Episode 993
Chapter 246: The Great Mitra Desert Battle for Supremacy (3)
Srivi, Karmash, Masalun.
All the demons except Masalun grinned wickedly as they glared at Jin and Simat. At first, their bodies had been nothing but skin and bones, but now they had gained a decent amount of flesh.
‘The demons are growing stronger at an alarming rate…’
Both Jin and Simat felt the same way. The only relief was that demons couldn’t absorb power that hadn’t been released yet.
Srivi specialized in hand-to-hand combat, Karmash wielded fire, and Masalun commanded curses. Usually, Srivi would press the attack, while Karmash and Masalun provided support.
This arrangement was frustrating for Simat. Since Srivi had decided to focus solely on Simat first, naturally Karmash and Masalun’s attacks on Jin became less frequent.
“Yeah, being caught was pretty annoying. So I’ve decided not to get caught again. Have fun with that.”
A crimson energy surged from Simat’s heart of light. Moments later, as the energy enveloped his entire body, Jin instinctively moved with a swift footwork technique.
Ssshit!
Without any warning or preliminary movement, a strike came so fast even Jin’s eyes struggled to follow it. Just as Tetalon grazed Jin’s cheek, Sigmund swept across his shoulder.
Jin was the first to lose his footing. The combined effect of Simat’s attack and the red brain cannon and crimson chains fired by Pibil forced Jin to move again.
‘They intend to fight at a speed the demons can’t keep up with.’
Just as Jin thought, Simat relentlessly pressed the attack, using the battlefield’s full expanse.
To the demons, it looked like two massive balls of light were wildly colliding and bouncing off each other.
Every time the twin swords moved, a delayed cracking sound echoed, and after the ground caved in, the two combatants were already gone from that spot.
The distance of about ten steps shifted in mere seconds—a duel at the maximum speed the twin stars could muster. The demons could no longer intervene as easily as before.
But Pibil adjusted perfectly to that speed, delivering precise supporting fire. Jin was once again impressed by the technical prowess of the Red-Eyed Tribe.
‘If we can’t find a way to firmly pin down the airborne fortress, there’s no chance of winning against Simat.’
That was the conclusion Jin had to reach.
However, if the alliance pulled out their full strength to deal with the airborne fortress, their main base would become vulnerable, and the Red-Eyed Tribe’s mobility was overwhelmingly superior.
‘The only answer in this great desert battle is to liberate my brothers. We must achieve results within the timeframe Simat has in mind for this prolonged war.’
In that sense, the sudden appearance of the demons was a blessing. As long as Srivi kept his word, the stronger they became, the more they would help Jin, even if only a little.
‘Judging by the circumstances, Lanke’s necromancy was likely an unexpected success. The device melted and seeped into the magic circle, and when the necromancy succeeded, Kinzello’s group wasn’t there. It must have been a coincidence caused by a sudden surge of immense power near the equipment…’
Lanke’s necromancy summoned demons from a dimension called the Abyss.
Jin thought that perhaps this necromancy might hold clues to liberating Laprarosa.
‘When I return, I need to tell Dr. Kwaul and Sir Eltiot everything I’ve learned about the necromancy. For now, I’ll keep my eyes on Luna while dealing with Simat.’
“Hee.”
Meanwhile, Yona had successfully infiltrated the battlefield and was waiting for her chance.
‘If that Simat hadn’t briefly left the battlefield, I probably would have been discovered. Why did he leave? Did the youngest beat him? That’d be great, hehe.’
Yona was still unaware of the summoned demons’ presence—and she didn’t need to be. Her mission was to sneak into the airborne fortress without Simat noticing.
Once again, she moved with what could only be called supernatural agility, weaving through the battlefield.
Even those who had reached superhuman levels couldn’t accurately pinpoint Yona’s location amid the swirling sand and relentless bombardment.
But the airborne fortress was different. The brainwave pulses themselves acted like a sensory net—anyone exposed to them would inevitably be detected.
‘Moving amid the bombardment was the right call. Heh, both this red mist and the cannon fire are brainwaves… I’m so clever. When I get back, my sisters will praise me, right?’
Yona didn’t fully understand the fortress’s detection capabilities, nor had she ever seen brainwave pulses before.
Still, instinctively, she knew she had to avoid them, so she used the barrage of cannon fire as cover. The brainwave pulses filled the desert like air, so hiding in the gunfire was her only choice.
‘Anyway, the youngest seems to have Simat well tied up. Time to find my sister. Hehe, Luna, I’m coming.’
Kwah-kwang, kwad-deuk, bang…!
With every explosion, Yona moved just enough to stay in the gaps between the blasts. The Red-Eyed Tribe’s fire meant to keep Luna and Eltiot in check was ironically freeing Yona’s movements.
‘There she is! I’ll be careful not to startle her…’
Just as she thought that and moved toward Luna, Yona suddenly came face-to-face with Eltiot, who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Heh!”
“Eek!?”
Yona was genuinely surprised by Eltiot’s playful attempt to startle her. He smiled mischievously, blood streaming down his head.
