Episode 494
Chapter 137: Everyone Had Good Plans (5)
The phantoms were too far away to hear, but the Black Knight Jane caught every word of Jin’s voice clearly.
“12th Rank, that’s an inappropriate remark,” Jane said.
“Black Knight, please don’t interfere. I have no desire to harm even the Black Helm who’s devoted to the family.”
Jane’s eyes widened behind her mask.
Since becoming a Black Knight alongside Mon a year ago, no one in the family had ever spoken to her like that. But this wasn’t the time to argue about manners or protocol.
There was no justification, and in front of them stood four phantoms blocking their path.
‘They already know that the 2nd Rank and we have been hiding information. And this isn’t just bluster or intimidation. If I don’t reveal the vault’s location, they really intend to kill the 2nd Rank.’
Jin was exactly the kind of person who never made empty threats—something Jane had witnessed firsthand.
—Though it did bother me that from the start, the 4th and 12th Ranks weren’t given any information about the Twin Towers.
Mon’s words came back to her. She hadn’t said more to Joshua then, but both Mon and Jane had been worried about this side of Jin.
‘And what about the 4th Rank? If there’s any grudge against the 2nd Rank, it’s probably deeper on their side. This could get really dangerous if things go wrong. Mon… has to come.’
Though reinforcements from Runcandel had arrived, Joshua and Jane felt even more pressure than when they were being pushed back by the phantoms.
“Interfering with the mission?” Joshua asked, his gaze darkening.
“The enemies are right in front of us, so I’m still holding back. But if you give me another meaningless answer, I’ll cut you down.”
For Dipus, this was a scene he’d only ever imagined thousands of times—except for when Luna had gone wild in his childhood. Seeing Joshua pushed this hard was rare.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Joshua like this. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if he died now, but I’ll wait to see what the youngest decides.’
The phantoms launched their attack again. Dipus, Jane, and Murakan blocked the barrage of spells, but Murakan refrained from using his spiritual energy, mindful of Jin’s order to conceal his strength.
Because of that, the phantoms assumed Murakan was one of Runcandel’s Black Knights.
Amid the chaos, Jin and Joshua locked eyes.
“…17th floor,” Joshua finally said, pulling out a piece of paper from his chest pocket and holding it out. It was a detailed map showing the vault’s location and entry routes.
“That can’t be all, 2nd Rank.”
“What do you mean?”
“Give me the means to bypass the barrier as well.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“I thought you were smarter than this, but you don’t seem to understand what I’m saying.”
Swish! Clang!
Without hesitation, Jin swung his sword. Joshua parried the blow and stepped back.
The Runcandel and phantoms who had just started fighting glanced over at them.
“Youngest, do you realize what you’re doing?”
“As I said, I’m holding you accountable for interfering with the mission. Even when Kinzel’s terror changed everything, the 2nd Rank should have informed me and the second brother about the Twin Towers.”
Unlike Joshua’s voice, low and filled with anger, Jin’s tone was calm.
“…I don’t know what you’re basing this on. Youngest, you know well—if you strike me now, you’ll lose far more than you can imagine.”
“That’s something we’ll only know when this is over.”
“Unlike me, you won’t get a second chance.”
Jin let out a short laugh.
“You know that well. Unlike the cloned 2nd Rank, I only have one life. So isn’t your role clear?”
“Hand everything over to me, and die for the family.”
Jin trailed off and swung his sword again. Though it looked like a simple contest of strength, the aura condensed on their blades was so intense that if one side faltered, it could explode at any moment.
“Whether you unleash a volcanic eruption like last time or use some other method, do whatever it takes to draw the enemy’s attention and buy time. I’ll secure the blueprint and bring it to the Sword Garden.”
Zheeeeng!
Joshua’s aura was pushed back, causing an explosion in Bradamante.
Having just fought fiercely against the phantoms, Joshua couldn’t fully demonstrate his skill. He retreated, parried Jin’s next strike, and quickly regained his stance.
It was a strange battle.
The battlefield was split: Runcandel and Ziphl fighting in front, and Runcandel against Runcandel behind.
“Nenoem…!”
“Why not focus more on training? Three years ago in the Bluebird Archipelago, the 2nd Rank was definitely stronger than me. Even considering the fight with the phantoms, your sword lacks depth. Reinforcements will arrive soon, meaning time is running out. Make your decision quickly, 2nd Rank.”
