C449 - Zephyrin (5)
The subspace cut by Bradamante's sword burst like a dam.
Zephyrin tried to return the subspace to its original state, but the blue flames clinging to the torn part of the subspace wouldn't allow it.
The cracks repaired themselves and reopened, burning fiercely.
The subspace reacted to the blue flames as if it were a living entity.
The subspace emitted sharp screams with each crack, and purple demonic energy rained like rain.
Zephyrin's appearance constantly changed as the subspace twisted.
Her body shrank and contorted, taking on a grotesque form.
It was clear evidence that her transformation only applied within the "intact subspace."
[Khaha, hahah!]
Murakan burst into laughter at the sight of her transformation. Despite his heavy breathing...
It was evident that the situation seemed so amusing to him that he could barely contain his joy.
[Hoho, you, vixen! You were nothing when you were outside your domain! No wonder you were so strong. I've never seen or heard of anyone like you before!]
[Ugh...!]
Zephyrin let out a small groan.
Apparently, she made a great effort to maintain her contorted form.
Damn it!
Blue flames, I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw that cursed power.
Zephyrin hoped that Jin could traverse her subspace since he is the contractor of Solderet.
However, she hadn't foreseen the profound impact this would have on her transformation and her control over space and demonic energy.
The problem was that she didn't include the power of the blue flames in her calculations.
The initial rupture of the subspace was due to the power of Shadow Energy...
But it was the blue flames that prevented the rift from closing.
Zephyrin also knew about Jin's contract with Tess.
More specifically, she knew that Jin was Tess's contractor.
However, she believed that Jin's ability to control the power of the blue flames was very limited.
By the way...
How on earth is he using such dense blue flames without even summoning Tess?
Initially, when Jin first invoked the blue flames, Zephyrin hadn't considered this possibility.
She felt overwhelmed by instinctive fear and aversion.
However, the blue flames now tearing and incinerating the subspace were much more intense and profound than any other "Tess contractor" Zephyrin had encountered in the past.
It was as if the Lord of the Flame World hadn't limited himself to "lending" a meager amount of power but had delivered a substantial part of himself.
It could be...!
Zephyrin's eyes widened as her thoughts reached this point.
-[Originally, I couldn't have improved the attack part more, but thanks to Tess's flames, a new power has been added before I realized it. They call it Heavy Pressure, probably].
These were the words spoken by Picon Minche, who had manifested through Vin Branche during the strengthening of Bradamante.
That day, Tess had permanently infused a part of his own power into the sword of the contractor.
In other words...
Tess wanted Jin to use the powerful pressure power of the blue flame independently of his presence or absence of mana, even when fighting a formidable enemy in any circumstance.
Tess also intended to warn if Jin encountered a strong enemy who had 'crossed paths' with Tess.
Those who harm this child will become my enemies.
The blue flame imprinted on Bradamante was the seal and emblem of the Lord of the Flame World.
Only those who had personally known Tess could recognize it.
That the cruel Lord of the Flame World would grant his power to a mere human contractor was something Zephyrin couldn't even begin to imagine.
As far as Zephyrin knew, human contractors were nothing more than tools for Tess's amusement and surveillance.
Although there were some contractors who had pleased him from time to time, what Tess had done was undoubtedly unprecedented.
Tess is an absolute being capable of eliminating at least a mid-tier God from the human world in a breath...!
Zephyrin realized and gritted her teeth.
'This is cheating! The power they couldn't give to my master, given to a simple human...!'
Zephyrin's anger erupted so rapidly that she wanted to destroy everything she saw immediately.
It would have been entirely possible if the subspace weren't crumbling.
However, Tess's actual flames showed no signs of extinguishing.
Boom...!
She couldn't even breathe freely due to her distorted body.
Murakan, who couldn't stop laughing, shouted.
[Hahaha! Hey, what are you waiting for? Go and make mincemeat out of her!]
Murakan exhaled a black breath and signaled Valkas and Shaku to jump forward.
Shaku shot lightning, and Valkas released his aura.
Jin protected the Black Knight instead of Valkas.
Zephyrin regained her form using her immense regenerative power, and everyone truly felt despair.
However, if Zephyrin continued in this unstable state, it seemed worth attempting to escape now. They might enter into a life-or-death battle, but they could still escape.
[Kaaah!]
Zephyrin screamed as the group began their assault.
The difference now was that the attacks from Jin's companions hit her precisely.
Although she had lost all her combat capability, she wasn't totally defenseless.
Every move she made was still a threatening attack to those approaching her.
The demonic energy vortexes emanating from Zephyrin's body were also dangerous.
