Chapter 412: Why Hairan (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 412: Why Hairan (6)
"Urgh!"
A claw struck him in the neck. Though his Spirit Energy Armor was seamless and offered perfect protection, it was impossible to absorb a blow from a monster on par with a Black Knight without feeling the impact.
Blood flooded the inside of the helmet formed by the Rune of Mul-ta. A bone-chilling pain shot through his body, so intense it felt as if his Adam's apple had been crushed.
Crunch! Crack!
The claw hammered against Jin’s neck again in rapid succession. Amid the hair-raising agony, Jin thrust Sigmund forward.
"You speak of becoming the next Patriarch, yet you throw your life away so casually," the assailant said. "Is friendship really worth that much? You'd be dead if not for that armor."
I only jumped in because I have the armor, and you only aimed there because you knew it.
Jin wanted to retort but couldn't immediately find his voice. Only the sound of blood bubbling in his throat escaped him.
He got me. That hurts like hell…!
The premise of the mission was to kidnap Dante, not kill him.
In the heat of the moment, Jin had forgotten that. Even if Jin had stayed put, the assailant’s claw would have stopped just short of piercing Dante’s throat.
However, Jin wasn't just taking hits.
Behind the assailant, who was relentlessly driving his claws forward, a sphere of pitch-black Spirit Energy was rising from the ground. It was an orb originating from Bradamante, which was still embedded in the earth.
The assailant hadn't noticed the energy. Unlike aura or mana, Spirit Energy was a power that could not be sensed by ordinary means.
Crackle!
As Sigmund discharged brilliant arcs of lightning, the assailant had even less reason to pay attention to his rear.
Still, Jin couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how the man remained unflinching even as lightning seared his body every time claw and blade collided.
"Phew… I can finally speak," Jin gasped. "You keep saying I'm throwing my life away for Dante… but what about you?"
Shouldn't you be prepared to put yours on the line, too?
As Jin spat out the words, he unleashed the Pluto Sword Ultimate Technique: Waterfall.
Countless fragments of lightning poured from the sword, blurring the assailant's vision.
The assailant’s claws left afterimages as they swatted the lightning away. In that interval, Jin deliberately slowed his tempo, feigning the need to catch his breath.
Bite.
Like a fisherman who had just cast his line, Jin waited for the assailant to overextend in his attempt to finish the fight.
The assailant still had no idea what was happening behind him.
He fell for it.
The assailant narrowed the distance, taking some of the lightning from Waterfall head-on. The glint in his eyes behind the mask was cold enough to send shivers down Jin's spine.
Jin thrust Sigmund with all his might. It was a strike packed with monstrous strength; not even the assailant could deflect it with one hand.
Instead, the assailant overlapped his claws to block Sigmund, intending to twist the blade downward and strike Jin’s throat once more.
No matter how incredible the armor was, if the same spot was struck repeatedly, it would eventually fail.
He's too confident. Did he really think I would back down even an inch after committing to a full-strength strike?
It was at that exact moment that the Spirit Energy sphere behind the assailant began to move.
The assailant flinched and reacted—an instinct that could only be described as the sixth sense of those who had survived countless life-and-death battles.
What is this sudden…!
A sensation of danger washed over him, as if a blade were already at his throat.
The 12th Flagbearer in front of him had just been blocked and should have been wide open for a counterattack, yet for some reason, the face behind Jin's helmet seemed to be smiling.
The assailant retracted the claw that had been inches from Jin's neck.
The only thing he gained by pulling back was a gap as brief as a blink of an eye.
He had abandoned a strike that could have knocked Jin unconscious just to buy that infinitesimal amount of time.
Impressive. He truly earns the title of a Black Knight.
Jin was genuinely impressed. He knew well that choosing to forgo a decisive blow to prepare for defense in such a situation was an incredibly difficult judgment to make.
Well, it would have been a problem in its own way if this man died here.
If he hadn't bought that brief moment, the assailant would have lost his life. Jin was certain of it.
"Urgh…!"
Something sliced across the assailant's back.
It was a blade of pitch-black sword energy pouring from the Spirit Energy sphere—the same energy Jin had infused into Bradamante just before throwing it.
Just as when he formed the Veil or Harmony, the Spirit Energy moved according to his will. It was an attack impossible to achieve with aura—possible only because Spirit Energy wasn't merely 'power' but an 'authority.'
The sword energy pouring from the sphere broke the assailant's posture.
Jin did not miss the opening. Sigmund surged toward the assailant, saturated with lightning.
The assailant prioritized blocking Sigmund, even if it meant letting a single strand of black sword energy slice into his back.
But even that was not the real attack.
I can't let this hard-won opportunity end with just a single hit.
Flash!
Suddenly, a mass of mana imbued with the light attribute exploded from Jin's palm.
Flash Cannon—the legacy of the ancient archmage, Chenmi. It was a spell that was nearly useless against top-tier warriors, but in a situation like this, it was a different story.
No matter how great a Black Knight was, if a blinding light struck their eyes the moment they showed an opening, there was nothing they could do—unless the difference in skill was so vast they could fight with their eyes closed.
