Kyaahk!

Ubist's body was cleaved in two, and returned to its demon sword form.

Dukeram hadn't come out unscathed.

A horizontal line appeared across his armor, and huge shards of light poured out of his rent flesh like a waterfall.

However, he hadn't fallen just yet.

If Kang Oh's Divide the Sea had been perfect, then Dukeram would've died in a single hit. However, his technique was far from perfect.

'I still have a chance!'

Glittering sand gathered together, mending Dukeram's wound.

Dukeram tightened his legs and rushed forward.

There was no way Kang Oh could respond to him in time; he had used a powerful, destructive technique when his body was in terrible condition.

It was a wise decision.

Kang Oh's expression was vacant, as if he were a toy that'd run out of batteries.

'I'm the final victor!' Dukeram swung Max Cain at the top of Kang Oh's head.

Then...

Kang Oh smirked.

Dukeram couldn't believe it.

'No way.'

Blind trust can kill a person.

Kang Oh had set up a perfect trap, and had acted accordingly. He had definitely lured Dukeram in.

Sword Parry!

There was no way he'd miss the proper timing.

Sparks popped out as Max Cain slid across Ubist's wide blade.

'Still...'

He could still counterattack.

Dukeram didn't give up just yet.

However...!

Kang Oh used Divide the Sea again!

He swung Demon Sword Sarahoff upwards, and the absolute energy, which split the world in two, passed through Dukeram's body.

"No way!" Dukeram couldn't help but voice his true feelings.

How could he repeatedly use a secret technique that had such cutting power and a wide area of effect?

It was a cheat. It completely broke the game's balance.

But...!

As if twice wasn't enough, Kang Oh swung Sarahoff again, unleashing a third Divide the Sea.

How exactly was he doing this?

Divide the Sea consumed a ton of Stamina. A single use of it cost him about 90% of his maximum Stamina.

There was also a chance that it could fail.

What's worse, the failure rate was influenced by the user's concentration, skill, sense, etc.

The failure rate wasn't as big of an issue as the Stamina cost; it was impossible to use the technique in succession.

Normally, Kang Oh would only be able to use it once, and then he would have to wait a long time before he could use it again.

However, Gluttony had given him infinite Stamina, so he could use Divide the Sea as many times as he wanted.

He didn't fail either.

It was because he'd learned Divide the Sea through firsthand experience.

If he had taken the easy route, and had gotten the technique passed down to him by Valan, then...

He would've failed 50% of the time.

"I won't lose!" Dukeram glared and readied Max Cain. Divide the Sea crashed down from above.

As expected of Max Cain!

The blade remained intact, even though it had blocked a Divide the Sea empowered Sarahoff.

However…

The same couldn't be said about Dukeram.

Bam!

Dukeram's body was split apart diagonally.

"Next time..."

Dukeram tried to say his last words, but Kang Oh interrupted him.

"Just shut up and disappear, loser."

This was the worst humiliation he'd ever experienced.

'How dare you call me a loser!'

Dukeram's crinkled face turned gray, and his entire body broke down.

[You have completed the quest, Divide the Sea.]

[You have been rewarded with the absolute Swordsman secret technique, Divide the Sea.]

[Slash has been replaced with Divide the Sea.]

[Divide the Sea starts at intermediate-rank due to the Whispers of the Earth.]

[You have been enlightened.]

[Your sword can contain strong feelings. Anger will make your sword fierce, while honesty will make it virtuous. This is an important clue, one that will allow you to transcend the limitations of your sword.]

First, he read through the messages related to Divide the Sea, and then continued on.

[You have defeated the Arabas Empire's Supreme Commander, Dukeram.]

[Friendship with the Free City Alliance has been maxed out.]

[Hostility with the Arabas Empire has been maxed out.]

[You have performed too many meritorious deeds.]

[Fame has increased significantly.]

[The Alliance's morale has increased significantly, while the Empire's morale has dropped to rock bottom. This will have a direct influence on the outcome of the battle.]

Glitter.

The peerless blade, Max Cain, laid on the ground just waiting for Kang Oh to take it.

'I gave him a humiliating defeat, and he dropped Max Cain.'

He wondered what Dukeram's expression would be like when he logged into Arth and checked his equipment window.

Dukeram would probably look really bitter.

Kang Oh picked up Max Cain and raised it high into the air.

"Dukeram's dead. And..."

Kang Oh uttered the statement he'd held deep in his heart ever since he'd started playing Arth.

