Ending Maker Chapter 102
Ending Maker Chapter 102
Chapter 36 - Karaval #2
If the Great Storm tribe carried the blood of the Winter Elves, one of the ancient elf lineages, then the Blade Song tribe carried the blood of the Hyjal Orcs, one of the ancient orc lineages.
'I see.'
The Great Storm tribe and Gentle Snow Breeze tribe they had met so far were somewhat removed from the image of "barbarians" that the people of the northern Saelun Kingdom held.
Large, fierce, rough, beast-like savage hordes.
That too was a prejudice, but the Blade Song tribe resembled the northerners' image of barbarians in many ways.
'In the first place, the ones who always led the invasions were the Blade Song tribe and the Angry Rhino Tribe.'
Over the past several hundred years, the ones who had always clashed directly with the ravens had been either the Angry Rhino Tribe or the Blade Song Tribe.
'Still, they're a bit different.'
In the original work, they had looked truly beast-like, more monstrous than ordinary orcs, but now—perhaps because they had not yet been corrupted—they looked closer to humans than to orcs.
A large frame at least a head taller than an ordinary human, broad shoulders, and an upper body so much larger and more muscular than the lower body that it naturally drew a triangle.
Up to that point, they were orcs through and through, but their faces were different. Their ear tips were slightly pointed and their features were overall thick, but the faces themselves were unmistakably human.
'And gray skin.'
The clearest proof that they carried the blood of the Hyjal Orcs.
"Nine Blades greets Gentle Snow Breeze."
Nine Blades, who had stepped forward as the leader, offered his respects in a gravelly voice.
For him, born and raised in the Wild Lands, the wild gods were objects of reverence no matter what.
"Welcome, Nine Blades."
Gentle Snow Breeze smiled at Nine Blades—whose hair was braided into nine strands, perhaps to display his name—then turned to Sun Song.
"So you are Sun Song."
"It is an honor to meet Gentle Snow Breeze."
Sun Song offered his respects courteously.
And Cordelia watched that Sun Song with narrowed eyes.
'Hmm...... he seems better than in the original, right?'
'Seems so.'
In the original work, he had been a rampaging beast, pure and simple.
Compared to then, his temperament seemed calmer for one, and his build was a bit smaller too. His height was the same, but his muscle mass was different—should I put it that way?
'Still big though.'
Even at a rough estimate, he was tall enough to easily exceed two meters.
Add to that the Blade Song tribe's trait of a greatly developed upper body, and his shoulders, arms, fists, and so on were far larger than an ordinary human's, making him look even bigger than he actually was.
"Ugh...... so unfair. The weight classes aren't even comparable."
Cordelia spoke very quietly, as if groaning.
And it was true.
Setting aside the fact that he was six years older, they weren't even in the same basic weight class to begin with.
Red Wind's height was in the low 160s.
Having inherited the light-bodied traits of the elves, her weight was only around 40 kg.
Sun Song, on the other hand, looked to weigh at least 150 kg, so in boxing terms the gap was even greater than a flyweight fighting a heavyweight.
Unfair.
A match anyone could see was unfair.
"That's why it's doable. You know that too, right?"
At Yuder's words, Cordelia nodded.
Because Sun Song wasn't the only one who could use the concept of unfairness.
"Right, right. Let's show them the end of unfairness too. Let's show them the power of capitalism."
"That seems a little off, but...... it's not exactly wrong either."
Yuder grinned and looked back toward Sun Song together with Cordelia.
Red Gale was exchanging greetings with Nine Blades.
"They seem to be on better terms than I thought, don't they?"
"They said they consider each other rivals. If they're true rivals...... they probably hate seeing each other looking so sickly like that."
Just as Yuder said, Nine Blades looked at the ailing Red Gale with a deeply bitter expression, then expressed his fury toward the west—more precisely, toward the Angry Rhino Tribe and Haragen.
"The alliance itself will form smoothly."
"The problem is who takes hegemony, right?"
Because if the Blade Song Tribe seized hegemony, the fight against the demon worshippers could spill over into war with the northern Saelun Kingdom.
"Let's trust Red Wind."
"Yeah, and the power of capitalism too."
Cordelia flashed her fangs and smiled splendidly, and Yuder turned to Red Wind.
* * *
Karaval traditionally began in the late afternoon and ended at sunset.
"It seems...... it's about time to begin."
