Chapter 463: People with Good Intuition, People with Bad Intuition (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 463: People with Good Intuition, People with Bad Intuition (7)
Sssshhh!
The moment Amela finished speaking, blade-like projectiles shot out from the mass of turbid energy behind her. Jin and Murakan, having anticipated this, dodged the attack with ease.
‘I knew she’d have some traits similar to Elder Sister Yona, but she’s even more unhinged than I anticipated.’
The blades of turbid energy slammed into the spot where Jin and Murakan had just been standing. Judging by the way they carved clean furrows into the ground, it was clear these attacks weren't just a threat.
Murakan instinctively moved to counterattack but held back, remembering Jin’s instruction to focus only on defense and evasion until they could get through to Amela.
‘Ugh, dammit! Just dodging is getting on my nerves.’
In less than five seconds, over a hundred blades rained down on them.
Amela controlled the entire process from her seat, using nothing more than her eyes and a few subtle gestures.
‘It’s as if she’s the god of this space,’ Jin thought as he parried a blade of turbid energy aimed straight for his face.
Instead of falling to the ground, the fragments of the blade shattered by his fist swirled back into the air and lunged at him again.
This wasn't something achievable with Aura or Mana. It was a power that moved with a special kind of authority—the power of chaos.
[Hmph, still dodging? You’re quick, aren’t you? Let’s see how long you can keep that up!]
The number of blades forming in the air began to increase rapidly. At a glance, more than twice as many now pressed in on Jin and Murakan from all directions.
When they continued to either dodge or shatter the projectiles with their bare hands, Amela stomped her foot in frustration.
The entire space vibrated unstably, as if it might collapse at any moment. The blades multiplied once more, now numbering close to five hundred.
Shring!
Dodging and parrying that many blades unarmed was impossible, even for Jin, forcing him to draw Sigmund.
[Heh, see? You couldn't just stand there and take it once things got serious, could you?]
“I only drew it for defense,” Jin said to Murakan. “Just a little more patience.”
Shaaaaa—!
The five hundred blades fired simultaneously, momentarily obscuring Jin and Murakan from view.
But in the next instant, Jin unleashed a combination of the Pluto Sword Ultimate Technique: Waterfall and Basic Form: Lightning, shattering every single blade of turbid energy.
From the moment they first entered this space to now, as they effortlessly destroyed her attacks, Amela couldn't hide her shock.
‘Why aren't they affected? Why aren't they going mad?’
She was still unaware that Jin was Solderet’s contractor.
To be precise, she didn't even know the men before her were Jin Runcandel and the Black Dragon Murakan, nor did she have any idea of the waves they had been making in the world.
Simply put, Amela had absolutely no interest in worldly affairs—just as Valeria had described her in his previous life.
“Great Mercenary Amela, I am the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel, Jin Runcandel.”
[A Runcandel?]
“Indeed.”
[That doesn’t mean I’ll let you live.]
Outside, the number of people from Zipple, Kinzelo, and the Imperial Army who had already succumbed to her curses and killed one another exceeded a thousand. If Amela cared about consequences, she wouldn't have committed such an act in the first place.
“You’re even more reckless than the rumors suggested.”
As soon as Jin replied, the swords floating in the air began to ripple and transform.
In an instant, the turbid energy took on a new form—not blades, but cannons.
‘Cannons?’
Muzzles typically seen only in large-scale warfare were all aimed at Jin and Murakan.
Boom! Bang! Boom-boom!
It was a relentless barrage. Unlike ordinary cannons, these weapons of turbid energy didn't need to be reloaded. They formed and fired incessantly according to Amela’s will.
The shells hammered against Jin’s defensive barrier until he could barely see what was in front of him. It seemed that to break through this bombardment without Bradamante’s Spirit Energy Armor, he would have to use a Fighting God Technique, a Decisive Technique, or something of equivalent power.
‘But doing that might put Sir Rata and Fey in danger.’
Bubar felt like a disembodied soul, so Jin didn't particularly care if he took damage, but it was uncertain whether Amela would protect her "lovely toys" in an extreme situation.
‘Even if I have to suppress her by force, I wanted to settle this with my swordsmanship if possible.’
Spirit Energy.
The reason Jin had drawn Sigmund instead of Bradamante was partly out of habit—his tendency to conceal his Spirit Energy weapon as much as possible—but it was also based on experience.
—I lose my mind when I see Spirit Energy. I didn't explain it to you, so you don't have to feel sorry. Heehee, I thought my youngest would hide that power from me at least until he became a Flagbearer…
Back when he was a reserve flagbearer, Yona had nearly killed her beloved youngest brother on the spot when she first encountered his Spirit Energy.
There was no guarantee Amela would react the same way, but it didn't hurt to be careful. After all, Jin had come here to make her an ally.
