Chapter 1176

Chapter 1176
**Chapter 1176**

The collision between the red and blue sword energy and the golden radiance scattered crimson waves across the cosmos. A violent tempest of brilliance raged, staining the world in the shades of twilight. A sound so tremendous it shook the foundation of space itself echoed throughout the realm.

Exerting every ounce of their might, the sword of Raon and the light of the Dragon Lord failed to overpower one another. The sheer magnitude of their impact forced both combatants back to the distant edges of the universe.

A sharp hiss sliced through the air. Raon narrowed his gaze, observing the streams of white aura drifting off his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.

‘I really am being pushed back.’

His full strength had just met the Dragon Lord’s head-on. To an outside observer, they appeared evenly matched. Yet upon closer inspection, Raon had sustained more internal shock, while the Dragon Lord remained entirely unscathed. It proved that, however minor, a clear disparity in power existed between them.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Battles were rarely decided by raw rank alone. From the moment he encountered the Dragon Lord inside this dark realm, he had sensed that the beast operated on a higher realm of strength. What mattered now was not that he was currently being outmatched, but how he would bridge that gap.

-That is the right attitude!

Wrath exhaled a low, appreciative sigh.

-I must admit, your tenacity outshines even that of other demon kings.

He nodded, silently affirming that with such composed focus, Raon possessed the resolve needed to contend with the Dragon Lord.

‘I know.’

Raon nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the Dragon Lord, who stood shining alone at the edge of the cosmos. In an instant, the creature’s gigantic form vanished, reappearing directly above Raon. As the beast opened its claws, golden meteors materialized out of the empty cosmos, raining down like a localized apocalypse.

‘Damn, those are massive!’

The meteors created by the Dragon Lord were as vast as its own body. Though Raon had mentally braced himself for this confrontation, he could only offer a dry laugh at the sheer scale and pressure, which far exceeded his expectations.

‘Even so…’

He could cut them down. Raon drew two sweeping arcs with his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. Two sword paths that defied the natural order of the cosmos spread outward like a majestic net. It was an application of Sky-Piercing Thunder—a heavenly web so vast it seemed sparse, yet nothing could slip through its weave.

True to the technique, the aura extending from his blades darted forward like flashes of lightning, intercepting the countless meteors descending from the Dragon Lord.

Sword energy and meteors collided repeatedly, sending devastating shockwaves in every direction that threatened to shatter the dark realm. Above them, white fissures cracked across the sky, while below, grotesque limbs resembling horrors from the underworld burst through the earth.

Since this realm was a temporary creation of the Dragon Lord, entities from outer dimensions were attempting to force their way through the emerging fractures.

Yet these interdimensional invaders were obliterated by the sheer force of Raon and the Dragon Lord’s clashing powers, turning to ash before they could fully cross over. Even Transcendents were reduced to nothing before the martial standard of these two absolute beings. Having deflected all the falling rocks the Dragon Lord hurled down, Raon exhaled sharply.

‘It feels like my hands are about to tear apart.’

The meteors summoned by the Dragon Lord were far beyond basic meteor magic. Each mass contained rotating mana that surpassed the Transcendent tier, making the very marrow in Raon’s bones vibrate merely from blocking the impact. This was the most intense shock he had endured since achieving true Transcendence through his emotions.

‘I can’t just stand here and endure.’

Defense alone would never bring down the Dragon Lord. Stepping forward with the Supreme Harmony Steps, Raon closed the distance toward the dragon. The instant his foot moved—or rather, the moment the intent to advance formed in his mind—his body was already directly in front of the Dragon Lord.

[Raon Zieghart!]

As the Dragon Lord scowled down at him, Raon unleashed Frost Snap. The two swift strikes that previously targeted a gap in time now multiplied into five, striking across the Dragon Lord’s entire frame.

The Dragon Lord erected an absolute barrier to stop the blades from piercing its flesh, yet its giant body recoiled as if struck by a heavy force, wobbling under the impact.

[Be crushed!]

Imbued with Willpower, the Dragon Lord’s spoken command attempted to crush and repel Raon’s physical form.

‘Ugh!’

