"Don't tell me what you just used was..."
Derus trembled his eyebrows, looking flustered for the first time since arriving here, addressing Raon rudely.
"Was that the Moon Transcendence Art?"
He deeply furrowed his brow as he felt the surrounding air heating up against his will.
"Moon Transcendence Art?"
Raon tilted his head quizzically as he stepped on Archangel Ramiel's corpse once more.
"What's that?"
He raised his chin, as if daring Derus to explain the meaning of the term.
"The martial art you used to break through my aura and senses, and to take Ramiel away."
Derus ground his teeth fiercely, as if chewing on bones.
"Ahh..."
Raon nodded calmly, indicating he now understood.
"So that martial art is called Moon Transcendence Art? Then yes, that's right. I copied it after watching you."
He smiled, saying he learned the Moon Transcendence Art by watching Derus fight Glenn.
"Nonsense..."
Derus Robert chewed his lips repeatedly, as if unable to believe what he was hearing.
"Whether it's crazy or not, thanks."
Raon sneered as he observed Derus's seriously hardened expression.
"I didn't know there was a way to reinforce martial arts like this."
Derus Robert had become stronger than before, but was clearly weaker than the current Glenn. Yet with relatively inferior martial prowess, he still managed to hold his ground against the powerful Glenn.
At first, Raon thought Derus had received a special artifact or ability from the Archangel, but after careful observation using the Ring of Fire and the Azure Clear Eye, he realized his assumption was wrong.
'Derus Robert fought against grandfather using only his own power.'
Raon briefly wrinkled the bridge of his nose as he looked at the ground beneath his foot.
'By making the surrounding space his own body.'
Derus Robert opened his soul to transform the surrounding space into a state like his own body, then reinforced his martial prowess through natural mana. Since the surrounding space itself moved according to Derus's will and continuously supplied natural mana, he could withstand Glenn's sword without being seriously overwhelmed.
-Even I was surprised to see that.
Wrath shook his head with disbelief.
-Opening one's soul to embody the surrounding space isn't something an ordinary human could conceive.
He shook his head, saying that even he, a demon king, had never seen this fighting style before.
-Only a madman who doesn't care about sacrificing his soul could do such a thing.
'Of course he's not an ordinary human.'
Raon smirked and nodded.
'Someone like him wouldn't exist even in Devildom or the heavenly realm.'
Darkan had mentioned that within Derus's body lay an immeasurably vast soul. It was clear that Derus used those souls to transform the surrounding space into his own body and enhance his martial prowess.
'He must have mastered the Soul Sword and created a new fighting method.'
Derus had clearly created the Moon Transcendence Art through understanding his soul via the Soul Sword. Despite being a hated enemy, his martial talent was undeniable.
-That man is certainly not right in the head. However...
Wrath turned his gaze from Derus to look at Raon.
-You're even crazier than him!
'Me? Why me?'
Raon blinked, asking what Wrath meant.
-Noticing that man's bizarre soul concept is possible with the Azure Clear Eye I'll grant you that. But...
Wrath lowered his eyebrows, indicating he still couldn't understand.
-Immediately replicating it after seeing it is impossible by my common sense! What kind of monster are you!
He grabbed at his own collar, demanding to know how Raon had copied a martial art formed with souls.
"How did you copy the Moon Transcendence Art? Have you been watching me before?"
Derus also seemed to share Wrath's doubts as he gritted his unnervingly white teeth.
"The Moon Transcendence Art is different from ordinary martial arts. No matter how talented you are, imitating it should be impossible."
He cast a cold gaze, demanding to know how Raon had copied the Moon Transcendence Art.
"Why would I be watching a foul-smelling guy like you?"
Raon waved his hand dismissively at Derus.
"I just copied it, and it worked."
After engraving Derus's martial arts and movements against Glenn into his mind, he used the Ring of Fire to read the flow of Derus's soul and reverse-engineered how he reinforced his martial prowess. To verify his calculations, he spread his own soul to create a small space that could enhance his martial prowess.
The current outcome resulted from expanding the Moon Transcendence Art further and attacking Derus when he tried to take Archangel Ramiel's corpse.
"Do you think that makes any sense?"
Derus creased his forehead deeply, as if telling Raon to stop talking nonsense.
"The Moon Transcendence Art is a martial art and cultivation method I newly created after entering the realm of Soul Sword. You're saying you could copy it immediately after seeing it?"
He clenched his fist, claiming even gods couldn't do such a thing.
"Why doesn't it make sense? I think your personality makes even less sense."
Raon shrugged his shoulders at the enraged Derus.
"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. This Archangel's corpse is my trophy. I won't hand it over to anyone."
Declaring he would never let it go, he drove the Heavenly Drive into Ramiel's corpse, pinning it to the ground. Whoosh! Ramiel's corpse began turning pitch black as if it would be reduced to ashes, engulfed in the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
"I see..."
Derus stared intently at Raon as if no longer interested in Ramiel's corpse, then nodded.
"Well, since 'that incident' happened, I suppose nothing is impossible in this world."
He lowered his chin calmly, indicating that while he couldn't understand, he could accept it.
"Thanks to your outstanding grandson, our idle talk has gone on too long."
Derus looked at Glenn with a contained smile, as if having regained his composure.
'That damn bastard...'
Raon furrowed his brow as he watched Derus instantly regain his composure.
