Chapter 231
The duel between the chief, Aruna, his son and sinner, and the exiled Baruna was enough to attract attention.
Most of the villagers gathered to watch the duel, and among them were some who expressed their dissatisfaction.
“Is this a challenge to the chief? Does an exile have that right?”
“That’s true.”
There were definitely voices of discontent, but no one dared to speak openly to the chief. To the Asura tribe, the chief’s presence was absolute.
While the villagers shared their opinions about the duel, the chief spoke up to silence them and announce the beginning of the contest.
“The purpose of this duel is twofold. One is to challenge my position as Aruna. And the other is… if this brat defeats me, to give him a chance to clear his name.”
As Baruna did not deny the chief’s words, the villagers tilted their heads in confusion.
“Clear his name?”
“Wasn’t that Baruna’s excuse?”
In response to a question from an Asura tribesman, Chief Aruna replied.
“You will hear it if this brat defeats me.”
Saying so, Aruna headed to his position for the duel, and Baruna followed suit. Nahun and Iris, who had come out with them, found a suitable place to sit and prepared to watch.
“Nahun.”
“Yeah?”
“Please act as the judge. You just need to signal the start and end.”
“Is it fine for me to do that?”
At Nahun’s question, Baruna looked towards the chief.
“If it displeases you for an outsider to take the role, you can appoint a resident instead, Chief.”
“No, it’s fine. He is also someone who has honed martial arts. I believe it is just.”
Feeling a twinge of guilt when Nahun said that, he thought he might be far from being just. Regardless, having accepted Baruna and the chief’s proposal, Nahun decided to act as the judge.
“What are the conditions for victory?”
“Until one side concedes the duel.”
It meant that whether the surrender was voluntary or due to inability to fight did not matter. Nahun nodded, and both Baruna and the chief did the same.
As the Asura tribe’s duel was considered a sacred ritual, preparation was necessary. They set down their weapons beside them, knelt, and exchanged greetings. Then, they stood up, weapons in hand, while taking their stances aimed at each other.
“I’ll count to three and then start.”
As Nahun raised his hand, a tense atmosphere enveloped the place.
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
The ground dented under the pressure of both legs ready to spring at a moment’s notice.
Powerful magic surrounded their bodies and weapons, exuding a menacing aura. The fangs characteristic of the Asura tribe protruded frighteningly, and their red eyes glimmered ominously.
“Start the duel!”
Boom!!!
A sound like a bullet rang out. It was Baruna charging forward. Focusing all his strength into his legs, Baruna’s speed was astonishing. With the force of acceleration, he lunged at the chief with his spear.
Clang!! Skrrrk!!!
However, Chief Aruna was not weak enough to succumb to such a low blow, nor was he caught off guard. Though he had exiled Baruna, he was the first to recognize just how great his son’s potential was.
But Baruna was not the kind of man to give up just because his attack was blocked. He began to push against the chief with sheer power.
Crrrkkk!!!!
Aruna found himself genuinely surprised to see that he was slightly overpowered in pure strength. However, that moment was brief, as he skillfully wielded his sword and broke free from Baruna’s spear pressure.
“You’ve improved.”
“You weren’t one to talk too much.”
As Baruna said that, he sharply sought for an opening. His ferociously shining red eyes might have seemed overtaken by emotion at a glance, but that wasn’t entirely the case. The experiences Baruna had accumulated from fighting under Seir and with Seere had already bestowed upon him the trait of ‘coldness’.
Clang! Clang! Bang!!!
Once again, as Aruna blocked with his sword, Baruna retaliated with a forceful push, sending the chief flying. He swung his spear horizontally in front of his protruding fangs.
“One point.”
In an instant, the spear whirled.
Fwwooooosh───────!!
Nahun’s eyes widened. Iris beside him was similarly astonished.
“I couldn’t see that just now….”
Iris’s words resonated with Nahun. He realized that he might have missed it if he hadn’t concentrated.
‘…Impressive. As expected, he truly is someone who had been under Seir all along.’
It wasn’t only Nahun and his companions who were shocked. The Asura tribe members watching Baruna’s technique all exclaimed in admiration.
“What is that?”
“Did that guy… get incredibly strong?”
As a combat tribe honing the essence of the void, they had momentarily forgotten that he was an exile and sinner, merely expressing admiration for the purity of martial arts. However, among them, there was one person who frowned slightly.
“What on earth… how is this happening….”
Though he muttered quietly and tried to maintain a neutral expression, Nahun, who was sensitive to changes in expressions, subtly turned his head to look.
‘That guy…’
He quickly masked his expression when their gazes met, but Nahun was aware that what he saw was not a mere illusion. Intentionally diverting his gaze, Nahun spoke to Iris beside him.
“The one in the second row, third from the right in the southwest direction.”
“Wha?… Yes.”
“Follow him later.”
“Understood.”
Nahun turned his attention back to the duel. Baruna, despite utilizing such skill, was still tense.
It was a powerful and fast spear that could awe the entire Asura tribe, but the chief who led them was no pushover either.
