C389 - Who Is the Real Runcandel? (9)
The power of the Battle God of Legends was reenacting on the melted ground of the training field.
The Legends. They were the most powerful beings in the world, who had challenged the Gods as world conquerors five thousand years ago.
From within the lightning that resembled their souls, Jin examined the eyes of the Runcandels fixed on him.
There was fear in the eyes of those being protected and confusion in the eyes of those protecting.
Everyone was biting their lips.
Who could have expected someone to display such skill in battle against the entire Runcandel, and that after unleashing the Hellfire?
[And I will give an order to the Family members below the Flagbearer]
A voice full of resonance, as if dozens of Legends were speaking at once. The Family members could feel a kind of prestige in that voice.
Although they had never seen the Battle God of the Legends Tribe even once, they instinctively felt that Jin exuded his aura.
[Do your best to protect the Guardian Knights so that not a single knight dies by my sword]
Craaaackle!
As Jin's body was covered in lightning, blue sparks erupted.
The pale light of Sigmund, the Sword of the Battle God of Legends, stood out in hands whose nails were tinged with lightning.
It seemed as if death had a color; a pale color.
And it added to the heat of the Hellfire that had not yet completely subsided.
While the hot air, hot enough to make rocks melt and burst, pressed heavily on their chests, the Runcandels felt strangely overwhelmed by the sensation that their entire body was cooling down, as if they were touching a long-dead corpse.
"Everyone, get out of here...!"
As soon as the sword began to fall, the first person to shout loudly was none other than Luntia.
I let my guard down. I thought I could finish him now, that I could kill the younger one at any moment.
But that boy had become a monster that far exceeded her expectations.
"I should have realized that sooner."
She should have known earlier that if she confronted him with such an arrogant attitude, she couldn't win, that she had to stake her life as well.
When Luntia's pupils blinked, what she saw was Jin's sword, rushing toward her like lightning.
With a speed that seemed like the strike of thunder, the power contained in that single strike was by no means inferior to any Sword Technique Luntia had experienced before.
Her body couldn't react immediately.
In that moment, she raised her voice, concerned for the Knights behind her, and that was a colossal mistake.
Slaaash!
Blood spurted from the center of Luntia's chest. If she hadn't stepped back, her body might have been split in half.
"Kughh!"
Fortunately, there were no injuries to her vital organs.
However, the wound, which couldn't be considered light at all, once again shook Luntia's concentration.
Before she could readjust her posture, Sigmund's lightning bolt was heading her way.
Her entire body was engulfed in unbearable pain, as if she were burning.
A strong body that surpassed even Luna's.
How much pain did he have to endure to develop such a body?
After Luna announced that she was giving up becoming the patriarch, Luntia had briefly held the expectations of many as a possible alternative.
The reason Luna found it difficult to face Luntia was because she had seen Luntia 'destroy' herself to have such a strong body.
That's how she obtained her body.
A body obtained by following the unfortunate answer that life is only boredom and pain, without the slightest pleasure, thought, or action.
That rigid body was shattering.
Flesh tore, bones broke, and blood burst.
The excruciating pain that stabbed into the wounds left her breathless.
"Damn it...!"
Luntia gritted her teeth and cursed. Due to the thick fog caused by the lightning covering the training field, it wasn't easy to locate Jin's exact position.
The sharp lightning piercing through her eyes added a constant sense of impending darkness.
However, at that moment, what Luntia thought of was not the desire to escape this place without getting hurt or the desire to survive.
"At this rate, the Knights will die."
There were her mother, the Flagbearers, the key members of the Elder Council, and the Execution Knights. As formidable as Jin's power was, surpassing them all was beyond imagination.
However, "fighting" and "protecting" were clearly distinct things.
Could other strong individuals protect the knights facing imminent death in the storm of these lightning bolts?
She couldn't be sure.
Above all, there was no one protecting the knights who had rushed to stop the Hellfire first.
Because she herself was fighting Jin.
Above all...
"Mother isn't someone who protects the knights."
Luntia bit her lip.
Rosa still sat in her seat, doing nothing.
The reason she was so convinced wasn't that she disliked Rosa.
It was her perception that Rosa Runcandel, her mother, was someone who wouldn't bother saving the Guardian Knights being swept away like discarded goods by the Twelfth Flagbearer's Sword Technique.
Such individuals were considered worthless in Runcandel.
Or perhaps she was trying to leave only stronger knights in the Garden of Swords after this incident.
That's how Luntia perceived Rosa.
And others saw Rosa in the same way.
Still, she could be a person who cared about others.
There were no screams like before when the Hellfire was unleashed. However, Luntia and everyone else were well aware.
How much agony the Guardian Knights, engulfed in flames and lightning, were enduring, not to mention the screams.
A new bright aura enveloped Charles.
Luntia had made her decision on how to end this fight.
"You've shown a glorious sword technique, little brother... So, I must respond with a sword technique befitting that."
In Luntia's eyes, filled with killing intent and determination, something new was reflected...
A new sense of responsibility as a Flagbearer that she had long forgotten.
