sword Alliance master had suddenly made his appearance.
She seemed to be panicking too hard to think straight, but the Holy Sword Alliance's appearance wasn't exactly that strange.
'Because this is the best scene to announce the Holy Sword Alliance's reappearance.'
The Holy Sword Alliance hadn't shown up in the world in a long time.
They still retained their status as one of the Five Demons due to the overwhelming might they had displayed in the past, but they were currently less notorious than the others.
The plaza was the perfect stage to elevate the Holy Sword Alliance's reputation to the skies.
Raon licked his dry lips and looked up to the platform where the Five Divine Orders were located.
The Demon Slaying Spear licked his lips in excitement at the power of the Holy Sword Alliance master while the Demonblade's forehead was wrinkled with tension. The Queen of Swords appeared poised to draw her sword at any moment, her hand clenched tightly around the scabbard, which had turned red from the pressure.
Lastly, the Thespian Emperor's trembling pupils looked like she was flustered by the situation. However…
'She isn't surprised.'
Raon could tell because he'd mocked the Thespian Emperor multiple times in the past.
She was making a surprised expression, but she wasn't actually surprised at all.
'Did she read the heaven's flow?'
Since the Thespian Emperor was capable of reading the future, Raon felt like she might have predicted the situation.
'But why did she not say anything about it?'
While he was pondering about her intentions, the Holy Sword Alliance master leisurely turned around.
His relaxed demeanor made it seem as if he were inside the Holy Sword Alliance rather than being surrounded by enemies, and he raised his gaze.
"I heard I can find two nice swords from this place."
The Holy Sword Alliance master's gaze was directed at the Demonblade and the Queen of Swords above the platform. His desire was raging like a storm inside his yellow eyes.
"I'd like to see just how sharp those swords are."
He extended his hand, and the black sword that had severed the master of ceremony's body floated by itself and flew into his grasp.
"He's insane…"
Raon gasped as he watched the Holy Sword Alliance master point his sword at the Demonblade.
'Is he really planning to fight the Five Divine Orders all by himself?'
No matter how powerful the Holy Sword Alliance master was, it was impossible to fight all four leaders of the Five Divine Orders at once since they had also reached transcendence.
Fighting two of them should've already been hard enough. He couldn't understand what he was thinking.
"You've gotten ignorant of worldly affairs after staying at home for so long."
The Demon Slaying Spear frowned while massaging the back of his neck.
"Maybe you need a spear in your brain to open your eyes."
"Trash should stay out of this."
For the first time, the Holy Sword Alliance master's face contorted in irritation. It looked like the mere idea of conversing with a non-swordsman was displeasing to him.
As his voice grew lower, a chilling sensation, like a dark shadow boiling up, seemed to seep into their skin.
"And who are you calling alone?"
As soon as he declared, a huge sailboat approached them through the clouds hiding the moonlight.
The starry sword emblem engraved on the dark sail signified that it was the Sword Wing, the flying warship of the Holy Sword Alliance master.
Rumble!
As soon as the Sword Wing came to a halt at the center of the plaza, swordsmen with the Holy Sword Alliance's symbol jumped down from it.
Every single one of them was a powerful warrior with a well-trained body and aura.
Some of them were Masters and seemed to have the rank of Master of Sword.
Rumble!
Once the Holy Sword Alliance's swordsmen landed on the ground, they blocked the two exits of the plaza and began attacking the people around them.
"Aaaah!"
"Kuah!"
"Hiee…"
They didn't discriminate between warriors and civilians. The sword demons from the Holy Sword Alliance spread their glowing sword strikes to everyone in front of them.
"Don't panic! Prepare for battle!"
The heads of the neutral factions drew their swords and faced the Holy Sword Alliance's sword demons.
"Stay in formation!"
Knight Captain Biten from the Holy Kingdom of Schper raised his sword, which was radiating with holy light. He was a powerful warrior among the neutral factions.
"Prioritize protecting the civilians!"
He cut down the sword demons while protecting the people, and a white shadow approached him from his left.
"Biten!"
Raon hurriedly shouted as a white hand, almost transparent, grasped Biten's neck.
Crack!
With a frightening sound of the neck bone snapping, Biten's shoulder shrunk down as if drying up.
His body crumbled like a dry leaf, and a woman smiled cheerfully from behind as she swept her silky black hair up.
'The White Blood Religion's leader!'
Raon's lips trembled as he looked at the black-haired woman. She hadn't shown up since her previous defeat by Glenn, and now she had made her appearance once again.
"The Holy Kingdom's blood is pretty good indeed."
The White Blood Religion's leader weakly stomped the ground while touching her red lips.
Wham!
The land sloshed like a transparent lake, and a human shape surged from it.
