Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race Chapter 394: 393 - Martial God’s Defiance

POV: Jino Britz

Why do I keep fighting?

Although that seemed like an unexpected question from someone facing the so-called strongest human who had ever existed, it was exactly the question passing through my mind the most at that moment.

Why do I wield this sword?

For whom do I wield this sword?

What do I hope to achieve by fighting with such resilience?

The desert passed before my eyes at speeds ordinary warriors would consider inhuman. Sand and trails of light blended together into distorted lines as I dodged the multiple blades of energy trying to reach me.

Each one was lethal and carried enough power to cut my body into pieces.

But I simply was not processing the danger the way I should. It simply did not seem like anything special.

Numb to the enemy's attempts as he attacked me without stopping for even a single second, I jumped, ran, deflected, and dodged the mortal blows naturally.

Every blow I avoided left a trail across the battlefield. Even my movement alone was already devastating the desert around me.

Strangely, I did not care much.

Not once did I ask how I was moving so fast, nor how I was now able to perceive Milis's attacks.

At the beginning of the battle, I could not even see traces of this powerful opponent's actions. His speed, his aura, his magic, everything seemed to exist in a dimension above mine.

But was it not natural to learn that during the fight?

I had heard more than one person call me insane for saying that kind of thing.

But in my mind, it was simply rational.

When you face an overwhelming enemy, your only option is to improve.

So do it.

What truly worried me now was my objective in a broader sense, which was also something Rygar had demanded of me so many times that I was already tired of hearing it.

"Ghostly Concealment."

I used one of Saint Milis's own attacks as cover.

The golden blade crossed the field, raising a wall of light, and behind it, I erased my presence once again.

Every trace of my presence vanished, reduced to the absolute minimum possible. Then I prepared to use my supreme technique again.

The target was that monster's heart. After all, there was no other point worth aiming for. Any wound outside his vital points would be healed in an instant.

So the heart was my only option. Fortunately, I had plenty of practice with Rygar. It was practically the same thing.

But even as I crossed the battlefield, I still pondered.

Was I fighting for Nina?

My beloved wife was so beautiful and wonderful that she would certainly be worth it.

Was it for my children?

They were so adorable that it would probably be worth it as well.

Or was it simply loyalty?

In the end, although we were friends, Rygar was also my leader. The only one who could claim that title, in fact.

I often imagined what my life would have been like if Rygar had not existed. I would probably have been the strongest in the Sword Sanctum, and I would have eventually subdued my former master, Gal Farion.

Perhaps I would have become a famous swordsman, or perhaps I would have grown bored enough to die.

I finally reached Milis, but the opening was minimal. Smaller than the blink of an eye, but it was there.

"Nine Heavens, One Paradise!"

This time, it was a clean cut. I could feel it in my soul.

My Battle Aura flowed like lava and fire through my entire body. Muscles, nerves, and bones burned together. My reaction time felt like that of someone whose nervous system was made of lightning.

The blade of Storm Tremor pierced through Saint Milis's thick Battle Aura.

For the first time in that battle, I crossed the wall that Atoferatofe and Sándor had been unable to surpass.

I felt the resistance give way and the blade reach his heart.

Emotion rose together with euphoria.

My eyes shone as the tip of my sword cut through Saint Milis's heart, and the rest of the blade left a violent gash across his armor and flesh.

Was I fighting because I enjoyed this?

Beyond my control, the happiness and excitement of fighting, of swinging a sword, of going faster, stronger, more aggressively, took hold of me.

Of course I loved Nina and my children.

Of course I was loyal to my friends and companions.

But why did I feel as though I kept fighting only to raise those flames in my heart to a completely new level?

Even with a smile on my face, I did not dare stop, because my Sixth Sense was emanating the whisper of the reaper.

At that same instant, I felt a strange tingling in my chest.

I advanced through him, then retreated as quickly and as hidden as I had arrived. It was a wise decision, because that anomaly was looking directly into my eyes.

With a cold and serious gaze.

Milis cut.

"Purge, Ascalon."

