Raon finished preparing for the life-and-death match and left his room.
Finding no one inside the annex building, he went outside to see Sylvia and the maids huddled together in front of the garden.
"Haa..."
Feeling burdened by their tearful gazes, he let out a low sigh and descended the stairs.
"Mother. Please don't worry..."
"Why do you look so lifeless!"
As he stood before Sylvia to greet her, she raised her hand and struck his shoulder forcefully. With a thud, the Black Dragon Coat shook slightly.
"As a swordsman of Zieghart, you should at least say you'll definitely win and come back!"
Sylvia nodded her chin as if telling him to say it quickly.
"Uh, Mom?"
Raon blinked as he looked at Sylvia. Her reaction was so different from what he expected that he unconsciously called her "Mom".
"My lady is right! Please say you'll smash that Axe King or whatever to pieces and come back!"
Helen raised her small fist while standing next to Sylvia.
"Young Master!"
"We want to hear from your own mouth that you'll definitely return safely!"
"Please say it!"
The other maids also bowed their heads, asking him to say he would win and come back.
"Please."
Judiel, who had been silent except for necessary words, also stepped forward. (E/N: aren't we forgetting someone? Nah, I'm thinking too much...)
"Hmm..."
Raon let out a low groan as he saw the shimmering gazes of Sylvia and the maids.
'I thought it would be like a funeral.'
Everyone looks cheerful.
Whenever he went on dangerous missions or had duels, Sylvia and the maids would always worry and fill the sea with their tears, but today, surprisingly, everyone's expressions looked calm.
It felt like his worries were being washed away.
"Alright."
He straightened his shoulders, still warm from Sylvia's touch, and looked at everyone.
"I'll crush the South-North Union and come back. So prepare dinner for me."
Raon raised his hand and high-fived the maids.
"Words have power, you know."
Sylvia smiled brightly while holding her right arm with her left hand.
"You've always kept your promises. I'll believe in you this time too. Son."
"Yes. Don't worry."
Raon gave Sylvia one last tight hug before leaving the garden.
"Ah, Mother. What I mentioned before..."
He turned back, having something left unsaid, only to see Sylvia and the maids, who had been smiling kindly, now trembling with their hands clasped like frightened animals.
'...As expected.'
It seems the smiles and laughter Sylvia and the maids had shown earlier were just an act to not burden him.
They all looked like they might burst into tears at the slightest touch.
"I'll be going now."
Raon bowed to Sylvia and the maids, whose eyes had reddened, then turned his back.
'If Wrath saw this, he'd have scolded me for making my mom cry.' (E/N: lol, no. If Wrath saw this, he'd have scolded you for making HIS mom cry.)
He tapped the ice flower bracelet and entered the main road, heading towards the main gate.
"You look in good spirits."
As he arrived near the Fifth Training Ground, Rimmer approached him with a yawn. The entire Light Wind division followed behind him.
"I couldn't sleep because of someone."
"I slept soooundly."
Raon waved his hand as if teasing Rimmer.
"Ah, I'm suddenly getting annoyed."
Contrary to his words, Rimmer let out a small laugh.
"You shouldn't be angry! It's more problematic if the one fighting today didn't sleep well!"
Martha frowned as she hit Rimmer's shoulder.
"I slept well too."
Runaan nodded while caressing her translucent skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
"I didn't ask you!"
"Miss Rakshasa. So narrow-minded."
"Why you!"
Martha and Runaan started growling at each other with their foreheads pressed together, just like when they fought in the Fifth Training Ground.
"Doesn't watching that childish fight relieve your tension?"
Burren chuckled as he watched Martha and Runaan.
"It feels like it's creating tension that wasn't there before."
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the squad leaders one by one.
"Kuek..."
Hearing the sound of dry heaving, he turned around to see Dorian sticking out his tongue and gagging.
"I-I'm so nervous I feel like I'm going to die..."
His complexion was so pale he looked like he might collapse at any moment.
"How pathetic."
Krein clicked his tongue as he looked at Dorian. But he too had dark circles under his eyes, suggesting he hadn't slept well either.
"This won't do..."
Muttering that he couldn't stand it, Dorian pulled out round cookies from his belly pouch and started stuffing them into his mouth.
Surprisingly, his dry heaving stopped as soon as he ate the cookies.
"This is tasty."
Runaan, who had been fighting with Martha, was now suddenly next to Dorian, eating cookies together.
"Then shall I sing for you?"
Yua giggled and then stood at the front of the Light Wind division, starting to sing.
It was a military song from Habun Castle that revered the northern wind, but as Yua's voice filled it, it soothed their rough emotions like a song awaiting spring.
"Division Leader."
Mark Goetun approached quietly and bowed his head, as if showing his trust.
Raon slowed his pace to look at the backs of Rimmer and the Light Wind division.
