Chapter 446: Baron

"You’re the one courting death!"

The Moon Elf’s face was expressionless, but a crimson light flowed within her eyes. A Sword-shaped Force Field, condensed entirely from Magic, materialized in her palm. As the Lion Armor shifted, she unleashed a single slash at Ming Datiss. The resulting roar and disturbance of Magic Power were no less than the explosion Ron had created with all his might!

Honed over centuries, she had even spent the last hundred-plus years advancing her skills as two separate individuals. Jilannis Galanord was not merely the strongest Mage in the world; she was also one of its foremost Sword Saints!

When she first fought Ron and the others, she had naturally held back. Facing the Death Knight, she had focused on stalling for time. When fighting alongside herself, their minds had been as one... But against Ming Datiss, who dared to speak to her with such insolence, Jilannis poured all her strength into this single strike!

Ming Datiss, transformed into what looked like an Abisarlon Demon Monster, had believed his power now far surpassed his former self. But when he met the strike head-on, he was horrified to realize just how vast the gap between them truly was!

Caught off guard, he had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms to block, mustering all the Magic Power he could control to form a Highly Poisonous Shield in front of them.

"My master reforged this body to be indestructible! You can’t even dream of harming me!"

And yet, Ming Datiss’s sixth sense was screaming at him, a frantic warning that if he met this strike head-on, he would still die!

"Why did you have to provoke her..." Silvia muttered, raising a hand to shield her eyes. She squinted at the clueless Ming Datiss; in the darkness, it was the only way she could look directly at the sword’s brilliant, sun-like radiance.

This time, everyone was certain that under the force of this strike, Ming Datiss was going to die.

The kind of death that leaves nothing but ash.

However, just as the Sword-shaped Force Field shattered the Highly Poisonous Shield like rotted wood and effortlessly sliced Ming Datiss’s thickly-armored arms into four pieces, the former Elf’s shrill scream rang out once again.

"Lord Saran! Save me!"

"Who did he just say?!"

In that instant, Ron, who had been recovering amongst his companions, shot to his feet, staring at Ming Datiss in shock. The very next second, he drew Siren’s Song from his waist in a blur of motion. A Crossbow Arrow of condensed Magic Power materialized and blasted toward a dark corner!

BANG!

The being Ron had detected moved with incredible speed. The Crossbow Arrow Ron fired as fast as he could collided with the target when it had only traveled a third of the distance. A Magic Scream reverberated through the confined space. By the time the figure finally appeared, they had already snatched Ming Datiss away from under Jilannis’s blade!

The creature’s form was strikingly similar to Ming Datiss’s—it too was unclad, its body covered in Scale Armor. But unlike Ming Datiss’s sickly green scales, his were a deep, ink-green!

Furthermore, the pair of horns on his head, closely resembling those of a Tiffling or even a devil, further clarified his status: he was of a nobler rank than Ming Datiss!

"Saran... lad?" Jilannis froze for a moment, surprised. She held her sword back, her gaze fixed on the terrified Ming Datiss—whose soul had nearly fled his body—and the creature that had suddenly appeared, holding him in its grasp.

"My Lady." The figure, previously hidden in shadow, tossed Ming Datiss to the ground and stepped forward into the faint glow of the Sword-shaped Force Field. His face was also covered in scales, retaining only a vague resemblance to the spirited, genius Elf he once was.

He lowered his head slightly, offering a respectful bow to Jilannis. "It has been a long time, My Lady. Your teachings still ring in my ears. I never imagined I would see you again, as graceful as ever. I am truly overjoyed."

"Saran Laine!" Aive cried out. "Y-y-you! You’re not dead either?!"

The former Elf Nobility glanced coldly at the Half-Elf. "If Ming Datiss didn’t die, how could I have been so easily discarded?"

"But—but we clearly saw you get—" Aive bit out, gritting her teeth. The heroic image of that Fishman Paladin making his noble sacrifice flashed through her mind. "You deserve to die!"

"Her delivery might be a bit lacking, but I share her sentiment," Jilannis said, looking at Baron Saran and giving the Sword-shaped Force Field in her hand a little shake. "They tell me you’ve also died and come back, then died and come back again... I never realized the Laine Clan was so hard to kill."

"...If I had a choice, I would have preferred to enter the cycle of reincarnation," Baron Saran said after a moment of silence. "But once you overestimate your own strength and sit down at the table, you no longer belong to yourself."

"Back then, My Lady, you offered me much advice regarding my choices. In hindsight, every word was gold. It’s just a pity that it’s too late for regrets," the Baron said, choosing his words with care as he bowed to Jilannis again. "My Lady, I don’t know why you’ve chosen to associate with that human, but I implore you not to interfere! Even someone of your stature may not be able to resolve the troubles here!"

"Ming Datiss is nothing more than a fool. I apologize to you on his behalf! Please, I beg you to let this matter rest!"

"The Hailan Empire fell long ago. Even if His Majesty himself stood here, I wouldn’t necessarily have to show him any deference..." the Sword-Singing Lion Armor sneered, about to say more, but it suddenly fell silent. The Moon Elf spoke, completing the thought, "But... since you’ve said as much, then fine. He can continue to settle his old debts with Ron."

"Thank you for your tolerance!" Baron Saran kept his head bowed, but a flicker of triumph flashed in his solid black eyes, which had no whites. He turned to face Ron, who was already watching him with extreme caution. "However, Ming Datiss is not the only one here with a score to settle with him."

"Baron Saran? The genius who died young? You’re actually in Delusional Land!" Anastina remembered who this was, her astonishment growing. "Too bad you’re late, though. They already agreed to a duel!"

The explosion Ron had triggered earlier left a deep impression on Anastina. The Mercenary was confident that even in a rematch, Ron would win again.

Saran, however, had no intention of giving Ron that chance. A contemptuous smile curled his lips. "Who said anything about fighting him one-on-one?"

"Every last one of you is an enemy of mine. What I’m going to do is kill all of you!" The Baron’s body suddenly became illusory, like several afterimages overlapping. A mere five or six seconds later, six identical Saran Laines stepped out from his position, one after another!

Every one of them bore the form of an Abisharon Demon!

"I won’t take advantage of you. It’s seven on seven now!" Saran’s voice issued from the mouths of all six Saran Laines simultaneously, before twisting into a sharp rebuke. "Ming Datiss! You worthless gopher, get over here now!"

"Yes!"

With reinforcements to back him up, Ming Datiss’s courage swelled instantly. A flash of deep green light passed, and the hands Jilannis had sliced off grew back, looking even stronger than his previous claws. He took up a position half a step behind Saran and shot the group another savage, triumphant smirk.

"Ron! The Master wants you dead, and the Baron wants you dead, which means today is the day you die!"

"I, Ming Datiss, have died and returned so many times. What are a mere pair of severed hands to me? That which does not kill me makes me stronger! I swear I will bury you here today!"