099. Rebellion 2
In the heart of Trist, where countless branches pierced the sky, Bin, Irin, and the Four Death Beasts advanced toward Enderlin.
Thud. Thud.
Their eyes burned cold with vengeful intent. Meanwhile, the family members felt like they'd been struck from behind.
"The commotion with the Yellow Dragon and Mentes... was Lord Enderlin's doing?!"
"There must be some misunderstanding, right? Right? Lord Enderlin was always so kind..."
Enderlin had always treated the family members with warmth and consideration. Yet Medina Parasites had emerged from his clothes. The evidence clearly pointed to him as the culprit. Realizing his previous demeanor had all been a facade sent chills racing across their skin.
As shock overwhelmed the family members' minds, a figure with golden long hair appeared before them—the current head of the Taia family, Endaran Teia.
"I know this is bewildering. Take a moment to compose yourselves."
The family members' eyes widened at the sight of Endaran, covered in wounds.
"F-Family head...?!"
Their surprise at seeing the head, whom they'd thought dead, was short-lived. Endaran fixed his gaze on Enderlin, his eyes already rimming red.
'Was I truly that resentful to you...?'
The rebel was none other than his twin brother, Enderlin. It was a shock Endaran couldn't avoid.
He had always been stricter with Enderlin than anyone else. The Taia family's leadership was bound by blood, after all. He believed fairness demanded it. Deep down, he wanted his brother to grow into an exemplary deputy head.
But contrary to his intentions, those expectations had turned into poison.
Only now did he realize how deep Enderlin's resentment had grown—irreversible.
Endaran shouted at him.
"The Taia family stands for harmony between humans and monsters! And yet you used Medina Parasites on them? How dare you call yourself deputy head!"
"......"
Crunch.
Endaran tore off the golden epaulet from his shoulder and bellowed at Enderlin.
"Enderlin! If you coveted this position so badly, why didn't you just say so? For the unity of the Taia family, a mere head like me..."
Enderlin snorted dismissively.
"Heh, now you say that."
Enderlin found his brother's actions laughable. All those moments of strictness under the guise of being family head—the words and actions that had scarred him—flooded his mind. The humiliations in front of the family members wouldn't fade.
All because he was the head. All because he'd been born first.
It grated on him. And then... that fateful day...
Enderlin, bandages wrapped around his eyes, faced Endaran. Blood stained the area beneath the bandages—a wound from his duel with the Bascon family.
Losing his reason, Enderlin raised his voice.
"Brother, I can never forgive that Bascon bastard. Right now, I want to chew his eyes and swallow them."
"We can't move the family for personal reasons."
It was a firm refusal. Still, Enderlin pleaded desperately once more.
"Brother... just this once. Just once... can't you turn a blind eye?"
Drip.
Bloody tears trickled from beneath the bandages. But Endaran didn't waver.
"If even I, as family head, bend for personal grudges... who will lead this family straight?"
"......"
Enderlin opened his mouth with a bitter smile.
"After losing my sight... do you know how I've lived?"
Endaran fell silent at his brother's resentment-filled expression.
"......"
The family members wore dazed looks too. They'd never seen this savage side of Enderlin. The shock of his hidden true face hit hard.
Finally, Enderlin continued.
"Those endless days without sight. The endless mockery... do you have any idea? Ever since that day, I've lived cursing you every single day."
Endaran's face hardened instantly.
"Enderlin..."
"Now that it's come to this, I'll seize the Taia family headship by force. And deny everything you've stood for, Endaran."
Endaran clutched the back of his neck at his brother's resolute declaration, his mind reeling from the shock.
Irin watched pityingly.
'Father...'
As Irin and Bin checked on the family head, someone charged at Enderlin.
Whoosh.
It was the four members of the Four Death Faction, who'd been imprisoned until now. Bin had freed them earlier using the invisibility helmet, Quinae.
The Four Death Faction couldn't hide their excitement at the sight of Enderlin.
"You hypocrite..."
"Starting a rebellion!"
"You're disqualified as deputy head."
As the four rode their Four Death Beasts toward Enderlin, someone blocked their path.
Four members of the Four Evil Faction in blue armor, astride their ferocious Four Evil Beasts.
The Four Evil Faction smiled as they spoke.
"Four Death fools. Your opponents are us."
The four were mounted on their Four Evil Beasts, each wielding a weapon.
The Four Death Faction glared at them.
"Fine, let's settle this today!"
As the Four Evil Faction and Beasts faced off against the Four Death Faction and Beasts...
