I'm Here to End This Fight Episode 6: Thirst (Part 1)

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I'm Here to End This Fight

Chapter 6: Thirst (Part 1)

The Black Sword Battalion, led by the warrior, faced Yoori as his opponent.

His perspective on Yoori wasn't different from that of others.

"Why recommend such trash for the Flame Sword? What were they thinking?"

Until now, the examinees he faced were all geniuses or prodigies, hailed as exceptional talents.

However, the guy in front of him was a different story.

"Have you even held a sword before?"

Just basic skills were lacking in this sorry excuse for a swordsman.

That was the judgment the warrior made upon seeing Yoori.

But all those thoughts vanished abruptly as a sudden black figure emerged before him.

No, it was more accurate to say that he couldn't think at all.

"What... is that?"

Smoke, or rather, like flames, a black figure emerged.

With crescent-shaped eyes and a large, menacing mouth.

The warrior, encountering a transcendental being called a 'Guardian Spirit' for the first time, couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

"A monster?"

Just a term to label it.

And at the moment he stared into the deep, hollow eye sockets of the monster, a terrible vitality surged.

"Die! Die! Die…!"

The vitality of the monster turned into language and stabbed directly into the warrior's brain.

It induced a horrific pain.

But the real ordeal was just beginning.

The concentration of vitality grew thicker.

"Die! Die! Die! Die!"

"…?!"

Even if he was the lowest member of the Black Sword Battalion, he had undergone hellish training.

He had crossed the threshold of death several times and developed a mentality he thought could easily withstand the challenges of life.

But the vitality now was different.

It wasn't about enduring and overcoming; it was about a concept that he couldn't resist.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Repeated vitality reached his soul.

Shivering.

The warrior's body began to convulse, moving like a dead tree.

Dududuk-.

His rapidly clashing teeth.

Before the uncontrollable fear, his body paralyzed, and his mind turned white.

Soon, all that filled his mind was a single thought.

'I'm going to die… I'm dying!'

Thud-.

From the hands of the Black Sword warrior who had lost the will to live, the sword fell to the ground.

And the black monster.

Its torn mouth widened greatly.

Kkya-!

The monster's mouth widened as if spewing laughter, expanding greatly to engulf the Black Sword Warrior.

"Huh, what?!"

"Kyaaah!"

The force of the black monster, covering the sky, was overwhelming, and the Black Sword Warrior in front of it looked utterly powerless.

People expected the Black Sword Warrior to be devoured by the monster while still alive.

However, at that moment...

Swoosh...

A gentle breeze came from somewhere.

Followed by a fierce gust of wind.

Whooosh...

"Ugh?!"

"What's happening?!"

The strong wind tousled people's hair, even turning those who turned their heads due to the pressure.

Those who didn't turn their heads could witness a spectacular scene.

It was the sight of a refreshing white wind wrapping around the black monster.

Swoooosh...

- Krrr!

The black monster struggled trapped in the white wind.

The white wind entangled the black monster, as if a white predator was catching a black beast.

In the intense battle between black and white, it ended abruptly.

Pop...

Unable to withstand the pressure from the white wind, the black monster burst.

As a result, the black monster scattered into the air as a wisp of smoke.

In the blink of an eye, while everyone was still unable to react to the unfolding situation...

Thud...

The Black Sword Warrior, who had escaped the grip of death, collapsed as is.

And standing in front of the fallen Black Sword Warrior was Johan.

No one knew how or when Johan moved to that spot.

Johan appeared almost like a legendary magic spell.

Although no one could understand what had happened, people instinctively grasped one thing.

At the moment when the Black Sword Warrior was about to be devoured by the monster.

It was Johan Redner who conjured the white wind to save the Black Sword Warrior.

"A master chased away the monster!"

"He saved the Black Sword Warrior!"

From Yoori's entrance into the test to the collapse of the Black Sword Warrior, the process wasn't lengthy, but it was such a shocking spectacle that onlookers couldn't easily find words.

In the breathless silence, the boy's knees buckled, and he crumbled forward.

Swoosh-

Yuri, in a moment when his upper body seemed about to collapse, planted his sword into the ground and barely managed to support himself.

He sent a wry smile towards Johan in front of him.

"Isn't it cheating when inspiration interferes... or is it fair play?"

Though his squeezing voice wasn't loud, everyone heard it.

Johan chuckled in response, "Well, you can't let a mere corpse get in the way, right? I did it responsibly."

"Well, assuming that's true... so, what's the result?"

"They'll let us know."

Johan pointed with his chin to the Black Sword troops standing motionless.

The gaze of onlookers naturally focused on the Black Sword troops at their conversation.

In the hundreds of pairs of eyes pouring down on them, the Black Sword 8th Captain, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.

"Judgment... inconclusive."

Inconclusive judgment.

Considering it was a conclusion as a Yoram's examinee, it could be seen as irresponsible.

However, if anyone had seen 'that' a little earlier, no one would question the 8th Captain's judgment.

After staring at Yuri for a moment, the 8th Captain made his evaluation public.

"Outlier Special."

Following the 8th Captain's evaluation, the evaluations from the Black Sword members continued.

"Inconclusive judgment, outlier special."

Except for the fainted Black Sword member, everyone, including Johan, concurred with the same opinion.

After collecting opinions, the leader of the Black Sword 8th Team reached a conclusion.

"Comprehensive criteria special... pass."

The Black Sword member who made the judgment took the Dragon Slayer from his bosom.

The black Dragon Slayer identical to the one Johan had thrown during the test.

The 8th Captain's eyes shimmered with emotion as he retrieved the weapon.

