C636
The Garden of Swords, which had been shining with the sun and blue flames, darkened in an instant.
The peculiar darkness created by Chaos, Jin narrowed his brow and looked at the blackened sky and the garden of swords.
Everywhere, red eyes glowed.
They were all the gazes of the Knights facing Jin.
'As the darkness grew deeper, the aura of the Knights grew stronger... Is it the result of the Prophet amplifying the Chaos spread by the Garden of Swords?'
The Prophet and Rosa were nowhere to be seen. As if they had never been there.
Jin speculated that both had used some means to amplify the chaos. The Prophet would have used Rosa's power as a medium for amplification.
'Or did the acting matriarch move to prepare for defense against external attacks?'
Kinzelo and Zipple.Jin remained convinced that the two factions were watching the battle and preparing for a total attack.
'In that case, whether it was a valid decision or not, they will regret leaving me unattended.'
Whether to contain external attacks or for other reasons.
Jin was sure he would make Rosa regret leaving him behind.
And even all the decisions he had made so far.
New knights constantly appeared from somewhere.
Like insects lurking in the darkness, only to emerge and swarm towards their prey, unaware of the lethal poison they carried within.
The number has already surpassed a thousand, and if they continue to multiply at this rate, they will reach ten thousand within an hour.
Each and every one of those knights has an aura of 8 stars or higher.
'Although it is true, they are nothing more than battle dolls who do not even deserve their power.'
To Jin, they are no different from the monsters of the Great Desert of Mitra he encountered on the first day he returned to the human world.
Of course, it was Jin's criterion.
The knights tainted by chaos had the battle prowess to wipe out quite a few kingdoms in one or two days, even if only as a group.
'The only thing that concerns me a little are the few genuine ones among them. They are only traitors who have not lost their enlightenment despite being tainted by chaos.'
Swoosh...!
The flames of hellfire grew even thicker.
"How do you not know that the values of the Family are struggle and dominance through power, not immorality..."
For an instant, the blue flames obscured Jin's location.
The lost black swordsmen who lunged at him futilely struck the barrier of blue flames.
Fifth Secret Technique of Runcandel
Light Speed Thrust - Legend
At the same time, five rays of Light Speed Thrust cut the battlefield to pieces.
Small holes opened in the chests of the knights at the vanguard, followed by chaos swept away in heaps by the resulting aftermath.
Before the knights could react and fill the collapsed ranks again, Jin had already reached the point where Light Speed Thrust extended through the center.
At that point were those who resisted the chaos until the end, including the Tona brothers.
Furthermore, as soon as Jin settled, he dispatched the nearby knights by Bradamante and they vanished like dust blown by the wind.
"Oh, hey!, younger one!"
"Back, look back!"
The Tona brothers felt a mix of emotions seeing Jin rush to break through, but they could only urgently shout at him to look behind.
It was because a Black Knight had his sword at the back of his brother.
Jin didn't even look at him, but embraced the Tona Brothers, who rushed at him and tried to shield him with their bodies.
"Brothers, you have worked hard..."
The moment the brothers gathered, the sword of the Black Knight attacking the rear could not reach Jin. The fire burned his whole body.
With a dull thud, the fallen Black Knight's helmet hit the ground, emitting an empty sound.
"I have much to say, but for now, let's get out of here."
As Jin saw the people who had been trapped underground, he figured a considerable number of them would die in this place.
That's why the Tona brothers yelled.
They told him not to worry and to do what he thought best.
Fortunately, things have changed.
'If the acting matriarch is not here, I can save many more Knights than expected.'
Why did Rosa let them live? And why did she leave without killing them?
Suddenly, Jin pondered such questions.
The Prophet explained to him that it was only a final consideration.
If that was the case, Jin felt he could never forgive Rosa, for someone who dared to defile Runcandel could not show consideration for Runcandel.
Of course, there were still many variables that could stand in the way of saving the Knights.
There is no way to know for sure if Rosa will return to the battlefield, how much the traitors will multiply, and there is no way to be sure that there won't be something even Jin cannot handle.
So Jin had to evacuate them first.
"By the way, it's surprising that you're still here. Elder Chief Jorden."
Jorden Runcandel.
Jin made eye contact with him.
"...Judging by the atmosphere, it seems you were the leader of the rebels."
Even as they spoke, the traitors were unable to approach Jin.
Jorden looked back and forth between Hellfire and Jin, who protected them, and let out a bitter laugh.
"I just remembered the essence of the Family that I had forgotten. Thanks to a crazy monster."
-You've regained confidence after losing everything? You speak with such arrogance.
-I just remembered the essence of the Family that I had forgotten.
That's what Jorden said when Joshua fell in the past, he said the same to Rosa.
"And the leader of this rebellion was originally not me, but the Fourth Flagbearer."
"Where is Elder Brother Dyfus? And Elder Sister Mary?"
"I don't know. I don't even know if they're alive or dead."
