I'm a farmer, not a hero : Chapter 40

About three years ago, a fighter shrouded in mystery, dominated the swordsmanship competition. Wearing full plate armor from head to toe, carrying a kite shield almost as large as him, and wielding a claymore with one hand, he fights with sheer brute force that can only be barely called swordsmanship. After winning the competition and receiving his prize, he disappeared to seek stronger opponents.

Now, after returning to the limelight, the juggernaut looks gritier. His full plate armor, adorned with the heads of various creatures he had killed, he now carries an aspis shield with horns protruding on its face, and he now wields the sword he received when he won the competition, a bastard sword made with complex combinations of different alloys found on the land, "Terradamantium".

In stark contrast to him, the flame emperor is a slender man. Wearing only light armor, and wielding a rapier-esque one-handed sword made from a kind of experimental alloy that is resistant to fire magic but can be ignited, "Ignisium".

"Figh'ers! Are you ready?!" The dwarf shouted as the two took up their stance, the juggernaut with his shield in front while the flame emperor wielded his sword in front in a fencing stance.

After ensuring that the two fighters were prepared, the dwarf then shouted, "Begin!"

The flame emperor lunges forward, attacking with a thrust, but the juggernaut deflects the attack while simultaneously countering it with a heavy slash only to be dodged by the flame emperor who responds with another attack. Despite wearing a full set of full plate armor, the juggernaut was able to return to his defensive stance to once again deflect the flame emperor's.

"Is this all the current champion can do?" The juggernaut taunted.

"I could say the same to you." The flame emperor responded.

"We'll see about that." The juggernaut responded.

Soon, consecutive flashes of different colored aura started to emit from the juggernaut's body.

"Strengthening buff… Agility buff… Toughness aura… Sharpened blade…" One by one, he started enhancing his physical prowess.

"Ho? Let's see how well you can do with all that preparation." The flame emperor, feeling smugged, waited.

"Here I come." The juggernaut uttered before dashing towards the flame emperor, with the latter surprised at how fast the full plated swordsman was able to close the distance between them.

He then started unleashing several quick slashes, with the flame emperor barely dodging each and every one of them. At some point during the barrage of attacks, the flame emperor got frustrated and forced a counter, only to be dodged completely by the juggernaut, instantly moving to his rear.

"This is what I can do." The juggernaut uttered before attacking his opponent with a heavy slash but, to his surprise, felt as if his attack was blocked by a sword as the flame emperor was sent flying across the colosseum grounds.

"What was that?" He wonders as he ponders what he struck.

"Now you've done it!" The flame emperor exclaimed as he got up with what was assumed to be a feather covered robe but in fact his wings, now spread out to reveal several swords, six in total, hidden in it.

"I see…" It was then that the juggernaut realized that he struck one of the swords instead of dealing a critical hit against his opponent.

"You know, I have more of these but I can only carry seven at a time." The flame emperor said, referring to the swords.

"I commend you for pushing me this far, I guess you're not the former champion for nothing." He said as he pulled out a jagged-edged sword from his wing.

The flame emperor then lunges towards the juggernaut, thrusting with his one-handed sword with the latter dodging it. Knowing how his enemy would react, he then attacks with the jagged-edged sword.

The juggernaut, unable to dodge the attack, tries to deflect it with but is surprised to see his shield shatter and his gauntlet damaged.

"You like this? This is called the armor piercer. It's one of the swords I got as a prize for winning this competition." The flame emperor said.

"And if I add my aura into it, it can pierce even your aura defense." He added before lunging to attack once more.

The juggernaut deflects the initial thrust before dodging the succeeding slash from the jagged-edged sword. Using the momentum from evading the attack, he then counters with a horizontal slash but the flame emperor blocks it using the jagged-edged sword, then pierces the juggernaut's left elbow pit through the gap between his armor.

"It would be a shame to lose a warrior as formidable as you…" The flame emperor uttered.

"Surrender now and I'll make you my subordinate." He then offered, but the juggernaut adamantly refused.

"I'd rather die than become a chained hound!" The juggernaut responds as he shoves the flame emperor.

"As expected of a former champion!" The flame emperor exclaimed before sending a flurry of attacks, forcing the juggernaut to a defensive stance and not letting him make any counter attacks.

Slowly, the flame emperor incapacitates the juggernaut by attacking the gaps in his armor with precision. Soon, the proud warrior is now on his knees with his sword planted to the ground supporting him.

"Why isn't he giving up? Shouldn't the fight be stopped at least?" With concerns written all over her face, the young cleric asked the iron-faced mage.

"Because this is no longer a fight for the competition… This is a fight to the death between two warriors." The iron-faced mage replied.

"I don't understand… Why would they throw their li–" Just before the young cleric could finish her sentence, the iron-faced mage quickly covered her mouth.

"Shhh! Be mindful of the things you say. You don't want to be scorned at by everyone, right?" The iron-faced mage warned her silently.

"I understand your sentiments, but you have to understand that there are people who would rather die fighting than to live in defeat…" The iron-faced mage explained.

