For the past two days, Jin had been inside the city of Celester. He memorized every detail of the city, trying to gather any information, but he came up with nothing. He had familiarized himself with the forest on the border between the city and the Kingdom, and his suspicion regarding the Bishop remained. Because of this...
On the forest road leading to the Holy Kingdom....
The Bishop's procession was passing by. It was small: a carriage carrying the Bishop, and approximately twelve knights on horseback. Inside the carriage sat the knight Lucian and Bishop [Neil Harold].
His appearance was normal—white clothes with a religious theme, white blending with gold. His face looked to be in his early fifties, but… even though he smiled and spoke kindly, something was strange.
Lucian was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.
Neil: "What is the matter, Lucian? Why have you been so silent since the beginning of the day?"
Lucian looked at him, then looked back at the window.
Lucian: "Nothing, I'm just feeling bored."
Neil: "Haha, you young people are all the same. When a little boredom hits, you lose your passion. Ah, right—why are you only wearing light armor on your chest? I told you to wear full armor; you must prioritize your safety."
Lucian was wearing only light chest armor; he didn't like wearing a full set. He looked at Neil and spoke calmly.
Lucian: "My Lord, do you truly believe it is normal to meet an enemy strong enough to make me worry and wear my full gear?"
Lucian looked at him naturally, but his inside was filled with doubt. He was thinking: Why does he always try to act so friendly? And this feeling of anxiety that overcomes me when I speak to you? I must not rush to judgment.
Neil: "Let us stop here for a bit. Let's have some food."
The procession stopped near a giant rock. Beneath it was a small pond, and the surrounding area was quiet. Everyone sat down and began laying out the food.
Lucian: "I don't feel like eating. I'll walk around the area for a bit."
Neil: "Fine, don't wander too far."
On the branches of a nearby tree, Jin stood hidden among the thick foliage. He watched quietly, then...
Jin's eyes widened, and a surge of rage overwhelmed him… he was screaming inside his mind.
Jin: What is this?! This is the same person who was with Eric Griffinmark that day! Damn it, they really are involved.
Jin drew his sword and prepared to launch. He moved between the trees with incredible speed and agility; no one sensed his presence. He dashed toward Neil with all his speed, determined to end it with a single strike and take his head. He had channeled a massive amount of energy into the blow.
In an instant, before the knights could comprehend what was happening, Neil finally sensed him and turned his head quickly to look. Jin had reached him; the distance between them was less than a meter. His head was about to be severed in a fraction of a second, but…
Another sword blocked the strike. The shockwave of the impact pushed the Bishop away, and the ground beneath them cracked for meters.
It was Lucian who had blocked the blow. He stood with a cold, intensely focused face, parrying the attack as if it were natural to him.
Jin backed away quickly, looking at Lucian in shock, his eyes wide.
Jin: This is impossible! He is at a level close to mine!
As for Lucian…
He walked toward Jin slowly, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. His eyes had turned a brilliant, glowing gold—beautiful and filled with detail. He spoke with a heavy, firm tone.
Lucian: "So, my instinct did not lie. You are a dangerous person. But I will save my questions about your motives for the end."
He lunged forward, and their swords clashed…
The earth cracked beneath them; the air itself seemed to melt from the impact! Both of them showed shock on their faces, and their minds screamed the same thing:
Impossible! Someone my age, matching me in power?!
Their battle continued—clash after clash. Their shock only grew; they were nearly equal in strength!
The knights were about to intervene, but Neil stopped them.
Neil: "Stop… there is no place for you in a fight like this."
Neil looked at them with a gaze full of focus and anger, thinking: What is this? How does this youth possess such power? And why did he attack me? Could it be that he knows?!
The fight raged on.
Jin: Sword Art of Balance - Seventh Movement.
Lucian countered with a new art; it was also balanced and strong, but neither loud nor overpowered. It seemed as though he was trying to gauge his opponent's power level.
Jin: Flying Sword Art - Eighth Movement.
