Red Flash
A thunderous crash shook the chamber. Gelmier, unable to withstand a Flame Dragon Form that had risen to an entirely new level, was smashed into the wall.
"Hah! Hah!"
He barely managed to snuff out the Flame Dragon Form as it spread like hellfire, then gasped for breath as though he were dying.
"You—what the hell are you?! What even are you?!"
Gelmier screamed. His trembling lips laid his shock bare.
"How can you copy the Wind Slash Sword Art?!"
Raon lowered the Heavenly Sky Sword and walked toward him.
"Me? From the day I first picked up a sword until now, I have never skipped a single day of basic training."
The basics of the sword were the horizontal cut, the vertical cut, the diagonal cut, and the thrust. Most swordsmen neglected those fundamentals once they had learned a proper style. Raon had honed them every single day.
"I used to think I was fairly confident in my thrusting. Then I watched your swordsmanship, and it opened my eyes. I was genuinely impressed—that a single thrust could unfold into something so varied, so powerful. And yet…"
Raon bared his teeth, glaring at Gelmier.
"What was that filthy scrap of bladework you showed me at the end?"
In their final clash, Gelmier had produced over a hundred strands of ganggi from a single thrust and aimed them all at Raon's vital points.
It had been wondrous enough to make the mouth fall open on its own. But it had been nothing more than an empty shell.
Gelmier's true aim had been the brute-force sword art he had hidden behind the Wind Slash Sword Art—power, and nothing else.
"Your patheticness killed the mood."
It had been a chance to climb higher.
The thrust form he had been using since the tenth flower of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's Flame Dragon Form had been on the verge of evolving to the next stage—and that bastard's filthy trick had shattered the flow. Frustration boiled in his gut.
"This, I will not forgive."
A killing intent sharp enough to freeze the blood rose in Raon's crimson eyes.
"Uh…?"
Wrath tilted his head, unable to make sense of it.
"S-so what you're saying is, you're angry because the enemy didn't swing his sword the way you wanted him to?"
It was absurd. Never mind the blunder that Gel-whatever, Gel-something idiot had made—Raon was furious because his opponent hadn't used the swordsmanship he wanted. The boy was clearly insane.
"This one is a genuine lunatic!"
Wrath had lived a long time and seen a great many humans, but he had never encountered anyone this unhinged.
"How did he even turn into a monster like this?"
So upbringing really is everything, is it?
At first Wrath had taken him for a cold, composed, patient little brat. Now he was just a raving madman, no seasoning required.
It was almost certainly the combined influence of that ear-freak, that butterfingered wench, and the old Family Head—all three at once.
"Even among demons, there isn't a specimen like this…"
Wrath resolved, once again, that for the sake of the demonic race's revival he would have to drag this lunatic back to the Demon Realm.
"Sh-shut up!"
Gelmier shoved himself to his feet, pouring out a vicious killing intent.
"You think this is how I end?!"
He drove his sword forward, rage packed into the blow. The explosive energy of the Blade of Righteous Demonic Shadow surged up the slender blade.
"Pointless."
Raon stepped through the Taehwa Steps. He shot forward like a bolt of light, and the formula of the Mad Fang Sword unfurled along the edge of the Heavenly Sky Sword as he swung.
A beast's snarl, given a blade.
A savage, silver-white edge howled as it shattered Gelmier's strike in a single blow and buried itself in his waist.
"Ghhhk!"
Gelmier clutched his side and staggered back.
"Wh-what…"
His lips trembled. He could not believe that a swing that had looked so simple had broken the Blade of Righteous Demonic Shadow.
Raon kicked off the ground, giving him not even a breath of room.
"G-get away!"
Gelmier thrust in desperation. It was a Wind Slash Sword Art thrust with its piercing power and explosive force pushed to the limit—but it no longer meant anything.
Raon surged in from the left and drew the Frost Lotus. The Heavenly Sky Sword, carrying the principle of extreme swiftness, knocked the slender blade aside, and a frost-edged silver trail raced across Gelmier's upper body.
Gelmier's uniform split open. Blood fountained from his chest.
"Haaah!"
His jaw quivered as he stumbled backward. Overwhelmed in raw force, his face went deathly pale with fear.