"I'm the strongest!"

Predator Kang Oh.

This was the moment that he replaced Dukeram as Arth's strongest player.

Since Dukeram and Kang Oh's battle had been broadcasted from start to finish, he was essentially making a statement to the entire world.

"The Invincible Emperor, Dukeram, has been defeated!"

"The final victor... is Kang Oh!"

"Dukeram's time is over. Now it's Kang Oh's time!"

The correspondents had been yelling this entire time, so they were taking a break. Even so, they made sure to praise Kang Oh enough for his achievements.

An even louder, more enthusiastic cheer awaited Kang Oh.

"Uwaaaaah!"

The soldiers and players affiliated with the Alliance yelled crazily.

"Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!"

Kang Oh's name echoed through the Nazrak Plains like the roar of thunder.

"Impossible!"

"Aah, Guildmaster!"

"To think the Corps Commander would die... N-No. The battle is over too."

"We'll die too."

On the other hand, Dukeram's death was horrifying news to the Imperial Army. The Invincible Army had all disappeared too.

"Ahh, we failed to protect our emperor once more." The Sand General grieved, and collapsed into a pile of sand.

Jegal couldn't believe this.

'To think Dukeram would lose!'

He had fought on a battlefield filled with sand, allowing him to make full use of his Desert Emperor abilities, and had even used Invincible Emperor!

This was a dream. It had to be a terrible nightmare!

Jegal angrily chewed on the tip of his index finger.

It hurt. What's worse, he didn't awaken from his 'dream'.

Everything was real.

Jegal had to do whatever he could to decrease their losses.

The battle was over.

Thus...

'We have to kill Kang Oh. No, we have to at least waste his Resurrection ability!'

That was the least he could do if he wanted to maintain his pride.

It wouldn't be difficult. Although Kang Oh had beaten Dukeram, the fight had taken a lot out of him, so there was no way he'd been in good shape.

"Empire, captains! Take revenge for Mr. Dukeram's death!"

Erik, Taker, Kuskal, and Irene dropped what they were doing, and rushed at Kang Oh. Erik and Taker had previously been fighting against Bart and Orlando respectively. Empire's squads also came after Kang Oh.

A portion of the Empire Guild's troops threw themselves at the Alliance's powerhouses to buy their captains time.

"Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath.

Countless enemies were swarming him.

Kang Oh gripped Ubist, which currently had the highest attack power of all his weapons, in both hands and forcefully swung it.

Divide the Sea!

His blade unleashed a line that cleaved the world in two!

However, Irene was accompanying the Empire Guild's troops. A glittering flag floated above her head.

Flag of Absolute Victory!

The Empire Guild's troops glowed; the flag would make them invulnerable to all damage for 30 seconds.

A short while later...

Their troops charged in, despite taking Kang Oh's Divide the Sea head-on.

There were too many of them, especially now, when his HP was extremely low.

Of course, he could come back after death and keep fighting, but he didn't want to waste the ability on fodder like them.

Kang Oh put Sarahoff into his inventory, and pulled out Blood.

He spread out his dark red wings.

"Tasha," he said. However, he didn't hear a reply back.

It seemed like she hadn't fully healed from her defeat at Dukeram's hands.

Kang Oh rose into the air, controlling the wings by himself. Unfortunately, his control over them was far worse than Tasha's.

"Where do you think you're going!?"

"Get him!"

Taker and the Iron Horse Squad forcefully threw their spears at him, and the Glacier Squad urgently shot Spear Strikes at him.

Meanwhile, Kuskal went with his specialty, and sniped him from afar.

Erik used a Spirit Swordsman secret technique on him.

Great Wind's Sword!

An emerald whirlwind surged into the air.

Plus...!

Black Wolf, riding atop his Death Eagle, aimed for Kang Oh from above. Deep blue energy gathered within the Death Eagle's beak.

Whizz!

Kuskal's arrow spun through the air, and tore through Kang Oh's wing.

Kang Oh lost his balance, and his body tilted in midair.

An emerald whirlwind was coming at him from the front, while the Death Eagle's Blade Wind was coming for him from above.

'Damn it. I'll see you after I revive.' Kang Oh prepared himself for death.

At that moment...

Whoosh!

A dark red meteor came flying by with blistering speed, and snatched Kang Oh up.

The 'meteor' avoided the Blade Winds, and pierced right through the emerald whirlwind.

