Pzzzzt!
Right before the weapon was fired, Talaris swung Myriad Ice.
From the tip of the transparent sword emerged a crescent slash that would easily cut through the Kozak.
As the chilling-cold crescent slash flew towards the cannon, the air behind it froze, leaving a glimmering trail of ice.
However, there was no time to appreciate the beauty of the attack.
Snatch!
Jin carried Laosa on his shoulder and ran away, Syris not far behind him. All of this happened in one second.
The problem was that the Kozak's weapon would vaporize the entirety of the Kollon Ruins within that one second.
Krrrrrrr…!
The sky was dyed gold. The result of a compressed gold mana sphere pouring out of the cannon.
If Talaris's sword did not block it…
The Kollon Ruins would be wiped off the face of the earth.
Shhhhhhk! Krrrk!
As the crescent slash and cannon met, an ear-ripping screech echoed throughout. One human's strength against the most overpowered weapon of war.
The Kozak's artillery fire couldn't hit the ground; neither could Talaris's slash reach the ship in the sky.
Instead, a powerful shockwave shook the earth.
The ice wall that Talaris had set up for the natives began to crack. The millions of ice particles around her began to shatter and explode.
The shimmering and glittering lights from the sparks of aura and mana that flew out from the collision blinded those around it.
Talaris warned them to dodge the lights. Each and every shard of energy that fell like hail had the power to cause death even to a trained knight.
There was a limit to dodging all of the falling shrapnels. Jin, Laosa, and Syris reached an area with the least projectiles, but there wasn't an area completely safe from the flying debris.
"Prophet! Please duck here and not move a single step."
Jin and Syris started to deflect the remnants of the collision. Thanks to Syris's healing potion, Jin was able to swing his sword normally.
Maybe it was because of their duel in the past, but their swords were synchronized as they deflected all of the glowing, flying specks of energy.
However, they couldn't do anything about their declining strength.
Each little spark had the power of a 6-star knight. As such, deflecting the particles would be the equivalent of fighting dozens of knights at once.
"You've gotten better, Jin Runcandel."
"The same goes to you. Phew. The situation doesn't look too good in the first place, though. Taking Lady Laosa to the natives will be hard."
It would be great if everything was over after one attack.
Unfortunately, the Kozak was ready to take another shot. Talaris was also ready to take another swing at full force.
"Wow, I didn't know you would really shoot it. I am Talaris Endorma. Wake the fuck up, you sons of bitches."
Talaris swiped her forehead.
The Twilight Magicians looked at her with grim expressions. They knew that she would block it, but they never thought that she would also get close to destroying the Kozak with a single swing.
"This is your last warning! Master of the Hidden Palace, if you do not heed by our order, we will kill all of your associates even if it destroys the Kollon Ruins."
"Hmph, you really don't want to say outright that you'll kill me, since that's impossible even with all your power."
"That's right. But deflecting our cannon while also protecting those behind you is impossible. We are merely humiliated, but you are failing to fulfill your request."
Talaris smiled.
Because she had nothing to say.
"Since we got this far, let's see who really is better: the Hidden Palace or the Zipfels? Syris! You guys do whatever you can to get that woman over there!"
She pointed towards the place where the natives were chanting their ritual.
They were about seven hundred steps from where Jin and Syris stood. It would have been an easy gap to close if it weren't for the remnants of aura and mana contaminating the land with stains hotter than lava.
If one didn't protect their body with aura, they would be instantly vaporized.
The Kozak began to ready its next attack with a more defined gold color. Talaris prepared an even stronger crescent slash in return.
'Even more shards will fall…'
While evading all of the 'lava' pools, they had to deflect more flying shards and get to the ritual's location.
'Since Murakan is helping the natives behind the cracked ice barrier, he can't help us. It's just me and Syris for this task.'
On top of that, one of the two had to carry Laosa.
Even if she was a prophet, her physical capabilities were equivalent to that of a normal human. Stepping on the ground would be impossible for her.
