The office of House Robert.
Derus Robert was examining documents by the soft moonlight serving as his lamp.
When the crescent moon, like a woman's smile, reached the center of the sky, his hand holding the pen suddenly stopped.
"..."
Derus Robert put down the pen he was holding and removed his gloves. Sticky blood flowed from inside the black leather gloves, dripping onto the antique desk.
He briefly stared at the back of his hand where bright red blood was flowing, then turned his gaze towards the door.
"Kubara."
As soon as Derus's call ended, the office door opened. Kubara, neatly dressed in maid's attire, entered and prostrated herself.
"Did you call for me?"
"You said Raon Zieghart also entered the tomb, right?"
"Yes. Although he was a bit late compared to other factions, he entered on the first day the tomb opened."
Kubara bowed her head as she reported on Raon's entry situation.
"..."
Derus closed his mouth again and stared at the blood flowing from the wound on the back of his hand.
Kubara also closed her eyes, waiting for Derus to speak next.
"The situation will conclude around this evening, right?"
Derus slightly turned his head while wiping the blood that had fallen on the desk with a handkerchief.
"That's correct."
Kubara answered without hesitation.
"However, it might take a bit more time to manipulate the wounds on the corpses."
"Hmm..."
Derus clicked his tongue as he gazed at the softly shining moonlight.
"It seems I'll have to go there myself."
"Pardon?"
Unlike her usual self, Kubara raised her head and questioned.
"Currently, there's a sea of people around the tomb. If you happen to be noticed..."
"I won't go too close."
Derus shook his head while looking at the back of his hand again.
"I just want to confirm it."
Though he didn't believe in superstitions, blood flowing from the wound on the back of his hand only happened when his prepared plans went awry.
'Raon Zieghart.'
It's you again.
He thought there wouldn't be any problems unless a leader from the Six Kings and Five Demons showed up, but Raon's involvement, being a variable in itself, bothered him. Not once had things gone smoothly when that guy appeared.
'This time, it can't happen.'
Astronomical resources had gone into setting up the Sword Saint's tomb. If it failed, not only would there be losses, but the grand plan itself might crumble.
He couldn't just sit and wait for this plan.
"You trust Delphros and Sabi, don't you? You've given them the ability to control the entire tomb. And there's 'that' too..."
"Yes. The plan is perfect. But..."
Derus Robert calmly shook his head.
"Raon Zieghart. That guy has consistently defied my predictions."
As he rose, he licked the blood flowing from the back of his hand. An eerie darkness descended upon the office, as if even the moonlight was frightened.
"I must see for myself."
* * *
It was when Raon was about to walk towards Delphros along the path opened by the Light Wind division.
Kuuuung!
Massive shockwaves erupted from the left and right, pushing back the Light Wind division.
"Are we invisible to you?"
"Arrogant bastard."
It was the Demon Sword Master and the Sixth Apostle. The two old monsters led their subordinates to block the Light Wind division's path.
"L-Let's go too!"
"Now that we've come this far, there's no turning back!"
"If I just kill Raon Zieghart, I can become the Sword Saint too!"
Perhaps because Delphros had mentioned a new Sword Saint, even the neutral martial artists who had been hanging back jumped into the battlefield, surrounding the Light Wind division.
"How foolish."
Raon sneered as he looked at the Demon Sword Master and the Sixth Apostle.
"Do you think that guy will hand over the Sword Saint's martial arts manual to you?"
He glanced at Delphros, who was leisurely drinking tea, and snorted.
"It doesn't matter if he doesn't give it."
The Demon Sword Master shook his head while twirling his thin sword.
"We just need to kill you and him."
He drew a cold smile, as if confident.
"Forget the martial arts manual, I just don't like you."
The Sixth Apostle frowned as he looked this way.
"The sect leader ordered us to bring you back alive, but if you die here, who would know?"
He revealed intense killing intent as he took a stance. White bloody energy blazed like a mirage.
However, even while looking at me, the Demon Sword Master and the Sixth Apostle didn't let their guard down against each other.
"Hmm..."
Raon took a short breath and surveyed his surroundings.
'Is there no one to stop these guys?'
From the Owen Kingdom, there was a knight order with a bison emblem along with the All-Knowing Sword Master Krasel - it was the Koman Knights, said to be the strongest in melee combat.
On Balkar's side, Lightning Decay Barfil, whom they thought was dead, was forming a magic formation with other magicians.
However, both factions seemed to have no intention of helping Zieghart, watching the situation with sunken eyes.
'It seems they encountered doppelgangers disguised as the Void Sword division on the fourth floor.'
Seeing how Balkar kept glaring at the Void Sword division, it seemed clear that they had been attacked by doppelgangers disguised as the Void Sword division, just as Serena had predicted.
