Chapter 181: Aura (3)

Chapter 181: Aura (3)

[It's much more impressive than I anticipated. How do you feel?]

"...It feels like I've returned to the past."

[The past?]

Lynn asked with a puzzled voice. Instead of answering, Ronan clenched his fist. It seemed like his entire body transformed into a sword.

"...Well, something like that."

It wasn't clear if this was the hidden potential Lynn had spoken of. It simply felt very similar to when he had fought the final battle with Ahaiyute in the past. A sensation akin to those times when he never backed down, even when burdened with curses.

Looking back, the reason Ronan had acted then wasn't a sense of duty to save the world or a desire for revenge. It was just something that had to be done because letting fanatics destroy the world was not an option.

"Let's go."

Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. As the stack of rocks that had been sliced by his sword collapsed, the sunset poured over his face. The power he had never fully wielded before spread through his veins like fire.

****

Swoosh! Lamancha pierced through Darman's chest. A white blade emerged from his back. Darman, now skewered, coughed up blood. As Ronan pushed the sword forward and lifted it up, Darman's feet left the ground.

"Argh!"

"How does it feel? Does it hurt too?"

Ronan muttered lowly. It was payback for what Darman had done to Lynn. Blood dripped down on his face, but Ronan paid no mind as he twisted the blade. Swoosh. As the blade tore through flesh, a pained scream escaped Darman's lips. Gasping for breath, Darman glared at Ronan.

"T-this...!"

Ronan's face was so calm it bordered on indifference. In his eyes, the same color as the setting sun, there was no hint of any emotion. He stared into Darman's eyes and spoke.

"Don't even think about dying a nice death. I have a lot to ask you."

Darman felt a chill run down his spine. This was a completely different person from the hot-blooded young man he had faced just moments ago. Ronan exuded a presence typical of an executioner performing his duty or a soldier, but there was something more to it, something primal.

'I cannot win.'

Darman gritted his teeth. He had to acknowledge the reality that victory was out of reach now. It wasn't simply that Ronan's skills had suddenly improved.

If he had just fallen behind in skill, there might have been ways to turn the situation around. After all, in the realm of skilled swordsmen, victory or defeat often hinged on a moment's lapse or confusion. It was the same principle that allowed Darman to defeat the monster known as Zaifa.

What truly frustrated him was Ronan's composed demeanor. There seemed to be no openings at all. Trained through countless battles, Darman could predict with relative ease the future where Ronan would extract all the information he needed before tearing him apart.

'I don't know why, but my strength is being suppressed.'

Furthermore, the problem didn't stop there. For some reason, he couldn't manipulate mana. It felt like the sword piercing his chest was draining his entire body of strength.

'If there was even the slightest opening...'

It was truly the end as it stood. Darman's head grew hot with urgency. Even strategic retreat or a secret weapon were impossible in this state. He had to create an opening, even if it was just for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"I guess... begging for mercy won't work, will it?"

"You're saying the obvious."

"Then... as a parting gift to the afterlife, let me tell you something good."

With every word Darman spoke, the stench of blood filled the air. Dry voice flowed from his lips as he struggled to catch his breath.

"You and I, hgh... we are not actually brothers."

"What?"

"But why do you think we seem alike, hmm?"

It took a moment for the meaning of the words to sink in. Ronan's gaze flickered ever so slightly. At that moment, Darman clenched the sword piercing his chest with both hands. The blade dug deep into his palm, but he paid it no mind.

"Graaah!"

Darman forcefully pulled the sword to the left. Simultaneously, the sword, which had been at the center of his body, exited his side. The blade, now even sharper, sliced through Darman's flesh and bone as if it were butter.

Squish! A gap opened as blood and entrails spilled out. Darman, collapsed on the ground, hastily rolled his body. Thud! Ronan's foot landed where his head had been. As Darman's body separated from the sword, a surge of energy returned. Quickly getting up, he struck the ground with his back to Ronan. The bloodstained soil surged like waves. With a swift movement, Darman distanced himself from Ronan and shouted triumphantly.

"Cough, haah... I did it!"

"Disgusting."

