Chapter 534: Omen (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 534: Omen (3)
The moment the White Stone was handed over, Hairan’s war would lose all meaning.
If this were a war that could be ended by simply surrendering the White Stone, Jin would never have come here in the first place.
“If the fighting escalates further, I will not be able to make this same offer again under my own authority. I simply wish to minimize unnecessary deaths.”
“Since Zipple and I have both come to support our respective friends, it’s difficult to say this is merely a fight between the Empire and Hairan anymore. Unnecessary deaths? Has such a thing ever existed between Runcandel and Zipple? Is it not our fate to fight until one side is completely annihilated?”
Ultimately, Laramakua had no choice but to give up on the negotiation.
“...You will regret this.”
“Our talk is over. Return to your ranks, and don’t say anything else that might earn my resentment.”
In truth, Jin wasn’t acting so aggressively because he was truly confident.
A full-scale war with Zipple was an immense burden, even for him. No, it was more than a burden; it was a dangerous development that felt like it had no solution.
Nevertheless, the reason Jin did not back down was simple.
For Zipple to be the first to mention a full-scale war with Runcandel… it just goes to show how important that White Stone really is.
The White Stone.
If that cursed object, which was currently defiling his friend’s family and pride, was something Zipple felt they had to obtain even at the cost of total war with Runcandel, then he could never retreat. It wasn't that Jin didn't want to back down; it was that he simply couldn't.
This was no longer just a problem for the Sword Emperor Castle. If the White Stone possessed that much value, Zipple would surely use it to take another leap forward. And stopping Zipple was Runcandel’s greatest mission.
Of course, it wasn't as if he had nothing to rely on.
Mother and the clan’s elites must be watching this situation.
The Emperor had exposed the existence of the White Stone to the world, and Zipple had sent reinforcements, even revealing their mass-produced ships. There was no way Runcandel would remain idle during such a massive event.
Mother likely hasn't judged the value of the White Stone yet, so she must have decided to wait and see. But if Zipple starts going all out, the clan will step in. They have to.
The same went for Talaris.
She was still observing the battle, but the moment she concluded that the White Stone posed a significant threat to the world, she would join the fight. As long as Ron and Dante didn't use the White Stone as a last resort, her sword would be pointed at Zipple.
I don’t know about the unconscious Lord Ron, but Dante would never make such a choice. Even if he harbors extreme thoughts, I just have to stop him. As long as I prevent that, there’s no reason for Lady Talaris to pressure the Sword Emperor Castle.
He had heard about Ron’s condition from the Hairan knights on his way to the front lines. His heart ached once more when he thought of what Dante must be feeling, serving the comatose Ron within the castle.
Veradin.
At the same time, another friend came to mind.
I believe you are also doing something for Dante.
If he were in his right mind, he surely would be. Jin hoped that Veradin wouldn't become a war doll and attack Hairan, as he had during the mission to assassinate Barton. That would be too cruel for everyone.
Laramakua turned abruptly and transformed into her true form.
As soon as she took her place in the sky again, the battle resumed.
As if the brief lull had been a lie, the battlefield was instantly filled with screams and explosions. Most were the screams of Zipple’s mages and dragons, and the explosions were from their fleet being torn apart.
Alongside Murakan, the power of the Five Sword Saints was particularly prominent. Unlike Dante, they possessed Steel Bodies, and they relentlessly used their Secret Techniques to snuff out the enemy.
Secret Techniques, including the Sky Piercing Slash, illuminated the night sky in succession, occasionally punctuated by the majesty of Jin’s Lightning Energy.
The Emperor’s ground forces could no longer close their encirclement. Amela’s artillery support was nonstop, and on the flanks and rear, Jin’s comrades—including Valkas and the Prochi siblings—were still performing brilliantly.
The opening and middle stages of the battle were thus progressing toward a victory for the Sword Emperor Castle’s faction.
However, those fighting for Hairan did not get carried away. Rather, as the tide of battle turned in their favor, they prepared for the next phase with even firmer resolve.
There was no way it would end like this.
The scale of Zipple’s first wave of reinforcements had clearly diminished. Only about five mass-produced ships remained, and most of their mages and dragons had been killed. It seemed they would all be wiped out within minutes.
Even their leader, the Blue Dragon Laramakua, could barely let out a roar, having lost one of her wings.
This should… be enough, Laramakua thought.
There was one thing that neither the Emperor’s army nor the knights gathered for Hairan knew. To prepare for such a situation, Zipple had devised a new method by combining incomplete technology with ancient dark magic.
Suddenly, the blood flowing from Laramakua drew a magic circle in the air.
It wasn't particularly large or strikingly bright. Because it was drawn so quickly, no one noticed the moment it formed amidst the chaotic battle.
Jin and his comrades only recognized it several seconds after the magic circle was completed.
What is that?
A blood magic circle…?!
The moment he perceived it, Murakan fired a Breath at Laramakua. The pitch-black beam pierced through her heart, and the force of the blast scattered the blood that had drawn the circle.
