The Berserker’s Second Playthrough Novel - Chapter 106

Chapter 106
## Chapter 106

### Title: Judgment of Atala (9)

—

If one were to depict the stadium’s roar as a painting, the audience’s clamor would serve as a saturated, heavy backdrop, thick with layers of sound that aggressively occupied every inch of the canvas.

However, the focal point framed by that chaos was a hollow abyss.

The two central figures of this arena, Kadim and Perun, remained locked in a silent gaze for a significant duration. Their only interaction thus far had been Perun’s subtle acknowledgement upon his arrival—a single, delicate gesture.

The pause was substantial. Only when the turbulence from the galleries began to subside did the period of stillness finally conclude. Kadim tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade and separated his tense lips.

“I won’t bother with greetings. Like I mentioned previously, I am neither a kinsman nor an associate of yours.”

“…….”

“You don’t appear out of place here. You have clearly spent a good deal of time as a gladiator.”

Perun grasped his own weapon and gave a measured nod.

“That is true. Though it wasn’t a path I found much joy in…….”

“And why is that? Surely it was less grueling than hunting down demons.”

“Because it is a pointless conflict. It is a hollow struggle, spilling blood while the true adversary is ignored. Even if the pay was meager and the risks were extreme, I found far more fulfillment hunting demons with the subjugation force.”

Kadim tilted his head slightly. It was a reply that resonated with his own perspective—one he had largely anticipated. This warrior had sacrificed an arm precisely because he hungered so intensely for a fight that mattered.

Yet, that sparked a different inquiry.

“Then why return to this pit to confront me?”

“……On the surface, I am here because the Agon faction leaders commanded it. News of the events in Agon has reached as far as Galentana. The leaders were quite unsettled. They intended to ensnare you here, but instead, you drew the interest of Grand Master Yubik and rose as a champion gladiator…….”

Still, the influence behind the leaders wasn’t restricted to the Arena King alone.

The elders had learned that other sponsors—commanders of mercenary companies—viewed the Demon Slayer as an obstacle. This coincided with the elders’ own goal of removing him, resulting in an accord to field the ‘Indomitable Legion’ in the arena. Consequently, Perun had been selected as the blade meant to strike the Demon Slayer down.

But Kadim knew that wasn’t the entire truth. He sharpened his focus.

“And the genuine motive? Is it to slay me and safeguard Agon’s Furious Horn, following the traditions of the wastes?”

“Before I provide an answer, let me pose a single question…… just one.”

Perun lifted his hand and inhaled deeply. His throat moved nervously, as if a large splinter were lodged there. His eyes grew hazy with strain, and his pulse raced as if it might burst through his chest.

The crippled combatant forced the question out as if he were purging blood.

“Are you, by any chance, the individual designated by the exalted War God…… the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’?”

A hush so heavy fell over the area that even the breeze seemed to go still.

Yet, in contrast to the agonizing internal debate that preceded the question, the response was startlingly direct.

“I am.”

“…….”

Perun could feel the weight of truth in those words.

It was evident in those steadfast eyes that refused to waver even in a gale—a gaze that remained unshakable despite the passage of many years.

He couldn’t help but let his expression twist in agony.

He had suspected it through his premonitions. But hearing it confirmed aloud was a blow he couldn’t quite absorb. Uncertainty, bewilderment, grief, and fervor—all these raw feelings fused together like metal in a forge. When he finally found his voice again, it vibrated with pure emotion.

“Then, the one who guides our people…… Agon’s Furious Horn—no, Lord Goltaran…… what does that make him? Is he also the Great Warrior of Atala?”

“No, the title of ‘Great Warrior’ is a pact restricted to a single soul and the deity. He is a pretender who usurped my status.”

“Then why does he hold the previous Great Warrior captive? Why does he claim the title for himself, and what of that shrine maiden…….”

“That is exactly why I am here—to reveal the truth, execute the pretender, and seize the ‘Judgment of Atala’ once more. Matters became messy when he disappeared, but if I best you and strike down Agon’s Furious Horn, I can conclude this business.”

“…….”

Kadim’s tone was perfectly composed. Perun drifted into deep thought. Then, abruptly, he lifted his sword, which was etched with ancient symbols, and gestured toward the axe at his side.

“……Are you familiar with these armaments?”

Kadim nodded, feeling a strange sense of irony. He knew them intimately. He was the one who had fashioned them.

‘Jawblade’ and ‘Flamewail’. They were weapons he had honed during his first life as ‘The One Who Sharpens Names’. How they had managed to endure until now in this man’s possession was a mystery…….

