Chapter 243

Chapter 243

***

It was neither obsession nor lingering attachment. For a person to wait for someone for over 100 years, something else was needed.

It might not be something cliché like love or friendship, but something felt for the first time that captivated him. Enough to not forget it for 100 years.

Besprim was born a warrior, raised as a warrior, and lived as a warrior.

Confrontations among warriors were like the providence of nature, the winner kills the loser and takes everything from him. Equipment, land, wealth, and even wives and children.

However, Besprim survived his first defeat in life, and his first fear in life. Return to your hometown and live peacefully. What ddid that mean?

In a way it was nothing, but to him it was a shocking event that shattered his shell like a thunderbolt.

Besprim didn't understand the inner flesh revealed after his shell was broken. Things like consideration, forgiveness, and compassion.

Because it was an overly violent and cruel world, he hadn't yet been explained or taught about them.

Besprim merely accepted it as weakness. So he tried to forcibly shake it off, but couldn't.

So, there was no choice but to clash once again. Without even knowing what he was wishing to clash again for, he could only did so.

That was all. That was why he waited 100 years.

"Friend? There is no such thing. Only allies, or enemies."

Besprim said pointing his left hand at Rickart. Instead of his cut-off hand, something like a mace head was attached.

It looked like jagged spikes stuck into a lump of iron. It was a hand that couldn't embrace anyone, but could only crush and smash.

"Think as you please. But no matter how much you deny it, both you and I had wretched and pitiful lives. Isn't it laughable to bring up a warrior's pride or honor at this point?"

Flames surged. The golden flames instantly wrapped around the entire blade and blazed. Seeing that Besprim smiled as if even more delighted.

"I agree with that. Pride or honor has no meaning at this point. Just finally finishing the unfinished business between you and me now."

"Just curious, what if I lose?"

"I will return the exact despair I felt to you. Return to your hometown and live peacefully. Though I don't know if your hometown disappeared because you already died once."

Rickart laughed without resistance exactly as if he heard a funny joke from a friend. So this was very strange. Whether they really had to fight.

However, there was no other way. Besprim forcefully struck down his huge axe first.

KWANG! KWAJIK!

The axe smashed an old table in an instant, and even though Rickart dodged far to the side, he had to grab his cloak and wrap his body to block the debris.

Following that the mace attached instead of Besprim's cut-off hand swung. Rickart swung his sword as if to cut off that brutal piece of iron.

KAANG!

However the mace easily deflected the skewer-like sword.

Feeling a huge impact applied to his hand and wrist after a long time, Rickart hurriedly backed far away. Though the blade didn't break, it was still trembling shivering.

By the way, it was the first time his sword of flames failed to cut something.

A bit surprised he looked at Besprim, and beyond his axe and mace, and his long blonde hair, deep red flames were blazing in his eyes.

"I didn't just sit and wait 100 years, Steel Reaper. Only after transcending my obsession and torment, longing and wishes, and all that did I reach the present. To me, there is only you."

"Sorry but I have no interest in men."

Rickart retorted like a silly joke, and spun his wrist around round and round. Accordingly, the sword spun around like a toy too.

Just because he was briefly surprised didn't mean his mind wavered. Not even a speck of fear could creep in.

As Rickart fully raised his power too, the debris strewn about and dust rose softly sliding. Amidst the wind suddenly blowing indoors and accordingly making both of their hair flutter, golden flames blazed in Rickart's eyes too.

Two superhumans transcending humans seemed to clash. On the outside it looked like fighting staking the world's fate in this remote place, but it was just an extremely personal matter.

Rickart was tall, and Besprim was two heads taller than him. By physique it was no match, but for two superhumans transcending humans, things like muscles or nerve power weren't important.

Seeing Rickart's appearance like an descended god, Besprim trembled and shouted loudly.

"Yes! That's it!"

KWAANG! KWAREUREU...... TTEOEONG!

Whoosh......!

When the two earnestly clashed with full power, it was impossible to tell what was what. Merely heavy force crushed, smashed, and broke the surroundings.

When Rickart swung his sword, passing through the air sharp scratches formed on the stone wall far away, and Besprim's mace and axe mercilessly smashed even the hard walls.

Then when Rickart kicked forward forcefully, a shockwave spread from the point of impact, and Besprim's huge body flew backwards and ended up smashing the battered wall.

He rolled around the courtyard and sprang up, and on the castle walls the people belonging to the Shadow of the King were still standing still and looking down. Exactly like spirits of the underworld.

Since the dust rose thickly the interior was almost invisible from the outside, but two golden flames wavering were visible. Soon a black silhouette appeared, and Rickart slowly walked out.

A smile was spread around Rickart's mouth too.

"It is fun."

At those words Besprim forcefully raised both hands high up and shouted. Though he did it 100 years ago too, right now it truly seemed an existence transcending human was spewing out thunder.

"I am the last warrior of the Prous tribe! The Meat Cleaver Besprim!"

From his huge build, from that massive resonance chamber, his shout regarding his identity echoed loudly ringing loudly around.