However, the blood soon gathered again, maintaining the shape of the magic circle.
And Laramakua wasn't the only one. The other surviving Zipple dragons and commander-level mages were also drawing the same circles with their blood.
The catalyst for their magic was none other than death—the deaths that had been blooming incessantly all over the battlefield.
Kieeeeeek…!
The blood magic circles resonated, producing a strange, metallic screech. The knights of the Sword Emperor Castle faction who were capable of aerial attacks continued to strike the circles, but even when torn apart, they kept reforming and merging.
Soon, the combined magic circle took the shape of a cube.
A cube?
Suddenly, Jin thought of the Gaifa Archipelago. The artifact Midore Elner had used to summon Myuron Zipple had also been a perfect cube.
Don’t tell me.
A Spacetime Device.
It wasn't just an artifact; it could be summoned through magic as well…!
Cough!
Laramakua collapsed, vomiting blood. With her death, the magic circle was completed.
There was no need to shout a warning. The allies in the sky already sensed something was wrong and were backing away.
The magic circle began to spew a dark red light. That light, which looked like the sun on some ominous day, soon formed a massive dimensional gate.
The first thing to emerge from the gate was a ship almost identical in form to the Kozec.
Zzzzzzt…!
As the ship emerged, the surrounding space distorted. A tremendous repulsive force sucked in the corpses and blood still lingering in the air, creating a bizarre noise.
Before the mass-produced ships, the Kozec was the only vessel of its kind, and its performance was known to vary depending on its passengers. The same applied to the mass-produced ships. Depending on the passenger’s mana, any flying ship could be a mere means of transport or a formidable weapon of war.
The Zipple mass-produced ships destroyed earlier hadn't shown much of an impact. However, the newly appeared fleet was being powered by mages of a qualitatively different level. One could tell without even having to fight.
The density of the mana enveloping the ships was entirely different. It was so intense that even knights who couldn't read mana felt a tingling sensation throughout their bodies.
It’s the Wraith Squad.
He had already expected more reinforcements. The summoning through dark magic had merely moved up the timeline. Since he had been aware of the Wraith Squad’s potential appearance from the start, it wasn't particularly shocking.
Nevertheless, the reason Jin let out a hollow laugh was because their numbers were simply too great.
The number of mass-produced ships that emerged from the dimensional gate reached thirty. And every single one of those ships was being operated by the Wraith Squad.
Just how many Wraiths do those bastards have…?!
During his time as a reserve flagbearer, the first Wraith Squad Jin had encountered on Veradin’s island numbered fifteen in total. At that time, Jin had been certain their numbers must be over twenty, judging by the awkwardness of their chain magic.
But now, there were over thirty ships before his eyes, and each was being powered by the mana of at least two or more members of the Wraith Squad. A simple calculation meant their numbers were nearing sixty—an impossible figure.
If Zipple had maintained that many Wraiths all along, they could have finished off Runcandel whenever they wanted before Cyron’s era.
If so, there were two hypotheses.
Either they recently invented a training method that far surpasses the previous one to rapidly increase the number of Wraiths…
Or they had brought back the dead.
It had already been proven during the battle with Andrei Zipple that Zipple could resurrect humans using the Demon God Stone. Jin assumed it was the latter.
The mages resurrected along with Myuron Zipple at the Gaifa Archipelago… it’s exactly the same as then. Only the scale and quality are different.
“Khahaha!”
From the first ship that appeared, familiar voices could be heard. They were the voices of Midore Elner and Myuron Zipple.
[It seems our ill fate is truly persistent, for you bastards to be here as well…!]
[I have returned from hell twice now, I, Myuron Zip—!]
Before they could finish their sentences, Jin and Murakan simultaneously unleashed a Light Speed Thrust and a Breath.
The Runcandel Secret Technique and the full-powered Breath of the Black Dragon tore through the shields and obliterated the bow of the ship where Midore and Myuron stood.
Just like that, Midore and Myuron met their second and third deaths, respectively, in pathetic fashion. After Jin and Murakan’s power swept through the bow, only their ankles remained on the deck.
[They’re like cockroaches; they just keep coming back no matter how many times you kill them. And they disappear after putting on a pathetic display.]
Murakan spoke with a snort.
However, both he and Jin knew the truth. The moronic Zipple brothers had died solely because the Wraiths on the other ships hadn't bothered to protect them.
Though they were positioned at the front, Myuron and Midore were not their commanders. The Wraith Squad saw them as nothing more than vermin who possessed the lowest level of skill and were only taking up space because they were Kelliark’s sons. They didn't care whether they lived or died.
Therefore, even though the lead ship was damaged and Myuron and Midore were dead, the Wraith Squad silently gathered their mana.
Those things… are definitely going to be a handful, Jin thought, gritting his teeth.
He could only hope that the resurrected Wraiths were not as formidable as the genuine ones he had first encountered.