Chapter 953
Episode 235. Jito (2)

Toxicity was seeping through the wounds.

If it weren’t for the Mandokju and Changseong’s bodies, his cheek would have melted away, leaving a hole. Jin quickly put distance between himself and Jito, glaring at him.

“Hmph. Is this because of that stunt Ayula pulled on me? Even though I touched your thorns, I’m as fine as if I’d been cut by an ordinary sword.”

Jito recalled the choice Ayula had made on the day he briefly descended upon the Holy Empire.

It was true that Jito had lost some strength because of it—about twenty to thirty percent. He hadn’t thought it would hold him back now, but seeing Jin unharmed left a nagging unease in his chest.

Since this pocket dimension was essentially Jito himself, it reacted according to his inner state.

Feeling an inexplicable discomfort, he began to form more thorns within the space. The shattered earth and jagged black rocks sprouted thorns, even the empty air bristled with them.

Thorns sprouted beneath Jin’s feet as well.

But Jin didn’t dodge. Before the thorns could pierce the ground, they crumbled under his golden aura.

“You seem like the type who talks more when scared.”

[Huh?]

“I sensed it even as I came here. You drove the demons mad to gather the power of pain for this fight.”

[Ah, I can see why it looks that way. But making my little ones tear each other apart wasn’t really about you. It’s just… a necessary step toward the conclusion.]

“The conclusion… You mean the new world where your order of pain has arrived?”

[Exactly. What do you think pain is, Jin Runkandel?]

For the first time, Jito’s eyes hardened, shedding their usual playful, lighthearted expression.

“Well, I’ve never really thought about it.”

[The essence of pain is to plunge the subject into selflessness. When the order of pain comes to this world, there’s no need for petty squabbles over who’s better or worse.]

“So, you want to purify the world through pain.”

Jin suddenly thought of Kinzello.

In their shared pursuit of ‘perfection’ for the world, Jito and Kinzello didn’t seem all that different.

[You could call it a kind of purification. I was born from pain. The true king and creator of life, the sun god Kinzello, endured pain—and I am the embodiment of that pain.]

Jito slung his thorned axe over his shoulder. The thorns dug into his flesh, tearing and bursting the skin with a sickening sound.

[So, no one understands the essence of pain better than I do. In my early days, I tried countless times to free myself from pain.]

“Then you developed that strange taste—finding pleasure in pain.”

[Taste is a matter of choice. I had no choice. Do you think you could live an ordinary life, boiling every day in scalding water? And that’s just a simple metaphor. The pain I’ve endured can’t be expressed in words or letters.]

“I’m embarrassed to say I don’t feel the slightest pity.”

[Here’s my point: I believe this world must suffer as much as I have. Eventually, it will be swallowed by an endless, infinite sea of pain, forgetting itself.]

“So even then, I’d remain conscious, just your toy?”

[Exactly. But I didn’t choose you as a toy just because you looked tasty… It’s the same reason I chose Orgal as my successor.]

“Orgal?”

[He has the ability to perceive the world’s corruption. He can sense when parts of the world are erased or altered by someone or something.]

-[Fate can be cruel sometimes… just like your god. Isn’t that right, Murakan?]

-[…How did you know about this place and suddenly appear?]

-[There’s not much about the known world—or what’s been erased or corrupted—that I don’t know. You know that.]

Suddenly, Jin recalled the conversation between Murakan and Orgal from Temar’s second tomb. In that record, Orgal had said there was a way to save Temar, who had become a monster.

[When the age of pain arrives, the world will undergo many corruptions beyond my control. Just like the witch did… So, at that time, a being who can perceive and correct these errors is needed. I thought only Orgal could do it, but seeing you, I’ve changed my mind. The age of pain can only be complete with both Orgal and you.]

“I see. So that’s the end of your complicated explanation?”

Though he called it complicated, Jin finally understood the immortal Jito’s purpose clearly.

He just wants revenge on the world.

Therefore, he has no need for subjects to rule over, using demons as disposable tools—and he likely has no intention of sparing any life in this world going forward.

‘The “errors” he mentioned must be variables that threaten the order of pain. And he wants to use Orgal and me as safeguards to eliminate those variables.’

A chill ran down Jin’s spine.

