Volume 4 Chapter 92 The Mystery of Jibril
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
### Kian’s Perspective in Third Person (with HTML elements and corrected superscripts)
Kian’s blurred vision struggled to focus as something gripped the scruff of his neck. A soft, warm pressure pressed against his chest, followed by the heavy scent of floral perfume and the sweet musk of a woman’s sweat.
He blinked several times. The twilight of the sandy beach slowly came into view, along with flaxen hair and the back of a tent marked with the Merchant Guild Kian logo¹.
”Ugh… where am I…” Kian muttered.
”The southwest beach of Underworld Island! Hey, are you okay? Do you know who I am? Answer me!” Talia-san demanded.
She forced his upper body upright. The orange sunlight stung his eyes, making him wince. Between the wine-red fabric of a high-quality blouse and a sharp, elegant jawline, Lyritisse-Talia-san’s serious face filled his vision.
”Answer me! What is my name!?” she cried.
”Talia.”
”And your name!?”
”Kian of Izerland.”
”How many do you see?” Talia-san asked.
She removed her leather gloves and held three long, pale fingers in front of his face.
”Three,” Kian answered. He realized he was lying on a guild-issue mat at the edge of the dunes, completely naked except for a large towel dr**aped over his lap.
Talia-san’s hip, wrapped in a miniskirt, was right next to his hand. She sat sideways on his mat, clinging to his neck—a scene straight out of an East End healing clinic, the classic image of a visitor fussing over a patient.
Usually, Talia-san was careful to tuck her skirt when she sat, but now the hem was a mess, nearly exposing her black tights and panties. Her legs weren’t primly closed; they were spread wide enough that, depending on the angle, one could see all the way to the root.
”…Sniff… Sob…”
Talia-san, seemingly oblivious to Kian’s wandering eyes, hugged him tight again. His face was buried in the soft, yielding curves of her blouse. He drew a breath, and the thick scent of sweat between her breasts filled his lungs—the distinct, milky lingering scent of a Lyritisse. For a moment, Kian’s world was nothing but blouse and cleavage.
”Thank goodness! Oh, thank goodness!” she sobbed.
”Kian, are you awake?” a voice asked.
Struggling against Talia-san’s grip, Kian turned toward the beautiful voice echoing from outside the tent. Talia-san gave a small, final sniffle.
Aliona-san and Rou-san had arrived.
Rou-san wore his usual squinty-eyed look, but Aliona-san appeared somewhat cross. Kian noticed another tent nearby, housing Rita-san, Leprobus-san, and Leanan Sidhe-san. Rita-san looked exhausted, but Kian didn’t sense anything wrong with the heartbeats of the other two; they seemed to be tending to her.
”How are you feeling? Do you remember what you were doing right before this?” Aliona-san asked.
”I feel fine. I… right before I went out, I dived into Hanami’s mental pollution barrier²,” Kian replied.
”You complete and utter moron!” Talia-san screamed.
The “blouse-heaven” vanished as Talia-san’s crimson face reappeared. Her flaxen eyebrows arched high, and her eyes shimmered with tears.
”I ordered you to standby, didn’t I!? Why can’t you just listen? I told you touching that barrier was dangerous! You said you understood, that you’d wait! And then you jumped in anyway!”
”I’m sorry,” Kian muttered.
He lowered his head honestly. He had been certain he could save Rita-san, but he had completely ignored the advice of Talia-san and Aliona-san. It was a dangerous, reckless move. The battle had hit a lull, but depending on how things had gone, Merchant Guild Kian could have been in real trouble. He knew it was an impulsive, selfish act.
”I’m truly sorry. I have no excuse.”
”……”
Talia-san looked ready to keep shouting, but seeing Kian so genuinely repentant, she bit her tongue. As he kept his eyes down, she leaned in and kissed his forehead. “I’m just glad you’re safe,” she said, finally letting go.
She quickly adjusted her skirt and produced a wet cloth, dabbing the greasy sweat from his brow.
”Personally, I figured the Guild Master would be just fine,” Rou-san noted.
”Rou-san…?”
