Chapter 297: Power and Reverence for Power (8)
C297 - Power and Reverence for Power (8)
The chains of fire restraining Kozec swayed dangerously. They trembled and showed signs of breaking soon.
Kozec was the ultimate weapon of the Zipple clan.
As impressive as Jin was, he alone wouldn't be able to bring down the entire ship. The fact that he had cornered Kozec was a feat that exceeded all expectations.
The Zipple expected an easy victory when they deployed their forces here following Barton's warning. The clan thought they would easily push back the Runcandels since they had Kozec and the space explosion.
And yet, here they were, retreating from the battle against just two Runcandel flagbearers, a black knight, and ten guardian knights.
"Increase Kozec's speed with all your might! All healing magicians, tend to the young master!"
Over forty elite Magicians and White Night members died, and the six red dragons were massacred.
On the other hand, the Runcandels didn't suffer a single casualty. There were some seriously wounded guardian knights, but they could easily heal once they managed to return.
All of this was possible because Jin had joined the battle.
A drop of blood dripped from Jin's lips. Cold sweat continuously fell from his pale face.
I overdid it.
Jin had already sustained a major injury in his fight against Silderay before joining this mission. He received intensive care in the holy kingdom but was unable to restore his body to optimal conditions.
In that state, he expended almost all the mana he could gather, so it was no wonder he was plagued by mana reflux.
But it wasn't as severe as Beradin's. He just needed about ten minutes of rest to be able to make use of his impeccable mana control and recover somewhat.
He had to recover, no matter what.
He needed to be able to fight Barton after the Zipple retreated.
There was another battle to be fought. There was no end to the troubles, but there was little need to worry.
Barton suffered considerable damage while pretending to chase Beradin. I can definitely finish him off if I collaborate with Dyfus.
The blue flames surrounding Jin began to fade.
Tess was released from her summoning, giving Kozec more room to maneuver. Cut off Jin Runcandel's flames! The commanding magician didn't miss the chance to escape and shouted loudly.
The chains of fire restraining Kozec broke. The damage to the first tentacle triggered a chain reaction, causing the chains to break and release Kozec.
Kozec's mana engine roared. Its intention was to accelerate the ship to leave the battlefield as soon as possible.
They only spared the minimum amount of mana necessary to maintain the shield barrier around the ship. The rest of the magicians concentrated all their mana into the engine.
This revealed how desperately the magicians were trying to escape this nightmare.
It's clearly a reckless move. It seems they are rushing to take desperate measures, Jin thought as he noticed the Kozec's shield barrier becoming thinner.
The Zipple should have prioritized defense over movement. Jin could no longer unleash the Decimating Flame Orb of the Dark Sky, the Final Version of the Demon Empress, and Barton was injured. The Runcandels had already lost most of their aerial combat capabilities.
Therefore, they should have opted to calmly retreat from the battle.
But the magicians feared that Jin would unleash spells of such magnitude again because they didn't realize that Jin was experiencing mana reflux.
One always paid a high price for hasty decisions driven by fear.
By focusing all their attention on Jin, they completely forgot about the fourth Runcandel flagbearer, who was now completely furious.
"I'll kill all of you, rats!"
An aura gathered around Bolgar, Dyfus's giant sword. The heavily concentrated aura mysteriously distorted the space around it. It was the Runcandel clan's third ultimate move: meteor shower.
The aura flowed through the giant sword and immediately shot up into the sky, forming a pillar.
From the frying pan into the fire. No other phrase could so perfectly describe the situation the Zipple were in with such brevity.
Dyfus swung his sword with a wide but incredibly fast motion.
The blade wave-shaped meteorites pierced through the shattered clouds. If the Zipple had chosen to deploy shield barriers instead of focusing all their energy on movement, they could have minimized the damage from this attack.
No ship in the world could move faster than the blade waves, and there was no way Kozec could outpace Dyfus's meteor shower even if it flew at full speed.
The multitude of randomly falling blade waves resembled more of a natural disaster than a skill.
"The meteor shower, huh. It's been a while since I've seen that move."
Dyfus's meteor shower was clearly one level below Luna's move.
Nevertheless, it was still incredibly powerful, to the point that it almost seemed illogical for a single person to execute it.
It was an onslaught.
The blade waves rained down like meteorites and ravaged Kozec. The cries of the magicians were drowned out by the sound of Kozec's hull being crushed and broken.
Some of them couldn't withstand the impact against the ship and fell out. They released shield barriers in an instinctive effort to survive, but their desperate attempts were in vain.
The guardian knights were waiting for them on the ground.
They mutilated the magicians even before their bodies touched the ground.
Some cursed, others screamed in panic, and others begged for mercy.
But the Runcandels didn't need hostages because the mission objective didn't require them.
