551
* * *
The sky seemed to collapse at any moment from the clash of the two giants' power, resonating with an immense roar.
Truly absurd explosions and shocks were making the territory of Hairan no longer inhabitable.
Beasts and small creatures howled as they fled from the aftermath of the flames and shattered sword energies that spread far, almost to the horizon. Buildings melted away, forests turned to ash, and water veins boiled and evaporated.
Who can believe that this was a fight between one knight and the world's best mage.
In the meantime, the sword emperor castle is still there.
The tall and sturdy castle walls hadn't completely lost their function, and even upon seeing the broken gates, the enemies dared not venture inside.
Even the castle was almost the same as when Ron first regained consciousness and climbed onto the walls.
He has to save the place.
The place where his grandson was struggling with the white stone alone can never be destroyed. The first thing the child sees after overcoming the stone shouldn't be the broken sword emperor castle.
Ron was defending his castle with such will.
His lips were stained with dry blood, his hair scattered like that of a vagrant.
His thin upper body was full of new wounds along with numerous scars that he get over his life, and his breathing was rough.
Even so, the two eyes staring at the enemy gleamed without trembling, and his beloved sword, Rashid, constantly emitted brilliance, causing vibrations throughout the sky.
The guardian deity of Hairan.
That was the sword emperor.
"Hey, Kelliark Zipfel. You are losing, but...… It seems you have a way since you're not negotiating or fleeing. Wouldn't it be better to reveal it soon?"
Even though it was a low voice, everyone on the battlefield could hear it.
The walls of the sword emperor castle were lower, but the voices of the mages and dragons of Zipfel seemed to be coming from higher up in the sky.
As Ron took a step forward and swung his sword horizontally, a formless sword wind spread and scattered Kelliark's great magic.
In the meantime, the Sword emperor's secret technique, Heavenly flash, was executed. A deep blue sword slashed through the center of the fleet, and Kelliark swung his Hroti to offset most of it.
But it was a heavy blow. He coughed up blood, and the hand holding the staff trembled.
Still like the first time, no. Even though he uses a greater mana than that.
Ron showed no sign of crumbling under Kelliark's and fleet's attacks. As time went by, the fleet and dragons were falling one by one on Zipfel's side.
'It's not an unexpected result...… It feels quite bitter.'
Such a big gap…..?
Kelliark thought, swallowing the bitter lump that rose up in his throat. Ron's level was not a domain he had directly touched, so the outcome could only be bitter.
Just as Ron fought while protecting the sword emperor castle, Kelliark was also not showing his full ability in fighting as he was protecting the Demon God's orb from getting shocks.
But even taking that into account, Kelliark had no choice but to admit his complete defeat.
The Demon God's orb has not yet been fully unlocked.
It was because of a lack of mana. Kelliark had no energy to spare while dealing with Ron, who had become stronger, and Octavia and the Spectres infiltrated the Sword Emperor Castle to secure the white stone, so the only remaining mages and dragons were being used to open the Demon God's orb.
From beginning to end, everything was beyond his calculations.
Fortunately, the opening of the Demon God's orb was now nearing its end.
And Ron was sensing that fact.
'The fleet's attack is not as strong as expected. The Demon God's orb, perhaps he couldn't focus on the battle in order to use the item that Jin said.'
Although he said it as if he was relaxed, Ron was actually concerned about the power of the Demon God's orb.
Kelliark and Zipfel didn't notice, but Ron was getting tired too.
The long struggle with the disease and the fight that continued inside had undoubtedly taken a toll on his body. The transcendental martial arts and difference in class were the only thing that hid this fact from the enemies.
Ron himself was keenly aware of it.
'If I had just one more month, or even just 15 more days...….'
He could have fought in his prime condition.
In his current state, If Kelliark pulls out his trump card, will he be able to handle it?
If not, how much longer could he endure?
Ron was unable to answer that frustrating question. Just as Kelliark had never reached Ron's level, the Demon God's orb was completely unknown to him.
Ron only thought of his grandson.
'After fighting with a body like this, I now keenly understand how much pain you must have endured all this time….. Grandson, this grandfather finally understands the path you've walked.'
He has to fight just as the grandson did. All he had to do was silently continue the fight.
Rumble...!
Kozec's main cannon was dyed golden. The cannon was fired following the trajectory left by Heavenly flash .
Ron slashed with Rashid and cut through the center of the cannon fire. The fragments of the cannon fire and the blade did not hit the ground and disintegrated in the air.
They don't know how many times such enormous and powerful forces have already collided.
Zipfels used less than half of its normal firepower while opening the Demon God's orb, but the attacks of other mages and dragons except for Kelliark were barely visible.
Only Ron's sword and Kelliark's magic were covering the sky and the ground.
Suddenly, a new power emerged in the center of the battlefield.
As if a great vortex was unfolding in the middle of the sea, another power cut through the space between the giants.
'Is this power that started from the ground?'
'This, no way.'
Kelliark and Ron also had no choice but to be distracted by the power for an instant.
Even while Octavia and the Spectres were constantly using great magic, their power never reached the sky.
In addition, the power visible to the giants was not of light or natural elemental magic but consisted of a unique blue flame and black energy.
The flames of Jin and Misha.
It was the magic sword that surprised the giants.
"Haha."
Ron unconsciously let out a dry laugh. Even he, who had reached the verge of genesis knight, did not expect that such a formidable power would rise from the ground.
On the other hand, Kelliark couldn't find amusement in the situation.
He didn't have the slightest amount of time while dealing with Ron, but Jin and Misha's flames that reached the sky were spreading its energy even to Zipfel's fleet.
Sarah's runes, which were rewritten with shadow force, began to leave black light like tumors throughout the fleet's formation.
"Avoid it!"
Kelliark gave orders to avoid rather than block it. Even before the order was given, those who felt an ominous intuition immediately maneuvered to evade. However, those with no energy left to spare for Ron's attack couldn't properly discern those small runes.
