C473
With a dull thud, Midor fell forward.
Now, the only ones left on Zipple's side were Myuron, Sandra, and seven elders.
"Magic Tower Master...!"
"Midor-nim!"
The elders shouted.
But there was nothing more they could do.
There were no hidden secret weapons left, no reliable means.
There was no way out.
Whether they fought or not, death awaited them.
That's why, bravely fighting and perishing in battle was the right thing to do, but the elders couldn't lift their feet off the ground.
Just by looking at Jin, whose eyes glowed behind the black helmet, they felt their entire bodies filled with fear.
It wasn't just a feeling.
In reality, the elders exerted all their strength to resist the aura emanating from Jin.
Myuron Zipple.
Jin turned his gaze towards Myuron.
Only then did Myuron seem to regain composure.
He stopped muttering nonsensical words out of fear, and his eyes focused.
'I didn't expect to see his repugnant face again.'
Jin thought and controlled his anger.
He clenched his teeth, thinking of the atrocities Myuron had committed in Colón, but that was not a vision he should ever show.
The daily lives of the colonists, whose vocal cords had been cut by Myuron, still remained filled with silence.
Their deceased family members had not yet returned.
Myuron touched his forehead and shook his head.
[Well, I've shown a shameful side, haven't I? I whimpered and stiffened like a frightened dog]
The image of Myuron crying in fear until a moment ago had disappeared, and Myuron's eyes were now filled with madness.
[I didn't know you would become such a notable knight, Jin Runcandel. Back then, not even you two could face me together]
Jin continued to approach Myuron without responding, remembering something Myuron had said in the past.
-You probably think I'm crazy, right? But Jin Runcandel, it seems like you're wearing a pretty good expression even though I can't see it behind your helmet. You and I are of the same class. I also like to fight.
These were the words Myuron had spoken during the climax of the battle in Colón.
The reason he said that then was probably because he was in a position to look at me and recognize me."
Jin had already seen through the person called Myuron Zipple from that moment.
A pure-blooded Zipple who indulged in alcohol every day, once known as the "Madman of the Magic Tower," but later fallen from grace and known for his atrocious acts.
All his actions stemmed from a feeling of "inferiority."
The disappointment of not being able to become the patriarch of the Zipples, the humiliation and jealousy he felt towards his more accomplished brothers, and the bitter conviction that he could never achieve true greatness.
If he couldn't elevate his reputation, he wanted to shine with notoriety.
That was Myuron's greatest wish as a human being.
It was the only way he could hide his inferiority from others and express it from within.
A monster driven by the desire for recognition.
There was no better word to describe Myuron Zipple in a single phrase.
That's why Myuron always hoped that his name would be remembered by people, and whenever he had the chance, he sought to "recognize" others.
If he recognized others, it became his own virtue.
The more magnificent and splendid the opponent, the stronger this tendency of his became.
Myuron felt that he was larger and more stimulating when he recognized bright individuals.
Recognizing Midor, whom everyone ignored, and earning his blind trust from a young age, and telling Jin that you are just like me, all fell within the same context.
[Now, are you going to kill me? Or torture me? Cooking me alive and feeding me to those red bugs you saved wouldn't be a bad punishment. Do whatever you want; you will be the winner once again...]
All of this couldn't be a punishment for Myuron.
No matter how cruelly they killed him or how much they tortured him, Myuron would finally achieve victory on his own terms.
He would believe that he had successfully controlled Jin's actions.
He would think that he had manipulated Jin into hating him.
Aware of this fact, Jin deliberately refrained from saying a single word to Myuron, who had come to his senses.
[Oh, Tika, right? That wretched one who ruined my show. Is that little bitch still alive? If it weren't for her, the situation might have been a bit more interesting...]
Myuron stopped talking.
His eyes, which had recently regained concentration, began to tremble rapidly, and the reason was simple.
It was because Jin had just walked past him.
[...Where are you going, Jin Runcandel?]
At that moment, the Zipples had lost the courage of death.
Death held little fear for the Zipples in most situations, as long as there was a means of resurrection.
This was especially true for people like Myuron.
That's why Jin chose the most effective punishment for him.
His pride.
Peeling away the layers of lies adorning his unseemly self.
[Where are you going? Answer meeeee!]
Jin couldn't suppress laughter after advancing about ten steps ahead of Myuron.
Naturally, Myuron, lost in his own madness, didn't hear it.
[Hey, stop, I said stop!]
Tiiing!
A blue flame appeared in Myuron's eyes.
It was Zipple's vision magic, the Blue Flame Gaze, which he had also used in Colón.
