Chapter 450: Zephyrin (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 450: Zephyrin (6)
“And healers and poison experts skilled in detoxification, attend to this man at once.”
The Black Knight was no longer even trembling. He merely exhaled faint, shallow breaths, looking as if he could expire at any moment.
The mercenaries moved the Black Knight onto a stretcher.
“You must keep him breathing. If he dies, it will be bad for both the Black King Corps and for me. For the Black King Corps, it certainly won't end with just a bit of trouble.”
“Do not worry, Sir Jin!”
As the 3rd Captain, Murka, replied, dedicated healers from the mercenary group and doctors from the Black King Corps swarmed the stretcher.
“Conversely, if we keep him alive, he will become an invaluable asset for both me and the Black King Corps.”
If the Black Knight were to die on the lands of the Black King Corps, it would give Joshua a pretext to pressure Valkas, regardless of the reason.
If the opposite were true, however, Valkas would be the one in a position to demand reparations, not Joshua. Jin, too, would avoid losing one of his family’s strongest warriors and might even be able to negotiate with the Black Knight directly.
“We’ve saved people in far worse condition than this!”
“We will keep him breathing, no matter what!”
Crack, BOOM!
The medical team had just rushed off to perform emergency treatment when a sudden explosion shook the entire Black King Mountain Fortress.
Like an erupting volcano, Aura, Demonic Energy, Spirit Energy, and Lightning Energy spewed from the cracks of the narrowing subspace. The energy roiling on the battlefield had grown even more violent the moment Jin emerged.
A monster is a monster. She seemed to be cornered by the collapsing subspace, yet she can still unleash this kind of power.
Murakan had told him there was no need to return, but Jin was still worried. It seemed he would have to rejoin the fight as soon as he confirmed the Black King Corps was safely evacuated.
“...Just what kind of battle is happening in there? To think Zephyrin, that damn brat, was actually that kind of monster!”
The 2nd Captain spoke, his voice thick with devastation.
Even after seeing it with his own eyes, he could hardly believe that Zephyrin—in her human form—was fighting their captain and Jin’s party.
Zephyrin.
Recently, she had been the corps' youngest troublemaker, the one who gave all the seniors and commanders the biggest headaches.
But she was also the lovable youngest member who, despite being scolded and yelled at every day, spread a uniquely bright and cheerful energy.
That same Zephyrin had now turned into a monster that had plunged the Black King Mountain Fortress into an unprecedented crisis. The sight of the giant serpent’s form flickering in and out of existence was enough to make one’s stomach churn.
“Sir Valkas’s greatest worry was that his subordinates, including you, 2nd Captain, would fall into that creature’s clutches. Has anyone in the Black King Corps been harmed by Zephyrin?”
“Not a soul, 12th Flagbearer.”
“That is a relief.”
Valkas’s greatest fear had not come to pass.
If I can ensure everyone evacuates safely from here, things should go smoothly when I speak with Sir Valkas later.
Kyahaaaaak—!
Zephyrin’s roar echoed from beyond the subspace rift. Though it sounded distant, the roar was powerful enough that even the mercenaries who hadn't faced her directly could imagine her strength.
The evacuation was gaining speed.
Though they claimed nothing like this had ever happened, the Black King Mountain Fortress, like any great stronghold, possessed numerous secret passages, devices, and protocols designed for evacuation.
Ladders were deployed throughout the fortress, and magical apparatuses for lowering supplies were activated.
Despite the grim urgency of the situation, it was quite a spectacle. The massive citadels lining the mountain range moved in perfect unison, like a single organism.
Jin observed the Black King Corps’ evacuation as he exited the central citadel where the captain’s reception room had once been.
Hundreds of special ropes connected the citadels, allowing people and goods to move back and forth, while the citadels themselves shifted incessantly like sophisticated clockwork.
He wasn't sure what devices had been installed in the rugged mountains surrounding the fortress, but whenever a small explosion sounded, a controlled landslide would occur near a citadel, creating a sliding path down the slope.
