C576
May 10, 1800.
It has been about a month since the war ended.
Now, even those who did not directly witness the battle at Sword Emperor Castle and the subjugation of Gliek knew what had happened in the world.
The fact that the Emperor had led the pillar of the empire as traitors, the identity of the White Stone, and the outcomes of all these events were constantly reported by newspapers from each faction.
Ultimately, Ron Hairan had managed to single-handedly avert the final explosion of Chaos.
However, he found it impossible to deal completely with the aftermath of Chaos and the self-destruction that had already breached his protective shield during the battle with Gliek, even for him, who had ascended to the Genesis Knight.
As everyone feared on the battlefield.
The Chaos beyond the protective shield was making the world uninhabitable.
"This is madness, it has no end. Is this really a remnant of that monster, the Chaos King or something?"Daytona and Haytona.
The two were on a mission to subdue the "remnants of Chaos" that had fallen near the Delki Kingdom.
The fatigue on the faces of the brothers and the Guardian Knights leading them was evident.
Night watch had been endless for several days.
In lands worldwide where Gliek's Chaos had fallen, monsters called Chaos Remnants were emerging.
Delki was just one of them.
The currently discovered "contaminated zones" were about fifty, and the count increased every day.
It was unknown how many contaminated zones remained undiscovered.
If Ron couldn't handle Gliek's self-destruction, if Ron's divine power attribute of the Genesis Knight was something other than protection. Then the world would have been irreversibly destroyed.
"The youngest, the people in that battlefield... What kind of monsters did they fight against?"
"It must have been quite terrible if the remnants of that monster are so many."
Haytona replied as he sliced the body of a monster into pieces.
The monsters in the contaminated zone had vitality unmatched by any known monsters in the world.
When torn apart, they multiplied in number, only ceasing when they were almost reduced to pea-sized flesh.
Some individuals not only possessed multiplication but also a rapid regeneration ability.
These creatures belonged to a particularly strong category, and monsters in contaminated zones varied in abilities.
The strongest known individual required the combat skill of a Black Knight to be subdued.
The behavior of these creatures was very different from typical demonic creatures.
They specialized in parasitism rather than combat, turning living beings, including humans, into their hosts.
Infected beings showed contagion, and humans attacked by such entities showed signs of being consumed by Chaos, leading to chaos.
Fortunately, not the entire human population was vulnerable to infection.
Trained Warriors and Magicians showed a considerable level of immunity, but the Tona brothers didn't want to even imagine how it would have been without it.
The Magic Society termed it "Contagious Chaos."
In other words...
The world was facing a great catastrophe.
Even compared to the greatest known catastrophes caused by Helluram, it was more than enough.
Not only the Tona brothers but all members of each faction, including Zipple, were suppressing chaos worldwide.
"It's still terrible, but if the Elder Brother Dyfus in our Family and Kadun the Fire Dragon in Zipple hadn't quickly opted for the initial suppression, things would have been even more chaotic. Damn, it gives me chills. However, it's the first time the Family has been hit so hard since the Holy Kingdom protection war 500 years ago."
"Isn't it fortunate that not only our Family but the entire world, and Zipple suffered so much damage..."
Runcandel and Zipple.
Excluding the Empire, these two clans were undoubtedly the most affected in this war.
Runcandel lost almost three hundred elite Knights, including five Black Knights, and Rosa suffered serious injuries.
Zipple also lost the entire First and Second Magic Fleet, including Kozec, lost more than 30 Dragons, and over 500 Magicians, with Kelliark severely injured.
Especially, the aftermath of the final explosion was a problem.
Gliek's self-destruction continued for three days.
Forces from each faction could only withdraw from the battlefield after two days of the unprecedented explosion in history.
Currently, the remaining strength of the two clans was less than that of a clan just a month ago.
And, of course, the injuries suffered by Rosa and Kelliark were typically incurable due to the influence of the Chaos power that inflicted them.
"The Tenth and Eleventh Flagbearers. I just received a message from the main house."
A Guardian Knight approached the Tona brothers.
"Report."
Upon hearing the Guardian Knight's report, the eyes of the Tona brothers widened.
"...So, it's finally decided."
"We'll have to hurry if we want to meet the deadline."
Without even taking the time to remove the monster flesh stuck to their bodies, the brothers ventured into the contaminated zone.
Just after finishing the war, they felt a strange power beginning to develop within them.
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"A ceasefire has been decided with Zipple."
In response to Rosa's voice, Dyfus nodded as if he had expected it.
A dark stain could be seen on Rosa's wrist, revealed through the sleeves of her dress.
When Dyfus's gaze landed on it, Rosa instinctively covered her wrist.
"It's for Kinzelo."
