716
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"Strawberry meat, no, it's Strawberry Pie! Are you okay?"
Owal immediately looked at Gilly's condition. The backflow was severe, but it wasn't immediately life-threatening. He quickly took out poison and medicine from his arms to stabilize Gilly's condition.
"Purifier... the purification... Dox Oraboni..."
"Lord Owal, we can't let her die. My Jin would be devastated. For now, I have to kill him!"
"Yona, stop it. He's still a person who can be purified."
"Can't we just kill him?"
"Dox was the Black Knight who Jin personally sent on a mission here. Even if the corruption wasn't involuntary but a result of his own choices, he should face the consequences while he's sober."
"Ugh, this is so frustrating. What do you want to do, Strawberry Pie? It might be better to ignore lord Owal's orders and do what you think. Killing him is probably the best option since he tried to kill you."
"No... Lord... Mura... kan."
With the last bit of strength left, Gilly responded faintly. Her consciousness was fading, and combined with the title of Strawberry Pie, she mistook Yona for Murakan.
Because of the pain and exhaustion, she longed for him terribly.
"Hehe, I'm Yona."
As if indicating that there was nothing else she could do, Yona removed the death that had entered Dox's body. Dox twitched and showed signs of recovery, but Owal intentionally poured poison into his body to prevent any physical transformation during the process.
"Bizen, send Gilly and the Black Knight to the fleet of Zipfel immediately. Especially Gilly needs urgent treatment."
"Understood."
As soon as she heard those words, Gilly lost consciousness. The sky behind the battlefield, where she had last seen, was filled with the fleet of Zipfel approaching the battlefield.
Temporary alliances were finally arriving one by one. Except for Kinzelo, the arrival of the Zipfel fleet alone quickly changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.
"3rd and 4th Fleets prioritize securing prisoners. 5th Fleet, transport the prisoners gathered at the rally point to the Cosmos fleet. The rest should focus on clearing the giant monsters, but refrain from shelling in areas with many prisoners. The annihilating cannons should only be used against monsters without prisoners."
"Yes, young patriarch!"
"The Spectres of the 1st squad and the contract mage of the 1st Magic tower, coordinate with the dragons to assist the leader of Black King mercenaries and Yulian in rescuing the prisoners hanging on the heads of the monsters."
Under Veradin's command, the fleet began to disperse. The giant trees had been focused solely on Hedo's attacks, but with the sudden addition of the fleet's attacks, they became flustered.
The rescue operation was finally approaching the form that the temporary alliance had planned.
Amidst the individual battles that took place throughout the battlefield, the winds of reversal began to blow.
Kaboom!
A giant beam of light struck the battlefield like a spear.
Hairan's Sword Emperor's Secret Technique: Heavenly Isle.
It was directed towards the side where Alisa and Kuzan were fighting. The ground shook for a moment, and shockwaves spread out. Alisa and Kuzan suddenly found Dante standing in front of them.
"Queen Alisa, Kuzan. Are you all right?"
"Your timely arrival couldn't be more appropriate, Sir Dante. We were overwhelmed by their power."
Dante Hairan, the true Imperial Sword, stood before them, radiating an aura that made the leaders of the Vermont Special Forces and other majins, including Wratch, hesitate to even draw their swords. They couldn't even properly aim their swords at Dante.
The Vermont Special Forces, who had become majins, were undoubtedly formidable martial artists, but Dante was a league apart from them.
Numerical superiority meant nothing in the presence of the name 'Sword Emperor.' Several dozen majins that had charged towards him had been scattered and defeated in an instant.
"First, you turned a blind eye to the suffering of the Empire's people. Second, you attempted to execute the Queen of Tikan. Third, you chose to become a lapdog of the Imperial Family and a worshiper of the Evil God, abandoning the Empire and humanity. The punishment for your sins is death, and I will carry out the execution myself..."
In the blink of an eye, Dante's sword descended, and Bieu's head fell to the ground. The leaders of the Special Forces couldn't even perceive the moment when Dante's sword moved.
At the same time, the Heavenly Isle wreaked havoc, slaughtering the majin units in all directions. Chris lost his limbs and writhed on the ground.
Wratch managed to dodge the sword strikes from Rashid a few times, but that was all.
With a swift strike, Wratch dropped his greatsword to the ground.
'I couldn't see anything... Is this even possible?'
The Invisible Sword, the symbol of Hairan's Sword Emperor, Ron.
"You will soon join your masters in hell. Wait for them there."
Dante's sword had already reached that realm. Along with the Heavenly Isle, the Invisible Sword unleashed a frenzy of slaughter upon the majins.
No matter how strong their regenerative abilities were, they couldn't survive against Dante.
Meanwhile, a blanket of pure white coldness covered the battlefield where Luton and the youngest division were fighting.
Syris Endorma, the acting master of the hidden palace, led the 7 Swords of hidden palace, unleashing the power of Myriad ice..
"Sir Luton Ferman."
Syris reached out her hand to Luton, who was kneeling with one knee, cornered by the enemy.
For a moment, Luton mistook her hand for Talaris'.
In the past, Luton and his Enforcement Knights often attacked Talaris and were subdued repeatedly, and every time, she reached out her hand to help them up, just like Syris was doing now.
"Phew, hoo... acting master of hidden palace."
"After you joined Tikan, my mother often expressed bitter feelings. Although you didn't seek the hidden palace when you were being purged, she still said that she should have checked on you first."
-Well, you know me well. You shouldn't resent me. Even if there was a time when you came to the hidden palace seeking help after surviving, I would have helped you.
-That's right. We didn't think you were involved in this matter. We didn't come to you because we thought you had no connection to it. After our encounter, me and my team lived a life without anyone by our side, and you were the closest to us, but objectively speaking, it wasn't at a special level. To you, we were just passing acquaintances, nothing more.
A conversation between Talaris and Luton after Luton ambushed Tikan and was subdued by Jin.
"...Is that so?"
