N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 602
The menacingly flying axe swerved as if it were riding the wind, leaving only a thin scar on Siran's forehead before plunging into the river.
"Ugh!"
As soon as the axe grazed his head, Siran hurriedly stepped with his footwork to put some distance between himself and Raon.
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the axe sink into the river.
'I was too slow to react.'
If the axe had targeted him, he would have easily deflected it and then struck Siran's throat. But the axe had charged straight for Siran's head from the beginning, catching Raon off guard. His delayed response had given Siran an opportunity to escape. It annoyed Raon that he had moved exactly as the axe thrower intended.
Raon didn't chase after Siran, who was already far away, but looked in the direction from which the axe had come. A huge black ship could be seen approaching, cutting the wide and deep Peren River in half.
It was the South-North Union’s warship, the Misfortune, which was impossible to forget once seen.
Kugugugugu!
A massive presence that encompassed the entire river surged on top of the Misfortune, which had crushed the wreckage of the sea market ship to pieces.
Kuooooooooong!
Along with a roar that sounded like the deck was collapsing, an old man holding a Red Dragon Axe landed on the river.
The waves, which had been trembling under the overwhelming pressure that was transmitted just by his breathing, subsided as if in fear, and the waterspout that seemed to reach the sky died down.
Raon looked up, feeling a wave of energy so ferocious that it made his heart tingle.
From the roughly slicked back white hair to the pitch-black long jacket full of scars and even the axe shaped like a dragon's head, it was none other than the Ruler of the Rable River, the Axe King, Roman Reycal.
Why is that narrow-minded fool appearing as if he's the protagonist!
Wrath grumbled as if displeased. Sometimes Raon envied that audacity and composure.
"Well, well, well! You've arrived just in time, Roman!"
Siran ran up to Roman and nodded his head quickly.
"That bastard is dangerous! We shouldn't wait until next year, we have to kill him now!"
He urged Roman to kill Raon before he grew any stronger.
"..."
Roman didn't respond to Siran's shouting and looked at Raon.
"Has it been two years?"
"It's been a bit longer than that."
Raon sighed as he met Roman's gaze.
"Sighing in front of me, you still have no manners."
Contrary to his words, Roman let out a refreshing laugh.
"To make me lose my breath by pretending to aim at that bastard."
He turned his eyes to Siran and clicked his tongue briefly.
"You used your head better than expected."
"It's been a while since I received a compliment from someone else."
Roman nodded with a sly smile.
"Roman! What are you doing!"
Siran stood by Roman's side and furrowed his brows.
"Hurry up and kill that bastard! This opportunity won't come again!"
"Head of the senators."
Roman looked at Siran and let out a heavy sigh as if he was exasperated.
"What?"
"There's something Raptor asked me after I accepted that kid's life or death duel request."
He continued, looking into Raon's calm eyes.
"He asked what I would do if you killed him before the three years were up. What do you think my answer would have been?"
"Ugh..."
Siran trembled his lips as if he already knew the answer.
"I said I wouldn't care. I said that if he died at the hands of an old man whose teeth and nails have fallen out, I wouldn't even need to regret it because it means he's just a lowly weak bastard."
Roman twisted his thin lips, watching Siran's trembling eyes.
"So the same goes for the opposite."
"What...?"
"Just because the head of the senators is at a disadvantage doesn't mean I need to help. I'm a warrior who knows shame too. I wouldn't do the ugly thing of interfering in a one-on-one duel."
He waved his hand with a cold smile.
"Go on. Let me be the witness who testifies to your victory or defeat."
"W, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Siran's blue lips trembled.
"Why don't you just kill that bastard right here, right now!"
"Why should I?"
Roman shrugged his broad shoulders like a river.
"The fate of the kid and me is set for January 1st next year. It's like eating unripe fruit, it'll only be bitter."
He seemed truly uninterested in joining the fight as he crossed his arms, axe resting on his shoulder.
"Roman! You damn bastard!"
Roman didn't open his eyes again even at Siran's shouts.
"I have one question."
After Raon called out, Roman slowly raised his eyelids.
"You said you wouldn't get involved in the fight, so why did you save that old man?"
A little while ago, Roman had saved Siran, even going as far as protecting his head. Naturally, he thought they would attack together, so it was strange that he wasn't going to fight.
"That's a simple question to answer."
Roman raised his chin and licked his lips.
"I wanted to see firsthand how much you've grown."
That's all he said, and he curled his lips up.
"This madman! If the union leader knows about this..."
"He'll probably praise me."
