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* * *
Before the start of the second battle, the black knights that Rosa sent to inform Chiron about the situation were not able to meet him.
No matter how quickly they traveled, reaching the depths of the Black Sea within two days was impossible, and, above all, Chiron's expedition team had already entered the territory of the 5 kings of the Black Sea. This meant complete isolation from the outside world.
The territory of the 5 kings of the Black Sea was not a land belonging to the human world, but a huge subspace prepared for them.
The sun did not set there, and no shadows or footprints were left on the black ground. It was filled only with endless darkness, without distinction between day and night.
The only thing to eat were monsters that occasionally popped out of the darkness and attacked the group, or more precisely 'remnants of chaos'.
Chiron, Luna, former and current black knights, and a legendary monster that talk a lot were all walking on that deep and black land.
[Ha, these jingling and tasteless bastards. Knights! The meal is ready, I tried my best to cook, but since the ingredients are what they are, the taste is not that great today... Oops, sorry. Please don't hit me!]
Ozdock turned the plate of monster food (made by Ozdock's ability) and crouched down with an exaggerated gesture.
Of course, it is true that Ozdock had been assaulted by Tuben and knights since he was captured.
However, since then, he behaved well and was rarely beaten, and thanks to Chiron's recognition of his usefulness, he was proudly recognized as a member of the expedition team.
Although not perfect, Ozdock's memories of the Black Sea were certainly helping the expedition. Without him, it would have taken them much longer to find the territory of the Black Sea 5 Kings.
So, Ozdock was now making a joke. Unfortunately, no one reacted to his desperate attempt to lighten the mood.
[Ha, haha. Enjoy your meal!]
Ozdock stood up and scratched the back of his head shyly. Luna and the knights sat down and silently chewed and swallowed their portions. It sounded like a wild beast gnawing bones.
'Ugh... I'm suffocating. How long has this atmosphere been going on? Damn it.'
Ozdock sighed inwardly as he watched them eat.
He didn't eat the food he made. In the first place, meals meant nothing to him unless it was gold.
However, Ozdock had another important reason for not eating monsters.
The remnants of chaos.
It was because after entering the territory of the 5 kings of the Black Sea, there was something about the energy called 'chaos'. Ozdock was recovering his old memories bit by bit.
'Chaos, it never lets go once it clings to life in any form. Until the target becomes a completely insane monster....'
Temar Runcandel.
He also remembered hearing rumors that even he, the patriarch of Runcandel a thousand years ago, had been consumed by chaos and had become a monster.
Chaos was a force that should be avoided not only by humans, but by all living beings.
'Everyone must have already accumulated quite a bit of chaos. I hope it doesn't drive them crazy and kill me. Seeing that they can eat and fight without any hindrance, it seems okay for now...!'
All Ozdock could do was to hope that such a thing would not happen while keeping an eye on the situation. As he thought, Luna and the knights were busy pushing the chaos that was accumulating in them.
In this land, survival required constant struggle against chaos, even without battles.
[Hmmm! By the way, I am a bit worried. Since the day before yesterday, there haven't been any monsters attacking at all, so there might be a problem with food. This is quite troublesome, I can't even go out to look for it.]
"Ozdock."
[Heuk!]
The reason Ozdock was so surprised was because Chiron called him.
After entering the territory of the 5 kings, all the members of the expedition team became less talkative as they fought off the energy of chaos, but Chiron was especially severe.
It was rare for even a simple command or order to come out of his mouth. Chiron almost did not feel like a living person.
[Huh, I showed such a pathetic sight. I'm sorry, old man.]
"You are doing very well."
Ozdock had no choice but to open his eyes wide at Chiron's unexpected praise.
He didn't know how to answer, so he lowered his head and bowed to an elder. In his life of about two thousand years, he wondered if anything greater than this had happened.
'Praise!? Uh, from old man, to this Ozdock!'
Chiron really thought Ozdock was doing well.
In this terrifying land, he constantly jokes, cooks casually with monster corpses, and occasionally hums to himself.
In other words, it was impossible for 'humans' to maintain the universal emotions of an intelligent body. Ozdock's actions were helping the knights to push back the chaos.
He was helping to keep their emotions as humans.
'When we return, I should reward the youngest more generously.'
Chiron's gaze reached into the darkness beyond.
The fact that Ozdock was worried about food, saying he couldn't see a monster, and how his daughter and knights had been concentrating for the past few days without uttering even the slightest word.
There was a reason why he was looking in that direction.
5 kings of the black sea.
The time had finally come to confront one of them.
"Luna."
"Yes, Father."
"The battle will start soon. If you can't endure, hide behind me."
Luna was well aware that Chiron, her father, was most affected by this terrible chaos. Not only her but all the knights were aware of it.
Unlike the others, Chiron had already been fighting chaos before entering the subspace, and it was something that Luna and knights could not even imagine.
For the first time.
Luna felt a sense of pity for her father. No, perhaps she had felt sorry for him for a long time.
It wasn't until she came to this land that she began to understand her father and herself as she looked at him.
"I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen."
At Luna's answer, Chiron smiled faintly.
The knights set down their plates. Then, as they moved towards Chiron, they patted Ozdock on the head or shoulder.
Then, as if it had been waiting.
The darkness in the field of view of the expedition team grew even thicker, and Ozdock could do nothing but slump down. His legs gave out, weakened by the overwhelming force.
'Oh, the king of the Black Sea….!'
Five Kings of the Black Sea.
One of them was revealing great chaos towards the expedition team. Ozdock was overwhelmed by the energy and couldn't even breathe, but all the knights stood upright and faced head-on.
Seureung.…..
Barisada slowly came out of the sheath. Chaos, which had been flocking like a tidal wave, stopped due to the light that began to spread from Barisada.
Chiron was the only one in the expedition who had directly fought against the Black Sea Kings.
Chiron knew the countless eyes looking down at him and the expedition from beyond the darkness, symbolized.
