Chapter 717: Each Person's Fight (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 717: Each Person's Fight (7)
The moment Mon’s sword began pressuring the Myu sisters, shaking the entire outer castle, Mary paused her infiltration and looked back.
‘That’s the aura of a warrior at least on par with a Black Knight. Has Sir Mon come to support the Tona brats?’
The thunder of cannon fire grew louder, and the vibrations reaching the inner castle intensified. It was proof that the reinforcements from the temporary alliance had finally arrived.
With that, Mary decided it would be better to halt her infiltration. She would wait for her allies to arrive so they could advance together. There was no reason to take unnecessary risks. Just moments ago, she had felt compelled to push forward and uncover the situation inside, but now, falling alone would only make her a liability.
The prisoners trapped in the inner castle, the Prophet, the desperate struggle of the Tona brothers and their allies, and Jin and Dipus, who were supposedly fighting elsewhere—countless anxieties gnawed at her, but Mary calmly turned around. She would head to the entrance of the inner castle and wait for her comrades.
However, she soon swallowed a sigh as she wrapped her aura around Viper.
Step, step… A figure in a black robe was approaching from the far end of the corridor.
“Right, of course things wouldn't go as planned. Ilina… no, Prophet. I should have known you’d be the one to greet me.”
Swish!
Viper lashed out like a whip, sweeping toward Ilina.
‘An illusion…? It didn't connect.’
Like slicing through water, Ilina’s form merely shimmered for a moment, completely unharmed. Mary’s second strike yielded the same result.
“What kind of etiquette is this? Playing cheap tricks while claiming to show respect? Is that the law in the land of chaos?”
Ilina waved her hand and smiled.
[Not at all. I have prepared so much for you. Please, don’t be so angry. I’m sure you’ll be quite surprised.]
“Heh! Listen, Prophet. Our allies are already swarming the castle. We know the Evil God is in no condition to move, and I heard the 4th Flagbearer is busy with Jin. You’re pretending to be composed, but I see right through you. You’re afraid it’s all falling apart, aren’t you?”
[Is that how it appears to you?]
“Your original plan was to stop the alliance from ever reaching this castle. But they arrived, even if they were a little late. And now you’re hiding behind an illusion for your own safety.”
[Regrettably, you are no threat to me. Calling this an illusion for my safety is nothing but your overconfidence. This is no simple illusion.]
“Are you going to send out more Colossal Divine Trees? Or trigger some trap to kill me? Whatever you’ve prepared, bring it on. You people are definitely losing today.”
[If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need a trap.]
“Then why don’t you stop hiding and face me yourself?”
[The one who kills you will be someone else.]
“What?”
[I mean, you will die at the hands of the 12th Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel.]
Mary let out a hollow laugh.
“Jin is different. No matter what happens, he—unlike the Myu sisters outside, the other armies of chaos, Rosa, or the 4th Flagbearer—will never fall to corruption. You can’t even begin to imagine how special he is, or how strong.”
[You say the exact same thing as Sir Dipus. Sigh. I knew it. Instead of trash like Joshua, people like you, the 4th Flagbearer, and the 12th Flagbearer should have been on our side.]
“It seems being corrupted hasn't completely dulled your intuition. The 4th Flagbearer must know it too—that he can’t defeat Jin. The youngest isn’t someone who will fall to the likes of you. If you want to catch him, you’d have to bring the Evil God himself, and even then, you’d ultimately fail!”
[If so, why do you think Sir Dipus went out of his way to lure the 12th Flagbearer away, knowing he would lose?]
“It’s a ploy to buy time until the Evil God can move. The same thing you’ve been doing all along.”
[That is a half-correct answer. 7th Flagbearer, I will tell you what Sir Dipus requested of me before today's battle began.]
Ilina finished the sentence and pulled back her hood.
Even if I lose, create a situation where Runcandel does not win.
[The 12th Flagbearer doesn't have to embrace chaos to harm you. Sir Dipus never even considered corrupting him. Instead, like this…]
The moment Ilina spoke, Mary instinctively activated her footwork and swung Viper. A massive wave of energy had erupted from thin air and lunged at her.
‘This is…!’
It was Lightning Energy. And it was power that clearly bore Jin’s characteristic, overwhelming strength. Besides the Pluto Tribe, Jin was the only human capable of wielding Lightning Energy of this magnitude.
That was only the beginning. Before she knew it, Lightning Energy was flooding the corridor from every direction. No matter how she looked at it, it was unmistakably Jin’s aura.