A crushing pressure targeted his very soul, seeping deep into his body. It was a weight capable of breaking a physique that had surpassed Transcendence. The Dragon Lord’s words were not mere spellcasting; they were nothing less than Authority.

‘I cannot step back here.’

Relying on raw determination, Raon stood firm against the Dragon Lord’s pressure—a force that felt as if it were splintering his bones and rending his flesh—as he tightened his grip on his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.

‘He isn’t operating at full strength either.’

The wound on the Dragon Lord’s neck had yet to close, and its mana remained unstable. Ending this quickly before the injury fully mended was his best course of action.

‘The Soul Sword will not work.’

Although his Soul Sword had grown considerably, it was still insufficient to sever a vast soul like the Dragon Lord’s. Destroying its physical body would be far more practical right now. A low rumble reverberated across space!

Amid the terrifying weight of the Dragon Lord’s spoken command, Raon raised both hands. Instead of swinging his weapons, he simply released them into the air.

Raon Zieghart Style.

Seventh Form: Void Slash. Eighth Form: Whispering Wind.

The unique techniques he had forged himself surged along the blades of the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword, speeding directly toward the Dragon Lord’s head and heart.

‘No matter how strong the Dragon Lord may be…’

Raon bit his lip as he watched the red and blue weapons launch toward the Dragon Lord.

‘Witnessing these techniques for the first time, it cannot avoid being caught off guard.’

Though Void Slash and Whispering Wind possessed different mechanics, both were spatial sword techniques designed to bypass distance and strike down an opponent. If the Dragon Lord were a master swordsman, it might react differently, but as a magic user—even one vastly stronger than Raon—it could not easily neutralize both blades simultaneously.

[Hmph!]

Just as the Dragon Lord offered a contemptuous snort and reached out to swat away the flying Divine Sword and Demonic Sword, a deep tremor vibrated through the air. The flames of the Divine Sword carrying out Void Slash vanished, only to burst forth directly in front of the Dragon Lord’s neck. Meanwhile, the Demonic Sword transformed into the Whispering Wind itself, plunging toward the beast’s chest.

[Swords that bypass space, is it.]

The Dragon Lord narrowed its eyes, speaking calmly as if already well aware of Void Slash and Whispering Wind, as golden blades erupted from its scales. With a sharp ring, the flames of Void Slash and the Demonic Sword wrapped in Whispering Wind tore through the golden blades, but the Dragon Lord’s Light Swords multiplied rapidly like sprouting weeds.

With a series of sharp cracks, the Void Slash and Whispering Wind launched by the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword failed to breach the Dragon Lord’s dense mana and were knocked back toward Raon. Yet they were not the only things returning. The blades of light summoned by the Dragon Lord for defense pursued them like magnetic needles.

Raon was forced back to the edge of the universe by the overwhelming counterstroke of the Dragon Lord’s Light Swords.

‘Every single one carries the weight of a Transcendent strike.’

Because the Dragon Lord’s Willpower was infused into the light magic, blocking even a single phantom blade was grueling. Simply holding his ground left his spine soaked in cold sweat and his vital organs burning.

[Raon Zieghart.]

The Dragon Lord lifted its head with supreme arrogance.

[I was the one who designated you as a highest-tier threat. Did you truly believe I would remain ignorant of your sword techniques?]

It displayed its massive fangs, warning him not to underestimate its perception.

“…My mistake.”

Raon let out a long breath, staring directly at the Dragon Lord.

“It seems I underestimated you.”

Even while knowing the Dragon Lord was exceptionally calculating, he had allowed his desire to finish the fight quickly to cloud his approach. Overcome with deep regret, his fingers tightened on the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword until his knuckles turned white.

“From this point on, I will fight with my life on the line.”

Exhaling a plume of white mist, he drew forth the foreign power resting deep within his soul—the Demon King’s Authority. Taking a long breath, Raon unsealed Wrath, allowing a blue frost light to wash over his crimson eyes.

“Human and Demon King combined. Let me show you what results can be achieved by the existences you hold in such contempt.”

—

Raon bit down hard on his lip as he felt the frigid weight of Wrath spreading throughout his entire frame.

‘It has been a while.’

