Episode 638
Chapter 163: Return to the Clan (7)
At that moment, just as Jin had predicted, fleets from various factions were gathering in the skies near Kalon, within the Hupester Alliance.
And all of them bore witness to the Garden of Swords undergoing a rapid and drastic transformation.
No—more than that, the entire city of Kalon was engulfed in a dark, chaotic landscape.
“This is insane… What the hell is that?”
Inside the captain’s quarters of the flagship Kojek, leading the Ziphl 1st Fleet, Kadun sank heavily into his chair, unable to tear his eyes away from Kalon.
Beside him, Hedo and Octavia shared the same stunned expression.
Since Ron’s purge of Gliek during the Sword Emperor War, the remnants had been steadily consuming the world in chaos.
But the level of chaos now spreading before them was unlike anything seen anywhere else.
Even the vast Mitra Desert, used as a dumping ground by the great powers, seemed like a pristine sanctuary compared to the chaos radiating from Kalon.
It was almost believable that one of the Five Kings of the Black Sea had awakened there.
“To think the Garden of Swords was hiding this much power… Runkandel is controlling all that massive chaos… Damn it, could the prophet really be that witch, Helluram?”
The chaos in Kalon was unlike ordinary contamination zones. It was not a messy spread but a perfectly refined, controlled phenomenon.
Until yesterday, Runkandel was known as the faction least advanced in chaos control technology among the great powers.
Many had even dismissed Runkandel as a declining force, but that was completely wrong.
From the perspective of Ziphl’s leadership, Runkandel was currently at its peak.
The chaos coiled around the city like a giant serpent, growing relentlessly even as they watched.
And the unsettling sight didn’t end there.
“Moreover, that flame… it’s from the Twelve Riders.”
At the heart of the chaos covering Kalon, in the very domain of the Garden of Swords, a single blue flame pierced through the darkness.
It was unmistakable, even from this distance—that was Jin Runkandel’s fire.
—And unless the Twelve Riders choose to submit to Runkandel alongside the Bamel Alliance, a battle within the Garden of Swords is inevitable.
—He will never make that choice.
—Then we’ll use this opportunity to witness the true extent of Runkandel’s power through their fight.
This was the conversation from the Tower of Stories not long ago.
Both Runkandel’s power and Jin’s rampage at their stronghold had far exceeded all expectations.
Feeling a chill down his spine, Kadun turned his gaze to Hedo.
“Hedo, you were right. If we hadn’t prepared a full-scale assault as you said, we wouldn’t even have known they were hoarding such terrifying power.”
“If Runkandel had finished stockpiling to their satisfaction and then struck us without warning… if we weren’t ready then… I fear that would have been the day of our destruction.”
Octavia chimed in, supporting Kadun’s words.
Hedo silently stared at Jin’s flame. Though it looked tiny, like a flicker of a nail from this distance, if Jin wished, the blaze could tear through the chaos and burn everything up to where they stood.
‘Kadun’s feared Murakan’s power isn’t detectable… So he’s fighting alone inside the Garden of Swords.’
Just as Lionel and Stam had felt Jin’s power rising in real time during their battle, the three of them shared the same sensation.
“Kadun.”
A mage entered the captain’s quarters.
“We’ve just confirmed the position of Kinzel’s fleet.”
Kinzel’s fleet was approaching from the opposite side of Ziphl’s.
From both sides of Kalon, the two forces were closing in on Runkandel.
“What’s their strength?”
“The flagship Grnil of the 1st Fleet leads, followed by Sion, Kiki, Alice, and Kryul. All five major fleets have deployed.”
Ziphl had also brought their strongest flagships and six fleets: Kojek, Kojek 2, Lucia, Andion, Pistro, and Arcadia.
The world’s most powerful and largest forces were now gathered in one place.
Kadun rose decisively.
“Send word to Kinzel immediately.”
The messenger bowed deeply, understanding the gravity of the order.
“Propose a temporary alliance to strike the Garden of Swords together. Today, we will destroy Runkandel—together with them…!”
The messenger left the captain’s quarters.
What if Kinzel refuses the offer?
Hedo, Octavia, and the strategists didn’t ask Kadun that question.
They were certain he wouldn’t refuse.
Ziphl and Kinzel currently regarded their powers as roughly equal.
Which meant neither could face Runkandel alone.
The gap wasn’t even close enough to be called uncertain before battle.
The leadership of each faction had witnessed Runkandel’s power firsthand, and without uniting when the opportunity arose, victory was impossible.
