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Ron's back heaved with rapid breaths. Shaking legs, a more haggard body than before, and the thick gray patterns of the sword of overlord showed how dire his condition had become.
"Sir Ron!"
Ron didn't look back and swung Rashid again to spread the sword wind. Gray blades slowed down the falling swords and spears of Glyek.
Ron wasn't the only one standing in Glyek's way to protect Jin.
Ruyan, Acquita Hairan, Errol Lyman, Bell Artemiro, and Franz.
The Five Sword saints of Hairan also stood beside Ron, aiming their swords at Glyek.
They also exploded all the remaining energy when the storm of chaos raged and helped Ron to reach Jin.
The sword saints standing next to Ron were motionless. After clearing the path for Ron, they faced death while standing up.
That was the true end of the Sword saints.
'The Sword saints…!'
Phsssss....
Jin didn't know how they were able to fight until this happened. The bodies of the Sword Saints turned into ashes and scattered.
It felt like his heart was sliced by a blade. The prolonged battle seemed like a farewell, but the Sword Saints had dedicated everything to Hairan and those who fought for it until the very end.
As the Sword Saints vanished into the wind, Ron alone became the figure guarding the forefront.
Everyone was looking at Ron's back. Because of that, no one knew what expression he made.
Tears, sweat, and blood flowed through the deep wrinkles around his eyes, and sobs escaped like wind from his empty mouth as he tried to suppress his sadness.
The sword emperor castle was destroyed without a trace, and his grandson, more precious than anything and irreplaceable, had been devoured by that monster.
Finished.
Almost everything that Ron Hairan had guarded and loved all his life was gone far out of reach. To a place where he will never see or touch again.
And as always.
Despair didn't give humans time to mourn. Glyek was waving his hundreds of arms in all directions as if he didn't care about Ron's grief. Most of them headed towards Jin.
Kaaa, ah...!
Ron's hoarse voice, roaring in agony, resembled Dante's voice, who was born with weakness and roughened by despair.
Revenge was out of reach. He was exhausted, and the newly emerged enemy was too colossal.
Ron couldn't ignore Glyek and put on a final fight against Zipfel and the traitors.
Yet, the only reason he stood here again and fought without giving up was one.
If it ended like this, he wouldn't be able to see his grandson's face even in death. Still, there were still things to protect, and his grandson's friend who fought for him.
He had to send him off alive and had to be given a chance to live as an adult. Even if he couldn't repay the favor, he couldn't just let him die in this desolate land.
Rashid's gray radiance deepened.
Ron alone had deflected more than 70% of Glyek's blades falling on Jin. The rest were blocked by Stam, the Black Knights, and Jin himself.
'He still has that kind of power, even now...!'
Kelliark Zipfel, watching Ron leap around like a wild beast from a distance, fell into shock once again.
It should end but it didn't, he should die but he didn't, he should stop but he didn't.
Ron fighting against Glyek was obviously an advantage for Kelliark now, but the members of the Zipfel clan continued to be demoralized by the Knights of Hairan. Both Kelliark and Octavia felt unknown anxiety from Ron and the Sword saints.
Even after using the Demon God's orb, he could not easily move to the ground. He was still far superior in terms of pure strength, but it was meaningless.
Although Ron was a little closer to Glyek, Kelliark knew that even if it were him in that position, he wouldn't have reached the ground faster than Ron did.
Also, if he were Ron, Kelliark would have somehow continued to fight Zipfel instead of running into Glyek to save Jin. Even if that meant taking a shortcut to mutual destruction.
The trust and loyalty were everything between Hairan and Jin, unlike Zipfel, which had the goal of completing the Demon God's orb.
Even if he had made the choice to save Jin, it would have been to negotiate with Zipfel later, not for trust.
'Anyway, thanks to his naivety, I'll be able to relax for now. Please hold on, until we and Runcandel can properly join.'
Kelliark glared at the ground, forming the Annihilating Dark Sky Flame Orb, Demon empress second version. His pure flame, not mixed with the power of the Demon God's orb, was clearing away the chaos.
Rosa, Runcandel, and even Octavia and the Spectre Corps were on their way to save Jin from the ground behind them. Rosa did not order an attack even when she saw the defenseless backs of Octavia and the Spectres in the distance.
It was time to join forces.
'Even if Sir Ron is blocking it, it's only a matter of time before all my companions die if we stay like this.'
Since the attacks were continuously focused on Jin from the beginning, he had to leave for the safety of his companions.
But changing locations was a gamble. There was no guarantee that Glyek would completely neglect that side if Jin left this position.
'It's better than staying still.'
Instead, Jin tried to test it once before moving. He deliberately decided to further strengthen Bradamante's shadow force and observe Glyek's reaction.
