The Last Stand of a Ruined Nation

Choi Kangmin's eyes trembled violently. His gaze darted back and forth between my face and the blood-red short sword. He looked like he'd realized something. But there was no time to talk about it now.

"Hurry up and grab your weapon. I can't handle him alone."

At my words, Choi Kangmin bit his lip. He kicked off the ground and spun toward his longsword. In that instant—

"Karak!"

Clock let out a low roar and twisted his battle axe. His target was Choi Kangmin's back. The massive axe scraped across the floor as it swung upward, tracing a path that would slice through the man's ankle entirely.

But once again, it didn't reach its mark. I'd crouched low and slammed my short sword against the flat of the axe, knocking it aside with brutal force.

"Krrgh...!"

Twice in a row. The impact felt like it would snap my wrist, forcing a grimace through clenched teeth. Still, it had been worth it. Up close, Clock's eyes were locked on mine. Above them, translucent text floated into view.

Pure admiration directed at me. Maybe it was because he'd been acknowledged by a worthy opponent. For a moment, an inexplicable thrill surged through me.

Clock exhaled harshly and took a step back. In that opening, Choi Kangmin finally snatched up his longsword.

"Haa... haa..."

Panting heavily, he moved to my side. The three of us—the regressor, me, and the hero from another world—faced one another. A strange standoff formed in the middle of the square.

"...I owe you one."

Choi Kangmin adjusted his grip on the sword and spat the words out like they tasted bitter. My eyes flicked toward him, then away again. Standing right beside him felt different now. The first thing that came to mind was—

...Uncle.

"Hoo..."

I shook my head and answered. I had to stop thinking about it.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Good. Then pay me back with your life. Draw his attention from the front."

"...What?"

His brow furrowed. There was no time to complain.

"Baran."

Clock moved with a short chant. The speed granted by Will of the Ruined Country pushed to its limit. It was hard to even follow with the naked eye. But I was different.

Keeping my eyes fixed ahead, I snapped at Choi Kangmin.

"Jump to the right. Then duck."

"What the hell are you—!"

Just as he tried to protest—

"Now...!!!"

I shouted first. His body reacted on instinct. He hurled himself to the right.

The massive axe slammed into the spot where Choi Kangmin had been standing a second earlier.

"What the...?"

His bewildered voice rang out. But it wasn't over. The attack would chain into a horizontal slash.

"Duck."

My cold command made him flinch and drop flat. The axe embedded in the ground used the recoil to whip back around immediately.

A few strands of Choi Kangmin's hair were sliced off cleanly. He had dodged by a hair's breadth.

Now.

The movements were exactly as Spoiler showed. The aftermath of that massive horizontal swing left Clock's stance slightly off-balance from the centrifugal force. I didn't miss the opening and kicked off the ground.

"Krrgh!"

The Blood Demon's Bone Short Sword sank perfectly into his blind spot. The blade pierced the seam of his worn armor. Clock staggered, spraying blood. I yanked the sword free and created distance.

...Too shallow.

"You... how...?"

Still on the ground, Choi Kangmin looked up at me with wide eyes.

His pupils shook wildly.

"Get up. No time to rest."

"...What?"

"Karaaaak!"

Clock let out a beastly roar and reset his stance. Choi Kangmin bit his lip and forced himself to his feet. The dwarf's axe was once again pointed at us. The target was the same.

I spoke dryly to the side.

"Two steps left. Then a low slash."

The moment the words left my mouth, Choi Kangmin's body shot forward.

Clock's enormous axe cleaved through empty air. It shattered the ground where Choi Kangmin had stood, sending fragments flying everywhere. But the hero's enemy was no longer there.

"Now!!!"

The longsword, wrapped in blue mana, shot forward like lightning.

"Kkgh...!"

A deep gash appeared on Clock's thick calf. Blood sprayed. Spoiler updated in rapid succession. My instructions weren't finished.

"Don't let up!! Use the flat of your blade to strike upward, then drive into his right blind spot!!!"

"Fuck, treating people like goddamn dogs...!"

Choi Kangmin ground his teeth and cursed, but his body still followed my orders. He struck the knee joint with the flat of his sword, disrupting Clock's balance, then used beast-like agility to seize the blind spot.

"Going in together!"

I charged straight in at the same time. Just as Clock tried to plant his axe on the ground to regain balance—

"Strike!"

At my short signal, Choi Kangmin's sword sliced into Clock's shoulder. At the same time, my short sword stabbed into the hero's thigh. A perfect pincer attack.

"Pull back!!!"

We kicked off the ground again and gained distance. The axe blade whistled past our faces by a single step. As Choi Kangmin caught his breath, a status window appeared above his head.

He was openly cursing now. It seemed he'd finally figured out who I was.

