"I have no intention of letting go of either."
Raon calmly muttered as he clenched his fist.
'I must get to the South-North Union headquarters before the war ends.'
Normally, there would be no need to worry about the war. The conflict between Zieghart, positioned at the top of the Six Kings, and the South-North Union, ranked at the bottom of the Five Demons, would be a foregone conclusion. However, Derus Robert and The Fallen were moving behind the scenes in this affair.
Those despicable bastards were surely up to some other tricks.
'And their target is...'
It must be the Head of House. The biggest obstacle for Derus Robert and The Fallen is Glenn Zieghart, the master of Zieghart and the one called the Lightning God. They would certainly try to kill Glenn Zieghart using this war as an opportunity, so I had to stop them no matter what.
'And...'
Raon briefly licked his lips and lowered his eyes.
'I can't let Merlin die either.'
Even if I was tired of Merlin's stalking, she had helped me a great deal. Not only with information about Eden and the Five Demons, but she had also saved my life many times. Now it was my turn to save Merlin.
"Yes!"
Flumen nodded vigorously, as if to say he could do both.
-You're going to do both?
'That's right. I can do both now.'
Raon calmly lifted his eyelids.
'My wounds have healed, and I've sorted out my realizations.'
Thanks to Flumen's treatment and Sloth, all external and internal injuries had been completely healed, and the insights gained from the life-and-death battle with Axe King Roman and the achievements in the mental world had all become mine. I felt like I could not lose to anyone now, and that I could do anything.
-Wh-what kind of growth is that! You're still not even worth this king's toenail!
Wrath frowned his left eye as if displeased.
'You didn't even compare me to you before. Isn't a toenail a big improvement?'
Raon grinned and waved his hand.
'Thanks for the compliment.'
-It's not a compliment! Not a toenail, but toenail dirt!
Wrath shook his head vigorously, insisting it wasn't a compliment at all.
'Alright, alright.'
Seeing him flustered like that made me even more confident. The achievements I had made so far were clearly enough to surprise even the demon king.
-Grr, your tone has become even more arrogant.
'Wasn't I always like this?'
-More! I said more!
Wrath bared his teeth while pulling his ear.
-How did you become even more unlikable the more I see you...
'Huh? I was so grateful that you saved me, I was planning to buy you 10 boxes of mint chocolate when I return to the family.'
-You're a handsome piece of shit, Raon!
'Piece of shit?'
-Ah! Handsome!
The guy couldn't even remember the term "handsome" that Runaan and Ensia used as naturally as breathing, and instead shouted "piece of shit." I'm not sure if he did it on purpose or if the demon king's memory was failing. (E/N: unfortunately, properly translating those slangs is beyond my ability, maybe, and I used "Handsome" too much by now to start questionning it. Maybe Fucking Handsome or Damn Handsome would be better.)
-If it's 10 boxes of mint chocolate, even this king acknowledges...
'Now be quiet for a bit.'
Raon pushed away the clinging Wrath and turned his gaze to Flumen.
"Flumen, is this the Gazelle River?"
"Yes. It's the deepest part of the Gazelle River."
Flumen nodded, saying that no one could find them here.
"From here, how far is it to where you hid the woman and to the battlefield?"
"We're here, and if we go, the woman is here, and the battlefield is at this end."
He drew a map using water, showing where the Gazelle River and the Lable River met.
-We'll have to take quite a detour.
Wrath frowned as he looked at the map. As he said, to find Merlin, they would have to go around between the ravines.
-But can't we go straight there using that one's magic?
'That magic can only be used to come to this nest. And it's Flumen, not "that one."'
Flumen's teleportation magic can only be used to return. When leaving here, they had to move on their own.
"There are a lot of skeletons here, and a really strong human is hiding."
Flumen pointed to the river where Merlin was hidden, his lips trembling.
"I've been there many times, but it doesn't move."
"I'm sure it doesn't."
The strong human Flumen was talking about is the Specter. It won't move from that area until it finds Merlin.
"Don't worry and guide me."
Raon smiled as he lightly patted Flumen's shoulder.
