Intervention
Tsarkhella, Queen of the Barbarian Warriors.
While she possessed an undeniably grand title, within the game she had occupied a thoroughly awkward niche. Her offensive output was exceptional, but the inherent traits of the barbarian warrior class severely restricted what equipment she could wear, leaving her with the durability of wet tissue paper. She did boast high agility and evasion to compensate, but relying on evasion alone in a game like Origin World was an exercise in pure folly. In short, recruiting Tsarkhella was practically synonymous with voluntarily cranking the game difficulty up to maximum. She was a character reserved exclusively for ultra-sweaty veterans who were either insanely confident in their mechanical prowess or had run out of other things to do. Add in her divisive appearance and the absence of any particularly moving personal storyline, and her overall pick rate had remained dismally low.
"What kind of balance disaster is this?"
Seeing that build translated into real life, however, proved downright monstrous.
Rumble! Crack-crack-crackle!
In the span of an eyeblink, lightning crawling across the earth branched outward like roots, leaving blazing afterimages in its wake. Those weren't simple bolts of electricity; every single arc was an imprint left behind by Tsarkhella's passage. When those root-like afterimages were etched and erased multiple times within a fraction of a second, calling it a speed that defied common sense was no exaggeration.
"Kugh?!"
"What in the world...!"
"Ugh...!"
Before that horrifying velocity, Nemeth, Wendy, and Lira found themselves entirely helpless, weathering a one-sided barrage. That wasn't to say they were being overwhelmed. Nor did it mean Tsarkhella was genuinely stronger than the three Masters or held an absolute advantage over them. In truth, though the trio remained locked in place focused entirely on defense, they hadn't suffered so much as a single scratch, let alone a fatal blow. Still, with Tsarkhella seizing absolute initiative, even a concerted three-pronged assault from Masters couldn't formulate a counterattack.
"...Ha, seriously, this is ridiculous."
I took a leisurely drag from my cigar, watching the deafening thunder shake heaven and earth while the blinding glare scorched the retinas. Tsarkhella's ability to produce such impossible speed undoubtedly stemmed from the Shamanic Ritual Tattoo etched across her skin. According to the lore, it was a ritual at the very core of a barbarian warrior's might, granting them the ability to assimilate the full capabilities of their first prey after receiving the markings.
"Hmm..."
And the very first prey Tsarkhella had hunted down was the mighty demonic beast known as the Lightning Strike Dragon—or rather, a field boss. It was a creature found exclusively in the Demon Realm, and true to its status as a field boss, its raw combat power surpassed that of most high demons. In the game, this background had merely served as a convenient justification for why Tsarkhella's base stat totals were inflated compared to other Master ranks. Witnessing that lore manifest in the flesh, however, proved far beyond anything I had imagined.
"Ha—hahahaha!! What is the matter?! Why do you curl in on yourselves like worms crawling in the dirt?! If you call yourselves Masters, come at me with some real heat! Make me! Make my blood boil even hotter, damn it all!!"
Listening to Tsarkhella's voice ringing out alongside the rolls of thunder, I shook my head in exasperation. Right. Beneath that appearance, the woman was an utter battle maniac. Even her thoughts and actions carried the unrefined, raw flavor of the wild. Then again, someone who had stormed out of the Stanasila household to live among barbarians wouldn't suddenly become docile.
"Kuh...!"
Just then, Lira gritted her teeth, stepping forward as she extended her Aura Blade into a wider, longer sheet of luminous energy. The frustration of being forced into pure defense seemed to have gotten the better of her, spurring her into an offensive counter.
Hold. Do not rush in recklessly, Lira.
—...!! Lord Alzen?
The moment I delivered the order through the telepathic link granted by the New World Tree, Lira flinched in shock, freezing on the spot.
Continue to focus solely on defense. Her current speed cannot last forever. Once the power fueling her Shamanic Ritual Tattoo runs dry, that will be the time to strike. For now, dedicate yourself entirely to guarding.
—...Understood. Thank you.
Regaining her composure, Lira transitioned into the esoteric defensive forms of the Stanasila secret sword style. Nemeth and Wendy, having received the same transmission, followed suit. Shrouding their perimeters in writhing shadows and projecting the subtle radiance of the dawn, the three women solidified an airtight defense. Gradually, the wild laughter echoing through the plains began to dwindle.