"Hehe."
Delphros sneered, raising his chin. His expression suggested that the situation was unfolding exactly as he had intended.
'I'll wipe that smirk off your face right now.'
Raon thrust the Heavenly Drive and Requiem Sword between the malicious auras emitted by the Demon Sword Master and the Sixth Apostle.
Incomplete Sword Domain.
Divine-Demonic Harmony.
He thought it was complete, but realizing his own shortcomings, he labeled it incomplete once again.
Wooooong!
Red flames blazed over the silver blade of the Heavenly Drive, embodying the divine, while silver frost rose over the crimson blade of the Requiem Sword, forming the demonic.
Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. The solemn aura blooming from the two sword extremes completely pushed back the auras of the Demon Sword Master and the Sixth Apostle.
"Sword Domain..."
The Sixth Apostle bit his lip as he looked at the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword burning with different lights.
"It's hard to believe even seeing it directly. However..."
The Demon Sword Master narrowed his eyes and curled his lip.
"It's meaningless."
"What's meaningless is your life."
Raon curled his lip as he looked at the Demon Sword Master.
"You bastard!"
Unable to contain himself, the Demon Sword Master charged. He approached at extreme speed like a streak of light passing the eyes, thrusting his sword towards Raon's heart.
As Raon raised the Divine Sword to defend, a refreshing wind blew from behind.
Chiiing!
Rimmer, who came out ahead of the Divine Sword, blocked the Demon Sword Master's blade.
Jeeeong!
The Demon Sword Master's sword strike was deflected as it hit the wind barrier Rimmer had created.
"It seems the Division Leader's opponent isn't this one."
He turned his head slightly and wore a refreshing smile.
"Can you handle it?"
"Who do you think I am? A demon's underling?"
Rimmer shrugged his shoulders as if telling Raon to go quickly.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The Sixth Apostle thrust his palm strike as if he had been waiting. It was an extremely violent martial art, but there was a profound principle hidden within it.
Just as Raon was about to draw the Frost Snap with his Demonic Sword, a massive aura struck down from above like lightning.
Kuuuung!
It was Serena. Despite her severe injuries, she advanced as if nothing was wrong and pushed back the Sixth Apostle with sheer force.
"Void Sword division! Support the Light Wind division!"
"Yes!"
Following Serena's order, the Void Sword division stood beside the Light Wind division and raised heavy sword auras. There was no hesitation in their swords.
"A corpse that came back to life."
The Sixth Apostle bit his lip as he formed an Astral Ring above his palm strike.
"Void Sword Division Leader?"
"I almost fell for you."
Serena turned her head back and drew a faint smile. It seemed like the first time seeing such an expression on her face.
"Pardon?"
"Your words and actions reminded me of the former Head of House I once fell for."
"I also thought the Head of House had come."
Rimmer chuckled as he deflected the Demon Sword Master's blade by a hair's breadth.
"Raon, go."
Serena jerked her chin towards the throne where Delphros was.
"We'll hold them here. Do what you need to do."
She smiled, saying she would block the way even if it meant her death.
"Thank you."
After bowing his head to Serena and Rimmer, Raon headed towards Delphros again. Despite the situation, the bastard was leisurely drinking tea.
Just as he was about to leap at him, gripping his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword tightly,
"Stop."
"Sorry, but you can't go."
The Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay, who had been watching until now, blocked the path in front of the platform.
"What are you doing?"
Raon glared at Koman Knight Commander Kuzan and Lightning Decay Barfil with wide eyes. He never imagined these two would interfere, even if others might.
"We were attacked by Zieghart."
"We can't let this pass until that incident is clearly explained."
The two drew their swords and raised their staffs, looking dead serious.
"Are you saying you'll break the Six Kings' pact now?"
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the Koman Knight Commander's sword and Lightning Decay's staff.
"You're the ones who broke the pact first."
"Didn't you attack us on the fourth floor!"
Lightning Decay gritted his teeth while looking at the Void Sword division, while the Koman Knights glared at me, Rimmer, and the Light Wind division.
"That was fake. It was an attack using doppelgangers..."
"If they were doppelgangers, shouldn't they have transformed into our appearance, not others?"
"You must think we're fools. Cut the bullshit."
The Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay shook their heads, telling Raon not to spout nonsense.
"Besides, you have no proof for your words. On the other hand, we were actually attacked."
"I'll listen if you offer your neck."
"..."
Hearing those words, Raon looked into the eyes of the Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay. Their eyes were tainted with desire, just like the others who had come here.
"If you're going to say such things, at least get rid of the greed in your eyes first."
He twisted his lips as he looked at the Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay with his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.
"Shut up!"
The Koman Knight Commander swung his sword down without hesitation. Unlike his appearance, it was a swift and sharp sword strike.
