Chapter 588

“My turn?”

Cassandra unleashed her dark wave of energy. She looked down on Raon, anger and irritation filling her eyes.

“You are too full of yourself after killing a mere mongrel.”

“No.”

Raon shook his head, looking at Cassandra, who was growling at him.

“I’ve been full of myself from the beginning. After all, this fight was already decided the moment you let the Crimson Flame Demon go ahead.”

"That arrogance will become the noose tightening around your neck!"

Cassandra raised her left hand, the one that wasn’t holding the bow. She bent her fingers as if she were grabbing the thin air, and dark energy rampaged in between them.

Whir!

Dark energy that possessed a gloomy radiance burst free, undulating like clay and eventually taking the shape of a wolf.

Raon’s hair stood on end upon seeing the dark flame bursting from the wolf’s mane.

‘A wolf…? No, it’s not.’

The black wolf was showing no signs of life.

Its presence was similar to that of a spirit. However, it was emanating intense demonic energy instead of the energy of nature.

“A-a darkness spirit?”

The wolf’s identity was revealed by Erian’s voice behind him.

“Darkness spirit? Were there more spirits than the four main attributes?”

“It’s rare, but there are spirits that possess attributes different from the four main elements…”

His lips trembled as he murmured that he’d never seen one before either.

“But I heard that darkness spirits feed on the contractor’s lifespan…”

“It’s true.”

Cassandra calmly nodded.

“I made a contract with this one by offering my lifespan.”

She glared at the world tree, her eyes as cold as the northern wind.

“Why would you go that far…?”

“Killing you for us to become true elves is more than enough reason to offer a bit of lifespan.”

The darkness spirit opened its jaw in response to her fury. Dark demonic energy gushed from its throat like a fountain, bending into a spiral shape.

Pssh!

The moment Raon withdrew to avoid the wave of demonic energy, Cassandra’s arrow flew towards him. Dark demonic energy was bursting from the arrowhead as well, probably because of the darkness spirit.

Whack!

Raon fended off Cassandra’s arrow with Heavenly Drive and furrowed his brow.

‘My hand hurts.’

The demonic energy was extremely dense, as expected of the pure power of a spirit.

‘Are they both Grandmasters…?’

Since both Cassandra and the darkness spirit’s energies were at the Grandmaster level, Raon could guess that he could be the first one to die if he attacked recklessly.

‘Let’s focus.’

He could sense that the ashen elves who’d gone with the Crimson Flame Demon were attacking Seipia, but he didn’t look back.

‘I can’t underestimate either of them.’

He had to focus fully on the battle at hand, which was also more beneficial for Seipia.

“Consider it an honor, because this power wasn’t originally prepared for you!”

Cassandra screamed furiously and fired five arrows at once.

Raon was looking at the arrows that were rushing towards him while predicting where he was going to avoid, and the darkness spirit unleashed a gust of demonic energy.

Whaaap!

Raon created the Firewall to block Cassandra’s arrows and the darkness spirit’s demonic energy.

He pierced into Cassandra’s space while the flame and demonic energy were clashing against each other.

“Kuh!”

Cassandra’s eyes widened, surprised at how fast he made his approach.

‘I can cut her down right now.’

Just as he was about to swing Heavenly Drive downwards, the darkness spirit appeared as if it had leaped through the space and swung its claw.

Its complex trajectory was befitting its appearance as a wolf, and its immense power was reminiscent of the astral sphere.

Dodging it first and checking the opponent’s trajectory afterward was the standard reaction, but Raon didn’t have much time. He advanced even further instead of backing off.

His left foot, strengthened by the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, stepped forward on the darkened land. Raon suppressed the demonic energy with his golden flame and executed the Fangs of Insanity to stab the darkness spirit’s claws.

Slaaash!

The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s flame intensified by devouring the demonic energy, broke through the darkness spirit’s claws, and violently cut through its chest.

Kiaaah!

The darkness spirit stepped back while screaming, feeling an intense pain.

‘I’m not done yet.’

