C682 Bale's eyes already had a subtle golden glow, but now, the cross-shaped pupils staring at Sandra were so bright they almost hurt to look at.
“What? Did she say Lady Sarah?”
Jin squinted and alternated his gaze between Bale and Sandra.
Valeria also seemed to struggle to understand the situation and lowered her head.
Of course, Sandra and Sarah looked nothing alike.
Sarah had black hair, a distinctive trait of pureblood Runcandels, while Sandra had white hair like most Zipples.
Not to mention the differences in physique, eyes, attitude, atmosphere, etc.
Except for being of the same gender, they had nothing in common.
However, Bale kept calling Sandra Sarah.
["I've missed you, Sarah!"]"Get lost, monster!"
["Hurry and leave, Sarah told you to go"]
"No, you leave!"
Sandra told Bale, while Bale told Jin and Valeria.
The one most hurt by this situation was undoubtedly Hedo.
"Damn it!"
Hedo increased his descent speed, using the momentum of the fight, but Sandra was also accelerated by the pull caused by Bale.
Sandra did everything possible to escape that force and fall towards Jin, but she couldn’t break free from Bale's grasp.
Just before Sandra was about to touch Bale, Jin and Valeria lunged at her, wielding their weapons.
Even if Bale mistook Sandra for Sarah, they had to prevent that madman from harming their ally.
Because no one knew how Bale would react once he discovered Sandra wasn't Sarah.
The situation was disheartening for Valeria.
She wasn’t trying to kill a Zipple but to save one, which put her in a difficult position.
"Sorry, Aria."
"It's necessary, so there's nothing to apologize for."
However, she used her strength and wings to quickly change Sandra's landing point.
Jin couldn't recklessly use big techniques against the complex and fast Bale.
It would backfire if Sandra and Hedo got caught in it.
Inevitably, Jin and Valeria stepped back and prepared for the next situation.
The fortunate part was the fact that Sandra was a living golem with a semi-immortal body, so she wasn't suitable to be held as a hostage.
["Sarah, Sarah Runcandel!"]
Soon after, Bale smiled while hugging Sandra with the expression of "embracing the princess" often seen in romance novels, and he even fiercely swung one of his wings. �
Like a punch, he aimed at Hedo, who had stubbornly followed him.
Crack!
"My lady, ugh!"
Hedo, who was struck by a wing, bounced off the wall made of Shadow Energy and seawater.
The impact caused the black seawater to cascade down the wall like a waterfall.
‘I never thought I'd see such a pathetic scene of that giant man being thrown like this....’
However, that was all that happened to Hedo, despite being struck by the wing.
If it had been a Warrior without a body as rigid as Hedo's, he would have died instantly, or his entire body would have been crushed.
Jin and Valeria rushed towards Bale again.
Bale, who held Sandra like a newborn, fought only with his wings because he couldn't use his sword.
Although they appeared soft to the touch, Bale's wings were so strong they couldn't be compared to the outer layer of a graveyard giant.
“What is that confidence with milady, crazy?”, shouted Hedo as he freed himself from the dam.
His enormous muscles had torn his shirt, and his eyes were darker than ever with anger.
Hedo, who always maintained a dignified appearance and attitude, had already broken down several times on this trip to the tomb.
"I wondered the same, Bale-nim. That woman you have in your arms is not Sarah. You should come to your senses."
At those words, Bale looked at Sandra with wide eyes.
She flailed her arms and legs like a captured beast, hitting Bale’s face and chest more and more.
Of course, it hurt Sandra the most, and Bale didn’t even block her attack.
[Now that I think about it, your face has changed a bit… You’ve also grown taller]
"Only a bit?"
At Bale’s indifferent voice, Jin was once again dumbfounded.
[You’ve also become more aggressive and your power has weakened incredibly. What happened to you, Sarah? And stop, you’re clenching your fist so tightly. It's painful to see. So, do you have the power of regeneration?]
"Let me go, let me go! Monster! How dare you try to kill my husband?"
[Husband? Who is your husband?]
"My Jin!"
Bale glared at Jin.
[Didn’t you say you planned to marry Padler after the war?]
"What nonsense are you spouting? I am not Sarah."
[Padler seems better than that disgusting one. It’s better this way since Padler seems to have come, we should end this here and now.]
“I am not Sarah Runcandel, I am Sandra Zipple. And Jin is cool. You should know that.”
[But he is your distant descendant. Isn’t it strange to be together?]
“Yes, yes. We were born enemies of rival clans and have a tragic love... that makes it more exciting.”
At some point, Sandra and Bale were exchanging something resembling a conversation.
Apparently, there was a place where the crazy could connect.
[Anyway, it's fine, Sarah. You’ve changed from what I remembered, you’ve lost your arm and become weak, but... now I will protect you. Just like you protected me.]
“You’re going to protect me?”
