621
[T.L: punisher87]
"You can do it," Vahn replied with an indifferent voice.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Jin who was taken aback by that response but rather the Plutonians. Deep down, they had hoped that Vahn would intervene and mediate in this terrifying situation that was escalating to its extreme.
Since the first clash between Jin and Kaio, or rather, since the first conflict between Garmund and Kaio, the Plutonians had silently wished for Vahn to step in.
But Vahn had never once intervened in the brethren' issues, not even at this moment when things had reached this point. It was completely incomprehensible whether she was disappointed in Jin, disappointed in herself, or if there was another reason.
If Vahn had taken sides with Jin, the Plutonians would have followed without question. Even if she punished the brethren who demanded a new validation test for successor that was directly chosen by her, or even if she told them to consider Jin's words as her own.
'Why do you continue to just watch... Is it because of guilt over the last war? Are you trying to avoid making any decisions now, thinking that the extinction of our race was due to your decision, sister battle god? Even in the face of such a crisis, when the brethren are so divided!'
Vahn looked into Baba's eyes for a moment. Baba felt that her inner thoughts were laid bare, so she felt embarrassed and wanted to express her frustration, but she didn't avoid Vahn's gaze.
"If you can," Vahn continued.
Baba's pupils dilated at her words.
After a few seconds of staring blankly, she clenched her teeth as if her molars were about to shatter.
"...Understood."
As Vahn and Lingling flew away, Jin briefly turned back to look at Baba and the Plutonians.
"You are very kind. Kaio and you, too."
"What?"
"If you're going to take my eyes or kill me, do you really need to announce it beforehand? If you're confident, just do it without making a fuss. Such actions only make you look weak."
Baba nodded slowly in agreement.
"Advice duly noted."
* * *
The battle between Jin and Baba was the 65th match.
The revived tradition, which was once a beacon of hope, was now nearing its end, just like the relationship between Jin and the Plutonian tribe.
Although there were still a few matches left after the 65th, the Plutonians practically considered the fight between the two as the final showdown of the Great Tournament of Battle kings.
Before that battle, the other battles held little significance to the Plutonians.
Jin's death was directly linked to the fate of Laprarosa.
The guilt of being a leader when her people perished.
Plutonians, including Baba, speculated that the reason Vahn had not intervened until now was due to that guilt.
Most of the Plutonians had similar thoughts.
"If sister Baba kill Jin... Our time will probably stop forever. Perhaps the next inheritor of the Shadow Sword may never come."
"We were already doomed. No, that's for sure. Thanks to Solderet, we're just surviving trapped in a dead world. Jin became our brethren and showed us hope, but in the end, he abandoned us over trivial conflicts. He wasn't our brethren from the beginning."
"Yes, from the beginning... We had to object when sister battle god asked us for our opinion on blood transfusion. If we had done that, we would have simply passed on the shadow sword to him, and we wouldn't have faced this betrayal..."
Betrayal.
The Plutonians understood Jin's actions so far as betrayal. It seemed unreasonable to go to this extent just because a few people demanded additional verification.
"Anyway, it doesn't feel real. The fact that tonight might be our real end..."
Amidst the despondency and anger among the Plutonians, Baba had a resolute and determined look in her eyes.
Time passed by cruelly fast. The Plutonians entered the main hall with gloomy and angry faces, unlike their usual selves.
Unlike usual, the sky in the main hall was just dark.
The Plutonians suppressed the thunderous roars that were usually released every time a match began.
Even Kaio, who had been bedridden since the 22nd match, climbed the main hall on Baba's back.
"Before starting the 65th match, I want to tell you all something."
At Vahn's words, the eyes of the Plutonians widened.
'Could it be?'
'Is sister battle god trying to mediate now, even at this late hour...!?'
However, Baba's eyes remained unwavering even then.
She had already made up her mind.
And the next moment, Vahn's words far surpassed everyone's expectations.
"If sister Baba kills brother Jin in this match, Laprarosa's time will not completely stop. Maybe it's because it was originally brother Jin's chaos. Lingling, this child can play the same role as brother Jin."
"T-That... Is that really true, sister battle god? Lingling plays the same role as Jin."
[It's true!]
"That's right. I have been feeling it ever since accepting Lingling, but it became certain two days ago."
Vahn did not elaborate on how it was possible or what means were used to confirm it. Despite this, everyone could clearly understand that Vahn's words were true.
'Then, even if Jin dies, our time doesn't end completely...…!'
'Lingling is the first chaos, so perhaps even more is possible. It's to the extent that sister battle god speaks with such conviction.'
The fate of Laprarosa, which depended only on Jin, now had a new alternative called Lingling.
A heavy silence hung in the air. Except for Vahn, the only one maintaining complete composure amid this silence was Baba.
Baba handed Kaio over to Garmund.
Garmund scratched the back of his head and positioned Kaio in a way that would give him as much comfort as possible.
"I will be back."
Baba slowly moved to the center of the main hall. Behind her stood 11 battle kings and 64 ordinary warriors.
No one stood behind Jin who was approaching from the other side.
"The 65th match, commence."
Even though the match began, Jin and Baba did not draw their swords for a while.
However, the fighting spirit emanating from the two of them was already weighing heavily on the entire hall.
'Just over ten days have passed, but not only has he recovered... He's become even stronger.'
The energy flowing from Jin was unusual. He was a completely different person from the one who had lost to Lumora in the 54th match.
"I can kill you if I can. I wondered why sister battle god had told me that."
"Do you understand now?"
"A little. And I was also curious about one more thing. Why are you doing this to such an extent...."
Swoosh...
Baba's sword, 'Light', slowly came out of its sheath.
Light was the sword used by Nana, her ancestor and the former battle god. As the name suggested, the blade sparkled with dazzling radiance.
"It was a trivial matter. This verification was neither unreasonable nor everyone's wish. But you turned your back on your brethren with just that."