Kelliark hastily deployed shields towards them, but the fire of the black and blue flames were already gushing like mad.
It was a type of fire that everyone had never seen before.
Nor did anyone know that the name of the flames was a condemnation to punish Zipfel's work. All they could know was this. This fire, which would by no means be easily extinguished or disappear, originated directly from the Runcandel 12th flagbearer on the ground.
It was a long time ago that the shadow force and the real blue flames became the symbol of Jin.
Each of the mages in the fleet was the best of Zipfel. Instead of panicking, they seemed to be struggling to push the flames out somehow, so the progress of the fire wasn't very fast.
'Most of the power should have been directed at Octavia and the Spectres, but is this the aftermath alone causing this extent?'
It's true that Kelliark held Jin in high esteem, but Jin could never release this power on his own.
'Murakan, or Misha, one of them must have fully released their energy to assist Jin. Jin Runcandel must have used most of his strength.'
It was as if the battle on the ground had already ended.
If Octavia and the Spectres block it, the result would be Zipfel's victory, and if not, the sword emperor's side would win.
Kelliark wasn't sure which one would win. The peculiarity of the power called shadow force could not be accurately measured even by a mage like him.
Besides, Kelliark had other issues to deal with first.
[This... Sarah... Runcandel's...…!]
Wind Dragon Salion.
He was a dragon who proved that the power of the story was weakening by unconsciously mentioning the 'ten great knights' when the second battle started.
Now, he was feeling the nightmares of that time vividly. He vividly remembered how many of his kin and mages were killed by this dreadful flame of hell.
The monstrous appearance of the Flame Empress, Sarah Runcandel.
As Salion became agitated, the other dragons also began to show signs of seizures.
The aftermath of the battle, the instinctive fear of the Demon God's orb suppressed by the necklace, and the voice of Salion—all these factors were awakening forgotten stories in them.
[Run, we must run! Aagh!]
Kelliak hit Hroti in Salion's back. It was better to stun him, lest he accelerate the undermining of the power of the story.
The lack of power will be further reduced, but it was nothing compared to the aftermath when the power of the story was further damaged.
'Anyway, if I hold on a little longer, the Demon God's orb will be unlocked.'
Within the next 30 minutes.
Kelliark raised his mana once more. The front was full of Ron's sword.
* * *
Piiing-!
Octavia was hearing a sharp ringing in her ears. It felt like someone was tearing and messing with her mind.
'What in the world happened...'
She couldn't feel her limbs.
It wasn't paralysis. It was just that her body wouldn't respond due to the extreme shock of the flame of hell, and for a moment Octavia recalled the instant when the black-blue flames covered her.
'Did I manage to block it? What happened to those bastards? Damn it, I can't remember.'
She couldn't remember very well.
Soon, when she barely moved her hand and reflexively touched her face, Octavia realized that her own left eye had disappeared.
That was an area she could not recover with light magic.
'Did I... lose?'
Without a chance to be shocked, someone flew in beside her and fall down. He was one of the Gray Robes and a Spectre, and he had already passed away.
Only then did Octavia realize that they were fighting to protect her from the enemies.
She also knew that she would have died on the spot without them, and never even opened her one remaining eye.
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Octavia thought that she would not be defeated even if Rosa led the Black Knights herself.
It was shocking to assume that she would lose, but this was the result of fighting Jin and Misha. It wasn't even the result of carelessness.
She obviously brought out the best magic spells she could, and even so, it was just not enough to withstand Jin and Misha's flame of hell.
It's not over yet.
She wanted to stand up again, but her broken body only convulsed.
"The captain has regained consciousness!"
"Captain, give us orders... !"
The Spectres guarding her was screaming in haste.
Due to the clash between Jin and Misha's flames and Octavia's vision magic, the battle on the ground reached its climax at once.
Both sides were desperately squeezing out their remaining strength as soon as Octavia fell. The Spectres had to stop the martial artists who were trying to seize the opportunity, and Jin and the others had to somehow finish off Octavia.
Everyone was certain that if they couldn't completely cut off Octavia's breath, there would be no next time. They had to solidify their victory while the Spectres were guarding Octavia and unable to attack properly.
3 spectres were killed and 6 spectres were injured to such an extent that they could not fight. On the other hand, all of the Vamel Alliance were injured, but no one died.
It was the result of Runcandel's magic sword breaking the magic of Zipfel. Of course, this would have been impossible if Jin had been alone.
But Misha also poured her everything out like Octavia.
While the battle continued again, Misha was unable to fight. She even transformed back into a human form to lessen her shock from the aftermath of battle and seemed out of breath.
"Miss Misha, are you okay?"
Jin was also a little tired, but it wasn't to the extent that it would cause hindrance in the battle. Misha nodded her head and smiled lightly.
"I thought she would disappear without a trace, but it seems I underestimated her a bit."
"I was lacking."
"Not at all. That thing is just a monster..."
Ugh, Misha spat out muddy shadow force and glared at the back of the spectres.
She had expected that Jin's flame of hell, with all her powers, would surely kill Octavia.
"Be careful, Jin. Octavia Zipfel... she might... probably rise again."
Jin had such a premonition.
Despite losing one eye, suffering from severe backflow symptoms, and having her body shattered, it didn't seem like Octavia would end like this.
New mana of light began to gather near Octavia, who had already collapsed. The shining mana was clinging to Octavia's body and healing her.
The Spectres waited for Octavia's command.
It was because they still had options. Will they retreat or will they fight?
On the other hand, the sword emperor castle camp had no choice. Because there was nowhere to retreat anyway.
If the Spectres had judged that Octavia was completely incapacitated, they would have chosen to retreat with her.
Octavia slowly rose to her feet. She seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment, but the mana of light steadied her.
"There is... no retreat. Continue the battle."
