701
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Shortly after returning to the Tikan launch pad on a red owl, Bale explained that the sword Jin had obtained had the characteristic of being 'indestructible'.
"Indestructible?"
"Well, I thought you knew that already, but you seem clueless."
"I've perfected this sword technique while facing you for several days. I had a feeling that once I unleashed its flames, I would be able to easily subdue you."
Jin still hadn't given a name to the new magic sword technique.
While he had added his name to secret techniques and decisive killing moves passed down to him by others, this was the first sword he had created on his own.
That's why naming it felt awkward. It was his first self-made sword, and naming it something grand and magnificent like Runcandel's decisive killing moves, secret techniques or Sarah's flames of hell, and Plutonian Swordsmanship felt even more embarrassing.
"The fire you possess doesn't extinguish once it touches a target. It probably won't even go out if you die."
"Really? How do you know something I don't?"
"Well, I have divine insight due to my divine status. Ever since you had defeated me, I've been contemplating the nature of that flame. If you had cut me that day, I would never have been able to extinguish that fire on my own."
Bale possesses the power of the Sun God.
And according to Orgal's explanation, the Sun God is undoubtedly a being with a significantly higher level than other known gods in the present world.
If Bale couldn't extinguish Jin's fire, it was highly likely that even those who use lower divine powers would be helpless.
Of course, Bale's power as the Sun God was only a small part, but even with that alone, Bale possessed a level that surpassed most lower-ranking gods.
"It's interesting, but it's hard to believe."
"I don't believe it myself that you managed to complete such a flame. It belongs to the realm that Sarah wanted to reach... You're her successor, so I don't feel too bad about it. Sarah would have definitely liked it. Cut me with that fire once."
"Suddenly?"
"You said you can't believe it unless you see it. And you need to know the effect of that fire well so you can use it effectively when seeking revenge on Sarah in the future."
Bale opened up his power and extended one arm to Jin, as if urging him to cut.
"It's a bit awkward. If, as you said, the fire doesn't go out..."
[You reached the realm that Sarah desired, and you can't control your fire, how could that be possible? Cut me! Just a little!]
Without hesitation, Jin ignited his blade with a flicker of fire and lightly grazed Bale's forearm. It was so light that even an ordinary person wouldn't need any ointment.
[Ah, it stings and burns!]
Bale quickly withdrew his injured arm, grimacing. Jin instantly realized that Bale's words were true.
'He really can't extinguish the fire that remains in the wound…'
Bale showed Jin by continuing to exert a golden aura in his other hand and pressed it against the injured arm as if to stop the bleeding.
However, the faint shape of the fire still remained, despite Bale's attempts to cover and smother it with his powers.
[You see? Even a being of my caliber can't even erase it. So, that Orgal guy is probably the same. The power of the Sun God he possesses doesn't seem to be higher to mine. Unless beings like your Phoenix or the God of Fire himself personally intervene, there's no way around it.]
"Here you are, Jin."
As the two were talking, Hedo and Euria entered the sortie area.
"Yes, Sir Hedo."
Unintentionally, Jin glanced back and forth between Hedo and Euria.
It felt awkward to see Hedo standing with Euria instead of Sandra. There was something off about it.
But strangely, Euria didn't look cheerful.
"Hello, Euria too?"
"Yes… Jin oppa."
"Is something wrong? You seem a bit down."
As the contractor of Azmil, Euria had experienced various tragedies and indirectly witnessed many hardships since she was young. Her friends had always made special efforts to ensure her mental well-being.
Thanks to that, Euria has always been cheerful and lively. She was also well aware of her role as a princess and was loved by the people of the Tikan Kingdom.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just feel a bit down for some reason. That's why Sir Hedo is trying to cheer me up."
"Well... Did you know? Because of the power of Truth."
Hedo awkwardly spoke, and Euria smiled.
"Thank you for thinking of me, Sir Hedo. Thanks to you, and seeing Jin oppa safely return, I feel a little relieved."
Euria suspected that the sudden dizziness she felt was due to Jin's condition. She had been getting a sense of unease since he headed to Kinzelo's headquarters.
"It's good if it helps. By the way, why does Bale keep twisting his body? Is he in pain somewhere?"
[It's because you guys appeared, and he's keeping the fire burning!]
"Fire?"
Jin explained the nature of his self-made sword and retrieved the remaining fire from Bale's wounds.
As Bale had anticipated, Jin's will was conveyed, and the fire was extinguished.
"I was aware that you crossed that wall that day. But to think that your new sword possesses such power... Test it on me as well."
Jin performed the same sword stroke towards Hedo.
Similarly, with his iron-like hand, Hedo lightly touched the small and faint flame on his wound, but it didn't go out.
"Oh... It really doesn't go out. It may not be as painful as Bale's reaction, but if it cuts deeper, it would be hopeless."
"It would be difficult to endure if it cuts deep?"
"Well, I can't say for sure until I experience it myself. But it will be incredibly painful, like burn victims who couldn't receive timely treatment. Have you given the sword a name?"
"Not yet."
"What about 'Eternal Flame'?"
"Eternal Flame?"
"Yes, a fire that never goes out. Everyone who has faced you until now, including myself, probably felt that you were an unquenchable fire. The actual effect of the sword matches that as well. I think it suits it well."
"It sounds too grand and embarrassing."
Somehow, Jin was reminded of the moment when Cosmos gave him the nickname 'Black Crown Prince.'
"It's customary to give names to techniques in this way. I'm sure the techniques you've learned were also named in a similar manner. If you're okay with it, it seems like a fitting name."
And so, the name of the technique became Eternal Flame.
Hedo, being a fellow martial artist, took satisfaction in having given a name to Jin's sword. He took out his cigarette to admire it, but then realized that Euria was still by his side and hastily put it away.
