C296 - Power and Reverence for Power (7)

Jin focused on Beradin's staff as he controlled the flames. Clearly, the staff was aimed at him. For some reason, the staff seemed to exude both a murderous intent and intrigue.

Beradin smiled, as if finding the situation exciting.

Jin decided not to dwell on bitterness over the situation. In any case, the person pointing the staff at him was probably not the real Beradin, despite taking on Beradin's form.

Furthermore, Jin was convinced of another thing: the Zipples would never let Beradin remain in that state.

If the Zipples needed puppets for battle, they had plenty of others. It didn't have to be Beradin. Surely, he would be himself most of the other times because they couldn't afford to have a bloodthirsty maniac crazed for battle as their next patriarch.

Jin thought that Beradin might have been manipulated in his past life as well.

"Those unsettling bastards."

The shining runic characters floated towards Kozec.

All the Mages realized that the runic characters were target marks of the flame orb. They panicked and pointed their staffs towards the runic characters.

They used all sorts of spells to drive away the runes.

But the characters were too small and constantly moving, making it nearly impossible to shoot them down. Some managed to hit them, but it had no effect on the runic characters. They simply pierced through the spells like a breeze and continued floating upward.

Several dozen runic characters abruptly embedded into Kozec's hull.

An equal number of fire tendrils extended from Jin's flame orb. The chains of flames wrapped and coiled around Kozec like a snake, horrifying the Mages.

It looked as though multiple snakes were squeezing a single prey.

It immediately created small fractures all over the hull. The Mages aboard screamed from the sudden impact.

It seemed like the flaming chains could crush Kozec as if it were nothing.

The surviving red dragons charged at the flames holding the hull. But the red dragons couldn't do anything.

They tried to bite the chains, but instead, their bodies were pierced by other flame tendrils or their necks were sliced. Jin looked at them with cold eyes.

"Turn the ship around!"

"The ship is stuck, sir!"

To think that Kozec could be incapacitated by a single man, the twelfth flagbearer of the Runcandels no less. No one here had imagined such a scenario.

Every single one of the thirty summoned phoenixes had been invoked. That meant the summoning Mages were all dead.

Tes let out a loud screech and unleashed her breath towards Kozec. Now that the pressure blue flames joined Jin's flames, Kozec shook violently as if it would shatter at any moment.

The guardian knights could only watch Jin and Kozec, unsure of what to say. Even Barton, the traitor, widened his eyes in shock.

Is this the power of the twelfth flagbearer?

He could barely believe what he was seeing.

Even he couldn't neutralize Kozec in such a manner, despite his ten-star prowess, regardless of Kozec's operational efficiency at that moment.

"At this rate, the Zipple Mages will be completely annihilated. In fact, I can't even guarantee Beradin Zipple's survival."

Assisting the Zipples in securing Bentica was out of the question. He had to do something to ensure that Keliac Zipple wouldn't be disappointed.

"First, Beradin Zipple seems to be attempting something. I'll see what he does and try to devise a way to work with him."

Jin shouted and elevated the mana and Shadow Energy of the flame orb. At the same time, Beradin's staff turned completely red.

He also completed the casting of the Decimating Flame Orb Of The Dark Sky-The First Version Of The Demon Empress.

The runic characters left by Riol Zipple also escaped from Beradin's body. They intertwined with Jin's runic characters and initiated a new series of flames.

The first version took the form of a giant flame orb, much like the final version.

A mana-made flame orb stood in front of Kozec like a shield. It was smaller than Jin's but contained more mana.

Blood dripped from Beradin's lips. His body couldn't handle casting such massive spells right after his continuous use of spatial explosion.

He was showing signs of mana reflux. But it seemed he felt no pain.

Beradin was pouring more mana into the flame orb, even as he coughed up blood. His eyes rolled back.

In the end, Beradin let out a laugh after completing his Decimating Flame Orb Of The Dark Sky-The First Version Of The Demon Empress.

It seemed like there were two suns in the air. Beradin seemed extremely pleased by this fact. He couldn't take his eyes off the flame orbs.

But unlike Jin's final version, Beradin's first version was a spell that moved toward its target. The first version flame orb descended toward the ground.

It appeared as though the orb was falling slowly.

But it was the enormous size of the first version flame orb that made it seem that way. It was actually traveling at great speed.

Would Kozec collide with the powers of the final version first, or would the first version flames scorch Jin first?

Everyone else could only watch in despair.

Jin maintained his calm gaze while Beradin showed total delight.

"It seems everyone needs to go back to studying magic from scratch."

Jin's words were not directed at Beradin. He was referring to the Zipples.

They must be controlling and manipulating Beradin's mind through magic.

Jin thought it was terribly ineffective. Losing reason and logic during battle meant fighting blindly.

What was the point of turning Beradin into a battle-crazed warrior if his mental control was so unstable? Beradin was attacking blindly, unaware that his own body was deteriorating due to reflux.

