Chapter 742: Beyond Destiny (14)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 742: Beyond Destiny (14)
As Jin stepped into the veil of fire, the Eternal Fire that had been constricting his allies came to a halt.
The massive storm that had encircled the entire fleet froze in place, as if time itself had stopped.
His allies stared with wide eyes, looking back and forth between the frozen wall of flames and Jin.
By now, blue flames were the symbol of Jin Runcandel.
Because the Eternal Fire had been attacking them, the allies had assumed the worst. They couldn't help but think he had already been defeated somewhere in the castle's depths, either absorbed by the Evil God or turned into its puppet to strike them down. It was a natural conclusion, given that the storm of Eternal Fire had been closing in on them instead of its master.
But logic was one thing, and faith was another.
The temporary alliance had maintained their belief despite the circumstances. They were certain that even if Jin were in trouble, he would ultimately be the one to resolve the situation.
That faith was now becoming a reality.
“The 12th Flagbearer…!”
“The 12th Flagbearer is here!”
Even those who had collapsed from exhaustion squeezed out their remaining strength to shout.
Hedo and Bianca began moving the wounded. Among them, Octavia was already regenerating, bathed in the energy of the Demon God Stone even before the healers could reach her.
[...Father!?]
Tasha, who had been pushing back the Eternal Fire on the ground, rushed toward Alphen with an involuntary cry.
[Tasha… You didn't yield to the Evil God either. Recover for a moment. I will return to the fight soon, so hold your position.]
[Yes, Father!]
The medical staff of the Holy Kingdom took charge of the one-armed former Patriarch.
Jin moved forward, switching swords. The pale blade of the Sealed Lightning Sword Sigmund gleamed blue in the darkness.
The Eternal Fire had stopped its advance completely, but the Chaos energy mixed within it was swarming toward a single point like a cloud of insects.
It converged on the far side, where the Evil God waited. Through the shroud of Eternal Fire and Chaos, the dark, massive silhouette of the monster seemed to loom.
“Jin.”
Valeria approached his side. She reached into her robes and produced a red sphere that looked like a crimson jade, holding it out to him.
“I’ve finished confirming the link with your counterpart. I was worried because the Evil God’s castle is a sort of subspace, but fortunately, the connection works here as well.”
Jin nodded as he took the sphere.
“However, I haven't finished checking for stability. We can only hope the spatial characteristics of this place don't cause any side effects. If you feel anything amiss while using it, find me immediately.”
Jin nodded again.
“You’ve worked hard, Valeria. It’s thanks to you that our allies weren't wiped out by the Eternal Fire.”
Jin was right. Valeria deserved most of the credit for the fact that the allies had not suffered major casualties. They, too, had experienced sudden falls and spatial shifts just like Jin’s group; without Valeria’s Record Magic, the damage would have been incomparable.
Valeria’s face was gaunt. She had deployed her Record Magic to save the temporary alliance even at the risk of her mana organs being destroyed by the backlash. Fortunately, she had avoided permanent damage.
If it had been the old Valeria—the one before she met Jin—she would never have risked her safety to save a temporary alliance, especially not one that included the Zipple family.
But now, she had comrades.
There were people she wanted to protect even at the cost of her life, people who were gradually adding color to a world that had once been defined only by her duty as a Hister and her quest for revenge.
“Thank you,” Jin said, having read her thoughts.
Valeria didn't mind that he knew.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“You too.”
The allies were reorganizing their ranks. Only about sixty percent of the fleet remained, but the major flagships, including the Kozec and the Gruneil, were still intact.
“I will open the path! Prepare for battle!”
As Jin’s thunderous voice rang out, the stagnant Eternal Fire began to swirl once more.
This time, however, it did not close in on the allies. Instead, it surged toward the Evil God, who was hidden behind the Chaos energy.
No one gathered there had ever seen such a massive conflagration move according to the will of a single person—not even those who had personally witnessed Kelliark’s full power.
Can he truly control all that fire?
Perhaps even the Evil God cannot withstand this. Given the nature of the 12th Flagbearer’s Eternal Fire, it should be impossible for it to resist…!
The onlookers were struck with awe.
Normally, Jin would not be able to fully control an Eternal Fire of this magnitude. In fact, it would have been impossible for him to manifest enough fire to envelop the entire fleet in the first place. It had only grown to this abnormal size because of his resentment toward the Evil God and the influence of its Chaos energy.
But just as the Evil God had used Jin’s resentment to forcibly multiply the Eternal Fire, Jin’s will—his desire to protect his comrades and survive to fight alongside them—was now driving the flames.
Chaos energy erupted like a volcano from within the black veil, but the flames of the Eternal Fire were even more ferocious.
