295
It seemed like Ventica might melt away by the heat emitted by dozens of different flames. The sky had turned completely red, making it difficult to recognize its original appearance.
The Red Dragon, carrying Veradin, was flying towards Kozec while avoiding Barton.
Diphus raised his greatsword.
The fully prepared cannon fires of Kozec were tinged with a golden hue.
Ziiing, the ominous noise spread as mana condensed and it cut through rumbling sounds of the battlefield.
Kwaaaa...! A thunderous blast erupted from the cannons.
Simultaneously, Diphus let out a roar. His greatsword, Volgar, emitted a brilliant aura and released its sword energy. It collided with cannon fire and sent fragments. The fragments created dark spot-like shadows on the ground.
Along with Kozec, the mages were also launching a combined attack towards the ground. The phoenixes of White Night let out screams while trying to restrain Barton.
The sky was in chaos. Barton's sword energy was still apparent amidst the flames, magic, and cannon fires.
However, those sword energies narrowly missed Veradin.
Diphus had to suppress his anger upon seeing the traitor's act, but it wasn't a bad situation for Jin.
Crack, thunk-!
Diphus controlled his expressions and deflected the fragments flying towards Jin and Tess. The aftermath of the previous attack had not yet ended, but Kozec was already preparing for the next cannon shot.
"How these Zipfels made something like that. But, Jin, I have one question."
"Please ask."
"There's no way that traitor could kill Zipfel's next patriarch, right? It would have been better to ask Sir Barton to assist the guardian knights and have me face Veradin. As you said, it was our last chance."
Diphus knew Jin spent a night drinking with Dante and Veradin at the Cosmos Arena during his days as a reserve flagbearer.
He had investigated Jin's past after his true identity was revealed. Some of the nobles who watched the final match were aware of that gathering.
Of course, Diphus didn't think that Jin had formed some kind of bond with Veradin just because of that. However, he was having difficulty understanding why Jin sent traitor Barton after Veradin.
"You seem to be suspicious of me. Why did you follow my orders, Fourth Flagbearer?"
“Because I lost my composure for a moment. If I were even a little late, the guardian knights might have died.”
“Fourth Flagbearer, what is our mission?”
"What?"
"Killing Veradin is not included in this mission. Of course, it would be ideal to take Veradin's life if we can, but the most important thing is securing Ventica and eliminating the traitor."
Diphus continued to face the cannon fires without turning to Jin.
"I entrusted Veradin to Sir Barton because there is a high chance that he will be injured while pretending to attack Veradin. That would make it easier to kill Sir Barton later on. Is that explanation enough?"
Diphus nodded his head silently. It left him with a somewhat uneasy feeling, but it was a reasonable explanation to accept.
Once again, Kozec released a burst of golden mana.
The entire battlefield was filled with cannon fires, flames, sword energy, and debris.
The Infiltration team was now retreating towards Diphus as they were unable to withstand the heat, and Barton was also about to fall to the ground.
"We've secured the Young Master!"
The mages shouted when the Red Dragon carrying Veradin reached Kozec.
Boom!
As soon as Veradin boarded Kozec, he cast a spatial explosion towards Barton. Tess's flame did not cover the entire sky.
"Ugh!"
Barton began to plummet.
He could no longer deny the obvious proposition that humans couldn't fly. But he displayed remarkable feats even as he fell. He struck down two Red Dragons and over ten mages as he fell after the impact of the spatial explosion.
The bodies of enemies mixed with the debris and rained down.
Even Jin and Diphus might not have realized that he intentionally let Veradin escape if they had not known that Barton was a traitor.
Now that Veradin was secured, there was nothing more that could restrain Zipfel.
While there were limitations to the use of the spatial explosion due to Tess, but it was just a matter of time.
"Attack Jin Runcandel and Tess! Runcandel won't be able to do anything without them!"
The Phoenixes of White Night began to descend. They were still targeting the falling Barton, not Tess.
