Chapter 494: Everyone Had a Plan Until... (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 494: Everyone Had a Plan Until... (5)
The members of the Wraith Squad were too far away to hear, but Black Knight Jane heard Jin’s voice with crystal clarity.
“12th Flagbearer, your remarks are inappropriate,” Jane said.
“Step back, Black Knight. I have no desire to harm a warrior who has dedicated her life to the clan.”
Jane’s eyes widened behind her mask.
Since becoming a Black Knight alongside Mon a year ago, no one in the clan had ever spoken to her like this. However, this was not a situation where she could recklessly rebuke him by citing etiquette or protocol.
She had no justification, and four members of the Wraith Squad were currently blocking their path.
He came here knowing full well that the 2nd Flagbearer and I were hiding information. This isn't just bluster or intimidation. If we don't reveal the vault's location, he truly intends to kill the 2nd Flagbearer.
From what Jane had seen and heard, Jin Runcandel was a man who never hesitated. As he had just declared, he was the type who never made empty threats.
—It does bother me that we didn't share the information about the 2nd Magic Tower with the 4th and 12th Flagbearers from the start.
She recalled what Mon had said. They hadn’t pressed Joshua on the matter at the time, but in truth, both Mon and Jane had been wary of this side of Jin.
And what about the 4th Flagbearer? His grudge against the 2nd runs far deeper. One wrong move and this could turn truly dangerous. Mon… Mon needs to get here, now.
Even though their fellow Runcandels—their allies—had arrived, Joshua and Jane felt a greater sense of pressure now than when they had been pushed back by the enemy moments ago.
“Interfering with the mission?”
At Joshua’s words, Jin’s eyes darkened even further.
“The only reason your arm is still attached to your body is because the enemy is right in front of us. But if you give me another meaningless answer, I will sever it.”
For Dipus, this was a sight he had imagined countless times since childhood—seeing Joshua backed into such a corner. It was a scene he hadn't witnessed since the days Luna used to run wild.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Joshua in such a state. It wouldn't be a bad idea to kill him now, but I should wait and see what the youngest decides.
The Wraith Squad resumed their attack. Dipus, Jane, and Murakan fended off the rapid-fire spells. Murakan, mindful of Jin’s instructions to conceal his strength, refrained from using spirit energy.
Because of this, the Wraith Squad simply assumed Murakan was another one of the Runcandel Black Knights.
Amidst the din of battle, Jin and Joshua’s gazes locked.
“...It’s the seventeenth floor.”
Finally, Joshua answered, pulling a sheet of paper from his breast pocket and holding it out. It was a map detailing the vault’s location and the route to reach it.
“I’m sure that’s not all, 2nd Flagbearer.”
“What do you mean?”
“The means to bypass the barrier. Hand that over as well.”
“There is no such thing.”
“I thought you were somewhat intelligent, but it seems you’re slow on the uptake.”
Shing—Clang!
Jin swung his sword without hesitation. Joshua took a step back as he parried the blow.
The Runcandels and the Wraith Squad, who had just resumed their skirmish, momentarily turned their heads toward the two brothers.
“Youngest, do you have any idea what you are doing right now?”
“As I just said, I am holding you accountable for obstructing the mission. You should have informed me and Dipus about the 2nd Magic Tower the moment the situation changed with Kinzelo’s terror attack.”
Unlike Joshua, who spoke in a low voice thick with suppressed rage, Jin’s tone was calm.
“...I don't know where you get this confidence. You, of all people, should know, youngest. If you strike me now, you will lose far more than I ever could.”
“We’ll see about that when this is over.”
“Unlike me, you won't get a second chance.”
At those words, Jin let out a short, mocking laugh.
“So you know it well, then. Unlike you, a mere clone, I only have one life. In that case, isn't your role clear?”
Hand everything over to me and die for the clan.
Jin swung his sword again as he finished the thought. To an observer, they seemed to be merely clashing in a contest of strength, but the extremely condensed aura gathered on their blades was ready to explode the moment one side gave way.
“Whether you unleash a volcano like you did back then or use some other trick, do whatever it takes to draw the enemy’s attention and buy time. I will secure the blueprints and bring them back to the Garden of Swords.”
Boom!
Joshua’s aura was pushed back, causing an explosion to erupt from Bradamante.
Having just fought a fierce battle against the Wraith Squad, Joshua was unable to display his full strength. He stumbled back, parrying Jin’s next strike, and hurriedly corrected his posture.
It was a bizarre battle.
The battlefield was split in two: in the front, Runcandel fought Zipple; in the back, Runcandel fought Runcandel.
“You...!”
“Perhaps you should have spent more time training. Three years ago in the Blue Bird Archipelago, you were certainly stronger than me. Even accounting for your fight with the Wraith Squad, your swordsmanship lacks depth. More reinforcements will arrive soon, which means we’re out of time. Make your decision, 2nd Flagbearer.”
