Chapter 45
“Haha…” Kashi let out a short laugh, part disbelief, and part relief when he heard Kira’s familiar declaration. The playful bloodlust exuding from her gaze reminded Kashi of their long journey together. It was no exaggeration to state that Kira was the closest friend he’d had in this world, even going so far as to risk her life to save his. Faced with Kira’s steadfast gaze, Kashi suddenly felt ashamed. He could not believe he had fallen so low that he showed off such a terrible side to her.
Kira’s gaze narrowed when she saw Kashi’s downcast gaze. However, rather than comfort him, the mutated Nightwind Direwolf softly growled and said as she turned to face Razznik. “Heal up Kashi. We’ll be waiting for you.” Without another word, Kira exploded forward like a cannonball, surrounded by several mini-tornadoes.
BANG! Kashi could only watch as Kira and Razznik clashed swords. The tremendous impact cracked the very earth beneath their feet and sent several shockwaves blasting over the mountaintop.
“Decent,” complimented Razznik as he glared at Kira through flying sparks. “But you’re not my target!” With a grunt, he flexed his sword arm and pushed Kira back. Simultaneously, clumps of blue flames gathered in his right hand. “Nice try!” Razznik roared as he blasted the torrent of flames towards the sky.
In the air, Suzuki, who was falling out of a portal, narrowed his eyes at the incoming flames. He ran a quick simulation and concluded he could not dodge out of the way in time. The situation appeared perilous but the daeben’s expression was ice-cold. “Come, Jingu Brush.”
The famed painting brush appeared in Suzuki’s hand, having grown to just under a meter. “The World is my Canvas.” Suzuki’s eyes grew cold as his mana flowed into the brush. The bristles shone with a blue light as he activated the brush’s cold properties. Then to everyone’s shock, he swiftly drew a shape in the air with blinding speed.
What the hell was a drawing supposed to do in a fight?
“Rune?” Compared to the ignorant onlookers, Razznik’s eyes narrowed in recognition.
“Avalanche,” Suzuki commanded as he slapped the rune with his left hand.
Before everyone’s shocked gaze, the rune burst into life, absorbing large amounts of mana from the world before exploding into a massive snowfall.
Pshh… Razznik’s flames crashed into the snow, instantly melting the pile.
Whoosh! Suzuki burst through the resulting steam and drew another rune just above a smiling Razznik. This time, hundreds of tiny rock spikes shot out of the runes, threatening to skewer the Chaos God into Swiss cheese.
Faced with the barrage, Razznik grinned and swung his blade toward the sky. Terrible chaotic ki shot out of his sword in a wide arc. The chaos mana swallowed and disintegrated the rocks before they could reach him, but then continued on toward the falling daeben.
Suzuki, who had already predicted the counterattack, rapidly repositioned mid-air so he fell a few meters out of range of the chaotic energy.
Just as Suzuki’s feet hit the ground, Kira, who had recovered from Razznik’s push, burst forward once more. This time, however, small swords formed from compressed wind shot out ahead of her.
Kin! Kin! Kin! Razznik rapidly shattered the wind swords. But he could not rest as a rapidly spinning Kira fell upon him like a ripper from hell. Kira’s outstretched sword continuously struck Razznik’s sword as she spun in place. The incessant hits sent Razznik sliding backward, but he then stamped his foot against the ground, causing a mandala to appear beneath him.
Graggt! A dozen rock spires shot out of the ground on command and attempted to skewer Kira.
Vwoosh! Just when all hope seemed lost, the Nightwind Direwolf suddenly burst into smoke, causing the spikes to harmlessly strike the air.
Faced with Kira’s disappearing act, Razznik raised his left hand, causing a purple mandala to appear on the ground. In the blink of an eye, a dark purple graviton ball appeared in front of Razznik. The mini-singularity induced an unbearable gravitic attraction on everything within three meters, drawing them towards itself.
Kira’s smoky form was sadly no exception. Before she could relocate, the graviton ball rapidly sucked her in, denying her a chance to escape. Even worse, due to the immense mana fluctuations, she could not pull her body together.
Razznik’s eyes narrowed once the last wisp of smoke was absorbed into the hole. He then squeezed his palm to detonate the ball. “Hm?” The expected explosion did not show up, instead Razznik looked at the pole that he somehow grabbed.
Razznik looked up Jingu Brush’s shaft to see Suzuki kick off the ground before launching a kick at this face. In response, Razznik snorted as he leaned backward to dodge the attack. However, his brows rose in surprise when a water whip followed the end of Kashi’s feet.
