Episode 658
Chapter 167. The Fifth Tomb of Temar (2)

Jin’s eyes widened.

“Runtia… sister?”

He never imagined he would encounter Runtia here instead of Valeria. The excitement born from finally finding a trace of Valeria instantly twisted into a foul, unsettling anxiety—like rotten oil seeping through his veins.

“Why are you here, sister?”

Runtia’s beloved sword, the twin blade Shar, shimmered with a dark chaos. Jin could only stare at his second sister in stunned silence for several seconds.

Runtia, too, gazed at Jin wordlessly for a long moment. It was hard to read any emotion in her blackened eyes.

But Runtia clearly saw through Jin’s feelings.

[You don’t like seeing me here, do you?]

Jin repeated her words silently and involuntarily lowered his head.

A strange, terrible pain—one he had rarely experienced in his entire life—scratched at his heart.

The sorrow of losing family.

That was the pain.

He had already expected that Runtia would be consumed by chaos. Still, Jin had hoped she hadn’t been completely overtaken.

When he raised his head again, he looked at the black horn sprouting from her forehead. She had crossed a river of no return.

“I trusted you, sister.”

[Did that trust really exist between us?]

Runtia had never been close to any of her siblings.

She had only believed that Luna gave meaning to her life. Winning against her older sister—or even losing, as long as she could keep chasing her—was all she ever wanted.

So after Luna voluntarily stepped down as the next head of the family at nineteen, Runtia’s world became nothing but a meaningless, colorless void.

The moment Runtia’s heart reignited was in 1799.

The very day Jin declared himself head of the family.

The incident between Jin and Runtia then was far from a brotherly bonding moment. They had fought each other to the brink of death, risking their lives until one fell.

And after that, they barely spoke.

—I will become the head as well.
—I thought you were just a fool, but you’re the real deal. Let’s do this, sister.

That was all, but at that moment, Jin felt a deep bond form between them.

Though they had lived like strangers all their lives, that single fight made them brothers sharing the same dream.

Jin believed Runtia felt the same.

That was why, before his third journey to Laprarosa, he trusted Runtia to keep the Prophet in check.

“Did Rosa or the Prophet find a weakness in you?”

Runtia wouldn’t have accepted chaos willingly. Jin was certain Rosa and the Prophet’s schemes had broken her.

At his words, Runtia curled a sharp crescent smile and touched her horn.

[What difference would it make if I said yes?]

“I’m sure there’s something I can do to help you.”

[Ha… I wonder if you’re really one of the Twelve Pillars I knew. Such naive talk. Get a grip, Jin Runkandel, my youngest sibling. I stand here now as your enemy.]

Runtia slowly raised Shar and pointed it at Jin.

[Your only task is to fight me. I’ve waited a long time for this moment—the chance to face you again.]

Her black eyes, so hard to read before, now gleamed with murderous intent.

The madness of the soul.

Though she still seemed capable of conversation, Runtia was completely consumed by chaos. A deep, fierce killing intent rode the tip of Shar, already stabbing at Jin.

Jin steadied himself. He couldn’t afford to fight while swayed by sorrow, pain, or guilt.

This was an unavoidable battle. If so, it was best to end it quickly—for Runtia’s sake, and to save Valeria, who had likely fallen to her.

Gradually, Jin’s eyes hardened. Runtia nodded, seemingly pleased by his resolve.

[Yes, that’s how you should be. But little brother, you look quite worn out.]

Swish!

Suddenly, Runtia lunged with her sword. Jin dodged sideways with a swift footwork.

It was the same deadly thrust that had nearly killed him when he declared himself head of the family. But now, Runtia’s skill had reached an even higher level.

[Yet you’ve grown inexplicably stronger. Thanks to you, my dull fate will be a little more entertaining. When we first fought, I was also limited. Your exhaustion now is the price you pay for reaching me.]

Though consumed by chaos, Runtia had not lost the stature of a transcendent warrior—like Stam, Fadler, or Rosa.