"Did you have any successful meetings with Kinzelo?"
"Let's go to the conference room and I'll explain step by step."
As they made their way to the conference room, Jin cautiously observed Euria.
Her expression seemed slightly improved, but the atmosphere around her was still heavy.
'I hope Azmil's power doesn't imply a dark future for Euria…'
As they arrived at the conference room, their companions were already gathered.
For a while, Jin discusses the information he had received from Orgal about the roles of the Sun God, Demon King Zito, and Joshua. Most of his companions shared Jin's feelings of concern and deepening worry.
Despite the already overwhelming burden, the deepening worries added to the weight.
"Phew, the thought that eliminating the evil god is not the end is becoming increasingly suffocating. But what can we do? Eventually, we must deal with the temporary alliances after dealing with the evil god." Kashmir spoke first.
"If we can't handle all of them, the world will eventually become something we no longer recognize. Whether it's Kinzelo's proposed purification, or turning into hell due to the arrival of the Demon King, or Zipfel manipulating history to become the sole god, or the evil god causing destruction. No matter how burdensome it may be, we must continue with what we've been doing." he continued.
Although he was stating what everyone already knew, there was something about Kashmir that exuded the regal dignity of a king. He possessed a kingly charisma.
"As King Kashmir says, we should continue to solve things step by step, just as we have done so far. Therefore, for now, we should set aside issues like the Sun God or the Demon KIng and focus on Rosa." Jin added.
"Yes, my lord."
"As you all know, Rosa is growing stronger faster than Orgal expected, and the reason behind it is presumed to be the despair generated by Joshua. Orgal has taken charge of investigating this matter, so let's coordinate and eliminate Joshua as soon as we receive any updates. And..."
Jin looked intently at his companions.
"It would be best to advance the battle with Rosa as much as possible."
Strengthening Rosa is not only due to Joshua's despair.
Chaos is spreading, corroding ordinary humans worldwide.
The Vamel alliance and the temporary alliances are doing their best to contain the contamination in various polluted areas around the world, but there are limits.
Especially in the Huphester region, the situation is so severely eroded that even they cannot intervene. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that half of the world is already immersed in despair.
"Of course, the longer the fight is delayed, the more despair will be generated. It's just my intuition, but I think Rosa... is waiting for the right moment when we believe we are fully prepared. She needs to defeat us when we are at our peak, so that despair can be maximized."
If it weren't for that reason, then Jin could not be convinced that Rosa is not leaving the Garden of Swords even with that much power.
"Of course, it doesn't mean we should rush into it. However, we need to find an unexpected moment for Rosa. We must not be more desperate than Rosa wants us to be, and we must seize the moment when Rosa remains incomplete..."
Although it was somewhat abstract, understanding Rosa's ability to "use despair" was difficult from the beginning.
Jin and his companions had to make difficult inferences like this, and they couldn't be certain of the results.
They were not facing humans but beings turned into evil god.
"Starting today, we will work with the temporary alliances to verify these expectations to some extent. If we can roughly confirm the relationship between the speed of Rosa's completion and despair, then we will set the date for the final battle."
As Jin finished speaking, a seven-colored bird member hurriedly entered the conference room.
"Your Majesty, Lord Jin! Lady Mary has just returned!"
"Escort her immediately!"
Mary had recently embarked on a rescue mission within the Huphester area to save survivors, along with Tona brothers and the others.
Her body was covered in wounds as she returned with some rescued survivors.
As soon as she saw Jin, she tightly closed her eyes, seemingly in pain.
It was because she had encountered Diphus while inside Huphester.
702
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First class butler Petro, along with the butlers and maids of Runcandel, and around thirty Colon natives, and Picon Minche's contractor, Vin Branche.
Led by Mary, the knights successfully infiltrated Huphester and rescued around a hundred survivors.
"… We thought our allies were in our elder sister's territory, but they had fled to the west of Delki. There were no major issues until we infiltrated there again."
"Chaos-tainted knights and monsters continued to attack, but we were surprisingly lucky. The butlers who remained in the territory informed us of the situation before we could fully explore, and Mother... No, not only Rosa, but also powerful enemies like the knights of the mausoleum did not appear."
Daytona and Haytona said. The two of them and Jin were sitting in front of the recovery room, where Yona and Mary were, with worried expressions on their faces.
"Things went smoothly even after we arrived in Delki. The unexpected figure, Prince Laika, had hidden the survivors well. But while we were transferring the rescued individuals and escaping to the waiting Cosmos warship in the sea, we saw Elder Brother Diphus..."
Diphus Runcandel.
He, who attacked Mary and the knights at the end, took on a completely corrupted form, with horns on his head like Rosa.
-Ha. What about my brother Diphus and his knights now?
-Everyone will be imprisoned in the dungeon. 4th flagbearer...… was coveted by Rosa before. He's likely become Rosa's subordinate with the help of chaos.
The story Mary heard from Lynn Milcano ultimately became a reality.
"When our second brother appeared, we thought the operation was doomed to fail. Just releasing his aura was enough to shake the Cosmos fleet. Even if our entire force resisted, it seemed impossible to deal with him."
Mary approached Diphus as if she had lost her mind as soon as she saw him.
-Ora… boni Right? Diphus oraboni. It's me, Mary. Don't you recognize me?
-Elder Sister Mary, you must not go there! Please stop!
Mary didn't seem to have any intention of fighting Diphus, who had transformed.
Diphus, too, didn't swing his sword at Mary.
Instead, he smiled contentedly and patiently waited for Mary to approach.
-[Yes, Mary. Your place is by my side, not with the Tikan. Come, let me help you. Just like always.]
Moreover, Diphus even greeted Mary with those words.
But fortunately.
