Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Bardiel, who had spread his pure white wings.
'He's definitely gotten stronger.'
As Wrath had said, when Bardiel unfurled his wings, his aura intensified dramatically.
It was an even more immense energy than what he had initially felt from the Second Apostle.
'On the other hand...'
Raon ran his eyes over the ceiling and walls of the barrier, pursing his lips.
'The barrier has weakened.'
As much as Bardiel had grown stronger, the power forming the barrier itself had weakened. It seemed he had reclaimed the energy he had initially put into this barrier.
-However...
Wrath shook his head gravely.
-Unless you cut down that damned angel, we won't be able to leave this barrier.
He clenched his fist, insisting that dealing with Bardiel was the priority even if the barrier had weakened.
'I suppose so.'
It would be impossible to break through the barrier while Bardiel was glaring at them with those icy blue eyes. They had to take the angel's head first.
'And I need to do it quickly, while conserving as much strength as possible.'
If his predictions were correct, they would clash with Sif immediately after leaving this barrier. To fight that depraved son, he needed to conserve as much stamina and aura as possible.
'That means I have to make the most of my swordsmanship.'
Raon suppressed the rising anxiety in his mind and stepped onto the Supreme Harmony Steps. He moved swiftly, as if becoming the wind itself, infiltrating Bardiel's left flank. Before Bardiel could react, Raon unleashed his Divine and Demonic Swords, imbued with the essence of extreme swiftness.
Slashes of flame and frost shot out first, followed closely by the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword like shadows.
It was a double Frost Snap with an extremely short time difference. Bardiel brought his hands together as if in prayer against the Frost Snap rushing towards his neck and heart. White light burst from his fingertips, forming a shield with strange patterns.
The four streams of Frost Snap couldn't penetrate the light shield Bardiel had created, and they were violently deflected, striking the ground.
"Your swords cannot reach me."
As Bardiel flicked his fingers, the strangely patterned shield split into six, spinning around him to form a wall of light. It seemed impenetrable from any angle.
"Die where you stand."
As Bardiel extended his hand with an icy gaze, a pure white cloud appeared and began to pour down hailstones of light. Raon sharply twisted his ankle. Supreme Harmony Step. With just a stretch of his left foot, he evaded the space where the light hailstones were falling. He heard the metallic sound of hailstones striking the earth behind him.
"It's useless to run away."
However, Bardiel seemed to control this space itself, turning the direction of the clouds to where Raon was dodging, continuously raining down light hailstones.
-He intends to hide behind his shield and only attack from a distance, it seems.
Wrath glared, saying it was disgracefully typical of an angel.
'He doesn't seem to be a martial artist.'
Raon narrowed his eyes and kicked off the ground with his toes. He covered the distance he had retreated at twice the speed, thrusting his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword towards Bardiel's shield. Although he aimed for the gap between the shields, Bardiel enhanced the rotation of the shields to deflect the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. Now there were no visible gaps.
"It seems you only know how to charge in recklessly like a monkey."
Bardiel sneered, raising his hand to pour down light hailstones over a wider area. The space to dodge was rapidly shrinking.
'It's useless to learn the shield's movement pattern.'
No matter how quickly he thrust his swords, it was impossible to penetrate the shield's rotation and cut Bardiel.
-Even if you use the Spatial Sword, he'll pull the shields inward to block it. We'll have to break through eventually.
Wrath shook his head, saying they had no choice but to shatter the light shields to draw out that coward.
-Of course, it will consume a lot of aura, but we have no other option now. Use all your strength to break them.
Unable to help with his power as usual, he offered advice verbally. It felt like having a friend cheering him on, which gave Raon strength.
'Thanks.'
-S-Such words are unnecessary!
Wrath blushed and barked at him to focus on the battle.
-Hurry up and break that bastard's shield!
'There's no need to break the shield.'
-What?
'If he won't come out, we just need to cut him from inside.'
Raon pointed his Divine Sword at Bardiel.
"The Spatial Sword? I've already seen it."
Bardiel infused his shields with stronger light, claiming it wouldn't work anymore.
"That's right. The Spatial Sword."