"You owe me one," Sephiro said from atop Waryong's back.

"Thank you."

He was being honest. Sephiro saved him a 30 day cooldown on his Resurrection ability.

"Catch him!" Black Wolf fiercely yelled.

The armored Wakaiser and the remnants of the Flying Dragon Squad flew over and stopped the Death Eagles' pursuit.

On the ground, the Alliance's troops were making quick work of what remained of the Imperial Army.

The Platinum Lion, the Iron Knight, and the Monster Elephant were fiercely rampaging across the battlefield too.

Ultimately, Jegal had only one choice.

"Retreat! Retreat!" he said arduously, his eyes bloodshot.

"We're leaving."

"Run away!"

"Run without looking back!"

The enemy soldiers ran from the Nazrak Plains in every direction.

"Don't let a single one of them get away!" Gheor yelled.

"You damn invaders!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

The greatly motivated Alliance troops relentlessly chased after the Imperial Army, and struck their backs with both spears and swords.

Four Death Eagles, which had just narrowly survived, snatched Erik, Taker, Irene, and Jegal, and flew away from the battlefield.

The captain of the Red King Squad, Kuskal, was nowhere to be found.

Sometime later...

The Alliance's final squad, which had been chasing after the fleeing imperial troops, returned.

"The Alliance has beaten the Empire! This is a victory for all of us!" Gheor yelled.

"Uwaaaah!"

The resulting cheer of joy was never-ending.

The Nazrak Plains.

Although a portion of it had transformed into a desert, the battle had ended in the Alliance's victory.

It was such a brutal fight.

The Tiger Corps, which originally had 300,000 troops, had dwindled to less than 100,000.

On the other hand, the Empire's 1st Corps, which started with 250,000 troops, went down to 50,000 troops.

Both sides had lost 200,000 troops. It was truly a disaster.

Gheor could feel goosebumps just thinking of the 1st Corps' strength.

Although the Eagle and Elephant Squads' elites had joined them, they had lost a similar amount of troops.

What if Kang Oh hadn't done as much as he did?

The battle might have gone in the Empire's favor. Gheor extended his hand towards Kang Oh.

"You're the hero of this battle!"

[You have done the most in this battle. When the war between the Alliance and the Empire is concluded, you will be rewarded appropriately.]

[You have acquired the title, Hero of Nazrak.]

[All free city citizens will remember your name and your title.]

[We recommend you apply for a mayoral election. There is a high chance that you will win the seat as long as you do not pick a large city.]

Kang Oh clenched his fists and threw them into the air.

'I'm the strongest!'

"Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!"

Cries proclaiming the new strongest player in Arth continued for some time.

* * *

The 1st Corps retreated all the way back to Saw Rock Fortress.

However, the battle between the Alliance and the Empire wasn't over yet.

The Imperial Army's advisor, Jegal, was busy out of his mind.

Once the Eagle and Elephant Squads appeared in the Nazrak Plains, Jegal had ordered the Empire's 2nd and 3rd Corps to mobilize.

Dalton's 2nd Corps seized five major cities on the eastern part of the central region. Without Burkan, the Eagle Corps was unable to stop their advance.

With this, the Empire had taken control of the entire eastern region.

Kantos' 3rd Corps attacked the Golden Road Fortress.

Once the Battle of the Nazrak Plains was over, Ould and his commanders immediately returned to the Golden Road Fortress via the leftover wyverns. Had he not done so, the fortress would've been conquered.

Losing the Golden Road Fortress was much worse than losing the eastern part of the central region. It was a relief that they had managed to get back in time.

Of course, the 2nd and 3rd Corps' successes couldn't make up for the colossal loss in the Nazrak Plains.

The Tiger Corps' council room.

"We have to retake the Saw Rock Fortress as soon as possible." Han Seol raised her voice.

Saw Rock Fortress was a strategic location that separated the central and eastern regions. If they managed to recapture it, then they would definitely win the war.

It would cut off the retreat route of any troops still in the central region, and simultaneously cut off their supply route too.

If need be, they could even advance upon the Arabas Empire's imperial palace.

Since they had just beaten the Empire, now was the perfect time to strike.

Gheor nodded his head. "We'll reorganize the Tiger Corps while advancing on Saw Rock Fortress. We'll get reinforcements and supplies on the way there. We can't afford to give them time to prepare."

"A wise decision!"

The Tiger Corps' 100,000 soldiers went straight for Saw Rock Fortress.