章節 5: Chapter 164
Crumble!
Every time Goltep's hammer fell to the floor, rocks exploded, and shards flew everywhere. Seeing the crater on the floor, Enya gulped, and Jin confidently dodged.
It was leisurely for Jin, but a little too close for comfort for Enya. It was unavoidable, since her eyes weren't adjusted to the movement of a 7-star.
"Brother!"
"Stay back, Austin."
Enya shouted frantically, but Jin felt a shocking feeling through his spine. He could feel his entire body shuddering.
Boom, crash, crack!
The massive hammer restlessly slammed on the floor and minced it. Every time Goltep recoiled for another swing, there was a sound of wind.
The hammer moved erratically. White Wolf Tribesmen held weapons before they even walked, and Goltep was a veteran who had over three hundred battles' worth of experience.
From the left to the right, right to the left, then left to the right again. The trajectory scarily chased Jin's dodges. The hammer danced through the air, basically summarizing all of the experiences from past battles.
There was flow amongst his movements as well. The swings were optimized to crush the opponent. Only high-achieving warriors wouldn't recognize the niche.
And Jin was one of those high-achieving warriors. No wonder his body was shuddering.
'Since when was dodging the enemy's attacks so exasperating?'
The only thing that had been successfully crushed during the thirty seconds of rapid swinging was the floor. The scattering rocks didn't even skim Jin.
'How long will you evade like a rat?'
Goltep wasn't dumb enough to say those words. From his sparkling sapphire eyes, astonishment grew.
"...Amazing!"
Stopping his swings, he looked into Jin's eyes. Goltep's breaths were the same as before he started swinging.
"Who are you? I have never heard of someone as young as you who rose to the main stage of warriors. Are you fooling people with your disguise?"
"Think whatever you want."
"I can no longer classify you as just any hunting game. You are worthy of sacrificing to Javier's Altar."
The greatest warrior in beastman history, the White Wolf Tribe's Javier. He was a figure of respect across other beastmen, but considered a god amongst the White Wolf Tribe.
There were only two reasons someone would sacrifice another to the altar. Either the enemy was strong enough to fight for honor, or they were a Runcandel.
Goltep thought of Jin as the former.
"I, Goltep Hafalep, will put the honor of the entire Hafalep Tribe to fight you. As compensation, bet your soul to Javier."
"It seems the Kinzelo group allows free religion."
"Of course. It's actually a great regime. It's a shame we won't work together."
Wooooooong!
Goltep's hammer grew, an inconceivably bright light shining on his serious face.
"So it's for real now. Well, if your shoddy swings were all you had, that would have been pathetic."
Another layer of aura engulfed Bradamante. Jin's eyes sharpened. He took a deep breath, and Bradamante made the first echo. The blade that remained stationary near Jin's face suddenly flew towards Goltep like an arrow.
It was fast.
Jin felt it, Goltep saw it.
Flash!
Following the trajectory of the sword, Jin pupils quivered.
Goltep raised his hammer.
Clang!
The sound wasn't that of a sharp weapon clashing against a dull weapon, but that of two dull weapons meeting. Goltep furrowed his eyebrows and prepared for the next strike. He could only hide his surprise.
'How? What kind of power is this?!'
It had a 7-star aura, but it was impossible for it to be a fully developed boy's aura. However, the moment he blocked the attack, he felt like his hands were ripping apart from the impact.
He overcame the weight gap and dominated close combat. After every strike, Goltep's image of Jin changed.
It wasn't the power of a 7-star knight. There was only one explanation for such a mysterious power.
"A Runcandel…!"
There would be no difference whether he knew about Jin's blessed bloodline or not. Jin didn't answer and continued to concentrate on his swings.
One sword diverted the direction of the massive hammer, throwing sparks everywhere. A light-bodied human making a White Wolf warrior stumble backwards…
The great Runcandel that he dreamed of becoming since his past life.
Jin had engaged in many battles since his regression, but there wasn't a day like this. Indeed, a Runcandel's fight had to be like this.
This one-sided. Every swing should make the opponent stumble, eventually making them kneel in fear.
'Making everyone in the vicinity quiver in fear just by holding my sword.'
That was what the Runcandels aimed for at the extreme. He felt like many messages hid within the shine of his blade.
"Kraaaaaaaaaah!"
Whoooosh! Shhhhhk!
Goltep stepped back and swung his hammer with all his might. He swung at full strength to force Jin to back off, fully knowing that he had less choices the closer the Runcandel boy got. His big weapon had immense destructive power, but it wasn't suitable for pushing away a close enemy.
