Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 104

Kusanus, Ananda’s New Identity

Was he trying to grasp even the soul of the wind that wanders in a dream? Pachaen’s hands continuously stirred the air.

Those watching him felt a pang of frustration, their feet tapping anxiously. His eyes rolled back, revealing the whites, yet no one saw the longing that flickered within.

His body, shrinking from the pain, trembled uncontrollably. No one realized that he was yearning for something. He was a fragile spirit, unable to sever the past and allow new growth. Yet, none of the spirits believed there was a special reason within his fragility that ignited such a strong desire for life.

Pachaen was seeing it all too vividly: fragments of memories, still trapped and bleeding, and the longing that cried out, the bitter pain.

The shards of longing gleamed amidst the tears of blood, sinking deep into the distorted, wrinkled crevices. Now, he could bury the painful memories of the past in the land of oblivion and scatter them into the empty air. Yet, he seemed determined not to let go, struggling even more fiercely. The sound escaping his lips was all the more pitiful.

“Stop… like… this…” It was Donatus who became urgent. He could ignore and betray the expectant, earnest gazes of the other advance team members. But not now. He might have if he were of no use, but that wasn’t the case. He was certain that he held the only means to salvage even a sliver of hope.

‘Teleport Ananda and Arena here. There’s no other way.’ Donatus waited impatiently for Agrippa to quickly pinpoint the two spirits’ locations.

“Not yet?” He openly revealed his agitation by pressing Agrippa.

Pachaen’s writhing had stopped, and even the occasional groans had ceased. Unable to understand how the phenomenon occurring in Pachaen’s body could be happening, he couldn’t rashly administer any treatment.

“Ugh.” Neoul clenched his fist even tighter, his body trembling incessantly. He prayed silently, again and again.

‘Please, just don’t die. You can’t collapse like this, not like this. Just hold on a little longer, just a little…’ Everyone hoped that Pachaen’s unwavering grip on life would bring about a small miracle.

“I’ve finally found them!” Agrippa’s shout jolted everyone awake. All eyes were on Agrippa as he pointed to the empty space in front of him.

“It’s right here.” Where Agrippa pointed, a hazy smoke seemed to rise, and then a clear image appeared within it. The scene of Ananda, Arena, Tyron, the sorcerers, Raman, the Rommel knights, and Balak fighting in a chaotic melee was vivid, as if they were experiencing it firsthand.

“This is bad, very bad. It looks like they’re trapped in a spatial barrier… What should we do?” Donatus didn’t have the ability to move someone trapped inside a spatial barrier.

Before the advance team’s faces could be completely consumed by despair, Agrippa shouted again.

“I’ll try. I’ll convey the situation here and have them break the barrier quickly.” Agrippa’s idea was plausible, but considering the situation Ananda and the others were in, it was hard to be hopeful. They hadn’t been able to break the spatial barrier even after quite some time, so it seemed unlikely that a sudden, extraordinary solution would appear.

Watching Agrippa mumble with his small mouth, Donatus spoke to himself.

“The sorcerers surrounding Ananda are no ordinary ones. And there are three Tyrons. The sorcerers are adding layers of defenses to prevent the barrier from breaking. It would be difficult without a divine form.” Donatus remembered that Ananda had never used a divine form before. The attack power of the divine form, one of Prisma’s highest-level techniques, was so powerful that even top-tier warriors found it hard to withstand.

One of the main characteristics of the divine form was that while its attack power was immense, it was difficult to control. Donatus, who easily guessed that this was why Ananda had hesitated until now, naturally felt despair.

‘Will Ananda really push himself to his limits, even breaking his own taboo?’ “Okay, it’s done. Now, tell me.” Donatus didn’t have time for formalities, as it was a matter of life and death.

“Ananda, this is Donatus. Pachaen is in grave danger. I don’t know what’s going on, so you need to come here. First, use all your power to break the spatial barrier. Then, I’ll teleport you. Do you understand?” Donatus’s urgent words echoed throughout the Zaharin Plaza, and the duel seemed to pause momentarily. But soon, the sorcerers unleashed a series of terrifying attacks.

The current situation was not good. Balak was struggling to fight one Tyron, while the other two were pressuring the Rommel warriors. Raman was continuously generating and pouring out flames to prevent Arena from exerting force on the barrier, and the attacks of the three sorcerers were focused entirely on Ananda.

At this point, they had no room to spare. Those inside the barrier couldn’t attack the outside, so they were busy just blocking the enemies’ attacks, and the remaining Rommel warriors and Balak had no ability to help Ananda and Arena.

“What are you doing? Pachaen is dying. Attack with your divine form now.” Before Donatus’s desperate cry could even end, ominous signs began to appear on Ananda’s body. The sorcerers, sensing it, frantically continued their attacks.

“Finally!” Donatus looked intrigued. Although they were relatively close, he had never seen Ananda’s divine form, which was about to manifest. The other advance team members also showed a hint of excitement, despite Pachaen’s critical condition.

The Prisma [a type of spiritual energy] that began to swirl around Ananda’s entire body was a vivid golden color. It was so powerful that even spells that hadn’t fully reached him were automatically nullified. The situation changed rapidly. During a brief moment of stillness, Ananda’s divine form revealed its completed appearance to everyone.

“Oh…!” “Is that Kusanus’s wings?” “A divine form with wings…” “Does that mean it’s related to the Sleeping Earth?” “That’s impossible.” “How could this be…” The advance team wasn’t the only one surprised. Arena was also in shock.