"Currently, we're in the middle of a mission, so it's natural for us to provide support to Sir Luton. But even if it's a personal predicament, our hidden palace would have helped you. After all, Sir had a deep connection with my mother."
Luton raised his head and looked at Syris. The friendship that Talalis had embraced with the Luton group in their youth was evident on Syris' face.
"So, when my mother's treatment is complete, please directly tell her to forget about this incident. It was quite annoying how she always brought up that topic whenever she had a drink."
"Understood, acting master of hidden palace."
With Syris' appearance, the Black Sword Association' knights were unable to continue their reckless attacks. Although it was clearly lacking compared to Talaris in her prime, the transcendental cold energy alone was enough to suppress the Black Sword Association.
"Ryu, you should go over there and assist the Jin Knights... No, I guess there's no need."
Bellop, Misa, and Scott approached Luton's side. They had come to help Luton after defeating Kajin Romello and the Hass brothers.
In addition, a one-arm knight behind the youngest division, who had fallen to the rear, was seen.
The one-arm knight was Mon, a Black Knight. While Misa's group was fighting, they had requested support from Mon, who was rescuing prisoners nearby.
The four members of the Black Sword Association, who were suddenly outnumbered, became cautious. With the presence of Syris and the Seven Swords of Hidden Palace alone, the situation was already burdensome, but with Mon's arrival, there was no hope for them.
"Sir Mon should go and support the Jin Knights and head towards the outer walls..."
As Syris spoke, Mon immediately left with Luton and the youngest division. With that, the Black Sword Association felt relieved, and Syris let out a smirk.
"Why? Without Sir Mon, how do you think you can even try to face the Seven Swords of Hidden Palace? You miserable scum of evil god."
As she finished speaking, the chilling aura emanating from Myriad ice began to intensify.
The members of the Black Sword Association were about to shout that someone like the acting master of hidden palace was nothing, but they quickly shut their mouths in a hurry. The chilling aura instantly blocked their words.
"Let me show you what it's like to freeze to death in a hellish cold... from now on."
As the chilling aura spread like dense fog, it completely engulfed the area, silently piercing through the Black Sword Association with the intense cold of the seven swords of hidden palace.
"Kek... Kekkek, Kek! Krih, Ah, I'm not dead...!"
Near the outer walls, the Tona brothers were staggering as they stood up. Myu and Anne were already lying down, but they were amazed to see the Tona brothers standing up again, even though they should have fallen ten times by now.
"Hoo, you guys are still yourselves. Myu, Anne, even after being enhanced by Chaos, you still can't finish us off. Isn't that pathetic? If it weren't for Chaos, you would have already been in our hands. Clearly, we're superior to you."
"I don't know why we were so frightened before, kek, kekkeuk!"
Myu and Anne gritted their teeth. They were in a state where their pride was already wounded by the unexpected resistance from the Tona brothers.
However, the Tona brothers had reached their limit. The Tona brothers no longer had the strength to parry their next attack.
But the strike from Myu and Anne did not kill the Tona brothers.
"Flagbearers, we have arrived!"
"Bellop, Misa... It's you guys."
"10th and 11th flagbearer, you've held on well."
Just in time, the youngest division and Mon joined the fight. It was thanks to them that the Tona brothers were able to continue fighting despite their grumbling.
[So, it's the one-arm bastard who pretends to be a real Black Knight.]
[I'd rather have this happen. Bring it on, everyone. We'll send you all to the underworld. It's about time our patience ran out.]
On the other hand, Myu and Anne taunted Mon.
"The 10th and 11th flagbearer here are the true Runcandels who have resisted to the end since the rebellion of the Evil god. But you, who were once the 8th and 9th flagbearer, were the first to betray Runcandel."
Mon aimed his sword at Myu and Anne.
Myu and Anne felt an unexpected pressure from just that. The Black Knight's helmet alone was a weight they couldn't bear, even if he had lost an arm.
"The rank of Black Knights' is evaluated higher than the flagbearers in the clan. Do you know why?"
[He's boasting about some old outdated law. The world has changed, and Runcandel no longer gives special treatment to the Black Knights.]
"It's not just because of their merits. It's to give them the authority to guide and, if necessary, eliminate flagbearers like you who are lacking. Therefore, from now on, I will kill both of you."
As the conversation continued, Mon's eyes began to emit a gleam in black helmet.
717
[T.L: punisher87]
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At the moment when Mon's sword began to pressure Myu and Anne and shake the entire battlefield, Mary paused briefly and turned around.
'It's the aura of at least a Black Knight-level martial artist. Did Sir Mon come to support the Tona brothers?'
There were more cannon shots, and along with that, Mary could feel the fact that the vibrations transmitted through the inner castle intensified.
It was evidence that the allied forces had arrived.
So Mary decided to halt her infiltration and wait for the arrival of her allies before moving together. There was no need to risk herself unnecessarily.
Until now, she had pushed through regardless, trying to assess the internal situation, but now she realized that if something went wrong, she would only become a burden to her allies.
The captives trapped in the inner castle, the prophet, the Tona brothers, and their allied forces were engaged in combat. Jin and Diphus were rumored to have moved somewhere and initiated a battle.
Although there were countless factors causing anxiety, Mary calmly turned her body.
She intended to go toward the entrance of the castle and wait for her allies.
However, Mary immediately swallowed a sigh as she sensed the arrival of someone.
Tap, tap... From behind the corridor, a figure in a black robe approached.
"Well, things never go according to plan, do they? Ilina... no, Prophet. I see you've come to meet me in person."
[Of course, the 7th flagbearer of the clan came to Rikalton. It would be right for me, the lord of the castle, to come out myself, right?]
Swoosh!
Viper stretched forward like a whip and swept through Ilina.
'Is it an illusion...? It doesn't make contact.'
Ilina only shimmered like water, completely unaffected by the attacks. The same thing happened when she was attacked again.
"What kind of law says that you can welcome guests while playing a joke like this? Is it the land of chaos?"
Ilina waved her hand and smiled.
[Oh no, I have truly prepared a lot for you. So please don't be too upset. I'm sure it will be a surprise.]
