Chapter 839
Episode 209: Temar’s Seventh Tomb – The Painting of Keitam (12)
A thousand years ago, Temar and Murakan stood atop the Storm Fortress. Not the one destroyed moments ago in the battle with the impostor, but the original Storm Fortress, still towering on the peak of Mount Murakan a millennium ago.
Jin and the Ten Knights widened their eyes, taking in the unfamiliar scene, while Murakan clutched his chest, turning his gaze away in anguish.
“No… this can’t be. No, I never did such a thing. I, Murakan, would never try to kill the knights, Temar, or any of you.”
Jin worried that Murakan’s mind was fracturing. He kept repeating the words Murakan had just spoken.
‘He feels like he could lose control at any moment. His spiritual energy is even more unstable than before.’
Suddenly, a spear of spiritual energy formed behind Murakan’s back. It shot straight into the scene from a thousand years ago—but the landscape remained untouched.
They were mere observers, able only to watch the past unfold without influencing it in any way.
The harsh words they’d just heard—“It’s all your doing”—were not spoken to the real Murakan, but to the Murakan within the painting.
That Murakan clenched his teeth, refusing to respond to Temar.
“Murakan, stop.”
It was Dranax. His eyes serious, he glanced between Murakan, the ancient Murakan, and Temar.
“We may be guardians, but our souls are the same as our true selves from a thousand years ago. That means we have the right to know what really happened back then. Since we can’t break the scene anyway, calm down and stay still.”
“Right, Murakan. We may vanish soon, but before that happens, I want to see with my own eyes the history we never knew.”
Freyr, enduring his pain, kept his gaze fixed on the scene. The Ten Knights steeled themselves, determined to resist fading away until they uncovered the full truth.
“This… it’s all a scheme. A witch, or someone else… yes, Lokia. He said Lokia betrayed us. It’s their plot, trying to frame me! How could I kill you all? How could I harm Temar or slaughter innocent people like that?”
Painful memories could drive anyone mad.
Murakan was being consumed by the relentless flood of old memories.
But Jin chose not to add anything more. He had already said all that needed to be said.
No matter the truth, they would face it together—with him and their comrades.
Turning away from the crouched Murakan, Jin and the Ten Knights fixed their eyes on the scene.
“At first, when I heard you were trying to kill your comrades, I didn’t believe it. Especially since it was Lokia who said it, and as you know, I was suspicious of him.”
“Temar.”
“But Lokia didn’t betray us. He was only trying to find a way to cure my demonic affliction by contacting the witch. But I never imagined you would stab us in the back like this… you and Solderet.”
“Enough, Temar. I am not killing you for the sake of the thousand-year contract or for Solderet. Don’t you understand?”
“Oh? So you’re still trying to say I’m insane? Like the day you came to kill me at the Tower of the Black Sea with my brother and Padler? I regained my sanity after that day. I remember clearly the truths I saw through the witch while I was mad. That’s probably why Solderet wants me gone.”
“…No more words are necessary. Temar, I won’t apologize. For me, this is the best I can do.”
“A thousand years. For the future Solderet chose, we were just disposable tools, to be used and discarded. The one who becomes the contractor then will never know this dark truth. Today, your and your god’s vile deeds end. I will stop you. If you cannot stop yourself.”
Whoooosh…!
As Temar drew his sword, the interior of the Storm Fortress surrounding them suddenly darkened. The spiritual energy he radiated formed an endless, vast pocket dimension.
With a single strike, the human-shaped Murakan split vertically, scattering into spiritual energy. The energy flew far away, reforming into Murakan’s true form.
The space briefly tore open, revealing the outside world—a point deep within the Murakan mountain range, far from the Storm Fortress. The rift quickly sealed with spiritual energy again.
‘A sword similar to the Dark Arrival of the impostor. Temar and Murakan have been fighting like this in a pocket dimension… Is that why the Murakan mountain range disappeared?’
The battle with the impostor just now was nothing compared to this. Both Temar and Murakan wielded undeniable power of creation in every strike.