Raon followed up against the darkness spirit instead of Cassandra, who had withdrawn far away, and smashed it with Heavenly Drive.

The blade glowed gold, like the evening glow, and split the spirit’s waist in half.

Kieee!

It didn’t die right away since it was a spirit, but its energy decreased drastically, implying that it took a large amount of damage.

Raon was about to execute the Crimson Slash in order to finish it off once and for all when Cassandra’s arrow flew towards him.

The wave was on a whole different level from before. He could feel a powerful will to kill from the arrowhead blazing in darkness.

Raon noticed the power of the arrow and unleashed the Blizzard Sword Art with the Blade of Requiem he was holding in his left hand.

Claang!

The blade of ghastly energy summoned an ice tornado to block Cassandra’s arrow.

Claaaang!

Raon felt a tearing pain in his hand as if he were blocking a sword strike instead of an arrow.

‘I’m used to this much pain.’

Raon swung the Blade of Requiem until the very end without taking a single step back and completely froze Cassandra’s arrow.

Whaam!

The arrow froze along with the demonic energy around it and caused a heavy sound upon falling onto the ground.

“D-did you just block the Heavy Annihilation Arrow?”

Cassandra’s eyes widened because she had never expected that he would manage to block her arrow.

Kieee!

The darkness spirit returned to her side and let out a painful groan. It had become a lot smaller than before.

On top of its spiritual body being damaged, it also seemed to be shocked mentally.

“With such a sloppy joint attack, it’s better to not even try it.”

Raon walked towards Cassandra, Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem hanging from his hands. Despite his casual footsteps, his heart was as cold as the northern sea.

“I’ll finish you off right now.”

“Finish me off? Do you think someone like you can end me?”

Cassandra extended her right hand, her murderous intent bursting from her. The darkness spirit went into her grasp and was molded into a new shape.

Whir!

It wasn’t even an animal. The darkness spirit transformed into an arrow, its pitch-black color extending from the arrowhead to the fletching.

“I wanted to pierce it into the heads of those geezers, but it’s not a bad idea to start with you.”

Cassandra unleashed all of her energy and notched the darkness spirit transformed into an arrow on the bowstring.

Zap!

As she pulled the bowstring, a tremendous amount of demonic energy spread around and removed the small amount of bushes and trees that remained.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the bowstring being pulled to the limit.

‘What is that?’

Even though it was a delicate arrow that seemed as if a mere touch could shatter it, an ominous aura emanated from it, sending a chill down his spine.

Raon nervously licked his dry lips, and Cassandra twisted the bowstring that was pulled all the way back.

“Die.”

With a shout that sounded like the order of a death god, Cassandra fired the darkness spirit transformed into an arrow.

The arrow was fired even faster than sound and rushed toward Raon’s solar plexus with a violent rotation.

It seemed capable of destroying the entire upper body rather than piercing through his vitals.

Rumble!

Raon crossed Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem. The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier were unleashed to the extreme and radiated majestically as they seeped into the blades.

‘This isn’t enough.’

Even though it was the highest output of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier, Raon couldn’t bring himself to think that he could fend off the attack.

He instinctively took half a step back. He used the small amount of time he’d gained to execute the newly polished principle of twin swords and smashed the arrow that was right under his nose.

Claaang!

Even though he’d braced for impact, he almost groaned from the pain, his shoulders almost feeling like they were being dislocated.

Even though she was spending her lifespan, it was unbelievably powerful. It was an arrow of will, intended to kill in a single strike, that she deserved to be proud of.

Rip!

Raon bit his lip while being pushed back in his standing posture.

‘I feel like my hands are being torn apart.’

The power in the arrow was so powerful that he couldn’t defeat it. He was confused that an arrow fired from afar could surpass him in strength.

‘Is it possible to be so powerful just because she used a darkness spirit as an arrow?’

Raon furrowed his brow while looking at Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, which was trembling from the clash.

‘It can’t be helped…’

He wanted to save up on the Wrath Release for the battle against the Crimson Flame Demon, but he felt like he was going to die before it happened.

