Episode 682
Chapter 174. Veil’s Mistake (2)

Veil’s eyes, which had always shimmered with a subtle golden hue, now glowed so brightly in the shape of a cross that they almost blinded anyone who looked at them. He was staring directly at Sandra.

“What? Lady Sarah?” Jin furrowed his brows, glancing back and forth between Veil and Sandra. Valeria shook her head, clearly struggling to make sense of the situation.

Of course, Sandra and Sarah didn’t look alike.

Sarah was a pureblood Runcandel with distinctive black hair, while Sandra was a white-haired Ziphl. Beyond their shared gender, they differed in stature, gaze, demeanor, and overall presence—there wasn’t a single resemblance.

Yet Veil kept calling Sandra “Sarah.”

[I’ve missed you, Sarah!]

“Get lost, you monster!”

[Go away! I’m telling you to leave, not Sarah!]

“Get lost!”

Sandra shouted at Veil, while Veil spoke to Jin and Valeria. But the one burning with frustration in this absurd scene was undoubtedly Hedo.

“Damn it!”

Using his authority as propulsion, Hedo accelerated his descent, but Sandra was also being pulled faster by Veil’s gravitational force.

Sandra struggled desperately to break free and fall toward Jin, but Veil’s grip was unyielding.

Just as Sandra was about to be caught, Jin and Valeria surged forward, swinging sword and staff. Even if Veil was mistaking Sandra for Sarah, they had to prevent one of their allies from falling into the hands of this madman.

No one knew how Veil would react the moment he realized Sandra wasn’t Sarah.

Valeria felt uneasy about the whole thing—she was intervening not to kill Ziphl, but to save her.

“Sorry, Aria.”

“It’s necessary. You have nothing to apologize for.”

But Veil shifted Sandra’s landing spot in an instant, using the gravitational force from his hands and the wind pressure from his wings.

Jin couldn’t recklessly unleash powerful attacks on Veil, who moved swiftly and erratically. If Sandra or Hedo got caught in the crossfire, it would backfire.

Reluctantly, Jin and Valeria stepped back to prepare for the next move. At least Sandra was a semi-immortal bio-golem, so she wasn’t exactly a suitable hostage.

[Sarah, Sarah Runcandel!]

Veil smiled broadly as he caught Sandra in what looked like a prince’s embrace straight out of a romance novel, but then he fiercely swung one wing.

Like a punch, aimed squarely at Hedo, who had been chasing him.

Wham!

“Ugh!”

Hedo was slammed into a wall made of spiritual energy and seawater, bouncing off with a splash that sent black seawater cascading like a waterfall.

‘To see such a massive man get thrown around so pathetically…’

But only someone like Hedo could survive a hit from those wings and bounce back. Any warrior without his level of durability would have been crushed or killed instantly.

Jin and Valeria charged at Veil again. Veil, cradling Sandra like a precious relic, couldn’t wield his sword and responded only with his wings.

Though they looked soft and gentle, Veil’s wings were incredibly strong—far tougher than the outer shell of a grave giant.

“Why do you keep calling the lady by someone else’s name, you lunatic!”

Hedo shouted as he emerged from the seawater wall, his shirt torn from his bulging muscles, eyes burning with unprecedented rage.

The usually composed and dignified Hedo was already breaking down several times during this tomb expedition.

“I was going to ask the same thing, Sir Veil. The woman you’re holding isn’t Lady Sarah. You’d better come to your senses.”

Veil’s eyes widened as he looked down at Sandra.

She flailed her arms and legs wildly like a trapped beast, slapping Veil’s face and chest repeatedly. Of course, the more she struggled, the more she hurt herself, and Veil made no effort to block her attacks.

[Come to think of it, your face has changed a bit… You’ve grown taller, too.]

“A bit?”

Jin couldn’t help but scoff at Veil’s indifferent tone.

[Your personality’s gotten worse, and your strength has weakened beyond words. Sarah, what have you been through? And stop—your knuckles are bleeding. That hurts. But you heal quickly, don’t you? Did you always have this rapid regeneration?]

“Let go of me, you monster! How dare you try to kill my husband?”

[Husband? Who’s your husband?]

“Our Jin!”

Veil glared at Jin.

[Didn’t you say you were thinking about marrying Padler after the war?]

“What nonsense! I’m neither Sarah nor anyone else!”

[Padler’s disgusting, but he does seem better than that guy. Well, it’s good timing—Padler’s here too. We should settle this now.]

“I’m not Sarah Runcandel. I’m Sandra Ziphl. And Jin is cool, isn’t he? You recognize that much.”

[But he’s your distant descendant. Isn’t that a bit… inappropriate?]

“Right, right. We were born into rival families and have a tragic love story… which makes it all the more thrilling.”

At some point, Sandra and Veil had started exchanging something like a conversation. Apparently, crazy people do have a way of understanding each other.

