Raon bit his lip as he looked at the darkly split dimension.
'Just as Wrath said...'
A massive presence that forced one to kneel and constricted the chest. The Balrog standing inside that dimension possessed an aura no less intimidating than the demon kings he had encountered so far.
[I came to retrieve you, thinking you had fallen into a trap set for me, but it seems I'm too late.]
A dull voice echoed from within the rippling black dimension. Despite the emotionless tone, Raon felt his heart sink. However, judging by those words, it seemed that the Black Tower's initial target wasn't the Balrog he had killed, but rather Askara, the Balrog King.
[Was it you lot who tried to draw me out?]
Askara's gaze, flashing with red light, turned towards Raon's eyes. He felt a pain as if his eyeballs were being seared on a hot iron plate.
'His power might be unknown, but his personality is different from other demon kings.'
Unlike other demon kings, Askara unleashed his fighting spirit without restraint. Just standing before him was rapidly draining Raon's mental strength.
"..."
Raon kept his mouth shut, maintaining a calm expression. Thanks to his Forever Unrippled Mind, he could maintain his composure even in the storm of Askara's powerful fighting spirit.
-What are you thinking, you?
Wrath furrowed his brow, finding something strange.
-In the past, you would have been prancing around, imitating this king again, wouldn't you?
'It's too dangerous this time.'
He answered Wrath while trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.
'I need to think carefully.'
This one isn't a demon king. Askara is an oddball who, despite having the opportunity to sit on the demon king's throne, kicked away that position to live a life of fighting. If he were to act like Wrath as he did with other demon kings, Askara might immediately break through that dimension and twist his neck, so he had to be cautious with his words.
-Well, at least your head is working exceptionally well.
Wrath clicked his tongue as if regretting something.
-That's right. If you had acted like this king, that fighting demon would have immediately jumped out and attacked. Of course, he wouldn't be able to use his full power, but still.
He snorted, saying he was as slippery as a loach.
'Did you fight him too, by any chance?'
-Indeed. He attacked me as soon as we met, without any warning.
Wrath narrowed his eyes as if recalling an old memory.
'Did you win?'
-Of course! Isn't that obvious?
Wrath frowned as if Raon had asked something self-evident.
-I froze that fighting demon and threw him into the depths of the Devildom. He was damn tough, though, and eventually climbed back up.
He shook his head, calling it a terrifying body.
'Seems like you didn't kill him.'
-I rather liked him. There aren't many like him even in the Devildom.
Wrath smirked, saying he admired the audacity to reject the monarch's throne.
'I see...'
Raon briefly licked his lips. Hearing Wrath's words, it became even more certain. The Balrog King, Askara, was indeed the battle-crazed monster he had thought.
'Then I should just stay still like this.'
Even if he was a Transcendent, he was far from enough to satisfy that fighting demon's eyes. Since Askara didn't seem to show any desire for revenge against his kin, there was a high possibility he would retreat on his own if Raon remained quiet.
[You're not answering. Well, fine. I have no interest in a battle that's already over... Hm?]
Askara, who was about to turn away, took a deep breath. His red eyes froze on the silver cold energy rising above the Balrog's corpse.
[The silver aurora... Could it be Glacier?]
Askara's eyes burned crimson as his emanating fighting spirit suddenly intensified.
[Wrath? Is that you?]
His voice was overflowing with the emotion of joy. It felt like Raon's ears were about to burst.
'Oh no...'
Raon bit the inside of his lip deeply.
'He recognized Glacier.'
It seemed he recognized Glacier and the silver aurora from his experience of fighting Wrath. This was the worst situation, no different from a beehive flying towards him on its own.
-Oh?
Wrath's blue eyes began to sparkle.
-Finally, an opportunity has come for this king!
He licked his lips as if in anticipation.
-That fighting demon doesn't listen to reason! If he jumps out like this, the only option is for this king to face him!
Wrath said he was fully prepared now, wiggling his finger.
-Hand over that body to this king immediately!
'Stay out of this.'
Raon pushed away Wrath, who had approached wagging his tail, and let out a heavy sigh.
'The situation has changed too much...'
One wrong word could lead to the death of not just himself, but everyone here. Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck from the tension.
'Think. As fast as possible.'
He mixed and matched Askara's personality as Wrath had described with his experiences so far, drawing and erasing various scenarios in his mind. After selecting the most plausible answer out of hundreds of possibilities, he nodded.
[Wrath! Answer me!]
Askara unleashed a fierce aura as if he would tear through the dimension and come out if there was no answer. Raon's fingers trembled, and his hair stood on end.
"Ah, what a troublesome fellow has appeared."
