SFRW-Chapter 305

Ch. 305 Sword God From The Ruined World

The human who had fought Vipiens.  

In Ketera’s mind, that was the only memory he had of Seo Do-jun.  

And even that wasn’t a complete recollection of the battle, so he hadn’t even considered Seo Do-jun a threat worth noting.  

Just as he himself had done, Ketera assumed Vipiens had merely been toying with an insignificant insect, dragging out the fight for amusement…  

CRACK—!  

“…Keugh!”  

Ketera’s eyes widened in shock as his left arm was severed clean off.  

By a mere human.  

His arm had been cut off.  

Ketera had scoffed at the idea that Seo Do-jun’s sword could even scratch him, but now, as his arm flew through the air, he couldn’t hide his disbelief.  

He pierced through my demonic aura?  

A lowly human?!  

“GRAAAAAAAAH!”  

In a mix of frustration and rage, Ketera roared and swung his remaining arm with full force.  

His strike carried the intent to tear Seo Do-jun limb from limb—  

SPLAT—!  

Instead, his palm was split open, spraying dark blood in all directions.  

It was true that he was weakened from using Demon Cannon, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined a human’s blade could not only block his attack but wound him in return.  

As Ketera reeled in shock, Seo Do-jun pressed forward relentlessly.  

‘If I’ve got the chance… I have to finish this!’  

Originally, he had only planned to create an opening for Vipiens, but now the situation had changed.  

Seo Do-jun was filled with confidence—no, certainty—that he could end this himself.  

He would take down Ketera first.  

Yakya was already on the brink of death after taking a direct hit from Vipiens’s breath attack, and Vipiens himself was in critical condition. Seo Do-jun was certain he could handle both Demons and the Dragon alone.  

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!  

Every time Seo Do-jun’s sword carved a bright arc through the night sky, another part of Ketera’s body split open, blood spraying violently.  

The demonic aura that had even resisted Vipiens’s powerful magic was effortlessly sliced apart by Seo Do-jun’s sword energy, and Ketera’s durable demonic flesh tore like soft fabric.  

This was the result of Seo Do-jun’s unwavering focus—not a single moment of carelessness—and his determination to put everything into every single strike.  

Meanwhile, Ketera, helpless against Seo Do-jun’s onslaught, found himself in a humiliating position.  

He had been on the verge of defeating Vipiens, his greatest enemy, only to be brutalized by a human.  

And the worst part?  

He couldn’t escape this situation on his own.  

‘Grrk! T-This…!’  

What kind of bullshit was this?!  

For the first time in his life, Ketera felt true danger—his body weakened from Demon Cannon, his mind reeling from Seo Do-jun’s relentless assault.  

Has any Demon ever been killed by a human before?  

No.  

Countless Demons had lived and died, but never had one fallen to the hands of humans, one of the weakest races.  

Yet now, Ketera was on the verge of becoming the first.  

If he died here, by a human’s hand, he would leave an indelible stain on demonkind’s history. Even in death, he would be mocked—not just by his own kind, but by the Angels and Dragons he had always competed against.  

‘I—I can’t let that happen!’  

He would rather die a hundred, no, a thousand times at Vipiens’s hands than suffer this humiliation. No, this wasn’t even comparable.  

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAH—!”  

Ketera screamed at the top of his lungs, forcibly detonating his demonic aura in an explosive burst.  

First, he had to shake off Seo Do-jun, who clung to him like a leech, slashing relentlessly.  

But it wasn’t easy.  

Seo Do-jun instinctively knew—  

If I can push him now, I have to push him all the way. Cut his throat.  

Even as Ketera’s overwhelming demonic energy crashed against him, Seo Do-jun remained calm, weaving a defensive sword barrier while counterattacking.  

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!  

Sword energy, condensed into spherical projectiles, shot out like missiles, piercing through Ketera’s abdomen, shoulder, and thigh.  

“GAAAAAAH—!”  

The pain finally became unbearable, and Ketera let out a bloodcurdling scream.  

Almost there.  

Just a little more, and he could kill a Demon!  

But rather than feeling the thrill of victory, Seo Do-jun cooled his mind further, focusing solely on Ketera like a ruthless duelist.  

And then—  

“GET OFF!”  

