"Lord Patriarch!"
"Lord Patriarch… !"
All the knights of Hairan got down on one knee at once.
A mighty enemy that they could not handle was lurking in front of them, but they all bowed their heads to Ron with their backs turned.
In a situation that should never occur in a display of such despair, the knights couldn't help but express their faith and respect for his appearance.
Even Kelliark Zipfel would not be able to attack sword emperor castle recklessly if Ron was present. The knights barely suppressed their burning emotions.
Thud, thud...
As Ron stepped forward, the knights stood up and returned to their positions. Even without deliberately emitting energy, both allies and enemies could hear his footsteps like the beating of their own hearts.
Jin, standing next to him, gave a respectful nod, and Ron placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I owe you again, Paul Gray Mick."
Seeing Ron calling him by a pseudonym, Jin smiled. For some reason, he felt as if he had become very close to an unstoppable giant named Ron Hairan.
"I believe you will pay me back anytime, Sir Ron."
Don't die and make sure you live and repay me, Ron read the underlying meaning in Jin's words and chuckled.
"The leader of the Hairan sword saints, Ruyan."
Then he looked for Ruyan.
"Yes, lord patriarch!"
"Answer me. As acting commander-in-chief of the sword emperor castle, did you intend to accept Kelliark's terms?"
"Absolutely not."
Ruyan answered without hesitation.
He really had no intention of accepting Kelliark's terms. That would be betraying the Vemal Alliance that fought for Hairan, and humiliating Hairan.
The reason why sword emperor castle was shaken by Kelliark's words was only because of the fact that Zipfel knew how to bring back their young patriarch.
Ron nodded his head in satisfaction and replied:
"Good job. You held out great."
Ruyan seemed to choke on Ron's sincere evaluation of him.
It was because he thought he did nothing.
I didn't do anything against Kelliark Zipfel until you came, my lord, and that in the first battle, I had let the young patriarch get so wrecked. If it wasn't for Sir Jin, Hairan would have been doomed right away, and I was just filling the position....
Not only Ruyan, but all the knights of Hairan have the same thought. If they had been more competent, the Sword Emperor Castle might not have become such a mockery.
"Knights of Hairan, it is also my fault. So stop blaming yourselves and obey the orders of the belated Sword Emperor."
"… Please command anything, Lord Patriarch."
"The leader of the Dragon Knights, Calmine Aita."
"Yes, my lord."
Calmine replied, holding his sword with his left arm. He intuitively knew what command Ron would give.
"Immediately take the Dragon Knights, excluding the Sword Saints, along with all the knights gathered for Hairan, and leave the Sword Emperor Castle."
Calmine did not object to the orders.
It was because it was clear that he and knights below the sword saints would not be of any help in the battle that was about to take place from now on.
But even if the knights of Hairan aren't necessary for the current fight. They are the people who must be needed for 'reconstruction'.
When Ron was unconscious, the reason they didn't leave the castle even if it was dog death was because there was no future.
But now, they could think about the future. It was necessary to prepare for the future. They needed people who would welcome the Patriarch and the Young Patriarch when they returned.
"Calmine Aita, Leader of the Dragon Knights, I will heed your command."
Suppressing the strong desire to fight and die together, Calmine respectfully saluted Ron.
"Ron Hairan…"
By then, Kelliark had narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.
"I didn't expect you to wake up. I thought you had already gone to hell."
"I came back to see how well my siblings and sons are doing."
Kelliark's phoenix Beloit was showing fierce hostility from the moment Ron first appeared. Ron looked back and forth between Kelliark and Beloit and stroked his beard.
"You might also be able to go there soon. Unfortunately, your summoned phoenix, whose neck and wings were cut off by me, won't be able to go with you because of its immorality."
Whoa!
Suddenly, Beloit's two wings swelled up. It seemed to be trying to bind the Sword Emperor Castle with fire according to Kelliark's will.
In an instant, the two wings, which became as large as the battleship, wrapped around the sword emperor castle.
Even while wrapped around it, it spewed out fire without rest, and the wings that swelled seemed to melt the entire castle at any moment.
"Do you think I would allow your knights to escape?"
Ron slowly pulled Rashid from his waist.
Sureng...… The sound of Rashid's blade coming out of the scabbard was especially chilling in the dense fire that filled his vision.
The shining blade of Rashid cut through the air, creating a silent ripple.
Then, formless winds poured from the sword in all directions.
Countless streams of invisible sword winds slowly began to push back Beloit's fire.
Beloit let out a roar, spreading its spread wings, but Ron never lost his composure even as the clash of powers intensified.