"Yes. They are the only ones who didn't receive any blows in this war. And they probably watched this war from the beginning with the hope that it weakened us and Zipple, and the result is just as they wished."
Suppressing a cough, Rosa recalled the final moments of the war...
The horrific explosion that swept through Runcandel's Knights and Zipple's Magicians...
And the moment when Zipple's Demon God Orb shattered.
Since the Demon God Orb was destroyed, it was impossible for Zipple to recover its power quickly.
If Cyron were present, this would be the opportunity to end the thousand-year war with a victory.
However, the Black Knights sent to the Black Sea at the beginning of the war returned to the Family without being able to contact Cyron.
Therefore, on the contrary, now was the best time for Zipple to attack Runcandel, but they couldn't venture against a publicly known enemy called Kinzelo.
For Zipple, restoring the Demon God Orb was the most urgent.
It was said to be for healing, but the real reason was different.
"Mother. As you know, strange things have been happening to the purebloods, including me."
Dyfus referred to the power felt by the Tona brothers.
"Are you talking about starting to feel mana?"
"...That's right."
Mana.
Right after the war ended, the purebloods of Runcandel, excluding Jin, felt mana for the first time in their lives.
Rosa didn't feel that sensation, but she was aware that the mana acquired by her children was still at an extremely weak level.
As a result of the Demon God Orb breaking, both Runcandel and Zipple took a hard hit.
The Power of History, Zipple's magic manipulating history, was weakening.
Therefore, the thousand-year-old oath and curse that had suppressed Runcandel were also becoming unstable.
That's why Kelliark hastily proposed a ceasefire.
Although Rosa knew it, she had no choice but to accept.
"What should we do?"
"If you're asking if we need to watch and be on guard, it's not necessary."
Dyfus shivered and looked Rosa in the eyes.
"Why are you so surprised? The youngest has already told all members about the fact that our Family is a Great Family of Magic Swordsmen. The current situation is the result of Zipple's influence weakening, and the curse they cast on our Family is fading away."
"Once they regain their strength, we'll be back to square one."
"That everyone can handle mana doesn't mean everyone can become like the youngest. Besides, unless we completely destroy Zipple, this power will remain at a level where they won't be able to use it properly."
Rosa decided that it made no sense to find a way to use the weak mana immediately.
She thought they could regain their status as Magic Swordsmen only when they eliminate Zipple, and the Family's curse truly ends.
"The Flagbearers won't have time for personal training until Chaos is completely suppressed anyway. Stay alert and start cleaning the contaminated zones."
Dyfus nodded solemnly.
"And, is the Twelfth Flagbearer still there?"
"Yes."
When Gliek's self-destruction extended for three days, Jin and Dante suffered no additional harm in the Chaos storm.
It was because Ron's will was focused on protecting the two.
Currently, the land where Sword Emperor Castle was located was in a more severe state of contamination than any other place where Chaos fragments had splashed.
For the last month, those responsible for suppressing Chaos from each faction haven't been able to initiate the purification of Sword Emperor Castle.
They were only camping and binding the Chaos that still swirled within the territory so it couldn't escape.
Just as Rosa was about to say something, a Guardian Knight hurriedly approached her office.
"Acting Patriarch! There's a report that the Twelfth Flagbearer entered the Territory of Sword Emperor Castle two hours ago...!"
"What?" Dyfus exclaimed.
Like Rosa and Kelliark, Jin is still in a state where the invasion of Chaos hasn't ended completely.
And since it has already been revealed that those submerged in Chaos respond to a greater Chaos and proceed with demonic nature, entering Sword Emperor Castle territory was nothing more than suicide.
"Mother, I'll go myself..."
"No, there's no need for that," Rosa said calmly.
"It must be because he's confident that something will protect him. If the youngest had fallen into demonic nature after entering the territory, there would have been other peculiar reports, like attacking allies."
What exactly are you saying is protecting the youngest?
Seeing Rosa's bitter eyes, Dyfus couldn't bring himself to ask.
-------------------
At that moment, Jin was not the only one who entered the territory of Sword Emperor Castle.
There was someone who entered the territory that turned into chaotic hell before him.
So, as Rosa expected, the two walked on the contaminated ground with the help of a certain power.
If it weren't for the two of them, no one else could have enjoyed such protection.
"Dante."
Looking at his friend's back, Jin spoke his name.
"Jin."
Dante didn't turn to look at Jin.
Jin sat next to Dante, shifting his gaze to where Dante was looking.
In the midst of the Chaos storm enveloping the entire territory, only one point toward which both were looking radiated a bright light.
That single spot of light.
It was the light that had protected the two from the Chaos of the contaminated land.
"This is not the end for you and me, so don't get too caught up in sorrow; this is what my grandfather meant..."
Jin patted Dante's back for a long time without seeing him cry.
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