Chapter 502
Episode 139: The Threat (Part 1)
A massive storm cloud, as if the entire mountain range had been overturned, loomed over the sky of the Sota Desert.
It was the dark cloud formed by Grnil, the flagship of Kinzelro’s fleet.
The storm relentlessly unleashed flashes of electric blue lightning, as if a tidal wave had erupted in the heavens.
Amidst it, the countless auxiliary ships of Ziphl, their lights extinguished, were nothing but shattered wreckage plummeting to the ground.
Already, twenty of these auxiliary ships had been sunk.
With a force of a hundred and fifty dragons, over fifteen hundred mages, and the flagship Kojek, Drakka’s reinforcements anxiously advanced toward Grnil.
Except for Runcandel, no other faction had been thought capable of threatening Ziphl.
Until the incident with the Holy Empire, Kinzelro had been nothing more than a third-rate terrorist group. Yet now, they were defiling the airspace of the Lutero Magic Federation.
Though it had become common knowledge after the Black Emperor Star terror attack that Kinzelro was no longer a minor power, Grnil seemed even stronger than when it first appeared at the Black Emperor Star.
The magical energy radiating from the jagged protrusions across the hull distorted the surrounding space, and the entire Sota Desert trembled under the impact of falling debris from the auxiliary ships.
Sandstorms mixed with lightning whipped up fierce whirlwinds, slowly drawing the auxiliary ships into their vortex.
“Someday, a day like this was inevitable…”
Octavia Ziphl stood in the Kojek’s captain’s quarters, expressionless as she surveyed the unfolding crisis.
Some of the highest-ranking mages, including Octavia, who had long been aware of Kinzelro’s power, showed no surprise.
Not that they weren’t troubled inside.
In fact, they were angrier than those who had underestimated Kinzelro.
It wasn’t just Kinzelro’s invasion of the Sota Desert that enraged them—it was the hidden reason behind it.
“Their leader must still be recovering from the Black Emperor Star attack. Yet they’re rampaging as if ready to wage all-out war…”
Runcandel.
That was the reason.
Kinzelro was exploiting the fact that, no matter how much they raged, Ziphl could not risk a full-scale war while Runcandel stood firm.
At least, not yet.
They couldn’t handle both forces at once. Or rather, they could, but the aftermath would leave Ziphl devastated, on the brink of collapse.
If that happened, the world’s dominance wouldn’t fall to those who had survived a millennium of war and tension—it would be snatched away by someone else.
Despite commanding hundreds of flying fleets, reproducing source stones, and nearly perfecting immortal bio-golems, they could not gain overwhelming advantage in this endless tug-of-war.
That bitter truth, exploited by their enemies, stirred a deep, chilling hatred within them.
“We must grow stronger. We must reclaim the lost magic and power of our lineage as soon as possible.”
Before Siron’s time ended, before Kinzelro’s leader’s body was fully formed, they wanted to be certain: that they would be the true masters of the land.
Dragons, mages, and fleets surrounded Grnil.
Perhaps “surrounded” wasn’t the right word—Grnil showed no sign of fleeing, even as they all converged.
Octavia left the captain’s quarters and took her place atop Kojek’s prow. She raised her glowing staff toward the sky.
“Vishkel Ibliano!”
Her voice, amplified by magic, thundered across the heavens. Vishkel was aboard Grnil’s captain’s quarters.
He maintained his usual cold expression despite Octavia’s appearance.
“I’ve long wondered why Kinzelro’s leader favors you so. Will today be the day I glimpse your true power?”
Vishkel had no answer.
He possessed no special abilities yet.
As deputy leader, he was meticulous and always maintained a cool rationality.
Compared to Kinzelro’s other hot-headed, sharp-edged commanders, that was a kind of strength. For some reason, he also easily earned the favor of otherworldly beings.
Standing silently without reply, Vishkel only heightened Octavia’s strange sense of expectation.
“I hope your power is worthy of this humiliation.”
With a burst of magic from Octavia’s staff, Grnil’s thunderous roar momentarily subsided.
For a brief moment, she wielded more magical power than Grnil’s own engines.
That power transformed into a massive net, wrapping around Grnil and catching the falling debris from the auxiliary ships.
Warning alarms blared inside Grnil.
Though the shield that had withstood Ron’s intangible sword showed no cracks, the hull wobbled under the net’s force.
“Octavia Ziphl, truly the second strongest of the world’s greatest family.”
A cold sweat trickled down Vishkel’s forehead.
He wondered how much time this newly recruited figure could buy against their foes.
