Episode 176 – An Unwinnable Fight

“And!!”

At that moment, I snapped to attention at the booming shout that pierced my ears.

I turned my gaze to Kaisan, who was looking at me with a sly smile.

“Right here, right now, I also declare my marriage! Anyone got a problem with that?”

At Kaisan’s declaration, the barbarians chuckled and shouted.

“No problem!!”

“Heh heh heh! You better not skimp on the feast!”

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a Kaisan-sized feast!”

“Hahaha!”

“You can look forward to it! Hehehe, anyone who has a problem, step forward like a man and challenge me!!”

I realized that Kaisan’s declaration was aimed at me, judging by the barbarians’ favorable response around me.

And seeing Kaisan looking down at me with a smile that seemed to say, ‘As if you could dare challenge me,’ something hot welled up inside my chest!

Just as I was about to step forward, an immense bloodlust erupted from Kaisan.

A cold hand seemed to grip my neck and squeeze tightly, and I was overwhelmed with terror, forced to stiffen with cold sweat.

‘Wh-what…!’

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

My heart pounded wildly, as if it were broken.

“Huk… Huk… Huk… Huk…”

Kaisan was the only thing in my sight, and my breath grew ragged as if I were having trouble breathing.

My whole body was petrified, and I felt like I would piss myself if I lost my focus even for a moment.

I clenched my sphincter tightly, barely managing to avoid shitting myself, and swallowed hard.

It felt like standing before a predator.

If I step forward now, I’ll die.

That’s what Kaisan was saying.

At the same time, I realized what Kaisan had done, seeing the barbarians around me smiling, oblivious to the bloodlust.

He was focusing his bloodlust solely on me.

And with magic infused in it.

Seeing Kaisan’s exquisite magic manipulation and overwhelming presence, I had no choice but to acknowledge the difference in our abilities.

‘……’

If I fought him, I would surely die without being able to withstand him even for a moment.

The gap was despairing, and I belatedly regretted not honing my own strength.

At the same time, I wanted to run away immediately.

Every cell in my body screamed, urging me to escape the terror of death.

‘But….’

I can’t back down.

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood in the terror that made me feel like I was about to faint.

Feeling the tingling pain spreading from my lips, I soon swallowed the bitter taste of blood that welled up in my mouth.

My mind cleared a little, and I slowly calmed my breathing.

“Sseuueeeup…. Hooouuuuuu…. Sseuueeeup… Hooouuuuuu….”

With each inhale and exhale, my heart, which had been beating erratically, regained its composure.

“Hoo…”

I took another deep breath and hardened my expression. Then, I silently stared at Kaisan.

I’m scared.

My legs were trembling as if they would give way at any moment.

My reason warned me loudly that if I went forward now, I would surely die.

I already knew that if I fought Kaisan, I wouldn’t be able to withstand him even for a moment and would be turned into a bloody mess in an instant.

But… but…!

I couldn’t run away.

My reason told me that Kaisan would surely keep his promise and that the city wouldn’t be swept away by the barbarian tide, so I should turn back and run away now.

I can’t run away.

Then, my reason started scolding me, asking if I didn’t want to give up on Grace.

It shouted, asking why I was so obsessed when I couldn’t even covet her body.

And my reason whispered coaxingly, asking if I didn’t know that Grace had no affection for me because of the choker’s curse.

It mocked me, asking if I was stepping forward to sway her heart.

It asserted that even if I did, she would never look back at me, as all affection had already disappeared.

I can’t run away.

Then, my reason flared up, asking what I was going out to a place where I could only die for.

I turned my gaze with calm eyes towards the back of Kaisan.

A large tent, and inside it, surely, was my wife, Grace.

I closed my eyes and took a deep… breath.

I could smell death deep in my nose.

“Haa…..”

I exhaled deeply, then slowly opened my eyes and looked straight at Kaisan with eyes that held no fear.

Surely, if I step forward now, I will die.

And I know very well that even if I die, nothing will change….

Surely, there will only be people who will be sad.

Perhaps, because of my presumptuous decision, the city, which had barely regained peace, might be attacked by them and fall.

I’m not an idiot either.

I know that the affection for me has disappeared from my wife’s smile…

Perhaps she won’t even care when she sees my corpse growing cold.

Just imagining that scene… I felt my heart ache.

Then, my reason whispered quietly.

[….. Let’s run away. After all, there are people in that city who love you, so let’s forget Grace and go find happiness. Grace too… can be happy next to that man.]

But… I couldn’t run away.

Emotion whispered to reason as if trying to persuade it.

I can’t run away.

Even if she doesn’t look back at me, I can’t run away.

Why… can’t I run away?

I looked at Kaisan with calm eyes and thought.

Why… can I be so sure that I can’t run away?

‘Ah…’

And I realized.

‘I… love Grace.’

A fact that was so obvious.

‘I can’t give up on Grace.’

I muttered to myself as if I had realized something great.

‘I want to be loved by Grace again.’

I hold a small hope.

‘I want to get back into the same blanket with her and share our body heat.’

I hold a small resolution.

‘And….’

Before I knew it, the fear in my heart had long disappeared.

I was just feeling a small ripple on the surface of the lake.

