Chapter 288: Decisive Battle (4)

Leon stared straight ahead, gripping Balmung tightly. Hair black as spilled ink, eyes just as dark.

He was like a curtain of shadow, hiding the faintest glimpse of what lay behind.

Kang Geom-Ma, you and I were destined for this.’

The first time he met Kang Geom-Ma was when they were placed in the same group for the midterm exams during the first semester.

After spending time with him, Leon knew.

‘The entity that resides within Kang Geom-Ma.’

It was, inevitably, the being Leon had to face.

And at the same time, it was an abomination so immense it could erase all existence.

It was neither good nor evil. If it had to be described in words, it was a phenomenon born from taking technique to its limit.

It was the pinnacle of the sword. Assigning values like good or evil to that idea was meaningless.

‘Just a year ago, he didn’t seem aware of it yet.’

But for a growing teenager, a year was a long time.

In that time, Kang Geom-Ma had neared the divine.

Leon had also grown tremendously, yet he still couldn’t compare.

In fact, it felt like he’d fallen behind.

And the worst part was that Kang Geom-Ma, even in that very moment, was still knocking on the door of something beyond.

‘Just one step more.’

Just one step away from truly reaching divinity. Could he really get there?

Leon didn’t know. Even for him, the Hero, that was a realm shrouded in mystery.

Deep down, Leon hoped he would reach it.

Because only then would everything he had done make sense.

Because only then could he avenge his father, Metatron.

Because only then could he be free.

‘That’s why I’m willing to do anything, accept any sacrifice.’

As part of that resolve, he killed Kojima, the Absolute Archer.

‘It had to be done.’

The bitterness in his mouth numbed his tongue.

‘Kojima deserved to die.’

Even as he said it, he knew it was a flimsy excuse.

In his final moment, Kojima had put others before himself.

He, who had always acted only for his own benefit.

In truth, Leon hadn’t only targeted Kojima. His attack was clearly indiscriminate.

‘There’s no turning back now.’

He could only look forward. Looking back meant death.

That was what it meant to face the Demon King.

‘…At this point, I don’t even know who the hero is and who the demon king is anymore.’

The line had been crossed. There was no return.

That’s why he had to let go of any lingering remorse.

With everything he had. In the literal sense, launching himself to kill.

‘I’ll compensate for the difference in power, no matter the means or method.’

Leon condensed air beneath his boots.

Kuarne’s magic. A Hero had made a pact with a Corps Commander.

A total contradiction.

But he’d already said it—he was willing to do anything for his goal.

Even give up his own identity.

BOOM!

His step caused a blast.

An explosive leap. A trajectory as straight as one drawn with a ruler.

No maneuvers, just direct attack. That was what made it powerful.

The sashimi moved.

A nearly imperceptible gesture that would have gone unnoticed without focus.

Leon twisted his body back instantly.

He bore all his weight with his knees and the backs of his legs.

Slash↔

A sword slash grazed his nose.

A lock of his bangs was cut, disintegrated in midair, and scattered into particles.

Leon spun fully around.

Before he could even roll on the ground, Kang Geom-Ma’s shoulder was already moving again.

Slash↓

A downward slash.

The mark on the ground easily spanned over 100 meters.

The corpses of demons blocking the path were shredded in all directions.

Just barely—

Leon slid across the ground, scraping with his fingers.

He lost two fingernails and felt a searing pain at the tips.

‘But I kept my balance.’

That was enough. Leon crouched, chest pressed to his left knee. His right leg stretched firmly behind.

Even his breath was directed into his lower body.

From his core, dragon power and wind-attributed magic converged in his legs.

He exploded forward. The boom was louder than before.

His speed now far surpassed his earlier charge. A supersonic rush.

The Hero launched himself at the Demon King.

This time, Kang Geom-Ma assumed a different stance.

He held the sashimi in reverse grip.

The anomaly caused Leon’s pupils to narrow like needles.

‘He’s going to face it head-on?’

If it was a contest of strength, Leon wouldn’t lose. He was Metatron’s son.

His father had annihilated Grigori’s group of fallen angels with sheer brute force.

And recently, Leon had awakened that power. Kuarne had helped him.

Not out of familial affection, but because their goals aligned.

The reason didn’t matter.

Leon closed the gap with confident strides and swung Balmung in a diagonal cut.

The air grew more violent.

He intended to fake him out with an aura-cloaked feint, then follow up with a thrust.

Kang Geom-Ma took the hit directly. A gash opened on his torso, spraying blood.

Leon’s narrowed eyes widened.

When the distance closed from thirty to ten steps, Kang Geom-Ma’s wound vanished.

[True Regeneration Blessing has activated.]

Wounds caused by aura are said to be incurable.

That’s why such a blessing is so coveted among swordsmen.

But Kang Geom-Ma healed anyway.

There was no time to be surprised.

The sashimi and Balmung clashed.

From the impact of both blades, an explosion of light erupted.

In a world completely bleached of color, the traces of Kang Geom-Ma and Leon were drawn as pure, formless lines, barely perceptible.

In that moment, the world lost its three-dimensionality.

The third dimension vanished, and points and lines formed shapes and paths on a blank canvas.

The battle between them had transcended the limits of dimension.

The real battle had begun.

In most exchanges, Leon was the one attacking relentlessly, while Kang Geom-Ma deflected everything with ease.

Occasionally, Kang Geom-Ma’s counters opened wounds on Leon’s arms and legs.

Each strike from the sashimi resonated. Within them was a level of understanding that Leon dared not measure.

He couldn’t let fear defeat him. He was a Hero because he had the necessary courage.