“I have dedicated my life to serving Lord Goltaran. He instructed me in combat, granted me a portion of his incredible might, and even when he declared I would face you, he provided these sanctified tools. My mind insists that he is the one true Great Warrior, the redeemer who will wipe out the spreading darkness, the legitimate commander of our legion to whom I owe my life.”

“…….”

“But…… my soul insists that you are the authentic ‘Great Warrior of Atala’. That is why I had to seek you out. To reconcile this clashing instinct. To discover if I have been loyal to a lie all these years. With two Great Warriors putting their lives on the line against one another…… I had to reach a decision. So I…….”

Choking on his inner torment, he squeezed his eyes shut. Then, he slowly raised his lids like the rising sun and made his declaration.

“I have traveled…… too far to turn back now.”

“…….”

“……I will fight with everything I possess, Great Warrior. I ask that you show no leniency to this soldier who has remained on the wrong path until the very end.”

A fierce combat spirit ignited in Perun’s eyes, glowing like the red embers of daybreak.

Kadim met that intensity with the calm of one watching a reckless insect dive into a fire.

“……So, is the fight finally starting?”

“Yeah, looks like he’s finally ready to move.”

“Oh, ooooooh!”

“Waaaaaaaaah!!”

The stands, which had cooled during the talk, burst into flames again. With the thundering shouts rising like a wildfire behind them, the warrior consumed by battle-lust made the first move.

A dull gray edge lunged forward as he closed the gap.

Clang!

Kadim unsheathed Blood Ghost and deflected the strike with precision. The force of the impact was enough to knock a two-armed man off balance, but Perun held his ground. He had snagged his hook onto the side of the blade to apply more pressure.

And there was another factor at play.

‘Jawblade’…… one of its properties was certainly ‘Strength Enhancement’…….

It was a unique trait that amplified power just by holding the weapon. That alone was enough to classify it as a Rare item. Truly, the muscles in Perun’s left arm surged with visible, raw power.

But the Jawblade’s secrets didn’t end there.

Clang! Thwack, thunk, clang! Clang!

“You cannot simply…… continue to parry like that, Great Warrior. Your vitality will keep draining away…….”

“…….”

‘Stamina Drain’.

An enchantment that fatigued any opponent touched by the weapon while replenishing the wielder’s energy. The requirement for contact was broad enough to include the clashing of steel. With every impact, a faint, mist-like aura evaporated from Kadim and surged into Perun.

Hummmm…….

The archaic symbols on the gray steel began to shimmer. Because of those two attributes, the Jawblade’s actual status sat somewhere between Unique and Epic. It didn’t have the sheer devastation of Blood Ghost, but it provided incredible endurance.

Of course, it wasn’t merely the gear. In the intervening years, Perun had created a combat style specifically for a one-armed fighter.

He would grip the hilt with his functioning hand, use his hook against the flat of the sword to dictate the flow of energy and path, and occasionally use the hook itself to trap the enemy’s edge. It was a method that could easily become clumsy, but Perun’s natural talent for war had refined it into something that could actually challenge Kadim.

Clang! Clang, clang!

The blades cut through the air in sharp angles, lunged in straight paths, and swept in graceful arcs. The unpredictable flurry of strikes fell like a storm. It was as erratic as rain hitting the ground, searching for any vulnerability. Kadim couldn’t afford a single mistake; he had to sharpen his focus to a razor’s edge.

Clang, zzzzt…… clang!

The two exchanged brutal strikes. Neither was able to draw first blood easily. However, Kadim was clearly losing the war of attrition. ‘Stamina Drain’ was an effect that couldn’t be negated simply by blocking…….

Whispers began to ripple through the audience.

“……What? Is the Demon Slayer actually being backed into a corner?”

“Not exactly backed up…… they seem to be at a stalemate…….”

“Isn’t that the same as losing? The Indomitable Warrior isn’t even whole anymore…….”

“Man, who would have guessed the Demon Slayer would have this much trouble with a one-armed cripple…….”

Until this moment, the crowd had only seen the Demon Slayer annihilate his opponents. The sight of him in a ‘fair fight’ was startling. Even more so against a man missing his right arm.

But Kadim didn’t lose his cool. In fact, as the minutes ticked by, it was Perun who began to show signs of tension.

Thwack! Thwack! Crash!

“…….”

Regardless of how much energy he siphoned, Kadim’s strength showed no sign of fading.

