Chapter 465: People with Good Intuition, People with Bad Intuition (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 465: People with Good Intuition, People with Bad Intuition (9)
He managed to twist his sword at the last second.
If he hadn't altered its trajectory, the blade glowing with dark blue light would have instantly cleaved through Amela and incinerated her. While a sense of relief washed over Jin for saving her, he was immediately gripped by a new worry: could Murakan handle the Karma Fire?
"Ah, you crazy bastard!"
Murakan was indeed Jin’s guardian dragon. Even though Jin had only called his name, he understood exactly what was required.
Whoosh!
Murakan lunged toward Amela, rapidly shifting into his true form in mid-air.
[First I save those snake-eyes, and now you want me to look after this one too?!]
Boom!
He swung a forepaw, swatting Amela toward the back where the Prochi siblings were. Her body bounced like a ball as the sound of breaking bones echoed through the air, but she began to regenerate instantly.
Had she been touched by the Karma Fire, such recovery would have been impossible.
The moment she landed between the Prochi siblings, she instinctively knew she was going to live.
I surrender. Please, make it stop.
There was a reason Amela had said those words to Jin.
Intuition.
A gut feeling told her that she would never survive by thrashing about in terror or attempting a desperate defense. Instead, she sensed that if she begged for her life, Jin might just extend a hand to save her.
Her intuition had been spot on.
[Kraaaaaaah!]
Murakan, meanwhile, had no choice but to brace himself and let out a desperate roar.
Spirit energy and Azure Fire were spreading from Bradamante like a tidal wave. Now, Murakan had to endure Jin’s Karma Fire in Amela’s place.
The dark blue energy instantly dyed the heart of the turbid miasma—the very space they occupied.
Like insects scurrying for cover when struck by light, the surrounding turbid energy retreated at a frantic pace.
This only meant that the Karma Fire Murakan had to block was that much more massive.
Murakan’s amber eyes were stained black with spirit energy. He unleashed the highest level of Spirit Energy Release he could currently manage, forming a veil of power even darker than the deep blue Karma Fire.
The Karma Fire tore through the veil with ease.
However, as soon as one was shredded, another was instantly deployed, continuously stalling the encroaching flames.
[Hey, stop it already!]
With every layer that tore, the Karma Fire drew closer to Murakan.
He was sweating bullets.
It had been a very long time since Murakan had felt this kind of pressure. No matter how great he was, his prime was long behind him. If he took a direct hit from something like this with a body that hadn't fully recovered…
He shook his head instinctively. The thought of being bedridden with critical injuries—or worse, being tormented by Misha under the guise of "treatment"—made him dig his claws into the ground with all his might.
Maybe I’ll just get a light or moderate injury, and I can spend a happy, peaceful time being nursed by Strawberry Pie? Am I worrying too much over a mere brat’s flames?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the Karma Fire grew even more ferocious, staining his vision a deep, bruised blue. A hollow laugh escaped him.
There was no way. If he didn't give his absolute all to block this, it would become an indelible stain on the history of the Great Black Dragon Murakan.
(Black Dragon Murakan critically injured by his own charge's sword… Was he truly the Overlord of the Skies a thousand years ago?)
(Testimony from Fire Dragon Kadun of Kelliark Zipple: "He's actually weak." What is the truth?)
(Jin Runcandel, Contractor of Solderet, severely punishes negligent Guardian Dragon. Enforcing hierarchy like a true Runcandel.)
(12th Flagbearer fells Guardian Dragon with a single strike. Who is protecting whom? Black Dragon Murakan and the world's dragons must stay alert…)
For a split second, he imagined a future where such ridiculous headlines flooded the world.
He had reigned as an overlord for over three thousand years; he could not leave such a disgraceful legacy behind. He would rather die than live with that embarrassment.
The veils of spirit energy could no longer hold back the Karma Fire. Orbs of flame poured through the torn gaps, and Murakan had no choice but to shield his body with spirit energy and take them head-on.
He screamed until his throat felt raw. The moment the fire touched his scales, a horrific pain pierced and scraped through his mind like a thousand needles.
[Kwooooooh!]
His massive black body trembled violently as he pushed back against the flames. His clenched teeth chattered, and he felt as if a cold sweat was pouring from beneath his scales.
His face, already contorted from the effort, twisted into an even more grotesque grimace.
He knew for certain that if he took even one step back, it was over. He wouldn't die, but Amela would be reduced to ash, not even a bone left behind.
"Murakan…!" Jin called out again, his voice laced with worry.
[Don't talk to me! You're breaking my concentration!]
"Oh, sorry!"
Jin was doing his best to pull back some of the energy fueling the Karma Fire, at least as much as he could without causing himself severe internal injuries.
However, the technique itself was so immense and had been unleashed with such force that it was like trying to un-spill an overturned cup. He could recover a few drops, but most of it was already gone.
Tsk! That human better be worth all this, whatever her name is… Wait. What is that sound?!
Crack!
An ominous sound, like something breaking, rose from deep within his chest.
It was near his heart. And Murakan had heard this sound before.
My… my heart!
A similar sound had echoed through him when Temar broke his heart. His scales stood on end as a wave of anxiety washed over him.
But something was strange.
