Raon looked down at Orgoth, clenching his teeth.
From his small, emaciated frame emanated a terrifying aura that sent shivers down the spine. A monster surpassing the Grandmaster. He was, as rumored, a demonized human who had reached transcendence.
"I've been wanting to see you."
"...."
Ignoring Orgoth's words, Raon turned his back. He examined the Light Wind division under the silver aurora one by one.
Not a single person in the Light Wind division was unscathed, but Burren, Runaan, and Mark Goetun's injuries were particularly severe.
Shoulders, arms, eyes, abdomen, and thighs. No one was intact. It was a miracle they were still alive.
But the most urgent case was Dorian at the very back. Both arms and his right leg were completely crushed, and there was a fist-sized hole in his stomach. He probably couldn't even feel pain anymore. It wouldn't be surprising if he died right now.
"Why...?"
Dorian lowered his head.
"Why did you come...?"
He looked up with tearful eyes, as if asking why Raon hadn't escaped and came to this hell instead.
"…You fool."
"Raon."
"Master. I, I'm sorry..."
Burren spat blood and collapsed, Runaan fell backward, and Mark Goetun staggered while standing.
"Do you want to know why your subordinates ended up like that?"
Orgoth's cold voice was tinged with mockery.
"When I asked them your whereabouts, they all claimed to be Raon Zieghart."
He smiled, looking at the fallen Light Wind division.
"It's a touching display of camaraderie. If they had just told me, I would have let them die without pain."
"...."
Raon exhaled a breath filled with heat as he looked at the Light Wind division.
'I thought so,'
He had predicted it by looking at their expressions and the situation. They had endured, risking their lives to keep his location secret.
Wallet, ice cream girl, eyeballs, talentless punk...
Wrath inspected Dorian, Runaan, Burren, and Mark Goetun one by one, trembling with rage.
Immediately.
Wrath approached with bloodshot eyes, extending a hand.
Hand over your body now. I'll kill them all.
The emotion of Wrath attached to his soul was boiling over. Even with the Ring of Fire operating, it was hard to stay sane. He wanted to surrender to the wrath.
'Not now…'
He wanted to dive into the waves of wrath but bit his lip to endure. If Wrath possessed him now, he would go berserk, and the Light Wind division would be annihilated.
Moreover, Orgoth, being a transcendent warrior, could escape Wrath's uncontrolled attacks. He needed to stay calm now.
Hwaaa!
Raon used the silver aurora to erase the flames burning Mark Goetun's arm. Even though he utilized Wrath's technique while burning with anger, he forced himself to endure the searing pain in his chest.
"Hmmm!"
A voice of admiration came from behind.
"You blocked my flames with that chill? Where did you learn that?"
Orgoth said, raising his hand. Blue flames surged on his fingertips.
"You."
Raon turned around, glaring at the relaxed Orgoth.
"I'll deal with you later. For now, shut up."
A beastly growl rose from deep within him. He felt himself being engulfed by wrath more and more, but he bit his tongue to stay awake.
"Why did you come...?"
"…You fool. You could have survived alone."
"Th-thank you for everything."
"Raon. Run..."
Dorian, Burren, Mark Goetun, and Runaan's eyes were filled with resentment. It wasn't because they were dying because of him, but because they were saddened that he had come here.
"Don't worry. Everyone will live."
Raon summoned the Divinity Born from Darkness. He had never used it for healing before, but divinity was divinity. It should have an effect.
Hwaaa!
Colorless light spread from his grasp, and the wounds of the four began to slowly heal.
"Phew…."
He sighed in relief. He had imagined the worst, but thankfully, the divinity worked on their wounds.
However, tending to the injuries of four people at once meant the healing was insufficient, and his holy power was rapidly depleting.
'I'll receive Wrath's power….'
-I am the Monarch of Wrath. No matter what, I cannot replenish your holy power.
Wrath frowned, shaking his head.
'Then…'
Raon looked up, gazing at Orgoth.
"You seem to like the gift."
Orgoth licked his lips, looking at the four who had barely extended their breaths.
