Chapter 43 - Zahad
Breaking the silence.
A violet radiance.
***
Thunder roared.
It shattered the obstructing wall, a primal roar heralding a broader world.
In this world, they called it 'shedding.'
It wasn't something achieved through enlightenment.
He had merely fulfilled the conditions.
Jin didn't care.
He wasn't even aware of what was happening to him.
As if he had known all along, as naturally as breathing, he drew upon the extreme lightning.
And so—
Crackle!
For the first time, he wrapped his entire body in violet lightning of his own volition.
Until now, it had only erupted uncontrollably in moments of heightened emotion or dire circumstances.
When his head was clouded with rage, he hadn't noticed.
He had only maintained it briefly at best.
But now, it was wholly his to wield.
And even in this moment, unfamiliar sensations burrowed into his mind.
Jin suddenly kicked off the ground.
There was no time to slowly process everything.
So he charged forward.
At the end of his lightning-clad path, he saw flames entangled in black and white.
A sight so unbelievable that even witnessing it felt surreal.
Hellfire, they called it.
A great blaze that would burn on the day the world perished—unfolding right before his eyes.
Jin was genuinely astonished.
What once seemed merely impressive from a distance now loomed as an overwhelming reality.
A battle on a level he had never seen before.
And yet, even there—one side had the upper hand.
Boom!
A deafening explosion.
At the same time, a familiar back emerged through the smoke.
Jin instinctively spread his arms.
Anna had been hurled toward him.
Catching her, he stomped his right foot against the ground.
A sharp whoosh! followed—air bursting from the force.
They had barely evaded the attack.
Spinning once in midair, Jin landed, releasing his grip around Anna's waist.
Naturally, she touched down as well.
"I'm going ahead."
Leaving just those words, Jin dashed forward again.
Crackle!
A violent surge of rotational force.
The giant, Kilgit, narrowed his eyes.
But only for a moment.
He threw a massive punch toward the charging Jin—
A shockwave exploded outward in a perfect ring along its trajectory.
A sonic boom?
This was beyond absurd.
But Jin dodged it.
Not because he saw it coming.
He had already moved, anticipating the attack before it was even launched.
The method was the same as when he had dodged bullets before,but now, he was utilizing his entire body's senses to their utmost limit.
From the extreme light, electrical energy relentlessly poured out.
Jin now understood.
This wasn't just some flashy visual effect.
It was a biological current so intense that it had become tangible.
His heightened nervous system granted him an even clearer perception of the world—
Still, that fist was absurdly fast.
There was no way to dodge it by sight.
So he had to predict it.
A fleeting shift in gaze, a subtle change in breathing, the ever-shifting center of gravity—
Sensing it all beforehand…
Now!
Jin ducked low.
At the same moment, a blast erupted diagonally above him.
His ears rang, as if his eardrums had burst.
But dodging was all that mattered.
The distance had closed.
Now, he could throw a punch of his own.
Boom!
His lightning-clad fist struck the giant's face.
Jin didn't stop.
His movement flowed seamlessly—his backhand slammed into Kilgit's side,then his other hand struck the opposite flank.
The giant staggered back.
But instead of pressing further, Jin immediately leaped away.
A fraction of a second later, a massive fist crashed down like a landslide,obliterating the spot where he had just stood.
The ground erupted violently.
The shockwave sent Jin's body soaring into the air.
A massive figure suddenly surged into view from within his sight.
Being airborne, he had little means to respond.
His opponent knew that well—this time, they were determined to kill him for good, their fist hurtling forward.
At that moment, a white flame flared between them, intercepting the punch that had broken the sound barrier.
With a sharp explosion behind him, Jin landed on the ground.
Right beside him, Anna landed in sync.
Beyond the misty haze, Killgit emerged and spoke.
"You brat, are you a Zahad?"
Jin hesitated.
Denying it seemed unnecessary.
his mouth shut would buy him time to catch his breath.
So, he straightened his shoulders confidently.
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
At this moment, Jin resolved—
He would not be Jin Evernight, but Jin Zahad.
And since he didn't even flinch, Anna, standing next to him, simply nodded as if she had expected it.
Jin grew even bolder.
What's the big deal about pretending?
They wouldn't know anyway.
Besides, technically speaking, Jin's words weren't entirely false.
A bloodline's legitimacy was ultimately determined by its secret arts.
There was a reason they were called secret arts.
Only those chosen over the course of a thousand years had been able to claim such power.
With his body wreathed in violet lightning, Jin's assertion carried undeniable weight.
And so, the questioning continued.
"Why is a Zahad here?"
For a second, Jin almost blurted out, 'Rumpumpumpum.'
But he quickly changed his response.
"Does that even matter? What's important is that you've messed with not one, but two families. Think you can handle that?"
Do you even know who my father is, damn it!
Jin, throwing out whatever came to mind, watched Killgit's reaction.
Would he back down now?
Muttering something like, Hmm, this is getting bigger than expected. This is a problem.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
"For the sake of a perfect flame, I would gladly risk it."
Killgit's response came with a faint smile—one that almost looked amused.
Shit, it's not working.
Jin clenched his fists, sensing the battle ahead.
Then—
"Can I ask you for one thing?"
Anna took a step forward, speaking slowly.
"If you truly have no intention of running… would you take care of that empty husk over there first? I don't want to see him dishonored any further."
