"Urgh..."
Despite having his neck severed by the Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword, and his heart burst, The Fallen groaned and moved his golden eyes. He was not just refusing to die, but was attempting to reattach his severed head and neck, and reconstruct the shattered pieces of his heart to return to his original form.
"Insane..."
Raon exhaled sharply as he watched The Fallen begin his ultra-regeneration.
'He's regenerating even in this state?'
-He's more tenacious than a troll. Reminds me of the Parmas tribe.
Wrath grimaced in disgust.
'I need to finish this for good.'
Just as Raon was about to split The Fallen's head with the Heavenly Drive imbued with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's fire, his body was pushed back. Even in this state, the bastard was trying to repel him using transcendent willpower.
"You worm!"
Evelyn narrowed her brows in disgust as she formed a magic circle with her mana-infused hands.
"No, worms are cuter than you!"
As she finished chanting her spell, The Fallen's recovering neck and heart hardened like plaster.
"Mer-Merlin..."
"Just die already."
As Evelyn extended her finger concentrated with mana, The Fallen's regenerating body seemed to lose strength and began to fall to the ground.
"Explode."
Not satisfied with merely stopping The Fallen's regeneration, Evelyn unleashed a barrage of high-level fire magic. Massive fireballs like meteors rained down, setting The Fallen's head and body ablaze. However, he used magic and spells to defend himself, preventing his body from being completely destroyed.
"Raon!"
"I know!"
Before Evelyn even finished calling him, Raon had already advanced towards The Fallen, swinging the Heavenly Drive. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Flame Dragon Strike. A fire dragon emerged from the tip of the silver blade, devouring The Fallen's head and body, which were covered in magic and spells. The magic and spells trapped in the fire dragon's maw were torn to shreds.
Evelyn, as if she had been waiting for this moment, once again employed high-level magic to completely shatter The Fallen's exposed body. The Flame Dragon Strike and Evelyn's magic ultimately incinerated The Fallen's body without leaving a single speck of dust.
Looking at the ground that had exploded into darkness like an abyss, it seemed as if not only his body but also his soul had been reduced to ashes.
"Haa..."
Evelyn collapsed on the spot without even wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
"Disgustingly persistent."
She bowed her head, saying it was finally over.
"Are you alright?"
Raon approached Evelyn as he sheathed the Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword.
"Are you worried about me? I'm so happy!"
Evelyn smiled brightly, saying she was glad to receive his concern.
"Ugh..."
Raon frowned as he looked at Evelyn. Hearing that strange tone, it felt like Merlin had finally returned.
-She's indeed crazy. Pitiful, but still crazy.
Wrath shook his head, saying that even though he had seen Evelyn's past, he couldn't excuse her madness.
'That's true.'
Just as Raon nodded with a smirk, it happened.
"Ah..."
Merlin let out a dull groan and collapsed, tilting to the right.
"Evelyn!"
Raon rushed to Evelyn and caught her.
"I-I guess I overdid it a bit."
Evelyn wiped the blood from her mouth and smiled faintly.
"To be honest, interpreting magic circles isn't easy."
She shook her head, saying that The Fallen's magic circles were extremely complex and confusing, requiring a lot of mental effort.
"If I hadn't awakened and been able to read the flow of light and dark magic, it would have been dangerous."
Evelyn let out a long sigh, saying she was barely able to read The Fallen's magic thanks to her transcendence.
"I'm sure it was."
Raon nodded as he wiped the sweat from Evelyn's forehead.
'It must have been exhausting to the point of death.'
Even though Evelyn had awakened and become stronger, she was no match for The Fallen. She was outmatched in magic, mana, and experience in every aspect. But she had overcome those disadvantages to interpret and break through The Fallen's magic, so her mind must now be burning as if on fire.
"Ha..."
Larian looked down at Raon and Evelyn with a hollow laugh.
"Did you really get him?"
She shook her head in disbelief. However, as if not fully believing in The Fallen's death, she darted her eyes around.
"Just rest for a moment."
Raon waved his hand at Evelyn before standing up.
"We need to deal with the remaining ones."
He drew the Heavenly Drive again as he looked at the Ghosts of Eden that The Fallen had brought.
'It shouldn't be too difficult.'
Among Eden's executives, there were Grandmasters and Masters, but they weren't much of a threat to his current self. The masked ghost that seemed to be a Transcendent was being easily blocked by Larian, so it looked like he could quickly clean things up.
"I'll be back soon..."
“Leave the cleanup to that old lady.”
Evelyn grabbed the edge of Raon's sleeve with her fingertips.
"Carry me on your back."
She pouted her lips, saying she couldn't get up.
"Huh?"
Raon blinked blankly at Evelyn, who was hunching her shoulders.
"I said, carry me. I can't get up."
Evelyn stretched out her arms, urging him to carry her quickly.
"Stop talking nonsense! Clean up those things before they escape! And..."
