Chapter 448: Zephyrin (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 448: Zephyrin (4)
Hooooooop!
Zephyrin’s throat swelled ominously as she inhaled a torrent of demonic energy.
Murakan and Shaku rained lightning down upon her other eye, but they couldn't slow the speed at which she gathered her breath.
It was merely a single inhalation, yet the power contained within was staggering—enough to make even Murakan and Valkas flinch.
However, Jin remained calm, even as Zephyrin’s breath was aimed directly at him.
He was certain of one thing.
‘Zephyrin won’t kill me.’
Or rather, she couldn’t.
Whether her goal was to create a Demon God Stone or something even more horrific, the power of Solderet within Jin was her most vital component.
As he had deduced during his time as a reserve flagbearer, both Zipple and Kinzelo knew how to transfer a god’s contract. However, Jin believed this method wasn't something that could be easily applied to him. If it were that simple, Zipple, Kinzelo, and Joshua would have all been far more aggressive in their attempts to kill him.
The fact that Zephyrin was holding back, despite possessing such immense power, pointed to the same conclusion.
‘If her goal was to slaughter us, she would have unleashed a much more overwhelming force from the start.’
The power Zephyrin gathered in that single breath was certainly shocking, but considering the transcendent martial prowess she had displayed, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Furthermore, it wasn't a level of power the group couldn't handle. In other words, Zephyrin was forced to restrain her strength to avoid accidentally killing Jin.
Kwaaaa—!
As Zephyrin opened her massive maw, the winds of the subspace raged alongside the demonic energy, as if a storm had been unleashed. A chaotic wave of pressure—a violent clash of attraction and repulsion—erupted from her breath, preceding a purple beam of light that shot toward Jin.
[Tsk, how annoying!]
Murakan dove rapidly, positioning himself to intercept Zephyrin’s breath. Before the beam could reach the ground, it struck the veil of spirit energy spread across his wings.
Most of the demonic energy was sucked into the spirit energy veil, but Shaku and Valkas still had to deflect the stray fragments and secondary beams that escaped.
The entire subspace trembled precariously as their energies clashed.
Ordinary warriors wouldn't have been able to withstand the sheer pressure of this battlefield. Every time power collided with power, their ears rang and a tingling sensation surged through their bodies.
Perhaps because the group had defended so well, Zephyrin fired a second breath, infused with even stronger demonic energy.
She had lived far longer than Murakan, but like most beings of her caliber, she had rarely engaged in a fight like this.
To kill, to crush utterly, to destroy without a trace—a battle like that would have been easy. But having to kill Shaku and Valkas, injure Murakan just enough so he wouldn't die, and capture Jin alive was an incredibly irritating situation for her.
Furthermore, a dragon was still a dragon, even a weakened one.
Murakan’s resistance was far exceeding Zephyrin’s expectations. She had heard rumors that he had regained some of his strength, but she hadn't realized it was to this extent.
Zephyrin also sensed something else.
‘You cunning brat… You’re certain I won’t kill you, aren’t you, Jin Runcandel?’
The Azure Fire swirling around Jin was chillingly unpleasant. At this rate, those flames would soon tear a hole in the subspace.
Suddenly, she thought it might have been better to wait for another opportunity on another day. She wondered if she had acted a bit too impulsively.
‘Though, I think I understand why my master has his eye on you.’
Krajak! Pssssss…!
The second breath collided with the spirit energy veil and was neutralized. Though he appeared to be barely managing, Murakan was slowly preparing his counterattack.
[You seem to be pulling your punches, but the power is decent enough.]
[I’m not particularly flattered by the compliment, haha.]
[Right, I suppose not. And you won’t be flattered by this either.]
As soon as Murakan finished speaking, the massive veil split into three masses, moving like shadows following the light. One remained behind him for defense, while the other two shot to Zephyrin’s left and right.
Due to the nature of spirit energy, Zephyrin didn't realize the veils had been deployed to her flanks. Unlike other powers, spirit energy was nearly impossible to read, no matter how massive the force.
Her own gargantuan body, several times larger than Murakan’s, also played a part in her failure to notice. If one cannot sense the flow of power, they must rely solely on sight. However, Zephyrin’s field of vision was limited, and her body, still shrouded in purple smoke, was so large that even she couldn't take it all in at a glance.
[What kind of bluff are you— Ah!]
Zephyrin finally realized something was wrong when "demonic energy" began to pour out of the spirit energy veils Murakan had spread to her left and right.
He was returning the breath he had absorbed.
Spirit energy—in other words, shadows. That power didn't just have an efficiency more than two stars higher than aura or mana; it also possessed a unique property that ordinary powers could never mimic.