“…I can’t help but be impressed. Though exiled, it seems you haven’t forgotten the spirit of the Asura tribe.”
“Stop talking too much, chief.”
“…You’re right. What do we need long-winded talk for? This is a place to test martial prowess.”
The sound of Aruna swinging his sword echoed.
“Let’s not waste words.”
In an instant, Aruna leapt out from the dust and swung down his sword. Baruna blocked it with his spear and sought an opportunity to counterattack. Then, Aruna’s gaze subtly shifted.
“!”
Baruna quickly stepped back, retrieving his spear, but he was slightly too late to realize it. The sword, which he had deftly avoided moments ago, was instantly back in a threatening position.
Swish!!
Because Baruna was a moment late in retreating, the sword lightly grazed his shin. Nevertheless, he turned around in a manner familiar with pain and lunged his spear toward the chief’s side.
“You’re truly putting on a show.”
That was Nahun’s evaluation of their duel. They were demonstrating what happens when two individuals hone a single type of weapon to the extreme.
One side wielded a blunt one-handed sword, while the other used a spear. They were entirely different weapons, yet understanding each other’s techniques and excelling in their respective ones prevented the duel from concluding easily.
Considered a spear master, Baruna was less concerning, but Nahun also found himself curious about the comparison between the swordsman Lin and the chief.
‘While Lin might be superior in swordsmanship…’
It could well be that the chief excelled in the one-handed sword’s skill. Though inferior in range to the spear, they were engaged in an almost equal duel.
“This is the Asura tribe. Seeing it with my own eyes makes me more eager….”
So much so that Nahun even considered overturning the duel and subjugating them. With an insidious smile, he noticed Iris looking at him with a startled expression, but he was entirely oblivious to her.
Clang!!
Even so, that wasn’t courteous to Baruna who had willingly stepped up. Nahun muttered begrudgingly.
“I hope Baruna does well.”
#
The duel had dragged on for over three hours. However, neither the spectators nor the competing chief Aruna and Baruna showed any signs of fatigue.
This was because they were beings who sought the pure essence of martial arts. The more outstanding their opponent’s martial arts were, the more they would thrill instinctively as a tribe.
“Oooh…!!”
“I genuinely can’t tell who will win!”
“I’ll still bet on the chief!”
There was no distinction between men and women in the reactions being displayed. This was a characteristic of the entire Asura tribe. However, among them, there was one man who appeared particularly anxious, feeling annoyed internally.
‘What’s taking the chief so long to deal with that brat?’
It was highly likely that Baruna had to lose and die in this duel for his own sins to remain hidden. Thus, more than anyone here, he was cheering for the chief to win, but things were not going as smoothly as he had hoped.
Bang!!!
That was because Baruna had become incredibly strong since that time. So much so that even Chief Aruna was falling behind in speed and strength against him. Even so, the duel remained tense due to Aruna’s experience, skill, and technique shining through.
Of course….
“Hmm!?”
“Obvious moves won’t work.”
Baruna was also not lacking in experience. His spear violently pushed Aruna’s sword away. In that moment, gripping the spear with one hand, he stretched his arm forward.
Aruna could only block the threatening spear with his sword. Therefore, to avoid sustaining an injury to Baruna’s hand, he had to reach out with his own hand and grab Baruna’s.
Crash!
Since it was no longer a weapon-to-weapon clash, Baruna, who held the advantage in strength, began to gain the upper hand. He applied his strength vigorously, gradually bending Aruna’s wrist. Although Aruna aimed to endure only until the spear was cleared, soon, Baruna was quicker to break the hold on his wrist.
“Ugh!!”
When one side’s balance was broken in a match that had been evenly poised, the fight would rapidly come to an end. Even though he fought with a one-handed sword, Aruna now had a gap because he could no longer use one hand.
Baruna did not let this chance slip by. He deliberately held the spear in the direction of the twisted wrist while seeking an opening.
Boom!!!
The once balanced fight, which had been held even until now, could not withstand the emergence of a weakness. Aruna’s hastily adopted defensive posture soon crumbled, and one who lost their stance could not win the duel.
With the sound of slicing through the wind, Baruna aimed the spear at Aruna’s neck. Baruna narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Do you wish to continue?”
“……”
The honor of Aruna as a warrior screamed at him to continue fighting until the very end. The instinct igniting his desire to fight until blood was spilled and one faced their demise conflicted with one thing.
“No.”
It was the demand made by his son: ‘Give me a chance to clear my name.’ He wished to hear those words with his own ears. Aruna dropped his sword and said.
“I admit my defeat. You are stronger than me.”
#
The villagers were astonished by the chief’s declaration of defeat. And there were voices criticizing the chief for not fighting until the end….
“That was fun, chief!… Oh, I mean, Aruna now!”
“Uncle Aruna, that was fun!!”
Surprisingly, there were none. Nahun thought it was somewhat unexpected, but the term “combat tribe” referring to the Asura tribe did not mean they were lunatics. No warrior from the Asura tribe could deny their defeat to Baruna, who showcased such high-level martial arts.
Except for one. An individual who had been feeling annoyed quietly slipped away, and Nahun, noticing, intended to command Iris.
