SWY 158

Sharhan lied without blinking, carefully watching the marquis’s changing expression.

“…”

The marquis’s face twisted even more. The many relics supposedly hidden in the ruins must have been his final hope. He looked as if a treasure had been snatched from his hands.

“Even if you kill me, I won’t tell you where the relics are hidden. You’ll never find them, Marquis. All that’s left to you are a shattered future and dying knights.”

A knight who had collapsed nearby stirred and tried to rise. Sharhan walked over to him. Locking eyes with the marquis, he drew his blade across the knight’s throat without hesitation. The man, half-raised from the ground, let out a strangled noise and died.

Warm blood splattered across Sharhan’s face, then slid down in a vivid red streak. It was a blatant provocation.

The marquis’s lips twitched as he watched one of his men fall before his eyes. He let out a short, harsh laugh, then his face turned ice cold. His glare was now filled with murderous intent.

“I’ll kill you.”

“That’s my line, Marquis!”

Sharhan turned to Lestel and whispered, “Take care of the surviving knights,” then charged at the marquis. The marquis also raised his sword and met him head-on. Sharhan didn’t slow down, leaping into the air and bringing down his weight as he attacked.

Clang!

With a loud metallic crash, the marquis was pushed back half a step. Through the crossed silver blades, Sharhan could see the marquis’s frigid eyes. The scornful gaze that once looked down on him like a mere child now held something else, rage.

Sharhan stepped back with a grin, then launched another attack. The marquis’s composure had cracked, giving Sharhan a small advantage. In a fight, staying cold and rational was everything.

So even as he faced his enemy, Sharhan forced himself to remain calm. He kept his mind cool and searched for any opening in the marquis’s guard.

But the marquis was no easy opponent. Even in a state of fury, he didn’t easily expose any weaknesses. His sword was sharp and precise, his movements stable and practiced. Decades of experience couldn’t be ignored.

Clang, clang-clang!

Still, Sharhan wasn’t intimidated. He blocked the marquis’s sword and pressed forward. Earlier, he had landed a hit by seizing a brief opening. If he kept his composure, another opportunity would come.

‘I will kill him.’

Sharhan had only one thought: to avenge his parents and protect Lestel, himself, and the rest of his precious companions. To do that, he had to kill the marquis right here.

Their battle grew fiercer. More than once, the marquis’s sword grazed Sharhan’s skin. The cuts were shallow, only drawing a little blood, but they still hurt. The wounds from the earlier explosion also throbbed constantly, but Sharhan ignored the pain and focused solely on the fight.

Dust swirled around them as they moved, stirred up from the ground. Stones and wood splinters scattered through the air. The clash of metal echoed nonstop. Each time their swords met, Sharhan’s arms buzzed with impact.

“Ugh!”

Another slash from the marquis sliced Sharhan. This time, it cut deep, and the sharp pain forced him back several steps. The marquis’s eyes glinted with amusement.

“Sha–”

Lestel, on the verge of rushing over, gritted his teeth and stopped himself. He held back, doing everything he could not to interfere with Sharhan’s revenge.

“H-He’s still…”

As soon as he regained consciousness, Lestel cut down the knights who had tried to rise and help the marquis. Thanks to him, Sharhan didn’t have to worry about being attacked from behind.

The fight showed no signs of ending. Both Sharhan and the marquis were breathing hard. Sharhan glanced up at the sky. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would get. Soon, the sound of the explosion would draw the moving corpses their way.

It has to end with the next exchange.

Sharhan steadied his breath and fixed his gaze on the marquis. Now that he was fighting with his life on the line, he understood just how strong the marquis was. Just as monstrous as the evil he had done. But no matter how powerful the enemy, Sharhan could not back down.

This fight didn’t just concern his own life. It held the future of Lestel, Iris, and everyone he cared about.

‘That’s why I absolutely cannot lose!’

Sharhan forced strength into his trembling arms. His muscles tightened, brimming with determination.

“What do you think? Do you understand now the difference between you and me? All your talk of revenge and justice means nothing. You’re still just a naive child. You’re no match for someone who’s lived with a sword for decades.”

“You talk like you’ve already won. Funny, I don’t recall ever kneeling to you. Maybe you’re hallucinating from exhaustion. Or is it just your usual delusion?”

“Beg for your life. Tell me where the relics are hidden, and I might show you some mercy.”

“There will be no mercy from me. You will die.”

“Such lofty dreams.”

Even before the words finished, the marquis’s sword lashed out. Sharhan quickly raised his own to block it.

Clang. The sharp sound of clashing metal rang out. Sharhan’s arm trembled under the force. The marquis, pretending to be composed, was flushed with exertion.

Screech.

Their swords scraped painfully against each other, then parted. Sharhan kicked off the ground. The marquis stepped back, blocking Sharhan’s downward strike, and tried to counterattack.

His sword swept past Sharhan’s face. Sharhan bent back at the waist to avoid it, then kicked the ground hard. Splinters of wood flew up and shot toward the marquis.