Jito wasn’t an imperfect abomination born from Rosa, nor was he divided like the kings of the Black Sea. He was the purest and most colossal embodiment of madness Jin had ever faced.

[You cannot stop me, Jin Runkandel. Your will is strong, but it will never be as perfect as mine. I am the product of the pain Kinzello endured while shaping and watching over the world—his grudge. A mass of anguish stretching back to the dawn of time.]

Shing! Kaga-gak!

Jito formed a body on Jin’s right side and swung his thorned axe. When it clashed with Sigmund, the golden lightning on the blade scattered momentarily.

Jito’s playful grin returned, but his axe grew wilder, the poison intensifying.

Jin matched his energy, but there were limits.

‘To unleash Solar Slash at full power, I need to create an opening—and that takes a lot of energy…’

That was the problem.

This fight demanded expending a great deal of energy just to reach its conclusion.

‘I wish Murakan were here. If he were, I could create an opening without overexerting myself. Maybe I should wait for him instead of rushing this.’

Choosing a short battle risked using Solar Slash with insufficient power; a long battle risked Murakan not arriving in time.

Jin had no idea what was happening outside the door.

He couldn’t tell if the dimensional gate Jito had pulled him through was still open or had vanished.

‘According to Jito, Murakan and his group are fighting Keliak. Whether Murakan can keep fighting after that is crucial… This is getting complicated.’

Jin soon reached a decision.

The golden lightning around him grew fiercer.

‘If I don’t get a chance to use Solar Slash, I have no chance of winning. Waiting for reinforcements who might never come is too risky.’

He had no idea how much energy it would take to create an opening in Jito’s defense. If he couldn’t wear him down, victory was impossible.

[Oh? Finally ready to fight seriously? Good. No more dithering—it’s not cool.]

Jin surged forward, thrusting Sigmund. The lightning-fast stab left a glowing afterimage as it pierced Jito’s chest.

Jito swung his thorned axe at the charging Jin. Though Jin pressed him hard, he constantly had to fend off thorns springing up from behind and the sides. Each time, Jito’s attacks grazed him narrowly.

Every contact spread a tumor-like pain that gnawed at Jin’s body, but his movements never faltered.

Whenever he found a moment’s breathing room, Jin unleashed Pacheon, opening the sky. He knew Jito was aware of the Abyss.

[Don’t waste too much effort probing the Abyss. Do you think I’d become a fool because of it? It just annoys me, heh heh.]

Crack! A shockwave of golden lightning shattered one of Jito’s thorns, which stabbed Jin’s thigh.

Because Jin pushed it back with lightning, it didn’t penetrate deeply. He pulled out the thorn, then closed the distance again.

‘He should be tiring by now, but he’s only getting faster… Is Changseong always like this? He didn’t feel like this when I fought Paelito before.’

Jin hadn’t made many calculations about Jito from the start.

That’s why he only brought Murakan’s group when seeking Hell, and why he wasn’t flustered when the fight with Jito began suddenly.

Jito, on the other hand, had endlessly predicted the human Jin Runkandel—his strength, abilities, even the point when his will would start to wear down.

But since the fight began, Jito’s predictions kept missing the mark. Jin, clearly weaker than Paelito at his peak, clung to him with relentless tenacity.

Of course, Jito didn’t entirely dislike this. Jin’s uniqueness meant that when the order of pain arrived, he could more reliably root out errors.

[It feels like quite some time has passed. I almost forgot the time for the first time in ages. I underestimated it at two days. Think you can hold out for three or four, Jin Runkandel?]

“If you’re still alive three or four days from now, then I’ll admit you were right.”

The moment Jin said that, Jito glanced up at the sky without thinking. As a result, Jin’s sword sliced across his neck—but it didn’t matter, since he wasn’t going to die anyway.

What was truly troubling was that the sky was opening up, revealing an abyss.

And this time, it wasn’t Jin who had opened it. The sky was parting from the outside.

‘What the hell is going on all of a sudden?’

Jin realized the abyss had opened a beat too late and lifted his head.

‘Who’s the author of this…!?’

Cutting across the abyss, a figure descended into the pocket dimension. It was someone Jin hadn’t expected at all.

“Master! Are you really here? Master…!”

Elona Ziphl’s voice rang out, urgent and filled with anger.