Jin also slowly drew his sword. The pale blade of Sigmund contrasted with the light.
"We thought you might be uneasy. We, who always provided unconditional support, must have seemed greedy the moment the situation changed in your eyes. It must have been an unexpected situation for you."
"Amusing. As soon as you had the hope of going outside and not even sure about it, you all revealed your true intentions. So I tried to provoke you a little, and in no time, most of you conspired to take this sword away from me. And even suggested banishing me."
"A little? Is that all you have to say?"
"That's the essence of what you call the concept of brethren. With just a few words, you split into factions, rejected me, who had been acknowledged as a brethren and inherited the sword after being chosen by the battle god, and threatened me by talking about accidents. I felt disillusioned by your actions."
"Before stabbing Brother Kaio, no. Even after stabbing him. Have you ever thought of having a conversation?"
"I found that there are different types of brethren, what kind of conversation do we need? Even though more effective control was possible but you forgave the Kaio, who threatened me by saying that he could cause an accident, because he was a brethren, and you couldn't forgive me for stabbing Kaio because I was not a brethren?"
"Brother Kaio didn't shoot you after all. And the act of committing a deed and not committing it are never the same. You tried to kill your brethren...…."
"I almost lost my eyes or head, but it's fine since Kaio didn't shoot me in the end. So, even though I ended up stabbing Kaio, he didn't die. No one died."
"Besides, brother Kaio intended to pressure you."
"Then could I have other intentions? Couldn't you have thought that there would be a reason why I even stabbed Kaio?"
"Sister Beliz, brother Garmund, and sister Linpa and ordinary warriors visited your hospital room to ask about that."
"That's right. The people who came to see me were all of them, and they reprimanded me. Did the other members of the Plutonian tribe on the opposite side do the same to Kaio?"
Baba couldn't answer.
"You don't understand the essence of the problem at all. As soon as an opportunity arises, your true intentions are being revealed subtly. Kaio is a brother, and I was just a friendly outsider."
"... You're nitpicking. So, are you trying to justify stabbing your brethren because you're upset? There's a limit."
"There's a difference in standards. If you want to prove you're right, stop talking and draw your sword. Now that Lingling is here, there's no reason to hesitate to deal with me."
Baba's eyes grew cold.
"Lingling... to begin with, the important question wasn't whether we could go outside or not. I hope you don't think that the reason we've been putting up with you all this time is because of that."
Cuzzz...…!
As soon as Baba began to raise her aura, the entire main hall was enveloped in blue lightning bolts in an instant.
"Let me tell you clearly why do my brethren think that I am the one who should inherit the battle god."
Plutonian 9th Battle King Mystic Technique
Punishment
Baba charged at Jin like a blue spear, and Jin faced her head-on, swinging Sigmund.
'Finally, the end of this damn villain is in sight.'
While thinking like that.
622
[T.L: punisher87]
Bang-!
As he took the blow, blood rose in Jin's chest.
Jin had fought against all the other battle kings except for Boras.
Except for the battle with Teto, every fight was messy. Jin had often attacked his opponents even after the match ended. In the second round against Teto, Nata, and Garmund, he displayed ruthless killing swordsmanship as if dealing with archenemies despite winning the matches outright.
He had even swung his sword at Linpa, who had expressed a desire to surrender.
As the other Plutonians said, if only he had attempted to have a conversation or simply asked to be recognized as the successor, his brethren would have easily granted his wish.
'But that is not enough.'
-So, brother, get a grip and approach the battles with more thought. Regardless of the outcome and process of the Great Tournament of Battle kings, the brethren will undoubtedly cherish you as they did before... But let's not forget that brethren are also living beings. If even a small resentment lingers, it will eventually fester.
Children who receive the favoritism of an absolute ruler will inevitably leave a poisonous resentment among their siblings.
Jin learned this truth through the relationship between Rosa and Joshua.
Of course, the Plutonian tribe is different from the Runcandel, but they are also living beings after all.
Jin had always thought that the privileges and favoritism he received from the Plutonian tribe could become a problem someday.
Today, Jin would destroy any potential threat without leaving a trace.
Like Kaio's battle king mystic technique, Baba's sword also resembled the battle god's. 'Punishment' had many similarities to the Plutonian Reign Sword.
It also showed much stronger momentum than the first form of the real Plutonian reign sword.
Despite Baba's energy surpassing him, Jin was not being pressured like he was against Kaio. He was swinging his sword as he pleased.
Looking back, Baba was at the center of the battle kings when Jin fought the opening battle through the battle god fusion.
At that time, the rest of the battle kings were assisting Baba so that she could attack properly, and Kaio played a crucial role in that support.
"The battle god senses. If you hadn't learned that, if you hadn't shared the senses of sister battle god through the battle god fusion, you wouldn't have been able to clash swords with me like this."
"Even if I received some benefits, can it compare to being born a true Plutonian? You're talking nonsense."
Those watching the fight were shocked, not because of the conversations Jin and Baba had or any revealed inner thoughts.
The Plutonians were surprised that Jin was fighting Baba on an equal footing.
Baba had anticipated this situation from the moment she first saw Jin in the main hall today.
Still, her mindset remained unchanged, regardless of the outcome.
Sigmund and Light clashed fiercely. The aura and lighting energy were corroding in all directions, but as time went on, their battle became closer to the fundamental form of a 'swordfight'.
Loud noise and explosive sound.
The colossal sound of their swords clashing reverberated through the entire sky, almost unbelievably loud as if it could drown out any other noise.
Because their swords were constantly engaged, there was an eerie silence, as if no sound could be heard.
Both of them were getting more and more wounded.
Surprisingly, the number of wounds they had was exactly the same. When Jin struck once, Baba also struck once. Moreover, the position of wounds were perfectly symmetrical.
The intense battle continued.
Eventually, the two simultaneously distanced themselves.
