Chapter 200

Episode 200 Finally (2)

On a day when the moon hung over the roof of a high tower and the discontent in a tavern illuminated the darkness, a boy set foot on the street.

Palak. Every time the boy took a step, the hem of his shabby cloak moved and blood continued to flow from his shoeless feet.

“what’s this!” At that time, a man screamed at the blood stains on the street. “what’s the matter!” The friend next to me was startled and raised the lamp. The lights illuminated the streets at night.

“What kind of mark is this?” The man followed the trail with his friend. And soon he found a boy walking alone.

Dirty gray hair and bony limbs visible under a cloak.

“Who wants to buy it?” Those who discovered the boy were frightened and raised their lamps closer. Then half of the boy’s face, which had been hidden in darkness, was revealed.

Fighting. The boy’s half-turned face, from forehead to chin, was torn diagonally, and blood was constantly vomiting out.

“The wound is bad!” his friend exclaimed, moving closer to the boy. But the moment he approached, the shadow surrounding part of the boy’s body flickered.

No, it wasn’t a shadow. The darkness that had been pretending to be a shadow revealed itself through the boy’s cloak, outside the light behind his feet.

It was as if half the boy was made of darkness. The hair sticking up looked exactly like horns.

“Oh devil!” The man quickly pulled out his knife to save his friend. Then the boy trembled and backed away from the light of the lamp. The eyes of the boy who entered the realm of darkness glowed brightly.

“I am.” The boy seemed to want to say something. “Over there!” However, the moment the cries of others who discovered the blood stain were heard, the boy...

– From Herto Linzer [Broken Horn].

* * *

Berserk was in lotus position before the fight. This was the posture the Nordic warriors took whenever they meditated.

“Seup... Huu....”

In that state, repeat the inhalation and exhalation. Then, with one outgoing breath, the distracting thoughts disappeared, and with one incoming breath, my fighting spirit swelled.

It was a fighting spirit as pure as the snow piled up on top of the royal coffin and as cold as a thousand-year-old ice crystal beneath it.

I would lose.

“....”

However, there is no such thing as complete liberation. At least it was that way for her.

You know. He cut what you couldn’t cut.

“...the amount of magical power does not determine victory or defeat.”

A voice seeps into my head as I try to keep my cool. Berserk bit his lip.

ha ha ha. A voice identical to hers echoed in my head.

That’s usually the case. But does he only have magical powers? That’s not true. You can’t beat him.

“Does not matter.”

why? How is it okay to challenge someone you can’t beat?

“In some battles, even defeat has meaning.”

Well... you’re not wrong, but does that apply to the fight you’re about to face?

“The meaning is—”

You have no intention to learn anything from him, nor do you have the will to follow him in rank, nor have you offered anything to him.

It was a voice that pierced only the truth to the point that it was painful.

Or do you just want to be recognized for your shortcomings? why? These are things you already know but are ignoring. If you’re going to turn away again this time, what value is there in this action?

“...I am Berserk.”

If you’re going to pretend not to know, just pretend not to know. Or prepare to face it head on.

I don’t want to hear it. Berserk made me want to cover my ears.

If she could get rid of that voice that cut through her skin, tore through her muscles, and exposed the private parts she wanted to hide, she could do anything.

30 years is enough to wander around without the answer at your back.

“stop!”

...no. she couldn’t If I could, I would have done it right away.

“stop.”

Fighting.

Berserk dropped his head forward, shedding tears. My chest hurt as if my heart was being ripped out. It felt like I lost half of myself.

“Please stop...”

She stared at the one who was stuck in those days and was no longer growing up. I looked straight at the person who was drying out and staining the pure snow mountain with blood.

“Don’t blame me if you did the same.”

As expected, I didn’t want to see this.

“I’m asking you not to stop me because I chose to fight even though I knew I would lose and didn’t listen to my dissuasion.”

I don’t want to face it yet.

...It was to save you.

“I never wanted Berserk.”

So was it for you?

“It wasn’t even for Berserk.”

never.

“If it was really for me, I should have gone with you.”

I won’t admit it.

* * *

3:40 in the morning. I left early because I like to leave 10 to 20 minutes before my appointment time.

“hmm.”

And then I faced the closed castle gate. It was the end of humans who forgot that the gates only open when the sun rises.

“What should I do with this....”

Oh my. Since there would be no space within the city—more precisely, there would be no open space large enough for us to fight as much as we wanted without causing damage to the surrounding area—I had deliberately made an appointment outside the city.

