The Berserker’s Second Playthrough Novel - Chapter 100

Chapter 100
### Chapter: 100

### Chapter Title: Judgment of Atala (3)

—

Within the brutal confines of the arena, ‘Faction Battles’ stood as a premier attraction for the masses.

The framework was straightforward: two opposing squads of comparable strength engaged in combat until one side either yielded or was completely destroyed. Departing from the focus of individual ‘standard matches,’ these encounters prioritized tactical maneuvers and the exhilarating chaos of a large-scale brawl, cementing their status as a fan favorite.

On this particular day, however, an unsettling atmosphere gripped the stadium.

The warriors filing in from the right gate, carrying blue banners, signaled the start of a ‘Faction Battle.’ Yet, the expected red-flagged rivals failed to appear from the opposing entrance. Instead, an endless stream of combatants continued to emerge from the right side, amassing a group of a size rarely seen in a single engagement.

When the count was finished, the blue contingent stood at 24 men.

A wave of confused whispers washed over the audience.

“This is impossible… is it really 24 against 24?”

“It defies logic… has the arena ever hosted a skirmish of this magnitude before?”

“Has the Arena King truly lost his mind? To cast so many fighters into a performance without even charging a copper for entry…”

While popular, ‘Faction Battles’ were infrequent due to their high cost to the organizers.

Gladiators represented a significant investment, yet they were treated as disposable. A single defeat typically resulted in a fatality, turning a trained warrior into a lifeless heap of flesh. A massive battle that produced a mountain of corpses was a logistical and financial catastrophe.

To present such a spectacle for free caused deep unease among the spectators.

But the true revelation was still to come.

“Wait, where is the ‘Demon Slayer’?”

“He isn’t among the blues, so he must be representing the red side…”

While the crowd searched frantically for the legendary ‘Demon Slayer’…

A solitary figure of the Atalan people marched out from the left, a red flag snapping in the wind.

He was a massive silhouette against the sun, shirtless to reveal a torso of rippling, bronze muscle. Vivid scarlet markings covered his skin, and his double-edged blade signaled a grim fate for any challenger. Even from the highest seats, where he looked no larger than a pebble, his aura felt immense.

Formal introductions were unnecessary. Every soul in attendance recognized the ‘Demon Slayer.’

The gamblers, their minds consumed by odds and wagers, felt a sudden shift in the air. The red side was going to win.

Every gaze shifted back to the left. These battles always balanced numbers. Surely, a group of allies would join him, offering someone the chance to bet on a lopsided victory…

…But no other red fighters appeared.

The titan with the red banner stood entirely alone, facing the cluster of blue warriors in the center of the sands.

“……”

“……”

Before the onlookers could even process the insanity of the setup…

1 against 24.

The most lopsided and unprecedented battle in the history of the games began.

Kadim cast a glance toward the pale blue sky, then scanned the blurring faces of the audience before looking down at the twin-bladed weapon in his grip.

Arena regulations dictated the use of specific armaments. Consequently, he had been forced to set aside ‘Blood Ghost’ for this replacement. The blade was cumbersome and lacked a sharp edge, which did not suit his style, but he had no other option.

The roaring crowd meant nothing to him. His focus was locked solely on the 24 targets ahead. Yubik had selected capable men, but to Kadim, they were merely corpses that had yet to fall.

The leader of the blue team gave a signal. A man armed with a spear stepped forward with hesitation, then found his nerve and began to shout taunts at Kadim.

“It is an honor, ‘Demon Slayer’! The tales of your exploits on the Golden Highway are legendary! They say you left mountains of demon bodies and rivers of black blood in your wake!”

“……”

“But looking at you now, I see the stories were exaggerated! You are nothing but a bloated, dull-eyed brute, a common ogre! Perhaps you simply rely on your hideous face to scare children and start rumors!”

“……”

“Hahaha! Are you paralyzed with fear? You stand there mute while facing 24 superior warriors. Today, you will learn the weight of your arrogance…”

Kadim was unfamiliar with the traditions of the arena. He had no idea that pre-match insults were expected. He simply could not understand why this idiot was wasting breath and time.

In response, he hurled the heavy flagpole from his left hand.

Whirr—thud, crunch!

“……Urk.”

The pole drove straight into the gladiator’s face. His nose flattened, and his facial structure shattered instantly. Blood sprayed from the impact as he stumbled back, unable to even grasp the wood before he collapsed into the dust.

“What…?”

“How is that possible…?”

The pole lacked a metal point, and the fabric of the flag should have slowed its flight. Only raw, supernatural strength could have turned a blunt wooden shaft into a lethal projectile.

Remaining foes: 23.

Kadim took no pleasure in the performance. He was here by necessity, and he intended to finish it swiftly.

He gave them no time to recover. Charging forward, he swung his heavy blade at the throat of the nearest man.

Slice—crack!

“……”

The blade tore through thick muscle. The man opened his mouth to cry out, but his throat had been severed. His head hit the dirt with a dull thud.

Remaining foes: 22.

“Kill him! Kill him now!”

“Form a circle! Trap the Demon Slayer!”

The warriors scrambled in the wake of the sudden violence. Kadim lunged toward a man who had been pushed to the front. He deflected a desperate swing and buried his blade in the man’s midsection.

Thrust—squelch!

“Guh, urk!”

Rip—!

The steel felt sluggish compared to Blood Ghost. As he pulled the weapon free, internal organs spilled out, catching on the dull edge. He casually wiped the gore from his arm.

Remaining foes: 21.

As he moved to the next target, he sensed a threat from behind. He spun, his blade carving an upward arc.

Clash—ring!!

“Hup!”

The assailant’s sword was battered away, the force of the parry snapping his arm back at a violent angle. Bones shattered and tendons tore, leaving the limb limp. The man looked on in horror as the return stroke caught him under the jaw.

