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Chapter 291

It was a scene as if a giant was sewing with a thread and needle.

The countless gaps of time seemed to have vanished as if erased by an eraser, swept away by the golden currents.

It resembled a spectacle showcasing the coordination abilities that every dragon supposedly possessed, unleashed on a grand scale.

Perhaps this was a strike made possible by the overlap of the realm of cutting through time and the transformation of dragon power.

Once I felt convinced that I had severed the flow, a thrill of excitement tingled through my body as if I had surpassed the walls. Maybe it was just the aftermath of having used all my available mana.

My fingertips ached, but I didn’t let go of my sword. I must not lose my grip.

While I succeeded in slicing through time, I had not yet managed to repel the Demon King before me.

The Demon King clutched his eyes in pain, moaning. Ain was not much different; blood streamed from her eyes, and she now appeared to be spitting out blood.

In a scene where the fact that she had overexerted herself was undeniably conveyed, Yeon-woo rushed to Ain’s side.

Normally, such intense pain would have made movement difficult, but thanks to the dragon energy, somehow she could still manage to move.

“You really didn’t have to push yourself this much.”

The sight of Ain bleeding profusely was enough to evoke sympathy even from Yeon-woo. She fumbled to say something, but only incoherent groans escaped her lips as blood filled her throat.

Fortunately, over the past year, Yeon-woo had not been idle. As someone who pursued versatility, she had not neglected any particular field.

Yeon-woo extended her hand towards Ain’s eyes, channeling spiritual energy. The energy spiraled upward toward the heavens instead of forming circles like mana did.

When the origin of a priest touches the sky, the God who cannot wield power recklessly descends upon the mortal realm under the pretense of fulfilling the priest’s wishes, which is the principle behind the miracles wrought by divine arts.

‘Please, Dawn!’

[Whoa, whoa. Is this person okay? They’re in pretty bad shape. Let’s see, if this is…].

However, the magnitude of the miracle… that is to say, unlike other divine art users who could determine the strength and range of their abilities, Yeon-woo left everything to Dawn.

At the same time, a delighted voice rang in Yeon-woo’s ear.

[Huh? Did I fall asleep!?]

It was Tae-oh’s voice. Yeon-woo, trying to hold back tears at the sound she hadn’t heard in months, vigorously shook her head.

“No, you made it! Tae-oh, take Ain to a safe place!”

[Got it!!]

Tae-oh’s cheerful reply was felt even beyond the threshold of transformation, filling Shar with joy. Of course, it was delightful; it must have been.

Yet, without lowering her guard, Yeon-woo fixed her gaze on the Demon King. A true beast is even more terrifying when injured than when they are merely hungry.

The Demon King, whose body creaked like a puppet, began to rise.

Aside from the bruised right hand and the scar crossing his face, countless other injuries became visible to Yeon-woo now.

Considering the wounds on his hands were from Gormeira’s shell, it could be inferred that they were inflicted by Ray.

“Phew….”

Stay calm. I’m not in this alone. I never thought I could kill the Demon King, but a chance like this is hard to come by.

It was uncertain with just Delain, Hyuk Mu-ryeon, and Yuri alone, but Ray’s unpredictable presence loomed large and especially significant.

Without a doubt, Ray had a very bad attitude. Even having seen him soar through the air as if launched from a cannon, he was not the type to give up and walk away.

So, the actions Yeon-woo needed to take were simple. Hold out until others arrive. Cling tightly like a little kid.

“Let’s give it a shot.”

With the Demon King glaring at her with sharp eyes as if a ghost from a horror movie, Yeon-woo muttered to herself. Too scary. I really can’t watch scary movies.

*

Tuquang!!

With a swing of his right arm, a storm of mana exploded forth. Everything caught in the blade of wind was indiscriminately sliced apart.

It had the strength to overpower not just humans, but even buildings. However, Yeon-woo’s instincts told her she could stop it.

“Wahoo!!”

While she didn’t doubt her instincts, she let out a scream and raised her arm defensively.

The cutting wind that was rushing in made contact with Yeon-woo’s arms, but instead of being torn apart, it vanished into mere air.

Gold-scaled reptilian armor glittered on her skin, what she had originally possessed.

Dragon scales. Said to be the strongest shield in existence, they sparkled upon Yeon-woo’s skin.

“Now this is the feeling!”

Essentially, it was a type of reactive glove. The dragon’s mana itself acted as a protective spell.

At the moment of impact, the mana encapsulated in the scales exploded forth, creating a barrier that absorbed the shock.

Understanding this allowed her to grasp why Shar showcased such ridiculous durability. As long as there was mana, the scales would automatically block attacks, which is why they were hailed as the ultimate shield.

Of course, mana consumption followed, but even taking that into consideration, it was an entirely advantageous ability. The amount of mana consumption was almost embarrassing compared to the mitigated impact.

It was great that such a powerful strike that seemed capable of demolishing a part of the entire region was reduced to mere gusts of wind, but Yeon-woo’s body began to be swept away by the breeze.

