noveldrama
Chapter 155: Take a hit
Chapter 155: Take a hit
Chapter 155: Take a hit
Ebelasque sniffled and steadied herself, her mind finally clear.
She, who had seemed ready to lose control after having her reality denied, looked at Kraush blankly and let out a breath.
“Are you an idiot? Just because I stay by your side doesn’t mean I won’t feel lonely.”
Kraush blinked at her, his expression incredulous. After all the effort he’d put into comforting her, this was the response he got.
Ebelasque blew her nose loudly, stealing a glance at him before mumbling under her breath.
As much as she wanted to brush off his words, she couldn’t completely ignore them.
“Well… even so, if you’re lonely, I’ll stick around. You know, immortality and all that must be tough!”
“Oh, how gracious of you.”
Kraush replied, feigning disinterest.
Then he pointed downward.“But first, how about stopping that?”
Below them, Haring and Sena were still struggling to fend off the skeletal legion.
It was about time for Ebelasque to call them off, and realizing her oversight, she raised her hand belatedly.
“…But if I do this, I’m basically betraying Ixion. They’ll come after me for revenge.”
Ebelasque’s face clouded with worry.
The Ixion, a group of World Eroders, posed a significant threat to the world itself.
The thought of becoming their target was no small concern.
“If you’re afraid of retaliation, don’t be.”
Kraush dismissed her worries with a sharp tone.
“Those bastards are all going to die by my hands anyway.”
At his bold statement, Ebelasque gave him an exasperated look.
Still, she didn’t feel the urge to argue—she knew better than anyone how ruthless Kraush could be.
“…Then why am I getting special treatment?”
Ebelasque asked quietly, brushing a strand of her hair, which still carried the warmth of his touch.
Kraush had gone to great lengths to persuade her to leave Ixion, even promising to keep her company so she wouldn’t feel lonely until the end of her days.
His words lingered in her mind, and she found herself stealing glances at him, her thoughts swirling.
[This is ridiculous.]
The sound of Crimson Garden clicking her tongue echoed faintly.
As the skeletal legion ceased their movements, Haring and Sena made their way up the mountain. Meanwhile, Kraush, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, nonchalantly responded to her question.
“Think of it as a connection from a past life.”
“So, you’re a fatalist now?”
“No, a skeptic. If everything followed fate, this world would’ve gone to ruin ages ago.”
Kraush glared at her as if to warn her against making such dire comments.
Caught off guard, Ebelasque flinched and quickly turned her head away.
Kraush, watching her curiously, was interrupted by another loud boom from beyond the mountain.
It was evidence that the battle between the Mad Sword Emperor and Rai was reaching its peak.
This also meant that the power of World Erosion was growing even stronger.
They needed to stop it before the situation worsened any further.
“More importantly, Ebelasque, you prepared a way into the Blood Heaven Realm, didn’t you?”
At that moment, Ebelasque flinched visibly.
Kraush’s expression turned suspicious, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Ebelasque’s face flushed with embarrassment as she stammered,
“Th-th-that, well, I did set it up originally, but… the interior got completely scorched, so…”
She trailed off, her words a jumbled mess, before lowering her head in shame.
“It’s… destroyed…”
Kraush let out a heavy sigh, his frustration evident.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t prepared. If the destruction of the corpses she needed had been unavoidable, there was little more to say.
“Then I guess we’ll just have to break through.”
He exhaled slowly, a determined glint in his eyes.
Things rarely ever went smoothly—he was used to that.
The worst situations always bred worse outcomes.
It was unfortunate, but if brute force was the only option, so be it.
“…I’ll do it.”
Ebelasque’s voice came from beside him, her expression resolute as if she bore the responsibility.
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
Straightening her back and lifting her head high with a proud look, she responded.
“I’ll use Number Three.”
Kraush immediately understood what she meant by Number Three and gave her a nod.
“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”
With that, the preparations were complete.
It was time to crush the Mad Sword Emperor.
* * *
In the Blood Heaven Realm.
Beneath the storm of dozens of Emperor’s Annihilation Swords unleashed by Rai, the Mad Sword Emperor wielded the Blood Demonic Sword, now fused with his arm, and charged forward.
His eyes caught sight of Rai, calmly crossing his arms as he swung the Emperor’s Annihilation Swords.