“But one thing puzzles me. Why have they hidden their strength until now? If they had launched a full-scale war earlier, we wouldn’t have lasted.”
Hedo exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“Maybe they judged they weren’t yet strong enough to pick us and Kinzel off one by one, or there are dangers and restrictions we don’t know about, or some issue between Rosa and the Prophet.”
“Just being cautious doesn’t explain it… it feels overwhelmingly deliberate.”
“I share your unease, but we can’t just back down.”
“Agreed, Kadun. The Twelve Riders have sparked a civil war, and now that cooperation with Kinzel is possible, this is the best chance we’ll get.”
An hour later, the mage Kadun sent reached Kinzel’s fleet.
By then, the battle between Jin, Lionel, and Stam was still raging.
An hour ago, Jin’s blaze had been gradually breaking through the chaos covering the Garden of Swords, but now the chaos was fiercely suppressing the fire.
Like the chaotic energy spreading beyond Kalon into the Hupester region, Jin’s blaze was growing ever larger.
“Among those left in Runkandel, only the Black Panther can handle a fight like that. Commander, I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since the Black Panther is with the Prophet, once the battle ends, the entire chaos forming the Garden of Swords will surely be damaged.”
Berakt’s words were met with a shake of Orgal’s head.
“Berakt, the one facing the Twelve Riders isn’t Rosa Runkandel.”
“You say it’s not Rosa Runkandel?”
“I suspect the Prophet has summoned Runkandel’s ancient sword, using the city’s residents as sacrifices. If Rosa Runkandel herself were fighting, the chaos staining Kalon would show signs of instability. That chaos is all spreading through Rosa Runkandel as a medium…”
The commander was certain.
Not a single resident of Runkandel’s city, Kalon, had escaped becoming material for the chaos.
Even Bubarr and Ainas couldn’t dismiss this as nonsense this time.
Runkandel, soaked in chaos, had instilled a deep fear even in those fools.
“So you’re saying they can keep summoning warriors like that indefinitely?”
“If there are enough materials, probably… as many as they want.”
“C-Commander, then… shouldn’t we accept Ziphl’s offer of a temporary alliance?”
“We will, Jo. You’re to prepare the deployment of the master-class warriors immediately.”
“Understood!”
A brief silence followed.
—The deputy commander’s opinion is correct. Ziphl likely has a similar plan. When both Jin and Runkandel take heavy damage, if we and Ziphl strike Runkandel together, even the Garden of Swords’ immense power won’t be able to withstand it.
While Jo was gone, Orgal recalled what he had said at a recent meeting.
That statement needed correction.
—Even if we join forces with Ziphl today, completely destroying Runkandel is impossible.
“You don’t want the master to finish off the Prophet?”
“Zephyrin, you’re acting rashly again.”
“Tch. If not the master, who else can I show off in front of?”
“Her life or death isn’t that important to me. What matters is that we’re in a slightly different position from Ziphl. We’re waging war to strike both Ziphl and Runkandel, suppressing their powers to buy time.”
“Of course, to keep that hidden, we’ll have to be prepared to lose quite a lot ourselves.”
Margiela’s words earned a nod from Orgal.
—Also, the second objective is Jin Runkandel’s survival.
“What!?”
Zephyrin shouted, and Margiela’s eyes sparkled.
“Can’t you see it from that warrior? He’s the perfect piece to keep Runkandel and Ziphl in check later. He must not die here.”
“Why can’t you see that Jin Runkandel could end up destroying us all?”
“Zephyrin.”
“W-Why? Why do you see it that way?”
“You’re afraid of him.”
Zephyrin scoffed.
“Yes, I’m a little scared. Especially since some cruel master keeps showing such a weak side.”
“Don’t worry so much.”
“Fine, then at least save my pride.”
“You’ll lead the vanguard, Zephyrin. Use my power as much as you want, but make sure to inflict wounds the enemy can never heal.”
The moment Orgal finished speaking—
Suddenly, the sky above the fleets of the great powers darkened, as if stained by shadow.
And from that darkened sky came the voice of a woman.
It was as if a god were sending down a divine message.
“Ziple, and Kinzello. I’ve been deeply unsettled all this time, unable to tear you apart as I wished…”
Rosa Runcandel.
It was her voice.
“But now, you even dare to defile my final reunion with my son. You will pay the price. If you think you can’t handle it, I suggest you run away—right now.”
As her words faded, from the skies above Caron—
A massive warship tore through the blackened heavens, descending swiftly.
“If only that were possible…”