Chapter 402

[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

It was the first time Jin had seen a demonic creature appear from the ground.

'This is insane, is it a demonic creature!? Where did this thing suddenly come from...!?'

The monster had a massive body that was almost unbelievable unless anyone witnessed it with their own eyes.

Jin and Lata were hit by the monster's fangs and were propelled into the air, and in the meantime, Ron struck it down with a single blow.

 'Rashid,' the sword that only the patriarch of Hairan could wield, was gleaming with a dazzling light.

Suaak...!

As if a wave had struck, the space rippled following Rashid's movement.

While it didn't reach the level of completely disintegrating objects like Chiron, still it was an attack by a knight who was close to being the strongest.

The colossal monster, which had just revealed itself like a mountain, was splitting in half as if it were a lie.

Black blood poured like a flood, and before that blood would stain the floor, a series of consecutive strikes tore the demonic creature into hundreds of pieces.

"Hairan's swords prioritize the protection of the guests. Gather all the knights waiting inside the castle. Execute Level 1 terrorist response!"

As Dante gave the order, the knights immediately assessed the situation.

Screams of panic echoed from various places among the ordinary guests.

The pleasant tension that had been building up during Jin and Lata's duel was pushed aside, and the real danger had arrived. Naturally, the majority of the guests had never experienced such terrorism.

It was the same for the martial artists.

Who would have imagined a terrorist attack at the Sword Emperor Castle, and moreover, at a banquet hosted by Ron Hairan after 22 years?

Ppeok, crack-!

It wasn't just one. Huge demonic creatures were continually revealing themselves all over the vast arena.

Due to the monsters bursting through the floor, an earthquake occurred, and the ceiling seemed like it would collapse at any moment.

The massive pillars that had been standing like giants were breaking, worsening the chaos along with the screams of the ordinary guests.

Fortunately, more than 30% of those seated in the audience were martial artists who had come to Sword Emperor Castle as honored guests.

"We'll help too!"

"We'll clear the path, so Hairan's knights can evacuate the guests!"

"Black King mercenaries protect the guests. We'll settle the compensation later!"

The martial artists drew their weapons and shouted.

Under normal circumstances, Hairan would have refused their help. Relying on external power in their own stronghold was something their pride could never accept.

However, the situation was dire, with too many guests in imminent danger, and the fact that the terrorist attack had already "progressed" was a disgrace in itself.

If those attending the event were to end up as corpses, it would leave an irreversible scar on Hairan's reputation as one of the best sword clans.

"Damn it, what's going on...!"

Lata, who had landed on the floor, looked up at the demonic creature. Ron had already torn one apart to the point where it was unrecognizable, but there were still ten more visible.

And it didn't end there.

A continuous and intense vibration could be felt from the floor. It meant that more demonic creatures of that magnitude were relentlessly attacking Hairan one after another.

"Dante!"

Ron, while tearing apart a second demonic creature, called for his grandson.

"Yes, Grandfather!"

"It is impossible to gather all knights in place. These bastards have already spread outside as well."

"Outside too...!"

"As the future lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, take responsibility and evacuate the guests."

Of the people present in the arena, only Ron was aware of the fact that demonic creatures were also spreading outside the Sword Emperor Castle.

Just as Jin and Lata were like beings from different worlds, he was a completely different entity from all the martial artists here.

Dante nodded heavily.

'The outside is under attack too?'

The moment Ron mentioned the outside, everyone present in the arena thought of only one thing:

War.

Someone had declared war on Hairan, or perhaps on Vermont, in the form of this surprise attack.

It was a scale that no one could simply dismiss as a terrorist attack.

And the force capable of deploying such demonic creatures...

It didn't exist.

To the best of their knowledge, no one among those present was aware of any current faction capable of using the demonic creatures. In the first place, humans were incapable of controlling demonic creatures.

If there was any possibility, it might have been Zipfel. However, even they had never used demonic creatures in warfare, and there was no apparent reason for them to suddenly attack Hairan.

"It feels somewhat like a demon dragon... Could it be the demons?" Cuicantelle said, raising her protective shield.

She and the dragons present at the arena, including Murakan, were all reminded of the demons. Unlike the martial artists, the dragons had memories of witnessing the demons controlling demonic creatures at least once.

"Cuicantelle, don't you think these monsters are too crude considering demons?"

"Even though they possess a powerful aura that even most high-level monsters can't have, do they seem crude to you?"

"It's not a matter of strong or weak, but the flow of energy feels strangely unnatural. Like someone forcibly created them. It's also the first time I've seen demonic creatures like these."

"I do get that feeling. It's rare for you to make such a plausible deduction, Murakan. Anyway, it's not a normal situation. You should get ready too, and protect your contractor."

Jin was already using Plutonian Swordsmanship while facing the demonic creatures. While he couldn't turn giant monsters into minced meat as Ron did, thanks to Jin and Lata guarding the center, the damage to the audience was minimized.

