C435 - Raiders, Brothers (3)
Mort appeared in the middle of the sky out of nowhere, as if splitting the sky in two.
"What... is that?"
"A giant toad...?!"
The Tona brothers exclaimed at the same time.
Mort's solid white body cast a shadow over the Tona brothers and the assassins' boats.
Although they shouted in surprise, the Tona brothers knew perfectly well that Mort, the white toad, was Talaris's summoning beast.
It was the first time they had seen him in person, and they screamed reflexively given the circumstances.
The captain's eyes also widened under his hood.
Hidden Palace Mistress, Talaris Endorma...?
However, he had no idea why this monstrous woman had come here.
The captain hadn't heard anything about the Tona brothers from the elders, but dealing with that level of variables was manageable.
But it was a different story if it was Talaris.
People in the world knew Talaris as the Abyssal Spider.
However, very few people knew the exact reason behind that name.
In fact, names like 'Solitary Tower in the Western Sea,' "Full Ice," and "Winter" might fit Talaris and the Hidden Palace better.
That's why people in the world often thought it was simply due to the dark and fearsome image conveyed by the words "abyss" and "spider," or that it symbolized their truly immense pushiness by men.
The assassin and Talaris locked eyes.
To him, Mort's descent seemed very slow.
The assassin felt as if the end of the world were descending upon him.
Boom!
Before Mort's huge four feet could touch the sea, the sound of something freezing rapidly was heard.
It was the sound of the sea freezing near Tikan.
A white cold emanated from Talaris and covered the sea like a spiderweb.
The torrential rain froze, and the waves subsided.
The waves didn't stop completely but rode on the cold and spread towards the sky.
The frozen waves took less than 5 seconds to become large enough to form a kind of shield covering Tikan.
And it didn't stop until it covered the entire island.
Visibility dimmed due to the ice darkening the sky, but Talaris's Full Ice and cold energy illuminated intensely.
"Ugh, stupid toad. You should have arrived inside the mansion instead of here."
[Kwong....]
Talaris shrugged while reprimanding Mort.
As she had pointed out, they had originally intended to appear inside the mansion, but Mort's mistake had led them to fall into the sea.
Fortunately, this turned out to be a stroke of luck for the Tona brothers.
"Hey, the youngest one!"
"Jin...!"
The Tona brothers shouted again simultaneously.
Talaris wasn't alone on Mort.
Jin, Murakan, Siris, and along with the seven swords of the Hidden Palace, were also riding on Mort.
"It worked out well, Mort. This isn't a totally inappropriate place."
[Boom!]
"It seems these weaklings were trying to fight for my son-in-law, huh? I'm proud of you, eh..."
While Talaris spoke, the assassin quickly rushed towards the Tona brothers.
As they had been fighting a while ago, the distance between them was very short, and the assassin intended to use the Tona brothers as hostages.
If Jin had come alone, it would have been difficult to stop him, given the short distance.
However, Talaris didn't even lift Mort's foot from his back and simply prevented the assassin from getting close to the Tona brothers with a carefree gesture.
Whoosh!
Ice pillars shot out between them after Talaris's gesture.
The assassin desperately swung his sword but couldn't break the ice, and the Tona brothers quickly headed towards Mort.
"That's not very polite when someone is talking."
"Are you okay, brothers?"
The Tona brothers nodded vigorously.
Jin couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions as he watched their actions.
'They tormented me so much in my past life... but now, they are fighting to protect my comrades.'
"We're fine!"
"Everything is thanks to you."
Their responses were filled with newfound vitality.
Ping, ping!
Raindrops, turned into hail by the cold, continuously struck against the ice curtain, creating a pleasant sound.
'It would have been tough for my brothers to survive if we had arrived a little late.'
There must be scattered enemies inside Tikan, so Jin's companions couldn't have all come out unscathed.
Undoubtedly, civilian casualties would have been significant.
If it weren't for Talaris, Jin would have arrived here when the attack had already ended.
"Young Master, we can't use the transfer gate due to the bad weather conditions in the Tikan area."
"The Hidden Palace! What about the transfer gate leading to the Hidden Palace?"
A conversation Jin had with Butler Petro just before arriving in Tikan.
It was possible to instantly use the transfer gate between the Hidden Palace and Runcandel, and fortunately, Jin was able to request Talaris's help.
Moreover, thanks to the "direct line" of the Seven-Colored Peacock, Lukas Manfran, Talaris was already aware of the situation just before Jin arrived.
Even if Jin hadn't come to seek her, Talaris would have moved Mort to help Tikan.
