Chapter 951

C951

***

In front of Zito’s residence.

After dealing with the demon gods sealed in Bascala, Jin continued his meditation without opening his eyes once.

A war was raging within him. To master the sword created to defeat his god, Solderet.

Why did Temar devise the Sun Splitter technique to defeat Solderet?

Why did Solderet leave Temar alone despite knowing the sword could kill him?

Jin didn’t dwell on those questions. There must have been reasons for all that, and it wouldn’t help in his current battle against Zito.

‘The feeling of defeating Solderet… It’s not as easy to grasp as I thought.’

Imagination is easy.

Jin knew Solderet’s voice, appearance, and the Shadow Energy he used better than anyone.  So, creating Solderet in his mind and defeating him multiple times was feasible.

But ‘incarnating’ Solderet within his inner world and facing him as if real was a challenging task, even with the insight of a Genesis Knight.

He had attempted it several times. Currently, he was interacting with the incarnation of Solderet, repeatedly using the Sun Splitter.

‘Still, I’m getting closer, little by little, no doubt.’

In the first attempt, he couldn’t even touch Solderet. In the second, he grazed him. In the third, he cleaved Solderet in half, but he dispersed like smoke and suffered no real damage.

However, Jin wasn’t discouraged at all.

Creating a perfect Solderet from the start was impossible, and even with an imperfect incarnation, defeating him in a single day was also impossible.

But what made Jin’s meditation meaningful was that it was the only means to awaken the feeling of executing the Sun Splitter for now.

‘If only I could meet the real Solderet once, I could gain enlightenment on the Sun Splitter in one go. But that’s impossible, so this is the best option for now.’

Jin continued silently battling Solderet in his inner world.

The more he did it, the more he realized how formidable Solderet truly was. If there were a swordsman who could inflict even the slightest damage on the real Solderet, it wouldn’t be difficult for that swordsman to defeat Zito.

“Hu…”,

Jin opened his eyes as soon as the promised day passed.

His entire body was drenched in sweat, but he felt incredibly refreshed. Despite the fact that he hadn’t even grazed the incarnation of Solderet within his inner realm.

[…Is your meditation finished?] Bisaro turned to Jin and asked.

He had been waiting for Jin, having completed the cleanup of the dimensional portal about an hour ago.

“Yes, Bisaro. Why didn’t you leave?”

[I haven’t even had a chance to thank you for freeing me.]

Bisaro inspected the area around Jin as he spoke. Golden orbs floated around Jin, who had finished his meditation.

“There’s nothing to thank me for. It was simply a necessary step to meet Zito.”

[While you meditated, many demons consumed by Zito’s madness passed through this area.]

“Is that so? I was focused on my meditation and didn’t feel anything.”

[They killed and devoured each other as if they had nothing left but killing intent. But, when they approached a certain distance from you, they fell silent like believers on a pilgrimage and left the area. However, once they were outside your influence, they went mad again and fought each other.]

“It’s a strange phenomenon. I’ve encountered many demons consumed by madness on my way here, but they didn’t show me such behavior.”

[Though I’ve lost much of my power, I was once a god. That’s why I could vaguely sense that you were constantly battling a giant being within your meditation. I believe the demons that passed through this area during the day were awestruck by that being.]

“Is that so?”

[As you know, Zito’s mind control is absolute. Not even the Witch can completely free herself from that control. Though she may be able to temporarily lift it. However, the fact that the behavior of the demons passing by you changed suggests that the giant being you’ve been facing within your meditation is somehow connected to the Sun God.]

“The Sun God?”

[The Sun God is an absolute existence. There may not be many demons with memories of his time, but his imprint is etched into all demons. So, no matter how maddened they are under mind control, encountering the direct imprint of the Sun God would make them docile.]

Jin looked around at the golden orbs that had appeared around him.

‘As Lady Ayula mentioned, these seem to be manifestations of the Sun God’s will.’

The orbs had formed independently of Jin’s will and were slowly fading away.

[Can you tell me who the being you’ve been battling is?]

“Solderet.”

[Solderet. I seem to recall.  Probably… a shadow born from the death of the primordial being.]

Jin’s pupils dilated.

“If it’s the death of a primordial being, does that mean the death of the Sun God?”

[That’s right. From what I know, Solderet was the first immortal to appear immediately after the Sun God’s death. That’s why the mad demons around you temporarily regained their sanity when they approached you. Perhaps, if there had been a real Solderet and not something you created through meditation, all those demons would have been immediately freed from madness and found peace. Perhaps even Zito, who might be beyond this gate.]