Before the shout even registered, a powerful sword energy slammed into Seo Do-jun’s back and sides.  

‘…Kael!’  

Seo Do-jun’s brow furrowed.  

He had been too focused on Ketera.  

If he had spared even a moment to check his surroundings, he could have anticipated Kael’s attack and finished Ketera off.  

But now, if he blocked Kael’s strike, Ketera—eyes burning with fury—would counterattack with terrifying force.  

Reluctantly, Seo Do-jun retrieved a teleportation stone from his subspace and retreated.  

As Seo Do-jun withdrew, Ketera finally had a chance to breathe, assessing his own condition.  

He was a mess.  

In worse shape than after his fight with Vipiens, his body was critically injured.  

Even as death loomed, the demonic instinct for battle and aggression flared within him—refusing to retreat or cower.  

“Are you alrigh—”  

“SHUT UP!”  

Even though Kael had saved him, Ketera felt no gratitude.  

His glare was fixed solely on Seo Do-jun, who stood at a distance, visibly frustrated.  

“Who… is that human?”  

“The one I told you about.”  

“WHO IS HE?!”  

Despite Kael’s answer, Ketera couldn’t even recall.  

He had been thoroughly briefed in Helkaoden, but humans were beneath his notice.  

To him and Yakya, only Vipiens mattered. Humans weren’t even worth acknowledging.  

And now, he had paid a steep price for that arrogance.  

“Huuuuuuuh…”  

Ketera exhaled sharply, using his demonic energy to hastily seal his most urgent wounds.  

Unlike Dragons, he couldn’t regenerate lost limbs with magic, but he could temporarily bind injuries with demonic energy.  

Of course, properly healing them later would be excruciating—but pain meant nothing to a Demon.  

Thick, blood-red flesh swelled over his wounds, staunching the bleeding.  

But his severed arm was beyond recovery.  

Ketera would have to live the rest of his life one-armed—but to a Demon, missing a limb was no real flaw.  

Clenching and unclenching his remaining fist, Ketera gnashed his teeth at Seo Do-jun.  

“I’ll chew you to the bone. And then your comrades!”  

Even that wouldn’t be enough to vent his humiliation, shame, and rage—but he would do it anyway.  

“Oh? In that state?”  

Seo Do-jun’s taunt made Ketera let out a low, grating laugh.  

Mocking.  

Not even amused.  

It was true—this human had shocked him with his skill.  

But it had only been possible because Ketera had been caught off guard.  

Now, he would fight Seo Do-jun not as a human, but as he would an Angel or Dragon—a true rival.  

He would fight to the death.  

A Demon fighting all-out was a burden even for Angels or Dragons.  

And a human thought he could handle it?  

Ketera was certain Seo Do-jun had no idea what Demons truly were—or the terrifying power they hid.  

“Let me educate you. I’ll show you why your inferior race will always be beneath the Three Races!”  

BOOM—!  

Ketera exploded forward, closing the distance in an instant.  

To anyone but Seo Do-jun, his movement would have been a blur—too fast to follow.  

As Seo Do-jun tightened his grip on his sword, preparing to slash—  

CHOMP!  

A massive shadow swept past him, crashing into Ketera.  

To be precise—  

“…Ghk!”  

Vipiens, having reverted to his true dragon form, clamped his jaws around Ketera’s neck with crushing force.  

“…Grrk! Ugh…!”  

Ketera went limp, unable to move, only gasping weakly as Vipiens’ fangs held him in place.  

CRUNCH!  

With a sickening sound, Ketera’s head was torn clean off his body.  

In the end, it was Vipiens who delivered the final blow.  

But—  

THUD.  

Vipiens wasn’t in good shape either.  

His right wing, torn off long ago, was an old wound—but his left wing was different.  

Pierced through, bones exposed, it could no longer function.  

And the injuries didn’t stop there.  

The bone fragments embedded in his neck and the brutal wound raked across his left flank were severe.  

Blood gushed out in pulses, and the dark demonic energy staining the edges of his wounds worsened them by the second.  

The fact that Vipiens wasn’t even trying to heal meant recovery was impossible.  

His massive draconic head turned toward Seo Do-jun.  

His gaze was complex.  

[Human… I should kill you…]  

The words echoed in Seo Do-jun’s mind.  

