Raon narrowed his eyes while watching Burrenâs jaw drop.
âI mustâve arrived in time.â
His eyes were still alive.
He was worried because Judiel was certain that he was being brainwashed, and he fortunately seemed to be alright. His eyes were also clear instead of being cloudy.
âR-Raon Zieghart? How did you get here?â
Gelmia Zieghartâs lips were trembling violently. He was unable to hide the astonishment in his eyes.
âI had a guide.â
Raon pointed at the blue-haired swordsman standing in front of the door. Gelmiaâs eyes looked like he wanted to kill him as he glared at him.
âDire, how dare youâŠâ
âI-Itâs not true! I didnât do that!â
The swordsman named Dire desperately shook his hand.
âHe was a really good guide. It was so easy to arrive here thanks to him.â
It was because he simply followed Dire that he managed to arrive without triggering any formations or traps. Heâd destroyed the ceiling because he figured Burren might be taken hostage if he entered through the door, and it worked perfectly.
âThatâs not what Iâm talking about!â
Gelmia punched the wall with his fist. Even though the secret roomâs door was extremely solid, it turned to powder and collapsed.
âIâm asking how did you find out that Burren was here?â
âAh, you were curious about that? ActuallyâŠâ
Raon snickered and shrugged his shoulders.
âNevermind. I donât need to tell you.â
âYou bastardâŠâ
A crushing sound could be heard from Gelmiaâs mouth. He mustâve been extremely angry.
âBut Iâll tell you one thing.â
Raon raised his finger to point at Burren behind him.
âYou underestimated your brother too much.â
âWhat?â
âBurren has the strongest sense of responsibility among the Light Wind swordsmen. Heâs so stubborn that he would personally visit to explain his situation to everyone if he couldnât participate in training.â
It didnât make any sense that the stubborn vice-vice squad leader of the Light Wind squad would send his butler to notify Raon that he was going to skip training.
âHmmâŠâ
Burren bit his lip while watching Raonâs back.
His heart was pounding violently, probably because he was complimented in that situation. Tears were almost welling up in his eyes because he was so thankful to Raon, whoâd acknowledged him and came to save him.
âRaon, thank yoâŠâ
âWhy are you even calling me? You should be ashamed that you got locked up like an idiot.â
âArgh!â
His heart suddenly stopped pounding upon hearing his unexpectedly cold answer.
âWhat happened to Goman and the Severing Steads?â
âYou should find it out on your own.â
Raon responded while laughing at him. Even the place above the destroyed ceiling was specially built as a part of the secret room. Raon guessed that Gelmia couldnât determine what was happening outside.
âIf you can, that is.â
Since he was planning to completely destroy Gelmiaâs composure, he played around without answering his question.
âYou bastardâŠâ
Frightening pressure emerged from Gelmia. He looked like he would start attacking at any moment.
âIt worked.â
Even a Master couldnât avoid that.
Because Gelmia was discovered kidnapping his brother, he ended up losing his composure and seemed completely confused.
âWhy did you even get locked up here?â
Raon turned his head to look at Burren.
âTh-ThatâsâŠâ
âWhy are you even hesitating? Do you still consider that thing your brother?â
Raon pointed his finger at Gelmia, who was rolling his eyes and trying to find a way to get out of the situation.
âHaa, alright. Thatâs true. Heâs not my brother anymore.â
Burren exhaled the grudge against him through a long breath and chuckled.
âHe was targeting you. He said that he wanted to kill you before you reach even higher.â
He continued while glaring at Gelmia with cold eyes.
âHe said that he needed my help in order to kill you. He wanted me to find out your weakness and lure you to a location of his choosing.â
âBurren!â
Gelmia screamed, but Burren didnât stop speaking.
âI refused and he made that guy start brainwashing me.â
Burren pointed at Olan with his chin. Olanâs hand was trembling as he stood next to Gelmia.
âWow, thatâs really amazing.â
Raon sneered while looking at Gelmiaâs glowing eyes.
âEverything was exactly the way I expected it to beâŠâ
Just like heâd guessed in the beginning, Gelmia was trying to use Burren in order to get rid of him. An older brother kidnapping his younger brother in order to brainwash him was truly the worst.