Each blow severed entire chunks of the mountain range; each breath erased empty cities. They were not mere man and dragon, but two gods wielding the world itself.
Murakan remained crouched, muttering unintelligible words. The Ten Knights barely suppressed their conflicted feelings watching the two fight within the scene. The battle looked no different from when the impostor Murakan attacked Temar.
“So they really did have that conversation. Murakan did attack the family head, just as we thought…”
“I won’t judge until I see the end. Jin and Murakan came to us and helped. They removed the impostor Murakan we believed was real and showed us the truth.”
“That’s right.”
“I wonder if Freyr will confess what he couldn’t say to that crushed figure over there. I hope his love confession doesn’t turn into curses and insults.”
“More nonsense… Viol, if you were well, I’d give you a good smack…”
“Freyr, you’re still bleeding. Even if we’re about to vanish, the end should be a little easier. Save your words. Ignore Viol’s nonsense.”
Of course, Jin already knew who would win this battle.
Murakan would ultimately be defeated by Temar and fall into a long slumber lasting a thousand years.
Temar and Murakan had exchanged over a hundred strikes. Each time the pocket dimension tore, the outside revealed nothing but ruined mountains, destroyed cities, and strangely torn storm clouds.
Temar mostly attacked, while Murakan focused on defense. Murakan was confident he would win if the fight dragged on.
Temar would eventually tire, but Murakan’s strength would never wane as long as his heart remained intact.
“You keep trying to move the battlefield outside the mountain range… You don’t care if people get caught in our fight and die.”
“…No one lives near my mountain range anymore.”
“Near the mountain range that cuts through all of Hupester, no one lives… Are you proud? To have crushed those who worshipped you so mercilessly? To have turned their homes to ash is fine, but you don’t want your own house broken?”
Unlike the anguished Murakan in reality, the Murakan from a thousand years ago seemed unaffected by Temar’s cruel words.
He focused all his senses solely on killing Temar. Awakening like the impostor Murakan, he sprouted a pair of wings and continuously emitted spiritual energy from his massive horns.
The Murakan mountain range, stretching to the central Mittel region, was now completely gone, leaving only traces behind. Landslides and earthquakes spread throughout Mittel, and the destruction showed no sign of stopping.
Like their broken relationship, it was collapsing irreversibly.
The observers couldn’t tell how much time had passed during the fight. The perspective shifted occasionally.
But each time it changed, all they saw was the two fighting inside Temar’s spiritual sword’s pocket dimension.
They noticed wounds appearing on Temar’s body and the outside scenery changing slightly when the dimension tore, signaling the shift in viewpoint.
Murakan showed no sign of injury or fatigue.
[This fight is meaningless, Temar. Everything breaking now is what we sought to protect. The land of Runcandel, and the people under its protection.]
“Do you really think your filthy mouth has the right to speak of what we tried to protect?”
[I only want to say that for the future, we must leave behind as much of this land and its people as possible. If there’s still love for the family and this land inside you, stop and accept death.]
“The future… I don’t care about that. Because of you and Solderet, we’ve already lost the present. And as long as you and Solderet exist, Runcandel will never be free. It will always be exploited by Solderet.”
[Our enemy is Ziphl, not Solderet…]
“That was true, until he revealed his true colors. Now, you are more disgusting and hateful than Ziphl. It drives me mad that my comrades and I gave everything to you.”
Though Murakan’s plea to end the pointless fight and accept death was not something they agreed with…
From Temar’s perspective, there was no reason to drag the fight out any longer. He had to settle this before his stamina gave out.
And all the while, Temar had been preparing a single sword technique for this very moment.
Even if the enemy was stronger, with enough willpower, he could overcome the gap and cut them down with his spirit blade.
Spirit Blade Technique No. 1: Soul Slash.
Temar’s sword, Barisada, darkened as it was aimed at Murakan.
“The time has come to pay for your sins, Murakan. Suffer. Remember those you’ve killed…”
With a cruel smile, Temar swung his blade.