Ch.235234. Look-alikes

# 234. Resemblance

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just die? You truly are foolish.”

“Ugh…!!”

The Emperor somehow managed to pull out the spear embedded in his back, then held it up.

However, as soon as he grasped it, the spear lost its distinctive glow.

“You lack the qualifications to wield it.”

“As expected…”

“Hand it over immediately. That’s an order.”

Bael slowly advanced forward.

Like a lion sizing up its prey before the hunt.

The Emperor held the spear while maintaining a certain distance from Bael.

He continued to keep more than 10 meters between them, watching carefully just as Bael was doing.

“Do you really think you can escape with that?”

Bael was being careless.

He could have easily caught up if he wanted to, yet he chose not to.

But the Emperor couldn’t blame him for that attitude.

“…”

He simply kept his mouth shut and tried to flee as best he could.

He was indeed the Emperor.

Yet now he was running away with his tail between his legs.

Surely he must hate this situation and feel utterly pathetic.

But he was doing the right thing.

Setting aside useless pride, he was doing what he could.

“There’s a limit to how long I’ll play along.”

Bael pointed his finger toward him.

Magical energy began gathering at that point—a pitifully small amount compared to his original monstrous reserves.

Of course, it was still enough to accomplish his goal.

Bael fired off spells in the direction of the Emperor’s movements.

Then he used [Swift] to close the distance in an instant.

“You’re already in the palm of my hand.”

Bael, gripping his spear, kicked the Emperor.

The spear returned to Bael’s hand with ridiculous ease, and the Emperor was sent flying like a tree uprooted by a typhoon.

The spear regained its glow as soon as it returned to Bael’s hand.

“Now die. Haven’t you lived long enough?”

Bael thrust the spear toward the Emperor’s neck.

It must have grazed him, as a thin line of bright blood trickled down his neck.

The Emperor closed his eyes as if accepting his death.

Seeing this, she immediately tried to rush toward him.

“You were arrogant. To think you could defeat me with such meager skills…”

“Shut up and kill him already. You talk too much.”

“Shouldn’t you at least leave some final words for your daughter?”

Despite conversing with Bael, the Emperor wasn’t looking at him.

He was looking at someone who had finally appeared after making them wait for so long.

“Maybe I won’t die after all.”

“Do you really think that’s possible in this situation?”

“Well, who knows?”

Angered by the Emperor’s insufferably arrogant words, Bael moved to end his life for good.

However…

“You held out well.”

With these words, a young man appeared and struck Bael with his fist.

The impact created a shockwave that sent Bael flying helplessly.

—CRASH!!—

Bael flew away with quite a commotion.

As Bael scraped along the ground and crashed into rocks, looking as pathetic as the Emperor had moments ago, the young man spoke to him.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Nothing much had changed.

That punch was no different from his previous ones, except that it came unexpectedly.

Yet he seemed relaxed.

As if he were looking down from the heavens.

“How is this possible? That wound shouldn’t have healed. How are you even alive?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Tch…”

Bael dusted off his clothes and regained his composure.

Then he showed the most wicked expression imaginable.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t know what method you used, but you’re merely postponing your death by a few hours.”

“That’s just your opinion.”

“Look at the situation. That loser, that traitor, and that woman are all in this state… What can you do alone? By yourself, you can do nothing.”

Bael’s words were right—or half right, to be precise.

It was true that everyone except the young man was in such poor condition they couldn’t fight.

But saying he could do nothing was arrogance.

“Don’t run your mouth when you know nothing.”

“What?!”

“Didn’t you just get a clear taste? The superiority of this weapon! The difference between you and me!!”

Instead of answering, the young man responded in the simplest way possible.

He used the final privilege he had gained at the brink of death.

“Now there is no difference. In fact, the advantage might be mine.”

A disturbing abyss writhed in his hand.

The abyss soon coalesced into a single form.

It took the shape of a weapon from mythology, a divine armament.

“Seems like the tables have turned.”

A pitch-black sword that seemed capable of devouring even light appeared in his hand.

