Crack!
Colin gritted his teeth as he pressed down on the burn mark etched on his cheek.
"Where are those bastards!"
"Squads 4 and 5 have tracked them to nearby."
The leader of Hwansaldae's 2nd squad approached and bowed his head.
"You move too! Tear them apart and kill them without leaving a single bone!"
At Colin's malicious cry, the assassins sped up and rushed forward.
"Set the fires bigger! So no one can escape!"
The assassins who had fallen behind moved left and right, spreading oil and tearing scrolls inscribed with fire magic.
Whoosh!
Crimson flames soared endlessly, spreading an inescapable net of fire throughout the forest.
"Division Leader."
The 2nd squad leader swallowed dryly as he watched the intensifying flames.
"If we go just a bit further, we'll be in Siran Tribe territory. They'll be on guard outside because of the flames, but if they protect Number 196..."
"That won't happen."
Colin shook his head with a calm gaze, as if he had never been angry.
"Those barbarian bastards value the forest above all else. If you were them, would you be busy putting out fires and still protect Number 196, who came wearing a night suit and bringing assassins?"
"Ah..."
"Right. They'd likely kill him first instead."
He smiled coldly, as if his outburst of anger had been an act.
"This works out even better."
Colin lightly tapped his burned cheek and licked his lips.
"Our goal wasn't to assassinate the Siran Tribe anyway."
* * *
Raon entered the fiercely burning wall of fire that seemed to block the path.
'Where is Judiel?'
-This king is not your subordinate.
Wrath sneered.
-I've told you she's alive, so find her yourself!
He waved his round hand, saying he'd given a hint.
'What a truly annoying personality.'
Raon squinted and examined the ground. There were blood stains, but with so many areas burned by the flames, it was impossible to determine a direction.
He utilized the Perception of the Snow Flower and spread out his aura perception.
The forest was vast, and considerable time had passed, so he couldn't sense Judiel or even the assassins.
"Ahem."
Lisurn fanned himself with his hand as he approached.
"They've set quite a fire. It seems there were more fire seeds than I saw."
He frowned as if he hadn't expected such chaos.
"Weren't you supposed to be outside?"
"I received a request from the young lady to assist you until the end."
Lisurn shook his head as if it wasn't his own decision, but Denning Rose's will.
Normally, he would have refused, but with time being short, he said nothing.
"It would be best to head towards the Siran Tribe first."
Lisurn pointed forward while clearing away the smoke.
"Do you know the location?"
"I know the direction, but with the forest in this state, it might take some time to find it."
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze back towards the forest.
'Should I ask Wrath for help?'
As he was considering throwing some food to get information, a flame of a different color than before flared up above the ring of fire rotating around his heart.
Whoosh!
The intense flame shot up to his upper dantian in an instant, clearing his smoke-filled vision.
The fire seeds spread throughout the forest felt like his own breath.
He could sense people's presence even at distances too far for the Perception of the Snow Flower to reach.
'This is...'
This heat was identical to the flame he had felt recently. The crimson flame left behind by Ifrit, the Fire Spirit King. His flame had become Raon's new sense.
Whoosh!
Using the sense of the crimson flame resonating with the ring of fire, he surveyed the entire forest.
He felt dozens, no, over a hundred people moving in a formation spread out like bird wings.
'They're assassins.'
The people he sensed were moving quickly while concealing their presence. It was clearly the aura of assassins.
'And they're chasing someone.'
The assassins spread out like that meant they were following someone. If he followed their direction, he might be able to find Judiel.
"Lord Raon, this way..."
"Let's go this way."
"Huh? That way is a bit roundabout..."
"They're ahead this way."
Raon shook his head at Lisurn's words and dashed in the direction where he sensed the assassins.
Boom!
He stepped with full force using the Supreme Harmony Steps. His movement, as if blessed by the wind god, caused the flames in the bushes to lose strength and subside.
"I heard he was a monster, but..."
Lisurn let out a sigh as he watched Raon advance while erasing the flames.
"He's more impressive than I thought. Both in martial prowess and personality."
* * *
"Huff!"
Jubel exhaled a rough breath mixed with the scent of blood as he quickly turned his head.
Running while carrying Judiel in his injured state had severely drained his stamina.
If he had run as usual, they would have already arrived near the Siran Tribe village, but there was still quite a distance left.
"Jubel? Are you alright?"
Judiel, carried on his back, asked with a voice tinged with moisture.
"I'm fine."
Jubel nodded while keeping his gaze forward to avoid showing a tired expression.
"Put me down. I'll run from here."
"It's faster if I carry you and run."
Jubel shook his head and increased his speed.
"..."
Judiel bit her lip as she looked at Jubel's neck, drenched in sweat.