[Anyway, it’s all good, Sarah. You’ve changed from the person I remember—you lost your right arm and weakened—but now I’ll protect you, just like you protected me.]

“You’ll protect me?”

[Yes, Sarah Runcandel. My life, soul, and power exist solely for you.]

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted from all around, like cannon fire. Surprisingly, it was the sound of the grave giants clapping.

Up until now, Jin, Hedo, Valeria, and even Sandra herself had all told Veil that she wasn’t Sarah. Sandra hadn’t even hidden the fact that she was a child of Ziphl, an enemy of Runcandel from a thousand years ago.

‘Yet Sir Veil still mistakes Sandra for Lady Sarah…’

Was it because Veil had just awakened after a millennium and wasn’t mentally sound?

Jin suspected there was another reason.

‘Veil’s tone and behavior feel somewhat childish compared to his power.’

Children—or people—sometimes twist reality to protect themselves from overwhelming trauma.

For example, refusing to accept the death of a loved one and believing they’re still alive.

Jin guessed Veil was doing the same—he had ‘decided’ to recognize Sandra as Sarah.

“This is insane…”

Hedo ground his teeth and spat out.

“Keeper, I think Veil will keep seeing Sandra as Lady Sarah.”

Hedo’s anger no longer targeted Jin.

“We have to save the lady. It doesn’t matter if we can’t reclaim the sword now. From here on, cooperate fully to rescue her, Twelve Knights.”

“Of course, Keeper. But… fighting Veil now might put Sandra in even greater danger.”

Jin pointed to the sky.

The sky, once chaotic with spiritual energy and the forces of various factions, was gradually turning a clear blue. It was the power of Cheongno and Padler.

‘He’s gotten stronger. Either he’s refined the power of chaos or regained his former strength.’

Padler seemed to have changed too. Compared to their first battle in the Sword Garden, his aura was calmer yet more resolute.

‘And Lionel, Stam, the added Black Ships, and the Chaos Dragons are all here.’

Facing them alongside Veil would be overwhelming. Especially since they hadn’t fully gauged Veil’s strength yet, but it was clear he was even stronger than the enhanced Padler.

Plus, unlike when they stormed the Sword Garden alone, they now had comrades to protect.

Despite his rising fury, Hedo began to assess the situation calmly.

“…You’re right, Twelve Knights. What’s your plan?”

“I think Veil’s mistaking Sandra for Lady Sarah might actually work to our advantage.”

“Hah, you really think that madman will fight for Sandra?”

“What would you do, Keeper?”

“What?”

“If you were in his place, would you fight for Sandra no matter what?”

“In this situation? I’d be thinking of how to escape with her. If he takes her and runs…”

Hedo stopped mid-sentence.

He suddenly felt Veil’s energy intensify without limit. The cross-shaped eyes sharpened, and the transformed sword radiated a colossal divine light, no longer seeming human but a godly weapon.

Hedo’s words weren’t wrong.

In this situation, escaping with Sandra would be the right move. But Veil had no reason to choose that.

He was certain he was stronger than all of them combined.

“…Could it be that we don’t even need to be nervous?”

“Seems that way.”

[Jin Runcandel. This time, I will end you…]

Padler, who had just fully emerged from the dimensional gate, also stopped speaking like Hedo. His eyes briefly flashed with the desire for revenge when he saw Jin, but upon seeing the grave giants and Veil, his expression soured.

[…Veil? What are you doing here?]

[You dared to come find me, Padler.]

Veil grinned.

Padler visibly trembled at the sight of him.

[And to have become so weak like that… honestly, you’ve never had a shred of fear, not then, not now.]

Jin felt that Padler had grown stronger than before, but Veil saw it differently—he thought Padler had actually weakened.

Veil, who had been glaring at Padler as if ready to kill him, lowered his head and looked at Sandra. The fierce, almost demonic expression he’d worn moments ago was completely gone, replaced by a face of endless kindness.

[Sara, is it alright if I kill Padler and his lackeys today?]

Sandra answered casually.

“Yeah, do whatever you want—smash them, kill them, whatever. But if you keep fighting while holding me like this, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Can you hand me over to Jin for a bit?”

[You’re right. Even if I’m weaker, it’d be too much to tear you apart while holding you. Hmm… I think that guy can protect you well enough in the chaos. I’ll do that.]

“Good, good.”

[Jin Runkandel, take good care of Sara. If, by the time the fight’s over, she has even the smallest scratch, then you’ll die by my hand too.]

“Hey, you’re not allowed to say things like that to Jin anymore.”

[Got it, Sara. Let me rephrase that. Then you’ll get hurt a lot by me, understood? Jin Runkandel.]

“That’s not allowed either. Geez, you keep saying mean things to Jin.”

[Tch, maybe it was better when you were dodging around protecting Padler. You’ll be exhausted then too, Jin Runkandel!]

As Veil handed Sandra over to Jin and took to the air, the group could only stare blankly after him for a moment.