At her command, the Spectres' magic became more aggressive.
Misha withdrew to the rear ranks and concealed herself within Murakan's curtain, and the rest of the martial artists regrouped around Jin.
Now, there were a total of 20 Spectres who could fight. However, the moment Octavia recovers, Jin and the others have no choice but to fight harder than before.
"The same goes for us, Octavia Zipfel."
There were still remnants of the flames in Bradamante. Jin released his remaining mana to rekindle the fire.
It seemed to be a sign of something. As soon as the sword started burning, Jin's party and the Spectres threw their swords and staff at each other again.
Everyone was tired and hurt. No one can fully display their original skills on the ground battlefield.
That was why their battle was getting closer to the original form of the act of 'fighting'. It was a primitive and brutal skirmish, akin to a brawl.
The mages stabbed by the sword and the knights struck by magic roared like beasts rather than screaming.
In particular, the strength of Jin and the sword saints stood out.
In such a pure fight, it was only natural that the sword of Runcandel and the Hairan's sword of overlord, which was made after that sword, would shine the most.
Desperately.
Jin was moving towards Octavia. Bradamante, dyed in black, collided with magic and shields with each swing, and blood surged from his throat due to the backlash, but Jin did not stop.
If he stops, it's over. Since he had already entered the ranks of the enemy, falling or stopping here meant death.
The same was true for his companions who followed him into the enemy line.
It was like crossing a sea from which there was no turning back once you started swimming. The moment you stop before reaching that end, the only thing that comes to you was cold death.
Every moment there was a danger of being killed and crippled.
There was not a single martial artist afraid while throwing themselves down that road. Everyone was just looking at Jin's back, pushing away the enemies flying into his blind spot, and they were trusting him and moving forward.
'Why isn't the 12th flagbearer falling...!'
'Damn it, you mean you still have strength left after reducing the captain to that state!'
Always, the human named Jin Runcandel could not be understood by the mages of Zipfel.
How on earth can he perform miracles like this every time. Despite objectively holding the upper hand in power every time, why were they being pushed back? What was this strength?
When did he become such a huge enemy....
Even if they used great magic with all their might, Jin's breakthrough speed showed no sign of slowing down.
This time, he'll stop, this time he'll take a step back, this time he'll fall...!
All those predictions were proven wrong. Even when, the Spectres' chain magic hit Jin's chest directly, he showed no sign of taking a hit.
The chain magic seemed to pass through him like a ghost.
Wait, it felt like it passed through a ghost?
Shit!
At that moment, the members of the Spectre Corps had to realize a terrible fact.
The fact that they were fooled by the black dragon Misha's mischief once again.
From the middle of the breakthrough, what the Spectres were attacking wasn't the real Jin. It was Jin's illusion that Misha had created before withdrawing to the rear.
Unlike the shadow force doll, the virtual image has no physical power, but it was enough to deceive the enemies who lost their focus.
"Can you afford to put so much effort into illusions? I don't think so."
Jin said, thrusting his sword into the belly of a spectre.
He was hiding among the Spectres while their attention was focused on the illusion. And the Spectre he killed was the person who guarded the front of Octavia.
By then, Octavia was holding her own in a considerably improved condition. However, she was only better than right after being hit by the flame of hell, and she was not yet able to fight.
"Stop him!"
Mana beam flew through the bodies of the Spectres, which hadn't even collapsed yet. Jin barely turned his head, and the beam of light just brushed his cheek.
He couldn't afford to dodge the ensuing attack, but Sword saint Ruyan stepped forward at incredible speed to protect him.
Ruyan's wrist was as thin as a dry twig. It was unbelievable that it was the wrist of a knight who had trained all his life.
The rest of the Sword saints who followed him also have thin appearance like him.
But as they grew thinner, their swords became sharper. Just like a flame blooming in full bloom right before it goes out.
Jin didn't even have time to say thank you or exchange a glance. Jin continued to advance, leaving the Sword Saints behind.
"Octavia Zipfel!"
Swoosh-!
The shadow force and flame surrounding Bradamante grew thicker. Octavia was avoiding Jin's sword by awkwardly stepping backwards.
It was inherently unacceptable for someone of her caliber to take step back into battle so clumsily.
No matter how much she was mage, she had basic hand-to-hand training that she needed to deal with knights, and she never stepped backwards even when dealing with Sword Saints who were clearly superior to Jin.
The movements she had to resort to wear something you might see in a street brawl, but Octavia had no other choice.
'If only I had one more minute to recover…!'
However, Jin couldn't land a clean blow on her, despite her reckless attacks.
The Spectre Corps was a formidable force. Although the sword saints and his companions risked their lives to push them back, it was not enough to completely break down the last line of defense.
If Octavia were in perfect condition, they wouldn't have made it this far in the first place.
The wind of the blade brushed her nose, and Octavia felt her whole body turn cold with cold sweat.
'Now 55 seconds, 54... damn it!'
The time felt so long.
It seemed that her subordinates would not be able to fully protect her within that time. It wasn't because the Spectres lacked abilities.
Jin was just special to the extent that it can never be explained in terms of being strong, great, or lucky...…
Amidst the onslaught of sword strikes and magic, Jin, as always, had one thought.
Cut.
Before learning the shadow sword 1st technique from his brethren, he was practicing the essence of the magic sword that he had already realized.
He was armed with the will to slash without fail.
That will reach Octavia once again, escaping the encirclement of the Spectres.
The moment the black sword energy was raised to the sky to cut Ocativa, she had to face a giant and dark emotion she had long forgotten.
Fear.
The fear of inevitably dying in this situation.
"Aah!"
"Ahhh!"
The moment the sword fell, Octavia and Jin screamed at the same time.
The Spectres' mana beam hit Jin's back. His shadow force armor blocked it, but the shock made his eyes go blank for an instant, so Bradamante could not cut Octavia in half.
Squeak-!