'What a sticky situation.'
For the first time in his life, the seven-hundred-pace distance seemed so far away.
'But if we fail, all of the fights until now will be rendered meaningless. And the oppression of the Kollon natives will continue.'
Syris sighed, and Jin met eyes with her.
"Lady Syris, please take the prophet and follow me. I will open up the path by myself."
"What? What do you mean? You're going to do a task—that's hard even for the both of us—by yourself? Your body isn't even in good shape."
"Which is why I'm doing it myself. Between the two of us, even if I die, you are more than capable of getting her to the natives."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course."
"I don't understand. Why go so far?"
"Aren't you and Madame Talaris doing a lot for us as well? To the point where one would find it difficult to understand?"
"That's different. My mother and I will evade death no matter what. We do care about the natives, but if we encounter the risk of death, we will disengage immediately."
Then, Jin smiled.
"Madame Talaris is incomparably stronger than I am. If she hadn't volunteered to come here, then I'd have already died, or would have faced consequences close to death."
"What the hell are you trying to say, Jin Runcandel?"
Syris was genuinely furious—eyes flaming as if it emitted fire. However, she didn't really know why she was so emotional.
"I am supposed to deal with this mess. Getting help from someone stronger and not even risking my own life is unacceptable."
Jin responded in a low, calm voice, and Syris's eyes shook.
Laosa then sat upright. She could only feel embarrassed.
'As the prophet of Kollon, what did I sacrifice to save my home?'
—Run away, Milady!
—If you die, then our connection with Kullam will be severed! Please escape to a place where we'll never find you!
—Lady, please leave before you lose any more of your divinity. We'll be fine.
The desperate voices that she heard when she escaped the Kollon Ruins with Pan echoed in her head.
It was true that her brethren told her to escape, but ultimately, she was the one who chose to leave.
And where she hid, she waited for someone strong—a savior—to show up at her front door.
She lifted her head and looked up at Jin.
"…So please, Lady Laosa, brace yourself. I am risking my life because Madame Talaris is offering her power. Please show us your resilience."
"Lord Jin, I…"
From seven hundred paces away, she could see the others showing their resilience.
The normal Kollon natives would continue their ritual even if their bodies broke and melted.
"Even if we die, we will get over there. Understood?"
Laosa bit her lower lip and nodded.
"Yes. Let's go!"
Syris carried Laosa on her back, and as soon as Jin lifted his feet to depart—
"Now! Fire!"
Kwaaaaaa…!
The Kozak released the essence of the gold mana sphere.
The Twilight Magicians intentionally waited for the three's movement. Their goal wasn't to threaten Talaris, but to kill her associates.
The Myriad Ice's crescent slash met the golden mana once more.
"Erk!"
As expected, more shards of energy flew throughout the ruins. The ear-ripping screech became sharper. Midor's ears started to bleed again.
One shard, another shard—each time a shard hit Jin, his two legs trembled.
However, he kept persisting.
'Six hundred seventy… Six hundred sixty-six… Six hundred… Five hundred…'
Gripping the sword, Jin already started to lose his stamina.
He only believed in one thing: the will to swing his sword with identical force three thousand times.
The will to take those seven hundred steps.
Seeing his strong will from behind, Syris felt her heart beat faster and faster as a knight.
Admiration.
"There's only fifty steps left! Jin, just a little longer—!"
Tumble!
"Damn it—Jin!"
The final shard that struck Bradamante was unexpectedly heavy. Losing his balance, Jin barely deflected the shrapnel, and Syris tried to pass on ahead.
"I will travel this distance myself."
"This is no different than a volcano. How will you walk? You can't even protect your body with aura!"
"Even if my feet melt on the ground, I will crawl to my destination. So please, keep Lord Jin safe. I beg you. He will die at this rate."
Laosa jumped off Syris.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, her sandals and skin began to melt.
Tssssss.
And one by one, she began to move her feet. She let out short breaths to endure the pain, and she progressed further and further.
—————