CHAPTER 623

[T.L: punisher87]

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The final winner of the Great Tournament of the Battle kings was Baltirok, not Jin or Baba.

Kaio was unable to participate in the remaining battles due to injuries he sustained in the 22nd match, and Jin and Baba were also unable to continue as they had to recover their buried arms.

And Jin and the Plutonians became awkward for a while.

Jin felt a sense of guilt for pushing his brethren so aggressively for whatever reason, and the Plutonians were ashamed that, regardless of the sincerity of the cause, they seemed to have 'let go' of Jin too quickly.

'Although we only spoke out of anger at that time… in truth, everyone seemed to have considered brother Jin as less close than the other brethren. The fact that we even questioned his eligibility for succession was something that should never have happened.'

'We should have acted more generously. If we had shown the actions sister 9th battle king did at the end from the beginning, we wouldn't be so embarrassed.'

'Back then, I was really angry to the point of madness, but everyone easily said that we should expel Brother Jin.'

'Even if we just didn't say it out loud, we wouldn't be able to resist Brother Jin's play.'

'We are rotten to the core if someone among the brethren would really try to kill Jin. Even if Jin betrays us, we should have shown that we would never give up on our brethren.'

'Looking back, we could have noticed sooner that Brother Jin was just putting on an act. Brother Jin hurt brother Kaio by avoiding the illuminating heart, and even when he attacked sister 4th battle king who turned around, he could cut even deeper.'

'I don't have the face to see Brother Jin... how foolish we must seem.'

What if Kaio had prioritized Jin's honor first instead of criticizing Garmund before the shocking 22nd match?

What if, after the chaos of the 22nd match, Kaio had heartily while grabbing Jin's head or punched him, and the rest of the brethren didn't take it too seriously, thinking, "It is over and done with"?

Even after that, if everyone acted like Baba from the beginning to the end, instead of fighting among themselves and later joining forces to defeat Jin...… If they had done that, they might have appeared more admirable to Jin now.

Such assumptions were tormenting the Plutonians.

Whether Jin's ways were right or wrong was no longer an important issue for them.

Even if they said they would kill Jin, the final decision of the entire Plutonian tribe was the same as what Baba showed in the end.

Unlike countless malicious words that they spoke out of spite, it was the only sincerity that didn't need verbal confirmation from each other. The proposition that one should never give up on the brethren no matter how terrible the situation was always absolute and unwavering.

If the remaining members of the Plutonian tribe were in the thousands or tens of thousands and were being ruled by another battle god instead of Vahn, things might have been different. At least a few might have harbored different feelings.

However, the 77 members of the Plutonian tribe in Laprarosa were not like that. Their unity had never changed for a single moment, and it was not going to change in the future.

"... Is your arm okay?"

Kaio sat down next to Jin with a thud.

He had been aimlessly wandering around Jin's room an hour ago, and he had asked the same question five minutes ago.

"Uh... Brother 5th battle king did a good job patching it up."

Jin's answer was the same as five minutes ago.

"What about the wounds from sister 9th battle king?"

"It's not comparable to what I did to you, brother 10th king. I'm almost healed. Didn't you say that you could walk a bit now?"

"Yes...."

"Well. I was a bit too aggressive, brother 10th battle king. I'm sorry."

Kaio was the only one who suffered a wound that would take more than a year to recover from.

Jin and Baba's arms were immediately treated with Boras' special bonding technique, so they were healed.

"You didn't do anything wrong, brother Jin. I was the one who went crazy. I felt like I lost my mind for a moment during the long-awaited return of the Great Tournament of Battle kings."

"My method was too extreme. So I should be the one apologizing."

"No, Brother Jin, your method wasn't bad."

"Looking back, it doesn't seem like it was the best choice."

- Brother Jin! What are you doing? Have you forgotten what I told you?

- I did it on purpose.

 -What?

-I needed to stimulate the brethren' competitive spirit. Seeing that brother 8th battle king lost to me, I think something like this was necessary sooner or later.

The conversation Jin had with Tantel after his first conflict with Kaio that led to the latter animosity. 

When Tantel heard Jin talking about becoming a villain and pressuring his brethren, he responded like this.

-I roughly understand the reason. But Brother Jin, one thing is certain. No matter how bad you behave, the outcome is fixed. No one really hates you no matter what. At least now, all of the 77 brethren left in Laprarosa are like that. Like brother Jin does.

-I know too. I'm just curious about how that can happen.