"Hehe! Listen, Prophet. Our allied forces have already surrounded the outside. Moreover, I know that you are in a situation where the evil god cannot move, and the 4th flagbearer is currently luring Jin into a fight. You may act composed, but I see everything with my own eyes. Are you afraid that things will turn against you?"
[Does it look like I'm afraid?]
"Clearly, your original plan was to prevent the allied forces from ever reaching this stronghold. But they arrived, albeit later than expected, and you set up this illusion for your safety."
[Unfortunately, you pose no threat to me. So this illusion for safety is just your excessive confidence. This is not a simple illusion.]
"Are you going to send out more puppets? Or are you going to activate some trap to try to kill me? Whatever it is, go ahead and do it. Today, you and your lot will definitely lose."
[If I wanted to kill you, there would be no need for traps.]
"Then come out and face me if you want to kill me."
[There's someone else who wants to kill you.]
"What?"
[Jin Runcandel, the 12th flagbearer. You will die by his hand.]
Mary let out a hollow laugh.
"Jin is different from the others. He will never fall, just like the Myu and Anne who were outside, the other armies of chaos, Rosa, the 4th flagbearer... He will never be corrupted. You have no idea how special he is, how strong he is. You can't even imagine."
[Sir Diphus said the exact same thing. Huh, you're not a worthless piece of garbage like Joshua after all. You and the 4th flagbearer, the 12th flagbearer should have been on our side.]
"Even if he's fallen, he hasn't completely lost his senses. The 4th flagbearer knows it too, that he can't defeat Jin. The youngest isn't someone who will fall to you or the 4th flagbearer. If you want to capture him, you'll have to bring out the evil god, and even that will ultimately fail!"
[Then why did Sir Diphus lure the 12th flagbearer separately, knowing he would lose?]
"It must be a scheme to buy time until the evil god can move. Just like you have been doing all along."
[That's half the answer. 7th flagbearer, before the battle begins today... I will tell you what Sir Diphus ordered me.]
I have to set a stage, so that Runcandel doesn't lose even if I lose.
Ilina continued her words and took off her hood.
[It is not necessary for the 12th flagbearer to embrace chaos in order to harm you. Sir Diphus never even considered corrupting him. Instead, it is done like this...]
The moment Ilina said that, Mary hurriedly stepped on side and swung the viper.
Suddenly, a tremendous energy erupted from the air and engulfed her.
'This...!'
It was a thunderbolt.
And it contained Jin's unique, powerful force.
Excluding the Plutonian tribe, Jin was the only one who could handle this kind of lightning bolts.
And this was just the beginning.
In an instant, the lightning bolts spread from all directions.
No matter how many times she checked, it was undoubtedly Jin's energy.
[... Unbeknownst to yourself, it will lead to your death. Sir Diphus and I have prepared measures to ensure that all the energy wasted in fighting him is directed at this very spot. A variation of the power of dimensional teleportation, you could say.]
"Damn!"
Mary, pushed back by the lightning bolts, gritted her teeth.
[As you said, it wouldn't be easy for us to gain the upper hand in a firepower battle while the lord matriarch is absent. That's why I have truly made thorough preparations. Even if the 12th flagbearer doesn't fall, I have ensured that he cannot escape the abyss of despair!]
True to Mary's words, Jin never corrupts.
Diphus had long recognized that fact and acknowledged that he could not defeat Jin as long as he was injured by the eternal flames.
That's why Diphus approached the situation in a completely different way.
And as everyone knows, Jin, apart from the evil god, was practically unbeatable. Even a being like Mary could barely hold out for a few minutes in a proper fight against him.
And now, Jin's attacks were penetrating through Rikalton's inner castle.
In just a few seconds, the corridor where Mary stood was already destroyed beyond recognition.
How is this even possible?
Neither Mary nor any of the allies had anticipated such a situation.
She was going to die.
And it would be by the power of the youngest.
Even if she were to die, Mary held no resentment towards Jin. But the weight of despair that Jin had to bear was indescribable.
'Moreover, it's not just me who will die. If things continue like this, the energy of the youngest will affect our other comrades as well!'
Currently, Jin's energy was spreading only towards the inner castle.
But it was uncertain how long that range would be limited to the resistance. If Jin's energy spreads to the outside, beyond the castle and onto the battlefield...
Not only would thousands of prisoners be annihilated, but there would also be a surge of casualties among their own allies.
Jin would hear all about it after the battle is over.
'No matter how strong the youngest is, if he experiences something like that...!'
He would collapse.
He had no choice but to crumble. No one could go through such an event and come out unscathed.
Those who survived, especially their comrades, would say that it was not Jin's responsibility.
But Jin could never think that way.
"Ugh, cough...!"
Fzzz-!
Some of the lightning bolts, which were made from 9th sword technique of battle god, struck Mary.
She managed to barely fend it off, but her collar bone was broken, and hot blood gushed from her throat.
Ilina licked her lips, seemingly satisfied with the sight.
[How about it? Do you still think you can win? Are you worried that things might not go as planned? I am a prophet. What I have spoken will inevitably come true. Today, Jin Runcandel will kill a lot of people]
Checkmate.
Mary had no choice but to acknowledge that fact. She couldn't see any way out.
All she could do was fend off the lightning bolts.
But somehow, for some reason...
Mary felt a sudden wash of relief, as if the fear and concern she held for Jin were suddenly washed away. It was like the moment when believers encounter the voice of their god in a desperate moment.
Great beings sometimes instill baseless faith in such moments.
Mary realized that she had been regarding the youngest in such a way. Not just to herself, but also to the clan and Tikan's comrades, Jin was such a person.
[You're quite strong too, aren't you? How many times have you already fended off these fierce lightning bolts? Keep up the strength, the more desperate traces you leave, the better.]
"Yeah, you're right. This is really a crisis, cough!"
Mary rolled on the ground again, coughing up blood.
"It's strange... Somehow, I don't think the youngest will keep playing tricks like this."
The Prophet's eyes narrowed.
