Chapter 448
Episode 128: Zephyrin (4)
Huuuuup!
Zephyrin’s neck swelled ominously as she inhaled the magical energy.
Alongside Murakan, Shaku unleashed lightning into her opposite eye, but it did nothing to slow the gathering breath.
It was just a single inhale, yet the power contained within was staggering—enough to make even Murakan and Balkas flinch in surprise.
Still, Jin remained calm, even though Zephyrin’s breath was aimed squarely at him.
Because he was certain.
“Zephyrin won’t kill me.”
Or rather, she can’t.
Whether it was to create a Magestone or some other dreadful artifact, the power Jin wielded as a Solderet was the key factor.
As he had deduced during his trainee days, both Ziphl and Kinzello knew how to transfer the divine contract, but Jin suspected the method wasn’t so easily applied to him. If it were, Ziphl, Kinzello, and Joshua would have been far more eager to kill him.
Zephyrin’s lack of seriousness in battle, despite wielding such immense power, was part of the same reasoning.
“If her goal was to annihilate us, she would have unleashed far greater force.”
The sheer impact of the breath she gathered in one gulp was undeniably shocking, but considering her transcendent lethargy, it wasn’t surprising.
Nor was it beyond the party’s ability to handle. In other words, Zephyrin was forced to restrain her power to avoid killing Jin.
Kwaaah!
Zephyrin opened her massive maw, and the wind of the void space surged wildly, carrying the magical energy with it like a storm.
The breath she expelled unleashed a chaotic pressure born from both attraction and repulsion, and through it, a violet beam of breath shot straight at Jin.
“Tch, annoying!”
Murakan dove down hastily, intercepting Zephyrin’s breath. Before it could reach the ground, it struck the spiritual energy barrier Murakan spread with his wings.
Most of the magical energy was sucked into the barrier, but fragments and stray beams had to be deflected by Shaku and Balkas.
The entire void space trembled precariously under the combined force of the dragons and their energies.
Ordinary warriors would struggle just to withstand the pressure of this battlefield. Every clash of power sent ringing pain through their ears and a tingling sensation coursing through their bodies.
Thanks to the party’s solid defense, Zephyrin unleashed a second breath, this time filled with even stronger magical energy.
Though she had lived longer than Murakan, like most, she had never truly fought like this before.
To kill, to utterly crush, to destroy without a trace.
Such battles would be easy for her, but having to kill Shaku and Balkas, only wound Murakan enough to keep him alive, and capture Jin alive was a frustratingly complicated task from Zephyrin’s perspective.
And yet, Murakan’s resistance far exceeded her expectations. She had heard he’d regained some strength, but not to this extent.
She could feel it too.
“You sly bastard… You’re certain I won’t kill you, Jin Runcandel.”
The blue flames wrapping around Jin sent a chill of disgust down her spine.
If this continued, those flames would soon tear apart part of the void space.
For a moment, she wondered if it would have been better to wait for a better opportunity on another day. Perhaps she had acted impulsively.
“I think I understand why the master is keeping an eye on you.”
Kzjak! Psssst…!
The second breath collided with the spiritual barrier and was neutralized.
Though it seemed Murakan was barely holding the defense, he was already preparing to counterattack.
“You didn’t go all out, but that power is pretty impressive.”
“That compliment isn’t very welcome, haha.”
“Yeah, I figured. And this won’t be either.”
As Murakan finished speaking, the massive barrier split into three parts, like shadows shifting with the light.
One stayed behind Murakan for defense, while the other two took positions on Zephyrin’s left and right.
Due to the nature of spiritual energy, Zephyrin didn’t notice the barriers forming on her sides. Unlike other powers, spiritual energy is nearly impossible to read, no matter how vast.
Her massive body, far larger than Murakan’s, also contributed to her missing the barriers on either side.
If you can’t sense the flow of power, you have to rely on sight.
But Zephyrin’s field of vision was limited, and her body was still shrouded in violet smoke, making it impossible even for her to see herself fully.
“What kind of bluff is this… Ah!”
Zephyrin realized something was wrong the moment magical energy began leaking from the barriers Murakan had spread on her sides.
He was returning her breath to her.
Spiritual energy—shadows.
This power wasn’t just two or more ranks above aura or mana in efficiency. It had a unique property no ordinary power could imitate.