-If you're going to do it, be wicked to the end no matter how tense the atmosphere gets. Although it may be revealed that they were jealous and envious of you, no one really wants to abandon you. They can treat you as if they are your sworn enemies, but that's it.

Tantel's words were accurate.

However, the reason Jin acted wickedly to the end was not solely because of Tantel's answer. 

He also had the conviction that his brethren would never give up on him, and that made him even more sorry.

Kaio placed his hand on Jin's shoulder. Looking at the rigid and large hand trembling slightly, Jin felt even more remorseful.

"That could be true. But it's the same for the other brethren. We've shown each other the worst instead of the best. It might sound like nonsense coming from me, but we can't always show each other our best."

Jin didn't answer and Kaio readjusted the bandages to make it easier for him.

"Well, as you can see, other brethren are quite simple-minded. They often can't even think of simple things. So, this time, everyone just acted like villains. The sister battle god probably guessed everything from the beginning, so she just stayed quiet. I especially felt that way. I didn't have the intention to shoot, but I did try to threaten you, brother Jin."

"Well, given the situation, that's understandable."

"No, even after your sword energy exploded in my chest. I didn't carefully consider the fact that my illuminating heart was still intact. Most of us thought that you could call us outside as hostages and we just have to go out like this."

"That's also a situation where one could easily think that way."

"But it also revealed that we were treating you a little differently in the process."

"I don't think so, Brother 10th battle king. It was because I provoked the brethren. And even when I pretended to try to kill sister Baba, the brethren were prepared to still treat me as a brother. In a way, I lost."

"Brother Jin."

"Yes."

"Ah, wait a moment. I can't stand up any longer. Please let me sit down. Stop making such a troubled expression, I will get better in a year. Anyway, we will continue to lose to you in the future. That fact hasn't changed."

Kaio sat down on the chair with difficulty and let out a sigh.

"However, the meaning of it has changed a bit through this incident."

"How?"

"We lose to you not because you are brother Jin, but because you are brother. Or you can say, it's not that we lost, but that we can't win. Brother Jin, you are not weaker than us. I'm not just talking about strength, but because among the rest of the brethren, no one can endure the hatred and channel their willpower like you, brother Jin."

"Is that so?"

"So forgive us."

"Forgive?"

"In fact, we were treating you not as brother, but as brother Jin."

"What are you talking about...."

[They are in a pitiful state.]

Suddenly, Vahn and Lingling entered the room. Vahn lightly squeezed Lingling's head, who was sticking his tongue out.

[It hurts!]

"That's why I hit you, Lingling. And I don't think that's what you should be saying. Aren't you in a position where you couldn't kill Brother Jin?"

[Vahn only hates me! Oh, hehe, hehehe.]

Lingling tried to be mean to Vahn, but when she gently stroked his neck, he burst into laughter.

"Have you come, Sister battle god?"

"There's no need to stand up and be polite, brother 10th battle king."

Vahn's gaze landed on Jin. It's already been 15 days since the Great Tournament of Battle kings ended, but today was the first time Vahn spoke directly.

Outside the door, all the remaining members of the Plutonian tribe were waiting with their heads bowed.

"You fought like kids this time."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"It felt somewhat cute to watch. In the future, there will surely be more fights, so make sure to fight like a kid. Even if I don't say it, you'll probably do it anyway."

Vahn handed Jin the Sigmund that she had brought.

Jin stared at Sigmund in silence for a while.

"Brother Jin. No matter what you did, and no matter how much the other brethren coveted it, the owner would not have changed."

"...I know."

"If that meaning has become even heavier for everyone, that's enough."

Jin accepted Sigmund.

Vahn didn't add any more words to the situation.

Baltirok, the final winner of the Great Tournament of Battle kings, seemed regretful, not because he wanted the sword, but because he couldn't personally hand it over.

"Then what do you think the brethren should do now?"

At Vahn's words, the Plutonians quietly exchanged glances. They weren't sure what answer Vahn was expecting.

Naturally, all the gazes of the Plutonians were directed to Jin.

"We should rebuild the broken main hall of battle gods."

At Jin's answer, Vahn nodded her head.

"Brother 13th battle king knows it well. From now on, all the brethren follow brother 13th battle king and start rebuilding the main hall."

Vahn thought this while watching the 77 brethren who were jumping into the ruins of the hall with enthusiasm.

Perhaps, from the moment Jin arrived, they were already escaping from the dead world.

What Vahn saw was not the sight of those trapped in the forgotten dead world, but the sight of living beings. 

As she walked slowly behind the brethren, Laprarosa also became part of the group of all 78 people. Along with her companion, the chaos.

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