The Berserker’s Second Playthrough Novel - Chapter 69

Chapter 69
## Chapter: 69

### Chapter Title: Kill Each Other From Now On (2)

—

The ancient wizard’s blood remained out of reach for the Salmon.

Kwa-kwang!

Plunging his staff into the earth, the sorcerer summoned a massive partition of solid iron. The curved edge of the throwing axe bit deeply into the metallic barricade, but its momentum was halted entirely, unable to break through.

Conversely, the barbarian’s life stayed safe from the flurry of metal spikes.

――――――― Puk, pubuk, puk!

A relentless storm of sharp projectiles descended, capable of shredding any living creature into a pulp, yet the barbarian did not bleed. Aside from the screech of metal on wood and a few superficial grazes, the thorns failed to penetrate.

Kadim’s brow twitched with focus. The crimson ink of the tattoo on his limb radiated a brilliant, bloody light. He felt a strange sensation across his flesh, though it wasn’t painful. Rotating his neck, he heard the heavy friction of solid timber plates rubbing together. It felt as though he had been transformed into a hard-shelled sea creature.

In this moment, Kadim’s entire form was shielded by the reinforced bark of the ‘ironwood’ tree.

Whoosh, hung, hung, hung, thud!

He gestured, calling his axe back to his grip, prompting the sorcerer to retract the iron barrier. The wizard’s eyes, clouded by demonic influence and shot through with red like broken capillaries, darted with frantic uncertainty.

“[Grrraaah, what… what have you done… you cur…]”

“……”

Kadim saw no reason to explain that he had tapped into the demonic ‘woodification’ ability for his defense. One did not negotiate with mages; one only spoke through the clash of steel and the shedding of blood. Flexing his arm, which had grown as thick as a sturdy bough, he sent the axe flying once more.

Parararararak—!

The wizard struck the ground with his staff again, desperately pulling the metal wall back into existence.

――――――― Kwagagang!

This time, the heavy blade buried itself halfway into the iron. While the rigid bark restricted his natural agility, the cumulative strength granted by this tattoo—much like the ‘Hydra’s Tattoo’—enhanced his physical power significantly.

“[Golkata, mol, ketillis, apicanto, en, tarision!! Golkata, preor, seltan…]”

Realizing Kadim’s strategy, the mage stopped wasting breath on insults and began a rapid-fire incantation. Following the initial thorns, a deluge of razor-edged blades, darts, bolts, and shuriken erupted forth… a tempest of steel tore into Kadim, trying to rip him apart.

――――――― Puk, pubuk, puk, pubuk!!

Still, the assault failed to deal a killing blow. Common metal struggled to bite into ironwood, which surpassed steel in density. Using his reinforced forearm as a buckler, Kadim sprinted forward, closing the gap until he was right in the old man’s face.

Swaeak—!

As he brought his blade down, the panicked wizard slammed his staff against the floor. A tangle of steel cables whipped out from the stone gaps, coiling around the sword like parasitic vines.

Kigik, kiririk, tududuk—!

Yet, bolstered by his doubled strength, Kadim possessed the raw power to tear through the restraints. The wires turned white under the extreme tension before snapping in clumps. The wizard’s withered face slackened in terror at the barbarian’s unnatural vigor.

Even in his desperation, however, the old man managed to complete a final spell.

“[…Encarris, Olpenia!]”

―――― Boom!

A massive force slammed into Kadim’s shoulder, sending him spinning backward through the air. A sharp, localized agony bypassed his skin, vibrating straight into his skeletal structure.

Pushing himself off the ground, he identified his attacker: a heavy metal orb hovering in mid-air. Behind it, a dozen similar spheres floated, vibrating with kinetic energy, waiting to crush him.

‘…So that’s how he leveled the buildings.’

The sorcerer’s shift from piercing blades to blunt force was a calculated move. While the ironwood bark was nearly impervious to cuts, it couldn’t negate the shock of a heavy impact.

Hung, whoo—hung, whoo—hung!

Like stones fired from a high-tension catapult, the metallic spheres whistled through the air at lethal speeds. Their impact was far greater than any simple projectile; each hit left a crater like a mortar blast, and as they struck in sequence, the very foundation of the area trembled.

――――――――― Kwang, kwa-ang, kwa—ang!