“…Has he already left?”
However, it seemed Iris had already caught on and had disappeared before he could give the order. Nahun thought she would follow him well enough and then turned his gaze back to the dueling area.
“With this level of skill, shouldn’t it be okay to accept him back?”
“Exactly. After defeating Aruna, how could he not fit for the position of chief?”
Indeed, true to the essence seekers they were, they flipped their stance from criticizing him as an exile to supporting Baruna. They were individuals who placed martial arts above all else, which made things simple.
Baruna extended a hand to Aruna while carrying his spear on his back.
“Since I emerged victorious, I wish to exercise my rightful claim.”
“…You may do so as you wish. Now that you are the chief here, your words will be the law of this village and the fate of our tribe.”
After helping Aruna to his feet, Baruna spoke to the gathered crowd.
“I have something to tell everyone.”
“The new chief is speaking!”
“I wish to talk about the incident that occurred when I was exiled.”
Given that Baruna had proved his worth through martial arts, the villagers were eager to hear about the incident and acknowledge him as chief. However, they were rather puzzled to see him taking the initiative to speak.
“Is this about the accusation?”
“You said you were going to talk about it… do you really need to?”
They thought that proving his skills was enough. Nahun, finding it hard to adapt to the Asura tribe’s reaction, reflected on it.
‘Even before the start, he mentioned he had something to say, yet this reaction is rather refreshing….’
Baruna began to speak.
“I did not kill my mother. At that time, I claimed it was an unjust accusation, but no one believed me. I was chased away before I even had a chance to clarify. I was mistaken for a criminal by my father, Aruna himself.”
Aruna slightly narrowed his brows as he looked at Baruna.
“Are you saying you were not mistaken?”
“That is my assertion.”
“Then why were you stabbing my wife with a spear at that time?”
Nahun was slightly stunned. From what he had observed of Aruna, he did not seem the type to act with reckless impetuosity, so he wondered why he had handled his son’s incident in such a manner….
‘Did you see him stabbing your mother?’
It was indeed a situation that could be considered as being caught in the act. Yet Baruna was insisting it was a false charge. Nahun, also confused, turned to Baruna, who explained.
“My mother, who was dying in pain, asked me to grant her swift passage to the other side.”
It wasn’t an unbelievable story. But conversely, it was also a story that could be fabricated. The one who could testify to that story, Aruna’s wife and Baruna’s mother, was already gone.
Because Aruna knew this, he replied.
“…I will believe your words as they are those of the chief. However, accepting it is another matter. Do you have any evidence?”
“There isn’t any separate evidence, but I did see the real culprit.”
“You saw the culprit.”
Aruna, still not letting go of his doubts, asked Baruna.
“Who is it, chief?”
Referring to Baruna as chief deliberately, it was a message for him to take responsibility. If Baruna’s words as chief led to that, an innocent man could very well become the accused in an instant.
Just as Aruna had expelled Baruna in a blind rage due to his wife’s death. Knowing this, Baruna hesitated, but since he was certain of what he had seen, he voiced it.
“It was Namuchi.”
“…What did you say?”
“Namuchi.”
“What?”
The villagers expressed surprise with their reactions.
“That quiet guy is the one who killed Aruna’s wife?”
“Is there any other evidence, chief?”
“Hey! It’s the chief’s words, so isn’t the evidence irrelevant?”
Aruna couldn’t help but scowl, as he felt a vein throb on his forehead. Having already strained his wrist from fighting Baruna moments earlier, his anger seemed ready to rip Namuchi apart.
“Can you take responsibility for those words, chief?”
“Yes.”
Nahun felt the situation was becoming strangely awkward. While Baruna did not seem to be lying, it had led to a situation where he would become like Aruna, suspecting the culprit based on circumstantial evidence.
This shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Even more so as the chief who had become an exile needed to earn the tribe’s absolute trust. He needed to ensure that when he entered Seere’s subordinate army, Baruna’s words would be respected.
“Wait, wait.”
So Nahun stepped forward. Focusing his gaze on both Baruna and Aruna, as an outsider cutting off the chief’s words, the Asura tribe villagers cast displeased looks in his direction.
“If you just make judgments based solely on circumstantial evidence, do you know what could happen?”
“Then, what should I do, now that the chief has said there is no other proof?”
“If it’s evidence, there may be… no, there might be some.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bring that guy, Namuchi, here. I have a way.”
Aruna glanced around, confirming that Namuchi was indeed absent. He then said, “Namuchi is not here.”
“Huh? Namuchi was just here.”
“That’s right. He was just over there until a moment ago….”
“…He has disappeared?”
As Aruna narrowed his eyes suspiciously while considering Namuchi, Nahun spoke up.
“Oh, that was the guy who was walking alone just now.”
“Did you see him? We must chase after him, he could be fleeing. Where did he go?”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Why should I not worry?”
“He has been sent ahead.”
At Nahun’s words, Aruna suddenly realized something. He noticed that Iris, who had been beside him, had also disappeared.
“He will return shortly. At that time, we will present the evidence.”
