Chapter 257

When darkness reaches its peak, not even a handful of light can be seen.


From the eastern sky, something rises, cutting through the darkness as it is born.

When the light fades and hands the reins to darkness,


there is a final burst of color, as if struggling against the inevitable.

One is dawn.


One is dusk.


Two things that are the same yet different.


Since ancient times, people have called these two phenomena “sunset.”

As darkness extinguishes and light awakens,


as light extinguishes and is devoured by darkness,


sunset is both the moment of creation and the moment of extinction. But now, the word “slash” has been added to it.


To anyone, it’s not a word that fits creation. Focusing on the “end” of sunset’s dual nature—beginning and end—the “Sunset Slash” was born.

Even if it commanded countless eras, reigned as the strongest across all ages,


and was powerful enough to subdue the dragon race, the enlightened beings from beyond,


the Sunset Slash proudly declares the end and brings about the conclusion. If it can be unleashed, it can surely break through. With the momentum of a single decisive strike, the girl swung her blade.

“I’m betting everything on this.”

While preparing for that one strike, the Demon King quietly watched her. There was no sign of interference.


A luxury unimaginable in a battle where attacks and defenses are exchanged without pause. Thanks to that, Roka could focus all her strength without burden.

Using the Water Technique she learned from Leon, she amplified all her abilities,


changing her stance multiple times to find the perfect position for the ultimate strike.


Unless she planned to swing her blade once and collapse from exhaustion, this was something she would never dare attempt. It was only possible because the two facing each other shared the same desire.

The ultimate strike.


If even that couldn’t defeat the Demon King,


then nothing else would make a difference.

The ultimate strike.


If it turned out to be worse than she imagined,


then the rest wouldn’t even be worth considering.

“I’ll cut through…”

The sunset light, flashing like a beacon, began to cut through the darkness, opening the dawn. The black energy of Grimudo, which no magical technique could counter, was split apart, clearing a path.


The Demon King’s eyes flashed, but his expression didn’t change. He opened his mouth and spewed black flames, so intense that the heat alone made the interior scorchingly hot.

Over the years, she had mastered countless techniques. With this much experience, anyone could do something. Surely, this Demon King, the greatest expert in magical power throughout history, had created his own technique by now.

If he had perfected techniques created and developed by others, the next step would naturally be to create something new himself.


The black flames spewing from his mouth were fundamentally different from simple fire-based magical techniques. The purest heat scorched her skin, and Roka clenched her teeth.

“You madman! What are you doing using a technique like this here?!”

Even the Evil God gritted his teeth. A sudden wave of heat washed over, and the Polaris Fortress, made of ice, began to melt. Was he planning to melt his own residence entirely?


Well, earlier, when the dragon and the Demon King soared into the sky and clashed, the ceiling had been blown away, so it was clear that major repairs were needed.

It wasn’t like materials were scarce, and ice was everywhere, so tearing it down and rebuilding might be a better option than repairing the broken parts.


Still, the astonishing thing was the power. Even in the freezing Arctic, the heat was so intense that it felt like her blood was boiling and evaporating!

“Did he create this technique after seeing the Phoenix’s flames?”

A priest who had once seen the Phoenix spew flames thought so. He watched Roka nervously, but fortunately, the flames split upon touching the sunset light, unable to reach her. The sunset light was cutting through and extinguishing everything in its path.

“Not bad.”

The floating figure closed his mouth and smiled. Then, clasping his hands together, the Arctic’s cold energy resonated with him, surging forth.


A one-eyed figure, seemingly made of frost, opened its eyes behind him, emitting a chilling light and controlling the surrounding cold. The embodiment of magical energy. A technique once used by the now-extinct elves.

Magical energy, the power of nature itself, encompasses all natural attributes. Refining and condensing pure magical energy of a single attribute creates a spirit. This is spirit magic.


Gathering water energy creates a water spirit; gathering fire energy creates a fire spirit. In the past, when humans didn’t yet have magical techniques, elves ruled the continent using this spirit magic.

The Demon King had also been cultivating his own spirit, as the secret itself was worth his attention. Residing in the Arctic, where cold energy was abundant, his spirit embodied frost, ice, and glaciers.

As the one-eyed spirit glared at Roka, the cold energy concentrated on her, becoming so dense it was almost visible. Even a dragon would freeze instantly under such absolute cold.

“Oops,”

The Demon King muttered, realizing he had made a mistake.

“I used the wrong technique.”

The cold didn’t touch Roka. This time, it wasn’t countered by the Sunset Slash.


Perhaps because the spirit itself was a manifestation of condensed magical energy, the Bluebird’s feathers treated this attack as a natural environmental change rather than an attack.

Like a sudden cold wave, the Bluebird’s feathers protected Roka from the concentrated cold. The girl sighed in relief.

“Good. Let’s see you break through.”

But soon, her relieved expression turned to shock. The man, sitting in mid-air, quietly clasped his hands, and an overwhelming pressure began to emanate. Now that she was close, the distance between her and the Demon King was just a few steps.