To imitate or copy, just as a shadow reflects its subject—that was the principle Murakan was now employing.
‘I didn’t want to use this because it’s that lowlife’s method.’
It wasn't a style Murakan favored. In his prime, he was so powerful that he considered such properties of spirit energy to be little more than parlor tricks. He'd never had a reason to use them.
Misha, on the other hand, was an expert at wielding the infinite versatility of spirit energy, as she had shown since her first meeting with Jin.
‘I never thought I’d see the day I’d use a trick I was forced to learn from that damn wench while she was bullying me. I couldn’t have even attempted this if I hadn’t regained at least forty percent of my strength.’
Hmph! Murakan snorted, clearing the hideous image of Misha from his mind.
Cheeeeeeeing!
The veils to his left and right emitted a sharp whine as they fired the demonic energy. That energy, now augmented by spirit energy, held a power even greater than the breath Zephyrin had exhaled. It was impossible for her to dodge with her massive body.
[Ha! Where on earth did you learn such a wicked trick…!]
There was no time to deploy a shield. Her mountain-like size was usually an advantage, but it made responding to such unexpected attacks incredibly difficult.
When the demonic energy slammed into Zephyrin’s torso, a heavy roar erupted, like the sound of a fortress collapsing. Scales shattered, and the sickening crunch of flesh and bone twisting beneath made one’s hair stand on end.
Giaaaaaaak…!
A scream followed—one they thought they would never hear from her.
[This is probably the first time you’ve been hit by your own breath, huh?] Murakan spoke, his voice filled with wicked laughter, as Zephyrin writhed in agony.
Reflexively, she lashed her tail, spat breath in all directions, and frantically vented demonic energy, staining the air like a poison gland.
Murakan and Shaku heightened their senses as they dodged her rampage. Even a simple thrash from her could inflict a fatal wound if they were caught off guard.
As the two of them leaped and flew precariously between the demonic energy, the swinging tail, and her massive body, they both shared the same thought.
This might be the best—or perhaps the last—chance they would have.
Valkas, who had been focused solely on protecting the Black Knight, couldn't miss this moment either and threw himself into the fray.
The three of them searched frantically for an open wound. They had to inflict additional damage through the gashes caused by the demonic energy before Zephyrin could recover.
Shaku roared and brought down a bolt of lightning, while Valkas threw a punch with all his might.
The moment the lightning and the punch struck the spot where her scales had burst, a fountain of blood erupted. The sight was so gruesome it momentarily stunned even these men, who had spent their lives drenched in the blood of the battlefield.
Puhwaaaaak—!
A waterfall of blood poured from Zephyrin’s torn flesh, carrying the same toxicity that had knocked the Black Knight unconscious.
Finally, Murakan dove through the poison toward the wound opened by Valkas and Shaku. It was located around the middle of her body—what would be the abdomen on a human. In other words, a vital spot by any definition.
Into the wound, which was deep enough to look like a cave, Murakan exhaled a breath infused with all the power he could muster.
Soon, a line of matte black light pierced through Zephyrin’s torso.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say her waist had been severed. Everyone present sensed Zephyrin’s spine snapping under the force of Murakan’s breath.
Huff, huff, hu…!
Murakan took a ragged breath as he steadied himself in the air. Valkas and Shaku stood below, catching their breath as well.
The incredibly noisy battlefield suddenly fell silent, so quiet that the group's heavy breathing could be heard.
It was a fleeting silence. Zephyrin, who had been motionless with her torso bent backward, let out a sharp breath and lifted her head.
[…Wow, that was truly surprising.]
The demonic energy scattered in all directions gathered to fill the gaping hole in her abdomen. The regeneration was so fast there was no way to intervene.
[I can't even remember the last time I felt this much pain.]
She hadn't escaped unscathed. Murakan was certain of that. Such a thing would have been impossible even for him in his prime. However, he also judged that even though she was injured, it wasn't enough to stop her from continuing the fight.
‘We’ve really run into a monster.’
If there was one saving grace…
It was that Jin’s concentration to cut the subspace had just peaked.
She had been distracted by the unexpected blow and the pain. Zephyrin’s eyes darkened as she saw the Azure Fire burning fiercely on Bradamante, intertwined with spirit energy.
Swaak!
The blade of Bradamante drew a sharp, blue trajectory across the dark subspace.
Then, as if a dimensional gate were opening, the subspace split apart, revealing the world beyond. The scene on the other side was the reception room they had just left, perfectly intact without a single piece of furniture broken.
And in that next moment, the group discovered an unexpected weakness.
‘The moment I cut the subspace, her body is shrinking…!’ Jin realized.
They all sensed it instinctively: Zephyrin could only maintain her true form within this subspace.