Kieeeek-!
A scream resounded throughout the battlefield. In 1795, Jin heard the same sound when Andrei Zipfel was cornered and took out the Demon God's orb.
However, this time was different. The current Demon God's orb was in a state of completion incomparable to back then.
'Did Kelliark start using the Demon God's orb in earnest...…!'
As soon as the 2nd battle started, Jin and his companions were able to find out that Kelliark had brought the Demon God's orb. Cuicantelle was terrified, and Zipfel's dragons seemed to have seizures even with safety devices around their necks.
Even so, when they felt the power of the Demon God's orb being released, goosebumps ran down their back.
"That must be the power hidden specifically to deal with Runcandel. It seems that your patriarch has finally decided that he cannot deal with Sir Ron without it."
Jin replied calmly, but he had no choice but to assume that the situation could turn around in both sky and ground battlefields.
As soon as the Demon God's orb was opened, Octavia's recovery accelerated. It reminded Jin about a conversation he had with Sandra Zipfel on the Gaifa Islands.
-Shall we get married? There are talks that you would marry the lady of the hidden palace. How about me?
-If you tell me the secret of your regeneration, I'll consider it.
-Really? It's not a very difficult condition. Do you know about Demon God's orb? With it, we can mimic divine powers of some gods…l
'High-speed regeneration by Demon God's orb….'
The embers of the flame that remained in Octavia's severed right hand was fading. Instead, black smoke rose and formed a new hand.
Jin witnessed the same high-speed regeneration in 1795 when he fought Andrei and Vyuretta. Black bones were formed, and murky and grotesque flesh emerged.
It wasn't just Octavia that was recovering like that.
The Spectres who were injured also began to regain their strength with the high-speed regeneration...… Even the already dead Spectres' body were raising unpleasantly.
Soon, Octavia rejoined the broken staff with light magic, meeting eyes with Jin. Black blood was still flowing from her left eye.
"Yes. Both Ron Hairan and you shocked us too much."
"Why didn't your eye recover?"
"It's not to forget today."
"You won't be able to forget it anyway, but you're doing all sorts of useless things."
Jin spoke calmly, but it was difficult to swallow his regret. The chance to kill Octavia was now gone.
If that was all, he would have accepted this bitter situation somehow, but the problem was that unlike him, most of his allies were injured or exhausted.
They were in desperate need of Runcandel, or Talaris participation.
"… My Lord."
Valkas stood next to Jin and said.
"It is time to retreat," Valkas spoke in a low and solemn voice.
He was recalling the conversation he had with Kashmir before the second battle.
-... I have a feeling that this war may decide the fate of the world, not just the fate of the Sword Emperor castle.
- So am I.
-Even if Sir Dante wakes up and all of us escape the sword emperor castle, it will only put the situation on hold after all. All-out war or negotiations. One of the two is bound to happen. Unless the white stone is destroyed.
-We just need to focus on supporting the lord in any situation. The lord will not give up on his friend, but if the lord is in danger of falling because of that...… We must make sure that the lord does not fall even if we have to trample on his feelings.
Valkas felt that now was the time.
If he didn't back down now, it seemed that death would be the only future that Jin and Vamel alliance could face, as well as the Sword saints.
Of course to Valkas, Jin's survival was more important compared to Dante's life. Everyone in the Vamel alliance felt the same.
In particular, they couldn't let Jin die in such a hopeless fight. They don't know about the situation if the Demon God's orb hadn't healed Octavia and the Spectres, but there really was no answer right now.
Regrettable as it was, Valkas, too, was pushed to the edge of madness, but all the more reason to accept reality calmly.
"My lord... you have done enough."
He tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his jaw seemed to strain as his teeth gritted.
Jin knew better than anyone else that Valkas was right.
In the end, Jin made his decision.
"I will retreat."
Of course, Jin had no intention of giving up on Dante.
Continuing to fight will only lead to the death of not only himself but also those who follow him.
The name 'Jin Runcandel' and the influence he held were no longer solely personal. The lives of numerous companions depended on him.
Abandoning them for the sake of a friend who might have already crossed the river would be nothing short of betrayal. It was an unacceptable choice as their lord and companion.
"But... I'll have to take a look inside the castle."
If there was really no hope even after retreating to the castle where Dante was located, if there was no way to save him, then he would unconditionally retreat. Jin was saying that.
