Episode 410
Chapter 120. Why Hailan? (4)
Of course, it could have been a leap in logic. They had only exchanged a single strike so far. There was no concrete proof that he was a Black Knight.
‘But that unmistakable sense of danger I always felt when facing Black Knights… it’s just too similar.’
There was only one way to find out—keep fighting. He pressed his sword forward again.
Between the two thugs’ blades, Bradamante’s darkened sword slid through, and Dante seized the opening to strike at their rear.
The thug who sensed Jin was a Black Knight drew a circle with his sword, blocking both attacks simultaneously, while the other thug spun around, aiming for Dante’s neck.
Dante was already exhausted, and as the primary target, they wanted to take him out first.
“Ugh!”
Dante stepped back with a footwork technique, scattering sword energy. Despite the severe bleeding, his radiant aura remained fierce.
Though they hadn’t fought together often, as always, Jin and Dante moved like seasoned partners, reading each other’s blades with fluid precision.
The tide of battle was shifting, naturally, and the thugs had to admit their plan was unraveling.
Clang!
Jin cut through the thugs’ swords and took position beside Dante.
Looking down, he noticed Dante’s grip trembling—not from fear, but from frustration. The countless bodies strewn around were all people Dante had tried to save, or those who had tried to save him.
“Dante!”
“Yes, Grandfather!”
“The knights can’t all gather. They’ve already set traps outside.”
“Outside too…!”
“As the future head of the Sword Emperor’s clan, you must take responsibility and evacuate the civilians.”
When the crisis began, Ron had given Dante that order.
But Dante felt he hadn’t just failed to carry it out—he’d led more people to their deaths.
Jin could see the weight of that guilt clearly, and it pained him.
“Dante, you need to pull yourself together.”
There was no time for comfort—not that comfort would fix this.
“…I know. Your presence is helping me clear my head.”
The trembling in Dante’s hand ceased.
His dark, sunken eyes—uncharacteristic for him—glared at the thugs.
Yet, despite those shadowed eyes, a brilliant aura began to dye Dante’s blade.
‘Buy me time.’
Even without words, Jin understood Dante’s intent.
The Imperial Sword.
The secret sword technique passed down through Hailan’s legitimate heirs was about to be unleashed.
Recognizing the sword, the thugs lunged forward again. Jin blocked their blades, shielding Dante as he gathered his aura.
One thug was manageable, but the Black Knight-level thug’s sword was deadly.
Each strike carried the force of a top-tier warrior’s finest technique.
Even the seemingly casual slashes bore the weight of a mountain.
Pure and refined, like flawless gold—such swordsmanship was rare. The name “Black Knight” flashed again in Jin’s mind.
Slash!
The thug’s blade grazed Jin’s nose. It was a strike launched as the Black Knight-level thug lost his stance, and Jin barely reacted in time to avoid having his throat cut.
Three blades clashed, sparks flying wildly. The heat from the swords was so intense that sweat and blood droplets vaporized the moment they hit the air.
‘This is tight… damn it.’
At first glance, the fight seemed evenly matched.
But that was only because the Black Knight-level thug wasn’t using his full strength.
Since Jin’s arrival, he’d been oddly holding back—whether out of caution or some other motive, no one could tell.
They had to reduce their numbers, even by one.
‘Whatever the reason for holding back, I have to kill at least the weaker ones now.’
Whoosh…!
Dark spiritual energy gathered around Jin. In an instant, veils of this energy formed like coffins all around, and Jin moved between them, firing black sword energy.
He didn’t forget to protect Dante amidst the chaos.
About ten seconds—the time Dante needed to fully unleash the Imperial Sword.
If he were in good condition, it wouldn’t have taken so long, but the severe bleeding left him no choice.
Considering Dante’s chronic issue with stamina, simply summoning the secret technique was an incredible feat.
Shing!
A sword energy shot from within the veil sliced off a thug’s arm—the one holding a sword.
As the thug flinched, trying to retrieve his weapon, Bradamante charged at his neck.
Clang!
The Black Knight-level thug blocked Bradamante’s strike.
‘Annoying…!’
But at that moment—
Dante’s secret technique was complete. Much faster than Jin and the thugs expected, Dante’s blade was already aimed at them.
Like a flash of lightning, a brilliant light filled the entire hall.
Then came the sound—the sharp, piercing noise of blades slicing through the air, amplified until it nearly deafened.
“Did you underestimate Hailan…?!”
From the radiance emerged not one blade, but countless white swords pouring out from every corner of the hall.
The Imperial Sword’s secret technique—
The Sun.