âItâs my first time seeing someone falling even lower than dog food.â
Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
Most of the warriors heâd met before carried a weight that matched their prowess. Even though Gelmia was more accomplished as a swordsman than himself, what heâd done made him look like the smallest person in the world.
âAre you so afraid of me?â
Raon grinned at Gelmia, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
âShut up before I cut your mouth off of your face.â
Gelmia shouted in a threatening voice and unsheathed his sword. His sword, slightly thicker than a rapier, was a thin sword that could be also used for slashing.
âBurren, is your mind alright?â
âI can even fight!â
Burren bit his lip tightly and nodded.
âWhat a relief.â
Raon chuckled, drawing Heavenly Drive. He swirled his right hand, which was holding the sword, as if he were trying to warm up his wrist.
Rattle!
Before the sword made an entire circle to return to the original place, the handcuffs and shackles binding Burren were ripped apart.
âUhahâŠâ
Burren was unable to keep his balance and ended up falling forward.
âD-Donât worry! It only happened because Iâve been tied up for a long time.â
He shook his head and immediately stood up to show that he was fine. However, his trembling limbs revealed that he was having difficulties, despite what heâd said.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon nodded while looking at Burrenâs firm eyes instead of his body.
âPretty good.â
It was difficult to believe that his pressure was coming from someone whoâd been tied up for a week while being brainwashed. He could also feel a strange energy flowing over his head and a frightening amount of focus from him.
Hmm, heâs entered an awakening state.
Wrath furrowed his brows while looking at Burren.
âAwakening state?â
Itâs the state before the trance that you enter pretty much every day. The personâs focus becomes extremely high in that state.
âIt does look similar.â
Whenever he endured for a long time without sleeping, his urge to sleep suddenly disappeared and his mind became extremely clear from time to time.
Burrenâs state was similar to that, either because of the brainwashing or because of the particular situation.
âThereâs no way Iâm not making use of this.â
Raon pointed his sword at Gelmia.
âShall we get started?â
Raon violently kicked the ground and charged forward.
âFine. Iâll cut your arrogant mouth off as a starter!â
Gelmia caught his breath and controlled his aura. The frightening energy wave rushing from him felt like a huge and sharp spear piercing his heart.
Thud!
After pretending to charge towards Gelmia, Raon used Supreme Harmonyâs third step. He changed directions like flowing water and kicked Dire away from the door.
Smack!
Because it was such a sudden attack, Dire was slammed into the wall before he could even start screaming, dropping the sword from his hand.
Tap!
Raon easily took the sword and withdrew next to Burren.
Heâs giving you his sword now after guiding the way. What an idiot, heâs a giving guy.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon barely managed to suppress the urge to respond ânot as much as youâ.
âTake this.â
Raon gave the sword heâd just obtained to Burren and pointed at Olan.
âYou can defeat that guy at least, right?â
âOf course!â
Burren exhaled roughly and stood up, tightly grasping his sword. His eyes were brimming with fighting spirit as he looked at Olan.
âLetâs get started then.â
* * *
[Translator â Kyangi]
[Proofreader â Harley]
* * *
Raon smiled faintly and used Supreme Harmonyâs first step.
Thud!
He pierced into the distance between him and Gelmia, getting a frightening feeling from above as he was about to slash upwards. It was an astral blade. Gelmiaâs astral energy, powerful enough to smash his skull, was falling towards him.
âHis might is the real deal.â
The way he immediately swung down his sword by predicting the Supreme Harmony Stepsâ speed and direction was befitting the rumored Sword of Pleasant Wind Gelmia.
âHowever.â
Raon strengthened his left foot and turned at the waist. He incorporated the rotation coming from the muscles along his spine to his blade and unleashed the Revolving Sky from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
Rumble!
The collision between the heat rotating like saw blades on his sword and the blue energy of wind in Gelmiaâs thin sword created a tremendous shockwave. Even though the secret roomâs walls were extremely solid, they were shredded to pieces.
âThis place is too narrow, isnât it?â
Raon stomped the ground and forced Heavenly Drive into an upward swing at full power. Because it happened in the middle of a clash, the tremendous power made Gelmia soar into the hole in the ceiling.
âY-You bastard!â
âIâll follow you right after. Just you wait.â
Raon waved his hand at Gelmia as he flew into the air and turned around.
