C298 – Power and Reverence for Power (9)
Provoking the natural death of the traitor in a battle against the Zipple.
The current situation wasn’t exactly what Rosa had ordered, nor was it the best scenario Jin had planned. But considering Beradin’s unexpected appearance, it was the best they could do.
“Respect, huh?”
Barton burst into laughter.
The guardian knights formed a formation and surrounded Barton. His sword made a sharp sound as it was drawn from its sheath. Dyfus’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.
“I’ve never wished for such things since I turned my back on the Runcandels. How tiresome, twelfth flagbearer.”
Reigaf Klever.
Jin suddenly recalled Barton Vichena’s real name.
The knight of tragedy who was named a black knight and lost his right to decide his own life, the man who had to witness his family and clan members being killed for being aware of it.
This was the Barton Vichena Jin believed he was. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that Barton was cynical at the mention of respect.
But something was off.
For some reason, I don’t perceive any resentment or anger in Barton.
The Runcandels must have had the entire Klever clan hostage, even after stealing Barton’s future and killing his family.
Was it because his resentment and fury toward the Runcandels were too deep, dark, and vast? Was that the reason it wasn’t evident? Barton’s eyes seemed calm beneath his helmet.
“Seeing your disgusting pretense has been a pain all this time, Barton Vichena. Don’t you have any honor for the black helmet? Of all the people to be on their side, you chose to be the Zipple’s rat.”
Dyfus’s giant sword spun toward Barton’s neck.
At the same time, Jin unsheathed Sigmund and lunged for Barton’s throat. The guardian knights held their ground. Their role was to maintain the formation and ensure that Barton contained his movements.
Barton drew his sword so quickly it was barely visible. He easily evaded both attacks and stepped aside.
He was injured, but that didn’t mean his ten-star skill counted for nothing.
Barton spun around himself and approached Dyfus. Jin immediately extended his sword to strike Barton in the back, but he only managed to pierce through his cloak.
“Any problem, Dyfus Runcandel?” Barton questioned his accusation even in the midst of battle. His attitude gave Dyfus a headache.
“You treacherous bastard. Are you asking me why that’s a problem? This is complete nonsense.”
“Dyfus, that’s precisely why you’ll never match Joshua. Your fighting spirit goes beyond any of your brothers, but your motivations are shallow.”
Barton’s and Dyfus’s swords clashed and briefly fought to push the other away with power. Barton was the first to step back, but not because he lacked the strength to continue.
He moved to avoid the Legends’ lightning bolts Jin began to unleash in the area. Barton looked at the spot where the bolt had struck and nodded.
“Ah, and I suppose your fighting spirit isn’t the best among your brothers anymore either. Sir Cyron used to praise the twelfth flagbearer for his fighting spirit, even in his cadet days. So, let me ask you again, Dyfus. Is my betrayal a problem?”
Both Jin and Dyfus maintained their composure and didn’t answer.
Jin was genuinely calm, but Dyfus was doing his best to remain calm.
“Why won’t you answer me, Dyfus Runcandel? Do you really believe I’m to blame for becoming a Zipple spy?”
There was evident disappointment in Barton’s voice. It was a strange sight. Here he was, a traitor, reprimanding the Runcandel flagbearer, instead of the other way around.
Finally, Jin could discern the emotion Barton felt toward the Runcandels. It was a mix of love and hate. Now it was evident.
“It seems you’re spouting nonsense now that your time to die has come. I won’t endure it any longer.”
“Then what about you, twelfth flagbearer, Jin Runcandel? Why don’t you answer my question?”
Barton abruptly turned and began swinging his sword at Jin. Showing his back to Dyfus was clearly the riskier move, but there was no hesitation in his actions.
He seemed prepared for death.
He had expended too much aura pretending the aerial battle against Kozec, and he had also received a significant injury from Beradin’s spatial explosion.
There might have been a bleak hope if it were only Dyfus and the guardian knights in the area, but with Jin in the group, Barton had no chance of survival.
Minimizing friendly damage by decapitating Barton: that was the only concern the Runcandels should focus on.
“Sir Barton, why are you behaving like a child?”
Barton flinched and looked Jin in the eyes. He received a slash from Dyfus’s attack in that brief moment of surprise, but he managed to avoid critical damage.
“Are you looking for an apology? Because the Runcandels ruined your life?”
“What did you say?”
Then Barton surged with fury. “When did the Runcandels ruin my life?”
“I searched through your files before coming here. According to the records, it said you became a black knight against your will and lost your family in the process.”
Barton’s eyes trembled with surprise, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous claim of his life.
Dyfus also seemed to have the same expression. Therefore, Jin could sense that he had made a mistake.
Barton didn’t take long to burst into empty laughter. Dyfus assumed his stance and layered a new aura over his giant sword.