"Kial, it's you."
Kial.
The name of the king of Black Sea, whom the expedition first encountered. Soon, thousands or tens of thousands of eyes were all focused on one person.
[Chiron Runcandel. You've managed to come this far with that heavy fate....]
A dark, eerie voice echoed through the subspace.
The demonic creatures in the depths of the Black Sea that they had dealt with so far and the remnants of chaos they had killed in subspace were nothing more than dust when compared to Kail. Even monsters that occasionally posed a challenge to Luna and the former Black knights were no match.
Chiron didn't answer and slowly moved towards Kial. Every time he took a step, the energy of chaos that had been pressuring the expedition was pushed toward Kial.
[Judging by the atmosphere, it seems you didn't come here in response to the proposal we made back then.]
Proposal. Kial and other kings of the Black Sea wanted Chiron to join them.
[Do you want to have the same result as your ancestors?]
"Whether back then or now, my only task is to cut you down. I won't become a fragment of a broken object."
Orb of origin.
The five Kings of the Black Sea are all fragments of the broken Orb of Origin. And the kings of the Black Sea could not come close to each other except under special circumstances.
It was because of the lingering will of the gods that remained within the broken Orb of Origin.
So, the kings of the Black Sea want only one thing: a medium that would reunite them without any restrictions. A person who could sever the lingering will of the gods imprinted like a stigma.
That person was none other than Chiron.
[You know better than anyone else that your wish cannot come true, foolish....]
Suddenly, Kial narrowed his eyes and stopped talking. He seemed very upset about something.
Not only Kial, but Chiron also showed a momentary surprise. He felt the same sensation as Kial.
What they recognized at the same time was that another King of Black Sea had awakened.
Not in this subspace, but in the human world.
Soon, Chiron's face contorted, and Kial narrowed his eyes and let out a gloomy laugh.
[Finally… I found you. You were outside, my brother, Glyek!]
Glyek, Kial, Nirgand, Seu, and Morganiel.
Among the five kings of the Black Sea, Chiron had not met Glyek in person, and the other kings also did not know his whereabouts.
He was the white stone of Hairan.
It was the fifth fragment of the Orb of Origin.
Chiron swung his sword at Kial, who expressed joy, and Kial let out a triumphant roar even as his body was slashed.
***
Pazuzzut-! Chichiching...!
As soon as Jin and his group entered the castle, the first sight they saw was the indescribably gigantic and solid ice sheet covering Dante's seal and the entire interior.
It was a scene where this formidable ice was shattering violently under some dark force.
Talaris had kept the inner castle safe since not long after the second war began, but even she could not prevent the chaos seal from being broken.
"Madame Talaris!"
"The master of the hidden palace!"
Blood flowed from the corners of Talaris' mouth as she fell towards the group. The black energy that was released from the seal spread in all directions with no sign of stopping even after being crushed by the power of myriad ice.
The inner castle that Ron and knights of Hairan had painstakingly guarded disappeared without a trace in an instant.
At that moment, Jin couldn't help but recall what Talaris had said to him.
-In some ways... Maybe it's a relief that Zipfel's main force is on its way, and Runcandel is nearby. If the Chaos of the White Stone awakens, they have no choice but to fight it, whether they like it or not. If it's not them and us, no one can stop it anyway.
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"Retreat!"
Talaris quickly regained her stance.
In place of the inner castle, a huge barrier of ice spread out in all directions, and it was close to Talaris' full strength, except for the power used to bound Elona Zipfel's seal.
However, the energy of chaos easily tore through it. The progress of the chaos that hit it and Jin's group could be delayed a little, but that was all.
"Kahak!"
Talaris once again spat out blood and opened her eyes wide. Her eyes twitched, and her grip on the sword trembled.
It wasn't trembling out of fear, but it wasn't without apprehension.
The tidal wave of chaos pouring from white stone was so vast that even she could not fathom it.
-It may be hard to believe, but if you can smelt and use that white stone, it has the power to support all the magic equipment of the empire and make the empire many times stronger in an instant.
The testimony of the traitor Tion Hairan.
-Now, it has already been proven that large-scale reinforcements are coming. The white stone is an indispensable thing for them. But we still don't know what it is.
Rosa's evaluation.
- The previous master of the hidden palace left a record saying that Hairan had one thing that could be a threat to the world. Our hidden palace presumes that the item Hairan has is the witch Helluram.
-... It is a seal that can withstand even the absolute power of myriad ice. Do you understand what this means? It means that there is a chaos that even I cannot handle.
Talaris' speculation.
All those stories were either wrong or incomplete. What was sleeping in the white stone was an existence far beyond their expectations.
King of the Black Sea, Glyek.
The Fifth Ruler of Chaos.
The only one who knew its true identity was Kinzelo. Even Kelliark did not expect that what was sealed in the white stone was Glyek.
Myriad ice gave off a dazzling radiance. Its energy, which would normally light up the entire area, was as feeble as a candle in the face of Glyek's chaos.
The Myriad Ice Sword unfolded. If she hesitated even for a moment, at that instant, neither she nor Jin's group would be safe.
3rd maneuver Avalanche, 4th maneuver Frost Crush, 10th maneuver Glacier Slash. A ghostly white sword, imbued with the essence of Talaris, stretched out into the gathering chaos.
Chaos was taking all the myriad ice's attacks as if it were funny.
'The White Stone was the king of the Black Sea… !'
Chi-i-!
The myriad ice assimilated even more into Talaris, releasing a harsh resonant sound like a roar.
The rushing chaos showed signs of slowing down for the first time at that time.
Myriad Ice Sword Ultimate technique
White
As Talaris slammed myriad ice into the ground, mountain-like ice flowers bloomed everywhere.
The absurdly sharp and hard glacial ice engulfed the space with a speed close to light.