Mary hadn't lost her reason upon seeing Diphus.
"Elder Sister immediately recognized that there was no point in confronting elder brother directly and swiftly utilized her wit. If she hadn't pretended to be shattered at that time, none of us would have been able to return..."
Diphus hadn't forgotten his past relationship with Mary.
That's why her actions seemed reasonable in his eyes.
In other words, he had let his guard down.
As soon as Mary approached Diphus, she calmly unleashed a lightspeed thrust, and she rushed into battle, opening the volcano.
Diphus lost half his body at the very beginning.
Mary displayed a merciless swordsmanship like never before, and it was only then that Tona brothers, and the knights recognized her intention and hurriedly prepared to escape.
The battle didn't last long.
Chaos rapidly restored more than half of Diphus's lost flesh. Intuitively, Mary was certain that there would be no more chances for him to fully recover.
So she used all her strength to escape with the fleet while Diphus was recovering. However, she couldn't avoid a few of Diphus's attacks just before their arrival.
That's why Mary was in the recovery room right now.
"... Youngest, I am so worried about elder sister."
It wasn't about the physical injuries she sustained.
It was her heart.
Although it was clear that Mary's display of wit and temporarily overwhelming Diphus was a calculated move, her agonizing heart was undoubtedly genuine.
'Was Euria's condition not good because of Elder Brother Diphus? With Elder sister Mary's belongings in Tikan, the power of Truth may have foreseen such an unfortunate future. I don't know what to say to elder sister Mary...'
While Jin silently patted his brothers on the shoulders, there was a movement inside the healing room.
"Worried? I'm more worried about you guys sitting there receiving comfort from Jin, you idiots."
"Elder Sister Mary!"
"Elder Sister, have you awakened...!"
The Tona brothers jumped up and their eyes turned red as they looked at Mary.
Mary clicked her tongue at their appearance.
"I've been awake since earlier. I was just too tired and wanted to rest a bit while cuddling with Yona, but I kept hearing voices. I thought it was my duty to put you two in your place if you acted like spineless worms."
"I'm sorry, elder sister."
"But I didn't cry. Of course, if you hit me, I will strike back evenly."
"Proud, pathetic fools. Jin is your younger brother. I understand that your power or skills may be lower than his. But at least make an effort to appear as composed as elder brothers. How long will you rely on Jin? It's about time you became a more reliable support."
After scolding the Tona brothers, Mary made eye contact with Jin.
"Don't you make that disgusted expression either. If the boss shows any sign of worry or concern, it only makes the subordinates more frustrated."
"Yes, elder sister. I will be careful."
"It's not an entirely unexpected problem that we couldn't save everyone and that Diphus oraboni turned out like that... It may seem like a beggarly situation, but it's not entirely unforeseen."
[T/L:- Mary addresses Diphus differently from others. While other addresses as elder brother she addresses him as oraboni.]
Anyone who knew about Diphus and Mary's relationship could tell.
That Mary was forcing herself to pretend to be okay.
Jin admired Mary.
For her determination to never show a weak side again and to never lose her composure, even when facing a chaos-stained Diphus.
Since coming to Tikan, she has kept all her promises.
Offering feeble comfort to such a Mary would be an insult.
"So what we should worry about now is the safety of the remaining survivors and Diphus Oraboni's intentions."
"Elder Sister, regarding elder brother Diphus's intentions...?"
"No matter what I think about it, Diphus oraboni let us go on purpose. The Cosmos' ships are impressive, but if oraboni had truly intended to pursue us, he could have captured us easily."
"Oh, Elder sister. Does that mean elder brother Diphus regained his sanity for a moment?"
"Is that what you think? Hey, Haytona. We should completely rule out such assumptions from the start. Oraboni is no longer the person we knew. He has crossed the river of no return."
Mary's exclusion of even a glimmer of hope for Diphus is no small matter.
She was convinced that the moment she harbored hope for Diphus, Rosa would surely exploit it in some way.
Or it could be the corrupted Diphus himself who would exploit it.
The best choice she could make for Diphus was to end Rosa and the Garden of Swords as soon as possible, even if it meant having to confront Diphus himself.
"In any case, I've been lying down and pondering why Oraboni let us go. Somehow... I have a feeling it's because of despair."
Valeria had recorded the information that her companions had gathered while Mary was absent and left it in her healing room. Mary had reviewed it all.
"Is it possible that Rosa is using Joshua to generate despair? And maybe Diphus Oraboni is the same. However, unlike Joshua, Oraboni... rather than personally falling into despair, plays a role in maximizing the despair of others."
"Elder brother Diphus deemed it more effective to release us once and then capture us again, creating despair, rather than annihilating the elder sister and the rescue targets in Delki. Are you suggesting this?"
"Yes, because failure after success always has a greater impact. Or it could be that the despair obtained by killing us in Delki wasn't satisfying enough. As I just mentioned, Oraboni didn't briefly regain his sanity amidst the chaos because of me. And it's even less likely that he simply let us go out of caprice. There must be a reason, and it must be related to Rosa's completion."
The only things that can complete Rosa are time and despair.
Jin thought that Mary's intuition might be correct.
"In that case, elder brother Diphus will lure us again."
A hunter releases its prey usually when it wants to lure out an even bigger prey.
"Yes, that's likely. We should prepare ourselves or strike first... but it's difficult to make a judgment. It's too risky to make a move first, considering the many options Oraboni has and the dangers involved in preemptive actions."
"First of all, we will deliver information about elder brother Diphus to Kinzelo and Zipfel. Orgal is currently looking for Joshua, so I think we need to check elder brother Diphus's location along the way."
Diphus was no different from Joshua.
As long as they didn't find and completely eliminate him, Rosa would continue to generate despair through them.
