Chapter 675

Under the frosty sky where even the moonlight was frozen, a star of wrath rose above the blue eyes of Wrath.

Whir!

“The Monarch of Wrath’s unbefitting personality hasn’t changed at all.” Greed curled his lips into a smile, pulling back the finger that was crossing Wrath’s.

“A mere hustler shall not dare to judge the King of Essence.” Wrath shook his head while stroking down his index finger. The demon god’s dignity was leaking from his human skin. “The King of Essence is always just the King of Essence.”

“I beg your pardon, O mighty king.”

Greed took a step back, a playful smile on his face. He still didn’t lose his composure even though he’d witnessed Wrath in his true form.

“I told you, he is Wrath.” Gluttony frowned, blaming him for making her even hungrier.

“I’m sometimes jealous of your insensitivity.” Greed smiled faintly while tapping on Gluttony’s head. He slowly skimmed his eyes over Wrath’s body.

“Mongrel, you said it with that trap of yours. You said you’d pay the price if this body was indeed the King of Essence’s.” Wrath raised his chin sharply, meeting Greed’s serpentine gaze. “Can we make that price to be your life?”

“Sure, as long as you can. However…” Greed tilted his head in a mocking gesture. “You look like you’ve been weakened.”

Greed’s eyes glowed yellow, just like when he’d noticed Raon’s identity.

“You lowly swindler.”

Wrath’s blue eyes changed into an arrogant hue. He was looking down on a demon king at the same level as him as naturally as breathing. It was a demeanor befitting the Monarch of Wrath.

“Did you already forget the time you ran with your tail between your legs?”

“Lust interfered that time. I don’t want any two-on-ones.” Greed smiled while drawing a small triangle with his index finger. He still wasn’t exuding any pressure whatsoever.

“You only had one arm left even before then.” Wrath snorted while looking at Greed’s right arm.

“Well, let’s leave the past where it belongs. The present and future are what matters for this lowly merchant, not the past. But you know…” Greed smiled like a loafer while covering the back of his head with his hands interlocked. “These merchant eyes are telling me that you’ve become weaker.”

“We aren’t on good enough terms to be chatting like this.” Wrath snapped his fingers, making the unconscious Light Wind Division and the priests float into the air, gathering them under the frosty world tree. "Go ahead and test it if you truly believe the King of Essence has weakened. You'll feel the truth with your own body."

“That’s already the issue.” Greed casually rolled his neck and warmed up his fingers. The golden rings equipped on his fingers were shining brilliantly. “The Monarch of Wrath never would’ve let me take the initiative in Devildom.”

“There’s no reason to run that mouth anymore.” Wrath tilted his head. A vivid wrath was blazing from the blue demon king’s eyes. “Because the King of Essence is going to snap your neck right now.”

“Your head might be the first to roll.”

A golden radiance erupted from beneath Greed. The golden light enveloping his body appeared to embody greed itself, as if he’d collected all the gold in the world.

Whir!

A pure radiance gathered upon Wrath’s shoulders as he faced the Monarch of Greed. The sky, brimming with starlight and moonlight, bent upon the land as if it were surrendering to the Demon King of Wrath.

A long fissure was created in the space from the face-off between the kings standing at the highest peak of Devildom, stripping away the surface of the land and turning it white. The dark demonic energy bursting out like wildfire gave the impression that the entire kingdom had turned into Devildom.

Wrath and Greed’s lips curved into evil smiles as they faced each other inside the hellish landscape.

Wham!

The moment a creaking steel frame of the spire fell onto the land, the blue demon king and the golden demon king clashed against each other.

Whaaam!

Wrath’s chop clashed against Greed’s palm. The collision between the golden and frosty demonic energies made the space crumble like a piece of paper clutched in a hand.

Despite the tremendous clash, Wrath and Greed continued to extend their hands toward each other without stepping back. Golden radiance and blue frost clashed against each other countless times. Dark craters were made on the land, and the sky crumbled away with a fissure similar to a broken window.

‘Hah…’ Raon admired, experiencing the battle through Wrath’s eyes. ‘I can’t even see it.’

Greed suddenly appeared right in front of his eyes, extended his hand, and disappeared like an illusion. It was so fast that he could barely recognize it as an attack.

The vision shown by Wrath was also changing nonstop. The sky on the right, a hole on the left, a building at the front. His vision shifted far too quickly, making him dizzy.

The battle between the two demon kings was difficult to grasp even with a Grandmaster’s eyes, giving an impression that blue and yellow lightning kept striking endlessly.

‘It’s not just the speed… Even the power is insane.’

Every time Wrath and Greed did something, powerful explosions occurred from all around the kingdom. It gave the impression that the space itself was being destroyed by the overlapping shockwaves.

The ongoing battle was nearly impossible to follow, yet, strangely enough, he was slowly acclimating to the movements of the two demon kings. He could see which direction the sharp radiance of Greed’s strike was going to hit, and he even saw Wrath erasing the golden radiance with the «Snow Flower Demonic Palm».