Their white robes and the lines at the center of their hoods implied that they were the devotees of the White Blood Religion's leader.
Alongside the usual fanatics, the tenth apostle, accompanied by two others whose names Raon didn't recognize, stepped forward and knelt before their religious leader.
"Enjoy the festival."
She opened her hand and told them to do as they pleased, and the White Blood fanatics spread in all directions while reciting some grotesque prayer to bite people's necks.
Whir!
The Blade of Requiem felt like it was about to break from the intense sword resonance. It seemed to be enraged at the White Blood Religion's appearance.
The vibration was even more violent than the other encounters.
"Kuh!"
Raon gritted his back teeth.
'Even the White Blood Religion is here…'
However, that was less surprising than the Holy Sword Alliance's reappearance.
'There are enough reasons for them to be here.'
There were countless warriors inside the city.
It must've been a great opportunity for the White Blood Religion, as coming along with the Holy Sword Alliance pretty much made them a banquet waiting to be feasted upon.
"We should get started too."
"Shall I take care of those two?"
The Holy Sword Alliance master's eyes sparked red as he looked at the Demonblade and the Queen of Swords while the White Blood Religion's leader licked her lips while skimming over the Thespian Emperor and the Demon Slaying Spear.
It was a four-on-two fight, but the result was still unpredictable.
However, the Thespian Emperor still didn't look surprised. She must've predicted the White Blood Religion's appearance as well.
"It won't be that easy."
The Thespian Emperor put the fingers from her hands together like a prayer and closed her eyes.
As divine words rapidly flowed from her lips, a constellation materialized in the city's sky, its shape seemingly reflecting the sun and the moon.
The shapes of yin and yang carved under the vast night sky poured down along with a brilliant radiance.
Whir!
As a mighty wave shook heaven and earth, the warriors of the Five Divine Orders felt their powers surge explosively, their abilities magnified upon being touched by the ethereal light of yin and yang.
"Hmm…"
"Is this a formation technique?"
"This is…"
The warriors from the White Blood Religion and the Holy Sword Alliance came to a halt upon feeling the tremendous wave of power turning the land upside down.
The pressures from the Thespian Emperor and the other leaders of the Five Divine Orders were also amplified to another level.
It felt like a bright red fire was engulfing a red flame.
Because they seemed equally matched in a four-on-two situation, it felt like the balance of power was swaying in favor of the Five Divine Orders.
"Sharper swords tend to be more delicious."
"I don't like struggling children."
The Holy Sword Alliance master smiled in satisfaction while the White Blood Religion's leader furrowed her brow and voiced her annoyance.
The two transcenders floated into the air as if they weren't affected by gravity and landed in front of the Five Divine Orders' leaders standing on the platform.
"I'll take care of him. I'll make a skewer out of him with the spear he looked down upon."
"Your tongue will be shredded if you try to taste my blade."
The Demon Slaying Spear pointed his Sky Piercer at the Holy Sword Alliance master while the Demonblade placed his hand on his hilt with a fierce bloodlust veiling his eyes.
"We definitely won't lose in our current state. Let's finish this quickly and reduce the casualties."
"I know."
The Thespian Emperor opened her hands while saying that she would protect the people, and the Queen of Swords calmly nodded.
The clash between the auras of the six transcenders distorted the sky and fissured the land like a spider web.
It was practically a natural disaster.
"Haa…"
Raon looked back while catching his breath.
'Let's let the monsters fight between each other, and…'
As he prepared to command the Light Wind division, Rimmer approached from the left, accompanied by a tumultuous gust of wind. He was glaring at the Holy Sword Alliance and their master with a yellow aura of malice glowing from his eyes.
"Holy Sword Alliance master…"
* * *
* * *
His playfulness was completely gone even though he had always smiled, even in the most serious situations. His eyes contained nothing but wrath and murderous intent.
'Was the Holy Sword Alliance the target of his wrath?'
His green eyes had become as red as his hair, and they skimmed through the warriors of the Holy Sword Alliance. He almost looked like he was looking for someone.
"Where are you?"
Rimmer bit his lip tightly and unsheathed his sword.
"Division leader?"
"Raon, I leave the Light Wind division to you. Escape as fast as possible."
Rimmer kicked the ground as soon as he declared.
He rushed like lightning and beheaded the Holy Sword Alliance's warriors as he advanced deep into the battlefield.
"V-vice division leader!"
"What shall we do…?"
Krein and Dorian approached him, appearing uncertain about what to do next.
"Hmm…"
Raon frowned and looked around. Since the Five Divine Orders were fighting the Five Demons, he had a feeling that they could escape without taking any damage if they withdrew right away.
"Aaaah!"
"S-save… Cough!"
"We need protection…"
"There's no way to escape!"
