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Of course, it could have been a coincidence. After all, they had only exchanged a few blows. There was no concrete evidence that he was the Black Knight.
'But it's too similar to the unique sense of danger that I always felt while facing the Black Knights…'
Jin pushed his sword forward once more to confirm it.
Bradamante's black blade thrust between the swords of the two attackers, and Dante took advantage of that opening to strike at the rear of the other attacker.
The attacker who had seemed like the Black Knight swung his sword in full circle and blocked the both attacks simultaneously, while the remaining attacker turned around and aimed for Dante's neck.
Since Dante was already exhausted and with their original goal in mind, he intended to deal with Dante first.
"Ugh!"
Dante stepped back while dispersing his sword aura. Dante's aura shone brightly even though he seemed to be bleeding heavily.
Although they hadn't fought together often, Jin and Dante moved as if they had practiced for a long time and fluidly read each other's swordplay.
It was natural for the tide of the battle to change, and the attackers had to acknowledge that their plan was falling apart.
Clang!
Jin cleaved through the attackers' swords and took his position beside Dante.
Jin noticed that Dante's grip on his sword was trembling when he glanced down .
It wasn't out of fear. It was out of anger. The numerous bodies lying around them were either the people Dante had tried to save or the ones who had tried to save him.
-Dante!
-Yes, Grandfather!
-It is impossible to gather all knights in place. These bastards have already spread outside as well.
-Outside too...!
-As the future lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, take responsibility and evacuate the guests.
Ron had given Dante that order when the attack began. However, Dante wasn't just failing to carry out that command; he had driven more people to death.
Jin could clearly see Dante's troubled state of mind.
"Dante, you need to regain your composure."
Jin has no word of comfort to offer. And comforting him wouldn't solve the problem at hand.
"...I know. Thanks to you, I have come to my senses a little."
The trembling in the hand that held the sword ceased.
The dark and sunken eyes that didn't quite match Dante, glared at the attackers.
However, it was almost unbelievable that someone with such dark eyes could emanate the brilliant aura that now surrounded Dante's blade.
'I will buy you some time.'
Jin understood Dante's intention without any word.
The Overlord Sword. Hairan's Swordsmanship that was handed down only to the most worthy.
Dante was about to use a secret technique
The attackers who recognized this sword began to brandish their own swords once again. Jin intercepted their attacks to ensure Dante could raise his aura safely.
Jin could easily manage one opponent, but the Black Knight-level attacker wielded a formidable sword.
Each of his strikes carried a power equivalent to that of a high-rank warrior.
Even an ordinary vertical slash that appears to have been swung casually carried the weight of a mountain.
It was perfectly refined swordsmanship with no impurities like solid pure gold.
Those who could wield such a sword were truly rare. Jin once again remembered the name "Black Knight."
Slash!
The attacker's sword grazed Jin's nose. Jin's posture collapsed and black knight-level attacker swung his sword in that opening, and Jin would have been decapitated if he hadn't reacted in time.
Three blades were sparkling like fire. The sweat and drops of blood evaporated into thin air the moment they left their bodies due to the heat emanating from the swords.
'It is a tough situation, damn it."
At first glance, it seemed like the battle was turning in their favor.
But that was only because the Black Knight-level attacker hadn't fully used his power yet.
He had been strangely conserving his strength since Jin appeared, but it was unclear whether he was doing this out of caution or for some other reason.
In the meantime, he needed to reduce their numbers.
'I don't know why he's not using his full power, but I have to at least deal with the weaker one.'
Whooosh...!
Shadow force gathered near Jin. Instantly, coffin-like shadow force curtains appeared all around, and Jin went back and forth between them while firing his sword energy.
He didn't forget to protect Dante in the midst of all this.
About ten seconds were needed for Dante to fully execute the Overlord Sword.
It wouldn't have taken up so much time if his body were in better condition, but it was inevitable due to severe bleeding.
Considering Dante's chronic issue with "stamina," using the secret technique itself was already a monumental feat.
Ssshk-!
The black sword energy shot out from within the curtain and sliced through the arm of one of the attackers.
It was the arm holding the sword. Just as the attacker flinched and tried to retrieve his sword, Bradamante charged at its throat.
Kaang!
Once again, the Black Knight-level attacker managed to push Bradamante away.
'That's annoying...!'
However, at that very moment, Dante's secret technique was complete. It was much faster than what Jin and the attackers had anticipated, and Dante's blade was already heading towards the attackers.
A brilliant light filled the entire main hall like a flash cannon.
And the sound came after a flash of light. The unique sharp noise of a blade cutting through the air amplified so much that it rang in their ears.
"Have you underestimated Hairan...?!"
The blade appeared from the brilliance.
It wasn't just one sword. Pure white blades were pouring out from various points of brilliance that filled the main hall.
