CHAPTER 617

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Kaio remained silent, staring at Jin with cold eyes for a while.

"When it is our turn to fight, as brethren. I will give you a lesson and engrave it in your bones."

"You're saying that we're brethren with that bloodlust in your eyes. Looking back, it seemed that you did not like me from the beginning, brother 10th battle king."

"Brother Jin!"

"What nonsense is this? You are going too far! How can you talk like that with brother 10th battle king...…!"

A few members of the Plutonian tribe, who were watching, were frightened and shouted. Even Garmund opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"Do you think I am wrong, brethren? When sister battle god handed me Sigmund, I don't remember being congratulated from brother 10th battle king. Besides, now he dares to mock my victory in front of everyone."

There were a few more who didn't congratulate Jin at that time, but he deliberately pointed out Kaio.

"That's because brother 10th battle king was angry at brother 8th battle king...…."

"If brother 10th battle king was really angry with only brother 8th king, he should not have talked about changing my diapers. The words clearly reveal how brother 10th Battle King truly thought of me. Besides, brother 12th battle king fought with all his might. But why is brother 10th battle king talking as if I can't beat him?"

The Plutonians could not immediately refute Jin's words. Jin skillfully continued to speak, preventing his brethren from intervening.

"Furthermore, why do I think that the reason brother 10th Battle King caused a disturbance just now had nothing to do with my honor."

"Why do you think that way?"

"Brother 10th battle king assumed that brother 8th battle king had lost to me deliberately, so he expressed his anger. But what did he say right after that?"

Jin looked around once.

"Are you really the battle king of the Great Plutonian tribe? This was it. If I had been the brother 10th battle king, I would have said something different. 'Fighting like that is an insult to Brother Jin.' Shouldn't it be the priority to take care of the brethren who have never participated in the Great Tournament, rather than the honor of the battle kings?"

Silence hung in the air.

While Jin intentionally made his words more provocative, he wasn't wrong.

To drive the wedge deeper, Jin locked eyes with Kaio once again.

"Brother 10th battle king. I want to say this one last time. Brethren don't tarnish the honor of the great Plutonian tribe. Just now, you insulted the brother 8th battle king and me based on mere speculation, and you assaulted a brethren. It was far from the behavior of a brethren. It's disappointing."

"Brother Jin, stop now. Both the Brother 8th battle king and brother 10th battle king have made mistakes. But isn't it too much to assume that brother 10th battle king disliked you from the beginning?"

Jin nodded his head at Baltirok's words.

"I, too, have only speculated on the emotions of brother 10th battle king, like he did, brother 1st battle king. And I've never been wrong. See you in our battle, brother 10th battle king."

As Jin turned and left the main hall, Tantel hurriedly chased after him.

"Brother Jin! What are you trying to do? Have you already forgotten everything I told you?"

"I did that on purpose."

"What?"

"It was necessary to stimulate the fighting spirit of the brethren. Seeing how brother 8th battle king lost to me, it seemed like something like this was necessary sooner or later."

"Huh, tell me more."

"Okay, just you know Brother Tantel. Promise on the honor of sister battle god and all brethren."

***

After that day, the atmosphere of Laprarosa changed.

First of all, gambling with jewel wine has stopped.

Jewel wine gambling was for everyone's entertainment, in which virtually no one was victimized.

Whether someone won or lost, in the end, they all shared the Jewel wine used in gambling, laughing and chatting together.

Everyone was just trying to lighten the mood. Such entertainment was only possible when Jin came and made time flow in Laprarosa.

With the disappearance of jewel wine gambling, the laughter of the Plutonians preparing for the Great Tournament of Battle Kings also faded away.

Even though they fiercely fought each other until just before killing the opponent, the Great Tournament of Battle Kings fundamentally fundamentally pursued friendly competition.

Now, the atmosphere was different. Just like before the peaceful era of battle god Vahn, invisible factions had emerged.

The side that acknowledged Jin as the successor of the battle god, and the side that thought he was not enough.

The former took the stance that they must unconditionally support Jin as a brother, while the latter argued that the situation had changed, and strict scrutiny was needed.

"I don't know if we have to stay locked up, but if we can get out, the competition for the successor of the sister battle god should be clear."

"That's right, that's a good thing for Brother Jin too. If the successor of the battle god is not someone everyone can recognize, our Plutonian tribe will eventually become weak. So, we won't be able to go out and support brother Jin properly."

"Brethren, you're talking nonsense! Brother Jin is the one chosen directly by sister battle god. Are you doubting sister battle god's foresight?"

"No. At that time, we didn't have the hope of going out into the human world. As sister battle god, she had no choice but to choose brother Jin."

