T/N: Sorry this chapter was late. The IRL issue took rather long to resolve.
"Should we begin?"
"Leave it to me."
"I'll show you what a true spearmanship is."
Words that followed one another.
Surprisingly, they were all words Roan had said.
The color of his eyes dyed each time from brown to red, and red to black.
'Just what is happening……'
Pierce was perplexed but did not unnecessarily ask.
Because he had confirmed that the Roan before his eyes was the Roan he knew.
Rather, the one who was wrapped in confusion was Katy Rinse.
'He says he's not Count Lancephil, then Count Lancephil again?'
She flustered at Pierce's change in behavior.
Roan's behavior, being hard to understand was also the same.
At that moment.
"Keeh."
Simon extended his black tongue out long and kicked off the ground.
Seemingly not liking Roan who stood and blocked off Katy.
His image turned hazy.
The lightning-like movement that even Pierce struggled against.
But Roan's expression was relaxed.
"Quite fast, but……"
The crimson eyes flashed and shone with light.
"I've already experienced this much speed countless times!"
His head seemingly shook slightly to the sides, then his appearance quickly disappeared.
Roan too had kicked off the ground and shot out towards Simon.
Speed versus speed.
Kkaang!
A fierce battle unfolded with a metallic din.
A deathly fight with life on the line, one that might perhaps be the last, had begun.
Chang! Chajang! Chang!
Sparks flew every time the spearhead and the blade clashed. 1
The black smoke that flowed along Simon's body reached towards Roan.
The horrifying evil mana that suffocated the air from merely a touch.
But the black smoke couldn't swallow Roan as it wished.
For the blackish crimson light pouring out from Roan's entire body pushed away the black smoke and violently soared.
[Definitely because he had just begun the rampage, the movement of the evil mana is rough and inefficient.]
Travias's voice rang through his head.
[But he's shittily strong instead!]
The owner of the voice that rang after was Flamdor.
'But you said we could expunge the evil mana if three of us combine our power, right?'
Roan threw a question within his head.
Travias and Flamdor's voices simultaneously shot out.
[When?]
[Never said that.]
Unexpected reactions.
Roan flustered.
'Wha, what? What do you……'
When his thought reached around that point, rascally voices overflowed in his head.
[Not us three but two, this blacky and I, are combining our strength.]
[It's Flamdor and I combining strength. We don't need your strength. It doesn't help.]
A harsh appraisal.
Roan simply showed no reaction.
[You mad?]
Flamdor snorted out a laugh and asked.
As expected, there was no response.
[Watch closely even if you are mad. This is the true Flamdor Mana Technique.]
Following behind, Travias's voice was heard.
[What you'll see from now on is the real Travias Spearmanship.]
The voices that echoed in his head disappeared.
Simultaneously, the blackishly crimson light pouring out of Roan became much stronger.
The left eye shone with a crimson light and the right eye with a black light.
Sss.
The spearhead that cut the air and parried Simon's sword as if dancing disappeared.
In contrast, the spear handle held in the hands was distinctly showing its shape.
The invisible part was only the spearhead.
"Keke! Keeh?"
Simon bent his neck left and right and roared out a scream.
A look seemingly bewildered at the unnatural spearmanship happening before its eyes.
Even so, it calmly swung its longsword and blocked the invisible spearhead.
It was a swordsmanship not the eyes and the head but the hand and the instinct produced.
"Damn Pienville."
Roan, no, Flamdor spat out a curse.
[Even so, it's childish compared to the Queen of Water!]
By Queen of Water, he spoke of Biate who mutually destructed with Reid.
The woman powerful enough for Flamdor to rank even within his hundreds of years of experience.
[Roan. Watch closely. The Flamdor Mana Technique does not use the heat.]
Incomprehensible words echoed in his head.
Flamdor shouted with an amazingly self-confident voice.
"Flamdor is fire, the very thing itself!"
A shout that shook the world.
At the same time.
Paaaaat!
Incredible blaze roared along his arms and the Travias Spear.
"Die! You devil bastard!"
The blaze directly followed the spearhead and slashed out at Simon.
"Khee!"
Simon was still of an appearance of drawing its black tongue out long.
It, without even a thought of dodging, tried to swing its sword and slash out the flame.
But.
Ssss.
Simon's sword melted into a handful of liquid iron the moment it touched the black flame.
Truly a fierce heat.
The power itself was different than the fire Roan wielded until now.
Pch!
The end of Simon's sleeve burst into ash.
Hizzzz.
The back of its hand too burned up and soon hideously festered.
"Keeh. Keeh. Keeh."
Simon quickly pulled out his hand and moved back.
