novelraw Chapter 341 : The Rainbow Bloomed
Chapter 341 : The Rainbow Bloomed
A red moon rose.
Blood-red moonlight illuminated all directions.
The surroundings were all red.
The moon, the sword in my hand, the sword energy blooming from it, the beasts of the evil god surrounding me, everything.
Was red.
No matter where I looked, it was all blood-red.
My internal energy boiled as if it would explode.
The blood-red sea that filled my dantian seemed to be boiling.
"Haha..."
A feeling of going mad.
An unknown smile formed on my lips.
"Look at this. The world was originally supposed to be red."
Hwiooong!
An attack flew in without warning.
A claw resembling that of a bird struck down.
Kwajik!
I kicked off the ground and dodged the attack.
The claw destroyed the spot where I had been.
A second attack flew towards me as I floated in the air.
It was a giant cross.
It was a fast and powerful attack that struck down in the blink of an eye, but I could clearly see the attack before it was even swung.
The bastard's attack drew a red trajectory.
I found the part where the force was weakest and lightly tapped my sword against it.
Tung—
With just that, the magical beast's attack was easily deflected.
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened, and when I looked, a giant foot was above my head.
Kwaaaaang!!
It struck down where I had been, completely destroying the ground.
It was a tremendous force, but since it didn't hit me, it didn't matter how strong it was.
I kicked off the air with the Black Immortal Steps and jumped up, creating a giant Night Sky Spear of about 10 meters in one hand.
Even the Night Sky Spear was red.
I twisted my body in the air and threw it at the eye of the bastard who had just struck down where I had been.
Its whole body was made of hard rock, and every time it opened its mouth wide, a light resembling a furnace leaked out from inside.
Its eyes looked the softest.
Kwajik!
The bastard screamed and covered its eye area, which had been pierced by the Night Sky Spear.
Another one swung its weapon.
Hung!
An inverted cross tore through the air.
It was a weapon in the shape of an inverted cross, and something was constantly flowing from the eyes of its wielder, but no matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem like tears.
Because it was smiling from ear to ear.
Kang!
When I parried the attack, this time the one with the pierced eye spewed fire from its mouth.
It was closer to lava than fire, and since it was a huge bastard, the lump of lava it spat out was large enough to swallow me whole.
I swung the red-dyed Ash Bud Sword to cut through the flying lump of lava and immediately rushed towards the bastard.
The moment the bastard opened its mouth wide again to spew lava continuously,
Kwagak!
I plunged my sword into its wide-open mouth.
The lava gurgled as if it would burst out, but I didn't care and poured a large amount of cold energy into the sword.
Teudeudeuk!
The sword froze red, and the inside of the bastard's mouth, which had been blazing like a furnace, quickly cooled down.
In that state, I mixed the energy of the blue flame into the tip of the sword.
The blue flame, which ran smoothly over the frozen sword blade, entangled with the energy of the frost branch at the tip of the sword.
Kiiiiing!!
The two pushed each other away, and at the same time, they held onto each other and spun around.
Perhaps sensing the unusual energy, the bastard struggled wildly to shake me off.
But it was already too late.
The Heaven-Reversing Light exploded inside the bastard's mouth.
Kwaaaaaaang!!
The bastard was shattered into pieces by the energy that exploded from within, and rocks flew in all directions.
After deactivating the White Snow Cold Barrier that enveloped my entire body, I turned around.
Two were left.
Among them, the female figure holding a giant inverted cross rushed at me, shedding tears.
Even the tears were red.
I summoned the Frost-Flame to my sword and faced it.
Kang! Kagang! Jjeong!
I dodged and parried the inverted cross, clashing with it.
Every time the sword and the cross collided, the surroundings exploded.
The bastard didn't seem to consider the other magical beasts as allies, as it swung the giant inverted cross wildly without caring whether they died or not.
I parried it here and there, and then, suddenly annoyed, I amplified the Frost-Flame to its maximum and struck the incoming inverted cross.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The inverted cross was shattered.
I cut off the arm that had been swinging the inverted cross, then immediately rushed in with a mad wind and cut its neck.
Seogeok!
To be sure, I stomped on its head, which was still smiling even while shedding tears, and crushed it.
Peoseok!
Then, this time, the claw of a monstrous bird struck down.
The third and last beast of the evil god.
It was a giant monstrous bird with four pairs of wings.
Every time its wings flapped, a storm raged.
The bastard flapped its wings and sent storms at me to keep me in check, then descended rapidly from above like a hawk hunting its prey and attacked me with its claws.
Since the sky could also be my battlefield.
I didn't care and kicked off the air with the Black Immortal Steps and chased after the bastard.
The monstrous bird glided through the sky at a tremendous speed, summoning storms, but I didn't care.
Because a mad wind was blowing for me.
I chased after the bastard and summoned flower petals.
Moonflower Sword, First Form. Moonflower Falling Petals.
I wrapped the flower petals around my sword and swung it, and blood-red flower petals scattered.
I clashed with the bird-head, with the flower petals wrapped around the Ash Bud Sword.
