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On the other side, Jack and the two men in black robes were locked in a fierce battle.
Although Jack was stronger than any single black-robed opponent, the two men coordinated seamlessly, gaining the upper hand with their numbers. It was unrealistic to determine a victor quickly.
Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the nearby forest.
"What's going on? That sounded like Irene!" Jack muttered, his concern mounting.
Wielding two swords, Jack forced the two black-robed men back. He glanced in the direction of the explosion, his face etched with worry.
"The sound wasn't that loud… Did something go wrong?" he wondered aloud.
One of the black-robed men, who was supporting Motoyasu, frowned, sensing the urgency of the situation. "No more delays!" he barked.
Realizing their intent to retreat, Jack gathered all his strength. He attacked ferociously, intending to break through their defenses, even if it meant getting injured, to reach and eliminate Myne.
But his opponents adopted a similar approach.
Letting Jack's sword strike him, one of the black-robed men grabbed Jack in a tight embrace.
"Let go of me!" Jack roared, stabbing his sword into the abdomen of his assailant.
Yet, despite the wounds, the man clung tighter, unfazed by pain.
Suddenly, Jack felt intense heat emanating from their bodies, and the figures beneath the robes began to glow faintly.
It was reminiscent of the black-robed foes who had previously trapped Irene and the others. They too bore spells tattooed on their bodies, intending to trap Jack and sacrifice themselves in an explosive finale.
"Damn it, get off me!" Jack cursed.
Sensing the looming danger, Jack attacked even more desperately with his swords, sending blood spraying across the ground.
"Die with me!" whispered one of the men, their faces beneath their hoods contorted into savage grins despite the absence of pain.
Meanwhile, the black-robed man aiding Motoyasu quickly retreated with Motoyasu and Myne, vanishing from Jack's sight.
"Am I going to die here…?" Jack thought bitterly, feeling the radiant light intensify from their bodies. His attacks weren't stopping them, but were accelerating the activation of their spells, pushing him closer to despair.
Just then, a figure appeared before him.
"Master Shield Hero!" Jack exclaimed, elated at the sight.
Jason said nothing. He seized both black-robed men holding Jack and forcefully pulled them away, his immense strength tearing them off and hurling them skyward.
"Boom~~~"
Twin explosions erupted, turning them into brilliant fireworks in the sky.
"Jack, are you alright?" Irene and the others rushed forward, anxiously asking Jack in unison.
"I'm fine," Jack replied, shaking his head. He then turned to Jason and knelt on one knee. "I'm sorry, Lord Shield Hero. I failed the mission. I couldn't kill Myne."
"If you couldn't, then so be it. You'll get another chance," Jason replied, dismissively waving his hand. He then inquired, "But why were you here alone?"
"Master Shield Hero, this is what happened," Irene began. "We were attacked by a group of magicians. Myne and the adventurers were seriously wounded. Only the brave gunman still retained fighting strength, so—"
Jason cut her off. "You all assumed Jack could handle Motoyasu and kill Myne on his own, so you decided to confront the magicians. Is that it? Seems like you've not only strengthened your abilities but also let your pride swell."
He shot a piercing gaze at Jack and the others, his expression cold and unforgiving. "Don't say you didn't anticipate the sudden appearance of these black-robed figures. This world is full of surprises. The real issue is that your arrogance caused you to fail. If even one person had stayed to help Jack, the outcome would be different."
At Jason's reprimand, everyone knelt on one knee, heads bowed, remaining silent.
Because Jason was right. When they saw Jack holding his own against Motoyasu, they truly believed they had grown beyond their old selves and underestimated the threat. They had let their pride cloud their judgment.
Everything Jason pointed out was true. Had they not underestimated the enemy, the mission could have been completed successfully.
"But at least you didn't make excuses," Jason continued, his voice unyielding. "So I'll let it slide this time. Learn your lesson, and if there's a next time, don't even call yourselves members of the Ten Blades or my followers. Understood?"
"Yes, Master Shield Hero!" Jack, Irene, and the others responded in unison.
"Now, put out the surrounding fires, regroup with Raphtalia and Filo, and head towards the capital!"
After Jason's final words, he began to walk away.
"Master Shield Hero, where are you going?" Jack asked, his voice tinged with desperation. Having failed this mission, Jack was eager to redeem himself and was desperate to understand Jason's next plan, hoping he could at least contribute somehow.
"I don't need your help anymore. Now that Pope has reappeared, it's time to confront that old king."
As Jason's voice lingered in the air, his figure vanished.
Once he confirmed Jason had left, Jack ignored the pain from his wounds and slammed his fist hard into the ground. "Damn it, Master Shield Hero gave us a mission, and we still failed."
"Jack… don't blame yourself too harshly," Irene reassured. "This failure is partially our fault too. If just one person had stayed behind… if we had been faster in dealing with those magicians… if we hadn't been so careless and fallen into the black-robed men's trap, things would've turned out differently. But there's no 'what if.' Let's learn from this failure together."
"Yes, yes, but for now, let's get those wounds covered," another added.
The group began discussing the reasons behind their failure, reflecting on their mistakes to avoid them in the future.
Meanwhile, the wounded started dressing their injuries. Although they were only superficial, the bleeding needed to be stopped. The uninjured members focused on extinguishing the fires caused by the rain of flames. If left unchecked, the fires could easily spread into a larger forest fire, complicating their journey from Lute Village to the capital.
With Jason's impressive speed, it didn't take him long to arrive at the palace gates.
However, when he reached the palace, he noticed the drawbridge, which connected the palace to the town, was raised.
"Put the drawbridge down!" Jason's voice boomed, laced with irritation.
After Bell and the others failed their mission, Jason was in a foul mood. His shout reached the soldiers standing guard at the gates.
"Master Shield Hero, His Majesty the King has recently been afflicted with a serious plague, and I'm afraid he is unable to receive visitors!" a voice called from within the palace.
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