Tower Of God: Life As Hoaqin

Kugugugung—

Five colossal swords—normally kept compressed, their compression levels released only during combat.

One of them swung toward Cain, appearing slow from afar, yet terrifyingly fast up close.

The main estate was vast—immense, even—but still too cramped for such gigantic blades to maneuver freely. Forced to move the sword at an awkward angle, I inevitably smashed through walls, ceilings, and floors as the blade collided with its surroundings.

"So what exactly are you planning to cut with a sword that slow?" Cain scoffed.

"This one's less for cutting," I replied calmly.

"It's for breaking."

KWAANG!

As expected, Vain dodged easily—but I didn't redirect the blade. I slammed it straight into the floor.

BOOM!

Marble shattered violently, debris exploding outward.

In that instant, Cain stepped onto the embedded giant sword—

—and ran up along its surface, using it as a ramp to charge straight at me.

One. Two. Three—

Now!

Just as his foot was about to land properly on the blade's surface, I recompressed it.

In an instant, the massive sword shrank back down to the size of a normal blade—no longer something that could be stepped on.

Cain lost his footing for a split second.

That was all I needed.

I immediately sent one of the four remaining airborne swords flying straight at him.

But contrary to my expectations, Cain didn't panic.

Rather, as if he'd been waiting for this, he recovered his balance instantly.

Using his sword like a ski pole, he kicked off the incoming blade and launched himself toward me at even greater speed.

I spread my wings just in time to block his attack.

"As expected," Cain said coolly.

"You're still lacking experience."

"Well, I am still a Regular."

White Blooming: Executioner's Slash

I swung my sword hard, releasing a massive white arc of Shinsu.

The distance between us was extremely close—but Cain instantly deployed a high-rank Armor Inventory. It blocked my attack… and shattered immediately after.

Cain clung to close range, darting around me with chaotic Flash Steps, clearly trying to deny me space.

I clicked my tongue and shifted my stance.

If he wanted close combat—

Then I'd force him away.

Killing Technique — Seven Spirit Severing Marks

I carved seven sword marks into the air—north, south, east, west, and several more directions.

The slashes etched into empty space split—

Then split again.

And again.

Endlessly multiplying, they flooded the surrounding area with cutting force.

This time, even Cain had no choice but to retreat, widening the distance between us.

A storm of slashes chased after him, threatening to swallow him whole—but he escaped cleanly, weaving through with a combination of items and precise swordplay.

With enough distance secured, I raised my sword high once more, shifting my footing and preparing the next technique.

Just as I was about to bring the blade down—

Something felt wrong.

I snapped my head to the left.

SHRAAAK—

A chilling sound sliced through the air right beside me—something passing far too close.

The moment I opened my perception fully—

Dozens of sharp wind-cutting sounds erupted at once.

At least several dozen.

Each one was an Invisible Weapon.

Are you kidding me—what is he Kaiser?

My techniques hit hard, but their wind-up is long.

I didn't even have time to step.

Dozens of unseen weapons rushed toward my vital points from unpredictable angles.

I'd tried to create distance to rain down slashes—

Looks like that was a mistake.

THUD—

"…!"

While instinctively blocking and deflecting what I could, something broke through my guard and buried itself deep into my shoulder.

As I reached to pull out the formless weapon, I felt it—

The murderous intent of countless invisible blades surrounding me.

"Haha… this is getting hectic."

I've never fought Kaiser, but Cain's mastery over items was on an entirely different level.

Far beyond comparison.

As invisible weapons flew toward me along erratic trajectories, I raised my sword high.

"Baekya—activate."

PAAAT—

Light exploded outward from Baekya.

The irritating weapons chasing me were swallowed whole by the radiance and vanished instantly.

I ripped the embedded weapon from my shoulder and flung it aside, then shot forward toward Cain.

Cain crossed his twin blades, Plesio, bracing himself.

In the next instant—

Our swords collided.

KRAKAKAKANG—

My Shinsu reinforcement was superior.

At the moment of impact, Cain was pushed back several steps, while my fully spread wings left trails of white light, dyeing the area in silvery Shinsu.

On that shimmering field of light, Cain and I locked into a brutal contest of strength.

He twisted both blades, redirecting my strike, then immediately thrust forward.

I spun sideways in a tight rotation, pouring power into my counter-swing.

Once more—

Sword met sword.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The sounds were far too explosive to be called mere clashes of steel.

Shockwaves tore through the space as we exchanged blows without pause.

Cain exploited the advantage of dual blades, unleashing rapid, relentless flurries of strikes.

