NOVPUB
Chapter 700 - 700
Swaaaa!
The majestic mountain unleashed by Heavenly Drive cleaved the cloudy sky and the turbulent river. However, the man standing in the middle fended off the noble and beautiful trajectory with a single axe.
He was the Axe King Roman. His Revolving Void Axe Strike had further improved, and even the new Sword Field created by Raon was unable to defeat it.
Of course, Roman wasn't exactly fine either. Black blood was gushing from his mouth, and a small fissure was created on the Red Dragon Axe, which had remained intact so far.
"Huff..."
Raon curled his bloody lips into a smile.
'He really managed to withstand the Sword Field.'
Roman had endured the Sword Field by improving the Revolving Void Axe Strike even further. Raon thought that the monsters from the old generation were on a whole different level—after all, he was rather confident in that strike, even though the new enlightenment wasn't fully assimilated.
The Axe King Roman laughed, baring his teeth, which had turned red from blood. "Nice! I don't even remember the last time I shed so much blood." His lips curved into a deep smile, further enjoying the battle despite his internal injuries. His expression said that he was having too much fun. "Brat, don't you agree with me?"
"Of course I do." Raon nodded, readjusting his grip on Heavenly Drive, where the sensation still lingered.
'It's not just fun.'
As he continued to clash against Roman, who became stronger, his body and mind were improved at the same time. His energy center was widening, his body was evolving, and his versatile sword's area was expanding as he spoke.
The time he spent facing Roman was pretty much the ultimate enlightenment.
"Then let's get started again!"
Roman laughed loudly and swung the Red Dragon Axe.
Rumble!
The axe blade rotated violently, summoning a dark red whirlwind. The entirety of the Rable River was engulfed in a storm of aura.
"Defeat me if you want to survive!"
Roman kicked the wave, letting out a husky roar. He closed the distance with the Nine Sky Footwork, improved to at least twice the original speed, and unleashed the Flame of Madness Axe Strike.
His movements were so natural that it felt like he was following a single trajectory the whole time. He was still getting stronger, just like a monster.
Zap!
Raon twisted his lips, watching the Red Dragon Axe showering down like a meteorite.
'It makes no difference how much stronger he gets. I just need to catch up.'
While thrusting Heavenly Drive diagonally with his right hand, Raon held the Blade of Requiem in a reverse grip with his left hand. The two blades rotated along the current of water, unleashing a red and blue wave.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation
Flawless Sea of Fire
The flame and frost crossed each other, clashing head-on against Roman's Flame of Madness Axe Strike.
Whaaam!
With a tremendous noise that made it sound like the land was collapsing, the shockwave erupting from it created a twisted fissure in the air.
It was an eerie sight, looking like the sky and land were shattered into pieces. The entirety of the Rable River darkened as if the apocalypse were happening, but Raon and Roman didn't pay any attention to it and continued to unleash their unparalleled martial arts against each other.
Rumble!
The river was carved away whenever Heavenly Drive and the Red Dragon Axe clashed against each other. In the end, Raon and Roman were having their extreme battle at the riverbed before they knew it.
The surging water ascended with the storm of aura, creating an even thicker rain cloud in the sky.
"This feels like a dream!" Roman laughed like a madman, showing how much fun he was having. "I can make all of these axe strikes a reality when I could only think of them before!"
He swung the Red Dragon Axe to the right and a red aurora erupted along the river's horizon. Profound principles were added to its destructive power. He almost looked like a swordsman who'd been training his swordsmanship for his entire life instead of a pirate.
"Same goes for me." Raon nodded, watching Roman's astral sphere rushing toward him. "I feel like I can achieve anything."
The stronger Roman became, the more powerful Raon was getting in return. It felt like the sword techniques that he couldn't imitate in his mental world were being melted into his hands.
Wham!
Raon stomped the ground heavily and extended Heavenly Drive. The blue sky dwelling at the tip of his blade blocked the improved Flame of Madness Axe Strike.
Whaaam!
The sword and axe clashed once again, and the dark red lightning erupting from it engulfed the surroundings. The water evaporated from the river, and a thick fog rose into the air.
Raon narrowed his eyes, watching the graceful descent of the Red Dragon Axe.
'We're being influenced.'
He had learned the destructive power from Roman's axe strikes, and Roman could add the profound principles of Raon's sword to his own attacks. They were even learning their opponent's martial arts instead of just improving their own. It was a battle suitable to sworn enemies.
Raon and Roman swung Heavenly Drive and the Red Dragon Axe toward their own reflections in each other's eyes.
Claaang!
* * *
"What's even happening...?" Hellgrum, the South-North Union's vice leader, stood up with trembling hands. The chair that he'd been sitting on crumbled into pieces like dry firewood. "How could a person like that even exist...?"