But those few steps might be the hardest steps of her life. The girl, gripping her blade with both hands, barely managed to take a step forward. She almost bounced back, looking ridiculous.

In the past, the hero Yurinel Larkponsia had been toyed with by the Demon King’s sword pressure. She couldn’t withstand it, and even her sacred sword broke.


Now, without a sword in Grimudo’s hand, it wasn’t sword pressure but more like a shockwave. Yet, its power was even greater than before. Each moment, shockwaves battered her body, shaking her to the point where being beaten might have been preferable.

‘Ugh, damn it!’

The closer she got to Grimudo, the source of the pressure, the more her body creaked. At such a young age, her back ached, and her neck hurt. Each time, divine power healed her, making her feel even stranger. Her pupils widened as she alternated between pain and relief.

‘Damn it…!’

Clenching her teeth, she pushed forward with sheer determination, finally swinging her blade. For a moment, joy flashed in her eyes.

‘I did it. I did it. It’s over now.’

The more painful the process, the sweeter the result. But as someone once said, you never know until the end. The result wasn’t as satisfying as she hoped.

*Clang!*

When the Demon King’s arm clashed with her blade, Roka’s expression turned to shock. It was a human arm, but the sensation was like striking a divine weapon with her blade.


His body, tempered through countless refining techniques, surpassed the strength of any weapon. Even with her Water Technique amplifying her strength, the gap was still vast.

*Crack!*

Using every ounce of her strength, she swung her blade, and something seemed to split. Her blade cut through something, but the pressure sent her flying before she could even see what it was.

“My god! How is this possible? How could this happen?”


“Ouch…!”

*Thud!* Roka landed on the snow, rolling before barely getting up. The snow, already frozen, was hard. She felt like every bone in her body was broken.


What she saw when she finally stood was something red, the most stimulating color to the human eye. A few drops of crimson blood had fallen on the pure white snow.

“The Primal Demon King… Grimudo… is bleeding! This is a miracle!”

All the fuss led to a single small cut on his arm, with just a trickle of blood. It was barely more than a nosebleed.


Seeing the result she had achieved, Roka almost fainted from disbelief. Whether they understood her feelings or not, the dragon and the Evil God praised her.

[You did really well. Excellent. It couldn’t have been better!]


“You… you’re truly amazing. Would you consider joining our church? I could make you a saint right now.”

Just a few drops of blood.


That was the extent of her achievement.


But it was also an achievement no one had accomplished since ancient times.

Countless heroes had come before, but who among them had made the Demon King bleed? Even the dragon couldn’t do it.


It might be easier to bring back the head of Emperor Harmail. If the Emperor had taken that strike, it might not have been impossible.

“Better than I thought. I can’t even remember the last time I bled.”

Even the Demon King looked at Roka with a somewhat proud expression. He watched the sunset light desperately trying to spread on his arm, then grabbed it and pressed down. Soon, the resisting sunset light was swallowed by his overwhelming black energy.

Water can extinguish fire, but pouring a bucket of water on a raging inferno will only make it evaporate without a trace. That’s what it was like. The power he had accumulated over countless years far surpassed Roka’s. That’s why he couldn’t help but take an interest.

“Your talent surpasses anyone I’ve seen. It’s too precious to let fade away without passing through this cycle. So, I have a proposal. Would you consider becoming a monster?”

If this talent, born in the wrong era, could be passed on to the next cycle, if she could be granted a life akin to eternity like his,


then perhaps, as a human, stopping the Primal Body’s ritual might not be just a dream.

Even Grimudo, whose talent and qualities weren’t exceptional, had reached this point through endless effort, research, and training.


If someone with such talent were given the same opportunity? Just the thought was delightful.

“No thanks.”

Roka immediately refused. This time, she didn’t even need to ask Kyle.


The first things that came to mind when she thought of monsters were the Phoenix and the Hydra. Becoming one of those monstrosities? Even someone who craved power would hesitate at such an offer.

Epirna was also a monster, but she had defeated her. The idea of turning herself into a monster was horrifying to the girl.

“Then there’s nothing I can do. Everyone thinks differently.”

The Demon King didn’t push further.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve bled. A delightful event. So, in honor of that, I’ll take my leave today. We likely won’t meet again, so let’s say our goodbyes now.”

He even seemed indifferent to the Polaris Fortress, leaving it on the verge of collapse and flying away. It wasn’t urgent anyway. The fortress could be rebuilt slowly after the cycle passed.

What mattered now was observing the harvesters’ activities and recording the cycle’s patterns. Recording the end of an era might not be important, but it was a solemn task. The Demon King had never neglected it.

“Enjoy yourselves to the fullest before destruction finds you. That’s the last advice I can give you.”

He’s just leaving? Roka stared in disbelief as he soared away.


She had expected him to attack in anger for making him bleed, so she hadn’t sheathed her blade. But now, it seemed safe to do so.

One thing was clear: she now understood why Elder Geher had feared the Demon King so much. Truly, his reputation was well-deserved.