C621
"You can do it," Vahn responded in an indifferent voice.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Jin who was shocked by that response, but the Legends.
Deep down, they had hoped that Vahn would intervene and mediate in this terrifying situation that was escalating to the extreme.
Since the first clash between Jin and Kaio, or rather, since the first conflict between Garmund and Kaio, the Legends had silently wished for Vahn to step in.
But Vahn had not intervened even once in the affairs of the brothers, not even now, when things had come to this point.
It was completely incomprehensible whether she was disappointed in Jin, disappointed in herself, or if there was another reason.
If Vahn had sided with Jin, the Legends would have followed her without question.
Even if she had punished the brothers who demanded a new validation test for the successor chosen directly by her, or if she had told them to consider Jin's words as her own.
'Why do you keep just watching... Is it because of the guilt from the last war? Are you trying to avoid making decisions now, thinking that the extinction of our race was due to your decision, Elder Sister Goddess of Battle? Even in such a crisis, when the brothers are so divided!'Vahn looked into Baba's eyes for a moment.
Baba felt that her internal thoughts were exposed, so she felt embarrassed and wanted to express her frustration, but she didn't avoid Vahn's gaze.
"If you can," Vahn continued.
Baba's pupils dilated at her words.
After a few seconds with a lost look, she clenched her teeth as if her molars were about to break.
"...Understood."
As Vahn and Lingling flew away, Jin briefly turned to look at Baba and the Legends.
"You are very kind. Kaio and you too."
"What?"
"If you're going to gouge my eyes out or kill me, do you really need to announce it in advance? If you're confident, do it without making a fuss. Those actions only make you seem weak."
Baba slowly nodded.
"Advice duly noted."
-------
The fight between Jin and Baba was the 65th.
The revived tradition, which was once a beacon of hope, was now nearing its end, just like the relationship between Jin and the tribe.
Although there were still some battles after the 65th, the Legends practically considered the fight between them as the final confrontation of the Great Battle Kings Tournament.
Before that battle, the other battles held little importance to the Legends.
Jin's death was directly related to the fate of Lafrarosa.
The guilt of being a leader when the people perished.
The Legends, including Baba, speculated that the reason Vahn hadn't intervened until now was due to that guilt.
Most of the Legends had similar thoughts.
"If Sister Baba kills Jin... Our time will probably stop forever. Maybe the next heir of the Shadow Blade will never come."
"We were already doomed. No, that's for sure. Thanks to Solderet, we only survived trapped in a dead world. Jin became our brother and showed us hope, but in the end, he abandoned us for trivial conflicts. He was not our brother from the beginning."
"Yes, from the beginning... we had to oppose when Sister Goddess of Battle asked for our opinion on the blood transfusion. If we had done that, we would have simply passed the Shadow Blade to him, and we wouldn't have faced this betrayal..."
Betrayal.
The Legends understood Jin's actions so far as a betrayal.
It didn't seem reasonable to reach this extreme just because a few people demanded an additional verification.
"Anyway, it doesn't seem real. The fact that tonight might be our true end..."
In the midst of the gloom and anger among the Legends, Baba had a determined and resolute look.
Time passed cruelly fast.
The Legends entered the main hall with gloomy and angry faces, unlike what they usually did.
Unlike usual, the sky of the main hall was dark.
The Legends suppressed the thunderous roars they used to let out whenever a match began.
Even Kaio, who had been bedridden since the 22nd battle, climbed to the main hall on Baba's back.
"Before starting the 65th battle, I want to say something to everyone."
At Vahn's words, the Legends' eyes widened.
'Could it be?'
'Is Sister Goddess of Battle trying to mediate now, even at this late hour...?'
However, Baba's eyes remained unwavering even then.
She had already made a decision.
And at the next moment, Vahn's words far exceeded everyone's expectations.
"If Sister Baba kills Brother Jin in this fight, Lafrarosa's time will not come to a complete stop. Maybe it's because it was originally Brother Jin's Chaos. Lingling, this little one can play the same role as Brother Jin."
"I-Is that... Is that really true, Sister Goddess of Battle? Lingling can play the same role as Jin."
[It's true!]
"That's right. I've been feeling it since I accepted Lingling, but it became certain two days ago."
Vahn didn't give more details about how it was possible or what means were used to confirm it.
Despite that, everyone could clearly understand that Vahn's words were true.
'Then, even if Jin dies, our time won't end completely...!'