The divine sword pierced. Unlike usual, I did not see the familiar golden and white aura emanating first.

I was too distracted trying to imagine how this guy was still fighting with his heart destroyed.

This level of Healing Magic was on Rygar's level, or perhaps even above it. But I did not have much time to reflect on that.

The tingling sensation in my chest began to make sense.

A brief surprise passed through my eyes when I understood. There was a hole about half a meter wide where my chest should have been.

In the middle of my run, I suddenly fell.

My body lost its axis and continued rolling uncontrollably, while the aftermath of the powerful blow struck what remained of my torso.

I could not get back up. I did not even know where my arms and legs were anymore. Until I crashed into a rock like a puppet with its strings cut.

I'm going to die.

Blood poured out from everywhere.

I could not even feel my body completely. How was I still alive?

"Cough..."

I spat out a large amount of blood, which continued flowing without stopping, and my vision was flickering strangely between black and red.

Even so, I looked at my opponent one more time. Milis had already healed completely.

He floated a few meters above the ground, the scar from my cut still visible on his armor, but his body intact. Despite the fatal blow I had landed a moment earlier, he seemed perfectly fine.

He merely looked at me with an expression of... pity?

"It is a sorrow, Martial God..."

His voice sounded calm.

"Humanity shines most brightly in moments of greatest despair. You have proven that to me once again today. I hope you place your hope in me and allow me to carry your light with me upon your departure."

Milis closed his eyes and bowed slightly.

I laughed bitterly inside. That was the fun of confronting a genius.

While you learned and adapted to your opponent... he did the same. He had fully learned to see through my concealment technique.

Besides, magic was truly convenient. He could heal himself completely with a thought... It would be nice to be able to do that.

My vision was clouded.

Most of my organs had vanished completely. But my throat and trachea were still there.

My Battle Aura coursed through my body once again. Milis noticed, because he opened his eyes and observed me.

I gave it everything I had. My body was cold, as though death was already drawing near. But at the same time, I was still on fire, and my gaze remained unshaken.

Although no real voice came out, I moved my lips so he could read them.

Milis paid attention, hopeful before my final words.

And I spoke with a smile, without sound:

Suck my dick, you fanatical piece of shit.

For an instant, the silence almost seemed more beautiful. With a disdainful and defiant look, I could clearly see that he understood.

Milis's expression immediately turned terrible.

He raised Ascalon once again, and I heard his whisper.

"Repulsive race..."

A light appeared on his blade. He was about to kill me. At this moment, I really am dead, with no chance at all.

Then, suddenly, something appeared in the sky. Like an omen of victory.

A man wearing Black Armor shone with infinite orange light. His presence made any spectator feel as though they were observing the sun itself from up close.

I felt my wounds, as mortal as they could possibly be, vanish beneath a green light, and my body began to reconstruct itself.

And I thought, laughing loudly inside my mind:

It's your turn to get beaten, you damn fanatic!

That was my final thought. I felt unconsciousness reach me completely, and I embraced it with joy.

You made me work too hard, bastard. Now I'm going to rest.

---

The scenery of the former Ever-White Desert was now a desolate and chaotic region.

Vast kilometers had been destroyed.

Monster corpses were scattered among craters, fissures, and vitrified patches of sand. Violent storms covered the sky, making the environment dark and apocalyptic.

Rivers of lava flowed between enormous cracks carved by countless blows and slashes. In other places, ice transformed the battlefield into a work of glacial art.

What had once been called Ever-White now had little that was truly white.

In the sky above that devastated landscape, two knights hovered face to face.

The Battle Aura, oppressive mana, and will of both spread across the field as though announcing the end of days.

One of them wore Black Armor that shone like the sun, boiling and distorting the temperature around him by its presence alone.

In his hand, he wielded a long translucent blue sword. His mantle fluttered together with the blue flames enveloping his entire being.

Behind the black helm, through the flames, two golden eyes shone, analyzing the new opponent.

Rygar made a gesture with his free hand.