Barton's blade waves joined the meteor shower and struck the base of the flying ship's hull. They were noticeably weaker than they had been at the beginning of the battle.
Only, this time, he wasn't acting.
Barton had expended too much aura earlier, and his injury had left him fatigued. Of course, even in his weakened state, his blade waves were almost at a five-star level. But they weren't enough to deliver critical blows to Kozec.
Dyfus didn't urge Barton on but silently swore to kill him in his place. He would tear Barton apart once Kozec retreated.
Over forty meteorites struck Kozec's hull.
Yet, even without proper shield barriers, the gigantic ship still hadn't fallen. It wavered as if it would crash from the sky at any moment but refused to lose altitude.
Dyfus had to make a decision.
He could use more energy to try to bring down the ship or save it to prepare for the battle against Barton.
It would be a shame to give up on the former.
"If I destroy Kozec and even manage to kill Beradin, I will be the most accomplished flagbearer of the year, not that idiot Joshua."
He would likely remain that way even if he shared the credit with Jin.
But what if he failed?
It was a risky gamble. There were no guarantees that Kozec would be completely destroyed even if he executed another ultimate move. But if he did, he might not have enough energy to face Barton later.
"Jin is right. Securing the given objective is the priority. It's a shame to give up on the opportunity, but I'll have to stop after pushing it away."
Above all other reasons, he would be sabotaging the effort by going against Jin's plan of action. And he would earn Jin's resentment by doing so. Although Jin regarded Dyfus as an enemy, for now, they still had a chance to become partners and collaborate.
But things would change if Jin held a grudge. Based on today's experience, Dyfus defined Jin as someone he should never have as a completely hostile enemy.
"There will be many occasions where I'll have to work with Jin, at least until we're done with Joshua. For now, I must not disappoint Jin."
Dyfus made up his mind and began to control his aura.
The power of the meteor shower decreased along with it. The magicians were so relieved by its decrease that they almost shouted in celebration.
Kozec's mana engine heated up. Dyfus realized he had made the right decision when he saw Kozec gaining speed despite being battered and bombarded.
Regardless, he couldn't destroy it. As long as there were more than five elite magicians aboard the ship, Dyfus's ultimate moves wouldn't be able to bring it down.
Kozec eventually left the battlefield.
The ship quickly distanced itself and soon became a small dot in the distance. Dyfus didn't look away until the dot disappeared completely.
"Why did you withdraw your attack at the last moment, fourth flagbearer?" Barton asked.
"I decided that we could become vulnerable to a counterattack if I cornered them further. I thought they might have a backup plan, especially since the successor of the Zipple patriarchate is on the battlefield. Also, it didn't seem like I could bring it down with my powers."
Barton nodded, pretending to accept his answer.
Bentica was always a rather unsightly spectacle due to the gigantic holes dug throughout the area, but now it was especially unappealing after the battle.
"A wise decision. It pains my pride to admit it, but I'm not in my best condition either. If we were met with a counterattack, this could have gone south."
"Thank you for your troubles, Sir Barton."
Barton's gaze turned to Jin, who was sitting in a meditation position to control his energy away from the two.
"Anyway, we owe a lot to the twelfth flagbearer. I felt truly humiliated for the first time in a long, long time. At first, I felt somewhat uncomfortable having to execute the mission with the twelfth flagbearer, but now, I'm amazed by Lady Rosa's foresight."
"I agree. If it weren't for Jin, it would be us retreating, not the Zipple."
Jin finished his meditation and approached the two.
Barton observed him and extended his hand for a handshake. "Twelfth flagbearer, I apologize for my disdain earlier. You saved this mission from becoming a failure."
Jin looked at the hand Barton offered. There was tension in the air. It was unknown what expression Barton wore beneath the black helmet.
Ten seconds passed in silence, but Barton didn't withdraw his hand.
"Do you want to take off your helmet?" Jin asked.
"I can't."
"Tell me why you can't."
"Only flagbearers of rank four or higher are allowed to see the faces of the black knights. It's true that I owe you a lot today, but I don't think it's enough to compel me to break the rules."
"In most circumstances, I would have felt greatly honored."
"What are you saying?"
"Black helmets are only permitted to ten knights among the countless knights of the clan. For a knight to put on that helmet to offer me a handshake should have certainly been an honor. But it seems that's no longer the case."
Barton withdrew his hand at the abrupt change in mood, positioning himself better to access his sword.
"I felt something was off when the fourth flagbearer was conserving his energy. So, the true objective of the mission seems to be my assassination, not securing Bentica."
Contrary to his words, his voice was extremely flat, as if he had been expecting this day to come.
"Regardless of the reason you've betrayed the glory of the Runcandels, I acknowledge that you once served the clan to the best of your ability. I will face you with respect."
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