"I'll take care of that bag of bones."
The Specter, which constantly revives and controls undead dragons, is an extremely annoying existence. It seemed like a good idea to kill it completely this time.
"Now... huh?"
As he was about to say let's go, he felt something missing around his waist. He looked for the Blade of Requiem, but it was nowhere to be seen.
"Flumen, have you seen a red dagger by any chance?"
"Dagger?"
Flumen tilted his head as if he didn't know what Raon was talking about.
-That must have fallen into the river bottom where you almost died.
Wrath shook his head, saying that no one could have paid attention to it in such a dire situation.
'I see.'
Unfortunately, there was no time to look for the Blade of Requiem now. It seemed he would have to come back after the war ended. Raon fastened the Heavenly Drive to his waist and left the Blue Lugh tribe's house. He climbed up to the water surface where the sunlight was fading and nodded to Flumen.
"I'll need your guidance. First, to the masked woman."
"Okay!"
Flumen nodded as if to say to trust him and went ahead. Raon followed behind Flumen, kicking off the water surface. His body felt weightless as he moved forward endlessly. He was fast enough to catch up with Flumen, who had gone ahead using magic, in an instant.
"Huh?"
Flumen looked up with wide eyes.
"Th-this is the fastest I can go?"
He stammered, seemingly flustered.
"Yes. Keep going at this speed."
Raon nodded with a faint smile.
-Hey, at this speed...
Wrath blinked and moved closer.
-I think I could suck on a mint chocolate on the way.
'Sigh...'
Raon let out a deep sigh. Seeing that stupidity, it really felt like Wrath was back.
'Mint chocolate confiscated for a year.'
-Ack! It, it was a joke!
'Two years confiscated.'
-Gaaah!
* * *
"Ugh..."
Sylvia sat down on the broken deck after destroying another small warship.
'It's hard to even stand up...'
Both her stamina and aura were at their limit. She could endure with willpower alone, but her exhausted body made it difficult to even swing a sword.
'Did I overdo it?'
It was a mistake to rush in recklessly to find Raon's enemy. Of course, even if she went back, she would do the same thing again.
'The South-North Union Leader, the Vice Union Leader, and Beorn.'
Those three people had the biggest impact on Raon's death. Even if the South-North Union Leader was too high to reach, I wanted to kill the Vice Union Leader who ordered the attack and Beorn who stabbed Raon myself. No, I must kill them.
'Where on earth are they?'
As Sylvia bit her lip and turned her gaze, a huge black ship rose from among the South-North Union warships. It was almost as large as the Blue Wolf, the South-North Union Leader's flagship.
'That ship...'
She swallowed dryly and filled her eyes with aura. Her vision expanded rapidly, and she could see the figure of an old man standing at the end of the black ship. The gray-white hair, the muscular body firmly in place, and the long spear in his hand - it all matched the description of Helgroom, the Vice Leader of the South-North Union, that she had heard on her way here.
"That bastard..."
Sylvia stood up. Seeing Raon's enemy, it was as if a dying ember had come back to life, and a vast amount of mana exploded from her artificial energy center.
'He's injured too.'
Helgroom was covered in bandages all over his body, as if the injuries from his battle with the Sword Demon Rector had not yet healed. This was a chance to catch him. Sylvia descended onto the river after destroying the warship. Unlike before, she ignored all other ships and moved towards Helgroom's ship alone.
She ignored the endless barrage of magic cannons, arrows, and harpoons raining down.
Even amidst the pain of flesh being torn and bones being crushed, she focused only on running and climbed onto the Vice Union Leader's ship.
"You are..."
Helgroom narrowed his eyes as he looked at Sylvia's red hair, soaked in blood like red silk.
"Golden hair, red eyes. Sylvia Zieghart, is it?"
He curled up the corners of his mouth as if sneering.
"Why are you here? Do you want to follow your son?"
"Helgroom!"
As Sylvia charged forward with a scream-like roar, a black-haired swordsman to Helgroom's right sprang forward. The swordsman's aura, raised like a wall, roughly pushed Sylvia back.
