Episode 435
Chapter 125: The Assailants, The Brothers (3)
Suddenly, the air itself split open, and through the rift, Mote appeared.
“Ugh, what is that thing?!”
“A giant toad…?!”
The Tona brothers shouted in unison. Mote’s massive, pale body cast a shadow over the brothers and the assassins’ bellies.
Though they shouted in shock, the brothers weren’t unaware that Mote was the familiar totem beast of the Vigungju. It was just their first time seeing it in person—and given the circumstances, their reaction was instinctive.
Even the captain-level assassin facing the brothers, hidden beneath a hood, widened his eyes.
“Vigungju, Thalaris Endorma…!?”
He had no idea why that monstrous creature had come here.
He hadn’t even heard any mention of the Tona brothers from the elders, but that was a manageable unknown.
Thalaris, however, was a different matter.
Known among common folk as the Abyssal Spider, few truly understood why she bore that name.
In fact, when you consider the elements that made up Thalaris and the Vigungju—like the solitary tower rising in the Western Sea, the ‘Manbing’ ice, and the harsh winters—other nicknames would seem more fitting.
Most people simply assumed the dark, fearful image of “abyss” and “spider” was symbolic, or perhaps it represented her notorious string of male conquests.
The assassin and Thalaris locked eyes. To him, Mote’s descent seemed agonizingly slow, like a slowed-down scene.
From the assassin’s perspective, it felt as if the end of the world was descending.
Crack, crackle, snap!
Before Mote’s four massive feet even touched the seawater, a sudden sound of freezing and shattering echoed.
The sea around Tikan was freezing solid.
White, icy chill spread from Thalaris like a spiderweb, covering the ocean.
The pouring rain froze mid-air, and the waves stilled.
Not completely stopped, but the waves, carried by the cold, shot upward toward the sky in a wild frenzy.
Within less than five seconds, the frozen waves grew into a massive shield, covering the entire island.
The sky darkened under the ice, but the Manbing in Thalaris’s grasp shimmered with cold and aura, casting a faint glow.
“Hmph, you stupid toad. You should’ve landed inside the mansion on the island, not out here.”
[Boong…]
Thalaris shrugged at Mote, scolding him. As she said, they had originally intended to enter the mansion, but Mote had made a mistake and landed on the sea instead.
Fortunately, that blunder turned out to be a huge stroke of luck for the Tona brothers.
“Hey, youngest!”
“Jin…!”
The Tona brothers shouted simultaneously.
Mote wasn’t carrying only Thalaris. Jin, Murakan, the Vigung Seven Swords, and Siris were all aboard.
“Well, you did well, Mote. Not the worst place to land.”
[Boong!]
“Those idiots were trying to fight for our son-in-law, huh? How touching…”
As Thalaris spoke, the assassin suddenly lunged at the Tona brothers. Since they had been exchanging blows moments before, the distance was very close, and the assassin intended to capture one of the brothers as a hostage.
If Jin had come alone, blocking him would have been difficult given the short distance.
But Thalaris didn’t even lift her foot from Mote’s back; with a simple gesture, she blocked the assassin’s approach.
Whoosh! Crack!
Following her motion, a pillar of ice shot up between them. The assassin swung his sword desperately but couldn’t break the ice, and the Tona brothers quickly pulled back toward Mote.
“How rude, talking like a human and yet so impolite.”
“Are you okay, brothers?”
The Tona brothers nodded vigorously.
Seeing that, Jin felt a strange mix of emotions but couldn’t help feeling proud of them.
‘They used to torment me so much in my past life… and now they’re willing to fight to protect my comrades.’
Even at a glance, the enemy was far beyond what the Tona brothers could handle. Yet they refused to back down.
“We’re fine!”
“Thanks to you showing up.”
Their voices were filled with renewed vigor.
Tap, tap, tap!
Raindrops turned to hail under the cold, incessantly tapping against the ice shield, creating a pleasant sound.
‘If we’d been even a little later, the brothers wouldn’t have survived.’
Enemies were likely scattered inside Tikan as well, so not all comrades could have escaped unscathed. Civilian casualties must have been enormous.
If not for the Vigung, Jin would have arrived only after the terror had ended.
—Young master, the air currents and weather around Tikan are too unstable to use the teleportation gate.
—…The Vigung! What about the gate leading to the Vigung?
This was a conversation Jin had just before arriving with his butler, Petro.
The Vigung was connected to Runkandel by a teleportation gate, and fortunately, Jin was able to call on Thalaris for help.
Thanks to the “hotline” with Lucas Manfran, a Vigung Seven Swords operative, Thalaris was already aware of the situation before Jin arrived.
Even if Jin hadn’t come personally, Thalaris would have moved Mote to assist Tikan.