Pajiiiik!
Lightning Decay finished his incantation in an instant and unleashed five bolts of lightning.
Teong!
Raon stepped with the Supreme Harmony Steps. He moved as if sliding to the left. He pushed forward his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword towards the incoming lightning and sword strike.
Kugugugugung!
The tremendous impact felt like it was crushing his shoulders. Raon bit his lip as he raised his gaze.
'Are they serious?'
The Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay were attacking with intense killing intent, as if they truly meant to kill me. No matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense.
"Kill them all!"
"We have the numbers advantage!"
"Don't retreat no matter what!"
"The Sword Saint's martial arts are right before our eyes!"
The Owen Knights, Balkar's magicians, the Holy Sword Alliance, the White Blood Religion, and even the neutral factions - all of them swung their swords with a red gleam in their eyes. They all seemed to have gone mad.
'Have they all lost their minds over the treasure?'
No, this is impossible.
Even if they kill me and obtain the Sword Saint's martial arts, unless they can immediately become the Sword Saint, they'd have to engage in endless battles.
I don't understand why they're acting so recklessly.
"Damn it all!"
"Kill them! Don't just block, kill them all!"
"How dare..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan also switched from defensive to aggressive sword formations, pressing against the Five Demons and neutral factions. A strange heat was burning in the eyes of the Light Wind division as well.
"It's burning up. This is how a fight should be."
Delphros sipped his tea with an amused smile, as if he had expected this.
'This is strange.'
Raon frowned as he deflected the Koman Knight Commander's sword.
'This doesn't make sense.'
It's not normal for even the Light Wind division to be going berserk in battle, let alone the others.
It was clear that a force other than the desire for treasure was at work.
'Wait. Another force?'
There was only one other force that could be affecting this place.
"Don't run away!"
"Where do you think you're going!"
The Koman Knight Commander raised an Astral Ring, and Lightning Decay summoned lightning from the sky.
Unavoidable attacks came in succession from both sky and ground.
Chiiing!
Raon stepped forward. Drawing Frost Snap with the demonic sword and Crimson Slash with the divine sword, he created a slanted shield of sword strikes.
Jeeeong!
Barely blocking the attacks of the Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay, he lowered his gaze to the ground.
'It was this barrier.'
It seemed Derus had manipulated the barrier of the fifth floor to taint people's reason with desire for treasure and combat.
The fact that not only the Five Demons and neutral factions, but also Owen, Balkar, the Light Wind division, and the Void Sword division were caught up in this madness was proof.
'What an impressive plan.'
It was such a vicious design that even Derus Robert deserved admiration.
'However...'
It won't go your way.
I've been steadily deciphering the barrier since coming down to the fifth floor.
With a bit more organization, I should be able to restore the original barrier from before Derus distorted it.
Raon twisted his lips as he looked at Delphros, who was raising his teacup as if to make a toast.
'Before I take your life, I'll break that teacup first.'
* * *
"The person who was supposed to help is attacking instead."
Delphros drew a deep smile as he looked at Raon, who was frowning.
'No matter who you are, you must be flustered.'
With the Six Kings, who should be on the same side, attacking first, he must not know what to do.
Raon might be confused, but this is the natural outcome.
'Because this is the real plan.'
The fifth floor is the end of the tomb where the Sword Saint's legacy was actually placed, and where the power of the barrier is strongest.
Derus Robert never intended to kill everyone on the fourth floor from the beginning.
He wanted to cast a barrier on the martial artists who were confused after being attacked by their comrades or allies, making them turn their swords on each other.
'It's generally impossible, but...'
He can do it.
Derus Robert manipulated the barrier installed in the tomb to create a new barrier that made the martial artists lose their reason.
Like the main flavor in a bar, it slowly erodes the mind, so unless one is at the Transcendent level, they'll fight to the end without even realizing what's happening to them.
Delphros curled his lips as he watched Raon dodge the swords of Lightning Decay and the Koman Knight Commander.
'This is as far as you go, too.'
No matter how strong Raon Zieghart was, it was impossible for him to face the Koman Knight Commander and Lightning Decay simultaneously.
Rimmer and Serena, the Light Wind division and the Void Sword division were also fighting without reason, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the situation was over.
'As expected, he's thorough.'
He had come out personally, worried that Raon might ruin even the final plan, but it was meaningless. There was no error in his plan.
As Delphros leisurely raised his teacup, Raon Zieghart suddenly stepped back and crossed his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword.
Gritting his teeth, he used friction as if using the Demonic Sword as a scabbard for the Divine Sword, creating a clear sound.
Wooooong!
A sword sound that seemed to awaken not the ears, but the mind, rose up to the dark space and spread in all directions.
"Hmph!"