Raon sighed briefly, imitating Wrath's manner of speaking. Having heard Wrath's chatter so often, he could now mimic a similar tone without even trying.
[It really is you! Wrath!]
Askara nodded vigorously as if he had known all along.
[There's no other demon who uses such cold energy!]
His eyes sparkled like burning flames, as if he had met a loved one.
-Uhehehehe!
Wrath burst into laughter, watching the trembling Askara.
-You made a mistake in your haste, acting like this king! Now you can't stop that fellow!
He rubbed his chubby hands together, saying Askara would soon break out.
'It's not a mistake, I want him to break out, just as you said.'
-Huh? W-What do you mean...
Wrath opened his eyes wide as if asking what nonsense Raon was talking about.
'Of course, not without conditions.'
Raon shook his head briefly and looked down at the dimension where Askara stood.
[Yes, that atmosphere. That aura can only belong to the Monarch of Wrath! But...]
Askara's red eyes narrowed to a thread-like thinness.
[Why have you become so weak! To use your trump card against such a being!]
As he stomped his foot in disappointment, the impact traveled even to this underground space outside the dimension. It was an immense power and fighting spirit that overcame dimensional interference.
"You're still spouting nonsense."
Raon snorted and shook his head.
"Does this weakened body look like it belongs to this king?"
[Then...?]
"This king merely lent a hand because my subordinates were in danger."
He wiggled his hand, saying he had only sent a small portion of his power in spirit form.
"Though I lost some strength from suddenly breaking through dimensions, tearing apart a foolish Balrog was as easy as eating cold porridge."
Raon said it was effortless as he stepped on and crushed the frozen Balrog's corpse.
[You say that's all it took to suddenly break through dimensions in spirit form?]
Askara let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Because nothing is impossible for this king."
He raised his chin with an arrogant look, as if asking if Askara could do the same.
[Interesting!]
Askara shouted in delight and clashed his fists together. The intense shockwave made the black dimension undulate like ocean waves.
[Fighting in such a way would be a novel experience.]
Without hesitation, he grabbed the space with both hands and tore it apart. A pure white arm shot out from the split space. Askara summoned black flames with his slender fingers, which didn't match his mighty fighting spirit, and dropped them onto the Balrog's corpse.
The Balrog's corpse, engulfed in black flames, rose on its own and rapidly regenerated its torn flesh and bones. Its recovery ability surpassed even that of a troll. It was like watching an immortal phoenix coming back to life.
The Balrog, revived by the black flames, stood on its own feet and clenched its fists. Soon after, its eyes contained the same mighty light that Askara had shown.
"How about it."
The Balrog's voice carried a massive weight. It was Askara's voice from within the black dimension.
"Are the conditions similar enough now?"
He raised his black-tinged fighting spirit, saying they should fight like this. It looked as if black lava was surging behind him.
-You fool! I told you that fighting demon doesn't listen to reason!
Wrath shouted loudly.
-Even if you defeat Askara in this state, he'll soon push through with his main body.
He yelled that it would be best to deal with this quickly and hand over the body to him.
'Just stay put and watch.'
Raon licked his lips as he gestured for Wrath to back off.
'It's going according to plan, but...'
Askara wasn't using his main body, but the body of the dead Balrog, and he had consumed a lot of power forcibly crossing dimensions. Due to these two factors, his power was greatly reduced, so Raon could at least hold his ground now.
'The problem is that I need to use a sword, which does not match Wrath's style.'
Of course, he had thought about that part too, so he threw out his final bait.
"Even your avatar is weak."
Raon clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
"There's no need for this king to use his abilities."
He said he would fight with the power of his subordinates, turning his chin sideways.
"Indeed. Such arrogance suits you, Wrath. However..."
Askara twisted the corners of his mouth into a long smile as he raised his black flames.
"It will be different from before!"
He disappeared, leaving only the afterimage of black flames, and reappeared in the upper right of Raon.
'He's fast.'
As befitting the Balrog King, Askara was more adept at using power than the Balrog Raon had just killed. Despite using less fighting spirit, his movements were faster and more mysterious.
'Then...'
Raon planted the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem in the ground. Sword Domain - Divine-Demonic Harmony. He drew the divine and demonic swords and swung them towards Askara's fist, which was charging in with black flames. A tremendous sound erupted as if massive iron blocks had collided, and powerful vibrations shook the entire underground.
"Swords?"
Askara furrowed his brow as if dumbfounded.
"You really intend to defeat me with swords?"
"What's so special about swords? They're just things to be swung."
Raon sneered, uttering words that no swordsman could say, to maintain his act as Wrath.
"Even if it's you, I can't let that comment slide."
Askara creased his forehead deeply and reached out into the air.
