Chapter 1008
Chapter 1008
Crash! Seizing the razor-thin opening created when Glenn’s blade slammed into the Heavenly Demon’s knuckles, Raon hurled the Blade of Requiem with every shred of power he possessed.
‘Ugh…’
A blinding agony tore through his skull as if his head were cleaving apart. He had utterly depleted his reserves of aura and mental strength; simply manipulating Sword Control made the entire world spin. The overwhelming ache urged him to drop everything and surrender to unconsciousness, yet he gritted his teeth and held on, the memory of Evelyn’s tearful expression burning in his thoughts.
“That grandson of yours…”
Even while deflecting Glenn’s vicious sword slash, the Heavenly Demon spotted the trajectory of the Blade of Requiem and thrust his left arm forward.
“You brought him up terribly, Glenn Zieghart!”
‘Right here!’
Just as the Heavenly Demon raised his palm, Raon triggered Whispering Wind through the Blade of Requiem. The dimensional-piercing art tore through the intervening space, bypassing the warlord’s outer guard to materialize straight before his sternum.
“Hah!”
True to his stature as the supreme sovereign of Eden, the Heavenly Demon reacted even to the spatial-leaping Blade of Requiem, catching the incoming weapon bare-handed.
‘Just as I thought.’
Raon, however, had entirely accounted for such an outcome.
‘If a strike like that could slip past him, he wouldn’t deserve the title of Heavenly Demon in the first place.’
Understanding that Whispering Wind alone was powerless against the demon’s impenetrable bulwark, he had purposely chosen the Blade of Requiem over Heavenly Drive or the Wooden Ring Sword from the very beginning.
‘Because I held one hidden trump card.’
Deep within the Blade of Requiem lingered restless, vengeful spirits with whom he could commune. Reaching out with his intent, he pleaded for their assistance, forging an imperceptible blade alongside them. Infused with their crimson resentment, they shaped a manifestation that mirrored not his own essence, but rather the sovereign sword of Glenn.
A Soul Sword—a weapon designed to sever an adversary’s spiritual core. Immersing himself in that majestic, righteous rhythm, he sharpened the blade of his psyche in tandem with the spectral entities.
‘Khh!’
His cranium throbbed near the point of rupture, while his three energy centers felt like they were being violently contorted. Forcibly swallowing the hot metallic taste surging up his esophagus, he anchored his focus.
‘Everything hinges on this solitary attempt.’
He needed to observe without blinking and strike decisively. The spiritual edge forged between himself and the Blade of Requiem was fragile and minuscule. Slicing the intact soul of an ordinary human would have stretched its limits, yet it held more than enough potency to shatter the faint, residual sliver of The Fallen’s spiritual essence. Forcing the near-bursting Ring of Fire to spin in resonance, Raon elevated his mental acuity to its absolute peak.
‘Found you!’
His senses locked onto the soul of The Fallen tucked inside the garment where the Heavenly Demon had concealed the Heavenly Demon Relic. Trusting that instinct without hesitation, he plunged the soul blade directly at The Fallen’s remnant. Boom!
Not even the Heavenly Demon could have conceived that Raon was capable of manifesting a weapon meant solely for severing souls. Paralyzed by disbelief, he failed to raise any defense as the fragment of The Fallen’s mask shattered into dust.
An ear-splitting shriek, akin to thousands of metallic plates grinding and tearing simultaneously, tore out from the splintered mask. The Fallen, who had met his initial demise without so much as a whimper, could not withstand the sheer agony of having his soul ripped apart. Wailing as though finally paying for the myriad lives he had toyed with and destroyed, his essence completely evaporated away.
“Guh…”
The moment Raon saw The Fallen dissolve into an ashen haze, his knees buckled and he collapsed to the earth.
‘It’s… finally finished.’
With the final fragment of the soul extinguished, not even a deity could grant The Fallen another revival.
-You… you absolute lunatic!
Wrath stared down at him, his pupils dilated in disbelief.
-You have truly lost your mind!
Stunned by the brazen psychological trickery that had outmaneuvered the Heavenly Demon, Wrath slapped Raon’s shoulder repeatedly with his plump, rounded hand.