”Sorry, poor choice of words. But I was right, wasn’t I?” Rou-san asked.
”Read the room, Rou,” Aliona-san snapped.
Rou-san just shrugged. Aliona-san knelt by the mat, peeling back his eyelids to check his pupil response. Satisfied, she exhaled a small sigh of relief and pulled back.
”Wait, my right arm is completely healed…” Kian said.
”I fixed it with a Restoration Curse³-desu,” Aliona-san replied.
”Oh, right. I forgot you could use that on others.”
”You’re realizing this now? …Honestly, it’s a good thing you had swallowed my spirit core⁴.”
”What’s the status of the fight?” Kian asked.
He couldn’t stay lying down forever, so he stood up. The towel slipped away, leaving his anatomy fully on display. His custom-made clip was sitting right there on the grass, but Talia-san, Aliona-san, and Rou-san all maintained their composure like adults, pointedly ignoring the situation.
”Is the combat over? Where’s the enemy? Rou?” Kian asked.
”Aliona-san has the details, Guild Master. She has a better grasp of the situation than I do,” Rou-san answered.
”If you can stand, let’s talk over there, Kian,” Aliona-san said.
She pointed to a rock enclosure further down the beach. That must be Command Post Two.
”I’ll support you, Kian. Can you walk?” Talia-san asked.
”I can walk on my own. Oh—thanks, Rou. Why are you holding my underwear?”
”I bought a spare just in case something like this happened,” Rou-san replied.
”I see. Thanks. I’ll pay you back later.”
Kian pulled himself up; the tent was smaller than it felt. He stepped outside while pulling on his shorts. The sound of gentle waves and a cool sea breeze filled the air, making the recent battle feel like a bad dream.
He followed Aliona-san and Rou-san toward the rocks, waving to Leprobus-san as he carried water to the other tent.
”You’re finally awake, Kian! Heh-heh-heh!” Leprobus cackled.
Kian smoothed his wind-blown hair and looked at Talia-san walking beside him.
”What happened to Rita-san?” he asked.
Talia replied quietly.
”I don’t know what kind of trick you used, but her spirit managed to escape the contamination. Though her memories are a bit scattered, she seems to be in high spirits,” Talia said.
”Thank god…” Kian muttered.
”‘Thank god’?” Talia asked, her blue eyes narrowing as she glared at him.
”You were a hair’s breadth away from becoming a vegetable, you realize? There is nothing ‘good’ about this. It only worked out because I luckily managed to take down the caster,” Talia said.
”Wait, so the fact that Rita-chan and I are safe… it wasn’t because the Naked Rando Strategy⁵ actually worked!?” Kian asked.
”The ‘Naked’… what?” Talia asked, letting out a heavy sigh and knitting her brows.
”If I hadn’t finished off Hanami-san, you two would still be trapped in that nightmare. We would have had no way of knowing what would have happened to you,” Talia said.
”Did you actually kill Hanami-san!?” Kian asked.
”Lady Aliona will likely report on that later, but she probably isn’t dead. However, I blew off her lower body and left her with critical injuries. That caster, like Linca-san, seemed to have a high concentration of spirit blood⁶, so I doubt she’ll die. You can tell how durable they are just by looking at Linca-san. She is robust to a degree that is impossible for a normal person,” Talia explained.
”That’s a relief. It was a close one,” Kian said.
”Even if you are just trying to get on Linca-san’s good side, I find that sentiment utterly nonsensical,” Talia replied.
”No, I was also considering Rou-san’s feelings…” Kian said.
”…Kian-kun. Once the reports are finished, you and I are going to have a talk,” Talia said firmly.
”Huh?” Kian asked.
”Clearly, you aren’t reflecting on this at all. A fool like you needs to have the lesson beaten into his very body,” Talia said.
”I am reflecting! I’m really sorry for acting on my own!” Kian said.
”But if you were in the same situation, you’d just do it again, wouldn’t you? Kian-kun, do you really think I don’t know you by now? Just come. I have a lecture for you. Meet me at my quarters after the meeting,” Talia said.
”Ah, yeah…” Kian muttered.