Delphros sneered as he swirled his teacup.
"It's useless."
He knew what that sword technique was. A sword strike that penetrates the opponent's hearing with sword sound to stimulate the nerves. He probably tried to awaken the maddened martial artists by stimulating their nerves.
But this barrier is different from simple brainwashing. It can't be maintained for long, but it also can't be broken by such a method.
"Instead of wasting effort, you'd better focus on surviving even a little longer. You... Huh?"
Delphros's lips trembled as he stopped mid-sneer at Raon.
"What is this..."
The Koman Knight Commander who was charging at Raon stopped his sword, and Lightning Decay suppressed his lightning.
"W-Why was I attacking Raon Zieghart..."
"What..."
The two trembled their lips as they looked at their weapon-wielding hands, as if they couldn't understand their own actions.
"Ah..."
"W-What! Why did I attack Zieghart?"
"How..."
"What happened to me?"
The Koman Knights and magicians also swallowed dry saliva as they stepped back.
Gooooo!
The battle on the field ceased in an instant, and silence descended.
"Y-You! What have you done!"
Delphros screamed at the now composed Raon, stretching out his hand.
"I told you. This land belonged to Zieghart."
Raon nodded calmly with a smile.
"I've changed the barrier back to how it was before you manipulated it."
"What?"
"I erased the mind control embedded in the barrier."
He muttered that he had crushed the barrier Derus had created, pointing at the ground with his finger.
Kyaaang!
Delphros dropped the teacup he was holding. The luxurious teacup that fell below the platform shattered into pieces.
"I-Impossible..."
The barrier installed here was set up by Derus himself. He couldn't believe that such a youngster had undone it.
"W-Why were we fighting?"
"I-I only meant to check him, but why did I try to kill..."
But even at this moment, people were coming to their senses and lowering their weapons. It meant that his words were true.
"Why, you ask?"
Rimmer raised his sword and pointed it at Delphros.
"That mongrel farted."
"Kugh!"
Delphros shook his head while biting his lip until it bled.
"Sabi, are you watching?"
[...Yes.]
Sabi's reply came after a long pause, as if he was also flustered.
"Send that down."
[But the time isn't...]
"It's already too late. The plan is ruined."
Delphros glared at Raon while biting his lip hard.
"We must kill him by any means necessary."
* * *
Raon smiled as he looked at the flustered Delphros.
'Fortunately, I prepared in advance.'
If I had to suddenly break the barrier, it would have taken considerable time, but I was able to decipher it quickly because I had been studying the barrier since arriving here.
Following the flow of the First Patriarch's barrier, I rang Azure Rain, and the barrier returned to its original state, awakening everyone's mind.
"I-I'm sorry."
The Koman Knight Commander bowed his head.
"It wasn't my will... it was my fault!"
Despite it not being his own will, he admitted his mistake and bowed.
"The same goes for me."
Lightning Decay sighed.
"I think I wasn't in my right mind due to severe injuries."
He lowered his staff, saying he was sorry.
"It's alright. Just don't interfere anymore."
"Not interfere, but help."
The Koman Knight Commander shouted that he had committed a mortal sin and would withdraw from trying to claim the Sword Saint's legacy.
Raon calmly nodded and stood in front of the platform where Delphros was sitting.
"Now it's really time for you to come down."
As he tried to climb the stairs, an invisible transparent wall blocked his way.
"Ugly to the end, aren't you?"
Raon twisted his lips as he raised his Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. The brilliantly shining flames and the faintly subsiding frost emitted a light like a moon halo, shattering the wall that blocked the front of the platform.
Kugugugugu!
Standing in front of the shattering wall of aura, he tilted his chin.
"If you won't come down, I'll directly..."
"I'll open it."
Delphros twisted his lips.
"What?"
"I'll open the way."
As he gestured, light entered behind the platform that had been shrouded in darkness until now. It looked more like a door leading outside than a new space.
"I-I want to leave! I can't stay here any longer!"
"Me too! I don't want to die!"
The neutral faction martial artists who had been fighting without reason ran towards the opened door.
"Wait!"
Raon reached out to stop them, but the people already gripped by fear didn't stop their steps.
And then.
Pukaaaak!
The bodies of dozens of martial artists running towards the door split like sheets of paper. Blood rained down, soaking the floor. It was an unreal sight.
Goooo!
From within the soft light, a large-bodied man walked out.
In his left hand, he held a blue-tinged sword, and in his right hand, a red-hot saber. He was an old man full of wrinkles, but strangely, his skin was as bright as a child's.
He slowly walked in and entered the chamber, raising his head. His black and white eyes were reversed. It was a gaze that no living person could have.
"This is the person you've been waiting for."
Delphros rose from his seat with a twisted smile.
"Sword Saint. Kill them all."