TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 155
Ebelasque, who had taken a deep breath and pulled herself together, sniffled slightly.
The woman, who moments ago seemed ready to go berserk after being confronted with an undeniable reality, gazed blankly at Kraush and exhaled.
“Are you an idiot? Do you think I won’t feel lonely just because you say you’ll stay by my side?”
Was that her response after all the effort to comfort her?
As Kraush stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, Ebelasque blew her nose loudly.
Then, glancing sideways at Kraush, she chewed on her lower lip.
What he had said earlier wasn’t something Ebelasque could simply ignore.
“S-still, if you’re really lonely, I’ll stick around for a bit. Earning something like immortality is bound to be tough!”
“Ah, I see.”
Kraush responded with a disinterested look.
Then, he pointed downward.
“More importantly, can you stop that first?”
Below them, Haring and Sena were still fighting their way through the Skeleton Legion.
Realizing this too late, Ebelasque raised her hand in a belated “oops” gesture, following Kraush’s order to stop.
“…But if I do this, I’ll end up betraying Ixion. They’ll probably come after me for revenge.”
Ebelasque revealed a hint of concern as she spoke.
Ixion, a group of World Erosion Beings, was powerful enough to threaten the very fabric of the world.
The thought of becoming their target filled her with an immense sense of dread.
“If you’re afraid of something like revenge, don’t worry about it.”
Kraush scolded her, dismissing her fears as nonsense.
“They’re all going to die by my hand anyway.”
Ebelasque stared at Kraush with disbelief at his bold declaration.
Yet, she found herself unable to refute his words.
After all, she knew all too well just how ruthless he could be.
“…Then why am I being treated differently?”
Ebelasque asked, lightly brushing her hair, still warm from Kraush’s touch.
Kraush had been persuading Ebelasque to leave Ixion.
He had even promised to stay by her side until her final moments so she wouldn’t feel lonely.
Ebelasque, with those words echoing in her mind, darted her eyes around in thought.
[What a mess.]
Just then, Crimson Garden’s clicking tongue echoed in the air.
As the Skeleton Legion halted, Kraush, still not fully grasping the situation, observed Sena and Haring climbing the mountain.
“Just think of it as a bond from a past life.”
“Are you a fatalist?”
“I’m a skeptic. If everything followed fate, this world would’ve been ruined long ago.”
Kraush, disgusted by the thought, turned to look at Ebelasque.
She flinched and quickly averted her gaze.
As Kraush observed her reaction with curiosity, a loud rumble echoed once more from beyond the mountain.
It was a sign that the battle between the Mad Blade Emperor and Rai was reaching its peak.
This also meant the power of World Erosion was growing even stronger.
They had to stop it before the situation worsened further.
“By the way, Ebelasque, you’ve prepared a way to enter the Blood Heaven World, haven’t you?”
Ebelasque flinched at that moment.
Noticing her odd reaction, Kraush looked at her with suspicion.
Ebelasque’s face became flustered in response.
“W-well, I did prepare it originally, but the inside got completely destroyed, so…”
She stammered, her words barely coherent.
Then, lowering her head, she looked as though she wanted to disappear.
“It’s been obliterated…”
Kraush let out a heavy sigh.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t prepared; if it had been destroyed amidst the chaos, there was little to blame her for.
“Then we’ll just have to force our way in.”
Kraush, swallowing lightly, made up his mind with a determined look.
He was used to things rarely going smoothly.
The worst always gave birth to even worse situations.
Unfortunate as it was, brute-forcing their way in would suffice.
“…I’ll do it.”
In that instant, Ebelasque spoke up, her face displaying a sense of responsibility.
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
Straightening her back and lifting her chest, she looked at him with a confident expression.
“I’ll use Number 3.”
Kraush, understanding what she meant by “Number 3,” nodded.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
The preparations were complete.
Now, it was time to crush the Mad Blade Emperor.
* * *
In the Blood Heaven World.
Underneath the countless Emperor Annihilation Swords swirling in the air.
The Mad Blade Emperor was charging forward, wielding the Blood Leprosy Death Blade fused with his arm.
In his sights was Rai, effortlessly swinging his Emperor Annihilation Sword with his arms crossed.
