CHAPTER 217

He didn't know what the hell Jin did, but it was dangerous.

Joshua's instincts flared. For the first time in his life, his eyes were filled with rage. The aura on his sword burned even brighter.

"You and your stupid gimmicks!"

Slash!

The aura materialized into a blade crescent. The sheer barrage of crescents covered Jin's sight of Joshua.

But it was already too late. 

"I'm sure I already said so. You should've killed me back then, because you'll no longer have the opportunity."

Just like a rock falling down a cliff, the crescents disappeared into the darkness. 

Joshua tried again, but his attacks were just sucked into the vacuum of darkness. Within two seconds, dozens of blade crescents disappeared into Jin's spirit energy.

Joshua didn't dare to step forward. He had a sense of what 'Shadowblade' was, but he'd never seen this specific attack.

Joshua gripped Sran a little harder and shook his head.

"I guess I made a mistake. Yeah, it seems I was too merciful…"

The rip in space created by Bradamante, the spirit energy that swallowed Joshua's attacks.

It was a 'gate'.

A portal to another dimension.

Jin didn't choose to fight Joshua because he couldn't contain his rage. He just wanted to know the gap in skill between them.

'Just as I expected, he's preparing to steal my contract. And his skill, pretty impressive.'

He never thought of Joshua as weak. Though, he initially thought that he'd be absurdly strong due to the 'prospective successor' title, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

'If it weren't for Sister Luna, I wouldn't have survived this long.'

Woooooom…

The spirit energy dispersed into the air.

A gate to Lafrarosa opened.

'Since I can't summon Brethren Vahn, I wish one of the Fighting Legends would show up…'

He couldn't relax just yet.

He had no idea who would appear from the portal.

If a normal warrior appeared instead of a Fighting Legend, he had to delay things.

"Long time no see, Brethren Jin!"

Jin grinned. He couldn't ruin his impression.

The Eighth Legend, Garmund. Thank goodness it was him.

'A summon… Shit, how can I predict such a thing?'

Joshua was shocked as soon as Garmund appeared.

Aside from summoning with his sword, the power that this guy possessed…

He could tell even without clashing swords.

'He's strong… I probably have to go all out. I should've ended it then and there…'

But there was no point in regretting it. He played into Jin's hands.

"I'm sorry, but can you tell me the specifics later, Brethren Jin? What shall I do?"

"Kill."

"It looks like your brother who tried to curse you, but is that fine? You might have some questions."

After one fist bump, Garmund's glare changed.

"I am the Eighth Fighting Legend of the Illustrious Legends. I came upon the call of my brethren, so I must kill you now. If you have anything left to say, you have ten seconds."

A bold voice boomed.

Just from his words, the soil shook and rocks rumbled.

"Nothing?"

"A failed and extinct tribe from five thousand years ago. I don't know what my little brother did, but just shut up and draw your sword. I'll have to kill you and give Jin a punishment."

Garmund laughed.

"You act and speak like a warrior when you aren't."

"You act like my brother is your blood brother."

A blue light glowed from Garmund's palm.

A lightning-fast drawing of his sword. A lightning strike pinned onto Joshua's forehead.

A bolt much sharper and brighter than what Julien could cast. The attack landed simultaneously with his wind-up.

PACHANG!

Joshua bisected the lightning bolt. The fact that he immediately began a counterattack was very impressive.

Garmund didn't even dodge the blade crescents.

Just like a tree facing the wind, he stood completely still. Tanking all the attacks, Garmund didn't even budge. Goosebumps rose across Joshua's body.

But not because of his attacks being treated as air. For some reason, Joshua saw Garmund as Luna.

They had clashed swords countless times, but they were always a monster that he couldn't even scratch a single time.

He was also a little puzzled, wondering what had gone wrong with his attack. He'd never felt so inferior ever since Luna left.

Garmund had never met Luna. He smiled, though, as if he saw right through Joshua.

"Did I not say so? You are no warrior. Pretty impressive for a human, but it's clear that your achievements came from playing it safe."

"Keep talking, dog. You won't protect Jin."

PZZZT!

Garmund channeled his lightning into his sword. His Heart of Light glimmered brightly. 

Joshua gathered all of his aura as well. He created a barrier around the island.

With the island being such a small battlefield, a fight between a 9-star and a Fighting Legend would destroy it completely.

So he made sure to create a shell to keep everything in.

An artificial battlefield.

Jin would've never thought of it with his dwindling aura. He already knew that this battle was beyond his level.

Normally, he'd study the movements of both forces to develop his instincts.

But he had no time to analyze and just enjoyed the sight of his nemesis facing a shameful defeat.

'But I don't understand… Why would he even come without guards in the first place? I'm sure he came knowing that something strong was on this island.'

He couldn't understand at all.

Not even Dark Knights or Executioner Knights. 

Jin constantly felt a bit strange over him coming alone. 

'Either way, he dies today. If he has something up his sleeve, then I'll just get rid of it. After today, Joshua's name will be erased from the Garden of Swords.'

It wasn't a complete stomp for Garmund, but he maintained dominance throughout the fight.

If Joshua made one mistake, his head would fly off.

On the other hand, Garmund constantly hammered down on Joshua. Even Jin felt like he was suffocating as a spectator.

Sran was beaten down by the standard form of Illustrious Bladeworks, Suppression. Although it wasn't as durable as Kainer, it still lived up to its name as one of the strongest swords.

But before three hundred blows, Sran began to crack.

When Jin fought Garmund, there hadn't been such a big difference since they wielded the same weapon. However, in a real battle, the quality of the weapon could become a deciding factor.

Obviously, no one knew about Garmund's weapon. The Fifth Fighting Legend, Boras, constructed and smithed it in Lafrarosa. 

The skill difference didn't really matter, but it definitely existed. Basically, Joshua's loss was already determined from the beginning.

'I guess he took a loss for not bringing Kainer.'

But it wasn't over.

Joshua made some distance and sheathed his sword.

Garmund stopped for a second and caught his breath.

He stopped because, for the first time, he felt a bit of danger. They both knew what was next.

'Runcandel's Decisive Killing Move.'

Joshua's last resort.

Facing an opponent stronger than him with a weapon on the verge of breaking, he had to take the gamble.

'But it's too late. I would've used it as soon as I realized I was going to lose.'

As a prospective flag-bearer, he didn't know any Decisive Killing Move, but he knew the transcending power.

'Maybe he could've done something before the brink of shattering. I'm sure Joshua knew this, but maybe he's afraid of failure?'

As Jin was thinking, Sran began to gather aura. 

"Your aura is amazing. Kind of a shame a pesky brat like you possesses such power."

Garmund scoffed.

But Sran's blade began to grow, and Jin's jaw dropped.

'Why that one? Wait, does he already think he lost?'

Joshua's last resort. Runcandel's Seventh Decisive Killing Move, Volcano.

"Brethren Garmund, we must leave! That's Runcandel's…!"

"If I die, then who will protect you? I'm fine, so go. As far as possible."

Volcano was Runcandel's most famous self destructive attack.

Jin was more shocked that Joshua made such a choice. Joshua was never the type to do something like that. 

Right before Sran exploded.

Garmund channeled all his energy to cast a barrier around him, and Shurry held Julien in her mouth. Jin took Murakan on his back and hopped on Shurry.

'He— He definitely has something…!'

A thought shot through Jin's head. However, he had to follow Garmund's commands.