C299 – Power and Reverence for Power (10)
“I didn’t think I would meet my end with the Runcandels’ flagbearers’ swords, but with Sir Cyron’s. That would be the only thing I would regret.” Barton spoke as he inspected Dyfus’ sword.
There were aura crystals on Bolgar, the giant sword. The crystals appeared hard and solid like minerals, not like aura.
The battle resumed. Barton was the first to attack. He had already expended too much energy to display his usual skill.
But despite his fatigue and dwindling aura, the desperate determination of the ten-star knight to fight to the death was powerful enough to shake the ground.
Each of his steps cracked the surface of the ground and sent rocks flying. The shield barrier of his body was only that of an eight-star power, but the bite of the barrier itself was strong enough to create tearing sounds in the air.
It was the second dawn, the final return created by raising the last of his energies.
The gleam in Barton’s eyes emanated from his madness.
It stemmed from his self-contempt and emptiness for having lost all the honor of his black helmet after being discovered for espionage and the humiliation of being killed at the hands of the flagbearers instead of Cyron Runcandel.
And things he kept in his heart before meeting Keliac Zipple and betraying the Runcandels, such as his pride as a black knight, clashed within him.
Barton certainly had unwavering faith in the Zipples.
He believed that he could surpass the limitation of being human and truly achieve transcendence with the Zipples. .
But Barton Vichena was still clearly human.
Even if he reached a power close to the human limit, discarded his fears of guilt and murder long ago, and hid his emotions beneath his black helmet, he was still only human.
“It seems you still know how to feel humiliated, judging by your pompous outburst. Did you think you had enough honor to die by my father’s hands?”
Jin understood Barton’s confusion.
Instead of a response, his sword turned toward Jin’s Adam’s apple. The blade looked blurry. And the fact that it was blurry meant it had already passed by.
Jin instinctively took a half-step back. He almost unconsciously raised his hand to his neck.
Talent and skill.
If Jin had lacked either of the two, he would have raised his hand and felt his neck. Trying to see if the sword grazed him or missed by a hair’s breadth would have given his enemy an opportunity to land a critical blow.
Instead, Jin extended his sword to counterattack. Just as Barton’s attack didn’t reach Jin’s neck, Sigmund also grazed Barton’s cheek.
Another flash of light spread between them before their swords could even cross. It was the giant sword Bolgar, descending at an incredible speed.
The three swords created a whirlwind. They collided and created a dozen thunderous sounds in a second.
The guardian knights who were in formation far from the three swallowed hard as they watched.
Each of them was at least an eight-star knight, but none dared to engage in combat. It wasn’t because their sword skills were lacking.
Their bodies simply couldn’t withstand it. Either the blessed bodies of the Runcandels or hardened bodies trained to the extreme of their own limitations. One had to possess either of the two if one were to enter this battle.
It seemed like thousands of daggers continuously fell through the shockwaves. Flit. Shik. Each indiscernible small sound left a scar somewhere on the bodies of the three.
Dyfus roared and began to move.
Then the aura crystals on Bolgar started shining brighter. Barton seemed to be creating distance from Dyfus, as if he had been wary of him all this time. It was time for the aura that Dyfus had saved against the Kozecs to prove its worth.
Dyfus chose to execute the sixth final move of the Runcandel clan: lightning.
The aura crystals on Bolgar shattered.
They scattered like fragments of crystal, and the aura began to flow among the hundreds of those pieces. A powerful noise like that of lightning energy surged, and a blinding light flickered continuously.
Each flash of light changed the trajectory of the giant sword. The unstable aura structure continuously changed the length of its sword, followed by the sight of shattered crystals dancing along with the giant sword.
“Ugh!” Barton twisted and halted the giant sword. It seemed like he had successfully dodged it, but his armor tore apart, and a trail of blood splattered in the air.
He was slashed by the beam of aura clinging around the giant sword.
The only reason Barton suffered only a minor blow was because he had been wary of the move since crystals began forming on Bolgar. If he hadn’t known what lightning was like, even Barton would have suffered severe damage.
The aura beam around the giant sword closely resembled lightning energy.
Of course, it was aura, not lightning energy. But anyone who knew anything about the Sword of Legends could tell at a glance.
The sixth final move of the Runcandel clan, lightning, was a technique borrowed from a Legends technique.
It was a coincidence.
Because the move had been borrowed from the same technique Jin planned to execute, Thunder Sword, a Master Move of the Sword of Legends.
Sigmund absorbed the lightning energy from the Light Heart. Crystals like those that had gathered on the giant sword Bolgar covered the surface of its pale blade.
Is that the lightning energy they say Jin wields? Why does it look like lightning?
I was told that all the elders, except Jed, had refused to transmit finishing moves to him. How did he come to master lightning?
Dyfus and Barton wondered these things at the same time. Both were surprised when Jin initiated a move that neither of them expected.
But despite how similar it seemed, it was a completely different move.
Lightning could only increase the attack range of the giant sword, twist its trajectory, and broaden its point of attack.
Thunder Sword, on the other hand, formed dozens of blades from lightning energy. Blue blades filled the air and rained down toward Barton.