Blood splattered.
Sigmund had slashed across the assailant's chest. This time, it was no shallow wound. A heavy sensation of the blade catching on bone and flesh traveled up the hilt.
The assailant hurriedly raised a shield with his claws, but it didn't end there. Even for a warrior trained to the limit, eyes exposed to a Flash Cannon do not recover easily.
Until the assailant's vision returned, the initiative had completely shifted to Jin.
"How do you like it? This must be your first time fighting a magic swordsman, right?"
Stab!
This time, Jin pierced through the shield and into the man's thigh. Even in his blinded state, the assailant reacted instantly to every attack, but it seemed unlikely he would regain the initiative even after his sight returned.
Five seconds passed—seconds that felt like hell to the assailant and a sweet desert spring to Jin. The assailant's vision was finally beginning to return.
Huff, huff…
Unlike his composed demeanor from before, the assailant’s breathing was ragged as he steadied his stance.
Jin met his gaze with a faint smile and spoke.
"It seems you didn't understand me, so I'll say it again. Withdraw. Your mission is a failure. Tell your master I will handle Hairan my own way."
He had heard the rumors that the 12th Flagbearer was formidable.
He hadn't personally witnessed Jin turning the Garden of Swords upside down, but since even those who sought to ostracize the 12th Flagbearer praised his martial prowess, the assailant had wanted to cross blades with him himself.
Furthermore, he wanted to gauge what kind of man Jin was.
At first, he was disappointed.
The idea that Jin would throw away a chance to crush Hairan for something as trivial as friendship made the rumors of his combat prowess seem like lies.
Then, he saw that Jin used a 'cluttered' style of swordsmanship. He wondered if the boy had yet to realize that one could never reach the pinnacle of the sword with such gimmicks and petty tricks.
And yet, he was now losing the advantage to those very 'gimmicks.'
Even though his own objective strength was clearly superior.
No… just as I haven't, the 12th Flagbearer has yet to draw out his full power either. If we both fought to the death, the outcome would be uncertain.
It was strange. That thought took hold as he stood before Jin.
Despite his talk of friendship—so utterly unlike a Runcandel—why did the gaze looking back at him…
He couldn't understand why it held the dignity of a king. The boy fought like a trickster using petty skills, yet his eyes held a depth that defied easy judgment.
It was a unique atmosphere he had never felt from the other flagbearers.
He was torn.
Should he press on and secure Dante, even if it meant overextending? Or should he withdraw? Which was the correct judgment?
And Jin saw right through his hesitation.
"You shouldn't be doing that, Black Knight."
The assailant's eyes widened beneath his mask.
"You're a black helmet for the clan, not a flagbearer. Your duty isn't to struggle; it's to complete missions efficiently. Risking your life for a mission that has already failed is a great loss to the family. Go back and prepare for the next one."
Rumble, crash…!
Shockwaves from the battle outside continued to ripple through the castle.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the inner walls of the Great Hall as if it would collapse at any moment, and stone dust poured from the ceiling.
The pillars supporting it shook precariously, looking as if they would snap at a single touch.
"It seems the perfect stage has been set for your departure."
The moment Jin finished speaking, a pillar snapped, and the floor gave way.
The destruction of the Great Hall meant the Sword Emperor Castle was collapsing entirely.
Finally, the assailant turned away.
He slung the corpses of the other fallen assailants over his shoulders. Before leaving, without looking back, he spoke.
"I'll pretend I didn't see that bluff. If your choice today becomes a threat to Runcandel, the black helmets will come for your head ourselves."
Before Jin could respond, the assailant exited the Great Hall through a freshly crumbled wall.
Once he vanished from sight, Jin dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Even with the Spirit Energy Armor protecting me, I’ve taken significant internal damage…
If the assailant had continued the fight, Jin would have suffered considerable harm.
He wouldn't have lost his life, as he had the final resort of 'Calling the Black Light,' but it was uncertain whether he could have protected Dante. There was no telling what choice the assailant would have made if driven into a corner.
After all, Dante’s death wouldn't have been an entirely negative outcome from Runcandel’s perspective.
The fatigue from the series of brutal battles was hitting him all at once.
I need to evacuate Dante and see what's happening outside.
Crack—!
The entire ceiling began to collapse. Jin quickly grabbed Dante and escaped the Great Hall, heading toward the outer castle.
The outer walls near the Great Hall had also crumbled. He climbed onto a section of the wall that remained relatively intact, and the scene that greeted him was the battlefield where Ron and Verakt were locked in combat.
Nothing remained near that battlefield. The Central Training Ground had vanished without a trace, and the surrounding buildings had all collapsed, leaving only the scars of destruction.
"Ugh, ah…"
Dante, having regained consciousness, let out a heavy groan.
Are you awake, Dante?
But Jin couldn't bring himself to ask.
The sight of Ron Hairan, drenched in blood and gasping for breath, left even Jin momentarily stunned. Before him stood Verakt, just as wounded.