No, it wasn’t just a simple vision. It was a vivid sensation, as if he were moving his body, taking Wrath’s form.

‘Is it because I hurriedly activated the Sword Field?’

He assumed that it was a side effect from Wrath entering his body before his soul managed to leave. However, it was a great learning opportunity for him, rather than a side effect.

‘Because it’s allowing me to experience the battle between Wrath and Greed directly.’

Even though the battle between the two demon kings was far too high in realm for him to understand, Raon could guess that it would be extremely helpful for his future growth if that sensation could be maintained.

Raon didn’t even blink in his effort to remember everything, including the smallest clashes, with his eyes and skin.

Whoosh!

A beam of light imbued with the searing heat of hell shot from the tip of Greed's finger. He was executing a transcendent martial art with immense power and speed, devoid of any trivial gimmicks.

Cring!

Wrath tilted his chin upwards with a leisurely gaze, looking like he was enjoying a snack. A transparent wall of frost was erected at the spot where his gaze was directed.

Whaaam!

Upon clashing against Greed’s light, fissures reminiscent of a spider web were created on the wall of frost, shattering it in the end. The pieces of frost attacked Greed in their sharpened state.

“You are using a technique that I’ve never seen before,” Greed murmured.

He pierced into Wrath’s left side. The golden palm strike was approaching before he even finished speaking. His speed and judgment had reached the realm of transcendence.

Claaang!

Wrath fended off the golden palm strike with the back of his hand as if he were expecting Greed’s surprise attack and chopped at him with his right hand.

The fists and hands of the Monarch of Wrath and the Monarch of Greed clashed endlessly at a point-blank distance, where they could feel each other’s breath. The astounding clash of demonic energies caused by the two demon kings melted half of the kingdom while the other half froze.

Raon watched the battle between Greed and Wrath, even sparing the time he needed to breathe. He couldn’t analyze everything, but his eyes were gradually getting used to their movements.

‘Greed has the upper hand in terms of sheer speed.’

Greed’s speed was tremendous, befitting a demon king with such sharp and light pressure. It wasn’t an exaggeration to describe him as light in terms of movement alone, making even Wrath unable to catch up to him.

‘Of course, it’s not just because of the speed…’

Raon narrowed his eyes while watching Wrath redirect the impact from the clash while keeping his ground.

‘He is bound to suffer losses because he can’t move away from that spot.’

Wrath hadn’t moved from his initial spot once in order to protect the Light Wind Division under the frosty world tree.

He was keeping his word that he would protect his subordinates at the cost of his life, even during a battle against a demon king as powerful as himself. It was really absurd, coming from a demon king.

Crack!

Raon shifted his head to the right as the sound of something breaking reached his ears. Gluttony was using her white mouth to bite and swallow a boulder engulfed by Wrath and Greed’s demonic energies with a satisfied smile on her face.

‘…Are all demon kings out of their minds?’

She must’ve earned her name as the Monarch of Gluttony, considering the fact that she could still think about eating in the midst of the intense battle.

‘Haa…’

Raon shook his head to return to his senses and shifted his gaze toward the battle between Wrath and Greed.

“Let’s try it since it’s been a while.”

Greed extended his hand towards the sky with an entertained smile on his face.

“A million.”

His voice echoed throughout the space, and a golden radiance tore apart the sky that was brimming with frost.

Swaaa!

Golden rays of light covered the entire sky before they rained down on the ground. Each ray carried an unparalleled speed and sharpness.

“Silver White Aurora.”

Wrath lifted his hands as if to uphold Greed’s radiance, descending like a shower of shooting stars. The fog of frost extending from his hands hardened into the shape of an umbrella to devour all of the falling rays.

Raon swallowed nervously, watching Wrath’s frost perfectly fend off Greed’s attack.

‘The Silver White Aurora…’

The technique used by Wrath was the Silver White Aurora that he could also use. However, its shape, output, and hardness were incomparable to his own.

Raon began to understand how to improve himself thanks to experiencing the activation of Silver White Aurora in Wrath’s body. Every single breath and movement of his finger was a huge lesson for him.

Cring!

The blade of frost extending from Wrath’s elbow clashed against the ray fired from Greed’s fist, a powerful shockwave erupting as a result. All of the debris in the surrounding area was wiped out, and all that remained was the dark, soil-covered ground.

Whir!

By the time the dust and light subsided, Wrath furrowed his brow and Greed smiled faintly.

“I guessed correctly.” Greed calmly nodded, shaking his hands off. “You’ve become weaker.”

‘Huh…’

Raon gasped as he heard Greed’s declaration. He was dumbfounded by the fact that what he’d just witnessed was Wrath’s weakened state.

“Quit talking rubbish.” Wrath tilted his chin, laughing at Greed. “Let’s put an end to this fight so you’ll stop running your mouth.”

“Even though you are fighting while protecting those humans behind you, you would’ve managed to punch me at least once in the past. As expected…” An eerie twist occurred from Greed’s eyes. “My eyes weren’t mistaken.”

Raon swallowed nervously while looking at Greed’s eyes. He could confirm his suspicion that Greed could see something special through his eyes.

