Episode 563
Chapter 147: King of the Black Sea, Gliek (7)

Three days.

It was absolutely impossible for Siron to arrive here within that time. In fact, even if it had been months instead of ten days, it still wouldn’t have been enough.

Siron’s expedition had long since crossed into the kings’ territory, and only they knew the path to that place.

Even if they did know the way, Mote’s dimensional travel ability couldn’t get them to the kings’ domain in such a short span.

“Kinzello… what exactly do those bastards want?”

Kinzello—the only faction that knew the true nature of the White Stone.

Suddenly, Rosa found herself wondering. What was it that they sought, risking the destruction of the entire world?

Surely, it wasn’t destruction itself. Kinzello had only recently shed its reputation as a third-rate terrorist group to rise as a fourth power.

Even after their strength was revealed, they continued recruiting members and expanding their influence as before.

But now, from lowly ronin to genuine powerhouses, those seduced by their might were flocking in numbers far beyond before.

“Their leadership must be certain the world won’t end because of this. But they probably never considered Siron’s presence. They must know he hasn’t left the Black Sea.”

No one but the energy of Changseong could kill the King of the Black Sea.

If even those gathered here knew this, Kinzello—aware of the White Stone’s true nature—couldn’t have been ignorant.

“Kinzello must have some way to stop Gliek, or something else up their sleeve.”

Then their goal was clear.

Runkandel and Ziphl.

To diminish or even annihilate the two great houses that divided the world.

Therefore, if Kinzello joined this battle, it would only be after the two houses were on the brink of annihilation.

“Those bastards really have us cornered.”

Assuming all these guesses were correct.

There was only one way to avoid playing into Kinzello’s plan any further: immediate retreat.

Just then, Rosa saw Runkandel’s knights—except for the Black Knights and the first wave of the Black Sword Society—gathering their comrades and attempting to escape.

“But what happens after retreat?”

Runkandel, Ziphl, Bigung, and Ron.

If even one of them defected, the battlefield’s balance would collapse rapidly.

Kelliak would also retreat, Talaris would stay because of Bigung’s mission, and Ron would remain driven by revenge—but all would surely perish.

The monster that even the world’s strongest warriors and mages couldn’t defeat would be unleashed upon the world.

From then on, the great powers wouldn’t unite again, and Gliek would regain his full original strength without any interference.

No one could even guess how far the Black Sea corruption would spread.

There was no guarantee it wouldn’t engulf the territory of the Sword Emperor’s domain, the empire, or even the lands of Runkandel and Ziphl. Those fighting on the battlefield had no way to stop the Black Sea’s spread.

Thus, retreat was merely a temporary postponement, and the expected cost would be enormous.

“To think the fate of the houses would hinge on such an unexpected moment.”

Even if Jin hadn’t come to the Sword Emperor’s domain, he wouldn’t have escaped Kinzello’s trap.

Once Ziphl’s obsession with the White Stone was confirmed, Runkandel had no choice but to come here.

In other words, it was a dead end from the start.

“Having the youngest here on the battlefield is at least a blessing. If that special, immense power he showed at the end of the first battle can manifest again, it might turn the tide.”

The great demon sword, the divine power awakened through the wills of Solderet and Klam.

Rosa had seen that power with her own eyes. Though its raw strength was clearly less than Siron’s sword, the magic sword Jin wielded then carried an aura that defied fate. For a moment, its class was on par with Changseong’s.

“But if the youngest could use that power again, he would have done so already.”

There was no situation where holding back was an option.

Crack! Ka-kang!

Runkandel’s knights, having subdued the Bamel alliance, were breaking through the chaotic energy blocking their retreat.

Rosa’s eyes caught sight of others trying to join them.

Mu and Ann.

The daughters presumed to have met the “Prophet.” Like before, when Runkandel entered the battle, they still wore expressionless faces.

Just as Rosa was about to ask if the Prophet had foreseen this crisis, Mu and Ann quietly approached and whispered.

“Acting Head of the House.”

“Speak.”

“Please reinstate the Second Squadron. Then the Prophet will lend us strength.”

Rosa’s eyes widened. No one else could hear their voices.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she looked at her daughters.

“Good. If you don’t disappoint me, you’re not my daughters.”

Her gaze darkened as she looked down at Mu and Ann. They bowed their heads, but unlike before, their faces showed neither fear nor shame.

“Get lost. If even one member of the Twelfth Squadron is dead when I return to the house, you’ll be executed immediately.”

Rosa cut off their proposal without a second thought, as if it wasn’t worth hearing.

In fact, the two openly revealing the Prophet’s intentions helped Rosa clarify her thoughts.

