Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Side Story 40. Beasts (12)
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The blizzard was dying down.
The standoff between the two beasts unfolded in silence.
A ferocious killing intent rippled over Jai fa's shoulders, but Baren never averted his eyes.
After glaring at him for a long while, Jai fa finally spoke.
"...Yeah, I remember now. You're that greenhorn who blocked my path in the imperial palace back then."
"I'm honored you remember. I was truly chilled to the bone that day."
Baren smiled.
He had felt a faint sense of familiarity the moment he blocked the sword strike.
Indeed, decades ago, he had once intervened when Jai fa approached Ronan with murderous intent.
Baren scanned Jai fa from head to toe before continuing.
"This makes the second time I've witnessed the realm of complete physical rebirth. Congratulations on carving away the years."
"The first was that snake Naviroje, right."
"Precisely. You were strong to begin with, but now you've reached a level impossible to catch up to."
"That was my first taste of such utter humiliation. But now that I'm in the same boat, I get it."
Jai fa chuckled darkly.
Like Naviroje, he had regained his youth, so he understood.
It was a match he could never have won.
Beyond merely returning his body to its prime, his very skills had advanced.
'Good thing he's in a better mood. I hope we can resolve this peacefully.'
Baren swallowed hard.
Cold sweat beaded on the soles of his feet.
He had struck a imposing pose to bar the way, but in truth, he was terrified out of his mind.
His right arm, which had blocked Jai fa's sword strike, was still humming with pain.
'This is no joke. I have to stop him before he fully reverts.'
Even under the humanization curse, he was this strong.
Beastkin against beastkin, there was no chance of victory.
He wouldn't even be able to block like before—his limbs would slice off like paper.
Gauging Jai fa's mood, Baren plastered on a placating smile and said,
"If your anger has subsided, why don't we head back together? I'll handle the cleanup."
"No need. Tying up loose ends is my role. Step aside for a moment."
"Pardon?"
Suddenly shoving Baren aside, Jai fa raised his sword.
Aura surged up, instantly dyeing the blade pitch black.
With a casual swing, a black line appeared in the air.
"W-Wait a second!"
Baren reflexively thrust out his arm.
Grabbing Jai fa's wrist yanked the trajectory just barely off course.
The space-rending slash carved not into the village, but the shoreline beside it.
Kwaaaaa—!!
The explosion erupted as the black line crossed the sea.
A wall of spray blotted out the horizon.
As the lingering water from the sky poured down, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
"My god."
A waterfall had formed in the middle of the ocean.
Exactly where Jai fa's aura had traced.
A rift in space carved into the seabed greedily swallowed the seawater.
"Wh-What is this?!"
"Eeeeek! Th-The sea!"
Screams erupted from all over the village.
The villagers hadn't even grasped what was happening.
People who had gathered to support the Northwind Company scattered in panic.
At least he didn't have to worry about civilian reinforcements, but that wasn't the issue now.
Having his second attack thwarted, Jai fa growled low.
"Why are you interfering."
"Interfering...? Please calm down, Jai fa. They're civilians!"
"I know. Blindly hateful toward beastkin. As long as they remain, peace will never come to the North."
"Does that mean you're going to kill people who haven't sinned yet? There are still children among them. Blood can never be washed away with more blood!"
"I used to think that too. For decades, I tried to atone for my past mistakes. But hatred never fully erases."
Jai fa glanced at Lethe.
He was still struggling desperately to escape the debris.
Each time his legs snapped, agonized screams rang out, but no one remained to help him.
"That cripple's right. No matter how hard you try, you can't go back. Before the cycle of hatred spreads further, I'll end it."
"And your way of ending it is slaughtering the innocent?"
"In the grand scheme, it's a tiny fraction. I'll thoroughly purge only those gripped by deep grudges. Like quarantining plague victims."
"Such sophistry...!"
Baren was aghast.
It was nonsense that didn't even sound plausible.
No matter how thoroughly purged, survivors would emerge.
Those who lost everything and barely clung to life would nurture the spark of another continental blaze somewhere.
Just like Lethe screaming behind him.
Is this really the Jai fa I knew?
After agonizing torment, Baren snapped his fingers.
"...I see. Now I get it."
"Get what?"
"Yes. You're not in your right mind, Jai fa. Whether it's the humanization curse or the rebirth—something's addled your brain."
It was harsher criticism than he'd ever heard before.
Jai fa did seem off somehow.
An indescribable madness flickered in his crimson eyes.
Amused, Jai fa raised an eyebrow.
"Ho. Didn't know you had it in you."
"I pride myself on reading people. To me, this Jai fa isn't the admired Sword Saint, nor the superior my wife respected."
"Quite the silver tongue. So who am I, then?"
"Who else? The unprecedented butcher who fell for his sibling's scheme and unleashed the Night of Fangs. The monster who massacred innocent citizens of the border lord to vent his rage."
Baren spoke without changing expression.
In a situation where he had to speak his piece, odds of victory were irrelevant.
He would have said the same even if Jai fa were in full beastkin form.
Jai fa's face hardened.
"...Fluffball. You wanna die?"
"Glare all you want; I'm not taking it back. I wonder what Grand General Adeshan would think of this. Wasn't the root cause of the Night of Fangs that you lost innocent family to the imperial army?"
"If you want to die, I'll oblige."
Jai fa asked no more.
Family was one of his few reverse scales.