"Nonsense!"

"If that's not the case, why did sister battle god just leave when brother 10th battle king and 8th battle king fought? It must be because it is not right to forcibly push forward brother Jin like brother 8th battle king. It could have looked strange if sister battle god stepped forward."

"That is an insult to sister battle god. Also, since when did the Great Tournament of Battle kings become a competition to determine the successor of sister battle god?"

"It has always been implicitly like that. The final winner of the Great Tournament of Battle Kings usually became the next battle god."

"Damn it, brethren! In my eyes, it just looks like a meaningless fight. Is this all we can do to cherish each other? Are you going to test Brother Jin, who has already been designated as the successor? It's embarrassing to see brethren fighting and arguing for just that reason!"

"The arm eventually bends inward. Surely, there must be brethren who think of brother Jin as a stumbling block? Ungrateful, ignorant...!"

"Brother Shaku, don't say that. No one thinks that way!"

"That's something I don't know. To be honest, I think brother 10th battle king views brother Jin as such. Am I the only one who saw brother 10th battle king laugh as if it was ridiculous when brother Jin lost his two battles in a row this time?"

2 consecutive losses.

Jin was defeated by Palem in the 12th match and by Dalpir in the 17th match.

Unlike when Jin defeated Teto and Garmund, this time, he suffered a devastating defeat.

"In addition, brother 3rd battle king and 6th battle king were also quite biased when dealing with brother Jin. They didn't finish him in one go even when they had the upper hand. If they truly care for Brother Jin, could that have happened? Also, those two are very close to brother 10th battle king."

"We, Plutonians, are all close, and don't make baseless speculations!"

"Even if they intentionally made Brother Jin suffer, it was probably to give him enlightenment as a battle king. And, whatever the reason, Brother Jin was defeated. It means he's even farther from qualifying as the successor of sister battle god."

"Have you said enough, Brother Mouka? It happens that we are included in today's preliminary battles. Let's settle it there. The opinion of the winner will be considered correct?"

"Heh, is that how it's going to be? I have no intention of stepping back. Don't regret it!"

Day by day, the conflicts among the Plutonian tribe members were deepening. It was hard to believe that just a while ago they were living together so peacefully and idealistically.

Those who tried to remain as neutral as possible felt like they were standing on thin ice every day.

It hadn't collapsed yet, but at any moment, given the chance, everyone might explode, and it wouldn't be surprising.

"Oh my gosh... I thought there wouldn't be such childish conflicts in our era. Aren't we all ashamed in front of our deceased brethren? How can this happen?"

Beliz, who was watching them from afar, touched her forehead. She was the one who welcomed and cherished Jin the most from the beginning, but now she was worried about maintaining neutrality as the conflict escalated.

"Doesn't sister battle god say anything else, brother 5th battle king?"

 Belize asked Boras, who was sitting next to her.

Boras shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"Is it too disgusting to look at, or does she have something in mind? Outside of the Great tournament, everyone seems to be playing around."

"This is crazy. If brother Jin meets brother Kaio like this, it seems like a tragedy is about to happen..."

The 22nd match, the battle between Jin and Kaio was right around the corner.

Jin was still recovering from the injuries he sustained in the previous defeat, while Kaio, having engaged in even more battles, was already in peak condition.

"... I don't think brother 10th battle king has any intention of going easy on him. He harbored resentment."

The conflict was the fuel, and the match between the two was the spark.

All the members of the Plutonian tribe predicted Kaio's overwhelming victory, and since then, the divisions between factions had deepened even further.

Someone needed to step back and stop this conflict, but Jin and Kaio seemed far from having any intention of apologizing to each other.

"Ha, there's no way brother 10th battle king would kill brother Jin, right?"

"Surely he wouldn't do such a crazy thing! He is just angry. What's wrong with you, sister 7th battle king? Can't you trust brother 10th battle king? There's no reason for brethren to kill each other."

"Damn it, I don't know. How brother 10th battle king behaved that day was just like watching his madness back in the day."

When Kaio went mad. Beliz and Boras clearly remembered how Kaio was during that time. 

At that time, Kaio was always ready to cross the line.

Everyone worried and, at the same time, anticipated.

Without resolving anything, time reached the day of the battle between Jin and Kaio.

Above the main hall, all the members of the Plutonian tribe gathered, staring at Jin and Kaio in suspense.

Vahn, as always, had a calm face that could not show her emotions.

"We finally meet, brother 10th battle king."

In response to Jin's words, Kaio nodded his head. Kaio only replied in a cold, monotone voice.

"If you feel like you're going to die, scream for mercy. Otherwise, there might be an incident."

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