It was as if Rai had crowned himself the sovereign of this realm, unmoving and exuding an air of utter arrogance.
It was an incredibly arrogant sight, but it was also the one that suited him best.
That was because he, too, was fully focused on wielding the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword.
In that instant, as soon as Rai’s form was captured in his view, a Emperor’s Annihilation Sword slashed down, splitting the space between Rai and the Mad Sword Emperor.
“I can’t even get close!”
The Mad Sword Emperor wore an expression of frustration.
Yet, even then, his eyes were darting quickly.
Rai’s Emperor’s Annihilation Sword undoubtedly possessed tremendous power.
It was to the point that a single battle with him had practically reduced an entire mountain to rubble.
If not for the Blood Heaven Realm, an avalanche would have devastated the area below.
‘He must have noticed my Blood Heaven Realm and is fighting even more aggressively.’
Unintentionally, he had provided Rai with a battlefield where he could fight freely.
However, from the Mad Sword Emperor’s perspective, there was nothing bad about that.
Though Rai might not know it, the longer they fought, the stronger the force of world erosion outside was growing.
The traits of World Eroders were not well-known, except for a few famous ones.
That was because they moved secretly, and as some of the strongest individuals, they could hide as much as they wanted.
Furthermore, the Mad Sword Emperor had suddenly vanished after the Lagrin family incident.
Naturally, information about him was exceedingly scarce.
‘The longer the fight drags on, the better it is for me.’
At that moment, blood began to surge violently through the Mad Sword Emperor’s legs.
‘I’m not the type to just take hits.’
As his legs turned crimson, the Mad Sword Emperor made an explosive leap.
Countless Emperor’s Annihilation Swords began to fall in his path.
As soon as the swords descended before his eyes, he swung the Blood Demonic Sword in response.
Then, a bloody aura burst forth from the saber, changing his direction midair.
The Mad Sword Emperor started displaying extraordinary movements.
He began dodging all the descending Emperor’s Annihilation Swords and rapidly closed the distance to Rai.
Rai’s eyebrows twitched as he kept his arms crossed.
Before anyone realized it, the Mad Sword Emperor had drawn near to Rai, his body once again turning crimson red.
“Huuk!”
With a sharp inhale, the Mad Sword Emperor’s body swelled aggressively.
Boom!
With that, a thunderous roar echoed through the air, and the Mad Sword Emperor’s body shot forward like a cannonball.
Due to the sudden change in speed, even the Emperor’s Annihilation Swords were a beat too late to block him.
Seizing the opportunity, the Mad Sword Emperor infused the Blood Demonic Sword with a bloody aura.
Crunch!
With a twisting sound from the Blood Demonic Sword, a mass of the Mad Sword Emperor’s blood was sucked out in an instant.
However, as a result, the aura emanating from the Blood Demonic Sword became overwhelmingly stronger, far beyond what it had been before.
The lingering scent of blood spread through the air.
The crimson aura extending from the Blood Demonic Sword lengthened like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
This would be a decisive blow.
The Mad Sword Emperor’s eyes gleamed fiercely, his determination clear as he extended the Blood Demonic Sword.
Blood Demon Blade
Third Form
Blood Scythe
Screeeeeeech!
With an eerie sound, the crimson scythe-like form of the Blood Demonic Sword surged toward Rai.
Boom!
In that moment, the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword descended in an instant, blocking its path.
Clang!
The Emperor’s Annihilation Sword and the Blood Demon’s Scythe clashed, the resounding impact echoing throughout the entire space.
The power behind both attacks was so immense that the Blood Heaven Realm itself trembled.
Amidst the forceful collision, the area around the two erupted, and the Mad Sword Emperor quickly withdrew, retreating beyond the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword.
That was because the Emperor’s Annihilation Swords were rushing toward him immediately.
As the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword was raised before Rai, he caught sight of the Mad Sword Emperor in the distance, grinning maniacally.
The Mad Sword Emperor licked his lips with his tongue, wearing an expression of regret.
Even so, his movements were becoming swifter and more precise as time went on.
This was because, with each moment of combat, his blood circulated, loosening his body.
He wielded the Blood Demon Blade, mixing aura into his blood to further reinforce the strength of his physique.
Thus, the longer the battle dragged on, the stronger he became, as his blood circulation intensified.