The name of the sword technique Dante unleashed.
True to its name, the aura’s brilliance filled the hall like the sun itself. Even the spiritual veils Jin had set up were swallowed by the light.
Hundreds of swords.
Though the Black Knight-level thug blocked Jin’s sword, he couldn’t possibly fend off all the Sun’s blades.
A sword pierced the back of a thug whose arm had been severed.
The thug trembled, trying to dodge, but the flying blades were relentless.
Before he could scream, new swords pierced his abdomen, chest, neck, and head.
He vanished without a trace in the sunlight, his flesh, bones, and blood turning to ash in the aura’s heat.
‘You’ve grown stronger, Dante.’
Hailan was the world’s second greatest sword clan, rivaling Runkandel, and Dante was its heir apparent. His strength was fitting.
Only one Black Knight-level thug remained.
The Sun’s blades continued to rain down on him.
But unlike the fallen thug, this one displayed incredible strength, blocking every single one of the hundreds of swords.
His robe was torn, but even after several seconds, Dante’s blades hadn’t managed to cut him directly.
‘Since he’s forced to use the technique while already exhausted, it won’t reach its full power.’
Just as Jin thought.
Even if the opponent was a Black Knight-level monster from Runkandel, it was impossible for Dante’s secret technique to leave him unscathed.
Dante emerged from the radiance.
Though frustration boiled within him for not being able to finish the thug despite unleashing the Sun, his eyes shone with cold resolve.
Huff, huff…
Jin felt Dante’s labored breathing beside him—several times heavier than when Jin first arrived. He instinctively knew Dante was at his limit.
The same went for the Black Knight-level thug. He clearly understood that Dante continuing to fight was nothing short of a miracle.
“If you push yourself any further, you might die, heir of Hailan.”
For the first time, the Black Knight-level thug spoke.
His voice was distorted, muffled somehow. But even if it were his true voice, Jin knew only a few Black Knights well enough to recognize it, so it didn’t matter.
‘As expected, he’s not trying to kill Dante.’
If their goal was simply to destroy Hailan, killing Dante would have been the easiest way.
But there had been countless chances to kill Dante already. The Black Knight-level thug’s decision to keep fighting was a deliberate choice to capture him alive.
“Those who don’t understand honor need not worry about me.”
The thug shook his head.
“You look barely able to stand. If a backlash starts, you’ll be crippled for life. Are you okay with that?”
The thug was right.
Under normal circumstances, maybe not, but now Hailan’s top healers couldn’t treat Dante immediately.
If the backlash began, Dante faced only three possible outcomes: permanent disability, loss of his aura, or death.
‘And in any of those cases, his value as a hostage plummets. That’s the last thing the thug wants.’
The thug’s goal was to kidnap Dante. Kinzello planned to use him later to negotiate with Hailan or other clans.
If Dante wasn’t in good shape then, it would cause serious problems.
But naturally, Dante showed no sign of backing down.
No matter the situation, retreat or humiliating choices were not in Dante Hailan’s nature.
It was impossible to imagine him begging for his life or compromising his beliefs for a more efficient outcome.
‘That stubbornness is admirable, but…’
Jin couldn’t just stand by and watch his friend become crippled or die.
“You say it’s none of your concern…!”
Crack!
Jin struck Dante’s Adam’s apple with the edge of his hand.
“Ugh! Ack!”
Dante collapsed forward, coughing up a mouthful of blood. There was no time to question or get angry at Jin.
Jin had struck with just enough force to be dangerously close to fatal.
If he hadn’t, there was no way to stop this stubborn friend.
“Whether it’s Veradin or Dante, it seems like they both tend to knock people out like this pretty often.”
Dante, who had collapsed, twitched briefly before falling still.
Jin immediately checked his pulse and tested for reflux. Fortunately, it looked like he was simply unconscious, nothing more serious.
“Phew.”
Jin let out a relieved breath. That last strike could easily have triggered reflux, making things much worse.
It had been a risky gamble on his part.
The golden aura of the sun that had filled the grand hall suddenly faded away.
A tense silence settled between Jin and the dark knight-level assailant.
“No matter how I look at it, I’m pretty sure you’re the Black Knight of Runcandel.”
With a swift motion, Jin spun Bradamante around, aiming it at the intruder.
“If you really are the Black Knight, I’d suggest you just back off. Trying to bring down Hylan and ending up at odds with the heir of the family? That’s a bad deal for you.”
Whoooooosh! Crack!
Bradamante flared with spiritual energy, revealing Tess’s blue flames blazing along its blade.