"Jubel..."
Flames that made it difficult to breathe surrounded them, and having fought assassins while running, Jubel was exhausted to the point where his breathing was unsteady.
But he never stopped moving his legs. He seemed determined to run until his last breath.
'I shouldn't have come.'
If she hadn't come down from the hill, Jubel wouldn't have ended up like this.
As an older sister, she felt sad and sorry that she couldn't take care of her younger brother and instead created the worst situation.
"I'm sorry..."
"What are you sorry for? I'm glad instead."
"What?"
"I told you, didn't I? I was planning to die after meeting you. Now that I've seen you, I have no regrets even if I die here."
Jubel turned his head and gave a thin smile as if everything was truly alright.
The little brother who used to need to be hugged to fall asleep had endured storms alone and grown into a more dependable person than anyone else.
"Yeah. It's the same for me."
Judiel nodded while biting down on her molars.
"Still, let's live together. There's so much I want to show you..."
Just as she gripped Jubel's shoulders tightly, daggers wrapped in shadows flew in from the left and right.
"Ugh!"
Jubel quickly stopped his steps and dodged the daggers flying towards his face. Taking advantage of his halted movement, three assassins blocked their path.
"..."
The assassins charged forward with daggers in hand, as if words were unnecessary.
Jubel put Judiel down and leapt towards the assassins. He dodged the dagger of the assassin at the front by leaning his shoulder, then stomped on the assassin's foot.
Crunch!
As the assassin's foot sank into the ground and his body staggered, Jubel stabbed his neck with the dagger in his left hand.
"Urgh..."
As the first assassin was dying, the two assassins behind him frowned and threw daggers from the left and right.
Whoosh!
Ten daggers flew simultaneously. He deflected five, dodged three, but two grazed his waist and thigh.
"Ugh..."
The moment he groaned and bent his knee, the assassins seized the opportunity and rushed in.
Thud!
As if he had been waiting for that moment, Jubel straightened his bent knee and dove into the assassins' embrace.
Slash!
He sliced the heart of the assassin rushing in from the left with his dagger.
But the assassin coming from the right seemed to have predicted this and leaned back to avoid the dagger.
Whoosh!
Just as he was about to strike Jubel's head with the dagger in his right hand, a black light flew in from behind.
Thud!
The assassin fell backward with a black dagger embedded in his head.
"Haa..."
Judiel lowered her hand that had thrown the dagger, her lips trembling.
"Jubel. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You're more..."
Jubel bit his lip as he looked at her, seeming more concerned about Judiel having killed someone than his own injuries.
"I'm fine. Don't worry and let's go. I'll run too now."
Judiel pressed her lips with her teeth as she moved forward.
"..."
Jubel clenched his fist as he looked at the dead assassins.
"I'm sorry."
Though he couldn't call them comrades, they had lived similar lives, so all he could say was "I'm sorry."
The assassins didn't look up with eyes full of malice, but with clear eyes as if they understood, before their breath stopped.
Jubel exhaled a heavy breath and ran towards the Siran Tribe village with Judiel. He looked back, deeply furrowing his brow.
'They're coming. And unlike before, in large numbers.'
It seemed all the hidden assassins were coming, their numbers too many to count. If caught this time, they would surely die.
"Just a little more..."
This path was a shortcut to the Siran Tribe that only he knew. If they went just a bit further, they would see the tribe members.
But the assassins behind them were getting even closer.
'Please. Please!'
As he prayed to a god he had never prayed to before and forced strength into his heavy legs, he saw people suppressing the flames.
It was the shamans and martial artists of the Siran Tribe. They seemed to have come out this far from the village to extinguish the fire.
At the very front was the tribe chief, his entire body tinged with blue light as if using magic.
"Chief!"
As Jubel approached the chief, one of the tribesmen threw a wooden spear.
Whoosh!
The spear flew like a beam of light, grazing his cheek. He felt a stinging pain as if burned.
"Don't come any closer!"
The tribesman who had been smiling and greeting him not long ago now revealed eyes red with anger.
"Philip."
The tribe chief stepped forward, murmuring Jubel's fake name.
"Chief, please listen! Now is not the time to put out the fire."
"Then what should we do?"
His voice tilted as if filled with despair.
"Should we kill you?"
"What?"
"I can feel your warmth in the fire seeds that burst here."
The chief chuckled dryly and shook his head.
"My Mind's Eye is special. I can see the warmth of objects. The flames that erupted here are the work of you and your friends, aren't they?"
"That's..."
Jubel bit his lip, unable to answer. It was true that he had planted the fire seeds here.
"Y-yes, that's right. But there's something more important right now. Soon, assassins will..."
"You mean them?"
The chief pointed behind them.