But unlike Joshua, Diphus's death would lead to despair for Jin and Mary.
While Mary considered only getting rid of Diphus as the task at hand, Jin wanted to find another solution.
'Perhaps Rosa is hoping for us to kill elder Diphus. Besides, elder brother has undergone physical transformations, so it's impossible to treat him with the current purification device.'
The best option was to subdue Diphus and seal him until a means of purification could be found, just like Luntia had been left in subspace.
In that moment of contemplation, Jin saw Kashmir and Jet approaching from the other side.
Kashmir had come to Jin immediately after receiving a report from Jet.
"King Kashmir."
"Young master Jin, I just received some troubling news from Zipfel's side."
"Are they talking about the termination of our temporary alliance?"
"No, on the contrary, they have requested support as part of the temporary alliance. It seems the Lutero Magic Federation has been attacked, and the attacker... they said it was Sir Diphus."
Jin, Mary, and Tona brothers instinctively clenched their fists.
Diphus had already begun to make his move.
703
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"How much damage has occurred?"
"It's serious. The capital of the Milkun Kingdom has vanished without a trace, and it's estimated that the civilian death toll is at least two hundred thousand."
When Jin heard the number two hundred thousand, he thought his ears had deceived him.
"...Two hundred thousand, you said?"
If that was true, then Diphus had committed an irreparable massacre of civilians.
Tona Brothers, who were also listening, clenched their fists, and Mary's face turned pale.
She struggled to contain her emotions as her trembling fists betrayed her.
Even if Diphus were to escape from the clutches of chaos in the future, such a huge tragedy could not be forgotten.
It drove the siblings mad.
"...And the number of hostages is at least ten thousand."
As Kashmir continued his explanation with a grim expression, Jin felt as if his entire body was submerged in water.
'Rosa...that crazy monster...!'
A massive catastrophe had occurred, caused by the brother who had become a weapon of war under Rosa's command.
Jin's eyes were shaking as he looked at Kashmir.
"If there are only ten thousand hostages, did the Chaos Dragon and the Black ships move?"
"Yes, they attacked the Lutero Magic Federation simultaneously under Sir Diphus' command. It is believed that they used teleportation or summoning abilities of evil god in the form of massive dimensional portals and tunnels."
The Lutero Magic Federation was unable to put up a proper fight.
Hundreds of black ships and thousands of Chaos Dragons suddenly emerged from tunnels and dimensional portals, and unless it was Drakka's stronghold, there was no way to respond quickly.
Furthermore, Diphus executed a dual operation. At first, he appeared with a fleet as if launching a full-scale attack, then quickly disappeared like smoke while Zipfel rallied their forces, stirring up all over the Federation.
Within one hour.
Diphus' army of chaos inflicted significant damage on Zipfel and successfully escaped. Drakka's forces couldn't keep up with the mobility of the chaos army.
In addition, Diphus' battle prowess was also a problem. Octavia and the Spectre squad couldn't penetrate his overwhelming chaos during the pursuit even once.
The World's Strongest clan had been defeated without even being able to properly use its abilities.
The affected areas of the federation, including the Milkun Kingdom, were currently in a state of utter chaos.
The chaos left behind by Diphus had grown uncontrollably like a raging wildfire, still engulfing the remaining civilians in agony.
If the death toll exceeded 200,000, it meant that there were far more injured.
Even the Holy Kingdom, which had blocked all communication with Zipfel, immediately dispatched healers upon hearing the news.
Fear was spreading rapidly as if in madness.
There were many who claimed that even if any monster in the world appeared, Zipfel's territory, which had been considered the safest haven, had fallen so helplessly that the end caused by the chaos was only a matter of time.
As Kashmir explained these details, Jin held his breath.
What he needed to do was not succumb to despair but to stop Diphus as soon as possible, starting from now.
He had to assess the situation accurately.
"I must go to Drakka immediately. There may be attacks by the evil god while I'm absent, so please activate all defense equipment."
Now that it was revealed that Rosa had abilities like large-scale teleportation, battles could erupt suddenly at any time.
'A large-scale summoning or teleportation ability like that would surely have some restrictions. It might involve using humans or despair. I wonder if the reason for kidnapping the hostages was to compensate for that.'
The fear experienced by those who were already under the direct rule of the evil god, and the sudden fear felt by those who had thought they were "safe" in their land. The magnitude of the resulting despair would undoubtedly be different.
It was impossible to know immediately whether Rosa had enough power to mobilize her forces.
"Understood, young master."
"And where is Lady Syris?"
"She just returned from the Holy Kingdom."
"Young master, it would be better for me to go to Kinzelo myself with the help of Lady Syris. Also, I will inspect the Empire. There is a possibility that they were also attacked."
"Okay."
Jin and Kashmir turned around and moved forward, while Mary, despite her crumbling heart, turned back towards the infirmary. She had to overcome the feeling of imminent collapse.
"There will be a major battle soon. To fight properly, we must focus on recovery. Prepare the knights of our clan," she instructed.
"Yes, elder sister!"
Even as Jin headed towards the Red Owl's launch site, reports kept pouring in from the seven-colored peacock without a moment's rest. The real-time updates on the extent of the damage were presented as unimaginable numbers of deaths, making it difficult to grasp the reality.
Jin suddenly halted his steps.
He was in front of Euria's room, and he could hear suppressed crying beyond the closed door. As a contractor of Az Mil, she had been sensing the ominous premonition of this situation for some time now. Perhaps Euria already knew the outcome of this crisis.
Jin gently comforted her with a few strokes before resuming his journey towards the launch site.
Regardless of what Euria had witnessed, he was determined to create a future that was better than what she had seen.
* * *
The Red Owl couldn't pinpoint the coordinates of Zipfel's main headquarters. Jin had been thrown into a forest on the outskirts of Drakka, but upon arrival, he immediately encountered Ronil Zipfel.
