The Mad Dog's End
Barg.
Before my regression, he was a fairly prominent figure in the mercenary world.
While his renown was partly due to his outstanding skills, it was largely a result of his cruel nature.
'They say he went mad and slaughtered his parents and sister.'
Anyone who had ever set foot in the mercenary industry had heard that rumor at least once. Of course, to Barg himself, it was a taboo subject—his ultimate sore spot.
'A lackey for black mages.'
Before my regression, I had clashed with Barg countless times on the battlefield.
As a henchman of the Archduke of Demonic Magic, he crossed my path so often I grew sick of him. I still vividly remembered the slimy, suffocating malice he used to radiate.
Back then, we never settled our score.
But now that I had returned to the past, things were different.
"Raygan... how on earth do you plan to fight a mercenary like that?"
Brock and the other collateral branch mages looked utterly bewildered.
They seemed completely terrified by the tales of Barg's martial prowess that they had heard from Carius.
"Think about it," I said. "He's the one guarding the core of the barrier anyway. We have to take him down if we want to make any progress."
Of course, even if we just held our ground, the Rune Sentinels led by Valen would eventually breach the barrier. But I didn't want to waste any more time.
There was no telling what those bastards would do if cornered. They might harm the hostages, destroy evidence, or flee.
Above all, I wanted to use this opportunity to permanently sever one of the Archduke's limbs.
"That mercenary! They say he's slaughtered dozens of people!"
"So what? Any mercenary worth their salt has taken heads in the triple digits."
Because in my past life, I was one of them.
If the man standing here today were the Barg from the end of my previous life, I would have looked for another way too.
But I had regressed, and Barg was currently just a twenty-two-year-old greenhorn.
I didn't know his exact level at this point in time, but since he hadn't reached his prime yet, he definitely hadn't achieved the rank of Sword Master. In that case, he was well within my ability to defeat.
"Don't worry, Brock. I'm not asking you guys to fight him."
"What?"
Even if Barg was young, he would easily slaughter 3rd-tier mages with a single glance. I had no intention of putting these kids in front of him.
"You guys are going to block the passages."
"The passages?"
"Yeah. Collapse the paths leading to the cavern where he's holed up. Seal them off completely so he can't escape, and no reinforcements can reach him."
It would have been an impossible plan in an open field, but fortunately, this was a mine. An abandoned one at that.
As we navigated the narrow tunnels to get here, I had noticed the ground was unstable, with cracks running along the walls and ceilings.
"H-How... are we supposed to collapse a cave...?"
"Are you idiots? You're Benheim rune mages, and you don't even know that?"
A rune flared to life above my palm.
Hagalaz: The Rune of Collapse
"It would be tough for one person, but there are seventeen Benheim mages here. If you pool your strength, collapsing a passage or two will be child's play."
"Well... that's true, but..."
Brock nodded, his expression still laced with anxiety.
"Once we collapse the tunnels and isolate him... what then?"
"I'll fight him."
"..."
"You guys just stay back. If you try to interfere, you'll only end up dead."
Brock's expression softened slightly at my explanation.
He must have realized this was infinitely better than facing Barg directly.
"No objections, right? Then get to your positions."
"You."
Just then, a girl who had been quietly listening to our conversation from the corner spoke up. It was the girl we had just rescued from the prison.
"Are you going to fight that mercenary alone?"
"Yeah."
Her gray eyes stared intently at me.
"You'll die," she said flatly.
Her tone was as dry and colorless as her overall appearance.
"Is that so? Thanks for the blessing."
I brushed off her warning and adjusted my robe to conceal the Benheim treasure sword hanging at my waist.
Feeling a bit self-conscious under her persistent gaze, I added, "But you know, I've actually experienced it once before, and death isn't really that big of a deal."
For the first time, a flicker of bewilderment crossed her eyes. I shrugged.
"Besides, I have no intention of dying."
Deep inside the abandoned mine, in a massive cavern.