Pointing toward the small gate of the strategy room – the sky now a deep madder red at dusk – Talia whispered, “I was worried, you idiot.”
Kian could feel the weight of Talia-san’s feelings. Feeling deeply apologetic, he climbed the stone steps into the tactical space surrounded by rocks.
”Yo, Master. Looks like you went and did something colossally reckless again,” Rufna said.
”Rufna!?” Kian asked.
Inside the strategy room, Rufna’s bird-type golem was perched at the back of the table. Aliona and Rou-san stood on either side. A map of the surrounding area and red markers for the enemy fleet lay on the table.
”How are you feeling? Any nausea?” Rufna asked.
”No, none. Personally, I was finally able to sleep and feel refreshed. My muscles and organs seem to be functioning normally,” Kian replied.
”Surprisingly so,” Aliona said, pressing a hand to her forehead and shaking her head.
”Dhahahaha! I knew a Satori-type hex⁷ wouldn’t work on Master!” the Chief Magician laughed.
”That is nothing more than wishful thinking, Chief Magician,” Talia-san said sharply.
”Given the danger, jumping into a spirit contamination barrier was an act of pure stupidity. Moreover, this man is our commander. Why is he abandoning the battlefield so early?” Talia-san asked.
”Well, it didn’t actually affect Kian-kun. It just means we were wrong, Ms. Talia,” Aliona countered.
”Lady Aliona!” Talia-san snapped.
Aliona crossed her arms with a troubled expression, the fabric of her robe straining audibly against her chest.
”Of course, ignoring our orders to stay back isn’t something to be praised. However, he was certain he could save Ms. Rita-chan. He went so far as to craft props and dive into that barrier looking like a total public disgrace. While I’m not emotionally satisfied with it, Kian-kun’s judgment was a masterstroke. Kian-kun is unhurt, and Ms. Rita-chan, who was supposed to be a lost cause, has returned to reality. We couldn’t ask for a better result,” Aliona said.
”But -!” Talia-san started.
”Aren’t you being a bit too emotional? Our assessment was wrong, and Kian-kun was right. He isn’t a child; he doesn’t have to follow our every word. If he senses a magician’s advice is flawed, he needs the wisdom to reject it,” Aliona said.
”If you judge everything by the result, then it’s all just hindsight, Lady Aliona. At that moment, both you and I thought jumping into that barrier was a suicidal act. Despite experts like us warning him, he chose to gamble with his life. That attitude is the problem! This isn’t about autonomy or leadership qualities!” Talia-san argued.
”Alright, knock it off! That’s enough from both of you. You aren’t children, so quit the bickering,” the Chief Magician said.
”Wh -? Is the Chief Magician on my side or Ms. Talia’s?” Aliona asked.
”I’m on the side of Earl Dacia, and I’m a collaborator for the Merchant Guild as a whole. I’m not taking sides. Aliona, give Master the report. Talia, you – it seems you talked Master into giving you that body you wanted. I want a document summarizing the formulas used, the pros and cons of having a physical form, and your contingency plans for the risks. Have it on my desk by the end of the month. Understood?” the Chief Magician ordered.
”Fine. The report comes first,” Aliona said, shrugging.
”Understood, Chief Magician,” Talia-san replied, looking away.
Rou-san remained as silent as a stone, his eyes closed in an expressionless mask as if trying to blend into the background.
”I’ll give the report, Kian-kun,” Aliona said.
”Right,” Kian replied.
”The Shidarkan-Vahid allied fleet surging from Cyclops Island has been crippled. Shidarkan’s flagship is safe, but fifty-eight heavy ships were sunk. Meanwhile, the main Shidarkan fleet from Phoenicia, the capital of Malc Territory, lost three Mithril ships and one hundred sixty-nine heavy vessels. The rest have retreated from the waters near Underworld Island,” Aliona explained.
”Regarding the enemy generals: from the old Umar faction, Uzai and Kusai were killed in action. Ryoma is a prisoner. Hanami-san is severely wounded. Furthermore, General Jibril, who fought Ms. Talia, is in critical condition, and the Wolfman believed to be Ozeas is dead. Tersea’s puppet body was destroyed. Almeisa’s status is unknown,” Aliona continued.