When Gentle Snow Breeze spoke while gazing up at the sky, Rough Avalanche, who was sitting beside her, nodded as well.
In truth, the chieftains and warriors of several tribes were already gradually gathering.
The location was the place with the field that Yuder and Cordelia had "cleared."
Once they drove stakes into the ground to mark out the arena and raised colorful flags representing each tribe, the field looked like a proper stage.
"Here they come."
The first to appear was the Blade Song tribe.
They came swarming in and took their seats on the north side, and their opponents, the Great Storm tribe, naturally took their seats on the south side.
"Everyone's fired up."
Tension hung on the faces of the parties involved—the Great Storm tribe and the Blade Song tribe—but the other tribes were different.
Since the character of the alliance would change depending on which tribe won, they couldn't simply enjoy themselves, but the overall atmosphere was still close to a festival.
"Because it's Karaval."
At Gentle Snow Breeze's words, Rough Avalanche nodded.
Karaval.
A violent act that decided everything through duels.
But looked at more closely, Karaval was violence meant to prevent even more savage violence.
'Because it settles conflicts between tribes through one-on-one duels.'
It was an obvious point, but if tribes clashed directly with each other, far more blood would inevitably be spilled.
People died, killed one another, and lost their property.
In the Wild Lands, where survival was hard enough as it was, if such things repeated, all that would remain in the end was mutual destruction.
So Karaval was created.
A method that allowed people to accept the outcome while also minimizing the damage.
'Therefore, it's not a simple one-on-one duel.'
Because Karaval was a proxy war for the entire tribe.
Because it was a means to display the full capabilities of the tribe.
Our tribe can raise warriors this strong.
Our tribe can enhance a single warrior to this extent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fine Eyes and Clear Eyes beat the drums to announce the opening of Karaval.
The chieftains and warriors who had already filled the area around the arena let out cheers, and the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe likewise sent fervent support.
"With Gentle Snow Breeze and Rough Avalanche watching over us! I hereby declare the opening of Karaval at this very place!"
"Waaaaah!"
As hundreds of gathered people cheered at once, the atmosphere heated up.
Gentle Snow Breeze and Rough Avalanche also got caught up in the mood, and a flush rose to their faces.
As the children of the Wild Lands grew excited and joyful, they were influenced as the wild gods who watched over them.
And Fine Eyes and Clear Eyes were just as excited.
Fine Eyes was ordinarily the very picture of solemnity, but now he laughed heartily with lively eyes, pointed his drumstick at the Blade Song Tribe, and shouted.
"The great warrior of the Blade Song tribe! Sun Song!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Waaaaaah!"
The Blade Song tribe sent up a cheer so loud the entire field seemed to shake.
And Sun Song stepped forward. His attire was completely different from when he had first entered this land a few hours earlier.
"Oh! Isn’t that purple sable leather?! They say it can block any blade despite being leather!"
"Good heavens! That precious thing, and that much of it?"
"As expected of the Blade Song tribe, their wealth is incredible!"
As the chieftains and warriors murmured at the sight of the sable-leather clothes wrapped around Sun Song's entire body, smiles spread across the faces of the Blade Song tribe's warriors, including Nine Blades.
"Is that all? Look at that bracelet. It's clearly black steel from a Murmur. Equipment that grants the wearer monstrous strength!"
"Oooh. That means the Blade Song tribe caught a Murmur!"
"You know your stuff! It's just as you guessed. A feat worthy of the Blade Song tribe indeed."
When Nine Blades shrugged his shoulders, the entire Blade Song tribe let out dry coughs as if on cue.
But it still wasn't over.
"What he's wearing around his neck is Light of Bardo. Haven't you all heard of it?"
"We've heard of it. Isn't it a mysterious gem that can only be harvested from the bodies of Bardos—which are hard to catch and hard to even see—and only with good luck?"
"That's the one. A very, very precious, expensive, and amazing thing that grants the wearer mysterious power."
"As expected, as expected of the Blade Song tribe. But how do you know all these things?"
"I happen to be quite knowledgeable."
In truth, he was a storyteller whom the Blade Song Tribe had deliberately planted beforehand to build up the atmosphere.
"Wow... just look at Sun Song’s imposing build. And the purple sable leather he’s wearing, the Murmur steel bracelet, and the Light of Bardo necklace!"
