Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Unspoken Agreement
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Grakhtar was offering me a handshake with a forced smile, but I could feel the emotion of him desperately trying to hide his sorrow radiating from his expression.
Seeing that he hadn't even brought the necklace he usually wore, he seemed to have already sensed his own defeat.
"...Why won't you shake my hand! Astal!"
The traces of years spent fighting countless times.
I couldn't help but fall into deep thought as I looked at Grakhtar's calloused, scarred hand.
Human and orc.
Mage and barbarian.
Though we seemed to have nothing in common—race, physique, name, or origin—our life paths were actually very similar.
"...Do we really have to fight?"
I muttered, looking down at my own hand, which was so much like Grakhtar's.
If we had met somewhere else, we might have become friends rather than enemies forced to kill each other.
"Of course! Unless you kill me and advance to the next match, Dullahon is unlikely to face you!"
Seeing me hesitate to fight, Grakhtar thumped his chest with a fist—*thump*—as if telling me not to worry.
Seeing that, I felt a sense of dissonance instead.
No matter how much of a natural-born warrior Grakhtar was, he couldn't possibly accept having to kill someone he knew so readily.
"...Are you trying to meet your dead lover again? Is that why you're fighting here, just to die?"
"You got me! I think you're a pretty good guy, Astal, so I'll admit it!"
Caught by my question, Grakhtar laughed heartily and scratched the back of his head.
That feeling was something I had experienced many times before.
It's a foolish thought—believing you have no value in living and that it's better to sacrifice yourself for others and die.
"If my opponent is the mage of the Hero's party, then so be it! My beloved Sharana would understand!"
"...Are you an idiot? Do you think I'll go easy on you if you say that?"
Seeing Grakhtar, who seemed resigned to his death, I couldn't hold back the curse I'd been holding inside.
"Come at me with everything you've got. Don't say later that I went easy on you. That's what you should do for your lover who died first."
I, too, had once thought like that, even writing a suicide note, but it was after making a contract relationship with Victoria that I realized how truly stupid it was.
"......"
Grakhtar's expression hardened momentarily at the irrefutable words.
He was the one who said to struggle with all your might to live, and he was the one who said he wanted a fight with no regrets.
I was deliberately mixing in curses to shock Grakhtar, setting the stage to save him.
This is an arena directly operated by Dullahon.
If I were to hold back to let Grakhtar win and then lose, the audience or the referees might finish him off to confirm the kill.
"...It seems the people here don't know what my real epithet is."
Hearing the derogatory names—Mad Mage, Living Nightmare of Monsters and Demons—only fueled my defiance.
My original epithet was the Harmless Mage.
I didn't want to render that name, given because I harmed no one, completely meaningless.
"Uahahahaha! Alright, let's see you struggle! I don't like the idea of surrendering to Dullahon without doing anything either!"
As if he'd finally caught on to my meaning, Grakhtar bared his teeth with a hearty laugh, and I, seeing that, finally accepted his handshake.
"...I'll show you a fight with no regrets! My friend!"
"Same here. Grakhtar."
I nodded, smiling as I looked at him.
A fight in an arena where you absolutely cannot die.
Even if your guts spill out or limbs are severed, if it's a place where you can keep fighting without dying...
"Grakhtar, great warrior of the orc race! I challenge you to battle!"
"The Harmless Mage, Astal Caesarios of the Hero's party."
I thought it would be safer and quicker to fake his death and secretly rescue him outside.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The arena's cheers and shouts roared loud enough to deafen the ears. In this place where fighting spirits clashed, Grakhtar and I stood facing each other, gazing at one another.
"Our hero who dominates the arena with his massive axe! Can Grakhtar truly end Astal's life? Then let the match... begin!"
The voice of the siren handling the commentary echoed, and simultaneously, we both charged at each other.
A sharp sound split the air. The gleaming blade and the magic circles wrapped around my body clashed, scattering sparks.
Immediately, I aimed a kick at Grakhtar's legs, lowering my stance to try and evade the trajectory of the axe he swung.
From sparring with him, I had learned that barbarians' attacks were large and consumed a lot of strength, so breaking their balance even slightly could easily parry them.
"Rather than trying to use my strength against me... focus on my fingertips, toes, and gaze to find openings!"
But Grakhtar knew this weakness too, so he wasn't making it easy. He was even giving me advice, as if pointing out my flaws and shortcomings, just like when he first acted as my training partner.
As Grakhtar said, his body didn't budge an inch from my attacks, as if I were pounding steel with my bare hands.
If I understood the structure of living muscle and bone as well as he did, I might have been able to use it, but I hadn't reached that level yet.
"Your weakness is relying too much on your magic circles! Astal!"
Along with his voice, a dull *thud* echoed, and a heavy blow landed on my solar plexus, where I had wrapped magic circles like thread.
The magic circles, which should have acted like armor blocking the opponent's attacks, were useless against a shockwave-powered punch.
"Cough...!"
I let out a ragged breath, my legs nearly giving way, but I barely steadied myself and threw another punch.
This is the arena of Forsaken Hollow, where you absolutely cannot die.
I had practiced countless times to get used to this pain and injury.
Even if my limbs were severed, I had to keep fighting. It was the only way to kill Dullahon, my parents' murderer.
"That's it! Just like that! Mix up your legs, pummel them as if you're going to kill them!"
The fight grew increasingly fierce, but Grakhtar and I didn't retreat an inch, splattering blood and flesh.
It was still too soon to reveal our trump cards.
"Astal, I salute you! I was fortunate to meet a friend like you!"
With those words, Grakhtar immediately roared at the sky and entered a frenzied state. Now the preliminary skirmish was truly over; he was moving to kill his opponent.
"...I feel the same."
Looking at Grakhtar like that, I cast the hellfire magic, Hellfire, onto the magic circles wrapped around my entire body.
I thought that unless it was a fire demon hot enough to melt steel in an instant, my planned method wouldn't work.
*Whoosh—!*
Flames capable of incinerating everything in an instant erupted around me. Seeing this, Grakhtar swung his axe, seemingly unafraid of his body burning.
The frenzy used by barbarians transforms all incoming shocks or wounds into rage or physical strength.
"Did you think a mere fire like this could stop the great Grakhtar? It doesn't even tickle!"
Even though it wasn't an ability that nullified or dulled pain, Grakhtar kept attacking as if it were nothing.
He was already accustomed to the fighting style of this arena.
An environment where you hardly die no matter what you do allowed him to defy death and fight like this.
I was aiming for exactly this point.
My plan was to use fire to melt Grakhtar's weapon and, with a final large explosion, make it look like he burned to death.
Using magic circles wrapped like thread was a technique I could now apply to others besides myself.
'...It won't go the way you think, Dullahon.'
Thinking of Dullahon, who was likely watching this fight more gleefully than anyone from afar, I sneered inwardly.