Chapter 626: Return (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 626: Return (3)
Bewilderment—that was the first emotion to flood Lanke Halovice’s mind.
‘My jaw… it’s broken?! And in a single blow…!’
He prided himself on his body, a physique he boasted was the sturdiest among the Four Great Ducal Houses of the Demon World. Having reigned as a powerhouse since birth, this was the first time his bones had ever been shattered by a single strike.
The next emotion to fill Lanke’s chest was rage. How dare this human not only interrupt him but throw a punch without so much as a word of warning!
However, it was not yet time to lose his dignity. Just because his opponent was uncouth didn't mean a noble like himself should stoop to the same level.
Crack!
Lanke created some distance and forcibly snapped his dislocated jaw back into place. The bone mended rapidly once realigned.
“Attacking an unguarded opponent has been the specialty of the lowborn since time immemorial. Hmph, I offered a greeting out of the kindness of my heart, and you respond with such rudeness—ack!”
Snap!
Jin’s elbow slammed into Lanke’s jaw, shattering the very bone he had just mended. Tears welled in Lanke’s eyes as he scrambled back once more.
“You… You dare!”
Lanke snapped his jaw back into place again.
“Were you off-guard again?”
“No, I was merely trying to maintain my dignity.”
“Then it seems you’ve died twice because of that pathetic dignity. If I’d aimed properly, your head would be gone.”
“I see no further reason for Lanke Halovice to show you any respect!”
Lanke’s eyes turned a blood-red hue as a thorn whip manifested in his hand.
“A thorn whip? You use quite the refined weapon.”
Swish!
The whip tore through the air. With a casual wave of his hand and a burst of demonic energy, Lanke had previously reduced dozens of chaos remnants to mincemeat. Naturally, the power of a whip strike backed by his full strength would be incomparable.
Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve fought someone since my last spar with the Baba Brothers.
Perhaps that was why.
To Jin, Lanke’s whip felt utterly harmless. It was like watching the clumsy swordsmanship of a mere apprentice. He couldn't feel even a hint of strength from the demon.
‘He’s not even trying to dodge?’
Thud, grip…!
Lanke’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as Jin caught the thorn whip with his bare hand. The thorns of the Demon World Thorn Tree, renowned for their hardness, were being crushed helplessly within Jin’s grasp.
‘They said he was far below Bianca just two and a half years ago…! Was everyone lying to me?! He just caught this with his bare hands?’
Everything Lanke knew about Jin came from stories told by Kinzelo members. He knew Jin’s martial prowess had been near the 10-star rank even then, and he had accounted for the fact that Jin would have grown significantly during his closed-door training.
But the man holding his whip now was nothing like the person from those stories.
“There is only one reason I haven't killed you immediately, demon.”
“Lanke. It’s Lanke Halovice!”
“It’s because I have questions. Why has the Mitra Great Desert ended up like this, and why did you call this place your playground? Explain in as much detail as possible. Do so, and I shall show you a reasonable amount of mercy.”
“Mercy? Ha, I’m so flabbergasted I’m speechless.”
“It means I’ll kill you without making it too painful.”
“You seem to have grown a bit more than I heard, but don’t get cocky. I, Lord Lanke, am very strong.”
“Is that so? You seem quite pathetic compared to Bianca Caligo.”
“I am superior to that half-wit of the Caligo family beyond comparison! Do not compare me to such a lowly creature!”
Grrrk!
Lanke pulled on the whip with all his might. However, Jin remained as immovable as a giant boulder, making Lanke’s posture look ridiculous. Jin was even doing it with one hand, looking completely relaxed.
“Ha, haha. Fine, I’ll admit it. You’re… stronger than me in raw power!”
Lanke pulled out a new thorn whip and resumed his assault. Only then did Jin draw Sigmund, parrying the whips with ease.
“Do you really not understand the situation, or do you have something else to rely on? Are you waiting for your comrades to arrive?”
“Lord Lanke doesn't need such things to—”
Lanke stopped mid-sentence as a sudden chill ran down his spine. Jin, who should have been on the other side of the downpour of whip strikes, had vanished.
“It seems you aren't used to fighting opponents stronger than yourself. In times like this, you shouldn't force yourself to squeeze out courage to push back the fear…”
Jin’s voice came from the side, barely ten paces away. It was a distance where Lanke’s throat could be slit in the blink of an eye.
“The best thing to do is admit defeat quickly and figure out a way to survive. To do that, you must prove your value. You have to give me a reason not to kill you right now, a reason you deserve to see tomorrow. Besides, didn't I kindly tell you exactly what I wanted?”
Roooooar!
A blast of demonic energy fired by Lanke engulfed Jin like a dragon’s breath. Of course, Jin easily evaded the energy and repositioned himself. The demonic energy surged through the air, sweeping away everything in its path for a great distance.
Thump, thump, thump…! Lanke’s heart hammered against his ribs.
Fear—an emotion he hadn't felt in a very long time—was crushing him.
“Start by telling me why the Great Desert became like this.”
There was no killing intent in Jin’s voice. It was a calm tone, yet Lanke felt cold sweat seeping from every pore.
Pant, pant. Lanke’s breathing grew ragged. He was thinking of his father.
‘This green human… does he truly possess power comparable to my father?’
