Glenn clenched his fist as he smiled, looking at the fallen Sylvia. If he didn't grip tightly, he felt his emotions might explode uncontrollably.
'Sylvia....'
She should have been the most beloved youngest child, but instead she was neglected and ignored more than others.
He had barely escaped demonic possession and searched for Sylvia, but she had already left the family after closing her energy center.
By the time he sent the Heavenly Blade Division, it was already too late for everything.
Even if he had no control over himself due to demonic possession, it was an unforgivable sin.
Sylvia returned pregnant with a child, begging to be saved with eyes that longed for death.
I was the one who wanted to beg. I wanted to kneel and ask forgiveness for being such an inadequate father.
But seeing Sylvia's eyes, forcefully showing strength while suppressing her sorrow for the child's sake, I felt choked and couldn't speak.
I had no right to ask for forgiveness from that child. Instead, I made a vow to myself.
I promised that even if I couldn't care for her openly, I would protect her from behind till the end.
However, the youngest daughter I thought was endlessly fragile and weak was different today.
Sylvia burned herself to protect her family, to repel the malice approaching them.
Despite being a Master, her will to protect her family became willpower that seeped into her sword.
She might not know it herself, but today she had cracked the wall of Grandmaster.
'So she had been regretting it this much.'
Sylvia fighting with all her might today wasn't simply because of the Vice Head. The husband and daughter she couldn't protect. Remembering those two must have allowed her to move her body until she fainted.
Glenn bit his lip finely.
'It's my sin.'
I didn't even see the face of my son-in-law, and I didn't even know of my granddaughter's existence.
Even though I had enough ability to protect them. No, I could have not driven Sylvia out from the start, but I couldn't protect anything.
But today, Sylvia took on the burden of sin I thought was mine.
As if vowing never to experience the same thing again, she swung her sword to the end with her own strength.
The youngest, whom I thought had suffered an indelible wound and needed protection till the end, had become a stronger mother than me before I knew it.
'That's...'
Glenn slowly closed and opened his eyes. He pressed his lips, watching Raon tending to Sylvia.
'It must be thanks to you.'
No, both of them.
Because Raon existed, Sylvia could become strong, and because Sylvia provided stability, Raon could become strong.
That mother and son were influencing each other's growth like water and a tree.
"Is, is this possible?"
As Glenn sent an admiring look to both Raon and Sylvia, Balder stood up from his chair, his hands trembling.
"How could a Grandmaster be pushed back by a Master!"
Balder let out a frustrated breath, as if unable to understand.
"That martial art called Radiant Light Flow."
Denier stroked his chin, looking down at Sylvia and Raon.
"It's the ultimate form of the Ten Forms Sword Style that the Vice Head has mastered."
He narrowed his eyes as if searching for something.
"Ultimate form? Come to think of it, what the hell is Radiant Light Flow!"
Balder turned his head, asking if anyone had heard of this martial art called Radiant Light Flow.
"Raon must have created it."
Alice smiled, brushing back her disheveled side hair.
"Created it?"
"Yes. Raon took the Ten Forms Sword Style with his wish, right? He created an ultimate martial art based on that."
"Is, is that even possible?"
Balder stammered repeatedly, as if dumbfounded.
"Generally, it's impossible. However..."
Sheryl shook her head with a smile on her lips.
"That child. Raon can do it."
"That's correct."
Roenn chuckled, releasing his hands from behind his back.
"Young Master Raon sees the world from a different perspective than us."
Glenn nodded, listening to Sheryl and Roenn's words.
'Yes. Raon can do it.'
As Alice said, Raon had dismantled the Ten Forms Sword Style to a cruel extent to create a martial art achieving the ultimate form.
The Radiant Light Flow martial art has no inherent weaknesses, but it can exert more than double its power against the Ten Forms Sword Style, like a cat in front of a mouse.
The reason Sylvia's aura could endure to the end, even if it was at the Grandmaster level, was thanks to the flow of Radiant Light Flow that devoured the Ten Forms Sword Style.
"By showing the Radiant Light Flow, Raon has warned everyone here."
Alice licked her lips, looking at Raon.
"Warning?"
Balder tilted his head as if asking what she meant.
"He showed through Sylvia's fight what happens if you mess with the annex building."
As Alice said, the audience was still silent. Everyone seemed to have lost their senses, mouths agape in shock at Sylvia.
"Sh-should I ask him to create a martial art for me too?"
Balder licked his lips, seemingly forgetting his relationship with Raon.
"As if he'd do that for you!"
Alice slapped the back of Balder's head with her palm.
Glenn ignored Alice and Balder's squabble and looked at Raon.