Mary's pupils, which had been plunged into despair and darkness, were gradually regaining their light.
The prophet thought there was no situation where Mary could harbor hope.
[Oh, so in the end, you too have gone mad in the face of this death? That's a sight that suits ordinary and weak humans.]
"No, it's just... I still can't envision a scenario where Jin falls into your trap. And we don't have mediocre prophets like you, we have a record-keeper. By now, our record-keeper would have sensed something unpleasant, and someone among our comrades would go and inform Jin..."
[Yes, yes. Whether you say it or not, soon your whole body will be torn apart by the power of the 12th flagbearer. At best, you can endure a couple more times.]
Mary fended off the thunderbolt and stood up.
Her legs trembled as if she would collapse any moment, but her viper shone fiercely.
"If you really think that way, how about we make a bet? I'll bet on there not being a single person who dies from Jin's energy. Two times? Ten times, even twenty times, I can stop it."
So if you want to see me die, come and face me yourself. I will never be defeated by Jin's power.
Mary finished her words and glared at Ilina.
718
[T.L: punisher87]
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* * *
Outside of Rikalton, the battlefield of Jin and Diphus.
The wasteland was being torn apart.
The surging energy emanating from the Thunderblade Sigmund swept through the sky and the earth like a massive storm.
It had been a considerable amount of time since the two of them teleported from Rikalton Castle.
Despite the intense battles that had been raging across the entire terrain of the wasteland, neither of them had suffered any significant injuries.
They were unable to land a decisive blow on each other.
Jin was wasting more energy.
This was because Diphus easily dodged and counterattacked through flight, Jin had to continue spreading his energy throughout the entire battlefield to pressure him.
However, even though Jin was "wasting" his strength, it was not lacking.
As time passed, Diphus marveled at the increasingly concentrated energy Jin was exerting, even without receiving such abilities himself.
[This kind of power without being endowed with power like me...…. I can see why you rebelled against our mother. You wouldn't have felt the need.]
Diphus spoke while dodging a lightning bolt.
[But not everyone can do what you can.]
Jin didn't respond and focused his gaze on the moment before the lightning struck the ground, disappearing somewhere.
'This isn't the first time. It has been happening since earlier... My attacks that the Fourth flagbearer evaded or repelled are vanishing.'
At first, Jin didn't notice. The intensity of their clash made it impossible to detect the faint traces of his missed lightning bolts.
However, the balance of their battle was now shifting. The taut rope was being pulled slightly towards Jin's side.
And there was only one reason for it.
Even if Diphus received a portion of Rosa's power, he couldn't surpass Jin in strength.
Even if he were at full strength, the situation would be the same. Diphus had suffered irreparable damage from the eternal flames and had forcefully used teleportation, widening the gap even faster.
'Where do my vanished attacks go? Do they somehow return to the Fourth Flagbearer through some method, or...'
[It seems like you're concerned about those remaining in Rikalton Castle. You just started pushing me back and if your focus keeps wavering like this...]
Zzzap!
Diphus flicked his Volgar and spoke. Jin raised Sigmund, firing off a lightning blast, but once again, the missed attack vanished before their eyes.
"Focus, will you? It doesn't seem like dealing with missed attacks is an action meant for our fight," Jin said unexpectedly, as he simultaneously retrieved all the dispersed energy on the battlefield.
Diphus descended slowly, shrugging his shoulders.
[You have a keen eye. I didn't expect you to notice so soon.]
"If I were worried about my comrades, I would have found a way to return to Rikalton Castle. I didn't come here to engage in a slow and steady fight with you."
Jin changed his sword.
"To be honest, I don't really know why you follow up on missed attacks. But it doesn't matter now. The exploration phase is over, and you won't have the luxury to do such things anymore..."
A white aura enveloped Bradamante.
The serene and shining aura emitted an entirely different atmosphere from the violent energy that had been trampling the wasteland.
[Do you think it's okay to forsake your lightning energy and shadow force and rely on inferior power?] Diphus asked.
Jin changed his sword to minimize missed attacks.
The nature of the lightning energy was excessively ferocious, inevitably leading to numerous attacks slipping away.
Also, the reason why Jin chose aura instead of shadow force was for the purpose of conserving strength.
'He is confident that he can't defeat me. He's already fighting with the assumption of his own defeat,' Jin realized.
Indeed, ever since the operation began, Diphus' every move had been meticulously calculated to buy time.
Separating Jin from his allies, unleashing illusionary magic towards Zipfel's side, and deploying the majority of his troops towards Kinzelo.
Even now, it was the same. Diphus was fighting in a half-hearted manner, dealing with missed attacks.
Jin concluded that all these actions were meant to assist Rosa's intervention.
Another evidence is Orgal and Syris.
Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since Jin separated from the group, there was still no news of the teleporters among his allies.
'Currently, there is no one in the Garden of Swords faction that can handle Orgal and Kinzelo except for the evil god. But the reason people with teleportation abilities can't find me is because Orgal is tied up somewhere.'
If Orgal had been with the allies in Rikalton Castle, he would have already sorted out the situation and started looking for Jin.
In particular, with Orgal's ability, he should have visited Jin several times.
And there was only one existence in the Garden of Swords that could bind Orgal like that.
Evil God, Rosa.
Orgal is currently unable to join the battlefield to prevent her participation.
Jin had to conserve his energy because he needed to support Orgal after dealing with Diphus.
"Are you sure it's okay? All the things you've done so far... that's not something elder brother Diphus would say. He was someone who only fought with his sword. He later expressed his intention to participate in the return of the magic sword for the sake of the clan, but he still revered the sword. Because we're swordsmen."
So, show me the essence of being a swordsman.
Immediately after Jin finished speaking, Diphus felt a momentary sensation of pure whiteness obscuring his vision.
What blocked his sight was the blade of Bradamante.
Due to being accustomed to the speed of the lightning bolts, his reaction was delayed.
With a speed surpassing thought, Jin unfolded Runcandel's decisive killing move.
Runcandel 6th Decisive Killing move: Lightning.