Supplies and non-combat personnel used those paths to descend the mountains, while defensive shields were deployed across the citadels and walls.
These shields were generated by magical equipment the Black King Corps had installed, not by the members themselves. So many shields were being deployed that it was difficult to count them all.
This is just what's visible... I can't even begin to fathom how much money was poured into this place.
It wasn't just about the money. To obtain such equipment, one needed close ties with the magic tool crafters of the Empire and the Lutero Magic Federation.
This was only possible because the Black King Corps was a neutral mercenary force. It would be considered treason for magic tool crafters to provide such items to Runcandel. Most of the war-grade magic tools Runcandel possessed were spoils of war.
The evacuation was proceeding with remarkable smoothness.
As expected of the world’s greatest mercenary corps, the Black King Corps showed a composed response even in an emergency they were experiencing for the first time.
The mountain range housing the fortress had almost completely collapsed.
Most of the members had already taken refuge below. Jin, the captains, and the executives now clung to ropes on a path created by the landslides, observing the battlefield at the central citadel.
More accurately, they watched the central citadel crumble.
“Whew.”
“Captain...!”
The forces bursting through the subspace were grinding the central citadel into dust.
The Azure Fire clinging to the rift had subsided significantly, but the torrent of energies pouring out continued to tear the opening wider.
The subspace is about to tear open completely.
What then? Zephyrin wouldn't be able to assume her true form, but the fight would spill out into the open. Even in her human form, Zephyrin possessed martial prowess on par with a 10-star knight.
However, that fight would not last long. Zephyrin was exhausted from taking multiple hits, but so were Jin's party and Valkas. Whatever came next would be a brief, desperate struggle.
We can’t kill Zephyrin here. Since the mercenaries are out of immediate danger, the best outcome is for both sides to withdraw without dealing a fatal blow.
Even exhausted, there was no telling what other tricks Zephyrin might have up her sleeve. Judging by the shocking martial prowess she had displayed, the tide of battle could turn at any moment.
Above all…
If the fight spilled out of the subspace, external powers would surely intervene.
The Black King Corps was a neutral force that the whole world watched. If a battle of this scale broke out at the Black King Mountain Fortress, there was no way nearby powers wouldn't notice.
She must have created the subspace in the reception room in the first place to handle her objective quietly, without killing the 2nd Captain and his subordinates.
The Black King Mountain Fortress was located in the Vise Kingdom, a neutral zone in the center of the continent. Geographically, it was quite close to the territories of Zipple and Viment.
And recently, Kinzelo hadn't been on friendly terms with the corps.
If she's considered the possibility of them showing up, Zephyrin will definitely choose to flee.
The moment he thought that…
RIIIIIP!
The sound of the subspace finally tearing apart echoed through the mountains. Jin and the members of the Black King Corps swallowed hard as they looked up at the ruined central citadel.
The scene within, visible in patches through the rift, was too chaotic to make out any details.
Kahaaaa…!
The first to emerge from the rift was Murakan.
He let out a roar, a show of his dignity, then exhaled a breath attack toward Zephyrin as she emerged behind him.
At that sight, Jin felt a wave of relief.
You’re safe!
His heart ached, however, when he saw Valkas and Shaku emerge afterward—especially Shaku.
Shaku was covered in what looked like fatal wounds, struggling just to stand.
Though he hadn't witnessed the fight himself, Jin knew at a glance that Shaku's condition was the result of a great sacrifice.
As a guardian forged from soul and Spirit Energy, Shaku’s injuries and even his death were not real in a physical sense. He would never hesitate to sacrifice his body for Jin and his comrades.
Even if it hadn't been a body of Spirit Energy but a real one, it would have been the same. Such was the brotherhood of the Pluto Tribe.
“Brother Shaku!”
He didn't bother with apologies or thanks. Shaku, reacting to Jin’s voice, turned his head and gave a broad grin when their eyes met.
“Tell me how I did later, Brother Jin.”