Raon started to raise his gaze in order to release his wrath but suddenly stopped.

‘Wait a moment. This arrow… Isn’t it similar to the Blade of Requiem?’

He had the feeling that the unbelievable power was coming from Cassandra’s will uniting with the darkness spirit, just like how he’d achieved the Unification with the Blade during his spar against Sterin.

‘If I’m guessing right… I might be able to do it as well.’

It was a temporary Unification with the Blade achieved through the weapon’s power. Raon extended his right hand, which was holding the Blade of Requiem to the front, in order to grasp that flow.

Rumble!

He felt like his arm was about to fall off from fending off the arrow with Heavenly Drive alone when it was already difficult with both swords, but Raon gritted his teeth and endured it.

‘Blade of Requiem, I leave it to you.’

Raon delivered his will into the Blade of Requiem’s ghastly energy. As he showed his determination to not be defeated, the Blade of Requiem responded with a clear resonance, as if it understood.

Whir!

The wills of the sword and its wielder connected into a single line and seeped into the red blade to create a magnificent radiance.

Raon pulled Heavenly Drive back. The arrow immediately rushed towards him, and Raon slashed with the Blade of Requiem, incorporating their combined will alongside the Fangs of Insanity’s trajectory.

Craaack!

Even though Cassandra’s arrow looked unstoppable, it was unable to overcome the Blade of Requiem’s sharpness, snapping in half and fading away.

“Huff!”

Cassandra dropped her bow and widened her eyes in disbelief.

“H-how…?”

Her confusion had reached the level of astonishment. She didn’t even realize that she’d dropped her bow.

“Impossible!”

Raon didn’t respond. He used the explosive power of the aura filling the mana circuits of his lower body and advanced toward her.

“Kuh!”

Cassandra tried to pick up the bow again in her desperate struggle, but Heavenly Drive’s blade was already touching her neck.

Thwack!

Cassandra’s head flew into the air, and her ashen body tilted towards the ground.

“Wh-why did such a monster appear now, of all times…”

Cassandra looked up to the world tree in frustration and perished soon after that.

With its master gone, the darkness spirit turned into dust and disappeared as if it never existed to begin with.

“Huh…”

Erian gasped while looking up at Raon.

“H-how much skill have you been hiding?”

He blinked, surprised at the prowess Raon had just displayed.

“Were you hiding your skill all along when you fought against me?”

“I can’t just start a mess in my master’s homeland.”

“That power, despite your young age. It must be possible because you are the spirit king’s contractor.”

He was seriously way too single-minded to still be talking about the spirit king.

“Stop saying such useless things.”

Raon shook his head and threw a recovery ointment at Erian.

“Apply that to your wounds and follow me. I’ll be going ahead.”

“Th-thank you. That’s all I can say for now.”

Raon dashed towards Seipia after seeing Erian nod at him.

He was stabilizing his breath so that he could fight at any moment, and a baby fox appeared from the bushes on his right side.

“Merlin!”

“Raon…”

Merlin ran all the way in front of him and hung her head. Considering the fact that her voice and condition didn’t look too good, she must’ve spent a lot of power already.

“Don’t go.”

“It’s because of the Crimson Flame Demon, right? I might be unable to win on my own, but we can do it together.”

It was true that the Crimson Flame Demon was more powerful than Raon, but Rimmer and the other elders were inside Seipia. Raon estimated that they should be able to fend him off without much damage if they just combined their forces.

“No, you can’t win.”

Merlin firmly shook her head.

“Because the Crimson Flame Demon is getting stronger by absorbing the world tree’s energy.”

She bit her lip tightly and glanced at the world tree.

“The Crimson Flame Demon is targeting the world tree itself, not Seipia!”

* * *

Rimmer made the path for the elves to enter the barrier and looked at the great forest.

‘The fire is spreading too quickly.’

The enemies were burning the entire great forest, not just Seipia’s entrance.

He thought that irreparable damage would be done at the rate it was progressing even if they managed to win the battle.

‘No. I need to think about our clan rather than the forest right now.’