Jino, who was already practically healed by that point, suddenly disappeared under the effect of Teleportation Magic.

Saint Milis observed the movement, but did not try to stop it.

Rygar tilted his head slightly, and his gaze fell upon the Saint's sword.

"That is a fine sword you have there."

His gaze wandered for a moment to Ascalon.

The sacred sword that granted Milis several powers, including the mystical ability to obliterate entire labyrinths.

Milis, though he also wore armor, silver and gold, did not wear a helm. His mantle moved with the storm around them, and his white eyes stared at Rygar with dignity and contempt.

"It seems the demon and the dragon who were supposed to assist me were not so useful after all..."

Milis looked toward the distant crater where the Fighter God had fallen in battle, then turned his eyes back to Rygar.

"Despite being born with that filthy blood and daring to rise up and rule over a mixed-blood nation, I am capable of recognizing that you are admirable, oh Beast of the Apocalypse."

His voice did not sound very kind, as though he were merely stating a fact.

"Both your strength and your ability to brainwash the poor humans who fight beneath your banner."

Rygar tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Uh... Weren't you supposed to be a deranged fanatic? I definitely wasn't expecting a compliment here."

Milis merely stared at him in silence, and Rygar cleared his throat.

"Well, what can I say about you... Although your distorted, fanatical, and humanity-biased mentality is beyond salvation, I have to acknowledge that you live up to the confidence Hitogami placed in you."

The blue flames around Doomsday moved slowly, as though reacting to the name.

"Probably the second strongest opponent I will have the pleasure of fighting."

Milis frowned.

"The second? And who would be the first, filthy beast?"

Rygar was about to say something else.

But the moment he was questioned, a white aura covered his mind instantly. He did not even have time to react.

The force pierced through his mental defenses and compelled him to answer.

"Yes. Obviously, the Dragon God Orsted holds first place."

Milis slowly nodded.

"I see... I will put that claim to the test after I extinguish your will from this world."

Rygar remained silent for a moment.

Although they were conversing, both of them were gathering mana throughout their bodies incessantly, preparing for the inevitable clash.

"The power of the Miko of Transparency, huh... It's quite interesting. But honestly, I thought your characteristic would be something more combat-oriented, you know."

The two rose higher and higher, moving farther and farther from the ground, crossing the low layer of smoke, then the dark clouds formed by the storm.

"I would have no need for that. My power is already sufficient to pierce through any obstacle, demon."

He smiled faintly, the golden, flaming glow of Ascalon increasingly rivaling the black radiance emanating from Doomsday.

Rygar manipulated his mana around the blade, mixing complex effects of space and gravity to form a dark energy capable of swallowing everything.

Milis continued:

"That was definitely something I felt lacking in my era..."

He looked toward the sky, thoughtful, observing the storm twisting around them.

"I lived for fifty years. Killing demons, monsters, and evil beings one after another, and yet I could not help but think I had perhaps been born in the wrong time."

His gaze returned to Rygar, appearing even more intense and fanatical.

"I lacked a true obstacle. A true monster destined to bring destruction to this world."

Ascalon shone brighter.

"A beast destined to bring about the apocalypse... The Human God has certainly graced me with such an opportunity this time."

Rygar smiled back, but his gaze was more predatory than excited. Milis felt as though an ancient beast were about to swallow him whole.

A strange sensation, a chill that passed through his skin despite Ascalon's heat, though he did not understand why.

Then Rygar laughed.

"I certainly did not miss you. I've already found enough obstacles in my life, believe me... All I want is for you, a few years from now, to be just another name on my path."

Their mana reached a density capable of bending the space around them. Milis spoke with a calm expression:

"An evil beast can never overcome the unyielding spirit of humanity."

In response, a roar echoed through the heavens, rumbling like thunder, and in that same instant, both advanced.

"Black Light Laceration!"

"Resplendent Judgment!"

The final clash finally began as the sky lit up for the countless time that day. The earth and heavens trembled while two rays of light collided hundreds of times in just a few seconds.

One carrying the will of a god.

The other, the will of a beast.

----

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