Lucian: Steel Breaker Sword - Third Movement.
Jin: Hybrid Art - Fifth Movement.
Lucian: Silver Current Sword Art - Ninth Movement.
Another collision shattered the ground. There were dozens of violent exchanges, dozens of craters torn into the earth. The two stood before each other, both realizing one thing:
This opponent cannot be fought normally!
Auras exploded around them. Lucian's aura was golden—a pure, roaring holy power. Jin's aura was a dark purple—heavy and suffocating. The two auras locked together, a stunning contrast.
The knights grew tense at the sight.
"It's a dark aura!"
"Does the Temple of Darkness want to start a war?!"
As for Neil, he was thinking of something else, in a state of extreme shock.
Neil: This power and that aura… could he be the Saint of the Dark Temple? But why would they attack?
Back to the youths.
Jin lunged with force. Lucian leaned his body back quickly.
A horizontal slash—cutting the trees behind him. Before Jin could follow up, Lucian rose! A vertical slash passed just centimeters from Jin, splitting a giant rock in half!
Jin looked at Lucian's hand, anticipating the movement and the coming attack. He raised his hand quickly.
Mana Projectiles from both sides.
The two projectiles collided; light erupted from the explosion. Dust scattered as they blew up like a bomb.
Jin shouted: "You! Get out of my way! I don't want to fight you!"
Lucian: "Are you insane? You want me to let you kill a religious leader?"
Jin: "You foolish bastard, he is a demon!"
Lucian felt a surge of anger. He attacked Jin with a powerful, advanced art.
Lucian: Sword Art of the Dawn - Third Movement.
Jin: Art of the Lesser Heavenly Demon Sword - Seventh Movement.
The aura of the Heavenly Demon arts appeared. Jin's feelings of rage were dominant, increasing the bloodlust of the aura and its ominous feel.
Lucian: "You accuse him of being a demon, yet you use demonic arts?"
Lucian: Sword Art of the Dawn - Sixth Movement.
Jin couldn't counter with a fast style, so he turned to magic.
Jin: Magic Shield - Fourth Circle.
The shield shattered in front of Jin as he blocked the attack with his sword, but he was pushed back forcefully. He struggled to stay on his feet, in a state of shock.
Jin: This art… it is on the level of the Lesser Heavenly Demon Art!!
Seeing that ominous energy, Neil sensed an opportunity and shouted loudly.
Neil: "Knights, beware of him! He is a follower of the Demon Sect! We must leave this place immediately!"
Jin was infuriated by the situation. He wanted to end it quickly before Neil could escape.
Jin: [Pain] - Black Magic of the Fifth Circle.
Jin: [Paralysis] - Black Magic of the Fifth Circle.
Jin: [Silence] - Black Magic of the Fourth Circle.
Lucian felt a terrible pain, bleeding from his entire face. His internal organs were being crushed, but he unleashed his aura and shattered the spells.
Neil spoke quickly.
Neil: "He is a black magician and a follower of demons! Look at what the followers of the Dark Temple have become!"
He wanted to sow discord; this was a perfect opportunity for him. Neil leaned toward one of the knights beside him and whispered: "We must flee quickly. He knows my true identity; the other knights might discover us if the fight continues."
Jin was deeply annoyed and screamed.
Jin: "You fools! He is the one who follows the Blood Sect! Can't you feel his cursed energy?!"
Jin looked at the environment around him; it was sunset, and shadows were spreading everywhere. Jin moved toward the nearest shadow. As Lucian lunged toward him, nearly taking his head, Jin vanished into the shadow at the last moment.
Jin appeared in the shadow closest to the Bishop and threatened the knights around him.
Jin: "Get out of my way, you idiots."
Jin took a piercing stance mid-air, putting a heavy burden into the thrust.
The knight conspiring with Neil rushed forward and pushed him away, standing in the path of the attack.
Jin: Death Stab.
The air melted. The knight's body melted and disintegrated before everyone's eyes. Jin burned with rage and regret. The knights went mad at the sight, filled with fury.