At first, Runtia pressed Jin hard. Her sword energy cracked and left sharp afterimages throughout the dark pocket dimension, surrounding him.

“Strong. Even stronger than Lionel Runkandel.”

In some ways, Jin thought she was even more difficult than when Lionel and Stam had teamed up against him.

Beyond sheer power, she ‘ruled’ this pocket dimension.

Shar’s attack path was not a straight line. Every time Shar moved, the space twisted, changing its trajectory wildly according to Runtia’s will.

Jin quickly realized he was not just facing Runtia, but the entire pocket dimension itself.

‘So that’s why, when I first entered, I didn’t feel the usual spiritual energy guiding me like in other tombs. Because Runtia controls the whole tomb?’

A few shallow cuts bled drops of blood. Jin was lucky to only suffer minor wounds while discerning Runtia’s and the space’s nature.

Fzzt!

A streak of blue lightning from Sigmund tore through the chaotic sword energy. At the same time, both unleashed their family’s secret techniques.

Lightning and chaos—each enhanced their fifth secret technique: the lightning-fast thrust. Their blades seemed to pierce each other’s chests.

But both had anticipated the other’s move and stepped aside accordingly.

For a moment, the pocket dimension split in two. The two blades passed each other and struck the far end of the space with hollow thuds.

Runtia glanced at the far end briefly; Jin did not.

[Remember? The day I first faced your lightning, I protected countless knights from you. Even now, I still guard the family from you.]

“…How did you get in here?”

[Isn’t it obvious?]

“I understand the Prophet must have used some trick. But this space was originally prepared for me. I don’t understand why Solderet’s pocket dimension treats you as its master.”

[That’s the same for me. But I think what you really want to know is something else.]

“I’ll find Hister after I defeat you.”

[You suspect that red-haired woman is still alive.]

“It seems you don’t fully control this space, sister Runtia. Were you unaware that Hister’s magic still lingers here?”

Runtia furrowed her brow.

[Oh? If that’s true, it’s quite interesting. Magic remaining means the caster is still alive. I knew she was hiding somewhere here. I just assumed she was dead by now.]

“Is that because you dealt her a serious injury?”

Runtia nodded.

[Yes. If she’s alive, it’s probably because she accepted chaos. Without that kind of regeneration, she couldn’t have survived.]

Jin didn’t react strongly to that.

“That won’t happen, sister. If it had, the magic I saw would already be tainted by chaos. Anyway, thank you. You’ve only strengthened my belief that Hister is alive.”

[So now all that’s left is for you to defeat me and save her?]

For the first time, Runtia showed a trace of displeasure.

[You and Luna always think that way. You always assume you can defeat anyone and get what you want, no matter the circumstances.]

“That’s always been true. This time won’t be any different.”

The pocket dimension trembled with Runtia’s anger. Jin couldn’t tell if her sudden outburst was just madness or if there was another reason.

Since regaining his composure,

Runtia’s words no longer hurt Jin. None of this was coming from the ‘real’ Runtia Runkandel.

Even Ron Hairanzo had resented Jin deep within Gliek’s abyss.

“I will stop the madness consuming you soon, sister.”

Aura gathered in Jin’s heart.

‘Dragging this fight out will only put me at a disadvantage.’

Jin had started the battle exhausted, while Runtia was in perfect condition. She used the entire pocket dimension’s energy and healed quickly through chaos.

If possible, he had to end this in one swift strike.

“I need to keep in mind the battle that will follow once we exit the pocket dimension… but for that, it’s best to trust Zipple and Kinzello to handle things.”

If I try to hold back now, I won’t be able to avoid serious injury.

[So, you’re about to draw the sword you declared on the day of the feudal lord’s proclamation…]

“Unlike back then, now you have nothing left to protect, sister.”

But just like last time, she won’t be able to withstand this sword.

As Jin muttered under his breath and began to draw the Reigning King’s Sword, Luntia let out a sly smile.