Rimmer stirred up a frigid wind that seemed to blow from the North Sea. He surged forward like a leaf caught in a storm, thrusting a red bolt of lightning toward the heart of the Dragon Sword Master.
Hwaaaaaaa!
The Dragon Sword Master tightened his grip on the Demonic Sword, Criatus, amplifying the curve of the demonic energy.
Jjeoooong!
The red lightning and black demonic energy clashed, creating a fierce shockwave that swept across the surroundings.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!
The members of the Light Wind division and the Sword Fanatics of the Holy Sword Alliance, who were nearby, were thrown back and rolled across the ground, regardless of their will.
"…Astral Ring?"
The Dragon Sword Master frowned as he looked at the red aura coiled around Rimmer's sword.
"You reached the Astral Ring already?"
"Why are you so surprised? Acting like it's your first time seeing an Astral Ring."
Rimmer smirked at the furrowed brow of the Dragon Sword Master.
"Your recovery is quick, but it's meaningless."
The Dragon Sword Master briefly nodded and twisted his wrist, gripping the Demonic Sword.
The blade of demonic energy coiled like a whip and aimed for Rimmer's back. It was a bizarre move, attacking from both the front and the back.
"That's not for you to decide, it's for me!"
Rimmer stepped deeper into the Dragon Sword Master's space, raising a blue wind. The Astral Ring coiled around his blade spread with the flow of the wind, forming a shield behind him.
Kyaaaang!
The demonic blade struck fiercely but dissipated futilely against the thick barrier of aura.
"Tut."
The Dragon Sword Master clicked his tongue, not expecting his surprise attack to be blocked so easily.
"I know you're treacherous despite your appearance."
Rimmer twirled his sword lightly, sneering.
'Yeah, I know better than anyone.'
The Dragon Sword Master, despite his serene and priest-like demeanor, was a schemer harboring thousands of serpents in his heart. One couldn't let their guard down in both swordsmanship and psychological warfare.
'Though it's impossible to let your guard down with that cursed demonic energy.'
The Dragon Sword Master's swordsmanship was terrifying, but the demonic energy from Criatus was the real threat.
'It's hard to even get close unless you're a Master.'
The Demonic Sword indiscriminately spread demonic energy, dominating the space around it.
Unable to perfectly block the demonic energy while fighting, his movements were restricted.
But there was no retreat or escape here. Beyond vengeance, for Raon and the Light Wind division behind him, the Dragon Sword Master had to be quickly cut down.
Tuuuuuung!
Rimmer stepped forward with rough footwork, charging toward the Dragon Sword Master. Enveloped in wind and lightning, he looked like a divine dragon soaring through the sky.
"Don't be hasty. The fight has just begun."
The Dragon Sword Master twisted his lips and conjured an Astral Ring with the fire of the Demonic Sword. The expanding wave of the Astral Ring overturned the blackened ground and made the air scream.
"No. This is the end!"
Despite seeing the overwhelming Astral Ring of the Dragon Sword Master, Rimmer did not stop. He accelerated and unleashed a grand sword strike.
"You fool!"
The Dragon Sword Master also didn't retreat, thrusting his sword toward Rimmer's neck.
Kuwaaaaaaang!
The Astral Ring of wind and thunder clashed with the Astral Ring of demonic energy, creating a gray stream that engulfed the Lakion family grounds.
Raon frowned as he watched the waves caused by Rimmer and the Dragon Sword Master.
'Can he hold out?'
Rimmer had no resistance to demonic energy and was struggling to maintain his composure due to his anger toward the Dragon Sword Master.
Even though his martial prowess was nearing its peak, there was no certainty of victory.
Chiiiiiing!
As the chaotic situation continued, Cloud charged from the left, swinging his sword. His swordsmanship was fast and rapidly changing. His Ten Thousand Swords technique had advanced further than before.
Raon bit his lip as he observed the trajectory of the sword strike aimed at his chest.
'I can't clash head-on.'
Cloud's sword held a clear Astral Ring. Colliding with it in his current state would result in internal injuries difficult to recover from.
Tung!
Twisting his ankle diagonally, he used the Supreme Harmony's Third Step. Like a coral moving with the current, he didn't push against Cloud's strike but used its force to retreat. He felt the tip of Cloud's sword graze the end of his Black Dragon Coat.
"Where are you looking! Your opponent is me!"
