Chapter 127
Episode 41: Veris and Kuzan (Part 2)
KRAAANG!
A deafening explosion rocked the air as their auras collided, leaving ears ringing. Jin and Kuzan moved so fast they left afterimages, their forms tangled in a relentless clash. Astonishingly, Veris’s magic struck only Jin—never missing by even an inch.
‘Is this really the same woman who was half out of her mind with excitement just moments ago?’
SWISH!
Kuzan’s sword tip grazed Jin’s sleeve by a hair’s breadth. Instantly, the fabric blackened and burned as if his skin was rotting beneath it.
Jin tore off the scorched sleeve and threw it to the ground. Had the coat’s sleeve been any tighter, the poison would have seeped directly into his skin.
“Hah, using poison on top of fighting the two of us? That’s cheating, isn’t it?”
Kuzan said nothing, pressing Jin harder.
On the surface, it looked like Jin was being pushed back, struggling. But inside, Kuzan was confused.
‘His aura feels like a six-star level, but his swordsmanship is unusually exceptional. And the strength backing it up… Could he be hiding his aura? Or is it because he’s a magic swordsman?’
Back when he was trained as a hunting dog, Kuzan had heard tales of ‘magic swordsmen’ who had existed long ago. Unlike those who mastered either martial arts or magic, they wielded their power with uncanny efficiency.
That wasn’t entirely wrong, but Jin simply possessed the superior physique of a Runkandel. It was no wonder Kuzan hadn’t guessed.
Veris was just as surprised.
‘That slippery bastard! He parried Kuzan’s sword and dodged my magic too? I can’t get any closer because I don’t know when he’ll use light magic again. He’s the most infuriating opponent I’ve ever faced…!’
Though Veris and Kuzan were clearly the ones pressing the attack, their mysterious impatience made them more cautious. Meanwhile, Jin was beyond impatient—he was constantly feeling the threat of death.
‘The magic is coming faster and faster. He’s narrowing his aim with every spell. If he gets any more precise, I’m done for.’
Even though her mana was depleted, Veris was still showing the full power of an eight-star mage.
BAAANG! BANG!
Each blast of Veris’s magical wind hit like cannon fire, forcing Jin to retreat without a single chance to counterattack.
‘It’s a shame, but I have no choice but to play my trump card.’
FLARE!
Suddenly, a small blue flame flickered in Jin’s palm, causing Kuzan to flinch and halt his charge.
Tess, the master of flames. The blue fire meant a dimensional gate was opening to summon him.
‘Blue flames!?’
Like a curtain tearing, a rift in space appeared, and Tess’s long neck emerged. Veris’s pupils dilated in shock.
“W-What? Tess!? Kuzan, keep your distance! You can’t be exposed to the Pressure!”
The Pressure—a unique power possessed only by Tess.
The mage knew better than anyone the danger of that transcendent force. Kuzan had rarely heard Veris shout so urgently.
Kuzan also understood what the Pressure was, so he quickly pulled back and formed a blade aura, intending to keep Tess’s flames at bay from a distance.
‘Gotcha.’
They naturally assumed Jin would unleash the Pressure flames on Kuzan. In a standoff like this, it made more sense to immobilize an eight-star knight’s movements.
KRAAAACK!
But the first to breathe out was Veris. Thick blue flames, like crashing waves, engulfed her, and Jin caught the flicker of doubt in Kuzan’s eyes.
As Kuzan hurriedly turned to rush Veris, Jin scattered sword light across his back.
“Looks like you underestimated me. I’m not about to show you my back.”
“You…!”
CLANG!
Jin drew on every last bit of aura he’d been saving while fighting defensively. The aura around Bradamante spread like smoke, forming the energy commonly called ‘sword flames.’
While Jin held Kuzan in place, Tess flapped his massive wings, wrapping Veris in flames. Even the tiny sparks that fell with each beat of his wings targeted her.
Blue breaths slammed into the ground where Veris stood.
Perhaps sensing her contractor was in danger, Tess desperately spewed flames.
KIAAAAK…!
A terrifying roar that seemed to crush Jin’s mind echoed. Sweat pouring down, Veris raised dozens of layers of magical shields, but a thin line of blood trickled from her mouth.
‘It’s a backlash! She’s paying the price for wasting mana killing the Moon’s sacrificial survivors. Lucky for me!’
But summoning Tess was a burden for Jin too.
‘How long can I maintain this? Ten minutes at most. If Veris doesn’t fall completely into backlash by then, I’ll lose a weapon.’
It was a gamble. Though he’d recently gained seven-star mana, Jin had already lost a lot using the flash cannon earlier.
Maintaining Tess’s summon while casting other spells was impossible.
‘I have to settle things with Kuzan while Veris can’t support him. Or if Kuzan has to protect Veris and leaves an opening, that’s when I finish it.’
The latter was Jin’s preferred scenario. Though there were variables like Multa’s rune and sword unlocking, beating an eight-star knight head-on without Tess was still impossible.
CLANG, CLANG, BOOM!
