C717
At the moment when Mon's sword began pressing against Myu and Anne and shaking the entire battlefield, Mary paused briefly and turned around.
'This is the aura of at least a Knight-level warrior. Has Sir Mon come to support the Tona brothers?'
There were more cannon shots, and along with that, Mary could feel the vibrations transmitted through the inner castle intensifying.
It was proof that allied forces had arrived.
So, Mary decided to halt her infiltration and wait for the arrival of her allies before advancing together.
There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Until now, she had pushed forward despite everything, trying to assess the internal situation, but now she realized that if something went wrong, she would only become a burden to her allies.
The captives trapped in the inner castle, the prophet, the Tona brothers, and their allied forces were locked in combat. Rumor had it that Jin and Dyfus had moved somewhere and started a battle.
Although there were countless factors causing anxiety, Mary calmly turned her body.Her intention was to head toward the castle's entrance and wait for her allies.
However, Mary sighed as she felt someone's arrival.
Tap, tap...
From behind the corridor, a figure dressed in a black robe approached.
"Well, things never go as planned, do they? Ilina... no, Prophet. I see you've come to meet me in person."
[Of course, the Seventh Flagbearer of the family came to Rikalton. It would be right for me, the lord of the castle, to come out myself, wouldn't it?]
Swish!
Viper stretched forward like a whip and swept toward Ilina.
'Is it an illusion...? It doesn't make contact.'
Ilina only shimmered like water, completely unaffected by the attacks. The same happened when attacked again.
"What kind of law says you can receive guests by playing a prank like this? Is this the land of chaos?"
Ilina waved her hand and smiled.
[Oh no, I've actually prepared a lot for you. So please, don't be too angry. I'm sure it will be a surprise.]
"Hehe! Listen, Prophet. Our allied forces have already surrounded the exterior. Moreover, I know you're in a situation where the evil god can't move, and the 4th Flagbearer is currently drawing Jin into the fight. You can act calm, but I see it all with my own eyes. Are you afraid things will turn against you?"
[Do I seem afraid?]
"Clearly, your original plan was to prevent the allied forces from reaching this fortress. But they arrived, though later than expected, and you created this illusion for your safety."
[Unfortunately, you pose no threat to me. So this illusion of safety is just your overconfidence. This is not a simple illusion.]
"Are you going to send more puppets? Or activate a trap to try and kill me? Whatever it is, go ahead, do it. Today, you and your people will definitely lose."
[If I wanted to kill you, there would be no need for traps.]
"Then come out and face me if you want to kill me."
[There's someone else who wants to kill you.]
"What?"
[Jin Runcandel, the Twelfth Flagbearer. You will die by his hand.]
Mary let out a hollow laugh.
"Jin is different from the others. He will never fall, like Myu and Anne who were outside, the other armies of chaos, Rosa, the Fourth Flagbearer... He will never be corrupted. You have no idea how special he is, how strong he is. You can't even imagine it."
[Sir Dyfus said exactly the same thing. Huh, you're not a worthless piece of trash like Joshua after all. You and the Fourth Flagbearer, the Twelfth Flagbearer, should have been on our side.]
"Even if he has fallen, he hasn't completely lost his mind. The Fourth Flagbearer also knows that he can't defeat Jin. The younger one is not someone who will fall to you or the Fourth Flagbearer. If you want to capture him, you'll have to bring out the evil god, and even that will end in failure!"
[Then why did Sir Dyfus lure the Twelfth Flagbearer separately, knowing he would lose?]
"It must be a plan to buy time until the evil god can move. Just like you've been doing all along."
[That's half the answer. Seventh Flagbearer, before the battle begins today... I'll tell you what Sir Dyfus ordered me.]
I have to prepare a stage so that Runcandel doesn't lose even if I lose.
Ilina continued her words and removed her hood.
[It's not necessary for the Twelfth Flagbearer to embrace chaos to harm you. Sir Dyfus never even considered corrupting him. Instead, it goes like this...]
As soon as Ilina said that, Mary quickly stepped aside and swung the Viper.
Suddenly, a tremendous energy surged from the air and enveloped her.
This...!
It was Lightning Bolt.
And it contained Jin's unique and powerful force.
Excluding the Plutonian tribe, Jin was the only one who could wield this kind of Lightning Bolt.
And this was just the beginning.
In an instant, Lightning Bolts spread from all directions.
No matter how many times she checked, it was undoubtedly Jin's energy.
