[T.L: punisher87]
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Hee, hee...!
As the Demon's God's Orb activated, a massive flame spread across the entire battlefield, accompanied by an ominous resonance.
The knights who rushed forward like a swarm were swept up in the flames, forming a river of burning corpses.
With a dry expression on his face, Veradin incinerated the enemies as if they were mere trash.
'In the end, even my friend has resorted to using this ominous power... Moreover, that appearance isn't that similar to Kelliark Zipfel!'
Dante pushed down the bitter feeling welling up in his chest and broke through the enemy lines.
He couldn't accept the transformed appearance of Veradin.
The Demon's God's Orb, evil god, and other terrifying powers beyond reason and common sense were destroying the clans, the land, and friends. They were pushing them into death.
'Jin, are you alright...!'
Dante swung his sword fiercely, as if venting his anger.
The sight of the chaos knights dispersing in all directions like a swarm continued without respite.
Among the three vanguards, Kadun and Bale were slightly slower in their breakthrough due to evading the main cannons and magic of allies while flying, but Dante was cutting through the enemy lines without any hindrance.
The pure white radiance on Rashid seemed like a halo.
What first made Dante falter was Lionel's sword.
Swoosh! Clang!
Dante blocked the straight thrust, causing a large arc to form on the ground.
The sensation of his lower body and waist stiffening made Dante open his eyes wide.
[It seems like you're filled with rage, young Sword Emperor.]
Lionel's aura, having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, left a trace and inflicted shallow wounds all over Dante's body.
"Aren't you angry? Seeing the fallen state of the clan you once led."
Lionel smirked and shifted his gaze to Rashid.
[Depravity to become stronger is merely another name for struggle. The matriarch or the 12th flagbearer, which side is correct will be perfectly proven once this war is over.]
Hiss!
This time, a blade of invisible energy grazed Lionel's cheek.
[An invisible sword... Interesting. Is this the sword your grandfather first mastered? I can't understand what this era has become. How many absolute rulers were there in my time? Now, it's such a shining era!]
Lionel burst into laughter, genuinely enjoying himself, like a madman.
The clash of their swords scattered his laughter.
However, Dante couldn't fully concentrate on the battle.
The reasons for the separation between Jin and the allied forces, Veradin's deteriorated state, the ever-increasing chaos army despite the thousands already dead, and Dante's difficulty in controlling his emotions at this moment, all these elements combined to create an indescribable sense of discomfort.
'Is it because I'm worried about Jin? Or is it because there are too many enemies? I need to focus, why suddenly…'
Until just now, Dante had pierced through the enemy lines driven by intense hatred, but now even with a formidable adversary right in front of him, his thoughts were scattered.
Since reaching the pinnacle, or even before that, Dante had never experienced such a state of mental turmoil.
Especially during a crucial moment like this.
Lionel didn't miss that fact.
[To be thinking about something else in front of me, that's a first. Are you alright, young Sword Emperor? Unlike me, you only have one life!]
Swoosh! Thud!
Dante blocked Lionel's horizontal strike, but was pushed back several dozen steps to the left and rolled on the ground.
His delayed reaction caused his stance to crumble.
And it wasn't just Dante who fell near that spot.
Another vanguard, a former matriarch from a different division who had started a battle with Bale moments ago, was pinned beside Dante.
She immediately got up, swung her dual swords towards Bale, who was about to charge again, and Dante adjusted his posture to evade Lionel's follow-up attack.
[Hey, Dante! Why are you being pushed around by some random guy? Fight properly, will you? Why do your eyes look so vacant?]
Even Bale, who spoke like that, seemed to have no spare capacity to assist Dante at the moment.
Once again, Dante's gaze was stolen by the former matriarch from the other side, whom Bale was fighting against.
[What's with the chains on their face?]
That former matriarch also had chains wrapped around her face, a clear sign that she resisted Rosa. However, the allied forces on this side were still unaware of this fact.
The reason Bale couldn't easily overpower his opponent was because it was Rosa who controlled her.
Bale was more accustomed to battles where he subdued his opponents with pure destructive force rather than the finesse of swordsmanship, so the matchup wasn't favorable.
However, Dante found himself shouting at Bale without even realizing it.
"Sir Bale, before you kill that person, remove the chains on her face!"
He didn't know the reason.
Somehow, Dante had a strong intuition that if Bale severed the chains on that former matriarch's face, it would alleviate the oppressive feeling weighing him down, like a dormant burden.
[What did you say? Why the chains? And more importantly, who are you to give me orders?]
"Please, just do it! It's not an order, it's a request."
[It's noisy. I'll just kill her.]
Continuing, Dante also glanced at the former patriarch at Kadun's side. He had no chains on his face.
Once again, Bale turned towards the former matriarch bound by chains and moved to the left side of the battlefield, while Dante parried Lionel's relentless sword strikes and headed towards the center of the battlefield.
[Oh, is it because you couldn't concentrate due to the effect of the chains? I'm curious about how you discovered it.]
