The Berserker’s Second Playthrough Novel - Chapter 95

Chapter 95
## Chapter 95: Arena King (2)

A streak of cerulean radiance sliced through the falling dusk, impacting the center of the ogre’s forehead.

Crack-rack-snap—squelch!

— Keeehehek!

The creature’s crimson pupils rotated erratically from the force, nearly popping from their cavities. Crimson liquid poured from the ruptured flesh, matting the coarse fur surrounding its jagged maw. With its nervous system destroyed, the beast fumbled its femur-bone mace and collapsed into a stiff heap, its limbs twitching in a mindless rhythm.

Whoosh—vroom, whoosh—vroom, vroom, vroom….

The barrage of metal did not conclude with a single strike. The weapon that had toppled the first monster vanished back into the shadows only to reappear instantly, burying its edge into the temple of a second ogre.

Thus commenced a rhythmic, thunderous execution.

Crack-rack-snap—squelch! Crack-rack-snap—squelch!

One beast’s cranium split wide, leaking thick fluids. Another’s snout was torn away, revealing jagged, bleeding gums. A third suffered a shattered sternum, a fountain of gore erupting from its caved-in torso.

— Keeiing, keeiing!

— Kek, kehehehek!

The body count rose rapidly. The ogres that had been closing in on their victims spun around in confusion. Even the high-ranking horned demon shifted its gaze toward the origin of the lethal projectile.

Out of the obsidian darkness, a scarlet streak came screaming forward.

— What manner of thing is that…?

The demon received no verbal reply—only the return of the axe.

Crack-rack-snap—!

The fiend whipped its head back, narrowly avoiding a total decapitation. To evade the returning blade, it was forced to scramble ignominiously along the dirt.

Demons possessed a sharp, predatory intuition. It realized immediately that this was a foe of a different caliber. Pumping out waves of corrupted energy, it screeched orders to its underlings.

— Slay that intruder first! The others can be bled later!

— Kehehek!

— Kehehehehehek!

Dark, oily aura saturated the monsters. Abandoning their cornered prey, the ogres pivoted. They brandished their stained bone clubs, establishing a curved wall of defense. A barricade of murderous muscle rose to shield the demon.

Finally, a towering silhouette emerged from the gloom.

And it began to systematically dismantle the living wall.

Squelch—crunch, squelch—crunch! Rip—crunch!

— Keeiing, keeeiing!

— Krkhehehegrrrluh….

A cyclone of steel-blue and blood-red blades carved through the night. The ogres’ hides were shorn away as effortlessly as if they were made of mist. Every swing of the arm sprayed a mist of bitter blood, coating the arid ground in a layer of filth.

Resistance proved pointless. When the beasts tried to block, the impact snapped their sturdy shins like dry twigs. The overwhelming force sent their massive frames reeling. Inevitably, a ruby-colored flash of lightning would descend upon the skull of any beast that lost its footing.

Squelch—crunch! Squelch-crunch-crunch!

— Krhehehek! Krhehehehehek!

— Keeiing!

The wall of flesh disintegrated. A hill of the dead took its place.

Even so, the creatures lacked the capacity for retreat or agony. Even with their entrails dragging in the dust or throats gapping open, they bared their fangs and lunged with mindless malice. Despite their frantic efforts, they could not land a single blow—yet they followed their master’s decree, throwing themselves at the giant like insects into a furnace.

The demon, however, possessed a different perspective.

Its pupils quivered with dread as it watched its pack fall and the killer draw closer.

— No… this is wrong… how could….

The truth became undeniable. This wasn’t merely a strong opponent; it was an absolute, apex predator. The stranger’s savage aura was so potent it smothered the demon’s own dark energy.

The fiend didn’t pause to reconsider. It chose to run.

That retreat was cut short by a tether of white-hot fire.

Whoosh-thump!

— Kraaaaaaaaagh!

Searing heat bloomed where the blade pierced its side, racing across its skin. The suffocating odor of burning sulfur filled the air.

It was the sacred hellfire of Elga.

Fwoosh, fwoosh-vroom!

— Kraaaaaagh!! Kraaaaaaaaagh!!