'I never thought the day would come when I'd hand this over with my own hands.'

Those who participate in the test of the Black Sword receive various Dragon Slayers.

Countless weapons had been handed over to successful candidates through the hands of the 8th Captain, but this was the first time he took out the Black Dragon Slayer, the same one Johan had used earlier.

'He mentioned that the last time the Black Dragon Slayer was issued was two years ago, right?'

Despite many having undergone the Yoram's test, only nine individuals had held the Black Dragon Slayer in their hands.

'After the ninth Black Dragon Slayer holder, it was expected that no new owner would emerge for a while.'

Yet, within a mere two years, a new owner of the Black Dragon Slayer had been born.

'The tenth Black Dragon Slayer holder.'

Not every master becomes the Black Dragon Master, but the recent recipients of the Black Dragon Crest who haven't become masters are just two.

Of course, Yoram's analysis suggested that these two would eventually join the ranks of the masters.

In other words, the Black Dragon Crest symbolized a guarantee of future mastery.

The 8th leader of the Black Sword Unit gracefully presented the Black Dragon Crest.

"Congratulations on becoming the Black Dragon Master."

Yuri accepted the offered crest nonchalantly.

Then, he tossed the Black Dragon Crest directly towards Johan.

Chin-.

The crest landed near Johan's prosthetic limb.

Witnessing this unfolding scenario, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

Meanwhile, Yuri casually inquired, "Inspiration, I passed, right?"

"I heard."

"So, according to your standards, am I qualified now?"

"It seems so."

"Now it's your turn to keep the promise. If everything you told me was a lie..."

Cough-.

In the midst of Yuri's momentarily paused words, blood sprayed from his mouth like a fountain.

Yuri's lips, stained a deep red by the blood, captured the attention of those present.

With intense eyes, Yuri glared threateningly at Johan.

"Being prepared might be... in your best interest."

A serious threat directed at a master.

This mental pressure marked the end of Yuri's defiant resistance, and his consciousness plunged into darkness.

At the same time, his limp body collapsed to the ground like a waterlogged doll.

Thud-.

Even up to that point, the audience remained silent, unable to shake off their astonishment.

However, Johan, the only exception, smiled playfully and spoke.

"Ah, the temper of a young one."

Johan's gaze, looking at the unconscious Yuri, appeared remarkably delighted.

* * *

"Hmm...."

Gradually, Yuri regained consciousness after fainting.

At that moment, the first sense to return was his hearing.

Tap- Tap-.

The sound of crackling flames.

Soon after, the smell of cooking meat wafted through his nostrils, stimulating his sense of smell.

Yuri, waking up to the familiar scent of grilled meat after a long time, blinked his eyes.

"Where am I?"

Blinking his eyes continuously, he cleared his hazy vision.

Through the crimson glow of the bonfire, the familiar ceiling came into view.

And he could realize where he was lying.

"My... cave?"

The place where he woke up was none other than the sanctuary he had spent the last half-year hiding in.

A cave located on the cliffs outside the Irons Territory.

It was a sanctuary so hidden that ordinary people would find it difficult to locate, or even if they did, stepping in casually would be perilous.

The only problem was that Yuri had never been discovered here.

He had never spoken a word about it to anyone.

"How did I end up here?"

He had no recollection of walking here by himself.

As Yuri stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, the events before he lost consciousness flashed through his mind like a panorama.

The test with the Black Sword Unit and the Yoram.

And the deal with Johann Redner, the unfeeling swordsman.

Recalling this, Yuri abruptly raised his upper body.

"Cough!"

Due to the sudden movement, Yuri coughed uncontrollably.

While he clutched his chest, a familiar voice flowed into his ears.

"As expected, it's good to be young. If it were me, I might have been bedridden for a while."

"Cough!"

Yuri, after another bout of coughing, assessed his physical condition.

"For pushing myself, not bad. No, surprisingly good."

He couldn't recall the last time he felt this healthy.

Feeling no immediate issues, Yuri shifted his gaze.

Tap, tap— the crackling of the burning fire and the unwelcome guest nearby.

Yuri glared at him and inquired, "Inspiration... How did you find this place?"

"How? Well, I followed you around until I figured it out."

"Since when?"

"Since you were effortlessly catching those pests in the alley?"

In essence, he had been tailing Yuri since the previous day when they had a confrontation with Dutz and his group.

Yuri shot him a puzzled look, but Johan casually explained, "Quit giving me that look. I found you when you were knocking down those bastards in the alley."

It meant he had been tailing Yuri since the incident with Dutz's group the day before.

Yuri expressed disbelief with his gaze, but Johan opened his mouth with an indifferent face.

"Why did you create a place like this in such a perilous location?"

"I didn't want to get involved with someone as strict as you, inspiration."

"Kid, stop the chit-chat. I brought you here after you passed out. That's my role now."

Silence fell as Yuri sealed his lips in response to Johan's words.

"Enough of that. If you're awake, come and eat this."

Johan extended a skewer with what seemed like rabbit meat towards Yuri.

Although Yuri was taken aback, Johan continued nonchalantly, "You've already caused enough trouble by dragging your unconscious self here."

Silence followed, and Johan gestured.

"Since you're up, eat or take this."

Facing severe hunger, Yuri hastily stood up, accepted the skewer, and began devouring it.

Tap, tap— only the sounds of crackling fire and the tearing of meat echoed in the cliffside cave.

In no time, Yuri, who had voraciously consumed his share of the meat, wiped his greasy lips and asked, "Inspiration, don't we have some settling up to do?"

As Yuri posed the question, his eyes gleamed with a quiet intensity.

Fantasy