'I thought he would charge at me in anger.'
Raon had provoked him endlessly, hoping that if Derus charged in excitement, Glenn might find an opening to capture him without ascending. But Derus stabilized his mind and spirit in an instant, regaining his original composed demeanor. He truly was a difficult opponent. No, an evil spirit one wouldn't want to face.
"Let me repeat. Eden and I will start a war in Cameloon in one year and one month. Whether you try to stop us or not, it will happen without fail."
Derus closed and opened his eyes, declaring this to be his final statement. As he finished speaking, he began to fade like mist, surrounded by Archangel Raphael's Holy Power. It looked like Holy Power magic that transported through space.
"Running away again? You rat bastard! Come down right now! I'll slice your neck for you!"
Martha raised her middle finger at Derus as he disappeared into light.
"D-don't do that! What if he really comes back!"
Dorian climbed onto Martha's shoulders as if determined to stop her somehow.
"Phew, thankfully we made it in time."
Evelyn sighed as she wiped sweat from her forehead. Judging by her condition, she seemed to have used all her mana and mental strength to summon Glenn here. She was always someone to be grateful for.
"..."
Glenn said nothing as he stared at the light enveloping Derus. He repeatedly gripped and released the Heavenly Tremor as if struggling with a decision, but ultimately did not raise it.
"I'll see you again on that day."
Derus Robert vanished into white light with a cold smile, as if he had anticipated Glenn's decision.
-That enemy of yours.
Wrath frowned as he looked up at the sky where Derus had disappeared.
-He's no longer an easy opponent. Who knows how he'll change in another year...
He began to highly regard Derus Robert, speaking of him the way he spoke of Glenn or the Heavenly Demon.
'No need to worry.'
Raon nodded while clenching his molars.
'Because I know better than anyone else in this world.'
What kind of monster Derus Robert truly was.
***
"Hah..."
Glenn let out a subtle exclamation as he watched Raon, who had toyed with and mocked Derus in those final moments.
'That child is truly something.'
As soon as he heard Evelyn's request for help, he had come here determined to kill Derus Robert no matter what. But Derus had mastered the Soul Sword to a higher level than expected and created the previously non-existent concept of Moon Transcendence Art to fight against his sword strikes.
'He was strong.'
Derus Robert had demonstrated martial prowess so formidable that no one except himself or Darkan could face him. Though not yet at the Heavenly Demon level, it seemed he would eventually surpass Darkan and crawl up to the realm where Glenn stood.
'Though not as talented as Raon, he was even more vicious.'
It was astonishing how quickly a human could become so powerful, and in such an evil way.
'That's when I started getting drawn into Derus's trap.'
As Derus said, if Glenn truly wanted to kill him, he would have to prepare to leave this world himself. Derus had read all of this, so instead of running away, he tried to confirm his own growth through Glenn.
'I couldn't refute him.'
As Derus said, Glenn was the Five Kings' greatest military strength. If he killed Derus and disappeared from this land, there would be no one to stop the Heavenly Demon or Archangels, greatly disrupting the balance of the Five Kings. No, even before the war began, Eden would run rampant and engulf the entire world in flames.
Even though he desperately wanted to kill Derus, he couldn't raise the Heavenly Tremor because he could clearly foresee what would happen to the continent after his departure.
'But...'
Glenn smiled softly as he looked at Raon's back.
'You're different.'
Even knowing the entire situation was in Derus's palm, Raon didn't back down.
'No, it's more than just not backing down.'
Compared to Derus, Raon's current martial prowess was as weak as a firefly under moonlight. Yet this child immediately replicated the Moon Transcendence Art that Derus had created to fight against Glenn, and returned Ramiel's corpse to its original place.
Glenn was truly amazed by Raon's astonishing genius and heart-stirring boldness.
'What a blessing.'
He felt happy that such a child had come from someone as sinful as himself, yet regretted not having taken care of him sooner.
"In-law."
Glenn smiled softly as he looked at the unconscious Rector lying on the ground.
"It seems our grandson is far better than us."
He nodded, reviving Rector's aura to help him recover.
"Grandfather!"
After firmly securing Ramiel's corpse with his sword to prevent it from disappearing, Raon ran to Glenn.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Glenn nodded calmly. Though his mind had been shaken because of Derus, it had completely settled thanks to Raon. His mind was clearer now than ever before.
"Though I pushed myself too hard, I'm fortunately unharmed as well."
Rector also nodded, saying he was fine.
"However, you've lost an arm that's like life itself to a swordsman..."
Glenn sighed deeply as he looked at Rector's empty right shoulder.
"It'll be fine."
Raon shook his head as he carefully touched the bandages covering Rector's shoulder.
"Because grandfather is a strong person."
"...Yes. That's right."
Glenn nodded as he met Raon's trusting gaze directed at himself and Rector.
"I think so too."
The fear of parting with his belatedly recognized loved ones had been so terrifying that he had forcibly resisted ascension, anchoring his body and mind to the earth with his sword like a stake. But seeing his grandson who was more excellent than himself, and thinking of the precious people still protecting their family, his resolve had now firmly hardened.
It seemed he could leave this world without regrets after fulfilling his role in the war that would break out a year later.
"Thank you."
Glenn gently held Raon's shoulder with a serene smile.
"Thanks to you, my mind is finally made up."