Larian frowned as she thrust a dagger between Raon and Evelyn.
“I’m not old!”
She bared her white teeth at Evelyn.
"Haa..."
Raon shook his head with a sigh.
"I'll carry you if you still can't get up after we're done cleaning up."
After telling her to wait with Mark Goetun, he stood before the Ghosts of Eden.
"We don't have much time, so let's end this quickly."
Raon raised trees of flame and frost over the Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword. Fire Spirits of two attributes. Countless petals of heat and cold bloomed and spread towards the Ghosts of Eden.
The Ghosts of Eden tried to counterattack or flee, but the Fire Spirits, which had reached the realm of transcendence, imbued each tiny petal with supreme power, either burning or completely freezing them.
"Insane..."
"He-He's not just a simple Transcendent."
"To think we can't even escape..."
Faced with the terrifying power of the dual Fire Spirits, Eden's executives could only swallow dry saliva and retreat.
"He's quite impressive indeed."
Larian licked her lips, muttering that she really wanted to research him.
"Urgh..."
The Soul Devourer regenerated its punctured body as soon as it separated from Larian.
"Is regeneration a basic skill for Eden's people?"
Larian nodded slightly with a smirk.
"Well, they're no different from chimeras that mix this and that."
She was about to extend her dagger, saying they weren't even worth researching, when she suddenly turned her head.
"Raon!"
Larian shouted, looking behind Evelyn. Raon heard Larian's cry and looked not at her, but at Evelyn.
Behind Evelyn, who was massaging her legs as if tired, The Fallen rose from her shadow, wearing a gray robe. He flashed his golden eyes, looking as if he had turned back time, without a single wound.
Raon moved his body before he could even think. He blocked The Fallen's hand, which was trying to pierce Evelyn's neck, using the extreme Supreme Harmony Step.
Thanks to Larian's dagger that had been stuck in the ground helping, he managed to stop The Fallen from tearing out Evelyn's neck, but because he was too hasty and couldn't use his full strength, his right arm felt like it was about to break from the pain.
It seemed that the internal muscles and blood vessels had ruptured.
"Urgh..."
Raon embraced the startled Merlin and sent her back before standing in front of The Fallen.
"You..."
He bit his lip as he looked at The Fallen, who was standing calmly as if nothing had happened.
"What exactly are you?"
Honestly, he couldn't understand the situation itself, that he wouldn't die even when his neck and heart were burst simultaneously.
"It seems..."
Evelyn exhaled heavily as she slowly got up.
"He's created a new method of resurrection?"
She lowered her fine eyebrows, saying the method was different from before.
'This isn't good.'
He and Evelyn had expended considerable stamina and mana to catch The Fallen. They hadn't even thought about resurrection, but now that he had come back to life immediately, it seemed there was no answer.
"It's okay."
Larian snorted as she looked down at The Fallen.
"Time reversal isn't a spell even he can use continuously. Your attacks definitely worked."
She nodded, saying that The Fallen also seemed tired.
"If you can't fight, you can step aside. I'll finish this."
Larian flicked her finger while pressuring the Soul Devourer with five daggers.
"Thank you for the offer, but..."
Raon shook his head as he looked at The Fallen.
"I, no, we will finish this."
He wanted Evelyn to achieve her revenge with her own hands, so he refused and tightened his grip on the sword.
"Can you do it?"
He asked Evelyn without even turning around.
"Of course!"
Evelyn drew a refreshing smile as she dusted off her hands.
"I was actually disappointed it ended too quickly."
She resonated ten magic circles, endlessly receiving mana from nature.
"Huu..."
The Fallen exhaled coldly as he looked down at Raon and Evelyn.
"It seems I underestimated you too much."
He clicked his tongue briefly as he looked up at Larian. It seemed he had intended to deal with them quickly and face Larian.
"From now on, I will face you seriously."
The Fallen joined his hands, extending only his thumbs, index fingers, and pinkies. At the tips of his joined fingers, an ominous magic circle bloomed. The middle of the mountain, which had been devastatingly carved out, shook as if it would collapse, and behind The Fallen, a massive sun and moon rose.
The sun was a bright white, and the moon was dyed a pitch black.
'This is...'
Raon swallowed dry saliva as he looked at the sun and moon The Fallen had summoned.
'What I saw when fighting Grandfather...'
This was the sun and moon that The Fallen had unleashed as his full power when Glenn came to rescue him. It seemed he was truly trying to kill him and Evelyn now. The sun and moon began to overlap like mirrors following the tips of The Fallen's fingers.
The sun of light and the moon of darkness merged into a single sphere, creating intense lightning.
The light was an empty gray, and it created an absolute current that sucked in everything around it like a black hole. The sky split into a spider web pattern, lava erupted from the cracked earth, and the mountain crumbled.
The Fallen's absolute aura had completely dominated this space. No, this entire region.
'This...'