What Jin slashed was Octavia's right hand, which reflexively extended with her staff.
Black-blue flame stuck to the severed surface and prevented the recovery with the light magic, and her severed hand instantly turned to ashes and scattered.
It was too risky to press on further.
'I need to regroup with allies and seize another opportunity. Octavia's recovery will be delayed anyway, so we should be able to win...!'
If he pressed on, even if he survived, his allies would undoubtedly die. Jin retreated, looking down at the fallen Octavia.
"For someone who once spoke as if there was nothing to fear in the world, what about now, Octavia Zipfel? Is that arrogant spirit still intact?"
Octavia had lived a long life, and there was only one more moment when she faced humiliation than today, the day she faced Chiron.
Whether it's because of Misha's participation in the war, or Jin's sword skills and his struggles surpassing the expectations, or Jin's special nature.
For whatever reason, Octavia had lost in the ground battle. She was completely defeated even though she had absolute superiority. Octavia herself could not deny this fact.
"This battle is your victory, Jin Runcandel."
"I haven't cut you yet, so it's not over. And it would be more accurate to say it's the victory of the Vamel Alliance and the sword emperor castle. If you die, you won't be able to...."
The moment he said that.
Suddenly, Jin felt a terrible aura starting from the sky, which he had felt only once a long time ago. Jin's companions were feeling the same aura as Jin perceived.
Octavia said in a calm voice.
"However, my defeat does not necessarily mean the defeat of Zipfel...… It might be regrettable for you guys."
What the group felt was the energy of the Demon God's orb that had finally been opened.
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Kieeeek-!
A scream resounded throughout the battlefield. In 1795, Jin heard the same sound when Andrei Zipfel was cornered and took out the Demon God's orb.
However, this time was different. The current Demon God's orb was in a state of completion incomparable to back then.
'Did Kelliark start using the Demon God's orb in earnest...…!'
As soon as the 2nd battle started, Jin and his companions were able to find out that Kelliark had brought the Demon God's orb. Cuicantelle was terrified, and Zipfel's dragons seemed to have seizures even with safety devices around their necks.
Even so, when they felt the power of the Demon God's orb being released, goosebumps ran down their back.
"That must be the power hidden specifically to deal with Runcandel. It seems that your patriarch has finally decided that he cannot deal with Sir Ron without it."
Jin replied calmly, but he had no choice but to assume that the situation could turn around in both sky and ground battlefields.
As soon as the Demon God's orb was opened, Octavia's recovery accelerated. It reminded Jin about a conversation he had with Sandra Zipfel on the Gaifa Islands.
-Shall we get married? There are talks that you would marry the lady of the hidden palace. How about me?
-If you tell me the secret of your regeneration, I'll consider it.
-Really? It's not a very difficult condition. Do you know about Demon God's orb? With it, we can mimic divine powers of some gods…l
'High-speed regeneration by Demon God's orb….'
The embers of the flame that remained in Octavia's severed right hand was fading. Instead, black smoke rose and formed a new hand.
Jin witnessed the same high-speed regeneration in 1795 when he fought Andrei and Vyuretta. Black bones were formed, and murky and grotesque flesh emerged.
It wasn't just Octavia that was recovering like that.
The Spectres who were injured also began to regain their strength with the high-speed regeneration...… Even the already dead Spectres' body were raising unpleasantly.
Soon, Octavia rejoined the broken staff with light magic, meeting eyes with Jin. Black blood was still flowing from her left eye.
"Yes. Both Ron Hairan and you shocked us too much."
"Why didn't your eye recover?"
"It's not to forget today."
"You won't be able to forget it anyway, but you're doing all sorts of useless things."
Jin spoke calmly, but it was difficult to swallow his regret. The chance to kill Octavia was now gone.
If that was all, he would have accepted this bitter situation somehow, but the problem was that unlike him, most of his allies were injured or exhausted.
They were in desperate need of Runcandel, or Talaris participation.
"… My Lord."
Valkas stood next to Jin and said.
"It is time to retreat," Valkas spoke in a low and solemn voice.
He was recalling the conversation he had with Kashmir before the second battle.
-... I have a feeling that this war may decide the fate of the world, not just the fate of the Sword Emperor castle.
- So am I.
-Even if Sir Dante wakes up and all of us escape the sword emperor castle, it will only put the situation on hold after all. All-out war or negotiations. One of the two is bound to happen. Unless the white stone is destroyed.
-We just need to focus on supporting the lord in any situation. The lord will not give up on his friend, but if the lord is in danger of falling because of that...… We must make sure that the lord does not fall even if we have to trample on his feelings.
Valkas felt that now was the time.
If he didn't back down now, it seemed that death would be the only future that Jin and Vamel alliance could face, as well as the Sword saints.
Of course to Valkas, Jin's survival was more important compared to Dante's life. Everyone in the Vamel alliance felt the same.
In particular, they couldn't let Jin die in such a hopeless fight. They don't know about the situation if the Demon God's orb hadn't healed Octavia and the Spectres, but there really was no answer right now.
Regrettable as it was, Valkas, too, was pushed to the edge of madness, but all the more reason to accept reality calmly.
"My lord... you have done enough."
He tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his jaw seemed to strain as his teeth gritted.
Jin knew better than anyone else that Valkas was right.
In the end, Jin made his decision.
"I will retreat."
Of course, Jin had no intention of giving up on Dante.
Continuing to fight will only lead to the death of not only himself but also those who follow him.
The name 'Jin Runcandel' and the influence he held were no longer solely personal. The lives of numerous companions depended on him.
Abandoning them for the sake of a friend who might have already crossed the river would be nothing short of betrayal. It was an unacceptable choice as their lord and companion.
"But... I'll have to take a look inside the castle."
If there was really no hope even after retreating to the castle where Dante was located, if there was no way to save him, then he would unconditionally retreat. Jin was saying that.