The blades flickered, making it extremely difficult to read their movements.
“Gaaaah!” Barton shouted and brandished his longsword.
His cloak was in tatters. His armor was shattered and served no purpose anymore.
He had to defend against both Thunder Sword and lightning. He began to resemble a white orb with the speed at which his longsword repelled attacks from all sides.
Jin and Dyfus also launched attacks with all their might. It seemed like all Barton could do was defend, but he was likely to counterattack at the first opportunity he could seize.
Blood continued to splatter in the air. It was difficult to tell whose blood it was, and the blood evaporated in a second in the air due to the flurry of sword movements.
A finger fell from the space distorted by the shockwaves.
It was Barton’s index finger, although it didn’t slow Barton’s movements in the slightest. In fact, his thrusts became fiercer and faster, to the point that Jin and Dyfus had to take a step back.
What a waste, Dyfus thought. It was a shame that such a powerful swordsman had to betray the Runcandels.
It also made him curious. What had the Zipples promised Barton to make him decide to betray the Runcandels? At first, Dyfus only wanted to kill him. But after exchanging blows with the sword, he couldn’t help but feel curious.
On the other hand, Jin didn’t think it was a waste nor felt curious.
He could understand that people could be weak, but having a horrible character was unacceptable. It didn’t matter if one was a ten-star knight or even stronger. The Runcandels didn’t need people like Barton.
Dyfus’ giant sword cut through Barton’s chest. The deep cut broke his ribs and pierced his organs. Barton vomited blood but didn’t show any pain.
His movements were unaffected as well. It was almost unbelievable for someone with such injuries, but Jin and Dyfus soon reached their conclusion. It was time to end his life.
This should be over already.
Jin stepped back, and Dyfus also created distance.
The battle came to a brief halt.
It was as if the fierce resistance Barton had shown a moment ago had been a lie. Barton remained in his place, still as a statue.
In reality, he had long lost his sight. The bleeding had completely damaged his vision, but he continued to block their attacks.
Sigmund released its lightning energy once more.
It caused the thunder blades to gather in the air around Jin. Dozens of blades formed from lightning energy floated behind Jin and aimed at Barton.
Dyfus’ lightning followed a similar course. Nearly a hundred swords and beams targeted Barton from both sides.
Only Barton’s heavy breathing resonated in the center, amidst the buzzing from both sides.
“Barton Vichena.”
Barton couldn’t respond. Blood regurgitated in his throat, and he could only emit wheezing sounds.
Although Barton had lost his sight and the movement of his legs, he could still attack anything within a twenty-meter radius. As long as Jin and Dyfus stayed outside that radius, they were completely safe from his attacks.
“The Zipples must have promised you eternal life and power beyond everything or something like that. And you must have seen solid evidence and reasons to believe it with your own eyes.”
The strength of the thunder and lightning blades grew increasingly brighter. Neither of them flickered now, only emitting a dazzling light.
“Surely you must have seen the Demon God Stone. I have also seen the dead come back to life thanks to that strange object and gain tremendous power. It was a mysterious power that could tempt anyone.”
Dyfus shuddered upon hearing his words.
He had never heard of the Demon God Stone in his life. He had never come across it in the secret documents accessible only to fourth-rank flagbearers and above.
“But Barton, you know what? I have also seen the Demon God Stone shatter before a Runcandel’s sword.”
Barton raised his head. No, it can’t be. Simple humans can’t shatter it. Barton wanted to say this, but all that came out of his lips was a dark spurt of blood.
Barton had witnessed a Demon God Stone different from the one Jin had experienced, so he thought its destruction was impossible.
“In fact, even my father is aware of its existence. So, whatever it is you dream of, you won’t have it. The death you experience today will be complete. Revival and eternal life? Those futile dreams won’t come true.”
Before Jin pushed Sigmund, he remembered something and continued. “Ah, and one more thing. It seems that hell also exists. The brief vision I had of it seemed like a very fitting place for you, so I hope you have a great time there.”
Sigmund cut through the air and unleashed all the thunder blades. Dyfus’ lightning beam also charged toward Barton and left an afterimage.
Thus, the final resistance began, in all its brevity and intensity.
Barton achieved the feat of dodging half of the hundred blades and beams that rained down in a second.
But he couldn’t do anything to prevent the rest from tearing his body to pieces.
There was no scream. Only the raw sounds of blood, flesh, organs, and bones splattering in the air among the flagbearers and guardian knights.
Soon, Barton’s body was completely disintegrated. Jin slowly approached the spot where Barton had been.
His body and armor were completely destroyed, but for some reason, the very symbol of a black knight—the black helmet—remained intact on the ground. 𝘪𝘳.𝘤𝑜
Jin picked up the helmet and turned to look at the knights. “Mission accomplished. All units return to the Clan.”
“Loyalty to the Clan!”
The knights saluted with their swords. Dyfus wasn’t pleased that the knights saluted Jin, the twelfth flagbearer, instead of him, but he didn’t reprimand them for it.
He knew this mission would never have succeeded without Jin.
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