‘Ananda, a practitioner, is related to the Emperor… Who would believe this?’ The reason Ananda hadn’t used his divine form wasn’t just because of its destructive power and lethality. The Emperor’s relics were a temptation stronger than anything else for the spirits.

In contrast, Kusanus, the divine form with wings, known as the Emperor’s close aide, was bound to be an object of caution for everyone. Even if it was a life from before memory erasure, no spirit would accept the appearance of a spirit of that origin without question. At least, that was the case in the current Spirit Realm. In the universe, the only winged spiritual beings were the angels and Kusanus, known as the Emperor’s close aides.

Kusanus was a priest who presided over sacrifices to the gods and a commander who trained and led the Emperor’s warriors. According to legend, when there was a rebellion against the Emperor, Metatron’s only action was to put the ninety-nine Kusanus to sleep. If the Kusanus had led the Emperor’s warriors, the outcome would have been different, and there was a clear reason why that story was passed down.

Beings whose existence no one had proven, so they were treated as legends. Now, they were facing Ananda’s divine form, clearly one of the Kusanus. Their feelings were both understandable and incomprehensible. And now, this news would spread throughout the entire Infinite Realm.

The legends about the Sleeping Earth were based on clear facts, and some of them were deeply involved in the current Spirit Realm. How the spirits would accept this was a matter of great concern. Ananda had also anticipated this, which was why he had been so reluctant to use his divine form. The splendid golden wings covered his face and entire body.

Donatus, realizing Pachaen’s current state, urged Ananda.

“Ananda, hurry! What are you doing?” If he hadn’t heard that Pachaen’s life was hanging by a thread, Ananda wouldn’t have used his divine form. Ananda’s affection for Pachaen was so strong that he couldn’t afford to worry and hesitate about what might happen in the future.

‘Okay, now that it’s come to this… I won’t hesitate.’ Ananda spread his wings wide. Their majesty alone was enough to intimidate the sorcerers and Raman. If Ananda’s past life was truly connected to Kusanus, then it was a lost cause.

“Damn it! Things are suddenly getting complicated.” Raman’s grumbling couldn’t stop Ananda’s actions. Ananda immediately began to exert his full power.

“If you want to live, get out of here.” But Ananda was truly a practitioner. His final warning was a testament to his character. The sorcerers scoffed.

“Don’t act so high and mighty. Even if you were one of the Emperors, not just Kusanus, you can’t break the spatial barrier at once. As long as our spirits don’t perish, the barrier will remain intact.” At that moment, Ananda gestured to Arena.

“Come inside my wings. There’s no time to delay.” “Inside your wings?” It was like asking her to embrace him. Arena was reluctant, but she had no choice. Ananda, wrapping Arena in his two wings, gave a final warning.

“I will only break the barrier if possible. If you gather your strength and try to collide with me, I cannot guarantee your safety.” The blue sea light, shattered by the sun. Ananda’s two eyes, which resembled it perfectly, emitted a constant stream of intense energy. He seemed to have changed his attitude since becoming a divine form. The gentle tone he had used just moments ago was gone, replaced by a slightly overbearing aura.

From the surface of his two wings, golden light flashed out at a speed that made lightning seem slow. And that wasn’t all. Ananda, folding his wings again, rose up, spinning at a furious pace.

Fsssh, spot, flash, crackle. Those who had been holding their breath and watching the situation around Pachaen quickly raised their hands to cover their eyes. The explosion of radiant light was too intense to bear calmly.

Agrippa exclaimed, clapping his hands together with a loud sound.

“Wow, amazing. To exert that much power just by emitting light.” He was right. The emission of light from the divine form was the most basic attack method. Yet, the plaza was in ruins.

“The barrier must be broken. What are you doing? Why aren’t you bringing them over?” “Oh, r-right.” Donatus, who had been momentarily stunned, regained his senses. He spoke to Ananda.

“Get ready. I’ll bring you here right away.” Donatus immediately closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Teleporting objects or living beings from a distance to a specific location required great concentration and Prisma manipulation. But Neoul pointed out a problem that Donatus hadn’t considered.

“To bring them here, you need to be more powerful than Ananda… Is that… possible?” Whether using spells or manipulating Prisma, it was impossible unless one possessed a stronger power than the target, as Neoul had said. Donatus, who was about to concentrate and cast the spell, felt a pang of anxiety.

‘This is going to be embarrassing if I fail here…’ In fact, he was the only one who thought that way; no one believed that Donatus was stronger than Ananda.

“Stop acting like you’re the only one who’s serious and grab my hand.” Agrippa, scolding him, extended his hand, and Donatus, still with his eyes tightly closed, hesitantly reached out with one hand. The intention was to bring Ananda and Arena at the same time using Agrippa’s combined power.

Meanwhile, the impact of Ananda’s divine form’s light emission on the plaza was immense. Tyron and Balak, who were far away, were not greatly affected, but the sorcerers and Raman, who were standing near the barrier, were blown away to the edge of the plaza.

Raman’s combined technique had already been undone, revealing their pathetic forms, and the sorcerers also seemed to be in less than normal condition. They shuddered at the memory of the terrifying shock they had just experienced.

They had been about to unleash their power to block Ananda’s attack, despite the warning. But they couldn’t. They were blown away by the powerful force that had reached them in an instant, without even knowing what had happened. Perhaps it was fortunate that their reaction speed hadn’t been any faster; otherwise, they might not have survived.

Arena, stepping out of Ananda’s embrace, tilted her head.