It seemed that Ronil knew and had been waiting for the Red Owl to arrive.
"Are you here, Sir Jin?"
Jin didn't ask how he knew in advance and had waited. It wasn't a situation where he could find out, and the most important issue now was Diphus.
"Sir Ronil."
"Thank you for coming promptly. Allow me to serve you."
The district where Jin had landed had been attacked by Diphus. As it wasn't near the main base, the city as a whole was engulfed in fear.
Because the disasters that happened in Milkun and other parts of the federation couldn't be concealed through media control.
"While we were requesting support from Tikan, there was another assault."
Ronil spoke as they boarded the fourth flagship, Andion.
"During that time, was there another large-scale troop movement?"
"No, there wasn't. Diphus Runcandel, accompanied by two Black Knights, attacked the Barkle District. As we were prepared, civilian casualties weren't significant, but... the captain of the spectre squad suffered serious injuries. Lord Kadun engaged in combat before fully recovering, leading to further injuries."
Elder Brother Diphus.
As Jin was about to begin speaking, he looked out through the window of the battleship. The land was now filled with people he had killed or injured.
"... What happened to the 4th flagbearer?"
"He managed to escape without any casualties, just like in the first attack. It seems like he received significant power from the evil god...…."
According to Ronil, not only did Diphus possess the ability to teleport through dimensions and the Prophet's Tunnel through the power of the evil god, but he also had flight capabilities akin to Bale.
With his overwhelming mobility, he repeatedly attacked and evaded, like a ghost of despair.
The manifestation of the Evil God.
That's how Zipfel categorized him. Diphus possessed a power that couldn't be explained without acknowledging the influence of the evil god.
Andion arrived at Zipfel's main house. The castle, known as the headquarters of magic, was completely open and bustling with civilians, unlike its usual state. It was accommodating the terrified civilians.
Some of them pointed fingers and whispered as Jin disembarked from the Andion, or bowed their heads as if a savior had arrived.
The former group was wary of Jin, knowing that he was a Runcandel like the evil god and Diphus, and the latter was due to his deeds.
Just as Ronil was about to instruct the crowd to disperse, Jin stopped him.
"It's better to leave them be."
Jin walked past them and entered the mansion.
Inside and outside, Zipfel's associates were constantly on the move.
The only ones who weren't running were the highest-ranking elders. They were not as polite as Ronil even when they saw Jin rushing over.
Rather, there were many who frowned or showed outright hostility as if they were displeased.
Of course, since Jin did not even notice the grumbling of the old killifish because of the situation, but the elders appeared to be following Jin and Ronil naturally. They seemed to be aware that they needed to hear the upcoming conversation between the highest decision-maker and Jin.
After passing through the two corridors, they arrived at the office of the patriarch of Zipfel. Originally, there was Veradin where Kelliark should have been.
"We meet again like this, Jin."
"Veradin."
Despite the countless civilian casualties and the injuries suffered by Octavia and Kadun, as well as significant losses in their forces under Zipfel's protection, Veradin didn't show the slightest hint of remorse. Rather, he furrowed his brows, seemingly annoyed by the elders who followed Jin.
"Why have the elders come here?"
"What do you mean, young patriarch? We naturally want to attend the meeting..."
"If you're incompetent, at least be aware of the situation and be busy with something else. Well, now that you've come all this way, listen if you're curious. It won't take long."
The elders frowned, but they didn't dare to challenge Veradin's words.
"It seemed chaotic out there."
"I can't help but feel that your nonchalant attitude contradicts that. I just heard that the 4th flagbearer attacked Barkle district. Is there a reason why you are so carefree?"
"About a hundred civilians died. Although the spectre captain and lord Kadun were injured, the 4th flagbearer did not take any damage even after dealing with them. If that's the case, there must be a reason why he stopped, even though they could have turned Barkle District into ruins and advanced to Drakka."
"Then why did you urgently request support from the Vamel Alliance? Is it for post-recovery?"
Veradin smirked at that question.
"That's a strange question. It's a temporary alliance, so isn't it natural to ask for support? Above all, we need to prevent the growing despair that the evil god acquires... We need to rescue the hostages. With the 2nd and 4th flagbearers starting their activities, the despair that binds to the evil god is increasing rapidly."
When Veradin mentioned "despair," Jin's pupils dilated.
Zipfel already knew the extent of the despair harvested by Rosa.
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Unexpectedly, as Veradin waved his hand, a green window appeared in the air.
The green window bore a striking resemblance to the Record Magic.
Jin sensed the lingering energy, similar to what he had seen in the land where Zipfel referred to as the "Holy Land," where the residue of the sun god's power resided. Jin recognized that it was the price they had paid for saving Valeria with the help of the Holy Land.
"... Record magic?"
"You must have encountered the original magic frequently, so it would be embarrassing for me if you were so surprised by a mere imitation."
However, it seemed that the elders who had followed them into the study room were even more astonished than Jin.
"Young patriarch, so this is... the magic! You have finally obtained it!".
"Why didn't you tell us, such a happy occasion!"
The elders' greedy eyes gleamed as if they didn't care about the tragedies the federation was facing.
Veradin continued to smile, but Jin sensed the darkness behind that smile and instinctively realized what would happen next.
It was a purge.
"Why didn't I tell you, esteemed elders? Because useless old men like you don't need to know."
"What is this...?"
"Young patriarch, kkeok, young, oop, ooh...…!"
As the elders tried to respond, their throats suddenly tightened, and their bodies twisted.
Their breath was suddenly cut off. On Veradin's green window, there were some engraved characters that looked like letters.
"Considering your past efforts, I wanted to show you on the way. How about it, like I said, it didn't take that long, did it?"