In the sky, the cannon fires, magic, and breaths of Red Dragons poured forth. On the ground, the Phoenixes of White Night spewed flames.
The chaos of the battlefield was reaching its peak.
And Jin had just completed the casting of a spell that he had been preparing since earlier.
"Fourth Flagbearer, the situation will change from now on."
Diphus reflexively turned to look at Jin. His eyes widened in surprise. What he saw was Jin’s turning black as it soaked in shadow force.
"Jin?"
"First, I will secure Ventica. When Kozec retreats, pursue it with Sir Barton, and withdraw at an appropriate time."
Retreat? What on earth are you talking about?
Diphus nearly asked that. Even though they were pretending to give it their all, neither Barton, the Black Knight, nor himself could defeat the enemy’s giant battleship.
Jin was confidently declaring, "I will force it to retreat," as if it were a matter of course.
‘Wait, why did the sky suddenly...!?’
The sky darkened.
The battlefield that had been illuminated like crazy by cannon fires and magic until just now turned pitch black. It was the same color as Jin's body enveloped in shadow force.
-The mages release their mana to connect it to the mana present in nature. What did I say was the reason for doing this?
-So, they can recover their mana and magic enhancement.
-That's right. It's about replenishing the depleted mana using the force of nature and increasing the power of the next spell. The release of the shadow force works the same way, but there are a few differences.
-What differences are there?
-The release of the shadow force doesn't connect you to nature. It connects nature to you.
This was the conversation Jin had with Murakan when he first learned about the concept of shadow force.
The reason the sky turned from bright to pitch black was none other than this.
It was because Jin had released his shadow force and it "connected" to him.
It seemed darker than the night sky without a single moonlight or star.
It wasn't just Diphus who was surprised. The mages also paused their attacks on the suddenly blackened sky.
Everyone had faces that couldn't comprehend what was happening.
However, everyone had a gut feeling that something dangerous was about to happen.
The dark sky, the reason why the term "Dark Sky" was added to the 'Flame Orb'-type spell.
Riol Zipfel's legacy was a magic that uses Solderet's power.
It didn't take long for everyone on the battlefield to realize that the black energy that covered the sky was shadow force and that there is only one human on this battlefield who can use shadow force.
The commanders of the Runcandel and Zipfel quickly made their judgments.
"Deploy the shield and snipe Jin Runcandel!"
"All knights of Runcandel, gather and protect the 12th Flagbearer!"
Jin gazed up at Kozec with a nonchalant expression.
It was to confirm the appearance of his friend, who stood at the front of the battleship, with his white hair blowing in the wind.
Their eyes met through the darkness of the battlefield.
Veradin laughed like a lunatic and his eyes glowed even redder than before.
It was not a smile that he remembered.
Jin casted the final version of the "annihilating dark sky flame orb" as he watched that somewhat distorted smile.
‘I hope you don't get hurt too badly.’
A crack opened in the middle of the sky as if a giant beast was opening its mouth.
From within that crack, a fireball began to come out.
The fireball was even larger than Kozec, and it almost seemed like the sun.
Jin's body floated up into the air as if being drawn by the fireball.
Runes left by Riol Zipfel were wrapped all over Jin's body.
Then, the runes began to leave Jin's body while leaving sparkling traces all over the battlefield.
One of the mages unconsciously reached out to grab a floating rune.
In that moment, a commanding mage who remembered the record of the "annihilating dark sky flame orb" couldn't help but shout in panic.
"Avoid the runes, those are markers...!"
The sparkling rune characters looked like flower petals, but they were indeed markers.
They were for the giant sphere in the sky to carry out punishment.
Boom Crash!
Before the commanding mage could finish his sentence, a shower of flames began to pour from the fireball.
It was impossible to count how many tentacles of flames there were.
Flames followed the floating rune characters. Wherever the beautiful, sparkling rune characters landed, it burned the people, screams echoed, and ashes flew.