It was clear that Roman could easily win the battle. A single serious swing from Roman should've been enough to sever all of the limbs from the young monster, sinking him into the river.
However, Raon Zieghart became stronger and stronger, as if he were being enlightened during the fight, and had reached the same realm as Roman already. According to common sense, that should have been impossible.
'This can't be happening.'
He had witnessed countless warriors since before the foundation of the Six Kings and the Five Demons.
Glenn Zieghart, the Holy Sword Alliance Master, the Black Tower's master, Derus Robert, and the God of War Karuta, who had gone into seclusion. He had encountered those warriors with unmatched talents, but none of them had Raon Zieghart's talent.
'Young monster' wasn't even enough to describe him anymore. He could guess that Roman would be defeated immediately the moment he started to lose in the slightest. He was truly an evolving monster.
Hellgrum's lips trembled intensely, as he watched Raon's bloody fight.
'He's dangerous.'
The South-North Union's honor wasn't even the issue if Roman was defeated. The fact that a person like him was in the Six Kings, and under Glenn Zieghart on top of that, was a frightening realization.
"I'm jealous of them for having such a sworn enemy. They are both growing stronger endlessly." Beorn weakly bit his lip, looking into the storming aura. "So what he said was true..." He narrowed his eyes, fixating his gaze on Raon.
"Beorn."
It was when Hellgrum was gesturing with his hand at Beorn to come closer that he heard it.
"What was it you said earlier?" Rimmer, standing at the edge of the riverside, raised his chin sharply while calling Hellgrum's name. "You told us that we didn't want to admit his defeat, didn't you? It's nothing about admitting. This is what you call trust." He deeply curled his lips into a smile, sneering at Hellgrum.
"That's true." Sheryl calmly nodded. "Because we never once thought that Raon might lose the fight." She smiled faintly, looking back at the Light Wind Division, who were simply watching whether Raon was losing or winning.
'This is real trust.'
The Zieghart swordsmen, including herself, had witnessed Raon overcoming countless difficulties. Since their trust had accumulated over a long time, they were able to believe in Raon and watch the battle.
"On the other hand, you don't seem to trust him." Sheryl snorted, shifting her gaze towards Hellgrum.
"Shut your mouth!" Hellgrum shouted at Sheryl and Rimmer, then created an aura barrier. He blocked the sound from escaping and furrowed his brow toward Beorn and the party bosses. "Prepare to act at any moment."
"What?"
"Wh-what do you mean...?"
"Vice leader, the battle isn't over yet. There's no way the Axe King would lose, and..."
The party bosses refuted his words with trembling lips, showing that they still wanted to believe in Roman.
"That doesn't even matter right now." Hellgrum ground his teeth violently while looking at Raon. "That thing is a monster—and he isn't just a monster right now, he will be even more frightening in the future. We can never let him live."
He clenched his fist to the point of bleeding, showing how important it was to get rid of Raon.
"..."
Beorn's red eyes fell quiet as he listened to Hellgrum.
Spark!
Raon smiled deeply as he pushed the Red Dragon Axe back with Heavenly Drive.
This was fun. He was growing stronger as the sword and axe clashed against each other, and he even wished that the moment would last forever.
However, the fantastic moment was coming to an end. Both Roman and himself were severely injured internally and externally, to the point where they could collapse at any moment. The sweetness of growth came to a halt, and the bitterness of pain was growing. He didn't have much time left where he would be able to keep fighting at full strength.
Whaaam!
Raon and Roman caused a powerful shockwave and took five steps back each from each other. A deep crater was made in the river whenever they took a step back.
"I want to fight you forever, but this must be the end." Roman shook his head, with a lighthearted smile on his face. He rubbed the wound on his stomach, black blood gushing out from his mouth.
"Let's finish this battle." Raon spat out the black-red blood and scorched the wound on his shoulder with the heat. It further intensified the pain, but being able to fight was more important.
"You're a battle maniac, just like me." Roman laughed happily and supported the Red Dragon Axe on his shoulder. "I'm going to offer all the martial arts that I've been accumulating for my entire life in this single move. It's the Frenzied Soul Art. That is the axe swing that is about to take your life."
He twisted his waist backward, as if he didn't even care about a trivial matter like his injury, and lifted the Red Dragon Axe overhead.
Whiiir!
The energy from heaven and earth gathered towards the Red Dragon Axe's blade. The profound energy of the enlightened seeker of truth was dwelling inside the destructive wave of energy engulfing the river.
It was a perfect martial art, with a beautiful balance between strength, skill, and the mental world.
Rumble!
