Episode 1009
Chapter 246: The Battle for the Mitra Desert (19)
“Wait, hold on! We need to wait for now, Yona.”
Owl raised his hand, signaling Yona to stop.
“Huh?”
“It seems Simat has truly unleashed his wrath. The red brainwave spreading from Jin’s side is intensifying rapidly.”
Just as he said, the red brainwaves near Jin and the Two Kings were surging dramatically.
The aftermath caused red whirlpools to ripple across the desert, distorting the very space itself.
As soon as Simat left the bridge, he activated the Red Celestial Divine Sword.
That very sword which had wounded Teto and Garmund. Yona, recognizing the immense energy belatedly, shrugged her shoulders.
“So, when do we make our move?”
Owl didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he observed the battle’s flow for a while.
Though the distance prevented a detailed view, reading the energy currents of the clashing forces was not difficult.
‘…As expected, two more energies similar to the Two Kings of the Mingwang clan have appeared. Looks like more Two Kings have been summoned, just like with Lord Beliz and Linpa.’
The energies of Jin and the Two Kings complemented each other distinctly.
Those massive brainwaves seemed chaotic at first glance, but they repeatedly scattered and converged around Jin, never losing their connection for even a moment.
Only someone like Owl could discern the order hidden within that chaos.
On the other hand, the brainwaves emitted by Simat and his fleet were orderly at a glance.
The red whirlpools meshed together like interlocking gears, spaced evenly, and the waves filling the gaps spread uniformly.
It felt like gazing upon a grand architectural masterpiece, perfectly constructed without a single flaw.
Freedom and control, the Mingwang clan and the Red Ming clan’s brainwaves—each bore such contrasting characteristics.
‘In sheer power, the Red Ming clan clearly holds the upper hand. But if the order structuring the red brainwaves begins to break down, will their recovery be just as swift?’
Just as Owl pondered this, a red whirlpool on the left side of the battlefield was struck by a golden thunderbolt and scattered.
The golden lightning struck from a direction even Owl hadn’t noticed.
It wasn’t the golden sphere of the Golden Cloud, but rather a bolt that fell from the blue brainwaves weaving between them.
‘The scattered red brainwaves recover immediately. But if Jin and the Mingwang clan keep stirring within the red brainwaves, small gaps will start to form.’
Still, Owl was confident that if the fight continued, Simat’s side would eventually claim victory.
Even if the Red Ming clan faltered momentarily to maintain the order of their brainwaves, the longer the battle dragged on, the more likely Jin’s side would tire first.
The difference in firepower was simply too great.
But the Balmur Alliance’s goal wasn’t to win the battle outright. There was no reason to fight until a clear victor emerged.
What the Alliance needed was just one chance to throw the liberation device through the Lafraroza portal.
Jin and the Two Kings could easily create that opportunity.
“Yona, if we wait just a little longer, a better moment will come. It won’t be more than an hour, maybe two at most.”
More importantly, Jin and the Mingwang clan weren’t the only ones facing the Red Ming clan now.
“Oh, two more Mingwang Two Kings have been summoned. Looks like they’re friends—Garmund and Teto, right?”
“First squad, Rital’s firepower is focusing on Jin’s side. Let’s look for an opening.”
“Good, Dante! Maybe because you’re close with the youngest, we’re working well together.”
Luna and Dante.
“Our son-in-law sure is lucky. We haven’t even thrown the device yet, and more Two Kings have appeared. They’re not just here to cause confusion—they’re ready to strike hard.”
“Lady Bigung, your swordsmanship truly embodies aesthetics. Our disciples have much to learn from you.”
“I’ve never heard anyone say they have something to teach Luna, really. Especially with Vanessa right here. What an inspiring sight.”
“The first squad personally chose Lord Eltiot as their master, and the High Lord approved, so it’s all good. After meeting Lord Eltiot, it feels like the first squad’s swordsmanship has truly begun to shine. Right, Stray Cat?”
“Meow, meow.”
“Aww, so cute.”
“Hmm… it’s a bit ambiguous, but I can’t deny it’s cute. Just barely enough to consider adopting as a pet.”
“I’ll pass on that, meow.”
“Heh, truly the end times. No wonder everyone’s gone mad…”
Talaris, Eltiot, and Hedo (who had now accepted being teased as a stray cat by the former Black Knights) sharpened their senses and surged through the enemy ranks.
The decisive techniques of Runkandel, the secret arts of Hailan, Bigung’s special moves, and Hedo’s brute strength combined to shake the desert violently.
Though not as perfectly synchronized as Jin and the Two Kings, their coordinated attacks were so organic it was as if they had mastered each other’s swords.
Of course, some gaps inevitably appeared.
But Eltiot, true to his title as the Clear Wind Lord, offset those with his uniquely gentle energy.
