C655
"My lady, calm down."
"Hedo, did you hear what that crazy demon dragon just said?"
"I heard it."
"But how can I calm down? Jin is mine, I will tear that demon apart... Wait, is Jin married?"
"Jin Runcandel wouldn't like the way you're acting now. And he is not married."
"Really? Was that thing just spouting nonsense? One day, that demon dragon will truly die by my hands."
Sandra wanted to continue her tantrum, but she closed her mouth upon seeing Jin's sad expression. He seemed very gloomy.
The gray sky over the snowy field was darkening with the demonic energy of Zephyrin in an instant.
She was literally "annihilating" the knights who had begun to come to her. She did not reveal her arrogance or the composure she usually hid behind laughter and etiquette.She was keeping her promise to Jin.
"We better leave now too, Tower Guardian. I don't think there’s much time left."
Of course, not all the knights began to fight Zephyrin.
About 20% of them still remained near the cave, keeping watch over the surroundings.
"Hedo."
"Yes, my lady."
"Can't you face those knights alone?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Yes or no?"
"It is possible."
"Then, Hedo, clear the path alone for Jin's sake."
Hedo was briefly surprised that Sandra could have such deep thoughts.
"Of course, I could do it, but I think the Twelfth Flagbearer would object."
"Why?"
"He is not the kind of person who yields his burdens. Anyway, you've made a very commendable suggestion."
Jin was already advancing. Bradamante was wrapped in jet-black Shadow Energy.
About a hundred knights remained near the cave.
As soon as they realized Jin was approaching, thirteen of them fell one after another after being struck by the First Shadow Sword Technique, the soul slash.
'As expected... they are all completely consumed by chaos.'
The knights, tainted by chaos, had become grotesque monsters who could no longer be called "Runcandel Knights."
Their twisted arms wielded their swords grotesquely, and their legs, transformed into spines, spilled chaos with each step they took.
Their pupils were as dark as coals, and only dark breaths and screams flowed from their mouths.
Jin swung his sword to finish them all in an instant. It was the only thing he could do for those who had given their lives to the clan as knights.
'Rosa... I will definitely make you pay for what you have done.'
Hedo didn't even need to draw his sword.
To be precise, he had judged it would be better not to help after seeing Jin's swordsmanship.
'Not a single unnecessary movement... it's like Cyron-nim's sword.'
In terms of precision, it lacked nothing compared to Cyron's sword.
Hedo watched Jin's sword as if admiring a great work of art, momentarily forgetting his position and beliefs.
"What's with that silly expression? Don't tell me Hedo has also fallen for Jin?"
"I was just a little surprised, my lady. Those who haven't seen Cyron-nim's sword in person will think the Twelfth Flagbearer has become a Genesis Knight."
"Just a few years ago, he was almost killed by Hedo in the Sota Desert. Back then, Hedo overpowered Jin and his companions, but now?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Can you win?"
"I don't think so. I expected it since he fought alone in the Garden of Swords, but it's a different feeling seeing it up close."
Sandra laughed as if it was something to be proud of.
"See! If it's Jin, there's definitely a chance. I didn't think so at first either, so it's not Hedo's fault. So, why not do what I told you last time?... Oh, you scared me!"
Hedo slashed a bolt of demonic energy that had fallen near Sandra.
Zephyrin was calmly extending shockwaves toward Sandra while facing the knights tainted by chaos.
"Ha, that's very low. Despite being a few thousand years old, she acts like a child."
While they talked and moved, Jin had already dealt with more than half of the knights remaining near the cave.
In front of the cave were those believed to have been Black Knights or high-ranking executives of the Black Sword Association, or high-ranking knights in charge of law enforcement.
As Jin cut down the knights and approached them, their chaotic energy increased.
'I wonder if they were hiding their power.'
A total of fifteen. Their mutant state took a form different from the previous chaos knights. It was a stable form, like a well-crafted doll, rather than a distorted and strange form.
It seems they haven't lost their minds yet.
The eyes were also similar to those of ordinary humans, not black holes, but chaos horns and blades that strengthened throughout their bodies like Rosa.
"I am Jin Runcandel, the Twelfth Flagbearer. State your name."
[You are disqualified from being a Flagbearer, traitor Jin.]
The man in the middle of the group stepped forward.
