Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 140
140 – Legend (9)
Swish—
Baran swung his sword towards Kahim.
The blade was infinitely calm.
It was because he placed little significance on this fight.
To Baran, Kahim was not an enemy, merely an obstacle to be removed.
There was also the fact that Kahim did not pose a significant threat to Baran.
Kahim was undoubtedly a strong warrior, but the gap between them was vast.
Thus, Baran intended to end Kahim’s life with this strike.
However.
Slash!
“Hmm?”
Baran’s brow furrowed slightly.
The sword he had swung with the intent to kill had failed to finish Kahim off.
What should have severed the opponent’s lifeline had only managed to inflict a wound.
Yet, he did not feel a great deal of doubt about this fact.
He simply thought that his opponent’s struggle had been somewhat meaningful and swung his sword once more.
But.
After several more swings, after several more thrusts,
Baran could not take Kahim’s life.
“……”
At this point, Baran began to sense something was amiss.
If it had happened once or twice, he could dismiss it as coincidence, but with this many failures accumulating, it could no longer be considered mere chance.
If that were the case.
If this series of events was not just a simple coincidence.
It was reasonable to assume there was some underlying cause.
‘My problem is… no.’
Even a warrior who had reached the realm of enlightenment was still human.
In a situation where one’s stamina was depleted to the extreme, there would inevitably be a tremor in the sword.
However, Baran was close to being in perfect condition now.
—
His physical strength, magical power, and willpower had, in fact, hardly been depleted at all.
In such a state, there was no way his sword could have dulled.
Then,
‘The author… has changed?’
If this side wasn’t the cause, then simply put, it was highly likely that the other side was the cause.
With that thought, Baran began to closely observe Kahim’s movements from that moment on.
On the surface, there seemed to be no significant difference from before.
With movements not much different, he tried to evade his sword and was cut.
However, it never reached a fatal wound.
At very precise moments, he was avoiding sustaining serious injuries.
Seeing those movements, Baran realized.
Kahim had definitely changed.
‘Was he hiding his true skill?’
For a moment, that assumption flickered through his mind, but Baran shook his head immediately.
Though he was somehow avoiding fatal wounds now, the injuries Kahim had sustained when he was first cut were real.
In a moment of carelessness, he could have lost his life—a fatal wound that left no room for denial.
Even if one were to hide their skills for a purpose, there is always a limit to that.
Sustaining such injuries for the sake of a decisive move is akin to offering up flesh to save bone.
Thus, Baran dismissed that possibility.
‘Then…’
That left only one possibility.
‘…He has grown?’
If Kahim had grown stronger than before.
Assuming that, this situation made sense.
‘I see.’
Baran, having organized his thoughts, calmly nodded to himself.
There was no particular surprise.
It wasn’t all that rare for a martial artist to achieve growth in the face of death.
Moreover, the opponent was a genius, already spoken of as the next Ten Swords at a young age.
It could even be said that it was only natural for such a genius to draw upon their potential when death was at hand.
And above all.
‘Still, nothing changes.’
Right.
Even if Kahim had grown, nothing had changed.
Even if Kahim had taken a significant step forward, there remained a vast gap between them.
Considering the injuries Kahim had sustained, there was no need to reassess the odds.
It was an undeniable fact, a truth, that Baran would win.
And so.
Baran was not anxious.
“How unfortunate.”
Instead, he simply expressed his thoughts calmly.
“If you had just a little more time, perhaps today’s outcome could have been different.”
Though he was the enemy, and in a position to kill him, Baran agreed that Kahim was a martial artist with innate talent.
He believed that, given enough time, it was certain he would reach the realm of enlightenment.
However.
That future would not come to pass.
After all, Kahim would die here today.
“Time has dragged on more than expected.”
Now, it was truly time to bring this stagnant fight to an end.
With that thought, Baran summoned his full strength for the first time since the battle began.
“Let’s finish this.”
Swish—
Baran’s sword moved.
It was not a sword accompanied by a fierce storm of magical power, nor was it one that exuded destructive force just by being seen.
It was simply a swift sword.
So fast and sharp that even following it with the eyes was not permitted, a blade of such overwhelming speed that it was almost exhausting.