"Come forth, Bastar!"
His shout tore through dimensions, opening a space stained black. From a hell boiling with crimson lava, a black greatsword that seemed forged from darkness itself appeared. The black greatsword emitted a terrible heat as if containing hellfire, making the air in the entire underground boil.
-He's made up his mind.
Wrath twisted his lips as he looked at the sword named Bastar.
-His body might be fake, but that sword is real.
He wrinkled his nose, saying that sword was Askara's real weapon.
"I'll tear you apart in one strike for daring to disrespect swords!"
Askara shouted that he would make Raon use his full power as he brought down Bastar. Black flames extended endlessly, covering the entire underground. It felt as if the whole world was being buried in ashes.
"..."
Raon bit his lip as he watched the approaching storm of black flames.
'This is the only chance to defeat the Balrog King.'
No matter how much Askara had reduced his power, the difference in their original levels was too great, so Raon could only win now while Askara was off guard. He launched Rimmer's sword behind his back and advanced towards Askara's black flames.
Since there was only one way to block the black flame sword pushing forward with brute force, he activated Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier to the extreme.
Sword Domain - Divine-Demonic Harmony linked technique. Invincible Azure-Red Sword. As the black flames containing Askara's fighting spirit clashed with the azure-red aura, an immense shockwave erupted. The lava filling the ground evaporated, spreading a fog-like smoke, and the solid underground walls and ceiling crumbled as if mud was being gouged out.
If not for the cracks created when Askara broke through the dimension, everything would have collapsed long ago.
"Is this all you can do with swords?"
Askara twisted his lips disdainfully and imbued the black greatsword with even denser fighting spirit. The black waves pushed in, erasing the azure-red light. The force was so powerful that both the divine and demonic swords seemed about to break.
"You're still as crude as ever, relying on brute force. Then let me show you what's next."
Raon forced a smile and used Rimmer's sword behind his back to deploy the Spatial Sword. After moving the sword strike right in front of Askara's nose, he brought out his final weapon. Sword Domain - Heaven's Rift. A golden radiance heralding a new beginning rose above the leaf-like sword that had pierced through space.
The harmonization of the Invincible Azure-Red Sword and Heaven's Rift, which he had only imagined in his mind before. A new sword path was drawn as golden light intertwined with the red and blue paints.
Askara's black flames split apart, and the black greatsword was deflected. Three swords simultaneously pierced the chest of Askara, who had revealed an opening. Askara, not being in his main body, couldn't withstand Raon's transcendent sword strike and was slammed into the ground where the lava had dried up.
"Kuhek!"
He seemed to have exhausted all the fighting spirit he had put into this avatar, unable to move even a finger as he exhaled a turbid breath.
"Y-You, since when did you learn the sword..."
"Since when, you ask."
Raon shook his head calmly, suppressing the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him at any moment.
"This king never learned it."
"N-Nonsense! Your swords clearly contained willpower!"
"It's just..."
He drew a faint smile and lowered his finger.
"This king merely imitated what his subordinates have experienced."
Wrath had said before that he created his Demonic Incarnation by observing the path others had fought. Since it was entirely plausible, Raon raised his chin arrogantly.
"Kuhahaha!"
Askara burst into laughter, clutching his head.
"As expected of the Monarch of Wrath! Only you and those three can satisfy me in the Devildom!"
He raised an even denser fighting spirit as he stood up.
"Let's start again! This time, both you and I at full power!"
The Balrog's body that contained Askara's soul crumbled, and the dimension distorted again. It seemed he was trying to break through with his main body.
"I refuse."
Raon snorted and shook his head.
"I don't fight weaklings."
He said it wasn't interesting as he sheathed his swords.
"Don't spout nonsense! Even if it's you, you can't call my main body weak!"
Askara stomped his foot, saying they should fight now.
"Reveal your main body! If not, I'll kill you right here!"
He raised his hand, blazing with flames, as if he truly meant it.
"Go ahead."
Raon nodded, spreading his arms.
"This king never takes back his words."
He closed his eyes, telling Askara to do as he pleased.
"Keuuk..."
Askara, seeming to realize Raon's words were sincere, froze in place, unable to extend his hand any further.
-W-What's going on!
Wrath blinked his eyes.
-T-This shouldn't happen! Askara! You fool! Hurry up and attack!
He shook his big head from side to side, saying he didn't understand why things had turned out this way.
'Why, you ask.'
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the bewildered Askara and Wrath.
'It's unfolded exactly as I thought.'
He said this while lightly wiggling his finger.
'Say hello.'
-What hello!
'A greeting to welcome the new doormat.'
As Raon smiled, Wrath's face crumpled like a dry leaf.