Seeing his comrades, disorderly yet with a strange sense of order, the trembling that had been stimulating his mental image subsided.
"You're always so noisy."
Warring Steel Division Leader Trevin approached with the Warring Steel Division, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Warring Steel Division Leader."
He and the Warring Steel Division were participating as escorts today, so they bowed their heads.
"I'm counting on you today."
Trevin rubbed his chin and held out his fist.
"I should be the one asking for your support."
Raon smiled as he bumped fists with Trevin.
"What's that? Is that how young people greet these days?"
With the sound of a long coat fluttering, Sheryl descended from the sky. Despite her youthful appearance, she used the term young people.
"Heavenly Blade Division Leader."
Raon bowed politely to Sheryl. She was the chief supervisor for this life-and-death match.
"Do that greeting with me too."
Sheryl said it looked nice and extended her fist like Trevin had.
"Yes. I'm counting on you."
Raon smiled faintly as he bumped fists with Sheryl.
"She can't resist anything young. Only her face is young. Everything else she does is old-fashioned…"
"Shut up."
Sheryl swung the back of her hand and slapped Rimmer's mouth.
"Kuek..."
She kicked the trembling Rimmer's behind and stood in front of Raon again.
"You can win today, right?"
"Of course."
"Alright. I'll believe in you."
Sheryl showed a faint smile and then moved to the front with the Heavenly Blade Division.
Raon looked at the fist he had bumped with Trevin and Sheryl, and calmly collected his breath.
'I think I can do it.'
Sylvia and the maids had strengthened his resolve to win and return, Rimmer and the Light Wind division had eased his tension with their usual behavior, and Sheryl and Trevin had conveyed a sense of reassurance that whatever he did would be fine.
It didn't feel like he would lose no matter who came, not even the Axe King.
"Aren't you coming?"
Rimmer waved his hand as if telling him to hurry up. The others had also stopped walking and were tilting their heads in confusion.
"I'm coming."
Raon released the strength in his fist and started walking towards everyone.
'There's still a lot to do in Zieghart.'
He nodded as he met their trusting gazes.
'Today, I'll defeat the Axe King.'
* * *
The middle reaches of the Lable River, where waves rose as rough as the ocean.
"What a shame."
Sheryl clicked her tongue as she watched the river's waves curl up.
"If we had eliminated him in advance, things would have been easier. I didn't expect the date of the life-and-death match to come so soon."
She frowned as if annoyed at having created a situation that threatened Raon.
"Let's save the jokes for later..."
"Jokes?"
"It-it wasn't a joke?"
Rimmer shook his head, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"What joke? Lord Roenn even personally made assassination plans."
Sheryl revealed a cold glint in her eyes, insisting it was a serious plan.
"Those devoted fools are really..."
Rimmer shook his head repeatedly. The people in the audience chamber were all out of their minds.
"It's already in the past, so let it be. What do you think?"
Sheryl crossed her arms and gestured with her chin.
"Well..."
Rimmer let out a short sigh.
"If the Axe King is at the level we saw during the maritime auction, Raon should be able to win easily. However..."
He continued speaking while looking at the turbulent river.
"If the Axe King has grown stronger in the meantime, it could be difficult. Grandmaster-level martial artists sometimes don't progress for 10 years, but can also achieve complete transformation in just a day."
"I think the same."
Sheryl nodded as she looked at Rimmer.
"If the Axe King is the same as when I last observed him, Raon should be able to defeat him. But if he's changed, it won't be easy. In the end, it depends on the Axe King."
She trembled her fingertips as if slightly worried.
"I searched not only the Shadow Agents but also the black market, but there was no information about the Axe King."
Trevin approached between Sheryl and Rimmer, shaking his head.
"It seems he hasn't moved from the headquarters for a year."
"This is just my feeling, but..."
Sheryl twisted her lips as she rotated her wrist.
"I think the Axe King has grown quite a bit."
"How do you know that?"
"Those guys."
She wrinkled her nose as she looked at the South-North Union martial artists waiting ahead.
"There's no wavering in their eyes at all. It seems they don't even consider the possibility of the Axe King losing."
"Axe King Roman is almost like a god of the Lable River. Couldn't it be because of their faith, apart from his martial prowess?"
Trevin swallowed dryly, as if not wanting to believe it.
"That's for the locals here. The Water Demons are no different from fanatics who only follow strength. With that level of trust, he must have gotten stronger."
Rimmer shook his head as if agreeing with Sheryl's words.
"However, I don't like that murderous atmosphere."
He frowned as he looked at the South-North Union martial artists glaring fiercely at them.
"Five. No, six?"
Rimmer raised his fingers as he surveyed the South-North Union martial artists who seemed strong.
"I can feel at least six strong presence, maybe we should have called some more on our side."
"It's fine."
Sheryl waved her hand lightly.
"Because they're not the problem."