Ronan frowned. Watching Darman drip out his innards and flee wasn't a pleasant sight. With much of Ronan's strength depleted, he remained in place and swung his sword. A crimson crescent flew toward Darman.

"Just a little... Just a little more!"

The sound emanating from Darman's mouth sounded like a chant, flowing rapidly. Darman attempted to dodge by swiftly moving his feet. Normally, he would have easily avoided it, but unfortunately, Ronan's sword technique was far from ordinary. The crescent reached Darman's vicinity and exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions. The twisted fragments of metal engulfed him.

"Kraaaaah!"

Boom! Struck by the storm of sword energy, Darman was sent flying as if hit by a siege engine. The thunderous explosion echoed in the crater. Ronan approached the fallen Darman slowly. Despite writhing like a ragdoll, Darman's right leg was no longer attached. Even in his worm-like crawl, he was babbling incomprehensible words.

"Y-you, come forth... but I am..."

"Stop spouting nonsense and just stay quiet."

Crack! Ronan's foot landed on Darman's back. Intestines spilled out from the torn side, causing Darman to become completely immobilized. Despite Darman's futile struggles, Ronan swung his sword without mercy. A crimson line was drawn over Darman's already ruined arm and leg. In an instant, the deed was done as Ronan returned to his position. The remaining three limbs detached from Darman's body.

A blood-curdling scream erupted along with three streams of blood and the sound of bones snapping. Ronan, pressing down on his neck, spoke up.

"What do you mean by that? We're not brothers?"

"Keuk, h-hehe... I wonder. Even I realized it today, after seeing you... At first, I thought you were just a forgotten seed scattered by the Leader... But there's something fundamentally different..."

Darman spoke intermittently. A lifeless laughter lingered at the corners of his mouth. It wasn't a situation to laugh about, but perhaps losing too much blood had affected his mind. Ronan applied more pressure, questioning.

"Fundamentally different?"

"Keuk... I don't know... but I can tell you one thing."

Ronan shook his head. Simultaneously, Darman's teeth clamped down forcefully. Snap! Energy erupted around him, creating shockwaves. Ronan, propelled by the invisible force, landed about fifty steps away.

"You son of a bitch, speaking bullshit again."

Ronan spat out curses as he lifted his head. Darman's body was wrapped in a bright aura. The dazzling mana spreading throughout the Holy Land was blinding.

'This might get dangerous.'

Ronan twisted his lips. The buff from Lynn was fading. Every breath sent a tingling sensation through his bones.

"Ugh..."

He didn't know what trick Darman was pulling, but it was time to end this. Ronan's thighs swelled up fiercely enhanced with mana. Bang! His sword, which had leapt off the ground, was about to touch the aura. A strange voice echoed.

[Too late. Half bastard.]

"What?"

Ronan's eyes widened. In his low voice, there was a distinct sense of determination, like the flow of a river. Suddenly, a fist burst out of the aura and struck Ronan. Boom! He was sent flying, soaring even beyond the outskirts of the crater before crashing into a rocky ledge.

"Keuuk!"

Ronan gritted his teeth. It felt like hundreds of metal beads were rattling in his head. Despite defending with his sword, the impact was overwhelming. As he landed on the ground, the voice from earlier echoed again.

[I never imagined. Surely, I never thought I would be able to use this power. I praise you for pushing me so far.]

"You..."

Ronan lifted his head and stopped in his tracks. The aura dispersed in the wind, revealing Darman standing at its center, now with arms and legs regrown.

However, the problem was that that wasn't the only thing that had changed. Darman's physique had doubled in size overall. His skin had turned into a pristine white like snow. Behind his broadened shoulders were a pair of wings reminiscent of birds in flight.

It was a very familiar sight. While not matching the original in size or grandeur, it was apparent that Darman had drawn power from some entity. Frozen in place, Ronan muttered as if he was possessed.

"Ahaiyute."

[To know the name of God. Indeed, you are something else.]

Darman said. It felt like encountering a long-lost friend. A voice filled with astonishment erupted from the direction where the survivors had gathered.

"Oh my God, it's a monster!"

"Wh-what is that thing?"

Their faces twisted in fear. Those who had were about to join Ronan after disposing of the nuisances froze in place.