Could Vipiens even handle him in this state?  

Seo Do-jun remained on guard, ready for an attack at any moment.  

[…But it’s meaningless now.]  

Seeing Seo Do-jun’s readiness, Vipiens let out what might have been a bitter laugh.  

Even in his current state, fighting Seo Do-jun would be difficult—but Ketera and Yakya’s appearance had made Vipiens realize what he truly needed to do.  

It was a late realization, and now, he couldn’t even act on it.  

With great effort, Vipiens pushed himself up, taking one heavy step after another.  

Each footfall of his 30-meter frame shook the earth.  

He walked toward Yakya—still motionless, barely alive—and without hesitation, began devouring the Demon’s head.  

CRUNCH. SPLATTER. RIP.  

“……!”  

“……!”  

In Helkaoden, this was normal.  

Dragons ate the corpses of Demons and Angels. Demons ate Dragons and Angels.  

A natural cycle.  

But for Seo Do-jun and the others, witnessing it for the first time, the scene was horrifying. Some grimaced, others turned away, unable to watch.  

Once Yakya’s head was completely consumed, Vipiens collapsed with a heavy THUD.  

He looked like he would die if left alone—yet no one dared approach recklessly.  

[Helkaoden… is where I was born. And where I… ran away from.]  

Vipiens began his story.  

Seo Do-jun didn’t understand why he was being told this—but he listened silently.  

The tale was long, but its essence was simple.  

[You must be wondering why I’m telling you this.]  

Seo Do-jun gave a small nod, one only Vipiens would notice.  

[You… Seo Do-jun… I think you can fulfill my wish.]  

His wish?  

Seo Do-jun looked at him questioningly.  

[You carry the scent of my kin.]  

He had sensed it from the start.  

Seo Do-jun’s magic carried the breath of a dragon.  

And Vipiens’s words made it clear what he meant.  

The Dragon Heart once owned by Metaneca, the Half-Dragon administrator of Moteor.  

Seo Do-jun had absorbed the heart of the Gold Dragon, Arhektro.  

Coincidentally, Arhektro had also encountered Barhaut—and died from the aftermath of that defeat.  

Thanks to that, Seo Do-jun had become a Transcendent by absorbing Arhektro’s heart.  

He saw no need to explain this, and Vipiens didn’t ask.  

[I will soon return to the embrace of magic.]  

His wounds were too severe.  

Even if he recovered, he would never regain his former strength—so Vipiens had decided to end his life on his own terms.  

[Take my heart.]  

Seo Do-jun couldn’t hide his shock at Vipiens’ staggering offer.  

“…Why…?”  

[If you’ve already taken another dragon’s heart, you are worthy of mine. More importantly…]  

As Vipiens continued, Seo Do-jun understood his true reason.  

“I have no intention of avenging you.”  

[Do not think from a human perspective. I never intended to ask for vengeance.]  

“Then fine.”  

Seo Do-jun wasn’t foolish enough to refuse a Dragon Heart placed right before him.  

Especially now, when Earth faced threats like demons and planetary rulers like Barhaut—he needed to grow stronger.  

And Vipiens’s wish aligned with his own.  

Not some grand request to storm Helkaoden for revenge—but a simple plea:  

If you encounter Demons in the future, kill them all.  

Even without being asked, Seo Do-jun would have done so—to protect himself and those he cared about.  

[As for Barhaut…]  

Vipiens started to speak of Barhaut but then fell silent, as if realizing it was pointless.  

Slowly, his breathing grew weaker, and his body began to glow.  

This was the final sight of a Dragon choosing to end its own life before forced death by wounds.  

He shattered.  

The massive dragon’s body slowly broke apart, scattering into the air.  

As if his entire being, born from nature, was now returning to it.  

Seo Do-jun stared blankly as the Dragon’s form dissipated—until his eyes fell on a red gem now lying before him.  

The Dragon Heart.  

Vipiens’s final gift.  

The moment Seo Do-jun touched it—  

It melted into his body as if it had always belonged there.  

And at the same time—  

A rift tore open in space, and a figure emerged, wreathed in ominous darkness.  

“…Barhaut!”  

Seo Do-jun gritted his teeth, glaring at the man who had arrived.