Instead of answering, Dante scattered his invisible sword techniques.
His senses were dulled compared to usual, and he led a clumsy battle to buy time and regain his composure.
[It's obvious what you're trying to do. Besides, something like that doesn't suit your straightforward sword.]
Lionel's words exploded with chaos as he dissipated the invisible swords that filled the air.
Dante found himself in a position where he had to pursue Lionel's movements.
Moreover, due to Lionel's mention of the "effect of the chains," Dante's attention was even more drawn to that direction.
While being overwhelmed by the enemy, Dante had reached the point where he couldn't help but constantly look towards Bale.
Certainly, it seemed that witnessing the chains being severed would pierce his heart and allow him to fight properly.
[Sword Emperor, why have you been acting like this since earlier... It seems you have fallen into madness.]
As Lionel said, Dante's current state was no different from being immersed in madness.
In a situation where a single moment of carelessness could cost him his life, he couldn't focus on the center.
The residual wounds on Dante's body grew deeper.
However, Dante was still more conscious of the chains on the former matriarch from the other side who was still battling Bale than Lionel's sword.
Even Veradin, who was wreaking havoc in the sky and unleashing magic across the entire battlefield, couldn't understand Dante's behavior as he looked down upon him.
'Dante Hairan, what are you up to? The enemy is right in front of you.'
'Please, sever them... quickly!'
Clang!
In a moment of intense longing, Bale severed the chains on the former matriarch.
Just like Alpen, a strong and clear face untainted by chaos was revealed.
As soon as the chains were severed, she sheathed her sword, and her gaze met Bale's.
[I, Tasha Runcandel, the descendant who committed sins due to weakness, express my gratitude, Sir Bale. I am the 21st matriarch of the Runcandel Clan, Tasha Runcandel... thanks to my ancestors releasing me from bondage, I can finally wield the sword not as an evil god, but by my own will.]
Tasha Runcandel.
She was Alpen's daughter and the 21st matriarch of the Runcandel clan. Like her father, she refused to succumb to the powers of evil god.
Bale looked at Tasha in astonishment.
She had a face that closely resembled Sarah's.
[Uh... Y-yes. So, those chains were a form of restraint?]
[Yes, Ancestor. I apologize for my disrespectful behavior under the control of the evil god. Furthermore, may I have permission to fight alongside the 12th flagbearer of the current Runcandel?]
While bound by the power of the evil god, Tasha had been able to assess the current situation through Rosa's inner self.
[Well, I don't have the authority to grant that... But I'm sure that guy would be eager to welcome you with both hands.]
[I understand it as an honor.]
In a chilling manner, determination and fierce resolve were mixed in Tasha's eyes.
Those eyes were not directed towards a temporary alliance but towards the army of chaos.
Ah!
In that moment, Dante finally realized what had been dragging him into madness all this time.
'You can come back...! Veradin! Just like that, you can return!'
Just as Tasha Runcandel had freed herself from bondage and once again illuminated the will of the Runcandels.
The thought of Veradin, their friend who had become a monster, being able to return at any moment also brought peace to Dante's restless mind.
The pressure to manifest himself as the Sword Emperor and demonstrate his worth in this war against the never-ending army of chaos didn't pose any problem.
Dante firmly believed that he would ultimately win and that the army of the evil god would be forever eradicated from this world, a conviction that had never wavered from the beginning.
His only concern was that after the final battle, Veradin might not be able to return to his original self and become another evil god.
Lionel's sword was flying towards Dante's head.
Without turning his body, Dante formed a whirlwind with his invisible sword.
Unlike the previous time when it disappeared without a trace, Lionel was unable to break through the whirlwind this time.
"You were right, Lion King. I momentarily fell into madness."
[Finally trying to regain your composure, huh?]
"But you have been falling deeper and deeper into darkness since the day you resurrected. That's why you, who was once the pinnacle of the swordsmen, couldn't defeat me. And you probably didn't even realize that death was approaching you."
[What nonsense... Hah!]
Unexpectedly, Lionel let out a gasp and looked down at his side.
Death, a sword symbolizing Yona, was piercing his side.
"Hehe."
Yona avoided Lionel's rough attempt and disappeared into the chaos of the battlefield in an instant.
"You warned me that my life is only one, unlike yours, Lion King. It was because of your unwavering belief in continuous resurrection and the power of the evil god that your sword has become dull. After awakening from the mausoleum, how many times have you died this time?"
Dante closed the distance in an instant.
"I sincerely hope that this will be the true end for you. I pray that you will escape from the swamp of the evil god, even if it means dying."
Slash!
Rashid passed through Lionel's neck.
A thud, the fleeting sound of a head falling.
As Dante turned his head to find the remaining former patriarchs, he caught sight of Tasha and Veradin.
'Although we may have been separated, if we continue advancing toward the stronghold of the evil god, we will soon meet again, Jin. I believe that sight will give you strength as well.'
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