”Jibril is that badly hurt!? Talia… you did that!?” Kian asked.
”That’s what Lady Aliona just said. Were you even listening?” Talia-san said, her shoulders slumping in exasperation. “It seems Jibril had merged with Kharab. When I broke his body, the internal structure looked like Black Onyx. He must have inherited its properties.”
”The scale of Ms. Talia’s achievements is immeasurable,” Aliona said. “She broke General Jibril, killed Ozeas, destroyed Tersea’s vessel, shattered the Black Onyx magic sword, and forced Jibril to reveal his hidden hand. She also neutralized the witch, Hanami-san. She saved both you and Ms. Rita-chan.”
Aliona’s emerald eyes locked onto Talia-san.
”Furthermore, she repelled the fleet from Cyclops Island and wiped out every single warrior monk who set foot on the shore,” Aliona added.
”I wouldn’t go that far, Lady Aliona. You’re the one who tore the Shidarkan main fleet apart. You barely let them draw a breath. In terms of numbers, your feat was greater,” Talia-san replied.
”Pure luck. If Almeisa – the one who took Kian-kun’s arm – or Jibril’s elite had dropped onto my position, I would have been in trouble. I don’t have Ms. Talia’s raw strength. Without a proper vanguard, I’m quite vulnerable,” Aliona said.
”I’m sorry… I’ve been such a letdown,” Kian muttered.
”Ah! No, no! Kian-kun, I didn’t say that to make you feel guilty!” Aliona said quickly.
Aliona’s kindness felt like a knife to the chest. Looking back, all Kian had done was get his arm severed, run around a magical barrier with his junk hanging out, and play the fool. He was the absolute bottom of the barrel – just like his days as a low-rank adventurer.
”Well, we’re running a skeleton crew of elites over here,” Talia said. “One wrong move, one slip in the gears, and the whole thing could go up in flames.”
”You’re right,” Kian replied. “If Aliona had fallen to Jibril…”
”Except for Talia, we’d all have been offered up as a blood sacrifice,” Rou said nonchalantly. A dark, almost playful smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “The Chairman was basically out cold; we’d have been slaughtered without so much as a whimper.”
Kian watched him, thinking that unlike his sister, Rou’s internal compass was calibrated differently. The man was a bit of a freak.
”Do we have a body count? Precise numbers on the enemy?” Kian asked.
”If my goat ⁸ feels like working, I’ll have them,” Talia said, snapping her fingers. “But as you can see, he’s currently on strike.”
The demon manifested, sprawled lazily across the dirt. He was currently preoccupied with the frustratingly exquisite pleasure of a sneeze that refused to land, picking his nose with a quill. He let out a series of rhythmic, wet gasps. “Heh… ngh… hhh…”
”I tell him to take dictation every time I summon him,” Talia sighed, “but he rarely manages a single line. The moment something more interesting catches his eye, he starts a new chapter. I’m going to need more time.”
”Heh… hah… ngh…” the demon wheezed.
”Can’t the goat speak?” Aliona asked, tilting her head as she watched the demon scratch his backside with a dull, rhythmic rasp. “Surely he can just give us a verbal report?”
Talia shook her head. “It’s his bind ⁹. As the price for his omniscience, he’s forbidden from sharing what he knows through anything but the written word. If he doesn’t write it, we don’t know it.”
”Oh, dear,” Aliona murmured.
Kian watched the lazy demon as Talia dismissed him. He couldn’t help but think that Talia’s familiars were all consistently useless in their own special way.
”As for the fleet,” Rou continued, “over half the ships from Phoenicia ¹⁰ are still afloat. Nine Mithril vessels remain, and nearly three-quarters of the force from Cyclops Island is still standing.”
”A significant force,” Talia admitted, “but still a victory. Their primary commanders are out of the picture. Shidarkan won’t be able to mount a real offensive until they’ve undergone a total reorganization.”
”Maybe,” Rou countered, “but Mansoor’s forces and the main Nile army are still completely untouched. And we don’t have a concrete number on the dead – only that it’s north of a thousand. If Shidarkan moves fast, they could hit us with a second wave before we’ve even caught our breath.”
