Episode 726
Chapter 183: The Inner Frontline Begins (1)
The Sword’s Grave.
That was the name Huepester gave to the newly constructed fortress rising within the Garden of Swords.
News outlets from Huepester were nonstop in their praise of Rosa’s divine power and the chaotic forces she commanded, marveling at the relentless pace of the fortress’s construction.
The provisional alliance held daily strategy meetings, gathering intelligence on the Sword’s Grave. Orgal conducted daily reconnaissance near the Garden of Swords through the steel gates.
“From the outside, it looks like it’s already complete…? Such a massive fortress? And the first report came in just two days ago!”
“To wield that level of power without having reclaimed the strength given to the Four Riders… Truly, a god is a god.”
Octavia and Veradin exchanged words, and the others in the room showed clear signs of shock.
Compared even to the old imperial palace of Bimant, this fortress was far larger—and it had been finished in mere days.
It was completely unexpected.
For the provisional alliance, the only remaining concerns were the halted construction of the warship Ram and Rosa’s wounded state.
A colossal fortress of unprecedented scale was simply beyond consideration.
For a while, discussions about the fortress continued.
Why on earth had Rosa built it? What was she hoping to gain? Could the provisional alliance’s forces even breach a fortress forged from chaos?
Of course, no clear answers emerged.
But there was a prevailing theory about Rosa’s purpose in building the fortress.
“To me, it seems like a way to recover from the blow dealt by the deaths of the Four Riders. A kind of show of force. A statement that she still wields immense power.”
At Cadun’s words, Ronil nodded.
“I agree. The fortress was completed so quickly, yet the construction of the warship Ram—the true symbol of the Chaotic God’s power—remains halted.”
“A show of force, huh…”
Then Jin spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.
Unlike the first meeting, his face was drawn and pale. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his hair was dry and unkempt, and his complexion was gaunt.
Nightmares.
Since Rosa began building the fortress, Jin had been tormented every night by intense nightmares—nightmares featuring Rosa herself.
These weren’t the kind of dreams born from psychological stress or anxiety.
Rosa’s power and will were penetrating directly into Jin’s mind. Much like how Gliek, trapped in the white stone, had devastated Dante’s inner world.
So every time Jin fell asleep, he fought against Rosa’s will.
And even when awake, he felt her influence pressing down on him without respite.
The alliance and his comrades knew this. Though the decisive battle had yet to begin, the “inner frontline” between Jin and Rosa had already been drawn.
“Rosa doesn’t need that.”
A heavy statement.
Since the first full-scale attack, Jin was the only one in the provisional alliance who had directly felt Rosa’s power.
So from Jin’s perspective, Cadun’s talk of “showing off” seemed laughable.
“Then what do you think, Rider Twelve?”
“Just as the fortress’s name suggests, it looks like she’s built a grand tomb. A tomb for me.”
A silence stretched for several seconds.
Jin slowly scanned the faces of his comrades.
Their eyes were filled with unease.
Jin was Rosa’s sole opponent.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Chaotic God War hinged on the one-on-one duel between them.
And yet, before even fighting, Jin was growing more and more haggard under Rosa’s oppressive aura. It was only natural for them to worry.
[Considering the obsession the Chaotic God has shown you, it makes sense.]
Orgal spoke, and Jin nodded.
“There’s no chance to analyze the fortress’s structure or assess its internal forces. One battle, one outcome. That will decide the fate of… no, the survival of the world.”
Jin stood.
“Fifteen days from now.”
[Fifteen days?]
“That’s when we strike the Garden of Swords. Until then, I’ll prepare myself to overcome Rosa’s nightmares and fight at my best. The provisional alliance should finish their battle preparations in the meantime.”
“And if you can’t overcome Rosa’s nightmares by then?”
“In that case, we’ll have to postpone. There’s no way we can win if I go in like this. That’s an obvious question, Veradin. On the other hand, if I manage to push back Rosa’s influence and regain my true state before then, the invasion begins immediately.”
“So you could be ready to deploy as soon as tomorrow. Understood. We’ll prepare. Kinzello, do you agree?”
[Agreed.]
“Until the final battle, can I attend these meetings only when there’s something I absolutely need to hear?”
He meant to focus on restoring his condition. Overcoming the nightmares was far more important than sitting through every meeting.
“Fine by me. The detailed operations will be relayed anyway. Speak up whenever you have something to say.”
From that day on, Jin spent his time in the Secret Palace.
There was no better place to fight the inner war against Rosa’s influence without distraction.
Only Gilly, Valeria, and Quaul accompanied him there. In the quiet, cold space, Jin often sat cross-legged in meditation.