The fact that the fight continued was because the group originally possessed exceptional combat power.
Murakan's taunts became more persistent with each passing second.
It would be difficult to distinguish who the villain was just by observing that sight.
[Die!]
"For brother Jin!"
However, the lively and rhythmic battle cries that continued like mature sesame seeds being scattered could be seen as a sign of the anxiety harbored by the group.
Right now, they couldn't do it because of the subspace in flames, but they still had the ominous feeling that Zephyrin would eventually recover her strength and find a way.
Too many cracks had opened.
The subspace was no longer a complete and independent structure.
Through the open cracks, they could see the scene of the reception room, and the Black King's Mercenaries standing with stern faces.
Until Jin cut the subspace, the members had no idea what was happening inside the reception room, filled with demonic energy.
Some of the members who felt the shock opened the door to the reception room, but all they saw was a purple demonic energy.
The rest of the captains immediately declared a state of emergency.
"It's the leader! The leader is fighting!"
"We have confirmed the well-being of the leader and the guests!"
Urgent voices of the members were heard.
Almost all of the Black King's Mountain personnel seemed to be in the reception room or nearby, preparing to join the fight.
They seemed eager to enter the subspace and looked shocked at the sight of their leader fighting desperately.
The tide of battle could change in favor of Jin and his group once again if the First Division of the Black King's Mountain joined.
However, Jin still firmly believed that the goal of this battle was not victory but escape.
He had no idea what might happen, and for now, he was solely focused on burning the subspace with blue flames.
The subspace was clearly the most advantageous area for the enemy.
"No, don't enter! Immediate retreat!"
"What are you talking about?"
The members had no intention of listening to Jin's words, of course.
However, when Valkas, who had noticed his subordinates too late, shouted the same thing as Jin, the Black King's Mercenaries immediately stopped their entry.
"Black King's Mercenaries! From now on, follow the orders of the Twelfth Flagbearer until further notice."
Before Jin started cutting the subspace, Murakan told Valkas that he would deal with Zephyrin and ordered him to escape with Jin and the subordinates.
Although the opportunity was there, Valkas decided he couldn't escape leaving Murakan behind.
As the leader of the Black King's Mercenaries, it was unthinkable to rely on others to protect his subordinates.
"My lord!"
"Understood!"
The members didn't question Valkas's orders.
This was a testament to how reliable the leader was.
[You, ugh...!]
Kaaah!
Suddenly, Zephyrin released explosive demonic energy with a tearing roar.
Then, she transformed back into her human form, giving up her true form.
It was more efficient to maintain a human form in the unstable state of the subspace during combat.
Zephyrin was now fighting for her life.
Sharp demonic energy emanated from her nails as she began to rampage.
And that wasn't all...
'The blue flame is slowly weakening...!'
Even if it goes out completely, it won't be the same as before because it has already suffered too many blows.
By then, Jin and his group were also exhausted, so the fight became even more dangerous than before.
Therefore, they needed to evacuate the Black King's Mountain members as soon as possible.
[I'll shred all of you, pests!]
This absurd situation wouldn't have occurred if only the master had been okay.
Zephyrin felt her chest tighten as she thought that.
Although she wasn't comparable to Murakan...
Zephyrin had also weakened due to her master's deteriorating condition.
'Of course, both of you play a significant role in why my master's condition has worsened lately.'
Murakan snorted again when Zephyrin used profanity instead of her formal speech.
[It seems people like you are destined to show their true colors sooner or later. Hey, brat, don't worry and escape with the others.]
"Twelfth Flagbearer, I entrust my subordinates to you!"
"Go now, brother Jin!"
Jin nodded and replied:
"I'll get everyone to safety and meet you again!"
[Uh, no need for that, so we'll meet at home.]
[Nyaa!]
The ruby glowed, and Shuri was summoned.
Shuri immediately took the fallen Black Knight into her mouth, as if she knew the situation even though Jin didn't say anything.
[Nyaaa!]
With Jin on her back, Shuri ran through the subspace, through the cracks.
The air of the human world tickled Jin's nose.
The Black King's Mountain members waiting in front of the subspace greeted Jin's arrival.
"Give your orders, Twelfth Flagbearer!"
"We will evacuate all members. The Third Division will prioritize securing supplies, the Second Division will help evacuate the wounded and non-combatants. The First Division will cover the escape of everyone. Detailed instructions will be given by each captain and their subordinates."
"Understood!"
When Jin gave the orders, the members quickly dispersed.
The cracks and flames of the subspace visibly diminished behind them.
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