The moment he moved to draw his sword without hesitation—
'This brat's grip strength...'
Jai fa's brow furrowed.
The arm held by Baren wouldn't budge.
It felt crushed between massive boulders, not a mere hand.
Even accounting for his humanization curse, it was monstrous power.
"See? This is why self-care matters."
Baren's eyes widened in equal surprise.
The ordeals endured in human form weren't wasted time.
His body, partially restored to peak condition, was noticeably improved compared to his flabby days.
"Let go."
"Of course."
Baren released his grip readily.
This standoff wouldn't decide anything anyway.
Bruises bloomed darkly on Jai fa's wrist.
"In any case, I must stop you, Jai fa. I almost forgot—there's a perfect solution. One we can all accept."
"What's that."
"You'll like it. A way befitting warriors with ancient traditions..."
Golden radiance bloomed over Baren's body.
Highly condensed aura enveloped him like armor.
"I, Baren Phanasir, challenge you to a duel."
Muscles filled the spots where fat had melted away.
Prominent veins pulsed with overflowing vitality.
Assuming a combat stance, Baren intoned solemnly,
"Ha."
Jai fa scoffed.
It had been ages since he'd received a formal duel challenge.
A trial of strength where the loser submits to the victor, regardless of circumstance.
He shook the blood from his sword and faced Baren.
"I accept."
The madness in his eyes subsided.
A challenge from a brat not even half his age was that stimulating.
Especially from one with such fine warrior qualities.
"You've steeled yourself, I assume..."
As Jai fa warned,
Baren charged, unleashing a straight punch.
A sharp metallic clang resounded.
Jai fa blocked with his sword flat, curling his lip.
"No manners."
Jai fa didn't blame Baren.
The duel began the instant he accepted.
As he stepped back—
Shwick!
Baren's whip-like tail coiled around Jai fa's body.
"...!"
"Here goes."
A momentary bind, but enough.
Baren's fist plummeted like a meteor.
Jai fa blocked again, but the ground couldn't withstand and collapsed.
"Kgh."
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Crashing through five floors, Jai fa slammed into the ground.
Baren leaped into the hole immediately.
His mane fluttered in the gale like golden flames.
Gathering all his power into his fist, Baren unleashed long-forgotten ferocity in a roar.
"Raaargh!!"
The fight didn't end until late at night.
"Gack! Cough, cough... Damn it...!"
Baren lay gasping.
The golden aura cloaking him had faded to embers.
Five gashes now scarred his chest—new additions.
"Not bad, fluffball."
Jai fa chuckled.
He sat atop the ruins of the demolished fortress, smoking a cigarette.
The full moon shone where clouds had parted.
Baren muttered bitterly,
"Cough... If only the curse hadn't...!"
"You might've won. Probably would have."
So saying, Jai fa had reverted to beastkin form.
His once-aged were-tiger body had regained youth.
Moonlight flowing through his fur was beautiful.
"My true form's the best after all. So the curse fades with time."
Jai fa smiled contentedly.
Power brimmed through his body.
That had been Baren's fatal downfall.
Baren had pressed Jai fa relentlessly until he suddenly reverted—then got pummeled unilaterally.
"Body's flawless, but your technique's abysmal. Be ashamed."
"Haa... haaa..."
"Still, satisfying enough. Better than all my subordinates combined. Never thought I'd bare claws to a fluffball like you."
At Jai fa's feet lay his shattered glaive, in pieces.
Baren had broken it midway through the grueling battle.
Even after Jai fa transformed, Baren held out long before falling.
His durability was absurd—only by imbuing claws with aura could Jai fa land the finishing blow.
"Be proud. Fewer than five have survived my technique. Good bout after ages."
"Stop... the civilian massacre. No more hurting each other..."
"Still on that."
No matter how many times, what a selfless lion.
Jai fa smacked his lips.
His mind, wild from the frenzy, had cooled to ice.
Mulling his own words, Jai fa nodded.
"Fine."
Suddenly rising, Jai fa approached Lethe.
He had fainted without escaping the debris.
Thud.
A light kick from Jai fa sent the debris pinning his legs flying.
"G-Gaaahhh!"
Regaining consciousness, Lethe screamed in horror.
Pain flared as blood returned to his legs.
Locking eyes with Jai fa, he gasped.
"H-Hah... Jai... Jai fa?!"
"Still alive? Get lost."
Jai fa jerked his chin.
Lethe crawled away on all fours, barely coherent.
Stunned by the unexpected mercy, Baren gaped.
"Jai fa."
"I admit I spouted nonsense. Blinded by hate, I nearly started the cycle anew. I'll bear my sins myself from here on."
Whose scheme it was didn't matter.
Ultimately, Jai fa had unleashed the Night of Fangs.
The resentment and hatred it birthed flowed naturally, like a river downstream.
"Leave wounds to time. Here, the chain of hatred ends."
"You... really thought it through."
The innocent bloodshed seemed averted.
The waterfall in mid-ocean was slowly closing.
Now just cleanup with Secret.
As Baren sighed in relief—
"Alright, follow me. Found a punk worth training after ages."
"Pardon?"
"Your biggest flaw is slowness. Absurd for that build to get fat. I'll fix that rotten grit, Baren."
Jai fa yanked Baren up roughly by the arm.
Groaning from wounds, Baren offered no resistance.
Being called by name for the first time, his premonition was dire.