"No."
Larian raised her arm to block Raon and Evelyn.
"I know you've reached Transcendence, but you can't do this alone."
She shook her head, insisting that Evelyn could never defeat The Fallen by herself.
"No, it's not just difficult—it's impossible. The Fallen is still hiding his true power."
Larian waved her hand as if telling them to step back.
"I'll handle The Fallen myself. You take care of the others."
She declared she would kill The Fallen personally, drawing four daggers into her grasp.
"Let's just leave them be."
The Fallen smirked as he restored his torn palm to its original state.
"It seems they're eager to die."
He exuded a chilling killing intent, seemingly angered by Evelyn's awakening.
"I told you he's not in his right mind."
Evelyn let out a hollow laugh as she looked at The Fallen.
"He's spewing killing intent without even thinking about what he's done."
She twirled her finger up and down, telling him to come to his senses.
"Why is this scumbag, who thoroughly exploited my soul and infamy, getting angry?"
The cross etched in Evelyn's eyes glowed an even deeper red, reflecting her genuine anger.
"Soul and infamy?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Evelyn.
"What do you mean by that?"
He couldn't understand what she was saying, as the last scene he had witnessed was The Fallen extracting something from Evelyn's corpse.
-Has that mask-wearer committed another atrocity?
Wrath scoffed, remarking that The Fallen was indeed a busy fellow.
"I saw the memories after that through The Fallen's remnant consciousness in my mask."
Evelyn let out a brief sigh as she looked at the shattered old woman's mask.
"He wanted to devour the entire Lothair Kingdom to make it his own power base, but thanks to me destroying it, he lost all that foundation. So..."
She looked up at The Fallen with eyes full of disgust.
"He used my infamy and soul to subjugate other kingdoms. It wasn't difficult since my uncle and the monsters were still around."
Evelyn bit her lip, explaining that he had endlessly built up the infamy of Merlin using Loktar and the monsters, who had little time left to live.
"After that, he deliberately pretended to retreat and absorbed the power and wealth of the fallen kingdoms. He's got a clever head on his shoulders."
She nodded, saying that's why the infamy of Merlin has persisted until now.
"Indeed..."
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he looked at The Fallen, who remained silent.
"The Loktar I saw in your memories and the one I met inside the helmet were slightly... no, very different."
The Loktar in Evelyn's memories felt more like a kind uncle than a knight, while the one he encountered in the helmet exuded a cold, bloodthirsty aura of a knight. He had wondered about this difference, and now it seemed it was all due to The Fallen's plan.
"I suppose some of my personal feelings seeped into the mask when I created it."
The Fallen clicked his tongue briefly as he looked at the broken mask, as if he hadn't expected so much to be revealed. To act so brazenly after committing acts that even the worst of humanity wouldn't do—he truly wasn't a normal person.
"Lady Larian."
Raon looked at Larian, who stood in front of The Fallen.
"I'm sorry, but I'd like you to step aside for this fight."
He bowed his head, asking for this one favor.
"Favor or not, it's impossible, I tell you."
Larian waved her hand, saying that although she understood there was a backstory, Evelyn couldn't win alone.
"I'll fight alongside her."
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword as he stood beside 'Merlin'.
"Really? I love you!"
Evelyn clapped her hands loudly, saying they would definitely win if they fought together. Seeing her smile brightly and profess her love even in this situation, she did seem to be the real Merlin.
-She's still a madwoman, I see...
Wrath also shook his head, remarking that Merlin hadn't changed at all.
"Don't worry too much."
Evelyn waved her hand lightly at Larian.
"I've caught this trash once before, you know."
She smiled brightly, saying they could win.
"Haah..."
Larian let out a low sigh as she looked from Evelyn to Raon.
"I'll step in immediately if it gets dangerous."
She nodded, saying she'd give them just one chance.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed, expressing his gratitude to Larian.
"Let's go!"
Evelyn, seemingly pleased, slapped her own shoulder and rose into the air.
"Please rest for a bit."
Raon smiled at Mark Goetun, who was blinking in confusion, before rising to join Merlin.
"Huu..."
The Fallen let out an exasperated breath.
"You're overconfident just because you've reached Transcendence. I'm not the Sage you knew back then."
He gripped the young man's mask with his long hand, his eyes flashing a chilling light.
"I've changed too. Because I've learned what a madman you are."
Evelyn tilted her chin as if to say 'let's begin'.
"Raon, just focus on cutting off his head."
She spread her hands, forming a faint smile.
"I'll take care of the rest."
Evelyn took a deep breath, saying she would handle both defense and suppression.
"Alright."
Raon nodded calmly.
'I somehow defeated the Black Tower Master, so there's no reason I can't kill The Fallen.'
Although he was quite drained from using the Sword Domain, he could still fight sufficiently.
"Very well."