I never thought the castle gate would block me. Are you saying that one knows this but the other doesn’t?

The golden eyes shone cleverly without a trace of lightness.

“Enlightenment to those who are defeated.”

And when I met that gaze, I opened my mouth without realizing it.

“...Be fair in duels.”

Is it because of my mood? It seemed like Berserk’s eyes were slightly bent as he looked at me.

Even before she could confirm it, the halberd held in both her hands was thrust forward.

“It’s an honor to fight.”

A blade resembling a spear at the end of a halberd was pointed at my heart.

It’s just the beginning. Instead of ears, instinct recognized the effectiveness of the duel.

bang!

Berserk charged at me with his halberd held wide. The moment she hits the ground, a sound resounds as if a thin metal plate has been hit by something.

The scarlet light of the oil lamp coated the dark-colored halberd with non-flowing lava.

Ting.

On the other hand, rather than rushing at her, I raised my sword properly in place.

The two-hender that I had already taken out and was holding until it touched the floor hit the toe of my shoe and bounced upward.

Kyaang.

My two-hender got stuck exactly between the halberd’s spear blade and the ax blade, blocking the halberd’s advance.

The halberd and the two-hender, which were stuck diagonally, collided and vibrated violently. Even though I was prepared, my wrists were still numb.

However, it cannot be stopped in this state.

Her and my wrists moved flexibly and rotated the halberd and the two-hender in a circular motion. It was meant to remove the stuck blade, but I ended up making the same decision and ended up drawing a half circle in the air.

I’m sorry.

Then pull it back. Berserk and I took a step back and released our crossed weapons. In the process, the metals rubbed against each other, making an eerie sound.

Boom!

After that, it’s another attack. Berserk charged straight ahead, holding the end and middle of the spear. If you were told to avoid it, it was a route that even ordinary people could see and avoid.

But how could she be called Berserk if she was going to make such an obvious attack?

The spear blade, which had been thrust forward, was quickly withdrawn back and the stab was carried out in a different route.

My two-hender was similar.

It’s huge, but it’s still 5kg. The smoothly rotating sword collided with the spear blade. Teuong! With a heavy sound, the halberd and two-hender were pushed to both sides.

Whick!

If I can’t take advantage of this inertia, I’ll have to return the action game title.

I twisted my ankle and rotated my body. At the same time, the blade of the sword accelerated along my body as if spinning in a windmill, aiming for Berserk once again.

Cough! The halberd and the two-hender collided again. If the previous collision was closer to the shape of a ten, this time it was in the shape of an X.

The angle between the crossed swords and the halberd is too large and too narrow. It slips.

Boom!

The blade that hit the spear pole fell down without a struggle. The halberd naturally has a shape that falls upward.

“Tahat!”

The problem is Halberd’s reach.

The length of my two-hender is about 1.6m. Berserk’s halberd is about 2.5 meters long.

When she stabs me in this state, I get stabbed completely, but I cannot stab her.

And Berserk didn’t know that either.

survival instinct. The hastily activated skill suggested an avoidance route. Either step back or block with your sword.

“...!”

Among them, the one I chose was the latter.

I strengthened my arms thanks to the system calibration. The sword that had been stuck on the ground was lifted up and blocked my path diagonally. My right hand grabs the ricasso part of the True Two Hander to prepare for the next impact.

Of course, if you do this, Berserk’s halberd can retreat again and stab you in a different route... but

it’s a joke!

How can I let that happen?

I followed the suggested trajectory and once again placed the sword between the halberd’s spear blade and the ax blade.

Crack. In that state, if you change the angle of the blade by twisting your wrist, the blade of the two-hender is accurately fixed in the groove that looks like an upside-down Ω.

Now Berserk can’t retrieve the halberd back until I release it or give up stabbing and twist it out.

Moreover, that day cannot reach me either.

So what are you going to do?

How are you going to respond?

“Of course you are...!”

Berserk let out a sharp laugh at the silent question I asked. The one she chose was the latter.

So what should I do? How should I respond?

While watching Berserk, I imagined the next problem. It was like solving a trick.

It’s intense, but there’s no need to consider death, and it’s exciting but fair, and there’s only a level of stress that gives you pleasure when you solve it.

Such a mystery.

“Berserk will do its best!”

Cough!

Meanwhile, the weapons clashed once again and Berserk’s shout pierced my ears.

It was as if he was giving a firm command not to pay attention.

“So, you too, do your best!”

It wasn’t a particularly bad feeling.