"Ugh..."
Sylvia coughed up blood onto the deck as she was thrown backward.
"Your son didn't know his place, but you're even worse than him."
Helgroom clicked his tongue long.
"Of course."
Sylvia bit her lip until it bled as she stood up.
"My son is much better than someone like me!"
She gripped her sword with both hands and poured out all her remaining aura. However, Sylvia's sword strike was once again blocked by the black-haired swordsman and couldn't advance.
"Am I invisible?"
The black-haired swordsman shook his head with a cold smile.
"Get out of my way!"
"Sigh, this is the first time I've been ignored like this since receiving the name of White Cloud."
He frowned as if dumbfounded.
"White Cloud?"
Sylvia's lips trembled as she repeated the name White Cloud.
'The White Cloud Sword Master...'
His presence was so weak that I didn't notice. The White Cloud Sword Master is a renowned Grandmaster even within the South-North Union. I didn't expect him to be here guarding Helgroom instead of being on the central battlefield. And that wasn't the only problem. Several Masters, though not Grandmasters, were also standing beside Helgroom.
"Hah..."
Sylvia exhaled a turbid breath as she was pushed back.
'A mistake.'
Blinded by vengeance, she hadn't thought about the consequences of facing an opponent she couldn't defeat even at full strength. The energy raised by anger began to subside rapidly.
"Already at your limit?"
Helgroom turned his gaze with a cold smile.
"If you go now, your son will be waiting, so you won't be lonely."
He flicked his hand as if telling the White Cloud Sword Master to end it.
"Aaaaah!"
Sylvia gritted her teeth and charged at Helgroom.
"It's over."
As the White Cloud Sword Master was about to behead Sylvia, a colorless sword strike flashed. A powerful explosion occurred, and the White Cloud Sword Master was pushed back, hitting his back against the railing.
"Wh-who is it!"
As the White Cloud Sword Master raised his gaze with a trembling chin, Karoon Zieghart descended onto the deck.
"So this is where the scum who know nothing of honor have gathered?"
Karoon Zieghart's red eyes fell coldly on the White Cloud Sword Master.
"B-brother."
"You fool. Stay back."
He frowned as if exasperated and stood in front of the White Cloud Sword Master.
"Y-you are Karoon..."
"Shut that mouth."
As Karoon's blade wavered, blood spurted from the White Cloud Sword Master's chest.
"Don't call my name with that trash mouth of yours."
He lowered his blade with the elegant posture of someone sipping tea alone.
"Ugh!"
The White Cloud Sword Master stepped back, trying to stop the bleeding from his chest wound.
"You're not an octopus, yet you follow and beg to be killed at the sight of light." (E/N: octopus or squid; either way I think I am missing something to properly translate this)
Helgroom twisted his lips upward as if pleased.
"Your face is as ugly as your personality."
Karoon frowned as if looking at filthy sewage.
"The Zieghart brats all have such foul mouths!"
Just as Helgroom was about to thrust his spear at Karoon, Alice, who had been protecting the Zieghart swordsmen in the battle between Glenn and the South-North Union Leader, cut through space and appeared on the bow.
"Hey."
Alice twisted her lips as she looked down at Helgroom.
"I heard your brat did it?"
She raised her sword, emitting a terrible killing intent that made the river water recede.
"Alice Zieghart..."
Even Helgroom wrinkled his nose as if Alice wasn't easy to deal with.
"Where's that bastard Beorn? Is it you?"
Alice revealed a fierce gaze as she looked at the White Cloud Sword Master.
"I-it's not me..."
The White Cloud Sword Master's chin trembled as if frightened by Alice's overwhelming aura.
"Bring that bastard too. I'll chew up you and that Beorn without leaving even a bone."
"Beorn is not here."
Helgroom slowly shook his head.
"He hasn't returned to the South-North Union since assassinating Raon Zieghart."
He shook his head, saying that Beorn was not visible even in the South-North Union.
"Ah! So you're going to hide him?"
Alice shook her head with a smirk.
