Chapter 1009
Chapter 1009
Fwoosh! Resembling a stage curtain parting at the finish of an act, the scarlet aura that had vaulted into the heavens, splitting the firmament apart, gradually receded to bring an end to the clash between Glenn and the Heavenly Demon.
‘Grandfather!’
Swallowing the dryness in his throat, Raon fixed his gaze upon Glenn, who remained standing right beneath the darkened rift in the sky.
‘Could he… is he really unhurt?’
Glenn occupied the very spot he had stood upon before, the Heavenly Tremor held straight and steady in his grip. Outwardly, not a single scratch marred him, yet his frame was wrapped in a tender, uncanny radiance as though draped in woven starlight, causing him to hover on the fragile boundary between the tangible world and a mirage.
‘Then what became of the Heavenly Demon…?’
Having verified that Glenn was safe, Raon shifted his focus toward the opposite side.
‘Is that blood?’
Hunched forward beneath his scarlet dragon mask, the Heavenly Demon was violently hacking up dark crimson clots.
“Well now…”
Evidently struck by a devastating blow, he struggled to lift his chin while using one palm to brace his trembling knee.
“So that was the Soul Sword. A strike designed to sever the very spirit truly lives up to its terrifying reputation.”
Smacking his lips as though savoring a rich vintage, the Heavenly Demon sounded thoroughly intrigued.
“Suffering a cut from a blade like that means even the Fallen will have no choice but to acknowledge the dissolution of our pact.”
A faint smirk curled his features, musing that such a cut possessed the might to dissolve whatever lingering malice the Fallen might leave behind.
“What?”
Raon let out a sharp, ragged gasp while watching the figure slowly rise upright.
‘He didn’t collapse, nor did he retreat?’
Quite unlike the other chiefs among the Four Demons, the Heavenly Demon had neither fled the scene nor perished; he had endured the impact of the Soul Sword squarely where he stood. Even considering that Glenn had refrained from unleashing his absolute peak, surviving it was nothing short of miraculous.
“A truly magnificent strike. Had your intent been entirely murderous, I might have found myself in genuine peril.”
Bobbing his head slightly, the Heavenly Demon confessed to feeling a genuine shiver of excitement.
“Even so, it does not appear to be an invincible art.”
Lifting his fist, down which droplets of fresh blood trickled, he maintained his stance.
“All that remains is to temper a soul thicker and sturdier than the edge of your sword.”
A booming, brazen laugh spilled from his chest, declaring his satisfaction at having tasted the strike today.
‘So that explains it…’
Observing the proud posture of the enemy leader, Raon dug his teeth into his lower lip.
‘Has he claimed the Authority of Pride?’
To retain such utter confidence in his eventual triumph even after having his core essence ruptured by a direct Soul Sword—Raon finally grasped why Pride had deemed this individual worthy of inheriting his mantle.
“I will return those exact sentiments to you.”
Glenn smoothly tilted the tip of the Heavenly Tremor downward, its polished metal devoid of even a speck of red.
“My only task is to sharpen my art until it slices through that soul of yours without fail.”
Shaking his head dismissively, he indicated that victory would be his regardless of when they crossed paths again.
“Yet when that day arrives, will you even remain in this realm?”
The Heavenly Demon offered a casual shrug, openly questioning whether Glenn would truly still be present.
“…”
Glenn kept his lips pressed shut, fixing an unyielding stare upon his counterpart.
“Naturally, I harbor no desire for such an empty conclusion.”
Lifting his chin proudly, the Heavenly Demon allowed his suffocating aura to surge outward once more.
“I wish to settle our score decisively before your departure. A contest with our lives on the line.”
He spat away the thick pool of blood inside his mouth, a prominent indentation appearing near the corner of his grin.
‘Before he departs…?’
Hearing those enigmatic words, Raon looked back toward his elder.
‘Grandfather…’
Though the shimmering radiance that had blurred Glenn’s form had faded, an uncanny, misty detachment still clung to his silhouette.
“I am not your true objective, are you certain?”
Glenn’s brows pulled together in a heavy frown as he interrogated his foe.
“To be sure, my grand ambitions lie elsewhere. And yet…”
The Heavenly Demon unflinchingly locked eyes with Glenn’s frosty stare.
“A man cannot advance toward his goals while leaving an adversary of your caliber lurking at his back.”
He gestured dismissively, making it plain that toppling Glenn remained an essential prerequisite.
“Before long, a grand stage suited for our clash will come into being. We shall settle matters on that ground.”
Letting his arm fall to his side, he declared that their paths would cross again on a grander battleground.