At this point, however, he had no choice. He had never imagined that reasoning with her would be this impossible.
The bombardment stopped briefly.
It wasn't because Amela was exhausted; she wanted to see if Jin and Murakan were finished.
[I’m sick of this! You’re so persistent! When I put in this much effort, shouldn't you just die already?]
Of course, the two of them were standing perfectly fine, though the Aura shields they had deployed were shredded to tatters and crumbling away.
Jin and Amela’s gazes met.
“For someone who claims to have put in effort, you look far too comfortable. Your breathing isn't even labored.”
While Jin and Murakan had consumed a great deal of energy maintaining their shields, Amela’s reserves of turbid energy seemed completely undiminished despite the massive barrage.
[That’s right. In this place, my power is infinite. So, why don't we stop wasting each other's time and end this? I’ll tell you in advance, you can't even scratch me with that strange lightning sword.]
Suddenly, a dagger formed in Amela’s hand.
‘Fascinating. She can form anything with turbid energy. And she said, "in this place." It seems certain that some special mechanism here has granted her temporary transcendent power, just as I suspected.’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Amela sliced off her own left wrist.
However, from the stump protruding from her shaggy clothes, smoke-like turbid energy billowed from the wound instead of blood, and a new hand formed instantly.
“Tough one, aren't you, Lady Amela,” Murakan said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Usually, that kind of super-regeneration is a specialty of inner core monsters or demons, but now even humans are doing it. Hey, kid. Amela, was it? If you keep acting cocky just because of that, you’re really going to die.”
[I told you, if this becomes a war of attrition, you’re the ones who will die. I just want to give you a chance to die comfortably. And I’d like you to stop interrupting my precious time with my cuties.]
“I have shown you as much courtesy as possible, Amela,” Jin said. “So, I will ask one last thing. Among the factions currently in the Gaifa Archipelago, have you decided to ally yourself with any of them?”
Outside, the image of the giant Bubar controlled by Amela was still fighting the four great powers, but Jin asked anyway. Given her personality, it wouldn't be strange if she continued to attack even after forming an alliance, claiming she needed to be compensated for the annoyance.
[What do you care?]
“I came here to recruit you, just like those outside. I heard you wander the world searching for something. I suspect it has to do with this turbid energy—with chaos.”
[You… you know about chaos?]
“Not well.”
[Then you can't be my friend.]
Jin’s gaze shifted to Bubar’s soul, which was busy throwing punches and exhaling breaths into the empty air.
“Then have you become friends with Bubar Gaston?” he asked, his tone calm and gentle, as if questioning a child.
Until a moment ago, Jin had thought Bubar had come with Kinzelo and been captured. However, seeing that Bubar existed only as a soul-like entity, unlike the Prochi siblings, he began to think otherwise.
‘Kinzelo likely possesses far more information about chaos than I do. That soul-like Bubar might be a form of chaos or one of its creations. Perhaps that’s what’s amplifying Amela’s power.’
Amela nodded after a slight hesitation.
[Something… like that.]
She seemed to affirm it reluctantly, as though she had been forced to befriend him for information on chaos but didn't actually want to be close to him.
Upon hearing her answer, Jin’s eyes turned cold.
“So, in a sense, you belong to Kinzelo.”
[I’m not sure about that… Wait, why am I being interrogated by you? I should just kill you!]
“Kill me? Great Mercenary Amela, I was asking those questions to decide whether or not I should kill you.”
Rumble, crackle…!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath Jin’s feet. As he surged with energy, the air instantly grew heavy and oppressive.
Then, the shining blade of Bradamante slid from its sheath.
Jin hadn't come here with the absolute intention of recruiting her at all costs.
—We must recruit her. If recruitment is impossible, we must keep her in check.
As he had told Valkas, he had always kept the possibility of her becoming an enemy in mind. And as for how to keep her in check, he would decide that after gauging her power and abilities.
Whether to kill her, let her live, cripple her so she couldn't fight for his enemies, or leave her be entirely.
With this level of ability, the choice was obvious.
If the day came when Runcandel fought an all-out war against Kinzelo, and if the Amela of that time stepped onto the battlefield with the near-infinite power she possessed now… how many Runcandels would die? To prevent such a future, Amela had to be killed.
“Though I was not welcomed upon visiting your land, I hold no particular grudge. Even if you had rejected my proposal with more courtesy, my choice would not have changed if you intend to befriend my enemies. There is no reason for us to hate each other.”
Whoosh—!
Bradamante was wreathed in black Spirit Energy.
In that moment, Amela’s eyes widened in sheer horror.
‘Spi… Spirit Energy!? Then, could he be Solderet’s…!’
She had already begun firing her cannons in a frantic reaction to Jin’s movement.
But Jin, clad in Spirit Energy Armor, charged straight through the barrage and swung Bradamante at Amela.