The forest was indeed precious for the elves, but it couldn’t compare to the lives of their people. Even if the entire great forest turned to ash, fighting inside the barrier was the best course of action.

‘We should be able to defend somehow since we have elders with us.’

The great elder and the ten elders were performing a ritual to enhance the world tree’s barrier.

As long as the barrier was enhanced, the powerful flame wouldn’t be able to reach the world tree.

Rimmer flicked his eyes around while double-checking the plan and met Siyan’s eyes, covered in a blanket.

She was still afraid of getting attention despite the situation.

‘I’ll do my job as her big brother properly after this matter is concluded.’

Rimmer shook his head with a small bit of guilt in his mind, and Dorian came running back from scouting.

“D-division leader…” Dorian reported while panting, his eyes trembling intensely, “Th-the fire is coming!”

“Fire? What are you talking about? Tell me in detail.”

“It’s really just fire. It’s getting bigger and hotter, and it’s going out of control!”

He swallowed nervously, saying that Eden’s demons and ashen elves were coming along with the fire.

Rimmer furrowed his brow while examining the direction Dorian had come from.

“Is it the one who is supposedly wearing Ifrit’s helmet?”

“That’s him.”

Leiran came up next to him and nodded. Her eyes started to show her fear.

“How powerful is he?”

“Erian said that he’s at the novice level of Grandmaster.”

“That’s not too bad…”

He had the overwhelming advantage in terms of affinity, but they had the world tree’s barrier, enhanced by the elder to work with. Rimmer estimated that they could win without much difficulty by dragging him into the barrier to fight.

“Prepare for battle, everyone!”

Rimmer signaled with his hand, and Leiran ordered the guardians to prepare for battle.

Every elf in Seipia surrounded the world tree, and a majestic flame erased the darkness from the night sky.

No, it wasn’t a flame. It was a huge human being wrapped in flame.

‘That’s…’

Rimmer’s lips trembled as he gazed at the Crimson Flame Demon wearing Ifrit’s helmet.

‘That’s supposed to be a novice-level Grandmaster?!’

It was definitely not at a novice level. It had far surpassed the intermediate realm already.

‘Is Erian incapable of estimating the opponent’s strength now… Huh?’

Rimmer started to insult Erian in his mind but then noticed the rapid increase in heat and power emanating from Ifrit’s helmet.

Whaaam!

The barrier protecting the world tree was shrinking from the intense heat, which was capable of even melting the soil, and Ifrit’s helmet was becoming more and more powerful.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Rimmer’s chin trembled as he looked at Ifrit’s helmet.

‘Is he absorbing the world tree’s energy? Then… did it come to Seipia in order to obtain the world tree’s energy, not because of Grandpa?’

Slap!

Rimmer slapped his own cheek.

‘I was wrong!’

He turned around and hurriedly shouted, “Stop enhancing the barrier!”

The barrier made by the elders was meaningless against that tremendous firepower.

It was only going to help him get stronger even faster.

Rip!

However, it was already too late.

The world tree’s barrier was torn apart like a piece of paper, and the head elder and the elders collapsed while coughing up blood in the middle of the barrier enhancement ritual.

“Kuh…”

“What just happened?”

“H-how…?”

The head elder and the elders muttered with trembling eyes, unable to understand the situation.

All of them had gained serious internal injuries and were going to be unable to fight properly.

Whaaam!

In contrast to them, Ifrit’s helmet was getting more and more powerful, seemingly without any limit. Probably because it absorbed the world tree’s energy from the barrier, it had already surpassed the intermediate realm and had reached the advanced level of Grandmaster.

‘Damn it…’

Rimmer was the only one who could last even for a moment against a monster like that.

He unsheathed his sword with his left hand and stepped forward.

Whoosh!

Even though the energy of wind was covering him, he felt like he was getting cooked by the heat of the opponent’s breath.

“You vermin.”

Ifrit’s helmet extended his hand towards Rimmer. The space distorted from the sheer heat emanating from the crimson flame on his hand.