Ronil stood calmly, as if he had expected such a thing to happen, while Veradin looked down at the fallen elders with disdain.
One of the elders managed to struggle against Veradin's magic, gasping for breath, reaching out his hand towards Veradin.
From his hand, a deformed fireball shot out, but Veradin easily swiped it away with his sword.
As the fireball dissipated, tears of blood streamed from the elder's eyes.
"Ah, You should keep me alive....…."
Those were the last words uttered by the elder who had momentarily resisted the magic.
As he fell forward, there were no surviving elders left in the office.
Jin felt a chilling sensation all over his body. It wasn't because of the magic that was almost close to the abilities Veradin had shown or the difficulty in finding flaws in his swordsmanship.
It was because he realized once again that his friend had changed. His friend, his siblings, had all become monsters.
"I originally planned to deal with them after you left, but this isn't bad either. Anyway, where were we? Ah, we were discussing the magnitude of despair. Take a look at this."
Veradin's green window spread wide enough to fill the office. Within it, a map of the world was depicted, filled with various regions covered in dark spots.
Huphester, in particular, was so dark that it was difficult to find any transparent areas, while the rest of the continents were filled with spots that were either lighter or similar in darkness.
"These black spots marked on the map represent the despair that is being harvested by the evil god. The evil god is approximately 50% complete at the moment."
"What is the basis for estimating it at 50%?"
"The speed at which the ship Ram is forming. Whenever new black spots appear, changes occur in Ram. That old man, Orgal, who arrived before you, seems to have put the completion of Ram and the evil god on equal footing."
Veradin pointed his finger at the dark spots on Drakka, the Autonomous Districts, and the Milkun Kingdom.
"These spots formed when the people of the Milkun Kingdom were massacred by Diphus Runcandel's attack and taken as hostages. They continue to spread and grow darker. The faith of the civilians, especially those in Drakka, who thought they would be safe as the Federation, has been shattered."
As he said, the dark spots in that area were slowly but incessantly expanding.
Compared to the whole of Huphester, they were clearly small, but compared to other regions, they were quite significant.
While Jin examined the spots in silence, his gaze fell upon the direction of the Tikan Kingdom.
There were black spots in Tikan as well. They were literally just dots in terms of size, but they stood out due to their unusually dark color.
'Is it the despair of elder sister Mary... Or Euria?'
Two people immediately came to Jin's mind.
"I have heard about the relationship between the 7th flagbearer and the 4th flagbearer. Besides, Az Mil's contractor could suffer from a terrible future."
Veradin spoke, conscious of Jin's gaze. Jin didn't respond and continued to examine the other spots.
Among the spots in Huphester, one land was undergoing the most active transformation.
Rikalton.
The land where the Prophet gathered human sacrifices in the past.
Jin had asked Dox, the Black Knight, to investigate that place in the past. Since then, Dox had been out of contact.
"Seeing how closely you are examining Rikalton, it seems you have noticed as well. We are confident that the 4th flagbearer is transferring all the hostages to that place. Rikalton is the most actively cultivating despair after the Federation was attacked."
The course of action became clear.
Attack Rikalton and rescue the hostages.
Operating on a small scale like before was not suitable. It was unlikely that all ten thousand hostages would be alive, but given the unfavorable situation, it was necessary to have a fleet, even if it meant rescuing only a thousand of them.
"Doesn't it feel absurd that humans are fighting against god? If there were no element of despair, there would be no reason for the world's most powerful forces to intervene and save the civilians in such a situation."
"What?"
"It means that if the opponent were humans, it would be terribly inefficient. What if you, as a Chaos Immune, get hurt while trying to save only civilians? What if there are irrevocable losses among other top forces? It's something that shouldn't happen."
Jin felt as if he was listening to Rosa in his human days, not Veradin.
Now, ordinary people in Veradin's world seemed to be nothing more than meaningless entities.
"Let's put aside unnecessary words. It's not a pleasant story to hear. Anyway, if you've met Orgal too, he should be aware of the situation. What we need to decide is the date of the attack on Rikalton and the number of troops to mobilize."
"Yes, it seems best to act as quickly as possible. Although there must be limitations to the mobility of the 4th flagbearer and the Chaos forces, I can't estimate that part at all. Is it the same for Hister?"
In the first place, with Valeria's current record magic, she couldn't even create the map that Veradin had just made.
Jin nodded, and Veradin shrugged his shoulders.
"It's a shame.... I can't believe the original can't handle it to that extent yet. If you're going to use it like that, you'd better hand it over to us."
"You're talking nonsense again. I agree that we need to start the operation quickly. Before the 4th flagbearer attacks somewhere else..."
As soon as Jin said that,
Suddenly, a new spot formed on the map.
Veradin also looked at the map in surprise. The newly formed spot of despair was in the Empire.
Among them, it was the land directly guarded by Dante, the capital.
Considering the time, not only Dante but also companions including Syris and Kashmir could be together in the Imperial Capital now.
"... it's moving as soon as you speak, although it may not be the 4th flagbearer."
"I need to go there immediately. We'll discuss the rest when I return."
As Jin turned around and tried to leave, Veradin followed behind him.
"I'll go with you."
Jin looked at Veradin for a moment and then nodded.
* * *
Imperial capital.
"Disband the pursuit unit immediately and ensure the safety of the civilians. It's the patriarch's order!"
"Yes!"
At the command of a commander, the knights halted their formation and stood still. They were surrounded by chaos and corpses. While there were knights among them, most were civilians.
The knights scattered and began to rescue the fallen civilians scattered throughout the area. Civilians were lying beneath the collapsed buildings.
About 30 minutes ago, a dimensional portal suddenly opened in the middle of the capital. Chaos dragons and black ships poured out from it, instantly turning the area into hell. Dante almost immediately began to respond.