I responded by constantly shifting my blade's trajectory, adjusting again and again to meet every attack.

The battle had fully entered its true phase.

At a glance, it looked like an even duel—

Shwaaak—

"…!"

I swung my blade with full force, using my superior raw power to drive Cain back. At that exact moment, the roaming slashes surrounding us struck him head-on.

One thing I learned long ago while studying Shinwonryu:

Arie swordsmanship is swordplay built on Shinwonryu.

Which means—any Arie sword technique that cannot employ Shinwonryu is, by definition, incomplete.

And I was free from that limitation.

Even if my technical mastery fell short compared to Cain, who had devoted thousands of years to the sword—

When it came to techniques, I was ahead.

"We both wield the sword that embodies all things. And yet… I can't grasp the essence of your swordsmanship at all."

"You've got a good eye," I replied lightly.

"That much alone is impressive—"

Hwaaak—

I flicked my arm, hurling one of the giant floating swords straight at him.

Instead of dodging, Cain charged directly toward it.

"That's what makes it amazing!"

KWAANG—!

Sword and body collided head-on, Shinsu residue exploding and obscuring my vision.

From beyond the haze, white light began to swirl.

As the residue cleared, the source revealed itself—

Cain's sword.

By the time I saw him clearly, he was already executing his technique.

Just as I expected him to swing—

He instead began to sheath his blade.

The instant I realized what technique he was about to unleash, I spread my wings around my body.

Almost simultaneously, two white flashes shot forward, threatening to pierce straight through my wings.

A draw technique.

"You've learned quite a lot…!"

Arie Sword Art: White Blooming – Thousand Severing Forms

A single frontal swing split into thousands of curved slashes, surging toward Cain.

Wrapped in Armor Inventory gear, he endured some, deflected others, and forced his way closer.

Once again, light gathered around his blade—Shinsu spiraling tightly around it.

Then—

Circular, saw-like slashes poured out from his sword.

I answered immediately.

Arie Sword Art: Heavenly Soul Severing Blade

With a massive horizontal swing, a colossal slash surged forth, colliding with Kain's attack and flooding the area in white.

I didn't stop.

I followed with another technique—

And another.

Arie Sword Art: Lion's Rending Claws

Arie Sword Art: Phantom Lion Blade

Arie Sword Art: White Blooming – Execution Slash

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA—!

The corridor we were fighting in was now completely ruined, its former elegance utterly erased.

Even so, my blade continued to roar, slashes screaming through the air without pause.

Cain twisted his signature vortex blade, distorting the trajectories of my attacks while countering calmly, nullifying my techniques one by one.

As I prepared my next strike—

I saw him assume a new stance.

The vortex around his sword intensified rapidly, swelling into a full-fledged storm.

Cain-style Arie Sword Art: Killing Technique — Silver Reversion Obliteration

SHRAAAAK—

As Cain swung, the silver vortex burst forth violently toward me.

The howling wind grew wider and wider, threatening to swallow me whole.

I answered in kind.

Hoaquin-style Arie Sword Art: Killing Technique — Heaven-Slaying Slash

A single slash tore forward with a ferocious sonic boom.

Once again, our attacks seemed to cancel each other out—

But I didn't stop there.

Heavenly Judgment Sword — Flash

I hurled one of the giant swords like a spear.

Not expecting it to land a decisive hit, I immediately rushed Cain and swung.

Unlike the start of the fight, fatigue was now clearly visible on his face.

The same was true for me.

KAGAK—!

Sparks flew as our blades clashed violently.

How many times had I activated Baekya already?

How many high-output techniques had we exchanged?

Both of us were nearing our physical limits.

It was time to end this.

I needed to reach the top floor.

SHUAAAA—

"—Ghk!"

White light burst violently from my body, Shinsu waves erupting outward like cutting shockwaves.

Cain hadn't expected me to release energy directly from my body—he took multiple hits across his frame.

"…Tch. This is ridiculous. I talked so big, yet I've been on the back foot the entire time."

"..."

"I'm reaching my limit. Your talent surpasses even the word 'genius.' But even so—"

BOOM!

Cain stomped the ground hard.

The floor caved in as Shinsu heat shimmered around him.

"I cannot disobey the Elders' command. If they want your head, I'll pursue that order until I die."

"…Cain-hyung. One question."

"What is it?"

It wasn't about the fight—but the thought had been gnawing at me.

His appearance. The twin blades. Too many overlapping details.

"Are you… Leblanc noona's biological brother?"

"…Irrelevant."

He raised his blades, killing intent flooding out.