'Do I dodge? Or do I deflect it?'
If he deflected it, he had to minimize the impact on his body. Even if he had the blessed body and 7-star aura, Goltep's full blow would still take a toll on his body.
'I'll take it.'
There was only one reason for ignoring the more efficient choice.
He wanted to enjoy his Runcandel name a little longer. To show that he was part of the clan full of monsters, the monster that shone the brightest, no longer a banished failure.
That he would never forget the miserable memories.
He suppressed his emotions that wanted to scream to the world.
Cliiiiing…!
The moment they clashed, he felt his body was floating from the impact. However, the impact from the blade traveled through his body, then just exited somewhere. Jin just backed off two steps.
Instantly, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. Blood from his throat climbed up his esophagus, and Jin repositioned himself.
Goltep was also managing his hammer. He, too, spilled blood, and he looked flimsy with two broken fingers.
If a Runcandel gave some skin, the opponent gave up bones. If a Runcandel fell into a little ditch, the enemy fell into a bottomless cliff.
Seeing Jin charge again, Goltep would only feel the defeat. Getting him off, pushing him away, hitting, or shouting; the boy would not let him gain any ground.
He blamed his lifelong weapon for the first time.
"God dammit!"
Still, Goltep prepared his hammer. He was a warrior. He had pride and honor and was a warrior who knew how to accept defeat.
As long as Javier's name was spoken, the battle wasn't over until someone died.
As if his broken finger was nothing, he continued to move the hammer violently.
However, he wouldn't last long. The moment Bradamante deflected the hammer, the suddenly mustered aura would cause a small congestion effect within his body.
Pant, gasp…!
Jin and Goltep's heavy breaths filled the surroundings. The blood from their mouths evaporated at the heat of the aura between the two weapons.
Clang! Ka-clang! Ting!
The scattering sparks and loud echoes made Goltep's desperate face look expressionless. His aura slowly extinguished, and Jin lowered his aura to adjust. There was no need to push it any more.
The victor was already determined.
"If I spare you, would you tell me information about Kinzelo?"
He didn't know whether he would meet another Kinzelo associate. There was Bouvard Gaston, but due to Kinzelo's massive presence, approaching him would be difficult.
"Puhuhu, you don't know much about the White Wolf Tribe's rules. Even if not in the Kinzelo Group, a snitch would only face death. And as long as we're in an honorary battle, there's no stopping, Jin Runcandel."
"I know that. However, life can be more valuable than some rules, so I asked."
"There isn't a coward like that in the White Wolf Tribe!"
"Then I won't ask if you would like to become a snitch. To your people."
"You seem nice for a Runcandel."
Clang!
Goltep began to squeeze the last bits of aura. For each instantaneous moment, he could muster a little more than what he had left.
The ability of warriors, gathering aura using the life force. Seeing the hammer burning with aura, Jin stepped back for the first time.
"Man, it was getting fun. But you're actually going for an efficient fight at the end?"
If he didn't fight him, burning away his life force was futile. If Jin dodged, then Goltep wouldn't have enough energy to even retaliate.
Jin shook his head.
"No, as a knight, like you, I show my respect. I salute your final moments."
He remembered his fight with Myuron Zipfel.
The moment he cut the Hell's Gate that the magician opened, and the place he went to when he lost consciousness, the barrier walling off an area…
'Cut.'
No one told him about it.
Like the ancient magic swordsmen of Runcandel, Jin murmured a spell.
'Cut, cut that…'
Whoooooosh.
From the body of the blade, darkness spread. The burning spiritual energy wrapped around Bradamante and made a figure of a blade.
"Whoa~"
Goltep let out sounds of admiration. Spiritual energy, the power that the first patriarch used to put Javier into eternal sleep.
Some White Wolf Tribesmen considered it a curse.
However, Goltep thought facing the same death as Javier was something glorious.
"Come forth, Jin Runcandel!"
'Cut.'
Jin muttered a spell and charged forward. Goltep swung his hammer down.
For a moment, both their faces glowed from the aura.
Slash!
Bradamante's dark blade swallowed the light and cut the hammer.
The hammer was perfectly split into two, falling to the left and right. From the gap between the two pieces, Jin was visible. Seeing Jin, Goltep flashed a grin.
Chhhhh…!
Half a beat later, Goltep's body split into two. Jin sheathed his sword and breathed deeply.