Jin expanded his space by executing Erosion and Plutonian Reign swords, and Baba amplified her energy accordingly.
Baba's power was slightly more dominant. Although Jin's shadow sword ultimate technique, which he executed by changing sword, compensated for that difference.
"What are you going to do with a sword that you haven't fully mastered, Jin Runcandel?"
Unlike the time of Kaio, the shadow force was clearly blocking Baba's senses successfully. It wasn't that Baba had failed to block it.
It doesn't matter.
Before her senses completely faded, she closed her eyes first. Even in that state, she countered all of Jin's attacks just like before.
If anything, she became even more formidable.
'To break through the ultimate technique like this...'
The ability to display superior swordsmanship even when senses were shut down. It For Jin, who had not experienced the Battle God Fusion before, it was a realm of monsters that he couldn't even imagine.
Crack...…!
A massive crack was spreading from the center of the main hall where the two were fighting.
The main hall, which had withstood so many battles without losing its sturdy appearance, was now collapsing.
Once the crack started, it absorbed the shocks like a whirlpool. Just like the relationship between Jin and the Plutonian tribe.
At this rate, it would collapse soon.
Jin decided to end the fight at that moment. Clearly, Baba was stronger than him.
'I will dig in the moment she falls.'
Suddenly, if the ground they were standing on disappeared, no matter how skilled Jin and Baba were, they would inevitably lose their balance for a moment.
"I know what you're thinking."
"If you know, then counterattack accordingly. Have you already forgotten my advice?"
The hall of battle gods never collapsed before in the history of the Great Tournament of Battle kings. In addition, the rules of the Great Tournament of Battle kings include disqualification over fights outside the arena, which meant both of them were violating the rules.
It was an exceptional case, but Vahn did not stop the battle.
In fact, the fight between the two couldn't even be seen as a match of the Great Tournament of Battle kings anymore. It was closer to the fight between Jin and the Plutonian tribe.
If it's Vahn strength, could forcibly restrain the shockwaves to prevent the hall from collapsing. However, she chose to let it crumble.
The main hall known as the battlefield for the matches of the Great Tournament of the Battle kings was located in the center of what was now known as the Great Desert of Mitra, and had become a dead world after losing the war against the gods. Vahn allowed the hall to collapse, knowing that it would destroy the heart of their homeland.
Boom, crack...…!
As the main hall split in half, all Plutonians closed their eyes tightly.
They couldn't bear to watch as the fight that had started as a small disagreement destroyed the heart of their homeland.
"Everyone, open your eyes and look straight."
But they followed Vahn's solemn voice. All the members of the Plutonian tribe stared at the sight of the hall collapsing, and the two combatants fighting like demons amidst the wreckage.
As planned, Jin had launched his attack when the hall was about to fall, stepping on debris to close the distance between him and Baba.
The Ultimate technique had already been released. Baba also stood her ground and faced him head-on, and the two of them once again suffered the same injuries.
They had both severed each other's left arms. The arms of the two were mixed in with the debris of the fallen main hall, disappearing from sight.
Then, they both landed at the same time.
Thanks to the force of their mutual strikes, Jin and Baba inevitably ended up with their backs facing each other.
Subsequently, as if they had made a promise, they turned and thrust their swords at each other.
Ha...…!
The match was over.
Jin's sword stopped without reaching Baba's chest, and Baba's sword pierced Jin's shadow force armor and chest.
When Baba turned her sword once, Jin bent forward, spouting blood.
It's not that Jin didn't 'stab' Baba. It was just that Baba's sword was faster.
"If you have anything to say, say it now."
"Lightning energy...."
"What?"
"Explode your lightning energy... like I did to Kaio."
"You think I can't?"
"Try me. You said you'd kill me, didn't you?"
Blood was dribbling from Baba's lips.
Jin tried to lift his right arm, which held the sword, up in the air. His body, still pierced by light, wasn't quite responding as he wanted it to, but his senses were slowly returning to him.
Everyone watched as Jin struggled like a wounded beast to lift his arm and stab Baba again, but given enough time, he could summon enough strength to do so.
"Let me ask you one thing, Jin. Why are you going this far? What's the reason?"
The conversations they had before clashing their swords, the discrimination and anxiety Jin claimed to have felt, and the reasons that led him to cross the line—none of it served as sufficient justification for the current situation, both to Baba and the Plutonians.
"You can't explode it, can you...?"
"I can. I can explode it anytime I want. But tell me one thing first. Why did you push the situation this far?"
Bradamante was slowly raised up to Baba's neck.
It raised to the point where it was a span away from the neck, then fell due to fatigue, only to rise again, repeating the process and getting closer.
Sister Baba, just put an end to it!
Not a single Plutonian tribesman, who were so angry at Jin's actions so far, was screaming like that.
They simply stared at the two with trembling red eyes.
"Please, please... just tell me the whole story. It's not all as you said earlier, right? Isn't that so?"
"Are you going to keep talking loudly…. and shouting?"
Squeaky...…!
Eventually, the tip of Bradamante reached Baba's neck. Although it barely touched, the sharp blade easily penetrated Baba's neck.
It only went in a bit, but now, with just a bit more force from Jin, Baba would meet her death.
Even so, Baba was still unable to explode the energy in the sword that pierced Jin's chest.
"... Jin."
Through her cloudy and darkened pupils, she saw the blade on her neck, and then she saw Jin again.
After gazing like that, Baba closed her eyes. Tears mixed with blood trickled down through the closed eyelids.
"Okay, Brother Jin. I can't understand it myself, but if this is what my brother wants, I'll accept it."
Resolution. She had one resolution before this fight.
That even if it came to the very end and Jin didn't stop, and even if it meant she would be killed by him.
She would never let him go.
As his sister, as his most cherished family.