It let out a bizarre laugh.
Even though it had a foul burn, it simply was not agonized nor pained.
Lick. Lick.
Simon licked its hand's wound with its black tongue.
It was not because it had some healing effect.
Merely an instinctive action.
The black smoke that flowed along his entire body gathered onto his hand's burn.
Hizzzz.
With a horrible sound, the festered wound closed.
Instead, its skin turned smoother than before.
Only, its color had changed to a murky hue.
"Khee!"
Simon let out a shriek as if enraged.
But it didn't even have the time to properly rally itself.
"It's my turn this time!"
With a shout, Roan stabbed the Travias Spear and pounced.
[I'll show you the true Travias Spearmanship.]
Following Flamdor, the one actively moving the body was Travias.
The spearhead once again turned faint and then disappeared.
Simultaneously.
Spat! Pbat! Pbabababat!
The Travias Spear's handle repeated extending, contracting, thickening, and thinning.
Its changing speed was at the least more than twice faster than when Roan used it.
It was enough for the eyes to spin.
Even more, the way the spear moved was so smooth and wondrous that it almost looked from an angle as if the Travias Spear left Roan's hands and was bending and thrusting and returning by itself.
"Khiiaaa!"
Simon raged.
It widely moved in multiple directions and dodged all of Roan's attacks.
"Khiia! Khiia!"
The shriek it howled out gradually turned louder.
Each time, the black smoke running along his entire body also thickened.
"Not good."
Roan, no, Travias shortly muttered as he kicked off the ground.
They had to end it before Simon rally itself.
The spear held in his hands increased to tens.
No, the number seemed as if it increased.
"Try dodging this too."
The tens of spears soon increased to hundreds of spears.
An incredible number of afterimages.
No, it was uncertain if it even was an afterimage.
The invisible and sharp spearhead moved as if dancing.
Ssweaaaak!
The sky split with a sharp clap.
Unbelievable, yet it truly happened.
The blue sky ripped and a black line distinctly appeared.
The black line, drawing a curve, soon fell down towards Simon.
More than hundreds of black lines.
Their ends glinted with sharp light.
"Khee!?"
Even Simon who easily dodged Roan's attacked until now looked a little baffled.
"Kkeeeee!"
It instinctively kicked the ground and tried to move back.
But.
Boom! Kkwakakakakakang!
One step ahead of it, the black lines fell down onto the space behind Simon.
The crest of the earth flipped with a bang.
Earth and stones jumped everywhere.
That by itself was an incredible sight, but the thing even more incredulous was that the black lines that struck the ground didn't disappear.
The black lines, like a wall, directly blocked off Simon's behind.
Boom! Kkwakakakang!
The black lines continuously stuck the ground.
The wall slowly filled up even tighter and pressed in on Simon from every direction.
"Kheeeh!"
Simon shrieked out a scream.
For the tens of black lines finally began to aim and pour down onto it.
Already, every direction was blocked with the black walls that it wasn't a situation where he could move.
"Kkeeeeeeee!"
A shriek that couldn't be tell whether a shout filled with rage or a scream pierced the sky.
At the same time, the black lines, the Travias Spearmanship's quintessence rained down above.
Kkwakakakakakakang!
An incredible boom exploded out.
An amazing dust cloud that one couldn't distinguish a step ahead blossomed up.
"Huu."
Roan exhaled a long sigh and stepped back.
The mana within his body was almost showing its bottom.
[Oi! You blacky! Why would you use up all the mana like that?]
[Didn't you pulled it up just to do that?]
[I wanted to try Reid Art of Fighting too!]
[Did you? Sorry. The Pienville Evil Mana seemed like it'll rampage once more. I wanted to definitely end it before that.]
[Tch! To think only you bastard had fun……]
Flamdor and Travias noisily chatted.
'Stop fighting. Since having erased the evil mana is the important thing.'
Roan stepped up to mediate.
Effortfully calm voice.
But he was greatly shocked inside.
He was awed at the true strength of the Flamdor Mana Technique, the Travias Spear, and the Travias Spearmanship.
Although he had assured himself that he had done intense training and research, he had deeply realized that his skill was desperately lacking even so.
Meanwhile, the thickly blossomed dust slowly settled down.
Between the dust cloud, Simon who was collapsed kneeling down was seen.
A look of languidly drooping its head and arms.
[Just in case, cut off his head.]
[Even that much isn't enough. Cut off the head and destroy the heart.]
Flamdor and Travias did not relax.
That was also the same for Roan.
He didn't wish to create a trouble from a slight carelessness.
Chang!
The Travias Spear extended longer than a forearm length.