'It's as Alice said.'
Raon had sent a warning to everyone here. He showed what happens if you mess with the annex building, not through himself, but through Sylvia.
Thanks to Sylvia, who fought like a madwoman with blood in her mouth, no one would dare touch the annex building now.
'You're doing everything I should have done.'
Glenn looked at Raon with a rare, gentle smile.
'Thank you.'
* **
The people in the audience blinked very slowly.
"...That's Sylvia?"
"Th-the person herself has changed"
"It, it was scary. It wasn't a duel, but more like a fight to the death..."
People's eyes trembled as they looked at Sylvia, who was smiling while unconscious.
"But she was smiling. It looked saintly!"
"That's even scarier..."
"I don't think I'll be able to look Sylvia in the eyes from now on."
"Blood, benevolence, and madness. The Bloody Love Sword…."
A new epithet for Sylvia was born through someone's lips.
"Radiant Light Flow. The martial art of the annex building?"
"Does that mean they're going to teach that monstrous martial art to everyone in the annex building?"
"Probably."
"Ugh, I'm not going anywhere near the annex building from now on."
"On the contrary, we should be friendly with them! Who knows, we might get some crumbs!"
"Anyway, I don't want to be their enemy. Sylvia is scarier than the Light Wind Division Leader..."
The audience didn't say a word about the Vice Head, the winner, and only talked about Sylvia's madness and swordsmanship.
The name of the annex building's martial art, Radiant Light Flow, spread from everyone's lips as an object of fear.
-This is the result you wanted, isn't it?
Wrath nodded, watching people talk only about Sylvia, Radiant Light Flow, and the annex building.
'Yes.'
Raon smiled faintly as he wiped the blood from Sylvia's hair.
'I wanted not me, but Mother to show everyone here. What kind of place the annex building is.'
Sylvia fought not just to get revenge on the Vice Head, but to reveal what kind of place the annex building is.
Thanks to her fighting until she fainted, no one will dare to think about messing with the annex building from now on.
-I wanted to stop her many times, but...
Wrath looked at Sylvia with calm eyes.
-It was a fight that had to be fought to the end, and it was a battle that produced results. I saw something good.
He smiled as if satisfied.
-Mom! Well done!
Wrath stroked Sylvia's head with his chubby hand, wagging his tail.
'She's not your mom.'
As Raon pushed Wrath away, the maids from the annex building rushed over, crossing the audience seats.
"Ma-Madam!"
"Are you alright!"
"Oh no, what should we do!"
Everyone from Judiel and Helen to Yua was there, not one missing.
"It's okay."
He handed over Sylvia, who had been healed with holy power, to the maids with a faint smile.
"Haa..."
Helen sat down weakly after confirming that Sylvia's breathing had stabilized.
"Wait with Mother."
Raon nodded after making eye contact with each of the maids in turn.
"I'll finish soon and come down."
After waving his hand, he climbed up to the arena.
"Mother's heart was too soft to cut you properly..."
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive. The young sunlight glinted ominously on the blade.
"I'm different. You'd better prepare yourself."
"You..."
Raon looked at the Vice Head, who was grinding his teeth, and calmly settled his breath. Normally, he would give him time to recover, but this was a fight between the annex and the Vice Head's Office.
He must not destroy the merit Sylvia had built up.
"A-are you ready?"
The referee, who had been standing blankly, came forward with trembling fingertips.
"No. I'm not ready."
The Vice Head shook his head firmly.
"Isn't the arena damaged! I won't fight until repairs are completed!"
It's true that the arena is a mess, but not to the point where they can't fight.
The Vice Head was trying to buy even a little time to recover his strength and aura. As expected, he was a cunning old man.
"It won't take long anyway, right?"
"We'll only know when we get there! In any case, I won't fight until the arena repairs are finished!"
The Vice Head went down after saying to repair the arena. There was no way around it if he acted like that.
"Sigh, alright. We'll start repairs right away..."
"I knew this would happen."
Rimmer, who had been sitting on the gambling den he made, hopped over.
"Come out."
At his gesture, a robed magician walked out from the right audience seats.
"Please repair it."
"Sigh, so this is why you called me."
The magician took off his hood. It was Berbin, the Vice Tower Master of the Zieghart internal magic tower and Rimmer's drinking buddy.
"Why else would I have called you!"
Rimmer waved his hand as if telling him to hurry and fix it.
"Gamblers have no patience!"
"You really only make difficult and troublesome requests. I even had to write a report because of that incident before..."
Berbin sighed deeply, looking at Rimmer.
"But it was fun, wasn't it?"