With his back to the dark-red magic stone serving as the barrier's core, Barg sat perched on a stone ledge, chewing on his boredom.
"...Making a living is a real pain."
The air was dark and damp, thick with a pungent, musty odor.
Barg let out a heavy sigh. He absolutely loathed being stuck in this gloomy hole, playing bodyguard to a bunch of third-rate black mages.
He had only accepted the job because the pay was handsome, but if he had known it would be like this, he would have sold his blade to someone else.
Given his reputation, he wouldn't have landed any legitimate commissions, but at least he wouldn't be rotting away in a suffocating place like this.
"Damn it."
Barg spat irritably onto the ground.
As he tried to kill time, a black mage emerged from the shadows.
"Lord Barg."
"What is it?"
"There's no word from Gerkin. Even though the scheduled time has passed..."
"What?"
Barg scowled.
Gerkin of the Black Fang Mercenary Group. Though he was a greedy pig of a man, he usually got the job done. He had never botched an assignment before, which was why Barg had recommended this job to him in the first place when Gerkin was struggling with funds.
For someone like him to go silent was undeniably suspicious.
"Did something happen? Have the guys in Rodel check on him."
"That's the thing... we can't get in touch with our brethren in Rodel either."
Barg's scowl deepened.
"...Come to think of it, today was the day Gerkin was supposed to deliver the cargo."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Did you verify the cargo?"
"I believe it was brought through the passage just a short while ago."
"Delivering the cargo without any contact... Do you idiots not realize how bizarre this situation is?"
Barg's instincts were screaming at him.
Rats have crawled in.
Just as he was about to stand up with that thought—
Rumble, rumble!
Suddenly, the ground shook violently.
Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.
"A-An earthquake?!" the black mage stammered, looking around in a panic.
"No, it's not an earthquake," Barg said, shaking his head.
This wasn't a natural disaster; it was an artificial tremor. He could feel the waves of mana vibrating around the cavern.
Crash!
With a deafening roar, the ceiling of the entrance passage collapsed.
The black mage who had been reporting to him just moments ago was crushed beneath a pile of boulders before he could even scream.
Right after, the supports of the opposite passage gave way, and a deluge of earth sealed off both exits.
"Isolating me first to cut off reinforcements, huh? Not bad. The rats have some brains after all."
Barg chuckled as he stood up from the stone ledge.
He took a shallow breath, expanding his sensory perception.
He felt multiple presences. Most of them were incredibly weak.
Mere grunts at best. A ragtag bunch with no proper training.
"...Pathetic."
Barg sneered.
Did they really think they could trap him with a bunch of weaklings like this?
Step, step.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, someone walked down from the pile of collapsed rubble.
A gray-haired youth.
Though his face still held a trace of boyishness, his eyes were remarkably calm and steady.
"Are you the leader of these rats?" Barg asked, gesturing with his chin.
The youth looked around, then tilted his head.
"Leader? Are you talking about me?"
"Who else would I be talking to?"
"I don't know. I think the word 'rat' suits you bastards hiding in this dirt hole a lot better."
Barg burst into a chuckle at the boy's retort.
It was an incredibly childish provocation.
He wasn't foolish enough to fall for such cheap wordplay.
"Who sent you?"
"Who knows? Why don't you try guessing?"
Even facing Barg, who was radiating pure bloodlust, the youth didn't flinch. In fact, he seemed entirely at ease.
That relaxed attitude highly irritated Barg.
"Well, whatever. You're all going to die anyway."
Barg drew the massive greatsword strapped to his back.
The giant blade, nearly as tall as the boy himself, gleamed ominously as it reflected the crimson glow of the barrier stone.
"Die."
The moment the word left his mouth, Barg lunged forward.
Explosive speed burst from his massive frame.
Closing the distance in an instant, Barg swung his greatsword.
Not many swordsmen had ever survived his opening strike.
Let alone a mage, and a teenage brat who hadn't even reached adulthood at that.