âDonât die, because many p-people are waiting for you.â
Raon stuttered the word people slightly for some reason, then jumped into the broken ceiling to follow Gelmia.
âDonât worry.â
Burren bit his lip tightly and nodded.
âI have no intention of dying in a place like this.â
âHahâŠâ
Olan exclaimed and walked towards the center.
âRaon Zieghart is exactly as the rumors described him. I can understand why Young Master Gelmia decided to do something like this.â
He shook his head while looking up to the destroyed ceiling.
âDraw your sword.â
Burren pointed his sword at Olan.
âSword? Whatâs the point of that in this situation? Iâm bound to die whether I win or lose.â
He raised his hands, saying that it was already all over.
âYou seemed rather angry when I told you earlier that I could win against you. Am I wrong?â
âHmmâŠâ
âIâll let you confirm that I was right about that before you go. Bring it on.â
âYou are so bad at provoking people, unlike the monster that just went upwards.â
Olan snickered and drew his sword.
âSince Iâm going to die anyway, it wouldnât be a bad idea to bring a member of Zieghartâs direct line with me.â
He kicked the ground before even finishing his sentence. He lunged from Burrenâs left side for a downward slash.
As the silver blade drew a semi-circular trajectory, it multiplied into five. The fast and flashy strike was evidence that heâd properly trained his swordsmanship.
Clang!
Burren tried to deflect his blow by using all of the aura sleeping in his energy center, but Olan used his strength instead to push into him even faster.
âI told you already.â
Olan snorted and raised his chin.
âNo matter how talented you are, you canât win against time. You havenât reached my level yet.â
âTime? Level? Those things have shattered countless times under my watch.â
Burren clenched his teeth softly and deflected the blow. His strike that was blocking Olanâs assault looked as elegant and aloof as a nobleâs dance.
Cring!
The collision between the blades created a frightening metallic sound.
âI wonât be able to last long.â
Because heâd been tied up and was unable to sleep for a whole week, it was impossible to last for a long time. It was necessary to shatter Olanâs technique in a single strike.
Whoosh!
However, Olanâs sword kept charging towards him with flashy varieties and extreme power. It was difficult to figure out where he was targeting, and the speed was making it even more difficult to block.
âHaaâŠâ
Burren caught his breath, then remembered the conversation he had with Raon before.
âHow to defeat an illusion sword and a variable sword? Itâs simple. Most of the illusion and variable swords reveal their true form at the very end. You will be able to see their trajectories if you overcome your fear and impatience and wait until the end.â
That was Raonâs answer to Burrenâs question about how he managed to erase Garonâs variation when he was a Master back then.
âHeâs always been like that.â
Whenever he asked Raon about martial arts, he always gave him an answer. Other people wouldâve tried hiding the secret no matter what, but heâd never done that. He was such a strange guy, one who came back the next day to give him the answer if he had difficulties finding the right answer.
âHow can I ever betray an idiot like him?â
Burren bit his lip and looked straight into Olanâs sword as it charged towards his neck and chest. He suppressed the urge to withdraw or swing his sword right away, instead keeping his eyes on it until the very end.
Whoosh!
Right before Olanâs sword reached him, the five blades combined into one and started descending towards his chest instead of striking his neck.
âNow is the time!â
Burren grasped the hilt of his sword tightly and unleashed the Barren Wind Swordâs Azure Starâs Blade of Wind. The wind blade connected itself like a constellation to deflect Olanâs sword, which had stopped changing, and pierced into his shoulder.
âKuh!â
Olan hurriedly tried to step back, but it was the worst mistake he could have made. The best part about Barren Wind Sword was that the attacks continued one after the other once it got started.
Rip!
The deadly wind in his blade cut apart Olanâs shoulder before he could escape.
âKuhâŠâ
Lacerated from shoulder to waist, Olan sank on the ground with a trembling chin. His eyes were full of disbelief as he looked up to Burren.
âH-HowâŠ?â
âYou told me that I would be looking at Raonâs back for the rest of my life, right?â
Burren exhaled in exhaustion after sticking his sword into the ground.
âYou are right about that. It would be difficult for me to surpass Raon. However, I havenât been simply watching his back. I hardened my foundations while watching Raonâs fights from up close.â
He smiled while tightening the grip on his sword.