“Before long?”
Glenn’s eyes narrowed into slits as he tracked the other man’s face.
“When that moment dawns, you will grasp it without any explanation. If you wish to avoid being swallowed whole by the coming tide, prepare yourself well. And above all else…”
The Heavenly Demon let his gaze drift past Glenn’s shoulder.
“Take good care in nurturing that boy behind you. He possesses a horizon far more terrifying than whatever he displays today.”
Nodding in evident appreciation, his interest was locked not upon Larian, but squarely on Raon.
“He has proven himself unquestionably worthy of carrying your bloodline. In both countenance and martial execution, the resemblance is unmistakable.”
A broad grin stretched across the Heavenly Demon’s lips, observing that the grandson mirrored the patriarch far more than either cared to admit.
“Hmph…”
Hearing that sudden compliment, the tension etched into Glenn’s furrowed brow softened just a fraction.
“Until next time.”
With a parting wave of his hand, the Heavenly Demon and the accompanying Ghosts of Eden vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of their presence behind. Had it not been for the shattered firmament above and the gaping chasms scarring the earth below, the entire encounter would have felt like a passing fever dream.
Glenn flicked the clean steel of the Heavenly Tremor before returning it to its sheath. Perhaps due to the absolute disappearance of his opponent, the bizarre haze that had cloaked his physique vanished entirely.
“Phaa…”
Raon lowered his chin, expelling a breath laced with the metallic tang of blood.
‘My senses are spinning.’
Now that the immediate peril had subsided, the adrenaline keeping him upright drained away in an instant, and his sight began to drown in blinding white.
‘There are still so many things I have to ask…’
-Just shut your eyes and rest.
Wrath let out a soft huff, placing a delightfully chilly palm against Raon’s burning brow.
-You truly gave your all this time, tiny mortal.
Hearing that rare note of genuine approval in Wrath’s tone, Raon lost the will to resist the crushing weight of his eyelids. Shrouded by the spirit’s unexpectedly gentle attention, he slipped into a profound, dark slumber.
“R-Raon!”
Evelyn threw her hands out toward Raon as his knees buckled, but the physical gap between them prevented her from catching him.
“Raon!”
Halting the motion of securing his scabbard, Glenn instantly mobilized his steps, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
“Calm yourselves, he is fine.”
Larian gently waved her hands, channeling streams of pristine, concentrated mana into the youth’s collapsed form.
“His consciousness simply shut down from the total depletion of his reserves.”
She shook her head to reassure them, explaining that despite the horrifying appearance of his wounds, his life hung in no immediate danger.
“Phew…”
Letting out a trembling breath of relief, Evelyn collapsed entirely, pressing her cheek against the dirt.
“Has the Heavenly Demon truly departed?”
Larian tilted her gaze upward toward Glenn.
“Indeed. His presence has completely vanished from my senses.”
Glenn gave a solemn nod, confirming that their nemesis had fully vacated the vicinity.
“Then what of the Fallen?”
Larian narrowed her eyes, pressing on the most vital concern.
“…”
Glenn directed his eyes toward the shattered, powdered remnants of the Fallen’s ornamental mask scattered across the soil.
“He ought to be dead. In truth, his demise is absolute. The art Raon unleashed in those closing moments was…”
A tender, quiet smile touched Glenn’s lips as he gazed upon his unconscious kin.
“It was undeniably the Soul Sword.”
Brushing the stray locks from Raon’s forehead, Glenn’s expression radiated pure, unadulterated pride.
“It certainly carried that appearance. Even so…”
Larian tilted her jaw in mild contemplation as she studied the slumbering warrior.
“That was no ordinary imitation of a Soul Sword; its essence bore an uncanny resemblance to your personal technique.”
She clicked her tongue softly, marveling at how intimately Raon’s strike mirrored Glenn’s own blade.
“I perceived it as well.”
Glenn’s smile broadened with warm affection as he carefully cleaned the dried gore from Raon’s temple.
“The boy must have grasped the core principles of my Soul Sword simply by witnessing it.”
Though inherently fragile—scarcely possessing enough weight to sever an ordinary man and reliant upon the borrowed grace of spirits—Raon’s manifestation carried the exact rhythmic cadence of Glenn’s masterwork.
“To state that I feel immense pride falls hopelessly short of reality.”
Witnessing his own grandson reproduce the crowning achievement of his martial life struck a chord within Glenn’s chest that made his very core tremble.
“The Heavenly Demon undoubtedly recognized it as well.”
Larian nodded in agreement, finally comprehending the foe’s parting remarks.
