C445 - Zephyrin (1)
The hood of the Black Knight's robe was soaked in blood as it spilled outward.
The poison from his nails was so potent that the wound on his side was already turning black.
The Black Knight was no ordinary Warrior despite his carelessness.
Among the countless Guardian Knights of Runcandel, only ten were allowed to wear the black helmet, and he retaliated immediately even in his wounded state.
However, his claws, protruding from the sleeves of his robe, did not reach Zephyrin.
He lunged for Zephyrin's throat, but the claws only left an empty trail in the air.
Ssaaak!
Once again, the Black Knight's claws clashed with Zephyrin's nails as she lunged.
The Black Knight's body, weakened by the extreme poison, did not respond as it normally would.
The Black Knight staggered backward after just one strike, then spat blood again as he retreated further.
If the Black Knight had been alone, the battle would have been decided in that very moment.
He was already severely injured, so he had no chance of withstanding Zephyrin's next assault.
But Jin, Murakan, and Valkas stepped forward simultaneously.
What's going on?
Their reactions were incredibly fast, but the three were confused.
Most surprising to Jin was that the Black Knight had been defeated in a single blow.
'This is impossible even if he was careless. Unless she has skills comparable to Sister Yona or the Nameless King, or a battle prowess that surpasses the Black Knight.'
Skill and strength.
Zephyrin might have only one of the two, or she might possess both.
One thing was certain: she was a formidable adversary they had to face.
"Oh my, the Black Knight of Runcandel is quite remarkable. I had no idea he could avoid this."
The lips of the Black Knight were turning pale blue, and he could only lick them and offer no response.
He had no time to respond as he struggled to suppress the extreme poison coursing through his body.
"Zephyrin, you...! Don't tell me you've done the same to the Second Captain...!"
Originally, the Second Captain had decided to bring the Black Knight.
Valkas was primarily concerned for himself and his subordinates.
The concern stemmed from the opinion that with the strength Zephyrin had just demonstrated, it was very possible for her to assassinate them before reaching here.
Valkas shot her a piercing look, and Zephyrin responded with a wide smile.
"I've already told you that you don't need to know, Leader. My intention was to peacefully kill you, considering the bond we've created, but I have to kill you if you keep asking senseless questions."
Murakan snorted upon hearing this.
"Quikantel was right. Hey, woman. You're a Demon Dragon, aren't you? I was going to ask you anyway, so thanks for revealing your true identity first."
Woosh...!
Murakan transformed into his true form, and a dense Shadow Energy spread throughout the reception room.
[The reason you're acting so arrogant now is probably because of that demon from the Rontelgius Family... And yes, it's because you have enough confidence to charge despite knowing this Murakan is here, right?]
In the past, before the demon society disappeared from the human world...
Murakan had fought numerous Demon Dragons who had betrayed their kind.
He had not once been defeated.
Even against Demon Dragons known for their strength, he always achieved overwhelming victories, to the point where the best Demon Dragons of the Four Duke Families no longer dared to cross paths with Murakan.
Murakan's reputation extended far beyond the human world.
His name was equally revered in the demon society.
However...
Murakan did not recall any powerful Demon Dragon using the name "Zephyrin."
'Is it because of my memory issue, or is it someone I've never encountered? Hm, even the most renowned Demon Dragons of that era got a beating from me at least once. Where has she come from?'
He couldn't make a quick judgment.
Zephyrin casually turned her head to look at Jin and Murakan.
"Haha, you're still quite arrogant, Murakan-nim."
[You speak as if you know me. I have no memories of someone like you.]
"Memories... Well, that's possible. Is there any dragon in the world who doesn't know you? You were the only Dragon capable of ruling the beautiful blue sky of the human world in those times."
[That's why my attitude is not arrogant. Reveal your true name.]
"I won't have to kill you unlike the leader. Instead, you will fall into a deep slumber with a broken heart once again. When you wake up again, you will see a world different from what you knew. Like this time."
Tap!
Suddenly, a purple energy emanated from Zephyrin's grip.
Mana?
No, it's different.
It resembles something like when the deceased demon from the Rontelgius Family cast an inexplicable magic...
But this is much deeper and darker.
Jin thought as he reacted to the spreading purple energy.
What Zephyrin had released was not mana but demonic energy.
And it was on a large scale...
Enough to make even Murakan shudder.
Demonic energy quickly enveloped the entire reception room, and Jin could instinctively feel that it was forming some kind of "subspace."
The demonic energy expanded, and Jin and Valkas lunged at Zephyrin.
Within the purple darkness, Sigmund's pale sword and Valkas's fists' enormous aura trembled.
Valkas was known not only as one of the Three Great Mercenaries but also as one of the greatest "Warriors" in the world.
Swish!
Zephyrin struck the punch thrown by Valkas with the battle-axe she carried on her back.
A shockwave erupted the moment the fist and the sword-axe collided.
