C553
In 1795, Jin heard the same sound when Andrei Zipple was cornered and pulled out the Demon God Orb.
However, this time was different. The current Demon God Orb was in a state of completion incomparable to back then.
Kelliark began to use the Demon God Orb seriously...!
As the second battle began, Jin and his companions discovered that Kelliark had brought the Demon God Orb.
Quikantel was terrified, and Zipple's dragons seemed to convulse even with safety devices around their necks.
Nevertheless, when they felt the power of the Demon God Orb being unleashed, their skin crawled.
"That must be the hidden power specifically for dealing with Runcandel. It seems your patriarch has finally decided that he cannot face Ron-nim without it."
Jin responded calmly...
But he couldn't help but assume that the situation could turn either on the sky or on the ground battlefield.As soon as the Demon God Orb opened, Octavia's recovery accelerated.
It reminded Jin of a conversation he had with Sandra Zipple on the Gaifa Islands.
"Shall we marry? There's talk that you would marry the lady of the hidden palace. And me?"
"If you tell me the secret of your regeneration, I'll consider it."
"Really? It's not a very difficult condition. Do you know the Demon God Orb? With it, we can mimic the divine powers of some Gods..."
'High-speed regeneration by the Demon God Orb...'
The embers of the flame remaining in Octavia's amputated right hand were fading away.
In its place, black smoke rose and formed a new hand.
Jin witnessed the same rapid regeneration in 1795 when he fought against Andrei and Biuretta.
Black bones formed, and murky, grotesque flesh emerged.
Not only Octavia was recovering this way.
The Specters that were injured also began to regain their strength with high-speed regeneration...
Even the already dead Specters rose unpleasantly.
Soon, Octavia reattached the broken staff with light magic, meeting Jin's eyes.
Blood still flowed from the left eye.
"Yes. Both Ron Hairan and you surprised us too much."
"Why didn't your eye recover?"
"Don't forget today."
"Anyway, you won't be able to forget it, but you're doing all sorts of useless things."
Jin spoke calmly, but it was difficult to swallow his regret.
The opportunity to kill Octavia had vanished.
If that were all, he would have somehow accepted this bitter situation, but the problem was that, unlike him, most of his allies were either injured or exhausted.
They desperately needed the participation of Runcandel or Talaris.
"...Lord."
Valkas stood next to Jin and said.
"It's time to retreat," Valkas spoke low and solemn.
He was recalling the conversation he had with Kashimir before the second battle.
"... I feel like this war can decide the fate of the world, not just Sword Emperor Castle's fate."
"I agree."
"Even if Dante-nim awakens, and all of us escape Sword Emperor Castle, it will only suspend the situation after all. Total war or negotiations. One of the two is destined to happen. Unless the White Stone is destroyed."
"We just have to focus on supporting the lord in any situation. The lord won't abandon his friend, but if the lord is in danger of falling because of that... We must make sure the lord doesn't fall even if we have to trample on his feelings."
Valkas felt that now was the time.
If he didn't retreat now, it seemed that death would be the only future Jin and the Vamel Alliance could face, as well as the Sword Saints.
Of course, for Valkas, Jin's survival was more important than Dante's life.
Everyone in the Vamel Alliance thought the same.
In particular, they couldn't let Jin die in such a desperate fight.
They didn't know what situation they would be in if the Demon God Orb hadn't healed Octavia and the Specters, but right now there was no answer.
Regrettable as it was, Valkas, too, was pushed to the edge of madness, but all the more reason to accept reality calmly.
"Lord... you've done enough."
He tightly gripped the sword handle, his jaw seemed to tense as he clenched his teeth.
Jin knew better than anyone that Valkas was right.
In the end, Jin made his decision.
"I will withdraw."
Of course, Jin had no intention of giving up on Dante.
Continuing to fight would only lead to death not only for him but also for those who followed him.
The name "Jin Runcandel" and the influence he possessed were no longer solely personal.
The lives of numerous comrades depended on him.
Abandoning them for the sake of a friend who may have already crossed the river would be nothing less than betrayal.
It was an unacceptable choice as their lord and comrade.
"But... I'll have to take a look inside the castle."
If there really was no hope even after withdrawing to the castle where Dante was, if there was no way to save him, then he would unconditionally withdraw.
Jin was saying that.
"Lord, withdrawing from the castle may be more difficult."