"My lord, retreating from the castle might become more difficult."
"No, I have to go to the castle to increase everyone's chances of survival. My clan won't be able to observe inside the castle, so they will definitely send someone."
In fact, Rosa had already given the order to Stam, the leader of the Black Knights, to save Jin.
The people of Runcandel might not care about anyone's life other than Jin's, but if they fought Octavia, it would inevitably make the group's escape easier.
Another titan who was still maintaining neutrality, the master of hidden palace Talaris Endorma, might also be inside the castle.
Above all.
Jin was recalling an old memory. The day his first sister, Luna Runcandel, cut down Demon God's orb. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that Ron could not cut.
Runcandel, Talaris and Ron. Among the three, Runcandel's intervention was definitive, so there was no reason not to check the inside castle, and Valkas agreed.
By then, Octavia had completed her recovery. The light magic and chain magic were flying towards the group once again.
Boom-!
Valkas stepped forward and slashed the beam that fell on Jin.
"I will protect the rear with the sword saints. My Lord, please head to the inside of the castle as quickly as possible with the rest of the group."
* * *
The eyes were empty, and a grotesquely twisted black face took the place of the sky.
It was a face protruding from the Demon God's orb. Kiek, Kiek-! It was screaming incessantly, as if it was in great agony to expose its face to the world.
Maybe it wasn't a scream, but a threatening roar towards the enemies, or maybe it was just a senseless, meaningless scream.
One thing was clear; the eerie and terrifying voice overwhelmed everyone in the Sword Emperor castle. felt his entire body becoming heavy as he stared directly at the face of Demon god's orb.
He had never seen anything more terrible than this in his life. It wasn't just a feeling that came from the hideous shape, but an inexplicably deep and dark energy that colored the battlefield.
'Zipfel made something like that… Are you saying that's created by humans?'
Until now, he had faced Kelliark and Zipfel's fleet alone and had not wavered an inch.
But not now.
I can't....
It seemed impossible to tell. It seemed that if there was someone in the world who could cut that, it had to be Chiron, not him.
Ron was 'certain' that no one else would be able to cut it if it wasn't him. He was certain that Chiron could because Ron was a martial artist closest to the domain of genesis knight.
'Dante, my grandson.'
Dante's face came to his mind.
The thought that he might not be able to protect his grandson, and if that were to happen, what he could do for his grandson.
There was only one thing.
'If I can't protect you, I will make sure that you can return alive.'
Ron held Rashid.
He gathered his emotions and his willpower to push away the certainty of defeat. If he fights without pushing away that conviction, nothing will change.
Shortly after, Ron was able to face the Demon God's orb again with the same eyes as usual.
"Ron Hairan. I never thought I would use this power against you."
Kelliark said as he floated in front of the Demon God's orb face.
He looked completely different from before. He looked like a young boy, not a gray-haired old man.
And Ron intuitively knew that it was a phenomenon caused by the assimilation of Kelliark and the Demon God's orb.
"It's a sign of respect."
"How can a monster show respect to a human, Kelliark Zipfel. You are no longer the human I used to know. The fact that I once competed with you on a human-to-human basis is disgusting."
Kelliark smiled bitterly at those words.
"I understand."
Hroti was dyed black. It was a dark and deep black color that would not be unreasonable even if it was stained with shadow force.
"The only consideration I can offer you is to make it easy for you to rest."
A black flash of light extended from Hroti. The black flash has no sound or presence. Like a shadow sword that has reached its peak.
At the same time, Ron also swung Rashid.
However, Ron didn't perceive it as happening 'at the same time.' He felt that his reaction was delayed by a second, even less than a moment.
The black flash broke through the huge formless sword that spread between them so easily and reached Ron.
Thanks to the formless sword slowing down the progress even a little bit, Ron was able to overcome the time difference and completely cut off the black flash.
Swoosh-!
The moment Rashid and the black flash collided, a strange sound was heard.
And Ron, who was confident that he had deflected it, suddenly felt the black flash brushing past his cheek.
Something that should never have happened at his level.
Keyaaa, Kieeek!
The Demon God's orb scream sounded like it was laughing at Ron.
Ron wiped the blood trickling down his cheek with a stern expression. Above his palm ash-colored patterns were emerging like runes.
He opened the sword of the overlord.
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Ron's aura turned gray.
The unpleasant sensation of being consumed by the dark power began, and his vision darkened.
The great body, which had been trained for all of his life without a single apostle, now exuded a dark and ominous aura.
The formless sword also lost its unique transparent color and began to emit a murky gray color. As a result, it lost its uniqueness of being invisible, but its power was so huge that it did not become a weakness in the first place.
The mages of Zipfel could now realize how vast the pressure from the Formless Sword was once it took a visible form.
The sky and the ground were filled with a gray sword aura. In addition, as soon as the Sword of Overlord was opened, the power increased even more, and no matter where they looked, it was filled with gray blades.
But now, the mages of Zipfel were not afraid of him.
The power of the Demon God's orb that was opened was strengthening not only Kelliark Zipfel, but also Zipfel's other mages and fleet.
The dragons roared incessantly. It was because they lost their temper due to the energy of the Demon God's orb, but they did not attack their allies. They waited for orders like a well-trained fighting dog. An order to bite the enemy.
Gaaaaa-!
Except for Kelliark, it was Beloit who showed the most overwhelming presence.
With the energy of the Demon God's orb, Beloit vomited black fire, and the heat that was incomparably stronger pushed away the nearby gray sword energies.
Hoo....
Ron slowly picked his breath and took the stance. The pattern of the newly engraved Sword of Overlord slightly covered his thin body.
His condition was far from perfect. That's why the Sword of Overlord couldn't last longer like the sword saints, but that didn't matter.
The fight probably wouldn't have been too long.
Suddenly, Ron Hairan felt that there was something in common between the Demon God's orb and the 'white stone', which constantly screamed Keek, Keak, and terrible sounds.