"Pierce."
Roan called out Pierce with a quiet voice.
"Eh? Yes."
Pierce, who was dazed at the incredible battle that unfolded before his eyes, twitched in surprise and answered.
Roan, without looking behind, added on.
"Please take care of the princess."
Although he had done horrendous things with hideous look, Simon was Katy's only one true family and brother.
He didn't wish to show her even the sight of his head being cut off and his chest being dug out.
"Yes. Understood."
Pierce answered shortly and moved in front of Katy.
Having been dazed at the incredible duel was also the same for Katy.
She, after having come to herself a moment after, exhaled a long sigh with a complicated expression.
'Older brother……'
If possible, she wanted to scream to let him live, to not kill him.
But Simon was no longer the Simon she had known.
'Older brother is already dead.'
The one before her eyes wasn't the real Simon.
A monster, a devil.
An existence that couldn't live.
'If it was real older brother, there is no way he would try to kill me.'
Katy clenched her teeth.
But the sadness that kept flooding up couldn't be helped.
Her large eyes were full of sorrowful light.
Her eyes turned towards Pierce.
"I want to ask you one thing."
Pierce didn't thoughtlessly answer.
Because he couldn't answer her wish if it was possibly about saving Simon.
Katy, with a sharply trembling voice, finished her words.
"Please close my ears. Please close my eyes. Please, please……"
Tears fell from her large eyes.
"Enclose me……"
A faint voice.
Pierce's heart ached.
Words asking to enclose her.
Although they weren't long, he could easily understand them.
Pierce extended his hand and brushed Katy's tears dry.
Then with both hands, he closed her ears.
With eyes full of sorrow, Katy stared at Pierce.
Pierce, just like that, pulled his arms and buried her face on his chest.
He closed her ears, and he closed her eyes.
And.
"I'll be at your side."
He enclosed her.
Meanwhile, Roan was preparing the final strike.
Fwoosh.
Flame arose along the spearhead.
"Simon……"
His heart felt complicated.
Everything that had happened since the first meeting with Simon to now unfolded in his eyes.
No, to be specific, his relation with him had essentially began from the first life.
In the last life, he was merely an enemy.
And a powerful enemy at that that he, who was a mere rank and file spearman, couldn't face, no, couldn't even stand on the same plane.
In the second life, in this life, he experienced various events over a long time and climbed onto an equal level.
He wasn't joyful of being at an equal plane with the Mad Monarch.
Only, he was happy that he could stop him before he rampaged, before he turned the world into hell.
Because of that, there was no hesitation nor mercy at the tip of his hands.
Sss.
The spearhead rose towards the sky.
"Simon. If there is a next chance for you too……"
Quietly flowing voice.
Roan gave his farewell to Simon.
"At that time, become not a mad monarch but a shining monarch."
The moment his words finished, the spearhead cut through the air and fell towards Simon's neck.
Finally the climax.
The spearhead touched Simon's neck.
That was all.
The Travias Spear that fiercely drew down couldn't move any further.
The spearhead that even wore flames couldn't make a single scratch on Simon's neck.
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Same but each different word burst out one after another from Roan's mouth.
They were Roan, Flamdor, and Travias's words.
Roan's face stiffly froze.
The unnatural event that unfolded before his eyes was something he had already experienced once.
'It's same as when Simon rampaged……'
His thoughts became complicated and his heart rapidly raced.
A sense of unease assaulted.
At that very moment.
Paaaaaaaat!
An incredible pressure exploded from Simon's languidly drooping body.
Simultaneously, the black smoke that momentarily disappeared burst out like a thick fog.
"Kuuk."
Roan clenched his teeth and moved back.
'It's different!'
Its feeling was completely different than the Pienville Evil Mana he faced until now.
Although the original evil mana too was horrifyingly horrendous, it was enough for it to be a level of a child compared to the current evil mana.
"Kuuk! Run!"
Roan shouted towards Pierce.
Pierce too felt that the turning situation wasn't normal and moved back together with Katy.
"Kheeaaaaaaaaa!"
Simon exploded out a shriek while kneeling and bending his head back.
"Kuuk."
It was a horrible sound that suffocated the breath and felt as if the hearts would burst from the moment one heard it.
[It's the second rampage!]
[He's slowly nearing completion!]
Flamdor and Travias urgently shouted.
"Damn it!"
Roan spat out a curse and kicked off the ground.
Blood flowed out between the clenched lips.
To that degree, the evil mana Simon exuded was foul.
"Die!"
Roan pulled up all of remaining mana and swung the Travias Spear.
The spearhead fell on top of Simon's shoulder.