The Fallen stroked his smooth chin with a thin smile.
"I'll kill both of you. No, everyone here."
He raised light and darkness above his hands, saying he'd end it in one breath. Unlike before, the two energies didn't spread out hazily but started rotating in a circular form.
'That's...'
Raon frowned as he looked at the light and darkness condensed above The Fallen's hands.
'An orb?'
Orbs were one of the magicians' methods of densely condensing mana to use more powerful magic more quickly.
"Hmph."
As Raon tensed at The Fallen's immense magical power, Evelyn snorted. With a snap of her fingers, the orbs of light and darkness The Fallen had created simultaneously stopped rotating. The orbs, with their mana flow halted, rippled like boiling water before exploding in an instant.
"Hmm!"
The Fallen frowned as he looked at his hand where the orb had exploded. Though he didn't suffer a torn hand this time, having experienced it once before, he seemed genuinely surprised.
"You don't know how much I've studied you, do you?"
Evelyn tilted her chin at The Fallen's sunken eyes.
"I kept thinking about it even when I had lost my memories. How to break your magic, how to destroy your spells."
She curled her lips, saying she had studied all of The Fallen's magic and spells.
"You wouldn't have had any ill will towards me at that time, would you?"
The Fallen frowned as he shook off the impurities flowing through his hand.
"At first, it was curiosity..."
Evelyn slowly turned her gaze to look at Raon standing beside her.
"After I was drawn to Raon, it was to show him your weaknesses so he could kill you."
She shrugged, saying she had studied The Fallen because of Raon.
"Back then, my abilities were lacking, so I could only be defeated even knowing..."
As Evelyn moved her mana-infused fingertips, the light The Fallen was preparing behind his back melted away uselessly.
"But now, with the ring Raon made for me, I can do anything."
She laughed confidently, saying she had no doubt about winning.
"You must have been under brainwashing."
"I broke it. No, it was broken."
Evelyn leaned on Raon's shoulder and let out a low breath.
"True love is powerful, you know."
She sneered, saying a monster who even manipulates time wouldn't understand.
-Yeah, she's definitely crazy.
Wrath shook his head, confirming she was the original Merlin.
"Haah..."
Raon let out a deep sigh, covering his face with the Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword.
"Well, fine."
The Fallen shook his head calmly.
"I'll kill you again and then scrape your soul to the bottom to use it."
He summoned countless weapons of light and darkness above his hands, his voice chilling.
"Let's see the end of our long, bitter relationship today."
The Fallen shot out the weapons made of light and darkness before Evelyn could even manipulate her magic. Swords, knives, spears, arrows, daggers, axes, and even hammers—unlike simple magic, the weapons showed different movements as they rushed towards him and Evelyn.
'I'll defend first.'
As he was about to defend and then counterattack, he felt Evelyn's mana behind him. Evelyn's pure mana spread out like a net, completely enveloping and erasing all of The Fallen's incoming weapons.
"I told you. I'll handle the back."
She extended her finger as if to say 'go on'.
"Right."
Trusting in Merlin's confidence, Raon advanced towards The Fallen and swung down the Heavenly Drive.
"Hmm."
As The Fallen raised a shield of darkness in his right hand to defend, Merlin once again inserted her mana into that wavelength.
"This is!"
Raon didn't miss the chance when The Fallen's reaction slowed, extending the Crimson Slash to its limit and slicing The Fallen's arm. However, The Fallen, befitting a Transcendent, reacted in that moment, resulting in only his hand being cut instead of his arm.
"You'd better prepare thoroughly."
Evelyn tilted her sharp gaze towards The Fallen, who had furrowed his brow.
"Today is the day your soul gets thrown into the gutter."
***
"Ha, did she interpret The Fallen's magic in that split second?"
As Larian let out a breath while observing Evelyn's technique, the Soul Devourer moved. He disappeared into thin air like a ghost inheriting Wraith's power, then appeared behind Larian and swung down his black scythe. It was a strike of annihilation that could absorb both human souls and mana.
Larian easily blocked the black scythe with just four daggers, without even looking at the Soul Devourer.
"I'll play with you in a bit. Wait."
"Mage Tower Master Larian..."
As the Soul Devourer called Larian's name, a pitch-black energy rose from the scythe he was holding.
"It would be better not to underestimate me."
As black energy flared from the Soul Devourer's scythe, Larian's daggers began to tremble as if losing power.
"That scythe."
Larian furrowed her brow as she looked at the black scythe pushing back her daggers.
"It's no ordinary item."
A scythe that even absorbed the mana and magic imbued in the daggers—it wasn't something that could be made through normal means.
"You say you know all the magic in the world, but it's meaningless. No magic works on me."
The Soul Devourer tilted his chin arrogantly.
"I am the natural enemy of all magicians."