[Yes, Sarah Runcandel. My life, my soul, and my power exist only for you.]
Bang bang bang!
Suddenly, a deafening noise was heard from all directions, as if a bomb had exploded.
Surprisingly, it was the sound of the graveyard giants "applauding."
Until now, Jin, Hedo, Valeria, and even Sandra herself had revealed to Bale that she wasn't Sarah.
Even Sandra didn’t hide the fact that she is the daughter of the Zipple Clan, which has been the enemy of Runcandel for a thousand years.
‘However, Bale-nim keeps mistaking Sandra for Lady Sarah...’
Is it because Bale woke up after a thousand years and is not in his right mind?
Somehow, Jin felt there was another reason.
‘Bale’s speech and behavior seem childish compared to the power he possesses.’
Childish, no.
People usually seem immature when they try to protect themselves from too many blows.
For example, being unable to accept the death of a lover or a parent and believing they are still alive.
Jin suspected that Bale’s current state wasn’t much different from that.
For example, Bale had decided to recognize Sandra as Sarah.
“This is crazy...”, Hedo said, spitting out the curse.
"Tower Guardian, it seems that Bale-nim will continue to recognize Sandra as Lady Sarah."
Hedo’s anger was no longer directed at Jin.
“We need to save the lady. It doesn’t matter if I can’t recover my sword now, cooperate as much as possible in rescuing the lady from now on, Twelfth Flagbearer."
"Of course, I will. However... fighting Bale-nim now might endanger Sandra."
Jin pointed to the sky.
The sky, which had been tinted with the strength of shadows and the energies of each faction, was gradually turning blue.
It was the blue light, the energy of Padler.
He has become stronger.
Perhaps the power of chaos has refined even more, or he has regained his former strength.
Meanwhile, it seemed that Padler had also changed.
He emitted a more orderly and powerful energy than when they first fought in the Garden of Swords.
‘Besides, there are Lionel and Stam, and the Black Ship and the Chaos Dragons added.’
Dealing with them along with Bale is too much of a burden.
In particular, he had not yet fully understood Bale’s power, but it was certain that Bale is above the strongest Padler.
Additionally, Jin has companions to protect, unlike when he attacked the Garden of Swords alone.
Hedo, despite his anger, began to see the situation calmly.
“...You’re right. So, what should we do?”
“I have a feeling that the fact Bale-nim recognizes Sandra as Lady Sarah could be a blessing in disguise.”
“Ha, do you think that crazy guy will fight for young Lady Sandra?”
“What about you, Tower Guardian? Wouldn’t you fight in any situation to save Sandra?”
“In this situation, I would try to devise a plan to escape with the lady. If I escape with her...”
Hedo stopped talking.
Suddenly he felt Bale’s energy amplify infinitely.
The cross-shaped eyes became sharper, and the transformed sword generated an enormous light like that of a God, not a human.
Hedo’s words were not wrong.
Then it was correct to escape with Sandra in this situation.
However, Bale had no reason to make that decision.
He is convinced that he is stronger than all of them combined.
“...Could it be that there’s no need to be nervous at all?”
“That seems to be the case.”
[Jin Runcandel. This time, I will finish you off...]
Even Padler, who fully emerged from the dimensional portal, stopped talking like Hedo.
His eyes briefly shone with the thought of revenge upon seeing Jin, but his face twisted upon seeing the graveyard giant and Bale.
[...Bale? Why are you here?]
[You’ve come to find me without any fear, Padler.]
Bale smiled contentedly.
Padler showed a noticeable tremor upon seeing him.
[And to become so weak, you really have no fear...]
Jin felt that Padler had become stronger than before, but Bale recognized that he had weakened.
Bale, who had been looking at Padler as if he were going to kill him, lowered his head and looked at Sandra.
His face, which a moment ago seemed like that of a demon, suddenly became infinitely kind.
[Sarah, is it okay if I kill Padler and his minions today?]
Sandra responded nonchalantly:
“Eh, do what you want, whether you crush them or kill them. It’ll be uncomfortable for me if you keep holding me like this, so could you send me to Jin?
[That’s right. Even though he is weak, it’s impossible to crush him while holding you. Hmm... If it’s that guy, I think he can protect you enough in the middle of the battle. I’ll do it.]
“Yes, yes.”
[Jin Runcandel, take good care of Sarah. If even a small wound is on her after the fight, you will die at my hands too.]
“Hey, it’s forbidden to say something like that to Jin now.”
[Okay, Sarah. Let me correct myself. At that moment, even if you’re very hurt, I’ll make sure to only hurt him a lot but not kill him, right? Jin Runcandel]
“That’s not allowed either. Stop saying bad things to Jin.”
[Tch, fine fine!]
As Bale handed Sandra to Jin and flew away, the group could only watch their backs in incomprehension for a moment.
- -