Chapter 695
Episode 177: Yona, Yona, Yona… (4)
After the curtain of chaos closed once more, the summoned monsters roared fiercely. Their energy distorted the veil, blurring the surroundings, and the Yonas began to move again.
‘So Joshua planned to use the monsters to amplify my sister’s and the fakes’ abilities… That guy really has no redeeming qualities from start to finish.’
Joshua hadn’t reached the level of someone like Jin, so he thought this cheap trick would work on the three of them.
But such childish games couldn’t disrupt the senses of superhumans. Granted, considering the nature of the Yonas and the fakes, even the slightest variable could pose a threat—but not against this group.
“Well, I suppose Jin, you had a hard time being treated like a second-rate soldier.”
“It was quite the ordeal, in many ways.”
Hedo stepped forward first, unleashing his mastery of swordsmanship. Waves of sword energy spread out, engulfing the monsters in a dazzling light.
Bones and flesh flew wildly like rain, and three of the Yonas simultaneously targeted Oul. Unlike Jin, Oul couldn’t immediately distinguish the real from the fake, so he focused solely on blocking their attacks.
“Keep defending against my sister and the fakes. I’ll take care of them one by one.”
“Understood.”
The remains of the monsters swept away by Hedo’s sword energy began to gather again, forming another beast.
It seemed their regeneration outpaced Hedo’s slaughter.
Frowning—partly because he disliked the temporary sword he was wielding—Hedo summoned even more power.
But wielding that power recklessly was risky. If he increased his strength too much, the Yonas might get caught in the crossfire.
‘Should I try to finish this with close combat? That would just expand Jin’s workload, which is annoying.’
Just as Hedo was pondering, something suddenly shot out from Oul’s sleeve.
Thousands of threads, thinner than hair, each infused with Oul’s energy, snatched at the monsters indiscriminately.
Seeing some monsters disintegrate under the strain, Oul adjusted his power delicately, binding them with precision.
“Oh. This makes things much easier, Nameless King. I’ve been amazed by your ability from the start.”
“I originally saved this to restrain the fakes, but since Jin can tell them apart, it’s no longer necessary.”
While the superhumans exchanged compliments, Jin cut down another fake.
‘So now it’s just my sister and five fakes left.’
From that moment, the Yonas stopped recklessly targeting Jin.
It wasn’t a calculated move—it was instinct. From fighting them, Jin knew the Yonas had lost all reason.
They blindly followed Joshua’s orders. If the fakes still had the Yonas’ level of judgment before the chaos took over, Jin might have struggled a bit.
Flare…!
Jin’s faintly glowing dark sword lit the area like a torch. The Yonas struggled to avoid looking at it.
Because the moment their gaze lingered on the blade’s flame, they felt a burning pain deep inside.
Jin was well aware that his unnamed sword held such power.
So now, he was the one seeking out the Yonas. Each time Bradamante sliced through the pocket dimension, the Yonas briefly appeared before vanishing like smoke.
This search would take a long time. For a while, Jin couldn’t kill any fakes and was forced to keep exploring the space.
But he had brought the strongest warriors from each faction precisely to prevent this.
Swoosh—!
Jin swung his sword like a bell, tearing open one side of the pocket dimension completely.
“Ah!”
“Wha—! Jeez…”
At the same time, Ranke and Bianca’s eyes widened in surprise.
They had just arrived nearby, about to break through the pocket dimension.
“You’re here.”
“W-Why… how did you know we were coming?”
“How did I know? Ugh, Bianca, can you speak any faster? Seriously?”
“How else? I read your energy.”
“Read his energy?”
“Read his… energy…?”
Ranke and Bianca exchanged puzzled looks. The curtain of chaos had blocked their ability to sense the energy inside.
“Anyway, get in quickly and pressure my sister and the fakes. Keep them on the defensive while pushing them back.”
“Push them back while only defending? How does that work?”
“I’m the one applying the pressure, so you can do it. And one more thing—if the real sister gets hurt, it won’t be fun. Now, let’s give it our all.”
Ranke cursed under his breath, and Bianca nodded as they stepped through the veil.
With the two of them added, the Yonas focused entirely on hiding. Jin was now certain they would try to escape.
‘The entrance the Kinzelos came through hasn’t been sealed. Probably because Veil is fighting Joshua, so it’s left open.’