“It is utterly astonishing. I have never encountered a prodigy of this caliber in all my years.”
Wiping the blood-tinged perspiration from Raon’s brow, a brilliant smile spread across her face.
“He shattered the inescapable dragnet woven by the Ghosts of Eden, eradicated the Demon Slaying Spear, and then pinned down the Fallen right here. Despite possessing vastly superior raw power compared to Raon, I am uncertain whether I could have replicated such an outcome myself.”
A self-deprecating chuckle escaped her, acknowledging that she might have failed had the duty fallen to her.
“Ahem…”
Glenn’s lips twitched upward against his will, visibly delighted by the lavish praise heaped upon his kin even amidst the wreckage.
“Well, that much is undeniable. Such a feat is hardly within the reach of ordinary men.”
He nodded in open agreement, choosing not to hide behind false modesty.
“Just as the Heavenly Demon observed, the trajectory of this child’s development may very well decide the final outcome of the upcoming war.”
Larian gently tapped the tip of Raon’s nose, speaking with absolute, unwavering conviction.
“Ahem! Cough!”
Hearing such high praise from a peer who stood alongside him among the Five Kings caused Glenn’s cheeks to flush crimson, forcing him into a series of awkward, exaggerated coughs to compose himself.
“Setting that aside…”
Larian lifted her chin, her attention drawn by Glenn’s strained throat-clearing.
“Are you truly unharmed?”
She pressed her lips together with visible concern, finding the entirely unblemished Glenn to be the most unsettling sight of all.
“I am fine. Both that man and I held back our full might.”
Glenn lightly rapped the scabbard of the Heavenly Tremor, signaling that his resolve was ready for combat even at this second.
“I… I am so terribly sorry. This entire catastrophe is my doing…”
Propping her trembling arms against the gravel, Evelyn forced her bruised frame to sit up.
“If only I hadn’t allowed myself to be seized, neither Raon nor Lord Glenn would have been subjected to such agony…”
She bowed her head until her forehead nearly touched the dirt, offering heartfelt apologies.
“…”
Stepping forward in silence, Glenn stopped beside Evelyn and lowered his eyes to meet hers.
“I owe you my gratitude for consistently shielding Raon.”
Placing a firm, reassuring hand upon her shoulder, he spoke with genuine warmth.
“Furthermore, allow me to offer my congratulations on reaching your breakthrough.”
Glenn offered sincere words of praise for her ascendance into the realm of Transcendence.
“Ah…”
Evelyn’s purple irises grew wide with shock, completely unprepared to receive both thanks and accolades from the legendary patriarch himself.
“You have also breached the threshold. My congratulations to you as well.”
Turning slightly, Glenn acknowledged Mark Goetun, who had taken up a vigilant guard over Evelyn, and gave his hand a firm clasp.
“Every bit of credit belongs to the Palace Master. I merely advanced along the road he carved out before me.”
Mark Goetun shook his head with humility, attributing his breakthrough entirely to Raon’s guidance.
“Is that so? It appears Raon is blessed with remarkable companions.”
A gentle expression softening his face, Glenn turned back to face Evelyn once more.
“Well…”
Incapable of meeting his direct gaze, Evelyn shyly lowered her eyes toward the ground.
“Let us journey home together.”
Glenn tightened his grip on her shoulder, extending an unmistakable invitation for her to return with them.
“E-even someone like me?”
“Indeed. This entire campaign was waged from the very beginning to bring you safely back.”
Gently assisting her back onto her feet, he commended her endurance.
“G-Grandfather!”
Lifting her face, Evelyn cried out the forbidden title she had suppressed for so long.
“Now that my true identity has been restored, I will address you as Grandfather from this day forth!”
“Ah, wait, there is no need for such formalities…”
Glenn’s eyes darted about in sudden panic as he shook his head. Though he had secretly yearned for the day she might call him by that name, confronting it directly in the flesh proved overwhelming.
“Grandfather! What is with that reaction?!”
Evelyn persistently repeated the title, determined to make up for lost time now that she was welcomed.
“M-Master of the Mage Tower! Kindly initiate our transport back to Zieghart at once!”
Glenn turned toward Larian with desperate eyes, seeking an immediate escape from Evelyn’s unrelenting barrage.
“The… the energy reserves…”
Having apparently retreated back into her timid, reclusive demeanor, Larian pulled her oversized hood down over her brows and averted her eyes.
“The mana inside the spatial displacement device has been completely spent, meaning we must wait a short while for it to replenish.”
She ducked her head, her voice shrinking into a timid murmur as though her earlier authoritative persona had been an illusion.