'Lingling is the first Chaos, so maybe it's possible even more. To the extent that Elder Sister Goddess of Battle speaks with such conviction.'
The fate of Lafrarosa, which only depended on Jin, now had a new alternative named Lingling.
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Except for Vahn, the only one who maintained complete composure amidst this silence was Baba.
Baba handed Kaio over to Garmund.
Garmund scratched the back of his head and positioned Kaio to make him as comfortable as possible.
"I’ll be back."
Baba slowly walked to the center of the main hall.
Behind her were the Eleven Battle Kings and 64 ordinary warriors.
No one stood behind Jin, who approached from the other side.
"The 65th battle begins."
Even though the battle had begun, Jin and Baba did not draw their swords for a while. However, the fighting spirit emanating from them weighed heavily on the entire hall.
'It's been just over ten days, but not only has he recovered... He’s become even stronger.'
The energy flowing from Jin was unusual.
He was a completely different person from the one who lost to Lumora in the 54th match.
"I can kill you if I can. I wondered why Elder Sister Goddess of Battle told me that."
"Do you understand now?"
"A little. And I was also curious about one more thing. Why are you doing this to such an extent...."
Swoosh...
Baba’s sword, "Light," slowly came out of its sheath.
Light was the sword used by Nana, her ancestor and former God of Battle.
As its name suggested, the blade shone with a dazzling brilliance.
"It was a trivial matter. This verification was neither unreasonable nor the wish of everyone. But you turned your back on your brothers just for that."
Jin also slowly drew his sword.
The pale blade of Sigmund contrasted with the light.
"We thought you’d be uneasy. We, who always provided unconditional support, must have seemed greedy at the moment when the situation changed in your eyes. It must have been an unexpected situation for you."
"Amusing. As soon as you had the hope of going outside and weren’t even sure of it, you all revealed your true intentions. So I tried to provoke you a little, and in no time, most of you conspired to take this sword from me. And you even suggested banishing me."
"A little? Is that all you have to say?"
"That’s the essence of what you call the concept of brothers. With just a few words, you divided into factions, rejected me, who had been recognized as a brother and inherited the sword after being chosen by the Goddess of Battle, and threatened me by talking about accidents. I felt disillusioned by your actions."
"Before stabbing Brother Kaio, no. Even after stabbing him. Did you ever think of having a conversation?"
"I discovered that there are different kinds of brothers, what kind of conversation do we need? Although more effective control was possible, you forgave Kaio, who threatened me saying he could cause an accident, because he was a brother, and yet you couldn’t forgive me for stabbing Kaio because I wasn’t a brother?"
"Brother Kaio didn’t shoot you after all. And the act of committing a deed and not committing it are never the same. You tried to kill your brother...."
"I almost lost my eyes or head, but it’s okay since Kaio didn’t shoot me in the end. So, although I ended up stabbing Kaio, he didn’t die. No one died."
"Besides, Brother Kaio intended to pressure you."
"So could he have had other intentions? Couldn’t you have thought there might be a reason why I even stabbed Kaio?"
"Elder Sister Beliz, Brother Garmund, and Elder Sister Rinpa and ordinary warriors visited your hospital room to ask about that."
"Indeed. They all came to see me and reprimanded me. Did the other tribe members from the opposite side do the same with Kaio?"
Baba couldn’t answer.
"You don’t understand the essence of the problem at all. As soon as an opportunity arises, your true intentions are subtly revealed. Kaio is a brother, and I was just a friendly outsider."
"...You’re being meticulous. Are you trying to justify stabbing your brother because you’re upset? There’s a limit."
"It’s a difference in standards. If you want to prove you’re right, stop talking and draw your sword. Now that Lingling is here, there’s no reason to hesitate in dealing with me."
Baba’s eyes turned cold.
"Lingling... to begin with, the important issue wasn’t whether we could go out or not. I hope you don’t think the reason we’ve been enduring you all this time is because of that."
Cuzzz...!
As soon as Baba, she, began to raise her aura, the entire main hall was instantly enveloped in blue lightning bolts.
"Let me tell you clearly why my brothers think I am the one to inherit the God of Battle."
Ninth Battle King's Technique of the Legends
Punishment.
Baba charged at Jin like a blue spear, and Jin faced her head-on, wielding Sigmund.
'Finally, the end of this damned villain is in sight.'
As she thought so...
-
KO-FI
'Ko-Fi' for Adv4nc3 Ch4pt3r ( Up to '120' more ch4pt3rs) Publication of up to 6 w33kly ch4pters, thanks.
-