"Th-that's impossible. How can a Low-rank Master…"
"I told you. Once a fight has started, that kind of thing doesn't matter."
Raon tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes.
"Come at me properly. Next time, your head might come off."
"Y-you'll kill me? Here? In the Heavy Martial Palace?"
"Give me one reason I shouldn't."
Gelmier had been aiming for his neck and heart from the moment the fight began. The other side had shown killing intent first. There was no reason to hold back.
Gelmier clenched the slender sword until his knuckles went white. He had drawn up enough power to injure himself from within; blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
A colossal wave of energy rolled off him, shaking the underground space as though it might collapse. Debris from the walls and ceiling drifted up into the air like flotsam.
"Never—never! It does not end here!"
Gelmier roared and kicked off the ground. He came on like a starving tiger and thrust the slender blade straight in.
A single sword-point bloomed into hundreds, swallowing the entire field of vision. It was as if a rain of ganggi were pouring from the sky.
Before, the technique had been nothing but a husk. This time it was real. A perfect thrust that left not a finger's width of space to evade seized control of the chamber.
"Too late now."
Raon's voice was ice. He took a high stance and brought the blade down, the crimson light that had risen along the sword like a stroke of ink flowing across white paper.
A flash that held the light of the sun melted the rain of ganggi and warped the space itself.
Through the torn remnants of the Wind Slash Sword Art's ultimate technique, Gelmier could be seen with his right arm sheared away. Horror and terror spilled from his twisted green eyes.
"AAAAARGH!"
A scream drowned in agony, and Gelmier's right arm dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
"Ghhhk—m-my arm…"
"That was me going easy."
Raon stepped in front of him, his gaze merciless.
"I could have killed you."
This involved the house and the direct line. The end of this affair had to be reached at the Lord's Palace. It was a shame, but he could not kill the man here.
"F-Father will not let you live! He will never—"
"What, crying to Daddy now?"
Raon looked down at Gelmier with a faint laugh.
"You're so pathetic I don't even have words. You need a few more hits."
"W-wait—"
"Shut your mouth unless you want your tongue cut out."
"L-listen to me— ghhk!"
Raon wrenched his strength to the limit and drove his fist into Gelmier's jaw.
The impact landed like a hammer on bone.
The moment Terond, 2nd Unit Leader of the Law Enforcement Division, heard that the Light Wind Squad was storming the Heavy Martial Palace to carry out an enforcement action, he dragged out every last person still left in the division.
The Light Wind Squad is in danger!
The Vanguard Squad was strong. They were not opponents the Light Wind Squad—swordsmen who had only just begun to fulfill their roles as proper blades—could face on willpower alone.
Gelmier in particular was a man whose gentle appearance hid a nature of utter coldness. Even with Raon there, the possibility of fatalities could not be dismissed.
Th-the gate is smashed…
The instant he saw the shattered main gate of the Heavy Martial Palace, his dread swelled like a balloon.
Please. Let no one be dead.
Praying there would not be a single casualty, he crossed the threshold and went inside.
"Everyone, cease combat! From this moment, the Law Enforcement Division will—"
Terond, who had been shouting to break up the fighting, stopped with his mouth hanging open.
Wh-what is this…
The fight was already over. He had expected as much, to a degree—but the result was far beyond anything he had imagined.
Why is the Light Wind Squad on its feet, and the Vanguard Squad on the ground?
The Vanguard swordsmen in green lay sprawled with their jaws hanging slack. The Light Wind Squad in black looked exhausted, but they were standing on their own two feet.
Am I dreaming?
The Vanguard Squad were veteran swordsmen who had completed countless missions under Gelmier Zieghart. That they had lost to a Light Wind Squad that had only just learned to walk was impossible to believe.
"Wh-what?"
"The Light Wind Squad won?"
"Hah…"
"Is this even possible?"
The other Law Enforcement swordsmen swallowed dryly, equally unable to accept what they were seeing.
"Hoo…"
Terond let out a long breath to collect himself and looked around.
Raon and Gelmier aren't here!
Raon and Gelmier—the leaders of the Light Wind Squad and the Vanguard Squad, and the two most important people in this entire affair—were nowhere to be seen.
If either of them died, the fallout would be catastrophic. His heart hammered against his ribs.
"Dokoe, sir!"
