Episode 386
Chapter 117: Who Is the True Runcandel? (6)
“The crime of insulting the clan head must be paid with death!”
Two elders of the Black Sword Society lunged at Jin.
Though long retired, these knights had once been renowned warriors. Their swords, glowing with fierce auras, sliced through the air with sharp, piercing sounds.
Their movements were no less skilled than those of the young guardian knights. The spaces their blades targeted were precise, their fluid trajectories difficult to predict.
Yet Jin effortlessly spun his body, evading the elders’ strikes. Not even the hem of his coat was grazed; their swords cut only empty air.
The moment Jin vanished from sight, a chilling cold ran down the elders’ spines, like a thin layer of ice forming on their backs.
“Who dares—”
They whipped their heads around at the voice.
What met their eyes was a fist thrust straight forward, and the compressed air distorting along its path.
Zzzeeng! Bang!
The elders barely managed to block the rapid punches, but their stances faltered. Before they could regain balance, Jin struck again, his fist aimed squarely at their faces.
If it landed, their heads would vanish without a trace.
That thought flashed simultaneously in the elders’ minds.
There was no escape. All they could do was glare fiercely, refusing to appear cowardly in their final moments.
Their vision darkened.
The fist had stopped just before them. Frozen like statues, the elders could not respond to the mercy Jin had shown.
“Was that someone worthy of insult? Just a few careless words?”
Jin withdrew his fist and turned away.
“Next time, I won’t hold back. Return to your seats.”
Most of the onlookers were utterly stunned.
“I’d heard the 12th generation was formidable, but to subdue two Black Sword elders without drawing a blade…”
“Without even unsheathing their swords!”
“Is that really how strong they are?”
Especially Mu and Anne, who had been the first to challenge Jin, looked almost dazed.
I have to admit, Mary’s whispered warning echoed in my mind: You should be thanking me—you probably wouldn’t have survived otherwise.
“Ugh… wow!”
The Tona brothers involuntarily gasped, hastily covering their mouths.
Normally, anyone showing such a reaction would have been scolded by the others—how could they act so foolish?
But no one reprimanded the Tona brothers. Everyone was too stunned, their minds pierced by the shock like a blade.
Of course, not everyone in the training hall was so taken aback.
“Enough. Return now! Don’t disgrace yourselves further.”
It was Lin Milcano, head of the Defense Council.
She had shown displeasure from the moment the elders raised their voices against Jin.
“And you two are no longer members of the Elders’ Council.”
“Defense Council Chief…!”
“Enough. Or do you want to end up like the rumors say the 12th generation will—face down in a water basin?”
Lin’s eyes sharpened, and the two elders had no choice but to silently retreat. They knew that any unnecessary words now could cost them their lives.
“12th generation.”
“Yes, Defense Council Chief.”
Jin and Lin’s gazes met.
“To see a young upstart flaunting strength before the elders is hardly a pleasant sight.”
“If I were truly showing off, this training hall would have vanished without a trace.”
“Your arrogance never ceases.”
“Is what I showed really worthy of being called arrogance? It was rather modest, wasn’t it?”
As he spoke, Jin updated his mental profile of Lin.
‘Lin Milcano, head of the Defense Council, wields considerable influence even over the Black Sword elders. She’s been more concerning than my distant relative, Jorden.’
Lin’s expression had calmed, making it hard to read her true thoughts.
‘If possible, it would be ideal to have the Defense Council chief on my side.’
To become clan head, the support of the Elders’ Council was absolutely essential.
Of course, if I achieve far greater feats and wipe out the opposing elders, it won’t matter.
But realistically, that’s difficult—unless Joshua becomes clan head or I rise to prominence first.
‘For now, the Defense Council chief and Uncle Jed are tentative allies, but that’s not enough.’
Who exactly is Lin Milcano? What does she want?
As these questions lingered, Lin spoke again.
“Modest, you say? Then perhaps it’s time I see for myself.”
Swish…
Lin smoothly drew her sword.
“You mentioned a way to defeat Jiple. I assume you mean the potential you have as a magic swordsman. Am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then show me, young show-off.”
“Won’t you regret it?”
“That depends on what you show me.”
“Very well.”
Jin drew his sword, Bradamante, and continued.
“I will restore Runcandel’s name in the world of magic swordsmen.”
A heavy silence pressed down on the training hall.
Though the elders’ disgrace earlier had kept the crowd from outright hostility, many still wanted nothing more than to tear this arrogant 12th generation apart.
