We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 402 [The Pirate King] VS [The Lord of Cinder]

In the royal palace, which is being reduced to scorched earth by the raging fire.

With the Lord of Cinder making the first move, a great battle has begun.

Faced with this enemy from the "future" whose identity is mysterious and unknown, Lord Cinder naturally dared not underestimate him and used his full strength from the very beginning.

Flames, like living things, coiled around him, leaping and dancing, distorting the surrounding air.

The intense heat even caused the ground beneath his feet to slightly melt.

Yet the Lord of Cinder's crown and cloak remained unharmed in the flames.

That's because both of them are special relics, made specifically for his combat situations.

In an instant.

The Lord of Cinder, radiating intense heat, hurtled towards Edward like a burning meteor.

Wherever the flames passed, the air ignited, leaving a distorted trail.

Edward remained expressionless upon seeing this, like a cold machine, showing no emotional fluctuations.

A blue light flashed in his eyes.

Countless pieces of information flowed through it, analyzing the Lord of Cinder's attack and predicting his next move.

next moment.

Edward's body moved forward instead of backward.

A beam of dark blue light shot directly from his eyes.

Landing on a weak spot in the Lord of Cinder's flames caused his forward momentum to pause slightly.

Immediately, Edward produced a lightsaber that shimmered with an eerie light and slashed directly at the Lord of Cinder's head.

At the same time, he didn't forget to say something.

"It's nothing but a fabricated fake."

"Does he still think he's the real Lord of Cinder?"

His sarcasm at this moment was not just for the sake of sarcasm.

It's a psychological tactic.

The hope is to use these words to break down the Lord of Cinder's defenses, thereby creating more openings for him in battle.

Language can sometimes be a weapon.

This is especially true in battles at their level.

However, even though it was just the Lord of Cinder created by the Great Flame, he still possessed an extraordinary belief.

Hearing Edward's words.

He chuckled as he conjured a flaming longsword in his hand and slashed at the light sword in his opponent's hand.

"So what if it's a fake?"

"As long as I believe I am the Lord of Cinder, then I am the Lord of Cinder."

"Besides, if my true form were here, would you still dare to speak to me like that?"

"I'm afraid I can completely annihilate you in no more than three moves, right?"

The Lord of Cinder, recreated from the Great Flame, is far stronger than a typical legendary Pathfinder, but clearly cannot possess his full strength.

At this point, he had only just reached the eighth level.

—In fact, this is also the upper limit of the strength that the Great Yan can create for its powerful beings.

However, in terms of rank alone, the aura emanating from Edward was only that of a seventh-tier legendary figure.

If you encounter the Lord of Cinder in his true form, the battle will indeed end quickly.

In the time it takes to speak.

The longsword made of flames collided with Edward's lightsaber.

On the surface, it appears to be a clash between the secret powers of two sword blades.

In reality, it has already touched upon a conflict between domains and laws.

On one side is the law of fire that ignites everything.

The other side is a special set of rules that analyze everything and use massive amounts of information to break through offensive strategies.

There is no inherent difference in strength between the two.

The degree to which users understand and master the rules is the key to victory or defeat.

In that brief moment.

The two forces are constantly clashing, colliding, and entangled.

It was as if two monstrous beings beyond reason were tearing each other apart and devouring each other's flesh.

Only the one with greater endurance and a stronger foundation can achieve final victory.

The two sword blades separated upon contact and vanished almost simultaneously.

Both Edward and the Lord of Cinder turned deathly pale for a moment, and retreated dozens of meters.

Edward's clothes also showed a faint smudge of charred black.

Although the trace of the fire quickly disappeared.

But it also proves that he was actually at a slight disadvantage in the previous exchange.

Edward glanced down at the hem of his clothes, his already stiff face growing even colder.

"I really can't understand it."

"Whether it's you or the real Lord of Cinder, why can't you put aside your so-called emotions and morals and look at the issue from a more rational perspective?"

Do you think that because you and your Great Yan Kingdom have made such a great sacrifice, the people of the world will be grateful for what you have done?

"Big mistake!"

"Later generations don't even remember the existence of the country of [Da Yan], let alone know the sacrifices you made to save the world."

"They will also secretly feel smug."

"Behold, that nation, its people stained with the blood of sinners, has finally perished!"

Edward stared coldly at the Lord of Cinder and spoke in an extremely sarcastic tone.

"And it's not just people from other kingdoms."

"Even the people of the Great Yan Kingdom, your most loyal Black Flame Walkers..."

"After learning the truth, he also decided to be your enemy and became a rebel under your command. He is still seeking revenge against you to this day."

Do you think all of this is really worth it?

Every word Edward said was a veiled attack on the heart.

Like sharp arrows, they pierced the most vulnerable part of the Lord of Cinder's heart.

That's all.

The King of Cinder, however, appeared remarkably calm.

He calmly shook his head and said.

"you are wrong."

"I made this decision not because of any emotion or morality."

"But simply because...I want to do it!"

"A strong person is someone who can carry out their own will."

"The real manifestation of power is to use my will to reshape the world and create my own rules."

"As for the opinions of others, whether later generations are grateful or not, and the setbacks encountered along the way, they are actually not important at all."

"But I think you might never understand this principle in your entire life, right?"

As he said this...

The King of Cinder looked at Edward with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Now I am certain."

"Compared to me, you are a pitiful and pathetic existence."

"Not just your memories, your personality, your body..."

"Even your existence itself is probably just a tool created by someone."

"At least I can still act according to my own will, but you, where is your own will anymore?"

"How can a tool possibly understand human emotions?"

Upon hearing this, Edward, who had remained expressionless until now, finally showed some strong emotional fluctuations.

just like……

The faint pity in the Lord of Cinder's eyes brought even greater harm than in their previous encounters.

