The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 240



Only Krnovel

Episode 240 A star with its back to the light (8)

‘Ark Paladin’ was, in name and reality, a nightmare in the first episode that Khadim would never forget.

A being that was like a sharp stone even in the just and fair Elgar sect of the past. A being that fell into fanaticism and absurdity due to excessive power. Because of overlooking the danger of that being, Melissa had her tongue pulled out by the roots, Cyril had all his skin peeled off like a husk, and Khadim himself had his limbs shattered and his joints twisted.

It was a memory that had faded away later. In the Demon Realm, I encountered more terrifying demons and suffered more hardships, and my encounter with the Arch Paladin became nothing more than a memory that made me sigh when I recalled it.

But in the second round, when all powers were reset, the nightmare came back to life with vivid colors. For a while, it made Kadim obsessively wary of the Elgar sect.

Of course, I had almost regained the strength from the first time, and now I was slowly starting to relax… … .

-Whewwwwww!!

… … The strength of this elderly ‘Arch Paladin’ was enough to remind me of my forgotten awareness.

Hendark drives the bright horse as if he has trampled a gale, and mercilessly throws out his spear.

Wedge – Awesome!

The spearhead became the fuse, the blade became the detonator, and the halo became the explosive. The thrust, fired like a cannon, made contact with the hammerhead and caused a violent explosion.

―――――― Quagwagwagwang – !!

The heavy impact pushed his body away, and Kadim quickly widened the space between his feet. He avoided falling, but he slid backwards more than ten meters, the soles of his feet cracking against the dirt.

Hendark’s new recruit, ‘Lukaon’s Meteor’, is a polearm that is infinitely lighter compared to a hammer that weighs a thousand pounds. However, the user’s inhuman strength and the explosive power of light fired from the spear tip completely offset the weight difference. Thanks to this, rather than being defeated in the power struggle, I actually had a slight advantage.

However, Kadim also had the same weaknesses as the weapon.

Phew, phew – ung――――― Kwak – ah!!!

“… … Sigh.”

Hendark quickly grabbed the reins as the counterattack continued without pause. He avoided falling off his horse, but he was still swaying as if he would slip off the saddle at any moment.

Even if one is skilled in martial arts, it is impossible to freely handle a giant like the ‘Star Crusher’. However, the transcendent strength of the warrior made it possible to handle it as easily as a cotton bat. Thanks to this, he was able to block the light-like spear blades one after another and even find an opening to counterattack like this.

The exploration battle didn’t last long. They both realized that their abilities were equal, that they couldn’t back down for their own reasons, and that they were truly determined to kill each other.

A knight with a shining spear and a warrior with a huge hammer, two powerful gods began to clash in earnest with life and death at stake.

“Whoaaahh …

– WHEEWWWWWWWW-!!

― …

The sum of things colliding, shock waves in full bloom. As soon as you are pushed back by an irresistible reaction, you rush back.

―――――― Boom, Kwa – ANG!!! Kwaaagwaaagwang – !!

This sum, three sums, four sums… … Without backing down even an inch, they continued to clash fiercely. Like planets wandering in a dense zone, both sides don’t care about the damage caused by the collision.

Indeed, the clash was reminiscent of the clash of wandering stars rather than a human battle. A stinging light flashed across my cornea, and an explosion of noise that pounded my eardrums rang out one after another. Sosori Wind, which happened to come nearby, was caught up in a turbulent vortex and torn to pieces.

The situation of dragons and tigers fighting each other, with the game never being tilted to one side, continued for a long time. However, the two men, both seasoned fighters who had fought countless battlefields, sensed that their opponents were preparing a means to turn the tide.

And the first one to reveal the pattern and shake up the board was… …

WHWWWWWWWW – !

… … It was Kadim who released the ‘shock’ he had steadily collected in his hammer.

―――――――――― KWAAAAAAHHHH – !!!

– Heeheeheeheehee… … .

‘Shock accumulation’, a huge amount of accumulated shock exploded like a waterspout all at once. The bright horse that was hit directly was instantly destroyed and scattered into light particles, and Hendark, who immediately let go of the reins and pulled himself away, was caught up in the shock wave and could not avoid floating up in the distance.

“… … Hmph!”

If you’re not careful, you could fall stuck and suffer additional fatal damage. However, Hendar turned his crisis into an opportunity to show his cards.

While in the air, turn your body in the opposite direction of the rotation to fix your posture. Pull your right arm back and pull your upper arm muscles taut to accumulate strength. Condensate the glowing halo at the tip of the spear, aim accurately at the target, and throw it.

“For evil spirits… … There will be a judgment of light… … .”

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

The new recruit, ‘Lukaon’s Meteor’, shot out like a falling meteor, just like its name. In a flash, not even 0.1 seconds had passed since Khadim caught sight of the beam of light that split the entire world in half.