The Hidden Palace was Jin's most reliable ally from the moment Talaris showed the seal of "Elona Zipple" or even earlier when she began to take an interest in Jin.
"Daughter."
"Yes, mother."
"You, along with my son-in-law and the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace, protect the interior of the island."
"Understood. Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace, move quickly into the interior of Tikan! The goal is to protect the forces and civilians of Tikan, and if possible, subdue the enemy without resorting to excessive violence."
"As you command!"
"Darling. No, handsome oppa, how about you transform into your true form and assess the situation?"
[Well, I was planning to do that anyway. But who are you calling 'darling'?]
"Heh, sorry."
Murakan transformed, revealing his black and massive wings.
Jin climbed onto his back and reached out to the Tona brothers.
"How about you ride with me and help?"
The Tona brothers responded with expressions that said, "Are we really going to ride on the back of a big black dragon?" with a hint of excitement.
Murakan decided to tease them a bit.
[How are these bastards going to ride on my back? You better hold on tight, or I'll drop you, understood?]
Swish!
Murakan rose into the air.
And Siris and the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace rode Mort towards the interior.
Only Talaris and the assassin remained outside.
"Would you rather surrender and die without suffering, or would you prefer to resist and have a cruel death? I hope you choose wisely."
Talaris aimed Full Ice at the assassin.
The option to survive and come out alive had disappeared for the assassin and his companions after Talaris's appearance.
The assassin adjusted his stance.
He released extraordinary energy.
The person in front of him was Talaris, but she was by no means an anonymous nobody who could disappear without a trace.
"...How is it possible for the master of the Hidden Palace to move for the sake of the Twelfth Flagbearer of Runcandel?"
"Can I understand that you chose the second, right?"
Swish!
Talaris slid on the ice and swung Full Ice.
The assassin blocked the blow and dispersed the sword's energy.
Of course...
Talaris didn't put all her power into her first attack, but she didn't expect the assassin to defend so cleanly.
"My son-in-law said something before coming here. He was sure that the Elder Council had hired you. He thought you might be Black King Mercenaries or from Amela Mercenaries, but it doesn't seem like it at all."
Talaris had fought many battles in her youth against Black King Mercenaries and Amela Mercenaries.
But the patterns she saw in the assassin's sword were completely different from what she had encountered in the past.
And the sword emitted a much more familiar feeling than the mercenaries of Black King or Amela.
"Assassin, have we met somewhere before? It feels familiar."
Although they were engaged in a fierce battle, the assassin didn't have time to respond to such a question.
He's exerting all his strength, while Talaris faces him effortlessly.
"I'm curious. How about revealing which organization you belong to?"
Talaris increased her pace, and the assassin's defensive posture became increasingly precarious.
Talaris, armed with Full Ice, was almost invincible over the sea.
In addition to her unique physical abilities as a ten-star first-class knight, the power of Full Ice emanating from all directions relentlessly pressured the assassin.
Swiish!
Instantly, the energy of Talaris's sword brushed against the assassin's right cheek.
The assassin's hood was torn off, and his face was exposed.
Talaris couldn't help but be surprised at that moment.
The assassin's facial skin seemed to be melting.
It almost covered his eyes; his lips had nearly disappeared, revealing his teeth without him even opening his mouth.
His ears had been crushed and were not visible at all.
Not even an enemy does something like this.
The labored breathing sounded as if he had problems with his respiratory system.
Haa~
The assassin gasped, and Talaris stopped her attack.
She stared at him.
Occasionally, she saw a too-familiar face among his shattered features.
"You... It can't be."
Talaris's eyes widened abruptly.
She had remembered who he was, or more precisely, his "affiliation."
"Aren't you an Execution Knight of Runcandel? We fought before, right?"
Talaris nodded as if understanding what had happened.
"Ah, you're no longer an Execution Knight; you must be in exile, looking at your face like that. Your fighting style seemed quite unique. Yes, I remember now. It was a long time ago, but I recall fighting against you. Back then, you were the leader of the first division of the Knights of the Law. Your name was..."
"I have no name."
"Why not? I think I remember."
The assassin spoke after tearing off the hood and putting it on like a mask.
None of us can survive since you came here. You can kill us brutally or painlessly, as you wish."
The assassin's sword emitted intense heat again.
Talaris grinned evilly, seeing the assassin's determination.
"Eh? Why would I kill you? It would be better to keep you alive if possible."
"What are you talking about, Mistress of the Hidden Palace?"
"If things go well, my son-in-law might make use of you. For now... pray. Pray that your men haven't harmed my son-in-law's people."
In that case, I couldn't do without you even if I wanted to.
Talaris continued speaking, extending her cold energy towards the assassin.
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