C729
The Black Sea, an unknown territory.
Cyron slowly rose and opened his eyes.
In the space filled with nothing but poison and darkness, he could hear the sound of his eldest daughter enduring the pain.
"...Father, this time you woke up after four days."
Luna, sensing Cyron's movement, spoke.
Lately, Cyron had been losing consciousness frequently, and each time it took longer for him to recover.
Over the past decades.
Cyron Runcandel had become the symbol of an impregnable wall, reigning as the pinnacle of power, an entity that could never be surpassed or destroyed.
However, even in this dark land, such a mythical existence had become nothing more than a "mortal who could die at any moment."Until facing the Kings of the Black Sea, Luna had never even imagined the possibility that Cyron could die in battle.
In other words, Cyron was wavering.
Just like countless ordinary people.
[Old man! You have awakened. I have diligently prepared chaos remnants that can serve as provisions.]
"Excellent, Ozdock."
[Huh... To receive such praise right after waking up! This humble servant, Ozdock, will continue to assist you and the knights wholeheartedly.]
"Bring me the remnants."
Ozdock, as if deeply moved, discreetly wiped the corner of his eye and went to fetch the chaos remnants.
Cyron needed to purify those remnants and feed them to the knights so they could regain some strength.
A faint smile appeared on Luna's lips, which had been filled with a bitter expression as she watched her father for a while.
"It seems you're in a good mood today, father, right after waking up. Normally, you remain silent for a while."
Hearing that, Cyron smiled in satisfaction.
In moments like this, it pained Luna that her father smiled more in this hellish place than when he was with his family.
"I saw the youngest."
"You mean... Jin?"
"Yes, he is wandering through his own inner world. He seems quite exhausted."
"Mother... No, because of the traitor who destroyed our Family..."
Cyron nodded.
Since Rosa was possessed by an evil god, Cyron had occasionally observed her dreams and inner world to assess the situation of the power struggle in the human world. Ŗäɴộ𝔟Ě𝐒
Currently, only he and Luna were aware of Rosa's betrayal within the expedition team.
He deliberately kept it secret from the other knights.
It wasn't because he didn't trust them.
The knights of the expedition team were already in a situation where hope was scarce.
The superhumans had both their bodies and minds exhausted by the overwhelming chaos, and some of them, especially the most affected, had even lost the ability to speak.
There was no need to add more pain and confusion to them.
Therefore, Cyron only shared the story of Rosa with Luna, who was relatively less affected by the chaos.
"Is the youngest okay?"
"If he had encountered Rosa instead of me, he wouldn't have been okay."
"Well, then, meeting you in the inner world... Could mean that the boy has reached the realm of the Genesis Knight."
"It's not that."
Ozdock politely placed the chaos remnants in front of Cyron.
[Hehe, please take a look at this. I gathered them with the greatest effort...]
The energy of the Genesis Knight and the mana began to purify the black masses.
Ozdock watched the scene with satisfaction for a moment before stepping back at Luna's gesture.
"You don't need to worry too much."
"Yes, father. Ozdock has worked hard all this time, and I think I just responded a bit coldly. Ozdock has earned the right to hear important matters of the Family. He is also the most intact among us, both physically and mentally."
"Daughter, that means you don't need to worry too much about that boy. Jin is ready to bear his own destiny. That's much more important than reaching the level of a non-human being like the Genesis Knight."
Luna's pupils widened.
The meaning contained in Cyron's words was remarkable.
"Father, right now... is this the first time you seem to trust your children?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You speak as if you have faith in your children. You've never done that, especially when it comes to matters concerning the destiny of our Family. But now... you say that Jin is ready."
It wasn't simply because there were no other alternatives that he had to trust Jin.
The words spoken in the midst of relentless and desperate struggle were even more significant.
Luna realized that Cyron genuinely believed that Jin was filling the void left by his absence.
Cyron's gaze rested on Barisada.
If he had to return, he felt it was okay to entrust the sword to Jin now.
If he could return, at any time.
"Distribute the purified provisions to the Knights, Luna. We must also prepare for our own tasks. As soon as we finish the meal, we'll set off again. We need to cover as much distance as possible while I'm awake."
"Yes, father."
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Only one day remains before the scheduled decisive battle.
Returning to Tikan, Jin showed no trace of his previous weakness.
