Chapter 332: And So, The Desert Wept.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: And So, The Desert Wept.
It is said that warriors who reach the pinnacle can understand each other's hearts just by clashing their weapons. For Sand Glave, to experience such a thing was truly wondrous.
When his glaive and the hammer clashed, Agar's thoughts were conveyed to him. He thought it might be a delusion.
Perhaps it was useless auditory hallucinations, a side effect of nearing death.
Yet, Sand Glave found himself speaking without realizing it. To the voice that continued to echo, he poured his own thoughts into his weapon. It wasn't a long conversation.
No, it wasn't a long conversation.
‘My old brother.’
‘My old friend.’
‘You cannot imagine how fortunate I feel to meet you again. You were always before me, always guiding me down the right path.’
‘I feel the same. You cannot imagine how fortunate I feel to meet you again. You were always by my side, holding me steady so I could walk the right path. You even did things I found difficult, as if they were nothing.’
‘Agar. I envied you. So many Green Skins truly followed you. You were a different kind of Green Skin than I.’
‘Sand Glave. I envied you too. You were strong. You were a Green Skin who always believed what you thought was right. I always agonized. Is this the right path? Am I right? I lived my entire life in agony and torment.’
‘I believed you were on the right path. As time passed, my conviction only grew stronger. You pursued harmony and coexistence, and this brought prosperity and stability to our race.’
‘That's not true.’
‘If not for you, many Green Skins would have died. The Land of Glory would never have come to be, and countless Green Skins would have perished meaninglessly. It is all thanks to you that we can live on this continent.’
‘Perhaps. My old brother. I pursued wisdom more than strength. But that was fear.’
‘...................................’
‘Yes, it was fear. The fear of losing a friend, the fear that a misguided battle could ruin us all, the fear of killing my brothers, the fear that my wrong choices might lead the tribe down the wrong path. I am not the great Orc you imagine, Sand Glave. My avoidance of conflict and my failure to pursue greater strength were all born of the fear that I might lose everything.’
‘..................................’
‘My old brother. I merely packaged my fear as harmony and coexistence.’
‘Agar... Everyone has fear. I am no different. The fear of being left behind, the fear of not being able to stand by your side, the fear of not being able to struggle—these fears made me who I am today. The harmony and coexistence you championed are now the values that Green Skins across the entire continent embrace. Strength, Wisdom, and Honor. Everyone lives with the values you put forth in their hearts.’
‘But I was wrong.’
‘You were not wrong.’
‘I was wrong. I thought struggle wasn't everything. I avoided conflict and sought ways for us to live together. I refused to move forward, and I never thought I could rise again like this. If I had chosen struggle instead of coexistence, things wouldn't have turned out this way.’
‘That's not true, Agar.’
‘You were a strong warrior, Sand Glave. You were a warrior who could have grown even stronger. My old brother. Storm Shadow is the same. But look at yourself now, Sand Glave.’
‘..........................’
‘You are terribly wounded and dying. If I... if what I had chosen was struggle... we would have grown endlessly stronger. We would always have faced new enemies, won, and lived victorious.’
‘That's not true.’
‘I led the tribe down the wrong path. The brothers of the Land of Glory are dying. Even the mighty Storm Shadow suffered a great wound. How much time has passed since I died? My old brother. You have stagnated. Harmony and coexistence. You are dying and stagnating because of the values I put forth.’
‘That's not true, Agar!’
‘You were right, Sand Glave, you always championed struggle and strength. My refusal to accept your will was partly my stubbornness, but also an inferiority complex towards your unwavering righteousness. My foolish thoughts are killing the tribe.’
‘That is absolutely not true, Agar. I learned so much from you. I was always, always chasing your back. I always wondered, my brother... why... why you could become so strong.’
‘.........................’
‘You didn't fight for yourself, Agar... You always fought for others. You fought for the tribe, for your children, for your brothers, for your race. But I am different. I fought my entire life for myself. For personal gain, personal ambition, personal pleasure—I fought only for myself. That's why I couldn't grow stronger.’
‘It was foolish.’
‘It wasn't foolish, Agar! At last, I understand what it means to fight for others. My brother. I will fight to uphold your ideals.’
‘You must fight for what you believe is right, Sand Glave.’
‘That's not true, Agar. I may be foolish... but now I know.’
‘..............’
‘Now I know. I know why you became so strong. You are right. You are right! You may think we have grown weak, but that is absolutely not true.’