"What do you know, you rascal?"

Edward's words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I was going to try to persuade you again."

"But it seems you're even more stubborn than I thought."

"Since that's the case, then I'll have no choice but to use violence to forcibly take control of this point."

It's not hard to tell from Edward's words.

The Lord of Cinder before me is just like the Lord of Cinder in the "Eve of the Wedding" scene. Both are key nodes in the entire memory scene.

And now.

His true purpose was to use some special means to control the key nodes of the Great Yan Dynasty.

As for what Edward intends to do after taking control of the nodes, only the members of the Truth Society know.

And just after he finished speaking.

The King of Cinder suddenly turned his head and looked warily in another direction of the palace.

"Come out, B1."

As Edward gave a soft shout, a figure gradually emerged from the shadows of the palace.

He was tall and robust, with broad shoulders that seemed capable of supporting the entire ocean.

His face was weathered and marked by the passage of time and the scars of countless battles.

He had a slightly graying beard on his chin.

Those deep eyes seemed to transcend time, revealing a mysterious profundity.

But his personal will is nowhere to be seen.

Like a puppet being manipulated on strings.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that this middle-aged man possesses a similar aura to the Lord of Cinder.

That is the majesty unique to kings!

Upon seeing the other party, Lord Cinder's pupils constricted, and he murmured in surprise.

"The Pirate King, Augustine?"

Yes.

The man who appeared in the Great Yan Palace and was called Number B1 was none other than a clone of Augustine.

only.

You can't tell from his appearance.

This B1 is different from the previous B5; he is not younger.

Instead, it was Augustine at his prime, when his strength and wisdom were at their peak!

Even his majestic face was exactly the same as the portrait in the Lord of Cinder's memory.

The moment I saw him appear.

The King of Cinder immediately became extremely wary.

Unlike Edward, who gave him a strange and mysterious feeling.

The first impression that Augustine gave the Lord of Cinder was like a vast and boundless ocean.

His aura was almost unfathomable.

It gives one an instinctive sense of unease.

That is, in the time it takes to take two breaths.

The Lord of Cinder quickly realized the truth about this Augustine and questioned Edward, who was standing nearby.

"He is also... a tool you created?"

Edward sneered, "That's right."

"And guess what, now that we have the technology to replicate Augustine..."

"Who will we copy next?"

Upon hearing this, a flame of rage ignited in the Lord of Cinder's eyes.

The air seemed to ignite wherever his gaze fell, emitting a hissing sound.

The intense light seemed to scorch everything around it.

"To actually desecrate a former king in this way..."

"It seems that you and your organization are indeed a bunch of scum who deserve to die!"

Edward replied, "Whether it's scum or whatever."

"Only then can we board the ship bound for the new world."

"And you old folks from the old era can only be swallowed up along with this world!"

The moment the words fell.

Edward and Augustine B1 immediately charged towards the Lord of Cinder.

Edward drew another dark blue lightsaber, its surface covered in countless runes that emanated a deadly aura.

In Augustine's hand, a massive greatsword, engraved with deep blue patterns, appeared.

It exudes an aura as vast as the ocean.

It is the legendary greatsword, [Vast Ocean]!
only.

This [Vast Ocean] is not something that B5 recreated using secret power.

It was the greatsword that the real Augustine possessed.

The Truth Society stole Augustine's legacy at some point, obtained this greatsword from it, and gave it to B1 for use.

When Augustine picked up the weapon again, it instantly unleashed an extremely terrifying power.

It caused the surrounding air to tremble.

He slowly drew his sword, and a chilling sword intent swept over him, as if carrying the coldness and mystery of the deep sea.

next moment.

The sword wind howled past, like a raging storm at sea.

In a daze, a giant wave, like a tsunami, swept towards the Lord of Cinder.

The vast, surging waves filled the entire field of vision.

Lord Cinder's gaze sharpened, he took a deep breath, and his body completely transformed into a flame giant, colliding with the illusory giant wave before him.

A "chi" sound.

The seawater, which should have been an illusion, was rapidly evaporated by his flames, turning into a white mist.

All of a sudden.

The entire palace appears to be divided into two areas.

On one side was a raging, scorching sea of ​​fire.

On the other side lies the vast and deep ocean, with its boundless blue waves.

Two distinct and clearly defined seas are constantly devouring each other in an attempt to gain dominance.

Waves of fire and seawater crashed back and forth.

For a time, no one could do anything to anyone.

Only white steam rose continuously throughout the hall, making the already fragile hall, weakened by the flames, even more precarious.

But don't forget.

On the battlefield, Edward is also eyeing the Lord of Cinder.

A deep blue light flashed in his eyes.

With the help of countless data collections and analyses, he is searching for the most fatal weakness of the Lord of Cinder in this state.

And soon.

Under Augustine's control.

A clear point came into his view.

"Got you."

Edward smiled slightly.

Then, his figure appeared like a ghost, as if the space itself were flickering, in a corner of the sea of ​​fire.

But just as his lightsaber was about to pierce that point...

A figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

A muffled clang!
Edward's lightsaber was blocked by a dark, deep longsword that seemed to be made of shadow.

A voice with a complex tone then rang out.

"It's good to see you again, Edward."

Edward stared intently.

What appeared before him was a figure completely covered in white-gold armor, with the mask reflecting a crimson hue.

"……Who are you?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Edward's eyes, but in the blink of an eye, he recognized the newcomer.

"Captain of the Black Swan, Shane?"

"And Gold's daughter, [Platinum Knight] Carles?"

"But you've seen me before?"

To Edward, the person standing before him, Shane, should have been a complete stranger.

But for some reason, he also felt an indescribable sense of familiarity...

(End of this chapter)