Shaku’s body scattered into particles of Spirit Energy. Jin gritted his teeth, drawing up his power. The moment to end this fight had come.
“Captains and executives, continue to protect the members!”
It was far more efficient than having them join the fight. While there was no guarantee that the captains' help would be enough to kill Zephyrin, the risk of ordinary members getting caught in her attacks was far too high.
Whoosh!
Spirit Energy and Azure Fire once again wreathed Bradamante. He wanted to unleash a Magic Sword Secret Technique immediately but feared the mercenaries might be caught in the crossfire.
Clang—!
Jin leaped, his sword falling toward Zephyrin’s forehead.
Zephyrin blocked the blade with her claws without much difficulty, but she was clearly burdened by the Azure Fire flaring before her eyes.
Her energy had noticeably weakened. Of course, that was only in comparison to her true form; she was still immensely powerful.
Boom, screeech!
Bradamante and her claws screeched as they locked together. Murakan assisted Jin, shifting between his human and true forms, while Valkas struggled to catch his breath.
Though not as badly hurt as Shaku, Valkas had also sustained significant injuries and was poisoned by Zephyrin’s toxins.
“Jin Runcandel, you…!” Zephyrin spat as she vied for strength against Jin.
“Go on, act as confident as you did earlier. Weren't you just saying you could kill me whenever you pleased?”
At his words, Zephyrin’s brow furrowed.
But she quickly regained her smirk.
“We will meet again before long, Jin Runcandel.”
“Right, you bastards always say that before you run away…”
Just as Jin was about to continue, Zephyrin's entire body suddenly turned purple and began to swell, looking as if she might pop at any moment.
Jin wasn't the only one whose instincts screamed at him.
[Kid!]
Before Murakan could even shout, Jin was already retreating, moving toward Valkas.
“Well then, goodbye!”
Kwaaaaaa…!
Zephyrin’s body, swollen with Demonic Energy, exploded.
A violent earthquake shook the entire mountain range as the shockwave erased every tree and stone near the epicenter.
It was a massive explosion, seemingly capable of bringing down the entire Black King Mountain Fortress, but its power wasn't truly on a transcendent level.
Just as she had from the start, Zephyrin had no intention of killing Jin. She had merely triggered the explosion to cover her escape.
Fortunately, the Black King Mountain Fortress was equipped with all manner of defensive magical devices, and Jin, Murakan, the captains, and the other executives still had strength left.
“Block it!”
“The 12th Flagbearer is with the Captain! First, Second, and Third Corps, protect each other!”
The mountain range was being shattered by the Demonic Energy explosion.
If most of the members hadn't already evacuated, it would have been a massacre. Jin, Murakan, and the members of the Black King Corps desperately fended off the explosion and its aftermath.
Murakan, in particular, squeezed out his remaining Spirit Energy, forming protective veils across the mountain range that saved countless lives.
[Dammit, she had to pull a pathetic stunt like that at the very end!]
Nearly an hour passed before the explosion and the resulting landslides and earthquakes finally subsided.
In the end, they managed to block the explosion without any major loss of life.
However, the majestic Black King Mountain Fortress had been utterly destroyed, buried in rubble. The groans and wails of the Black King Corps members echoed throughout the collapsed mountains.
Murakan floated in the dark night sky, drenched in Spirit Energy, and looked down at the Black King Corps with a hint of pity.
Those who knew the full story would recognize his gaze as one of sympathy.
But the forces from Zipple and Viment—personnel and dragons dispatched in haste the moment the battle was detected—did not see it that way.
“W-What in the world happened…!? The Black King Mountain Fortress!”
[Murakan!? Don't tell me, Murakan did this?]
[Big brother Murakan…!? You did this, brother?]
[M-M-Murakan…?]
“Then, does this mean Runcandel's 12th Flagbearer… destroyed the Black King Corps…!”
The newcomers from Zipple and Viment stared at the scene of destruction and at Murakan, inevitably falling into a massive misunderstanding.