Terond ran to Dokoe, who had Gomon on his knees.
"Where is Raon Zieghart?"
"Down below."
Dokoe pointed at the floor. Terond sharpened his senses and caught it—faint, but there, a rhythmic booming from underneath.
"S-surely not with Gelmier Zieghart…"
"That's right. They're having a grand old time, I'd wager."
"Then why are you just sitting here?! You have to stop them!"
"Stop them? Stop who?"
"Gelmier, of course! He might kill Raon!"
"Bwahahaha!"
Dokoe clutched his forehead and burst into laughter that had no business in the situation.
"D-Dokoe, sir?"
"Gelmier, of all people, killing that monster? Didn't know a Law Enforcement unit leader had a talent for comedy."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The other way around, maybe. That will not happen."
"Hah."
Terond sighed and shook his head. It had been the same when Dokoe was with the Elder Council. The man was simply impossible to talk to.
"I will go find the two of them. Second Unit, secure this—"
"No need."
Dokoe waved a leisurely hand. He pointed at the floor again and grinned.
"They'll be out soon enough."
"This is not the time for jokes! If either of them dies, there will be hell to—"
Terond was ignoring him and starting for Hyeonjin Pavilion when it happened.
The entire Heavy Martial Palace shuddered. A massive hole burst open in the floor Dokoe had indicated, and a figure shot up from it like a fountain.
"Th-that's—!"
The Vanguard Squad Leader?
It was Gelmier. His right arm was gone, his eyes rolled back, and he was flying through the air.
Why is he up there?
The situation made so little sense that Terond's mind went blank. It felt as though rust had formed on his brain.
"Th-this isn't the time!"
He could not afford to think about that now. If Gelmier hit the ground like that, he would die on impact.
Terond was about to run to him when another figure surged from the hole in the floor and caught the falling Gelmier.
Gold hair, red eyes. Raon Zieghart—the one who had supposedly been fighting Gelmier.
"You're slow, brat."
Dokoe snorted at the sight of Raon holding Gelmier.
"My apologies."
Raon set Gelmier on the ground and smiled faintly.
"I had something to learn."
"Learn? You never fail to make my blood run cold."
Dokoe muttered that the boy was a tiresome bastard and scowled.
"Hah…"
Terond still could not process it. His mouth hung open, vacant.
What… what is going on here?
Raon and Gelmier had clearly fought. The lower-ranked Raon was unharmed. The intermediate-ranked Gelmier was unconscious, his arm cut off.
"So this is…"
The answer was simple, in truth. His mind just refused to accept it.
Raon beat Gelmier?
Is that even possible?
The higher a martial artist climbed, the more a single rank gap became the difference between heaven and earth.
Even if Raon's realm sat a little high within Low-rank Master, and Gelmier sat squarely at Intermediate, the gulf between those grades was unmistakable. He could not understand how this result had come about.
"Ah. You've come from the Law Enforcement Division."
While Terond was forcing his seized mind to turn, Raon approached first.
"T-Terond, 2nd Unit Leader of the Law Enforcement Division."
Terond straightened his posture and introduced himself.
I cannot afford any more of this disgrace.
Too many astonishing things had happened, and he had lost his composure—but it was time to return to himself. He resolved that nothing, from this moment on, would surprise him.
"I was informed that you were carrying out an enforcement action against Burren Zieghart, who had concealed himself in the Heavy Martial Palace. What is the present situation? Without a proper explanation, you may well have to answer with your neck."
Terond fixed Raon with a cold stare.
"Gelmier and the Vanguard Squad kidnapped Burren and locked him up below. They were going to brainwash him and take control of him, apparently."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The reason for the brainwashing, I'm told, was to have him kill me."
Raon smiled at his ease, as if he were discussing someone else's affairs.
"Ah…"
Terond's mouth fell open. He had sworn he would not be surprised again. That resolution lasted ten seconds.
"I-is that true?"
"You're welcome to inspect the secret chamber underneath."
Raon pointed at the hole in the floor. Terond dropped to one knee and looked down. Several layers of wall, built of an unusual material, were visible below.
"And here comes the man himself."
Raon gestured toward Hyeonjin Pavilion behind them. Soft footsteps sounded, and Burren appeared. His clothes were torn, his face haggard and marked with wounds, and he was dragging one of the Vanguard Squad's unit leaders behind him.
