Note: Due to a slight mistake in translation, 'Liosa' has been changed to 'Laosa'. Sorry for the error, and we hope you enjoy this chapter regardless!
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The woman was limping.
She had been hiding near the demolished building when she got caught in the debris.
And there was one reason as to why she was there.
She thought that maybe—just maybe—it would be possible to save the people piled up in the building while Jin fought Myuron.
Not because they were alive, but because she wished to create an honorary grave for them.
"The ones over there are already dead. He's enhancing his mana with the divine relic!"
"Tika…!"
Dino shouted.
The woman's name was Latika Tika Mamutika. She took the place of Laosa as the natives' prophet.
However, since she was not a chosen one, she didn't have any divine powers. She was just a normal human.
Myuron's face wrinkled.
He wanted to see Jin guard the pile of people with his life following the delusion of their livelihood.
"That rat-bastard bitch… you dare ruin my show?!"
Ting!
Two blue flames flared in Myuron's eyes.
The Zipfel Clan's vision spell, Gaze of Azure Flame. He had heard about it from his master in the past, but it was his first time seeing it in action.
—The Zipfels' secret techniques are dangerous, but the Gaze of Azure Flame is the most annoying. Having it directed at you would engulf you in inextinguishable blue flames.
Myuron's eyes flicked towards Tika.
"Burn in hell…!"
And from Tika's ankles, fire began to spread.
Although she was severely injured, she had enough capacity to shout towards Jin and his allies.
However, the moment the blue fire combusted her skin, the pain was nothing a normal human could bear.
"Aaaack!"
"T-Tika! We must save her! She is the only one that keeps the tribe together!"
Tika fell to the floor and began to convulse, eyes rolling back. She struggled to breathe because of the excruciating pain that echoed through her body after each contracting muscle.
"The highlight of tonight was you fools guarding a pile of corpses!"
Myuron was not satisfied with Tika's painful misery. He spat on the ground.
'At this rate, she's going to die before the fire completely spreads.'
Running towards Tika, Jin remembered another conversation with his master.
—Then what do I do when one is affected by this spell?
—Don't try to neutralize it with a poor ice or healing spell. Whatever you do, you have to overpower it with a stronger flame.
A stronger flame.
A name immediately popped into mind. Jin put his hands together to gather enough mana and open the dimensional portal.
The ruler of the Fire Dimension.
The phoenix, Tess.
"Summon."
Vvvvvvt!
A massive tear in space emerged next to Jin. Between the gap came flaming blue wings. Every time they moved, hot wind spread everywhere.
Myuron couldn't believe his eyes. He blinked slowly multiple times.
"Te…ss? You summoned Tess?"
The legend of every magician's dream. Zipfel magicians were very disappointed because they couldn't contract with Tess.
Because becoming the owner of Tess would mean becoming the best magician of the era.
'That Runcandel fetus… is going to be the greatest magician of the century? You're going to surpass me without my permission?'
Myuron's laughter disappeared.
On the other hand, Jin smiled. As soon as Tess was summoned, he was certain that the Zipfels' Gaze of Azure Flame wouldn't stand a chance against true blue flames.
"Everything will be alright, Tika."
Tess lowered their head to Tika's burning body. After a second, they let out a fiery breath.
Instantly, the blue flames at Tika's ankles were extinguished. The burn marks disappeared as well, as if there was no flame in the first place.
The power as the Lord of Flames. Tess could make it so that the wounds caused by a pathetic imitation of blue flames never existed.
"Th-Thank you."
"As for me. If it weren't for you, we would have been toyed with by that garbage."
"I'll tell you the main points since we don't have much time. The tribesmen in the building had been dead, and Myuron is using the divine relic. However, he did not find it."
"Then how?"
"Myuron tortured our people to get some activation chants out of us. The divine relic is still hidden. In a place where only we can find."
Though not fitting with the situation, Dino felt a little disappointed.
'Damn, she didn't even tell me that much.'
For centuries, under the Zipfels' oppression, the Kollon natives hadn't revealed the location of the divine relic a single time.
"If it's someone sent by Lady Laosa, I can trust them. I will tell you. After we get rid of that man."
Jin nodded.
Myuron could not contain his hate and anger that his frown distorted his face.
Jin turned around and looked at him.
"Alright, blue fire. Is that it? Now I'll send you away, just as you wished. To the place you deserve to be the most. Hell."
Jin could easily discern Myuron's expression.
'I'm sure he is humiliated because I summoned Tess. He doesn't want to admit that he's weaker.'
Myuron looked furious. Which was why Jin chose his words carefully to provoke him further.