This is not good? Thought Yeon-woo as she concentrated her aura on her lower body. Controlling her posture through the principles of Shinseung’s stance, she landed against an intact building wall and charged at the Demon King.

It was absolutely crucial to keep the Demon King’s attention focused on her.

Those who had recently escaped from the time prison were unaware of the current situation. It was entirely possible that the Demon King was targeting those people.

Taking a deep breath, Yeon-woo swung her sword. The cutting trajectory of the blade sliced through the Demon King’s movements.

Chaak!! A sensation and sound of slicing resonated, but it only left a small cut.

“Wow, I actually managed to hit!”

Regardless, that alone made Yeon-woo gasp in amazement.

Until now, she had merely swung the sword, never daring to think of inflicting an injury. It had only been a buildup to use Gormeira’s shell.

But now, her sword was actually drawing blood from the Demon King. That was incredibly motivating for her as a swordsman. One could say she was overjoyed to swing her sword.

“Why are you tormenting me? Why!!”

The Demon King, staring blankly at the blood flowing from his forearm, suddenly shouted with blood tears streaming down his face. Such a simple action was already an act of aggression.

With the roar of the Demon King, a massive crater formed, and space exploded entirely.

Reading the flow just in time, Yeon-woo barely managed to evade while pulling those around her into her shadow.

“Evacuate!! Head north, run away from the Demon King!!”

People thrown to the ground began to run hurriedly at her shouting, akin to a desperate wail.

Even so, Yeon-woo couldn’t save everyone. Some blood trails fell within her sight that her senses could not catch.

Clenching her teeth hard enough to draw blood unconsciously, Yeon-woo hurled herself into the fray once more.

The Demon King swung aimlessly at her. While it was easy to read the trajectory, blocking or dodging was not simple.

Even carelessly flailing about, the sheer destructive force of the Demon King’s mana was profound.

No matter how much dragon scales she bore, it was foolish to absorb every attack into her body.

She had to maximize the techniques of Yoon-woo’s sword, flowing along the movements of the full moon-style sword – slash, block, and cut.

Moreover, from above, her serpent minions rained down like a storm. The sight of something long and dark pouring from the sky was extremely apocalyptic.

Neither side could reach, being terribly weak for someone carrying the title of Hero.

A hero who could only distract the enemy, who would call such a fool a hero?

Still, she had to keep fighting. A hero must accomplish something alone, but they must endure when they are powerless.

They had to face the world’s injustices and storms head-on.

The Demon King’s serpents poured down like rain. The world trembled to the Demon King’s limbs. Even though Ain and Yuri had temporarily blinded his vision, his grandeur remained undiminished.

The serpents, held tightly against the Demon King, began to move like limbs. In an instant, her arms multiplied into dozens, and Yeon-woo could hardly avoid the onslaught.

Without dividing directions of top, bottom, left, or right, she couldn’t withstand the attacks coming from all sides, allowing them to ring in.

Slice, slice, slash. Cut, cut, cut. Block, evade. If that failed, absorb them into her body. Hold out until a change arrived. Burn away until unknown variables arose.

Time flowed like eternity. Potentially, thanks to the dragon scales, this was a bold risk. Without the influence of dragon energy, she could have very well been dead from the impact.

Even in a boxing match, after getting so beat up that one would be prompted to throw in the towel, the Demon King lifted his head.

The blood tears stained and lost the former brilliance in his eyes, now slowly regaining a radiant, multicolored glow.

Those eyes directed at Yeon-woo, knowing that merely shutting and opening them would mark her end, left her with no options.

The rainbow-colored eyes covered by eyelids glimmered, and at that moment—

Tuquaaang!!

A deafening explosion caused a colossal flame to cut across the space between the Demon King and Yeon-woo.

“Haha!! You’ve done well, Yeon-woo!!”

Amidst the flames emerged the raspy voice of a middle-aged man as Yeon-woo struggled to lift her head.

The serpents that had been restraining her were reduced to ashes. This meant she could strike back. Instinctively raising her sword, Yeon-woo brought it down firmly.

The Demon King’s eyes glowed brightly, and just as time was about to stop once again, Yeon-woo’s sword pierced through. Slicing through the twisted flow of time, she forcefully adjusted its chaotic current into a laminar one.

Though the widespread flames were terrifying, they felt exceptionally warm to Yeon-woo, bringing her back to her senses.

Following that, a sharp wind rushed in. As the dark blade engulfed her vision, delicate sword lines etched around the Demon King. Swish, it was a cut that even the Demon King couldn’t block, causing blood to spray.

“Anyway, you’re quite a troublesome disciple.”

Drowning the voice, a massive object fell towards the Demon King. Yeon-woo lifted her head to discover a transparent, enormous iceberg.

“You, you fool!!”

Tuquaaang!!

With a rare roar filled with wrath, Baek In-hwa descended, clinging to the giant iceberg.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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