C741
The lone black panther, which was engulfed in the Eternal Flame, spread the flames to dozens of other black panthers.
"The Eternal Flame does not move as I desire...!"
—You have reached the realm that Sarah longed for, and yet you claim you cannot control your flame? That cannot be true, so hurry and attack me. Just a scratch!—
These were the words Jin heard from Bale after discovering the Eternal Flame.
Naturally, the Eternal Flame is the fire that follows Jin's will.
If Jin wishes it to burn, even if he dies, it will continue burning without extinguishing, and if he wishes it to fade, it will instantly go out.
However, the Eternal Flame was already deviating from that rule, starting from the first black panther.
It had formed a fire much greater than Jin had intended.
The Eternal Flame was not completely disregarding Jin's will.It just wasn't under perfect control, as usual.
There were far more flames spreading randomly, joining with Jin's will, than flames extinguishing at Jin's command.
"Did the evil god prepare this after Elder Brother Dyfus suffered the Eternal Flames...?"
It was true.
The evil god was using the "never extinguishing characteristic" of the Eternal Flame against Jin.
The evil god did not know exactly to what extent Jin could perfectly control the Eternal Flame, but it was certain that it was not infinite.
Therefore, intentionally using the chaos and resentment Jin harbored as a catalyst to multiply the flames seemed like a way to pressure Jin, and that plan was hitting the mark perfectly.
The resentment Jin held towards the evil god was so deep and immense that even Jin himself couldn't comprehend it.
That resentment was making the Eternal Flame burn even fiercer.
Even now, the resentment continued to grow, making it impossible to stop the spread of the countless Eternal Flames.
Moreover, right now, the horrific annihilation of the young Rosa had further enraged Jin.
[Krgh!]
[Kihiing...!]
Every time the screams of the black panthers were heard, chunks of the ground melted away.
As the group reached the third underground floor, they found themselves isolated, with the surroundings already melting away.
They could also see some panthers falling to the next floor one by one.
The panthers were burning with the Eternal Flame, melting the lower floors.
"If we keep falling like this, will the evil god be at the bottom?"
There was no choice.
Jin could not stop the rapidly increasing fire, and they couldn't go back up.
The group had no choice but to keep plunging downward as they had just done.
Jin briefly explained to his companions the fact that the Eternal Flame was not under control and the reasons behind it.
"...I wasn't using the Eternal Flame. For now, it seems we can only hold on and descend. I've been completely defeated."
"Don't blame yourself. It was inevitable. And in my opinion, even if you hadn't used the Eternal Flame, those panthers would have pressured us endlessly in some way. Perhaps the evil god prepared them to keep regenerating until you used the Eternal Flame," Hedo said. ℟𝘢ꞐỔΒÊŞ
—Truly, I have witnessed an extraordinary sword. If you were in my time, the protection of the Holy Kingdom would have been much easier. But, Twelfth Flagbearer, something feels strange in the evil god's plot.—
"What do you mean?"
—The evil god's chaos is not infinite. I know that for certain since I was trapped inside it. How much chaos do you think it would take to create a single black panther? I don't know for sure, but it must require a considerable amount. And she is burning hundreds, thousands of them.—
Jin's control over the Eternal Flame was limited, just as the evil god's chaos was.
—That's why I suspect the evil god is using the Eternal Flame not only to trap us but also to test herself... to see if she can handle the ever-growing power of the Eternal Flame.—
"Why would the evil god go to such extremes...?"
At Octavia's question, Hedo shook his head.
"Considering the evil god's obsession with Jin, it seems likely, Spectre Captain. Perhaps it isn't even a test for herself, but simply a desire to observe Jin's sword."
"I... think the same."
"Everyone, hold on tight. The ground is collapsing completely."
At that moment, the entire third underground floor had completely melted.
The black panthers were no longer visible, as they had fallen to the lower floors.
Jin began to feel fear, slowly but intensely.
Of course, he did not fear fighting the evil god.
What if this Eternal Flame keeps spreading... and harms our allies?
The people with him were not a problem.
They were a small group, and each one was an exceptional martial artist.
But if the Eternal Flame continued to spread and started attacking friendly forces elsewhere, it would be a completely different story.
Bale said that even Orgal couldn't control the Eternal Flame at will. If the Eternal Flame starts attacking our allies at this rate, catastrophic damage would be inevitable.
That thought troubled Jin throughout the descent.
Even though he had anticipated this possibility, it felt like a thorn in his throat.
It wasn't easy to shake off the feeling that the evil god was toying with them in the palm of her hand.
Certainly.
This battle was different from any other.
After the regression, Jin had defeated countless enemies, and none had shaken him to this extent.
The descent did not end quickly, as it had just begun.
It seemed that the black panthers were melting the ground faster than the group was descending.
It was clear they were continuously moving downward.
As the descent dragged on, the sensation of aura and mana interference grew stronger for the group.
Since most had suffered injuries, the perception was even greater.