Looking towards Goltep's direction, Jin bowed before walking towards Enya…
"A great battle, Goltep Hafalep. I will remember your name."
…Along with some words of sympathy.
章節 6: Chapter 165
Enya bowed ninety degrees. She was the sole witness of the historical fight involving Jin as a Runcandel. Despite intentionally creating an inefficient battle, in Enya's eyes, it was a one-sided victory.
"I am inspired, Brother!"
"Inspired… Well, you were probably surprised, Austin. Since I started to beat the peon up."
Jin pointed at the dead and unconscious magicians. When he cast the Heavenly Defiance, forty of the fifty magicians died, and the other ten fell unconscious with severe injuries.
However, the unconscious ones were on the verge of death—excluding Fake Auten. Without the assistance of healing magicians, the low-level magicians could not handle the effects of the Heavenly Defiance's overload.
"Uh… I was surprised. For many reasons…"
She tried to keep a straight face, but she was a 16-year-old girl who had never experienced real battle. She was not used to the mass death brought about by battles like Syris and Jin.
"It's your first time seeing so many dead people?"
"Yeah. I feel a little sick. But I realized what kind of people I'm around and what I have to do in order to not become a burden to those people."
Jin remembered what Quikantel told him.
—Jin Runcandel. Everyone here is your ally. That means that we will also offer a hand when you become a flag-bearer and join the Battle for Hegemony. It will be an all-out war. Do you mean Enya to be deadweight when that happens?
"If it's fine by you, I don't mind at all if you remain as a non-combative member. I believe that, at most, one person can stay comfortable."
Jin moved between the magicians' corpses. One by one, he checked their pulse by either the throat or wrist. Those with a pulse, he exerted a little more mana to accelerate the overflow effects.
To prevent any remaining magician from staying alive and reporting back to the Kinzelo Group, he had to confirm his kills. He made them look as if they suffered from mana overflow instead of finishing them off with a dagger in order to confuse the Vermont Imperial Family when they send someone to investigate.
As Jin checked each death, Enya clenched her teeth.
"I don't want to force you into this blood-flinging life. Obviously, it isn't a normal life. If you want, you can have a nice, warm, comfortable life."
Confirming all of the deaths, Jin made a bitter smile. Enya shook her head.
"As you said, it's abnormal. Killing others… Most people would hate it. Anyone would choose an easy and comfortable life."
She slowly approached Jin. Tearing up, she grabbed both of his hands.
"However, I don't want to make you and everyone else do all of that nasty work. I will stand and fight with you."
She resolved to play her part as one of Jin's companions. That meant taking many lives in the future.
Jin overtaking the Runcandel Clan, waging war against the Zipfels, conquering Cyron.
How many people would they have to kill?
Jin and his team faced a destiny they could not evade.
Even remaining in The Free City of Tikan would've been impossible without war and death. Many powers existed in the world, and those powers had their eyes on Tikan.
Each passing day, the eyes on the city would only grow. For now, it was only Kashimir and the Seven-Colored Peacock. However, if it became known that the Black Dragon, Silver Dragon, and a Runcandel magic swordsman resided there…
Tikan would become the essence of a storm.
"It wouldn't be immediately, but I will play my part someday. I don't want to be some damsel in distress like today. So please, don't tell me to sit comfortably."
"Austin…"
Enya stepped back and looked at Jin with her teary eyes. Then, she placed her hand on her chest and bowed once more.
"I am Olta's contractor, Enya. Someday, I will become your most trusted grand magician."
Once she returned to Tikan, her days would never be the same.
Jin stopped at Enya's formality, but then he returned the respect.
"My thanks. I, too, will strive to become someone you can always trust."
They raised their heads, and an awkward silence passed. It couldn't be helped, since they just finished exchanging their solemn vows. And now each was at a loss of words.
"Hm, ehem! So, do we just leave? Or is there more to do…?"
"We have to take Fake Auten. I kept him alive on purpose."
"Ah! Since you have a lot to ask about the Dark Magic Association and Kinzelo. Hm… I guess you have to… torture him? Ahaha, I swore to play a role myself, but torture is a little…"
Jin smirked then burst into laughter.
"Usually, we'd make him open his mouth with torture if he doesn't speak up on his own. However, we don't need to do that. We have Lathry."
"Ah, the Dragon of Verity!"
"Since Euria can't do it herself yet, and though it won't be perfect, we'll be able to filter out some lies to some extent. With Lathry's Resonance through Euria, we can borrow some of the Absolute Eye from her."