”Can’t we get a better estimate?” Kian asked. “Are the bodies still just rotting on the hill?” He didn’t relish the idea of the minotaurs from the Underground Labyrinth coming up to feast on the carnage.
Rou’s expression clouded, his brow furrowing. “Well… the thing is, the way Talia and Aliona concluded their business… it’s a bit much. It’s hard to count what isn’t there.”
”Meaning?” Kian asked.
”The people killed by Talia have been effectively erased,” Rou explained. “Not a bone left. Even the bloodstains on the bedrock have collapsed into the Labyrinth below.”
”And Aliona?” Kian pressed.
”She used the enemy as a nursery for her spores,” Rou said, meeting Kian’s eyes. “And since time flows differently within that Otherworld ¹¹, the victims have… well, they’ve dissolved. They’ve fused together into a singular mass of flesh, and there are gargantuan mushrooms growing out of the slurry. Unless we want to peel them apart piece by piece, we’ll never have a real count.”
”Actually, you probably shouldn’t go near the camp right now,” Aliona interjected brightly. She snapped her fingers.
From the coastline, a figure came sprinting toward them. It was a warrior monk – or what was left of one. Her head was split wide open from the bridge of the nose upward, replaced by the vivid, spreading cap of a blood-red mushroom. Her collar was torn, revealing jagged bite marks on her neck where more tiny mushrooms were beginning to sprout.
”This strain takes over the host’s brain to find new ‘friends,’” Aliona explained casually. “If any escaped my control, it’s a problem. Usually, you just have to wait until the mycelium reaches the muscle tissue; then they become completely immobile seedbeds ¹². It’s much safer then.”
The fungal-monk let out a wet, rattling screech as Aliona touched her. A moment later, the creature was engulfed in flames, crumbling into ash before it could reach them.
”So, yeah. Probably best to stay away for now,” Aliona said.
’Master, tell Aliona and Talia to turn Underworld Island into a Fortress,’ Rufna’s voice crackled from the bird-golem. ‘Seal the whole place in an Otherworld. Fill it with those psycho mushrooms and some carnivorous microbes. Talia, get some migratory golems into the water. If we have an unsinkable base at our backs, the Crete Navy can focus everything on the front line.’
”Right,” Kian muttered. “No rest for the wicked. We win one battle and immediately start prepping for the next.”
’Exactly,’ Rufna replied. ‘We took the first round. Report the win to Scipio. Let him handle Chatillon and the Western Church. Don’t go talking to Priscilla or Homolka directly. Play it smart – give Scipio the credit and make him our debt-holder. It’ll save us a massive headache later.’
”Aliona, Talia, any issues with that?” Kian asked.
”None from me,” Aliona chirped.
”I’m fine with it,” Talia said, her expression turning serious. “But there is something I need to report. Regarding Jibril’s hand.”
The group went quiet as Talia leaned in.
”During the skirmish, a warrior monk – likely Almeisa – shattered Kian’s right arm using a black magic sword ¹³. Shortly after, during my fight with Tersea, she manifested a Black Onyx blade – the same weapon Kharab uses,” Talia said.
’Did they teleport the blade after Almeisa went down?’ Rufna asked. ‘If they can swap weapons between puppets like that, we’re in trouble.’
”Or maybe they can just replicate them, like Talia does,” Aliona suggested. “It would explain how Ozeas had the Holy Sword of the Sun ¹⁴, and how Jibril used it in Sarah’s domain months ago.”
”No,” Talia corrected. “The Holy Sword of the Sun can’t be used by a puppet. It’s bonded to the soul. You need the original spirit to manifest the solar blade.”
Talia paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “It’s more likely that every one of those swords was the ‘real thing.’ There are multiple Phoenix spirit cores ¹⁵ in existence.”
”I see,” Kian said. “Like in Count Cain’s territory. They were using crushed fragments of the cores just to grow sugarcane.”