I smiled softly.

The warm ripple in my heart gently pushed my back.

‘With my wife again….’

My reason whispered weakly that I would surely regret it if I stepped forward now.

Even so… strangely… there was no hesitation in my steps.

‘I want to talk.’

Tak….

A moment of silence lingered in the clearing.

Kaisan was looking at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if he didn’t expect it.

“….. I misjudged you.”

After a long silence, Kaisan smiled as if he liked the current situation, where his thoughts were being completely denied, and whispered quietly.

But only for a moment, he soon emitted a pressure that was on a different level than before and glared at me expressionlessly.

And a growl, like that of a beast, flowed from his throat as if threatening me.

“Are you challenging me now?”

The immense pressure made me want to kneel down and beg for my life.

But strangely, I realized that unlike when I first received his bloodlust, there wasn’t a single ripple in my heart.

It was definitely more pressure than before… but except for my body trembling slightly, I was so calm.

‘What a… sophisticated way to commit suicide. Heh heh heh. Still…’

At the same time, I wore a self-deprecating smile.

‘Why doesn’t it feel like I’m going to lose?’

Looking straight into Kaisan’s eyes, I said with a provocative smile.

“Yeah.”

“…. Heh heh heh heh”

Kaisan started laughing as if he had confirmed the firm will in my eyes.

I felt my body tremble at the ferocity, ominousness, and… enjoyment embedded in his laughter.

My reason screamed again, telling me to back down immediately… but I ignored the cry and whispered.

‘You already know it too, right? That I can never run away. Hahaha… really… this is why people in love are at a disadvantage…’

Imagining Grace, I smiled and clenched my fist tightly.

“Good… The rules are simple… Bare hands until the other person dies. Time… unlimited. Do you agree?”

“I don’t care.”

As I said, raising both hands, Kaisan laughed heartily and shouted.

“Hahahaha! Good! Good!! I thought you weren’t even a man… I want to kill the me from yesterday! Hehehehe! Good… let’s fight until we die…”

Wooduk…! Wooduk! Wooduk…!

Kaisan, who was loosening his body by tilting his head from side to side and spinning his arms, clenched his fist so hard that it made a kudeudeuk…! sound.

“But… I’m not the kind of guy who enjoys bullying the weak… Hehehe, from now on, I’ll only use my left hand to kill you…”

“….”

I didn’t say anything and stared sharply at Kaisan with my eyes wide open.

Perhaps he liked my appearance, Kaisan chuckled and walked towards me, step by step.

And Kaisan disappeared.

“!!!!”

The moment Kaisan disappeared, I felt the hair on my whole body stand on end, and I immediately threw myself to the side without hesitation.

Paaaang!!!!

‘Fucking… crazy!!’

With a roar as if the air was exploding, Kaisan, who had suddenly appeared, was looking down at me with a twitch in his lips.

Agility that was on a different level than his size.

I instinctively realized that the moment I allowed him to attack even once, my body would be crushed.

Swallowing the dust, I rolled on the ground, twisting my waist with all my might as if I wouldn’t waste even a second, and kicked his calf.

Peok!!

‘It landed!!’

The sound of flesh bursting, I thought there would definitely be damage and raised my eyes, but… Kaisan was smiling brightly as if it didn’t even tickle him.

And clenching my teeth, I had no choice but to roll to the side again with all my strength.

Kwaaaang!!!

The earth shook and the ground cracked.

I stared at the ground that was clearly exposed by Kaisan’s left hand and felt a chill run down my spine.

The tremendous power… The cracks in the ground centered on where his left hand was planted looked just like telling my future.

Only 1 second had passed… I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood and jumped up as if bouncing.

And without a moment’s delay, I was horrified by the sight of Kaisan smiling gleefully and reaching out his left hand towards my head.

Fast!

But… it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t see it.

I immediately tilted my head back to avoid the fist, and feeling a scratch on my cheek along with a cracking sound, I bent my upper body to the right.

Clenching my fist tightly and fixing my lower body firmly on the ground, I immediately twisted my waist and slammed my fist into his side.

Peoeok!!!

The second strike, but the smile didn’t disappear from Kaisan’s face.

Kaisan, who had stretched his fist out a little more towards the side I had punched, swung his left arm like a whip towards me.

I threw my whole body again at the pressure I felt from the back of his hand, which was being swung as if it would crush my head at any moment.

Feeling the solid ground behind my back, I felt a sense of relief that I had survived once again, but only for a moment, I heard something scraping the ground.

Chiiiiik!

Kaisan, whose left and right feet scraped the ground as he moved, placed me in the center of his legs and quickly regained his posture, raising his left hand, which he had swung like a whip, high up as if water was flowing.

I thought that his large fist, which was being raised high, was like a huge rock.

I felt my hair standing on end and hurriedly tried to roll, but… my movements were blocked by Kaisan’s steel-like legs.

Seeing Kaisan slamming his fist down on me in a time of only 0.1 seconds, I bit my lip and had no choice but to acknowledge my own death.

“Grace…”

I wanted to see your face at least one last time…

Feeling the hot blast of magic, like a hot wind, blowing on my face, I closed my eyes.