Dozens of assassins who had caught up were revealing chilling killing intent from within the shadows.
"Blocking the path with fire and calling assassins. This must be what you wanted."
He nodded as he looked at the intensifying flames.
"Is this the price for giving you our affection and trust?"
The chief's eyes burned with genuine anger, as if truly enraged.
"...I'm sorry."
Jubel had nothing to say except "I'm sorry."
It was true that he had actually intended to assassinate the Siran Tribe.
Perhaps because he had met his sister, he wanted to speak the truth more than worry about living or dying.
"You can kill me if you want. But for now, those people first..."
"Bullshit!"
"We'll kill you first!"
"Philip!"
The Siran tribesmen shouted angrily, raising their killing intent in place of the chief. They were all the ones who had been closest to Jubel in the Siran Tribe.
"Kill them all! Kill every last one of them!"
The chief raised his trembling hand. At his cry, the shamans and martial artists of the Siran Tribe rushed towards Judiel and Jubel.
Whoosh.
The assassins also approached Judiel and Jubel, their swords and daggers wrapped in killing intent.
Jubel smiled thinly as he watched the Siran Tribe's martial artists running towards them with murderous intent.
'I never thought they'd be completely unreasonable.'
If they had just listened to one word, but they had no intention of hearing him out at all.
But he couldn't blame them. They were the purest and kindest people, so the sense of betrayal must have hit them even harder.
'At least they weren't assassinated, that's fortunate.'
The Siran Tribe is strong. In a head-on confrontation, not an assassination, they wouldn't be wiped out by the Hwansaldae.
"Sister."
Jubel let go of Judiel's hand and gestured for her to move back.
"Stay back."
"Jubel..."
He pushed Judiel away and stepped forward. He gripped daggers in both hands and drew out all the energy he had.
It wasn't enough strength to block even one punch from the chief or the killing techniques of the squad leaders, but he didn't back down.
"Kill the traitor!"
The Siran Tribe and the assassins charged simultaneously. In the center of the battlefield overflowing with malice and killing intent, Jubel gritted his teeth.
"Uaaaaaah!"
As he roared, determined to protect Judiel at all costs, Judiel stepped forward.
"Sister! Why are you-"
"He's here!"
"What?"
Judiel looked up at the dark night sky and clasped her hands together.
At that moment, a golden sun and silver moon rose in the moonless sky.
Brilliantly flickering flames and frost connected to the sun and moon, descending to the mortal realm.
Kuwaaaaang!
Blades of fire and frost simultaneously pushed back the Siran Tribe and the assassins.
Whoosh!
From within flames deeper than the inferno erasing the forest, a golden-haired swordsman walked out.
Eyes burning brighter than the sun and a perfectly honed aura overwhelmed everyone present.
"Stop this fight."
As the low, calm voice flowed, light returned to the eyes of those who had been in a daze.
"That robe..."
The Siran Tribe chief recognized the Black Dragon Coat Raon was wearing and his lips trembled.
"Judiel."
Raon called to Judiel, who stood behind him, as he lowered his two swords.
"Yes."
Judiel came forward and prostrated herself.
"S-Sister?"
Jubel widened his eyes as he saw Judiel kneeling in this situation.
"Are you and your brother responsible for this situation?"
"We are."
"I see."
Raon nodded calmly. Hearing that they were responsible, he somewhat understood how the situation had unfolded.
"First, I'd like to clear up any misunderstandings."
As he said this, he turned his gaze to the man who appeared to be the leader of the Siran Tribe.
"Let's talk..."
"Clear up misunderstandings?"
The chief gritted his teeth so hard they might break.
"If it weren't for that robe, I would have taken your head right now. Step back!"
He revealed a ferociously fierce gaze, as if he had already lost his reason.
Goooooo.
The assassins also exuded killing intent strong enough to make one's skin crawl, as if they had no intention of talking.
Kwaaaang!
As if their will to not stop fighting had become a spark, massive explosions occurred one after another around the Siran village.
"Very well."
Raon stretched out his hand holding the Divine Sword. The flames surrounding them rippled like waves, then were sucked into his hand.
It looked as if he was dancing with the fire, or as if he was controlling the fire itself.
As everyone fell silent at this mystical sight, Raon stepped forward.
"The anger of the Siran Tribe."
He pointed at the Siran Tribe with his Divine Sword, showing a calm gaze.
"And the malice of the assassins. I will bear them all."
He raised his Demonic Sword towards the assassins, emitting a chilling light.
Kuuung!
Raon stamped his left foot forward. The aura of a conqueror rising from the crumbling earth pressed down on this world.
"I am Raon of Zieghart."
His unwavering will burning from the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword spread out as flames and frost.
"Come."