Fortunately, Kashmir and Syris had just arrived, which was a stroke of luck. If they couldn't board the Mort, no matter how quickly they responded, the damage would have been greater than it is now.
It took Dante barely 15 minutes to arrive at the scene and eliminate more than 80% of the chaos dragons and black ships. Yet, the thousands of casualties that occurred during that time were truly unavoidable.
Now, Dante was chasing after the enemy commander who was fleeing while ordering the pursuit unit and the defense force to rescue the civilians and ordering the knights of the noble families, including the Dragon Knights, to clear out the remnants of the enemy.
'I will surely find you and tear you to pieces...!'
Dante's eyes, filled with anger, scanned the area without rest. The enemy had already escaped to the outskirts of the capital, continuously forming dimensional portals for escape but being hindered by Dante.
Since Mort was exhausted and he could no longer use teleportation, if he missed sight of the enemy even for a moment, it would be over.
However, Dante was not the type to lose sight of the enemy due to impatience. Moreover, this place was the center of the land he protected.
Slash!
As Rashid unleashed radiance, a part of the outer forest was cut like puzzle pieces.
Dante shot new sword energy in all directions of the severed forest to block the enemy commander who was inside.
The enemy struggled to break through Dante's sword energy, but Dante did not miss a moment.
"You bastard!"
Dante swung his scabbard towards the helmet, revealing the face of none other than Joshua Runecondel.
"Joshua Runcandel, it was you...!"
Joshua appeared even more disheveled than when he was last beaten by Bale. His eyes shook unstably, and cold sweat dripped continuously down his pale face.
-Go and attack the Empire. Originally, it was the task given to the 4th flagbearer, but I did not inform him for your sake. If you successfully complete the terror attack without the matriarch's help and return, she will surely give you another chance.
That's what Joshua heard from Ilina before going to attack the Empire.
However, now he was captured and couldn't return without help, and the terror attack failed to meet the Prophet's expectations.
Joshua failed again this time.
Once again, Joshua had failed.
What made Joshua even more desperate was the fact that, behind Dante, another dimensional portal unrelated to him was forming, and from within it, the army of Diphus was coming out.
Thus, Joshua's despair was growing once again for the sake of Rosa.
705
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Dante looked behind, his face turned into contemplation and contorted.
Diphus' army, who had escaped through the dimensional portal, had swiftly turned the surface into chaos.
Despite the urgent defense preparations already underway due to Joshua's invasion, it was an uphill battle to immediately stop the sudden appearance of the Chaos Dragon and the Black Ship Fleet.
'Damn it, does that mean Joshua was just a decoy...?'
A decoy for Diphus' army.
While trying to capture that decoy, thousands of people, as well as the knights who tried to protect them, were injured or killed.
They had just managed to subdue Joshua, but an even larger force was invading Imperial territory.
Furthermore, even from such a great distance, Dante could clearly sense the power possessed by Diphus, who commanded the new army of chaos. His power was incomparable to someone like Joshua, shaking the heavens and the earth.
[Heh, heh, heh... Hahaha...!]
Joshua burst into hollow laughter.
To Dante, it sounded like a self-deprecating laugh born out of a sense of failure.
Thwack!
Rashid's blade was pressed against Joshua's neck.
Even as his head was separated from his body, Joshua continued to laugh, black tears streaming from his eyes.
'It's a trap. I should have prepared for an additional attack...!'
It was an unavoidable result because Dante put the people's lives first. He slaughtered the enemy who had invaded alone, pursued them, and deployed the rest to rescue the people.
Realistically, it was the best course of action. Currently, Dante was the only one capable of engaging the chaos army alone within the empire, waging ground and aerial battles simultaneously.
It felt like his brain was about to explode. Even if he decapitated Joshua before leaving, it didn't seem like the guy would die. There was a high possibility that he would recover while Dante was absent and cause more damage, join forces with the enemy, or flee.
'Nevertheless, for now, I have to leave him and go over there.'
The moment he made the decision.
Dante could confirm that a familiar energy was spreading from the direction where Diphus' army had appeared.
'Jin...!'
Lightning energy and shadow force.
It was Jin's energy.
Furthermore, Dante also witnessed flames and a green magic he had never seen before taking place nearby. It was Veradin's power.
Just as Jin and Veradin were about to meet Dante, they saw a dimensional portal opening in the sky and immediately assessed the situation.
[Kuhahaha, kahahaha, ah!]
Joshua continued to laugh without ceasing until Dante crushed his head beneath his foot.
The shattered head gathered in the air, reforming into a grotesque shape.
"What's so amusing, trash? The real Runcandel, whom you can't even dare to look at, has arrived here. If you find yourself amusing, I can understand."
While Dante faced Joshua once again, Veradin extended a large protective barrier.
It was a massive shield that could cover a whole section of the city, but in the midst of the chaos pouring out from Diphus' colossal and dark wings, along with the rampage of the chaos army, it was impossible to protect all the people.
Inevitably, the deaths of innocent people were piling up. The sounds of explosions, screams, and the roars of chaos dragons pierced the sky soaked in mayhem.
"I will pursue Diphus, you take care of this place!"
When Jin shouted, Veradin nodded.
"Don't expect too much. I can't save everyone. I'll do my best to balance things in my own way."
As Jin swung his sword to break through the chaos army, a path opened up immediately.
The chaos dragons were torn apart like pieces of paper by the blade that carried the force of lightning.
Jin stepped on the falling corpses of chaos dragons and fragments of the Black ships like stairs as he ascended into the sky.
No matter where he appeared from, the closer he got to Diphus, the more chaos dragons swarmed him like vengeful spirits.
"4th flagbearer!"