"She was my sister. She refused to follow the Elders—and died meaninglessly on the 99th Floor. That's all. Do we need to discuss it further?"

A bitter feeling welled up briefly—but I shook it off and tightened my grip.

Yeah. It didn't matter now.

Despite how long we'd been exchanging blows nonstop, neither of us bore major wounds.

But our stamina—

That was nearly gone.

This had to end.

I forced my Shinsu efficiency to its absolute limit, gathering every last ounce of strength.

The outcome was already decided.

Even without heavy injuries, I had been pressing him continuously.

I restored my damaged Shinsu wings, spread them wide, and met his gaze.

"Come at me first. I'm stronger than you. And you're weaker than me."

"I won't deny that."

Cain, just like me, pushed his Shinsu to the brink, lowering his stance as if ready to explode forward.

"And I won't refuse."

BOOM!

He launched himself at me.

So fast—so sharp—that losing focus for even an instant would mean losing sight of him.

Slashes came from every direction, threatening my neck, more lethal than ever before.

I answered by swinging in all directions, constantly adjusting the trajectories of my blade, responding freely.

Precise footwork.

Bizarre angles.

A frontal swing blocks an attack from the side—

Then another frontal swing aims straight for his back.

The decisive exchange had begun.

My blade and Cain's clashed again and again, white and silver sword-lines crossing endlessly as we scattered our strikes at one another. While exchanging blows, both of us watched carefully—waiting for the smallest opening that might appear at any moment.

In the end, Cain moved first.

Rather than searching for an opening, he chose to create one.

His blade flared with blue-white light as a vortex formed once more.

That vortex—the same one that had troubled me from the moment we first met.

It devoured attacks, twisted trajectories, swallowed techniques whole, and strengthened his own strikes in return.

Annoying. Dangerous.

But—

I had already sketched out the solution during our first encounter.

Shuaaa—

Just as Cain infused his blade with a vortex, I infused mine with Shinwonryu.

Shinwonryu also dominates surrounding Shinsu space, absorbing it and bending it freely.

Similar to a vortex—

No.

Far superior.

Still…

Cain was exhausted now. His stamina had already gone past its limit.

This was clearly his final strike.

Perhaps because of that, his posture was more perfect than ever.

When the violently growing vortex finally stabilized around his blade, Cain leveled its tip at my heart.

"Haaah!"

His eyes widened as he shouted, and at that instant his sword surged toward me with overwhelming force.

Cain-style Arie Sword Art: Transcendent Killing Technique — Cyclone Spear Flash

A massive spiral of wind erupted at point-blank range, rising like a dragon's column toward me.

And before it—

I slowly moved my blade.

Shinwonryu.

The Shinwonryu infused into my sword seized control of the surrounding space in an instant.

Then—

The towering vortex crashed down, slamming directly into my body.

The moment it struck, regret flooded my mind.

KWA—AAAAA—!

When Cain's final attack hit me head-on, I saw a trace of triumph in his eyes.

That was how powerful—and how lethal—this blow was.

And I was doing something insane.

I was taking it head-on.

"…Ghk—!"

The vortex tore into me with countless blades of wind, threatening to shred me apart.

I forced down the blood surging up my throat, endured the sensation of being ripped apart, and let the vortex flow through my body as much as I could.

"What are you planning now?!"

Sensing something off, Cain forced the vortex to grow even stronger, overstraining himself to amplify its power.

The already violent storm intensified further, mercilessly ravaging my body.

Just a little more—

Just a little—

"…!"

Got it.

Right before my body reached its breaking point, I finally grasped it—

The flow of the vortex.

Shraaaa—!

I input that flow into the Shinwonryu embedded in my blade and began forcibly stealing control.

In an instant, my Shinwonryu completely dominated the vortex and began absorbing it instead.

Whiiii—

"…What the—?!"

Whether Cain reacted or not no longer mattered.

My Shinwonryu shone in multicolored light at the core of my blade, seizing everything around it and swallowing it whole.

Soon, it devoured the vortex that had been tearing me apart—and everything else nearby.

I absorbed that Shinsu flow into my body and made it my own.

"…Cough!"

Only after coughing up a mouthful of blood did the space and Shinsu fully become mine.

Cain continued releasing vortexes—but each one was instantly consumed by my Shinwonryu.

And now—

It was time to use it.

Standing unharmed within his own storm, I raised my blade high.

The multicolored light of Shinwonryu spread outward, filling the space.

Only then did Cain realize—his vortex had been completely neutralized.

His face drained of color as he stared at me.