”Precisely,” Talia replied. She shot a quick, apologetic look at Rou, who was struggling to keep up. “A Phoenix spirit core is massive. No one knows how many pieces it was shattered into. Back in the ancient days, when humans and beastmen rose up against their vampire masters, the sugarcane fields were the first to burn. They took those fragments and forged weapons that could channel the sun’s power.”
”So you’re saying the ‘God-Slaying’ blade isn’t unique to Lord Oswald?” Aliona asked.
”Not at all. If you have the core, you can forge the blade. There are probably dozens of them buried in the dirt of history,” Talia answered.
’Wait,’ Rufna interrupted. ‘As far as I knew, there was only one. That was the whole point – it was the trump card against Azrael. If Jibril had his own, why the hell would he send Linca to stop Oswald?’
”Maybe Jibril just likes having options?” Aliona countered. “The fact remains: both Jibril and his right-hand man, Ozeas, have been seen wielding the sun’s power. That’s a reality we can’t ignore.”
’Hmm. Maybe,’ Rufna muttered.
”My sister is talented,” Rou offered, “but to Lord Jibril, she’s a loose end. She has Hanami and Ryoma backing her. Jibril probably threw her at Oswald just to see who would die first. He didn’t care either way – she’s the type who survives out of pure spite, anyway.”
”He’s not wrong,” Kian agreed. “Linca doesn’t stay dead.”
He thought back to when he’d left her to face the Thorn Demon and the nightmare that was Renaud. She’d complained the whole time – whining about wanting to travel, wanting to earn easy money, and how much she hated fighting – but she’d held the line perfectly. She was a disaster of a knight, but her raw potential was terrifying.
If Jibril were in Kian’s position, he likely wouldn’t have hesitated to use any resource at hand. “Ah, no useful pawns left… but I still have Linca. Well, why not? Let’s see how she fares against Oswald,” Kian muttered, imagining the man’s cold logic.
”In my opinion, it wouldn’t be strange for there to be multiple versions of the Holy Sword of the Sun¹⁶,” Talia said. “However, having multiple copies of Kharab’s magic sword is another matter entirely. The same goes for the Windsong Blade¹⁷. Though, I must admit, I’m not as familiar with the parasol belonging to Lady Priscilla.”
”Did Jibril use the Windsong Blade as well?” Kian asked.
”Yes. A version wreathed in frost,” Aliona replied. “It’s distinct from the one you shattered previously.”
”Wait. Now that I think about it…” Kian paused, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the battlefield. “Almeisa neutralized that magic bullet Rita threw back at her. In that moment, Jibril clearly ordered her: ‘Meisa, use the Windsong Blade.’”
”Are you certain of this, Master?” the Rufna’s golem rumbled.
”Beyond a doubt,” Kian said.
Aliona raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Hmph. Multiple ‘last works’ of Lord Renaud, is it? Did the blueprints leak? The frost-clad variant was supposedly a modification by Lord Guy, wasn’t it? I suppose it’s not strictly impossible, but something feels off.”
”Kharab’s sword is even more baffling,” Talia added, her fingers dancing as she shaped a perfect cube out of the sand. “This represents Kharab’s Spirit Nucleus¹⁸. To manifest in our world, Kharab must embed this into a physical vessel. When he does, he hollows out the very core of the nucleus and forges it into a magic sword of severance.”
”He performs such a radical procedure on his own soul?” Kian asked. “Can a spirit nucleus even be broken like that? Wouldn’t that kill him?”
”Kian, have you already forgotten the nature of Kharab’s authority?” Talia asked.
”To excise a target into perfect squares, right?” Rufna’s voice chimed in from the golem. “He likely forges the sword because a human vessel can’t handle his full power. It’s a way to reclaim his original strength, even if only in part.”
”Exactly,” Talia nodded. “Spirits are bound by laws to exist here. They must either tether themselves to a fixed location, like a Temple, or plant themselves within the body of a lesser creature.”
”So the Black Onyx spirit, Kharab, is the latter,” Aliona noted.
”Yes. Even within a human host, Kharab had to shave down his own nucleus to ensure he could hold his own against spirits of equal rank,” Talia explained. She traced a wide circle in the sand, labeling it ‘This World.’ Outside the circle, she placed a large cube labeled ‘Main Body.’ She drew an arrow showing a fragment of that cube-the nucleus-crossing into the world.