The bastard flapped its wings, sending a storm filled with demonic energy, and tore through the air with its sharp claws.
Moonflower Sword, Second Form. Moonflower Blizzard.
I dyed the battlefield with my own.
The bastard could not be free from the falling blood-red flower petals.
After cutting off a few of its wings and restricting its movements, I went in for the finish.
Moonflower Sword, Third Form. Ice Man Under the Moon.
Under the red-dyed moon.
There is a frozen man.
I looked up at the sky.
The brightly shining red moon seemed to be protecting me.
Swararak!
Frozen flower petals flew and shredded the bastard's body.
The monstrous bird struggled and tried to peck me with its sharp beak, but I was no longer there.
Moon Shadow.
Appearing behind the bastard, I put the Ash Bud Sword into a virtual scabbard at my left waist, then swung it with all my might.
From bottom to top.
Moonlight Sword, First Form. Half Moon.
Puhwak!
The monstrous bird was split vertically.
I landed on the ground and then slowly walked towards the altar.
Then, magical beasts poured out from all directions and surrounded me.
It was a pathetic effort to slow my steps somehow.
But I had no intention of playing along.
"Hoooo..."
I let out a long breath and pulled the sword to my waist.
I spun around once and swung the sword in a circle.
Moonlight Sword, Third Form. Moon Wave.
Kwaaaaa!
A giant wave rose from me and swept away the magical beasts.
It was closer to a tsunami than a wave.
The blood-red wave that rose in all directions swallowed up the magical beasts that were rushing at me all at once.
I continued to summon the waves until the surroundings became quiet.
After summoning the waves about three or four more times, the only sound was the distant sound of waves, shwaaaa...
Jeobeok. Jeobeok.
My footsteps echoed in the silence.
Tuduk. Tuduk.
Raindrops began to fall one by one.
Swaaaa—
It rained.
I looked up at the sky.
The red moon was still there.
And the sky was dark.
I couldn't tell where the sudden rain was coming from.
Jeobeok. Jeobeok.
I walked towards the altar.
The traitor was looking at me and smiling.
"You're smiling?"
The traitor, Yuri, said to me.
"It's been a while."
***
Swaaaa—
The Dark Heaven Lord looked at the man who had arrived before him.
His eyes were burning with a blood-red light, and a blood-red aura was rising from his entire body.
A blood-soaked demon stood there.
A menacing and terrifying atmosphere.
He was no different from a devil.
The blood-red wave he had unleashed had swept everything away.
All the remaining Dark Heaven Society members could not block his wave twice and were swept away.
The only one left was Yuri.
But Yuri felt no fear.
Rather, he felt a sense of gladness.
'It has been a long wait.'
He had entered the Dark Heaven Society, which had killed Tina, as a low-ranking member, became the vice-lord through constant effort, and betrayed the lord to become the Dark Heaven Lord and stand in this place.
Everything was for this moment.
The most important moment.
To stab a knife in the back.
To sprinkle ashes on a fully prepared feast.
A traitor, and an avenger.
The downfall of the Dark Heaven Society that had killed Tina.
Furthermore, the death of the 'Nameless God' who had ordered it.
This was a villain role that only he could play, a punishment for himself, and an atonement for Tina.
Yuri.
He was an apostate.
From the beginning, to the end.
"Ashuban."
He did not answer.
But, Yuri didn't care and uttered the words he had prepared.
"The thread above my head is connected to the 'Nameless God'."
"..."
"If you kill me, the backlash will cause the fallen god to lose his divine authority."
"..."
"There is only one chance. Don't miss it."
Ashuban looked at Yuri without a word.
"Since when?"
Yuri smiled in the rain.
"Who would care about my nightmares?"
Swaaaa—
It was raining.
Just like that day.
The two boys who had lost their precious one, had become men and were looking at each other.
Kwajik!
He raised his head.
The pitch-black passage had been torn open, long from top to bottom.
The evil god was about to come out.
"Finally, chaos shall reign."
Yuri looked at Ashuban.
"Now, give me back my death."
Yuri spread his arms wide.
"O judge! Give me judgment! The price of my sins! Death!"
Ashuban silently raised his blood-soaked sword.
Seeing the chillingly sharp tip of the sword, Yuri smiled brightly.
"Come, sweet death...!"
Puk!
The blood-soaked sword protruded from behind Yuri's back.
"Aah..."
Yuri collapsed slowly with a peaceful smile.
He gathered his tightly clenched fists to his chest and finally fell.
Swaaaa—
Ashuban stood with the blood-soaked sword in his hand, looking down at him without a word.
It was raining.
***
"..."
I looked down at Yuri.
His face was peaceful.
So much so that anyone would mistake him for just being asleep.
I looked at his fist, which had not unclenched even in death.
What was inside that he held so preciously?
I tried to open his fist with the tip of my sword.
Inside, there was a single faded hairpin.
The hairpin that I had once given to Tina.
The hairpin that Tina had given to Yuri, who had betrayed her.
"..."
I put it back in his fist and then placed it on his chest.
Yuri was strong.
Was it because he was connected to the evil god by a black thread?
