Chapter 880

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"What's going on!"

The moment Luna executed "Heaven Shatterer," the Demon King Gikalo Ramiere, who had been summoned within the True Demon World's castle, shouted in shock.

"It's a surprise attack, Lord Gikalo! The sentinels have confirmed the presence of snow toad and two knights. It seems to be the little master of the hidden palace and... the White Whale!"

The White Whale.

The 1st flagbearer of Runcandel, who had recently killed the commander Flek Kaluga, was now a name known throughout the True Demon World, and no demon was unaware of her identity.

Gikalo felt the magnitude of the energy Luna was spreading the moment she executed "Heaven Shatterer." Just sensing that power was enough to send a chilling shiver down his spine.

Crash... Bang!

Luna's energy, pounding against the walls like tidal waves, would soon penetrate even the castle's defenses.

As Gikalo wasn't a heedless demon king, he immediately made a decision.

"Everyone except commander Billagul Ramiere and Shikan Ten, evacuate. Head to the Kalim garrison where Sakiel is."

"Yes? Lord Gikalo, what's that?"

"Haven't you heard the order to evacuate?"

Crash… Thud!

As Gikalo shouted once again, unexpectedly, the entire frontal defense of his castle was obliterated, and hundreds of sword energy blades poured in.

Gikalo swiftly reacted, reaching for the greatsword placed beside his throne. The impact wave sent his attendants flying in all directions.

"What!"

"Lord Gikalo...!"

"It's likely that at least 30% of the lower-ranked ones have died. With our current forces, combatants below commander-level mean nothing against her."

And he was right. Luna's unique Heaven Shatterer thoroughly destroyed the front wall of the castle, then spread the blades of energy throughout the castle, slaughtering demons in every corner.

As this technique bore her name, Heaven Shatterer - Luna Runcandel, was an improved version. The energy blades surged upward through the ground, their power undiminished even if they struck obstacles or were blocked, moving like living creatures as they relentlessly sought out and overwhelmed their targets.

The energy blades that Gikalo had managed to fend off were no different. The blades that had pierced through the ceiling and exited beyond the castle's defenses were now once again targeting Gikalo and his attendants, pouring down like a rain.

The attendants who had immediately heeded his command to retreat were saved, but those who hadn't recovered from the shock fell victim to the onslaught of the energy blades and lost their lives.

Gikalo once again swung his greatsword to repel the energy blades. Until now, Luna's swordsmanship had been ferocious, clashing against anything in their path, or swallowing anything in the castle. However, as they collided with Gikalo's greatsword, their intensity noticeably waned.

Nevertheless, out of the hundreds of energy blades, only a few managed to reach him.

'The castle's restoration is already impossible. It might come to an end once Lord Gikalo summons another castle, but... it won't mean anything if we can't kill that vile human.'

Apart from the area where Gikalo was, the castle had already turned into ruins. Although the area where Billagul and Sikhan, the two commanders, were stationed still resembled a castle, it was just a matter of time before that was no longer the case.

Even the Heaven Shatterer is just the beginning.

Luna's overwhelming energy had cast a dark shadow over the entire castle. Gikalo, who had realized this, pushed his way through the devastated section of the castle to fight her.

Beyond the already shattered fortress walls, he caught sight of Luna, who was striding confidently into the castle. The energy blades of Heaven Shatterer moved in harmony with her steps, killing the fleeing demons in her path.

The floor and the air were tainted with a mixture of purple blood and flesh, yet not a single drop had stained her black flagbearer coat.

"How can someone like you be human?"

"I'm wondering why creatures who used to live well underground have come up to the surface to make a mess. It seems you know how to put up a fight, right? There aren't many individuals who could easily repel my 'Heaven Shatterer.'"

"Gikalo Ramiere, head of Ramiere family and Demon king who rules over the volcanoes of the True Demon World."

"No wonder you sense the gravity of the situation more than the trash commanders I have been dealing with until now. You were a Demon King after all. I am Luna Runcandel, the 1st flagbearer of the sword clan."

The commanders Billagul and Sikhan, who had just broken through the "Heaven Shatterer," took their positions behind Gikalo. The demons were shaken by Luna's power, yet Luna smiled brightly as if she had thought of something pleasant upon seeing the commanders.

"Oh... You two will make for a good experience."

"What did you say?"

"If you want to die by being torn apart without any purpose like insignificant bugs, come at me. But if you want to fight a proper battle until the end and die with dignity, go behind me. There's someone waiting for you there."

Billagul and Sikhan didn't understand her words. However, they were insulted by her tone, but with Gikalo standing there, they couldn't retort.

They were hesitant as well. Luna was currently emitting her full power; her presence was on a completely different level from when she defeated Flek Kaluga.

"Billagul, Sikhan. Go face that woman."

Gikalo understood the importance of dealing with the little master of the hidden palace. Even if he were to be defeated by Luna at this moment, if they managed to defeat the little master of the hidden palace, it would be a great advantage for the entire True Demon World. And if they could capture Myriad Ice during the process, it might even lead to a significant leap for the True Demon World's forces.