[…He will end up killing you without even knowing it. We took measures so that all the energy he expends fighting Sir Dipus would strike this very spot. Sir Dipus and I, together. Shall we call it a variation on the authority of dimensional shift?]
“Ugh!”
Mary gritted her teeth as the torrent of Lightning Energy pushed her back.
[As you said, with the Patriarch absent, it isn't easy for us to maintain an advantage in a war of attrition, is it? That’s why we prepared this with such care. Even if the 12th Flagbearer doesn't fall to corruption, we’ve made sure he cannot avoid falling into an abyss of despair!]
Just as Mary had said, Jin would never fall to corruption. Dipus had recognized that fact early on, accepting that he couldn’t defeat Jin while suffering from the wounds of Eternal Fire.
That was why Dipus had approached the problem from a completely different angle. And as everyone knew, the current Jin was second only to the Evil God in sheer power. Even a warrior like Mary would barely last a few minutes against him in a proper fight.
Now, attacks of that caliber were raining down upon the inner castle of Ricalton. Only a few seconds had passed, yet the corridor where Mary stood was already destroyed beyond recognition.
How was this possible? She didn't have the luxury to ponder the question. Her mind felt like it was being churned by a murky torrent.
Naturally, not a single person among the allies, let alone Mary, had anticipated such a situation.
She was going to die. And by her youngest brother’s power, no less.
Even if that happened, Mary had no intention of resenting Jin. But the weight of the despair he would have to bear would be beyond description.
‘And it’s not just me… at this rate, our other comrades will be struck by the youngest’s aura!’
For now, Jin’s aura was confined to the inner castle. But there was no telling how long it would stay that way. If it spread to the outer castle and the battlefield beyond, tens of thousands of prisoners would be massacred, and their allies would suffer inevitable casualties.
And after the battle, Jin would be told everything.
‘No matter how strong the youngest is, if he experiences something like that…!’
He would break. He would have no choice. No human could live on unscathed after such an event. The survivors, especially his comrades, would tell him it wasn't his fault, but Jin would never be able to forgive himself.
“Gah, cough…!”
Crackle!
A bolt of Lightning Energy, charged with the Pluto Sword Fighting God Technique's 9th Sword, Extermination, struck Mary. She deflected it at the last second, but her collarbone snapped, and hot blood erupted from her throat.
Ilina licked her lips, finding the sight immensely satisfying.
[Well? Do you still think you can win? Do I look like I'm worried about things going wrong? I am the Prophet. What I say eventually comes to pass. Today, Jin Runcandel will kill a great many people.]
She had been played. Mary had no choice but to admit it. She couldn't see a way out. All she could do was continue to deflect the Lightning Energy.
And yet, for some reason, the terror flooding her mind and her worry for Jin suddenly washed away. It was like a devout believer hearing the voice of their god in their darkest hour.
Great beings have a way of inspiring such baseless faith in times like these. Mary realized she saw her youngest brother that way. And not just her—his family and his comrades in Tikan all saw Jin as that kind of person.
[You are quite strong. How many of these fierce attacks have you deflected already? Keep trying your best. The more tragic the aftermath, the better.]
“Yeah, just as you said, this is a real crisis, cough!”
Mary rolled across the floor once more, spitting out blood.
“It’s strange… for some reason, I don't think the youngest will keep dancing to your tune.”
The Prophet’s eyes narrowed. Mary’s eyes, which had darkened with despair, were beginning to shine again. From Ilina’s perspective, there was no reason Mary should be able to harbor hope in this situation.
[Ah, have you finally gone mad in the face of death? That’s a look that suits common, weak humans.]
“No. It’s just… I still can't picture Jin being defeated by the likes of you. And we aren't some pathetic Prophet Faction; we are the Record Faction. By now, our Recorder must have smelled something foul, and one of our comrades is on their way to warn Jin…”
[Yes, yes. Believe whatever you want. Your body will soon be torn apart by the 12th Flagbearer’s aura. It looks like you can only hold out for two more attacks, at most.]
Mary pushed herself up, deflecting another wave of Lightning Energy. Her legs trembled as if they might collapse at any moment, but Viper shone with a fierce light.
“If you really think so, shall we make a bet? I’ll bet that not a single person dies from Jin’s aura. Twice? I can block it ten, twenty more times.”
So if you want to see me die, come out and do it yourself. Because there’s no way in hell I’m being finished off by the youngest’s power.
Mary glared at Ilina as she finished her thought.