Even as everyone was being swept away by the several waves of the Moon Wave, he had stood there aloof.
If he had truly become a subordinate of the evil god and tried to stop me,
it would have taken a considerable amount of time and effort.
If, if the world had not been so cold and heartless.
Could you have walked by my side?
Could you have been a comrade I could trust with my back?
—————————!
An indescribably terrible cry echoed throughout the world.
At the same time, with the sound of a footstep, thud!
The evil god tore through the present world and appeared.
I stood up.
'...I don't know.'
But what I had to do now was clear.
Just to beat that noisy bastard to death.
Tadat!
I kicked off the ground and soared into the air.
In the meantime, the evil god took a step.
Thud!
The ground collapsed, and something terrible crawled out of the ground.
I stepped on the air and circled around to face him head-on.
He, strangely, looked similar to the heart-demon. I had seen in my mindscape.
A red giant covered in blood.
Did it look different to each person?
In the form of their most powerful enemy?
Or did it appear in the form of the evil that everyone nurtures in their hearts?
Or was it just a coincidence?
It didn't matter.
Right now, I just had to beat that bastard to death.
The bastard looked quite unstable.
Perhaps because he had struggled to tear open the passage in a hurry, one of his arms was torn off.
His head was severely distorted.
And one of his legs was torn off below the knee.
A broken divine authority.
I had to tear his heart now.
Thud!
Perhaps because one of his legs was uncomfortable, he was walking with a bizarre gait, almost falling over.
I looked behind me.
There was a considerable distance to where our allies were, but that was by human standards.
In six more steps, our allies would be trampled like insects.
'I can't let that happen.'
I looked at the dark bracelet that was flashing with nine colors and crackling loudly as I faced the evil god.
Now is the time.
Now is the time for the rainbow to bloom.
Then, let's go.
Let's make that damn rainbow bloom.
I kicked off the air and rushed at the bastard.
What ultimate technique should I use?
Numerous ultimate techniques came to mind.
I erased those options one by one.
Then, in the end, nothing was left.
The ultimate essence of martial arts.
Is not to add, but to subtract.
Not to accumulate, but to discard.
Not to fill, but to empty.
When I discarded everything, in the end, only the single intention of 'to pierce' remained.
Just, pierce!
I refined it like a well-honed blade and put it into my sword.
I made myself a single spear and thrust it with all my might towards the evil god's heart.
The dark bracelet began to tremble and crackle.
Bloom.
Bloom!
Bloom!!!!
But, the rainbow did not bloom.
Kwaak!
The evil god's giant hand flew in and grabbed me, then slammed me down to the depths of the abyss.
Kwang!!!!
"Keoheok!"
I groaned, buried deep in the ground.
My whole body felt shattered.
Thud!
Leaving me behind.
Thud!
The evil god took a step.
Thud!
Buried in the ground, I stared blankly at the shattered sky.
The red moon was nowhere to be seen, and the sky was still dark.
'Why didn't the rainbow bloom?'
I was confused.
But, I got up anyway.
Because this was not the time for this.
Thud!
From a distance, I heard screams and shouts.
The evil god was about to trample them.
My comrades-in-arms, and my companions.
I forced my disobedient body to get up and came out.
Under the still-raining, pitch-black sky.
The evil god was striding forward.
I immediately summoned a mad wind and caught up to the bastard.
Thud!
"Heok... heok..."
Facing the bastard, I raised my sword again.
But, the sword was broken.
"Haha..."
A dry laugh escaped me.
My whole body was covered in blood, a complete wreck.
A broken sword.
What should I do?
Mixed with the screams and shouts, I heard voices calling me from below.
But looking back, life was always like this.
Life always threw trials at me that I couldn't handle, and I somehow managed to get through them, covered in scars.
A broken sword.
That was my life.
This time would not be much different.
Thud!
That was the sixth step.
The last.
I could not let him take another step forward.
"Bloom!!
I held the broken sword and rushed at the bastard with all my might.
"Bloom!!!!!"
I shouted until my throat was raw.
"I said bloom!!!!!!"
[You foolish fellow.]
I heard the Heavenly Demon's low voice.
[That's not how you do it. You dull-witted fool.]
With a low laugh, the Heavenly Demon borrowed my arm.
[I'll lend you a hand for a moment.]
Woong......!
A brilliant, multi-colored light flashed from the dark bracelet.
[Draw the sword from your heart.]
The power contained in the bracelet flowed through my hand and into the sword.
Along the broken blade, a brilliant light bloomed like a flower.
Soon, it formed a complete sword.
It was a dazzlingly beautiful sword.
Saak—
The nine-colored sword gently cut the evil god's hand that was trying to grab me.
I charged straight towards the evil god's chest.
[The sharpest sword is the one that blooms from the heart.]
Puk—
A beautiful rainbow quietly pierced the evil god's heart.
[My disciple, this is where you must reach.]
Heart Sword.
Saak—
The rainbow-colored sword split the evil god's heart.
As the rain stopped.
A dazzlingly beautiful rainbow bloomed.
(End of Chapter)