"It's a shame, but this is not the end. Even after you die, I will erase your family, friends, and comrades. Interfering with the Black Tower's affairs means that much."
What are you doing! Hand over your body now! (wrath)
Wrath was also agitated, screaming and clinging to his shoulder.
'Shut up.'
Raon glared at Orgoth. The enemy seemed relaxed, believing he couldn't escape from here.
'It's possible.'
Suppressing his trembling heart, he injected mana into the blue ring on his right hand. The previously unadorned ring revealed two patterns.
'I end up using it.'
This ring, given by the Archmage Chamber of Eternal Flame, could either summon someone to this place or transport those present to another location.
Only one option could be used, and the ring would be destroyed upon use.
Normally, it would be right to summon Glenn here, but that would mean Dorian, Burren, Runaan, and Mark Goetun would die.
Even if Glenn was the pinnacle of the continent's warriors, healing them was a different matter.
'There's no choice.'
Raon made a quick decision and infused mana into the right pattern. He intended to send everyone to the healer Federick with a large-scale teleportation, but the ring only vibrated without any response.
'No way…'
When he had asked Glenn about this ring after returning from House Arianne, Glenn had mentioned that if Chamber lacked mana, the ring might not work. This meant something had happened to Chamber as well.
'Damn it!'
Raon clenched his fist until it bled.
"Do you need more time?"
Orgoth approached, floating in the air. His twisted white eyes gleamed with a chilling murderous intent.
'Wrath. Let's make a deal. Give me mana.'
-…I accept.
With Wrath's nod, a massive amount of mana filled Raon's entire circuit.
A new wave of wrath surged in his soul, but he ignored it. He poured all the mana he received into the ring, activating large-scale teleportation.
But once again, the ring only vibrated.
"Hmmm…."
Orgoth narrowed his eyes, looking at the ring. He must have noticed something about it.
'With the current mana, it's impossible to teleport the entire Light Wind division, the neutral forces, and civilians to Zieghart.'
There were over 70 people, and the distance to Zieghart was too far, making it insufficient to teleport everyone.
'Then….'
He quickly thought.
If something had happened to Chamber, sending them to Balkar wasn't an option. Seeing that Orgoth came from the north, something must have happened in Cameloon as well, leaving Owen as the only safe place.
'I can trust them.'
With divine healers who could reattach severed limbs, it was the best place to send them.
Raon gave the sigil of the third prince he had received earlier to Burren. He activated large-scale teleportation to the royal clinic he had seen during the duel with the Six Kings.
Wuuuuung!
This time, a transparent shield formed around the Light Wind division, the neutral forces, and the civilians.
It was the Absolute Shield that protected people before teleportation. From the geometric magic circle below, a brilliant silver light surged.
"Teleportation magic! Don't let it escape!"
Orgoth swiftly extended his hand. The flames from his fingers shattered the shield surrounding Raon in an instant.
However, Raon descended lightly to the ground without any disappointment. He had no intention of leaving from the beginning.
"Ra, Raon!"
"What are you doing!"
"Hey!"
"Vice Division Leader!"
"Raon-nim!"
The Light Wind division shouted, looking at Raon who was not under the protection of the magic circle. Burren, Runaan, and even Dorian raised their heads, pounding on the shield.
"Wait for me."
Raon smiled at them, waving his hand.
"Raon!"
With Runaan's cry as the last, the bodies wrapped in the magic circle vanished.
"Pointless effort."
Orgoth laughed, believing Raon stayed because of his flames.
"I have a good memory. After I kill you, I will burn everyone. The Black Tower never forgets a grudge."
Raon closed his eyes, recalling the Light Wind division he had just seen.
Runaan had two holes in her abdomen, Burren had lost an eye, and Mark Goetun's left arm was completely burned.
Especially Dorian, who might never hold a sword again.
He channeled that resentment, that wrath, that malice into his mind and opened his eyes.
"Do you know why I stayed?"
Raon glared at Orgoth, speaking in a bone-crushing voice.
"To kill you."
"Kuhahaha!"
Orgoth grabbed his forehead and burst into mad laughter. His voice cracked as if genuinely amused.
"I heard you were crazy, but I didn't think you were this mad."