"But before you stab me... know one thing. None of us, including me, has ever given up on you while you were going astray. Even if we were angry, spoke words full of resentment, even if we said you were no longer a brethren, it was ultimately just words. It was just something we spat out in anger."
Baba released her grip on her sword, light.
Then, after opening her eyes again, she looked at Jin's wound and grabbed Bradamante's sword with her right hand.
"If you really hated us, you would have destroyed brother Kaio's heart when you stabbed him, brother Jin. You still have the strength to stab me, but you stopped the sword. But even if you move your sword again, I won't avoid it. If this is really what you want, then please come back after I die. We are brethren after all…."
Even then, the Plutonians, who were watching, didn't shout. There was no one to tell Baba to stop or question why Baba was dying instead of Jin. No one said that they had Lingling.
They were the ones who would not abandon Jin, even if he killed them all like this.
"Why am I doing this, you asked. Sister Baba."
Sister. At that common title before her own name, Baba lowered her hand holding the blade and caressed Jin's face. Bradamante fell to the floor.
"Yes, tell me, brother Jin."
"Even though I'm doing this...… My brethren always forgive me. That's why I did it."
You should hate me at least once. We should have a real fight once. Even if we hurts each other this much, I was sure that we wouldn't let go of each other in the end.
Jin finally confessed why he played being a villain and collapsed into Baba's arms.
And all the brethren run towards them.
623
[T.L: punisher87]
The final winner of the Great Tournament of the Battle kings was Baltirok, not Jin or Baba.
Kaio was unable to participate in the remaining battles due to injuries he sustained in the 22nd match, and Jin and Baba were also unable to continue as they had to recover their buried arms.
And Jin and the Plutonians became awkward for a while.
Jin felt a sense of guilt for pushing his brethren so aggressively for whatever reason, and the Plutonians were ashamed that, regardless of the sincerity of the cause, they seemed to have 'let go' of Jin too quickly.
'Although we only spoke out of anger at that time… in truth, everyone seemed to have considered brother Jin as less close than the other brethren. The fact that we even questioned his eligibility for succession was something that should never have happened.'
'We should have acted more generously. If we had shown the actions sister 9th battle king did at the end from the beginning, we wouldn't be so embarrassed.'
'Back then, I was really angry to the point of madness, but everyone easily said that we should expel Brother Jin.'
'Even if we just didn't say it out loud, we wouldn't be able to resist Brother Jin's play.'
'We are rotten to the core if someone among the brethren would really try to kill Jin. Even if Jin betrays us, we should have shown that we would never give up on our brethren.'
'Looking back, we could have noticed sooner that Brother Jin was just putting on an act. Brother Jin hurt brother Kaio by avoiding the illuminating heart, and even when he attacked sister 4th battle king who turned around, he could cut even deeper.'
'I don't have the face to see Brother Jin... how foolish we must seem.'
What if Kaio had prioritized Jin's honor first instead of criticizing Garmund before the shocking 22nd match?
What if, after the chaos of the 22nd match, Kaio had heartily while grabbing Jin's head or punched him, and the rest of the brethren didn't take it too seriously, thinking, "It is over and done with"?
Even after that, if everyone acted like Baba from the beginning to the end, instead of fighting among themselves and later joining forces to defeat Jin...… If they had done that, they might have appeared more admirable to Jin now.
Such assumptions were tormenting the Plutonians.
Whether Jin's ways were right or wrong was no longer an important issue for them.
Even if they said they would kill Jin, the final decision of the entire Plutonian tribe was the same as what Baba showed in the end.
Unlike countless malicious words that they spoke out of spite, it was the only sincerity that didn't need verbal confirmation from each other. The proposition that one should never give up on the brethren no matter how terrible the situation was always absolute and unwavering.
If the remaining members of the Plutonian tribe were in the thousands or tens of thousands and were being ruled by another battle god instead of Vahn, things might have been different. At least a few might have harbored different feelings.
However, the 77 members of the Plutonian tribe in Laprarosa were not like that. Their unity had never changed for a single moment, and it was not going to change in the future.
"... Is your arm okay?"
Kaio sat down next to Jin with a thud.
He had been aimlessly wandering around Jin's room an hour ago, and he had asked the same question five minutes ago.
"Uh... Brother 5th battle king did a good job patching it up."
Jin's answer was the same as five minutes ago.
"What about the wounds from sister 9th battle king?"
"It's not comparable to what I did to you, brother 10th king. I'm almost healed. Didn't you say that you could walk a bit now?"
"Yes...."
"Well. I was a bit too aggressive, brother 10th battle king. I'm sorry."
Kaio was the only one who suffered a wound that would take more than a year to recover from.
Jin and Baba's arms were immediately treated with Boras' special bonding technique, so they were healed.
"You didn't do anything wrong, brother Jin. I was the one who went crazy. I felt like I lost my mind for a moment during the long-awaited return of the Great Tournament of Battle kings."
"My method was too extreme. So I should be the one apologizing."
"No, Brother Jin, your method wasn't bad."
"Looking back, it doesn't seem like it was the best choice."
- Brother Jin! What are you doing? Have you forgotten what I told you?
- I did it on purpose.
-What?
-I needed to stimulate the brethren' competitive spirit. Seeing that brother 8th battle king lost to me, I think something like this was necessary sooner or later.
The conversation Jin had with Tantel after his first conflict with Kaio that led to the latter animosity.
When Tantel heard Jin talking about becoming a villain and pressuring his brethren, he responded like this.
-I roughly understand the reason. But Brother Jin, one thing is certain. No matter how bad you behave, the outcome is fixed. No one really hates you no matter what. At least now, all of the 77 brethren left in Laprarosa are like that. Like brother Jin does.
-I know too. I'm just curious about how that can happen.
-If you're going to do it, be wicked to the end no matter how tense the atmosphere gets. Although it may be revealed that they were jealous and envious of you, no one really wants to abandon you. They can treat you as if they are your sworn enemies, but that's it.