Even a renowned martial artist could not predict what would happen next; the swift sword surged forward with enough momentum to mercilessly cleave Kahim’s body in two.
At this rate, it seemed Kahim would be split apart by the sword without even putting up a fight.
Yet.
Swoosh—
Kahim’s body moved.
As if he were tracking the speed of Baran’s sword with his eyes.
Still bleeding, with a body that was far from whole, he moved.
And at last, he evaded it.
The strike imbued with the true spirit of a warrior who had reached the realm of ideals, known as Baran.
It was a result that could be called a miracle, and surely no one could have anticipated it.
“Indeed, quite impressive.”
Baran was not flustered.
He had expected that something like this could happen.
He wasn’t entirely certain.
Just, it could be possible, perhaps a miracle might occur. He had kept that in mind.
Thus, naturally.
He had also prepared.
“Excellent.”
Sending praise toward the obstacle that sought to block his path, Baran moved his left hand for the first time.
The hand that had held the Hero’s sword, which he had never used until now.
It was so sudden that no one could have anticipated it.
Thwack!
Kahim was pierced by the Hero’s sword just like that.
“Brother…!!”
Seeing that scene, Pana, who had been quietly watching their fight, let out a voice that was almost a scream, unimaginable in her usual demeanor.
“…Cough!”
And a mouthful of blood erupted from Kahim’s lips.
“It’s over.”
Watching the scene, Baran declared calmly.
With this, the fight had come to an end.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had run away sooner?”
It wasn’t a statement meant to trample on the pride of the defeated.
Baran was speaking with pure intent.
Though he had sustained a fatal wound, if he had chosen to abandon the fight and flee in that state, he might have been able to save his life.
Of course, escaping from that and this grave is a completely different matter, but still, one could say there was a possibility.
However, that possibility vanished when Kahim chose to fight instead of fleeing.
In light of that fact, Baran felt a twinge of regret.
For the sake of his purpose, he felt no hesitation in severing a neck, but Baran was also a warrior.
He felt regret that the potential of the warrior named Kahim was being squandered like this.
Well, it was merely a twinge of regret, as he had said.
“…Huh.”
Suddenly, Kahim let out a laugh.
“Cough, cough…”
The sight of him laughing, pierced by a sword and bearing wounds that could lead to death at any moment, appeared quite grotesque.
“…Hmm.”
Baran scrutinized Kahim’s face.
He wondered if perhaps the fear of death had driven him mad.
However, that face did not seem like one that had lost its reason due to the terror of death.
“Indeed… it seems it’s still not time.”
Kahim shook his head.
“I thought I was starting to see it. Am I still far off?”
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What reflected on Kahim’s face as he spoke was relief and a thread of regret.
“You were simply unlucky.”
Baran offered words of comfort to Kahim.
He felt pity for the genius warrior who would ultimately wither without blooming.
However.
“…Huh? I wonder what kind of misunderstanding you have.”
Kahim denied Baran’s words with a smiling face.
“Why, do I look like I’ve given up completely?”
A smile rose on Kahim’s face.
It was a vivid and deep smile that did not resemble that of someone who had accepted death.
The moment Baran recognized that smile, he felt an ominous intuition.
A chilling energy crawled up his spine.
It was just as Baran was about to pull his body back in response to that intuition.
“Now it’s too late to notice.”
With a sudden grip, Kahim seized Baran’s arm with both hands.
His strength was so overwhelming that Baran, possessing the body of a superhuman, momentarily felt as if his arm might tear apart.
And at that very moment.
“It seems you arrived just in time.”
“Now I can finally take my revenge.”
A voice that Baran recognized flew into his ear.
“You…!”
Only then did Baran realize the intent, his expression twisting in anger as he shouted, but Kahim merely smiled at his face.
“Damn it…!”
Baran hastily tried to swing his right hand.
To cut down Kahim and escape from his grasp.
However.
Clang!
“Not a chance.”
His attempt was abruptly blocked by a knight clad in silver armor who had appeared out of nowhere.
In response to this outcome, Baran’s face contorted further, becoming almost demonic, as Kahim spoke to him.
“Now, let’s finish this. Just as you said.”
With a smile that was almost exhilarating.
“NEooom…!!”
Baran let out a roar filled with rage.
But unfortunately, his fate did not change.