"But what can we do? We came here to destroy the entire South-North Union. It's no use hiding him. We'll find and kill everyone."
She gestured to Karoon and Sylvia behind her.
"Sylvia. Can you still fight? Revenge should be taken by your own hands."
"Yes. I can do it."
Sylvia bit her blood-soaked lips and stood next to Alice and Karoon.
"Let's show them how crazy the Zieghart siblings can be!"
Alice charged at Helgroom, destroying the deck. Sylvia nodded and followed closely behind her.
"Leave me out of this."
Karoon frowned and thrust his sword towards the White Cloud Sword Master.
* * *
The western ravine of the Lable River. The ravine, which should have been full of only crashing waves, was now flowing with undead monsters made of pure white bones. The undead seemed to be searching for something, constantly turning their gaze and surrounding the entire ravine.
"Damn it!"
The Specter, watching the undead, ground his teeth and slammed his fist down.
'Merlin.'
Where the hell are you! After Merlin disappeared like a bubble, he had searched the entire river, but couldn't find her anywhere.
Bone gargoyles and wraiths flew in the sky, skeletons wandered on the ground, and sharkmaws and eviars swam in the river, but not even a strand of Merlin's hair could be found.
The only thing found was half of the old woman's mask that Merlin had been wearing.
'I should have kept Raon Zieghart captive...'
Right now, Merlin must be quietly recovering her wounds, waiting for me to disappear. If I had kept him captive, I could have called out that damned woman, but I was frustrated that he was dead.
'Damn it!'
As the Specter was beating his chest in frustration, a signal came from the bone sharkmaw in the river.
'If it's useless again, I'll have to rip its head off.'
Clenching his fist, he connected his vision with the sharkmaw's. In the empty river, blue water droplets could be seen rising.
'Why would you... Wait a minute!'
As he was about to turn away thinking it was useless, he remembered the water droplets that appeared when Merlin disappeared. Looking again, they were the same color as those droplets.
'Found it! It's there!'
He wasn't sure how she had been hiding there, but Merlin was definitely there.
"I've finally caught you, bitch."
The Specter curled his lips upward. Just as he was about to enter the river where Merlin was, riding a bone dragon, he heard a faint sound of someone walking on the water surface. The Specter unconsciously turned his gaze at that quiet sound. A golden-haired, red-eyed swordsman was approaching from the end of the ravine.
He was stepping on the river water as if it were land, without even a small ripple forming. It felt mystical, as if he didn't exist in this place at all.
"Raon Zieghart?"
The guy who was reported dead was walking normally towards where Merlin was hiding.
"Hahahahaha!"
The Specter burst into laughter, grabbing his head.
"Perfect! I can devour both of you bastards!"
He giggled and gestured, and the undead monsters wandering the sky, land, and river rushed towards him. The Specter summoned a second bone dragon from the subspace, not satisfied with just that. The bone red dragon, enveloped in dark mana, spread its massive wings and soared into the sky.
"You're still doing cute things, like spreading rumors of your death."
The Specter, floating with two bone dragons, curled his lips as he looked down at Raon.
"Did you hide Merlin too?"
"..."
Raon remained silent, only looking at the river below.
"Fine. I wasn't planning to leave you alone anyway! I'll turn you into puppets torturing each other along with Merlin!"
As he flicked his finger, the undead army covering the sky, land, and river rushed at Raon. The Specter, knowing Raon's strength, didn't let his guard down and ordered the bone dragons to breathe fire as well.
The two bone dragons simultaneously shot down breaths burning with dark mana.
Raon didn't panic even as he saw the incoming undead army and the breaths. Instead, he stepped forward and drew the Heavenly Drive. The Heavenly Drive advanced, becoming an intense flash of light.
Each time the golden line imbued with the flames of the sun was drawn from left to right, the undead army before it was erased without leaving even a bone fragment.
The sword strike of the Heavenly Drive, which even split the dark breath, passed by the Specter's neck in an instant, severing it.
"If you want to catch me..."
Raon lowered his bloodless sword, watching the Specter's body sink into the river.
"Bring a real dragon next time."