Kuzan’s face, trapped by Jin, showed clear signs of agitation. Veris’s danger was the only time Kuzan lost his composure.
Should he risk injury to save Veris? Or trust Veris and kill Jin first?
After a brief hesitation, Kuzan’s blade flashed.
“Whoever sent you, if anything happens to Veris, I’ll hunt down your master and kill him.”
“What should I do? I’m not someone who moves on orders like you.”
SWISH!
Kuzan’s swordsmanship changed.
Until now, his style had been cautious and cunning. But now, his blade moved in the exact opposite way—recklessly charging forward without defense, destructive and relentless.
It was a sword that said, “I’ll give up flesh and bone if it means killing you quickly.”
‘Damn it, I thought he’d go to save the mage.’
The sudden shift sent shivers through Jin’s body. Forced to match Kuzan’s tempo, he swung his sword, dozens of sharp slashes stabbing like needles at his eyes.
‘Too fast…!’
The ultimate swift swordsmanship Jin had never experienced before.
In fact, Kuzan’s attacks left more openings than before. Jin could twist the sword’s trajectory slightly and Kuzan would cut himself. But even when Jin saw a chance for a decisive strike, he hesitated.
If he pushed the blade through that gap, he’d be cut by Kuzan’s poisoned sword too.
The problem was, he couldn’t hold out much longer like this. Even a small scratch would spread poison throughout his body.
Resolute, Jin stepped forward half a pace and thrust Bradamante.
Activating Multa’s rune, he aimed to pierce Kuzan’s neck.
As they clashed head-on, Kuzan twisted his neck to avoid a fatal blow. His sword, stained dark green, wedged into Jin’s brow.
‘Helmet unlock!’
THUD!
A helmet suddenly formed, blocking Kuzan’s blade.
But it was nothing like when he’d blocked Alu’s sword before. The heavy impact felt like being struck by a massive hammer, nearly throwing Jin off balance.
“Ugh!”
Yet Kuzan didn’t falter and immediately prepared a follow-up attack. If this was all Jin had been hiding, Kuzan was ready to end it.
But Kuzan couldn’t swing his next strike properly.
Just as his poisoned blade was about to fall again, Bradamante spewed black darkness.
WHOOSH…!
Not only that, but the entire area briefly darkened like pitch, blocking everyone’s vision except Jin’s.
‘This is… spiritual energy!?’
Even when Jin revealed he was a magic swordsman, when Tess was summoned, and when Multa’s rune activated at this critical moment—Kuzan had kept his composure.
But not this time. He’d heard of spiritual energy before, but experiencing it was different.
The darkness spreading with its release was a strange power that chilled the heart just by watching.
The blackout lasted barely a second.
That was just enough time for Kuzan to shrink back—and for Jin to land a decisive blow.
SHING!
Like a hidden dagger revealed, Bradamante, blending with the darkness, surged into Kuzan’s chest.
That moment of hesitation cost him. The black blade pierced Kuzan’s chest squarely, and thick blood poured out.
“Ugh!”
It wasn’t the heart’s location.
But if Jin twisted the handle to spin the blade, no matter how much poison it carried, Kuzan wouldn’t survive.
All he had to do was grip it tight and twist.
Just twist it…
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, all the strength drained from Jin’s body, and the figure of Kuzan, who had been right before his eyes, began to fade into the distance. A wave of dizziness and vertigo washed over him.
His vision blurred rapidly, and the sound of his own labored breathing echoed unpleasantly in his mind, disorienting him further.
He had been cut—by Kuzan’s poisoned blade.
Though the sword had only grazed his waist, the deadly toxin was already seeping into his skin, coursing through his veins.
“Ugh.”
Staggering back, Jin instinctively pulled the blade free from Kuzan’s chest. Kuzan coughed up blood and dropped to one knee, but a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.
The magical link connecting Tess and Jin snapped. Tess let out a fierce cry, but it was no use—her summoning was breaking.
As Tess vanished, Beris collapsed, trembling violently. Kuzan, with shaking hands, pulled out a glass vial.
If he drank the poison antidote, his wounds would slowly begin to heal. Once his strength returned enough to grip his sword again, Kuzan planned to end Jin’s life.
‘Stay focused. If you don’t, you’ll die.’
Breathing heavily, Jin planted his blade into the ground to steady himself. Without holding onto the sword, he could barely remain standing.
His entire body felt as if it were engulfed in flames, but not a single scream escaped his lips. This was the deadliest poison of all—the kind that would have killed anyone but a Runkandel’s body with just a scratch this deep.
For a long moment, none of the three moved. Jin was weakened by the poison, Beris was caught in a violent convulsion, and Kuzan’s wounds had yet to heal.
Kuzan was the first to rise unsteadily to his feet. Just as Jin barely managed to ready himself for another attack—
“There they are!”
“Black hood, matching the description given by the civilians. Your Highness, it’s the suspect!”
“Archers, prepare to aim! Knights, follow me!”
In the distance, a group of knights galloped toward them.
They were the prince’s forces from the Delki Kingdom, chasing the suspect behind a string of mysterious murders that had begun in Delki just before dawn yesterday.