"W, what!"
"Do you know? Not touching Raon Zieghart was the leader’s order. Since you broke the leader’s order first, there's no need to blame me for not helping."
Roman shook his head, saying it was a simple matter.
"Ugh..."
Siran twisted his lips and stepped back. He seemed to be trying to run away since he didn't have the confidence to win the battle right now.
"Head of the senators. Where are you going?"
Roman blocked Siran's path and glared at him fiercely.
"I am the witness to this life-or-death duel. Neither of you can leave this place until one of you is dead."
He raised a sinister aura as if sincerely committing to the role of a witness.
"This madman! Stop fooling around!"
"I'm always serious."
Roman gestured for him to go back quickly.
"After I kill him, there will be no forgiveness for you!"
Siran, seemingly overwhelmed by Roman's aura, gasped for breath and returned to his original position.
"Whatever."
Roman smiled leisurely, as if he didn't care.
"What are you doing?"
He gestured to Raon, who was standing in front of Siran.
"I've set the stage, so let's see the end."
"How can I trust that?"
Raon frowned at Roman.
"You mean you can't trust me?"
"Of course not."
Rimmer, who had come forward instead of Raon, gave that answer.
"Back then, you reneged on our bet after I endured all three of your attacks. It's because of that the life-or-death duel next year was arranged. And now you expect me to trust you?"
Rimmer gritted his teeth at Roman.
"Where did you sell your arm?"
Roman narrowed his eyes, looking at Rimmer's right shoulder.
"I don't know, answer the question."
"That was then, and this is now."
He narrowed his lips, looking at Siran and Raon in turn.
"A duel between a genius swordsman and an old man with his aged body to avenge his grandson's death. Such a confrontation is unlikely to occur again."
Roman stomped his foot violently and burst into laughter.
"I will never interfere in this battle, and I will escort the winner to their home without laying a finger on them. I swear by my alias, the Axe King."
He patted his chest, promising to swear by his alias.
"Whatever he thinks. Let's see the end first."
Raon nodded at Rimmer.
"Hoo, alright."
Rimmer took a step back and sighed.
"If the Axe King interferes, I'll do whatever it takes to stop him, so let's finish with Siran first."
"Understood."
Rimmer's condition is not good, but unlike Roman, he is a man who keeps his word. He believed and stepped forward.
Pput!
Siran glared at Raon, gritting his teeth hard enough to break them.
"I'll tear you apart so you can't even be fish bait!"
He raised his fishing rod. As the waves surged again, a powerful aura began to condense.
Raon narrowed his eyes at Siran's fiercely determined gaze.
'That determination alone is impressive.'
Right now, Siran knew that he had been defeated. Despite his heart being greatly broken, he was fueled by a desire for revenge to avenge his grandson, and that determination was his only motivation.
"Hwaaahhhh!"
Siran pulled out his fishing rod and swung it long. The fishing line, imbued with astral sphere, extended like a whip, aiming for his neck.
Woooooooooosh!
Raon infused Heavenly Drive with flames from his energy center and swiftly slashed at the fishing line, which descended after being deflected by the intense heat.
Squeeeak!
The fishing line, as hard as iron wire, was torn off lightly and flapped around. The hooks and needles attached to the line were also broken off and sank into the water.
Raon watched the staggering Siran and licked his lips.
'Indeed, he has weakened.'
Siran's aura was still strong, but his will to kill him had subsided. It seemed to be because he had suffered defeat.
'But still...'
He shouldn't be underestimated.
A human consumed by such a desire for revenge might do anything. He shouldn't rejoice in his victory yet, but rather maintain his concentration until the end.
He rode the flow of the river with his footwork. With the flexible steps of the Supreme Harmony Steps, he approached and thrust Heavenly Drive towards Siran's neck.
Kyaaaang!
Siran gritted his teeth tightly and erected his fishing rod to assume a defensive posture. Blood emanated from his mouth. It seemed like he had suffered severe injuries.
Cheeeek!
Raon didn't miss the opportunity while Siran was regulating his breathing, and he penetrated his space.
Siran stepped back with an urgent expression, swinging his fishing rod. There wasn't much will in it, but the sheer amount of astral sphere was overwhelming
'It won't be easy to break.'
Raon tightly grasped the hilt of Heavenly Drive and stomped his right foot down. Subduing the surging river, he stretched out his left hand and unsheathed the Blade of Requiem. A white shadow emerged around the red blade, enveloping the approaching astral sphere.
Raon Zieghart Style Swordplay.