However, the innocent neutral factions and civilians were dying in the battle. It was crucial to prevent further casualties, even if it meant forgetting about escape.
Cring!
Raon unsheathed Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem at the same time and advanced to the east, which was the closest direction to the ramparts.
Thud!
He charged towards an archbishop who was spreading his bloody energy while blocking the path. Heavenly Drive raised above his head tilted towards the right before the archbishop could attack with his hand.
Pssh!
A thin line was engraved on the archbishop's robe, and his body split in half.
However, the White Blood fanatics kept attacking with their bloody energy even after they witnessed the death of their archbishop.
Raon spread his left foot in a cone shape, turned his waist, and swung his sword in a curve. The trajectory of fire, incorporating rotation, severed the White Blood fanatics' bodies in half.
The fanatics stopped moving for a moment, probably because dozens of their members had perished before they could even scream.
'This is our chance.'
It was the perfect opportunity to further advance. Raon increased the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's output and slashed toward them.
Whaaam!
Crimson blood burst from the group of the Holy Sword Alliance blocking their path, their existence erased from the world.
Cring!
The White Blood Fanatics chasing behind them collapsed to the ground with blood gushing from their pores upon receiving the Blood Rain's resonance.
The White Blood fanatics and the sword demons from the Holy Sword Alliance widened their eyes to the point of bursting upon witnessing the overwhelming power and cruelty.
Whap!
Raon raised Heavenly Drive engulfed by a raging fire. The terrified faces turned red, just like Heavenly Drive's heated blade.
"Carve the path, Light Wind division!"
The look in the eyes of the Light Wind division changed upon hearing the shout. Madness and determination overwrote their confusion and fear.
Raon carved the path from the front, and the Light Wind division widened it.
It didn't even take that long for a path to be created amid the White Blood Religion and the Holy Sword Alliance, and the eastern rampart came into sight. It was the closest rampart to their location.
Creak!
Raon crushed the land with his right foot while wielding Heavenly Drive with two hands.
The heat began to rampage to the point where his mana circuits could burst, and Raon added wind to maximize the destructive power.
It was the Flame Dragon Art from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's Hundred Flowers.
The fire dragon's breath surged from the tip of the blade and pierced through the center of the rampart.
However, the hole was still not big enough to allow a person to pass.
'A little bit more.'
Raon stabbed Heavenly Drive into the hole created by the Flame Dragon Art and unleashed the fire from his energy center once again. The heat dashing through his mana circuits burst out once again to create a powerful gravity on the blade.
Raon Zieghart Style Swordplay.
Second Form, Heavenly Heavy Cannon.
The tremendous strike of heaviness exploded from the eastern rampart.
Rumble!
The fine cracks created by the Flame Dragon Art became thicker, and the rampart collapsed entirely.
"St-stop them!"
"Stop those bastards!"
"Come this way, everyone!"
Raon cut down the White Blood fanatics and the sword demons running towards him to prevent their escape and pointed at the path that was created.
"Aah…"
"A-a path has opened up!"
"Over there! We can survive if we go there!"
The people being helplessly slaughtered by the White Blood Religion and the Holy Sword Alliance started to run towards the eastern rampart.
'I need to widen it a bit further.'
Too many people needed to evacuate. Raon cut off the walls on the sides with Crimson Slash to widen the exit.
White Raon was destroying the wall and slaying the sword demons, the gazes from the platform were lowered towards him.
"So I wasn't mistaken about him."
The Holy Sword Alliance master smiled faintly while looking at Raon.
"So he is Raon Zieghart. It wouldn't be strange if that young sword becomes the strongest in the continent in the future."
"..."
The young swordsman right underneath him furrowed his brow while looking at Raon.
"I should've brought the Master of the Bloody Sword."
He regrettably licked his lips.
"Raon Zieghart?"
The White Blood Religion's leader narrowed her eyes.
"Was he still around?!"
She raised her finger, and a middle-aged apostle who was shredding an executive from the Five Divine Orders rushed towards Raon.
"Master of the Wise Dragon Sword."
The Holy Sword Alliance master shook his hand towards his back, and a middle-aged man with a neat beard like a scholar jumped down from the battleship, Sword Wing.
"What do you think you are doing?"
The White Blood Religion's leader's pupils became sharply distorted like a reptile's.
"That boy is mine."
"I'm also interested in that young sword."
The White Blood Religion's leader and the Holy Sword Alliance master maintained their easygoing attitudes despite facing four heads of the Five Divine Orders.
"Then how about the first one to end this fight gets to have him?"
"Sounds good."
The Holy Sword Alliance master casually shook his hand, and the White Blood Religion's leader smiled seductively.
"You damned bastards!"
"I'll kill you!"
The Demon Slaying Spear and the Demonblade unleashed their wills, causing the pillars supporting the platform to collapse and the land to tremble.