-Snipe Jin Runcandel.
The command of the commander mage couldn't be executed. The mages could only barely cast protective shields against the ultimate magic spell they had never seen before.
However, the protective shields were not very meaningful. The power of the flame tentacles was close to that of a 10-star spell, but also because the shadow force that covered the sky was crushing the protective shields.
The shadow force wasn't just there to change the color of the sky.
Just as the fireball was spewing flames, shadows were spreading within the curtain of shadow force and tearing apart the protective shields.
‘This is insane... Is this really the power of magic spells? And the youngest cast this spell?’
Diphus swallowed hard as he looked up at Jin floating in the sky.
Even the mages couldn't comprehend the magic that Jin had casted, let alone himself.
In his eyes, what Jin had casted seemed closer to divine power than magic.
Immediately, it reminded him of the enemy's leader, Kelliak Zipfel. It felt the same as when he had seen that formidable magic of Kelliark personally more than a decade ago.
To think that he was feeling the same way now, looking at his younger brother, sent shivers down his spine.
The flames were growing stronger and stronger.
Outside of Kozec, more than half of the mages had already met their deaths. Even the number of red dragons was decreasing rapidly.
The situation had been completely reversed in an instant.
However, the mages who had examined records about "Riol Zipfel" knew something important.
This was just the beginning. They knew that when the fireball exploded, it might even destroy Kozec.
"Young master, we must retreat! The unexpected variables are too great."
Veradin turned his head at the voice of the commanding mage. Hard to read dark emotions flickered in his empty eyes.
"Young master..!"
As Veradin watched the flames unleashed by Jin engulfing the battlefield, he moved forward as if in a trance.
Flames were also beginning to gather in his grasp. These were not ordinary flames; they were fierce and wild, beyond mere description.
The "annihilating dark sky flame orb" 1st version of the demon empress, another magic spell left by Riol Zipfel.
Veradin's staff was aimed directly at Jin.
295
It seemed like Ventica might melt away by the heat emitted by dozens of different flames. The sky had turned completely red, making it difficult to recognize its original appearance.
The Red Dragon, carrying Veradin, was flying towards Kozec while avoiding Barton.
Diphus raised his greatsword.
The fully prepared cannon fires of Kozec were tinged with a golden hue.
Ziiing, the ominous noise spread as mana condensed and it cut through rumbling sounds of the battlefield.
Kwaaaa...! A thunderous blast erupted from the cannons.
Simultaneously, Diphus let out a roar. His greatsword, Volgar, emitted a brilliant aura and released its sword energy. It collided with cannon fire and sent fragments. The fragments created dark spot-like shadows on the ground.
Along with Kozec, the mages were also launching a combined attack towards the ground. The phoenixes of White Night let out screams while trying to restrain Barton.
The sky was in chaos. Barton's sword energy was still apparent amidst the flames, magic, and cannon fires.
However, those sword energies narrowly missed Veradin.
Diphus had to suppress his anger upon seeing the traitor's act, but it wasn't a bad situation for Jin.
Crack, thunk-!
Diphus controlled his expressions and deflected the fragments flying towards Jin and Tess. The aftermath of the previous attack had not yet ended, but Kozec was already preparing for the next cannon shot.
"How these Zipfels made something like that. But, Jin, I have one question."
"Please ask."
"There's no way that traitor could kill Zipfel's next patriarch, right? It would have been better to ask Sir Barton to assist the guardian knights and have me face Veradin. As you said, it was our last chance."
Diphus knew Jin spent a night drinking with Dante and Veradin at the Cosmos Arena during his days as a reserve flagbearer.
He had investigated Jin's past after his true identity was revealed. Some of the nobles who watched the final match were aware of that gathering.
Of course, Diphus didn't think that Jin had formed some kind of bond with Veradin just because of that. However, he was having difficulty understanding why Jin sent traitor Barton after Veradin.