“Let me tell you a fun fact…” Greed snapped his fingers, and a huge scale appeared behind him.

The scale indicated a perfect balance and possessed a brilliant shine, suggesting it was crafted from platinum.

“I’ve gained even more greed while you’ve been wasting your time in the human realm.”

“Stop your bullshit.” Wrath shook his hand, telling him to cease his nonsense.

“Bullshit, you say?” Greed spread out four of his fingers, then folded three of them. “Does it still sound like bullshit to you if I tell you that one-quarter of all gold in the human realm belongs to me?”

“…What?”

Even Wrath widened his eyes, showing his surprise at how much gold Greed had gathered.

‘One-quarter?’

Raon’s jaw dropped in surprise.

‘What the hell…?’

According to what Wrath had told him, the source of Greed’s power was money. He was supposed to get stronger the more money and greed he gathered. If he really had one-quarter of all the gold in the continent, it was an unbelievable amount.

“You don’t stand a chance in your weakened state.” Greed smiled deeply, as if he’d already won the battle.

“Weakened… Yes, that might be true in a sense.” Wrath nodded, putting his hand on his chest. He seemed to be talking about the strength of his body and demonic energy.

“You are finally admitting it.” Greed’s lips curled into a smile, having expected his answer. "I knew it, the human realm isn’t the right place for you. The wrath you can gather here is nothing compared to the depth of your emotions. Of course, it’s far too late for regret now."

“No.” Wrath shook his head, facing Greed’s glowing golden eyes. “The King of Essence doesn’t regret coming into this world. He has seen so much and felt so much. And you are mistaken about one thing.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“The King of Essence is the king who has reached the highest peak in the deepest part of Devildom. Do you truly believe that he really wouldn’t have gained anything in this land?”

Wrath’s voice resounded proudly. The dignity dwelling in it was even capable of paling Greed’s pressure.

“Hmm…” Greed furrowed his brow, noticing that Wrath’s nature had changed. “What could you have seen?”

“The back of a young swordsman.”

“The back of a young swordsman?” He sent his hair back while giggling. “I was wondering what kind of nonsense you were going to say, but it wasn’t even worth listening to. You just wasted my time.”

Greed snapped his fingers while laughing at Wrath.

“One hundred million gold.”

The moment his sharp voice reached the balance, a long fissure was created in the air, countless gold coins pouring out from it.

Crash!

As countless gold coins poured down onto the right side of the balance, it rapidly tilted toward it.

Whir!

Greed’s pressure was already huge enough, but it further amplified as the gold coins filled the balance, its majestic reach covering the entire continent in the end.

When a hundred million gold coins were poured, the balance radiated so brilliantly that it became almost impossible to keep one’s eyes open. It almost felt like the light alone could destroy the kingdom.

“......”

The tremendous energy undulating around it was even making Wrath shudder. Apparently, Greed gained more power the more money was poured into the balance.

“This is excessive consumption, but I guess a sworn enemy deserves this much investment.”

Greed lifted his finger. The balance disappeared and the demonic energy gained with money gathered onto his finger. The intensely shining golden sphere was compressed to the extreme, but it was still big enough to cover half of the kingdom.

Claaang!

The barrier of holy power concealing the energies of the demon king was shattered, causing the demonic energy to get lost and scatter in all directions.

“To continue the talk from earlier…” Wrath raised his gaze, nonchalantly reacting to Greed’s sardonic grin. “It was the back of a swordsman who never gave up despite being young.”

“It will be meaningless even if you’ve met the demon god.” Greed shook his head, saying that whatever Wrath tried would be meaningless.

The moment he lowered his finger, the golden demonic energy that seemed capable of crushing the entire continent descended upon Wrath. It was so huge that it seemed impossible to dodge or block.

“He kept swinging endlessly from daybreak to night. Even though the time changed, the swordsman never did. His small back grew bigger, and the blurry path of his blade took a clear shape. There really was a lot to be learned.”

Wrath’s lips curved into a faint smile, thinking about a certain person.

“There’s no way the King of Essence would allow himself to be defeated after watching that unyielding swordsman.”

Wrath put his hands together. A blue hexagon appeared from between his fingers, moving in a triangular shape.

“Are you watching, Raon Zieghart? This flower is learned from you and made for you.”

‘What?’

Wrath continued before Raon could even react.

“Demonic Field Creation, Flower in the Snow.”

The resonance of his quiet voice twisted the balance of the world. Everything in the reach of his blue gaze froze, turning white. The demonic energy fired by Greed and even Greed himself were locked in transparent ice, blue flowers blooming from them.

Whoosh!

A colorless slash followed. The blade dance continued endlessly, as if it were mocking the frozen world.

Greed and his demonic energy were shattered into pieces thinner than a hair, and the buildings in the kingdom were cut apart to the point that not even a trace of them was left.

It looked like a manifestation of the frost hell and the blade hell, the worst hells among all types of them.

Whoosh!

All that remained after the dance of blades came to a halt were the leaves of the frost flowers.

Footnotes:

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