A Ticket to the Underworld
“A one-way ticket to the underworld.”
Baec blinked, his mind struggling to process the sudden turn of events. He glanced at the handkerchief on the floor, then his expression twisted as realization dawned. His teeth ground together with an audible crack.
“How dare you! You… no, you… Do you even understand what you’ve just done? Do you honestly believe you’ll walk away unscathed after this?”
A fierce, razor-sharp aura exploded from his body. The pressure was so intense it made onlookers instinctively shrink back. Rage and murderous intent poured from Baec’s eyes, swallowing the space around him. An ordinary person would have collapsed in terror just standing before him. He looked like a wild beast ready to tear out a throat with its fangs.
But none of it affected Albert. To others, Baec might have seemed like an unleashed mastiff without a muzzle. To Albert, he was nothing more than a yapping Chihuahua.
“And you thought you could lay hands on my sister and walk away unscathed? Enough talk. Will you accept the duel or not?”
“……Fine.”
Baec snatched the handkerchief from the floor and hurled it back at Albert. Albert casually sidestepped it. Baec’s face contorted.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Throwing a filthy handkerchief that’s been on the ground at someone? How uncouth. I wonder what kind of upbringing you received…… Tsk, tsk.”
Albert refused to stop provoking him. The taunt landed perfectly; Baec’s face flushed an ugly mix of red and purple. Insults toward one’s parents were something no one could endure.
“Personal attacks are crossing the line.”
‘They started it, so it’s mutual.’
Before coming here, Albert had already tasked the now-subjugated Blackout Guild with gathering information. He knew exactly what Elena had endured, what insults she had heard, and why the duel had been forced upon her. She had fought to protect her family’s and her parents’ honor. Of course, she had been utterly defeated.
“Her mana was sealed back then.”
“It’s different now, isn’t it?”
‘Of course it is. If my sister shows her true strength, that trash won’t even be worth comparing.’
“Good grief, you doting brother.”
Originally, he had planned to leave Baec for Elena to deal with. But now—
‘I’ll crush him first. My sister can have her revenge, and I’ll have mine.’
There was no need to leave him alive. If Albert beat him now and Elena finished the job later, that would be the end of it. No need for complicated schemes.
‘No matter what happens, you’re getting beaten half to death by me today.’
The outcome was already decided.
“I can endure insults toward myself…… but I will never tolerate insults toward my parents!! I accept your duel! Follow me at once!”
The location changed to the training grounds. As befitting a count’s estate, the area was spacious and well-equipped with training tools. Guests who had been enjoying the social gathering flocked over. Watching a fight was far more entertaining than chatting and dancing.
Albert and Baec stepped into the center of the grounds. Baec stripped off his formal attire and changed into something easier to move in. He glared at Albert, clenching his fists tightly.
“If you apologize even now, I might still show mercy.”
“……”
“Hah, is arrogance hereditary? Brother and sister, you’re exactly the same.”
His eyes were filled with blatant mockery and contempt.
“You disappeared and came back, so you probably don’t understand the situation yet. Your family has already fallen. You’re no longer a count’s house.”
He approached slowly and poked Albert’s chest with his finger.
“If you’re acting up because you can’t forget your past glory, you’d better stop. You might end up just like your sister did back then.”
“Just like my sister?”
“That’s right. Puhahaha, that was truly entertaining. I said a few words about your father and mother, and she turned bright red, screaming for me to take it back. It was hilarious.”
Recalling the memory, Baec continued with a sneer. His increasingly shrill voice echoed through the training grounds and reached the ears of the spectators.
“So I told her—if she wanted to argue, she should show strength worthy of it. Then she suddenly challenged me to a duel. Being the generous man I am, I accepted.”
He glanced sideways at Elena and smirked.
“It was so funny watching a half-baked girl who couldn’t even use mana rush at me. I was a little flustered seeing someone cry while charging like that. Puhaha.”
Baec laughed as he relived the scene. Following his lead, the gathered nobles also chuckled. Most of them had likely been present that day.
“I’ve recorded their names.”
“Thirty-five humans laughed. Forty humans used phrases like ‘disgusting’ and ‘pathetic’ at the time.”
The System was diligently compiling a death note in real time. Those who had mocked Elena would be next after Baec. If having your name written in a death note caused a heart attack, these people would have to endure beatings until their hearts gave out. The heart attacks would be self-inflicted.
“As expected of the Kai family.”
“What?”
“Your family trains their bodies to use as weapons, right? I guess that means your tongue’s been trained too. It sure moves long and eloquently.”
Albert waggled his fingers.
“Stop flapping your gums and come at me. How long are you going to fight with just your mouth?”
“……Draw your weapon. I hear the Regrian family is famous for swordsmanship…… Your sister’s skills were pathetic. Let’s see how you fare.”
“No need. Stop wasting time and just attack.”
“……Your arrogance knows no bounds.”
“At my level, it’s not arrogance. It’s confidence.”
“Don’t regret this later. I clearly gave you a chance, and you threw it away.”