"You... you were originally at the mart—"

Just as Choi Kangmin began to stammer—

"Karak!"

Clock swung his axe again without a hint of fatigue. I clicked my tongue and continued issuing orders.

"Dodge right and strike upward."

"Goddammit!"

The melee continued. Every eye in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠square was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠locked on us. The spectators couldn't move. They could neither join the fight nor escape it.

"Huu..."

"Dammit... this isn't easy at all..."

Both Choi Kangmin's stamina and my concentration were reaching their limits. The only saving grace was that our opponent wasn't in peak condition either. His speed and power were overwhelming, but Spoiler let me see everything. When Clock swung downward, we dodged and stabbed. When he slashed horizontally, we ducked and cut. No matter how strong he became, his attacks never landed. The moment after every swing, two blades would slip into the openings. The seams of his armor, his thighs, his shoulders. Dozens of wounds had been carved into him, and blood poured from them without pause.

"Krrgh, haa..."

Finally, a bloody breath escaped Clock's lips. The hand gripping the massive axe was shaking. I was certain. His body had reached its limit. The Spoiler window above his head confirmed it.

A sense of powerlessness that went beyond physical exhaustion. Attacks made with everything he had were ineffective. His opponents dodged as if they knew his axe like the back of their hand.

Clock's body, which had been pouring out blood, swayed violently. Unable to hold on any longer, one knee buckled toward the ground. At that moment—

"He's down! The monster bastard is down!!"

"Choi Kangmin, nice! Finish him off!!"

"Hurry up and smash his head! That son of a bitch tried to kill all of us!!"

The people who had been holding their breath erupted in cheers. The moment the tide turned, their roars burst forth. Those who had hidden without shedding a single drop of blood were now cursing the hero who had fought to protect his world.

"Haa... haa..."

A bitter smile spread across Choi Kangmin's lips. He immediately squared his shoulders and raised a bloodstained hand.

"Uwaaaaaah!!!!!"

The crowd's cheers grew even louder. Then he subtly moved closer to me and whispered.

"Hey, what do we do now? He looks exhausted. Shouldn't we just go kill him?"

I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

"Wait."

"...What? No, just go and—"

"I said wait."

Choi Kangmin glared at me with bloodshot eyes. In his mind, he probably wanted to beat me to death right then and there. I ignored him and kept my gaze fixed on Clock.

...Not yet.

Even surrounded by the malice of hundreds, he didn't waver. Clock slowly lifted his head and stared into the empty air. His eyes were losing focus. His gaze was fixed on the sky.

His eyelids closed. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠amid the deafening noise from all sides, he smiled.

My brow furrowed. Humans cheering with murderous intent. A monster who remained serene even in this situation.

He quietly parted his lips and murmured.

"Tur, Baran."

Words from another world flowed out. A very small, low chant, almost drowned out by the cheers. But right after—

"...It's not over?"

A crimson haze that had been wrapping Clock's body exploded upward like a geyser. Overwhelming presence. Warning messages flashed rapidly across my retina.

"Crazy..."

A hollow breath slipped from between my lips. A three-hundred-percent stat boost. He was already a monster whose movements were hard to track, and now he was tripling that? Moreover...

After 3 minutes, the caster will lose all strength.

That was definitely not good news. For the next three minutes, he would try to kill every single person here.

"Hey, hey..."

A slightly trembling voice came from beside me.

"What the hell is that...? No, fuck, he was on the verge of death, so why... what the hell are we supposed to do?!"

He lowered his voice desperately and shouted. The composure of a second-turn regressor? Because it was his second turn, he was probably feeling the pressure even more strongly. Just how powerful the enemy before him truly was. I shook him off and hurriedly focused on the space above Clock's head. I had to stay calm. This was exactly when I needed to read his actions with perfect accuracy.

"...Huh?"

I hadn't even finished reading the text.

The sound of the ground exploding. Clock's figure vanished completely from sight. In the next instant, he reappeared right in front of Choi Kangmin. The dwarf hero was floating in midair, his massive battle axe raised high.

"Karak...!"

Overwhelming speed. He moved before I could even read it. Even if I read it, there was no time to react.

With a savage whoosh, the battle axe descended toward the crown of Choi Kangmin's head.

"Uwaaaaaah!!"

In that life-or-death moment, the regressor let out a beastly scream. Choi Kangmin squeezed out every last drop of mana from the bottom of his reserves and coated his longsword in blue energy. If he couldn't dodge, he would block. He barely managed to raise his sword overhead.

But the moment the blade met the axe, there wasn't even a trace of resistance. Cracks like spiderwebs began spreading across Choi Kangmin's longsword.

"Fuck, no...!"

Along with his scream, the steel sword shattered into pieces. The hero who carried an entire world on his shoulders did not fall so easily.