Revenge always lingered in my mind.
Even while raising the children of the Light Wind division, the desire for revenge against the Dragon Sword Master never faded.
Even when I laughed, enjoyed myself, got angry, or when my affection for the children deepened, revenge always stayed by my side like a shadow.
Having lost those who were closer than family, it was inevitable.
Realizing that I couldn't give up on revenge against the Dragon Sword Master and the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, I started preparing.
I vowed to those who had gone before that I would kill the Dragon Sword Master even if I had to offer my life as a sacrifice.
But I couldn't fulfill that vow.
Even when I met the Dragon Sword Master, whom I dreamed of even in my sleep, I couldn't fight to the death.
I devoted all my energy to blocking the path to prioritize the living children over avenging the dead.
It was fortunate that no one died. I had no regrets.
But the guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders. After returning to the family, I immediately visited the graves of the deceased.
I shouted apologies, saying I had no choice, and vowed once again that I would risk my life to cut off the Dragon Sword Master's head next time.
Since that day, I gradually distanced myself from Raon and the children of the Light Wind division.
I seldom went to the great training ground, and I didn't oversee the children's training, focusing solely on my cultivation in the private training ground borrowed from the Head of Family.
I abandoned the balanced "Eye of the Storm" and refined only the powerful "Song of Wind and Lightning" to sharpen my fangs to tear apart the Dragon Sword Master's neck.
It was an excruciating time, perhaps because I had grown too attached to the children of the Light Wind division, but the affection for the children and the desire for revenge against the Dragon Sword Master helped me endure.
I thought I could now abandon everything and focus solely on revenge.
But even this time, I couldn't go all out against the Dragon Sword Master.
I resolved to cut off the Dragon Sword Master's head without caring about what happened to the Light Wind division, but in the end, I used a large amount of Aura to protect the children.
I should have felt guilty towards the dead, but strangely, I felt at ease.
It felt like my soul, bound by thorny vines, was freed and could move my body more freely. Maybe it was because the end was near.
Recalling my last moments, I told Raon to lead everyone and escape, intending to settle it there, but in the end, that damned kid caused a scene.
He did something even Glenn couldn't do, entering a state of enlightenment in the middle of the battlefield.
As a result, my plan to die together with the Dragon Sword Master was completely disrupted.
I had no choice but to pour all my strength into protecting Raon and the Light Wind division, without being able to either escape or finish it there.
However, during the chaotic battle, the final opportunity came.
The Dragon Sword Master, flustered upon seeing Raon on the verge of awakening, focused all his strength in the direction of the Light Wind division.
At that moment, a gap appeared. A critical space opened up to cut off the Dragon Sword Master's neck and sever his windpipe.
But if I pierced that gap, Raon and the Light Wind division would die without a trace.
A split-second judgment?
No, I didn't even judge.
Before I could think, my body was already blocking the Dragon Sword Master's path.
Erasing the "Song of Wind and Lightning" I had honed to kill him, I raised the "Eye of the Typhoon" to protect everyone.
There was no regret in not achieving revenge. I only thought of protecting the ones behind me.
I took the demonic energy with my body and infused the Aura of wind into the demonic sword to save the children.
I thought it was enough. I decided to kneel before my comrades in the afterlife to atone for the unfulfilled revenge and closed my eyes.
At the moment I envisioned death.
That damned Raon blocked the demonic sword. His light golden eyes, enveloped in mystery and nobility, crushed the Dragon Sword Master.
Raon smiled, saying he was late because he overslept.
That was supposed to be my line.
Reciting the exact words I said when I blocked the Light Blood Demon, my disciple's back looked the broadest it ever had. Even Glenn, to whom I entrusted my future, couldn't compare.
Raon's martial prowess was formidable. Immediately after awakening, he displayed techniques he normally couldn't, pressing the Dragon Sword Master.
That child. No, my young king climbed the steps to the throne, wearing the dragon robe and crown.
