Chapter 78

Chapter 26. Runkandel (1)

The axe-sword, Kranthel.

The peculiar weapon, with the tip of the greatsword sharpened like an axe, was merely a reflection of Luna's taste.

At first glance, it seemed heavy and inefficient. Indeed, it weighed more than the combined weight of three ordinary men.

However, the axe-sword in Luna's hand moved as lightly as a feather.

Swoosh! Clang!

The first strike cleaved the breath, and the follow-up hit the face of the demon stone. The breath split in two, scraping the empty ground, and the face flew toward Andrei like a ball.

After summoning the demon stone, Andrei's face, which had been relaxed, now showed tension. Buretta, who had landed on the ground, did not rashly attempt the next attack.

The atmosphere of the battlefield changed as soon as Luna appeared.

She stepped forward in front of Jin, surveyed the battlefield for a moment, and then smiled lightly.

"Jifel's vice-head and the Wind Dragon. Yes, you must be at this level to call upon this sister. Youngest, are you hurt anywhere?"

Luna turned, facing the sun.

Jin, meeting her deep eyes, was immediately certain.

This fight is already won.

'Being strong' is what they say about people like her.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Thank goodness. If you were hurt, I would have to kill them and then ransack the Jifel main house."

Hearing this, Jin felt a chill run down his spine. First, because he could feel his sister's deep concern for him. Second, because the idea of 'ransacking the Jifel main house' was not impossible for Luna.

"Anyway, I missed you. Without you, each day was unbearably boring. You must have felt the same, right?"

"It seems so."

"Such a cute little brother."

Muran, who had just arrived, enveloped Jin with her two wings.

[Brat, you always have a good sister. Phew, I thought you were going to lose.]

"Lady Muran, it's a bit awkward to say we just met. It would be proper to formally introduce myself as the eldest daughter of Runkandel, but I'm going to be a bit busy from now on. Please take care of the youngest."

[Sure. Then I'll take care of the aftermath, Luna Runkandel.]

"Sister, be careful. That demon stone artifact has already resurrected the Wind Dragon once."

"Don't worry and go. Youngest child. The adults will handle it."

Jin, hanging from her neck, and Quikantel, held in her mouth, Muran started running hastily. It was a somewhat comical sight, but they had to stay as far away as possible.

Otherwise, they would be caught in Luna's sword aura. Given their current state, they needed to be at least 500 meters away to be safe.

[Come on, let's just watch. Quikantel, don't be too ashamed. The Origin Stone is something dragons inherently fear, even if it's a fake.]

It didn't take long for Jin and his companions to move to a safe distance.

Until then, Andrei and Buretta had only been staring at Luna, seemingly at a loss for words.

Luna was focusing on the 'demon stone' that Andrei was holding.

'What is that? A truly ominous power... It's similar to the aura of the demon I defeated in the past.'

Whatever it is.

There is nothing I cannot cut.

With that thought, Luna slowly aimed her axe-sword at Andrei.

"Are you going to keep playing dumb? Andrei Jifel. I'd like to hear why a person of your caliber would get involved with my brother."

Andrei's brows furrowed.

"…Ha, this is an unexpected variable. Bakkyung, Runkandel has just broken her oath. Your brother used magic."

"That's right, she broke the oath. But it won't be known in your family. If you want, I can go tell Kelliac myself. I might as well tell him about the time you ran away from my father at the banquet."

Andrei gritted his teeth.

'Luna Runkandel… How dare this insignificant woman.'

But he couldn't show his anger.

'She is just an ordinary human, incapable of handling this power, unlike my father, who was a demigod.'

Andrei firmly believed in the power of the demon stone.

And this Runkandel woman probably doesn't even have a clue about its true nature.

'If she had used magic as usual, it would have been difficult to deal with, but with the demon stone, there's no way I can lose. Nothing has changed.'

Andrei's eyes regained their calm.

"Well, fine. I always thought there would be a day when we would face each other. I will see if Bakkyung's lofty name is truly deserved by observing your skills."

"The Jifels I've encountered always excel at making boring things even more boring. Just like you!"

Swoosh!

With a single step, Luna shot to Andrei's nose.

The moment Andrei flinched, the axe-sword was already tracing a heavy trajectory.

"And strangely, among the Jifels."

Crack!

Andrei barely swung the demon stone's face to block Luna's preemptive strike. At the same time, Buretta extended her long neck to target Luna, but in the next moment, Luna was already on Buretta's side.

"Few people really know me."

Swoosh!