'If it's two commanders, it should be quite possible to deal with the current little master of the hidden palace. Even the White Whale would know about this... Is she planning to kill me and aid the little master of the hidden palace? How naive.'

Luna saw right through his thoughts.

"Now that the battle formation is set, we don't need long speeches, do we? Come, Demon King Gikalo."

As Gikalo leaped down from the castle, Billagul and Sikhan also followed. As promised Luna didn't attack the commanders as they passed by, even though they were tensely on guard.

More accurately, she didn't even pay them any attention. Her focus and fighting spirit were solely directed at Gikalo.

Though she had mockingly asked if he knew how to put up a fight, Luna recognized that Gikalo was a suitable opponent for her. He was a 'worthy enemy' in her eyes.

The Demon King who rules the volcanoes.

Indeed, just like his position suggested, Gikalo possessed the power to manipulate lava. The moment Gikalo leaped, the entire castle was unexpectedly engulfed in lava, and the residual energy of the "Heaven Shatterer" melted away.

Luna countered him by executing the meteor shower. The collision between the lava on the ground and the sword energy of the falling meteor shower instantly turned the battlefield into hell.

Luna came to the battlefield with the heavy duty of protecting the world as a Runcandel and part of the Vamel Alliance.

As the axe sword and greatsword clashed, Luna felt a surge of joy. In that instant, she envisioned defeating Gikalo, the demon king, and destroying a stronghold of the True demon world, and boosting the morale of her clan and alliance. Also she felt the joy of personal 'growth'.

Experience.

Before the battle, what Luna told Syris wasn't just something exclusive to her.

Luna herself had yet to fully utilize the experience she gained in the Black Sea. She knew this fact better than anyone, and she understood that she needed enemies like Gikalo to fully unlock potential.

Thump, thump!

With each swing of the sword, a sensation coursed through her heart and veins, as if something within them writhed wildly.

Luna had already reached the peak in her youth. Thus, from her youth, she felt herself stagnant, even though she was obviously growing stronger.

While in the Black Sea, she had experienced clear growth throughout. But there was never any time to indulge in it, as she had to fight daily against monsters and chaos remnants just to survive.

However, lately, she was changing day by day, much like when she first learned to wield a sword as a cadet.

'A demi-god, one who transcends the ground and ascends to heaven. The words people used to describe my father... Is this how it feels? That I began to ascend to heaven.'

She had finally begun to transcend the ground. It was still at an early stage, but if things continued like this, it was clear she would eventually soar through the heavens.

That was how Luna now perceived herself. Even when Gikalo's sword passed in front of her eyes or scratched her cheek while she was engrossed in her growth, she did not feel threatened at all.

Gikalo looked like a pitiful and weak being attempting to fight back.

Thwack!

Krantel's blade struck Gikalo's shoulder. Instead of a sharp sound like a blade hitting, it made a dull thud, due to Gikalo's robust physicality. His body, which was protected by lava and demonic energy, was difficult to harm even in the True Demon World.

On the other hand, Runcandel's blessed body was accumulating bruises and wounds. Each one, if a bit deeper, could have been a fatal injury.

But as time passed,

Every minute, every second, even smaller units of time flowed.

The number of times Gikalo's sword reached Luna decreased, and the sound of Krantel's blade hitting Gikalo became sharper.

The sound changed from that of a blunt strike to the slicing noise of a sharp blade cutting through flesh and bone. Gikalo couldn't keep up with the increasing speed of Luna's sharpened sword.

'White Whale's power was clearly at its peak from the start. It would have taken considerable time to damage my body with that power. But now... is she growing?'

For Gikalo, it was an incomprehensible realm.

That's a stage that those who haven't reached the Genesis Knight realm, or those who aren't heading towards genesis knight realm like Luna, can never understand.

Soon enough, Gikalo couldn't even hold onto such thoughts anymore. It was because Luna's sword was not only getting sharper but also becoming more refined. Fire and demonic energy were now no longer able to protect him; Gikalo felt defenseless standing before Luna with nothing but his own body.

The greatsword he held in his hand felt as flimsy as a twig. On the other hand, his opponent was still Luna Runcandel, White Whale, and that sinister axe-blade that seemed like it could tear through anything in the world.

"Do you have nothing more to show?"

Though Luna had been right in front of him just moments ago, Gikalo's breath caught when he suddenly heard her voice from behind. He spun around in surprise with an expression of pure curiosity and Luna blasted his half face. His face was immediately recovered, but it couldn't be regenerated forever.

"If you don't, then it's time to bring this to an end. However, don't get too discouraged by dying at my hands. You were strong, Gikalo Ramiere."

***

While Luna faced off against Gikalo, Syris glared at the two commanders and was breathing heavily.

Throughout the battle, Syris had been under constant pressure due to the combined attacks of the two commanders.

'Is the Runcandel's 1st flagbearer trying to nurture me, or trying to kill me...? I'm not quite sure. Is this really the right thing...?'

Watching the commanders release demonic energy again, Syris spat out a sigh of frustration.

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