"His equipment alone is overwhelming."
"Goodness, can anyone even match him?"
Boisterous laughter spread, and the smile on Nine Blades' face deepened further.
"How much money did we spend for today?"
Mobilizing all sorts of expensive equipment wasn't simply to strengthen Sun Song's combat power.
It was meant to display the Blade Song Tribe’s strength and wealth to the other tribes and proclaim that they were the ones best suited to lead the alliance.
"Of course, the performance is good too."
Sun Song already had overwhelming physical abilities.
Now that he had even been enhanced with expensive equipment, Red Wind would never be a match for Sun Song even if she died and came back to life.
"Heh heh, looks like the other side is coming out now."
"How pitiful. If they had come out first, at least the entrance itself wouldn't have been so painful."
"Indeed. Truly too pitiful."
Because no matter how they dressed her up, it was clear she would be no match for Sun Song.
They probably tried their best to dress her up in their own way, but she would only earn ridicule—how could that not be pitiful?
"I heard Red Wind is a young girl, so she's truly pitiful."
"Won't she cry before the fight even starts?"
"Hahaha! Surely not!"
"But doesn't it seem like she'll cry?"
"Actually, yes. She'll be so miserable at the shabby reality that she'll wail and sob."
As the warriors snickered and chattered, Nine Blades raised both hands to calm everyone down.
"That's enough. They'll hear you."
But a deep smile lingered on his face.
It was a shame he couldn't personally crush Red Gale, whom he had considered a rival for so long, but the thought of achieving an overwhelming victory through Karaval like this kept laughter spilling out.
"Now, now, let's see."
What had she come out wearing?
Nine Blades looked toward the opposite side, and soon Clear Eyes raised his drumstick high and shouted.
"The great warrior of the Great Storm tribe! Red Wind!"
"Waaaaah!"
The Great Storm tribe let out cheers, and Red Wind stepped forward. And immediately after, shock spread among the watching chieftains and warriors.
"G-g-good heavens."
"H-h-how."
"Huuuh?!"
No one could even speak properly.
Even the boastful Blade Song tribe could only stand there momentarily with their mouths agape, spellbound.
Sparkle, sparkle.
From head to toe, dazzlingly resplendent.
It was no exaggeration—Red Wind's entire body was truly shining.
A tiara on her head, earrings on her ears, a necklace on her neck, bracelets on her arms, rings filling all ten fingers, a glittering belt, ornaments wrapped around her thighs, and anklets connecting her ankles and calves.
It wasn't just the ornaments that were splendid.
Hushed voices escaped from the lips of the onlookers.
"Th-that's...... could it be dragon scales?"
The blue pauldrons wrapped around Red Wind's shoulders.
They were indeed dragon scales.
Because Yuder had diligently collected the ones that had fallen off Blue Beard after he was directly hit by the curse.
"Good lord! Look at that! Isn't that Murmur steel!"
"No! It's not just Murmur steel! That's steel from a Murpara, the higher species of Murmur!"
Correct again this time.
Thanks to Kaplan, Yuder and Cordelia had encountered plenty of rare monsters—named monsters, at that.
They possessed rare materials to the point of overflowing.
"G-g-good heavens. You mean she's wearing all of that on one body?"
"W-wow, the Great Storm tribe's wealth was that great!"
The chieftains and warriors couldn't hide their shock, and the Blade Song tribe, led by Nine Blades, gritted their teeth and trembled, but there was nothing they could do.
And at that sight, Cordelia puffed out her chest and laughed.
"Heh heh. Heh heh heh."
This is the power of capitalism.
Your house doesn't have stuff like this, does it?
"Hey! Sun Song! Bring that out!"
When the Blade Song suddenly shouted, Sun Song flinched and took out what he had brought at his waist.
"Oh! Is that a scroll?!"
"Something you can only find in ancient ruins!"
In the Wild Lands, where shamanism was more developed than magic, scrolls containing magic were precious.
But Sun Song took out no fewer than five scrolls from his waist.
"Oh! Does he intend to use all five in this Karaval?"
"As expected, as expected of the Blade Song!"
The atmosphere reversed, if only slightly.
And Cordelia laughed again.
"Scrolls? Scrooolls?"
The reason for that smile.
When Red Wind opened the pouch she wore at her waist, a second wave of shock swept over the entire field.