He sneered, saying no magician could defeat him.
"How many people's blood have you sucked so far?"
Larian asked, completely ignoring the Soul Devourer's words.
"What...?"
"That's not how you conduct experiments."
As she snorted, her other daggers rose to block the black scythe's offensive. But once again, the Soul Devourer's scythe absorbed Larian's mana and magic, spreading an even greater darkness.
"Pointless..."
Just as the Soul Devourer was about to sneer again, a large hole opened in his shoulder as if hit by an arrow.
"Wh-what..."
As the Soul Devourer reached for his shoulder in shock, this time a hole appeared in his right thigh.
"Keuuk..."
He trembled as he looked at the bleeding wounds.
"You don't know your place."
Larian smirked as she raised a new dagger imbued with lightning and wind.
"Natural enemy? Magicians have no natural enemies. We can break anything through research."
As she moved her fingertips holding the dagger, a long hole opened in the Soul Devourer's abdomen.
"Th-this is..."
The Soul Devourer nodded as if he finally understood.
"You used wind and lightning for speed!"
"That's right."
Larian nodded, her blue eyes flashing.
"That black energy doesn't cover your entire body. I just need to pierce through before you can react."
As she shrugged, saying it was a very simple method, the Soul Devourer's arm was violently torn off.
"Aaaaargh!"
The Soul Devourer bent over, clutching his severed arm.
"Know your place."
Larian tilted her chin at the Soul Devourer who was bent over in pain.
"I am the Mage Tower Master of the Five Kings."
"Huk..."
The Soul Devourer's eyes trembled at that immense pressure. Just as Larian was about to crush the Soul Devourer's head with a dagger imbued with subtle mana, The Fallen spread both his wings of light and darkness with a tremendous roar.
'From now on...'
Larian lowered her fine eyebrows as she watched the ominously flowing mana.
'The real battle begins.'
***
'This is much bigger...'
Raon frowned as he looked at The Fallen, who seemed truly enraged. A vortex of light and darkness rose around The Fallen. It was a force that could swallow not just the mountain beneath them, but the entire region, causing sweat to form on his hand gripping the sword.
'Evelyn can't block this alone.'
The vortex of light and darkness The Fallen had raised contained immense mana and complex techniques. No matter how much Evelyn had studied The Fallen's power and reached Transcendence, it wasn't a force she could handle alone. As Raon prepared the Fire Wall and Dance of the Golden Flame, turning the Heavenly Drive behind him, Evelyn called out to him in a gentle voice.
"Move forward."
She told him to prepare for attack, not defense.
"Trust me and move forward."
She nodded, asking him to believe in her.
"You really don't know your limits."
The Fallen twisted his lips, seemingly offended by Evelyn's words.
"Let me erase you all."
As he raised his fingertips, the storm of light and darkness swelled even larger, engulfing the entire mountain. The trees, undergrowth, and rocks crumbled to dust, and the mountain itself began to be shaved away. This was beyond human capability. It was absolute magic befitting the name of a Transcendent.
-Why don't you try it anyway?
Wrath tilted his chin towards Evelyn.
-Believe in her this time.
'That's unexpected.'
Raon smiled as he looked at Wrath.
-What is?
'Before, you would have said she's a crazy woman and to never trust her.'
-Th-that's...
Wrath also seemed to realize his own change, letting out a gasp.
'Anyway, you're a good guy too.'
Raon smiled and looked forward again. He curled his lips as he watched the massive vortex of light and darkness approaching, devouring the mountain.
'Right. I should trust her this time.'
Abandoning defense, he kicked off the tearing air. He charged towards the vortex—no, towards The Fallen who would be behind it—wrapping extreme aura around his two swords. Even as the vortex's waves stung his skin, he didn't retreat.
'Once I've decided to trust, I'll go all the way.'
That Evelyn had asked him to trust her. Remembering her life, it must have been difficult for her to say such words, so he resolved to die here if necessary, focusing solely on attack. The vortex of light touched his hair, and the vortex of darkness tore at his uniform sleeves.
Just as the light and darkness were about to melt not just his skin but his bones and muscles, Evelyn's faintly glowing mana descended before his eyes.
The vortex of light and darkness stopped as if frozen. The absolute magic The Fallen had raised began to scatter like fine smoke before Evelyn's technique. She erased The Fallen's ultimate technique without a trace, just as she had promised to trust her.
The moment the vortex disappeared, Raon stepped on the Supreme Harmony Step with extreme force and advanced towards The Fallen.
"Crazy..."
The Fallen tried to prepare a defense urgently, but Raon's sword was already within his range. Raon Zieghart's sword style, Silver Sword Dream, and the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's Flame and Ice Unification. The red waves of Flame and Ice Unification pierced The Fallen's heart, and the hazy slash of Silver Sword Dream cut his neck.