Though I couldn't achieve revenge with my own hands, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I died accepting the demonic energy.
There was no sense of relief. From the beginning, I wanted to cut off the Dragon Sword Master's head with my own hands. I never wanted revenge done by someone else.
Just as I thought that, Raon defeated the Dragon Sword Master with a gentle golden flame.
"Your defeat. No, our victory."
In that brief, resolute voice, my soul felt redeemed.
It felt like my mind and body, always with the dead, awakened from a nightmare, and tears fell unknowingly.
There was no regret. Now I didn't need to apologize to my comrades even in death.
I could tell them that my disciple avenged us together.
I closed my eyes.
My entire body was now filled with the forcibly absorbed demonic energy.
Even the Ragged Saint, Patrick, couldn't save me in this state, so I didn't even want to live.
Opening my eyes again, I looked at each member of the Light Wind division.
As I exchanged glances with the children I had raised since they were young, I heard heavy footsteps.
It was Raon. The boy who returned after ending the battle lowered his blurry eyes.
A final farewell?
I wanted to exchange a heartfelt farewell before dying.
"Ra, Raon. Thank you. Thanks to you, I…."
As I raised my head and opened my dried lips, Raon frowned.
"Stop whining and get up."
You brat!
Raon bit his lip as he looked at Rimmer's trembling eyes.
'This isn't good.'
Rimmer was in a state of full-body poisoning by demonic energy. It wouldn't be strange if he died any moment, and indeed, his body was rapidly losing vitality.
"It's serious. The demonic energy has spread not only to his mana circuit but also to his organs."
Martha, who seemed to have been studying medicine, quickly grasped Rimmer's condition.
"Can we save him?"
"Raon…."
Burren and Runaan trembled with tension.
"Vice Leader…."
"I don't want to see him die like this!"
"I'd rather he died being beaten in a gambling den. I can't let him go like this!"
The Light Wind division members knelt and bowed their heads, refusing to let Rimmer go.
"Don't worry. We can save him."
Raon nodded and examined Rimmer's condition. As Martha said, the stench of demonic energy was emanating even from his organs.
-What can a brat like you do?
Wrath waved dismissively.
-Don't give false hope. Hand him over to me. The demonic energy will retreat in fear if they face me. If you're lucky, he might survive!
'....'
Raon didn't respond to Wrath and stared at him blankly.
-Wh, what are you looking at!
'You're such a generous fool.'
-A, a fool? You damned brat!
Pushing aside the struggling Wrath, Raon placed his hand on Rimmer's left chest.
He drew out the energy of Wrath submerged in the depths of his soul and pushed it into Rimmer's body.
-Urgh!
Wrath's mouth gaped as if he didn't know his energy could be used this way.
'As expected.'
He realized that demonic energy was powerless against the Demon King's Authority when he entered a state of enlightenment. Using that relationship, he could expel the demonic energy that filled Rimmer's body.
"Damn. You brat. At least let our end be peaceful… Ugh!"
Covering Rimmer's babbling mouth, he continued to infuse the energy of Wrath.
Goooooo!
As the power of Wrath permeated Rimmer's body, the demonic energy that had been consuming him trembled as if terrified and dispersed.
As expected, the demonic energy was overwhelmingly inferior in the face of the Demon King's Authority.
"Ugh!"
Rimmer gasped for breath as his face turned blue, with blue veins bulging.
"What, what are you doing!"
Martha was appalled but didn't interfere, just stomping her feet.
"It's okay."
Raon gestured for her and the Light Wind division to trust him and spread Wrath's energy from Rimmer's heart.
'Consume it all.'
The power of Wrath moved on its own, as if disgusted by the demonic energy in its domain, devouring all the demonic energy that had infiltrated Rimmer's body and mana circuit.
But it didn't go smoothly all the time. Sometimes, Wrath's energy would overconcentrate in one spot while chasing the hidden demonic energy.