Whoosh.
The Four Evil Beasts lunged.
'Hundon,' like a dog fused with a massive bear, targeted the Azure Dragon.
'Do-ol,' with a human face and tiger's body, went for the White Tiger.
'Do-cheol,' with coral-like horns and a sheep's body, assailed the Vermilion Bird.
'Gung-gi,' tiger body with bat-like wings, attacked the Black Tortoise.
The crimson-eyed Four Evil Beasts began overwhelming the Four Death Beasts.
The Four Death Faction cried out in agony under their assaults.
"Urk...!"
"Agh...!"
Clutching their wounds, they voiced confusion.
"Why... can the Four Evil Beasts attack us...?"
"They should be bound by the Taia family seal's effect..."
The stunned Four Death Faction glanced at the backs of their hands. The Taia seal—a circle with a bird inside. Normally, it prevented Taia monsters from attacking family members.
They'd expected a beast-only clash. But the Four Evil Beasts attacked openly.
Sensing their panic, Enderlin smirked.
'With their minds controlled by Medina Parasites, the seal has no effect.'
The Four Evil Faction had used this to even kidnap the family head.
The Four Death Faction's faces hardened as they fell behind.
"Damn it..."
"At this rate... we can't win..."
As the Four Evil Faction dominated, Endaran rose unsteadily from his seat.
Bin spoke to him.
"Sit down."
"But... if this continues, the Taia family..."
Bin countered sharply.
"Can you say that after seeing your condition and the Yellow Dragon's?"
"......"
His body was riddled with wounds, and the Yellow Dragon's matched. Plus, the parasites inside gave it crimson eyes. He couldn't fight the Four Evil Faction or Enderlin in this state.
Bin gathered his aura and showed Endaran something—the half-relic he'd taken from the Previous Family Head, the Mirror of Truth.
Endaran's eyes widened at the sight.
"Th-This is...!"
It was the relic the Previous Family Head should possess. For a Bascon to hold it was bewildering. It meant this youth had wrested it from the Previous Family Head himself.
Bin declared confidently to the stunned Endaran.
"Give me the other half."
"......"
"To clean this up."
His tone was unwavering.
Endaran hesitated. Letting an outsider—a scion of another family—use a Taia relic wasn't easy.
As he wavered, Irin grabbed his arm.
"Father. Trust him. I'll take responsibility."
Endaran was speechless at Irin's uncharacteristic boldness.
'Why is Irin...'
Her eyes brimmed with unprecedented conviction.
'Such certainty...'
Endaran scanned the surroundings, seeing the falling Four Death Faction and Beasts in peril. He grasped the gravity.
Finally, he nodded to Irin's judgment, trusting her insight.
He handed Bin the remaining half of the Mirror of Truth from around his neck.
"I entrust it to you. Save the Taia family in crisis."
Bin gripped the split relic.
"Then let's talk after I sort them out."
Endaran eyed Bin's confident demeanor questioningly.
'Such assurance even seeing the ferocious Four Evil Beasts...'
Anyone else would cower. But Bin showed no fear.
Leaving the family head and Irin behind, Bin strode toward Enderlin.
Thud. Thud.
The Four Evil Faction smirked mockingly as he approached.
"Bascon? Coming at us alone... has your head gone mad?"
"We'll watch the shrimp's back shatter in the whales' fight."
They treated him like a clueless child.
Enderlin smirked too.
"Be careful. The Four Evil Beasts are vicious—you might get torn apart before reaching me."
Undeterred by the warning, Bin advanced boldly.
"Enough talk. First, pay for the impersonation."
"Heh..."
Enderlin snorted, then jerked his chin at Bin—signaling the Four Evil Faction to handle him.
As the Four Evil Beasts that had subdued the Four Death Beasts closed in...
Bin drew Luminare from his back with cold eyes.
He concentrated mana into it.
Then, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
The Four Evil Beasts' pupils trembled at the greatsword's aura, retreating.
Tap. Tap...
"...!"
These were Trist's premier monsters. Yet they cowered before Bin.
The Four Evil Faction shouted in confusion.
"Why are the Four Evil Beasts suddenly...?"
"Hey, snap out of it!"
"What's going on?!"
Their words fell on deaf ears. The beasts backed away, entranced, eyes shaking in terror.
They sensed something.
Suddenly, blue lightning sparked from Bin's Luminare.
Crackle-crackle-crack!
Enderlin gulped, terror from buried memories resurfacing.
Gulp.
'This power... could it be... the absolute weapon, Astraphe?!'