Chapter 1018
Episode 247: The Liberation War of Laprarosa (6)
“This… this can’t be happening…!”
He couldn’t accept it.
A chill ran down his spine. It felt as if Sigmund’s icy blade was already pressed against his throat. The overwhelming pressure was unlike anything Simat had ever experienced before. He simply couldn’t comprehend his opponent.
Since reaching the stage of Creation, he had never imagined there could be a next level. In ancient times, and even now after awakening from the seal, Creation still symbolized the ultimate boundary of the void.
But the Jin before him was clearly operating on a plane far beyond that.
Not just a subtle difference between two beings at the same stage of Creation, like himself and the prime Cheongpungje, but a literal chasm.
An insurmountable gap.
That distant sky, taking human form, was pointing a sword at him. Despite standing above, the difference in altitude made him feel as if he were looking up at Jin.
[Didn’t I ask you, Simat? Are you ready?]
Kiiit—!
Simat flinched reflexively and swung Tetalon. The crimson wave of the Red Celestial Sword slammed into the ground, and meanwhile, Pibil was busy reinforcing its protective shield and regaining position.
The Red Sea—the sword Simat had gained upon reaching Creation—was undoubtedly the most destructive among his blades. Its crimson wave tore through the sky and crashed down as if to rip the earth apart.
[Well, that was a pointless question. The punishment is already decided.]
Blue lightning pierced through the center of Simat’s crimson wave, spreading left and right. Before the Red Sea could touch the ground, Jin lightly flicked his sword, as if brushing it aside.
Compared to the immense energy contained in the Red Sea, this was a mere flick.
‘Even the Cheongpungje of that era struggled greatly to break through that sword, yet now it’s so easily deflected.’
No matter how fierce a river’s current, a single rock rising above the water can split it.
Each movement of Jin’s sword, unified with his spirit, carried that kind of profound depth. A vast, unfathomable world—beyond Simat’s understanding—was condensed into a single blade.
The moment the Red Sea was brushed aside, Simat experienced a vivid vision as if he had been thrown naked into the universe of the Spirit Warrior.
Though they hadn’t even clashed swords directly yet, he was drowning in it, flailing helplessly. A giant, too immense to take in at a glance, was trampling him with just its gaze.
{Spirit Warrior comrade!}
“Ah…!”
It was a transmission from Rimagas.
Completely overwhelmed by the vision, Simat made a fatal mistake uncharacteristic of him—he lost focus in front of the enemy.
Hearing Rimagas’s voice, he barely snapped back to reality, only to see Jin’s strike flying straight for his throat.
There was no way to dodge or block it.
If Simat had been fighting alone, it would have been a crushing, meaningless blow. But Rimagas, sensing Simat’s state instinctively, poured all the power of the airborne fortress into shielding him.
“Ugh!”
A blue blade tore through the protective shield. Despite the terrible recoil generated by the combined power of the fortress’s four engines, Simat’s gaze remained unshaken.
The blade did not stop. Only after Sigmund fully entered the shield did Simat react belatedly.
Gritting his teeth, he swung Tetalon with all his might, gripping the sword with both hands, screaming internally as he fought like a lonely challenger without a name or clan—before he became a ruler of the world.
“Gahaaah!”
Screeeech—! A thunderous roar erupted as if a rocky mountain had been split in two. The Red Brainwave beneath Simat shattered like glass, and the scattered fragments formed a space for him to stand once more.
The Red Brainwave formed and collapsed repeatedly, about five layers deep. Even before receiving the strike, Simat’s entire body was drenched in sweat, while Jin looked down at the falling figure.
Beyond those seemingly emotionless eyes burned a raging fury—the wrath of a Spirit Warrior, a Mingwang, and Jin himself.
If he faltered even for a moment before that fury, his head would be severed.
So Simat focused solely on his will. He forced himself into the single-minded determination to fight.
Because if he didn’t, he felt he would only think about running away.
Once he ran, there would be no next time. From then on, his future would be nothing but hiding from Jin and the Mingwang clan forever.
And that pitiful future wouldn’t last long.
‘This is like a fight between an adult and a child…!’
‘Is it possible for a Spirit Warrior comrade to fall so easily? Even the Cheongpungje of the past said you’d have to risk your life to defeat a Spirit Warrior!’
The battle was completely beyond the common sense of the Akmyeong tribe. More precisely, it was overturning the understanding of all martial warriors. Such a vast gap could not exist between two beings at the same stage of Creation.
But Murakan immediately understood the reason.
[Actually, being at the same stage of Creation was poison for that Simat guy. He almost got buried. Our guys had a similar experience when they first saw Elona. Though, they weren’t at Creation.]
“So the leader of that subspecies was crushed by the might of Spirit Warrior unity? Murakan.”
