Chapter 946
Episode 234: To Hell (6)
[Alright then, let’s see how well you can imitate the Sun Split in such a short time. We’ll be back, kid.]
“Yeah.”
The three of them set off.
Jin immediately moved toward the dimensional gate leading to Zito’s domain. With every step closer, the magical energy radiating from the gate intensified sharply.
Yet, that dense magic couldn’t pierce the golden aura enveloping Jin.
Whenever it neared that aura, it dissipated like steam.
“Carrying three swords at my waist is definitely inconvenient.”
Jin drew Vaskala from its sheath.
A sword that was practically a divine power in itself, but Jin had no desire to wield it.
He wasn’t interested in flashy swordplay with three blades, and the magic sealed within the sword posed a problem for anyone in the alliance who might use it.
He even consulted Pikon about removing the magic.
It was possible, but stripping the magic would reduce Vaskala to a blade inferior to an ordinary fine sword.
So for Jin, Vaskala’s value lay solely as a key.
‘A sword used as a key…’
—Barisada, the family sword. The fake Murakan is after that.
—Huh? Barisada? What would that fake guy want with it?
—In the past, Solderet told the family head that Barisada isn’t just a sword, but also a key to somewhere.
Suddenly, a memory of what Frey said in Keitam’s painting came to mind.
‘The world in that painting was corrupted. So the info about Barisada being a key might be wrong, but it still nags at me. If only I could meet my father once. There’s so much I want to ask, hear, and show him.’
But it was a question for another time.
Jin hurled Vaskala toward the massive floating dimensional gate.
Crack!
A sharp explosion echoed as the space near the gate warped violently.
The shockwave was powerful enough to cause an earthquake, yet the ground beneath Jin’s feet remained perfectly still and calm.
Riiip!
The gate split open left and right, and a sphere shot out, rising high to form a protective shield around the gate.
[Huuuu… such fresh air… it’s been so long since I’ve seen the outside world.]
[Looks like it wasn’t that Faelito guy who came here. Judging by our awakening.]
Jin studied them briefly, focusing on two familiar demons among the five emerging from the mist of magic.
“Hey, you with the blue horns, and you—the one melting away… hmm, I can’t think of a better way to describe you. The gooey, melting one.”
He had already faced their powers when fighting Faelito. So he recognized them immediately. Bisaro was the demon of aging, and Tsjak was the plague god.
[Could it be you summoned me and Bisaro?]
“Yeah. Seeing you like this brings back memories of the trouble you caused.”
The demons felt uneasy at Jin’s casual attitude, as if he were just out for a stroll.
Though their long imprisonment in Vaskala had worn down their reason and insight to below that of ordinary humans, they could still sense how powerful the human before them was.
[…Trouble? You mean the power we unleashed when we were taken out of Vaskala recently and attacked you?]
“That’s right.”
Shing…
Jin slowly drew Sigmund.
Golden energy swirling nearby gathered around him, transforming into sharp lightning.
Jin called this transformed golden energy ‘Golden Thunder.’
Just like during the Eternalization, Hedo had named it.
Hedo had been proud when Jin ascended to the Star Formation and named his newly forged sword ‘Golden Thunder.’
[…The power of the Star Lords? It looks a bit different from what we remember, but it’s still shocking, human.]
“If I thought you might be useful to the future Demon Realm, I might have spared you. But judging by your condition, that’s impossible.”
[Heh heh… yes, you can see our madness.]
“After being sealed for so long, it’s no wonder you’re insane. Still, I should be a worthy final opponent. Before Zito and Faelito defeated you, you were all called rulers of the Demon Realm.”
[Not just worthy, it’s an honor! We were doomed to rot inside Vaskala, reduced to less than beasts. But now, we get to fall to the sword of a great human.]
Tsjak placed his right hand over his chest and bowed.
The other gods followed his lead. Tsjak had been the strongest demon before Zito, so he was their leader.
[Unfortunately, weakened inside Vaskala, we can’t even stimulate you. Please understand. We’ve been bound for far too long.]
Since the opponents bowed first, Jin gave a slight nod in return.
“Unexpected courtesy. I’ll let you have the first move.”
[I won’t refuse. Then, for a moment…]
Thud!
Suddenly, Tsjak punched the chest of another demon beside him.
His fist pierced through, and in an instant, the body was consumed by plague.