He didn't even need to use Aura. The boy would be sliced in half before he could even chant a spell.
That was Barg's absolute conviction—until the very next second.
—Clang!
Sparks flew with a sharp metallic screech.
Barg's trajectory was violently deflected midair. *Thud!* His greatsword plunged into the ground. Barg's eyes widened. Before he knew it, the boy had drawn a sword from his waist and parried his strike.
"You... you're a swordsman?"
He had been caught off guard. Since the boy was wearing a robe, Barg had assumed he was a mage, but he was actually a swordsman.
Barg was genuinely impressed. It was only a single exchange, but the boy had successfully parried his blow. The clever trick of hiding his sword beneath his robe and using provocations to distract Barg's attention was also quite commendable.
"Not bad for a brat."
"I don't know. Your swordsmanship is just incredibly predictable."
"Hmph. Arrogant bastard."
Barg immediately ripped his greatsword from the ground and swung it horizontally.
Now that he knew the kid was a decent swordsman, he would show no mercy.
"Can you block this as well?"
Just before clashing with the boy's sword, Barg's greatsword was dyed in a crimson light.
Aura—the art of projecting mana to coat a blade.
A sword without Aura could never withstand one that possessed it. Barg could already vividly picture the boy's mundane sword being sliced like tofu, and his head flying into the air.
Screeech!
Yet, once again, the greatsword struck nothing but air.
This time, Barg was utterly shocked.
"You... are you an Aura User?"
A bluish light surged along the boy's blade. A crystallization of mana. It was, without a doubt, Aura.
To be recognized as a true swordsman, one had to manifest Aura. The benchmark for genius among swordsmen was whether one could manifest Aura before reaching adulthood.
Just like the boy raising his sword right in front of him.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Raygan."
"Raygan, is it? What a shame."
Barg let out a bitter chuckle, resting his greatsword on his shoulder.
"To be blessed with such outstanding talent, only to die so young."
"Are you talking about yourself?"
"..."
Barg's eyes narrowed.
"You really are an irritating bastard."
Barg lunged forward once more.
The greatsword, imbued with crimson Aura, traced a semi-circle as it aimed for Raygan's vitals. *Clang!* Blocked again.
He just got lucky, Barg thought, and unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes. *Screeech!* This time, the blow was deeper, but Raygan's sword deflected the greatsword away.
Barg grimaced. Raygan was playing purely on the defensive. To a swordsman, that was a massive insult.
Fine. I'll end this in three exchanges. I'll show this arrogant brat that there is always a higher heaven.
"..."
But.
Three exchanges became ten, and ten became thirty.
Barg couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of doubt.
'What on earth... is this guy?'
Barg clearly held the advantage in strength, reach, and even the density of his Aura. Yet, his greatsword couldn't even graze Raygan's clothes.
Every single time Barg swung, Raygan's sword was already waiting along the trajectory. It made absolutely no sense. Barg was clearly the one initiating the attacks, yet the boy was always faster.
No, it wasn't just speed—it was as if his sword simply 'appeared'. Without any visible wind-up, Raygan's blade would suddenly materialize and wedge itself perfectly into Barg's path.
It was an incomprehensible phenomenon. He couldn't read the flow of the boy's swordsmanship at all. No matter how much he racked his brain, there was only one logical explanation: the boy was reading his movements perfectly.
'Is he... predicting everything?'
At this point, Barg had to admit it.
The boy's swordsmanship was far too mature for his age. It was incredibly precise and blindingly fast. It was a style that bypassed the need for a conventional clash of blades entirely—a sword that refused to engage in dialogue.
Cold sweat trickled down Barg's spine. Where on earth did he learn such swordsmanship?
He had fought many renowned masters in his life, but he had never seen any school of swordsmanship that fought like this.
"Who the hell are you?!" Barg demanded, taking a step back.
There was something off about this boy. He had to be the scion of some prominent noble family. Barg didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble by killing him. That was the only reason he asked.