No, it looked as if it would fall.
Chk!
Simon who was howling out a shriek extended his right hand and grabbed the Travias Spear.
It had caught the spearhead with a bare hand.
"Ridiculous!"
Roan shouted and pulled the spear.
However, the Travias Spear didn't move a bit.
"Ggii."
Simon hideously smiled and stood up.
The thickly flowing black smoke absorbed into its body.
Now, not only Simon's eyes, lips, tongue, and nails, but his entire body was black.
"Ggiie."
It widely smiled with an unintelligible sound, then lightly bounced away the spearhead it held.
At that instant.
"Kuuk!"
Roan clenched his teeth at the incredible shock that rode the spear handle and passed onto his palm.
At the same time, he couldn't endure the foul strength and retreated back five steps.
"Cough."
A clump of blood popped out with a cough.
'No way……'
An unbelievably overwhelming and powerful strength.
Roan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared at Simon.
'Flamdor. Travias. Can we fight him again someh……'
The moment he called Flamdor and Travias in his head.
Taat!
Simon lightly kicked off the ground.
Its image turned hazy, then soon disappeared.
"Eh?"
The instant Roan was surprised.
Paat!
It appeared again right in front of his nose.
Simultaneously, light flashed before his eyes.
Puukk!
Simon's fist had planted onto his stomach, chest, and face in a row.
"Kuuk."
Roan opened his mouth at the intense pain.
A feeling like the joints were shattering into pieces.
Crimson blood flowed along his mouth.
"Ggiie! Ggiie!"
Simon, seemingly greatly joyous, continued to throw punches with bizarre sounds.
The fists were fast enough to be difficult to chase with his eyes.
Pubuk! Pubububuk!
Roan was helplessly struck.
To a point that he couldn't even fall down from the ceaselessly continuing fists.
"Kuuk."
The view before his eyes turned faint.
Boom!
At Simon's strike, he flew as if skipping and crashed into the ground.
"Si, Sir Count!"
Pierce desperately shouted and tried to run over.
Roan, even while his breath was weak, shook his hand.
The moment Pierce enter in, Simon would change his target.
'I will…… I will face him to the end.'
Roan clenched his teeth.
"Cough."
Clumps of blood kept bursting out with coughs.
Just before, him having swung the spear to cut Simon's neck felt like a dream.
'I thought it was the end, but……'
It wasn't the end.
No, if it was this situation, though it was an end, its subject had changed.
It wasn't quite desirable situation.
"Kheeeee."
Simon very slowly moved his steps with a shriek.
It now planned to stop the playing and end everything.
Roan could instinctively know that.
'Is there no way……'
A despondent feeling.
At that moment.
[There is a way.]
Flamdor's voice echoed in his head.
Soon following, Travias shouted.
[Not that!]
[Then are you telling him to just die!]
Flamdor didn't back down and shouted.
Suddenly, Roan made a bitter smile.
Because he knew what the way Flamdor and Travias was speaking of was.
'Could I kill that devil for certain if I use that method?'
The instant his words ended, Flamdor answered.
[Of course.]
A voice full of certainty.
The bitter smile hanging on Roan's mouth turned even deeper.
Already, Simon was about two steps in front of him.
'Alright. Then let's use that method.'
At Roan's words, Travias shouted once again.
[Are you mad? You'll be completely erased if you use that method and it goes wrong!]
Then Flamdor spoke in a brusque voice.
[Who knows. You or I could be erased too.]
'Yeah. Flamdor is right about that.'
Roan agreed.
Laboriously smiling, he stood up.
"Kuuk."
His entire body ached.
Simon was now right before his nose.
'There's no time. Let's hurry and do it.'
At Roan's words, Travias asked.
[You really be okay?]
At the shortly asked words, Roan faintly smiled and answered.
'Yeah. I know this because I died once……'
With Simon in front of him, he closed his eyes.
'But I don't seem die as easily as I thought.'
A paradox.
But since he had revived and returned to the past, those words weren't wrong.
A short silence.
The one who broke the pause was Travias.
[Alright. Then let's do it.]
[Alright!]
Flamdor cheered.
'Alright. Come together.'
Roan's last words.
A long sigh twisted between his lips and flowed out.
Simultaneously, crimson, black, and brown lights stormed within his head.
"Ggiie!"
Perhaps a play of fate, at that moment Simon too threw his fist towards Roan.
Climax whose roles had changed.
Simon's fist touched Roan's face.
At that instant.
Paat!
Crimson light poured out from Roan's body.
It was a greatly horrifying and cold blood-colored light that wasn't seen until now.
Roan's hair and eyebrows instantly dyed red.