-To exploit that single microscopic opening! You utter madman! Splendidly executed!
A massive grin broke across Wrath’s features, radiating unmasked delight.
“You insolent brat…”
The Heavenly Demon glared downward, his expression a mixture of profound fury and bewilderment, his supreme pride severely stung.
“Cough!”
Meeting that imposing gaze, Raon finally vomited the thick, coagulated black blood he had been holding down.
‘This… this is truly the end of my rope.’
Though he wished to retrieve the Blade of Requiem still clutched in the demon’s palm, he lacked the vitality to twitch a single finger. Having pushed his broken frame far past its breaking point, even drawing breath felt like a monumental struggle.
“Brought him up terribly, you say?”
Glenn let out a low chuckle, shaking his head with visible pride.
“Nonsense. There is no grandson in this entire world who has grown more exceptionally than him.”
As his deep voice rolled across the plains like a thunderstorm, arcs of crimson lightning detonated outward, cleaving the heavens from the earth. That cataclysmic slash, bearing the sheer indignation of a wrathful deity, annihilated the shroud of black Fighting Spirit, driving the Heavenly Demon’s unyielding frame backward until he plunged into the rupturing earth. Ka-boom!
Subterranean bursts of scarlet lightning erupted beneath the crust, spreading across the horizon like an apocalyptic deluge.
“Urgh…”
Watching the Heavenly Demon plunge into the chasm, Raon pressed his trembling palms against the soil and spat another mouthful of blood. His physical state was so thoroughly ruined that even the ground tremors sent shockwaves through his internal organs.
“Hold on, are you alright?”
Larian appeared behind him in an instant, gently bracing his battered frame. She guided the soothing mana of nature into his meridians, loosening the stagnant, trapped energy within him.
“I can… manage.”
Raon offered a barely perceptible nod.
“Honestly…”
Larian stared at him, her expression painted with pure awe.
“You really are someone who follows through on every single promise. Truly marvelous!”
She let out a rich laugh while glancing at the empty patch of ground where The Fallen’s remnant had dissolved into nothingness.
“I… it was mere fortune.”
Raon gestured weakly, insisting that coincidence rather than capability had carried him through.
“I couldn’t have pulled it off by myself.”
A gentle smile touched his lips as he found Evelyn staring toward him across the rubble.
“R-Raon…”
Evelyn bit down hard on her parched, trembling lips as she watched him smiling despite spitting mouthfuls of blood.
‘The vow he made…’
Raon had pledged to eradicate The Fallen once more should he ever return, but she had assumed it was merely a kindhearted phrase meant to soothe her grief. After watching the Heavenly Demon pull The Fallen back from the brink, she had forced down her inner rage, resigning herself to the harsh truth that vengeance was no longer possible.
Yet Raon, determined to honor his word, had dragged his thoroughly ruined limbs straight onto the battlefield of deities where Glenn and the Heavenly Demon traded blows.
He had pressed onward with a gaze that swore to rise again even if crushed a thousand times over, using nothing more than a small dagger to sever the protected soul of The Fallen. Watching him risk his very existence for her sake—despite being unable to even walk properly—she could no longer hold back the flood of tears. A choked sob slipped past her lips.
Wiping the dampness from her cheeks, Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut before looking back at Raon with clear vision.
‘Mother…’
Was it because The Fallen was truly gone? In that fleeting instant behind closed eyelids, her mother’s countenance drifted into view. The figure that had always been blurred behind an impenetrable mist now smiled warmly at her, as if offering gentle praise for enduring it all.
“Huu…”
Breathing out softly, Evelyn reopened her eyes, the warmth of Cela’s image still fresh in her mind. Raon gave her a quiet, knowing nod. Reading the message in his steady gaze—that his promise had been fulfilled—fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart…”
For the first time, genuine gratitude poured forth directly from her spirit rather than mere courtesy. All she could offer right now were these heartfelt words.
“…”
Raon returned a serene smile, reassuring her that it was alright. Even though thick crimson dripped from his lips, preventing him from speaking, the mere sight of him accepting her gratitude deepened her reverence all the more.