Although he had a short temper, his fighting style was optimized for prolonged engagements.
Rai gazed at the Mad Sword Emperor indifferently.
‘He’s getting used to it.’
At the beginning of their fight, when the Emperor’s Annihilation Swords first came at him, the Mad Sword Emperor had struggled, rolling harshly on the ground to dodge.
Dodging dozens of Emperor’s Annihilation Swords was no easy task.
However, as time passed, he gradually grew more accustomed to it.
The movements he had shown earlier clearly indicated that he was now able to discern the trajectory of the Emperor’s Annihilation Swords.
‘Hmm, what should I do?’
Even so, Rai did not seriously consider the possibility of losing.
‘He’s not the leader of the Night Raven, after all.’
Rai had heard that the Poison King, one of the Ten Greatest Under the Sky, had been gravely injured by a World Eroder.
The Empire had identified the individual as the leader of the Night Raven.
However, the description of that person did not match the Mad Sword Emperor.
The leader of the Night Raven was said to be a necromancer and a woman.
‘I don’t know exactly who injured the Poison King, but it means there’s at least one more of them.’
Rai tapped his folded arms slowly, lost in thought.
Though the Mad Sword Emperor was fighting with all his might and showing no signs of merely stalling for time, he had deliberately confined himself and Rai within the Blood Heaven Realm.
This suggested that he wanted to keep Rai trapped here.
‘Could he be plotting something with another World Eroder?’
While it might not have been the exact answer, Rai felt he was approaching the truth. His thick eyebrows twitched.
‘In any case.’
He concluded that it would be best to end this quickly.
The Mad Sword Emperor dodged a descending Emperor’s Annihilation Sword and made eye contact with Rai.
Noticing the shift in Rai’s demeanor, the Mad Sword Emperor seemed to realize something.
‘Sharp instincts.’
Even if he didn’t have the correct answer, he had likely arrived at a close approximation.
‘I pushed more aggressively to force him to lose focus in battle.’
Unfortunately, it seemed he hadn’t been able to break Rai’s composure.
‘But even if he’s figured it out.’
At the same time, the Mad Sword Emperor’s Blood Demonic Sword began to emanate a bloody aura once again.
“I’m not planning to let you go so easily, anyway!”
With a laugh, the Mad Sword Emperor prepared to charge forward once more.
Boom!
Suddenly, a tremor and a sound echoed from somewhere.
It wasn’t a vibration caused by the swinging of the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword.
Although the Emperor’s Annihilation Sword was massive, the vibration carried a different sensation altogether.
Boom!
Another sound reverberated through the space.
The Mad Sword Emperor slowly lifted his gaze, feeling the vibration resonate through the entire area.
That was because he realized the sound was coming from above.
The sky, tinged in a red hue distinct from its usual yellow, came into view—his very own Blood Heaven Realm.
Boom!
At that moment, the Blood Heaven Realm began to shake again.
The Mad Sword Emperor frowned.
He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
Boom!
As the Blood Heaven Realm trembled once more,
Crack!
A fracture appeared across the Blood Heaven Realm.
For a brief moment, a flicker of panic crossed the Mad Sword Emperor’s face.
The Blood Heaven Realm was a realm that blocked all access, both in and out.
And yet, it was now suddenly cracking.
“Who?!”
He shouted aloud.
At that moment, through the fractured rift of the Blood Heaven Realm, something began to appear.
And as soon as he saw it, the Mad Sword Emperor’s eyes widened.
Through the crack in the broken Blood Heaven Realm,
Something enormous appeared—a creature so massive that its head couldn’t even be seen, raising an arm stitched together with ragged seams.
As the Mad Sword Emperor stood in shock at the sheer absurdity of its size,
The giant’s fist came down again, slamming into the Blood Heaven Realm.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The ceiling of the shattered Blood Heaven Realm broke apart, and the giant’s arm pierced straight through, crashing downward.
“What the…!”
The massive storm generated by the falling arm swept over both the Mad Sword Emperor and Rai.
Even Rai, unsure of what was happening, remained silent, waiting.
“Cough, cough!”
Meanwhile, the Mad Sword Emperor, covered in a cloud of dust, coughed and grumbled in irritation.
The exhilaration he had felt moments ago during his fight with Rai was now thoroughly disrupted.