[Sol... deret...…!]
Glyek reacted as soon as Jin's shadow force amplified, and he attacked more ferociously.
"Murakan!"
"Yes!"
"I'll divert that monster's attention. You, and Tess, protect everyone. Until Madame Talaris recovers!"
"Damn it, I got it!"
As Jin started to run with all his might, Ron and the Black Knights followed suit.
Fortunately, Glyek immediately shifted his attention. All of the swords and spears of chaos were being moved to Jin's direction.
"Good work, Jin. I lost my emotion and did not think of your companions."
Jin felt a hot sensation choking his throat at Ron's words.
"Sir Ron, please don't say such things. More importantly, your body..."
"I won't die until I save you. I will endure it tenaciously until that monster gets sick of it and gives up."
Clang! Boom!
The seven swords of the knights clashed nonstop with Glyek's weapons. Just like in the beginning of the 2nd battle, Ron's sword energy was assisting everyone, and it seemed like they could hold on until reinforcements arrived.
However, that feeling was short-lived.
[Do you dare... to mock me, Solderet!]
Since Glyek woke up in an incomplete state, he seemed to recognize Jin as the Solderet itself, not as a contractor.
"Ugh!"
At the same time, Ron, who had received swords, bent forward and vomited black blood.
Jin, Stam, and the Black Knights quickly covered his opening, but the balance was disrupted.
Glyek's means of attack were not limited to hundreds of swords and spears. As soon as Ron lost his balance for an instant, a tremendous force of attraction was suddenly generated from Glyek.
Naturally, Glyek was trying to pull Jin toward him with the power of chaos.
Stam exploded his energy and created a counterforce, but he couldn't stop Jin from being dragged into the air.
Following Glyek's gaze, Jin rose into the air. Tess, who confirmed it belatedly, let out a breath.
If the power of heavy pressure contained in the blue flames had not suppressed Glyek's pull, Jin would have been dragged right into Glyek's eyes. Fortunately, he stopped midway, and Jin met eyes with Glyek.
Glyek's trembling eyes were like an endless abyss. While it seemed like he could be sucked in just by looking at them, Jin focused his mind and gripped the sword.
Dante.
The monster that swallowed his friend. Fear of overwhelming power that dominated even the strongest of the century was overshadowed by a deeper, darker hatred.
[Now, I see.]
Grin.
Glyek's mouth split like a crescent moon.
[Solderet, you bastard, it seems you also lost …your power.]
"You damn monster, what did you do to Dante?"
[Great, it was… a human being… Somehow it seems, you are the contractor of Solderet.]
"What... ?"
[If I couldn't imitate your voice, it would have been more troublesome...….]
As if he had been hit in the head by something, his backbone tightened and a sharp tinnitus rang out.
Jin knew it intuitively without having to listen to detailed explanations. Dante was fighting with Glyek in the seal of chaos and was deceived by his voice in a certain situation.
"... So, what happened to Dante? Is he still within that seal?"
Jin asked in a barely calm voice.
[You keep…. asking useless…. questions, Solderet. It's strange, you should know the best.]
"I do not know."
[Disappeared.]
Jin's eyes widened.
[He has disappeared.]
"What a load of crap."
[Yes..., now it's your turn.]
"Tess!"
Just as Glyek was about to move, Jin shouted Tess' name and replied with his intention. It means to lift the heavy pressure.
'I need to create an opening for Sir Ron to attack.'
Having Ron jump in to rescue him was only another loss in the battle.
'Even if I go deeper, Tess can pull me out at least once. I've only been defending the whole time, so I have to make an attack at least once.'
As the pressure subsided like a snapped rope, Jin's body soared back toward Glyek. Hundreds of huge blades formed a black forest.
It felt like it would cut off limbs even if he brushed against it. Jin twisted his body around and reached Glyek's eyes, and thrust his sword into it.
Thunk...…!
However, Jin noticed that even though he stabbed Glyek's eyes directly, he didn't get hit.
"Kaak!"
Rather, it was Jin who was hit. As soon as he stabbed his eye, one of Glyek's swords slashed across Jin's chest.
The shadow force armor didn't break, but all the bones of his body were shaking as if they were going to break.
Glyek tried to attack Jin again as he fell, but Ron already dug into his arms and swung his sword, as Jin wished.
And the moment he fell on the floor and Jin vomited blood.
He couldn't help but look back at the moment when Glyek's sword struck him.
'I felt the sword before it touched my body, so it definitely has the power to break the shadow force armor.'
Just before slashing Jin, someone or something seemed to pull back Glyek's sword, stopping the attack.
'No way.'
Thump, thump, thump!
Jin's heart pounded like crazy. It was because he thought it might be Dante who made Glyek hesitate at that moment.