The demon thrashed in a final, agonized dance before collapsing into a charred, silent husk. With their leader gone, the remaining monsters lost their supernatural zeal. The red sword and blue axe continued their work on the bewildered survivors.

Crack-rack-snap—squelch! Rip—crunch!

— Kk!

Moments later, the final ogre’s back was broken. The demon and its entire cohort had been wiped out in a heartbeat.

Kadim lifted his blood spirit sword. He ran a hand along the vibrating, gore-slicked steel to quiet its hunger, then beckoned his greataxe back to his grip. As his adrenaline receded, the Hydra mark on his skin grew dark. Duncan, who had kept his distance, jogged over quickly.

“Are you unharmed, master? Where did the demon go…?”

“…….”

Kadim gestured toward the blackened remains.

Duncan winced but let out a breath of relief—at least he wouldn’t have to drain the blood of this one. Kadim stepped over the mounds of broken meat and bone to reach the travelers who had been trapped.

The carcasses of their horses lay nearby, beaten into a pulp. Behind the remains, wide eyes stared out from the shadows. The survivors, shaking and battered, went still when Kadim approached.

Kadim looked down at the blonde youth in the center, who wore oversized wool garments.

“It hasn’t been that long. Are you people traveling to Agon as well?”

“…….”

“What is your purpose there?”

The Atala guards tensed up. The young physician from the Agon faction huddled in the group, his teeth clicking together as he cast panicked looks around.

—

Adonis felt a heavy sense of hopelessness settle in his gut—a bitter frustration at the way fate seemed to treat humans like disposable toys.

Simply put, he was screwed.

The scheme to set an ambush for the Demon Slayer had been derailed from the start. Who could have anticipated crossing paths with a demon and a pack of monsters on the road to Agon? He had neglected the fact that stragglers were still wandering the wastes following the death of the central demon.

— Ihihihihihng!

— Kehehehehehek!

Their mounts had been the first casualties under the ogres’ hammers. The Atala guards protecting him had fought bravely, but three men stood no chance against such a crowd. Then, a strange savior had appeared, obliterating the threat in a whirlwind of violence—saving their lives by some miracle.

The catch? That savior was the very Demon Slayer they intended to kill.

“So… you’re traveling to Agon to survey the area?”

“…….”

What sort of cruel irony was this? To be rescued by the very target he was tasked with destroying… Adonis’s mouth twitched with a strained expression.

“Correct. It is our territory, after all, but the recent demonic activity kept us away. I am traveling there as a representative to share updates from Galentana, assess the situation, and then return, haha….”

“…….”

Unreadable eyes stared him down. A cold dread gripped Adonis’s heart.

The legends surrounding the Demon Slayer weren’t exaggerations. He’d heard the stories, but seeing the man in action was a different reality. What kind of human could make a demon turn tail and run in fear?

This was a level of power that rivaled the Furious Horn of Agon.

He couldn’t afford to let his guard down. He couldn’t let it slip that he was actually heading to Agon to prepare a death trap for this man. He had to remain composed.

But despite his resolve, his gaze was unsteady and his hands shook. This level of bloodlust was too much for a young healer who had never even killed a common goblin.

Kadim curled his lip in a faint, mocking smirk.

“In that news you’re carrying, is there anything about me coming to take the head of the Furious Horn of Agon?”

“…Haha, certainly not. The thought never even occurred to me. While the Furious Horn of Agon is our leader… the rules of the wastes say that the business of warriors is handled by warriors, don’t they?”

“You aren’t planning to hurry to Agon to set some trap, then?”

“…Gods, no. Please don’t joke about such things. How would we even attempt it? You are a hero who has cleared the Golden Highway of demons and just saved our lives… a true champion….”

“Fine. If you were, I would have been forced to take your limbs and your tongue. If there’s no ill intent, then there’s no reason to end you.”

“…….”

Adonis felt like screaming and running into the night.

There was no escaping this. The man clearly saw through the deception. Why was he letting them live? It made no sense….

The Atala warriors behind him began to subtly shift their hands toward their spears. Adonis signaled them to stand down. Kadim looked at the ruined horses and made an offer in a gravelly tone.