Although his face was somewhat deformed, Jin had never seen him before. Because of this fact, Jin assumed his opponent was a Black Knight.
"It seems you wore a black helmet in the past. Now that Rosa has embraced chaos, it seems she has significantly reorganized, but until then, it was a truly glorious helmet. Why are you standing there looking like that?"
[Whether you wore the Black Helmet or not, the duty of the family swords is only to fight for the family. The knights you are killing have only changed for the Runcandel.]
"I heard from Uncle Jorden that not many people have willingly become monsters."
[If the existence of such a family were allowed, would Runcandel have existed until now? Runcandel was originally composed of domination, command, and power.]
"That means you are a group that sincerely sympathized with Rosa's rebellion, unlike the others."
[You just want to fulfill your personal desire to become the Patriarch, traitor. That's why you've already formed an alliance with the rest of the forces. Thanks to Rosa-nim, Runcandel has finally become the best in the world. But do you know what? If they hadn't betrayed you, Rosa-nim would have made you the patriarch.]
Hooook...
The Shadow Energy staining Bradamante disappeared.
[What do you think would have happened to Runcandel and even the Hufester Alliance without Rosa-nim? Surely Zipple and Kinzelo would have trampled them and begged for an alliance...]
"I will show you no mercy. And do not try to deceive me."
Instead of Shadow Energy, a fiery aura enveloped Bradamante.
At the same time, a flash of light streaked, and the right arm of the Black Knight speaking with Jin was severed.
Although an acceleration was less than the Light Speed Thrust with lightning energy added, it was enough. As befitting its original name, the sword of the "secret technique."
"Don't you think I knew you were buying time, making excuses until reinforcements arrived?"
The fallen right arm of the Black Knight regenerated quickly. Then, he prepared to retaliate, but Jin had already cleared other knights and made his way to the rear.
"Do you think you avoided it? I cleared the path to cut off your arms in the first place."
The regenerating right arm was severed again, and the retaliating left arm also fell to the ground. Then Jin grabbed his horn and slammed his head into the ground.
[Argh!]
'I told you, I will show you no mercy...'
While the Black Knight was trampled and writhing in pain, the remaining knights drew their swords at Jin.
Jin calmly received all their attacks while remaining still.
Shockwaves spread, and the knights charging at him bounced back as if hitting a wall. All vomited black chaos like blood and trembled in pain.
"Be grateful that I'm busy. I'd love to give each of you a beating, but I can't afford that luxury."
Jin said it, but the knights attacking him felt pain beyond their bones, unlike the other knights being killed by Zephyrin.
By then, Hedo had also joined and began dealing with the remaining knights.
Hedo didn't intentionally intensify their pain, but as he naturally wielded a more destructive type of sword than Jin, it ended up that way.
5 minutes.
It barely took that time to deal with the fifteen knights, including the Black Knight, who in the past were the highest-ranking knights.
It's said they are the strongest in the world for a reason, but Jin was already aware of the decline in the "class" of the chaos-tainted knights. Except in special cases like Stam.
Rather, if the knights had not accepted chaos, it would have taken more time. Rosa and the Prophet chose to increase their overall strength, even if it meant diminishing individual strength.
Or maybe they can only do it while accepting chaos.
Jin plunged his sword into the back of the Black Knight under his feet.
[There is no one you seek inside... You won't find them.]
"Are those your last pathetic words? We already know Histor is not in the Garden of Swords."
At those words, the Black Knight smiled.
[Yes, as you said. Because the redhead is already dead... haha.]
"What?"
When Jin reacted, the Black Knight smiled amusingly.
After a few seconds, Jin stopped moving and stared at him.
He was fumbling with something in his arms. Jin almost let out a roar when he saw what it was.
What the Black Knight had pulled out was a handful of red hair.
But instead of reacting, Jin decided to regain his composure and ignited a blue flame in the palm of his hand.
"I told you not to joke around. If it were a head instead of hair, I might have believed you a bit more."
As the flame dropped like a bead of water onto the Black Knight's back, a blue fire erupted over his entire body in an instant. A heart-wrenching scream followed.
[Ahhhh......! If you continue searching for Histor's body, you too... will die in this land...]
The Black Knight couldn't finish his words and was completely reduced to ashes.
Jin turned his gaze towards the interior of the cave, hoping Valeria was still alive.
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