Tantel's words were accurate.
However, the reason Jin acted wickedly to the end was not solely because of Tantel's answer.
He also had the conviction that his brethren would never give up on him, and that made him even more sorry.
Kaio placed his hand on Jin's shoulder. Looking at the rigid and large hand trembling slightly, Jin felt even more remorseful.
"That could be true. But it's the same for the other brethren. We've shown each other the worst instead of the best. It might sound like nonsense coming from me, but we can't always show each other our best."
Jin didn't answer and Kaio readjusted the bandages to make it easier for him.
"Well, as you can see, other brethren are quite simple-minded. They often can't even think of simple things. So, this time, everyone just acted like villains. The sister battle god probably guessed everything from the beginning, so she just stayed quiet. I especially felt that way. I didn't have the intention to shoot, but I did try to threaten you, brother Jin."
"Well, given the situation, that's understandable."
"No, even after your sword energy exploded in my chest. I didn't carefully consider the fact that my illuminating heart was still intact. Most of us thought that you could call us outside as hostages and we just have to go out like this."
"That's also a situation where one could easily think that way."
"But it also revealed that we were treating you a little differently in the process."
"I don't think so, Brother 10th battle king. It was because I provoked the brethren. And even when I pretended to try to kill sister Baba, the brethren were prepared to still treat me as a brother. In a way, I lost."
"Brother Jin."
"Yes."
"Ah, wait a moment. I can't stand up any longer. Please let me sit down. Stop making such a troubled expression, I will get better in a year. Anyway, we will continue to lose to you in the future. That fact hasn't changed."
Kaio sat down on the chair with difficulty and let out a sigh.
"However, the meaning of it has changed a bit through this incident."
"How?"
"We lose to you not because you are brother Jin, but because you are brother. Or you can say, it's not that we lost, but that we can't win. Brother Jin, you are not weaker than us. I'm not just talking about strength, but because among the rest of the brethren, no one can endure the hatred and channel their willpower like you, brother Jin."
"Is that so?"
"So forgive us."
"Forgive?"
"In fact, we were treating you not as brother, but as brother Jin."
"What are you talking about...."
[They are in a pitiful state.]
Suddenly, Vahn and Lingling entered the room. Vahn lightly squeezed Lingling's head, who was sticking his tongue out.
[It hurts!]
"That's why I hit you, Lingling. And I don't think that's what you should be saying. Aren't you in a position where you couldn't kill Brother Jin?"
[Vahn only hates me! Oh, hehe, hehehe.]
Lingling tried to be mean to Vahn, but when she gently stroked his neck, he burst into laughter.
"Have you come, Sister battle god?"
"There's no need to stand up and be polite, brother 10th battle king."
Vahn's gaze landed on Jin. It's already been 15 days since the Great Tournament of Battle kings ended, but today was the first time Vahn spoke directly.
Outside the door, all the remaining members of the Plutonian tribe were waiting with their heads bowed.
"You fought like kids this time."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"It felt somewhat cute to watch. In the future, there will surely be more fights, so make sure to fight like a kid. Even if I don't say it, you'll probably do it anyway."
Vahn handed Jin the Sigmund that she had brought.
Jin stared at Sigmund in silence for a while.
"Brother Jin. No matter what you did, and no matter how much the other brethren coveted it, the owner would not have changed."
"...I know."
"If that meaning has become even heavier for everyone, that's enough."
Jin accepted Sigmund.
Vahn didn't add any more words to the situation.
Baltirok, the final winner of the Great Tournament of Battle kings, seemed regretful, not because he wanted the sword, but because he couldn't personally hand it over.
"Then what do you think the brethren should do now?"
At Vahn's words, the Plutonians quietly exchanged glances. They weren't sure what answer Vahn was expecting.
Naturally, all the gazes of the Plutonians were directed to Jin.
"We should rebuild the broken main hall of battle gods."
At Jin's answer, Vahn nodded her head.
"Brother 13th battle king knows it well. From now on, all the brethren follow brother 13th battle king and start rebuilding the main hall."
Vahn thought this while watching the 77 brethren who were jumping into the ruins of the hall with enthusiasm.
Perhaps, from the moment Jin arrived, they were already escaping from the dead world.
What Vahn saw was not the sight of those trapped in the forgotten dead world, but the sight of living beings.
As she walked slowly behind the brethren, Laprarosa also became part of the group of all 78 people. Along with her companion, the chaos.
624
[T.L: punisher87]
January 30, 1803.
The reconstruction of the main hall of the Battle Gods has begun, and almost a year has passed.
Also two and a half years had passed since Jin entered Laprarosa.
The three-year time allowed by Rosa was coming to an end.
Jin was slowly getting ready to go outside.
After the Great Tournament of Battle kings, Jin has been training every day along with rebuilding the main hall.
After the Great Tournament, Jin made little progress. It was because he wasn't particularly stimulated unless it was a real life-and-death fight. Because of this, Vahn focused on meditation and enlightenment to help Jin grow.
There were times when it took a day or a month to solve the topic of martial arts thrown by Vahn.
Jin couldn't break through all the topics. He also did not reach the level where he could proudly call himself 'the strongest battle king'.
But now, except for Vahn and Baba, no one in the Plutonian tribe was confident in defeating Jin.
"How does it feel to be the second strongest battle king, brother 13th battle king?"
5th battle king, Boras, said as he sat next to Jin.
Jin was sitting on the outer wall of the hall of the battle gods and watching his brethren who were rebuilding the main hall.
"Second strongest battle king? Well, I'm not quite there yet, Brother 5th battle king."
"Haha! You still don't know your own strength yet, so you're giving that answer."
It was certain that Jin entered the 10-star, transcendental realm, but as Boras said, Jin was unaware of his exact battle prowess.
He only had the feeling that he had become incomparably stronger than before he entered Laprarosa.