The moment he swung the Red Dragon Axe downward, a crimson flame blazed from the axe's blade. The red flame was endlessly soaring into the air, in a world that looked like the flow of time itself had come to a halt within it. It almost felt like everything in sight was being erased by the Red Dragon Axe's flame.
Crack!
The rain clouds filling the sky were cleaved apart, and the setting sun was revealed. The golden evening glow was reflected in Roman's worldly eyes.
Clench!
Raon raised Heavenly Drive, gripping it with both hands. He closed his eyes and summoned his renovated Sword Field.
'I need to take another step forward.'
The enlightenment he'd gained from bringing his mental world into reality had further deepened from the intense battle against Roman. He could incorporate a bit more into the move.
"Sword Field Creation."
He added the blue sky onto the sword art that had just sprouted. It was the Azure Sky. Heavenly Drive's radiance further intensified. Its color wasn't the evening glow of the setting sun but the majestic golden light of the twilight.
The moment the Frenzied Soul Art and the new Sword Field clashed against each other, the light disappeared and the sound was removed.
The clash between martial arts was the only thing that existed. The ultimate culmination of the martial arts that they'd built up over time was being painted using the sword and axe as the brushes.
Whaaam!
The majestic explosion occurred a moment later, engulfing the entire sky and the land. The mysterious light shining down from the sky made it feel like the setting sun was rising again.
Whir!
The storming aura surrounding Raon and Roman subsided, revealing them to everyone.
Pssh!
Raon fell to his knees, coughing black blood from his mouth, which seemed to have the pieces of his organs mixed inside. A long cut was made on his waist, enough to tear him apart.
On the other hand, Roman was showing an unwavering stance on two feet. He looked like he wasn't injured in the slightest.
"Woaaaah!"
"Sir Roman!'
"We believed in you!"
The South-North Union's party bosses put their hands up and shouted Roman's name.
"Raon!"
"What are you doing?! Stand back up right now!"
"I'm going to kill you if you die here!"
The Light Wind Division's swordsmen yelled at Raon to stand up.
"The last." Roman looked down upon Raon, quietly letting out a breath. "What's the name of your last move?"
"...It doesn't have one." Raon shook his head, coughing up blood once again. "I haven't decided yet." Since the Sword Field was finally completed during the battle, it didn't have a name yet.
"I've witnessed the evening glow countless times during the last year that I've spent in the Rable River. What I incorporated into the Red Dragon Axe was the golden light of the last struggle against death. That's why it's named the Frenzied Soul Strike."
Roman smiled faintly, looking at the cracked Red Dragon Axe. "I've seen a similar color from your sword. It had a strong golden glow just like mine, but it was different in nature."
He shifted his gaze and met Raon's red eyes.
"Your light wasn't the evening glow that was afraid of night but the morning glow lifting the sun into the sky. Even though they both had a golden hue, yours was filled with liveliness, unlike mine."
Raon nodded. After all, he had incorporated the twilight that he'd seen that day, just like Roman was saying.
"Moreover, it was as dazzling as the moment of genesis, when this world came to exist." Red blood started to seep into Roman's black coat.
"How about naming your Sword Field 'Genesis'?"
"Genesis..."
Raon looked up to the sky. The rain clouds had completely dissipated, and the golden evening glow was the only thing that filled the sky.
Raon nodded, watching that noble color.
"I'll do that."
Raon nodded while thanking him.
"And...!" Roman tried to say something but started to cough up black blood. His face turned pale, as white as paper.
"S-Sir Roman!"
"Oh, damn it!"
"Get out there right now!"
The South-North Union's vice leader pointed with his hand, and the party bosses jumped onto the river.
Whaaam!
When Zieghart's swordsmen, who'd been staying alert, started to move, Roman slammed the river with the Red Dragon Axe.
A blue wave blocked their path with a huge shockwave.
"Stop."
Roman twisted his lips into a smile while looking at the South-North Union's vice leader and the party bosses behind the descending wave.
"I was born as a man and lived as a warrior. Since I managed to fight an opponent that I wanted to on a battlefield that I wished for, I have no regrets!"
His fiery gaze looked like he was going to swing the Red Dragon Axe at them the moment they made a move.
"Don't humiliate me, the Axe King Roman!"
Roman let out a bloody roar, announcing that he wouldn't forgive anyone for interfering with the fight. Even the South-North Union's vice leader was unable to move because of his frightening pressure.
"The brat from three years ago who had nothing but arrogance going for him is no longer here." Roman smiled wholeheartedly while looking at Raon once again.
"You won, Raon Zieghart."
The moment he proudly declared his defeat, the Red Dragon Axe shattered into dozens of pieces and sank into the river.
The Axe King Roman collapsed alongside the subsiding glow of twilight.