Talaris shivered and dark blood flowed ceaselessly from her mouth and nose. Along with Elona's seal, she had been protecting the rampage of white stone alone, so even Talaris could not help but feel overwhelmed.
Huh, huh, and Talaris breathed heavily, amplifying the energy of ultimate technique, White.
It seemed to be a struggle with chaos. She was desperately blocking the chaos that was trying to come out by crushing the sword of White.
"Damn it... Why is it here and not in the Black Sea?"
Saying that, Talaris' face turned white. Her hair had already turned disheveled, and sweat poured all over her body, and the sword that formed by the power of White swayed unsteadily as if it would be pulled from the floor at any moment.
Talaris Endorma, the master of the Hidden Palace and the world-class strongman recognized even by Chiron, faced a crisis as soon as the chaos awoke.
"Madame Talaris!"
"Jin, listen carefully. Even if everyone on the battlefield combines their strength... damn it, are those outsiders still not here!"
The space where Talaris was blocking the chaos was extremely limited.
Chaos was already spreading throughout the battlefield beyond the ice formations, although it had not yet broken the ultimate move, White.
Talaris was just buying time.
Time for Ron, Kelliark, Runcandel and Zipfel outside to push the chaos a bit. If the ultimate move was broken inside, it was the end.
"And he, heuk, wants you...!"
The resentment of the King of the Black Sea directed towards the shadow.
Talaris keenly felt that hatred while resisting the chaos. She had such a hard time fending off the chaos, and the hatred was directed at Jin, not herself.
Jin felt the same way.
He intuitively sensed that the chaos was targeting him as soon as it awoke. A hatred so thick that it seemed to have almost a shape, weighed down Jin's whole body.
A feeling of oppression that seemed to petrify his body, as if his father was showing fighting spirit by focusing on himself.
If it wasn't for Talaris, Jin wouldn't have survived this time.
He alone was not able to do anything about it, his companions were tired, and the dragons who had to protect him were not the same as before or their strength was exhausted.
Moreover, the enemy was so huge and strong that it was incomparable to anything Jin and his companions had ever faced, and the time Talaris could hold out was not long.
After the ultimate move, White ended, she needed a break to recover her strength properly and reclaim some of the power used for Elona Zipfel's seal.
If the emperor hadn't made a deal with Zipfel, if Zipfel hadn't revealed such excessive greed, if the world hadn't cornered Hairan and sword emperor castle....
That horrible being would never have woken up in the human world.
Thud, thud.
Blood flowing from Talaris's face left red spots on the frozen ground.
And another problem was emerging within the territory of white that Talaris formed.
[Kaaaaak-! Aaaaaa!]
Suddenly, Amela rolled her eyes and was having seizures.
It was because the chaos within her was reacting to Glyek's energy and running out of control.
If Yona hadn't once trampled her chaos, Amela would have gone mad and attacked her allies within seconds.
[What, what should I do, ahhh!]
Even Lata and Faye were also sitting down and groaning. Even the weak scent of chaos inherited from Smarion was responding to Glyek's power.
"My lord, if I ever attack my companions, do not hesitate to cut me down. Even right now...…my sanity...… is slipping!"
Thunk!
Lata used his willpower by stabbing himself in the thigh and Faye's shoulder, barely catching his consciousness, but he couldn't continue the fight any longer.
"Ghost leader!"
"Lata, Faye!"
The territory of the White was crumbling.
Jin had to judge what he could do.
'At this rate, Madame Talaris and all of my companions are in danger. I have to come up with a way somehow... !'
The shadow sword special move, Black Light Call, was still unavailable.
'Instead, there are Sir Stam and the Black Knights behind me.'
Stam and the Black Knights, just outside the broken castle, were now dealing with chaos, not the Spectres. There was no time to aim swords and staff at each other.
'Sir Stam received orders to save me from the clan. Besides, due to the location, Sir Stam is also assisted by Madame Talaris.'
As expected, Stam was now struggling to enter the territory of white. It was because he judged that none of his companions would be able to defend Jin at the moment the ultimate move white was pierced.
"Madame Talaris, is it possible to reap some of the forces spread to the rear?"
Talaris immediately understood. Before Glyek woke up, she too had sensed the presence of Stam and the Black Knights. She just couldn't think because she was frantically trying to keep the chaos at bay.
"Stam and the Black Knights. But Jin, it's somewhat of a gamble. Chaos will enter as soon as the White in the rear disappears."
Before answering, Jin was eagerly chanting a summoning spell.
To summon his phoenix, which was dedicated to recovery after infusing some of its body's power into Bradamante last year.
It wasn't just a random act of luck.
'As soon as the chaos awakens, the blue flames dwelling in Bradamante reacts intensely. Just like how Tess was forcibly manifested using my power in the old Oterium.'
Jin's earnest wish was answered within seconds.
In the first place, Tess had been preparing for the manifestation right after Glyek was released from the white stone.
Tess hadn't fully recovered its strength yet, but now wasn't the time to argue about that.
Gaaaaagh-!
Tess came out of the summoning circle, revealing the dignity of the owner of the Flame World.
Besides, unlike in the old Oterium, Tess didn't use Jin's power as collateral to bring forth its own abilities. Tess used the authority of the owner of the Flame World to purify some of the chaos that scattered all over the place and use it as a medium.
Tess cannot use chaos as a medium indefinitely. Even for Tess, being exposed to chaos in this way was obviously dangerous, but judged that it was better than risking the life of the contractor.
"Tess!"
"Tess!?"
"Oh, how glad I am to see you!"
Jin, Misha, and Murakan shouted at the same time, and when Tess appeared, the chaos that once again weighed down ice formation showed signs of retreating.
At the same time, Talaris broke some of the ice formation in the rear, and Stam and the Black Knights entered.
Octavia and the Spectres were nowhere to be seen. They were retreating towards the main unit to escape the chaos.
"12th flagbearer!"
"Fortunately, you're unharmed!"
Crack-!
Then, the ice formation in the front exploded and shattered, and the chaos that had faltered poured inside.
Stam and Black knights stepped forward without hesitation and swung their swords on Talaris' behalf, though they did not act to save her or other allies. The situation simply didn't allow for rescuing only Jin.
In any case, thanks to them, Talaris could catch her breath for a moment, and Jin and his companions could hear the voices of the two people shouting and giving orders from outside.
"All Knights of Runcandel, protect the 12th flagbearer, by all means!"
"Secure Jin Runcandel, he must not be consumed by chaos!"
Rosa Runcandel and Kelliark Zipfel.
Following the orders of their respective leader, all members of Runcandel and Zipfel were throwing themselves to save Jin.
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As soon as Glyek woke up, the ongoing war outside naturally came to an end. Kelliark and Ron, too, had no choice but to fend off the chaos energy that swept the battlefield.
Runcandel, who had been observing the situation, could no longer remain idle.
As soon as Glyek woke up, his power spread its influence even to the location where Runcandels were hiding, and the option of escape was not available.
It was because Jin was inside it. Although Rosa waited for Zipfel and Hairan to face defeat or came for negotiations, Jin's death was absolutely excluded in Rosa's calculations.
Above all.
Those on the battlefield could instinctively sense that if they didn't defeat the awakened King of the Black Sea right here and now, the next sequence would inevitably lead to the end of the world or a catastrophe of equal magnitude.
Rosa and Kelliark also realized why Kinzelo had not participated in this crucial battle until now.
'Kinzelo, those bastards knew that white stone was the king of the Black Sea.'
'... Now I get it. That's why Ron suffered such a serious injury. It was because the King of the Black Sea reacted to the energy of the leader of Kinzelo that's left in Ron's wounds.'
Rosa and Kelliark thought about this while gritting their teeth.
Both were correct. Kinzelo knew the identity of the white stone, so they called it a bomb, and Ron's injury was deepened as Glyek reacted to the power of Kinzelo's leader.
Roaring-!
Deep blue flames gushed from the chaos on the ground. As soon as Rosa and Kelliark saw the flames, they sighed in relief inwardly.
It was because the flames were proof that Jin was still alive.
Rosa had to save Jin. Now that Jin had become the influential next patriarch externally in place of Joshua, and if she lost Jin, then information about Hister and Temar will be lost again.
Kelliark also needed to save Jin. If Jin were to die, he'll somehow be able to retrieve Solderet's powers, but it's a different story if he gets 'eaten' by the King of the Black Sea.
Kelliark will be unable to complete the 'Demon God's orb' forever.
A storm of chaos raged.
The Demon God's orb hanging in the sky trembled with a distorted face. Keye, keyee...… A low voice soaked in fear mixed with the chaos and gradually disappeared.
What the Demon God's orb feared was not Ron, but Glyek. It was the countless gods sealed within Demon God's orb...… The fragments of the Orb of Origin that they broke themselves because they could not handle the power.
Chiing!
Rosa's sword, 'Frenzy', was dyed white aura and created a sharp resonating sound. A mist-like aura protected the Runcandel knights behind her.
Unlike Talaris, Rosa was able to fight without any restrictions. Thanks to her enlightenment after Jin's patriarch declaration, she was able to unleash a sword comparable to current Ron.
Blazing blade cut through the incoming chaos, and the knights of Runcandel followed her step by step into the storm, slowly forming a defensive formation.
In the sky, Kelliark and Zipfel's fleet was slowly descending to the ground, breaking through the chaos.
The fact that all of them moved to save Jin was definitely something that no one on the battlefield expected.
If Tess hadn't been summoned, Jin wouldn't have prevented the loss of some of his allies.
Blue flames were forming a barrier in place of the broken ultimate technique, White, in front.
The power Tess was exerting now far exceeded the day when it destroyed the Dark Mage Society with a single roar, but now the opponent was Glyek.
Defense alone was unreasonable. Tess didn't know how long even it could go through the unstable catalyst of chaos.
"Whoa, whoa…!"
Breathing heavily, Talaris lifted her head and looked ahead. Maintaining white has now reached its limit, and she retracts her sword, trusting in Jin, Tess, and the Black Knights.
At the same time, all of white ice formation was melted, and Stam and the Black Knights took her place and stepped forward.
'The black energy that touches the blade is as heavy as a mountain. However, the master of the hidden palace is not a person who will exhaust all her strength to this extent, so why is she so tired?'
Talaris spit blood and looked at the backs of the black knights.
"I need time to refine my energy. Hold on until then, Stam. It'll be difficult to break through the retreat route like this, so don't think about taking only Jin."
"I understand, master of the hidden palace."
Talaris sat down upright. Then, dozens of white portals opened around her, and from within her, an energy far exceeding the power that Talaris had used so far flowed out and began to surround her.
'As expected, there was still strength remaining.'
However, the situation was still unfavorable. Stam and the Black Knights also felt it. The chaos energy was targeting none other than Jin.
Why is that targeting me?
Jin had no time to question such things. He had already experienced through Yona that chaos beyond a certain level showed hostility towards him.
Jin moved his steps to Stam's side.
"The 12th flagbearer."
"We will stop it together. We have to hold out until they clear a retreat route from outside, so it shouldn't interfere with your mission, Sir Stam."
Bradamante, imbued with blue flames, mingled with the swords of the Black Knights and began to cut through chaos.
Murakan and Misha also squeezed out their remaining strength and opened the black spear and the curtain, and the companions who had even a little bit of strength left seemed to be clearing out the chaos they couldn't ward off.
No one said a word. Only the clash of swords and chaos reverberated through Tess's flames.
Gradually.
The storm of chaos faded. However, the knights felt that it was not because the Black Sea King's power had weakened, but rather the result of him fully waking up and organizing his strength.
This vast power that turned the whole battlefield into chaos in an instant was nothing more than a prelude.
The real thing will start from now on.
[Ahhh….]
Everyone on the battlefield could clearly hear that voice. A creepy feeling that couldn't be described pierced the hearts of knights and mages.
Then the storm of chaos came to a halt. The energy of chaos that swirled like crazy and stirred the battlefield stopped in place like a painting.
It was only at that moment that people were able to face the true form of Glyek, the King of the Black Sea.
A dark and massive ghost.
The two crushed feet did not touch the ground, but were firmly fixed in the air, and the hundreds of arms attached to the torso were all aimed in all directions while holding spears and swords.
These arms were thick and long enough to reach the broken spires of the Sword Emperor Castle, and the weapons covered the whole sky.
Even the face of the Demon God's orb seemed small compared to him, and the fleet floating in front of him looked like flying insects.
They can't believe that it came out of that small stone...… A giant mass of an unfathomable abyss was overlooking the humans.
However, black eyes were shaking unsteadily just like an alpine tree.
If you look closely without being intimidated by his majesty, you could find a twisted feeling in every part of Glyek, as if something was distorted.
For some reason, he couldn't wake up perfectly. Human world was a land where Glyek should not exist, and he had been sealed away for too long.
But this fact could not console those gathered on the battlefield. Most people didn't even realize that Glyek had been released in an imperfect state from the beginning.
'Is that... the King of the Black Sea?'
5 kings of the Black Sea.
The first time Jin heard about them was when Myuron Zipfel was facing his end.
-I was once the lover of the witch Helluram, the one who shared a cup with the kings of the Tigris mountain, west of the Black Sea...….
At the time of the Colon Incident, a spell casted by Myuron, who was using dark magic to be possessed by the demon king Orgal.
Since that day, Jin had not heard any information about the king of Black Sea anywhere. Even when Talaris explained the chaos directly, she didn't tell him about the kings of Black Sea.
But as soon as Jin faced Glyek's figure, he knew instinctively.
The fact that this terrible being was the reason why his father was so obsessed with the Black Sea.
"I expected it to be part of the chaos and item left behind by Helluram, but Glyek!"
Like Kelliark, Misha also expected the white stone to be the chaos and item of Helluram, not the King of the Black Sea.
Unlike Misha, whose face turned white, Murkan seemed to be hearing the name Glyek for the first time. But whether he knows the name or not. It didn't matter.
The problem the group faced was survival.
[I woke up... from a long sleep... but I'm... far away…. from my siblings.]
Aaaah-!
Before Glyek could finish his words, a roar erupted from the sky. Zipfel's fleet, excluding Kozec, malfunctioned and opened fire.
The cannons of the flying battleship were filled through the mages' mana.
However, Kelliark did not give the order to fire, and the most elite mages of Zipfel aboard the battleship did not lose their minds because of fear.
The energy of chaos that filled the entire space was causing malfunction in magic devices and artifacts.
Dragons' artifacts that Murakan described as shackles blacked out or shattered, and mages, trying to control the battleships, fell into the mana backflow in seconds.
Even the fired cannons did not even reach Glyek and disappeared in the chaos.
Kelliark tried to control them using the Demon God's orb, but it wasn't easy. The terrified Demon God's orb was not able to give strength to Kelliark as easily as before.
[The smell of... bitter hatred... fills the air...]
Slowly, Glyek lowered his head.
Soon, his two eyes headed to where Jin was standing. As soon as Jin made eye contact with him, he sensed the next moment.
That countless swords and spears would strike him. Before he could finish thinking about it, Jin raised his sword. Stam, the Black Knights, and his companions also took a stance.
The black blades sharper and heavier than the chaos they had fought so hard were descending.
It was not easy to accept the fact that those huge swords and spears fell at such a speed that it was difficult to react.
Five attacks that fell in quick succession, it was impossible to know how the hell he avoided or blocked them. If Rosa and the Black Knights would fire sword energy and Kelliark hadn't supported them with magic, it would have been over.
But they were still too far away. The defense had its limits, and Glyek's swords were pressing Jin more and more intensely.
In a moment when they almost missed one of the successive attacks, Jin could confirm that one of Glyek's sword was suddenly turning gray.
Ron Hairan had rushed in and parried Glyek's sword.
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Ron's back heaved with rapid breaths. Shaking legs, a more haggard body than before, and the thick gray patterns of the sword of overlord showed how dire his condition had become.
"Sir Ron!"
Ron didn't look back and swung Rashid again to spread the sword wind. Gray blades slowed down the falling swords and spears of Glyek.
Ron wasn't the only one standing in Glyek's way to protect Jin.
Ruyan, Acquita Hairan, Errol Lyman, Bell Artemiro, and Franz.
The Five Sword saints of Hairan also stood beside Ron, aiming their swords at Glyek.
They also exploded all the remaining energy when the storm of chaos raged and helped Ron to reach Jin.
The sword saints standing next to Ron were motionless. After clearing the path for Ron, they faced death while standing up.
That was the true end of the Sword saints.
'The Sword saints…!'
Phsssss....
Jin didn't know how they were able to fight until this happened. The bodies of the Sword Saints turned into ashes and scattered.
It felt like his heart was sliced by a blade. The prolonged battle seemed like a farewell, but the Sword Saints had dedicated everything to Hairan and those who fought for it until the very end.
As the Sword Saints vanished into the wind, Ron alone became the figure guarding the forefront.
Everyone was looking at Ron's back. Because of that, no one knew what expression he made.
Tears, sweat, and blood flowed through the deep wrinkles around his eyes, and sobs escaped like wind from his empty mouth as he tried to suppress his sadness.
The sword emperor castle was destroyed without a trace, and his grandson, more precious than anything and irreplaceable, had been devoured by that monster.
Finished.
Almost everything that Ron Hairan had guarded and loved all his life was gone far out of reach. To a place where he will never see or touch again.
And as always.
Despair didn't give humans time to mourn. Glyek was waving his hundreds of arms in all directions as if he didn't care about Ron's grief. Most of them headed towards Jin.
Kaaa, ah...!
Ron's hoarse voice, roaring in agony, resembled Dante's voice, who was born with weakness and roughened by despair.
Revenge was out of reach. He was exhausted, and the newly emerged enemy was too colossal.
Ron couldn't ignore Glyek and put on a final fight against Zipfel and the traitors.
Yet, the only reason he stood here again and fought without giving up was one.
If it ended like this, he wouldn't be able to see his grandson's face even in death. Still, there were still things to protect, and his grandson's friend who fought for him.
He had to send him off alive and had to be given a chance to live as an adult. Even if he couldn't repay the favor, he couldn't just let him die in this desolate land.
Rashid's gray radiance deepened.
Ron alone had deflected more than 70% of Glyek's blades falling on Jin. The rest were blocked by Stam, the Black Knights, and Jin himself.
'He still has that kind of power, even now...!'
Kelliark Zipfel, watching Ron leap around like a wild beast from a distance, fell into shock once again.
It should end but it didn't, he should die but he didn't, he should stop but he didn't.
Ron fighting against Glyek was obviously an advantage for Kelliark now, but the members of the Zipfel clan continued to be demoralized by the Knights of Hairan. Both Kelliark and Octavia felt unknown anxiety from Ron and the Sword saints.
Even after using the Demon God's orb, he could not easily move to the ground. He was still far superior in terms of pure strength, but it was meaningless.
Although Ron was a little closer to Glyek, Kelliark knew that even if it were him in that position, he wouldn't have reached the ground faster than Ron did.
Also, if he were Ron, Kelliark would have somehow continued to fight Zipfel instead of running into Glyek to save Jin. Even if that meant taking a shortcut to mutual destruction.
The trust and loyalty were everything between Hairan and Jin, unlike Zipfel, which had the goal of completing the Demon God's orb.
Even if he had made the choice to save Jin, it would have been to negotiate with Zipfel later, not for trust.
'Anyway, thanks to his naivety, I'll be able to relax for now. Please hold on, until we and Runcandel can properly join.'
Kelliark glared at the ground, forming the Annihilating Dark Sky Flame Orb, Demon empress second version. His pure flame, not mixed with the power of the Demon God's orb, was clearing away the chaos.
Rosa, Runcandel, and even Octavia and the Spectre Corps were on their way to save Jin from the ground behind them. Rosa did not order an attack even when she saw the defenseless backs of Octavia and the Spectres in the distance.
It was time to join forces.
'Even if Sir Ron is blocking it, it's only a matter of time before all my companions die if we stay like this.'
Since the attacks were continuously focused on Jin from the beginning, he had to leave for the safety of his companions.
But changing locations was a gamble. There was no guarantee that Glyek would completely neglect that side if Jin left this position.
'It's better than staying still.'
Instead, Jin tried to test it once before moving. He deliberately decided to further strengthen Bradamante's shadow force and observe Glyek's reaction.
[Sol... deret...…!]
Glyek reacted as soon as Jin's shadow force amplified, and he attacked more ferociously.
"Murakan!"
"Yes!"
"I'll divert that monster's attention. You, and Tess, protect everyone. Until Madame Talaris recovers!"
"Damn it, I got it!"
As Jin started to run with all his might, Ron and the Black Knights followed suit.
Fortunately, Glyek immediately shifted his attention. All of the swords and spears of chaos were being moved to Jin's direction.
"Good work, Jin. I lost my emotion and did not think of your companions."
Jin felt a hot sensation choking his throat at Ron's words.
"Sir Ron, please don't say such things. More importantly, your body..."
"I won't die until I save you. I will endure it tenaciously until that monster gets sick of it and gives up."
Clang! Boom!
The seven swords of the knights clashed nonstop with Glyek's weapons. Just like in the beginning of the 2nd battle, Ron's sword energy was assisting everyone, and it seemed like they could hold on until reinforcements arrived.
However, that feeling was short-lived.
[Do you dare... to mock me, Solderet!]
Since Glyek woke up in an incomplete state, he seemed to recognize Jin as the Solderet itself, not as a contractor.
"Ugh!"
At the same time, Ron, who had received swords, bent forward and vomited black blood.
Jin, Stam, and the Black Knights quickly covered his opening, but the balance was disrupted.
Glyek's means of attack were not limited to hundreds of swords and spears. As soon as Ron lost his balance for an instant, a tremendous force of attraction was suddenly generated from Glyek.
Naturally, Glyek was trying to pull Jin toward him with the power of chaos.
Stam exploded his energy and created a counterforce, but he couldn't stop Jin from being dragged into the air.
Following Glyek's gaze, Jin rose into the air. Tess, who confirmed it belatedly, let out a breath.
If the power of heavy pressure contained in the blue flames had not suppressed Glyek's pull, Jin would have been dragged right into Glyek's eyes. Fortunately, he stopped midway, and Jin met eyes with Glyek.
Glyek's trembling eyes were like an endless abyss. While it seemed like he could be sucked in just by looking at them, Jin focused his mind and gripped the sword.
Dante.
The monster that swallowed his friend. Fear of overwhelming power that dominated even the strongest of the century was overshadowed by a deeper, darker hatred.
[Now, I see.]
Grin.
Glyek's mouth split like a crescent moon.
[Solderet, you bastard, it seems you also lost …your power.]
"You damn monster, what did you do to Dante?"
[Great, it was… a human being… Somehow it seems, you are the contractor of Solderet.]
"What... ?"
[If I couldn't imitate your voice, it would have been more troublesome...….]
As if he had been hit in the head by something, his backbone tightened and a sharp tinnitus rang out.
Jin knew it intuitively without having to listen to detailed explanations. Dante was fighting with Glyek in the seal of chaos and was deceived by his voice in a certain situation.
"... So, what happened to Dante? Is he still within that seal?"
Jin asked in a barely calm voice.
[You keep…. asking useless…. questions, Solderet. It's strange, you should know the best.]
"I do not know."
[Disappeared.]
Jin's eyes widened.
[He has disappeared.]
"What a load of crap."
[Yes..., now it's your turn.]
"Tess!"
Just as Glyek was about to move, Jin shouted Tess' name and replied with his intention. It means to lift the heavy pressure.
'I need to create an opening for Sir Ron to attack.'
Having Ron jump in to rescue him was only another loss in the battle.
'Even if I go deeper, Tess can pull me out at least once. I've only been defending the whole time, so I have to make an attack at least once.'
As the pressure subsided like a snapped rope, Jin's body soared back toward Glyek. Hundreds of huge blades formed a black forest.
It felt like it would cut off limbs even if he brushed against it. Jin twisted his body around and reached Glyek's eyes, and thrust his sword into it.
Thunk...…!
However, Jin noticed that even though he stabbed Glyek's eyes directly, he didn't get hit.
"Kaak!"
Rather, it was Jin who was hit. As soon as he stabbed his eye, one of Glyek's swords slashed across Jin's chest.
The shadow force armor didn't break, but all the bones of his body were shaking as if they were going to break.
Glyek tried to attack Jin again as he fell, but Ron already dug into his arms and swung his sword, as Jin wished.
And the moment he fell on the floor and Jin vomited blood.
He couldn't help but look back at the moment when Glyek's sword struck him.
'I felt the sword before it touched my body, so it definitely has the power to break the shadow force armor.'
Just before slashing Jin, someone or something seemed to pull back Glyek's sword, stopping the attack.
'No way.'
Thump, thump, thump!
Jin's heart pounded like crazy. It was because he thought it might be Dante who made Glyek hesitate at that moment.
560
Glyek.
It was clear that the king of the Black Sea, who existed in the form of a white stone, had awakened using Dante as a vessel.
As Glyek said, it's very likely that Dante's body had already disappeared, but there was a chance that his consciousness might still linger, even if only partially.
Of course, Jin could have been mistaken.
The desperate hope for his friend's survival might be clouding his rationality.
However, Jin could not comprehend the fact that Glyek hesitated for a moment when the huge sword of chaos attacked him.
'Is it because he just woke up and his condition isn't perfect?'
Jin was aware that Glyek was not in perfect condition. Although this was the first time seeing him, the distorted body was filled with defects.
Above all, Glyek mistook Jin for 'Solderet'.
'He speaks as if he knows Solderet well and hates him extremely, yet is confused enough to mistake me as Solderet, there must be a problem with his senses.'
That fact sent chill down Jin's spine. Despite not waking up in full condition, Glyek overwhelmed everyone on the battlefield.
Koong... !
Rashid, dyed in gray, lifted towards Glyek's upper body. Ron delivered a blow with all his might, and was able to break several of his swords and spears for the first time since Glyeck had awakened.
The broken weapon fell like an avalanche and hit the ground. Ron leaped once more through the shattered weapons, riding the gust of the sword wind, and slammed Rashid into Glyek's face.
Hundreds of arms blocked his way again, and this time a repulsive force occurred instead of attraction and pushed him away.
Nevertheless, Ron was able to leave a long and deep scar on Glyek's face.
It wasn't without cost. Ron was also pierced all over by thorns protruding from Glyek's face out of nowhere.
Jin and the Black Knights jumped at the same time to protect Ron, who was in a defenseless state for a while.
A total of fourteen thorns stabbed his body, and dark red blood poured out of his body, but fortunately, there were no very deep wounds.
However, the fact that Glyek's reflexive attack injured Ron was a problem in itself.
The speed of the thorn that was felt by Jin and the Black Knights was certainly not at a level that a knight like Ron could not avoid or parry.
Ron was physically reaching his limit.
He wasn't normal from the start of the second battle, so it wasn't strange if Ron collapsed at any time.
"Sir Ron, are you all right!"
At first glance, Jin saw Ron's pupils becoming cloudy. He smelled the peculiar smell of ash that is characteristic of those nearing death.
"I'm…fine."
Jin and the Black Knights guarded his sides and back.
Talaris was still seated, and support from Runcandel and Zipfel was still coming from afar.
Although Glyek's senses were not intact, he poured almost all of his attacks on Jin's side.
But Glyek was not completely neglecting the rear. He continued to explode chaos towards the outside to prevent Runcandel and Zipfel from approaching.
More than 90% of the chaos energy was spent on blocking reinforcements.
Therefore, what Jin and the others were enduring were mostly pure physical attacks from Glyek.
Ron stood up by planting his sword on the ground. In the process, he suddenly realized that the ground was turning strangely black. Jin and the black Knights also saw the same phenomenon.
"The land, this...."
It was not darkened by the heat of battle or by the cannon fire.
'It's similar to…. the Black Sea.'
The land is named Black Sea.
Stam, who participated in Chiron's expedition for a long time after becoming the Black Knight, had personally experienced this phenomenon firsthand in the past—the phenomenon of the land turning into 'Black Sea.'
Jin also encountered the same thing when he heard about Ozdock from Picon Minche.
-[As the Black Sea rapidly expanded, Ozdock was covered in the toxic land of the Black Sea. It must be assumed that he was buried alive while trying to hibernate.]
The land where Sword Emperor Castle once stood was turning into Black Sea due to Glyek's energy. A land where people cannot live....
Crunch!
Ron clenched his fist and grabbed a handful of land. Instead of black soil, his grasp was filled with solid crystals of chaos.
"To what extent are you going to trample on my land..."
Crystals of chaos disintegrated into particles in Ron's grasp and scattered. Jin couldn't say anything to him.
Maybe all the tragedies that happened in the Sword Emperor Castle were caused by his own regression, so a terrible guilt clung to his heart like rotten oil.
Even before he regressed, Zipfel created the Demon God's orb, and the imperial family always looked for an opportunity to push Hairan out, and the white stone was always there.
The Sword Emperor Castle War was bound to happen regardless of Jin's regression. Rather, it may be that Jin was now moving towards a better result.
However, no one could tell Jin that this wasn't his fault. Jin himself couldn't think otherwise, and the sadness experienced by the giant in front of him was bitter beyond measure.
He just had to fight with all his might. As always, that was the best Jin could do.
The heavy pressure that was pressing on Glyek was fading.
Tess' energy was exhausted. Glyek paused for a moment by the shock of the slash on his face, but then returned to swinging hundreds of swords and spears.
And Ron stumbled.
Ron stepped on unstable terrain with his faltering two legs, so Jin and the black knights were almost in a position to protect Ron.
After the Black Sea began to form, the energy of Glyek quickly blackened the ground.
Jin was also growing tired. Stam and the Black Knights were better than him as their battle wasn't that long, but they had to deal with the chaos throughout and rapidly lost their stamina to fill Ron's vacancy.
What was even more painful was the fact that Glyek's distorted appearance became more and more stable as the Black Sea transformation progressed.
Glyek's attacks became more ferocious as time passed, and his energy expanded. Runcandel and Zipfel's breakthrough was delayed further.
Crack, clang!
In the end, Ron was struck down by a single scythe-like blade that Jin and the black knights had missed. He managed to strike back, but he fell to the ground lifelessly.
He had already surpassed his limits several times. From the moment he woke up after a long period of unconsciousness until now, Ron had been creating miracles all along.
But now he has reached the end...
"Sir Ron!"
"12th flagbearer!"
Jin and Stam shouted at the same time. Jin reflexively threw himself to save Ron, which Stam thought was a wrong decision.
Stam was right. If he loses his focus while defending Ron, he's only giving Glyek a chance.
Jin thought that Glyek would naturally target him if he recklessly approached. If that happens, with Stam and the Black Knights, they could still save Ron even if he was injured.
But Glyek was regaining his sanity as land became the Black Sea. He decided that he'd better kill Ron first when he had the chance.
Besides, Glyek's spear was faster than Jin. A huge black spear was falling towards Ron like lightning.
'Damn it, damn it, damn it!'
Jin raised his energy and fired a light-speed thrust. Blood flowed from his mouth, nose and ears.
Jin failed to hit the spear by a narrow margin and missed. In that fleeting moment, Jin frantically resented himself for not being able to intercept the huge spear.
Ron no longer had the strength to ward off the spear. The moment the spear's blade was about to strike Ron, it was imprinted like a slow screen in Jin's field of vision.
And the next moment, Jin saw it again.
He saw Glyek getting hesitate. The spear stopped right before it hit Ron.
[This….]
It was only a brief moment, about one second, but it was enough time for Jin to throw himself again and push Ron away.
"Kaaak!"
Instead of Ron, Jin let out a scream as he took the spear. Due to the recoil, it felt like his bones and organs were about to burst, but Jin felt a sense of relief that was almost grateful for the pain.
Stam and the Black Knights parried off the ensuing attack. And now, they too were feeling that something was off about Glyek. However, they had not thought about Dante.
Ron, on the other hand, was clearly aware, even as his consciousness faded and his eyes darkened.
Dante..… Dante, my grandson...….
How are you there, how?
His eyes were clouded.
Earlier, when Jin asked if he was okay. Ron answered vaguely, not just because he was exhausted.
At the moment when fourteen thorns protruding from Glyek's face stabbed his body, he also thought that Dante's consciousness might remain somewhere in that monster, just as Jin thought.
Ron was convinced now.
"I sense it, Jin. Dante, my grandson, is inside him."
[You're persistent.]
Ron's vision went out. He lost his eyesight.
"Yes grandson, it's your grandfather."
The fire of the flesh faded, and all that remained for Ron was the unwavering will of his blind love towards his grandson.
It kept him speaking in a hoarse voice with little sensation in his whole body.
"Sir Ron, Dante is in there. So you must hold on to your consciousness!"
"Dante. I'll save you...…."
Crack, thud!
While Ron was muttering, Glyek was swinging his sword again. Jin and the Black Knights responded, but if they missed one more attack, Ron would be torn apart without a trace.
Unlike Jin, the Black Knights saw no point in protecting Ron anymore. It was because it seemed impossible to revive him unless the tears of Numerus were used.
But Jin stubbornly protected Ron.
"12th flagbearer, you have to give up. More than this is impossible."
"No, we must save him. Sir Stam."
"Are you saying you really don't know that it's a situation where acting emotionally won't help!"
That statement was incorrect.
Rather, Jin was now making judgments with almost no emotion involved.
The reason he wanted to save Ron was no different.
Kelliark Zipfel.
It was because Jin was aware that the culprit who pushed Hairan into such a desperate fate was about to arrive.
'He... he will definitely save Sir Ron.'
With the power of the Demon God's orb.
Jin doesn't know if he should describe it as 'saving', but one thing was certain. By using the power of the Demon God's orb, Ron could fight again. Although it's far out of bounds.
Stam read Jin's thoughts and recognized his true intentions belatedly, and felt a chill in his back.
If it were about facing sorrow, Jin might have given up on Ron.
It would be better for him to rest now rather than relying on that damn object called the Demon God's orb to force him to fight again.
However, what Ron desired was not rest.
What he wanted was to fight until he found any trace of Dante left in this desolate battlefield.
Even if it meant using extreme and brutal means, there was no need to conceal it.
Ron knew that his grandson's presence lingered somewhere within that monster.
"Kelliark Zipfel will take action to save Sir Ron, and Sir Ron will fight. Above all else, Sir Ron is absolutely necessary for this fight. Because the patriarch is not here. Leader of the Black Knights, do you think I'm really ruining things because of emotions!"
Jin lashed out, barely suppressing his miserable feelings.