Kadim dialed in his perceptions. He focused on the ‘mana’ pulsing within the orbs, tracing the invisible lines of their movement. By doing so, he anticipated their paths and slipped past the majority of the strikes.

However, encased in wood as he was, his reflexes weren’t perfect. If he abandoned the woodification, a single direct hit would liquefy him… consequently, he took several glancing blows as the orbs ricocheted off one another, the damage slowly mounting.

――――――――― Kwang, peo—gyeok, peo—gyeok!

“[…En, calcoryte, yugrod, belun, kan…].”

Feeling the dull ache of bruised bone, Kadim gritted his teeth. Seeing his advantage, the mage let out a cruel, mocking grin. It seemed the tide was turning in the sorcerer’s favor.

When brawn wasn’t enough, the warrior knew he had to rely on cunning. The barbarian decided to change his approach.

Puk!

Secretly, he wedged his axe into a fresh crater, then broke away, circling through the ruins to attack from the flank. The metal spheres trailed him like a swarm of hornets. Kadim sprinted with explosive speed, leaping high to bypass the projectiles. He gripped his sword with both hands, letting out a primal scream as he plummeted toward the wizard.

“Huaaaaaaargh!”

The mage frantically hammered his staff, erecting layer upon layer of iron—imposing, thick barricades that no physical blade should be able to cleave.

But a cold smile touched Kadim’s lips.

The frontal assault was a mere distraction; the true threat was the axe he had discarded in the crater.

‘Return, Salmon.’

Responding to its master’s silent command, the throwing axe took flight, spinning with lethal intent from behind.

Parararararak, jjeo—gyeok!

“[Kuhuk!]”

Obsessed with the threat in front of him, the wizard failed to defend his back. The blade tore deep into his flank. Crimson gore and dark entrails spilled from the wound as the fragile old man collapsed onto the stones.

The demonic entity inhabiting the mage had a fatal flaw.

While his magical talent had reached the pinnacle of a grandmaster due to his longevity, his physical form had become nothing more than a brittle husk. The wizard wheezed, his skeletal fingers twitching in the dirt.

“[Uh, ugh, uh…].”

He was mortally wounded, but Kadim took no chances. Clutching his sword engraved with red characters, he vaulted over the iron barrier. To the dying mage, the warrior looked like a flash of dawn breaking through the midnight sky.

“[Pe, pee, pevillatus niiim…].”

Invoking the demon’s name brought no salvation this time. Only the end remained.

The mage decided on a final act of spite, intending to take his killer with him. He channeled every ounce of his remaining mana into his staff for a final explosion to level the surroundings…

“[…Huh?]”

…but the magic failed to ignite.

He had exhausted his reserves destroying the architecture, summoning the metal rain, and maintaining the orbs. His spiritual well was dry.

―――― Whoosh—hung, jjeo—gyeok!!

The barbarian’s steel cut through the furrowed, balding skull without hesitation. For all the vast knowledge the mage had accumulated over a lifetime, his death was mundane. His head split just like any other man’s, spilling grey matter and blood into the dust.

In his final moment of consciousness, the mage remembered the warning of a battle mage he had once murdered.

‘Save your mana here, or you’ll find yourself empty when it truly matters…’

The ground groaned under the rhythmic, violent thud of a cavalry charge.

Dududu, dudududu, dududu…

A hundred Atalain warriors, their skin the color of polished bronze, urged their beasts forward. Though small in number, the sheer pressure of their presence made them seem like a legendary army descending from the heavens.

The man at the front personified that mythic aura.

He possessed shoulders as broad as ridges, limbs like ancient pillars, and muscles that looked carved from granite. With a thick beard, piercing eyes, a helm adorned with massive horns, and a terrifying war axe…

Most men would lose their spirit just by looking at him. The few who didn’t would surely crumble once they realized who he was.

‘Agon’s Furious Horn.’ The famed Atalain sellsword, champion of the pits, the embodiment of victory, a cultural icon who brought glory to his people, and a figure of such status that even governors struggled to secure an audience with him.

Those accolades were daunting, but there was more. He commanded a ‘special power’ sanctioned by the council of Galentana. Most importantly, the title he held most dear was this:

‘Atala’s Great Warrior.’

The mortal hand of the war god’s divine purpose.

The protector destined to purge the world of great evils.