But the brat didn't even bat an eye as he replied, "You don't need to know. You're going to die here anyway."
"..."
The boy's face was filled with absolute confidence in his victory.
Barg ground his teeth.
"Fine. Before I kill you, I'll rip out that arrogant tongue of yours."
"My tongue?"
Instead of flinching at the threat, Raygan smirked coldly.
"Why? Just like you did to your sister when you lost your mind and beat her to death?"
In that instant, Barg's mind went completely blank.
"...What did you say?"
"You killed them because they were too noisy, right? Your parents and your sister. You cut out her tongue, crushed her limbs, and finally burned them to ashes."
Raygan's eyes filled with mocking contempt.
"You still haven't cured your habits from your days as a mad dog, and now you're playing lapdog to black mages. You're worse than a beast."
Snap.
Something snapped inside Barg's mind.
It was a secret that no one knew, a taboo that should never have been spoken aloud—his ultimate sore spot.
"...Do you want to die that badly?"
An explosive surge of Aura erupted from Barg's body.
All reason vanished. The only thing left was a primal, murderous urge to tear the boy in front of him to shreds.
"Aaaaargh!"
Barg roared, bringing his greatsword down.
Until now, Barg had relied on the forms of proper swordsmanship. But this strike was completely devoid of technique.
It was a crude, brute-force attack meant to crush the opponent through sheer, overwhelming power, speed, and Aura density.
Yet, that was precisely Barg's greatest weapon.
If the boy could read his trajectory, Barg would simply make the attack too heavy and fast to parry, rendering any prediction utterly meaningless.
Clang!
A sharp, ringing sound of metal.
Raygan seemed caught off guard by the sudden shift in the attack. When his sword clashed head-on with Barg's greatsword, he was pushed back, unable to overcome the massive difference in raw power.
'Your petty tricks end here.'
Barg raised his greatsword, aiming for Raygan's exposed upper body.
He swung his blade with the sole intent to kill—until something caught his eye.
———.
A blue concentration of mana was gathering in Raygan's left hand.
The mana spun into thin threads, shaping itself into a sword in a fraction of a second.
Barg's eyes widened.
A sword made of magic. Why was a swordsman who used Aura casting magic?
No, that wasn't the important part.
Barg knew of a family that used this exact type of magic.
"...Lusen?"
Barg's pupils trembled.
Had the Lusen family stepped in to deal with the black mages?
Did that mean the Lusen Mage Order was here?
As a flurry of thoughts rushed through his mind, his eyes met Raygan's. Curved into crescents, those blue eyes were smiling.
It was bizarre.
Barg had the upper hand. He just needed to finish him off.
Yes, all he had to do was bring his greatsword down.
'Just bring it down...'
Suddenly.
An overwhelming instinct screamed at him not to swing.
Those blue eyes, that smirk, the mana sword forming in his left hand—they were all variables.
He finally realized the source of the uncanny feeling he had felt while clashing blades with Raygan.
The boy hadn't shown his full hand.
He was a mass of unpredictable variables, an unknown enemy. Was swinging his sword here really the right choice?
"Ugh."
His hesitation created a fatal opening.
Raygan didn't miss it.
Barg swung his sword a moment too late. The mana sword in Raygan's left hand deflected Barg's greatsword away.
"Kh!"
Because he had abandoned defense to focus entirely on brute force, the deflection left Barg's upper body completely exposed.
In a flash, Raygan lowered his stance and slipped inside Barg's guard. It was too fast to react. Raygan's right hand pressed against Barg's abdomen.
———.
A burning sensation radiated from where the palm touched.
Two rings of light.
Within the rings, two runes flared to life. The condensed runes began to spew out massive amounts of mana.
Barg had no deep knowledge of magic, but he knew of a mage family that utilized ancient letters.
Just like Lusen, who forged swords of magic, they were one of the greatest pillars of the Empire's magical world.
That family was...
"...Benheim...?"
Two Rings of Light — Dual Runes
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, his vision went completely black.