Overlord Sword; Secret Technique
Sun
The name of sword technique that Dante used.
Just like its name, the brilliance of the aura that filled the main hall resembled the sun. Even the shadow force curtain that Jin had set up was completely shrouded by the brilliance of this aura.
There were hundreds of swords.
The Black Knight-level attacker managed to block Jin's sword, but he couldn't stop all the blades of the Sun.
One sword pierced deep into the back of the attacker whose arm had been severed.
The attacker trembled and tried to evade, but he was helpless against the blades flying from all directions.
Before he could even scream, the new blades were stabbing his abdomen, chest, neck, and head.
Soon, the attacker vanished completely within the brilliance of the Sun. His flesh, bones, and even his blood turned to ash in the heat of the aura.
'You've become stronger, Dante.'
Hairan was the world's second strongest sword clan after Runcandel, and Dante was its next patriarch. And he showed power befitting that position.
Now, only Black Knight-level attacker remained.
The Sun's swords continued to pour in on him.
However, unlike the attackers that had died earlier, the Black Knight-level attacker displayed incredible strength and parried every single one of the hundreds of blades with unwavering resolve.
Only his robe was being torn apart and it seemed that Dante's sword wouldn't be able to directly harm him even after a few more seconds had passed.
'He is already exhausted, so he won't be able to use its full power as originally intended,' Jin thought.
Even if the opponent was a Black Knight-level attacker, it was impossible for Dante's secret technique to cause even the slightest injury.
Dante came out of the radiance of the Sun.
He was frustrated that he couldn't kill the attacker despite unleashing the Sun. However, his eyes remained determined and resolute.
Huff, huff...
Jin felt Dante's heavy breathing beside him. It had become even rougher than when Jin had first arrived. Jin sensed that Dante had reached his limits.
The Black Knight-level attacker was in a similar state. He also clearly recognized that it would be close to a miracle for Dante to fight any longer.
"You could die if you use more power, next patriarch of Hairan."
The Black Knight-level attacker spoke for the first time.
His voice was somehow muffled and altered. However, even if it were the attacker's true voice, it would have been meaningless to Jin because there were only a few Black Knights he would recognize by their voices.
'As expected, they are not trying to kill Dante.'
If their sole objective was the destruction of Hairan, it would have been best to kill Dante.
There were numerous opportunities to kill Dante already. Despite the overwhelming power of the Black Knight-level attacker, he fought with the intention of capturing Dante alive.
"Those ignorant of honor don't have to worry about my life."
The Black Knight-level attacker then shook his head.
"It seems difficult for you to even stand. But if the backflow begins, you will have to live with a disability for the rest of your life. Are you still okay with that?"
The attacker's words were accurate.
Even the best healers of Hairan won't be able to heal Dante right away.
Either he would become a cripple, lose his aura, or die. When the backflow began, these were the only three possibilities Dante could face.
'And in those cases, his value as a hostage will plummet. It's probably the situation the attackers would like to avoid the most.'
The attacker's objective was to kidnap Dante. Kinzelo would likely use Dante for negotiations with Hairan or other clans in the future.
If Dante were not in good condition at that time, it could cause problems. However, Dante was not the type to retreat or make a humiliating choice under any circumstances. That is Dante Hairan.
Dante wouldn't step back or compromise his beliefs, even if it meant begging for his life. His determination and commitment to his principles were unwavering, and there was no way he would choose a more efficient path.
'He is a cool and nice guy, though.'
Jin couldn't just stand by and watch his friend become a cripple or die.
"Your concerns are unnecessary…!"
Pang!
Jin hit Dante in the back of his neck with the palm.
"Cough, kek!"
Dante coughed up blood and staggered forward, but he didn't complain or express anger at Jin's actions.
What Jin did was a last-ditch effort, a risky move that might have killed Dante if he had used just a bit more force.
But there was no other way to stop his stubborn friend.
Both Veradin and Dante are the same in that regard. Jin often resorted to this method of knocking them out.
Dante, who had fallen to the ground, stopped moving. Jin immediately checked his pulse and monitored for any signs of backflow and fortunately found that Dante had merely lost consciousness.
"Phew."
Jin heaved a sigh of relief. The strike he had just delivered could have triggered a backflow if it had been a bit less precise.
It was a gamble on Jin's part.
The brilliance of the Sun that had filled the main hall began to fade.
There was a moment of silence between Jin and the Black Knight-level attacker.
"No matter how I think about it, you seem like a Black Knight of Runcandel," Jin said, aiming Bradamante toward the attacker.
"If you're a Black Knight, I recommend you just leave. Trying to take down Hairan and lose the favor of the next Patriarch of your own clan doesn't seem like a smart move, does it?"
Flick!
Bradamante glowed with blue flames of Tess as Jin released his shadow force.