If it weren't for the demonic energy covering the space, this single blow would have devastated most of the reception room.
The subspace made of demonic energy appeared as a completely different and empty place, not like the reception room.
Jin seized the opportunity and thrust his sword at Zephyrin's side, but she easily deflected it, wielding her battle-axe to counter his move.
Both Jin and Valkas felt an immense shock that pierced through their forearms.
Zephyrin's seemingly effortless sword-axe strike caused pain and shock in both Runcandel's blessed body and the ten-star Warrior's sturdy frame.
Jin and Valkas instinctively stepped back after the attack...
And Murakan exhaled a breath of Shadow Energy.
This breath had the potential to destroy something as significant as a small fortress in a single blow, but Zephyrin resisted it effortlessly.
She had a face full of laughter.
"It's as warm as I've heard, Murakan-nim."
Murakan didn't respond but formed black tendrils using his Shadow Energy on both wings and hurled them at Zephyrin.
Jin and Valkas went back and forth, darting through these tendrils, each time launching an attack against Zephyrin.
As Jin watched the gracefully moving battle-axe, he felt a longing to see Luna.
Zephyrin maintained composure and showed no signs of distress, despite enduring attacks from Jin, Valkas, and Murakan.
She was the most powerful among the female opponents he had faced.
Ahaha, she laughed playfully as she swung her battle-axe as if she immensely enjoyed the situation.
Swish! Thud!
The two swords, fists, and Shadow Energy interweaved, disorienting the dark subspace.
To outsiders, it might have seemed like they were evenly matched.
'We're at a disadvantage even though it seems like we're on equal footing.'
The Black Knight was on the verge of death behind them.
Of course, he was one of Joshua's men and had been sent to the Black King's Mountain to hinder Jin.
But the Black Knight was undoubtedly one of Runcandel's main forces.
Losing a Black Knight in that manner would directly impact the Family's power.
From a very strict perspective, he wasn't just one of Joshua's men; he was a person of the Family's 'next patriarch.'
'He needs immediate treatment from the Holy Queen and her healers, or from an expert poison master like Kuzan.'
The Black Knight would be dead the moment he was stabbed by Zephyrin's nails if it weren't for his robust ten-star body...
Even Jin, who had the Thousand-Poison Antidote, could feel that he couldn't be completely immune to that dreadful poison.
How long will the Black Knight hold on?
Judging by his tremors and the foam coming out of his mouth, he wouldn't last much longer.
Jin quickened his pace.
The Black King was also on high alert because the Black Knight's death in his territory could pose a significant problem.
[Who told you that? Every single Demon Dragon who faced me back then is dead.]
"That's true. However, maybe I was friends with some ordinary Dragons at some point, right? Anyway, you might have been arrogant once, but now, you're weakened and nothing more than an old veteran who can't forget his prime. You better fight properly, unlike how you fought at the Sword Emperor Castle."
In response, Murakan laughed again.
[Is that so? At that time, I couldn't fight freely because I had to protect those humans. But as much as you desire, I'll send you to hell.]
"Oh, I'm looking forward to it!"
Zephyrin's aura, infused with the demonic energy radiating from her battle-axe, tore through the surroundings erratically as she swung it.
Murakan's dark force curtain shattered...
And Jin and Valkas hastily stepped back and unleashed their sword energy.
To any observer, it was undoubtedly a powerful and grand sword strike.
However...
Jin and the others had noticed that Zephyrin's swordsmanship was strangely careless.
'It's undeniably fierce, but for some reason, her sword handling feels unnaturally clumsy.'
It's as if she's wearing ill-fitting clothes.
She was excellent at blocking, parrying, and striking, but there was something unnatural in the way her sword moved.
Of course, this was evident to Jin and Valkas, who had reached a high level of mastery.
It was almost impossible for anyone below the eight-star level to notice.
Suddenly, an unpleasant and unsettling thought crept into their heads.
"Could it be... that the battle-axe is not her primary weapon?"
At first, they were too caught up in the heat of battle to realize that Zephyrin was using rather careless "battle-axe" techniques.
Intuition turned into certainty, and a chill ran down their spines.
The three suppressed their bewildering thoughts, but Zephyrin seemed to see through them.
Then, as if she said, "Have you finally figured it out?"
She shrugged and said,
"Well, I found it interesting and got curious, so I tried using it. Still, it's quite shabby, isn't it? Haha."
She acted as if pretending to be human.
Zephyrin had never trained well with the battle-axe in her entire life.
She was just curious to know what kind of weapon was used to bring down one of the Demons she had to protect.
Bang!
Zephyrin playfully swung the battle-axe in the air as if she had lost interest.
She seemed to think that it would be challenging to kill them all with just this weapon.
So, carelessly, she threw the battle-axe to the ground, producing a loud thud.
"However you look at it, using something like this to destroy his heart would be disrespectful, Murakan-nim. Still, I'll make sure to send him into a deep sleep with a little respect."
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