“Your horses are gone, so you won’t be moving quickly. We’re going to the same place. We’ll travel together.”

“…Excuse me?”

Adonis felt his head spin.

This was worse than traveling with the demons. He scrambled to find a reason to decline.

“Ah, y-yes. That is a very kind offer, but… I am a slow traveler. I would only hold you back….”

“If you’re so worried about speed, why were you so slow to pay the advance fee earlier?”

“…….”

The blood drained from Adonis’s face. Kadim watched him with a dark intensity, then continued as if the conversation was perfectly normal.

“Get ready to move. A small delay is fine. I can’t leave you out here.”

“…Wait? What do you mean….”

“The demons or the monsters might come back for seconds on the road.”

Kadim tilted his head toward the pile of bodies.

Looking at the carnage, then back at the blood-drenched mercenary, Adonis endured a long, suffocating silence.

Finally, like a man walking toward his own execution, he gave a stiff, reluctant nod.

—

A stroke of unexpected fortune.

He had suspected the physicians of the Agon faction would make a move eventually. But crossing paths with them like this? It was a pleasant accident, the kind of surprise that makes a journey interesting.

He’d toyed with the idea of letting the monsters finish them. They were obviously going to Agon to plot against him. However, on second thought, a living physician was far more valuable.

The Furious Horn of Agon had issued the challenge: If you want the axe-user, come to Agon. Finding the fight wouldn’t be the hard part.

The difficulty was actually getting to him. The man was a celebrity that even high-ranking officials couldn’t easily access. The rumors of him killing the central demon had only increased his isolation.

He needed an in. Someone close to the Furious Horn who could bypass the red tape and schedule a meeting.

This Agon physician was the perfect tool. Surely a council representative could get a meeting with his own commander? Furthermore, keeping him close meant he couldn’t sneak off to finish his traps….

Naturally, the physician found the arrangement terrifying. He’d already tried to slip away three times under the cover of night.

But he couldn’t escape the barbarian’s sharpened instincts.

“Where are you going, blondie?”

“…Pardon? Ah, just… urgent business….”

“You aren’t relieving yourself, so there’s no need to take all your guards with you.”

“…….”

Caught again—for the third time.

Frustrated, the physician tried a different angle: Why hold a grudge against the Furious Horn of Agon? Could they not find a peaceful resolution?

Kadim threw his own words back at him.

“Didn’t you say it yourself? The business of warriors is for warriors to settle.”

“…….”

Robbed of an argument, Adonis walked on in silence.

After three grueling days of trekking through the heat and cold, their goal finally came into view. Past the swirling dust, massive adobe structures rose like jagged teeth against the sky: a sprawling, ancient city.

The blood-pool of the wasteland. The largest arena-city on the continent. A hive of mercenaries, pit-fighters, and wandering blades seeking fortune. The premier breeding ground for the alliance’s champions—a monument to conflict.

Agon.

“Ooh….”

“…….”

Duncan, seeing it for the first time, let out a sharp gasp of awe. The Atala warriors, who had history here, looked on with deep nostalgia.

But Adonis had no room for sentiment. Watching Kadim out of the corner of his eye, he stammered.

“Our sh-short journey was a pleasure, mercenary sir… Sadly, I have many appointments in Agon, so I must depart….”

“Who are you seeing?”

“Ah, well. Our financial backers first, then the council members of Agon and their staff….”

“I’m coming with you. Tell them I’m your guard if they ask.”

“What?!”

“And after that, we will go see the Furious Horn of Agon together.”

“…….”

He stood there, stunned as if he’d been hit by a mallet. Adonis finally found his voice, sputtering that outsiders weren’t allowed at his level, that the Furious Horn was far too busy….

Kadim listened to the excuses in silence, then locked him in a predatory stare.

“Didn’t I pay for your life back there? This is a small price for that debt.”

“…….”

“Or was your life just some cheap insect’s life… something I should have stepped on?”

His calloused hand drifted toward the hilt of his blade. The sunlight caught the edge of the axe, sending a blinding glint into the youth’s eyes.

Once again, Adonis felt the cruel weight of destiny… he was trapped, and with a heavy heart, he accepted his fate.