Finally, Octavia was the first to lose consciousness. Hedo and Alpen were short of breath, and even Bianca, who had suffered the least damage, occasionally sighed to catch her breath.
Meanwhile, the superhumans did not let go of their hands.
Jin kept thinking.
How could he protect his companions?
Among the allies were most of the people he cherished the most.
Perhaps the labyrinth of the evil god's castle had already moved the Eternal Flame to the place where his companions were.
Every time he imagined them consumed by the Eternal Flame, a chill ran down his spine.
As if someone were directly depicting that scene in his mind and injecting it into his thoughts, he couldn't stop imagining it.
Can I protect them all? Can we all return without any casualties? We're already so helpless, trapped in the trap before even engaging in direct combat with the evil god.
Negative thoughts tend to intensify over time.
The more difficult the situation, the more terrifying they become.
—Twelfth Flagbearer... What are you doing?—
Suddenly, Alpen spoke.
He had been drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Alpen-nim, are you okay?"
—Hold my hand tighter. I don't have enough strength left.—
Alpen's words provided an answer to Jin.
I'm not the only one who can protect them.
We protect each other.
Jin had already realized this during the battle in his inner world.
He had momentarily forgotten it due to the urgency of the situation.
"I am grateful that someone like you, Ancestor, is still here."
Once again, his mind instantly cleared.
With every moment that his disoriented mind settled, Jin felt as though he was moving a step away from the evil god's intentions.
The allied forces have Valeria.
She could use her Record Magic to detect the threat of the Eternal Flame before anyone else.
Likewise, Beradin, who had recently learned similar Record Magic, could do the same, and beings like Orgal and Bale could minimize the damage to the allies.
Dante could unleash his Invisible Sword Style to contain the approaching Eternal Flame, Quikantel could exercise her authority to buy some time, and Syris's Full Ice could seal the Eternal Flame.
Though nothing could stop the Eternal Flame completely.
In any case, the allies and companions would do everything in their power to escape the Eternal Flame.
Not just to survive but to prevent Jin from falling into the sorrow of killing them.
They would flee with that determination.
It was a fight they couldn't win without trusting each other, without believing in themselves.
Even if that meant that starting tomorrow, they would be in a relationship of adversaries where one side had to destroy the other, today, they had to fight sincerely together.
That was the part Jin lacked the most.
Until the decisive battle, Jin had confronted them for the future war against the evil god.
Starting tomorrow, even if it turned into a feud where one side had to perish, today, they had to fight wholeheartedly together.
Slowly, Jin's expression, distorted by an inner pain he wasn't even aware of, returned to normal.
The descent had come to an end.
When Jin landed on the ground, creating a gust with his sword, the first thing that appeared in his sight was the misty, engulfed land.
Black panthers burned everywhere. They were far fewer than those Jin had seen on the third underground floor.
It was unclear whether the rest had turned to ashes due to the Eternal Flame or if they had fallen into another space in the labyrinth.
The ground was no longer melting. It meant that the group had finally reached the central part of the Evil God's Castle, the lowest floor.
...Is this the center of the lowest floor? The flames grow stronger as we advance in that direction.
Jin looked towards where the Eternal Flame was expanding.
Hedo was carrying Octavia and the former patriarch, while Bianca carried Alpen.
As Jin began to walk, the Eternal Flame split into two and formed a path.
The flames seemed to speak to him, guiding him in the direction.
Jin walked between his own flames.
No matter how far he walked, the flames grew fiercer, indicating the vast extent of the Eternal Flame.
The aura, mana, and golden power were felt from afar.
His companions had fallen to the lowest floor a bit before Jin.
However, Jin did not become impatient.
It didn't seem that his companions had died from the Eternal Flame.
Nevertheless, he quickened his pace.
The flames flickered wildly, opening up like a gust of wind, and soon Jin found himself face-to-face with the allied fleet surrounded by the Eternal Flame.
A colossal Eternal Flame swept over the allies like a tidal wave.
In the midst of the flames, there was palpable chaos, but as Jin approached, the chaos receded to the opposite side of the blue wall of flames.
Jin instinctively knew that the evil god was there, behind the retreating chaos, within the barrier of flames.
Finally, when Jin unleashed his own flames, driving back the Eternal Flame, his companions in battle appeared.
They had been fiercely resisting the Eternal Flame from within.
Seeing the flames open, some of them immediately took up a fighting stance, thinking it was an intrusion of chaos, but upon confirming that it was Jin, they let out a sigh of relief.
There were also those who collapsed, as if all their strength had been exhausted.
[Jin Runcandel, is that you?]
It was Orgal's voice.
He was barely holding up a shattered shield, completely exhausted. He had no energy left to look at Jin.
If Jin had been a little slower, if he had regained his composure a little later...
The vortex of Eternal Flames that had trapped his companions would have killed them all like ants in a fist.
"Yes, I am the Twelfth Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel. I will rejoin you from now on."
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