The end has come to the winter plains.

T-huh!!

――――――― Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwa – !!!

The expanding heat wave chewed the earth. The raging oppression pushed all things away like a giant’s sigh. With a single throw, the waves of the Heavenly Heavenly Earth covered the heavens and the earth, and a radius of several hundred meters was reduced to a scorched earth like ruins.

But Hendark knew. This was not an opponent that could be defeated by this much attack. Sure enough, when the dust cleared, a strange figure was revealed from the depths of the storm.

It looks like… … a giant tree covered in volcanic ash.

That was Kadim, who activated the ‘Tattoo of the Wood-burning Demon’. He wrapped himself around a gold-iron tree and raised his defenses for a moment. He took off the dirty burnt bark and swept the flickering pattern from his neck.

Woof, woof, woof, woof… … .

“I knew from the first time I saw him that he was no pushover… … .”

“… … .”

“… … It’s a lot better than I thought. “If it weren’t for this tree bark, I might have ended up like your comrade who was hit by heaven.”

I meant it. After blocking the explosion, not only was all the gold and iron wood wrapped around his body ripped off, but even the ‘protection of fire and ice’ was almost completely effective in one blow. If only the scattered firearms were focused on one point, it was a blow that could have been as powerful as the unknown Buddha’s ‘Heavenly Punishment’.

It wasn’t just the firepower of the attack that was outstanding. It could be said that its durability and combat sense were outstanding as it used the ‘shock accumulation’ that turned other Decagrams into blood clots as an opportunity to attack. To put it bluntly, this opponent is completely different from the Arch Paladins we have encountered so far, and reminds us of the overwhelming ‘Arch Paladin’ of the past.

They were both surprised. Hendark’s expression hardened into a complicated expression. When we first met, we could fight even if we used weaker strength, but now he has become a formidable opponent that is difficult to fight even if we use all our might…

Coincidentally, Kadim also recalled the moment of their first encounter.

“Perhaps you can still take an axe to the forehead?”

A sudden lightning strike fired from the waist.

―――― Wreck, wrck, wrck – !!

Instead of catching it with his forehead like he did the first time, Archpaladin lowered his helmet to avoid the throwing axe. A bitter sneer appeared at the corner of the barbarian’s mouth.

“I guess I don’t have time to greet you as openly as I did back then. He also said that he was worried that his students would cry if there were more scratches on the countertop.”

“… … .”

“But… … It doesn’t matter now, right? Those disciples will all be killed by that archbishop anyway, and you will die here too.”

An unexpected and vicious provocation. Without any time to be surprised, similar taunts followed. A roaring fire burned in the Archpaladin’s eyes, and the sound of gritting teeth came out beyond the headplate.

However, the one who made fun of him didn’t seem particularly happy either.

“… … Why wasn’t this what you wanted?”

Kadim instead became serious.

“Didn’t you say I was an extremely evil spirit? That’s why I let you do whatever you wanted.”

“… … .”

“Anyway… … I guess I’ve become really senile. It’s amazing how I can fall for such a cheap provocation.”

“……What are you saying.”

“I plan to keep the ‘stigmata’ that detects the truth and use it for something else. “I’m sure you’re not really saving it to give it to me.”

“… … !!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Hendark extinguished his anger. As a ‘star that pierces the truth’, he understood that Kadim’s ridicule was a malicious lie. For a moment, the star, buried in the deep darkness, had forgotten that she could even see the truth.

The realization that the man was not a ‘ghost’ followed naturally. But Hendar shook his head and completely denied his own thoughts.

“No, my stigmata… … ‘The star that pierces the truth’ is… … “It’s incomplete.”

“… … .”

“The truth that I see… … is merely the personal truth that mere creatures believe in… … . It is by no means the absolute truth that penetrates the truth… … as clear as light… … . The only one in this world who sees the absolute truth is… … Elgar, the guide of that great light… … and his chosen apostle, the archbishop… … .”

“… … .”

“… … I was wrong. You are a ‘demon.’ You are definitely a ‘demon,’ as the Archbishop said. You must be a ruthless ‘demon’ who has used a slaughter iron and has slaughtered Elgar’s agents without reason, who will ultimately bring this world to ruin… … . That way, that way, that way, that way… … I will kill you… … .”

… … Because it will be possible to save children who are suffering horribly.

Archpaladin, who cannot tell lies, was unable to reveal his true feelings. However, the anger that fell down his throat was conveyed to the warrior through his desolate breath. The years passed by silently glaring at each other like brothers who met each other as enemies on the battlefield after decades.

Was it a mercy given the useful transaction, a tribute to the beliefs he had upheld, or something else… … a trial given to remind him of the memory of the sacrifice of someone precious?

The Grand Master of Atala solemnly gave his final advice.

“I will give you one last chance.”

“… … .”