“Why are they being so slow?” Arena was waiting for the teleportation, but when there was no change, she expressed her doubt.

“Could it be…” As she had expected, Donatus and Agrippa were holding hands and sweating profusely.

This was something they hadn’t anticipated. Even with the combined power of Ananda and Arena, they had thought that Agrippa and Donatus’s power would be enough, but the result was completely unexpected.

“What are you doing? At this rate, at least Ananda…” “What if Pachaen dies?” Donatus, startled by Neoul and Mita’s cries, quickly opened his eyes and glared at Agrippa.

“Just Ananda, understand?” The fact that his voice was so soft was, of course, because he was conscious of the gazes of those watching.

‘I’m going to be humiliated in so many ways today.’ Agrippa pursed his small lips and nodded vigorously. The combined power of Donatus and Agrippa, who could be called a fantastic duo, began to sense Ananda’s spirit.

“It’s done.” Immediately after Agrippa’s shout, a bright blue light burst from Donatus’s entire body and then subsided. It was at that moment.

Ssssh, like scattered water droplets finding each other and merging, a new spirit took its place in the room. It was Ananda. Ananda had already returned to his original form, but his face was filled with tension due to the urgency.

“Ananda!” Mita’s joyful greeting was ignored as Ananda’s hand reached out to Pachaen. He picked up Pachaen, who was lying on the floor, and checked to see if he was still alive. When he felt a faint pulse, Ananda sighed in relief. He sat Pachaen upright and then sat behind him. Then, he cupped Pachaen’s head with both hands.

Only after seeing Ananda’s hands begin to emit light did Donatus start to ask what had happened.

“What on earth happened?” Ananda, without lowering his hands from Pachaen’s head, opened his mouth to explain.

“It happened because the pressing force and the rebounding force were not balanced. The spirits that suppress Prisma’s function failed to fully control the energy that was erupting from within.” Donatus, who had been watching Ananda’s healing, asked anxiously, not feeling reassured.

“Is there a solution? Can you stabilize him with such a general healing technique?” “There is a measure within Pachaen to prepare for this kind of event. I only know how to melt it and strengthen the barrier. I don’t know exactly what state Pachaen is in right now. However… I know that this will continue to happen in the future.” Donatus, not understanding the meaning, kept tilting his head. Neoul, who had a hunch, cautiously opened his mouth with an uncertain voice.

“Is it perhaps related to Muyeon’s demise?” “That’s right. Muyeon is, in fact, with Pachaen. He gave his last spiritual essence to Pachaen and disappeared without a trace from this universe. The Guardian’s arrangement was built on Muyeon’s sacrifice. Overcoming the limitations of a living spirit must have been that difficult.” “Can’t you heal him completely?” “This isn’t a disease or an injury. So, I can only delay it for a while. In fact, Pachaen is living on borrowed time.” “Hmm.” Donatus’s gray eyes took on an even darker hue. His gaze remained fixed on Pachaen’s face, which had yet to regain its vitality.

“It’s the result of reckless Prisma use. The best solution would be to prevent him from using his power at all.” “This is frustrating.” “I’m just as frustrated.” Ananda continued the treatment while explaining. Perhaps because of Ananda’s hands on his head, Pachaen seemed to be wearing a crown of brilliant light. The bloodstains on his face made Pachaen look even more pitiful, and the atmosphere in the room was heavy and gloomy.

“One thing… I don’t understand is that it’s too early. It shouldn’t be time to reach this stage yet… I don’t know what’s going on.” Ananda also couldn’t pinpoint exactly what Pachaen’s current state meant. The Guardian had taken everything into account, considering that Pachaen was a living spirit. Instead of drawing out all of the potential Prisma that humans possessed, he focused on controlling it, and even that wasn’t enough, so he had put in place a final safety measure through Muyeon. Based on the situation so far, it had been successful.

‘Then this shouldn’t be happening… I don’t understand at all. This state should only appear after all three Great Needles have melted.’ At that moment, Agrippa began to make a fuss.

“The Arena is in danger, in danger! What should we do?” Donatus, Ananda, and the advance team all stared at Agrippa, their faces etched with worry. They had completely forgotten about the Arena left behind in Jaharin.

Although the barrier that had stubbornly blocked their path had been broken, the threat from the temple remained. Raman and the sorcerers, though struck by Ananda’s incarnate’s [a manifestation of a divine being] radiance, were not fatally wounded. The enemies were now pouring their last strength into attacking the Arena and Garincha.

Unlike Donatus, who was exhausted from moving Ananda, Agrippa was full of energy. The image still displayed in mid-air showed the Arena’s dire situation.

“What should we do?” Donatus’s face was deeply furrowed.

“If we bring her back with another spatial transfer…” Neoul trailed off, then shut his mouth. Who would cast it? Ananda was occupied with treating Pachaen and couldn’t use his power. Agrippa alone didn’t have the ability to bring the Arena back.

Donatus pointed at Neoul.

“Neoul, why don’t you try? It seems possible if you combine your strength with Agrippa.”

“I… I don’t know how to control the power of spirits.” Neoul’s voice faded. He lamented his uselessness. How he wished he could confidently step forward at times like this, but he had never combined his power with a spirit even once.

The Prisma [a type of spiritual energy] of spirits and spirit users had completely different methods and flows of waves.

The fact that Donatus could combine his strength with Agrippa was proof of his exceptional skill. At that moment, a small voice was heard from outside.