Without panicking, Navirose and Shullifen wielded their swords. Boom! A jade-green crescent and a wind blade flew simultaneously toward Darman. Boom! An explosion engulfed his form, even overturning the ground. Navirose bit down on her lower lip.

"Damn it."

She instinctively realized her attacks were futile. Once the explosion subsided, Darman appeared unharmed. The spherical barrier surrounding his body emitted a powerful energy that distorted the surrounding space. At a glance, it was incomparable to the powers wielded by the Ferocious Sword or Ajie.

[The strength of mortals is useless. Don't you think so?]

"Run away!"

Navirose shouted. But Darman's target wasn't them. As he raised his arm, light began to gather around his whitened fist. Before long, a long spear made of light materialized in Darman's hand.

"That's...!"

Ronan narrowed his eyes. It was a familiar technique. Darman, propelled by the gusts, hurled the spear at Ronan.

[Disappear.]

It felt like a lightning bolt striking down in a straight line. A massive explosion, almost impossible to capture in an instant, engulfed Ronan's position. A pillar of light, about 30 meters in diameter, shot up into the sky. Several participants who had lost their footing slumped down.

"Ronan!"

Shullifen shouted. There seemed to be no chance of survival from the explosion. As the light faded, a completely destroyed crater was revealed.

[Should have at least left the corpse behind.]

Darman muttered quietly. Thick smoke rose from the spot where the pillar of light had soared. While flapping his wings in the air, Darman looked down at the spot where Ronan had been. Suddenly, a crimson light, similar to what he had seen earlier, burst out from the smoke.

[Hmm?!]

Darman raised his hand to shield his face. Even though he had accepted a portion of divinity, he couldn't directly look at it. Once again, the sensation of being pulled by an unknown force enveloped his entire body. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside the smoke he had been observing.

[What...?]

Darman's brow furrowed. It was a moment of confusion as he frantically looked around. A fierce energy struck him in the back of the head. Darman quickly turned his head and gasped for breath. Ronan, readying his sword, was right in front of him.

[What the hell is this...!]

Ronan looked remarkably unscathed. Darman's face contorted sharply in something beyond surprise. Ronan, gazing into his eyes, uttered an incomprehensible sentence.

"Sorry, but I've defeated the original before."

Darman hurriedly stretched out his hand, but Ronan's sword was already upon him. The combined power of the Holy Sword and Lamancha drew a smooth arc. A white line was drawn across Darman's neck.

[Kwack!]

"You're quite dramatic. At least that bastard wasn't screaming."

Ronan remarked. At the same time, blue blood gushed from where the sword passed. Sensing that the neck wasn't severed in one stroke, he clicked his tongue. Darman, clutching his swaying neck, took flight.

[Kraaaak!]

Blue blood poured out like rain. As Darman's wings spread, a gust of wind blew away the smoke. Amidst the survivors, screams erupted once again. Ronan, who was looking up at him, gripped the hilt of his sword.

"I'm tired of looking up at you."

The blood splattering on his face felt cold. Suddenly, Navirose's explanation about Aura came to mind. She had said that the Aura was a reflection of one's ego and desires, which seemed to make sense.

Though not entirely clear, there were a few guesses. The helplessness of just watching Ahaiyute soar through the sky. The fixation on the distance the sword could reach. A story related to Noelle, who once spoke shoulder to shoulder with Adeshan.

Perhaps the final reasoning behind the appearance of his abilities was the desire to not die, to draw upon all the light in the world. Even thinking back, it sounded plausible. Ronan's mouth slowly opened.

"Get down here, Darman."

This was the end. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. Lamancha's blade was once again tinged with the color of the setting sun. The fleeting flash of light enveloped Darman as he tried to flee, flapping his wings desperately. In an instant, the distorted space and the sunset-like glare brought Darman right before Ronan's eyes.

[You bastard...!]

Though Darman seemed to be shouting something, Ronan did not care. For an instant, Ronan's arm blurred and vanished. The graceful blade swept over Darman's body. Finally, as the strike ceased, Ronan wiped the blood from his sword. Bang! Darman's body, torn into seven pieces, collapsed as if it had exploded.