[Exactly, Teto. The gap is real, but Simat also saw things others couldn’t—differences only those with Creation’s insight can perceive. That’s why his mind almost broke.]
“True, even gods of the past often fell before fighting the Spirit Warrior brothers.”
[Still, that guy clawed his way up from the bottom. That’s why even when shaken, he quickly pulled himself together. But damn, if he’d achieved that much, he should’ve known better whether he was on the right path. Why get tangled up with kids like you Spirit Warriors? If he’d used his head, he could’ve been a real help to the world.]
Crack, krdddddrrr…!
As Jin pressed Simat forward, thunder rumbled across the entire sky. The regular fleet couldn’t withstand the relentless lightning and scattered in all directions.
The airborne fortress couldn’t regroup the fleet. It was too busy protecting Simat, and the thunder kept shattering the shields without pause.
Those once impenetrable Red Brainwaves and countless shields were breaking like dry leaves underfoot. The crew of the regular fleet died without even a scream, and many Akmyeong warriors fell inside the fortress.
The shock was immense. Even first-class Spirit Kings collapsed, foaming at the mouth from the lightning and shockwaves Jin unleashed. The fortress’s outer armor was being ground away relentlessly.
[Alright, let’s do our part.]
Murakan bared his fangs in a grin.
Then he exhaled toward Pibil. Pibil had to endure his breath with only its outer armor and constantly active shields.
All power was focused on Simat. If even a little was diverted to protect Pibil itself, Simat’s danger would increase.
The moment Pibil’s armor was destroyed again, the bridge opened and Bekios appeared. As soon as he emerged, he used fortress fire to confront Murakan.
He took the form of a massive winged lion. Just as Bekios opened his maw to unleash a wave of energy, Linpa’s greatsword pierced his wing.
Linpa, who had been coughing up blood with every breath until moments ago, now radiated even stronger lightning energy, her eyes shining fiercely.
“What changes… when you transform?”
Linpa’s greatsword exploded, tearing a huge hole in Bekios’s right wing. Lightning and blood from the fortress filled the gap, but the other Spirit Kings didn’t stand still.
With Spirit Warrior unity came a new resonance, reigniting the Spirit Kings’ fierce hearts. They leapt and surged forward, wielding weapons glowing with a sharp blue light.
“For the crime of impersonating the Mingwang, death alone will not suffice!”
Bekios suffered the humiliation of having both wings and limbs severed immediately upon appearing. Though blood and Red Brainwaves were supplied instantly for rapid recovery, the Spirit Kings’ assault was far more intense.
The other Great Spirit Kings hurriedly left the bridge. Bakalun and Rakiman also engaged the Spirit Kings with fortress fire.
But it made no difference to the tide.
The current Akmyeong tribe was undoubtedly the strongest force in the mortal realm, but that was solely due to their overwhelming technology.
The terrifying destructive power and mobility of the airborne fortress and fleet.
Jin, wielding Spirit Warrior unity, rendered their technology meaningless. He made it impossible even for Simat to assert his dignity as a being of Creation.
The Akmyeong tribe, trapped between technology and Simat’s overwhelming power.
From that point on, the Akmyeong tribe could only be a faction with nothing to boast compared to other great powers. Aside from Simat, the only transcendent beings left were the three remaining Great Spirit Kings.
Naturally, they alone could never handle Murakan and the Spirit Kings.
“No, Great Spirit King comrades! Fall back…!” Simat shouted.
He thought it was a grave mistake for the Great Demon Kings to have come out into the open. He should have first overcome the rapidly surging dark energy within himself and wrested at least some control away from Jin before making a move. Even if it meant losing an airborne fortress. Only then could he have set the stage to summon the critical strike.
For Simatro, who couldn’t issue orders immediately because he was busy parrying Jin’s sword, this was a bitter pill to swallow.
“What are you so worried about, Simatro?”
Crack!
Sigmund slammed his fist down on Simatro’s shoulder. Thanks to the fortress’s anti-brainwave defenses, it didn’t sever the limb, but the psychic energy from the blow was flooding into the wound.
It felt less like blood and more like fire and lightning coursing through his entire body. Struggling to suppress the pain wracking him, Simatro forced his sword toward Jin’s face.
Jin didn’t flinch, confident the blade wouldn’t pierce deeply. As expected, the Tetalon merely grazed his cheek.
Before blood could even trickle down, the heat of the lightning energy incinerated it. Jin locked eyes with Simatro.
Then, he unleashed the psychic energy of his radiant heart, preparing to draw the sword of judgment. A sword that would prove there was only one rightful bearer of the name of the Lord of Death in this world.
The Tenth Sword of the Lord of Death’s Possession Technique—
The Lord of Death’s Sovereign Sword: Kai.
“You should never have dared to touch us.”