Even if his soul was tainted, his essence hadn’t changed.

Leon pushed his strength and speed to the limit. He strained his body, his mind, and his life force. He even released the seals he had placed on himself.

A voice, like an agonized scream, whispered near his ear.

— More.

He responded to the sashimi with his sword. His muscles refused to obey his brain.

His body moved before his thoughts formed.

— More.

His reason flew, and instinct took control. What seemed like a one-sided fight began to look balanced.

— More.

His movements no longer aligned with the world’s perception.

Observers could only see images from two or three seconds before.

‘Maybe.’

Leon was surprised by himself.

The gap he once thought insurmountable seemed to be slowly closing.

But he didn’t get excited. As long as his body functioned, nothing else mattered.

Balmung moved with a single purpose. All that mattered was landing one more strike.

Balmung wove a net of aura threads. Each of those threads could be a lethal blow, but Leon launched them without restraint.

Rather than think about where to strike, he preferred to unleash another slash.

A brutal fighting style that squeezed out all his stamina and energy.

That was the true art of combat.

But reaching that truth was beyond human capacity.

— More.

Impurities layered inside his body. He knew exactly what they were.

The remnants of the gods, those entities he so despised.

The more he fought, the more the divine claws dominated every corner of his body.

His breathing turned ragged. His muscles moved on their own.

But Leon clung to his willpower.

A superhuman will kept him conscious.

‘Not yet.’

Leon opened his eyes wide.

His gaze gleamed with ferocious intensity.

The vessels in his eyes burst as if strangling his own pupils.

The sashimi was fast and heavy. Not a single strike could be taken lightly.

The pressure of the aura didn’t block it—it turned to dust.

Despite using all his techniques to resist, Kang Geom-Ma’s understanding of the sword was on another level.

Even without the power of the Demon King, he was already elite. The sword was his natural calling.

For the first time in the entire fight, Leon dared to look directly into his eyes and immediately flinched.

Kang Geom-Ma’s eyes were vacant and dark.

His body moved like a machine, but his gaze was indifferent.

‘It can’t be… Is he holding back?’

A tiny thought, like a speck of dust. An opening.

In that moment, the sashimi, which had been moving without urgency, accelerated.

Slash!

The electricity-charged blade pierced his left shoulder.

It was just a stab, but his entire arm burned. The sensation was like lightning surging through his body.

“…Kugh!”

Saliva sprayed out with Leon’s groan. Kang Geom-Ma slashed diagonally with the sashimi.

Crack—

The blade cut through his collarbone and ribs. The tip pierced his lung and entrails.

Leon extended his hand and pushed Kang Geom-Ma away.

From the sashimi flew bone splinters and pink tissue.

BOOOOM!

An explosion separated them. The distance stretched to 200 meters.

Kang Geom-Ma spun in the air like a swallow before landing softly on the ground.

Leon, in contrast, tumbled like a worn rag.

Face down, he could only gasp. Magic and divine power sealed his wounds, but the regeneration was slow.

With effort, he lifted his gaze.

Kuarne was descending between him and Kang Geom-Ma, as light as a feather.

A moment of silence.

Kuarne looked at Leon with dry eyes, then turned to Kang Geom-Ma.

“Looks like my nephew still isn’t ready. Mind if I replace him?”

“No.”

Kang Geom-Ma was slowly twirling Murasame.

The blade expelled impurities as if burping.

“You two come together. I don’t have time to waste.”

He rubbed his eyelid as he spoke. Though his expression was calm, his body was at its limit.

The Blessing of Insensitivity to Pain had already exceeded its limit.

The boost from “Weapon Class Category” helped him hold out a bit longer, but it wouldn’t last.

At this rate, not only his body but also his mind would break.

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

Kuarne smiled gently. It wasn’t mockery—it was sincere concern.

Kang Geom-Ma gave a short laugh.

“Worried about the enemy, you idiot?”

Meanwhile, Leon staggered to his feet. Pale skin, purple lips. He looked like a walking corpse.

And still, the impressive part was that he could still stand. Even with his guts spilling from an open wound.

“Leave him to me, for the sake of our plan.”

Kuarne sighed and spoke to Leon.

“Nephew, you can’t die yet—‘not yet.’”

“……”

Leon twisted his pale lips. But ultimately, he stepped back. He used his sword as a crutch and retreated to focus on healing.

“Well, it’s finally you and me. Shall we start having fun?”

Kuarne rubbed his palms like a kid excited at an amusement park. Kang Geom-Ma looked away from that annoying face.

In the sky, where thunder once roared, now hung a crimson sun like at dawn.

He looked at the sacred lightning and recalled the sensation from a moment ago.

During his duel with Leon, he had felt a strange release. That’s why he took the time to reciprocate.

For affection? No way. He wasn’t that soft. He cuts down enemies regardless of reasons.

Anyway—

That experience just now wasn’t his as a person but a sensation passed on by the God of the Sword.

That battle was the catalyst that allowed him to glimpse what lies beyond.

‘The enemy of the God of the Sword—the false gods.’

While other animals kept their heads down searching for food, humanity raised its eyes to the sky and drew constellations.

The curiosity of ancient humanity carried through the ages medieval, modern, and beyond.

Thus, the kings of creation left the closed Earth and stepped onto the Moon.

Don’t stop at fantasy.

Surpass yourself—more than yesterday.

To transcend the unreachable, free the limits of space-time.

Expand your perception.

And in the end, when all of that accumulates.

[You have awakened the Blessing of the God of the Sword.]

Humanity evolves.