Sword Field Creation.

Eye of the Storm.

Rimmer immediately activated the Sword Field Creation. He tried to reduce the flame by creating a windless area, but the sword field was pushed back entirely by the overwhelming difference in power.

Booom!

Ifrit casually launched a flame, and the faint shape of the world tree’s barrier that remained was completely destroyed.

‘I was a fool.’

Rimmer clenched his back teeth.

‘I ended up cutting off my escape route…’

But it wasn’t time to regret the past. He had to create an opening somehow.

Cring!

Rimmer closed the distance to Ifrit from the left and thrust his sword. The wind covering the blade started to vibrate and broke through the layer of flame.

“Hmph!”

Ifrit’s helmet fended off the blade of wind with the back of his hand, snorting at the insignificant attempt.

Claaang!

Even though it was an all-out attack, the blade was pushed back, faltering like a wet butterfly.

‘It didn’t work after all. I even practiced using my left hand…’

He couldn’t control the sword as well as he wanted because he was wielding it with his left hand. It was regrettable that he was missing the right arm.

“Disappear.”

Ifrit’s helmet twisted his lips and extended his hand towards the sky. The crimson flame unleashed from his hand hailed down from the sky.

Whir!

Rimmer unleashed all of his remaining energy upon witnessing the crimson flame that could even destroy the world tree, let alone himself.

Red lightning surged from the weak wind that was about to be extinguished and created a shield, blocking the rain of flames.

Whaaam!

However, the crimson flame devoured even the lightning energy and the wind, intensifying its heat even further.

“Leiran!”

Rimmer called out to Leiran, who was behind him, while still focusing on the flame.

“Retreat! Run away with everyone!”

“Wh-what…?”

Leiran was checking the elders, and her chin trembled upon hearing his order.

“You are the only one! Escape with everyone! Save at least one person!”

Trying to guard the protector and the world tree was meaningless in the face of that overwhelming power. Saving at least one person was more important.

The fortunate thing was that Ifrit was still focused on him. She would be able to save a few people if she moved quickly.

“A meaningless struggle.”

Ifrit’s helmet sneered as Rimmer was holding onto the last bit of hope he had.

“What do you mean…?”

Rimmer tried to respond but stopped himself. Eden’s demons and the ashen skinned traitors appeared around the broken barrier and blocked their path.

“No one will be able to leave.”

His voice sounded like a declaration.

“You bastard…”

Rimmer wanted to save at least one person, but even that seemed to be difficult. Because the first move they made was the wrong one, the entire plan had gone awry.

‘Even so… I’ll fight back until the very end.’

Rimmer clenched his sword and focused on his aura. Even though his energy center felt like it was being torn apart, he kept fighting back against the crimson flame until the very end.

Psssh!

However, Ifrit’s crimson flame managed to spread its heat all the way to the hilt as it clashed against the blade. Rimmer felt like his hand was burning.

‘I need a way. I need to find a way…’

His eyes darted around in order to grasp an opportunity somehow.

A silver moon and a golden sun rose in the dark sky at the same time.

The shadow seeping in between the sun and moon unleashed a red and blue radiance.

Whaaam!

The Crimson Flame Demon’s fire, which was spread like wings, started to waver to the point of breaking.

Raon’s sword faced Ifrit’s flame, engulfed by golden flame and silver frost. However, the heated sweat flowing from his forehead implied that he was also having a hard time.

“Raon! Step back!”

Rimmer called Raon’s name with a hoarse voice.

“He isn’t an opponent you can deal with!”

Raon Zieghart was going to become the king in the future. He couldn’t be allowed to die in vain.

“You shouldn’t throw away your life here! Leave with Dorian and Yua!”

“You are right. He isn’t an opponent I can face alone.”

Strangely, he admitted to the difference in abilities. Rimmer was relieved to hear that.

“Since you know, hurry up—”

“That’s why you should help me.”

Silver luminance poured from Raon's hand as the golden flame in his eyes stood in stark contrast to the fire that was slowly fading away.

“So that I can defeat him.”

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