”This is how we see spirits like Erynys or Kharab. Their true essence remains outside,” Talia said.
”So that’s why they’re impossible to truly kill,” Kian realized. “Their true form is beyond our reach.”
”Correct. Even the Phoenix, though its manifested form was crushed, still exists in the outer void,” Talia said.
”In short,” the golem summarized, “Kharab splits his nucleus to maximize his presence here-partly through his host, and partly through his blade.”
”Exactly. And that is why Kharab cannot create more than one Black Onyx sword,” Talia said. “To carve out a second would risk the total collapse of his true self.”
”He couldn’t just manage to squeeze out another degraded version?” Kian asked.
”He couldn’t, and knowing his personality, he wouldn’t,” Talia replied. “There would be no point.” She knitted her brows and continued. “Jibril had absorbed Kharab. Did he take the part other than the core-like the outer crust of a pastry with the filling removed-and forge a sword from that? But I still felt Kharab’s power within Jibril himself. It’s hard to imagine he’d have enough left over for a second blade.”
”Is this the source of your unease, Talia?” Rufna asked, the golem shifting with a dry, rhythmic clicking. “Kharab’s spirit nucleus is in the outer world. He can’t cut any more from it. However, he does have the portion he didn’t use for the first sword-the part he usually embeds in his host. Using that, a second sword might be possible. But if Jibril used that part to forge a second blade, then where did the power he personally absorbed come from? What part of the nucleus was inside Jibril himself?”
”Precisely,” Talia whispered. “At the very least, I felt a massive amount of Kharab’s power within Jibril, even if it was being digested. It wasn’t just scraps. That blade he used blocked a strike from a dark spirit swordsman with the same force as the original magic sword, Rend Tear (Hizakari)¹⁹.”
”Could the one that took Master’s arm have been a fake?” Rufna suggested. “The one Tersea held was the real one stolen from Kharab. Then, the one Almeisa held was a duplicate Jibril created through some ability.”
Talia looked at Kian in silence. Kian, however, had no way to discern the authenticity of such weapons.
”I don’t know. It could have been a fake,” Kian admitted.
”Hmm…” “A troubling thought.” “For now, we can only speculate,” the group murmured.
”Regarding the weapon of the woman warrior monk that Rita erased, I found the shattered remains of her bow, but the black magic sword was nowhere to be found,” Rou said, looking around at the assembled group. He smelled of seawater; he had clearly just returned from a dive.
”I can’t deny the possibility that the sword was teleported away, or that it was simply a fake,” Rou continued. “However… if a third sword appears, the possibility that Lord Jibril possesses a duplication ability increases. It would be an ability so potent that even if Ms. Talia analyzes it with a demon’s authority, she cannot tell the difference.”
”Deceiving a demon is nearly impossible, Lord Rou,” Talia snapped.
”But it is not entirely impossible, is it?” Rou asked.
”Practically impossible… but I cannot prove that,” Talia replied.
”The captured Ryoma probably doesn’t know anything,” Kian sighed.
”I’ll see if I can make him talk,” Aliona said with a nod.
”Please… try not to kill him,” Kian requested.
”Of course. He’s a ‘product’ to be handed over to His Excellency Scipio. I understand,” Aliona said. She flashed a radiant, goddess-like smile-a look of such pure beauty that it left Kian with a lingering sense of dread.
”Master, one more thing from me,” Rufna interrupted. “Regarding the strength of Merchant Guild Kian. The tactical support sphere, Damocles²⁰, which I’ve been building with Aliona since autumn, is finally ready.”
”Floating…? What was that?” Kian asked.
Through the golem, Rufna let out a dark, wicked laugh.
”It’s a super-magical weapon that turns even ordinary soldiers into gods of the battlefield. Rou, would you be so kind as to give us a demonstration?”