Dyfus was still imprisoned in the dungeon, but the other rebels didn't know.
It was because he was incarcerated separately.
"....I'm sorry."
"There's nothing you need to apologize for, Elder Chief. So, are all the confirmed survivors here now?"
"Yes."
Like those who resisted, Jorden's body bore the marks of the pain suffered in the dungeon.
Almost only bones remained, and even the Chaos energy gnawed at his entire body.
Still, Jin felt in Jorden a certain transcendent level.
A force that never faded no matter how weak his physical body became.
"It seems your closed-door training was successful as well, Elder Chief."
"I don't think it can compare to yours."
"I can't bear the responsibility of escaping to the end on my own. It would be fine if I could, but I don't think the outbursts of the traitors are limited to just this. If I clear the path, you'll take everyone and evacuate them to Tikan."
"Puhh... Interesting. We've always been enemies, and yet you're willing to trust me?"
"No, not Jorden, the Chief of the Black Sword Association, who was as wicked as an old serpent... I believe in the Knight of the Family, Jorden Runcandel."
Jorden's eyes widened.
"...I'll support you, Twelfth Flagbearer."
Jin wasn't forgiving Jorden. Jorden knew that too.
But in the end, the two ended up sharing the value of "struggle" that Runcandel represented, and that was enough.
As a reason to fight together for Runcandel, despite harboring resentments.
"By the way, Twelfth Flagbearer. As you just predicted, this isn't all of Rosa Runcandel and the Prophet's power."
"Tell me everything you know."
"The fact that the Traitors have strengthened now is the result of the Chaos unleashed tied to the Garden of Swords. We went through the same situation the day we were imprisoned in the dungeon."
At that time, the rebels had shown quite a fight against the chaos traitors.
Not as much as Jin, but they managed to take down many of the empowered knights.
It was thanks to Knights like Jorden, Dyfus, and Mary that they had reached the level after the closed-door training.
What completely devastated them that day were not just the Chaos Knights who resurrected and multiplied endlessly, or the battle dolls with nothing but destructive power.
"...Soon the Knights enshrined in the mausoleum will appear."
"The mausoleum knights?"
"What we have personally confirmed are the Flagbearers and the Black Knights from the past. But if I were the Prophet, I would call forth many more and stronger beings against you...."
The moment Jorden said that.
Suddenly, Jin released ten Light Speed Thrusts and cleared the surroundings.
Additionally, the energy of Hellfire, which had been amplified, kept growing until it became unrecognizable.
No matter how many ants there are, they cannot kill a lion.
Just as Jin felt that the Chaos Knights were no different from the monsters of the desert, Jorden could see it too.
"....But I don't think there's anything to worry about."
Jorden shrugged. He realized that Jin had used a power that didn't even reach 30% of his battle prowess.
The reason Jin cleared the surroundings was simple. He recognized that among the traitors, the true Knights were starting to show their energy seriously.
The Captain of the Black Knights, Stam. He was slowly heading towards Jin.
"Come on, Elder Chief."
The rebels began to leave the Garden of Swords.
The chaos-soaked ground was disorienting, but they took the blue path formed by the flames of hell as a reference point.
The rebels didn't even have to draw their swords against the chaos knights rushing towards them. The flames surrounding them like a barrier protected them.
The struggle to escape would begin in earnest after they escaped from the territory of the flames.
"It seems you have no intention of attacking them, former Captain of Runcandel's Black Knights, Stam. You should be able to deal ample damage in my fire. Is that like the last conscience remaining?"
Stam stared at Jin without responding.
A huge aura and Chaos emanated from him.
"No, former Twelfth Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel. Because I judged that I shouldn't waste my strength dealing with you."
"Fortunately, you had no bad conscience."
Jin stared into Stam's red eyes for a moment.
The Captain of Runcandel's Black Knights, who had once fought alongside him in the War of Sword Emperor Castle, was now blocking him as an enemy.
"It's a splendid choice to focus entirely on me. It's regrettable that despite having such judgment, you didn't stop Rosa Runcandel's tyranny."
"The justification for seeking the survival of the Family is the privilege of the last survivor. You still don't have the right to judge whether Rosa-nim's decision was right or wrong. Likewise, I don't yet have the conviction to say she was wrong. That's a problem that can only be confirmed after your death."
"I didn't know you had a talent for spouting nonsense in the midst of battle..."
Just as Jin was about to charge at Stam-
he felt another elite approaching from behind.
[Captain of the Black Knights, now I understand why you've been waiting for me all this time. At first, I thought that was Cyron Runcandel, the current patriarch].
When he turned around, Jin saw a Knight he had never seen before, a figure who had just emerged from the mausoleum.
-
KO-FI
'Ko-Fi' for Adv4nc3 Ch4pt3r ( Up to '120' more ch4pt3rs) Publication of up to 6 w33kly ch4pters, thanks.
-