"Playtime's over, Jin Runcandel. I'll tear you apart little by little and chew on each bit of flesh. I will lick your bones clean…"
Fighting an enraged enemy was always an easier battle.
"Sir Kashimir, please continue to protect the natives! Murakan, let's go all out! Don't give him a single second to react!"
"Are you saying I can transform?"
"You crazy? You really think you should?"
"Shit! Yeah, yeah. Alright. Hey, hey! You friggin' bird. Stop swearing!"
Of course, they carried on this weird side conversation to piss off Myuron. They didn't really plan this. However, the contractor and his dragon were inherently coordinated.
Murakan charged in from behind while Jin and Tess rushed in from the front.
Blood rushed to Myuron's brain, blood vessels becoming visible on his forehead.
"I, Myuron, will not be easy to punish."
Tsssssss…!
The blue fire on Myuron's eyes extinguished. In Tess's presence, his vision spell was pointless.
"You said I deserve to be in hell? A fine choice of words, Jin Runcandel!"
Myuron began to cast a spell that the clan restored and declared as a secret technique.
Hence, a sealed technique.
"At one point, I was the spouse of witch Helluram. A man who shared a glass with the Kings at Tigris Mountain in the western region of the Black Sea."
Jin stopped just as he was about to draw his sword.
'This… Is this a darkness-type spell?'
Similar to the light spell, it was erased and forgotten off the face of the planet. Darkness spells could not be found in a single magic tome or book; people thought that it was merely an oral tradition.
Jin only guessed that it was a darkness spell, but he didn't exactly know what it was.
Murakan flinched, and Tess let out a screech as if they were angry.
Kaaaaaaaaah!
The phoenix blew fire with massive Pressure onto Myuron.
It was on a different level than the one used on Alisa. Even the summoner, Jin, could feel the weight of the pressure from the fire.
'Tess is furious? What the hell is that spell anyways?'
At that moment, Murakan gathered the shadows cast by Tess's fire and converted it into spiritual energy.
"Kiddo! He's lending his body to Demon King Orgal! We have to end him before he finishes the spell! Unleash your blade to the maximum! Now!"
Wooooooooooosh.
Murakan shot out the spiritual energy as if he were releasing a dragon's breath.
The blue flames and spiritual energy swallowed Myuron, but Jin realized that none of the attacks were effective.
A strange purple energy protected Myuron. Something that Jin had never seen before.
'A force field? No, that's a dimensional portal!'
The same gateway he made to summon Tess—excluding the eerie purple light.
And the portal was connected to the dark world that people usually referred to as 'hell'.
Tess's highest-pressure fire breath was to prevent the portal from completely opening. Murakan stained the hell gate with his spiritual energy so Jin could aim his sword.
It was a mark. Otherwise, he would be swinging at thin air.
"Use Bradamante to cut at the spiritual energy!"
"Alright!"
Sssssssss…!
Mustering spiritual energy as his mana rapidly depleted from summoning Tess was almost impossible for Jin.
"Kurgh!"
As soon as he gathered spiritual energy, early signs of mana overflow emerged. Blood flowed out of his mouth, nose, and ears, and he felt like fainting immediately.
As his mana grew more unstable, Tess's power gradually decreased. The pressure of the blue flames grew visibly weaker, and Myuron took this chance to recast his spell.
"…And he whose life miserably ended to Helluram's dagger. Bestowed with death, entering the depths of Hell. Call my name…"
Kraaaaagh!
Deactivating Myulta's Rune, Jin spat out blood and charged forward.
The mana overflow occurred because of magic, and Jin's will to move came from his spirit as a knight.
Being able to exert identical swings of the sword ten thousand times.
The stage where he could show determination through the sword. Although Mind's Blade was far from his reach, right before he lost consciousness…
"Cut."
As if he were casting a spell, he chanted that word. Every step he took towards Myuron, Jin chanted it over and over again.
In order to fully manifest his goal to cut the portal.
Just like how the ancient Runcandel magic swordsmen mustered their power.
Sssshhhhhh…!
The blazing spiritual energy on Bradamante's blade slowly simmered.
The smoky spiritual energy completely soaked into the blade, and the sword was born anew.
Compared to the musky spiritual energy, the blade shone as it reflected the moonlight—as if it were sharpened and polished to perfection.
Slaaaaaash!
Jin swung down onto the hell gate.
Feeling the last bits of possession, Myuron shuddered. Then, he realized that his plan was foiled.
"Damn… Kuheehee."
And with his only arm, he squeezed out the rest of his energy to whip out his wand one more time.
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