The sluggishness of Joshua’s blade wasn't just due to physical exhaustion.
He was agonizing.
Jin wasn't the only one who had been plagued by unforeseen variables in the Sota Desert. Joshua’s body and mind were also being ground down by the constant, sudden shifts and unknowns.
Damn it, not only did I run into the Wraith Squad the moment I entered the tower, but now this…!
The key provided by the Prophet had allowed them to bypass the tower’s barriers, but they hadn't even reached the vault yet.
Thus, Joshua had also been contemplating whether it was right for him to buy time while leaving the rest to Jane.
As Jin said, time was running out.
And if Jin refused to back down, if they continued to fight like this, the most likely outcome was that Runcandel would lose its flagbearers and Black Knights without gaining anything.
Furthermore, if Jin is captured or killed here, my prophecy… becomes wrong. That can't happen. This, too, must be a piece of the prophecy. Or perhaps a divergence point.
Grind. He gnashed his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums.
Though their forms and methods differed, and though their hearts weren't always righteous or noble…
Naturally, all flagbearers prioritized and loved the clan above all else. Among them, Joshua was a flagbearer who had been obsessively fixated on Runcandel.
He was a man who always made choices for the sake of Runcandel.
At least, that was what he believed.
I must… listen to the youngest.
He should have complied the moment Jin first spoke, without ever crossing blades.
His judgment had just been momentarily clouded because he felt his pride—an emotion that had been severely damaged over a long time by the very people he most wanted to resemble and reach—crumbling once again.
Pride.
Once again, Joshua steeled his resolve to abandon that emotion for the sake of the clan.
Whish!
Joshua pulled a key from his pocket and tossed it to Jin.
“It’s the vault key. That’s how we bypassed the barriers.”
“What a sight. Where did you get this?”
“I don't believe I need to tell you that. Don't doubt its authenticity. Though, since you can read mana, you wouldn't anyway.”
The vault key was a type of artifact. The flow of mana within it shared many similarities with the barriers outside. Moreover, embedding such complex mana into something the size of a key was something only Zipple could achieve.
“You had this, and yet you intended to use us as mere bait?”
“I believed that if it were you and Dipus, you would be more than capable of escaping and returning after I secured the blueprints. Especially with the clan’s guardian deity by your side.”
“Hoo.”
Jin let out a sigh.
“You made a decent choice in the end, but let me tell you one thing. If this mission fails, know that it was because of your greed. How dare you, a mere clone, put real flagbearers and Black Knights in danger like this?”
“Greed, is it? Think what you like. But know this: if I didn't love the clan, I would never have given you that key.”
Joshua spoke as he turned his back. He believed that Jin, who had been pointing a sword at him just moments ago, would not stab him in the back. It was an action born of the trust that Jin would also act for the clan’s benefit instead of settling a personal grudge by killing his clone now.
“Go to the vault immediately. As you’ve likely guessed, the fact that only four members of the Wraith Squad are here isn't a trap. I don't know the exact reason, but I can only assume they are occupied with Kinzelo. The blueprints will definitely be in the vault.”
The aura swirling around Joshua’s sword began to glow with a brighter light. Having made his decision and cleared his doubts, he had regained his natural martial prowess.
“...I will give a signal once I secure the blueprints. Escape with the Black Knight then.”
“I’ll do that.”
Jane glanced at the atmosphere between the two and breathed a sigh of relief.
I couldn't hear their exact conversation, but from how things played out, it seems the 2nd Flagbearer will buy time while the 12th secures the blueprints.
Her heart felt lighter knowing that Runcandel flagbearers wouldn't be killing each other in enemy territory.
Jane and Joshua weren't simply being overwhelmed by the Wraith Squad. Even while outnumbered, they had already significantly drained their opponents’ stamina, allowing Murakan and Dipus to land blows on them with relative ease.
Now, all that’s left is to hold out somehow. So that the 12th Flagbearer can complete the mission! It would be ideal if he left either the 4th Flagbearer or the guardian deity behind, but even if they all leave, the fight against the Wraith Squad will be much easier than before…
The moment Jane reached that thought.
Thump, thump…
Suddenly, a heavy vibration echoed from beyond the iron doors of the floor they were on.
It was a rhythmic thudding, as if some massive creature were striding toward them. As if by unspoken agreement, the battle paused for a moment, and everyone’s eyes turned toward the iron doors.
Soon, the source of the vibrations entered the room.
It was a massive man dressed in a perfectly tailored uniform. He possessed enormous, rock-hard muscles that no clothing could hide—muscles that hardly seemed human.
It was Hedo, Zipple’s Second Head Butler and Sandra’s personal butler.
And in his white-gloved hand, he held the dripping, severed head of a man.
“So, there were a few Wraith Squad members left who weren't complete fools.”
Thud.
Hedo spoke as he dropped the head onto the floor and pulled out a cigarette.