The melting body was absorbed into Tsjak.
Then Tsjak leapt high and swallowed the two massive demons blocking the sky in the same way.
None of the demons swallowed by Tsjak resisted.
[They’re already under my control. It would be rude to you to have them gang up on you.]
But Bisaro was not absorbed.
Instead, as soon as Tsjak landed, he pushed Bisaro aside.
Jin understood Tsjak’s intention and nodded.
“So you want to keep at least one demon in decent shape. You care about the Demon Realm more than Zito does.”
Heh heh heh.
Tsjak’s eyes gleamed as he formed swords in both hands.
The swords melted continuously, just like his body.
There was no need for Tsjak’s swords to be sharp. Anyone they touched would become slaves to the plague.
Tsjak charged forward.
As his sword clashed, the flowing plague splattered, but the Golden Thunder instantly evaporated it.
Even at his peak, Tsjak could never defeat Jin. His sword couldn’t even graze Jin’s collar.
The only reason Tsjak could face Jin directly, even in his weakened state, was because Jin respected his dignity.
“Not a bad encounter, Tsjak.”
The Star Lord Sword, Golden Thunder
Gold Moon
Following Sigmund’s trajectory, the Golden Thunder pierced Tsjak’s chest.
A small golden whirlpool formed on Tsjak’s chest, swallowing him whole.
The plague energy remaining in Tsjak evaporated relentlessly under the Golden Thunder.
He couldn’t escape the pull of the Gold Moon, and his rapid regeneration was useless.
His ashen body shattered and turned golden. As he broke apart into shining golden particles, he looked less like a plague god and more like a sacred being meeting his end.
[Ah… so this is what it feels like to be free of disease. As the plague god, I’ve suffered from this power for a long time.]
The battle was decided in a single clash, but Tsjak felt relief, not humiliation.
The long imprisonment in Vaskala, the madness that consumed his mind, the torment of the plague—all of it was finally over.
[You opened this gate to kill Zito and woke us. Tell me your name, great knight.]
“Jin Runkandel.”
[Thank you…]
Tsjak vanished, and the plague energy he spread disappeared with him.
Jin looked down at the golden particles scattering from Tsjak’s remains, then turned his gaze to Bisaro.
Without horns, Bisaro looked almost human.
“Bisaro, demon of aging. I heard from Faelito that you grant a peaceful death to demons who desire it. You opposed Zito and were sealed in Vaskala.”
Bisaro nodded.
Compared to the other demons, his madness was much weaker. He had been sealed more recently, and Tsjak’s respect for him inside Vaskala helped preserve him.
Bisaro had earned the respect of the entire Demon Realm for helping weary demons find a dignified death.
[…That’s right.]
“You still seem to resist Zito.”
[The will is there, but I no longer have the strength. My combat ability is far below that of common high demons. So if you spare me, my role will be to continue helping demons who seek a dignified death. My power over aging is faint now.]
“Then leave. After today, Zito will be gone.”
[Understood… but there’s one more reason Tsjak wanted to save me.]
“What is it?”
[You only have the key to the gate, but you don’t know how to use it properly. If you enter now, the path to Zito’s domain will be chaotic.]
“I see.”
[I will organize the dimensional gate for you. It will take about a day.]
“One day—that’s just right. My comrades are scheduled to return in a day as well. Let me know when the work is done.”
Without looking back at Bisaro, Jin immediately sat upright and slipped into meditation.
Bisaro didn’t even consider running away or trying to deceive Jin.
He simply focused silently on maintaining the dimensional gate.
And if Jito were to die by Jin’s hand, Bisaro was prepared to dedicate the rest of his life to the Jinma realm.
“Sun Slash… The aura, magic, and spiritual energy all spiraled around Barisada in a helix. And that energy closely resembles the golden light I’m currently wielding. Aside from that, there’s nothing particularly special about the sword technique itself.”
Jin didn’t dwell long on the sword form of Sun Slash.
Ultimately, a sword technique of that caliber wasn’t about technical finesse—it was about the willpower behind mastering the blade.
“Sun Slash was probably forged to cut down a god. And when Temar mastered this sword…”
Soon, Jin reached the core of Sun Slash.
“He must have trained with the intent to strike down Solderet. So the opponent I need to face in this meditation isn’t Jito—it’s Solderet.”