From the moment she saw the seal of ‘Elona Ziphl,’ or perhaps even earlier when she first took notice of Jin.
The Vigung was Jin’s most reliable ally.
“Daughter.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Protect the island’s interior with your husband and the Vigung Seven Swords.”
“Understood. Vigung Seven Swords, move swiftly inside! Our priority is protecting Tikan’s forces and civilians. Suppress enemies if possible, but don’t hesitate to kill if necessary.”
“Understood!”
“Our darling. Or rather, handsome brother, why don’t you transform into your true form and survey the battlefield?”
[That was my plan. But who’s calling me ‘darling’?]
“Oops, slip of the tongue.”
Murakan transformed, revealing his massive black wings. Jin climbed atop him and extended a hand to the Tona brothers.
“Why don’t you guys ride too? I could use the help.”
The brothers’ expressions answered without words.
“Are we really allowed to ride the back of the great Black Dragon?” they seemed to ask.
Murakan didn’t bother with words; instead, he just clamped his mouth shut.
[You think I’m going to carry you all? I’ll drop you off somewhere suitable so you can earn your own glory, got it?]
Whoosh—! Murakan took flight, and as Siris and the Vigung Seven Swords rode Mote toward the island’s interior, only Thalaris and the assassin remained outside.
“Will you surrender and die painlessly, or will you struggle and die cruelly? I hope you’re wise enough to choose.”
Thalaris aimed her Manbing. With her presence, the assassins had effectively lost any chance of survival.
The assassin adjusted his stance.
A formidable aura radiated from him. Though facing Thalaris dimmed his light, he was no mere nameless warrior destined to vanish into obscurity.
“…Why would the Vigungju move for the likes of the Runkandel Twelve?”
“Shall I take that as your choice?”
With a swift glide across the ice, Thalaris charged, swinging her Manbing. The assassin parried, scattering sword energy.
Though he hadn’t gone all out on the first strike, Thalaris hadn’t expected him to block so cleanly.
“Before I came, my son-in-law told me the elders must have hired you. I thought you’d be mercenaries from the Black King’s faction or Amela’s group, but you don’t feel like either.”
Thalaris had fought countless battles in her youth against mercenaries from the Black King’s faction and Amela. Their fighting styles were distinct from this assassin’s.
In fact, his swordsmanship felt even more familiar than those groups.
“Assassin. You’ve seen me somewhere before, haven’t you? You smell familiar.”
Though they exchanged a fairly intense skirmish, the assassin had no time to answer such questions. He fought with all his might, while Thalaris toyed with him.
“I’m curious now. Which faction do you belong to? Why not tell me nicely?”
As Thalaris quickened her tempo, the assassin’s footing faltered.
On the sea, armed with Manbing, Thalaris was nearly invincible. Her physical prowess as a top-tier 10-star knight, combined with the power of the ice pillars rising around her, pressed the assassin mercilessly.
Slash!
Thalaris’s sword grazed the assassin’s right cheek, pulling off his hood and revealing his face.
Even Thalaris flinched at the sight.
His skin hung down, nearly covering his eyes. His lips were almost gone, revealing pale teeth even when his mouth was closed. His ears were crushed beyond recognition.
A face so mangled, even a mortal enemy wouldn’t have done this to him.
The rough, rasping breath told of damage to his respiratory system.
Ssshh, ssshh, ssshh…
The assassin caught his breath, and Thalaris paused, staring intently.
Through the ruined flesh, a faintly familiar face peeked through.
“You… could it be?”
Talaris’s eyes widened. He suddenly remembered who this was—not the name exactly, but the affiliation.
“Aren’t you one of the Rune Kandel Execution Knights? Didn’t you and your group jump me once before?”
Talaris nodded, as if piecing it together.
“Ah, you’re not an Execution Knight anymore, but an exile now. Your face shows it. No wonder you looked so intense when our swords crossed. Yeah, I remember now. We sparred long ago. You were the leader of the first squad of Execution Knights back then. Your name was…”
“Names don’t matter,” the assassin interrupted, ripping off his hood to wear it like a mask.
“Why not? I feel like I could remember it.”
“Since you came looking for me, none of us will walk away alive. Whether I kill you cruelly or peacefully, it’s up to me.”
The assassin’s sword blazed with renewed heat, crackling with fierce energy.
Watching him, Talaris curled his lips into a wicked smile.
“Oh? Why would I kill you? It’s better to keep you alive if possible.”
“What are you talking about, Lady Archer?”
“Well, I’m thinking my son-in-law might find a use for you. For now… pray. Pray that the ones inside haven’t harmed his people.”
If that’s the case, even if I wanted to spare you, I couldn’t. Talaris’s voice trailed off as he unleashed a chilling aura toward the assassin.