“…No one is speaking, but I hear a cacophony of voices in my ears. Your words directly deny the legitimacy of the great swordmasters.”
“Legitimacy.”
Magic swirled around Bradamante’s blade.
“Among the Runcandels here, I doubt anyone can speak of legitimacy before me. A thousand years ago, Runcandel was originally a family of magic swordsmen.”
This was a secret known only within the family; not all Runcandels were aware.
To those ignorant of the truth, Jin’s words sounded like madness.
“After defeat by Jiple, the family was forced into a humiliating pact, losing their magic…”
Flare!
The magic surrounding Bradamante burst into flames.
“The glorious history was erased, and the names and pride of the ancestors who protected Runcandel were forgotten.”
As the blue flames, the power of Tes, the darkness, and the spirit of Solderet deepened the blade’s glow, swords were drawn throughout the hall.
“As the rightful heir of the Runcandel magic swords, the contract holder of the sword god Solderet, and the sole descendant honoring the ancestors’ souls—I carry the shining will of Runcandel from a thousand years ago.”
Jin’s entire body was engulfed in fierce flames, his eyes blazing.
Lin could no longer maintain her calm and gripped her sword tighter.
Who dares speak of legitimacy to me?
Who is the true Runcandel?
A deep resonance struck the hearts of everyone gathered. It was the ancient spirit of Runcandel pouring forth from Jin.
“This flame belongs to the teenage knight, Sarah Runcandel.”
Runcandel Magic Sword Secret Technique
Karma Flame — Sarah Runcandel
Suddenly, it was as if a volcano had erupted in the center of the training hall.
Flames spread from the runes etched across Jin’s body, expanding from points to lines, then to surfaces, quickly engulfing the entire hall in red.
At that moment, among the generation, Runtia was the first to grasp the danger.
Though she usually appeared sleepy and indifferent, she was the quickest to throw herself before Lin.
“Defense Council Chief.”
“Third generation…!”
“Apologies for the rudeness. But this is to maintain order in the Defense Council. Guardian knights, form a defensive formation with your swords.”
Clack, clack!
Following Runtia’s command, the guardian knights formed a sword barrier.
The other generations did the same. Runtia’s urgency made everyone realize the gravity of the situation.
Rumble!
The flames of Karma began to explode.
Had Runtia acted even a moment later, there would already have been casualties. The guardian knights pressed their swords together, barely holding back the blasts.
Screams echoed, but were drowned out by the roaring flames. Those with less skill had already fainted, relying on comrades to protect them, while the training hall’s floor cracked and melted in places.
But the magic sword secret technique was only just beginning.
Amid the blazing fire, sharp blue sword energy rained down.
Jin saw the Karma Flame as Sarah’s righteous wrath.
Using the name that their ancestors had protected with their lives and beyond, he punished those who dared question the legitimacy of the magic swords’ rightful heir.
The sword energy, infused with fire and spirit, tightened around the Runcandels.
If they tried to block, their swords melted; if they dodged, they faced walls of flame. Most guardian knights and elders lacked the strength to push through.
Death.
If this were a battlefield, they would have turned to ash within seconds. Their survival was thanks only to the other warriors who had reached superhuman levels.
The core of the generations, the elders, and the execution knights swung their swords tirelessly, shielding those on the brink of death.
There was no time to be shocked by the display of the ancient magic sword secret technique. Their sole focus was to desperately push back the flames and keep everyone alive.
The blazing Karma Flame carried the weight of oppression. Like the blue lips of a corpse filled with grudges, the eerie azure fire pressed down on Runcandel.
Chaos, or perhaps a demonic realm.
Amid the swirling fire and swords, Jin shouted once more.
Who is the true Runcandel?
To the Runcandels, it sounded like the very voice of the flames themselves.
Amidst the screams that were swallowed by the howling of beasts in a pack, Jin’s question rang clearly to everyone.
The flames grew denser and more intense.
Among the fire, the most striking, piercing gaze belonged unmistakably to Jin. And it was fixed on his black Runtia.
He had always wondered.
Among the riders, excluding Luna, who was the strongest?
And what would happen if he unleashed his full strength against the strongest of them?
Flare—Ssssk!
A blaze-tinged Bradamante crashed down onto Runtia’s forehead.
As Runtia parried the strike, the flames clustered around her scattered, igniting explosions all around.
Jin and Runtia locked eyes.
“…You’re always such a nuisance to me.”
Jin grinned slyly.
“If you don’t like that, you’d better behead me right now.”