‘My very existence…’
Evelyn curled her remaining strength into a tight fist.
‘No, I will offer my entire soul to your service.’
Pressing her hand over the center of her chest where ten circles rotated, she etched the eternal pledge of a Transcendent into her core.
Rumble! The Heavenly Demon hauled himself out of the sheer, bottomless trench torn into the landscape. Across his chest lay an immense, jagged sword wound carved by Glenn’s counterattack.
“Huu…”
Completely ignoring the canyon-like laceration splitting his torso, the Heavenly Demon fixed his gaze solely on Raon.
“Hmm…”
Raon released a strained breath as he took in the demon’s towering form.
‘What kind of freak of nature is he?’
To emerge relatively unfazed after taking a direct sword strike from Glenn was simply beyond reason. His flesh and spirit were akin to impenetrable fortress walls.
‘Wait, no… it didn’t leave him completely unscathed.’
Though his frame and willpower seemed indestructible, the warlord’s aura had dwindled to a noticeable degree. The strike had certainly exacted a real physical toll on him.
“Truly remarkable.”
The Heavenly Demon bobbed his chin in sincere acknowledgment.
“To fashion an edge capable of cleaving spiritual matter, even if borrowed through the malice of a cursed blade.”
A smirk played on his lips as he glanced down at the Blade of Requiem resting in his grasp.
“Now I see why he insisted that I drag you along. Your raw talent and martial instincts are extraordinary.”
Tossing the Blade of Requiem down right before Raon’s feet, the lingering irritation in the demon’s eyes transformed into dark amusement.
“You… Cough!”
Raon reached out to reclaim the fallen Blade of Requiem, but only managed to hack up more dark blood. His battered condition made even forming a sentence an agonizing ordeal.
“Avert your gaze.”
Glenn stepped deliberately to the right, cutting off the demon’s line of sight toward Raon.
“You will only distress the boy.”
Glenn shook his head coldly, refusing to let the Heavenly Demon scrutinize his grandson any longer.
“A weapon that stubbornly clings to its master, is it? A tale hardly anyone would buy.”
The Heavenly Demon offered a dry smirk, casting the fragments of The Fallen’s shattered mask onto the dirt.
“Was that sudden strike of yours provoked entirely by that grandson?”
He lightly traced the deep fissure across his own chest, his lips curling upward.
“You dared to turn your fangs against juniors far beneath your tier, so I merely repaid the gesture in kind.”
Glenn held his head high, completely devoid of remorse.
“Fair enough.”
As the Heavenly Demon inclined his head with a subtle smile, the scarlet seepage oozing from his torso wound abruptly ceased.
“It seems both of us have drifted far from who we used to be.”
With a slow nod, the Heavenly Demon retrieved the Heavenly Demon Relic from within his robes.
“To begin with, this Heavenly Demon Relic was an artifact tied directly to the covenant forged between The Fallen and myself.”
He clicked his tongue lightly, examining the relic in his grasp.
“Yet owing to that gifted grandson of yours, I failed to uphold my end of preserving the wretch who begged for salvation. Thus, a compensation must be paid.”
Despite speaking of penalties and costs, the Heavenly Demon showed not the slightest hint of displeasure. If anything, the arrogant curl of his mouth epitomized pure, unbridled hubris.
“Regardless of price or covenant, you will not lay a solitary finger on Raon.”
Glenn firmly countered, making it abundantly clear that no concessions would be granted.
“Your grandson is undeniably exceptional, but my focus is not on him today.”
The Heavenly Demon made a dismissive gesture, indicating he had little immediate interest in the crippled young swordsman.
“While shifting the wheels of destiny toward one’s whim is quite a feat, the only thing that commands my attention right now…”
He lifted a single finger, pointing it straight at Glenn.
“Is you, Glenn Zieghart.”
A chilling, hollow laugh resonated from behind the warlord’s visor.
“I had initially intended to trade a couple of passing strikes and be on my way, but with The Fallen extinguished, it seems only fitting that we settle this with an authentic duel.”
He channeled brutal vigor into his fingers, casting aside the notion that the previous clash had been anything more than a warm-up.
“I shall gladly accommodate you.”