"...What the hell is this? Boring."
Having darted across the battlefield like a phantom, Tsarkhella finally came to a halt. Scowling in dissatisfaction, she shook her fists as tiny sparks of lightning crackled across her knuckles.
"How did you people even attain the realm of Master? Is curling up into a ball all you know how to do? What, are you the 'Masters of the Shield' or something? Huh?"
She spat her words with dripping sarcasm, clearly irritated, before veins bulged against her temples and a vicious grin stretched across her lips.
"Let's tear it up for real! Spilling blood! Carving through flesh and spilling guts! Sharing that razor-thin line between life and death! Let's clash with everything we have! With all our might, damn it all!!"
Her battle cry carried such dense, suffocating bloodlust that it made even my blood run hot, despite not being a warrior myself.
"O-Ooooh...!"
"Oooooh...!"
"Kuh, aaaaah...!"
While the three women facing her maintained their stoic discipline, the barbarian onlookers who had been watching from afar couldn't contain themselves. They clenched their fists until their knuckles went white, gnashing their teeth in raw excitement.
"That is the way!! Answer her!! If you call yourselves warriors!!"
"Struggle! In struggle alone lies glory!! Stand tall between life and death!!"
"Fight!! Fight!! Fight!!"
"Risk everything! Your pride and honor, your might and your life's blood!!"
The roar of the barbarian warriors thundering across the wasteland acted like war drums, stoking the fires in the mind and setting pulses racing.
"Ha!"
It was intoxicating enough to make me chuckle and tip another swig of liquor down my throat.
"Big Sis Tsarkhella. Didn't your objective change somewhere along the way?"
"Aaah?! What did you say?!"
Staring back at me with eyes rolling back in feral excitement, she was the very picture of untamed savagery. The contrast between her petite frame and the towering, phantom beast that seemed to loom behind her back only amplified the sheer intimidation she radiated.
"Wasn't your goal to subdue us and force me to pay for my crimes?"
"Shut up! Who cares about that right now?! None of that matters, damn it!!"
Snorting like a wild stallion after a frantic sprint, she narrowed her violently contracted pupils and bared her sharp canines.
"A worthy opponent finally appears before my eyes!! Warriors ready to exchange flesh and blood stand right in front of me!! You think I can hold myself back from that?!"
"Hmm. Even so, this kind of setup isn't satisfying for either side, is it? Even if a victor emerges, neither of us will accept the outcome so easily... Fine, then how about this?"
I gave a subtle hand signal to Muriel. Melting into the darkness, she slipped away and returned moments later holding Kubel's Soul Totem.
"...Ah! Wh-What?!"
Baigelman, having watched the sacred relic stolen right from under his nose, gasped with his jaw hanging wide open. Ignoring him completely, I took the totem and drove it straight into the dirt.
Thuuuum!
Instantly, the totem expanded in size, casting a radiant, sacred aura across the entire vicinity.
"Let's settle this clean and simple with a one-on-one. That's much cleaner for everyone involved, isn't it?"
A duel conducted under Kubel's Soul Totem held numerous sacred meanings for barbarian warriors, including the function of a 'trial by combat.' In essence, the victor took all.
"If you win, Big Sis, I'll gladly pay for my crimes. But if our side wins, you let us go without another word. How does that sound?"
Under their sacred traditions, even an arbitrary demand like this carried weight.
"The one stepping up from our side will be... right, Rebecca will—"
Thinking Rebecca would make a fantastic match against Tsarkhella, I pointed toward her—only to realize the atmosphere around us had turned bizarrely frigid.
"Y-You... what in the world did you just do...?"
Eyes wide, lips trembling, her hands wandering aimlessly in sheer disbelief.
Tsarkhella was utterly flabbergasted.
She was so stunned that the pillar of battle aura she had been projecting skyward completely fizzled out.
"What? What's with that look?"
The moment an instinctual sense of dread prickled my neck and I opened my mouth to defuse it, the barbarian warriors unleashed an ear-splitting, fanatical roar.
"W-Wooooooh!! A Duel of Glory!!"
"The outsider has challenged the Grand Chieftain to a Duel of Glory!!"
"I thought you were nothing but a weakling, but I was wrong! You truly are a real man!!"
"To go to such lengths to pay for your sins, you are a true warrior of blood!!"
"...What?"
My jaw dropped in disbelief as the roaring cheers battered my eardrums.
