Episode 568
While the three of them infiltrated deep beneath the barrier, Kanna and Wakion were outside, drawing the enemy’s attention.
They dispatched soldiers with just enough magic not to bring the wall down, buying time until Clark, Gypsy, and the mysterious ranged attacker could finish clearing the inside.
Bang! Bang!
“Ugh!”
“Come on in! Yeah, that’s it! Keep coming, damn it!”
“Grab them! Kill them!”
“That’s right! Bring it on!”
Just as Kanna and Wakion gripped their swords tighter and charged at the soldiers—
Amid the scattering troops, a massive figure clad in black armor appeared. The armor said to be forged from dragon scales in Luswena.
Behind the soldier at the front, dozens more in black armor poured out like a tidal wave. Kanna and Wakion swallowed hard, as if acknowledging the inevitable.
‘It’s okay. We can do this.’
This was the very armor that had left Beric and Barsabe bloodied ten years ago. Back then, several magic swordsmen had to strike in unison just to barely hold it off. Now, they were clearly on the defensive.
The Burgos soldiers advanced with smug grins, taking one step at a time. Kanna and Wakion didn’t back down; instead, they slipped their hands behind their jackets.
“How dare you come here and cause a ruckus! I’ll tear you apart!”
“We’re experts at tearing mouths too!”
“Shut up, you Bariel scum!”
Swish!
Kanna and Wakion drew out special weapons made by the Dera tribe. They were short sticks, about the size of a palm, but when swung lightly, they doubled in length.
“This is how we catch those things, remember?”
“Focus!”
“Yeah, focus! Let’s do this!”
Though they had lengthened, the weapons were thin and unimpressive—looking no different from toys kids play with. But there was no time to doubt.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The black-armored soldiers charged with heavy footsteps. The two split left and right, meeting the enemy head-on.
They had spent more than half their lives eating, sleeping, and clashing swords together. Without a word, Kanna swung with all her might from her right knee to her waist, while Wakion aimed for the left shoulder and head.
Clang! Boom!
A sharp, clear sound rang out briefly as the magic swordsmen’s power struck, denting the black armor in several places.
Seizing the moment, they twisted their bodies and stabbed at the spots they had targeted—this time Kanna on the left, Wakion on the right.
Crack! Ssshhh!
Their eyes widened for a moment. The black armor was breaking apart completely. Turning back, they saw no part of the armor from head to toe left unscathed.
The soldier inside staggered, likely stunned by the external impact, then collapsed forward.
“This—”
“Guess there’s something to good equipment after all.”
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Ugh, I’m—going! Kill them!”
The black-armored soldiers watching from behind hesitated, then with a roar, attacked the two intruders.
But according to logic, everything has its pros and cons. It was troublesome that the enemy’s numbers were countless in Agiar’s stronghold, but the narrow gap in the barrier meant they couldn’t all rush at once—a welcome advantage.
“Let’s go, Kanna!”
“Wakion!”
They charged forward again, meeting the pounding black armor head-on.
Yeah. Since we’re dancing with swords here anyway, might as well smash these Luswena black armors to pieces. It’ll weaken the enemy’s forces for the future.
Swish!
‘Still, even with the Dera weapons, these black armors feel different from before. Have we grown stronger?’
‘I heard Luswena is recklessly producing black armor from illegally bred dragon scales. That might explain the drop in quality.’
‘They’re just imitations of the originals.’
‘We can handle it. We can!’
Boom!
The two of them took down five black-armored soldiers in quick succession. Just as they wiped the sweat from their chins—
“Kanna! Wakion!”
A voice called out to them.
The Burgos side wouldn’t know their names, and it wasn’t the voice of their comrades. It had to be Clark or Gypsy, who had made contact with their allies.
“Where are you?!”
“This way! Left side!”
“Damn, I can’t see! Wakion! Find them and get them out!”
Kanna gestured with her eyes, but Wakion hesitated.
“What are you waiting for? Go.”
“But—”
“There’s no ‘but’ during a mission.”
“…See you soon.”
“Yeah. See you soon.”
Wakion ran toward the voice, soon spotting a man clutching his side, waving at them. He seemed unable to move easily due to his injury. Wakion approached and slung an arm around his shoulder to support him.
“Clark?”
“…Yes.”
“So you met Beric. Hold on tight.”
Wakion sprinted to the highest point of the barrier. Just as he was about to grab the flagpole—
Bang!
The ground shook violently as something exploded.
He nearly fell, but holding Clark firmly, Wakion pressed himself against the wall. Now, they had no choice but to send magic into the sky to summon a dragon again or call for a mage’s help…
“Huh?”
Wakion and Clark muttered simultaneously.
A creeping blue-black smoke rose from underground. It looked like a fire, but it was clearly different from a normal blaze.
Whoosh—
The smoke flowed through the soldiers and passed beyond the barrier, growing thicker.
As the two looked around in confusion, Ian, who was facing the Luswena mages in the sky, sensed something and turned back.
“What’s that?”
“Did Rutherford do something again?”
“More importantly, Ian, you need treatment immediately! You’re still bleeding from your stomach—”
“Come here for a moment!”
“Hold the front line well!”
“Yes, the Luswena bastards are distracted down here! Hurry while you can!”
“Tch! So even they don’t know what’s going on.”
“Looks like Rutherford acted alone!”
“First, get Ian out of here!”
Thud!
Mages pulled Ian back, roughly injecting magic into his arm to amplify their power. They were worried about his condition due to the wound in his stomach.
Feeling the warm magic from his comrades, Ian bit his lower lip lightly. His pale complexion was slowly returning.