And Neil? He didn't even care, but he reacted quickly, pretending to be grief-stricken.
Lucian exploded with anger, unleashing his aura to its maximum.
Lucian: "You wretch! You kill a good man and accuse a Bishop of heresy? You die now."
That knight had been a co-conspirator with Neil, but no one knew.
Lucian stood, also taking a piercing stance. Light condensed at the tip of his sword.
Lucian: Judgment Beam - Momentum.
A beam of light shot out from the thrust, destroying everything in a straight line. At its end, it pulverized an entire hill. Jin looked on in shock and wonder. Watching was enough for him to realize the truth. He muttered to himself.
Jin: "This… it resembles the Void in its destruction! If the Void disintegrates matter, this attack makes it evaporate!"
Jin forgot everything else in the fight. He forgot the Bishop and the knights; he stopped the pursuit. His instinct screamed only one thing:
Excitement! A compelling feeling that his opponent was his natural rival. An overwhelming desire to overcome him! Jin couldn't focus on anything else; he smiled with an intense enthusiasm that did not fit the tragic situation!
He leapt into the night-covered sky, jumping until he stood centered against the full moon!
He sheathed his sword quickly, moved his hands, and began condensing darkness! His crushing dark aura dominated the area; the presence changed. Hearts tightened from the pressure and fear!
Lucian stood on the ground, moving his hands as well. Light condensed between them. A roaring aura of light took over. Though light usually feels welcoming, this was different—it was overwhelmingly dominant and unsettling.
Neil felt terrified. He muttered in shock:
Neil: "This… this isn't just darkness… this person, it's him! He is the Calamity itself!"
Neil screamed as he fled quickly.
Neil: "Get away from here immediately! No one near them will survive!"
A dark dragon manifested behind Jin, roaring and opening its maw to the limit! It was larger than ever before!
And behind Lucian, a golden figure manifested—a giant with massive wings! Lucian extended his hand, and the manifestation followed.
Terror manifested in the hearts of all present. They felt one thing: they had to run to survive!
Jin's eyes were colored with the hue of the abyss more vibrantly than ever; his pupils became razor-sharp. Lucian's golden eyes glowed intensely, visible from dozens of meters away.
Jin: Void Sphere - Rift.
Lucian: Judgment Beam - Fusion.
The two energy projectiles collided, and at that moment...…
A massive explosion. A thunderous sound heard from kilometers away!
The light, the form of the explosion's energy—there was only one description: a nuclear blast!
The forest melted. Burning trees were blown away. Stones scattered as the earth was destroyed. The soldiers and Neil were thrown dozens of meters; their clothes evaporated, their skin burned, and blood flowed from their faces and bodies from the pressure.
It was a localized nuclear explosion!
A circle with a diameter of 320 meters was completely destroyed, leaving a crater ten meters deep. Surrounding it were hundreds of meters of fire and devastation. The forest was entirely ruined.
In the impact site, the two youths stood. Nothing remained of their clothes except their trousers, which were barely burnt down to the knees. Even Lucian's armor, despite its durability, had completely evaporated. Their swords were softened and cracked. Their bodies were covered in wounds and burn marks.
Yet, the two stood upright. Both were bleeding from their entire faces; the veins in their bodies had cracked and bled. Still, they endured!
Jin looked ahead. Lucian lunged with a final attack—it had no energy, only physical strength. Jin could not block the blow. A deep gash appeared on his chest and stomach.
Jin stepped back. He pulled a scroll from his storage ring and channeled the last of his remaining mana into it. He spoke with difficulty, his voice breaking.
Jin: "This… will not be… our last meeting."
Jin tore the scroll and teleported instantly from the scene.
Lucian fell to his knees. He could not stand or utter a word. His mind was boiling with thoughts, but it stopped due to exhaustion. He fell unconscious.
And so… the moon and the knights were witnesses to the greatest battle the continent had seen in a decade!
End of Chapter.