Chapter 609

– Kuoohhh!

The flames erupting beneath my feet push the air away, lifting me high into the sky.

Thinking of a jet engine with an afterburner, I condensed the flames into a single point and explosively released them, allowing me to defy gravity and inertia, gaining the propulsion to freely fly through the void!

Taking inspiration from Or-han, who flies around using the recoil of his punches, my improvised method turned out to be quite impressive.

Though the consumption of Life Force Technique is significant, and maintaining balance is tricky.

I tried to maintain my posture by releasing flames through my feet, like stepping on the ground… but this way, I could only charge forward like Or-han, unable to utilize swordsmanship or martial arts while fighting.

Floating through the air with the force of flames felt more like swimming in deep water with flippers than standing on something.

To maintain a stable posture while floating and fighting, I’d need to release flames not just from my feet but from my back, waist, hands, and elbows, constantly adjusting my balance.

…It’ll take some time to get used to. At least, it’s not something I can do right now.

[Now you’re not just jumping, but flying around. You always show some new trick every time you fight.]

‘If I had failed, it would’ve been a trick, but since I succeeded, it’s a strategy, right?’

I gradually reduced the flame output, slowly descending as I answered.

If I went any higher, Or-han and the Blue Army might think I’m fleeing and chase after the Special Forces again.

To keep them here, I needed to maintain an altitude where I could monitor their movements and respond immediately.

‘But… I can’t hand over my body to you this time. Sorry for breaking the promise, but I need to fight this one myself.’

Hersela can’t use the flames, and even if she could, aerial combat would be too much for her. Her fighting style, based on Life Force Technique, would drain her energy quickly if she tried to float and fight at the same time.

Even helping in combat by controlling Life Force Technique as usual was impossible.

Just floating alone was draining her Life Force Technique rapidly, leaving no room for other techniques. And if I left the flame control to her, even the slightest misstep would send her spinning out of balance.

[ …I’ll let it slide this time. Do as you wish.]

Hersela understood this well, gritting her teeth in frustration but giving up on fighting Or-han directly.

This time.

—

– Kwaaaang!

Enough chit-chat. Or-han, who had been staring at me in disbelief, stomped the air and charged at me with the recoil.

“Since you’ve dabbled in cursed sorcery, you’ve been doing nothing but bizarre things. Do you plan to keep running away like this?”

Bizarre things? Running away? His shameless mouth is just like his daughter’s. If we’re talking bizarre, isn’t the guy flying around with punches way more bizarre than me?

And accusing me of running away? That’s ridiculous. I’m fighting against thousands, and the guy on the side of thousands has no right to say that.

Not to mention, he’s got a cheat-like technique that nullifies all attacks.

“How long do you think you can keep dodging?!”

The golden Crescent Moon Blade, imbued with massive Life Force Technique, sliced through the air, drawing a clear arc as it flew toward me.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to dodge anymore!”

– Kuoohhh!

Once again, I compressed the flames and shot toward him like a comet. Durandal, raised high, glowed blue, filled with feats.

“That’s it, that’s it! Come at me like a true warrior, Ha-shal-leur!”

“Fall and die!”

The distance closed in an instant. The air trembled, foreshadowing the impending impact. A predator’s smile spread across Or-han’s face.

“Kaaaah!”

“Kyaaaah!”

Beast-like roars crossed. As our bodies came within two steps of each other, I swung Durandal with all my might. Toward the Crescent Moon Blade aiming for my neck.

– Kwaaaaang!

And so, the unbelievable aerial battle of heroes began.

—

### [Blue Army]

Countless warriors were slaughtered, raining blood everywhere, by the traitor Ha-shal-leur.

After she flew into the sky, the Blue Army warriors were left dumbfounded, staring at the sky like dogs chasing chickens.

– Kwaaaaang!

How many explosions was that now?

Repeated thunderous roars tore through the dry sky, scattering crimson flames and shockwaves. Red and blue arcs collided madly, bouncing off each other with blinding flashes.

The ominous crimson flames burst from punches, scattering everywhere, while missed slashes tore through the air and fell to the ground.

“Good heavens…!”

Or-han, the Kagan of Ai-shan, was fighting with transcendent power, like a heavenly deity, but the warriors watching him were not in awe—they were pale and sweating.

“What… what is that? What are we even watching?”

The warriors’ faces grew paler, and instead of reverence, they felt a creeping fear, like children facing the darkness under their beds.

They were facing something their common sense couldn’t comprehend, something fundamentally different from them. The warriors shivered, goosebumps covering their bodies.

What they were witnessing was something closer to a natural disaster than a human battle.

“It’s not over yet!”

“Damn bastard!”

Howls, roars, curses, and screams crossed each other, each time causing the void to explode and shake the world.

Shredded armor fragments burned fiercely, raining down like fire, while the air torn by clashes turned into gales that swept across the ground.

– Kwagwagwang!

Ha-shal-leur, who had fallen like a comet, carved a long, deep scar into the ground, then erupted with crimson flames like a volcano, leaping back into the air from the melting ground.

“Or-haaaan!”

A monster, wrapped in the haze of evaporated blood, with blue eyes flickering like flames, no longer looked human.

Even the Paladins, who had mastered the art of manipulating feats through will and wielded power beyond ordinary warriors, felt like children before the superhuman battle of these comets colliding in the sky.

“…Pari-gi-en, what should we do now?”

A warrior, swallowing dryly as he stared at the sky, turned to the Paladin Pari-gi-en and asked. Was it okay to just watch? That was the meaning behind his question.

To still be able to make rational judgments after witnessing that scene, he must be one of the bravest among the Blue Army warriors.

‘What should we do…?’

Pari-gi-en hesitated, unable to find an answer. Though he was a seasoned Paladin with enough rationality left to make normal judgments, he couldn’t think of any way to intervene in the battle of those ‘monsters.’

Jump into the air and attack Ha-shal-leur?

Even if he used all his strength, he couldn’t reach that height, and even if he could, it would be suicide.

Without the ability to fly, he’d just end up like the three Paladins who had been pointlessly killed.

Shoot arrows or throw spears to bring her down? That was equally meaningless. The traitor could use a technique similar to the Indestructible Body.

‘…Though it’s not perfect.’

Unlike swords and spears, blunt weapons like maces couldn’t be completely blocked, causing her to stagger with each hit. That weakness could be exploited.

On the ground.

But now that she could fly freely through the air, exploiting that weakness was impossible.

Arrows or throwing spears wouldn’t even scratch her, and maces or flails were too slow to hit her anyway.

In the end, the six thousand—no, now just over four thousand—Blue Army warriors had no way to intervene in that battle. At least, in Pari-gi-en’s view, all they could do was wait until the battle was decided.

But even so, as a Paladin, he couldn’t just say, ‘We can’t do anything. Let’s just bring some alcohol.’

Such words were beneath his dignity and pride as a Paladin.

“Pari-gi-en, are you listening…?”

“……”

So, Pari-gi-en ended up not answering, pretending not to hear and just staring at the sky.

“…Pari-gi-en?”

“……”

Enduring the increasingly awkward looks from the warrior.

“…Right. We can’t just stand here and watch.”

What saved Pari-gi-en from his predicament was the voice of another Paladin, Poi-si-ra.

“We can’t join that fight, but the traitor doesn’t seem to have the time to worry about us either. Let’s use this time to reorganize the troops.”

Giving up on the impossible and focusing only on what they could do. That was the conclusion Poi-si-ra reached, his rational thinking restored now that the excitement of battle had faded.