[Very well.]

Murakan transformed into his true form and soared into the sky.

By then, the ceiling had already collapsed, and chunks of rubble were falling in all directions.

"Murakan! The demonic creatures keep coming! So, help Dante!"

[I am Murakan, the Guardian Dragon of Jin Runcandel. I will protect you according to my contractor's will, so do not fear.]

Murakan's deep and ominous voice echoed as the sky turned dark. The protective shield of shadow force spread behind his two wings covered the entire sky.

Since the banquet held in Vermont, numerous Imperial contractor mages were in attendance. Their guardian dragons also soared into the sky following Murakan.

Murakan naturally became the center of the dragons. The dragons of other contractors were awed by the awakening of this black dragon after a thousand years and dared not display their majesty.

[Roar-!]

The giant monsters extended their maws towards the dragons.

Mana gathered in those jaws. It resembled a mana cannon, but the orbs gathered in the monsters' jaws had the same effect.

However, the problem was that the power contained in those orbs was unlike typical mana cannons. It wasn't comparable to Kozec's cannons, but it possessed firepower that could be considered a calamity.

A dozen giant demonic creatures were gathering mana in this manner.

As soon as they fired, the blinding white light almost blinded everyone. It seemed powerful enough to turn a small castle to dust without a trace.

[These insignificant bastards have no idea whom they are dealing with.]

Murakan easily blocked the mana cannons. The protective shield of shadow force he unleashed created a whirlpool that swallowed the projectiles.

However, the attacks from the arena were not the only ones.

The demonic creatures outside were also firing mana cannons at the outer walls of the Sword Emperor Castle. The shockwaves from the walls collapsing spread to the inside, and from that point on, it became truly unavoidable.

Unless one were an omnipotent being who could control everything. There was no way to prevent casualties. Outside, there were far more demonic creatures firing cannons than inside the arena.

Even if it were Chiron instead of Ron, it would still be impossible to completely prevent all damage.

But the surprise attack had only just begun.

Suddenly, the monsters torn apart by Ron and the martial artists were undergoing a strange mutation.

Flesh stuck together like wet mud, creating new forms.

It was unclear what they were becoming.

Before the transformation was complete, Jin continuously dropped thunderbolts and slashed it with Sigmund. It was an impossible task to completely eliminate tens of thousands of pieces of flesh.

'Human...!?'

The sluggish flesh was gradually taking on a form closer to a human.

Living golems using demonic creatures.

The flesh masses that filled the view of the martial artists were exactly that.

In that moment, even veterans who had been through all sorts of battlefields wore bewildered expressions.

Even if someone said that the gates to hell had opened in the Sword Emperor Castle, it seemed believable.

Dante, Lata, the other martial artists, and the mages were all struggling to defeat the advancing living golems while wearing disgusted expressions.

Whether it's a martial artist or not, everyone was shocked by this unfamiliar and horrifying situation.

Among them, Jin had the calmest expression. It wasn't his first encounter with these detestable living golems. He even felt a sense of déjà vu.

'Kinzelo, Zipfel, Vermont. These giant factions are creating living golems."

Jin had personally confirmed the development of living golems by these three factions. At this moment, it was impossible to know which faction was behind this or what the reason for attacking Hairan was.

One thing was certain.

Regardless of which faction among the three was responsible, Hairan would suffer a significant blow.

Jin felt like he had been struck by lightning. Of all times, the attack had to happen while he was sparring with Lata.

The once beautiful and pristine central arena of Hairan was no longer recognizable.

It was now filled with writhing living golems and giant demonic creatures.

Crackle, rumble...!

Eventually, the entire wall on the far side collapsed, revealing the view outside.

What lay beyond was even more of a chaotic battlefield than the arena.

Knights and dragons were holding their ground, but there were bodies of humans scattered throughout. They were the corpses of servants and regular soldiers.

The casualties were also mounting inside the arena.

Jin reflexively turned his head and scanned the area to know Veradin's location.

Jin had not seen Veradin's magic yet.

That was making him uneasy. He couldn't help but wonder if Veradin, whose mind might have been manipulated, was the one orchestrating this attack.

If it was the Veradin Jin knew, then he should be working tirelessly to save people at a time like this.

But it wasn't a situation where Jin could leisurely confirm Veradin's location.

The numbers of living golems were increasing steadily, and Jin had been continuously breaking through their encirclement.

Whenever Sigmund released bolts of lightning, the living golems were swept away in heaps. Jin kept slashing and cutting them down.

But there was a moment when he stopped in his tracks.

Amidst the remnants of living golems and demonic creature bodies in the distance, he spotted familiar figures dressed in a plain gray robe.

A group of humans wearing gray robes with no crests.

As soon as he saw them, Jin felt a shiver down his spine because those gray robes belonged to the "Specter Corps."