The decisive killing move that Dipus used in the first mission to kill Barton with Jin. Jin chose the sword as a start.
Diphus hurriedly stepped to the side and spread his wings.
However, in the place where he flew up, another decisive killing move of Runcandel was already descending.
Runcandel 3rd decisive killing move: Meteor shower.
There was nowhere to escape.
Suddenly, hundreds of sword energies covered the sky, piercing through the clouds and disorienting Diphus' vision.
The rapidly escalating speed of the battle was disorienting, but up to this point, Diphus was capable enough to fend off the attacks.
He could have easily redirected the missed attacks towards Rikalton Castle.
However, Jin had already anticipated that he wouldn't have that luxury.
That meant he had thoroughly learned all of Diphus' patterns and responses during the exploration phase.
Diphus not only had the luxury of dealing with missed attacks, but he also had no room to catch his breath and relentlessly pressed on.
As Diphus blocked the five streams of meteor shower and tried to send the deflected attacks towards Rikalton, Jin had already twisted his body along the altered trajectory of the meteor shower and unfolded a new sword.
Supreme ruler Sword 1st Decisive killing move: Meteor Shatter.
This time, contrary to the meteor shower, the sight of sword energies soaring from the ground continued.
Unlike the true Supreme ruler Sword unfolded by Ron, the sword energies didn't shine with an ashen light, but Jin had acquired the sword technique by changing what he had seen in the Sword Emperor castle war to the Runcandel style. He received help from Battle god Vahn when training in Laprarosa.
With the clash between the meteor shower and the Meteor Shatter centered around Diphus, one of Diphus' wings was torn apart.
'Regeneration takes 2 seconds.'
No matter how fast, it took 2 seconds. It was the speed at which Jin had confirmed Diphus' wings being torn apart several times with the battle god move earlier.
However, Jin prepared the next sword even faster.
Runcandel's 5th secret technique: Light speed thrust.
Due to the constant fluctuation caused by unleashing multiple decisive killing moves at once, his center of gravity kept shifting. However, Jin demonstrated the overwhelming speed of unfolding the light-speed thrust even faster than 2 seconds.
The light speed thrust pierced through Diphus' remaining wing
'Four seconds until the aura backflow calms down.'
The backflow did break out. Jin closed the distance while calmly calming the backflow, and the fallen Diphus regained his stance and fend off the remaining sword energies from the meteor shower.
Diphus couldn't follow up on the missed attacks as he was busy defending against Jin's onslaught.
After 4 seconds, the distance between Jin and Diphues was twenty steps.
And Jin's aura backflow completely stopped progressing, and Diphus's wings were on the verge of regenerating.
'By now, he must have realized. No matter what he does, my sword is faster than his regeneration.'
As expected, instead of struggling to keep the distance, Diphus approached Jin and swung the Volgar.
A huge blade soaked in chaos fell on Jin's head.
However, the move that Jin prepared while switching swords was the end of this fight.
'However, he may think that I don't have enough time to open the eternal flame.'
It was true. In such a desperate battle, even Jin couldn't fully unfold eternal flame.
So he had to accumulate the time to unfold eternal flame little by little, always staying slightly ahead in the battle.
He had to push Diphus back step by step until there was a cliff behind him.
Runcandel's 1st Decisive killing move: Heaven Shatter.
Among the legacy left behind by Jorden, the pinnacle decisive killing move of the clan.
When Bradamante was thrust into the ground, Diphus, who was charging forward, realized too late what that action was for.
"You have good instincts. It must be thanks to the memories of elder brother Diphus."
But it's too late.
The aura that had eroded underground was exploding, creating a massive sword energy that split the earth and sky in half.
Diphus hurriedly stepped to the side, but even from that direction, the Heaven Shatter's sword energy shot up.
Even the fragments of aura left in the sky by the meteor shower and Meteor Shatter were being swept away and pulverized by the Heaven Shatter.
[Kraaah...!]
The shattered fragments of the meteor shower stabbed into Diphus' back, and the Heaven Shatter sword energy was piercing the ground more fiercely, raging towards the sky.
Among them, there was a scene where one of them swallowed Diphus' freshly regenerated left wing and left arm.
If it had been his right arm holding Volgar, the battle would have ended at this point.
However, the battle continued, but the outcome had already been decided long ago.
Jin was certain of that. Diphus, too, had entered the battle with the expectation of defeat from the beginning.
Even though he knew he would lose, Diphus had pulled Jin into the battlefield to provoke a one-on-one duel.
To buy time for Rosa.
And to plunge Jin into despair.
Thinking of his intentions, Jin clenched his teeth once.
"In the end, when I kill you... do you think I will despair? Don't delude yourself, 4th flagbearer. Elder sister Mary and I have already prepared to send elder brother Diphus."
With eyes wide open, Jin finished the Heaven Shatter and swung his sword at Diphus once again.
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In the remnants left by Heaven Shatter, the body of Diphus undulated. Blood-like chaos surged from the torn left arm and wings.
From now on, the entangled figures of the two could not be called a fight.
Diphus, cornered, barely swung his sword, Volgar, and Jin relentlessly stabbed his vulnerable spots with his blade.
Each time, large holes appeared in Diphus' physical form. If Diphus were human, he would have died more than ten times by now.
Jin wielded a merciless sword, as if he intended to eliminate every trace of Diphus' physical body.
[Kluk, memories of Diphus! Do you truly perceive me as a different being?]
Kwang! Volgar, the great sword, blocked Jin's finishing strike and was driven into the ground.
[You call me a chaos bastard who devoured your brother, huh? You've been saying strange things since earlier. I understand your excitement to seize victory, but look properly. I am Diphus Runcandel, your elder brother.]
"In the garden of swords, no one can bear the name Runcandel anymore."
[Keuk-kuk, from your perspective, that may be true. However, it's difficult to keep treating me like someone else. It's not just a matter of fact, but also a matter of courtesy towards an opponent who doesn't become humble even when cornered, little brother.]
Suddenly, the atmosphere around Diphus changed.