"After the reconstruction of the main hall began, you fought only three fights against sister 9th battle king. And won one of them."
"It was possible because it was sparring."
"That's right. If it had been a real battle, you would have fought three times and died three times. But you know what? Among the battle kings, there is no one who can win against sister Baba even in sparring."
Jin smiled shyly.
"So don't look so worried. You will be leaving tomorrow, but if you make that expression, how disappointed will the other brethren be."
"I'm not worried that I am leaving with insufficient training. On the contrary, my martial arts have grown beyond expectations."
"Then, is it because the main hall reconstruction isn't finished yet?"
"I'm sorry that I have to leave all the remaining work to you guys, but it's okay because Lingling is there."
-If sister Baba kills brother Jin in this match, Laprarosa's time will not stop completely. Maybe it's because it was originally brother Jin's chaos. Lingling, this child can play the same role as brother Jin.
What Vahn said before the start of the 65th match was, of course, true.
Until now, Laprarosa's time flowed only when Jin was present here. And while the others didn't feel it at all, Vahn had confirmed that Laprarosa's time stopped momentarily whenever Jin lost consciousness or was in a dying state.
However, after Lingling appeared, that phenomenon disappeared.
Whenever Jin's energy, which makes Laprarosa's time flow, faded for some reason, Lingling's energy took its place.
Vahn was convinced that even if Jin left, Laprarosa would not stop. Thanks to it, Jin felt less sorry for his brethren who would stay here.
"Ah, then it must be because of that...."
Boras cleared his throat as if he was sorry.
"Brother Boras, you don't have to be sorry. Didn't you help me as best as you could?"
Training isn't the only reason Jin came to Laprarosa.
-So, how much more time do you need?
- I don't know. The reason I leave the human world is to complete things with the help of my brethren.
-Even if it takes time, can you definitely complete it with the help of the Plutonian tribe?
- I cannot guarantee that.
- Not yet, I don't know, I can't guarantee. You keep saying things that don't suit you. It's not like I gave you autonomy for that.
-It's no different than the suspending judgment on whether or not it would be better to negotiate with the Prophet rather than me, acting matriarch. And in my opinion, you must have already resisted the temptation of the Prophet once in the Sword Emperor castle war.
The completion of the spatial-time device and securing a way to purify chaos.
-The Prophet already said she can do everything I want to do right now. But the reason I'm giving you a chance is because Chiron believes in you...… and because you've somewhat impressed me.
After coming to Laprarosa, Jin got more than expected.
However, regarding the spatial-time device and the purification of chaos, it did not produce results that could be said 'certain'.
'As for the spatial-time device, Dr. Qwaul and my companions must have been continuously analyzing it, so it would not be without results at all.'
Jin will have to go outside and check it out tomorrow, but he ruled out a case where his companions have analyzed the spatial-time machine perfectly.
Valeria's record magic was added instead of Zipfel's technology, but even the arrogant Qwaul admitted that it was impossible to complete the spatial-time device within three years.
The means of chaos purification were already created through Boras. The Chaos Purifier was created by improving the 'Chaos Extraction Aid' that Boras used to extract Lingling from Jin.
However, the reason why Boras acted apologetically was because of the limitations of that item.
"I'm worried that your enemies out there might have something better than what I made, brother Jin. The Prophet and Zipfel are truly ruthless and won't hesitate to use any means."
"Their devices may be superior to yours right now. However, they will not be able to provide fundamental healing like your purifier, brother Boras."
The Prophet will amplify and control chaos to use it as a means of strengthening, and Zipfel will be conducting research to suspend the demonicization of chaos.
Kinzelo had been using chaos for a long time in the first place.
Jin expected that the dynamics of each force dealing with 'chaos' would be like that.
And what Jin wanted was a fundamental purification.
He wanted a way to completely undo the encroachment, not just using that disgusting power in any way.
Boras made a device that perfectly matched his wishes.
However, the healing period through the purifier was too long, and there was a problem that Battle God's blood was used as a medium for purification.
Perhaps, it was also completely ineffective against the 'first chaos' that could be presumed to be handled by the prophet.
"I am proud and grateful for the purifier you made, Brother Boras."
"Hmm... Find out how to improve and mass-produce by combining with outside technology. I'll continue my research, but something that can replace sister battle god's blood is just a long way off at the moment."
"Or, if we can complete the spatial-time device and get you all out, it would be perfect. Sister battle god has the ability to extract chaos without a purifier."
In Jin's case, since it was the first chaos, she needed the help of a chaos extractor, and even she was not sure of the side effects after that.
It was a different story when it came to normal, and not so huge, chaos. If there was an extraction aid, Vahn could extract chaos with only her own ability without any major side effects.
Boras slapped Jin on the shoulder.
"Anyway, if your clan dares to evaluate your growth as insufficient. Then fight back and win. You have the power to do that, brother Jin."
It's not just a story about battle prowess.
Jin smiled and nodded his head.
When returning to his clan, it was inevitable to start a war with Rosa if she considered Jin's achievements insufficient.
'After going outside, the possibility of creating achievements that can completely convince my mother within the remaining six months is not great. My mother will eventually join hands with the prophet.'
Rosa Runcandel.
The lifelong nemesis was waiting for Jin outside.
Not only her, but also Zipfel, Kinzelo, and the imperial family would also be accumulating power.
But despite the concerns, Jin was not afraid because he had his brethren and companions.
As the enemies grew stronger, so did Jin and his allies.
"By the way, I wonder how your companion, Qwaul, will react when we go outside. He will surely have the honor of building the greatest flying fleet in history."
Flying fleet.
As seen from the floating main hall in the Great Tournament, the Plutonian tribe already possessed flight technology 5000 years ago.
The illuminating heart, the heart of the Plutonian tribe, becomes a powerful power source after they die and it cannot be compared to anything else in the world.