PA! The whip struck with shocking force, sending Razznik staggering back. At the same time, a loud howl erupted from the graviton ball as Kira controlled all the absorbed air to blast outward like a bomb.
Boom! The graviton ball predictably shattered under the onslaught. An enraged Kira emerged from with wind with murder in her eyes.
“Wind Corridor!” Following her roar, a vast column of wind surrounded Kira and instantaneously burst forward to also cover the staggered Razznik. The Nightwind Direwolf then melded into the wind corridor as she burst forward in a blur.
At the other end of the corridor, Razznik’s gaze narrowed as he raised his left hand, summoning a gigantic mandala behind him. Before he could complete the attack, Suzuki stomped on the ground, sending rock spires shooting up toward the Chaos God.
Razznik’s rapidly boiling blood screamed in excitement as he swung his blade at the incoming rocks. BOOM! A massive shockwave blasted the spires to dust, digging a three-meter ditch in the earth as it shot toward Suzuki.
Meanwhile, a sword blasted out from the wind tunnel at that moment, sinisterly stabbing toward Razznik’s left ribcage. Due to his attack against Suzuki, Razznik could not dodge in time, resulting in a pained shout as the sword pierced his abdomen.
Kira did not miss this chance! The Wind Corridor rapidly condensed into a ball of wind that surrounded Razznik, before transforming into hundreds of wind blades. Kira appeared and charged toward Razznik from the side as the swords shot down at the injured Chaos God.
BRACKT! However, Kira was forced to stop her charge when a gigantic stone wall shot up in front of her, separating her from Razznik. “Suzuki!?” Kira was enraged by what she assumed was an error in communication. Indeed, there was nothing like fighting by Kashi’s side. Kashi understood her like no one else.
BAM! Kira had barely begun to process her anger when her furs bristled with an intense sense of danger! She stared in shock as a fist shattered the rock and reached for her. Fortunately, she picked up on the sound fast enough to backtrack just out of reach.
Only then did she see Razznik’s flaming red eyes beyond the falling debris. The determined, almost mocking gaze lacked any trace of fatigue or injury from being fatally stabbed! At the same time, she noticed the mandala behind Razznik pulse, revealing a fiery world beyond.
Within the span of a second, a single spark escaped the portal and detonated!
BOOM! An apocalyptic roar rang out as a terrible explosion consumed over thirty meters. It was like hell descended upon the earth for the briefest of seconds, the heat of which could be felt miles over. The explosion was so great that it shattered the portal itself!
As the closest to the portal, the flames consumed Kira in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, when the embers disappeared, a glassy ball stood where Kira had been. Crick! The ball shattered to reveal a terrified Kira within. The Nightwind Direwolf looked at the earth which had glassed over in a few areas. She could not imagine what would have happened if that hit her! Kira then looked at the figure standing a few meters in front of her with newfound respect and fear.
Razznik did not come out completely unscathed. The Chaos God shielded himself with his ki, but it was not enough. His stats and immunities were seriously affected when he limited himself to Kashi’s level. As a result, even he took some damage from that terrible attack.
The Chaos God’s jacket burned off in the attack, revealing slim, muscular arms with angry red splotches where the flames burned his skin. However, aside from the most recent injuries, the Chaos God’s body was riddled with a multitude of scars from god knows how many battles.
Observing the injured Razznik, Kira finally understood why many considered him the ultimate evil force. The madman did not play by any conventional rules! He would happily lose an arm to tear his enemies to pieces!
Just then, Suzuki broke out of a similar glass egg and charged at Razznik, whose burns had begun healing.
“For someone who’s determined to play support, you are certainly annoying.” It was unknown if Razznik was cursing or praising Suzuki as his blade crashed against Jingu Brush.
Suzuki snorted as he rapidly parried the man’s onslaught. Jingu Brush’s indestructible status meant he did not have to worry Razznik would slice through. Of course, he could not directly attack with Jingu Brush either, but that was what the runes were for.
Kira’s blood boiled as she watched Razznik and Suzuki exchange dozens of blows in close proximity, where one error would lead to instant death. Without thinking too much, she conjured her sword and dashed into the fray, forcing Razznik into a dangerous dance.
“Hehe… As I thought, he’s just too strong.” Kashi despondently muttered as he watched the soul-stirring battle from a safe distance. He cradled his arm which was slowly regrowing as Yggdrasil’s healing energy worked in overdrive. It took much longer to regrow a body part compared to healing.
Of course, ninety percent of healers and doctors would have drowned Kashi in spit if they heard his thoughts. Even in the world of magic, regenerating limbs usually took very lengthy sessions that sometimes took days.