Historical figures sought Az Mil's contractor not only to predict the future. The Absolute Eye could read the lies from anyone's expression. Those who weren't intensely trained to lie with immense mental focus would succumb to this ability.
"Well, if it doesn't work, we'll have to torture him."
Jin curled up Fake Auten's body and wrapped him in his robe. He wore the human ball on his back, looking as if he were carrying a sack of potatoes.
However, it looked suspicious up close. At some point, Fake Auten would wake up and begin to flail.
'It'll be tiresome to take this thing across the transfer gate security.'
Low-pitched groans echoed throughout the cave. The pitiful sounds were coming from the fallen novice magicians.
As for them, they were all alive compared to the dark magicians. It was thanks to Jin directing the spell towards the other direction.
They were possible enemies, but killing all of them on the spot would just escalate the situation. And as Enya mentioned, at least one of them would be a decent human being.
One owner of such groans was Chip.
'Was his mana on the greater side? Or is his resolve just that incredible? Maybe the spell was weak on his side.'
Jin walked over, and Chip barely raised his head.
"S-Spe…"
"Do I still look like I'm from the Special Forces? And if you think I am, you shouldn't mutter those words."
"You weren't… Special Forces…"
Chip shuddered. He knew that Jin wasn't part of the Special Forces as soon as the Heavenly Defiance was cast. Jin's spell satisfied all qualities of an overload spell that he learned at the academy.
He didn't know it was the Heavenly Defiance, but he knew it was a special overload spell that not just anyone could cast. Now, Jin looked like a politically neutral grand magician to Chip.
And if it weren't for this grand magician, everyone—including himself—would be dead.
"Who… are… you…? And why did you…?"
A groggy voice. He had just regained consciousness, but the overflow effects hadn't died down. He was still drowsy, as if he were drugged.
"Why did I save you? It was because my little brother wanted so. Be thankful, novice."
"Your little brother… Austin… Grey?"
He met Enya's and Jin's eyes. He nodded without needing Jin's explanation.
Rip!
Enya took off her hood, ripped her fake mustache off, then unfurled her hair. She spat out the cotton in her mouth that gave her a defined chin, and she revealed her real face.
"Pascal Chip. Remember me?"
"En…ya…?"
His eyes widened—enough to seem as if his eyes were about to roll out of their sockets. He just breathed harder, finding it hard to believe it was reality.
"Sorry…"
"If you know you're sorry, why'd you do that?"
"I'm sorry, I'm showwy…"
With slurred speech, he repeated these words. Chip's eyes began to water. It was hard to tell if it was tears of sincerity or tears to get out of the situation.
Either way, Enya was unfazed.
"During my days at the academy, your little gang teased and bullied me. But I saved your dying asses."
"I'm… sorr…"
"I could have had my vengeance whenever I wanted, but I'm different from you guys. I took off my disguise to say that."
Chip swallowed his wails, and Enya replied to these sounds.
"Do not evade my eyes even if you're shameful and scared. Just as I acted when you bullied me."
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"But remember one thing. That Jin Grey and I saved you. One day, we will return for you to repay the debt. Understood?"
Chip nodded, and this time, Jin spoke.
"If an investigation begins aftwards, you can give away as much information as you want. If you want to see the fall of your clan, that is."
It didn't matter if Chip kept his mouth shut or open. Preventing the Vermont Empire's investigation was impossible, since the novices outside the cave were massacred and the inner cave was devastated.
'They will cover up and sugarcoat it as much as possible to maintain the academy's honor. On the other hand, the investigation team and Special Forces will be dispatched to figure something out. They will realize that the Heavenly Defiance occurred from the witnesses. I'll make the Seven-Colored Peacock alter and manipulate some of the information.'
Jin slowly turned to Enya.
Just a moment ago, she faced the past that stifled her since. Against all odds, Chip made an unexpected response.
"Some…day… I will… return… the favor…"
He squeezed out those words with his remaining energy before falling unconscious once more. Jin and Enya looked at each other and shrugged.
"Whatever."
"Yeah. I thought he'd say something much worse."
Jin went through Chip's pockets and found the badge with the Chip Clan's seal.
If he showed the badge to Chip's horsemen and used them to bypass the gate guards, he would be able to dodge all of the annoying stuff.
"Now, let's go back and see what Fake Auten has to say."
Bouvard Gaston.
Perhaps Jin would hear something about him from Fake Auten. That glutton was the only person who could fool the novices who knew the real Auten.
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