The White Stone, the greatest enemy of the patriarch of Hairan.
An ominous stone, a wedge pointing to the end, and the previous patriarch of Hairan have referred to the white stone with many names like that. No one knew the stone's true name, and no one had been able to cut it.
The significance of the stone's existence, which passed down only from patriarch to patriarch, was in 'cutting'. Only when you reach the level where you can cut it, can you stand tall in the history of Hairan.
And yet, there was no one in Hairan who had managed to cut the stone.
In the end, the stone drove Hairan into crisis, still whispering the language of destruction while keeping Dante imprisoned.
Demon God's orb was also like that.
The white stone and the Demon God's orb. If he doesn't cut them down, Hairan will disappear from the world as of today.
"Come, you shameless monsters."
Suaaagh-!
As Ron raised Rashid, it seemed as if a gray mountain suddenly rose in front of the sword emperor castle. Sword aura formed a barrier in the place of the collapsed and broken walls.
Black flashes were shooting from Hroti again. That black power went through the layers of gray barriers again without hesitation.
However, before Kelliark could confirm that the black flash was reaching Ron, he had to face a sharp blade flying through a crack in the gray barrier.
However, the sword energy quickly dissipated before it touched Kelliark's face. Just like dust disappears before it even touches the fire.
The power of the Demon God's orb was protecting Kelliark and the fleet. In an instant, more than a hundred sword aura fired one after another, disappeared in the same way.
Kelliark slowly reached out his hand to the afterimage left behind by the vanished sword aura. He could only feel the weak heat generated by the power of the Demon God's orb that offset the sword aura.
He didn't take action to defend in earnest, or to avoid it. Even though Kelliark only showed a slight will not to be hit, it completely blocked Ron's sword aura.
'... Chiron, have you always felt this way when you see those opposing you?'
Kelliark thought as he swung Hroti again.
The gray swords that Ron fired were being torn apart mercilessly every time he stretched out his Hroti.
The attacks of mages, dragons, and fleets, which had been constantly blocked by the formless sword, were much more effective than before. Ron had not dodged any of their attacks even once until the Demon God's orb was opened.
Before the attack approached him, he either cut them with a formless sword wind or blocked them while standing in place.
But now, Ron was pouring sweat as he walked back and forth between the castle wall and the gray aura he had formed.
Ron did not dwell on this fact.
He just silently held his sword, surveyed the battle, and counterattacked whenever he had the chance.
As each second passed, the scars were growing above the engraved pattern of the Sword of Overlord.
[Kia-ah!]
Like a tidal wave, the black fire of Beloit rushed into the castle. The gray barrier exploded and 30% of the wall on the left side was completely destroyed, and Ron blocked Beloit from entering the gap.
As Beloit charged, the space distorted, creating a shockwave and a roar. Ron's Rashid, which swung head-on, slammed down at Beloit's head, but did not cut it. It was as if swords clashed and were fighting for strength.
When the clash was over, Beloit was the first to retreat, but it was Ron who was bleeding. A handful of warm, hot blood flowed back up his throat.
"Kah...!"
He spat out blood, and before it could touch the ground, black fire and flashes covered Ron. Fire pierced his chest and flashes pierced his shoulders.
Because of this, the fleet and dragons bombarded him as soon as he calmed down for a while. It was the first time he had been subjected to such a one-sided attack after earning the name Sword Emperor.
Kiiii...…!
The Demon's God's orb continued to laugh at Ron. The mages of Zipfel, the dragons, and Beloit felt that way. They were already intoxicated with victory and madness.
But Kelliark thought differently.
'Is the Demon God's orb...… feeling uneasy? Did it judge Ron is still a threat?'
Kelliark couldn't immediately figure out why.
The battle was really overwhelmingly one-sided. Even though Ron still had some power left, Kelliark was still only using part of the Demon God's orb's power.
Even if he didn't understand it, he had no doubts. There were currently over thirty gods dwelling in the Demon God's orb, and the total sum of their wills produced an absolute conclusion.
Kelliark's gaze fell to the ground. He saw Jin and his group, who had just entered the castle to escape the aftermath of the battle, and Octavia and the Spectres pursuing them.
Ron was unable to use his full strength to prevent the impact from reaching there.
'Maybe it's because of the divine power of the shadow that dwells in Jin Runcandel.'
The Demon God's Orb was superior to what Andrei had, but it was not yet in perfect condition.
Shadow.
The Demon God's orb could never be completed unless the power of the Solderet was obtained. Even if the power of all the gods except him and the gods who have already died or disappeared were combined.
"Where are you looking, Kelliark!"
Ron's blade broke through the barrage and came right in front of Kelliark.
Unlike before, this sword energy couldn't be casually dispelled with a mere will. As he swung the Hroti to erase the sword energy, his wrist felt sore.
It was surprising that he could feel pain even though he had assimilated with the Demon God's orb.
He thought that perhaps the ancient race that vanished after resisting the gods had also provoked the wrath of the gods in a similar manner.
"Don't worry. For now, killing you is the priority."
Wow...!
Like a tumor, spheres of black fire began to form in the sky.
The five Annihilating Dark Sky Flame Orb transformed by Kelliark and strengthened by the Demon God's orb was aimed at Ron. In terms of simple power, it was superior to Riol's Legacy 2nd version.
Even when Ron saw that, he did not withdraw the power used for ground defense. Kelliark narrowed his eyebrows as if displeased.
"Did my words sound like lies?"
Following Kelliark's staff, a black flame orb first fell into the Sword Emperor Castle. Beloit continues to pressure Ron to prevent him from avoiding the Black Flame orb.
But Ron had no intention of avoiding it in the first place.
Shhhh...!
The gray Rashid made a low resonant sound, and the pattern of the Sword of Overlord engraved on Ron's body grew thicker. Ron's gray eyes were firm and steady as he looked up at Beloit and the black flame orb.