The faltering swordsmanship, overwhelmed by the tide, quickly regained stability, and Volgar brimmed with destructive power as it did in the beginning.
'Is this his last struggle?'
Jin had always considered that Diphus had some hidden moves up his sleeve.
'So it wasn't self-destruction, but rather enhancement.'
It didn't matter what it was. Even if it was an eruption akin to a volcano, he could block it. Even if Diphus grew stronger, it would be the same.
However, Jin soon realized that Diphus' transformation was not limited to that.
Instead of chaos, Volgar began to emanate a bright white radiance.
'Aura...!?'
The fierce aura unique to Runcandel enveloped Volgar with light.
In an instant, Jin distanced himself from Diphus and locked eyes with him. He was smiling like a madman, breaking the horn on his forehead.
"Do I still seem like someone other than your elder brother?"
The voice, which had amplified with a grim tone, returned to Diphus' original tone, and the wings on his back fell to the ground like withered flowers.
Instead of chaos in the wounds that covered his body, hot and crimson blood flowed.
'He reverted his physical transformation?'
Diphus, standing before Jin once again, was completely unchanged, just like his old self.
Naturally, this was an unexpected event that Jin had not included in his predictions.
"Answer me, youngest."
"What on earth...?"
"It was inevitable for you and me to become enemies and fight. But at least, don't try to relieve your guilt by recognizing me as a different entity."
If Diphus had shown his old self and begged for his life, Jin would have considered it a desperate act to survive.
However, in the eyes of the returning Diphus, there was still the resolve of someone prepared for death.
Meanwhile, Jin's heart couldn't help but waver for a moment.
"When you left for the close door training... I had to endure a tough fight as the 4th flagbearer of the clan. Along with Mary."
Diphus said that and swung his sword at Jin.
Jin evaded the attack and didn't take his eyes off Diphus.
No matter how many times he looked, it was still Diphus.
"When Mother accepted chaos, the transformation of the clan happened in an instant. Many of us, including me, tried to resist, but it was futile. Those who resisted Mother were only chased and killed every day."
But would I have resented you back then?
Jin couldn't answer the following words.
"No one blamed anyone. Father, Luna, who had no sign of returning even though the clan was inevitably changing, and you, who left alone. Even Mother, who oppressed us at the time. Why did that happen? Because I believed that all of those things were the result of my own weakness."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"But throughout the fight, you resented and hated me. Seeing me not as Diphus Runcandel, but as a monster of chaos. Am I no longer myself since I accepted chaos? Can you really determine that? Joshua became tainted by chaos, but he is still Joshua. Am I no longer Diphus now?"
"Don't you dare compare that bastard and elder brother Diphus."
"You still turn away. Jin, my youngest brother. Let me tell you one thing. Receiving Mother's power is impossible without one's consent. Even if Mother tried to bestow it forcibly, I couldn't accept it. It means I became a fragment of evil god by my own will!"
Jin's pupils widened and trembled.
But after a few seconds, Jin regained his composure.
Even if everything Diphus said was true, nothing would change.
"...I understand what you mean. Whatever the reason for choosing chaos, it's regrettable that it turned out like this. I won't resent you either."
"Good, that's how it should be."
The brothers' swords entwined again.
As soon as the battle began, Diphus' body was covered in lingering wounds.
The wounds no longer healed. Unlike before, even a single fatal blow would be the end for Diphus.
Jin's sword still lacked mercy.
'Is this the realm that elder brother Diphus touched before he was tainted by chaos...?'
He's strong.
Even someone as strong as him couldn't resist chaos in the end.
That's what Jin thought.
However, strength is only an objective standard.
In reality, for Jin, who had reached to the ranks of strongest, Diphus' sword could not pose a threat.
"Kraaak!"
Bradamante struck Diphus's waist, and a gush of blood poured out from the gaping wound.
Immediately after, Diphus's movements noticeably slowed down.
While the chaos monsters paid no mind to such injuries, humans tended to slow down when hurt.
His appearance twisted Jin's heart with pain.
Jin swung his sword silently. With each strike, as the blade cut through Diphus's body, tearing and piercing, a vivid sensation traveled up his arm, sending shivers down his spine. The sensation of killing a person, a brother.
"Our mother is incomparable to someone like me. Do you really think you can succeed in betrayal…."
Aaargh!
A lump of flesh fell from Diphus's abdomen. He held it in one hand and swung his sword like a ghost.
"You couldn't save even your own clan, yet you think you can save the world? Did you come to Rikalton to save people? Stop this nonsense, you are a hypocrite and a traitor. Even if our mother accepted chaos, she never joined hands with her nemesis!"
Slash...!
A crack appeared in Volgar's blade. The constant onslaught from Jin's attacks was depleting the lifespan of the sword.
Once, twice, thrice.
With each strike Jin landed on Volgar, sharp shards flew from Volgar.
Some of them grazed Jin's face, and droplets of blood trickled down his cheek.
Eventually, on the seventh attack, Volgar shattered into pieces.
Diphus, with his sword and body in tatters, still breathed heavily.
An indomitable, ominous gaze.
Jin paused his steps for a moment, looking at Diphus.
"Come on. Are you hesitating? Haha, did you stop your sword out of fear of killing me?"
A beam of light shot out from the shattered Volgar.
Jin didn't even dodge it. Due to the aura being too faint, the beam of light dissipated somewhere in his energy before reaching him.
But still, Diphus shot beams of light several times. With each attempt, the beams became increasingly faint, and Volgar shook off the remaining fragments while blood spurted from Diphus's body.
He had the will to leave even a scratch on Jin's body, even if he died like this. He was determined to become a vengeful spirit and appear in Jin's dreams if necessary.
"Or do you want to mock me?"
That's not it.
The reason Jin stopped was because he couldn't understand.
How could someone so strong, someone who never yielded to death and pain, someone who could struggle so fiercely... Why did they accept the power of the evil god?
Did he submit to chaos?
It was simply incomprehensible.
"Why... Why did you do that? What made you like this, elder brother?"
"I am the only one who made myself like this. Don't look elsewhere for the reason. Anyway, as you said, nothing will change. Why, do you still need someone to resent? You're wrong. If you don't like this situation either, blame yourself."
The moment Diphus finished speaking.
Suddenly, chaos began to rampage around him.
Jin desperately tried to sever the chaos that enveloped Diphus, but at the same time, a white dimensional gate opened in front of him.
[Boong!]
"Jin!"
Mort, Syris, and Valeria reached out their hands to Jin from the white dimensional gate.
Valeria had been analyzing the records of the battlefield all along and had just discovered the final move of the Prophet.
"Stop, you must not kill the Fourth Flagbearer now! We have to eliminate the Prophet first..."
"Valeria, what's going on?"
"The Prophet placed a spell on the Fourth Flagbearer. It's a curse magic that is designed to return the power he received to the evil god as soon as Diphus dies."
From the beginning, Diphus's goal was to restore the evil god's power through his own death.
That's why he had been taking Jin aside all this time, giving the Prophet time to complete the curse.
If Jin had attacked Diphus along with his companions from the beginning, the war would have ended before the Prophet could complete the curse.
Without any trace left behind, Diphus, who had been engulfed in chaos, disappeared.
"To prevent the curse from activating, we must eliminate the Prophet first. Hurry, the Fourth Flagbearer has been summoned to Rikalton Castle now. We must return immediately and kill the Prophet, and destroy the power that the Fourth Flagbearer possesses!"
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As Jin approached Mort, the white dimensional gate closed. The black energy of chaos spread like mold throughout the snow garden.
"If I kill him... will the power be restored to the evil god?"
"Yes, technically the curse is activated when he dies, but it specifically requires his death at the hands of his siblings."
"In that case, the Prophet has no reason to summon Diphus now. Could it be because she was unaware of the situation on this side of the battle?"
"It's hard to say, but something seems to have disrupted the Prophet's plan. Despite being bombarded by our allies, she suddenly became enraged and attempted to summon the Fourth Flagbearer. I came here to inform you of the information I gathered about the Fourth Flagbearer."
As the two conversed, Mort opened a new dimensional gate that led inside Rikalton Castle.
[Boong, booo!]
The moment they stepped out of the dimensional gate, they could hear Ilina's furious voice.
[Are you insane?! Suddenly cutting off the connection with the matriarch! Don't you realize the danger it puts matriarch in...!"
Ilina interrupted herself and covered her mouth. She had noticed the white dimensional gate that had opened on the other side.
'I hurriedly summoned Sir Diphus since he suddenly cut off the connection with the matriarch. What a disaster...!'
She had summoned Diphus, not expecting Valeria to be able to track him. Therefore, she was taken aback when Jin and his group suddenly appeared within the castle, well within hearing range.
'Because elder brother Diphus cut off the connection, the Evil god is in danger?'
Upon arriving at Rikalton Castle, Jin received unexpected information.
Not missing Ilina's bewildered expression, Jin immediately shot a sword towards her chest.
Even as her chest was pierced, Ilina deployed her protective barrier.
"So you insist on twisting things again. Couldn't you have thought that instead of summoning me, you should have prevented them from coming to the wasteland?"
If that were the case, Jin would have ended up killing Diphus, and the curse would have been triggered.
Ilina's protective barrier was mercilessly torn apart by Jin's sword.
Ilina tried to escape while lifting Diphus, but she couldn't be faster than Jin.
[Aaargh!]
Swoosh!
Bradamante stabbed Ilina in the back as she turned around. The shadow force attached to sword exploded, causing Ilina's body to burst in all directions.
However, the physical body was just a shell; her essence was chaos.
The scattered flesh soon turned into black smoke, spreading throughout the castle.
More precisely, not only Ilina's physical body but also Rikalton Castle itself was composed of the Prophet's chaos.
Given that the Prophet had been accumulating chaos here long before Runcandel became tainted.
Now the region known as Rikalton was practically synonymous with the Prophet herself.
[Damn it... I didn't expect this to happen. Yes, I admit my mistake. But it's better this way.]
"Aaargh!"
"Save me... please!"
As the castle disintegrated into smoke, the sight of prisoners trapped in various parts of the castle became visible.
Unlike the prisoners in the open field, they were not trapped in the fruit of the Giant Tree.
The fruits that had confined them had also been returned to the Prophet just now.
Similarly, the Giant trees in the open field were also dissipating into chaos and converging towards Jin and his group.
[These insects rely on their mother's power, pretending to be important... I'm sick of it.]
A black storm.
The immense chaos that spread in place of Rikalton Castle couldn't find a more fitting representation of the Prophet's true nature.
Diphus vanished somewhere within that chaos.
Upon surveying the situation, Jin quickly came to a conclusion.
"Valeria, you and Lady Syris must escape immediately and join our allies. I will confront the Prophet alone."
"Why did you bring allies and temporary alliances if you're going to fight alone?"
Syris said.
"I don't mean for both of you or the other allies to just leave. I will take care of the battle, and the rest is about rescuing the prisoners," Jin replied.
Syris narrowed her eyes, looking worried. The power of the revealed Prophet was immeasurable. They had never encountered such a form of enemy before. The Prophet appeared as a natural disaster, a calamity, rather than a living being.
But on the other hand, Jin also thought that there was no calamity that could physically kill him.
"Alright, we will focus on withdrawing and rescuing the prisoners and protecting our allies. Some of our comrades may have lost their way due to the unexpected chaos," Syris agreed.
Especially with Valeria and Syris possessing record magic and teleportation, they had to take on the role of broadcasting the situation in real-time.
As the two left, Jin looked up at the sky. It was filled with the chaos of the Prophet.
"Is the transformation over? Indeed, you turned out to be the one who had been manipulating Runcandel from behind. You have quite a convincing form. People who don't know better would think you're Witch Helluram."
Shiik!
Black smoke coiled around Jin, like a snake. Jin intentionally didn't dodge and assessed the strength, then suddenly unleashed his power, dispersing the chaos in an instant.