As the marquis ducked to avoid them–His leg!

The marquis’s right leg wobbled slightly. It wasn’t supporting his weight properly. A quick glance revealed a wound on his thigh, likely sustained during the explosion.

The pain must’ve been intense, yet the marquis had hidden it well. Impressive. But now that Sharhan had spotted a weakness, a surge of triumph rose in his chest.

Sharhan’s eyes gleamed like a predator who had spotted its prey. Without hesitation, he rolled across the ground, gripping his sword horizontally, and slashed. The blade cut deep into the marquis’s knee as it passed.

“Gah!”

The marquis screamed and collapsed to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he tried to use his sword as support to stand, but it was no use. With both his thigh and now his knee wounded, his body couldn’t find balance. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t rise.

He might have been able to stand on one leg if given enough time, but Sharhan wasn’t about to give him that. The tip of Sharhan’s sword now rested at the marquis’s throat.

“You always looked down on me like I was just some brat, but now you’re the one kneeling. Do you realize how pathetic you look? You, who always gazed down from above with that arrogant sneer, are just a man like anyone else.”

“Don’t think you’ve won. I haven’t lost to you. If my body were in its normal state, you wouldn’t have been a match for me.”

“Still clinging to your pride? Because of your greed, I lost my parents. My parents were far greater people than you ever were. They never slaughtered innocents for ambition, and they would never have abandoned their people in a crisis. Not like you, hiding safely behind castle walls while others died outside.”

“…”

“You failed, as a father, as a husband, and as a lord.”

Sharhan pressed forward. The tip of his sword sank into the marquis’s skin, and blood began to trickle down. The marquis clenched his teeth against the pain, though what stung even more was the collapse of everything he had strived for.

‘I can’t go down like this. Just wait, you little bastard. I’ll kill you with my own hands. You call me a coward? A failure? No, I’m destined to be emperor. I’m meant to stand at the top of power!’

Gnashing his teeth, the marquis quickly surveyed his surroundings. No knights were left who could help him. The only one still standing with any strength was Lestel.

“Lestel! Your father is about to be killed by your enemy! Will you just stand there and watch?!”

“Haven’t we already severed our ties as father and son?”

“Blood isn’t broken so easily. Kill this Kaois whelp, and I’ll take you back.”

Even in his last moments, he spoke with arrogance. Lestel let out a short, bitter laugh.

“Hearing that from you is honestly ridiculous.”

“So you really will abandon your father?!”

“I already have.”

Lestel’s voice was calm, but that only made it colder. The marquis’s eyelids trembled. Sharhan looked at Lestel. Their eyes met in the air, and Lestel gave a faint, fleeting smile before turning his head away completely. To Sharhan, it looked like a silent message: Don’t worry about me. Do what you came to do.

‘Mother, Father. Can you see this? Your killer is kneeling before me.’

It was the moment Sharhan had dreamed of since the day he learned the marquis had murdered his parents and disguised it as an accident. His chest tightened with emotion. His arm tensed, and the sword bit deeper into the marquis’s neck. More blood poured out, soaking the collar of his clothes a vivid red.

At last, the marquis’s eyes wavered. Perhaps he had only just now realized he was truly cornered. Sharhan caught the moment the proud man’s throat bobbed with nervous tension.

A laugh slipped out before he knew it. He didn’t know if it was because he was overwhelmed by finally getting his revenge, or if it was the grief of knowing someone like this had taken his parents from him. He only knew he was relieved that Lestel hadn’t turned out like his father.

And he was relieved not to have lost. Now, once he killed the marquis, he could move forward without regret or guilt. He had fulfilled his duty as a son, even if belatedly. From now on, he would live as a lover, a brother, and a protector to those who mattered most.

He had rid the world of the marquis’s threat. That was enough. He felt no emptiness in his revenge.

‘I’ll kill you with a smile.’

That was the expression his parents deserved to see on his face. As Sharhan gave a quiet, satisfied smile.

“I’m not dying yet!”

The marquis flung a handful of dirt at Sharhan and scrambled to his feet, trying to flee. Sharhan unconsciously turned his head to avoid the dirt, then, without hesitation, hurled his sword at the marquis’s retreating back.

With a sharp whistle, the blade flew through the air and sank into the marquis’s back. He let out a choking gasp and collapsed face-first to the ground. Sharhan approached and pulled the sword from his body. Then, as if dealing with a hunted animal, he used his foot to flip the marquis over and pressed his boot to his chest.

Humiliation twisted the marquis’s features.

“Don’t you have anything to say to my parents?”

“An apology… That’s something for losers. But I am no loser, brat.”

“So you won’t repent even now. Marquis, you’re a cowardly failure who won’t even deserve a grave.”

“I…”

Just as he opened his mouth to retort, Sharhan’s sword drove into his neck and pulled out again. Blood sprayed like a fountain.