His face twisted in growing anger.
Then, the fallen giant’s arm came into full view.
It was pale, drained of all blood, and stitched together with thread in places where the flesh had been joined.
The sight sparked a name in the Mad Sword Emperor’s mind.
“…Ebelasque?”
Why was the corpse controlled by her—the one who should have ensured that no one could approach the Blood Heaven Realm—here?
As confusion clouded his mind, he muttered absentmindedly, struggling to comprehend the situation.
In the brief moment of distraction caused by the perplexing situation, a critical opening revealed itself to someone.
Chill!
A spine-tingling sensation coursed through the Mad Sword Emperor, and he instinctively jerked his body backward, purely out of reflex.
Whoosh!
The sound of flames twisting filled the air, and in that instant, his vision was engulfed by pitch-black flames.
Annihilation Erosion
Fourth Form
Annihilation Night Severing
Slaaaaaaaash!
His left arm was struck by a blade shrouded in black flames, ripping through it as it was flung skyward.
Despite the sheer force of the attack, the Mad Sword Emperor’s left arm was not entirely severed.
Instead, his skin and muscles were shredded, and more than half of his bones were cut through, leaving his arm dangling uselessly, unable to function.
His crimson eyes widened in fury.
Thanks to the Blood Demonic Sword, his body had been reinforced to the point of surpassing even that of most Eroders.
Ordinarily, his body wouldn’t even sustain a scratch from most attacks, yet his arm had ended up in such a state.
Before him stood two figures.
One was a boy, his expression tense as if he had just bitten and swallowed something bitter, holding a sword wreathed in black flames in a downward strike.
Behind him stood a girl with short hair that blended black and purple hues.
Their disheveled hair and fluttering clothes revealed that they had descended from the sky.
At that moment, the boy stomped on the ground with a heavy thud.
With explosive speed, so swift that even the Mad Sword Emperor hesitated for a moment, he charged forward.
Fast.
And dangerous.
If he could swing another strike like the one just before, the boy was undoubtedly the most threatening being in this moment.
The energy emanating from him was unmistakably that of a World Eroder.
Realizing this, a surge of killing intent erupted from the Mad Sword Emperor.
He didn’t know why Ebelasque had suddenly betrayed him, but his focus was wholly drawn to the boy.
So much so that, for a brief moment, even Rai was forgotten.
Haaaah!
The Mad Sword Emperor’s fury and killing intent surged forth like a storm, violently crashing against Kraush.
Even as Kraush maintained his focus, he felt the sheer weight of that killing intent.
‘As monstrous as always.’
His hair stood on end, and his vision wavered for a moment under the oppressive force.
Every instinct screamed not to advance but to flee immediately.
Indeed, the Mad Sword Emperor’s strength was overwhelming.
Even with his Annihilation Asura activated, Kraush felt it was still not enough to face a World Eroder head-on.
But Kraush wasn’t alone.
His purpose was to focus all the Mad Sword Emperor’s attention on himself.
That purpose had been achieved, aided by the Emperor’s reaction to his wounded arm.
While Kraush charged forward, someone even faster closed the gap behind the Mad Sword Emperor.
A pair of small, white wings fluttered.
It was Sena, moving in her state of ultimate speed.
In this moment, Sena was so fast that even Kraush couldn’t keep up.
Beneath her wings, fluttering cloth strips transformed into sharp spikes, flying at the Mad Sword Emperor in unison to pierce through him.
By the time he realized it, it was too late.
He had focused too much on Kraush, leaving his body unable to react in time.
Thud! Thud!
“Gah!?”
Even in that situation, the Mad Sword Emperor barely twisted his body, avoiding a fatal blow, though he let out a strained groan.
However, the cloth strips pierced through his back and sides, leaving gaping wounds.
His movement was restricted for a moment.
Kraush was already upon him.
His Thunderstorm blazed red.
Simultaneously, seven stars of the Heavenly Slaying Star aligned within the darkness of Kraush’s inner world, radiating brilliant light.
As the red moon rose under their glow, a storm of black flames surged within Kraush’s mind and infused his blade.
Annihilation Erosion
Fifth Form
Annihilation Moonfire
Beneath the crimson moon.
A storm of black flames swept through the shattered Blood Heaven Realm.
Translators note: