Chapter 187: Blood Transfusion, Brothers (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: Blood Transfusion, Brothers (3)
Baltirok, the 1st Fighting King who had openly claimed to dislike Jin, was the first to speak. To Jin’s surprise, the other Fighting Kings—whose intentions he hadn't yet been able to gauge—unanimously expressed their approval.
I didn't expect to be recognized by all twelve of them.
The timeframe had been far too short for such an outcome. Having arrived in Laprarosa at the end of last December, Jin had only been given about five months.
He had thought it would be impossible to win the favor of the entire Pluto Tribe in that time. After all, not everyone would be as easy to win over or as naturally predisposed to liking him as Garmund, Boras, Linpa, or Belize.
His plan had been to win over the rest during future visits to Laprarosa. He figured he would have to return at least a couple more times to fully master the Spirit Sword anyway.
It feels like I’ve been accepted as a brother much more easily than I expected.
Contrary to Jin’s thoughts, the Pluto Tribe felt quite differently.
Rumors had already spread that Jin had helped Garmund gain insight into the Spirit Sword 1st Form: Soul Slash. It was also common knowledge that Boras had given him a Fang and that Linpa had broken her Vow of Silence because of him.
Those feats alone made Jin appear to be a unique and interesting successor in the eyes of the Pluto Tribe. Furthermore, during his sparring with Shaku, he had displayed a level of mental fortitude that made them wonder if he was even human.
Having one's limbs severed every single day for forty-nine days was no small feat. Jin, however, tended to downplay his own extraordinary efforts because of the horrific days he had endured in his previous life.
Well, there’s no harm in it. Though it’s a shame I didn't get to cut off even one of Shaku’s limbs.
Once the Fighting Kings finished giving their consent, the common warriors also shouted their approval.
It wasn't as if they were agreeing simply because the Fighting God and the Fighting Kings wished it. Nor were they accepting Jin as a brother just because they were swept up in the heat of the moment.
In the Pluto Tribe, aside from Fighting God Ban, there were no ranks between the Fighting Kings and the common warriors. As a result, there was no punishment or coercion; every individual always had the right to make their own choice.
Even if someone had objected, the other members of the Pluto Tribe wouldn't have even given them a dirty look.
That was precisely why the Fighting God had set the prerequisite: "If all brothers agree."
Shaku was the last to raise his voice in approval.
"As of yesterday, I have severed Jin Runcandel’s limbs forty-nine times, brothers. But now that he has become our brother, such a thing will never happen again."
"Good grief. Shouldn't you give me at least one chance for revenge?"
"What a petty brother. Kings of Light do not hold grudges against one another. You must remember this, Brother Jin."
As Shaku stepped back with a grin, the Fighting God nodded.
"Since all brothers have agreed, from this moment forward, Jin Runcandel is our brother. Therefore, I shall accept Brother Tantel’s suggestion. Those who wish to spar with Brother Jin, decide on the order."
Immediately, the members of the Pluto Tribe began to decide the order among themselves.
"I'm going first!" "No, I am!" It was like watching children squabble over a game.
"I’m the one who brought the successor here myself, so I should go first! Isn't that right, brothers?"
"No way. Didn't Brother Tantel say he already crossed blades once while bringing him here? So it’s only right that he goes last."
"Brothers, don't fight. Settle it with Rock-Paper-Scissors."
It had been the same way when they were choosing who would bathe Jin when he first arrived in Laprarosa. It was like a pack of large dogs barking joyfully.
Ridiculous fellows.
In truth, being called a brother didn't move Jin deeply.
He hadn't fought alongside them on the brink of death, nor had he built a deep bond over a long period. He had simply been recognized as a brother because he was a "likable successor." Still, there was no reason to feel bad about it. It was a positive development.
Belize, the 7th Fighting King, approached Jin.
"Even if we haven't lived and died together, even if we don't share blood, even if our appearances are different, and even if the reason for this seems small..."
Jin turned and looked up at Belize. It felt as though she had suddenly read his innermost thoughts.
"Once you become a brother, the brothers will treat you as if you have been in Laprarosa from the very beginning. That is the way of the Pluto Tribe."
"How is that possible, Belize?"
"If the race you belong to understood that, we would have killed far fewer of them five thousand years ago."
Jin felt as if he had been struck over the head.
The Pluto Tribe weren't just simpletons; they were a race with a breadth of spirit that Jin, who was so accustomed to humans, found incomprehensible.
"If you think about it, it’s not that strange, brother. People become siblings by the mere coincidence of sharing blood, and no one thinks that’s odd. Compared to that, Brother Jin becoming a member of our tribe is much closer to destiny."
"It’s strange. Are you saying a bond that didn't exist is created simply because we became brothers? That’s why I’m bewildered. It doesn't feel entirely real yet."
"When a river mixes into the sea, what does it become? Do you think the seawater discriminates against the river water?"
"When you gave me a shoulder ride, I thought you were just a strong, boisterous woman, but now you speak like a sage. You’re full of surprises, Brother Belize."
The Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament ended.
Even though all sixty-four common warriors had split into groups to play, the winner—and Jin's first sparring partner—was, surprisingly, Shaku once again.
"Wait, shouldn't Brother Shaku be excluded?"
"Didn't Brother Shaku just step back on his own? You’re going to hog the first turn again?"
Complaints erupted from all sides, but the sacred results of Rock-Paper-Scissors could not be overturned.
Shaku stood before Jin again amidst the boos, and Jin let out a sigh.
"Fine. I should be given at least one chance to fight back after you tore my body apart forty-nine times. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. Today, for sure..."
Grip!
Belize placed a hand on Jin’s shoulder and pressed down firmly. Her strength was so immense that Jin couldn't shake her grasp.
"You must not forget, Brother Jin, that this is no longer a spar between a successor and a brother, but between two brothers."
"And you, Brother Belize, look like you’re ready to crush my shoulder blade if I don't nod in agreement."
Jin instinctively felt that Belize might be the strongest among the Fighting Kings.
"Breaking bones or damaging muscles is fine, as long as you don't use blades and avoid fatal blows. Of course, the most important thing is that there is no killing intent."
"That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. Then please hold onto this for me."
Jin unfastened Bradamante from his waist and handed it to her.
"Let’s make this fiftieth spar a hand-to-hand fight, Brother Shaku."
"Hand-to-hand will be even worse for you..."
Jin ground his teeth as Shaku shook his head with genuine concern. Just yesterday, he had wanted to tear the man limb from limb. Now, Shaku had transformed into someone so infuriating that Jin felt like he was going to burst.
"After Brother Shaku, it’s Brother Mouka, then Brother Shul, then Brother Anot, then... anyway, you have to fight a lot of people, so don't use up all your strength, Brother Jin."
Following the first spar with Shaku, Jin was scheduled to spar with all sixty-four common warriors of the Pluto Tribe until dawn. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that as well.
*
Damn it, that bastard Shaku. To throw the fight so blatantly…!
Jin had won the first spar against Shaku. As soon as it began, he detonated a Flash Cannon right in Shaku’s face and proceeded to pummel the disoriented man mercilessly.
Or rather, he tried to pummel him.
Before he could even land five hits, Shaku suddenly flopped onto the ground and shouted, "Agh, I lost!" If he hadn't, Jin would have certainly broken a few of his bones.
He couldn't believe how infuriating the man was. While he was left speechless with indignation, the next opponents swarmed in before he could even complain.
What made it even more frustrating was the fact that he was beaten to a pulp by the others.
The hand-to-hand combat of the Pluto Tribe was on a completely different level from human martial arts. He felt he would have been hit less if they had been using weapons. Jin let out a hollow laugh and reached for the traditional Pluto Tribe snack, Kakto.
Munch, munch.
His vitality recovered quickly, and the swelling began to subside. His face had been swollen like a watermelon and his body was covered in dark bruises, yet not a single bone was broken.
Those monsters…
As he lay in bed eating Kakto, he couldn't stop chuckling. It was surprising how refreshing the moonlight pouring through the window felt.
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the door.
"Brother Jin, I'm coming in."
"You're telling me, not asking?"
It was Tantel, carrying a large liquor cask on each shoulder. Thud! As soon as he set the casks down, Tantel filled a cup and handed it to Jin.
"This is the liquor I had on the first day. It tasted terrible."
"It’s Jewel Liquor. The taste will probably be different from back then."
Jin took a long draft. Indeed, unlike the first day, it now had a sweet and rich flavor.
"Oh."
"It’s because you obtained the Heart of Light."
"Back then, you were going on about how humans don't know the real taste of alcohol."
"Tell me some stories about the outside world. The other brothers are pretending they don't want to hear them, so I came alone."
Come to think of it, the Pluto Tribe had never asked about the outside world.
They hadn't asked who now owned the lands they once conquered, what had become of the territories they roamed, or what had happened to those they fought against.
They hadn't asked a single thing.
"It’s because we know that once our time stopped, we could never return to that world. This place is a perfect recreation of the Laprarosa we lived in, but in truth, it’s a sort of underworld."
"Then wouldn't you be even more curious about the outside?"
"What is the point of desiring what one cannot have, brother? Besides, even if we reminisce, none of the brothers we loved are there anymore. However!"
Tantel cautiously scanned the surroundings. There was no way anyone was eavesdropping, but he was putting on airs as if he were about to share something of great importance.
"I once heard something like this from the Fighting God."
"What is it?"
"He said that since five thousand years have already passed on the outside, perhaps magic or a device that can get us out has been developed."
Unfortunately, as far as Jin knew, no such thing existed. Even for the world of the phoenixes—the Fire Realm—which was far more familiar to humans than Laprarosa, no method to properly connect it to the human world had been discovered.
There weren't many researchers in that field, either. Since the Holy Kingdom Defense War, magic related to other dimensions had been strictly forbidden by most associations and academic societies, with the sole exception of phoenix summoning.
Furthermore, magic related to other dimensions was overwhelmingly dominated by dark magic. Since dark magic itself had long been lost or banned, it was unlikely that related magic would be developed in the future.
"So, if it’s alright... I was hoping you could look into it, brother."
"Is there really no way for you all to go outside on your own? You came out to the Great Desert to get me, Brother Tantel."
"That’s limited to when a successor comes near the Great Desert. Other than that, there is exactly one way to go outside, but it’s quite meaningless."
"Why?"
"The Fighting God will tell you about that."