“Wait, what…”
Glenn looked around in visible distress, completely at a loss.
“Grandfather! Why don’t I walk you through everything that transpired while we wait for the mana to return?”
Leaning uncomfortably close to Glenn with a brilliant, relentless smile, Evelyn looked as though her severe fatigue had vanished into thin air.
“To begin with, my name is not Merlin, it is Evelyn! And regarding my time with Raon…”
Her tongue moved at an astonishing speed as she began spilling every detail of her journey, coughing up occasional flecks of blood all the while.
“I wish to inspect it. I need to dissect and examine what lies within…”
Crouched under her deep hood, Larian twirled a lock of hair around her finger, whispering in a low, eerie cadence about dissecting Raon’s internal structure.
“This is…”
Glenn cast a pleading glance toward Mark Goetun for salvation, but the warrior was gazing fondly at the sleeping Raon with a calm smile, completely detached from the madness around him.
“Ah, should I start from the very first day Raon and I crossed paths? Well, at that time…”
‘Could this be…’
Glenn squeezed his eyelids tightly shut as Evelyn’s relentless chatter pounded mercilessly against his ears.
‘What true solitude feels like?’
“Ngh…”
When Raon finally parted his eyelids, a familiar, comforting sight met his gaze.
‘My own room.’
It was unmistakably the ceiling of the annex quarters. They must have carried him all the way back while he remained lost in the void of sleep.
‘Thank goodness. So none of it was a dream… Gah!’
The instant Raon attempted to prop himself upright, a sharp spasm froze him in place.
‘The pain is unbearable.’
Although the Authorities and innate traits of the demon monarchs drastically accelerated his recuperation during slumber, an agonizing throb continued to pulse through his cranium and muscles.
“Whew.”
Realizing that even minor movements demanded far too much effort, he let the tension leave his arms and sank back flat against the mattress.
‘I suppose that only proves how desperate that clash really was. Then again, we managed to bring about the demise of the Fallen.’
While he had felt confident in his ability to overcome the Demon Slaying Spear, claiming the life of the Fallen had seemed virtually unthinkable.
‘Naturally, the true weight of the deed belongs to Evelyn, not myself.’
Had Evelyn failed to neutralize the Fallen’s cataclysmic spells, Raon himself would have been the one reduced to drifting ash. Evelyn was the undeniable champion of that engagement.
‘Even so, completely erasing a Transcendent is a monumental achievement.’
Just as a satisfied grin formed on Raon’s lips, a floating orb of blue cotton candy manifested directly before his vision.
-You absolute madman!
Glaring down at him, Wrath scrunched his snout in sheer disbelief.
-You are beyond unhinged!
‘What is eating at you all of a sudden?’
Raon tilted his head slightly, staring up at the fuming spirit.
-I will concede this much to you today. You performed brilliantly!
Wrath nodded with grand magnanimity, making it known that he was commending Raon for extracting vengeance on Evelyn’s behalf.
‘Praise coming from your mouth? Now that is a rarity.’
Raon let out an amused chuckle, observing the comical arrogance with which Wrath puffed out his chest.
-Wipe that smirk off your face! Across the entire expanse of the Devildom, there are scarcely any who have ever earned this monarch’s personal validation!
Wrath snorted loudly, demanding that Raon accept the honor with due reverence.
‘Sure, sure. You have my gratitude.’
Raon lifted his chin in playful mockery toward the spirit, when suddenly:
[You have vanquished an entity of supreme standing.]
[You have earned the genuine acknowledgment of .]
[You have borne witness to a clash between absolute entities.]
[You have accomplished a legendary achievement!]
[All parameters…]
[New characteristic acquired…]
[Advancement of characteristic grade…]
A cascade of luminous notifications materialized in rapid succession, triggered instantly by Wrath’s verbal concession.
-Wh-what in the world…
Wrath’s jaw went slack and began to tremble as the endless wall of floating text obscured his sight entirely.
-Why are there so many prompts popping up at once?!
‘Could it be because you openly acknowledged me?’
Raon pointed a finger toward the specific line stating he had secured the validation of .
-Ah…
Wrath’s tiny fist clenched until his knuckles produced an audible snap as his eyes landed on that exact phrase.
-Why does this infernal contraption latch onto a single slip of my tongue while disregarding everything else this monarch proclaims!
He let out a furious wail, thoroughly consumed by the desire to smash the floating text into dust.
-You brainless, idiotic system!
‘There it is.’
Listening to Wrath’s indignant, screeching complaints, Raon let out a calm, contented sigh.
‘Now it truly feels like I have returned home.’
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