Sword Emperor, 1st decisive killing move.
Rashid gave off a gray glow.
Enormous energy engulfed the darkness spread all over the place and it's enough to cause even Beloit to reflexively retreat, who was strengthened with the Demon God's orb.
The gray light that gushed endlessly from the sword emperor took its place, revealing the majesty of the Overlord, and at that moment, the expression of the Demon God's orb floating like an ominous moon wavered.
'This sword is like….'
Kelliark couldn't help but think of a sword he had faced long ago.
The Sword of Overlord was originally a sword modeled after the sword of Runcandel, for the decisive battle against Runcandel.
That's why all the Swords of Overlord resemble Runcandel, but that doesn't mean that they are just clumsy imitations of unblessed bodies.
The Sword of Overlord was made to defeat Runcandel.
Meteor destroyer.
It resembles the Runcandel 3rd decisive killing move meteor shower.
The sword that Kelliark recalled was the third decisive killing move of Runcandel, which was directly used by Chiron, and the first decisive killing move of Sword of Overlord.
It was a sword forged to overcome the meteor shower of Runcandel.
The air was split in half along the direction of Rashid's trajectory. The gray sword aura rising from the gap took away the space that the black flames had engulfed, and took control again.
Kaaaaaaaaa!
The voice of the Demon God's Orb carried a thicker sense of anxiety and rage than before. It seemed to say, "Do you dare to think that humans are allowed to possess such power?"
Beloit pulled back and roared. It was impossible to block the gray aura of the gushing meteor destroyer.
As soon as Beloit evaded, Kelliark dropped the remaining four flame orb at once, but speed did not come out because of repulsive power.
It wasn't that much, but they were scattered before they even reached the wall. The five flame orb had already lost their power and their form could not be called an orb.
"You just said a moment ago that you didn't know you would use the power of the Demon God's orb against me....… The same goes for me.."
"It's not just a hidden power... by any chance, are you growing stronger as you face me?"
Kelliark narrowed his eyes in such conviction, and Ron, holding a handful of scattering black flames, clenched his fist, extinguishing them.
"No matter how this fight ends today... You and I will lose a lot. And the real winner won't be you or me. It will be the children."
555
* * *
The recovered Octavia and the Spectre Corps fiercely pursued Jin and his group.
Valkas and the Sword Saints who were supposed to be in charge of the rear were already exhausted, but fortunately Ron's gray sword aura was scattered all over the path to the castle.
Strangely, his sword aura did not block allies at all, only oppressing the Spectre Corps. Just as a divine being gives help only to those who receive its protection.
Octavia's tremendous mobility was also obscured by the gray sword aura and losing its light. Thanks to this, the group moved toward the castle more easily than expected.
That doesn't mean they were moving fast. In the sky, the shock waves of the giants exploded non-stop, and the ground turned upside down and screamed every time they stepped on it.
As the battle between Ron and Kelliark intensified, the aftermath was being transmitted to the sword emperor castle. And for the most part, Octavia and the Spectres had to endure it.
It was a strange formation. The Spectre Corps seemed to be covering the retreating Jin and his group like an umbrella.
Octavia couldn't help but burst into anger. Since the ground battle began, she and the Spectre Corps had been taking more damage from Ron and Kelliark's battle.
'Sir Hedo said that he seemed to be a human being whom Heaven cherished... it seems like endless luck is favoring me.'
-If Heaven is favoring you, it's probably because your father has become Heaven itself.
Just like what Hedo said to Jin in the Sota Desert, Octavia felt the same way. Strangely enough, Jin seemed to be lucky.
Of all things, the giants' battlefield caused more damage to themselves with their backs to the sky, and as soon as the battle started, reinforcements called Misha came at the right time, and they couldn't put an end to it even after they were strengthened with Demon God's orb.
Again.
Octavia couldn't help but feel a sense of impending doom. A dirty intuition was sticking in her mind, suggesting that they might not be able to kill Jin and his group.
It felt like something was about to pop out from somewhere. Someone to help the cornered Jin's group.
'Shit…!'
Even if it wasn't enough, Valkas and the Sword Saints hadn't fallen yet was horrific.
The Black King leader and the Sword Saints were of course very strong, but they were by no means comparable to herself and the Spectres. Even if they were able to withstand the shock of the giants, they should have already been dealt with.
Especially the five Sword Saints.
At a glance, they already looked like corpses. Their faces were not just gray but almost black, and the swords they swung while retreating were not as sharp as before.
Still, they didn't die. The chest was pierced, so this will be the end, the running speed will be slowed down, the leg will be broken, and now they should fall...….
Octavia can't count how many times she has missed all those expectations.
With a battered body, they wielded their sword almost as if they were floundering, but why and how could they keep defending the rear, even against herself and the Spectre Corps!
There were moments when the consciousness of Sword Saints flickered like a flashing magic light.
Inner castle was getting closer.
After the Demon god's orb was opened, the sword emperor castle lost most of its castle shape.
However, the inner castle was still almost the same as the first time.
Between the collapsed buildings and the broken ground, the only intact inner castle was somehow exuding a sublime aura.
It gave the feeling that something precious, which must be protected even if the world falls apart, was right here.
However, even Ron could not block Octavia from hitting it directly. If Jin's group and the Spectres enter the castle, the inner castle will eventually collapse.
"You can't pass, Zipfels…."
The sword saints stopped retreating in front of the castle. Jin and his companions paused and looked back at them.
They could tell without even saying it.
We will buy time one last time, check on Dante, and if possible, if possible... take him with you.
The backs of the Sword Saints were saying that. Anyway, among them, there was no one who can live even if they receive treatment right now.
Sacrifice, truly terrible.
"Yes, the right choice... It's going to be really hard to have meaning now."