He had deliberately avoided tapping into the emotions and authority of demon kings until he fully mastered human emotion, knowing how corrupting they could be. But now, he possessed a far clearer understanding of the boundary between human feelings and a demon king’s authority.

Unlike in the past, his mind did not go numb or become swallowed by Wrath’s influence. Now, he could draw upon the full strength contained within the demon king’s power while maintaining total control.

[Just as I suspected…]

A dark malice flared within the Dragon Lord’s golden eyes.

[You have been bound to a demon king all along!]

It nodded, confirming its own long-held assumptions.

“What of it?”

Raon’s lips curled into a cold smirk as a chill coursed through his blood, as if fury itself were pumping through his veins.

“A parasitic demon king is ten thousand times better than a calculating deceiver like you!”

-Ten thousand? Even a million times would be an understatement!

Wrath raised his hand high, enthusiastically endorsing Raon’s words.

-Now you are finally wielding Wrath the way it was meant to be used! Show me what you can accomplish!

He smacked his lips in genuine anticipation.

“Haa.”

Drawing a deep breath, he dug his toes into the ground. With a sharp rush, space dissolved and time seemed to slow to a crawl. The instant he recognized he was moving, his form was already standing before the Dragon Lord. His speed matched his previous attempt, yet the underlying force was distinctly different.

[What!]

The Dragon Lord had failed to track his trajectory. With a sharp whistle of wind, Raon swung his Divine Sword downward before the Dragon Lord could construct a defense. With a rending noise, the blazing blade cut deep through the Dragon Lord’s scales, scorching its flesh black.

[KROOOOOO!]

The Dragon Lord recoiled while bellowing in agony, suffering far greater pain than when its neck was originally pierced.

[Begone! Stop! Tear apart!]

Its eyes rolled back as it barked out dragon words in rapid succession, draining a substantial portion of its mental force. The absolute commands poured out at full power, slamming into Raon’s body and soul. Yet because he had fully integrated his Wrath, Raon did not suffer from the same suffocating pressure as before.

‘I can easily break through this.’

Raon shattered the invisible shackles of the dragon words through sheer power and initiated the Supreme Harmony Steps once more. With a booming shockwave, his speed seemed to slice through dimensions. He nearly surged past the Dragon Lord’s massive frame. Twisting his body with sharp precision, Raon rotated mid-air and targeted the mountain-like spine of the Dragon Lord with his Demonic Sword.

[Kuuugh!]

Proving it had not become the ruler of dragons by chance, the Lord sensed Raon’s speed and summoned a line of light blades along its back. It intended to construct a wall of pure mana to deflect the strike, just as it had done against the Whispering Wind.

‘This could turn dangerous.’

Raon pressed his lips tightly together as he noted the vast sea of light blades. Unlike before, he was engaging at point-blank range, meaning an unsuccessful attack could invite a fatal counter.

‘Still, I must push through.’

Placing total faith in his physical strength, his resolve, and the fury burning within his veins, he swung the Demonic Sword down with maximum force. The frost billowing from the weapon radiated like the northern lights, freezing anything that made contact with its blue edge. A piercing scream echoed through the air!

The thousands—no, tens of thousands—of Light Swords created by the Dragon Lord froze solid and shattered like glass.

The Demonic Sword, saturated with Wrath, released a terrifying cold energy as if it had finally reunited with its true purpose, carving deep into the Dragon Lord’s back. With a deafening boom, the Dragon Lord’s back, vast as a mountain range, split open and froze. The frigid aura of the demon king bled into the open wound, turning the ice a deep shade of crimson.

[KRAAAAAAACK!]

The Dragon Lord shuddered violently as if experiencing such agony for the first time in its existence, releasing a roar that violently shook the entire realm. With a thunderous explosion, Raon raised his foot and slammed it down onto the screaming Dragon Lord’s body. A massive crash echoed across space!

The Dragon Lord was hurled toward the boundary of the dark realm, vomiting not light, but dark crimson blood from its massive jaw.

“It is a bit early to be in so much pain.”

Raon’s lips twisted into a cold smile as he noted the intensified blaze of his Divine Sword and the deep frost coating his Demonic Sword.

“I haven’t even begun.”