The Plutonian tribe made floating objects such as the main hall with the hearts of their dead brethren, and also developed flying battleships.
The flying battleships were first revealed to the world during the final war against the gods, and were destroyed after defeat.
With countless illuminating hearts. The fleet's name was Golden.
The bundle of paper that Jin had just taken out of his bag, was the blueprint of the Golden Armada that Vahn had handed over.
The blueprint still bore the traces of the fierce war fought against the gods.
"There may be some missing parts, but it seems that your companion named Qwaul can complete it somehow."
"I will definitely show that to my brethren."
"It was a symbol of destruction and defeat to us, but... If it becomes a symbol of victory and glory through Brother Jin again. It might be a little comfort to the dead brethren. We can't forget them either."
Boras stood up from his seat.
"Okay, let's stop the chit-chat here. Let's help brethren with their work. We need to finish today's quota quickly to hold the farewell party for you."
Even on the eve of Jin's departure, the rebuilding of the main hall continued until midnight, as always.
Normally, the Plutonians would have stopped rebuilding for a day or so to have a little more fun with the departing Jin.
However, this farewell was different from usual.
Even though Jin was leaving, the time did not stop, and brethren had to prepare for tomorrow. For Jin and for themselves.
The drinking party continued throughout the night.
Seeing the brethren opening their mouths in all directions, saying they would eat his and Lingling's achievements, Jin moved outside Laprarosa.
"See you outside, brother."
[Hmph, get out of here quickly.]
Lingling stuck out his tongue to Jin until the end, but when he hugged Shuri, he burst into tears.
"It's not even the last time, so why are you crying so sadly, Lingling. I will see you outside. I hope you speak a little nicer at that time."
[Again, don't get beaten up like a jerk! Ebebe, Ebe!]
At that, Vahn once again grabbed Lingling's head, and Jin smiled and exchanged glances with his brethren.
"See you outside, brethren. Although it's not the last, I still want to say this as I leave. Laprarosa is also my hometown. I'll be back."
625
[T.L: punisher87]
The last day of January 1803.
As Jin left Laprarosa, he expected the endless expanse of the reddish desert to greet him, as always.
After completing his first journey to Laprarosa, Jin accidentally met Darkflame, and he remembered the felinoids he met when he entered this time.
'What... is this?'
However, right after opening the door with the shadow sword and stepping into the human world, the scenery that greeted Jin was not the familiar Great Desert of Mitra.
A sticky wind, like rotten oil, blew relentlessly.
The wind carried a pungent toxicity, and the land and sky beyond it were shrouded in ominous darkness.
In addition, eerie and deep roars could be heard from various directions.
'Is this the Great Desert of Mitra...?'
Jin thought it was the Black Sea.
Jin looked down at the ground and realized that this desolate landscape of the Great Desert of Mitra was 'contaminated by chaos'.
There were sparse bits of sand left over here and there.
Even the last remaining traces of nature's vitality had been forcefully embraced by this sand, now murky and contaminated.
"Ha."
The Great Desert of Mitra was originally the land of the Plutonian tribe.
The Great Desert of Mitra, which frustrated numerous adventurers in pursuit of myths and legends, was the land that once held the golden city, Laprarosa, until the Plutonian tribe faced its destruction.
So, Jin dreamed of the day when his brethren's city would shine brightly in this desert again someday.
Right before exiting the door. Jin tightened the knot of the huge backpack on his back even more.
The bag contained the illuminating heart of the dead Plutonians from the past, a chaos purifier, Vahn's blood, and the blueprint of the golden armada.
'Even in death, you make a fuss until the end, Glyek....'
Jin gnashed his teeth at the thought of the terrible King of the Black Sea.
It was also worrisome.
'If the Great Desert of Mitra is in this condition, what about other places?'
Contaminated areas.
Two and a half years ago, there were about 50 contaminated areas known to the world.
New contaminated areas were discovered as the days went by, but the Great Desert of Mitra was not contaminated until Jin went to Laprarosa.
'Just as contagious chaos broke out after Glyek disappeared, the contamination on the ground was also spreading.'
At first glance, the contamination of the Great Desert was at a serious level.
It wasn't just contaminated with chaos, but it was considered as if the fragments of Glyek had directly fallen onto the land.
It was not an entirely unexpected problem.
There was no law saying that chaos contagion must be limited to living beings.
However, the fact that gaint forces like Runcandel and Zipfel "couldn't prevent it" was another story.
'Or maybe the Great Desert of Mitra has been excluded from the Purification Areas. If a large amount of manpower is still being put into cleanup of contaminated areas around the world, this could very well be the case.'
It was just a matter of leaving the desert and checking out other areas.
Anyway, Jin's first impression of the human world after 3 years was very unpleasant.
"Keeek!"
Suddenly, something viciously attacked Jin with a menacing sound.
Jin, without even looking at it, raised his lightning energy and killed it.
There was no need to observe because monsters were flocking from all sides, led by it.
One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred... Over a thousand.
Jin quickly estimated the approximate number of monsters surrounding him, but soon gave up. Counting beyond a thousand was not important at this point. It was just a matter of killing them all.
Jin pulled Sigmund out of the scabbard.
Plutonian Swordsmanship Battle God: 9th Sword Move
Annihilation
In an instant, the dark sky turned blue.
A wing-shaped lightning energy, formed behind Jin's back, spread a dazzling brilliance.
The soaring lightning energy seemed to tear the black sky at any moment.
And as soon as the lightning energy unleashed, a group of monsters rushing from the front died. They disappeared like dust consumed by fire.
Instead of screams, the bones and flesh of the monsters turned to ash, and scattered.
The monsters nearby, reflexively watching the ashes scatter, met their deaths just like that.
The pale blade was spraying sword energy in all directions like the reflected light of a sharp blade.
It looked like Jin was shooting randomly, but the countless blades were slaughtering the remnants of chaos without a single mistake. The monsters seemed emotionless.