“I’ll give it a try.” It was the voice of Anshante, the owner of Pellamo. Anshante’s face was flushed as she entered the room, understandable since she had unintentionally eavesdropped. The advance team members’ expressions changed for a different reason. They hadn’t noticed her presence at all, even though she was so close.

“Oh, that would be great.” Donatus thought that Anshante would be able to do it. At this moment, Ananda intervened.

“If we only bring the Arena back, the Rommel warriors and Balak will face annihilation. That won’t do.”

“Then what do you want us to do? It’s just as dangerous if we leave her as she is.” Donatus found Ananda frustrating.

Anshante swept back the hair covering her eyes and said softly,

“The Arena will be able to overcome the crisis.” The Arena had remained composed even amidst the combined attack. It wouldn’t be too difficult for her to escape on her own. At this moment, Ananda stared intently at Donatus.

“I think you can do it?”

“What… do you mean?” Donatus felt his heart sink.

“You still have what you got from the bet with the Ragon, right?”

“Y-yes… but why are you asking that? You don’t mean to tell me to give it up now, do you?”

“Why not? It’s a matter of life and death, so why would you care about that stone? I believe in you.” It wasn’t easy to understand the meaning of their brief conversation. Anshante, who had been frowning and pondering alone, looked at Donatus with a smile, as if she had remembered something.

“Did you perhaps get a Maho Stone [a magical stone] from the Ragon?”

“Well… I did get it. Do you know how much I suffered to get it?”

“Come on, stop hesitating and give it up cheerfully. When else would you ever get to use it?” Donatus jumped up and waved his hands.

“What’s wrong with you? Do you think I’m carrying it around because I have no use for it? I’ve been cherishing it… How can you say that about something I haven’t even used properly?” Faced with Ananda’s smiling face, Donatus’s face contorted.

“Yeah, I’ve been unlucky since the day I met you. You can’t stand seeing me have anything… Here, take it. Roast it or boil it, do whatever you want.” Donatus took something out of the bag he was carrying on his back and threw it on the floor. Even then, he still smacked his lips as if it was a pity. Agrippa picked it up.

“Ha, that’s right. We had this. If we use this, we don’t need to put in much effort, and we can bring the Arena and the rest of the stragglers. I don’t know why Donatus is being so generous. I can’t believe it.”

“Hey, you!” What Agrippa held in his hand looked like a ground stone. Except for a few sparkling jewels embedded on the surface, it had no other distinctive features. Neoul, who didn’t know what it was that was causing such a fuss, asked cautiously.

“That looks like a Maho Stone made by the Rudin tribe, but what are you going to use it for?” Donatus, in a bad mood, blurted out whatever came to mind.

“You’ll see, why are you so curious?” Agrippa put the stone on the floor, took a step back, and carefully surveyed the plaza.

“I need to bring one of those… Which one would be good?” Donatus, who had been glancing at it, pointed to a dead spirit lying on one side of the plaza.

“That one would do.”

“Why a corpse?”

“Is this the time to be picky?”

“Okay, whatever. Let’s bring it.” Agrippa waved his hand, and one of the spirits in the plaza suddenly disappeared and appeared in the room. The moment the horribly mangled corpse appeared, Agrippa quickly placed the stone on top of it. Then he said in a loud voice,

“Arena, a portal will open there. Escape through it.” Agrippa’s shout was transmitted directly to the plaza. Arena found the portal that had appeared behind Raman, where the corpse had been, and looked relieved. She had been struggling to keep an eye on Garincha and the others.

“Follow me.” Arena took the lead and attacked Raman, followed by Garancha and Balak.

The sorcerers and Raman couldn’t have failed to see the portal that had opened.

“Don’t let them through!” The Tyrons [a group of powerful warriors] gathered in front of the portal and spoke in a firm tone.

“We will never let you go like this.” At this time, Mita, who was in Pellamo Anshante, became impatient and carelessly muttered without thinking.

“Why did they have to make it on the enemy’s side?” Donatus, who was already on edge, was angered by Mita’s mumbling and shouted.

“What?”

“I, that’s what I meant.” Ananda, keeping a close eye on the situation in the plaza, made a polite request to Anshante.

“Anshante, can you help us?”

“Of course.” Anshante answered readily without any hesitation and stood in front of the portal. She held two Parashus [a type of axe] in each hand and took a deep breath. She didn’t forget to take another look at the situation in the plaza.

“Then I’ll be back.” Her refreshing smile reassured those who saw it.

What Donatus had brought out was originally a Maho Stone made by the Rudin tribe, a treasure that served to contain spells. The Maho Stone he had obtained from the Ragon had a spatial transfer spell stored in it.

So far, only the Ragon had been able to create portals using Maho Stones. Donatus had it. There was a limit to the number of times it could be used depending on how it was made, but the Maho Stone was very useful in that it didn’t require the user’s own spiritual power. One difficulty was that it could only be used if an object from the place where the portal was to be created was brought. If Agrippa hadn’t been here, it would have been difficult to use it as easily as they were now.

Meanwhile, a whirlwind was raging in the plaza. Rather, the Arena and others were attacking with vigor, and Raman and the others were struggling to block them.

The Arena was emitting Prisma using only her two hands, not her Parashus, and its destructive power was considerable. Her two hands were transforming the Prisma into various forms. The fact that the Raman’s fusion had been broken was a relief, but it was still not easy to break through.

The Tyrons were guarding the portal, and the sorcerers and Raman were firmly blocking the Arena and the others. Garincha was angry and shouting wildly, while Balak was responding relatively calmly. At this moment, an idea flashed through Arena’s mind. She attempted to communicate with Garincha and Balak through spirit language.