"That's true."
He laughed, saying it was worth writing the report. Looking at him now, he seemed to have a similar personality to Rimmer.
"Then hurry up and fix it."
"Then you're buying drinks today."
Berbin chuckled and raised his hand.
Wooong!
Streams of mana extended from his hand, instantly restoring the damaged training ground to its original state as if turning back time.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed to Rimmer and Berbin with a dazed look. He hadn't expected the two of them to help in this way.
"Don't worry about it. We got to see a good fight thanks to you."
Berbin returned to his original seat, saying he'd bill Rimmer for the repair costs, so not to worry.
"Just win! If you win!"
Rimmer waved his hand and went back into the gambling den.
-That pointy-eared one can be helpful at times.
Wrath opened his eyes wide as if surprised.
'He's not doing it for me, he just wants to make money quickly.'
-Ah!
He opened his eyes wide as if he just realized.
"Now that the arena has been repaired, let's begin."
Raon rotated his shoulders as he climbed onto the restored arena. He looked down at the Vice Head, who was gathering his aura, and tilted his chin.
"Kugh..."
The Vice Head bit his lip as he stepped onto the arena, having lost his excuse.
"Are both of you ready?"
The referee asked, gauging the atmosphere.
"I'm ready."
"...Ready."
The Vice Head nodded heavily, realizing he had no choice.
"Then, let the final match begin!"
The referee lowered his raised hand and immediately left the arena.
"Kraaaaa!"
The Vice Head charged in before the referee even left the arena. Full power from the start. Knowing he had no chance if he dragged it out, he unleashed the techniques of the Ten Forms Sword Style from the beginning.
Wooooong!
Ten sharply honed astral rings rushed towards vital points all over the body as if they were alive.
'How predictable.'
Raon smiled coldly as he employed the Radiant Light Flow. The red light imbued in the Heavenly Drive split all ten astral rings and pressed down on the Vice Head's shoulder.
Pukaaaak!
The Vice Head's shoulder split to the bone, spraying dark blood. It was the exact same spot Sylvia had struck first.
"Kraaaak!"
The Vice Head frantically retreated while clutching his shoulder.
"Im-impossible! How can the same astral rings...!"
He trembled his jaw in disbelief. He still seemed unaware that the Radiant Light Flow was a perfect counter to the Ten Forms Sword Style.
"The same astral rings?"
Raon smirked as he looked at the Vice Head's trembling eyes.
"That's why you're losing. Because you think that way."
"Shut up!"
The Vice Head groaned as he raised ten astral rings again. This time, the rings condensed into a single sphere and fell like lightning.
Gooooo!
Raon ignited the Radiant Light Flow more intensely. He raised his finely honed blade towards the sphere of astral rings descending on his head.
Chwaaaak!
The radiance imbued with the flow of the Radiant Light Flow split the Vice Head's astral rings and slashed his waist.
Peoeoeoek!
A terrifying amount of blood gushed from the Vice Head's waist.
"Aaaaargh!"
"We're not done yet."
Raon smiled coldly as he employed the Wandering Footwork. He advanced smoothly as if running on ice, reaching the Vice Head's right side.
"Kugh!"
The Vice Head tried to retreat hastily, but Raon stepped on his foot and slashed his thigh.
Chwaaaak!
The Vice Head's thigh split open, staining his entire upper and lower body crimson.
"Kuuugh..."
Raon tilted his chin as he watched the Vice Head stumble backwards, his jaw trembling.
"Now only your forearm and stomach are left."
* **
"N-no way..."
Vice Head Killian's lips trembled as he looked at the places he had been wounded so far.
'Has he been targeting only the places Sylvia cut!'
Until now, Raon had only cut the wounds that Sylvia had inflicted. Killian thought it was coincidence, but it wasn't.
The bastard was deliberately carving deep sword wounds into the scars Sylvia had left.
"How far are you going to humiliate me!"
Killian roared, exploding all the aura in his energy center. Thinking he had nothing to lose, he charged at Raon.
"Kraaaaa!"
He unleashed the techniques of the Ten Forms Sword Style with all his might, thrusting light astral rings towards Raon's abdomen and heart.
"You still haven't realized?"
Raon stepped forward mockingly. The wave-like aura that blossomed from his blade split the astral rings and grazed Killian's wrist.
Chwaaaak!
Before he could even register what happened, his left hand was cleanly severed and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Kuaaaaaaargh!"
Killian screamed as he clutched his bleeding left wrist.
'H-how did this...'
He had thickened his defense thinking Raon would target his arm, but for it to be penetrated by such a light sword strike was incomprehensible. No matter how well he had learned the breaking technique, this should have been impossible.