Raon swallowed dry saliva as he watched the vast gray sphere slowly approaching.
'I can't block it.'
This was not a level of magic he could block with his current power. The moment he brought his sword against it, he too would be erased from this world.
"It's okay."
Evelyn approached from behind and lightly touched his arm with her elbow.
"I'll try to create an opening."
She blinked her eyes incessantly as if reading the flow of The Fallen's mana.
"There must be one."
Black blood poured from Evelyn's nose. It seemed internal bleeding had occurred due to excessive use of her brain. But she focused all her attention on The Fallen's magic, not even caring that blood was flowing not just from her nose, but from her eyes and ears as well.
'Right.'
Raon turned his gaze back to The Fallen.
'I have to fight to the end too.'
If Evelyn wasn't backing down, he shouldn't retreat either. Even if he died before this void light, he had to struggle to the very end. He resonated nine rings of fire, drawing out all the auras of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.
Intense heat and cold rose over the two blades, giving him confidence as if he were holding the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword again.
"Upper right..."
Evelyn raised her trembling hand, pointing to the upper part of the gray sphere that had now grown larger than a mountain.
"Break through there. I'll create a path for you."
She gently patted his shoulder as if telling him to go now.
"Alright."
Without even saying he trusted her, Raon kicked off the ground that was crumbling to dust and advanced towards the gray sphere.
'Just looking at it takes my breath away.'
It was an immense wave, even more tremendous than the vortex he had faced earlier. Just approaching it felt like his soul was melting.
'But I have no choice but to go.'
Although it was no different from trying to break a rock with an egg, he simply moved forward, trusting Evelyn. The sphere containing the power of the void approached right before his eyes. Even just looking at the rippling gray light made it feel like his heart would burst, but he didn't stop his steps.
Just as he was about to swing his sword at the void sphere that seemed absolutely unbreakable, he felt Evelyn's warm mana stretching out.
"Now!"
With Evelyn's shout, a red mark appeared on the upper right of the gray sphere, creating a thin crack. Raon didn't miss the moment the gray sphere cracked and moved the Blade of Requiem he had already raised. The Blade of Requiem, which had risen with the principle of Sword Control, extended sharply, wrapped in wind and lightning.
'This won't be enough.'
Even though Evelyn had created a crack, it seemed that the current Blade of Requiem wouldn't be able to penetrate that gray sphere.
'This is a gamble.'
Raon bit his lip and opened his mental world, manifesting all the sword techniques he had seen and learned in this world. Sword Domain. Heaven's Rift. The golden sword strike containing the wrath of the heavens collided with the gray void.
Although it was an absolute sword strike that could be called the ultimate technique of a swordsman, the gray void didn't waver, as if erasing everything.
However, the crack in the upper right created by Evelyn's mana couldn't withstand the power of Heaven's Rift and crumbled, opening a small hole.
'Now!'
Raon entered through the hole opened in the upper right and charged towards The Fallen behind it.
"You crazy bastard!"
The Fallen, seemingly forgetting his usual polite speech, quickly turned his right hand to draw out the power of the void.
'I've read it.'
Reading the power of the void that The Fallen had raised, Raon swung the Heavenly Drive along the opposite grain. The golden flames cut through the wall of void raised by The Fallen and fiercely tore his chest apart.
"Cough!"
The Fallen grabbed his torn chest and stepped back.
"It's not over yet."
Raon followed the retreating The Fallen and slashed his neck with the Wooden Ring Sword. The blade, imbued with the cold energy of Wrath's ultimate technique Silver Aurora, froze The Fallen's head stark white.
"Urgh..."
Raon wanted to completely destroy The Fallen's body, but after using Sword Domain and consecutive all-out sword strikes, his body wouldn't move.
"I'll take it from here."
Evelyn clasped her hands together as she floated in the air. Behind her, numerous magic circles were drawn, forming a shape like butterfly wings.
"Disappear!"
With Evelyn's shout imbued with her will, countless spells rained down on The Fallen's severed body. Before the furious magic that could even erase the power of the void, The Fallen couldn't leave behind even a single spell and crumbled to dust.
After erasing even the last ridge of the mountain, Evelyn fell as if she had used up all her strength.
"Evelyn!"
Raon forcibly put strength into his trembling legs and ran to catch the falling Evelyn.
"Are you alright?"
He trembled as he looked at Evelyn, who was bleeding from her eyes, nose, and mouth.
"Finally..."
Evelyn looked at him with a faint smile.
"You're holding me!"
She nuzzled her face into his chest, saying she was glad.
"Ah..."
Raon closed his eyes tightly as he laid Evelyn on the ground.
-Huu...
Wrath shook his head.
-She really is crazy. That's all I can say.
He also seemed surprised and let out a sigh of relief as he slumped down.
"......"
Larian bit her lip deeply as she looked at Raon and Evelyn.
"Go somewhere else to flirt!"