“Sister’s teacher, you’re bleeding.”
“I have arrived, Yona Runkandel. This wound was sustained protecting my disciple.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Master. You just got hit a few times by the brain cannons because your body isn’t as strong as before.”
Luna gave Yona a knowing look. Even as Yona continued to hide between the cannon blasts to avoid detection, Luna couldn’t understand her movements.
“Tch! When will you cover for your master’s mistakes? Anyway, good timing, Yona. Let’s get inside the fortress together.”
“How?”
“Simple. Your disciple will break through the fortress’s shield with a full-powered strike and damage the outer armor. Meanwhile, I’ll neutralize the brain cannon fire to create an updraft, and you’ll ride that current to enter the fortress.”
“Neutralize? Updraft? Heh, don’t use such complicated words.”
“Oh, Yona. That’s not complicated…”
“Sis, is your teacher strong?”
“Huh?”
“Strong?”
“If I squeeze all the energy from my heart of light to form the shield, I’d be about half as strong as usual.”
“Hehe, good. Then after you break the shield, throw your teacher inside. The moment he’s thrown, I’ll catch him and fly in.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, Yona?”
“That way, all the cannon fire will focus on your teacher for a moment, and I’ll sneak in between the blasts. I’ll cut through the outer armor myself, hehe.”
Yona casually pulled out her beloved sword, Death.
It was wrapped in a strange ashen aura, which Luna recognized as similar to her own crimson energy. Yona hadn’t been idle since overcoming the chaos.
“No matter how tough the armor is, I think you can cut through it. Your blade’s cutting power might even surpass my Red Moon.”
“Wait, wait. Yona, disciple, if you do that, Eltiot might die.”
“Yeah, I know!”
“Huh, Yona?”
“I said I know!”
This was the voice of a master infiltrator who had succeeded countless times. Luna thought Yona’s plan had a better chance of success than Eltiot’s.
“Then, Master, curl up like a ball.”
Eltiot agreed Yona’s plan was better, even if it put him at risk.
“Heh… This generation doesn’t know how to respect their elders. Fine, let’s do it your way, Yona.”
As Eltiot curled into a ball, Luna focused her mind and summoned her crimson energy. Unlike last time, there was no sign of an impending rampage.
Kaaaat!
With a roar, Luna swung Krantel, sending a massive blade of energy slicing through the desert.
The energy was so vast it looked like it was striking downward from the sky rather than upward from the ground.
The clash between the fortress’s shield and the blade rang out with a sharp metallic screech, followed by a tremor shaking the area.
Taking a deep breath, Luna threw Eltiot with all her might through a crack in the shield. Eltiot flew like a cannonball.
Yona caught Eltiot midair and flew in with him, a moment so seamless even Luna couldn’t pinpoint it. Hiding between the blasts made it possible—something Yona found simply amazing.
“Block it! Baekgyeong threw Cheongpoong to get inside the shield!”
The Red-Eyed Tribe had no idea Yona was there. As soon as Eltiot entered the shield, every cannon inside the fortress aimed at him, and Yona clung to the lower armor of the fortress, using the cannon fire as a curtain.
The fortress’s shield quickly restored itself. Trapped inside, Eltiot had to dodge the relentless barrage.
“Wait, wait! Damn it, can’t you show some mercy? Don’t you feel sorry for Eltiot, who was thrown to his disciple? Ugh!”
While LTOT struggled fiercely, Yona slipped through the gap in Luna’s armor, carved out by her sword energy. With a few swift strikes of her Death Blade, Yona managed to pierce through the outer layer of the armor.
But breaking through one layer of armor didn’t mean she could reach the critical facility right away. The airborne fortress was made up of seven floors, teeming with Red-Eyed Tribe warriors and elite warlords.
“Intruder!”
Having breached the outer armor, Yona’s presence was inevitably exposed. In an instant, the Red-Eyed Tribe warriors surrounded her, their eyes blazing with fury.
One warrior pressed a protruding button on the wall, unleashing a pulse of red brain energy. Surrounded and now facing this psychic attack, Yona had no choice but to fight her way through head-on.
But she had anticipated this from the start.
“Red meat, you’d better watch your feet.”
“What nonsense—!”
Before the highest-ranked warlord could finish his retort, a massive sword energy—just like the one Luna had fired moments ago—ripped through the lower armor of the fortress, flooding the interior with a surge of blue brain energy.
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
The blue brain energy spreading inside the fortress was like a burst of flame thrown into a swarm of flies, instantly leaving most of the Red-Eyed Tribe warriors on the brink of death. Only the warlord-class enemies managed to hold their ground.
It was Jin’s sword energy, precisely timed after reading the situation on Luna’s side while fighting Simat.
But even Jin paid a price. In the reckless release of his sword energy to shake off Simat, he suffered a deep cut on his forearm from Tetalon.
“Heh, I told you, the youngest and I make a great team.”
Yona’s eyes gleamed as she stared down the remaining warlords. The warlord at the front barely had time to register the chilling look in her eyes before his head was severed, marking his end.