Kashi winced, resisting the urge to scratch his arm as he observed Suzuki’s movements. To most people, it might seem like Razznik was pressuring Kira and the daeben with relentless attacks, but Kashi knew better. Suzuki seized the battle’s pendulum from the jump.
Suzuki was like a conductor atop a boat in stormy seas. No matter how chaotic Razznik’s attacks raged, he somehow maintained his balance and controlled the flow of battle. He attacked and dropped out of range when he pleased, forcing Razznik to be more aggressive to catch him. That aggressiveness gave space for Kira to strike at the Chaos God’s vitals.
Unfortunately, Razznik’s battle instincts were too good for Kira. He always managed to avoid any fatal attacks and even launched several dangerous counterattacks. She only survived for so long because of Suzuki’s timely interventions.
Kashi could see Razznik and Suzuki’s fully realized battle philosophies in this fight. Razznik as always was like a precise ballistic missile. He controlled his attacks, luring his enemies in before exploding with incessant aggression without care of any incurred injuries. He fully embodied the mentality of sacrificing an arm to rip out the opponent’s heart.
In sharp contrast, Suzuki was like a reserved assassin’s blade. He was much more reserved, content to eliminate the enemy with the least amount of energy exerted. Paired with his monstrous battle sense, he could control the battlefield as he wished before slinking his dagger into the enemy's neck.
Hell, that was probably the reason why he chose to research runes as a battle method. Unlike mages and Elementals, Runemasters did not utilize much of their own mana in battles. Runes drew power from the world after activation. Suzuki only needed a little mana to draw the runes. Furthermore, due to Jingu Brush’s properties, Suzuki did not need to worry about appropriate ink to boost elemental properties.
Kashi could not hide his envy. In his eyes, Suzuki and Razznik represented the pinnacle of battles. They had fully embodied their philosophies and goals in their fists.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Compared to them, who am I? What do I want?
Up until a moment ago, Kashi believed he wanted both he and Suzuki to live happy lives, only to realize he had been lying to himself. His fear of disappearing one day made him push aside battling in favor of spending time with his guild.
If he was unsure of such a fundamental aspect of himself, how could he ever compare to those two monsters?
Puff… Kashi’s eyes widened when he felt a weight on his back, followed by something soft resting against the back of his head.
“I’ve never seen you so downcast. I’m almost glad to know you’re human.”
“Lune?” Kashi lightly shivered when he heard the singer’s voice. He began to turn around but Lunette stopped him.
“Stop. Don’t turn around.” When Kashi stopped, Lunette leaned against his back and looked up at the stars. She knew it was not fair, but she still felt a little afraid when sat this close to him. Kashi, or rather Suzuki’s cold eyes as he killed her still haunted her every night. However, her concern for Kashi outweighed her fear, so she forced herself to come to his side. Steeling her nerves, the songstress asked, “Just tell me. What’s bothering you so much?”
“I envy those two.” Kashi chuckled deprecatingly as he watched the battle. He was emotionally slow, but he recognized trauma better than most. He did not question Lunette’s actions as he softly confessed, “I will never be as strong or as focused as those two.” Perhaps because he had to explain to someone else, Kashi found the answers coming to him much clearer. “Razznik exists to find a useful channel for anger. Suzuki exists to preserve his life at all costs. As for me… I’m not sure why I exist. Without a clear goal, my fights will always lack something.” The draconian clenched his fists in frustration.
“So, you believe you are lacking compared to those two?” Lunette did not need to look at the battle to feel their strength. The residual ki and mana blowing their way was enough evidence of the terrible battle. “That’s odd; I believe you are stronger than both of them?”
“Heh. You do not need to patronize me. I am well aware of my own capabilities.”
“Are you though?” Lunette mercilessly challenged Kashi, causing him to pause.
“What are you talking about?” Kashi frowned. He couldn’t see where she was going with this.
Lunette sighed. “As things stand, who do you think would win in a one-on-one fight: Suzuki or Razznik.”
“Razznik.” Kashi’s answer was instant. It was not a matter of skill. Kashi’s dilly-dallying messed up Suzuki’s available stats such that they were severely lacking compared to Razznik’s. With a wide enough skill gap, Suzuki could use his battle smarts to seize victory. Unfortunately, Suzuki and Razznik were very similar skill-wise, so Razznik’s overwhelming stats would eventually swing victory his way.
“True.” Lunette accepted Kashi’s answer, but then threw a curveball. “Then, who will win right now?”
This time, Kashi hesitated a little. “Kira’s powerful. I would say Suzuki has a forty-percent chance of victory if they play their cards right.”
“Then, is Suzuki stronger now than he is alone?”