The sword was equal to—no, superior to—Bael’s spear.

“Now we’re on more even ground, aren’t we?”

“That weapon…? Why do you have that weapon? Who are you to be holding it?!”

“Don’t be like that. It seems it was originally mine.”

“Don’t talk nonsense…”

Bael didn’t believe his words.

He couldn’t.

That sword, the one the young man was holding, was one he knew well—one he had seen many times before.

“That sword departed from this world with him…! It shouldn’t exist anymore!”

“Do you recognize it now?”

“Of course I do! That sword… it belonged to my master…”

“Master?”

Indeed, he knew very little about Bael’s past.

Why Bael hated humans, why he desired human extinction so desperately, how he had become so powerful…

He knew none of these things.

Unless Bael told him directly, there was no way to know.

“This sword belonged to your master?”

“Yes! It belonged to my one and only master! Hand it over immediately! It’s not something a lowly being like you should handle!”

“Interesting.”

Bael was so enraged that his face turned red as he breathed heavily.

The young man provoked him further.

“Why don’t you take it yourself, if you want it so badly?”

“I was going to do that even without you suggesting it.”

Pure anger filled his eyes.

This anger was different from before.

It was pure rage, on a completely different level from his hatred of humans or the humiliation of being wounded.

Bael swung his spear savagely, like someone consumed by that anger.

He was truly… out of his mind.

“How about calming down a bit?”

He was moving chaotically, like a monster commanded to take the sword from the young man, blindly following that order.

He moved erratically, unable to control his rage.

Yet his attacks remained precise and powerful.

The immense energy created when the young man’s sword and Bael’s spear collided shook heaven and earth.

“It’s not completely overwhelming.”

The young man seemed to have expected that, but the reality was quite different.

Still, he had definitely caught up considerably.

He immediately thrust the tip of his sword toward Bael’s philtrum.

—CLANG!!—

Bael deflected the attack ostentatiously and swung his spear toward the young man’s heart, just as before.

The young man gripped his sword with both hands and blocked Bael’s spear.

—BOOM!! CRACK!!—

When the two weapons collided, each trying to establish dominance, the ground split as if hit by an earthquake, and loose stones were blown away like leaves in the wind.

Both fighters put all their strength into their weapons.

“Ugh…!”

“Give up! You cannot defeat me.”

“For someone saying that… this seems pretty even, doesn’t it?”

The two weapons maintained perfect balance, not tilting toward either side.

Naturally, neither of them was satisfied with this balance.

They both struggled desperately to tip the scales in their favor.

But the balance only became more steadfast, refusing to break.

“Damn it…!”

When the two forces reached their peak, they fortunately stopped.

They watched each other carefully while creating distance between them.

Trembling hands and a battlefield devastated as if by an earthquake.

Everything was dramatic.

It was like watching a scene from mythology.

“Be careful.”

Their fierce clash continued.

They swung their weapons at each other without rest.

They remained fixated on victory, regardless of their injuries, depleted stamina, or drained magical energy.

Despite bleeding, sweating, and turning pale from exhausted magical energy, they didn’t stop.

The young man fought madly to protect his loved ones, while Bael fought for his long-held dream.

They hit, got hit, fell, and rose again.

When Bael inadvertently dropped his weapon, he struck the young man’s face with his bloodied fist instead.

—THUD!!—

The young man tensed his legs and withstood the attack.

Then, with a broad smile as if enjoying himself, he returned the favor by driving his fist into Bael’s face.

—THUD!!—

Momentarily losing balance and staggering, Bael regained his grip on his weapon and muttered.

“Stubborn bastard…”

“That’s my line… You should have given up by now.”

“Why would I give up here… you fool.”

They had clearly walked different paths.

Their goals, the methods they used to achieve them, and the beliefs they maintained were all different.

Yet they resembled each other in many ways.

They probably knew this too, though they would hate to admit it.

And the two continued to throw punches, each trying to prove they were right.

Their fists eventually met.

—BOOM!!—

They still refused to give up.