[...Without you knowing, it will lead you to death. Sir Dyfus and I have prepared measures so that all the energy wasted fighting him is directed to this very place. A variation of dimensional teleportation power, you could say.]
"Damn it!"
Mary, pushed back by the Lightning Bolts, gritted her teeth.
[As you said, it wouldn't be easy for us to gain the upper hand in a firefight while the Matriarch-nim is absent. That's why I prepared thoroughly. Even if the Twelfth Flagbearer doesn't fall, I've made sure he can't escape the abyss of despair.]
True to Mary's words, Jin never becomes corrupted.
Dyfus had long recognized this fact and admitted that he couldn't defeat Jin while he was hurt by the eternal flames.
That's why Dyfus approached the situation in a completely different way.
And as everyone knows, Jin, aside from the evil god, was practically unbeatable.
Even a being like Mary could barely last a few minutes in a proper fight against him.
And now, Jin's attacks were penetrating the inner castle of Rikalton.
In just a few seconds, the corridor where Mary was standing had been destroyed beyond recognition.
How is this possible?
Neither Mary nor any of the allies had foreseen such a situation.
She was going to die.
And it would be by the power of the younger one.
Even if she were to die, Mary held no resentment towards Jin.
But the weight of the despair Jin had to bear was indescribable.
Moreover, I won't be the only one to die.
'If things continue like this, the younger one's energy will also affect our other comrades.'
Currently, Jin's energy was only spreading toward the inner castle.
But it was unknown how long that range would be limited to the resistance.
If Jin's energy extends outward, beyond the castle and into the battlefield...
Not only would thousands of prisoners be annihilated, but there would also be a wave of casualties among their own allies.
Jin would find out about all of this once the battle was over.
'No matter how strong the younger one is if he experiences something like this...!'
He would collapse.
He would have no choice but to collapse.
No one could go through such an event and come out unscathed.
Those who survived, especially his comrades, would say it wasn't Jin's responsibility.
But Jin could never think that way.
"Ugh, cough...!"
Fzzz!
Some of the Lightning Bolts, which were made of the Ninth Sword Technique of the God of Battle, struck Mary.
She barely managed to dodge it, but her collarbone broke, and hot blood gushed from her throat.
Ilina licked her lips, seemingly satisfied with the spectacle.
[What do you think? Do you still believe you can win? Are you worried that things aren't going as planned? I am a prophet. What I have said will inevitably come true. Today, Jin Runcandel will kill many people.]
Checkmate.
Mary had no choice but to acknowledge that fact. She couldn't see any way out.
All she could do was defend herself against the Lightning Bolts.
But somehow, for some reason...
Mary felt a sudden sense of relief, as if the fear and worry she felt for Jin suddenly vanished.
It was like the moment when believers find the voice of their god in a desperate moment.
Great beings sometimes instill unfounded faith in such moments.
Mary realized she had been considering the younger one in that way.
Not just for her, but also for the family and comrades of Tikan, Jin was such a person.
[You're quite strong too, aren't you? How many times have you already repelled these fierce Lightning Bolts? Hold on, the more desperate traces you leave, the better.]
"Yes, you're right. This is truly a crisis, cough!"
Mary rolled on the ground again, coughing up blood.
"It's strange... Somehow, I don't think the younger ones would keep making jokes like this."
The Prophet's eyes narrowed.
Mary's pupils, sunk in despair and darkness, were slowly regaining their light.
The Prophet thought there was no situation in which Mary could harbor hope.
[Oh, so in the end, you've gone mad at this death? That is a sight fitting for ordinary, weak humans.]
"No, it's just that... I still can't imagine a scenario where Jin falls into your trap. And we don't have mediocre prophets like you, we have a Record Magician. By now, our Record Magician would have already sensed something unpleasant, and someone among our comrades would go to inform Jin..."
[Yes, yes. Whether you say it or not, soon your entire body will be torn apart by the power of the Twelfth Flagbearer. At most, you might withstand it a few more times.]
Mary repelled the Lightning Bolt and stood up.
Her legs trembled as if she might collapse at any moment, but her Viper glowed fiercely.
"If you truly think that, how about we make a bet? I bet not a single person will die from Jin's energy. Twice? Ten times, even twenty times, I can avoid it."
So if you want to see me die, come and face me yourself.
I will never be defeated by Jin's power.
Mary finished her words and glared at Ilina.
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