Even as Jin lightly swung the sword, causing dozens to die at a time, they continued to charge without showing any signs of fear.
Jin didn't want them to run away in fear.
If time and circumstances allowed, Jin wanted to eliminate all the monsters that were defiling the land of his brethren.
Every second, dozens or even hundreds of monsters explode or split in half.
Ordinary chaos contagious people retained some semblance of their former appearance as humans. However, the monsters Jin was massacring were all pure remnants of chaos.
'There are quite a lot.'
If it had been Jin before became battle king, he wouldn't have made up his mind to eliminate all the monsters in the desert.
His original approach was to break through, escape, accurately assess the scale, and then seek more efficient methods.
It was to avoid the possibility of getting exhausted and becoming vulnerable while dealing with the endless onslaught of monsters.
There was no need for that now.
Even while pouring out lightning energy and aura like crazy, his body felt as comfortable as when he sat quietly for meditation.
Monsters of this level could no longer threaten Jin, even if a million of them swarmed him, just like ants couldn't do anything against a dragon.
'At this point, it seems like the whole world is using the Great Desert of Mitra as a waste disposal site... or did Kinzelo fall? But that's highly unlikely.'
The Great Desert of Mitra belongs to the Land of the Beastmen, and the land of the Beastmen was currently Kinzelo's territory.
Even if the desert was considered worthless land, there was no reason to let it go to waste like this.
'If Kinzelo hasn't really fallen, someone will come soon anyway.'
Having reached this conclusion, Jin momentarily halted his sword. It was because human figures could be seen between the monsters.
They were not minions of any faction Jin had expected to come after sensing his battle in the desert.
'Living Golems!?'
Or Majin.
They were distorted like the victims rescued during the subjugation of the Dark Magic Society, or they had no face or hair like the imperial family's Majin that he faced in Wantaramo Forest.
Intuitively, Jin could sense that they were 'discarded experiment subjects.'
Moreover, unlike the previous living golems and majins, their bodies were entirely tainted by chaos.
The Chaos Purifier can be effective only on infected people before complete encroachment and body transformation.
Besides, these beings had already undergone experimentation before being tainted by chaos, making them beyond the reach of purification even with Boras's purifying device.
Like other monsters, they rushed toward Jin.
Jin, who watched them carefully while avoiding their attacks, soon realized a shocking fact.
'There seems to be a certain pattern to the chaos...'
Like a magic circle or alchemical symbols, the chaos clinging to the bodies of these infected beings exhibited a complex yet discernible pattern.
The traces seemed to be part of an experiment.
The major factions weren't just cleaning up the infected and contaminated areas; they were also 'utilizing' them.
The experimental subjects could be broadly categorized into two types.
The incomplete Plutonian-type created by Kinzelo and the incomplete Majins, which seems to be created by collaboration between Zipfel and the imperial family. The former used lightning energy, while the latter used aura and mana.
It was no longer surprising that these experiments were pursuing the ideals of the Plutonian tribe and the magic swordsman.
All Jin could do for them was to grant them a swift end.
Some of them may have been forcibly captured, or they may have been betrayed after pledging loyalty to a faction and turned into test subjects.
Either way, Jin swung his sword to ensure that they felt the least amount of suffering possible, even if the basic sense of such feelings seemed absent in them.
Time passed, and the monsters Jin had slaughtered numbered well over tens of thousands. The discarded living golems and majins were no longer in sight.
Although the density of charging monsters remained the same, Jin showed no signs of fatigue.
The more he swung his sword, the more his rage grew.
Jin was hoping that a person, whom he could ask and argue about this terrible situation, would soon appear.
And soon, Jin felt a new energy, not chaos, beyond the dark landscape of the contaminated desert.
'They are finally here.'
It was still quite a distance away, perhaps over a thousand steps.
Yet, the figure emitting the new energy seemed to cause the unstable winds of chaos to sway.
'A demon, and a strong one at that. Zephyrin or Bianca. Which one could it be?'
The energy that pushed the chaos carried a dark energy unique to the demons.
It resembled the demonic energy Jin had sensed from powerful figures of the demon world, such as Zephyrin and Bianca Kaligo.
Jin unleashed a burst of lightning energy and calmly awaited the newcomer. The exploded lightning energy converged again into Jin's illuminating heart, but the nearby monsters couldn't even stand it and oxidized into ashes.
"Oh...!"
Eventually, the demon appeared in front of Jin.
It was neither Zephyrin nor Bianca. It was a male demon that Jin had never seen before, and as soon as he saw Jin, he exclaimed in admiration as if he had seen something interesting.
"I wondered what kind of crazy person was playing in my playground without any fear... Are you Jin Runcandel?"
Dressed in a flamboyant coat adorned with elaborate gold embroidery, gemstones, and embellishments throughout, he seemed to carry himself with what he believed was graceful elegance. In other words, he was revealing that he was an aristocrat of the demon world with his entire body.
Yet, despite the excessive display of vanity and extravagance, his mere presence caused the monsters in the area to hesitate.
As the monsters resumed their charge, a single gesture from him turned them into a storm of bloody hail.
Clearly, he was strong, surpassing the standards of strength Jin had encountered thus far.
"Black hair, handsome face, insolent gaze. That's right, Jin Runcandel! I never thought I'd meet you here. Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Ranke Halovice, the 1st prince of the Halovice family, the 4th great Duke of the Demon World. The ruler and protector of the northern regions of the Demon world and their inhabitants, the owner of Mount Tna and Mount Karion...…."
"You bastard, are you a member of Kinzelo? It was wise of you to introduce yourself first."
Jin cut off his words and met Ranke's eyes.
"As I've heard, you have no manners….."
Huh?
Bang! Jin punched Ranke in the jaw before he could finish his sentence.
"Ugh!"
"Otherwise, you would have introduced yourself with a broken jaw."