As if he were the ruler of this place, Rai didn’t move an inch, remaining arrogantly still.
Though his demeanor was excruciatingly arrogant, it suited him perfectly.
He was, after all, fully focused on wielding the Emperor Annihilation Sword.
At the moment the Mad Blade Emperor caught sight of Rai, an Emperor Annihilation Sword descended, slicing the space between them.
“I can’t even get close!”
The Mad Blade Emperor’s face twisted with frustration.
Even so, his eyes moved quickly, analyzing the situation.
Rai’s Emperor Annihilation Sword possessed an incomprehensible level of power.
How else could their battle have nearly leveled an entire mountain?
Were it not for the Blood Heaven World, the resulting avalanche would’ve utterly devastated the area below.
[He must’ve realized this is my Blood Heaven World and decided to fight harder.]
Unintentionally, he had provided the perfect battlefield for his opponent to fight at full strength.
Nevertheless, from the Mad Blade Emperor’s perspective, this wasn’t entirely unfavorable.
Unbeknownst to Rai, the longer they fought, the stronger the World Erosion outside grew.
While the characteristics of World Erosion Beings were not widely known, exceptions aside, their secrecy often worked to their advantage.
Given their status as formidable individuals, they could easily conceal their identities if they wished.
Especially in the Mad Blade Emperor’s case, who had vanished unexpectedly after the Ragren Family incident.
Naturally, information about him was severely lacking.
[The longer this drags on, the better it is for me.]
At that moment, blood began surging violently through the Mad Blade Emperor’s legs.
[I’m not the kind to just sit back and take it.]
As his legs turned crimson, the Mad Blade Emperor leaped forward with explosive force.
Countless Emperor Annihilation Swords began falling in his path.
The moment one descended before him, he swung the Blood Leprosy Death Blade to meet it.
The blade emanated a blood-red aura, altering his trajectory mid-air.
The Mad Blade Emperor began to display extraordinary movements.
Dodging every descending Emperor Annihilation Sword, he closed the distance to Rai at an incredible speed.
Rai, still with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow.
Before anyone realized it, the Mad Blade Emperor had drawn dangerously close, his body glowing crimson once more.
“Huff!”
With a forceful breath, the Mad Blade Emperor’s body swelled violently.
Bang!
Following that, with a thunderous explosion echoing through the air, the Mad Blade Emperor’s body shot forward like a cannonball.
Due to the sudden change in speed, even the Emperor Annihilation Sword was a beat too late to block him.
Seizing the opportunity, the Mad Blade Emperor infused the Blood Leprosy Death Blade with a crimson aura.
Crunch!
With a twisting sound, chunks of the Mad Blade Emperor’s blood were sucked into the Blood Leprosy Death Blade.
However, thanks to that, the aura emanating from the Blood Leprosy Death Blade became incomparably fiercer than before.
The lingering scent of blood scattered through the air.
The crimson aura extending from the Blood Leprosy Death Blade stretched out like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
A devastating blow was imminent.
The Mad Blade Emperor’s eyes gleamed with a wild light as the Blood Leprosy Death Blade extended further.
Blood Ghost Blade.
Third Form.
Blood Ghost Great Scythe.
Clang!
With a ghastly sound, the Blood Leprosy Death Blade, now shaped like a bright red scythe, lunged toward Rai.
Thud!
At that moment, the Emperor Annihilation Sword descended swiftly, blocking its path.
Clang! The clash between the Emperor Annihilation Sword and the Blood Ghost Great Scythe resounded throughout the space.
The force of their power was so immense that the Blood Heaven World itself trembled.
Centered around the two, the area quaked as the Mad Blade Emperor quickly pulled back beyond the Emperor Annihilation Sword.
This was because the Emperor Annihilation Swords were closing in on him immediately.
As the Emperor Annihilation Sword was raised in front of Rai, the Mad Blade Emperor could be seen in the distance, grinning with a mix of madness.
He licked his lips with his tongue, showing a disappointed expression.
Yet, his movements were growing faster and faster as time went on.
This was because his blood was circulating, loosening his body as the battle progressed.
By mixing aura with his blood, he was using the Blood Ghost Blade to enhance his physical strength.