“Uh, uhh…”

Slice—crunch!

Remaining foes: 20.

The deaths of four men allowed the others to finally establish a defensive line. It was futile. Their formation crumbled the moment Kadim collided with them.

“Hraaaah!”

“Urrghaaah!”

“Stand your ground! Do not retreat… Gack!”

Slice—crunch!

The man carrying the blue banner was the next to learn that loyalty to the Arena King was a death sentence. 19. Kadim threw the fallen banner pole into the back of a fleeing man, crushing his skull. 18. He parried a heavy axe and sliced the wielder in half at the waist. 17. He caught a flying spear mid-air and drove it back into the sender’s chest. 16…

The numbers plummeted. This was no longer a contest; it was an execution. Whether they tried to surround him, ambush him, or charge him head-on, the result remained the same. Logical advantages of numbers were erased by the barbarian’s overwhelming prowess.

Kadim showed zero compassion. These men were cogs in a corrupt machine. Even if he spared them, they were destined to die in this pit eventually.

Furthermore, they had stepped onto the sands with the intent to take his life. Those who prepare to kill must be prepared to be killed.

When only five blue warriors remained, the scene turned pathetic.

Stab, slice! Slice!

“Urk! What are you doing…?”

“Forgive me… you just have to die…!”

One of the gladiators suddenly turned his weapon on his own comrades.

The remaining survivors were butchered by their own ally. He killed three of them in the confusion, then threw his sword aside and fell to his knees before Kadim.

“I yield! We yield, Demon Slayer! Grant us life! I am Gustas, the master of blades, and I will be your servant forever! I will live as the lowest dog if you let me breathe!”

“……”

Usually, losers in the arena were put to the sword.

However, sometimes a fighter would be spared if they humiliated themselves enough that the victor felt no pride in killing them. There was even a man known as the ‘Master of Survival’ who had lived through four defeats this way.

But Kadim was not a showman. He stood over the man, silhouetted by the sun, his eyes cold and unforgiving.

“……Is life so precious that you would live it in such filth?”

“Yes! I helped you finish them… please, have mercy…”

“Then you chose the wrong path when you entered this place.”

Kadim reached down and broke the man’s neck with his bare hands.

Snap—crack!

To seek the death of others without accepting one’s own end was a violation of the laws of the wild. Because the traitor had understood his cowardice, his end was the most deliberate.

Whoosh, thud—!

“Gack!”

Kadim’s final throw sent his blade through the back of the last man trying to crawl away. The match was over.

The blue team was wiped out. The red side stood victorious, consisting of a single man.

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence fell over the stadium.

The sheer brutality of the slaughter left the audience in a state of paralysis. The reality of what they had witnessed—the speed and efficiency of the violence—stifled any immediate reaction.

The battle had been unfair, certainly.

But the 24 men had been the ones who stood no chance, utterly defying every prediction made that morning.

“……”

Kadim ignored the stunned masses and turned toward the exit. The iron portcullis remained lowered. Tradition required the winner to acknowledge the crowd and soak in the praise or the hatred.

He had no interest in the ritual. He grabbed the iron bars at their base and heaved upward with all his might.

Groan… bang—crash!

The massive gates that usually dictated life or death for the fighters were bent upward like scrap metal. The blood-soaked barbarian stepped into the dark tunnel and disappeared.

The stands remained silent for a heartbeat longer.

Then, the primal instinct of the crowd ignited.

The savage display had tapped into their deepest cravings for violence. A collective shiver ran through the thousands in attendance before they erupted into a unified, deafening roar.

“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Demon Slayeeeeer!!!”

“Demon Slayeeeeer! Demon Slayeeeeer!!!”

As the thunderous chanting shook the very foundations of the arena…

The most spectacular and terrifying debut in the century-long history of Agon reached its conclusion.

In the luxury of the VIP box, the initial reaction to the 1 vs. 24 match had been one of skepticism.

‘The Arena King has lost his grip. The wine has finally rotted his brain.’

Single combatants taking on groups wasn’t unheard of for the elite. But 24 was viewed as a joke. Not even the legendary Furious Horn of Agon had been tested against such numbers…

Yet, Kadim had turned the mockery into awe by annihilating all 24 opponents.

“”Waaaaaaaaah!!!””

“”Demon Slayeeeeer!!! Demon Slayeeeeer!!!””

The cheers were so loud they rattled the stone architecture. Amidst the frenzy, Arena King Yubik simply clapped his hands, a wide grin on his face.

“Kahahaha! Sublimely done! He never fails to deliver…”

The surrounding mercenary captains and officials immediately changed their tune. They crowded around Yubik, offering praise and seeking information.

“Unbelievable, King! Where did you find such a man? How did you get him to fight for you?”

“Is that truly the Demon Slayer? The one who stood toe-to-toe with Agon’s Furious Horn on the Golden Highway?”

“It makes sense now. If he can kill demons, these gladiators were never a threat…”

“Heh heh, a masterstroke. First the Furious Horn, and now this Demon Slayer… your eye for talent is the envy of Agon.”

The praise wasn’t entirely sincere.

Some watched with narrowed eyes, thinking: ‘1 vs. 24? The King really pushed the theatrics and rigging to the limit this time.’

Yubik ignored the doubters. Reality would eventually set them straight. The Demon Slayer was a force of nature that transcended their petty logic.

“Keh heh…”

The arrival of this new champion had been established perfectly. Now, it was time for the next phase of his grand design.

Yubik stood and signaled to his chief steward, who was waiting in the shadows of the arched walkway.

“The introduction is finished. Now, begin the process of clearing every barbarian out of the city.”

It was time to bring the hidden champion back into the light.