When Veil opened it, it was immediately repaired. That was possible because Joshua was still sending chaotic energy here, but not anymore. He was too busy dealing with an enraged Veil to pay attention.
Jin pretended not to guard the empty entrance. He deliberately moved away slowly, waiting for the Yonas to appear.
The instinct-driven Yonas fell into the trap too easily. One fake, the moment Jin turned his back, dropped their stealth and charged toward the entrance.
Of course, the fake couldn’t escape.
Fzzzt!
Jin’s magic, planted earlier, formed an ice barrier at the entrance.
The fake tried to break through with their sword, but in that moment, Jin caught them from behind.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Bradamante pierced through the fake’s back. The fake trembled and disintegrated, leaving behind a black mass.
“Another fake wanting to run?”
Jin smiled. Four fakes remained now, and with each one gone, the Yonas’ options dwindled.
Near the center of the pocket dimension, Hedo and Oul were still suppressing the inner monsters, while Ranke and Bianca rushed forward to block the Yonas whenever Jin’s flames revealed them.
“Don’t… let the real one… get out…”
“Ugh, that idiot’s still helping us like it’s his own fight.”
Jin carefully scanned the area. At this rate, he thought he could finish off the remaining fakes and bring the Yonas back within thirty minutes.
But the good feeling was short-lived.
Suddenly, the chaotic pocket dimension began to tremble unstably.
“H-Hey! The pocket dimension’s about to explode!”
Ranke shouted. Everyone else noticed the signs of an imminent explosion.
The cause was obvious: Joshua’s last desperate act, scattering ashes.
‘That bastard Joshua… still at it to the end. Looks like he chose self-destruction after getting beaten by Lord Veil.’
They had to change tactics quickly.
“Scatter and do everything you can to stop the explosion!”
The scale of the blast was unpredictable. It could erase the entire forest or even damage distant villages.
At Jin’s command, Hedo, Oul, Bianca, and Ranke spread out to their positions.
The Yonas were clearly panicked by the sudden collapse. Like animals trapped in a wildfire, they screamed and ran wildly through the pocket dimension.
Jin summoned all his senses.
‘No matter how powerful the explosion, if those four give it their all, it won’t reach the villages.’
So his job was to find and protect his sister. She didn’t have the strength to shield herself from such an explosion.
Even if she did, it wouldn’t be her power—it would be the power of chaos.
Chaos would consume her the moment her body broke down, healing her but causing the physical transformations Jin feared most.
Rumble…!
The chaos forming the pocket dimension converged into a single point. In about five seconds, all that power would detonate.
Jin had to find the real one among the fakes and hold her tight before then.
But the other warriors, especially Oul, who cared for the Yona as much as Jin did, had agreed to endure the blast instead of searching for her.
They were confident. They believed Jin could handle it.
Jin charged forward, throwing himself like a child about to drown.
“Sister!”
Yona still gripped her sword, but Jin didn’t hesitate to grab her tightly. He barely managed to deflect her blade from stabbing his abdomen.
As the pocket dimension exploded, Yona squeezed her eyes shut, and Jin raised a protective shield around them.
Kraaaaah…! Crackle!
The fakes lunged at the siblings like ravenous beasts but were torn apart.
[Screeeech…!]
[Clack!]
The fiery chaos incinerated even the black masses they left behind.
The deafening explosion lasted over five minutes.
The warriors swung their weapons tirelessly, maintaining the shield, and Jin finally managed to protect his youngest sister.
“Is everyone okay?”
Hedo was the first to check around.
“We’re fine. You took the brunt of the blast, but not a scratch.”
“I should be better than you at that. Looks like the Kinzelos’ officers are unharmed too. Hmm, except maybe that one?”
“Ugh, huff… What a nightmare. I thought I was going to die!”
“Ranke… so weak… but still managed to hold the line…”
“This—! Ugh, ack!”
Lanke shouted out and collapsed, coughing up blood. Bianca hurried over to support him. Behind them, Jin was still holding Yona tightly.
Yona’s neck and back were covered in wounds. She was still in a frenzy, clawing at Jin relentlessly, but Jin only felt joy.
“Sis, let’s go home now.”
Yona responded with a guttural scream, and everyone except Jin looked up at the sky at the same time.
Above them hovered the fleet of Ziphl, which had just arrived.