Raon nodded, readily admitting it.
"But it'll be a bit different from what you've seen."
As he swung down his Divine Sword, rotating his shoulder, he imbued it with the principles of the Spatial Sword. The flames that had been coloring the air vividly split space and erupted from within Bardiel's shield. The blade of flame, flickering like a snake's tongue, carved a bright red wound across Bardiel's chest before he could react.
Bardiel's eyes widened as he looked at the blood gushing from his chest, apparently not expecting the Spatial Sword to activate so quickly.
"...It wasn't this fast before."
He trembled, his chin spattered with blood droplets, unable to believe what had happened.
-He's right!
Even Wrath exhaled in surprise.
-Why has the speed increased so much?
'I had a realization.'
Before Bardiel revealed his wings, when Raon cut him with the Void Slash, he had gained a deeper understanding of the principles of the Spatial Sword.
'It was just as Aunt said.'
Alice had told him that the growth of the Spatial Sword was step-like. She said that even if it seemed stagnant and not improving, if you kept trying, you would eventually see results. It was exactly as she had said. Thanks to the insight gained while cutting Bardiel, the distance and speed at which he could pierce space with his sword had improved incomparably to before.
It seemed he had nearly caught up to Alice, if not quite reaching her level.
"Kugh!"
Bardiel raised both hands. The white clouds swelled to more than twice their size, pouring down an uncountable number of light hailstones. It seemed he was trying to overwhelm Raon with attacks, leaving no room to use the Spatial Sword.
"You're running away."
Raon twisted his lips, raising his Demonic Sword. He extended the Demonic Sword like unfurling a blue silk, enveloping the light hailstones. Dance of the Golden Flame of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The sword technique, originally born to calm malicious energy, seemed to understand the current situation and erased even the angel's light.
"Not yet!"
Bardiel created an even greater number of hailstones, as if everything until now had been a mere joke. He seemed to be trying to buy time to heal his wound.
"As I thought, you're not a martial artist."
Raon chuckled. If he were a martial artist, he wouldn't be retreating now but charging in instead. Bardiel had stepped back without hesitation. As he had felt when using the barrier, this guy wasn't a martial artist.
"So what if I'm not!"
Bardiel furrowed his brow and sharpened his hand, transforming the round light hailstones into swords and spears. They were imbued with a fierce energy that seemed capable of tearing flesh and ripping bones apart on contact.
"Running away suits you."
Raon stepped into the Supreme Harmony's Third Step amidst the light hailstones pouring down like starlight. The Supreme Harmony's Third Step is the softest and most graceful of the Supreme Harmony Steps. Like water that cannot be cut by swords and spears, the weapons made of light couldn't even touch the hem of Raon's clothes before striking the ground.
"How is this..."
Bardiel let out a turbid groan, as if this were impossible.
"Your movements are clumsy."
Raon thrust his Divine Sword and swept his Demonic Sword within the ripples of the hailstones. The red-hot blade spewed the breath of a fire dragon, while the Demonic Sword, wrapped in blue frost, scattered like a dream.
The extreme Flame Dragon Strike and the extreme Silver Sword Dream. These two incompatible sword techniques harmonized through the principle of the Spatial Sword and erupted from within Bardiel's shield.
An enormous explosion burst from inside Bardiel's shield, spewing red flames and silver frost shards in all directions. The impact was so great that the entire barrier shook, and the flames and frost engulfing Bardiel continued to burn as if they would never extinguish.
"I anticipated this."
Bardiel's voice was heard from within the flames and frost as Raon slightly lowered his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. A powerful light burst out, shedding the shell of flames and frost, revealing Bardiel. Inside the light shields spinning around him, a new, blackened shield was visible.
"Now even that Spatial Sword won't work."
It seemed he had created another shield inside the light shields to block the Flame Dragon Strike and Silver Sword Dream.
"I'll show you a fitting end."
Bardiel, apparently thinking he no longer needed to retreat, created clouds that filled the entire barrier. As the clouds slowly descended, huge spheres of light emerged. Unable to hit directly, it seemed he intended to kill by detonating them.
"Die, all of you."