Though invisible to others, a fierce battle raged within him every moment.
When his eyes opened, Rosa’s voice tore through his mind. When closed, her sword surged through his heart.
When he slept, he dreamed of Rosa murdering him and those he cherished—and he could only watch helplessly, desperately trying to discern dream from reality.
So Jin chose to minimize sleep and meditate as much as possible. It was the only way to resist Rosa’s mental assault.
‘She must know this kind of trick won’t break me.’
‘Still, you’ve gotten pretty gaunt, son.’
‘I admit it’s effective. But if I win this fight, you won’t come out unscathed either.’
‘Well… if I have anything left to lose, it’s you. You’re my last remaining pleasure.’
No one else could hear the conversation unfolding inside Jin’s mind. Instead, he relayed the gist to his worried comrades.
Peeking in at the entrance to the training hall was a small group of diminutive beings.
They were the leaders of the Golden Pang Guild and members of the Watertail tribe.
“I see it, Jin. You’re struggling. You’re dying. No, don’t die.”
“Hey, dying? What are you talking about? Hmm, your face is pale as if you’re sick. You look dehydrated, but why are you sweating so much? And you keep groaning. It’s worrying.”
Darkflame and Pang spoke with concern.
“Shouldn’t you be taking some kind of tonic?”
“We have some eel jerky. Want some, Jin? It’ll give you strength.”
“Do you think that’ll be enough? Hey, I hear the Secret Palace is full of elixirs. Why hasn’t the palace lord given you any? Are they hoarding it at a time like this!?”
“No, elixirs won’t help.”
Suddenly, Siris’s voice cut in, and Pang clamped a hand over his mouth.
Siris had also peeked in, just like the little ones.
“Ah, you startled me. You’re not gossiping behind my back, are you, palace lord? I’m just worried about Jin, that’s all. Ha ha.”
“That’s right, Pang was gossiping.”
“Seriously, you only speak properly when it’s times like this!”
Siris tousled the little ones’ hair and put a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet so as not to disturb Jin’s meditation.
Every day was like this. Jin meditated while his comrades watched from a distance, careful not to disturb him—like a family tiptoeing around someone about to take a big exam.
One day, Siris asked Jin a question.
“Jin, I could give you your mother’s closed training hall. Why insist on the public training grounds?”
“Because I feel better knowing my close comrades are nearby.”
Siris blinked, surprised by the unexpected answer, and met Jin’s gaze.
“To resist the Chaotic God’s mental attacks?”
“Yes. Knowing my comrades are close by serves as a kind of anchor. When my sense of self is swallowed by Rosa’s mental assault, suddenly hearing a friend’s voice, footsteps, or even a cough snaps me back to reality.”
“In other words, you need a moderate level of familiar noise.”
“Exactly, Lady Siris. If it were too noisy, I wouldn’t be able to focus on resisting the mental attacks.”
“It’s hard to believe that mental attacks alone could wear down someone as strong as you.”
“It’s like being bound and sinking into the abyss. The deeper I go, the more I see the corpses of those I care about. It’s a terror that lasts twenty-four hours, caught between reality and mental assault.”
“…That’s seriously bleak. Are you making any progress?”
Siris asked cautiously again.
Jin’s face was far worse than the day he first arrived at the Secret Palace.
“Honestly, I don’t know. And when the time comes to completely end the mental attacks, I’ll need the closed training hall.”
“So eventually, you’ll have to fight completely alone.”
“Yes. It’s just a hunch, but I’m sure of it.”
For Siris and the others, it was frustrating. Before the provisional alliance even launched their full assault, Jin was already locked in a difficult and lonely battle all on his own.
Because of that, the comrades could only vaguely imagine the battle Jin was going through and offer their support.
But starting on the fourth day after Jin arrived at the Secret Palace,
Rosa’s mental assault began to spread to the comrades and key members of the temporary alliance.
The first to experience the same kind of nightmare as Jin was Syris.
“Ahhh!”
“Master of the Secret Palace!”
“Captain!”
Hearing Syris’s scream, the Seven Blades of the Secret Palace and the guards rushed into the master’s chamber.
They found Syris trembling uncontrollably, drenched in sweat.
None of them had ever seen Syris so terrified before.
As a child, Syris would wake from nightmares but calmly steady his breathing and close his eyes again. Even during the harshest training as the palace master, he never showed a hint of suffering.
“Captain, are you alright?”
“Huff, huff… Jin, Jin is…”
“Master?”
“To think… he’s been enduring this every single day?”
Syris spoke, his mind blank for a moment.
As the terror of the vile Rosa paralyzed his limbs, an overwhelming wave of pity for Jin surged up inside him.