Third Secret Technique of Runcandel:
Golden Ring Eclipse. (Note: These characters represent a solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun, leaving only a ring of light around the edge, hence the translation of this ability as "Golden Ring Eclipse")
When Luntia extended Charles, a single circle, no larger than an egg, appeared in the lightning-filled space.
The circle emitted a peculiar light, as if it allowed no intrusion.
Bang!
Jin attempted to strike the circle with Sigmund, but it bounced off.
It was unexpected that Sigmund, which had been strengthened by the Reign of the King of Legends' Sword, would rebound like that.
Moreover, the Golden Ring Eclipse was growing, expanding its territory.
Although it possessed enough power to repel Sigmund's attack, Jin strangely didn't feel threatened by the annular solar eclipse.
A Final Move?
Or maybe a secret technique?
Either way, it was an unusual sword technique.
A sword with no killing intent.
Shortly after, Jin realized that the purpose of this sword was not to kill.
The Third Secret Technique, Golden Ring Eclipse, was Runcandel's only sword technique intended to protect others.
The sword's firm energy forming the circle acted as a kind of shield.
It wasn't difficult for Jin to reach a conclusion.
"If I can break that, it's over."
The blood of the Battle God and lightning surged within the Light Heart.
If it didn't crumble with a single blow, he would wield an even more powerful strike.
Jin had no intention of ending it with restraint today.
He didn't intend to use only the power necessary to avoid killing his opponent.
He was determined to finish her off by any means possible.
After all, it was a sword that even resisted one of the ten great knights, Sylderay's great sword.
As sturdy as Luntia's Golden Ring Eclipse seemed, it couldn't keep blocking Sigmund indefinitely.
Bang!
When Jin swung Sigmund again, the same result occurred.
The blade was deflected by the expanding ring of the Golden Ring Eclipse.
However, amidst the fluttering aura and lightning, Jin keenly observed something.
He saw that Luntia, who had just repelled the second sword strike, spat out a handful of fresh blood.
She had already suffered injuries even before unleashing the Golden Ring Eclipse.
It wasn't certain she would have been able to block Sigmund's strike when she was in full health.
Having done so while already injured, Luntia's struggle was quite understandable. She had staked her life. However, the meaning of her determination was different from the first time she faced Jin.
She didn't intend to kill Jin but to protect her own knights from him.
The clash between the sword and the ring created a deafening noise.
Although not a single word was exchanged between them amid this battle, Jin could understand Luntia's mindset.
After having seen the faces of those trying to rescue people several times, he knew what it was like.
"You're not someone to be taken lightly, older sister."
Ironically, Jin felt relieved.
If Luntia, with all her strength, could block Sigmund, there would be no unnecessary deaths among the knights.
Not a single one.
But there was no room for mercy in Jin's sword.
Jin wielded Sigmund, disregarding Luntia's life.
All members of Runcandel watched him: if he showed any sign of weakness, the statement would lose its meaning.
"If you survive, I will recognize you as a worthy rival, older sister."
Crunch!
It looked as if enormous fangs were tearing into their prey.
Under the relentless rain of sword strikes, Luntia's bleeding worsened.
On the other hand, Sigmund grew fiercer with each passing moment.
The lightning, coursing along Sigmund, fell like a torrential rain onto the expanding ring of the Golden Ring Eclipse.
The sword energy on Charles's blade, supporting the ring, was trembling.
She had been bearing 50% of the power of the Sword of the Reign of the King of Legends alone, so it was clear that Luntia had reached her limits.
Suddenly, the shape of the lightning attacking the ring changed.
Battle God's Technique, Third Sword: Condemnation.
A punch of condemnation, imbued with the power of the Sword of the Reign of the King of Legends, exuded overwhelming energy even within the storm of lightning that had spread in all directions.
As the five punches advanced simultaneously, the ring of the Golden Ring Eclipse finally shattered.
Luntia didn't release Charles until the end.
However, the Sword of the Reign of the King of Legends and the energy of Condemnation were already sweeping her away, heading for the knights who stood steadfast on the outside.
Just as he was about to unleash his lightning energy again, Jin saw Luntia, who had stopped in the same posture as when she had unleashed the Golden Ring Eclipse.
There was no need to confirm whether she had lost consciousness or had died.
In any case, it didn't matter.
Jin advanced confidently.
His gaze was fixed on Rosa, who sat in the seat of honor as if she were the true Patriarch of the Family.
It was time to shatter that seat.
The moment Jin tried to release his lightning once more...
Thud...
Suddenly, something solid and sharp lightly pricked Jin's back.
It was Luntia's sword, Charles.
Nevertheless, Jin didn't turn around to check on his second sister's appearance. He knew that the simple act of her placing the sword on his back was the last effort she had left.
Jin believed that what touched his back was not Charles, but the will that held it.
A will he could respect as a member of the Family, as a brother.
Swoosh!
In the blink of an eye, as Luntia fell, Jin's and Rosa's gazes met.
[Will you continue to sit like this?]
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