C685
The seabed, where Bale had awakened, had turned into a kind of fortress.
"Hedo! This has been going on for more than three days. What if something goes wrong with Jin?" Sandra yelled, stomping her foot.
Hedo silently looked at the sky, observing Jin fighting with an unidentified divine being named Bale.
Today was April 24, 1803.
The battle between Jin and Bale had been going on for more than two and a half days without a conclusion.
No one expected the battle to last this long.
Moreover, Jin and Bale had chosen the sea surface as their battleground instead of the seabed.
Due to spatial limitations, it was believed that Bale would have the upper hand.
However, Jin, as a magic swordsman, used his skills to prolong the combat."If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have listened to Jin's request. Ah, that Bale doesn't even obey my orders anymore! I've yelled countless times for him to stop."
"... It's not that he doesn't obey, but he can't hear you. The graveyard giants have raised thick protective barriers. You should go there and cool off or rest a bit. Your eyes look like they're about to burst from how red they are, my lady."
At Hedo's words, the graveyard giants nodded as if in agreement.
Most of the structures formed underwater were like altars for Bale, but there were also religious-like facilities including restrooms and sinks.
Thanks to this, those who remained underwater did not suffer too much inconvenience while observing the combat.
Of course, although their bodies were not uncomfortable, their minds were uneasy.
The Vamel Alliance was worried about the possibility of Jin getting hurt, and Hedo's stomach churned just thinking about the situation that would occur when the battle ended.
However, amid their agitation, the underwater spectators occasionally found themselves mesmerized.
The battle between Jin and Bale created such magnificent moments that, without realizing it, they were drawn in.
Hedo, in particular, marveled as a warrior.
Is it because of the aura possessed by the Twelfth Flagbearer? Bale's ability to make Chaos Dragons explode in the air hasn't manifested even once...
While Bale fights fiercely, the Twelfth Flagbearer is focused on breaking his own wall.
Others wondered if such a fight was possible, but in Hedo's eyes, Jin didn't seem to be immersed in a battle but rather in training.
Slash!
The frozen water beneath Jin shattered, causing a whirlpool.
The freezing of the seawater was due to Jin's mana, which had been creating and manipulating that icy ground to fight for the past two days.
It was a stark contrast to the earlier scene where the group of swordsmen had quickly succumbed to spatial limitations and had been pushed back into the water. Ṙ
The ever-changing landscapes of nature, incessantly shifting, made it seem like the battle wasn't between a human and a divine being but rather a confrontation between two divine entities.
[You're persistent. But can you see the end now? Once you're defeated, Sarah and I will depart far away...]
"Crazy bastard."
Jin spoke while standing on the newly formed ice.
He no longer showed any respect for Bale as he did initially.
Mixing his words with his sword strikes during the combat, Bale was an entity unworthy of his respect.
He was nothing more than an ancient knight of the ten greats whose manic obsession with Sarah was all he had.
After Sarah's death, he ran wild and destroyed the world, expelled from the ranks of the ten great knights, and an ignoble existence that was sealed at the bottom of the sea for that reason.
Moreover, even after awakening after a thousand years, Bale denied reality and confused Sandra with Sarah. Jin not only lacked respect for Bale but also felt intense disgust.
[Shh, I admit you're a tenacious bastard. Probably why Sarah liked you. She always had a fondness for such individuals. But what will you do now with that exhausted body?]
Jin had fought as effectively as possible, but the prolonged battle inevitably caused minor injuries and a decrease in stamina.
On the other hand, Bale remained unchanged from the beginning.
Like Luntia in the subspace, Bale used almost infinite power.
Minor wounds healed quickly, and even wounds that would have been fatal to a human were restored within minutes.
Jin can't cut the infinite power source like he did with Luntia. Bale's power isn't transferred from the subspace but is entirely his own.
[It seems you no longer have enough mana to freeze the seawater, right? You're barely able to stand. You've been fighting so fiercely all this time. However, I suppose you still have some hidden techniques. I recommend using them and exhausting yourself.]
While Bale spoke, the frozen seawater beneath Jin's feet was extremely limited.
It wasn't well-fixed, and it seemed unlikely he could move with the same stability as on land.
However, Jin maintained a strange composure.
Despite his rapid breathing and the blood flowing from the wounds covering his body, indicative of his physical limits approaching, he didn't seem to lose his composure.
In fact, Jin didn't expect to maintain his composure to this extent.
Throughout the long and intense battle, Jin gained awareness.
'Just two days ago, he seemed like an opponent I could never defeat... But now, it feels like I can handle anything.'
From Ranke Halovice to Smarion Proch, the relentless assault on the Garden of Swords, Luntia Runcandel, Fake Yona, and up to this moment.
Since returning to the human world from Laprarosa, Jin had fought tirelessly.
All the experiences gained in those battles were now blossoming and awakening Jin in an instant through the fight with Bale.
"Initially, I hoped that by fighting you, you would regain your sanity. I wanted you to accept Dame Sarah's death and hoped you would calmly listen to Dame Sarah's final moments and the testament she left me. I thought if you truly loved Dame Sarah, that would be the only outcome."
[Sarah is waiting for me down there.]
"But what kind of vision are you showing me now? You're just babbling nonsense. It only shows you're afraid to accept Dame Sarah's death. She loved Runcandel and continued to live as an eternal flame, striving to save the world."