‘..........’
‘We have begun to live alongside humans, Agar.’
‘I heard from Storm Shadow.’
‘We are fighting together, growing stronger together.’
‘My standing here is the result of stopping the struggle, Sand Glave.’
‘There are always trials.’
‘The continent being turned upside down is not what I'd call a mere trial, Sand Glave. You are dying.’
‘Absolutely not. We may have made mistakes. The dead have risen in many places—the West and East, South and North. But I don't believe we cannot overcome this. Though it's not a dramatic change, all those influenced by you are growing stronger and developing.’
‘..........................’
‘The Minotaur, Earth Wave, blocking the dead on the plains! The Green Goblins holding back the West! White Silver Fang, fighting a siege alongside humans! Goff and Black Spear of the Brother's Land! Big Ogre and all the other Green Skins are all growing. And I am now proving to you that we are growing, Agar.’
‘Your body is at its limit, Sand Glave.’
‘Yours is too. A foolish, talentless, and despised Green Skin defeats Agar, the Great Tribe Leader respected by all. Isn't this the greatest proof that you were right, my brother!’
‘Sand Glave!’
‘Agar!’
‘.................................’
‘........................’
‘You made us all stronger.’
‘That's not true... Sand Glave.’
‘It's not a bad feeling, Agar.’
‘..................’
‘I am dying... but I am also proving that my brother was right.’
‘.......................’
‘If I hadn't fought for you... I might have given up... I think I understand now what it means to fight for others... how you could become so strong... what the source of your strength was... I think I can understand it now.’
‘................’
‘Thank you, Agar. My old brother.’
‘Are you truly... truly telling me I was right?’
‘There's no need to say it. Look at yourself. Hahaha... Am I not right? You are the one who was right! Agar!’
‘Yes... this time... I was right...’
“Thank you... my old brother.”
“Thank you. My old friend.”
“.........................”
*
“It’s time... to put them at ease, Blood Dagger.”
At the Great Tribe Leader Agar’s words, I nodded. I saw Agar, his limbs severed, a glaive plunged into his heart, unable to move. And above him, Sand Glave stood, clutching his weapon.
No sound came from Sand Glave. His breath had already ceased. He had died after completely incapacitating Agar. In truth, his victory was a kind of miracle. Anyone could see that Sand Glave was near his limit, his body no longer capable of fighting.
I didn't know what had driven Sand Glave, but I raised my hand to the respected Orc.
“I lost...”
“Sand Glave is a strong warrior. Respected former Great Tribe Leader. Agar, he grew even stronger after your death. You were not wrong.”
“Is that so... Is that so...”
“I am the same as Sand Glave. Even now, countless Green Skins fight with your values in their hearts, growing stronger. Isn't your defeat by Sand Glave the greatest proof of that?”
“Yes... I lost terribly. Sand Glave was strong. Especially that last strike was magnificent. It was an unavoidable attack. A sword I had never seen before.”
“I was watching too. I watched every single moment of your battle.”
At my words, the former Great Tribe Leader Agar slowly smiled, and I raised my sword.
“You’re... more sentimental than I thought, Blood Dagger.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Agar...”
“Hahahaha... It’s not a bad feeling to know there’s still someone who weeps for me. I, too, wish to weep for my old brother, but no tears come.”
“.........................”
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor...”
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor...”
A massive flame began to erupt, engulfing Sand Glave and Agar. It was an end befitting both of them.
It was the story of two men who had respected and envied each other their entire lives. I felt as if I had seen and learned many things. Not just technical aspects. These two were stronger and more righteous than any warriors I had ever seen.
The great flames consumed Agar and Sand Glave, but Agar’s voice continued to echo. It sounded like a simple monologue, but somehow, I found myself thinking he was still talking with Sand Glave.
“Yes... that’s right... By the way, you... that last sword, what in the world was it...”
“.................. ”
“Isn’t that a bit petty, Sand Glave...”
“..........”
“Yes. That’s right. Next time we fight... I’ll take a closer look.”
“....”
“See you tomorrow... my old brother.”
Naturally, no answer came from Sand Glave. Instead, though it felt strange to call it an instead, I muttered as I watched Agar continue to speak to Sand Glave.
“Understood, my old friend.”
At that moment, an unknown voice echoed in my mind.
[Your Unique Ability is blooming.]
The last remaining ability had bloomed.