[If I were my mother, you wouldn't even be able to meet my eyes. 4th flagbearer and evil god is nothing.]
Once Jin became familiar with his senses, he felt that the Prophet was continuously unraveling threads of chaos in the vicinity to deal with the temporary alliance and the prisoners.
Of course, Jin had no intention of allowing that.
"Oh really? Anyway, let's make it clear. Our fight will be one-on-one, Prophet. Stop tormenting innocent people. It seems like summoning the evil god is out of question."
[What if I don't?]
"Then I'll have to personally intervene."
When Jin replied with a determined expression, the Prophet suddenly felt the sense that encompassed the entire Rikalton fading away.
That was a sign.
Ultimate Technique of the Shadow Sword: First Technique
The First Night
As Jin unleashed the first night, the entire land of Rikalton began to tremble. It was not due to the destructive power, but because of the uneasiness felt by the Prophet's distorted form.
Jin was recalling his last battle with Lingling in Laprarosa.
At that time, Jin had overwhelmed Lingling through this sword within the subspace.
The Prophet was no different despite being called a Prophet.
'There is no way that a parasite-like creature, gathering human despair and evil, has the willpower to withstand this.'
Jin slowly observed the Prophet's form.
Since it was in the form of a black storm, there was no way to determine its weakness. Just as one cannot find weaknesses in mist.
But in other words, that meant the entire black storm was a striking point.
It was burdensome to the point where he felt the need to find weaknesses.
Shh, shwack!
The sword infused with shadow force continued to disturb the Prophet's form. It was as if a fierce sword storm was raging through the Prophet.
"How about it? Are you starting to focus on me now?"
[You...!]
Though partially engulfed by the first night's shadow force, the Prophet still maneuvered its enormous form.
However, it couldn't make any more moves towards the allies and prisoners.
All its power had to be concentrated on Jin. Thanks to that, the allies were easily rescuing the prisoners.
Jin appeared calm as he spoke, but in reality, he was in a state where he could explode with extreme hatred.
How could he understand the fact that his clan had been corrupted by such a being, and that the corrupted clan was now destroying the world?
The monsterized Diphus, the countless people mercilessly slaughtered here today.
All of this evoked anger from Jin.
Jin let out a roar he didn't even realize he was making. His voice shook the entire battlefield, yet he couldn't hear it himself.
A seething fire began to spread on Bradamante.
Eternal Flame, an inextinguishable fire, began to blend with the black storm.
As the first night continued, the Prophet screamed ceaselessly.
[Kaah!]
"Shut up. If you compare what you've done to what you've suffered, this is hardly a punishment."
Thanks to Jin's ultimate technique, the allies had already rescued almost 70% of the prisoners.
The Prophet had planned to use those prisoners as sacrifices to confront Jin, but it was a problem that she was consumed so quickly by the first night.
The Prophet had no choice but to admit that fact now.
"I see, so you were the essence of Rikalton itself. Today, this land will completely disappear from the world."
Jin stabbed his sword into the trembling body of the wavering Prophet.
He grabbed the scattered fragments of chaos pieces and crushed them, trampling and tearing apart the large pieces that fell heavily.
If he saw any sign of regeneration, he ruthlessly set them ablaze, burning even more ferociously.
If a beast were to tear through mist, this is what it would look like.
Even the allies were shuddering at Jin's terrifying appearance.
Revenge.
Jin wasn't engaged in a battle; he was exacting one-sided revenge.
Occasionally, the Prophet attempted futile counterattacks, but it never once posed a threat to Jin.
There was only one reason the Prophet couldn't be annihilated.
Until the prisoner rescue was complete, Jin had no intention of finishing her off.
And there was only one thing the Prophet was still holding onto.
'If the evil god comes even now, the 12th flagbearer will have no choice but to retreat... Somehow, I have to... make this guy... kill Diphus."
However, Jin saw through it all and smirked.
"It seems like the curse is still in effect. There's not much of a face to speak of, but I can somehow see your expression. That's probably the only thing you have left to hope for."
While Jin relentlessly slaughtered the Prophet like a madman, he continued to keep track of Diphus's location.
Diphus's energy, dying away, was so faint that even Jin had a hard time finding him. He was barely clinging to life.
When Jin unleashed the first night, Diphus flew outward and crashed into the ground, stuck there.
That area had long since finished the prisoner rescue and suffered severe terrain collapse, so the allies did not include it in their search.
It was also the point where Mary, who was resisting Jin's attacks within the castle, was repelled by Zipfel's bombardment.
In other words, Mary was the closest to Diphus right now.
"Haa, haa."
She regained consciousness and staggered as she took a step.
Because she could hear a familiar moan coming from somewhere amidst the soil stained black.
Soon, the image of a person lying broken and mangled entered Mary's blurry vision.
Even if it wasn't Diphus lying there, it would still appear just as hazy to Mary due to her blurred vision.
Yet Mary could be certain. Even in that blurry state, it felt oddly familiar.
"Diphus oraboni...."
Diphus didn't answer and only gasped for breath.
Mary called his name several more times before slumping down in her place.
"Usually, I'm the one causing trouble. But this... this isn't right."
For a while, Mary laughed, sobbed, and hugged him tightly. She wiped away tears, patted his cheek, and brushed his hair.
Then, after a moment of stillness, she took out her sword..
Her beloved viper had already been shattered within the castle.
The tip of the sword aimed at Diphus's throat was trembling.
"Let's stop now... Diphus oraboni."
Mary hesitated several times, and then, with determination, brought the sword down.
The sensation of piercing through the flesh and bones reached her clearly.
However, Mary soon realized that the sword had pierced not Diphus's throat but his palm. He had raised his hand to stop her.
He felt the blood and tears of both himself and his younger sister falling onto his face as she spoke.
"Mary... If you kill me, the curse will be fulfilled..."
"What did you say?"
"In any case, I'm going to die... So just wait a little longer... for the youngest."
Thud! Boom!
Signal flares indicating the completion of prisoner rescue were being fired throughout the battlefield.