Chapter 498: Tower Keeper of the White Night (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 498: Tower Keeper of the White Night (4)
Why the hell is that falling now?
For a moment, even Jin couldn't help but stare in dismay as the key tumbled through the air.
His heart skipped a beat.
If the ship blueprints had already been stolen, then all of Runcandel’s efforts would have been for nothing.
Could it be Joshua? No, considering the timing and the situation, that’s unlikely. He looked like he’d made a difficult decision when he handed me the key.
That only left Kinzelo.
Was the reason only four members of the Wraith Squad remained here in the 2nd Magic Tower because the rest of their forces were out chasing the stolen blueprints?
For now, it was the only logical conclusion.
However, Hedo’s objective remained a mystery.
—If you have taken anything from here, leave it behind. If you do, I shall let you live for now.
Common sense dictated that this wasn't something one said to an enemy.
Clang, clang, rattle, whoosh—!
The fallen key was swept up by the heat of the Karma Fire and vanished into the flames. Hedo let out a hollow breath, as if the situation were absurd. It was the perfect setup for a misunderstanding.
It wasn't easy for Hedo to immediately grasp what was happening, either.
This was because he possessed an identical key, given to him by Sandra.
Why does Jin Runcandel have the vault key?
As far as Hedo knew, there was only one. At least, that had been the case until a moment ago.
“12th Flagbearer, I do not know where you obtained that key. However, what I said still stands,” Hedo spoke with narrowed eyes, as if deciding not to overthink it.
Whether the key was a duplicate, a spare he didn't know about that the Runcandels had seized, or something else entirely—it didn't matter. He simply had to recover the blueprints and send Jin away alive.
At this very moment, atop the tower’s roof, Sandra Zipple was waiting for Jin, dressed to the nines. A table was even set for a private banquet for the two of them, which Hedo had personally prepared just before coming down. Sandra was currently sipping an aperitif, watching the Sota Desert’s secret shipyard explode in the distance as she tried to contain her fluttering anticipation.
A vein throbbed on Hedo’s forehead as he recalled her frantic state.
—Lady Sandra.
—Ugh, what!
—You must report this.
—Report what?
—You must report to the Patriarch that Jin Runcandel has arrived at the shipyard. You are currently on duty, after all.
—Hedo, if I do that, my husband will die. Or he won’t be Jin anymore.
—That is likely. Well, given the survival skills the 12th Flagbearer has shown so far, one never knows.
—So don't you ever spout that bullshit again.
Recalling that conversation, Hedo knew it was better to send Jin away alive if at all possible. He had set the table to appease Sandra for the time being, but a full dinner would likely be out of the question.
“I do not have the blueprints.”
“Did you not just drop the key? Do not make a foolish decision. I truly do not wish to kill you if I can help it.”
“How thoughtful of you. But what am I supposed to do about something I don't have? And it seems you’ve forgotten.”
We are still fighting, Tower Keeper.
As Jin finished his sentence, the Karma Fire grew even more ferocious. The flames clinging to Hedo’s body erupted in a series of explosions, and the fires spreading in all directions began to converge and swarm over him.
It was the Secret Technique of Sarah Runcandel, once hailed as the strongest of the Ten Great Knights of the old Runcandel.
Even in its incomplete state, it wasn't a technique that could be brushed off lightly.
For the first time, Hedo let out a short groan and stepped back. The power of the Karma Fire already unleashed far exceeded his expectations.
I should have stopped him from deploying this technique in the first place, or at least avoided it. As Jin Runcandel said, I was far too complacent. This might get a bit tiresome…
He felt the heat of the Karma Fire piercing through his barrier and flesh, seeping into his organs. It had been a very long time since he had felt this much pain. Even if he expelled his energy to push it back, it seemed it would take time for this savage heat to subside.
The problem was that the Karma Fire wasn't all he had to deal with.
The other Runcandels had been waiting for exactly this moment.
“Well done, youngest!” Dipus was the first to follow up.
His second Meteor Shower rained down upon the retreating Hedo’s back.
But that wasn't all. While the destructive power of Meteor Shower was certainly top-tier among Decisive Techniques, it didn't seem like it would be enough to properly damage the giant.
Dipus prepared one more technique—the most perfected blade in his arsenal.
Runcandel 5th Secret Technique:
Light Speed Thrust.
It was a blade he had refined alongside Mary, pushing past their limits countless times.
Flash!
A blinding glare surged toward Hedo’s back, even faster than the Meteor Shower. It was a Light Speed Thrust that had reached the pinnacle, a step ahead of Mary’s.
Hedo could not dodge Dipus’s sword.
The blade distorted space itself as it advanced, piercing into his mountain-like back.
Hedo coughed up blood as he was propelled forward. Even the Light Speed Thrust couldn't penetrate his massive body entirely, but the shockwave that rippled through him shook the entire tower.
Six such flashes followed in succession.
He would surely suffer a Backflow Reaction, but there was no turning back now. Dipus recognized this as their final chance to turn the tide.
Having finished his attack, Dipus spat out a clump of black blood.
“Kuaaaaaagh!” Hedo let out a horrific cry.
It was hard to tell if it was a scream or a roar. One thing was certain: despite being hit by six Light Speed Thrusts on top of the Meteor Shower, he showed no signs of collapsing.
Even in the midst of that agony, Hedo swung his longsword, Vail, to keep Jin at bay while remaining wary of the next attack.