Like a shadow cast, it could mimic or replicate something.
Murakan was using this principle to reflect Zephyrin’s breath back at her.
“I really didn’t want to call this the bastard’s method.”
It wasn’t Murakan’s preferred tactic. In the past, he was strong enough to treat this trait of spiritual energy as a mere trick, so he never needed to use it.
But Misha, as shown from her first meeting with Jin, was skilled at harnessing the limitless potential of spiritual energy.
“I never thought I’d end up using what I was forced to learn when that damn girl bullied me. If I hadn’t regained even 40% of my strength, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Hmph! Murakan snorted, wiping the grotesque image of Misha from his mind.
Chiiiiiing!
The barriers on either side emitted a sharp noise as they fired magical energy.
Enhanced by spiritual energy, this magic was far more powerful than the breath Zephyrin had expelled. Dodging it with her massive body was impossible.
“Hah! Where did you learn such a nasty trick…!”
She had no time to raise a shield.
Her mountain-like bulk was usually an advantage in battle, but it made responding to unexpected attacks difficult.
When the magic struck Zephyrin’s torso, a heavy crash echoed like a fortress crumbling. Scales shattered, and the sound of flesh and bone twisting sent shivers down their spines.
Kiaaaak…!
A scream they never thought they’d hear pierced the air.
“Bet this is the first time you’ve been hurt by your own breath, huh?”
Murakan’s voice was wickedly amused, and Zephyrin writhed in pain.
Reflexively, she whipped her tail, spewed breath in all directions, and unleashed magic wildly, turning the air into a poisonous haze.
Murakan and Shaku dodged her rampage, sharpening their senses. Even a careless hit from her could be fatal.
Leaping and flying between the magical energy and swinging tail, the two shared the same thought.
This might be their best—or last—chance in this battle.
Balkas, who had been guarding only the Black Knight, couldn’t miss this moment and plunged into the fray.
The three frantically searched for the wounds. Before Zephyrin could heal, they had to exploit the damage caused by the magic to inflict further harm.
Shaku screamed and unleashed lightning, while Balkas poured all his strength into a punch.
The moment lightning and fist struck the shattered scales, even seasoned warriors who had soaked in battlefield blood their whole lives were taken aback by the horrific spray of blood.
Puhahk!
A waterfall of blood gushed from the torn flesh. It carried the poison that had put the Black Knight into a coma.
Finally, Murakan dove through the poison and into the wound Balkas and Shaku had opened.
It was around the middle segment of her massive body—roughly the abdomen in human terms. An unmistakable vital spot.
Murakan drew in all his strength and expelled his breath into the cavernous wound.
A matte black line pierced through Zephyrin’s torso.
It was as if her waist had been snapped in two. Everyone instinctively knew her spine had broken under Murakan’s breath.
Huff, huff, huff…!
Murakan exhaled heavily and hovered in the air. Balkas and Shaku stood below, catching their breath.
The battlefield, which had been deafening moments before, fell eerily silent—so quiet that only their ragged breathing could be heard.
But the silence was brief. Zephyrin, her torso bent backward and motionless, gasped and lifted her head.
“…Wow, this is really surprising.”
The magical energy scattered around gathered to fill the gaping hole in her abdomen. Her regeneration was so fast there was nothing they could do.
“I don’t even remember the last time I felt this much pain.”
She wasn’t unscathed.
Murakan was certain of that. It was impossible even for his prime self. But he also judged that the damage wasn’t enough to stop Zephyrin from continuing the fight.
“A truly nasty opponent.”
The only small relief was that Jin had just finished focusing his mind to cut through the pocket dimension.
His attention had been scattered by the unexpected blow and the pain. Zephyrin’s eyes darkened as he saw the blue flames raging alongside the spiritual energy within Bradamante.
Swish!
Bradamante’s blade traced a sharp, blue arc through the shadowy pocket dimension.
Then, as if a dimensional gate had opened, the space tore apart, revealing Inse’s form.
Beyond that, the scene was the parlor where the group had been—completely intact, not a single item disturbed.
And in the next moment,
the group discovered a weakness of Zephyrin’s they hadn’t expected.
‘The moment I cut through the pocket dimension, his body is shrinking…!’
They sensed it instinctively.
Zephyrin could only transform into his true form within this pocket dimension.