(Data) Arie Hon-style Sword Art: Silver Radiance

A pillar of silver light erupted upward.

The vortex Cain had unleashed now only served to further amplify my technique.

The white-silver column pierced straight through the ceiling, dyeing everything in pale brilliance.

Then—

I swung my blade directly at Cain.

"…That technique—don't tell me it's—Ari—"

His words died there.

The silver pillar collapsed into a silver tide—

The tide into silver stars—

And everything was swallowed and annihilated.

Simply put, everything around me was caught in a massive Shinsu explosion.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA—!!!KURRRR—!

....

Outside — White Flower Sword Palace

"…?!"

Arie Hanul, who had been protecting civilians, felt his pupils tremble.

KURRRRR—!

One side of the White Flower Sword Palace was engulfed in silver-white light—and began to explode apart.

…Father?

No. The sensation was different.

What was that?

Soon, the palace's right side started collapsing entirely.

Hanul could only stare in disbelief.

Despite countless wars across ancient eras, the Arie main family residence had never suffered so much as a scratch.

And now—

It was crumbling.

"Which lunatic is doing this without even setting up a Shinsu barrier?"

He ground his teeth in frustration.

This was when he should have realized—

That this was only the beginning.

....

Back at the Battlefield

Hwaa—!

The White Blooming surrounding my body dispersed, and my white wings burst apart and vanished.

The Shinsu enhancement techniques that had allowed me to fight Cain on equal footing had ended.

"Huff… huff… haaah…"

I nearly collapsed, grabbing the wall—

Which promptly crumbled, sending me tumbling to the floor.

I forced myself back up and climbed what remained of the staircase.

Partway up, the damage from taking the vortex head-on finally caught up with me.

My insides twisted violently, and I vomited blood.

"…Haa… haa…"

Before climbing further, I glanced back.

Only then did I see Cain—his body utterly wrecked.

Amazingly, he was still breathing.

Alive, at least.

But I didn't have the luxury to treat him.

I needed treatment myself.

Did I push too hard…? No. I won because I pushed that far.

After a few deep breaths, I continued upward.

I didn't know how much farther the top floor was.

But if I kept climbing—

I'd reach it eventually.

....

Underground Prison

"…There's nothing here. Just broken bars."

The black-haired boy with a red flower earring—Yeon Hwarang—looked around in dissatisfaction.

Not that Hoaquin was going to magically appear.

"What the hell? That Ranker said he'd be in the underground prison!"

Ha Yura grumbled irritably after realizing the place was empty.

"Hey, Blue-head! Looks like your 'noona' isn't here either!"

"It's not 'Blue-head.' It's Khun Marco Asensio. Use proper names."

"Please. All Khuns are Blue-heads."

"…Is it because you're from the Ha family that you're so eager to get hit?"

"You wanna try me?"

"Enough, both of you!"

Already stressed, Luf finally snapped at them and returned his focus to the Lighthouse.

After a moment, he reached a conclusion.

"That earthquake earlier… I think Hoaquin hyung caused it. Looks like we were a few steps late."

"So what now, Hwarang?"

"Even if we chase him, there's no way we catch up. Better to find where noona might be and head—"

The story surged onward.

At best, they would end up chasing nothing but shadows.

More importantly, considering how many monstrous beings were lurking within the main estate, there was a real chance that their presence would only become a burden to Hoaquin instead. From the lightning Mascheny had unleashed earlier, she seemed to be far higher up than this place already… and if even a single hostile Ranker stood in their way on the route upward, they would be wiped out instantly.

We came here to help… and now we're just dead weight.

Even so, it's only been about 130 years—how did the gap grow this absurdly wide?

Hwarang clicked his tongue inwardly and turned his head toward the rest of the team. It was frustrating, but at this point, he believed retreat was the correct choice.

"Finding Mascheny would be ideal, but she's too high up. The path there is too dangerous. We don't really have a choice—let's just leave the main estate and—"

Fwoosh—

"…!"

Hwarang abruptly snapped his head to the side.

His sudden reaction drew confused looks from the others, but he didn't have the leisure to explain.

The Guardian Flame reacted… strongly.

Whenever the Guardian Flame responded like this, it usually meant—

…There's something over there that I need to protect?

But that's not even in Hoaquin's direction.

The direction that had triggered the Guardian Flame led deeper into the underground prison.

It was a gloomy, oppressive passage—but Hwarang stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.

"Hwarang hyung? Where are you going?"

"That way. The Guardian Flame reacted. There's something there."

"Hey—then we're not leaving?"

"First, we check what's down there."