“It seems Mother didn’t hand over all the files about Barton to you. Jin, that man has never lost his life at the hands of the Runcandels. In fact, he was obsessed with becoming a Runcandel black knight.”
Jin’s eyes widened. “Are you saying that the Runcandels only killed the Klever clan members who knew Sir Barton’s identity because Barton himself desired it?”
“Yes. The records they gave you were written in a way that no flagbearer below the fifth rank would despise him even if they ended up executing a mission with him. That man discarded his clan and killed his relatives just to become a black knight.”
It felt as if someone had struck Jin’s head with a hammer. He remembered his exchange with Gilly before heading to Bentica.
“It seems I don’t understand. If this turns out to be true, I’ll be quite disappointed.”
“Are you disappointed in the clan?” Gilly had asked.
“No, not the clan. My father. The clan is definitely capable of doing such things. In fact, it’s capable of doing much worse things.”
“Father certainly is a cold-hearted person, but he’s not someone who plays dirty, not in the way I know him, at least. Moreover, he’s not a powerless person who needs to threaten someone to submit. So, why? I don’t understand why he had to take Barton Vichena in that way.”
In a way, Jin felt relieved that Cyron didn’t resort to such shameful means to turn Barton into a black knight.
It was followed by a feeling of disgust.
“Then why?”
The lightning energy surged over Sigmund’s blade. While Barton was busy facing Dyfus, Jin had the powers of his Light Heart raised to execute the master move of the Sword of Legends.
“What despicable reasons did you have to become a black knight at this point?”
There was no reason to be courteous with him anymore. No matter how hard he had worked for the Runcandels before his betrayal, he was now nothing more than a despicable man with power.
Barton had only one word to explain himself: power.
“Power to control the world at will. That’s the only thing I adore. Blood, kinship, clan! Those things hold no meaning. Obtaining the greatest power within the greatest clan was the very purpose of my existence.”
The claim was so ridiculous that Jin was left speechless.
“That’s why the Runcandels, under Sir Cyron’s command, were a paradise to me,” Barton said.
“It seems you suffer from a severe mental disorder,” Jin replied.
“Do you think I, someone without the blessed body, could have reached ten stars without such determination? No, it’s impossible. Humanity or power. I chose long ago which one I wanted to attain.”
None of this was acceptable in Jin’s heart. But the mind could understand such claims.
Jin had also met people who spoke or acted like him in the past. Kiddard Hall. Jin could see Kiddard in Barton.
Both were similar in the sense that they would stop at nothing to gain strength and power. Both were equally wicked, but in terms of sheer tenacity, Barton was one step ahead of Kiddard.
“Your despicable life seems to be nothing more than a series of betrayals.”
“Then, are you going to be like Dyfus and tell me that I’m also wrong? If it were Sir Cyron, he wouldn’t have responded like that.”
“You’re right, Barton. If it were father, he would have said this.”
“Well, that seems to be your set of values. If so, prove that your values are correct. Is this what you wanted to hear?”
Barton nodded to show his satisfaction. Although he had betrayed the Runcandels, he still held the transcendent figure, Cyron Runcandel, in the highest esteem.
“Then prove to me that you were indeed right. It seems you like my father’s customs. It turns out I like them too. If you can convince me, I’ll forgive you.”
Dyfus didn’t complain about Jin exceeding his authority.
Anyway, Barton couldn’t do anything. “Right now, it’s not possible. Today, I would probably meet my death at your hands.”
“Then your choice would be proven wrong.”
“When I was under Sir Cyron’s Runcandels, I thought death meant failure and the end of all things. But I only realized after meeting Sir Keliac. Death is not the end, Jin Runcandel. All I need is time, nothing more.”
“Is it sophistry instead? The ten-star skill you attained after discarding and betraying so much, and that new master of yours, are they incapable of saving you in this moment?”
“There are two immutable truths even if you manage to kill me today. The first is that the Runcandels will certainly fall after Sir Cyron is gone. The second is that I will exist much longer than you, even after my body is destroyed.”
The lightning energy in Sigmund grew fiercer.
“And when that time comes, you will have to conclude that Barton Vichena’s choice was correct after all.”
There was such strong faith in him that it was unsettling. Barton sounded like he was mumbling nonsense, but he seemed to have a firm belief that the Zipple would surely bring down the Runcandels.
Had he gone mad from his adoration and pursuit of power? Or had he been crushed by an unexpected elimination order? 𝘦𝑎.𝒸ℴ
Whatever it was, Jin was infuriated by having granted Barton even the slightest sympathy just a few minutes ago.
“Jin, that’s enough. I don’t think there’s a need to continue listening to this lunatic’s nonsense. Let’s proceed.”
Dyfus spoke, covering his gigantic sword with the aura he had saved against Kozec. Just as Jin had raised the lightning energy in his Light Heart to execute the master move of the Sword of Legends, Dyfus was also ready to perform another final move.
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