“Give up your disciples’ lives. Leave the Elgar Church, keep your faith, and ‘fight’ for the innocent until the end. “Then I will not take your life, Archpaladin.”

‘The star that pierces the truth’ felt his heart sinking into his lower abdomen. A series of criticisms that were even more painful than the heavy hammering followed.

“You know better than anyone else that your spear is pointed in the wrong direction. The enemies you should really aim your spear at are not me and my allies, but the Archbishop who is blackmailing you and the gods who protect him.”

“… … .”

“Think about it. Even if you become the Archbishop’s dog and follow his orders, there’s no guarantee that you’ll save your disciples. No, you’ll just end up being manipulated even more viciously by the Archbishop, who’s realized that it’s a useful leash. On the other hand, if you give up your disciples, you’ll definitely be able to protect the other things you wanted to protect.”

“… … .”

“I have faith that I will guide those who are lost in their places even if the surroundings are immersed in the darkness of night. And the lives of innocent people as numerous as the stars.”

Those words were a confession he once made to the author.

The knight, caught in a self-contradiction, shook his shoulder blades. He spat out a coagulated voice with difficulty, as if spitting up blood.

“… … Shut your mouth. Do not slander Elgar and his apostles with your crafty tongue any longer… … The truth that I have believed in is nothing but a twisted illusion, and only the truth that the archbishop has declared is the true truth… … .”

“no. It’s not that he’s being truthful, it’s that you are ignoring the truth and choosing defeat and submission. “He doesn’t have the confidence to beat him, he’s afraid of losing what he has, and he doesn’t have the courage to risk everything.”

“Please, please, shut up… … . What do you know… … ? My disciples, those children, were treasures far more precious than my old heart or my worn-out soul… … . The helplessness of not being able to do anything while those children’s fingers were cut off, their eyes were gouged out… … What on earth, what on earth do you know… … .”

“No one knows better than me. Have you forgotten?”

“… … what?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I killed my former comrade who unleashed demons with my own hands.”

Hendark finally freezes as if his heart has stopped.

The stigmata carved into the back of his hand consistently told him that those words were true. The great warrior monotonously swept the ‘Protection of Fire and Ice’.

“Thanks to that, we prevented a bigger disaster and saved this world… … I still don’t know if it’s worth more than the life of the woman who died in my hands and whose flames were unquenchable. Nevertheless, the reason I killed her was because it was what I ‘had to do.’”

“… … .”

“You would like to say that your students, unlike my former colleagues, have done nothing wrong. But that also applies to the allies you asked me to save. Becoming a stooge for a crazy fanatic who wants to kill millions of people just to save the dozens of people you care about… … Do you truly think it is something you ‘have to do’?”

“… … .”

“… … Stop the wrong ‘struggle’. Rather than abandoning your beliefs and submitting, even if you lose everything, stand against your strong enemy until the end and die. “Then I will gladly bless you and your disciples’ end in the name of the god of struggle and wilderness.”

A long silence. A stillness where even the wind and breathing ceased.

The Arch Paladin’s response to the Grand Master’s final advice is…

“God’s will… … Deeper than the deepest sea… … A human being as small as a minnow cannot fathom… … .”

… … Again, he threw a spear filled with light.

Wedge – liquid!

―――― Kwahiah Ahh!

The explosion dug deeper into the ruined earth. The gaze trapped in the helmet looked up to the heavenly sun, followed by a voice that seemed to have torn the soul like rags.

“You can betray the Archbishop… … but you cannot betray Elgar… … . You can break your convictions… … but you cannot abandon your faith… … .”

“… … .”

“This severe pain, ordeal, and test… … In the end, it must be a process leading to the brilliant truth… … . The owner of light who always looks down on this land… … He probably has some sacred intention… … . Please, please, definitely… … It has to be… … .”

Rather than a sincere testimony, it is more like a struggle to protect a crumbling faith.

Kadim also glanced at him. Those heavenly eyes that watch over all the tragedies that occur on earth. The incomprehensible eyes of a god who mercilessly judges even his servants but leaves himself alone.

Then, suddenly, I remembered a devout priest who prayed to the sun even in the cloudy night sky.

“Do you remember Gordon?”

“… … Gordon? ‘Gordon, who turned his back on the light’?”

“Yes. You told me about Gordon before. Do you remember what he said before he was dismissed from the church?”

“… … .”

There was no way I couldn’t remember. These were incredibly shocking words, hard to believe that a living priest who was canonized as a saint would utter them.

The god the church worships, Elgar, is said to be a ‘fake’. A ‘false being’ who is disguising himself as Elgar and pretending to be Elgar.

“If that is true… … will you still serve ‘that thing’, Arch Paladin?”

“… … .”

Hendark was frozen as if stuffed under a statue of light.

――― Kuuuuuu… … .

Light flames began to burn in the eyes floating in the distant sky.