Glenn offered a tranquil nod, silently inviting him to bring forth his worst.
“How invigorating.”
As the Heavenly Demon rolled his shoulders to loosen his muscles, the surrounding atmosphere twisted under suffocating tension. Every subtle motion he made carried an untamed yet sovereign elegance, moving in perfect alignment with cosmic order. Raising his left fist toward the heavens while bracing his right fist against his hip, he assumed his form. The Invincible Stance. It was the posture of an absolute monarch, seamlessly blending offense with defense, sky with earth, and yin with yang.
The moment he settled into the Invincible Stance, an overwhelming density of force—as if compressing ten centuries of time into a single point—poured outward from his body. The entire realm seemed to hold its breath under that suffocating aura. Shing! Glenn drew the Heavenly Tremor skyward with absolute serenity, unfazed by the monstrous aura radiating opposite him.
The silver edge tilted forward, locked squarely onto the Heavenly Demon’s throat, crackling with fierce scarlet lightning that promised to burn away all corrupt intent across the world.
Though it mirrored a rudimentary opening guard, Glenn’s mastery as a grandmaster warped the fabric of surrounding space and time, forcing even the supreme demon to cast aside all worldly distractions and fixate solely on his blade. The Void of Completion. Glenn’s swordcraft, having reached the absolute zenith of mortal limits, unleashed an unyielding presence that encroached upon the territory of gods, illuminating the ruined terrain in pristine clarity. Rumble!
As the respective auras of Glenn and the Heavenly Demon surged toward the clouds, a cataclysmic rift threatened to tear reality apart.
The two Transcendents directed their undiluted intent to kill toward one another within an isolated domain that slowly lost its color, turning completely gray. Boom! Amidst the suffocating standoff, the Heavenly Demon acted first, unable to contain the ferocious thrumming in his chest. The second his fist shot forward, the passage of time appeared to halt, freezing the flow of mana in place. Crash!
A monumental torrent of energy erupted from the demon’s knuckles, throwing the natural mana of the world into wild disarray. It transcended simple devastation, birthing pure, unadulterated pandemonium.
Rumble! Rather than an ordinary punch, it felt as though he intended to obliterate Glenn’s very identity using a strike forged from his own tempered soul. Swish! Countering that despotic tide threatening to upend heaven and earth, Glenn’s majestic aura flared with ferocious intensity.
The colossal intent emerging from his spirit manifested a pristine, noble radiance, washing away the chaos heralded by the demon’s onslaught.
Clang! As Glenn thrust the Heavenly Tremor directly at the incoming dark fist, an otherworldly scarlet luminescence blossomed, twisting the fabric of space-time in its wake. The crimson radiance expanding across the metal felt so profoundly vast and enigmatic that it seemed detached from the mortal plane entirely.
It was an absolute blade engineered to slice through the very core of an enemy’s soul rather than their outer flesh, animated by pure will instead of raw aura. The supreme arts of two sovereign beings walking opposing paths violently slammed into each other head-on. Boom! The instant scarlet sword met black knuckles, the surrounding space shattered as though the foundational laws of the cosmos were being rewritten.
This was no longer a conventional exchange of martial forms. It was the raw collision of souls forged through a lifetime of human pursuit at the absolute peak of power.
Raon emitted a faint, breathless gasp, burning the image of this soul-shaking clash between Glenn and the Heavenly Demon into his memory.
‘Their paths are fundamentally opposite.’
Glenn had pushed his swordsmanship to the ultimate extreme, honing the sword of his spirit to sever an opponent’s soul, whereas the Heavenly Demon had built the foundational philosophy of combat itself, tempering his spirit and flesh into an indestructible fortress. It could easily be likened to a clash between an all-piercing spear and an unbreakable shield—yet here, the spear served as a shield, and the shield functioned as a spear.
Forgetting even to draw breath, Raon watched without blinking, witnessing the two Transcendents etch a new myth upon the earth.
Boom! As the clash between Glenn and the Heavenly Demon reached its absolute zenith, casting an abyss-like gloom across the battlefield, a spark of golden flame ignited within Raon’s hollow, exhausted eyes.
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