Whoosh!

The Shadow Energy enveloping the sky began to dissipate, and Jin's body also began to regain its color.

The energy dissipated into countless Shadow Energy particles. Jin's flame orb absorbed all the particles and gradually darkened.

It took only three seconds for the flame orb to absorb all the shadow force that had filled the sky.

The first version of Beradin's flame orb still had a long way to go to reach Jin, but the final version was ready to explode.

"Bastards."

Ting.

A pure white light suddenly emerged from the center of the flame orb, which now looked like a dark sun.

The light was thin and long, as if it had been bisected by a blade. Soon, the explosion began with an unexpected earthquake.

The shockwave from the orb detonation in the air shook the ground.

It also caused the ground to open up. The corpses of the red dragons and the Mages were thrown along with the rocks. But the sky showed an even more horrific scene.

The clouds ripped apart as if a pair of giant hands were tearing them. The sky distorted due to the multiple overlapping shockwaves.

Kozec shook from the explosion, like a defenseless buoy.

Never before had a Kozec looked so pathetic in its entire history. The Zipple clan's last battle cruiser was powerless to defend itself against the attacks of the twelfth flagbearer of the Runcandels.

The explosion destroyed the rear cannon of the ship. The shield barrier protecting Kozec now seemed like shattered glass and could no longer fulfill its function.

In fact, even the fire chains holding Kozec were still in place. It almost seemed like they could bring down the entire Kozec.

Victory was completely on their side.

But Dyfus couldn't relax just yet. "Jin!"

Beradin's flame orb continued to descend towards Jin.

Jin fell to one knee and gasped for breath. The Decimating Flame Orb Of The Dark Sky-The Final Version Of The Demon Empress was an overwhelming spell for him at that moment, much like the Reign of the King of Legends.

Beradin's flame orb approached as Jin desperately gasped for air.

"Get out of its way, now!" Dyfus could see that Beradin's spell was of the same type as the one Jin had cast. He couldn't even guarantee his own survival if he faced that spell.

However, he couldn't go help Jin due to the shockwave.

The guardian knights could only brace themselves in a fixed position by stabbing their swords into the ground. Barton pretended to protect the wounded knights and didn't help Jin.

To Barton, Jin's death was the best outcome he could hope for. Then he could wait for Kozec to retreat and kill Dyfus and the rest of the guardian knights before returning to the Garden of Swords.

That treacherous bastard! Dyfus clenched his teeth. He could clearly see what Barton was thinking.

Dyfus had also thought about killing Jin before reaching Bentica, but he no longer considered it.

Jin had to survive for now, if only for the sake of the Runcandel clan.

"Get out of the way!"

Jin raised his head as Dyfus shouted again. He didn't do it to look at Dyfus. He did it to see Beradin's flame orb, which was now right in front of him.

It was true. He had no power to dodge it.

I remember he cast it in the Holy Kingdom. Back then, he did it to protect me.

That day, Beradin attempted to cast the first version of the Decimating Flame Orb Of The Dark Sky but was defeated by Jin and suffered mana reflux.

If Jin hadn't done it in an effort to stop him, Beradin would have become a Zipple who killed his own clan members for a Runcandel.

Beradin had such determination in trying to cast the flame orb back then.

"Stop. Jin, Dante. You go ahead. I'll be the one to stop them," Beradin had said.

"Alright, we'll go ahead, Beradin."

"Jin! If we escape alone, what will happen to Beradin?"

"But in return, let's say you were horribly defeated after trying to stop me."

But now, there was no way he could perform well under mental control.

Beradin suddenly leaned forward in a falling motion.

Mana backlash.

Although Jin couldn't punch Beradin's chin like before, he knew the reflux was imminent since Beradin cast the flame orb.

It was impossible for Beradin to launch the first version of the flame orb in his current state. Even if he managed to, he would never be able to sustain it until it reached its target.

The flame orb diminished rapidly, and it was only an arm's length away from reaching Jin.

Beradin collapsed and screamed. He vomited blood, and all the capillaries in his body burst. Convulsions shook his body.

The enormous flame orb shrank to the size of an egg in the blink of an eye. Beradin lost control of his mana. The mana dissipated into the air in vain.

The flame orb that managed to reach Jin was no different from what he had seen in Sameel. It made small pew, pew sounds and caught the attention of everyone present on the battlefield.

Jin reached out and grabbed the flame.

One second later, Jin turned his gaze to the black ash in his palm.

Dyfus was dumbfounded. Did this mean that Jin already knew from the beginning that Beradin Zipple's spell would fizzle out due to mana reflux?

In the sky, Jin's flame orb continued to ravage Kozec. But its power was noticeably weaker than before and began to allow Kozec to turn in its direction.

"Fourth flagbearer, pursue them. They'll start escaping."

Jin spoke as he wiped the ash from his palm.

"I've got it! Sir Barton, let's go!"

Dyfus shouted as he grabbed Barton by the shoulder.