Chapter 432: Elders in Crisis (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 432: Elders in Crisis (6)
Slash!
Sigmund shrieked as it tore through Rax’s flesh and bone.
Rax was not a man who would normally be defeated so easily, but the consequences of focusing his entire attention on Lata proved disastrous. He tried to pull back and react, but it was too late. A fountain of blood erupted from the stump where his leg had been.
“Agh…!”
The moment he lost his leg, the fight was over.
Jin leisurely sliced through Rax’s other leg before turning his gaze toward Rox, who was barely clinging to consciousness.
“Make sure this man doesn't die, Sir Lata.”
“How dare you… do this to Rox!”
“How dare I? Do you even know who I am to be barking such nonsense, Rox Seigal?”
Clang—!
Jin lunged forward, his blade descending toward Rox’s forehead. Rox managed to parry the strike, but he staggered back from the sheer force pressing down on his own blade.
What is this strength?!
They had only exchanged a single blow, yet the impact had jolted his wrists, and the muscles holding his stance screamed as if they were about to tear.
Just as the question of who this man could be flashed through Rox’s mind—
Crackle—!
Lightning flared from Sigmund’s blade, which was now glowing with a faint blue light.
Until a few years ago, lightning had been the symbol of the Contractor of Paitel. That was no longer the case. To the world, lightning erupting from a sword now symbolized only one man: Jin Runcandel.
“Jin Runcandel…!”
“Now that you recognize me, you can accept my blade quietly.”
The Pluto Sword Basic Form Lightning descended upon Rox’s head. As a warrior who had reached a respectable level of mastery, Rox responded with surprising agility, even against an unfamiliar attack.
But that was the extent of his capabilities.
In terms of pure swordsmanship, Jin was already leagues ahead of him. As soon as the exchange began in earnest, Rox found himself doing nothing but retreating.
“Have you truly become a dog of the Runcandels, just as the elders said? Lata Prochi!”
Lata shrugged as he roughly staunched the bleeding from Rax’s legs.
“It seems the traitors misinformed you, Rox. It’s similar, but not quite the same. I didn’t decide to become a dog of the Runcandels—I decided to become Jin Runcandel’s dog.”
“You shameless bastard.”
“Shameless? In the world of mercenaries, losing is the greatest shame of all. You and the elders made the wrong choice, and you are simply paying the price.”
Rox glared and tried to rush Lata, but Jin easily blocked his path.
Clang!
Sparks flew as Sigmund collided with his sword.
Not only was victory impossible, but even escape was out of the question. Rox Seigal was forced to reach that conclusion in an instant.
“Rox Seigal, we’ve only met as enemies, and I hold no particular grudge against you. So if you answer a few of my questions, I will grant you a painless death.”
“It was bitter enough to have my throne stolen by that monster Smarion, who appeared out of nowhere. I never imagined the day would come when I’d hear such words from a mere 12th Flagbearer of the Runcandels.”
“Am I to take that as a rejection of my offer?”
As Jin was speaking, the section leaders who had gone to the other rooms returned.
“My Lord! We have captured them.”
The section leaders had brought in the traitorous elders. They had been poisoned and were in a state where they could barely speak.
Lata’s eyes burned with murderous intent as he looked down at them.
“You old rats… Did you really think you could live after defying my will? To think you were colluding with the Seigals while shopping for other factions to sell yourselves to.”
Naturally, the betrayal of the Ghost Captain elders didn’t affect Jin in the slightest.
For Lata, however, it was a significant shock. Though the elders were also members of the Seigal family, they had lived and breathed alongside him for a long time.
“Thanks to you lot, I’ve forced my Lord to deal with the Ghost Captain’s internal threats the moment we formed our blood alliance. So, from now on, answer my questions faithfully.”
Lata sat Rax down next to the elders and continued.
“First, which faction did you choose? Second, did you inform them of the alliance between me and my Lord, or the secrets of Ghost Song Castle? If your answers are not sincere, I will strip the flesh from your bones piece by piece—not just yours, but your innocent families, your relatives, and even your pet dogs.”
It was no empty threat. Lata was more than capable of following through.
“Puhuhu… Hahahaha.”
A brief silence followed before one of the captured elders suddenly burst into laughter.
“Lata Prochi! Do you think killing our families and relatives would cause us pain?”
“What?”
“What do you think, Jin Runcandel? If we feared such things, would we have ever left Ghost Song Castle in the first place?”
It wasn’t just the elders; a smirk was now spreading across Rox Seigal’s face.
“Lata, you said it yourself. That Rax, the elders, and I made the wrong choice and are now paying the price. That the most shameful thing in the mercenary world is losing. Yes… you’re not wrong.”