“If the Prophet is just lying to revive Joshua, accepting this means nothing. But if he truly has a way to stop the King of the Black Sea, the house won’t perish anyway. The Prophet exists to fulfill the prophecy.”

Mu and Ann bowed and withdrew.

“Runkandel’s Eighth and Ninth Squadrons? Were they really in a position to speak to Rosa Runkandel in this situation?”

Kelliak, watching them, thought.

“The Prophet. Joshua fell, and the Eighth and Ninth Squadrons became his messengers.”

He was thinking along the same lines as Rosa—about Kinzello’s goals and how to overcome this crisis.

And Kelliak’s conclusion matched Rosa’s: retreat was meaningless.

“Thanks to Ron’s transcendence, the Demon Stone has become more stable than before, but incomplete, it still can’t harm the King of the Black Sea. Even if Kadun and Hedo join the fight and Veradin is sacrificed, the chances are slim.”

If Jin were absorbed by Gliek here, the Demon Stone could never be completed again.

That was why Kelliak’s anxiety burned hotter than anyone else’s on the battlefield.

Chaos reigned.

Even as he thought, Gliek’s relentless attacks pressed the humans.

The Black Sea corruption accelerated, and Gliek showed no sign of retreat despite being cut dozens, even hundreds of times by Ron’s sword.

Jin was covering the rear of the knights escaping with the Bamel alliance, alongside Murakan.

Kelliak’s gaze landed on him. Suddenly, a scenario where Ziphl could gain the greatest advantage came to mind.

“I have to secure Jin Runkandel and get off this battlefield.”

Jin was clearly exhausted. Subduing him quickly wouldn’t be difficult for Kelliak.

And if he escaped with Jin and completed the Demon Stone, eliminating the King of the Black Sea later would be entirely possible.

Not only that.

Runkandel would suffer near-total destruction, Ron and Bigung would die, and Kinzello’s plan would be foiled.

Meanwhile, no matter how much damage Ziphl took, it wouldn’t be a big problem—as long as the Demon Stone was completed.

Perhaps Gliek’s awakening was the greatest opportunity for Ziphl.

But capturing Jin immediately was impossible.

Runkandel, Talaris, and Ron Hiran were all wide awake and holding their ground. If Kelliak tried to seize Jin, they wouldn’t stand idly by.

“For now, we hold Gliek back together. When Ron falls and Rosa and Talaris are exhausted, we subdue Jin Runkandel. It won’t be a smooth process.”

Though the situation was dire, Jin would surely see through the plan and wouldn’t go down easily. Rosa, Talaris, and even the vengeful Ron would anticipate this.

“Does Rosa Runkandel have some secret hope? She rejected the Eighth and Ninth Squadrons’ offer. Then it’s Jin Runkandel’s turn to make a proposal to me.”

Runkandel’s knights opened the retreat path.

“Good luck!”

“Good luck!”

In the end, the knights succeeded in escaping with the Bamel alliance.

As soon as they left, the path was blocked again. The chaotic wall imprisoning the humans thickened with time.

Ron and Talaris fought without regard for their own survival, driven by revenge and duty, while Kelliak and Rosa calculated their houses’ survival and interests.

Jin’s dilemma lay between them.

His top priority—the comrades—had escaped the battlefield. Now, what remained was the survival of himself, his house, Ron, and Talaris.

Jin still hadn’t let go of Ron—more precisely, “Hiran.” Even though Gliek had swallowed Dante’s final ritual and Ron had unleashed the Overlord Sword again.

If he gave up Hiran, his entire reason for coming to this battlefield would vanish.

So he intended to hold on to Hiran until the very end.

“My father can’t come.”

When Jin heard Talaris’s answer—three days—he saw Rosa clench her teeth.

“And in this situation, if I were Keliak… I’d do whatever it takes to secure myself and escape. That’s the only best choice Zipple can make.”

But even knowing that plan, it was hard to come up with a way to stop it immediately.

Right now, everyone was holding each other’s leash, and the one in the strongest position was Keliak.

That’s why Jin had no choice but to take a gamble.

First, he had to make sure Keliak didn’t entertain any other ideas.

“Sir Keliak.”

Jin approached and met his gaze.

“You know as well as I do that to deal a decisive blow to the Black Sea King, we need the power of Changseong. But my father won’t arrive within three days, and you… you’re probably looking for an opportunity to secure me and leave the battlefield.”

“What are you trying to say, Jin Runkandel?”

“Three days. That’s the time Talaris needs to seal him away. During that window, let’s negotiate with Kinzello. So please, do everything you can to help Talaris complete the sealing.”

Keliak narrowed his eyes.

Just as he was about to respond, Jin added quietly,

“If you refuse my offer, I will run straight out there right now and die without dodging Gliek’s blade.”