[I think it would be better to slip out through the unguarded rear while I attack?]

Her idea made sense. Since they were blocking the front and had no intention of moving aside, there was no reason to push forward with difficulty. What if they escaped to the empty rear?

[Instead, I’ll hold them off here and buy some time.]

Balak and Garincha were inclined to agree with Arena’s proposal. They didn’t like the idea of owing her a debt, but this wasn’t the time to worry about such things. Balak needed to inform the lord and his people that the Tyrons had become enemies, and Garincha also couldn’t fulfill his mission with the current forces.

It was at that moment. Something popped out of the portal. It was an unexpected event that neither Arena nor the Tyrons had anticipated. An unexpected event meant that there was a high probability that it would act as a variable. Especially if it was a strong person like Anshante.

Anshante, who had emerged from the portal, immediately focused the maximum amount of Prisma into the Parashus in her hands and concentrated it on the three Tyrons who were exposing their rear. A sword that was neither too big nor too small. It was only about five feet long, but it was precise and powerful.

The sound of cutting through the air was too fast. Before the opponents could react to the sound, Anshante’s attack neatly pierced and cut the backs of the three Tyrons.

“Ugh, wh-what is this?” The three Tyrons quickly pulled back and tried to raise their protective barriers as much as possible, but it was already too late, and all they could do was feel that it was impossible. One of the three Tyrons had a gash in his back, one had his arm cut off, and the other was clutching his neck.

“I’m so sorry. I aimed for the shoulder, but I cut your neck.” Anshante sincerely apologized to one of them. Whether the other party accepted it or not was irrelevant. Arena saw the sorcerers in front of her momentarily glance behind them and smiled meaningfully.

“Fools, danger isn’t just behind you.” A red light emanated from Arena’s clasped hands. The energy, divided into dozens of pieces, was all incredibly fast and sharp.

“Dodge!” One of the sorcerers shouted urgently, but it was almost an instinctive cry. It was too late for him to dodge, but it was also too late to counter. In this case, it would be faster to put up a protective barrier, but the sorcerers were not skilled in using Prisma.

Thump, thump, thump, thump. The whole bodies of the Raman and sorcerers shook violently. The momentary lapse was the cause of the problem. They were unable to recover their battered forms and were being pushed away.

Unlike Anshante, Arena had no intention of stopping there, nor did she have any intention of apologizing. Since they were facing each other as enemies, she thought that finishing them off was the most polite thing to do. This theory, which she had always held, was being demonstrated without fail.

“Let’s finish this.” She released her clasped hands and spread them out, showing her palms. Then, she quickly gathered them again in a circle.

Bang, bang, bang, boom! Explosions erupted continuously around those who were being pushed back. She had compressed the air and detonated it. Since it was so close and they were caught off guard, it was quite effective. The sorcerers and Raman were helplessly flying through the air. They were in no state to recover their senses.

Anshante shook her head as she watched.

“That’s a terribly fast series of attacks.” The Tyrons, trapped between Arena and Anshante, looked at each other for a moment. Knowing that the situation was absolutely unfavorable to them, they couldn’t attack rashly. However, their pride wouldn’t allow them to just stand there and watch. In the end, they renewed their resolve and attacked Arena.

In a damaged spirit state, it is impossible to use excessive Prisma. There is a limit to what they can withstand. Knowing this, they had no other choice but to take this action. Seeing this, Arena scoffed.

“It seems like they’ve decided to die.”

“Arena, I don’t think it’s necessary to kill them, so please show mercy…” Anshante’s earnest request was cut short. It was because Arena had pulled out her Parashu and struck one of the approaching Tyrons in the neck. Her attack was terribly fast, powerful, and flashy.

The Tyron, who had witnessed the death of his comrade, lost his judgment due to the rising anger and began to unleash his full power. Arena knew that the Tyrons’ reputation was not earned for nothing, so she backed away. She needed to be more calm to deal with the beasts who were injured and out of their minds. It was at that moment that the Tyron’s whole body was engulfed in flames. Seeing this, Balak, who was behind Arena, shouted.

“It seems like they’ve decided to die?”

“I know that. They’re enraged by the death of their comrade… Fine, let’s do it. Come on, attack me as much as you want.” Arena gripped her Parashu tightly in her hand and composed herself. Her eyes were calmer than ever. Balak couldn’t shake off the anxiety that was rising in his heart.

‘They are now maximizing their potential by drawing it out. It’s obvious that they will be incomparably stronger than before. Even if Arena is strong, this is… dangerous.’ Balak tensed up and hurried to prepare. The Rommel warriors also did not erase the light of their weapons.

“Please stop. Is it necessary to go so far as to harm yourselves?” The calm voice, which was so out of place with the current atmosphere, belonged to Anshante. There was no way the Tyrons would accept her words of persuasion. They spread their arms and roared madly.

“The Tyrons never forget a grudge once it’s formed. Arena, you will forever be the enemy of our Tyrons. Furthermore, the Tyrons will more actively block the advance team.” The flames grew fiercer, engulfing even their forms. From within, the last words, filled with firm resolve, flowed out.

“What happened here will be conveyed to our clan in detail, and that anger will burn you to the ground. Remember this. We may be leaving like this, but this is just the beginning.”

“Uwaaaaaaaah.” The floor of the plaza cracked and shook in time with the roar that seemed to collapse the sky, and flames surged fiercely from the cracks. That wasn’t all. Explosions occurred one after another in various parts of the plaza, including them.