'Wait...'
One possibility that could make this possible came to mind.
"N-no way..."
Killian's lips trembled as he tried to stop the bleeding from his arm.
"That Radiant Light Flow..."
"You're slow to realize."
Raon nodded as he lowered the Heavenly Drive.
"The Radiant Light Flow is a martial art created specifically to shatter your Ten Forms Sword Style."
"Ah..."
Now he understood. The reason Sylvia had endured so unbelievably well, and why Raon's sword strikes cut through the Ten Forms Sword Style as if ignoring it - it was all because of that Radiant Light Flow.
Raon had not only understood the Ten Forms Sword Style, but created a martial art that was its ultimate counter. From the beginning, it had been a fight without any chance of winning.
'There's only one way.'
He had intended to use it as a surprise, but now he was at his limit. He had no choice but to use his last move.
Sword Domain: Light Slash.
The cry of willpower connects with aura, changing the world.
The arena shrank white as if compressed, and countless swords of light ignited above, revealing a terrifying killing intent.
It was a single strike Sword Domain that crushed the opponent by pouring hundreds of Astral Rings in one go.
"It's over!"
He clasped his hands together in unison, and the Astral Rings that had been filling the air rained down in a shower. It was no exaggeration to say that it was a deadly sword attack.
"It's my first time seeing your sword domain, but..."
Raon twisted his lips as he planted the Heavenly Drive and the Requiem Sword in the ground.
"In the end, you couldn't escape the Ten Forms Sword Style."
Darkness rose from the ground where the two swords were planted. The world full of light sank heavily, raising a red sun and a blue moon.
The red sword and blue sword in Raon's hands bared their fierce teeth towards the rain of light.
Kuwaaaaa!
The slashes of the divine sword and demonic sword, stretching out like a roar, pierced through the storm of light swords and split the Vice Head's sword domain itself.
Chwaaaak!
The martial art that contained the Vice Head's life was mercilessly torn apart.
* **
Raon shook his head as he watched the Vice Head's crumbling sword domain.
'You should have changed your approach.'
The Vice Head seemed to have trusted the Ten Forms Sword Style to the end, as his sword domain had the same flow.
Normally, he would have had to fight until both sword domains disappeared, but thanks to the effect of the Radiant Light Flow, he was able to cut through the Vice Head's sword domain itself.
"Kuhehheuk!"
The Vice Head coughed up blood and collapsed from the shock of his sword domain being forcibly dispelled.
"S-surr..."
Realizing he could no longer endure, he tried to quickly shout his surrender.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Before the Vice Head could say "surrender", Raon struck his head with the scabbard.
Peoeoeoek!
With a sound like a bursting pumpkin, blood spurted like a fountain from the top of the Vice Head's head.
"Aaaaargh!"
The Vice Head screamed, frantically rubbing his head with his remaining hand.
"I don't accept your surrender."
Raon repeatedly struck the back of the Vice Head's head. Only after creating countless bumps on his skull did he lower his sword.
"Ugh..."
The Vice Head groaned, his eyes rolled back in pain.
-T-this is almost worse than killing him...
Even Wrath, who had been crying for revenge, turned his head away, unable to watch.
'It's not over yet.'
Raon only stopped the bleeding to keep the Vice Head from dying, then sprayed Glacier's cold energy on his face.
"Kuuh... Aaaaargh!"
The Vice Head groaned as he got up, then screamed from the pain coursing through his entire body.
"E-enough! I surrender! I admit defeat!"
He knelt down and bowed his head, begging for it to stop.
"R-Raon Zieghart wins!"
The referee, seemingly not wanting to see a corpse, shouted Raon's victory with trembling hands.
"Today's sword duel is the annex building's victory!"
After announcing the annex building's victory, he collapsed on the spot, drained.
"Huh..."
"He w-won this easily?"
"I never knew a sword domain could be split..."
"It's an unbelievable difference in level..."
The audience, who had felt fear towards Sylvia, now trembled in shock at Raon's martial prowess.
"Woaaaaaah!"
"Annex building! Annex building!"
"Light Wind Division! Light Wind Division!"
After the shock, the audience's cheers finally erupted.
Instead of responding to the audience's cheers, Raon grabbed the ankle of the Vice Head who was trying to crawl off the arena.
"W-why are you doing this! I clearly said I lost..."
"We haven't settled the bill yet."
"Ah..."
The Vice Head's jaw trembled as if he finally understood what Raon meant.
Raon seemed to enjoy the Vice Head's confusion, pausing before he spoke.
"What I want is..."