‘Even if Sir Shiron falls and Sir Ron is just average, this man’s harmony—what he’s grasped from Changseong—is remarkable. Despite his weakened state, he embraces us all with ease.’
Talaris and the others admired Eltiot’s movements.
Each time he moved his hand, new space seemed to open up; each step he took closed off traps and opened paths.
“Chat, teit! Hacha! Let’s go!”
Though his constant, somewhat awkward battle cries and contorted movements weren’t exactly graceful, the essence of Changseong remained eternal.
The fortress of the red brainwaves was beginning to tremble faster.
Yet the Red Ming clan’s morale remained unshaken.
No matter how powerful the Alliance was, or how many more Two Kings appeared unexpectedly, they were certain the four aerial fortresses would not be pushed back.
“Ha!”
The crimson glow of Tetalon grazed Beliz’s forehead.
As Beliz briefly retreated, Garmund’s greatsword surged forward, followed by attacks from Teto and Linpa.
Teto and Linpa’s strikes were blocked by a wall formed from the red brainwave vibrations, and Garmund was intercepted by the main cannon, falling to the ground.
Meanwhile, a golden lightning-speed thrust aimed precisely at Simat’s neck was parried by Tetalon.
Amid the chaotic exchanges, Simat calmly assessed Jin’s intentions.
‘There were reports that the Mingwang summons were part of an error. Even with their addition, they won’t fight us to the bitter end with this force. They must have a plan…’
When Elona first joined the battle, Jin had seemed indifferent to the cracks being attacked, simply turning away.
Simat didn’t think Jin was truly trying to protect the cracks now either.
It seemed more like a distraction.
‘…There’s only one reason to divert my attention from the cracks: to give someone like Yona Runkandel—an expert in stealth—a foothold near the cracks to do something.’
Just then, Simat spotted someone approaching the cracks.
‘The Nameless King, Owl. So it is.’
The moment Simat saw him, he gathered the red haze of the Red Celestial Divine Sword’s blade tip into a single point.
The red brainwave vibrations suddenly weakened, throwing the Alliance members moving within into disarray.
The condensed red haze fell like lightning above Owl’s head.
It was a blade of light—fast and thin—just like the one Ban had fired at Elona during the first counterattack.
The power of the four aerial fortresses had assisted in mimicking that strike.
“Owl!”
Jin was the first to react, throwing himself toward Owl.
The four Two Kings tried to shield Owl immediately, but the distance was too great.
They couldn’t move faster than Simat’s blade.
In the end, only Jin and Owl could block the red haze, but Owl was slow to react, seemingly caught off guard.
“Ugh!”
“Guh…!”
Zheong! Crack!
After colliding with Sigmund, the red haze naturally dispersed and flew toward Owl.
Yet the red brainwave blocked by Sigmund hadn’t vanished completely, so Jin couldn’t fully protect him.
Jin coughed up blood from the impact. Owl, hastily gathering himself, looked over his body riddled with holes.
‘The heart and neck are intact… But why him and not Yona? And that expression…’
Owl smiled faintly, just enough for Jin to see.
He had deliberately become bait.
So that when Yona approached the cracks later, Simat might let his guard down even slightly.
Without explanation, Jin understood Owl’s plan.
It seemed reckless, and the risk might outweigh the reward.
Simat wasn’t the type to lose his edge after one failed attempt.
But Owl was certain.
Right now, in this moment where not a second could be wasted, if he got hurt, there was a real chance.
‘Jin, I am still the Nameless King. There’s no one better than me at executing this kind of operation.’
Owl’s reason for throwing himself into danger was clear.
‘…Hmph, finally, Zipple is showing his face.’
Zipple—their arrival in the desert had been confirmed.
Simat would naturally check Zipple’s position briefly, and that would be the exact moment Yona would move the device.
Yona was already hidden among the red brainwave cannons, having completed her approach to Squad Two.
Her position was exactly opposite where Zipple appeared.
Owl had calculated everything precisely.
“Throw it well, Mr. Muscle.”
“Of course, Miss Yona.”
Hedo threw the device with all his might toward the rift.
The device shot forward like a blade of energy, passing just behind Simat’s back.
In that instant, Simat flinched, catching sight of the unfamiliar object hurtling into the rift, but he couldn’t extend his sword in that direction.
That was because Jin—who everyone expected to hold his ground to protect Owl—had already closed the distance and was swinging his sword at Sigmund.
“Owl was right. Now’s the perfect moment!”
Owl had nearly been killed by a ground strike from the red brain cannon, but it was he who had sent Jin up to Simat.
Bouncing off the air, Owl gave a thumbs-up before losing consciousness.
Meanwhile, the liberation device was safely entering the passage to Lafrarosa.