“No...” Kashi started to speak but his voice trailed off. “Wait. He is?” Light began to dawn on Kashi’s eyes as realization set in. “Then—”
“Who raised, befriended, and cultivated Kira until she reached this level? Whose stubbornness forced Suzuki to agree to come into this world, and thus bought us this time to talk? Who brought a singer from a dirty swamp to the greatest battlefield in many years?” Lunette’s voice was lovingly firm as she playfully rebuked, “Do you believe a weak person could have done all that? You are neither Razznik nor Suzuki. But what’s wrong with that. Why are you denying your unique strength?”
“Hahaha… How could I have been so blind?” Kashi burst out laughing as the fog surrounding his heart cleared. The draconian leaned against Lunette and then muttered, “You know, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you right now.”
“I know.”
“ I know !?” Kashi nearly turned around in disbelief. “That’s what you’re going with?”
Lunette burst out laughing at Kashi’s reaction. “I have always wanted to say that. Besides, consider this payback for all that time you made me wait.”
“Wow, it pisses me off that I can’t retort.”
Kashi and Lunette shared a moment of laughter, then the draconian looked at his arm which had finally finished healing. “Alright then.” Kashi rose to his feet with his signature grin back in place. He idly swung the regenerated arm as he looked at the distant battle. “Let’s go finish this.”
Lunette, who had also gotten up, bloomed with a beautiful smile as she replied, “As you wish, Guildmaster.”
As Lunette left, Kashi began walking toward the battle. With each step, his aura grew more intense. However, unlike the first time, he was more akin to a dormant volcano. Everyone could feel the devastating aura underneath, but they could not guess its depths.
Eventually, even Razznik could not ignore the blatant display. With a quick maneuver, he pulled away from Suzuki and Kira, and then looked at Kashi. “What is this? Have you decided to join the fight? I’m afraid you will only hinder both of these excellent fighters with your muddled head.”
“You know what? You were right all along.” Surprisingly, Kashi did not argue. Instead, he fearlessly grinned as he looked at the Chaos God. “I am a loser. Bottom of the barrel trash; a waste of oxygen and carbon.”
“I did not go that far, but I find your descriptions apt.” Razznik hoisted his broadsword on his shoulder with a slightly amused expression. He was eager to see the source of Kashi’s sudden confidence.
“Yeah, I’m a loser… But not for the reasons you gave.” Kashi chuckled when he saw Razznik’s brow imperceptibly scrunch up. “I’m a loser because I never realized just how strong I really am.”
Razznik snorted. “You? Strong?”
“Yes. I was too busy trying to emulate the two of you that I forgot to look at what made me strong in the first place?”
Razznik shook his head. “Do not speak cryptically. I watched every leg of your journey. I know exactly how you became strong. Training and hard work are what brought you strength. You would have become even stronger if you focused.”
“Nah.”
“Nah?” Razznik could not believe the incredulous reply.
“Nah. I’m this strong because of the bonds I built and fostered. I got my Golden Body from the bonds fostered with you and Suzuki. My bonds with Bert and everyone at the archer’s lodge got me Ferulic’s Techniques. Our bond with Leila facilitated the growth of the Hopeful Maggots. Absalon brought us an unbreakable army. Stryke’s friendliness opened my heart to the possibilities of friendships. Paris gave me a country’s backing that allows me to do whatever I want without fear. Shoko and Syel are the strongest swords that can tear down any enemies. The dwarfs of Aygorzi helped outfit our warriors for this battle.” Kashi paused and then looked to the side, “Shadow and Lunette gave us something we had long forgotten about: the feeling of family.” Kashi chuckled as he spread his arms. “They are all parts of my strength, as I am theirs. Who cares if I can’t beat you one-on-one? I’ll just crush you with my family.”
Razznik shook his head in disappointment. “All that time and this is your answer? The Power of Friendship? I believe I asked if you think this is an anime? Look, your so-called strength can’t even stand.” Razznik pointed at the Maggots who were still pressed against the ground due to his godly presence.
Kashi, unfazed, challenged with a chuckle. “What if Power of Friendship was just that broken and overpowered?”
Razznik and even Suzuki frowned as they looked at Kashi. What the devil was he talking about now?
Kashi ignored their skeptical expressions as he looked up at the sky. He opened his menu and then turned on the guild channel. As the guildmaster, Kashi possessed the sole authority to give a guild-wide announcement to all members. Of course, this was the first time he ever utilized it.