—
Summary:
Kian wakes on a beach after a reckless attempt to save Rita, recovering from his injuries thanks to Aliona’s magic and spirit core, while Talia scolds him for ignoring her orders; after a successful naval battle and a briefing on their victory, the group discovers that Jibril’s forces now wield multiple copies of legendary weapons like the Holy Swords of the Sun, prompting Talia to explain the metaphysical implications of duplicated Spirit Nuclei, and as they prepare for Shidarkan’s next wave, Rufna and Aliona unveil a new super-weapon called Damocles, setting the stage for the next phase of their conflict.
—
Trivia:
- Kian is naked during the entire conversation until the end.
- Aliona used her ‘Restoration Curse’ to heal Kian’s right arm.
- Rou bought spare underwear for Kian before the mission.
- Rita is safe but incapacitated in another tent.
- Kian previously swallowed Aliona’s spirit core, accelerating his healing.
- Talia has a physical body due to a deal with Kian.
- The ‘Naked Rando Strategy’ involved Kian acting as a distraction while exposed.
- Linca and Hanami share spirit blood, granting immense durability.
- General Jibril is fused with Kharab.
- Aliona defended the main fleet largely through her own magic.
- Kian lost his right arm to Almeisa earlier in the battle.
- Talia’s goat demon is a scribe bound by magic and cannot speak.
- The ‘Holy Sword of the Sun’ is forged from Phoenix spirit cores.
- Spirit cores were historically used for mundane tasks like sugarcane farming.
- A large portion of the enemy army (Nile and Mansoor) remains untouched.
- Spirit Nuclei anchor spirits in the physical world.
- A spirit’s ‘Main Body’ exists in an outer dimension, making them nearly impossible to kill.
- Kharab’s sword is carved from his own core, which usually prevents duplication.
- Aliona is cooperating with Rufna on technical projects.
- Ryoma is being held as a prisoner to be traded to Scipio.
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Character Insight:
Talia’s anger reveals her deep fear of losing Kian, exposing her emotional vulnerability beneath her leadership, while Kian expresses genuine remorse for his recklessness and the burden it places on his allies, struggling with imposter syndrome despite their victory. Aliona demonstrates political and tactical wisdom by defending Kian’s unorthodox choices, balancing cheerfulness with her terrifying biological magic and willingness to use torture for interrogation. Talia’s detachment is underscored by her useless scribe demon, and Rou’s twisted sensibility reflects a cold comfort with violence, while Talia grows frustrated at the possibility that her demonic authority could be deceived by Jibril’s weapon duplication, highlighting the psychological and emotional toll of their ongoing conflict .
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘auto-clamping device’ is a recurring gag/detail regarding Kian’s unconventional physical management after certain transformations or events common in this series.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Leprobus – Rou’s comrade who sacrificed his chance to escape during a pirate raid by pushing Rou off in a small boat. He returned to the deck, sword in hand, to protect the others. Distinguished by his giant blood and burning red hair, marking him as more than human. He is released by Kian on Cyclops Island jail.【v4c23】.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Shidarkan – Gloomy, bearded son-in-law of the Malc family (Flora’s clan); once a modest Malc magician, ordinary next to Shajar’s elites. Attends the Cyclops Island war council after losing his wife, Flora, and sisters-in-law in the northern base’s destruction. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: bereaved Malc son-in-law—sober, doubtful, and dim but dutiful.
• Tersea – A shaman who assisted Barghest and is connected to the summoning ritual.
• Kusai – A poison user with yellow teeth.
• Ozeas – Son of Glen, involved in forbidden experiments. Wolfmen youth, warrior of the Phoenix, golden eyes (originally light blue), silver-white hair.
• Uzai – A shadow user who enjoys harassment.
• Kharab – The enemy who stole Talia’s soul and possessed her body; referred to by the Black Onyx Spirit; defeated by Kian.
• Mansoor – Crimson-eyed elder monk and Azrael’s Divine General from the Shakerdoust domain near Dacia. Wielding mist form, blood-drinking, rapid healing. He ties to allies like Ryoma and Hanami Tsai. First appearing in Vol. 4 Ch. 25. Quick tag: vampiric red-eyed grandpa-general who mist-forms and drinks blood, obsessed with rescuing his captured son unlike other human monks.
• Count Cain – Talia’s father.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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