"My lord, retreating from the castle might become more difficult."
"No, I have to go to the castle to increase everyone's chances of survival. My clan won't be able to observe inside the castle, so they will definitely send someone."
In fact, Rosa had already given the order to Stam, the leader of the Black Knights, to save Jin.
The people of Runcandel might not care about anyone's life other than Jin's, but if they fought Octavia, it would inevitably make the group's escape easier.
Another titan who was still maintaining neutrality, the master of hidden palace Talaris Endorma, might also be inside the castle.
Above all.
Jin was recalling an old memory. The day his first sister, Luna Runcandel, cut down Demon God's orb. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that Ron could not cut.
Runcandel, Talaris and Ron. Among the three, Runcandel's intervention was definitive, so there was no reason not to check the inside castle, and Valkas agreed.
By then, Octavia had completed her recovery. The light magic and chain magic were flying towards the group once again.
Boom-!
Valkas stepped forward and slashed the beam that fell on Jin.
"I will protect the rear with the sword saints. My Lord, please head to the inside of the castle as quickly as possible with the rest of the group."
* * *
The eyes were empty, and a grotesquely twisted black face took the place of the sky.
It was a face protruding from the Demon God's orb. Kiek, Kiek-! It was screaming incessantly, as if it was in great agony to expose its face to the world.
Maybe it wasn't a scream, but a threatening roar towards the enemies, or maybe it was just a senseless, meaningless scream.
One thing was clear; the eerie and terrifying voice overwhelmed everyone in the Sword Emperor castle. felt his entire body becoming heavy as he stared directly at the face of Demon god's orb.
He had never seen anything more terrible than this in his life. It wasn't just a feeling that came from the hideous shape, but an inexplicably deep and dark energy that colored the battlefield.
'Zipfel made something like that… Are you saying that's created by humans?'
Until now, he had faced Kelliark and Zipfel's fleet alone and had not wavered an inch.
But not now.
I can't....
It seemed impossible to tell. It seemed that if there was someone in the world who could cut that, it had to be Chiron, not him.
Ron was 'certain' that no one else would be able to cut it if it wasn't him. He was certain that Chiron could because Ron was a martial artist closest to the domain of genesis knight.
'Dante, my grandson.'
Dante's face came to his mind.
The thought that he might not be able to protect his grandson, and if that were to happen, what he could do for his grandson.
There was only one thing.
'If I can't protect you, I will make sure that you can return alive.'
Ron held Rashid.
He gathered his emotions and his willpower to push away the certainty of defeat. If he fights without pushing away that conviction, nothing will change.
Shortly after, Ron was able to face the Demon God's orb again with the same eyes as usual.
"Ron Hairan. I never thought I would use this power against you."
Kelliark said as he floated in front of the Demon God's orb face.
He looked completely different from before. He looked like a young boy, not a gray-haired old man.
And Ron intuitively knew that it was a phenomenon caused by the assimilation of Kelliark and the Demon God's orb.
"It's a sign of respect."
"How can a monster show respect to a human, Kelliark Zipfel. You are no longer the human I used to know. The fact that I once competed with you on a human-to-human basis is disgusting."
Kelliark smiled bitterly at those words.
"I understand."
Hroti was dyed black. It was a dark and deep black color that would not be unreasonable even if it was stained with shadow force.
"The only consideration I can offer you is to make it easy for you to rest."
A black flash of light extended from Hroti. The black flash has no sound or presence. Like a shadow sword that has reached its peak.
At the same time, Ron also swung Rashid.
However, Ron didn't perceive it as happening 'at the same time.' He felt that his reaction was delayed by a second, even less than a moment.
The black flash broke through the huge formless sword that spread between them so easily and reached Ron.
Thanks to the formless sword slowing down the progress even a little bit, Ron was able to overcome the time difference and completely cut off the black flash.
Swoosh-!
The moment Rashid and the black flash collided, a strange sound was heard.
And Ron, who was confident that he had deflected it, suddenly felt the black flash brushing past his cheek.
Something that should never have happened at his level.
Keyaaa, Kieeek!
The Demon God's orb scream sounded like it was laughing at Ron.
Ron wiped the blood trickling down his cheek with a stern expression. Above his palm ash-colored patterns were emerging like runes.
He opened the sword of the overlord.