The Chaos energy and the Eternal Fire collided, triggering a relentless series of explosions.
Eventually, the Chaos began to be pushed back.
A hole was torn open. As the Eternal Fire began to fiercely surge into the gap, the veil was ripped apart at a rapid pace.
Guaaaaaaa…!
A roar that was unmistakably the Evil God’s scream echoed out, followed by a massive shockwave powerful enough to push back the very Eternal Fire that had been enveloping the veil.
Jin flinched momentarily and halted his steps.
Behind him, the allies' shields shattered, sending fragments flying. More than eighty percent of the shields covering the entire fleet were destroyed by a single scream of agony from the Evil God.
The realization sent a chill down their spines, and they desperately redeployed their shields.
Guaaaak, aaaak!
Every time the Evil God screamed, the shields broke.
In an instant, the power sources of most ships grew hot enough to explode, and the mages stationed there fainted one after another. Replacements were swapped in constantly, without a moment to tend to the fallen. If the power sources lost mana for even a second, the ship interiors would suffer fatal damage.
The dragons and the knights on the ground were in a similar state. It meant the Evil God possessed enough power to kill them all simply by screaming.
But it also meant the Eternal Fire was definitely dealing damage to the Evil God.
Thus, the allies prayed fervently. They prayed that the Eternal Fire would finish the Evil God right then and there, that this hideous battle would end, and that once the screams subsided and the torn veil cleared, they would see the Evil God burned into nothingness.
But the Evil God was not going to end so easily.
Jin endured the shockwaves and pressed forward. He moved with the conviction that to truly end the fight, he had to plunge his blade into the Evil God’s throat.
Faaaaaa…!
After about ten seconds, the veil of Chaos energy was completely shredded. It split to the left and right like a door opening, and the Eternal Fire surged inside like a tsunami.
Finally, Jin stood face-to-face with the hidden Evil God.
This… is the Evil God?
It looked nothing like Jin’s memories.
It was neither the human form from before nor the demonic appearance after being stained by Chaos. It was a massive, ghost-like entity.
The Evil God floated in the air. It had a humanoid shape, but instead of legs, its lower body was a mass of black smoke made of Chaos energy. Hundreds of arms held every type of sword imaginable, and the sockets where its eyes should have been were merely hollow, empty voids.
“Gl… Gliek!?”
“Is that not the King of the Black Sea…?!”
The allies were terrified. The Evil God’s form resembled Gliek, the King of the Black Sea who had awakened during the Sword Emperor Holy War. The faces of those who remembered that nightmare turned pale. It was as if the monster that had nearly brought about the end of the world had reappeared under the name of the Evil God.
The Evil God was withstanding the Eternal Fire that enveloped its massive body. Even though its entire form was burning, it no longer screamed.
[I was curious.]
The Evil God’s hollow eye sockets turned toward Jin.
[Whether the fire you possess truly never goes out, and whether it is truly unstoppable.]
Jin’s eyes widened.
The Eternal Fire surrounding the Evil God was slowly being extinguished.
[Regrettably, it seems that is not the case. It is a truly magnificent sword, but it is insufficient to kill me.]
Jin glared at the Evil God.
[But I shall praise you. You killed the ghosts of the family, watched as my last shred of humanity vanished, and burned away even what was once my name as a knight… until you finally reached me.]
“It wasn't just ghosts. There were three ancestors whom you couldn't subjugate. And there are likely more of them left. Do you still not understand? Evil God, your power is not absolute.”
Bzzzzzt…!
Lightning began to gather in Jin’s Heart of Light.
Rosa’s lips twitched as she felt that power. It was a smile so grotesque that no one could have recognized it as such.
[Youngest, now it is your turn to die here… and become a myth of the family, of this black land that I shall rule henceforth.]
“The one who dies isn't me, it's you. And you will be remembered as the world's nightmare.”
I’ll send you back to where the young Rosa Runcandel is waiting.
Jin finished the thought and crushed the red sphere in his fist.
Suddenly, the lightning gathering in his Heart of Light began to fluctuate as if it were about to explode.
From the moment the sphere broke, Jin could feel the sensations of a being who had reached the ultimate peak of martial arts.
He could become that being.
Fighting God Ban of the Pluto Tribe. As the Fighting God Union unfolded, Jin’s inner self and Ban’s were linked.
…Brother Jin? How did this happen? Your thoughts are suddenly coming to me. The Fighting God Union is taking place. Is this a coincidence like last time?
It is no coincidence, Fighting God Brother. I apologize for borrowing your strength without warning. I expected to connect with Ling Ling first, but fortunately, you were the one I reached.
Ban instantly read Jin’s mind, understood the situation, and replied.
Heh, I have been looking forward to a day like this, Brother Jin. Let us fight together.