As a result, the longer the battle dragged on, the stronger he became, keeping pace with the rotation of his blood.
Although impulsive by nature, his combat style was optimized for long battles.
Rai watched the Mad Blade Emperor quietly.
‘He’s getting used to it.’
When the Emperor Annihilation Swords first struck, the Mad Blade Emperor had struggled, rolling roughly across the ground to evade.
It wasn’t easy to dodge the dozens of Emperor Annihilation Swords.
However, as time passed, he had begun to grow more accustomed to them.
The movements he displayed earlier clearly showed that he had grasped the paths of the Emperor Annihilation Swords.
‘Hmm, what should I do?’
Even so, Rai did not consider the possibility of defeat.
‘This man can’t possibly be the leader of the Night Ravens.’
He had heard that another of the Ten Strongest Under the Heavens, the Poison King, had been severely injured by a World Erosion Being.
The Empire had, for now, designated that individual as the leader of the Night Ravens.
However, the description he had heard did not match the Mad Blade Emperor.
The leader of the Night Ravens was said to be a female Necromancer.
‘Even if I don’t know exactly who injured the Poison King, it means there’s at least one more.’
Rai slowly tapped his arm with his crossed arms.
Although the Mad Blade Emperor seemed to be giving his all without any intention of merely buying time—
He had confined himself and Rai within the Blood Heaven World.
This suggested that he wanted to keep Rai trapped here.
‘Could he be scheming something with another World Erosion Being?’
Though it might not be the exact answer, Rai reached a close conclusion, his thick eyebrows twitching.
‘It seems so.’
He decided it would be better to end this quickly.
While dodging the descending Emperor Annihilation Sword, the Mad Blade Emperor locked eyes with Rai.
Judging by the change in his expression, it seemed he had realized something.
‘Quick to catch on, I see.’
Even if it wasn’t the exact answer, he must have reached a close approximation.
‘I was trying to make him lose focus on the battle by pushing him further.’
Unfortunately, it seemed he hadn’t managed to draw out his rationality.
‘But even if he’s figured something out.’
Meanwhile, the Blood Leprosy Death Blade began to glow crimson once more.
“Not that I plan to let you go anyway!”
With a laugh, the Mad Blade Emperor prepared to charge again, when suddenly—
Thud!
A vibration accompanied by sound erupted from somewhere.
It wasn’t the vibration caused by the Emperor Annihilation Sword being swung.
Although the Emperor Annihilation Sword was massive, this vibration felt distinctly different.
Thud!
Once again, the sound reverberated.
Feeling as though the entire space was shaking, the Mad Blade Emperor’s gaze gradually lifted upward.
This was because he realized the sound was coming from the sky above.
A sky dyed in red, differing from the usual yellow hue, came into view.
It was the Blood Heaven World he had activated.
Thud!
At that moment, the Blood Heaven World began to tremble again.
The Mad Blade Emperor frowned.
He couldn’t understand what was happening.
Thud!
And as the Blood Heaven World started shaking once more—
Crack!
A fissure appeared in the Blood Heaven World.
For a moment, shock flashed in the Mad Blade Emperor’s eyes.
The Blood Heaven World was designed to block entry and exit from both inside and outside.
Yet, a fissure had suddenly formed in it.
“Who?!”
As he shouted aloud—
Something began to appear through the cracks in the Blood Heaven World.
And the moment he saw it, the Mad Blade Emperor’s eyes widened.
The rift in the shattered Blood Heaven World.
Above it, a massive monster with arms stitched together in a crisscross pattern raised one of its colossal fists.
As the Mad Blade Emperor reeled from the sheer absurdity of its size—
The giant’s fist descended once more, striking the Blood Heaven World.
Crashhhhh!
With the ceiling of the shattered Blood Heaven World destroyed, the giant’s arm pierced through, plunging down.
“What the hell is this?!”
The fierce storm generated by the giant’s descending arm swept through both the Mad Blade Emperor and Rai.
Even Rai, unsure of the situation, stood silently in wait.
“Cough!”
Meanwhile, covered in dirt and dust, the Mad Blade Emperor coughed and reacted irritably.
The exhilaration he had felt during his heated battle with Rai was now interrupted, leaving him frustrated.
The veins on the Mad Blade Emperor’s face pulsed as his anger surged.