Whaaam!
A powerful radiance covered the world the moment the six transcenders clashed against each other.
"Kuh…"
Raon quickly regained his senses even though the shockwave shaking heaven and earth was blowing his mind.
An unknown apostle and the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword were approaching him. They were both extremely powerful warriors in the Grandmaster's realm. Their advance was as fast as a ray of light.
'Which apostle is he? And is that the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword?'Yôur f𝒂vorite stories on 𝒏/o/(v)𝒆/lb𝒊n(.)c𝒐m
Raon had heard about the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword before. He'd heard that he was the most talented person among the Masters of Sword. However, he was missing his right arm, and he was wielding his sword in his left hand.
Though it looked like he'd lost his right arm, the energy wave emanating from him was still terrifying and ominous. He seemed to possess something beyond his formidable power.
"Get away from me!"
Raon pushed the Light Wind division away and raised his two swords.
'I don't have the time to use the Azure Sky Sword.'
And he had the feeling he wouldn't be able to stop them even if he used it. Using two special techniques with the dual wielding he'd learned from Sheryl was the best method available to him.
He unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier to the maximum output. The mana circuits rapidly expanded from the wind and created the foundation for an all-out attack.
Raon stomped the ground and was about to unleash Frost Pond and the Crimson Slash when black and white lights crossed downwards from thin air.
Claang!
The white and black lightning strikes blocked the apostle's hand and the blade of the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword without faltering in the slightest.
Sheryl was there. She had appeared after tearing the white dress she wore as a disguise and blocked the path of the two Grandmasters on her own.
"Heavenly Blade division, block the path!"
The Heavenly Blade division came forth upon hearing her shout and stopped the White Blood fanatics and the Holy Sword Alliance's sword demons following the apostle and the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword.
One of the Heavenly Blade swordsmen gave Martha, who he was carrying on his back, to Dorian before he charged toward the enemies.
"Raon! Good job!"
Sheryl nodded while gritting her teeth. It looked like she couldn't even afford to look back since she was shouting while looking forward.
"Escape with the civilians!"
"But you can't deal with both of them on your own—"
"Don't worry. That idiot is going to arrive soon enough!"
As soon as she made her declaration, a lightning storm surged from the right.
"Kallis!"
Rimmer slashed at the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword with dark bloodlust bursting from his eyes.
Claaang!
Kallis's lips, scarred by a sword, twisted up as he crossed blades with Rimmer.
"You look like you are doing fine, Rimmer."
"I knew you were alive!"
He violently ground his teeth and pushed ahead with his sword.
"It's all thanks to you that I survived. And…"
The Master of Wise Dragon Sword snickered while looking at his empty right shoulder.
"I also managed to get stronger."
A huge astral sphere burst from his blade and assaulted Rimmer.
Whaaam!
Rimmer was unable to withstand the power and was sent flying before he rolled on the ground.
"Kuh…"
"I doubted my ears when I heard you started to raise new children after you got so many of your subordinates killed."
The Master of the Wise Dragon Sword narrowed his eyes while looking at Rimmer.
"It looks like you were qualified to be a teacher even though you should've never been a leader."
"Shut up!"
Veins bulged on Rimmer's face as he shouted, dashing towards the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword.
Raon swallowed nervously while watching the interaction between them.
'Was he the target of our division leader's wrath?'
He couldn't be certain, but the target of Rimmer's wrath was apparently not the Holy Sword Alliance master but the man standing in front of him. However, he didn't have the time to think about that.
"I'll leave it to you!"
Raon lowered his head towards Sheryl, who was stopping the apostle, and Rimmer, who was stopping the Master of the Wise Dragon Sword, before he turned around.
"Escape with the civilians! Immediately!"
He gave the order to the Light Wind division and bought time for people's evacuation.
"Let's go forward—"
Raon destroyed the wall even further and was about to leave the city when a powerful light sparked from the sky. A white astral spear was falling like rain.
"Kuh!"
He looked up to the sky, and the tenth apostle's frightening gaze was directed at him, his damned spear in his hand.
'Damn it…'
It was impossible for him to fight the tenth apostle while rescuing the civilians. That would've been no different than asking for death.
'Is he asking me to abandon the people?'
Before he could even put his thoughts together, a second spear strike rained down towards him.
The tenth apostle's composed expression seemed to be asking him to decide between death and people's lives.
"You son of a bitch!"
Just as Raon was raising his blades towards the sky, the night sky wavered like an aurora and a powerful wave of mana burst out.
The distorted space was severed, and Merlin emerged from it wearing the old woman's mask. She swatted her deep blue robe away.
"Don't touch my things."
A frightening glow could be seen from the red pupils inside the mask.
"Or I'll kill you."