He twirled his finger as if finding the situation entertaining.
"How are you going to kill me?"
Orgoth lightly tapped his chin.
"Are you relying on those who might come here? They are strong. But with a flick of my finger, your head will fly off."
He casually flicked his finger as if already holding Raon's life in his grasp.
"How are you going to kill me?"
Raon smirked, drawing the Heavenly Drive.
"Like this!"
With clenched teeth, he stabbed himself in the abdomen with the Heavenly Drive.
-You madman!
Wrath screamed, clutching his shoulder.
Blood poured from the wound, soaking the snow on the ground red.
"What are you...?"
Raon didn't respond to Orgoth. Instead, he summoned his Willpower, merging it with the flow of the Black Tower's technique he had seen before.
Goooo!
The remaining Aura swept across the ground. The blood on the snow gathered like the bars of a cage, trapping everyone within.
Wuuuuung!
In a space dyed red, different from the world of the mental image, Raon opened his eyes.
"This is…"
Orgoth squinted at the red sky and ground.
"You know, right?"
Raon smiled weakly.
"I mimicked the barrier your subordinates created in the ice."
"…Why?"
"So you can't escape."
"You really are insane."
"We'll see who's really insane."
With a deflated laugh, Raon withdrew the Heavenly Drive. The wound gushed blood, increasing the pain to an unbearable level, but he didn't use the Ring of Fire.
'I must endure this.'
Compared to the pain the Light Wind division had suffered, this was nothing.
"Are you trying to commit suicide? I can kill or save you as I please…"
"Have you ever died?"
Raon straightened his back, despite his staggering legs.
"When you die, you feel your soul leaving your body."
When Derus had beheaded him in his past life, he had briefly retained his thoughts and felt like his being was floating away from his body.
Just like then, he now felt his body becoming buoyant.
'The gap between the soul and the body.'
In the whitening world, Raon activated the Ring of Fire and summoned his mental world. He tore a part of that accumulated life and created a new area in the gap between his soul and body.
- What are you...
Without answering, Raon poured all the wrath into the newly created space.
'I'm preparing for your arrival.'
Wrath had said that without time to adjust, he would go berserk. To ensure Wrath didn't let Orgoth escape and maintained his sanity, Raon created a realm within himself, setting a time limit on Wrath's descent.
It would cost him dearly and be difficult to use again, but he had to end this here and now. If Orgoth escaped, the Light Wind division would be in danger again.
When the space between the body and soul widened enough, Raon looked at Wrath.
'You said the Light Wind division was your subordinates.'
-You…
'Don't let him escape.'
Raon smiled, driving the Heavenly Drive into the ground.
"What are you doing!"
Orgoth, sensing something ominous, quickly ignited his flames.
The flames, previously mere playthings, now surged like a tidal wave to engulf everything in sight.
'Too late.'
Raon muttered with parched lips as Orgoth's flames approached.
Incarnation of the Sword.
Descent of the Demon King.
Just as the flames were about to erase Raon, a blue light column shattered the barrier's ceiling, descending upon him.
The flames that were supposed to incinerate everything evaporated like bubbles before the pillar of light.
The space cracked, spewing dark light. Shadowy stars floated up, and a bright yellow moon illuminated the twisted world.
The frost world tree, freezing every breath, took root, and the blue light subsided.
The figure standing in the light was not Raon. He was cold yet holy, dark yet brilliant.
A transcendent being with twisted causality, embodying values that could never coexist, had manifested.
"Ah…"
Orgoth instinctively retreated from the sea-haired being's chilling aura.
The terror he had only inflicted on others now imprinted on his pale eyes.
"Who, who are you…?"
Born from the deepest part of Devildom, risen to its highest point.
The master of the Northern Mountains, the Monarch closest to the Demon God.
The Monarch of Wrath, who alone had erased the greedy army, lifted his sky-blue eyes.
No one could speak. No one could move.
When the Monarch of Wrath stretched out his snow-white hand, Orgoth's neck twisted, his head severed.
In a bloody spectacle, the blue Monarch laughed. Beautifully and terrifyingly.