“Haah!”
Behind Vishkel, a woman yawned so widely it seemed her mouth might tear.
She wore a lavish dress ill-suited for battle, and a pair of small, palm-sized wings sprouted from her back.
“Looks like it’s time! Hey, Deputy Leader, we just need to hold out until they find those Runcandel bastards, right?”
“…Ainas. You should approach this situation with a bit more seriousness.”
Her name was Ainas Caligo.
Her arrogant, flippant attitude had unsettled Vishkel ever since they arrived in the desert.
“Hmph! The great second princess of the Caligo family telling me to be serious against mere humans? Well, there are dragons too, I suppose.”
“Don’t look at me like that. Fine, fine. Just do it properly, okay?”
Ainas casually lifted a greatsword lying nearby, swinging it with a relaxed flourish.
“If possible, should I just wipe them all out instead of just stalling? Heh heh.”
“Now’s not the time for jokes.”
“Whether it’s a joke or not, just watch. Deputy Leader, sit back with a warm cup of tea and relax. I’ll slaughter them all before it cools…”
Octavia frowned as she watched Ainas ascend to the front of Grnil.
“A demon… Could it be? Have you opened the gate? So this is your power, Vishkel Ibliano!”
Octavia’s eyes flashed as she unleashed magic again.
Ainas sneered dismissively and lunged at Octavia through the air.
“You noisy old human hag…!”
But before she could reach Octavia, Ainas was intercepted by a chain of spells cast by other mages and fell to the ground.
Before she could even hit the earth, she was engulfed by the dragons’ breath and magical bombardment, screaming out:
“De-Deputy Leader! Help! Help me! Quickly!”
Vishkel pressed his forehead and sighed deeply.
What was even more tragic was that Vishkel’s despair didn’t end there.
Suddenly, a wave of sword energy surged from the ground.
Unlike Octavia’s net, this sword energy struck Grnil’s shield directly.
It was Hedo’s blade.
Crack!
A fissure appeared in the lower hull of Grnil.
Vishkel had no idea why a demon like Bubarr was among their ranks.
“They say it withstood the Black Emperor’s blade… Truly a sturdy ship.”
Hedo leapt forward, scattering sword energy again as he climbed to Kojek’s prow.
Octavia’s eyes widened in shock at his grievous wounds.
“Kinzelro seems to have steeled themselves thoroughly. I was surprised when the support request came, but to see you so badly injured? And on the way here, I saw the two magic towers completely destroyed.”
Like Vishkel, Hedo had no words for Octavia.
So instead, he barked orders.
“You should keep better watch over your subordinates, Captain of the Phantoms.”
“Subordinates?”
“You mindlessly followed Sandra’s orders. That’s how this mess happened.”
Though not entirely false, it wasn’t the whole truth.
But Octavia knew this wasn’t the time to argue with Hedo.
“Seems my subordinates have earned your hatred. I’ll hear the details later. For now, we must find those who wounded you. Who are they, and which way did they flee?”
Hedo’s gaze caught sight of Ainas struggling desperately to evade the relentless attacks.
“Ahhh! Deputy Leader, what are you doing?!”
A demon.
It seemed like a convenient excuse.
She hoped it would be.
“…They appeared to be demons. They fled toward the Kuta Forest, but their path after that is uncertain.”
“Were the Runcandel forces with them?”
“The riders, the Black Knights, and the black dragon Murakan were all together.”
She couldn’t lie about that. Even if incomplete, the truth would come out eventually. Denying any encounter with Runcandel would be more than deception—it would be betrayal.
That would put Sandra in danger.
At the mention of “Murakan,” Octavia’s eyes widened once more.
“The fact that the Black Dragon has arrived means the 12th Squadron is also in the Sota Desert. No wonder Kyung struggled so much.”
“If we don’t move quickly, we’ll lose them.”
Octavia traced a long arc across the sky with her staff.
A shimmering light formed from her magic began to shift, shaping runic symbols that spelled out a command in the heavens.
“Focus the search for the fugitives around the Kuta Forest area. Capture Jin Runkandel alive!”
No sooner had the order been given than ten dragons broke formation, speeding off toward the Kuta Forest.
Having already suffered the humiliation of losing Jin right before their eyes multiple times, the phantoms were burning with determination to capture him this time.
Unfortunately, the direction Hedo mentioned—the Kuta Forest—was exactly opposite to where Jin and Sandra had fled.
Hedo cleared his throat awkwardly and simply fired a blade of energy at Grnil once more.