"Hah…"
They actually kidnapped him?
The brainwashing he could not yet confirm—but looking at Burren's condition, the kidnapping was real. Abducting his own younger brother inside the Heavy Martial Palace, their home. It was an act of lunacy beyond words.
"G-give me a moment to collect my thoughts."
Terond slapped his own cheeks and shut his eyes.
Raon watched him and huffed a quiet laugh.
Dizzying, I'm sure.
The man had come because he'd heard the Light Wind Squad was attacking the Heavy Martial Palace. What he'd walked into was a full-blown incident of a brother kidnapping his own sibling for brainwashing. The reaction was understandable.
Now then…
He left Terond to sort through it step by step and looked at Burren, who was approaching from behind.
"I told you to trust me, didn't I?"
Burren grinned and raised a fist. The proud look on his face said he had gained something from the fight with Olan. Trusting him had been worth it.
"You did. Good work—"
"WAAAAAAAH!"
"It's Burren!"
"Burren's back!"
"Burren! Burren! Burren!"
The moment Raon started to nod, the Light Wind swordsmen erupted in cheers at the sight of Burren.
"Y-you guys…"
Burren covered his mouth, visibly moved.
"YEAAAAAH!"
"Burren! We missed you!"
"Burren! Burren! Burren!"
Calling his name was not enough. They used their footwork, sprinted in, and hoisted him into the air.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you. I'm sorry I made you worry—"
Burren's eyes reddened. His own blood brother had kidnapped him and tried to brainwash him. His comrades had risked their lives to come get him. Being moved was the only reasonable response.
"Now where did I put that…"
"Ah! Hop on!"
Dorian pulled a sizable palanquin from his Belly Pouch and sat Burren on top of it. The Light Wind Squad each took a leg of the palanquin and lifted him high.
"Burren! Burren! Burren!"
They kept chanting his name as they carried him toward the main gate of the Heavy Martial Palace.
"Uh…"
"Th-this is…"
The whole thing was so ridiculous that even the Law Enforcement swordsmen just stood there, too stunned to intervene.
"That's enough now. I know how you all feel."
Burren wiped the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded deeply. The look in his eyes was genuine gratitude.
"From now on, I will live for the Light Wind Squad. I'll give everything I have for all of you—"
"Burren! Burren! Burren!"
The palanquin did not stop for his declaration. It carried him straight out of the Heavy Martial Palace and turned right, toward Bukmang Mountain.
"G-guys? This isn't the way to headquarters. Why are we going toward the mountain…"
"Burren! Burren! Burren!"
"Grrrr! Training!"
"Graaah! Training!"
The Light Wind swordsmen's eyes, fixed on Bukmang Mountain, slowly turned red. The madness they had unleashed on the Vanguard Squad was waking again.
"T-training? Wait. Why are your eyes like that? They're red! Hey!"
"Grrrrn!"
"P-put me down! You bastards!"
Burren finally realized something was wrong and tried to get off, but the swordsmen gripping the palanquin shoved him back in and left him no room to escape.
Raon watched the Light Wind Squad and Burren and nodded, thoroughly satisfied.
"Yes. That's how it should be."
"How is that how it should be?! You lunatics!"
Wrath's lips trembled as he stared at the terrified Burren.
"That brat was locked up for a week, just got out, and then fought a battle! He's going to die at this rate!"
People don't die that easily.
Raon waved a hand, unconcerned.
"Aaaah…"
Wrath clutched his forehead and let out a murky breath. There was no getting through to them. It felt as though everyone here had their brains in backward.
"They're all mad! Every last one of them has lost their mind!"
A Demon King, worrying over humans—while the humans, in turn, were radiating malice. A situation of pure chaos.
Is this place actually the Demon Realm?
And the place I used to live was the human world.
Wrath scratched his chin, seriously reconsidering his own identity.
"Everyone, halt!"
Just as the Light Wind Squad was about to haul Burren up Bukmang Mountain in earnest, Terond roared, aura packed into his voice.
"This has gone beyond a matter I can decide. You will accompany me to the Lord's Palace!"
He bit his lip, as if he had no other choice.
Raon smiled, as though he had expected exactly this, and nodded.
"Of course."