Fifth form: White Shadow Slash.
The White Shadow Slash unleashed by the Blade of Requiem seemed to wash away the exploding astral sphere from the fishing rod.
"What?"
Siran's eyes widened in disbelief as the massive astral sphere had been erased in a split second.
Chiiing!
Raon plunged into the bewildered Siran and thrust the Thirty-Six Strikes of Heaven and Earth into him. The flaming blade, which strikes thirty-six times in one stroke, slashed through Siran's vital points.
Pukaaah!
He managed to block the most critical points, the heart and neck, but other wounds erupted, causing Siran's entire body to be drenched in blood instantly.
"Ughh..."
Siran lowered his fishing rod weakly. His expression of pain and despair was plainly visible.
As Raon swung down Heavenly Drive to finish him off, Siran grabbed the blade of Heavenly Drive with his left hand and Raon’s wrist with his right.
"I've got you!"
Despite the blood pouring from his hand, Siran lifted the corners of his mouth.
He tried to pull the sword and his wrist away, but it wouldn't budge. Perhaps he was not only using his aura but also his life force.
"If I can't kill you, then let's go together!"
Siran's skin, flushed red as if it were burning.
His Energy center pulsated violently and began to emit an enormous amount of energy. It seemed as if he was going to self-destruct by exploding the energies in his energy center.
"You think you can live after killing my grandson! You, at least, will never..."
"I thought you would."
Raon glanced at Siran, who was sneering.
"What?"
"Your acting was too amateurish."
Siran, filled with revenge yet retreated, revealing his weakened state. Raon didn't fall for it from the beginning, thinking there was a catch.
Taang!
Raon released his grip from Heavenly Drive that was caught by Siran and opened his palm.
"You, you bastard!"
The Ultimate Technique of the Monarch of Wrath.
Silver Moon Technique.
Ack! My technique!
With Wrath’s scream, a silver flash shot out and as it touched Siran's chest, his whole body froze.
Bziiiiing!
Since he was concentrating all of his energies in his energy center in order to self-destruct, he couldn't even defend against the cold of the Silver Moon Technique, and became an ice sculpture.
"You..."
"I told you. I'll send you to where your grandson is."
Raon looked into the eyes of the trembling Siran and grabbed his right arm, which was holding his wrist, and brought it down.
"You, you're go—"
Siran fell completely frozen into the river without even being able to utter his last words.
His momentarily flickering pupils had blood vessels protruding as if not believing his own death.
"May you reunite with your grandson in hell."
Raon watched coldly as Siran's frozen body sank into the river.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As he exhaled his turbid breath, a loud clapping sound like a cymbal rang out. He turned around to see Axe King Roman standing behind him, smiling coolly and clapping his hands.
"Excellent. It was an impressive psychological battle."
Roman nodded and stepped forward one step.
"You really didn't move."
"As I said. I'm a man of my word."
Roman waved his hand as if it were nothing.
"Hoo..."
Raon let out a short sigh and lowered his head.
"Can we leave now?"
"Of course. The fight between you and the head of the senators was a fair duel."
Roman nodded as if it were obvious.
"However..."
He uncrossed his arms and tightly gripped the Red Dragon Axe handle with his right hand.
"The next batlle is different."
“What?”
“What I want to see is not a psychological battle, but a clash of strength against strength.”
Roman approached another step, chuckling. Because of his large size, it seemed as if he was getting closer with each step by several meters.
“I need to check if your sword is sharp enough for a proper life-or-death duel.”
“What do you mean?”
“Three moves.”
He raised three fingers of his left hand.
“If you can withstand my three moves, I promise to let you go without laying a hand on you.”
Roman lowered his axe. As the blade touched the water slightly, the water bubbled up.
“Ah, you damn liar.”
Rimmer frowned at Roman.
“You can't keep a promise! You bet your reputation on it!”
He twisted his lips and gripped his sword as if he was going to step in himself.
“Then, don't call me the Axe King anymore.”
The Axe King laughed, saying that he would give up his alias since he had broken his promise.
“Ah, you….”
“Leave this to me.”
Raon stepped forward, pushing Rimmer behind him.
“Did you say you wanted to see my skills?”
“Yes. There will be a lot of spectators, so I can't show them a trashy duel, can I?”
“Good.”
He nodded and adjusted his grip on the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
“Then let me check it too.”
“What?”
Roman narrowed his eyes as if asking what he meant.
“If your axe isn't as heavy as I expect...”
A red lightning flashed in Raon's eyes.
“I'll cut your throat right here.”