"Wait, hold on... Why would I be fighting? I'm not fighting. The one stepping up from our side is Rebe—"
"A glorious battle!! A battle of supreme pride!! A clash where life and death hang in the balance!!"
"Respect the warrior! May countless trials and glorious battles pave his path!!"
I tried desperately to steer the mood back, but my words fell on deaf ears. Drawing their axes and shields, the barbarian warriors began pounding them together in a rhythmic cadence like war drums, their bloodshot eyes glaring straight at me in manic reverence.
"......"
How on earth did it turn into this?
I only brought out the totem to tie them down to a clean, inescapable duel so we could wrap this up nicely. How did the script flip so that I have to fight this monster myself?
"Haaah, seriously... I'm losing my mind. Alzen, do you have any idea what you've done?"
Tsarkhella stormed over, rubbing her temples as she ground her teeth.
"...What did I do?"
"Driving that totem into the earth is an act of issuing a challenge yourself! It means you are the principal combatant! If you wanted that Rebecca woman to fight, she should have been the one to drive it into the ground!"
"There was... a rule like that?"
The lore guide had only contained a single line: A duel invoked through Kubel's Soul Totem is the most sacred ritual of barbarian warriors. The victor claims all.
Did that damn lore guide screw me over again?
"...There's no backing out now. You have to fight me."
"Big Sis. Are you out of your mind? Why would I ever fight you?"
"If you refuse... every single warrior gathered here will charge forward to slaughter you."
"Ha. And then what? They'll just end up dead instead. If it comes down to that, I'll just have my people wipe them all out."
"...Do not underestimate barbarian warriors. We keep a trump card or two up our sleeves."
When she glared at me with narrowed eyes, bristling at my apparent dismissal of her kin, I offered a casual smirk in return.
"I know. I said that knowing full well what you people have."
"...Whew, let's not blow this out of proportion. I don't want to fight to the death with you either. So... how about this? Let me take one of your arms, and then you surrender. If it's an arm, the other warriors will accept the outcome. You'll still have to pay for your crimes separately... but I'll do whatever I can to reduce the penalty."
"......"
Watching her speak with genuine, almost desperate earnestness, I actually paused to consider it.
"That cannot be permitted."
Right then, Muriel stepped forward, placing herself directly between us.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
Tsarkhella growled like a cornered beast, but Muriel merely looked down at her with a completely impassive expression. Even so, she cast a brief, reproachful sideways glance at me. Her gaze felt as though it was scolding me: What nonsense are you contemplating? Did I not tell you to value your own body? I could only offer a wry, helpless smile.
"I am the attendant serving Lord Alzen."
"An attendant? Ha, since when did the world start using Master ranks as domestic servants? Don't make me laugh. And that presence of yours... are you a Shadow Knight?"
True to her past as the eldest daughter of the Stanasila Ducal House, Tsarkhella saw right through Muriel's true nature in an instant.
"I am."
"...Your stepping in won't resolve this. The moment Alzen drove the totem into the earth, it became mandatory for him to fight."
"That cannot be allowed. Even if my life should burn to ashes, I will never permit Lord Alzen to be placed in jeopardy."
"What tear-jerking loyalty... Argh, damn it all!!"
Scratching her head furiously in raw frustration, Tsarkhella raised her voice.
"I'm telling you! If you act like that, we'll have no choice but to fight until one of us dies! I'm trying to clean up this mess, so just put on a show and pretend to—!!"
—Proceed with the duel.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
The voice echoed directly within the minds of everyone present at a moment no one could have anticipated. When I came to my senses, everyone, myself included, was looking up at the mysterious beast carving situated at the peak of Kubel's Soul Totem.
—The duel must proceed.
"L-Lord... Kubel?"
The moment Tsarkhella whispered the name in sheer disbelief, an invisible barrier expanded outward, shoving aside every single person surrounding us.
"Ngh?!"
"What is this?!"
It was a force against which even Masters could neither react nor resist—an absolute divine authority. Within the domain it governed, it exerted an absolute decree tantamount to a natural law of the world. In the span of a single heartbeat, only two people remained within the invisible boundary.
Myself, and Tsarkhella.
"......"
"......"
What... what the fuck is this now?
Nowhere in the lore was it written that the totem had a function like this. The Goddess? Did that damn Goddess just intervene in this?