"You seem to be suspicious of me. Why did you follow my orders, Fourth Flagbearer?"
“Because I lost my composure for a moment. If I were even a little late, the guardian knights might have died.”
“Fourth Flagbearer, what is our mission?”
"What?"
"Killing Veradin is not included in this mission. Of course, it would be ideal to take Veradin's life if we can, but the most important thing is securing Ventica and eliminating the traitor."
Diphus continued to face the cannon fires without turning to Jin.
"I entrusted Veradin to Sir Barton because there is a high chance that he will be injured while pretending to attack Veradin. That would make it easier to kill Sir Barton later on. Is that explanation enough?"
Diphus nodded his head silently. It left him with a somewhat uneasy feeling, but it was a reasonable explanation to accept.
Once again, Kozec released a burst of golden mana.
The entire battlefield was filled with cannon fires, flames, sword energy, and debris.
The Infiltration team was now retreating towards Diphus as they were unable to withstand the heat, and Barton was also about to fall to the ground.
"We've secured the Young Master!"
The mages shouted when the Red Dragon carrying Veradin reached Kozec.
Boom!
As soon as Veradin boarded Kozec, he cast a spatial explosion towards Barton. Tess's flame did not cover the entire sky.
"Ugh!"
Barton began to plummet.
He could no longer deny the obvious proposition that humans couldn't fly. But he displayed remarkable feats even as he fell. He struck down two Red Dragons and over ten mages as he fell after the impact of the spatial explosion.
The bodies of enemies mixed with the debris and rained down.
Even Jin and Diphus might not have realized that he intentionally let Veradin escape if they had not known that Barton was a traitor.
Now that Veradin was secured, there was nothing more that could restrain Zipfel.
While there were limitations to the use of the spatial explosion due to Tess, but it was just a matter of time.
"Attack Jin Runcandel and Tess! Runcandel won't be able to do anything without them!"
The Phoenixes of White Night began to descend. They were still targeting the falling Barton, not Tess.
In the sky, the cannon fires, magic, and breaths of Red Dragons poured forth. On the ground, the Phoenixes of White Night spewed flames.
The chaos of the battlefield was reaching its peak.
And Jin had just completed the casting of a spell that he had been preparing since earlier.
"Fourth Flagbearer, the situation will change from now on."
Diphus reflexively turned to look at Jin. His eyes widened in surprise. What he saw was Jin’s turning black as it soaked in shadow force.
"Jin?"
"First, I will secure Ventica. When Kozec retreats, pursue it with Sir Barton, and withdraw at an appropriate time."
Retreat? What on earth are you talking about?
Diphus nearly asked that. Even though they were pretending to give it their all, neither Barton, the Black Knight, nor himself could defeat the enemy’s giant battleship.
Jin was confidently declaring, "I will force it to retreat," as if it were a matter of course.
‘Wait, why did the sky suddenly...!?’
The sky darkened.
The battlefield that had been illuminated like crazy by cannon fires and magic until just now turned pitch black. It was the same color as Jin's body enveloped in shadow force.
-The mages release their mana to connect it to the mana present in nature. What did I say was the reason for doing this?
-So, they can recover their mana and magic enhancement.
-That's right. It's about replenishing the depleted mana using the force of nature and increasing the power of the next spell. The release of the shadow force works the same way, but there are a few differences.
-What differences are there?
-The release of the shadow force doesn't connect you to nature. It connects nature to you.
This was the conversation Jin had with Murakan when he first learned about the concept of shadow force.
The reason the sky turned from bright to pitch black was none other than this.
It was because Jin had released his shadow force and it "connected" to him.
It seemed darker than the night sky without a single moonlight or star.
It wasn't just Diphus who was surprised. The mages also paused their attacks on the suddenly blackened sky.
Everyone had faces that couldn't comprehend what was happening.
However, everyone had a gut feeling that something dangerous was about to happen.