However, that was also words directly denying Bespraon, the executing family. Because their identity was getting rid of the remaining barbaric customs after civilization.

Rickart rushed in towards him. Held with two hands, his sword tip was pointed at him as if to pierce Besprim's stomach.

Then Besprim struck down with his axe and mace simultaneously.

KKWAANG-!

In an instant the floor smashed. It seemed nothing in the world could survive there.

But when did he jump up, Rickart was floating in the air. The sword raised above his head fell on Besprim's head even cleaving sunshine and spacetime.

Besprim jerked his head back to dodge but Rickart's holy blade slashed his shoulder blade and embedded deeply. He couldn't slice completely through.

Besprim hurriedly swung his arm and struck Rickart away.

PEOK!

Rickart flew far away and was about to ram into the ground, but momentarily twisted his body and landed stably.

However his body was not fine. From his flank to around his neck the skin flushed deep red like heated iron, and simultaneously became translucent so his bones, muscles, and blood vessels were visible.

Though it quickly returned to normal, Besprim's brutal attack taken at close range pierced through the body enhanced by the dragon's blood and ended up breaking a rib.

Rickart couldn't even remember when was the last time he was injured, but right now the broken rib pierced his lung.

"Still a long way to go! You bastard!"

Besprim shouted loudly glaring his eyes blazing with deep red flames. From his left shoulder a large amount of blood was bursting out gulping.

Rickart didn't shout back, but he thought the same. Yeah, still a long way to go.

If it were ordinary people they would already basically be incapable of combat, but the two didn't care at all, and their movements didn't actually slow down or their strength weaken.

Rather they clashed more fiercely.

KAANG! KANG! TTEOEONG! TTEOEOEOEONG!

It wasn't a sound generally made in a fight holding bladed weapons. It was a bell sound that would likely ring out when the end of times arrived.

It echoed in the coastal fortress of Hellskald Island, and as the two fought they increasingly moved outside passing through the castle gate without knowing.

The coast where the sea breeze blew in, the grass on the field even greener from the rain the day before, upon that the two continued to fight.

As the sound vibrating the atmosphere spread as if to echo far and wide to the ends of the world, nearby villagers were drawn out by the sound. Among them were the sailors who gave Rickart a ride too.

Uninvited spectators watched the duel of two people seemingly suddenly fighting risking the world's fate.

Rickart's red cloak became tattered, and Besprim's iron armor also got scratched and cracked all over, bleeding through the gaps.

However, due to Rickart's persistent attacks Besprim's left arm was dangling as if to fall off any moment. So he just ripped off his own arm with his bare hand.

To ordinary people it was an unbelievable, or rather seemingly unrealistic sight.

Besprim threw his arm away, and held his axe in one hand. And then drew up his final strength. Then from the tip of his toes to the top of his head flames burning himself blazed up. He looked like a demon general risen from hell.

However the outcome was obvious as seeing fire. There was no way Rickart would lose against someone missing an arm. Actually whether fast or slow there were dozens, hundreds of ways to win.

But whether out of respect for him, or foolishness, Rickart didn't dodge Besprim's final strike drawing up all his strength, and clashed against it.

"Oaaaaaaak!"

When the sword and axe met a wavering of space occurred at that point. And like ripples spreading out, it instantly flashed to the surroundings without even a sound.

The watching people's hair and clothes fluttered. The grass on the field laid flat. The sound burst out after that.

KKWAAAANG......!

The sound of thunder that used to always only echo in that sky seemed to burst right in front of their eyes. As if crushed by that sound Besprim collapsed. A smashed axe was held in his hand. Rickart looked down at him holding his sword.

Besprim burned all his flames and lay on the coastal field looking up at Rickart.

His blue eyes, unlike 100 years ago, had not a single speck of fear. Merely, a fulfillment and joy hard to describe substituted it.

A momentary silence flowed, then Besprim gasped for breath with a faint smile and said.

"S-say you won't spare me, Ricky. Finish it. It's finally the end. The end. Th-the next life, the next life...... neither an Imperial, nor a barbarian...... Ha......"

Without Rickart even needing to finish it, life faded from Besprim's eyes. His final breath mixed with the sea breeze and flew off somewhere.

Rickart only then touched his flank as pain arrived. And whether conveying condolences, or lost in other thoughts, merely bowed his head.

The sound of waves crashing and seagulls crying squawk was heard from afar. The people remained silent.

Even if they couldn't meet again in the next life, Rickart sincerely wished Besprim would definitely be born into a happy family and grow up like him.

Now there were no more Imperials or barbarians. So there was no endless hatred and hostility between the two either.

Those who were the Shadow of the King came out of the citadel, loaded Besprim's corpse onto a stretcher and headed to the coast. Loading it onto something like a large raft, they also boarded it themselves.

And set off far, far away into the sea. Rickart took that sight into his eyes.

When the raft looked like a small dot, it began to burn. In the middle of the sea, exactly where the storm finally slept.

Chapter 49 - Personal Matter. End.