Joshua’s dull swordplay wasn’t just from exhaustion.
He was troubled.
Jin wasn’t the only one plagued by unexpected variables in the Sota Desert. Joshua’s body and mind were also being worn down by the constant unknowns.
‘Damn it, running into phantoms right after entering the tower, and now this…!’
The key the prophet had given them nullified the tower’s barrier, but they still hadn’t reached the vault.
Joshua was wrestling with whether he should buy time himself and entrust the rear to Jane.
Jin was right—there was no time.
And if Jin didn’t back down, if the fight dragged on, Runcandel would likely lose both the ranks and Black Knights without gaining anything.
‘If Jin is captured or killed here, my prophecy will be wrong. That can’t happen, but maybe this is just a fragment or a turning point in the prophecy.’
His clenched teeth bled.
Though their forms and methods differed, and not all their hearts were pure or noble—
All the ranks naturally put the family above all else and loved it deeply. Joshua was the rank most obsessed with Runcandel.
He always made choices for Runcandel.
At least, that’s how he saw himself.
‘I have to listen to the youngest.’
He should have agreed the moment the youngest spoke, without crossing swords.
But because one feeling—damaged over a long time by those he admired and wanted to reach—was breaking down again, his judgment had momentarily faltered.
Pride.
Once again, Joshua resolved to set that feeling aside for the family.
Whoosh!
Joshua pulled the key from his pocket and threw it to Jin.
“This is the vault key. It’s what allowed us to bypass the barrier.”
“Impressive. Where did you get it?”
“There’s no need to say. Don’t doubt it’s real. You can read magic, so you’d know.”
The vault key was a kind of artifact.
The magical flow within it resembled the barrier outside.
And only Ziphl could have embedded such complex magic into something as small as a key.
“You had this all along and planned to use us as bait?”
“I trusted that you and Dipus could escape and return while I secured the blueprint. The family’s guardian deity is with you, after all.”
“Hmph.”
Jin sighed.
“You made a decent choice at the end, but let me say this: if this mission fails, it’s because of your greed. Using clones, yet putting the real ranks and Black Knights in such danger?”
“Call it greed if you want. But if I didn’t love the family, I wouldn’t have given you the key now.”
Joshua turned away, confident Jin wouldn’t stab him in the back.
Jin’s own actions—killing his clone instead of settling personal grudges—were born from the same belief in doing what was best for the family.
“Go to the vault immediately. You probably guessed it, but the four phantoms left here aren’t a trap. I don’t know the exact reason, but I suspect it’s to prepare for Kinzel. So the blueprint should definitely be in the vault.”
The aura around Joshua’s sword brightened. He had made his decision, and his torment was gone—he was back to his true fighting self.
“…Once you secure the blueprint, I’ll signal you. Escape with the Black Knight then.”
“Understood.”
Jane glanced between the two and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I couldn’t hear exactly what they said, but judging by the flow, the 2nd Rank is buying time while the 12th Rank retrieves the blueprint.’
She felt lighter knowing that Runcandel ranks no longer killed each other on the battlefield.
Jane and Joshua weren’t being overwhelmed by the phantoms.
Despite being outnumbered, they had already drained much of the phantoms’ stamina, allowing Murakan and Dipus to strike them down relatively easily.
‘Now all that’s left is to hold out. So the 12th Rank can complete the mission! If the 12th Rank can keep even one of the 4th Rank or the guardian deity alive, that would be ideal. Even if they all leave, the fight against the phantoms will be much easier than before…’
The moment Jane reached that thought—
Thud, thud…
A heavy, resonant pounding echoed from beyond the iron door on their floor.
It was as if some colossal creature was striding purposefully toward them, each step sending vibrations through the air. At that sound, the fighting abruptly ceased as if by unspoken agreement, and every pair of eyes fixed on the door.
Then, the source of the pounding stepped inside.
A massive man clad in a perfectly tailored uniform. His enormous, rock-solid muscles were impossible to hide beneath any clothing—his physique hardly human.
He was Hedo, the second steward of Zipple and Sandra’s personal butler.
In his gloved hand, dripping with blood, he held the severed head of a man.
“Not all the foolish undead have been wiped out, it seems,” Hedo said, dropping the head to the floor as he pulled out a cigarette.