Rox caught his breath, his voice becoming much calmer.
His face was strangely brimming with confidence—a look Jin felt he had seen somewhere before.
“But I wonder, which side truly made the wrong choice?”
“Rox Seigal, what bullshit are you spouting now?”
“I’m saying that in the end, the one who will pay the price is not us, but you. Runcandel? You’re the one who’s wrong, Lata.”
Despite their desperate situation, the Seigal brothers and the elders showed an air of triumph. There was no trace of cowardice or pathetic begging.
This wasn't born of courage or pride.
Jin made that judgment instinctively. And a certain person suddenly came to mind.
Barton Vichena.
The only Black Knight who had betrayed the Runcandels to side with the Zipples. That man’s final moments had been just like this.
—Even if you kill me today, there is a truth that will never change. First, if Lord Cyron disappears, the Runcandels will surely fall. Second, even if my flesh is destroyed, I can exist longer than any of you.
—When that time comes, you will be forced to admit that this Barton Vichena’s choice was not wrong.
The Seigals and the traitorous elders had the exact same look in their eyes as Barton did that day. It was the look of men who believed they had already transcended death.
“It’s the Zipples, isn’t it?”
When Jin spoke, all eyes turned to him.
“You joined the Zipples and leaked information. And they probably promised you eternal life or transcendent power. That’s why you don’t fear death.”
Jin adjusted his grip on his sword and stared at Rox.
“But do you know something? There was someone who said the same thing to me before. To him, I told the story of how my sister and I crushed the Demon God Stone.”
At the mention of the ‘Demon God Stone,’ the Seigal brothers and the elders flinched.
“So… it would be best not to put too much faith in that stone. If it were truly such an omnipotent power, it wouldn’t make sense for you to be dying here. Sir Lata.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“There’s no more information to be gained. Kill them all.”
The moment Lata nodded, Rox glared at Jin.
“I’ll give you a gift, Jin Runcandel.”
“I don’t need—”
Vrrrring—!
Suddenly, glowing red sigils blazed to life all over Rox’s body. The same happened to Rax and the captured elders.
Jin and Lata had seen something very similar not too long ago.
It’s the same as the seal trapping Smarion…!
It was a seal passed down only to the Elder Council of the Ghost Captain, a forbidden art that used the caster’s life as fuel.
The Seigal loyalists were attempting to unleash that seal as their final act. Rax and Rox had been taught this by the very elders who had betrayed Lata.
“You’ll end up just like your father, Lata!”
“You crazy bastards…! Are you planning to kill your own families too?”
At Lata’s question, Rox let out a cackling laugh.
“Why would I care about them? I just have to reclaim the Ghost Captain later and get them back.”
In other words, they were attempting a suicide attack.
It was impossible to tell if they truly believed their families in the fortress were worthless or if they were bluffing, but one thing was clear: they intended to seal the entire fortress.
The bodies of the traitors, stained red, began to swell as if they would burst at any moment.
“Think long and hard in hell about who truly made the wrong choice!”
Hahaha—haaa, ah, ugh…!
Rox’s long laughter was abruptly cut short.
Red seals spread in all directions as the bodies of the Seigal loyalists twisted, tore apart, and were sucked into the void.
The same seal that trapped Smarion was now trying to imprison the group. Like the closing grip of a giant’s hand, the red energies began to narrow in on them.
Lata and the section leaders instinctively swung their swords at the seal.
Their blades passed through it as if it were water, and the parts they cut reformed instantly.
“My Lord! The section leaders and I will try to open a path. You must escape, even if it’s just you!” Lata shouted without a moment’s hesitation, despite having formed their blood alliance only days ago.
“If we keep cutting before it can recover, there might be a gap for you to slip through!”
While Lata spoke, Jin was analyzing the properties of the seal. When cut with Aura, it recovered instantly, just as it had for Lata’s men. When he used lightning, however, the recovery was noticeably slower.
It seemed they could all escape if he continuously unleashed Ultimate Techniques or Fighting God Techniques, but there was no need for that.
I felt this when I cut down the Hell Gate Myuron Zipple opened. Spirit Energy works best against things like this.
He swung Bradamante, now shrouded in Spirit Energy. The seal was sliced apart like a sheet of paper.
Furthermore, unlike before, its recovery was extremely slow.
“Sir Lata. I don’t think we need to risk our lives. I’ll open the way. Let’s move out.”
At those words, Lata and the section leaders realized it once again.
In the new era that was about to unfold, they had undoubtedly been the first to grab hold of the best lifeline possible.