It felt as if his father were standing before him. The terrifying sensation of a massive, unbreakable wall closing in on him from all sides was plunging Lanke into a swamp of panic.
“The, the Great Desert is…”
“Good. You’ve finally decided to be a bit smarter.”
“The Great Desert… the desert is, well…”
Jin waited for a while, but Lanke trembled, unable to finish his sentence.
‘This guy’s acting a bit strange.’
The moment Jin moved closer to deliver a threatening cut, Lanke’s whip grazed past his eyes. Jin reacted easily, but the attack was incomparably sharper than anything before.
It was an attack Lanke had swung subconsciously. Now, killing intent flickered in Jin’s eyes as well.
“I don’t know if you’re scared of me or remembering something unpleasant, but a good beating should snap you out of it.”
*
At the same time, in the Land of the Beastmen, at Kinzelo’s old main branch.
“What? Lanke suddenly left on his own, saying something seemed to have happened in the Great Desert?”
“Huh? Why would there be trouble there?”
Ainas Caligo and Bubar Gaston were sharing sweet potato croquettes as usual while receiving a report from the beastmen. Among those remaining at the old headquarters, Lanke was the only one skilled enough to sense a battle in the Great Desert.
“It could be one of Lanke’s summoning experiments.”
“Ah, that weird experiment where he tries to call forth the souls of the former Demon Grand Dukes.”
“Hmm. What do you think, Bubar? Should we tell the Grand Duke or my sister?”
“If it’s just another simple experimental accident like last time, wouldn't Lord Lanke be embarrassed? He’s the type who can't handle that kind of thing well.”
“What if it’s not Lanke’s experiment but an intruder? The Great Desert is the last place Jin Runcandel was suspected to have been…”
“Oh, come on. The Great Desert has been contaminated for over a year. Everyone’s been using it as an experimental waste dump since then. Do you really think that damn brat would stay there to train? We even searched the place.”
“I guess you’re right. You really are smart, Bubar! Besides, even if there were intruders, it would just be those Tikan bastards coming to scavenge waste.”
“Lord Lanke might be an idiot, but he’s not someone who’d lose to the likes of Tikan.”
“Well, he’s not even a warm-up for my sister, but Lanke is strong. Especially when he goes berserk; he’s truly powerful then. Even before the Demon World fell, Berserk Lanke was quite well-known. Anyway, let’s tell Lanke to prepare a meal when he gets back. Something delicious!”
“And we can test out some new cookies to crush the Litra Tea House!”
*
“Cough, ack…”
While Ainas and Bubar were chatting away, Lanke suffered a truly miserable defeat at Jin’s hands. Usually, when his trauma regarding his father was triggered, Lanke would go berserk and grow stronger. In that state, he had never lost to anyone—though he never remembered how he won.
But today, ‘Berserk Lanke’s’ undefeated streak was broken.
He never remembered the process when he won, but this time was different. For a very brief moment, they had been evenly matched, but the instant he began to be overwhelmed, his frenzy broke, and his sanity returned.
“Whew.”
Jin wiped his brow and caught his breath. He, too, was bleeding from various cuts and bruises across his body. None were fatal, but a few could be considered serious. However, if he hadn't been fighting while protecting the travel bag containing the items from Laprarosa, he would have escaped with only minor scratches.
“So, demon. What you’re saying is…”
“Calling me… a demon… again… I am La… Lanke… Halovice. Since I… granted your wish… you should… cough… show some courtesy…”
Lanke spat out a mouthful of blood. With all his limbs broken, he looked as if he were barely clinging to life.
“Fine, Lanke Halovice. I’ll give you credit for your persistence. Anyway, according to you, the Great Desert became like this because every faction used it as an experimental disposal site after it was contaminated. And you simply liked this place, so you used it as a playground?”
“Yes…”
“The first part is believable, but the second is lacking. You were trying to do something here.”
“I just… cough… like it here.”
Jin took a moment to consider what Lanke might have been trying to do. Lanke had been eyeing the travel bag Jin had been protecting the entire time. It seemed the demon thought that targeting it to create an opening was his only path to survival.
Jin decided that whatever Lanke had been planning, he could find out later.
“Well, that’s enough. I’ll handle the rest myself. Oh, and I’m telling you now: if you’re thinking of doing something to my bag to escape this crisis, forget it.”
Lanke’s head slumped. He had tried repeatedly even before being beaten into this state, but he hadn't been able to leave so much as a scratch on the bag. It would be even more impossible now, especially with Jin fully aware of his intentions.
“I lost. Kill me…”
“That is the plan. Any last words?”
“In this place… a monument… commemorating my fame and nobility…”
As Jin was listening to Lanke’s final request, he suddenly swung his sword down toward the fallen demon.
Whenever a key member of Kinzelo was in danger, it appeared without fail and without warning. Beast Demon King Orgal’s Steel Gate had formed over Lanke.
Ha! It’s been a while since I’ve seen that damn Steel Gate.
Clang!
The Steel Gate sucked Lanke in just a fraction of a second faster than Jin’s sword could land. Jin narrowed his eyes in annoyance and glared at the gate. Even after rescuing Lanke, it did not vanish immediately. A voice spoke to Jin.
[You’ve returned, Jin Runcandel.]
It was the voice of the Kinzelo Leader, Orgal.