At that moment, Kelliark was left with an ominous doubt.
'No way... Has Ron crossed the wall...!'
Genesis knight.
The domain of transcendence and absolute reserved only for Chiron. For a moment, Kelliark was able to glimpse the domain that Chiron had reached from Ron.
Although the hand holding Rashid was so pale that it was unimaginable that the owner was the sword emperor due to a long struggle with illness and unconsciousness.
His body was too thin to be covered even with clothes.
Now, the achievement of the Sword Emperor was displaying a light and majesty stronger than ever before. To the extent that even Kelliark Zipfel mistakenly thought that he was standing in the domain of Chiron!
'No, Ron has not yet... reached there.'
Perhaps if Kelliark hadn't experienced Chiron firsthand, he would have been convinced that Ron finally entered the domain of genesis knight.
If Chiron wouldn't have existed in the world then Kelliark would have fallen into fear and helplessness now.
Genesis knight was a domain that only Chiron has achieved, and Ron's current power has not reached that domain.
Even so, a shudder soared through his body as if thunder was raging, and he felt a chill as if a blade had already been driven into his back.
Not just Kelliark but everyone was in the same shock. The dragons and mages of the fleet, allies, Runcandel watching the situation from afar, and Talaris guarding Dante's seal.
In particular, the phoenix Beloit, who was competing directly with Ron, could not accept the fact that the enemy who cut off its wings had become so strong.
[Kahaaaaak-!]
In the end, the wings of Beloit, which wrapped around the castle, spread wide and tore apart.
Beloit let out a groaning roar, and the fire from the torn wings fell to the ground like hailstones.
The strongest phoenix summoned by the absolute mages, suffered the humiliation of having its wings ripped off by the same person once again.
Moreover, Ron had not swung his sword even once.
The main force of Zipfel couldn't believe the fact that this was the result of Ron drawing out his sword and revealing his energy ,even after seeing it with their own eyes.
Beloit flinched and unfolded its smaller wings, frantically revealing the resentment, and Kelliark felt a single invisible sword wind brush past his neck.
"...You've become stronger, Ron Hairan."
"I haven't just been idly lying around."
"Is it the power of the white stone?"
"It is the power of Hairan who is breaking it."
Jin paid attention to Ron's meaningful words.
-This is a seal that comes from rejecting chaos. Your friend, Ron's grandson, is fighting chaos within himself right now. So there is no reason for me to fulfill my mission yet.
Dante's inner war against chaos began after he took possession of Ron's white stone by following the white stone's voice.
Of course, it was Ron Hairan who had been fighting the chaos of the white stone until then.
Ron achieved a new domain through that fierce and terrible long fight.
It is the power of Hairan that is 'breaking it'.
The meaning behind those words was nothing else.
'The chaos of the White Stone couldn't defeat Sir Ron and tempted Dante. Or perhaps, it was lost to Sir Ron and transferred to Dante.'
Maybe, there was an expectation that Dante could win the fight against the white stone like Ron. The expectation that a friend would be able to shake it off and come back.
"If I lose the fight against you in the end, my knights who retreated will eventually die. So why don't you try to beat me somehow and just let my knights go? I think it will look better that way when historians later record this fight."
Kelliark showed no particular reaction to Ron's provocation.
"Record of history… You're talking about something interesting. It will be recorded according to the will of the victor anyway. If that's how you want to fight, I won't interfere."
"Today is the first time we can actually communicate since we met."
Kelliark shook Hroti, erasing the seal of fire in the air.
"Knights!"
Ron turned around and looked at the knights of Hairan who were still facing him and shouted. A loud voice shook the sky.
Then, the knights collectively saluted and bit their lips to hold back tears.
"I, Ron Hairan, the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle."
Ron also slowly saluted the knights.
It wasn't just to respond to the subordinates as the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, but a genuine expression of gratitude and respect for those who had not betrayed Hairan and still raised him as a late sinner, lowering himself even more.
"I express my sincere gratitude and respect to all of you who are leaving Hairan for the sake of Hairan."
Enduring more pain than having their bones cut and their skin peeling off, every knight in Hairan was able to hold back tears.
They could endure it now because if they cried, it felt like this might truly be the end.
When Calmine lowered his sword, the knights followed suit, and Ron continued to maintain the salute.
"... Hairan! Everyone follows the dragon knights...… we are going to retreat."
It is only after all the knights retreated under Calmine command, and their backs passed through the collapsed cliff beyond the back gate and disappeared into an unseen place.
Ron released the salute and looked back at the battlefield, now filled with enemies.