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
“But what was that explosion? And that dark blue smoke?”
Ian whispered to the grumbling mages watching below.
“…Gypsy is dying.”
‘Damn bastard, I’ll kill you… ugh…’
Gypsy cursed Rutherford silently as she crawled slowly. The path she’d taken was soaked with something sticky, and the stench was so bad it nearly numbed her sense of smell.
Passing soldiers spotted her, but seeing a grotesque creature crawling with gills and fins, they dared not approach.
‘Because my fins are torn, I can’t go to the abyss.’
If she dipped into the abyss, not only would the pain be unbearable, but she’d just sink and waste away with the other lost souls.
Pushing herself forward on her elbows, Gypsy pondered what to do. Inside the Agiar barrier, she couldn’t push past the armed soldiers, and more than that—
“Tearing the gills alone doesn’t kill you right away, huh?”
Once in Rutherford’s grasp, escape would be nearly impossible.
Gypsy suddenly thought of Melania and Clark, who had suggested going to the Bariel camp together. They were a bit annoying but not bad—at least compared to Rutherford.
“Ugh, uh, ugh—”
“You didn’t cut out your tongue. Stop whining.”
As Gypsy gasped, Rutherford pressed his foot firmly on her head. Then he motioned for his soldiers to bring their swords.
Clink.
“Since the poison’s out, spit out whatever’s inside you.” Rutherford said as he raised his sword—
Ching!
A sharp dagger flew and struck his sword precisely. The soldiers immediately went on alert, surrounding their leader. Rutherford turned toward the dagger’s origin, where two magic swordsmen clung to Gypsy’s trail.
“Rutherford!”
Barsabe and Bonita.
The two swallowed dryly as they scanned the area.
‘It really is Rutherford.’
They hadn’t expected to meet him so easily.
Slowly approaching, they watched Gypsy’s trembling back.
“You seem to know me, but I don’t know you.”
“I’m Bonita, one of the three commanders of the Imperial Guard.”
“I’m Barsabe, also a commander of the Imperial Guard!”
“Ah, I see.”
So what? Rutherford smiled, resting his sword on his shoulder.
Bonita spoke calmly.
“You must not kill Gypsy. It will bring chaos to the world.”
“As the Imperial Guard, I thought you’d know I want that.”
“It’s not what you want, but what the Underworld God wants!”
When Bonita suddenly shouted, Rutherford’s brow furrowed deeply. What on earth was he babbling about now? An underground god? Toorun?
“…Are you insane?”
“If I seem insane to you, then you’re right. Because you’re the one who’s lost his mind. You dare to blaspheme the gods, seduced by some shadow deity, and now you’re trying to endanger Gaia itself!”
“Shut up!”
Rutherford’s voice snapped, and from the stairs above, the magic swordsmen came rushing down in a swarm—warriors from Burgos and Luswena. They blocked Rutherford’s path, their eyes burning with hostility as they leveled their blades at Bonita and Barsabe.
Click, click!
Behind them, more soldiers filled the narrow corridor. There was no way for Bonita and Barsabe to slip through.
“Listen carefully. Since you also draw your power from magic, I’ll show you a bit of mercy and explain. The god you worship is a vile parasite, eating away at Gaia. Our god intends to overthrow Bariel and build a new Gaia. It’s a grand plan, truly.”
Bonita and Barsabe exchanged incredulous glances. How could they save someone so blinded by false faith? They both knew it was quicker to end him than to try.
“And I as well!”
Once, under the name Bandor, he had served the imperial palace—but it ended in ruin. What did it even mean to serve Bariel? What was worth sacrificing comrades, destroying lives, and eroding oneself to dust?
He hated and regretted it all. He hated Bariel, who had commanded him, and regretted ever accepting him.
Ziiing. Ziiing.
Rutherford breathed heavily, and Bonita and Barsabe unleashed their magic. Even if it meant dying here, they had to take him down.
“My steps are to correct past mistakes.”
“Shut up! No matter what excuses you make, you’re nothing but a puppet of the shadows!”
Click, click!
Thud!
“Ugh!”
As Barsabe lunged forward, everything happened at once. Rutherford’s sword plunged into the gypsy’s abdomen, a Burgos magic swordsman leapt past him, and the soldiers closed in, tightening the circle.
Whoosh!
Then—
From the wound in the gypsy’s belly, a fierce energy surged, spewing out thick black and blue smoke that quickly filled the air. The toxic fumes were so intense that darkness swallowed their vision and their stomachs churned violently.
Rutherford staggered back, supported by the magic swordsmen, while the soldiers collapsed one by one, spitting yellow foam.
“Ugh—!”
Barsabe and Bonita were no different. Both felt their consciousness fading and nodded grimly. The barrier was falling, and there was nothing they could do now. They had to find a way to carve out a breathing space, no matter what.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
Kraaaang!
Bonita squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands to the ground. Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the earth, and grains of sand rained down from the ceiling. The ground was splitting apart.
Rumble!
Boom! Thud! Crack!
“Captain!”
“Barsabe! Stay focused!”
“Ugh!”
The walls and ceiling crumbled helplessly.
Darkness swallowed the entire world.
“The barrier’s collapsing! Over there—the northern wall!”
Meanwhile, Jin, who had been monitoring the situation, grabbed his telescope and peered through it. A huge cloud of sand dust hung in the air, and the wall had caved in, leaning to one side.
What should we do? Everyone waited silently for Jin’s orders, and he swallowed hard. He wanted to send reinforcements immediately, but…
“Redirect the soldiers to the north. We’ll breach through the collapsed barrier and push forward.”