His eyes shone with intensity, as if they couldn't be clouded by anything, and his upright posture seemed unbreakable, as if it wouldn't be shaken by any enemy.
Jin carefully observed his comrades and allies gathered in the conference room for the final meeting.
"This will be our last meeting. To be honest, there's not much to discuss within our temporary alliance today."
The strategy for the decisive battle had already been coordinated and agreed upon, taking into account various variables and detailed factors.
"Nevertheless, you all gathered here, in Tikan's conference room, because you wanted to see and confirm my condition with your own eyes. So, how do you feel? Are you satisfied?"
It wasn't just satisfaction; it was even more than that: fear.
For someone who had been on the brink of death due to the psychic attacks just a few days ago, Jin's robust appearance, as if it were hard to believe he had gone through such an ordeal, instilled both anticipation and fear in the members of the temporary alliance.
If the psychic attacks deployed by the evil god were absolute terror, what Jin was demonstrating at that moment was unshakable determination within that terror.
Although that determination was now directed towards the evil god, after the battle, it would once again press the temporary alliance.
"...You seem even stronger than before the psychic attacks from the evil god."
Jin nodded in response to Veradin's words.
"The Zipple side seems satisfied. What about Kinzelo? Do you still think we should delay the decisive battle?"
[No, it's fine to start immediately.]
"Good, then..."
Jin stood up from his seat.
"Step outside for a moment and meet the people."
[Suddenly?]
"I have something to say to the people before tomorrow."
"Are you planning to give a speech?"
"Something like that. It wasn't planned, so you don't have to come if you don't want to. As you know, I've been very busy, so I couldn't inform you in advance. But I hope the leaders will join me if possible. It will give a stronger image of the unity of the temporary alliance, don't you think? Feel free to add anything you want to say."
Jin immediately left Tikan's palace.
Everyone present followed him without exception.
Naturally, a crowd gathered, forming a procession.
Cheers erupted from various places as Jin walked.
Jin waved his hand and gave thanks or exchanged words of gratitude as he advanced.
Sometimes, he even chewed and swallowed the jerky given to him by the Dark Flame.
Jin stopped his steps in the central square on the first floor of Tikan.
The crowd's cheers ceased.
Although Jin hadn't said anything yet, tens of thousands of people held their breath, simultaneously sensing his mood.
"The battle against the evil god, called the psychic, is over."
Jin skipped the greetings and continued his speech slowly.
"I told my comrades that when I embarked on the inner battle to resist the psychic attacks, there was a possibility I wouldn't return. Those who have experienced psychic attacks know. How can we overcome it? Shouldn't we give up?"
The people continued to listen attentively, and the members of the temporary alliance waited, trying to gauge how the speech would unfold.
"Fortunately, the results of that prelude ended with our victory, and I have safely survived to have this opportunity to speak to all of you. It's thanks to everyone who fought by my side. If I had fought alone, I would never have been able to win."
Jin bowed his head once.
Sincerely, Jin believed that the determination of ordinary people had greatly influenced his ability to survive.
When he walked through the inner battlefield, if he hadn't heard their wishes whispering in his ear like the wind, he would undoubtedly have lost his way.
"Now, tomorrow, the members of the temporary alliance, including myself, will finally head towards the evil god's lair. We march to deliver the final blow in this long and horrifying struggle against the evil god."
"We will definitely win and return."
The alliance expected such words to follow, but Jin continued with a slightly different story.
"Like the day I went to the inner battle... to all of you. I want to tell you that there's a possibility we won't return this time. The greatest powers of humanity have formed an unprecedented alliance and achieved victories in several battles. However, the evil god remains an immensely powerful and colossal existence."
The real story Jin wanted to leave to countless ordinary citizens of the world before the decisive battle was this.
"Nevertheless, we will fight. So, please, even if I, even if we, don't return victorious against the evil god. Please don't give up and continue to fight. Rise up against the evil god in any way you can. As we have done together in recent days."
Jin took a deep breath.
"I believe we will be able to return. From the land of the evil god to our own land, from a life stained with fear and pain to a peaceful daily life, and beyond the destiny that has been predetermined, to forge our own destiny."
There was a moment of silence.
And then, the crowd began to place their hands on their chests as if making a promise.
It was as if they were promising to do just that.
Jin looked at them and offered a salute.
"It is an honor to fight alongside all of you. Well then, I will set off."
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