Because a bundle of scrolls—no, something that could even be called a book of scrolls—popped out.
"Our Yuder, huh? Our Yuder, huh?!"
Cordelia put all her strength into her shoulders, and Yuder laughed quietly.
He had stayed up night after night to make all of those, but seeing Cordelia's smile and the reactions around them seemed to wash away all his fatigue.
"Ugh...... uuugh......."
The faces of Nine Blades and the Blade Song tribe crumpled, while Red Gale simply wore a satisfied smile.
And Rough Avalanche said,
"Those two really are ecosystem-disrupting species."
Yuder and Cordelia.
When they had first met, they clearly hadn't had much of anything, so where had they gotten all those things?
"Tch! Sun Song! Use the scrolls! Quality over quantity!"
Since both sides had taken their positions, Karaval had formally already begun.
Sun Song tore the first scroll to follow his father's command.
"Strength!"
"Dispel."
Red Wind tore a scroll as well.
The Dispel unraveled the Strength, and Sun Song hurriedly tore the second scroll.
"Haste!"
"Dispel."
"Iron Skin!"
"Dispel."
"Eye of Tiger!"
"Dispel."
"Ugh...... uugh...... Warrior Spirit!"
"Dispel."
Five scrolls were torn on one side, and five on the other.
"Th-that's too cruel......."
Someone among the onlookers let out a sound, and the five wasted scrolls rolled across the ground in the wind.
But this was only the beginning.
The truly cruel part.
"S-sorry."
Red Wind, who had apologized without realizing it, began tearing the still-plentiful remaining scrolls in succession—two at a time, no less.
"Haste, Haste."
"Strength, Strength."
With brilliant light, magical power settled into Red Wind. Nine Blades, who had been staring blankly at the sight, urgently shouted.
"Sun Song! Strike!"
They could no longer just stand by and watch her strengthen herself with scrolls.
Sun Song felt the same way. He had already kicked off the ground before Nine Blades even shouted.
"RAAAH!"
The massive Sun Song charged at terrifying speed, his momentum reminiscent of a war chariot.
But Red Wind kept her composure. She made a sweeping retreat without stopping her stream of torn scrolls.
"Iron Skin, Eye of Tiger, Warrior Spirit."
Toughened skin, heightened courage, and increased vitality throughout her body.
With Haste double-stacked, Red Wind's speed was truly tremendous.
Sun Song was fast too, but even landing a proper hit on Red Wind looked impossible.
"A spirit! Use a spirit, Sun Song!"
Nine Blades shouted again.
Spirit warrior.
Spirit warriors were rare. Even in the Wild Lands, only the most elite warriors could form contracts with spirits and become one.
"Children of flame!"
When Sun Song shouted as if singing, flames rose from the blade of his guandao.
A salamander, a mischievous fire spirit, settled on Sun Song's shoulder.
"Oh! A spirit!"
"It's definitely a salamander!"
The atmosphere reversed again.
But instead of smiling rashly, Nine Blades looked toward the Great Storm tribe's side.
And frowned.
Because the strikingly beautiful red-haired girl was still wearing a triumphant smile.
Because smiles they couldn't hide were rising on the lips of the Great Storm tribe's warriors, including Red Gale.
"Why."
The moment he said it—
Red Wind drew her sword and swung it. She called the name of her newly made friend.
"O valiant flame."
Reckless Fire.
With the call, flames bloomed.
A beautiful, enormous embodiment of fantasy incomparable even to a salamander’s flames.
"SCREEE—!"
The bird of flame spread its wings and roared. Not only the onlookers but even Sun Song momentarily lost himself and stared at the bird of flame.
"A ph-phoenix."
"A phoenix!"
The bird of fantasy.
A flame magic beast.
The phoenix settled haughtily on Red Wind's shoulder. It glared at the salamander with fierce eyes, and the thoroughly intimidated salamander hid inside Sun Song's clothes and couldn't move at all.
An overwhelming gap.
No, overwhelming gear power!
"This is the power of capitalism."
Cordelia laughed with a "hmph" and said it stylishly, and Rough Avalanche, who had been going on about ecosystem-disrupting species, cackled.
Because either way, these ecosystem-disrupting species were on their side now.
And Yuder said,
"Show them, Red Wind."
That it wasn't just gear power.
Red Wind kicked off the ground. Together with the phoenix, she became a red wind, true to her name.