Cloud gritted his teeth and pursued. His footwork was fast and varied, giving no room for a counterattack.
"He's not wrong."
Raon raised the Heavenly Drive and frowned.
'He's right.'
Now is not the time to worry about others.
With most of his stamina and aura exhausted and suffering from severe injuries, he had to focus entirely on Cloud, who was a deadly opponent even when he was in perfect condition.
Chiiiiiiing!
Cloud's sword extended like a flash. The single sword arc split into dozens, aiming for all vital points.
'Phantom sword and Precision Sword, followed by Severing Sword?'
Cloud had mastered the Ten Thousand Swords, making each of his ordinary swordsmanship techniques comparable to other martial artists' ultimate skills. Blocking was difficult, but evading was even harder.
Raon stopped his breath and stepped into the wave of sword light. Activating all seven Rings of Fire simultaneously, time seemed to flow slowly.
He saw his reflection in the sword light thrusting toward his brow. His concentration was at its peak. He could even feel his opponent's breath.
Chiiiiiing!
He dodged the sword strike aimed at his brow by tilting his neck left, and deflected the strike aimed at his waist with the Heavenly Drive wrapped in a thin layer of aura.
Each time Cloud's sword strike passed, a chill ran down his spine. Concentration had its limits. This wasn't something that could be maintained for long.
"You're just a scarecrow without your precious Sword Realm Manifestation!"
Cloud sneered as he pressed in with brute force. Instead of complex swordsmanship, he charged with a straightforward martial art technique.
'Smart move.'
He remembered his experience of having all his sword techniques countered in their previous duel and simplified his swordsmanship to focus on strength. It was a difficult approach to counter.
'Should I ask Wrath for help?'
Making a deal with Wrath would allow him to recover his stamina and aura.
But he would have to accept a level of wrath far beyond what he could control.
'Besides, there are still more enemies to fight.'
Since he might have to face the Dragon Sword Master, it wasn't the right time to rely on Wrath. He had to overcome this on his own.
Wrath seemed to trust him to handle it, remaining silent.
"Let's see how long you can dodge!"
Cloud continued to swing his sword with only simple techniques. Simple yet fast and accurate, each strike was hard to avoid.
'Even simplified, it's still swordsmanship.'
There must be a gap somewhere.
Cloud, as a high-level swordsman, even in simple thrusts, contained advanced techniques. He had to grasp that flow.
Goooooo!
Raon utilized not only the Rings of Fire but also the Evil Eye of Wrath and Perception of the Snow Flower to observe the flow of Cloud's aura.
'As expected.'
Cloud wasn't just using brute force. He was employing a sword technique that made his simple moves appear ordinary by refining his Ten Thousand Swords to the extreme.
'Did he learn this from the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance?'
No, it felt slightly different.
Though it was the same Ten Thousand Swords, it seemed different from Cloud's previous swordsmanship. However, there was something oddly familiar about his flow.
Whoooooo!
Raon narrowed his eyes, watching Cloud's fierce sword strikes.
'Right side of the waist.'
The Astral Ring seemed to be approaching his left shoulder, but it was actually targeting the right waist.
Cloud targeted the right waist as Raon anticipated. This allowed him to move with more ease.
Chiiiiiiing!
After deflecting Cloud's sword, Raon stepped into his space and slashed down with the Requiem Sword.
The aura-infused strike cleaved through Cloud's aura and left a wound on his thigh.
"Y-you!"
Cloud, not expecting to be injured, widened his eyes and launched another attack.
"Whew…."
Raon exhaled a turbid breath and stepped back, keeping his gaze fixed on Cloud's sword and aura.
'This time, the center.'
Cloud erased any variations and targeted his sternum with strength and speed.
'No, there's something more.'
Raon observed the sword movement to the end, rotating the Rings of Fire to their limits.
The straightforward sword strike suddenly veered left, aiming to split his heart.
Raon leaned back, his body parallel to the ground, then used the momentum to slash upward with the Heavenly Drive.
Piaaaaak!
This time, the blade of the Heavenly Drive cleaved through Cloud's chest. Blood oozed from his chest.
'Shallow.'
The demonic energy embedded in his waist hindered his usual movements. He clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Kuh…"
Cloud brushed off the blood with his hand, grinding his teeth.
"That's his swordsmanship, how did you…!"
He trembled, unable to comprehend how his simplified swordsmanship was countered.
'That person?'