An ordinary man would have hit the ground long ago, but Kadim felt no significant exhaustion. Only a minor dullness in his muscles. His endurance was forged to survive hundreds of hours of non-stop warfare.

And now, he had identified a way to disarm his opponent.

Clang! Clang, clang! Clang!

Kadim executed a massive swing, repeatedly striking a single point on the enemy’s blade. Perun saw the intent and tried to shift his defense, but the timing was too late.

Crack—clang!!

Gleaming shards flew as the Jawblade snapped in half.

“……!”

Perun’s eyes widened in shock. Kadim let out a sharp breath.

The Jawblade was a superior weapon, but its foundation before being enhanced was just a standard iron sword. Common materials lacking ‘Durability Enhancement’ couldn’t hope to last 300 years without breaking. That it had lasted this long was a testament to its quality.

“The blade snapped!!”

“The Demon Slayer broke the enemy’s steel!!!”

“Waaaaaaaaah!!”

“That’s the Demon Slayer for you!!”

Whoosh—whish! Whoosh—whish!

The audience exploded into a frenzy once again. Perun masked his shock and retreated several paces. With the sword broken, the enchantment failed; Kadim was no longer losing his stamina.

From a safe distance, Perun lowered his head in a gesture of honor.

“As I suspected…… you truly are the Great Warrior. To think you could shatter the sanctified blade with sheer force…… Truly the power chosen by the Father of the Wilderness…….”

Roarrrrr—!

A glowing piece of iron whistled through the air, cutting him off.

“……Hup!”

The one-armed combatant evaded the searing dagger by a hair’s breadth. Kadim spoke in a detached voice.

“Do not let your guard down in the middle of a fight. Do you think a demon or a beast would wait for your speech?”

“……My apologies. I have acted beneath my station.”

Perun reset his footing. With his left hand, he grasped the handle of the axe tucked into his belt. Intense sparks began to fly in every direction.

Crackle, crackle…….

“But…… I still possess another weapon.”

“…….”

“Your skill is undoubtedly at the peak of perfection…… but this tool is so violent, I am unsure if you can withstand it. May I, a simple soldier…… dare to challenge the Great Warrior with the power of this axe?”

Perun held up the axe. It was small, but the aura it radiated was immense. Vivid flames danced along its exceptional edge.

―――― Roar, roar—!!

‘Flamewail’.

Kadim recognized it instantly. A projectile axe imbued with ‘Flame’ for fire damage and ‘Explosion’ upon contact. It held enough power to kill a mid-level demon in a single hit.

Even facing such a threat, Kadim’s expression didn’t change.

If anything, he found the enemy’s request for permission during a life-or-death struggle almost comical.

“It doesn’t matter. Didn’t you claim you would give me everything you had?”

“…….”

“Throw it. Before I take your head.”

Perun looked at Kadim, hardening his resolve.

“I understand. Then, with your leave…….”

His fingers tightened around the handle. Muscles pulled tight, storing kinetic energy. He rotated his torso, putting the full weight of his arm and chest into the motion, and then launched the burning axe with the force of his entire body.

Thwack! Roarrrrr—

The axe left a trail of fire in its wake; it shredded the air like a flaming saw as it flew toward Kadim.

Right before the impact and the inevitable blast, Kadim snapped his own throwing axe upward with the speed of a lightning strike.

―――――― Boom—!!

A wall of fire erupted, and a massive explosion rattled their ears. The sheer force of the shockwave threw them both backward. Flamewail spiraled into the sky and shattered upon hitting the ground; Kadim tumbled several yards away.

However, he simply brushed the dust off his clothes and stood up without a word.

The spectators and Perun stood paralyzed with awe. Kadim wiped a bit of blood from his lip and whispered.

“A decent throw. But it lacked the necessary reach.”

“…….”

“Now…… it is my turn.”

Kadim tightened his hold on his own axe.

Grrr, grrr…….

Scarlet traces of light danced across his intense features.

The source of the light was coming from somewhere else. From his right hand, from the violent, crackling electricity surging at the base of the pitch-black axe handle. It looked like lightning trapped beneath a storm cloud, just moments before the sky releases a thousand bolts of fury.

Kadim took a deep, steadying breath.

“……Hoo.”

He let out a heavy exhale and threw the weapon forward.

Thwack!

It was an axe created in the frozen lands, given the name ‘Salmon’ in the hidden vaults of a destroyed kingdom.

―――――― Cracklezzzzzt—!!

But two nights ago, when the world was bathed in shadow, it had been transformed into lightning in the shape of an axe, carrying a brand-new name.