At the same time, the neat hair lengthened to his waist.
"Ggiie?"
Simon flustered.
It wasn't because of Roan's appearance that suddenly changed.
It was because the fist it swung with the intent to shatter his head didn't move as it willed.
The fist, touching Roan's face, didn't move a bit.
Suddenly.
Flash!
Roan opened the eyes he closed.
The eyes which were originally brown also were dyed with a blood-red hue.
"Kukukuku."
Roan widely smiled with a bizarre sound.
Somehow a chilling feeling.
He quietly glared at Simon before his eyes.
And he very slowly moved his right hand and tapped Simon's chest.
Instantly.
Puuk!
With a heavy sound, Simon was bounced out towards the back.
Boom!
It, without even properly taking balance, rolled on the ground.
"Kuku."
Roan let out a monstrous laugh as he looked at that sight, then turned his body this way and that.
"This is pretty good."
Incomprehensible words.
He pointlessly clenched his fist once, then turned his head side to side.
"Maybe because it's young, the body's overflowing with vigor."
Words spat out as if evaluating a good's quality.
Roan widely smiled and moved his steps towards Simon.
"You were called Simon, yes?"
The distance closed in an instant.
A cold light flowed along Roan's eyes.
"You should die now."
An emotionless voice.
He pulled out the Travias Spear from his waist.
But for some reason, the spear showed change zero.
"Oho. You won't listen to my words? Alright. I'm comfortable with empty hands from the start anyway."
Roan let out incomprehensible words and placed the Travias Spear back on his waist.
At the same time, he kicked off the ground and rushed towards Simon.
"Kkiie!"
Simon who was totteringly raising his body up glared at Roan and thrusted his fist.
As expected, a fast and powerful attack difficult to chase with one's eyes.
But Roan much too easily dodged its attack.
Paat!
Roan's image turned faint.
Simultaneously, his right hand cut through the air and flew towards Simon's neck.
Gggdckk.
A horrifying sound.
It was shocking.
Roan so easily grasped Simon's neck.
"Ggugguggugu."
Simon flailed and swung its fist.
But that was no different than a child's squirming.
Roan slowly raised his right hand.
Simon's two legs rose up into the air.
An appearance of loosely dangling in the air with the neck caught.
Roan placed strength into his grasp.
Gggdddck.
His fingers dug into Simon's neck.
Roan looked at that sight and widely smiled.
"I wanted to fight you when you bastard become complete, but……"
He slightly lowered his head and looked at his body.
"That doesn't seem like something I should be doing to this body's original owner, you see."
Roan looked again at Simon.
"Now die."
Lightly spat out words.
At the same time.
Fwooooooosh!
A flame spread along Roan's hand.
The blood-red flame soon swallowed Simon.
"Ggiieeeeeh!"
Simon screamed out a shriek and squirmed to escape.
But overwhelmingly helpless.
It, while still caught in Roan's grasp, turned into a ball of flame.
Fwoooosh!
An incredible heat.
Bang!
Suddenly, the flame exploded out in every direction.
Embers jumped and sparks blossomed.
At the same time, unidentifiable and faint dust, no, ashes rode the wind and scattered.
Roan was still holding up his right arm.
But the appearance of Simon who should be caught at its end wasn't seen.
A very short silence flowed.
"Huu."
Roan exhaled a long sigh and smiled again.
It was still a somehow horrifying smile.
"Now! Is it over with that?"
A carefree expression and voice.
Clap!
He brightly smiled and clapped his hands.
"Then what should I do now? How many years was it since I got a body…… 700 years? 800? Ah, who cares."
Roan lightheartedly shook his head and then formed a smile again.
"Should I have a drink first? No, women first? No, no. I should get revenge first. That's right. That's the correct order."
He continued to pour out incomprehensible words.
"Alright! Then should I first go to the Estia Empire?"
Self-questioning words.
A pure joy floated up on his face.
But sadly, that joy did not go on for long.
"Un?"
Roan, who took a bold step towards the North, flinched and froze like a stone statue.
Soon, a bitter smile hanged on his mouth.
"Look at this."
An amused expression.
But somehow, it was an expression with an annoyance buried within.
"So he hasn't perished."
Roan murmured enigmatic words and soon casually sat down on the ground.
"Alright. It was too easy that it wasn't fun for me either."
He, closing his eyes, deeply inhaled.
"Then should I properly play a round?"
Still incomprehensible words.
Paat!
Suddenly, crimson light flashed from Roan's body.
Following behind, very faint brown light flowed along his entire body.
< Amaranth (22) > End.
Translator : CSV
Proofreader: Fujimaru