"Aah! My hand! My only remaining hand!"
Rimmer's left hand swelled up like a rubber ball filled with wind, almost to the point of bursting. It looked like a giant's hand.
"Ah, wait a moment."
Raon calmly nodded and extracted the concentrated Wrath energy from Rimmer's hand.
But because he moved too quickly, Rimmer's right leg swelled up like a building pillar.
"Ah, not here?"
"You crazy disciple! Can't you do it properly! I'm not your toy!"
Rimmer, seemingly forgetting the pain from the demonic energy, shouted angrily, trembling.
"Just stay still!"
"Mmpph!"
Raon stuck a scabbard in Rimmer's mouth and focused again. He quickly circulated the Wrath energy that had gathered in Rimmer's right leg, erasing all traces of demonic energy hidden in his body.
Just in case, Raon scanned Rimmer's body with Aura, but there was no longer any stench of demonic energy.
'It's done. Now I just need to recover….'
Raon was about to discard the demonic energy and recover the Wrath energy when he stopped.
'No, I don't need to discard it.'
Instead of just retrieving Wrath's energy, he absorbed the demonic energy that had infiltrated Rimmer's body as well.
Ziiing!
As the demonic energy entered his body and tried to cause havoc, the energies of Wrath, Sloth, and Envy rose as if they had been waiting and surrounded the demonic energy.
Rumble!
The demonic energy, beaten by the powers of the three lords, transformed into pure mana, circulated once through the mana circuit, and settled in the energy center.
-What….
Wrath shook his head in disbelief.
-Why are you moving on your own without my command!
Wrath glared at the returned energy with disbelief.
'I can control it to some extent now.'
Perhaps because he had become a Grandmaster, Wrath's energy obeyed better than before.
As long as he didn't completely surrender his mind like when fighting Syria, it didn't seem overly dangerous.
"Oh no! I'm dying! My subordinate is killing me!"
Rimmer, thrashing around, shouted loudly.
"Not just killing, but torturing me to death! What a fate!"
He cried out in a strong voice, unlike before when he said he was dying.
"Seems like you're alive, not dead?"
Burren tilted his head as he looked at Rimmer.
"What? The demonic energy is all gone!"
Martha, checking Rimmer's condition, shouted in disbelief, her mouth agape.
"What did you do!"
She looked at him with astonished eyes, unable to believe how quickly he had erased the demonic energy.
"Get up."
Runaan tapped Rimmer's shoulder.
"How can I get up? I'm dying from pain… huh?"
Rimmer, flailing his limbs, suddenly stopped.
"Why, why doesn't it hurt?"
Realizing that the pain, which felt like it was crushing his bones and flesh and even his organs, was completely gone, he trembled.
"What did you do! How did you erase the demonic energy with Aura!"
Rimmer extended his left hand in disbelief.
"...."
Raon frowned at the sight of his only arm, but Rimmer seemed unconcerned, only asking how the demonic energy was erased.
"It was just whining. You were never going to die."
Hiding a pitiful expression, Raon waved his hand.
"It wasn't whining! I really almost died!"
"Yes, yes. I'm sure you did."
Raon nodded and helped Rimmer to his feet.
"You should see the end of your enemy."
Supporting Rimmer, he approached the Dragon Sword Master, who was taking his last breath.
"Hmm…."
As Rimmer was about to speak to the Dragon Sword Master, Raon raised his hand.
"Just one thing before that."
"Then you shouldn't have brought me here…."
Ignoring Rimmer's complaint, Raon looked down at the Dragon Sword Master.
"I have nothing to say."
The Dragon Sword Master shook his head, trembling.
"Don't worry. I don't need your answer."
"What?"
"Did the Holy Sword Alliance, Black Tower, and White Blood Religion join forces?"
At those words, the Dragon Sword Master's eyes stopped trembling for a moment.
"As I thought."