At the same time as an explosive aura burst from Baec’s body, a dark red light wrapped around him.
“Oh! That’s the Kai family’s secret technique, Iron Aura!”
“He’s going all out from the start? He must be trying to end this in one blow!”
Iron Aura—one of the Kai family’s secret techniques that hardened the entire body like steel. When activated, the body became as tough as steel armor, and the destructive power of punches increased dramatically.
“Analyzing……”
“Similar to the Hunter skill ‘Iron Body.’”
“Based on power analysis, he’s roughly B-rank Hunter level.”
“He shows some potential, but he’s far inferior to Lady Elena.”
‘Obviously. My sister is the most beautiful and the strongest.’
“Sigh…… Limit the doting brother comments to once a day.”
“Doting brother comments, confiscated.”
‘……You’re even controlling my doting brother comments now? You’ve lost it.’
“It’s too late to regret now! Die!!”
Baec kicked off the ground. With a boom, his body shot forward like a cannonball. He twisted his waist and swung his fist straight at Albert’s face. His training hadn’t been neglected—his speed was impressive. Anyone else would have assumed he was a pure strength type, but he was surprisingly agile.
‘Pretty fast.’
But that was all. Fast, yes—but speed was always relative. To others, it might have been invisible, but to Albert, it moved in slow motion. He took a single step back and effortlessly dodged the attack.
‘He dodged that!?’
Baec’s eyes widened in shock. He never expected Albert to avoid it. When he had fought Elena, she hadn’t been able to dodge and had taken the blow straight to the face. That expression had been quite the sight—confused and twisted in pain, as if she didn’t understand what had hit her. He had wanted to ruin that handsome face too, if possible.
‘Still, he’s the eldest son. Not bad. But—’
“My attack doesn’t end there! Haaaaah!”
Baec’s follow-up attacks came in rapid succession. A relentless storm of blows poured down without a single opening. The sound of fists cutting through the air was chilling, as if they could tear flesh and shatter bone.
‘As expected of the Kai family.’
‘Another one’s going to be carried out today.’
The spectators were certain Baec would win. The gap in skill was overwhelming. Moreover, while the Regrian family used swords, Albert was fighting barehanded. Look at him—he couldn’t even mount a proper counterattack and was just getting hit. The result was already decided.
“Huh?”
“Doesn’t something seem off?”
“What?”
“Look over there.”
At that moment, one noble pointed at Albert with wide eyes, as if he had noticed something. Specifically, at his feet.
“That guy…… He hasn’t moved a single step from there this whole time.”
“What? What do you mean……”
Just then, a heavy thud echoed through the training grounds. Everyone assumed Baec had finally broken through Albert’s guard and landed a hit. But the opposite had occurred.
“Guh……!”
It was Baec who had been struck. Albert’s fist was buried deep in his abdomen. The impact was so powerful that Baec’s body lifted slightly off the ground.
“Kuh……”
Baec retreated, gritting his teeth. The shock had been considerable, but he had taken far worse during training with his father. He was used to it.
“Hah, a counterattack from there. You really are different from your pathetic sister. Not bad. But—”
He straightened his posture proudly and slapped his abdomen with his palm, looking smug.
“An attack like that can’t break through our family’s secret technique, Iron Aura! It didn’t even tickle!”
“Oh, really?”
In the next instant, Albert’s figure vanished and reappeared right in front of Baec.
“Then try blocking this.”
The moment he closed the distance, Albert’s left fist slammed into Baec’s abdomen once more.
“Gack!”
A tremendous shock, as if his organs were about to burst out! Even though Iron Aura was protecting his body, the impact pierced through and rattled his insides. Albert’s assault didn’t stop there.
“Hup!”
As his left fist withdrew, his right fist drove straight into the center of Baec’s face. A seamless combination. The impact sent Baec tumbling backward several times before he scrambled to his feet. He had instinctively rolled to break his fall.
Albert smirked at the sight.
“Oh, you’re sturdy.”
He liked that. Most people these days were so fragile that they fainted after a light touch, which was annoying. Baec was different. Whether thanks to his family’s secret technique or his usual training, his endurance was top-class even if his strength was lacking.
“How……”
“How about it? If you apologize even now, I might still show mercy.”
Albert deliberately repeated the exact words Baec had said earlier. His gaze scraped against Baec’s pride. Baec ground his teeth.
“I……”
“Of course, I have no intention of forgiving you. That’s obvious. You insulted my sister, badmouthed my family, and even dragged my parents into it……”
A murderous aura erupted from Albert’s body. His dark eyes were filled with an indescribable mix of rage and killing intent. Within those black pupils, like an unfathomable abyss, someone was beckoning to Baec. Come this way…… It was the gesture of a grim reaper.
“You crossed the line.”
The line separating this world from the next…… Baec had boldly stepped over it. Straight into the afterlife.
“You’re the first one on the list.”
Baec Kai’s name was written at the very top of the death note. He had been granted the glorious ticket to cross the River of Three Crossings. A special discount. Albert had personally forced it into his hands for free.