She brushed back her purple hair fluttering in the wind, saying the real one hadn't arrived yet.
"Division Leader."
As the three were silently looking at the Lable River, Burren approached from behind.
"Our preparations are complete."
"What about Raon?"
"He's resting in the tent."
Burren pointed to the black tent set up on the far left.
"Good job. But just in case, please scout the surroundings a bit more."
"Understood."
He nodded and moved towards the outskirts of the river with the 3rd squad.
"Raon. He's really grown a lot, hasn't he?"
Sheryl smiled faintly as she looked at the black tent where Raon was.
"Yeah. I never imagined that the kid who couldn't even run properly would become a Grandmaster and face the Axe King in a life-and-death match."
Rimmer nodded and chuckled.
"Come to think of it, this is also a battle between the old era and the new era."
Sheryl narrowed her eyes as she looked at her own hand.
"The old era and the new era?"
Trevin tilted his head as if asking what she meant.
"Raon has overcome countless hardships until now, but this time it's a bit different."
Sheryl clenched her fist and looked up at the sky.
"Most of the martial artists Raon has fought were from the new era, grown under the discipline of the Six Kings and the Five Demons. But the Axe King is different."
"Right. He's a monster from the old era that opened the age of the Six Kings and the Five Demons, just like us."
Rimmer nodded, agreeing with Sheryl's words.
"There have been many young martial artists who gained fame like the 12 Stars of the Continent, but they all crumbled before the monsters of the old era. This life-and-death match is not just a confrontation between Zieghart and the South-North Union, but also a battle between the old and the new."
Young martial artist Raon, representing the new era, and the crafty Axe King who was a pillar of the old era. The duel between the two was also a clash between the new and old eras.
If Raon won, it would mean the opening of a new era, and if the Axe King was victorious, it would mean the old era was still an unreachable sky.
"I-I see. Indeed, there hasn't been a case where Palace Master-level executives of the Six Kings and Five Demons have fallen..." (E/N: Dragon Master or whatever was his name is shouting from his grave)
"He's coming."
As Trevin swallowed dryly in tension, Sheryl raised her finger. A small black line caught on her slender fingertip.
Kuguuuguuuguu!
The black line cut through the rough waves of the Lable River in an instant, revealing its massive presence. It was the South-North Union's second battleship, and the Axe King's Black Cloud.
"Black Cloud..."
The Black Cloud approached the riverbank, exuding an eerie aura befitting its name.
"I-I'll go call Raon."
"No, there's no need for that."
Rimmer pointed to Raon, who was coming out of the tent alone.
"Now that's quite an atmosphere."
He wore a robe adorned with black dragon scales, and the sword at his waist gleamed with a red sun-like light.
His golden hair fluttering in the river wind and his calm red eyes simultaneously captured the nobility of a hero and the spirit of a warrior.
Thud.
With each step towards the river, a domineering aura bloomed. His unparalleled beauty contrasted with his fierce spirit. An intimidating presence reminiscent of Glenn Zieghart, known as the Lightning God, seemed to seep out from within the indigo shadow.
"It seems..."
Rimmer twisted his lips as he looked at Raon's broad back.
"He won't lose."
* * *
Even without extending his aura perception, he could feel the Axe King approaching.
Raon stood at the edge of the riverbank with his back straight. A violent aura that seemed capable of twisting the river water emanated from the approaching battleship Black Cloud.
Kwaaaang!
A thunderous sound like an exploding shell rang out from the deck of the Black Cloud, and for a moment the sky darkened.
It was the Axe King. With a fiery aura that heated the cool air, Axe King Roman stepped down onto the river surface.
'He's changed.'
Unlike in the past when uncontrollable power burst forth, not even a small ripple formed under the Axe King's feet. It meant he had perfect control over his martial prowess.
Just from his appearance, Raon's heartbeat began to thunder in his ears as if struck by lightning.
"Dragon Slayer Raon Zieghart."
Axe King Roman, with the Red Dragon Axe slung over his shoulder just like three years ago, gave a refreshing smile.
"Axe King Roman."
Raon called out the Axe King's name as he relaxed his fingertips.
His wildly beating heart told him how strong this man had been and how much stronger he had become. He had returned to this river having achieved growth that would not lose even in comparison to Raon's own.
"You've grown stronger."
Roman nodded as if pleased.
"You might be able to push me to greater heights."
A heavy, domineering aura blazed over his axe.
"Three years ago. You let me and the Light Wind division go after a three-way duel with my master." (E/N: That's...not what happened)
He stepped onto the river surface. He stood facing the Axe King, with concentric circles of ripples dancing around them.
"I'll give you a three-move handicap."
Raon raised his Heavenly Drive sword in salute. He lifted his head, pride mixed with respect. His red eyes shone with a light more intense than the sun reflected on the river.
"Come."