Boom, boom, boom. “Arena, let’s hurry and attack before they gather more power.” It was Balak’s suggestion. Garincha’s heart was heavy with the rapidly changing situation around him.

‘So they’re not easy opponents after all? Honestly, I’m not confident. Arena, what are you going to do?’ Arena looked at the Tyrons engulfed in flames and answered his suggestion.

“No, let’s wait a little longer. Let’s see how far their abilities reach.” At this time, some of the Raman who had been cornered in the corner of the plaza were sucked into the cracked ground and screamed, while the sorcerers, who had barely recovered, sat on the floor holding hands. The flames did not encroach on their surroundings, nor did the ground crack, so it seemed that they had put up a protective barrier with magic.

Anshante glanced at them, then turned her gaze back to the Tyrons. She hoped that the Tyrons would stop now. If they poured out their last strength, not only the plaza but also the surrounding buildings would not be safe, and it seemed obvious that even unrelated ordinary spirit users would be harmed.

“Please stop, Tyrons. Going against the flow is not beneficial to you or to others. Please don’t do it.” The Tyrons didn’t budge even after another persuasion. In fact, their transformation had reached a point where they could no longer stop it themselves. The change began first with the flames that had been trapping them.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The flames, which had risen more than ten feet, gradually turned blue and then began to dance. As if they had been given life, their touch was alive and overflowing throughout the plaza.

“This heat is no joke.” Garincha was worried about his subordinates. They had been injured in several battles, so he was worried about whether they would be able to withstand the Tyrons’ last strength. He gathered his subordinates around him. Balak’s black tiger growled, swinging its front paws whenever the flames approached.

The Tyrons’ spirits had now reached the point just before they would explode. If they just broke the dam that had been holding them back, things might go as they intended. The two held hands. Even in the midst of the blazing flames, they could clearly feel each other’s gaze. One of them said,

“We did our best. If our sacrifice can move our hesitant brethren.”

“Yes, there is no regret in our choice. The only regret is that we have tarnished the honor of the Tyrons. This kind of defeat is shameful.”

“No, it’s not. This will never happen again. If they move.”

“Now, let’s go…”

“Rest in peace, brother.”

“May the blessings of the gods be with you, brother.” Rumble, crackle. Surprisingly, it was lightning that was moving between the flames. The lightning, which was moving horizontally and vertically, was difficult to grasp.