The dark sky, the reason why the term "Dark Sky" was added to the 'Flame Orb'-type spell.
Riol Zipfel's legacy was a magic that uses Solderet's power.
It didn't take long for everyone on the battlefield to realize that the black energy that covered the sky was shadow force and that there is only one human on this battlefield who can use shadow force.
The commanders of the Runcandel and Zipfel quickly made their judgments.
"Deploy the shield and snipe Jin Runcandel!"
"All knights of Runcandel, gather and protect the 12th Flagbearer!"
Jin gazed up at Kozec with a nonchalant expression.
It was to confirm the appearance of his friend, who stood at the front of the battleship, with his white hair blowing in the wind.
Their eyes met through the darkness of the battlefield.
Veradin laughed like a lunatic and his eyes glowed even redder than before.
It was not a smile that he remembered.
Jin casted the final version of the "annihilating dark sky flame orb" as he watched that somewhat distorted smile.
‘I hope you don't get hurt too badly.’
A crack opened in the middle of the sky as if a giant beast was opening its mouth.
From within that crack, a fireball began to come out.
The fireball was even larger than Kozec, and it almost seemed like the sun.
Jin's body floated up into the air as if being drawn by the fireball.
Runes left by Riol Zipfel were wrapped all over Jin's body.
Then, the runes began to leave Jin's body while leaving sparkling traces all over the battlefield.
One of the mages unconsciously reached out to grab a floating rune.
In that moment, a commanding mage who remembered the record of the "annihilating dark sky flame orb" couldn't help but shout in panic.
"Avoid the runes, those are markers...!"
The sparkling rune characters looked like flower petals, but they were indeed markers.
They were for the giant sphere in the sky to carry out punishment.
Boom Crash!
Before the commanding mage could finish his sentence, a shower of flames began to pour from the fireball.
It was impossible to count how many tentacles of flames there were.
Flames followed the floating rune characters. Wherever the beautiful, sparkling rune characters landed, it burned the people, screams echoed, and ashes flew.
-Snipe Jin Runcandel.
The command of the commander mage couldn't be executed. The mages could only barely cast protective shields against the ultimate magic spell they had never seen before.
However, the protective shields were not very meaningful. The power of the flame tentacles was close to that of a 10-star spell, but also because the shadow force that covered the sky was crushing the protective shields.
The shadow force wasn't just there to change the color of the sky.
Just as the fireball was spewing flames, shadows were spreading within the curtain of shadow force and tearing apart the protective shields.
‘This is insane... Is this really the power of magic spells? And the youngest cast this spell?’
Diphus swallowed hard as he looked up at Jin floating in the sky.
Even the mages couldn't comprehend the magic that Jin had casted, let alone himself.
In his eyes, what Jin had casted seemed closer to divine power than magic.
Immediately, it reminded him of the enemy's leader, Kelliak Zipfel. It felt the same as when he had seen that formidable magic of Kelliark personally more than a decade ago.
To think that he was feeling the same way now, looking at his younger brother, sent shivers down his spine.
The flames were growing stronger and stronger.
Outside of Kozec, more than half of the mages had already met their deaths. Even the number of red dragons was decreasing rapidly.
The situation had been completely reversed in an instant.
However, the mages who had examined records about "Riol Zipfel" knew something important.
This was just the beginning. They knew that when the fireball exploded, it might even destroy Kozec.
"Young master, we must retreat! The unexpected variables are too great."
Veradin turned his head at the voice of the commanding mage. Hard to read dark emotions flickered in his empty eyes.
"Young master..!"
As Veradin watched the flames unleashed by Jin engulfing the battlefield, he moved forward as if in a trance.
Flames were also beginning to gather in his grasp. These were not ordinary flames; they were fierce and wild, beyond mere description.
The "annihilating dark sky flame orb" 1st version of the demon empress, another magic spell left by Riol Zipfel.
Veradin's staff was aimed directly at Jin.