One of Buretta's wing tips was cut off. It was a minimal injury, but Buretta was startled because she only realized she was cut after it happened.

'What kind of speed is this…!'

Light.

To Buretta and Andrei, Luna's movements were like light. It was impossible to follow with the eyes, and they could only react based on guesswork.

"Will you keep fighting me in your true form, Dragon? Being so large won't do you any good."

Surprisingly, Buretta transformed into a human immediately after hearing this humiliating advice.

As she said, even a moment's lapse in movement could result in her body being sliced into dozens of pieces.

The Jifels are not entirely without information about Luna.

Given her reputation as the strongest since Syron, the Jifels have continuously gathered information about her. However, those who got too close were often killed.

And all those who had fought her directly were dead, without exception.

Therefore, to the Jifels, Luna was a more mysterious figure than Syron. She was rumored to be incredibly strong, but no one had experienced her power firsthand.

She was simply described as transcendentally strong.

'Can a human, not a contractor, possess such power? A human, not Syron?'

For a moment, Andrei almost thought Luna might be a contractor the demon stone could 'consume.'

But the demon stone has shown no reaction since the beginning, meaning Luna is a 'perfectly ordinary human.'

'The family's plan for the Runkandels must be revised when I return. If we let them grow stronger, the Jifels might collapse first.'

Andrei couldn't help but worry about the future of his family.

'Meeting Luna today is an opportunity sent by heaven. If I don't kill her now, the next chance will only come after the demon stone is complete…!'

The information about 'Luna Runkandel' in Andrei's mind was rapidly changing.

She was now a person he could 'absolutely' not handle without the demon stone.

And here, on this uninhabited island with no witnesses.

What are the odds of encountering Luna Runkandel?

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Buretta!"

Buretta nodded at Andrei's urgent call. After a long time of working together, they understood each other's intentions without words.

Whoosh!

Wind compressed in Buretta's grasp, forming something.

An intangible spear made of wind.

Then, her neck, still black even after transforming into a human, began to glow darkly. The power of the demon stone, injected during her resurrection, was being unleashed.

"I pay you my respects. I never thought I would have to use this power against a human."

"You must have lived a long time, but it seems you haven't experienced many humans."

Luna still exuded confidence.

But she could feel that Buretta's movements had changed as soon as the demon stone's power was unleashed.

'It's not magic. It's closer to a power. Now I understand why it felt similar to a demon's aura. And this dragon is starting to use its full strength…'

Probably to buy time for Andrei to fully harness the power of the demon stone.

Luna sneered.

'A seasoned grand mage of the 9th rank. And a Wind Dragon. Do you really believe the power you obtained so easily can save you?'

It was so absurd that she couldn't even speak.

What was the reason the Runkandels hadn't defeated the Jifels, who had such a pitiful vice-head, all this time?

A fleeting thought crossed Luna's mind.

'This can't be the real vice-head of the Jifels. The true power must be one of the figures not publicly known.'

Jin, watching the battle from a distance, had similar thoughts.

'Something's off. I've known about Luna's incredible prowess for a long time, but is that really a 9th-rank mage?'

It was clear that he lacked the mana to cast proper spells due to the demon stone. The mana release he showed at the beginning was enough to shock even Jin.

But even considering that, the way Luna was overwhelming him was unexpected.

'Either this is a fake Andrei, or the information about Andrei has been exaggerated by the Jifels' information control, or there's a real power player in the Jifels. One of these three.'

While the siblings were making these judgments, Buretta's spear grew enormous.

Wind, aura, mana, and the power of the demon stone were simultaneously infusing the spear.

"Do you really think that such a clumsy and bulky force can pierce me once and give you a chance, Wind Dragon?"

As Luna said, the inflated spear no longer looked like a spear.

Buretta, undeterred by the provocation, swung it continuously, and Luna felt a bit of pity.

How did a being born as a dragon fall so low?

After dodging the spear twice, Luna stopped as if making a decision.

"Then I'll show you. I wasn't planning to drag this out anyway. I'll take it head-on."

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the axe-sword Kranthel emitted a brilliant light. Auric beams flowed endlessly from the blade.

The aura felt vast and boundless, almost sacred in its intensity.

Runkandel's third ultimate technique, Meteor Shower.

The moment Luna raised her axe-sword, the aura covering the blade shot up to the sky at the speed of light.

And when the sword struck down.

True to its name, the clouds parted, and a meteor shower of aura rained down. Toward the small land where the arrogant Jifels stood.