The lightning struck Balak, of all people. Startled, Balak barely managed to block it, but unable to withstand the force, he was thrown backward. “Damn it…” The lightning continued to erupt, splitting and extending as if trying to weave a dense spiderweb across the entire plaza. Arena had to raise Parashu [a weapon] to create a protective barrier, and even the Rommel warriors, working together, were constantly pushed back. And that wasn’t all. At first, they only needed to defend the front, but gradually, attacks began to come from all directions, making it impossible to stay focused. “See? I told you we should have attacked first…” Balak regretted not taking the initiative and blamed Arena. He knew that the Tyrons’ planned attack hadn’t even begun yet. Sensing the energy enveloping the entire plaza, Balak began to grumble incessantly. “They’ve trapped the entire plaza with illusionary power. Now, we have no choice but to go along with them, damn it.” Balak soared into the sky, attempting to approach the Tyrons in one swift motion. However, he couldn’t. Crack! “Ugh.” As soon as he moved, lightning concentrated and surged from all directions. Even though it struck the protective barrier, the impact was so great that he fell back to the ground. The prisms that the Rommel warriors shot from Parashu vanished without a trace mid-flight. “Arena, do something.” Garincha felt pathetic. Indeed, when had they ever fought against the Seven Tribes instead of ordinary warriors? They had occasionally clashed with sorcerers, but this was their first time facing the Seven Tribes. Experiencing their power firsthand, which they had only heard about, was proving to be quite challenging. Anshanté carefully observed Arena, who was shaking Parashu to deflect the incoming lightning. Surprisingly, Anshanté wasn’t taking any action, yet the area around her was completely clear. Arena was waiting for the Tyrons’ attack. ‘This lightning can’t be all they have.’ She didn’t care about the predicament others were in. She had always despised warriors who only revered strength. Yet, she didn’t realize that she was reacting no differently from them. Her eyes, sparkling with curiosity, made it obvious. ‘Come on, start already! Don’t make me wait.’ Perhaps sensing Arena’s impatience, the Tyrons’ forms slowly began to disperse. “Huh? Why are they doing that?” Arena, who had been closely observing their movements through the flames, exclaimed in surprise. At that moment, Anshanté answered her question. “They are completely merging with the illusionary power they created. Their spiritual bodies have been extinguished, but they are not yet dead. If we break the illusionary power they have set up, they will be completely dead.” Only then did Arena understand, and she looked back at Anshanté. “By the way, who are you?” She vaguely assumed that Anshanté was related to the advance team, given that she seemed to be helping them. It was the first time Arena showed interest in Anshanté. “I’m Anshanté.” The two female warriors were having a calm conversation even in the midst of this chaos. Balak and the others watching them were dumbfounded. “Oh, is that so? I’ve heard of the fame of Pellamo Anshanté. It’s a pleasure to meet you like this…” Arena’s words trailed off as her body floated into the air. Balak, Garincha, and even Anshanté were also lifted. Arena didn’t understand what was happening. “Do you know why our bodies are floating in the air?” “It’s a phenomenon created by the Tyrons’ illusionary power. The space we’re trapped in is rising into the air. What are we going to do? It seems like the space itself will be destroyed soon… The power will be immense. We’ve been caught in one of the most extreme forms of illusionary power.” The lightning was intensifying, but that was no longer the issue. Arena only registered the words ‘destroy space’ and ‘extreme illusionary power.’ If Anshanté was right, it meant the space itself would be destroyed. A power that would annihilate everything trapped within. “If you know what this is, you must know how to escape it.” At Arena’s calm question, Anshanté covered her mouth and laughed. “Why are you laughing, Anshanté?” “I’m sorry, Arena-nim, your composure is amusing me.” ‘She’s quite eccentric.’ Just as Arena thought that about Anshanté, Anshanté was thinking the same about her. “There’s… no way. We just have to endure it.” “That’s a crude method.” “Illusionary power is generally like that. The only way is to endure it with greater power or destroy it. But even if you break the space, you still have to bear the full force of its power, so it’s useless.” “If you know so well, why were you just standing there?” “Is that really the only reason?” “Of course.” Arena chuckled. Balak barely managed to approach Arena and said, “Do something. It’s unfair to be helpless like this.” “I don’t have that kind of ability.” Balak stared intently at Arena’s plump lips as she answered so simply. “Damn it, if I had known, I would have run when I had the chance.” Arena was puzzled as the forms continued to rise. “How high are we going?” “I don’t know. It will explode when it stops, so be prepared.” Balak and Garincha were horrified by Anshanté’s words that it would explode when it stopped. They were already struggling to block the incoming lightning. Despair quickly filled their faces. “Where did that space-shifting door go?” “It must be down there.” Balak was resentful of Anshanté, who calmly pointed downwards. At that moment, Anshanté spoke to everyone. “Everyone, come closer. The only way is to combine our strength as much as possible.” Everyone readily agreed to her suggestion. As they gathered in one place, the lightning concentrated and poured down on them. However, Anshanté and Arena could easily defend against that. The problem was the impending explosion. “Are you confident?” Anshanté didn’t answer Arena’s question immediately. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth with a smile. “Actually, this is the second time. I’ve experienced something like this before. The power now doesn’t seem as great as it was then. Back then, there were more Tyrons, and they were stronger.” “So, you endured it. It can’t be that big of a deal, right?” Balak looked somewhat relieved. “Hehe, back then… I was annihilated. I couldn’t endure it. Actually, back then… it’s more accurate to say I was caught off guard because I didn’t know what it was. In fact, there’s hardly any chance to encounter something like this. It’s something that unfolds on the premise of spiritual body annihilation.” Everyone was dumbfounded. Anshanté, who was known as one of the strongest female warriors alongside Arena, had been helpless. Yet, she spoke so nonchalantly, making her seem truly extraordinary. Balak said in a somber tone, “Are we going to end our lives like this?” Garincha also opened his mouth hesitantly, his face hardened. “I knew from the start that this mission wouldn’t be good.” Anshanté reassured them. “Don’t be so anxious. I was weaker than all of you back then. But, beside me, there was someone so strong that the enemies would have given their lives to kill him.” “Who was he?” Arena was genuinely curious. Who was the person who had forced the use of the last resort against those stronger than the current Tyrons? “It was Practitioner Ramirez.” “Ah!” “Oh!” Arena chuckled. “I knew it. If it was him, he would have overcome the crisis safely.” “Yes. I was annihilated back then, so I didn’t know, but I heard about it later. When I met him afterward, he said he was sorry he couldn’t save me.” Arena was inwardly surprised that Anshanté was close enough to Ramirez to travel with him. “Get ready. I see signs of it starting.” Just as Anshanté said, their bodies, which had been slowly rising, stopped in mid-air. Then, small spheres appeared here and there in the air, and they could clearly feel a massive amount of energy gathering towards them. At that moment, Anshanté spoke quickly. “External prisms are being compressed. They will explode when they reach saturation. At that moment, gather your maximum power to protect your spiritual bodies.” Whoosh! As the prisms began to flow inward, the pressure began to increase. They realized the gravity of the