He had waited long for this moment. This mission was his first true step: to wipe out the ‘central demon’ responsible for the chaos and save the alliance. Agon’s Furious Horn and his unit rode toward Soltana with eyes burning with resolve.

Not everyone in the group shared his zeal, however.

Tucked behind Agon’s Furious Horn on the same mount, Duncan the merchant was pale, fighting back waves of nausea and dread. Every jolt of the beast made him question his choices.

‘I’ve lost my mind… why did I insist on coming along…’

Initially, he had planned to stay at the outpost. He thought it was the most logical place to wait for Kadim.

But the situation had soured. The demon onslaught had turned the outpost into a death trap. When he heard three high-ranking demons were closing in, Duncan prepared for the end.

Agon’s Furious Horn and his riders had arrived just in time to save them. However, they weren’t staying to defend the position; they were heading out to hunt the ‘central demon.’ When they announced only a skeleton crew would stay behind, Duncan panicked.

‘If the demons return, we’re sitting ducks…’

He couldn’t stay. Swallowing his fear, Duncan had approached the legendary champion to beg for a spot.

‘E-excuse me… great champion, Agon’s Furious Horn, sir! M-might I… join you? My group went ahead with the main force! I just need to find them, I won’t be a burden, I promise…’

‘……’

At first, the hero ignored him. Duncan was tossed aside by the other Atalain warriors like unwanted baggage several times.

Yet, just as they were preparing to leave, Agon’s Furious Horn had actually sought him out.

‘Your partner… is he the Atalain mercenary they call the ‘Demon Slayer’?’

‘Huh? Oh, y-yes! I mean… yes, sir! That’s him! Definitely!’

‘…Get your things. We move out.’

Duncan had been overjoyed, but if he had known he’d be riding pillion behind the giant himself, he might have stayed put.

Rubbing elbows with a celebrity was no comfort. Agon was just as terrifying as Kadim. Duncan barely dared to breathe, trying not to cough as he inhaled the dust of the road.

Agon’s Furious Horn mostly ignored him, though he did ask a few questions during the ride.

“Is the claim true? Did he kill hundreds of demons by himself?”

“……Excuse me?”

“The ‘Demon Slayer.’ The soldiers mentioned it. Hundreds killed on the Golden Highway.”

Duncan fumbled his words.

“W-well, maybe not hundreds, but dozens certainly… and if you count the ones off the road, the number is quite high…”

“……”

They spoke of Kadim’s deeds in short bursts. After reflecting on the stories, Agon’s Furious Horn noted:

“He has potential.”

“……”

“I look forward to a proper meeting. We need more true warriors. It will help me fulfill my destiny as the ‘Great Warrior.’”

This gave Duncan pause.

Was it a good idea for these two to meet?

He remembered how Kadim’s temper flared whenever Agon’s Furious Horn was mentioned as ‘Atala’s Great Warrior.’ He didn’t know the history, but he knew there would be a dispute over that title.

And he doubted it would be settled with words.

Kadim was a monster in combat, but Agon’s Furious Horn was a legend for a reason. His reputation wasn’t just talk. Aside from Kadim, Duncan had never seen anyone butcher a horned demon so effortlessly.

If Kadim lost that fight, Duncan’s own future looked grim.

“Hoo…”

He sighed. It was too late to turn back now. They were bound to meet eventually. He could only pray they didn’t kill each other.

The ride through the dusty plains continued. Duncan’s gaze fell upon Agon’s weapon—the massive axe that had been de-limbing demons all day.

It was clearly a masterpiece. The edge hummed with a violent energy, the black head was etched with glowing sigils, and the handle was longer than Duncan was tall. It was an intimidating sight.

Knowing Agon was incredibly wealthy, Duncan couldn’t help but wonder about its value.

“Th-that is a magnificent weapon, Champion… does it have a name? I’m just a simple merchant, I’ve never seen anything so… impressive—”

“…I wouldn’t touch it. Unless you wish to be broken.”

“Y-yes, sir! Of course! I wouldn’t dream of it! I’m not worthy…”

Duncan thought the conversation was over. But surprisingly, Agon’s Furious Horn spoke again:

“…The name of this axe is ‘Judgment of Atala.’”

He looked toward the horizon with a look of profound reverence, as if witnessing something divine.

“It is a sacred tool, carrying the spirit of the Father of the Wilderness and the legacy of all the Great Warriors who came before us.”