Octavia said in a low, hateful voice. She and the Spectre Corps were aiming their staffs at the Sword Saints.
As she said, the miracle of the Sword Saints, which had continued hundreds of times until now, was about to end here.
Jin turned around and took a step towards the Sword Saints. Pulling out the blue pale sword, Sigmund.
'My Lord… !'
'Lord Jin!'
Jin's companions feel the same way as him. They also did not want to move on to the next step by stepping on the sacrifice of their companions.
But they had to make a rational decision. This must have been something the sword saints also didn't want. Feeling the energy of Jin getting closer to them, they also wanted to shout, "please just leave."
That's why all of his companions had to stop Jin, but Jin wasn't just losing his mind and heading to the sword saints because of his emotions.
Won't you come forward even if I do this?
Runcandel, Jin was asking his own clan by his action.
'Whoever comes from the clan. If I fight with them, even executing my Plutonian reign sword here, you won't know that it's not just the Sword saints who will die.'
It was a kind threat, and as always.
Jin was able to achieve what he wanted.
The moment when Octavia and the Spectres' magic rained down on the Sword saints and Jin's companions tried to forcefully bring him back.
A group of knights who were hiding in the fire blocked the front of Jin and the sword saints. There were five Black Knights.
'Again, do you really mean again…!'
Octavia gritted her teeth and glared at the black knights.
-Do you think Runcandel will come out to save me, Octavia Zipfel?
-I'm sure. Now you have such a position in Runcandel.
Just as she had a conversation with Jin as soon as they met on the ground, in fact, Octavia had in mind from the beginning that Runcandel's support would come.
Even so, the reason she was shocked was because she was just sick and tired of it.
The fact that the situation was created in favor of Jin every time made her blood flow backwards.
Aww-!
The swords of the knights cut the magic of Octavia and the Spectres. They, too, must have endured the might of the giants along the way, but they showed no sign of fatigue.
On the contrary, one of the sword aura was stronger than any active black knight Jin had ever seen and blocked his front in an instant.
Jin's companions could breathe a sigh of relief, and Jin finally felt a bit of satisfaction at that moment.
He wasn't just pretending to fight alongside Sword saints, but it was a prelude to knowing that the black knights would never have stepped up if he hadn't really shown his willingness to participate in the battle again.
"The 12th flagbearer."
Stam's calm and heavy voice remained undisturbed even amid the chaotic battlefield.
Jin had never heard Stam's voice and had no idea about his status, but he knew it instinctively. The fact that he was the leader of the Runcandel Black Knights.
"To think you'd pull me out like this, you always have a knack for surprising clan members."
Stam's sword created a fierce resonant sound and pushed away other energy around it. As soon as he appeared, Octavia and the Spectres had no choice but to change their formation again from pursuit to a battle.
"Stam... Didn't Rosa Runcandel come in person?"
Stam didn't answer Octavia and looked back at Jin and the others. As if there was no problem at all even if there was Spectres in front of him.
For a few seconds, Stam's gaze moved back and forth between Jin and the others and the unbroken inner castle. In the end, it landed on the battered Sword Saints.
Before being a Black Knight, before being a human, he was a martial artist. He felt a deep respect for them.
"Thanks to the 12th flagbearer, I can pay my respects to you all. It's not my intention, but it's an honor to help you in your final moments."
Even if you were moved by them as a martial artist and wanted to help them as a human, the original mission and clan were the first priority for the black knights.
Therefore, it was not very appropriate to step forward now, but considering Jin's injury or death, he couldn't help it.
"... Sir Stam, definitely. The day will come when Hairan will repay the favor. Even if it takes a thousand years."
Stam and the Black Knights appeared, but the death of the Sword saints was already inevitable.
Jin was aware of this fact. The reason he forcibly brought in the clan was because it was necessary. Realistically, he knew better than anyone else that the sword saints alone would not be able to buy them enough time.
Stam nodded and met Jin's eyes.
"Go, 12th flagbearer."
He didn't make a request for Stam to create time for farewells with the Sword Saints.
Since the battle on the ground began, Jin and his companions had already said farewell to the Sword saints.
The fight itself was like a long farewell to them.
For once, Jin and his companions caught sight of the backs of the sword masters and turned to the castle again.
As they left, Octavia wasn't able to capture them.
"A little while ago, you asked if Madame Rosa hadn't come in person, Octavia Zipfel."
Stam pointed his sword and continued to talk.
"Be thankful that Madame Rosa chose to send me in her stead."
Stam's disdainful voice pierced Octavia's lungs.
* * *
Dante Hiran.
In an inner war with the white stone, he was walking on an endless gray path.
How much time had passed, why he was here in the first place, what he was resisting against... he couldn't remember those things now.
Am I doing well...?
He vividly recalled the fact that he had engaged in an intense struggle, a fight so fierce that it seemed impossible to express in words. But now, he felt calm.
He could no longer hear the voice that had seduced him, the voice that he didn't know why, but he didn't think he should ever follow.
I'm doing great. And, I got over it...
Suddenly, such a thought sprouted like a horn, and his steps became lighter. He didn't know what he had overcome, but somehow good things seemed to happen if he kept walking.
After going through that gray area for so long, Dante was able to hear a new voice.
Dante...!
Dante!
It was not a tempting voice that he thought he should never pass over, but a completely different, very friendly and familiar voice.
It was the voice of a friend.
'Jin!'
Dante smiled broadly and started running towards the direction of Jin's voice.
The voice kept getting closer before he got too far, and he saw a door standing out of nowhere in the gray ground.
He put his hand on the door.
'By the way, even if I open it and go out... Is it okay?'
Suddenly, an unknown feeling of uneasiness filled his heart that was beating with joy.
Dante!
He heard his friend's urgent voice once more, and Dante opened the door, stopping his troubled thoughts.
And as soon as he stepped out of the door, White Stone looked at the wide open door and thought:
Finally,
I can go out.