"What?"
"Then, I'll leave it to you."
With those words, she clashed with Killgit once more.
Jin swiftly turned his head.
"Arrrrrrrrr!!"
In the distance, Walter let out a beastly howl as he relentlessly drove Eric back.
Jin instinctively scowled.
Walter had changed—completely, in an instant.
His mouth stretched to his ears, revealing gleaming fangs.
His limbs had swelled grotesquely, muscles overdeveloped, and his fingers and toes had transformed into deadly claws.
And the black flames enveloping his body weren't just threatening Eric—they were scorching Walter's own flesh.
Then, from the ground, a faint voice reached Jin's ears.
"…What a pathetic failure. What's the point of spending so much money to enhance his body? In the end, he can't even withstand the black flames. This is why you don't invest in lowly creatures. Don't you agree?"
A lump of flesh lying on the ground grinned as it spoke.
Jin crushed its skull with his foot.
What the hell was this bastard saying?
Damn scum.
His instincts screamed at him to stomp on it over and over—
But he couldn't.
Eric was in danger.
Jin kicked off the ground.
Before Walter's razor-sharp claws could rip into Eric's throat,
Jin rammed his shoulder into Walter's body with full force.
Boom!
Walter skidded across the ground, shaking his head violently as if he had suffered a heavy blow.
Jin followed up instantly, swinging his foot up with all his might—
Right into Walter's groin.
He wasn't sure if that was still a weak spot,
but the impact was undeniable—Walter doubled over.
And as his head came crashing down, a knee, as hard as steel, welcomed it.
Crunch!
Black blood splattered as Walter's head snapped back.
His face was completely shattered in a single blow.
But even then, he swung his arms wildly.
The black flames that devoured even himself carved X-shaped slashes through the air.
Just before those deadly claws could tear through him—
Jin grabbed Walter's falling wrists.
Right hand seized the left wrist.
Left hand seized the right wrist.
And then—
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A series of headbutts crashed down.
Chapter 222 - Title
How many times had he repeated this?
At some point, Jin abruptly straightened his head, which had been tilted back.
He realized that the strength had completely drained from his opponent's arm, which was clenched in his grasp.
Eric approached him then.
Something flickered across his visor, but with the surface shattered, the letters were unreadable.
Jin assumed it was some kind of gratitude, brushed it off, and kicked Walter away as he spoke.
"Let's go."
Eric nodded and drew a fresh dagger from the belt at his waist.
There was no need for further conversation.
Without hesitation, the two dashed toward the raging inferno.
The underground chamber had long since become a hellscape.
For an ordinary person, it would take mere seconds before their skin peeled away and their blood boiled, succumbing to the maddening heat.
Yet, amidst the flames, two figures clashed without pause.
A deadlock would have been ideal.
But, unfortunately, the one being overpowered was Anna.
It was inevitable.
A fledgling superhuman against a monster who had been a legend in the city for years—the outcome had been decided from the start.
Jin cursed internally.
Shit.
How is this supposed to be easy?
But the thought lasted only a fleeting moment.
He erased the excuse from his mind.
Doubting an irreversible choice wouldn't change anything.
It would only mean admitting—alone—that this world was just a game.
So, he emptied his mind and roared inwardly.
I am alive.
I am here.
I am alive.
I will survive—no matter what!
The next instant—
Jin hurled himself at the black flames with everything he had.
He threw punches, drove his knees upward, brought his elbows crashing down, and, when necessary, pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Each strike was both support for Anna and a finishing blow meant to claim victory.
Eric was no different.
Pushing his body to the limit, he slashed through the flames with his dagger.
The blade couldn't pierce their enemy's steel-like flesh, but he ceaselessly searched for openings, keeping up his relentless assault.
With their reinforcement, Anna finally regained a sliver of breathing room.
She burned her white flames with all her might, pushing back the cursed black fire, if only for a moment.
And at the center of it all, Killgit smiled.
As if delighted by everything, he stood alone, effortlessly withstanding the storm of attacks.
Time crawled—one second felt like ten minutes.
The first to fall was Eric.
A massive fist smashed into his visor.
Like a man hit by a truck, he was sent flying, crashing back-first into a wall before plunging into the flames.
He did not rise again.
The sudden absence disrupted the balance.
To compensate for the collapse, Jin surrendered himself to self-destructive determination.
[Mana Overload]
A crimson aura engulfed his body.
By then, Jin had lost all awareness of his own movements.
He simply fought—buying time for Eric, perhaps even more than that.
A few of his strikes might have landed effectively.
Then, when he came to his senses, he found himself face-down on the ground.
How long had he been unconscious?
It didn't matter.
He pushed himself up again.
And just as he took a step toward Anna, now fighting alone—
He sensed someone walking from beyond his field of vision.
Thinking it was Eric, he turned his head—only to see an unexpected figure.
Walter.
His face was crushed beyond recognition, yet he continued forward, slowly, one step at a time.
Jin couldn't walk past him.
Those vacant, dying eyes held a maelstrom of emotion Jin couldn't comprehend.
The next moment—
Flames erupted from Walter's body.
But they weren't the black flames that had consumed him until now.
It was a flame of utmost sanctity—
A fire his entire life had never allowed him to wield.
White flames.
They burned.
Then, as they merged with the black flames—
A transparent fire ignited hope in the depths of despair.