[Shut up!]
"Dame Sarah is one and only, and no one can replace her. So stop insulting Dame Sarah, you never loved her, you only used her for your selfish desires. You talk as if you'll die without Dame Sarah, but when you realize that Dame Sarah is no longer in this world, you choose the weak option of denying reality instead of mourning or continuing her legacy."
Bale swung his sword and wings at Jin.
The fierce energy and golden aura violently churned the sea, but Jin remained unaffected as if it were an illusion, never losing his center.
It was the result of enduring the blows.
Bale didn't care.
Throughout their previous battles, Jin had evaded attacks like this to buy time, so Bale didn't need to pay special attention.
However, for some reason, he felt a chill.
Is he finally unleashing his hidden move?
Hellfire, or maybe the shadow blade or the plutonic sword skill?
Whatever it was, Bale was confident he could handle it.
It was because he could clearly see the remaining strength in Jin's eyes.
If he had prepared from the beginning, it would be another story, but at this moment, it seemed Jin couldn't gather enough power to threaten him, no matter what he did.
Whoosh...!
The blue flames that began to envelop Bradamante were composed of weak mana.
Mana was the power Jin had consumed the most so far. He had to keep using it to freeze the sea.
Bale couldn't understand Jin's intention to unleash his final move through mana and not through shadow power or lightning energy.
[The Hellfire you unleashed two days ago, saying you learned it directly from Sarah, was quite plausible, but... you won't even be able to imitate her Hellfire.]
Bale continued to unleash sword strikes and skills, but Jin didn't waver.
"This isn't Dame Sarah's Hellfire, Bale."
When Jin replied in a calm voice, Bale screamed instead of responding and detonated his authority.
Like a wild beast hesitating whether to touch a torch, Bale stuck to long-range attacks.
He should have fallen, but he didn't.
Bale now felt the same about Jin.
Just as Jin didn't fall, the weak flames enveloping Bradamante didn't extinguish.
The moment everyone thought, "What's wrong with Bale?"
Jin made eye contact with him and smiled.
Hedo, watching from the seabed, knew that was the moment Jin was breaking through his wall.
Only Hedo recognized that fact.
"It's hard for you to understand why I, who should be exhausted, don't fall, and why this weak flame doesn't go out. And your instincts tell you. Don't close the distance between us."
Bale's face, which had never lost its composure, quickly grew uneasy.
[...What is the identity of that fire?]
Bale believed he had an absolute advantage in every aspect.
While Jin's power waned, Bale remained in a state similar to the beginning of the battle.
However, his thoughts were rapidly changing.
He felt the urgent certainty that touching that fire would mean his defeat.
"A fire that originated from Dame Sarah and became solely mine."
The fire enveloping Bradamante remained in a nebulous state.
As it was in its complete form, it didn't transform into a more intimidating shape.
That meant it remained the same regardless of whether Jin was exhausted or fully charged.
It was a newly created unnamed magic sword technique.
In a sense, while fighting Bale, Jin had created his own ultimate technique.
With the sword deployed for the first time, Jin began to slowly approach Bale.
The frozen seawater formed a staircase-like path with each step he took.
"Whether this fire becomes your new reference point or a weapon that confines you depends on you."
Bale lunged at Jin while screaming.
But just before the sword made contact, he flinched and froze in place.
He had rushed forward, excited, but if the swords started clashing, he felt he would be instantly overwhelmed by those strange flames.
"It means I'm giving you one last chance. From now on, think carefully and answer my question, Bale."
Who is the person beneath us right now?
In response to that question, Bale remained silent for a while with his eyes closed.
His crossed pupils trembled anxiously.
[...Zipple]
"Yes, Dame Sarah died a thousand years ago. The person you thought was Dame Sarah is Zipple, the descendant of her sworn enemy, and my comrade."
[Why did you wake me up and reveal such a terrible truth? What did I ever do to you? In this cruel world, I can't even die at will... How cruel.]
Jin felt slight remorse at Bale's reaction.
For the first time in the conversation, Bale, who had shown a glimpse of humanity, appeared as a vulnerable young beast without even the slightest shell to protect himself.
The immense sadness that Bale had finally accepted after Sarah's death seemed to transmit to Jin as well.
However, despite the sadness, Jin had to keep pressing him.
[Sarah! If she's dead, I'll destroy the whole world!]
Because once Bale woke up, he could run wild and do what he said.
According to Quikantel, he already had a history of destroying the world by running amok every day a thousand years ago because of Sarah's death.
"So, are you now going to destroy the world at your whim?"
At those words, Bale let out a devastated laugh.
[If that woman named Sandra Zipple wants it, then I must do it.]
"Even after realizing she's not Dame Sarah but Sandra Zipple, you won't stop that crazy act... Wait, Bale. Could it be?"
Suddenly, a sinister memory from two days ago, a conversation between Bale and Sandra, emerged in Jin's mind like ominous smoke.
-Anyway, everything is fine, Sarah. You've changed from what I remembered, you've lost your right arm and weakened... But now I'll protect you, just as you protected me.
-Are you going to protect me?
-Yes, Sarah Runcandel. My life, my soul, and my powers exist solely for you.
"Golden oath... Have you already made a golden oath to Sandra and placed restrictions on yourself?"
Bale nodded helplessly.
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