Along with that, the giant’s arm that had struck earlier came into full view.
The arm, devoid of any blood, was crudely stitched together in sections to hold the flesh in place.
The moment he saw it, a figure flashed through the Mad Blade Emperor’s mind.
“…Ebelasque?”
Why was the corpse she was supposed to protect within the Blood Heaven World now here?
As he muttered blankly, still unable to comprehend the situation,
a brief lapse in vigilance opened due to the bewildering circumstances.
That lapse was exploited by someone.
Shiver!
The Mad Blade Emperor instinctively jerked back purely on reflex when an indescribable sensation coursed through him.
Whoosh!
The sound of flames distorting roared, and in that instant, his vision was engulfed by pitch-black fire.
Annihilation Erosion.
Fourth Form.
Annihilation Night Slash.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!
His left arm was torn apart by a blade coated in black flames, shooting high into the sky.
Despite the tremendous force, the Mad Blade Emperor’s left arm was not completely severed.
Instead, his skin and muscles were ripped apart, and his bone was more than halfway cut, leaving his arm dangling uselessly.
The Mad Blade Emperor’s bloodshot eyes widened.
His body, enhanced by the Blood Ghost Blade, was even more resilient than that of an Erosion Species.
Naturally, he shouldn’t have been injured by an ordinary strike, yet his arm was in this state.
Standing before him were two individuals.
A boy, wearing an expression as if he had just bitten down and swallowed something bitter, held a sword cloaked in black flames in a striking posture. Behind him stood a girl with short, black-and-purple hair.
Their fluttering hair and clothing revealed that they had descended from the sky.
At that moment, the boy stomped down hard.
Simultaneously, he charged forward with such explosive speed that even the Mad Blade Emperor momentarily faltered.
Fast.
And dangerous.
If he could unleash a strike like the one just now at any moment, the boy was undoubtedly the most dangerous threat at present.
The energy radiating from him was unmistakably that of a World Erosion Being.
The moment he realized this, the Mad Blade Emperor’s killing intent surged all at once.
He had no idea why Ebelasque had suddenly betrayed him.
All he knew was that his entire focus was now drawn to the boy.
And for a moment, that focus was so intense that he even forgot about Rai.
Whoosh!
The fury and killing intent erupting from the Mad Blade Emperor struck Kraush’s face like a violent gust.
Even as Kraush concentrated, he felt a shiver from that murderous aura.
‘A monster, now as always.’
The overwhelming killing intent made his hair stand on end, and his vision wavered momentarily.
His instincts screamed not to charge forward but to flee from this place immediately.
He was undeniably strong.
Even with the activation of Annihilation Heavenly Asura, it felt as though he was still unprepared to face a World Erosion Being.
However, he was not alone here.
Kraush’s objective at this moment was to draw the Mad Blade Emperor’s full attention to himself.
And thanks to the threat posed by the strike that had torn his arm, that goal was achieved.
Someone even faster than Kraush had already closed in on the Mad Blade Emperor’s back.
Small, white wings fluttered.
It was Sena, having activated her state of super-speed.
At this moment, Sena was faster than even Kraush’s Thunderclap.
The fabric fluttering beneath her wings transformed into sharp spikes, all aimed to pierce the Mad Blade Emperor.
By the time the Mad Blade Emperor realized this, it was already too late.
Having poured too much focus on Kraush for a brief moment, his body failed to respond in time.
Thud, thud!
“Gah!?”
Even in that situation, the Mad Blade Emperor twisted his body just enough to avoid a fatal blow, letting out a suppressed groan.
However, his back and sides were pierced through in several spots by the fabric spikes, causing penetrating wounds.
In the instant his movements were restricted by this,
Kraush had already lunged at him.
His Rain Thunder Prime glowed a vivid red.
At the same time, the seven stars of the Heavenly Slaughter Star cast their light upon the night surrounding Kraush.
Under the radiance of those stars, a crimson moon rose.
Within Kraush’s mind, the storm of black flames surged, imbuing his sword.
Annihilation Erosion.
Fifth Form.
Annihilation Sky Moon Fire.
Beneath the crimson moon,
the storm of black flames swept through the shattered Blood Heaven World.