The Six Kings and Five Demons seemed to form alliances individually, but in reality, they only gathered to check each other and never reached a proper agreement.
Since the Black Tower attacked Cameloon and the Holy Sword Alliance and White Blood Religion attacked Barene, it seemed strange. As expected, those three groups temporarily formed an alliance.
"The Black Tower and White Blood Religion, you've also fallen."
Rimmer muttered powerlessly.
"Shut up."
The Dragon Sword Master's response to shut up confirmed that their guess was right.
"Anyway, I can finally speak honestly."
Rimmer pushed away Raon's support and stood alone. His legs wobbled, but he managed not to fall, looking down at the Dragon Sword Master with calm eyes.
"The loser of our previous battle was me. I lost all my subordinates, and my energy center was shattered, while you only lost an arm. I admit it. That was your victory."
"Wh, what…."
The Dragon Sword Master swallowed dryly, unable to understand Rimmer's words.
"But this time is different. While you were recovering your martial prowess…."
Rimmer grabbed Raon's shoulder with his left arm.
"I raised this monstrous disciple. This guy crushed you, so the winner of this battle is us."
He repeated Raon's word "us," seemingly touched by it, with a faint smile.
"Grr…."
The Dragon Sword Master bit his lip with a resentful and forlorn expression.
"It has no meaning if it's not with your own hands…."
"No, it has meaning. If you don't like it, why don't you raise a disciple! You, an old man, tried to regain your martial prowess and got what you deserved!"
Rimmer taunted the Dragon Sword Master with a broad grin, as if he would dance if his body were in better condition.
"It's fitting for you to die in a place where no one prays for your soul."
Rimmer's smile was unblemished as if he had finally shed all regrets.
"Damn…."
The Dragon Sword Master's breath slowly stopped with his eyes bloodshot. His expression in death was more distorted than when he lost to Raon.
"Go to hell. Gladly."
Rimmer watched the dead Dragon Sword Master before sitting down. He awkwardly rubbed his missing right arm with a smile.
"Thank you."
"Pardon?"
Raon blinked as he looked at Rimmer.
"Thank you. I feel refreshed thanks to you."
Rimmer sighed deeply and looked up at the open sky.
"Thank you for saving those guys. If even one had died, I wouldn't have felt this way. I'm relieved."
"Who knew the Vice Leader could say such things?"
"What do you take me for!"
"But you're wrong about one thing."
"What?"
"It's fortunate that you're alive too, Vice Leader."
Raon turned Rimmer around to face the Light Wind division. They were smiling as if they agreed.
"Where do you think you're going!"
"Make up for the missed training when we get back."
"Lazybones."
"Gambler!"
"Pauper!"
"Beggar!"
"Zieghart's trash!"
The Light Wind division members smiled and called out Rimmer's nicknames, as if they understood everything about his situation.
"Who called me trash!"
Rimmer gritted his teeth, searching for the person who called him trash.
Raon watched the chaotic scene of Rimmer and the fleeing Light Wind division with a faint smile.
'Now it's all over….'
-Urgh….
Just as Raon was smiling contentedly, Wrath rolled his eyes with a very serious expression.
'What's wrong? Do you need to go?'
-What nonsense are you spouting! It's coming! It's coming soon!
The creepy words immediately alerted him. He extended his Aura Perception, but no matter how long he circulated his mana, he felt nothing.
'What on earth is coming.'
-It's coming! I feel it! It's nearby!
Wrath crouched like a cat ready to pounce, not answering.
'Did you eat something bad?'
Muttering doubtfully, a message popped up in the air.
[You have reached the realm of Grandmaster.]
[In the center of the battlefield, entering a state of enlightenment….]
[All stats….]
A series of messages covered his vision.
-Aaaah!
Wrath screamed as if he had been waiting and jumped up.
-As expected! The demon has come! Get out now!
Raon looked blankly at the flailing cotton candy.
'Aren't you the Demon King….'