A monster…!
Next were Joshua and Jane.
The six Light Speed Thrusts had not failed to damage Hedo. Jane approached under the cover of the Meteor Shower and drove her sword into the wounds the thrusts had opened.
The blade only sank in by about a finger joint’s length.
But even so, Jane’s sword had definitely dug into Hedo’s wounds. Blood splattered, and flesh was carved away.
“You!”
Hedo glared with bulging eyes, shoving Jane back with a spray of sword energy. While he had been shallowly stabbed about five times, Jane was sent flying into a wall, her wrist shattered and her internal injuries significant.
Nevertheless, Jane was not disappointed. Though a lump of blood surged up from deep within her chest, she had finally dealt a real blow to the monster and created an opening. A very small one.
Joshua’s sword was already piercing toward that gap.
“Kaaaaah!”
A desperate, venomous shriek—his absolute best.
No one ever called Joshua the best among the Flagbearers based on pure martial prowess alone. He was always obscured by the massive shadow of Luna, and the prevailing opinion among his siblings was that he became the Next Patriarch through schemes and Rosa’s unwavering support, not swordsmanship.
That wasn't an incorrect assessment.
However, he was undeniably the 2nd Flagbearer of Runcandel. He was also the one who had challenged and lost to the strongest Flagbearer of Runcandel more than anyone else. In other words, Joshua had his own hidden strength. He had gained enlightenment through countless defeats and contempt, and he had learned how to melt that into his blade.
This was the result.
The Black Sword Kiner was dyed in a dark energy. It resembled spirit energy but lacked its density, possessing the unique radiance of Aura instead. It wasn't a unique domain like the Heart Sword Luna had achieved, but it was the special color of sword energy one had to attain to master a Profound Technique as a Runcandel.
Runcandel 4th Secret Technique:
Black Cross Star.
Joshua’s sword drew a cross.
Black-shining sword energy spread along a perfect cross without a single deviation. The intersection of the attack was aimed at Hedo’s shoulder. He had originally aimed for the center of Hedo’s face, but Hedo had reacted, causing his aim to shift. However, the Black Cross Star was not a technique that lost much power even if it missed slightly.
True to its name, the Black Cross Star was not composed of just two lines of energy.
As soon as the Secret Technique began, Joshua’s black sword energy spread out in a massive circle, targeting Hedo from all directions.
Ssssh, shiiit—!
Like snipers firing in unison after surrounding a target, countless cross-shaped slashes of black sword energy converged on that point, beginning to shred Hedo.
If Joshua had unleashed the Black Cross Star alone, it would have been difficult to deal any proper damage. But the Runcandel blades that had battered Hedo previously had not been in vain.
Finally, he was writhing in agony. He let out a groan—small, but a groan nonetheless, not a roar—and for a moment, he appeared unable to deflect at least ten percent of the Black Cross Star’s numerous slashes.
Had it been any warrior less than Hedo, that ten percent alone would have torn their body into hundreds of pieces, turning them into mincemeat.
“Haa, haa!” Joshua slumped down, gasping for breath.
Dammit, it wasn't enough…!
As Hedo began to clear away the remnants of the Black Cross Star, he seemed to be regaining his strength with every passing second. Though he was covered in blood, he had not sustained a fatal wound.
“Just as the Black Dragon said Murakan is Murakan, I suppose a Runcandel is still a Runcandel. I am a bit surprised.”
Ptui. Hedo spat out blood and wiped his face as he spoke.
[What a tiresome bastard.]
Murakan was using a vortex to absorb the embers of the Karma Fire. By now, the members of the Wraith Squad were barely standing, completely exhausted. Throughout the chaos of the Karma Fire, Decisive Techniques, and Secret Techniques, they had burned through all their mana just maintaining their barriers.
[Hey, kid. This isn't going to work. There’s no way to win this. Take the others and run. I’ll deal with him and follow you somehow.]
“That seems like a decent plan, but unfortunately, I cannot help you with that, Lord Murakan. If the Runcandels refuse to hand over what they stole, I have no choice but to go back on my word.”
[What?]
“I will request support from the main house. I do not wish to waste any more energy pointlessly. My patience is also reaching its limit.”
[You don't look the type, but you're full of shit. Don't tell me you're going to get all uncool now. It's not that you don't want to waste energy; you're just starting to find this fight a pain in the ass, aren't you? You took a bigger beating than you expected.]
“You are free to think what you like. But the Black Dragon knows well that doing so won't make the situation any better.”
[Hah! And what’s this bullshit about us stealing the blueprints? We haven't even cracked the vault here, so don't you go pinning this on us.]
Murakan and the other Runcandels hadn't seen the key burn in the Karma Fire, nor had they overheard the conversation between Jin and Hedo.
Hedo decided to speak to Jin instead of Murakan.
“You have a talent for making simple problems difficult, 12th Flagbearer. If you continue to be stubborn, you will surely regret it. Before that, understand one thing clearly: I have shown you as much consideration as possible—”
The moment he said that, Hedo suddenly whipped around and swung his longsword, Vail, behind him. He had felt someone approach within point-blank range, bypassing his senses completely.
It was an assassination attempt.
And the number of people in the world capable of attempting an assassination on Hedo could be counted on one hand… and one of them was the legendary assassin born in the Garden of Swords.
It was Yona.