Kashi took a deep breath and then spoke to every member of his guild, “You know, I always wondered why I named our guild Hopeful Maggots. Was it just a coincidental slip, or was I giving myself a sign?” The draconian issued a light shrug and then said with a sigh, “Ultimately, it does not matter. I have my own interpretation. Subconsciously, I did not want to be alone. But, I could not imagine myself as anything grand, so I called us Maggots. The idea was that we would all be together, eating up anything that crossed our paths.”
Kashi’s words reverberated in the ears of every Maggot regardless of location. Their guildmaster’s words, accompanied by his depreciating laugh unleashed an unfamiliar emotion in many hearts. One by one, the Maggots’ emblems began to glow.
The howling wolf sigil on Kashi’s forehead began to glow as he continued, “But, you know, Maggots are just the first phase of life. Once a Maggot eats enough, it eventually undergoes a metamorphosis.” Kashi smiled when he saw a ki-image of a mass of maggots wriggling in the skies. This was a sign that the guild’s resonance was in effect, but he was not satisfied. “I never changed our guild’s name because I could never figure out what I should replace it with. Good news though; It took me long enough, but I finally know what I want our guild to represent.”
Razznik’s eyes narrowed as he felt Kashi’s aura climbing at a rapid rate. Strangely, it was not like Kashi got stronger. No, it was more like his presence or worth had begun to climb. If he was previously an ant, he had suddenly become a mouse, and that presence was still rapidly growing.
Kashi paused to smile at Kira. “Do you trust me?”
Kira snorted in response. “I should kill you for that stupid question.”
“Heh. I suppose I deserve that one.” Kashi hesitated, but then his gaze hardened as he looked at the swirling ki-image. “We are neither good nor evil, standing at the line between light and darkness, we administer judgment on those who wrong us, and reward those who help us. More importantly, we stand with each other, working to achieve both our personal goals and the guild’s objectives. Heh, what’s that phrase? The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
“It’s time to emerge from our cocoons.” Kashi grinned as he tapped the emblem glowing on his forehead. “Let the world know. Whether you dance in the sunlight or lurk in shadows, we will find you wherever you are. Raise your heads and howl, Twilight Wolves!”
Following Kashi’s shout, Kira raised her head and let out a long howl towards the sky. The soul-stirring cry pierced the heavens, reaching the depths of every Maggot in the world. As if spurred by Kira’s howl, large, angry wolves tore out of the maggots wriggling in the sky. The twilight wolves let out soul-shattering howls upon emergence and then charged down from the sky, eventually running by Kira’s side.
Kashi watched with a wide smile as Kira howled alongside the Twilight Wolves. He remembered how Kira howled for her mother at Warher plains in the fields outside Ranad. He was happy to give her another reason to howl. This time, however, it was for a new family rather than grief.
As Kira howled alongside the Twilight Wolves, she too began to resonate with the guild.
Then, it happened.
A portion of Kira’s divinity shot into the sky and melded with the ephemeral wolves. The spirit-like wolves underwent another transformation as they rapidly absorbed the strange power, instantly turning more life-like and solid. If one looked closely, they would notice that the wolves loosely resembled the Nightwind Wolf.
Kira finally stopped her howls when the wolves had taken a much more substantiated form. The reformed Twilight Wolves then dispersed and charged back into their individual guild members.
Razznik watched everything occur and felt something off when he saw Kashi’s confident smirk. “What did you do?”
Kashi laughed. “I just unleashed the Power of Friendship.” Before Razznik could reply, he added with a wicked wink, “Isn’t that right, gang?”
“Heh, that’s right, boss!”
“This has been an unpleasant experience. I will certainly pay this back ten-fold.”
Razznik’s brow shot up as he watched the Maggots… no, Wolves, who should have been down and out rising steadily to their feet. It was not just the healed Syel, Shoko, and the others who attacked before, but even warriors like Absalon and Stryke who were previously paralyzed under his aura now seemed immune. In fact, Stryke and Absalon were the first to express their displeasure at their previous predicament. There was nothing worse than being cut out of a fight like this.
“Ah, I see.” Razznik proclaimed as he looked at a grinning Kira. “It was you. You are a demi-god. It makes sense that you can shield your guild from my aura.” Razznik shook his head and then looked at Kashi. “Is this the path you have chosen? You will abandon your strength to rely on others?”
Kashi shook his head. “I am not abandoning strength, simply collecting a different kind. Did you forget our mantra? If you are not stronger, be faster—”
The edges of Suzuki’s lips tilted ever so slightly as he joined, “If you are not faster, be smarter.”
Razznik chuckled and joined as he raised his sword, “And, if you are not smarter—”
“ CHEAT! ”
Kashi’s lips spread to reveal a wolfish grin as he threw Razznik’s words back in his face, “I. Cheated.”