If his heart had cracked, his strength should have been fading rapidly. Instead, he felt a surge of power welling up from within.
It was like an inexhaustible spring, an oil well bursting forth in the middle of a desert!
The strength that had been running on fumes to block the Karma Fire began to gush from his heart. The pleasure and sense of fullness from the spirit energy surging through his body made the back of his neck tingle.
Could it be… my old power is returning?! My true strength!
The thing that had broken near his heart was the handiwork of his sister, Misha—the one he loathed so much.
When she had treated Murakan in the past, Misha had placed a seal on his heart. It was a safety measure to ensure he wouldn't use too much power with a heart that had once been shattered, even after a successful surgery.
At the time, Misha had set the limit at forty percent of his original power. She believed that if he used any more than that, his recovering heart might break again.
And just now, Murakan had inadvertently broken the seal that held him back from fifty percent.
To use a human medical analogy, it was as if some of the stitches had been torn out.
The seal hadn't broken because Murakan had forced his power out of desperation; it had broken because his heart had already recovered enough to enter the "fifty percent safety zone" Misha had anticipated.
A ten percent difference was by no means small. It was as vast as the wall between a 9-star and a 10-star.
Heh, haha, hahahahaha!
Murakan suddenly burst into a roaring laugh.
The turbid energy, already retreating from the Karma Fire, was completely swept away. The core where they stood cracked like breaking glass, and the original colors of the Gaifa Archipelago began to return.
The surroundings cleared, and the sky opened up.
The massive form of Giant Bubar, which had been standing tall in the middle of the central island and threatening the Four Great Powers, began to turn transparent, as if about to vanish.
In truth, Giant Bubar had already slowed its movements the moment Amela began fighting Jin, but now it was disappearing entirely.
And that laughter shook the entire island.
The Four Great Powers, who were struggling outside, felt their hearts drop in shock.
"That voice!"
"Sixth Flagbearer, it's the voice of the family's guardian deity, Lord Murakan!"
"Could it be… the Youngest…!"
Vigo and the Runcandel knights widened their eyes in surprise.
"The Black Dragon Murakan? Jin Runcandel was here too?!"
"Section Leader! The contractors among the Imperial Mages were told to avoid the Black Dragon at all costs if they encountered him on a mission!"
"Even during the Black King Corps incident recently, they said Zipple’s Fire and Blue Dragons fled in fear…!"
The members of the Viment Empire were also terrified.
"W-Wangho! M-my legs are shaking so much I can't stand!"
"You pathetic Red Tigers, get it together! Wanghos! Do we White Wolves have to worry about this too… Wait, if even you Wanghos are trembling, what are we supposed to do?!"
"Y-you'll definitely t-tremble too. If t-that thing comes closer…! I can smell the Pluto Tribe too! We have to run!"
The beastmen of Kinzelo, especially the Red Tiger Tribe, immediately fell into a state of extreme panic.
Unlike the White Wolf Tribe, the Red Tigers possessed great combat power but lacked a warrior's spirit. It was a racial trait, but it also meant they possessed a sharper intuition for fear and crisis than the White Wolves.
"Ha… the Black Dragon? Then… Jin… Runcandel is here…"
Finally, among the Zipple forces, Midore Elner ground his teeth, his eyes turning bloodshot the moment he heard Murakan’s laughter.
Who were Jin Runcandel and Murakan? They were the enemies of his most beloved brother, Myuron Zipple.
"Even Fire Dragon Teo and Blue Dragon Laramakua retreated after facing Murakan. We must retreat, Tower Master!"
"Seeing as the giant has vanished, it's highly likely the Great Mercenary Amela has already been defeated by Murakan! Seventh Magic Tower Master, I know you want to avenge the former Tower Master, but we must withdraw for now!"
Whoosh!
Midore ignited flames with his mana.
"Seventh Magic Tower Master!"
"Please, calm yourself!"
The mages of the 7th Magic Tower, both elders and regulars alike, all tried to stop Midore.
However, there was one woman watching Midore and laughing.
Even in his peak rage, Midore was carefully watching her reaction.
"...If Lady Sandra tells me to retreat, I shall do so."
"Kyahat! For a bastard son, you're certainly well-trained. You're still checking my mood even in this situation, huh? How precious."
Her name was Sandra Zipple, the daughter of Kelliark.
Just as Sandra was about to continue laughing and speak…
Rumble!
The earthquake shaking the entire island suddenly grew even more powerful.
It was the result of Murakan pushing back the Karma Fire he had been blocking with his body.
And he, having unintentionally broken the seal on his heart…
Was soaring into the sky, still clutching the Karma Fire.
Furthermore, the Karma Fire had mixed and clashed with Murakan’s spirit energy, turning even darker until only faint traces of the original blue flames remained.
[I am Murakan!]
Murakan roared as he hurled the mass of energy he was holding down toward the ground.
To the people below, it looked as though it were some kind of technique unleashed by Murakan himself, not Jin.
"Evade…!"
"Wanghos, get back! No, everyone! Get behind the High Warriors! White Wolves, look after the Red Tigers!"
"Shields! Cast the shields! Hurry!"
"Dammit! Group up and cast a shield!"
The Four Great Powers could only watch in horror as the Karma Fire Murakan had thrown came hurtling toward them.