"Yes, but…" But before the young cleric could respond to it negatively, the iron-faced mage continued.

"And that there are people who respect those kinds of ideals. The people around us watching the match, most of them are like that."

"Now, while I do believe that living in defeat to fight another day is better, I have no issue with people wanting to die fighting, afterall, we're all going to die some day and there's no problem with choosing your retirement." The iron-faced mage added.

The young cleric fell quiet, left to ponder on what the iron-faced mage told her. Though she doesn't like the idea of dying an avoidable death, in a competition with a prize that's not as valuable as one's life, she understood that she cannot force her beliefs on anyone.

The iron-faced mage watched the young cleric struggle with her emotions, ultimately choosing to let her deal with it herself before going back to watch the fight.

"This is your last chance…"

"Surrender now and live to become my subordinate or die kneeling like a loser." The flame emperor declared as he stood in front of his opponent.

The juggernaut grips the handle of his sword very tightly as he forces himself to stand up, regurgitating blood in the process. Breathing heavily with knees shaking and blood dripping all over his armor, the juggernaut glares at the flame emperor very intently.

"I refuse!" He exclaimed.

Shortly after, a menacing crimson aura starts to emit from his body as he lets out a fierce battle cry.

"Undying will."

A technique the juggernaut stumbled upon during the last fight of the swordsmanship competition that he would eventually win three years ago. It was out of pure sheer will and determination to win that he managed to hold out through the barrage of attacks from his opponent.

After winning the competition and receiving the prized sword, he went on a journey to seek formidable opponents, constantly putting his life at risk to master the technique that would be known as the Undying will.

Strength, defense, reflexes, sensory; Almost every physical aspect of his has drastically increased, except for his agility.

A few moments ago he was already at death's door, now he's walking intimidatingly towards his opponent; dragging his sword to the ground while staring daggers at him. The colosseum fell silent, almost everyone understood that what they're seeing was something they must burn into their memory.

"I see… If you'd rather die than live a comfortable life then I'll respect your wishes." The flame emperor said.

He then charged at the juggernaut, intending to cut him in half but was surprised when he's unable to. Despite using the jagged-edged blade engulfed with his aura, his attack was repelled, as if he's trying to cut down an armor with just a bare blade.

"So, is this your true power? You're making me want you more and more." The flame emperor lamented as he put away his jagged-edged sword.

He then focused all of his aura towards the one-handed sword, engulfing it until it became bright red, while dodging the juggernaut's relentless attacks. Although initially, the juggernaut's movements were slow but gradually started to become faster and faster the more he swung his sword.

Although the flame emperor could still dodge the juggernaut's flurry of attacks, he would need to end the fight sooner or later. Finding the right opportunity, he dodged to the unrelenting berserker's left side and tried to launch a counterattack but was shocked when the juggernaut used his left hand to catch the attack, piercing it with the flame emperor's aura engulfed sword.

"Finally caught you." With a menacing voice, the juggernaut uttered as he gripped the flame emperor's hand tightly.

He then focused all his aura to empower his strike. Everyone in the audience, even the common folks, could tell that the next strike would be a devastating blow by the strong color of the aura engulfing his whole right arm up to the blade of the sword; as if another blade has been materialized out of pure energy.

With the flame emperor caught in the juggernaut's grasp, the audience starts to brace for impact as the latter fighter brings his sword down towards his enemy, but much to their surprise, it was the juggernaut's arm together with his heavy sword that came flying.

"To be able to force me into using this sword, you really do deserve to be a champion…" The flame emperor, out of reflex, took out a sword from his wing.

It was an ebony black sword, similar to the sword the farmer is using, with a curved blade that resembles an oversized talon, engulfed in flames. Though the quality is comparable, or even better, to the dwarven-made swords the flame emperor had won through the competitions, its origin is unknown.

The juggernaut staggered, taking a step back as he is seemingly free from the effects of his undying will. The wound on his arm was cauterized instantly as the flame emperor sliced through it, preventing him from bleeding out.

"As a warrior, I understand that you'd rather die an honorable death than live with the stigma of defeat…" The flame emperor said.

Upon hearing this, the juggernaut forced his body to stand up straight to face his executioner as he accepted his fate. The flame emperor then cleaves the juggernaut diagonally across the chest, killing him painlessly.

Most of the spectators who witnessed the events started to stand up without making any unnecessary sound, no applause nor cheering, they just stood there as the dwarf announced the winner.

"W-what's happening?" The young cleric asked, seeing the iron-faced mage and the timid archer standing up as well.

"This is how we show respect to the fighters who fought a good fight." The iron-faced mage replied.

"Don't worry, you don't have to do it." She added.

Just as the young cleric was about to stand up, the flame emperor takes the juggernaut's sword and plants it in front of a huge slab of stone in one of the corners of the colosseum, the memorial tombstone for the greatest fighters who died an honorable death.

This was the moment when the young cleric understood what the fight truly meant; a send off to a warrior who had lived for fighting.