Unbeknownst to himself, a voice filled with malice came out. It wasn't because it was difficult to pursue Diphus without wings, but rather because the things he was committing were so distant and agonizing to witness.
It felt as if the grudges of the Imperial citizens dying on the ground were piercing his back like horns.
Diphus was one of the individuals who saved the most civilians from the chaos unleashed by Glyek's death throughout the world.
Furthermore, he was a pure knight who, as the 4th flagbearer of Runcandel, resisted the evil god until the end. He sacrificed himself to save the resistance, including the Seventh Flagbearer, and he had never once sought power outside the symbol of the clan, "Sword".
However, now Diphus, who used to be like that, was committing slaughter that could never be undone.
In this situation, it was better to...
Jin had to kill him. To prevent him from killing people and destroying the world according to the whims of horror.
It felt like his strength was constantly draining with each step he took, trampling on the corpses of chaos dragons. Jin kept his composure and pursued him.
He corrected his will to not hesitate and to strike without holding back.
But it felt like he couldn't catch him in this place.
It seemed that he had already finished all the preparations to escape.
Ching-!
Jin's consecutive light speed thrusts pierced through Diphus' wings. Even if they hit him head-on, it didn't seem to have much impact.
Diphus continued forward without even looking back, as if he had no intention of fighting now.
"Do you think I don't know why you keep running? 4th flagbearer, you must be planning to bind me here so that your army can easily strike elsewhere."
Jin spoke as he stepped onto a rooftop. In the empty space behind him, trails of ice mana formed in the place where the corpses of chaos dragons had been trampled, extending like comets.
[You know it well.]
Diphus briefly halted his flight and turned to look back.
The voice of Diphus that Jin heard now was different from what he knew. It was a voice that dug a dark pit in his mind, much like the evil god or the kings of the Black Sea.
His face also had a horn protruding from the center of his forehead, just like Rosa, and his pupils gleamed black like obsidian. The Greatsword Volgar seemed to confirm that he was Diphus.
[If you know, then why do you keep chasing me?]
"I have already suffered significant losses. Binding you to the front line is the least damaging choice for the surface. If I hadn't pursued you, you would have continued to directly strike."
Just as Danté was the only one capable of handling Joshua and his army alone, Jin is now the only one who can bind Diphus.
[That's right. Considering the possibility of you being in the Empire, mother sent me with that in mind. You have completely played into mother's will. Look behind you.]
"There's no need to look, it seems. The Imperial capital must be completely destroyed and in ruins..."
The chaos army was retreating. Into the black dimensional portals that opened up in the sky like beehives, the Black Ships carrying hostages were escaping.
Jin continued to watch Diphus.
"However, I am not someone who simply falls behind. Have you completely forgotten that, 4th flagbearer?"
[That's why mother cherishes and loves you even now. Show me how you plan to strike me from now on. After all, I'm going to leave soon.]
A dimensional portal was forming behind Diphus' back.
Instant Teleportation.
Ever since Jin discovered that the evil god possessed the ability of teleportation, he was convinced that there must be a significant price to pay for such an ability.
If there were no price to pay, the war would have ended with the temporary alliance's defeat.
Jin still doesn't know exactly what the price is. He can only speculate that it would involve the use of humans or despair as a medium.
However, one thing was clear.
Regardless of what Rosa used as a medium for teleportation, whether it was the "main body" or a "alternative body," from the moment it received an attack, it could no longer be freely used.
Jin regarded Diphus as a manifestation of the evil god.
'Elder Brother Diphus received a portion of the evil god's power. He is not merely strengthened to this level by chaos like Joshua or other knights.'
Of course, Diphus was originally a formidable martial artist. Moreover, since he is fundamentally different from a person like Joshua, even going through the same process could make him immensely stronger on a different level.
But the confusion emanating from Diphus now was comparable to Rosa, whom Jin encountered for the first time.
Therefore, if Diphus were to sustain wounds that were not easily healed, it would be no different from Rosa taking a hit.
Jin switched his sword to Bradamante.
[Bradamante? Why bother using a shadow sword now? It would have been better to wield the Plutonian's reigning sword instead? Ah, could it be because there are too many humans on the surface and they would be swept away and killed?]
Diphus smirked and extended his palm towards the surface. As the chaos condensed in his palm, the air distorted.
[It was still somewhat entertaining, 12th flagbearer. Before I leave, I'll give you a present. If you ever desire revenge, come find me. I'll be waiting with joy...]
Just as Diphus finished speaking and was about to unleash the chaos towards the surface, Jin launched his assault.
Diphus naturally expected Jin to throw himself towards the surface instead. Once the chaos left his hand, at least tens of thousands of humans on the surface would vanish instantly.
So he intended to mock Jin. How could insignificant humans matter to him anymore? Or was Jin merely swinging his sword aimlessly, driven by anger and meaninglessness?
However, when Jin approached dangerously close, Diphus had no choice but to hastily retract the chaos he intended to send to the surface.
'He didn't choose Bradamante to use shadow force...…!'
It was because he instinctively realized it. The faint flame that first enveloped Bradamante signified danger.
Eternal flames.
Jin has been saving that secret technique for the sake of the present moment.
He expected that eternal flames would possess the power to deliver an essential blow to the Evil god and Diphus.
As Diphus hastily shifted the chaos onto the Great Sword Volgar and attempted to block Bradamante, the blade imbued with eternal flame had already torn through his left wing in a diagonal trajectory, piercing through his chest.
'Recovery...!'
The torn portion affected by eternal flames could not be regenerated.
The lingering flame hindered his recovery.
Diphus, even if his body were torn apart, originally planned to unleash chaos upon the surface again. However, he was eventually overwhelmed by Jin's continued assault and had no choice but to retreat back to the dimensional portal.