Raon echoed the term Cloud used, 'that person.'
'It's not the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance?'
If it wasn't his teacher or the Alliance Leader, it seemed he learned from someone else.
'Who could it be….'
"Damn talent!"
Cloud, unable to contain his fury, charged.
Kwakakakakwang!
The Astral Ring extended in all directions, crumbling the ground and distorting the air.
'The shoulder!'
Raon twisted his body to avoid the strike aimed at his shoulder, but the Astral Ring came rushing from the left.
'I can't avoid this.'
He twisted his body, using the Heavenly Drive to deflect the attack.
Despite combining evasion and deflection, Cloud's blade ripped through the flesh of his thigh.
'Damn it!'
Enduring the pain that made him want to collapse, Raon thrust the Requiem Sword upward.
Peururk!
The aura-infused blade cleaved through Cloud's aura and cut into his shoulder.
"Die!"
Cloud ignored the pain in his shoulder and charged, screaming.
His legs wobbled as the Astral Ring-infused blade grazed his neck, scattering red droplets into the air.
"Whew…."
Despite death looming close, Raon remained calm.
'Not yet.'
Cloud's swordsmanship had become brutish, but its flow remained unchanged. The blueprint to defeat him was slowly forming.
Ignoring the pain in his waist and thigh, Raon focused all his senses on Cloud's sword.
'Left shoulder, right waist, right ankle, and neck!'
Cloud's sword flow became increasingly clear. Though his swordsmanship sped up, it became easier to avoid.
Raon stopped moving his entire body to dodge and instead narrowly evaded the targeted areas, conserving stamina and aura.
"What, what the…!"
Cloud stepped back, his lips trembling.
"How are you dodging this!"
He screamed, unable to understand the situation.
"You haven't moved an inch since that day."
Raon felt the end approaching and smiled.
"If I were in perfect condition, it would've ended in one strike."
"Shut up!"
Cloud lost his temper and unleashed all his aura in an explosive sword strike.
The Astral Ring roared, creating a storm of aura that obliterated any escape space. It was a crude yet effective assault.
Kuwaaaaaaang!
Raon didn't retreat even as the Astral Ring tore up the ground and rushed toward him.
'Finally, the chance has come.'
From an outsider's perspective, it looked like certain death, but this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
'His aura is scattered.'
The Astral Ring, a technique that condenses sword energy to enhance destructive power, had increased its range but weakened its density, meaning its power wasn't as strong.
Enduring the pain of restraint, Raon moved forward to reap the fruits of his patience.
Drawing up his remaining aura to the upper dantian, he once again opened the Sword Realm.
In a fleeting moment, Sword Realm Manifestation - Divine & Demonic Harmonization.
The Heavenly Drive and Requiem Sword vanished, replaced by the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. Before the two swords could fully form, he stepped forward.
'I can't complete the swords now.'
In his dire state, it was impossible to fully use the Sword Realm Manifestation.
There was no sun or moon rising above his head, and the swords didn't burn with flames or frost.
Despite their incomplete forms, the sharpness of the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword remained.
Golden light flared from Raon's hands. His realm of the soul repelled Cloud's aura, creating a void for their swords to clash.
"Sword Realm Manifestation? No, this is…."
The crossed swords revealed their majestic blades to the startled Cloud. The Divine Sword's grandeur and the Demonic Sword's eeriness merged into one swordsmanship.
"I won't lose a second time!"
Cloud desperately reformed his Astral Ring and flew in. Despite his panic, his sword held undeniable power.
'But.'
I've already seen through your swordsmanship.
The line formed by the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword twisted the Astral Ring's flow and carved a red line on Cloud's neck.
"I, I'm not…."
Cloud, unable to believe his death, clutched his split neck, trembling before collapsing backward. His bloodshot eyes stared up at Raon before his head drooped.
"Good thing I didn't kill you back then."
Raon murmured, dropping the fading Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.
"Thanks to you, I grew even more."
He conveyed his final words to Cloud, who could no longer hear, then bent to pick up the dropped swords.
"Kuhuk!"
Raon coughed up black blood as he tried to pick up the swords. Overexerting his aura had driven the demonic energy further into his organs.
'One second of Sword Realm Manifestation….'
The cost was great, but it allowed him to win. Without that decision, it would have been Cloud standing here instead of him.
Clutching his throbbing chest, Raon lifted his gaze.
'I have to make a decision now….'