"No, I have to go to the castle to increase everyone's chances of survival. My Family won't be able to observe inside the castle, so they'll definitely send someone."
Indeed, Rosa had already given the order to Stam, the leader of the Black Knights, to save Jin.
Runcandel's people might not care about anyone's life other than Jin's, but if they fought against Octavia, that would inevitably facilitate the group's escape.
Another titan that still maintained neutrality, the Hidden Palace Master, Talaris Endorma, might also be inside the castle.
Above all.
Jin evoked an old memory.
The day his first sister, Luna Runcandel, cut the Demon God Orb.
It seemed that there was nothing in the world that Ron couldn't cut.
Runcandel, Talaris, and Ron.
Among the three, Runcandel's intervention was decisive, so there was no reason not to check inside the castle, and Valkas agreed.
By then, Octavia had already completed the recovery of her body,
Light magic and chain magic flew towards the group once again.
Bang!
Valkas stepped forward and slashed the lightning that fell on Jin in one stroke.
"I will protect the rear with the Sword Saints. My lord, head into the castle as soon as possible with the rest of the group."
-----------------------
The eyes were empty, and a grotesquely twisted black face occupied the space where the sky should be.
It was a face protruding from the Demon God Orb.
Aaahh!
It screamed incessantly, as if suffering great agony from exposing its face to the world.
Perhaps it wasn't a scream but a threatening roar towards enemies, or maybe it was just a senseless, meaningless scream.
One thing was clear...
The eerie and terrifying voice overwhelmed everyone in Sword Emperor Castle.
They felt their entire body become heavy as they stared directly at the face of the Demon God Orb.
They had never seen anything more terrible than this in their lives.
It wasn't just a sensation coming from the horrendous shape, but an inexplicably deep and dark energy that colored the battlefield.
'Zipple did something like this... Are you saying humans created this?'
Until now, he had faced only Kelliark and Zipple's fleet and hadn't faltered a bit.
But not now.
I can't....
It seemed impossible to comprehend.
It seemed that if there was anyone in the world capable of cutting it, it had to be Cyron, not him.
Ron was "sure" that no one else would be able to cut it if it wasn't him.
He was sure that Cyron could because Ron was a Warrior closer to the mastery of the Genesis Knight.
'Dante, my grandson.'
Dante's face came to his mind.
The thought that he might not be able to protect his grandson, and if that happened, what he could do for his grandson.
There was only one thing.
'If I can't protect you, I'll make sure you can come back alive.'
Ron embraced Rashid.
He gathered his emotions and willpower to push away the certainty of defeat.
If he fought without dispelling that conviction, nothing would change.
Shortly after...
Ron could face the Demon God Orb again with the same eyes as always.
"Ron Hairan. To be honest, I never thought I would use this power against you," said Kelliark as he floated in front of the face of the Demon God Orb.
His appearance was completely different from before.
He looked like a young boy, not a gray-haired elder.
And Ron intuitively knew that it was a phenomenon caused by the assimilation of Kelliark and the Demon God Orb.
"It's a sign of respect."
"How can a monster show respect to a human, Kelliark Zipple? You're no longer the human I knew. The fact that I once competed with you as a human is disgusting."
Kelliark smiled bitterly at those words.
"I understand."
Hroti turned black.
It was a dark and deep black color that wouldn't be out of place even if stained with shadow energy.
"The only consideration I can offer you is to facilitate your rest."
A black gleam of light spread from Hroti.
The black gleam had no sound or presence. Like a shadow blade that had reached its peak.
At the same time, Ron also swung Rashid.
However, Ron did not perceive it happening "at the same time."
He felt that his reaction had been delayed by a second, even less than a moment.
The black gleam pierced through the enormous shapeless sword that stretched between them so effortlessly and reached Ron.
Thanks to the shapeless sword slowing down the advance even a little, Ron managed to overcome the time difference and completely cut through the black gleam.
Swish-!
At the moment Rashid and the black gleam collided, a strange sound was heard.
And Ron, who was confident that he had deflected it, suddenly felt the black gleam brushing against his cheek.
Something that should never have happened at his level.
Waaak!
The scream of the Demon God Orb sounded as if it were laughing at Ron.
Ron wiped the blood running down his cheek with a stern expression.
On his palm, ash-colored patterns like runes emerged.
He activated the Supreme Sword.
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