situation when even moving became difficult. The Rommel warriors had their backs to each other, and Balak was pressed against the black tiger’s back. Arena lowered her hands and even closed her eyes. Anshanté was inwardly admiring Arena, who remained calm, and was repeatedly impressed. Thud thud thud. “It’s about to explode. May luck be with everyone.” Bang! Silence fell. Even though it exploded about a hundred yards above the plaza, the gale was so strong that it swept up the corpses scattered on the ground. Raman and the sorcerers, who were on the edge of the plaza and thus avoided being included in the space, looked up at the sky. “With that kind of explosion… they couldn’t have survived.” “Amazing. They are indeed Tyrons.” They were certain. The explosive power was that great. One of the sorcerers, whose gaze was fixed on the still-present portal, turned his gaze back to the sky. “Since nothing is falling, it seems they have vanished without a trace.” After waiting a little longer and seeing no change, one of the sorcerers turned to his companions and said, “Let’s go. I don’t know if this mission was a success or a failure.” “It’s not a failure. We eliminated big shots like Arena and Anshanté, so it can be considered a success.” They soon dragged their wounded bodies away from the plaza. The plaza they left behind was a ruin, with the floor torn up, scorched in places, and even some of the surrounding buildings collapsed. Donatus shook his head and sighed. “This can’t be… Did Anshanté and Arena really fall so helplessly? No. That can’t be. Agrippa, track them down, quickly!” “Wait a moment. I’m already looking.” Agrippa’s cute face was contorted. “It’s hard to find them. It’s not easy.” Nuer, who was still treating Pachaen, said to Ananda, “Shall I go and check?” “Wait. They are not people who would fall so easily, so you can rest assured. They can endure that level of space destruction.” There was not a single living thing in the plaza captured on the screen. “Shouldn’t at least a corpse fall?” When Mita asked with genuine curiosity, Donatus glared at him. “A corpse? If they couldn’t endure it, they would have been reduced to dust dozens of times over.” “Is it that bad?” “Can’t you tell from the report? I can’t stand it, I have to go.” Ananda stopped Donatus, who was heading towards the portal. “Don’t go. Don’t go and get into trouble.” “What do you mean? Are there still enemies around?” “Those guys from before are still lingering around. If you go, weakened as you are, they will pounce on you. But if you still want to go, go ahead.” “Damn it…” Ananda told Agrippa to remove the portal. Then Donatus asked if it was necessary. “That way, they will relax and go somewhere else. They will report that Arena-nim and Anshanté-nim have been annihilated.” Ananda seemed certain that they were alive. However, Donatus still looked uneasy. When Agrippa removed the portal, only a corpse and a maho stone [a magical stone] were left in the room. Even the projection had disappeared. “Could you all leave for a moment?” At Ananda’s request, everyone left the room. Only Agrippa remained, squatting next to Pachaen. Ananda asked him, “Are you going to stay here?” “Of course. I have a duty and responsibility to be here until the end.” “Duty and responsibility?” “Because Pachaen is going to be the future owner of the spirit beast he possesses, and also because this guy’s house is where I’m staying.” After listening to Agrippa’s explanation, Ananda stared blankly for a long time. “Your greed knows no bounds. You’re even trying to take over the divine artifact? Well, I had a rough idea when you were here. But it’s honestly surprising that you made the Heavenly Demon Ring your home.” “Heavenly Demon Ring? Is that the name of my house?” “When Ramirez was in the human world, he was called the Heavenly Demon.” “Wow, that’s cool.” “Agrippa, you need to focus now, so can you be quiet?” “Of course, that’s not difficult.” Only then could Ananda focus solely on Pachaen. Until now, he had been sending power into Pachaen’s body to melt some of the spiritual power that Muyeon had planted. But from now on, he had to use that spiritual power to balance each other. It was a very delicate task for Ananda. ‘Pachaen-nim’s current condition is like a dam with a damaged part. It’s okay if it overflows, but if the dam collapses, it will become uncontrollable. Fortunately, it’s only leaking out little by little. The external and internal prisms exert both attractive and repulsive forces on each other. The original spiritual body can only use the amount of prism it can handle. But Pachaen-nim’s case is different. He drew in and used an amount of prism that he couldn’t handle. That’s why he’s in this state. The balance between them has collapsed, leading to this situation. It’s not difficult to control the prism right now, but the problem is that we need to establish a fundamental solution. There’s no guarantee this won’t happen again. But how could this have happened? Ananda had no idea that Pachaen had applied the principle of drawing in and using natural energy from reaching the realm of the Natural Sword to the prism. Unlike natural energy, Pachaen thought that he could control the prism no matter how much he absorbed. But that was not the case. Natural energy does not inherently harm the human body. But the prism is different. You can only use as much as you can contain. The fact that attractive and repulsive forces act simultaneously meant that it could break even with a slight imbalance. Strictly speaking, attractive and repulsive forces do not act simultaneously. They occur alternately in sequence. It was through this interaction that physical force was generated. The part of the massive amount of prism that Pachaen had absorbed that he couldn’t control had affected the spirit beast implanted in his body. That was why the balance that had been barely maintained collapsed, and he lost consciousness because he couldn’t endure it. Ananda was deeply troubled as he controlled Pachaen’s internal state. Even the guardian had not predicted that this would happen. He was frustrated because he had encountered a difficulty in an area that he had not considered at all. Donatus said heatedly, “What is the problem with that?” “Who said there was a problem? I just said I was worried.” Nuer regretted saying the wrong thing and putting himself in a difficult situation. “I know what you’re worried about. I know how the spirits will react to the fact that Ananda’s past life is Kusanus. But that doesn’t change the overall perception of him. And honestly, it’s not right to have prejudice based on what happened in the past, or how the legend was spread, or who spread it. It’s true that Kusanus was a close aide to the emperor, but it’s not even clear whether the emperor really oppressed the spirits. How can you talk about that?” “Why are you saying that to me? I’m not saying that I think that way. I’m saying that there’s a possibility that other spirits will have that prejudice.” Nuer felt truly wronged. At that moment, the talkative Mita stepped in to help Nuer, who was being unilaterally cornered. “I don’t think you can blame Nuer for his thoughts. You said it was prejudice, but there’s no standard to prove that. The harsh reality is that it’s a common view. If Ananda-nim, who leads the advance team, is the reincarnation of Kusanus, there will be many who will look at him with a skewed perspective. Nuer was just worried about that. I’m worried too.” “What?” “It’s useless to worry, but it was a bit shocking. Even if it’s not the case in this Infinite Realm, in the Celestial Realm, they are whispering that the sleeping land will awaken someday. If they invade our world, and if they are the kind of spirits that the legend speaks of, they will surely try to dominate our world. In that sense, the fact that Kusanus, a close aide to the emperor, has appeared in the current spirit realm is a serious matter. And it’s not just anyone, but Ananda-nim himself…” It was a very objective point. Nevertheless, Donatus refuted it. “That’s why the spirit realm is in this state, because of such prejudices. If we could just understand each other’s positions and thoughts a little bit…