Bardiel, confident in the perfection of his attack and defense, stood in place and rained down the massive light spheres. His intent to kill not just Raon, but the entire Light Wind division was palpable.
"You're moving exactly as expected."
Raon filled his body with the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier, stepping forward with his right foot. Supreme Harmony Step. With the swift footwork that pierces through light, he advanced and stood before Bardiel, holding his Divine and Demonic Swords.
Utilizing the principle of the Spatial Sword to the extreme to avoid being blocked by Bardiel's tricks, he poured slashes of flame and frost inside the second shield.
"Didn't I say I anticipated this?"
Bardiel sneered, as if he knew everything, moving the second shield inward to block the Spatial Sword.
"Your sword no longer works."
"I don't think so."
Raon curled up the corners of his mouth in return, twisting the blades of his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. The slashes that had advanced by splitting space collided with Bardiel's second shield. But the sword strikes didn't disappear, instead spewing intense flames and frost as if pushing the shield.
Fierce Wave Arts. The martial art of Beast King Ogram that ignores the enemy's defense and attacks the interior penetrated Bardiel's shield and deeply gouged his chest.
With a sound like a massive tree falling, Bardiel's chest exploded outward.
"Kuaaagh!"
Bardiel stepped back, screaming a blood-mixed scream.
"This... this can't be..."
Even in severe pain, his eyes trembled as if he couldn't believe what had happened.
"I was trying to kill you outright, but I guess angels are tough after all."
Raon clicked his tongue briefly.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll just finish you off now."
He approached Bardiel, raising even more intense flames and frost. The sight of Raon approaching with his blood-soaked Divine Sword and Demonic Sword tilted, his Black Dragon Coat fluttering, must have appeared to Bardiel like a grim reaper or an absolute demon.
"Ugh..."
Bardiel stumbled backward, coughing blood, but soon hit the barrier wall.
"S-Stay away!"
He screamed in fear and then disappeared into the barrier wall.
"Did he run away?"
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the barrier wall where Bardiel had vanished.
-Indeed! That's the true nature of angels!
Wrath gritted his teeth, saying it was characteristic of angels to flee without fighting to the end.
"Haa, is it over?"
Martha sighed deeply, lowering her sword.
"Seeing the light humans stop, it seems things are settled for now."
Burren nodded, straightening his back.
"Yeah, the puppets are disappearing..."
Runaan slightly lowered her chin, watching the light humans slowly sink.
"Damn it..."
Krein bit his lip and stomped his foot roughly.
"Dorian is gone! That stupid bastard..."
He trembled, gripping his sword, saying Dorian seemed to have remained above.
"It's okay..."
Runaan shook her head, looking at Krein.
"The Vice Leader will save him."
She tightly gripped her Snow Flower, saying Dorian and Rimmer were surely together.
'Vice Leader...'
Raon bit his lip, looking back. At first, he hadn't noticed, but when those light humans appeared, he realized Dorian and Rimmer were missing. He believed Rimmer would protect Dorian and Alice, but given that the opponent was a Transcendent Warrior, he was worried to the point of his heart aching.
"We're going out immediately. There might be an ambush, so be prepared."
Raon gave instructions to the Light Wind division and approached the barrier wall where Bardiel had escaped. He took a deep breath and swung the Crimson Slash towards the barrier wall. The barrier split open, creating a dimensional opening to the outside, even though he hadn't put much strength into it, probably because Bardiel was gone.
"Let's go."
Raon entered the darkly opened dimension, utilizing the Perception of the Snow Flower. When he opened his eyes after closing them, he saw Bardiel with a pale complexion.
"Kugh!"
Bardiel was glaring at him with eyes full of resentment and fear.
"I didn't expect you to break through Bardiel and come out so quickly. As expected of Raon Zieghart."
Sif's voice was heard from behind.
"But you're a bit late."
Ignoring Sif's mocking voice, Raon turned around. He had intended to charge at Sif immediately, but seeing the situation before him, his legs wouldn't move.
"Ah..."
Sif was smiling coldly, his Cursed Blacksword piercing through the left side of Rimmer's chest.
"It's all over."