Bisaro considered the real Solderet as an incomprehensibly giant being compared to Jin.

“I would like to hear everything you know about Solderet.”

[Unfortunately, that’s all I know. It’s a miracle I remember this much. I’ve experienced numerous cycles of oblivion and sealing.]

“One of my companions is a Magician who can restore memories. Can you assist me further with her help?”

Bisaro nodded.

[Of course… The mad demons affected by Zito were influenced by you. And I also felt at ease throughout your meditation. I’m curious why the deceased Sun God continues to have an influence on the world in this way and what it means.]

“It seems I’ve encountered a noble just by passing by.”

[That’s something my deceased friends and I should say. So… are you ready to face Zito now?]

“I had thought so, but my companions haven’t arrived yet.”

While Murakan and Bale might not know it, Valeria isn’t the type to be late for a meeting time.

However, Jin wasn’t overly concerned about them. Murakan had regained his power even though there were minor side effects, but they wouldn’t fall into ‘a danger they couldn’t escape from.’

Besides, the most dangerous presence in the True Demon World is right behind the gate before him.

‘It’s highly likely they’ve gotten involved with Kelliark while searching for Visepps…’

That’s the only reason Valeria is late.

‘There’s no way Valeria made the wrong decision. In that case, I think joining them and resolving that issue first would be a good idea.’

The problem was that there was no way to find Valeria immediately.

He couldn’t use the wavelength tracking communication device in Hell, and he couldn’t fly quickly like Murakan. He could search the entire area using the senses of a Genesis Knight, but he might get lost if he wasn’t careful.

“I suppose I’ll have to wait a little longer.”

[Indeed. No matter how strong you are, facing Zito alone in Hell is madness. Unless it’s a being like Solderet or the Witch, any immortal being would try to avoid fighting him in his territory. All immortals are at their strongest in their own domains.]

-[That’s right, Jin. I might have spoken as if it was nothing, but that’s assuming I fought him in my territory while having all my power. If Zito invades the surface with all his power recovered, you and your friends won’t be able to handle him.]

Tess had said something similar in the past. Tess also stated that Zito’s ‘base state’ isn’t much different from her own.

“Bisaro, who do you think will win?”

[……Honestly? Or should I mix in some lies?]

“I can tell without you saying it.”

[However, you are a being that transcends fate. Besides, you are the one chosen by Solderet, so my judgment is meaningless. No one can predict the outcome until both of them fight.]

“I suppose I can continue meditating while I wait for my companions.”

Suddenly, two massive arms emerged from a dimensional portal and struck Bisaro and Jin.

*Crash!* Bisaro was crushed to pieces, and Jin severed the arm attempting to grab him with his sword.

It was Zito’s arm.

[*Kkakakakakak!*]

Then, a unique and horrifying voice resonated from within the dimensional portal. The arm Jin had cut off turned into demonic energy and was absorbed by another arm that appeared.

The two arms appeared from within and widened the narrow gap in the portal. The portal shattered completely in an instant, and the entire landscape changed.

It was Zito’s “residence.” Countless pillars rose in this dark domain, and each pillar bore various life forms and souls as ornaments.

[Ah! Could you really wait any longer, Jin Runcandel? Do you know how much effort I’ve put into entertaining them all this time? Huh?]

*Thud!* *Thud…*

The sound of Zito’s footsteps could be heard beyond the darkness. The two giant arms that had just opened the dimensional portal were now dissipating into demonic energy and converging towards Zito.

[You were also expecting this, right? The day you go on a date with me like this… Ah, my precious toy, you went through so much hardship and finally bore the fruit of the Genesis Knight. From today on, we will live happily together here…!]

Jin looked at Zito without saying a word.

Zito has ten pairs of wings, sharp spines all over his body, and two spiked axes. Though he has a smaller stature than before, Zito exudes an incredibly dangerous and sharp energy.

“The so-called ‘god’ has no patience.”

[Well, I prefer to be called ‘Demon King’ instead of ‘god.’ Demon Kings don’t need patience, right? Hehe, originally, I planned to share this date with your friends as well. But it seems they’re a bit injured because of Kelliark…]

Jin didn’t ask about his companions. He didn’t even flinch at hearing the word “injured.”

Instead, he simply pointed his sword at Zito and said:

“Let’s go, Zito. Don’t delay this any further.”