That magical spell couldn't withstand Jin even when he was a provisional flagbearer. It extinguished immediately under Tess's authentic blue flame.
And even then, Myuron thought as he saw Jin summon Tess:
That Runcandel brat...
Is he going to be the greatest magician of the century?
Is he going to surpass me without my permission?
Myuron felt like something exploded in his head as the memory of that moment surfaced in his mind.
He was dying to immediately die from the humiliation and inferiority that permeated his entire being.
Following Myuron's gaze, the Blue Flame Gaze produced blue flames on Jin's back.
However, the flames repeatedly extinguished and left nothing but a slight burn on Jin's Shadow Energy Armor.
The Shadow Energy Armor was part of the reinforced Bradamante, which included a part of Tess.
Therefore, Myuron's vision magic couldn't harm Jin in any way, even though it was his most powerful magic spell, excluding dark magic.
[Burn, burn, burn, bu-burn to death, or Kill me...! S-Stop!]
The true face of inferiority is really this ugly.
Most of those watching Myuron in this situation were so embarrassed that they couldn't open their eyes.
Even amidst the chaos that had just occurred, they were tormented by Myuron's despicableness.
Some even felt pity and sympathy beyond shame.
They involuntarily clicked their tongues at his wretched misery.
In the end, Myuron's vision magic left no trace on Jin's Shadow Energy Armor.
He continued casting it until his mana was completely depleted, even though the mana reflux had begun.
Myuron gasped for breath, and all the blood vessels in his eyes burst. He was shedding bloody tears.
A worthy Black Dragon.
And the members of the imperial family, the few remaining Zipple elders, the beastmen of Kinzelo, and the knights of Runcandel, who admired and revered Murakan.
In the midst of all that, he could clearly see the steely back of a man who had simply walked past him.
For Myuron, it was like a symbol. It seems that the four main factions admire Jin...
'Do you think... you have already... won... the era...!'
Kahak!
Suddenly, Myuron coughed up blood and leaned forward.
The mana reflux had begun.
Cough, cough, blood gushed from my throat without stopping.
[Coff, I, me... coff, coff, look at me... I say. Coff, don't ignore me, pretending to be superior... pretending to be noble, coff, like this...]
Puf!
Myuron felt the sensation of something cold and sharp piercing through his back.
It was a dagger.
Sandra Zipple, who had just fully recovered, shouted.
"Oh my god! How can you be so pathetic? Miron, oraboni. With someone else, not my lover!"
Sandra spoke as she pulled out the dagger.
Myuron wasn't surprised that Sandra stabbed him.
Although he knew he was about to exhale his last breath, he continued to gaze at Jin's back.
Please, look at me.
Jin Runcandel, recognize me.
It shouldn't be that difficult for you...
Now, his voice was gone, and he could no longer shout like that.
Myuron faced his second death, within the truth and misfortune of himself.
Jin confirmed that Myuron had completely stopped breathing and finally turned around.
Sandra frowned as she wiped her brother's blood off the dagger.
"I'm sorry, Jin Runcandel. My oraboni can be a bit exaggerated at times, right? By the way, I wanted to kill that bastard who interrupted our mythical first date. What should I do if you took away my part?"
"...You seem really crazy, unlike your brother who just died."
"No matter how much we love each other, we must maintain our limits. Don't do this again next time."
Then, Sandra looked at her amputated right arm and shrugged.
"A right arm...."
She nodded as if she were calculating something for a moment.
"I think it's more or less okay."
"What do you mean by 'more or less'?"
"I think it's too early to give up everything I have. A right arm is neither too much nor too little. We're just on our first date."
Jin got goosebumps.
"I'll make good use of it."
"Please do. But, when can we see each other again?"
"Well, it's better not to see each other if possible."
"Couples should see each other often."
There was no need to continue that senseless conversation.
Jin ignored Sandra's last words, looked at Lata and Fey, and then headed towards Vigo.
The Proch brothers immediately stuck to Jin, ready to follow his orders, and Vigo shivered as he tried to read Jin's mood.
He was worried that maybe Jin would remind him that Murakan had just ordered him to leave immediately and he might be scolded for still standing here.
"Lata, Fey. I entrust you with the cleanup. Save about five witnesses from Vermont and Kinzelo and eliminate the rest."
"Yes, my lord."
"Understood!"
"And, older brother Vigo."
"Uh, yes. Younger brother."
"Just in case, why don't you lend a hand too?"
Vigo inwardly sighed with relief.
Jin had shown that consideration without diminishing his dignity.
".... I will help."
"Thank you. I'll see you in the Garden of Swords when you return."
Jin said as he climbed onto Murakan's back.
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KO-FI
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