âIâm different from you guys, who are trying to kill Raon because you gave up on competing against him.â
âAhâŠâ
âYou wonât be allowed to die an easy death. You shall pay the price for your sins before you go.â
Burren smacked him with his fist to make him faint and stopped his bleeding.
âHaaâŠâ
He fell on his ass because all of his strength left his body. He sighed deeply and raised his head.
âHow did I manage to complete the Azure Starâs Blade of Wind in this situationâŠ?â
He could only laugh because heâd managed to use a technique heâd never succeeded in using before.
âHaa!â
Burren licked his lips while looking up to the ceiling.
âI kept my promise.â
* * *
âIt looks like they are done below us.â
Raon smiled faintly at Gelmia as his sword clashed against his.
âWe should get started as well.â
âIâll give you one last opportunity.â
With a twisted upward swing of his rapier, Gelmia gained distance.
âLeave now. I can cover up the situation if you do.â
âAre you telling me that you can cover up this situation?â
Raon snickered while listening to the shouts coming from the ceiling, which was even more broken than before.
âWe are currently inside the Central Martial Palace. Even the department of justice canât easily interfere.â
âWe are interfering though.â
âOther people arenât as crazy as you!â
Gelmia scowled while showing his white teeth.
âIâll give Burren back to you. If you stay silent as if nothing happened, I wonât punish you for your crimes.â
âAre you defective? No, you must be lacking this thing here.â
Raon tapped his forehead with his finger. He called him brainless, and Gelmiaâs eyes turned cold.
âYou are the ones who committed a crime. I only came here to find my underling.â
âYou mustâve lost your fear.â
Threatening pressure emerged from Gelmiaâs body.
âWhy would I be afraid of you when you kidnapped your brother and brainwashed him because you were so afraid of a junior?â
âI was only afraid of your future. I can easily kill you in your current state!â
The sharp pressure emanating from him felt like it could rip his skin apart. Even though he played dirty, he was certainly at the intermediate level of Master.
âThis is your last opportunity. Withdraw with everyone, and stay quiet as if nothing happened.â
âIâm sorry, but itâs already too late.â
Raon grinned, while pointing his finger to the top.
âBecause I already called the department of justice. Canât you hear the sound of their whistles?â
He had already sent a letter to the department of justice so that they could arrive after the Light Wind defeated the Severing Steads. It was about time the swordsmen from the department of justice barged in.
You are really crazy.
Wrath gasped while watching Gemliaâs face turn red before turning yellow.
The King of Essence has never seen anyone mock his opponent so much. The King of Essence needs lessons from you, because thereâs someone he would like to make fun ofâŠ
âLater.â
He pushed Wrath away as he said that he would give the fee after the lesson ended, focusing on Gelmia instead.
âRaon Zieghart!â
Gelmia kicked the ground, unable to suppress his anger. His face was distorted like a fiend as he tried stabbing him with his rapier. The astral blade incorporating the wind reached his heart in an instant.
It was a precise strike, coming from an extreme speed. A shiver ran down his spine from the prowess.
âHaap.â
Raon extended his left foot and lowered his body. He gathered his physical strength all the way from the tip of his toes, then added the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivationâs energy that went past the middle energy center.
Clang!
Heavenly Drive, engulfed in the astral energy of raging flames, clashed against Gelmiaâs extremely fast stab.
Whaam!
The contest between Heavenly Drive and the thin sword at around shoulderâs height created a storm of crimson flame, covering the underground.
âIâm at the intermediate level of Master! I can kill you whenever I feel like it, since you are only at the beginner level!â
âBeginner, intermediate, and advanced only matter when you are training.â
Raon smiled coldly while looking down on Gelmia, whose forehead was touching his.
âRank doesnât matter once the fight begins. You should talk with your sword if you are a real warrior.â
He incorporated Coiling Power into the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivationâs astral energy. The raging firestorm bursting from his blade mercilessly scorched Gelmiaâs wind.
âSo you chose punishment in the end. Alright.â
Gelmia pointed at Raon's heart with his thin sword, glaring at him with the intention of killing him.
âIâll start by cutting out your arrogant tongue.â
The energy of wind coming from him became powerful enough to make his ears ring. It was the full power of an intermediate Master. He was using all of his strength.