Chapter 133

Chapter 133. Fight to the Death (3)

Watching the battle unfolding in the Material Realm, I spoke to the silent Arjuna.

“Arjuna, earlier I said that Keito feels no joy in anything.”

“You did.”

“But there were exceptions. Exactly two.”

“Two?”

“When he fought Kang Yujin in Seoul in the middle of the night... and earlier, when he fought shoulder to shoulder with Kang Yujin.”

There had definitely been life in Keito’s eyes during those moments.

Only his feelings toward Kang Yujin had ever made him look truly human.

“Arjuna, you probably want to deny emotions like attachment.”

"..."

“But only his attachment to Kang Yujin was able to breathe life into him.”

I raised a hand toward the screen.

“Arjuna, Keito has just taken a decisive blow from Kang Yujin. He is collapsing while coughing up blood.”

I looked at Arjuna.

“And yet... his eyes are shining more brightly than ever.”

"...!"

Arjuna sucked in a breath and focused on the screen.

“I don’t know whether it’s because of this life-or-death battle with Kang Yujin or because he has been critically wounded... but the effect of Ha Mina’s psychological manipulation must be weakening.”

“That can’t be...”

“Arjuna, it isn’t too late.”

I turned fully toward him.

“Grant Keito a Blessing. Send an Apostle. Do whatever is necessary to keep him alive.”

"...!"

Arjuna looked startled.

We had already agreed not to interfere in the battle between Kang Yujin and Keito.

For me to be the one telling him to save Keito was bound to surprise him.

“Then send him a message telling him to reconcile with Kang Yujin.”

“A message...?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“So they can fight Ha Mina together from now on.”

"...!"

Arjuna drew another sharp breath.

I spoke clearly.

“Arjuna, now is the time to truly save Saionji Keito and guide him.”

“Truly...”

Arjuna repeated my words quietly, then looked back at the screen.

Keito, collapsed and coughing blood, was gritting his teeth and struggling to rise again.

“Keito.”

Kang Yujin looked down at Keito as he desperately tried to get back up.

“It’s over.”

He could tell at a glance.

Keito had already suffered a fatal injury.

Even if he received emergency treatment immediately, it was uncertain whether he would survive.

He no longer had enough strength left to continue fighting Kang Yujin.

“Don’t... make me laugh.”

But Keito forced the words out in a rough voice.

“It’s... not over yet.”

At that moment, golden energy began seeping out from all over Keito’s body.

It swirled around him like a vortex.

Kang Yujin’s attention was drawn to it for a split second.

Keito lunged forward.

"...!"

Kang Yujin blocked the knife-hand strike and sucked in a breath.

Its power had definitely weakened.

Even so, it was far too sharp to have come from someone on the verge of death.

“You...”

Did he have some kind of Skill?

Kang Yujin wondered for a moment.

Then he realized that wasn’t it.

Keito was drawing out every last bit of life force remaining inside him and throwing himself at Kang Yujin.

─ What is that? Does he have some kind of power like the Constellation Armament Kang Yujin used before?

─ No. He’s using chakra to draw out every last bit of energy remaining in his body.

─ You could compare it to the True Origin Energy or Innate Energy described in martial arts.

─ He’s critically wounded and still drawing on that? Does he actually want to die?

─ He should be receiving emergency treatment right now! If he keeps doing that, he’s definitely going to die!

Kang Yujin hesitated for a moment.

What meaning was there in continuing to fight someone who was already on the verge of death?

No.

He immediately changed his mind.

Because he saw Keito’s eyes as the man continued charging at him.

This bastard...

Those eyes were different from when they first met.

Different from just moments ago too.

They weren’t the curious eyes that had observed Kang Yujin as something interesting.

Nor were they the emotionless eyes that saw him as nothing more than an obstacle to eliminate.

Even though his body was dying...

his eyes were filled with heat.

Saionji Keito.

Those were the eyes of someone staring only at the person in front of him and pouring everything he had left into the battle.

Eyes filled with will.

It was the most human Kang Yujin had ever seen Keito look.

“HAAH!”

Kang Yujin shouted and counterattacked.

He parried Keito’s strike and drove a fist into his torso.

The internal-energy-infused punch landed, crushing Keito’s ribs.

Keito ignored it and thrust out his own arm.

“Yujin...!”

His roaring strike slammed into Kang Yujin’s shoulder.

Kang Yujin felt the pain.

He did not step back.

Even as his bones broke and flesh tore, Keito continued coming at him.

Kang Yujin answered with attack after attack of his own.

On the screen, the life-or-death battle between Kang Yujin and Keito continued.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Arjuna remained still, biting his lip.

“I cannot do that, Nameless King.”

Only after a long silence did he finally speak.

“I will not interfere.”

“Why?”

“You may be right.”

Arjuna’s voice was heavy.

“Saving Keito here, turning him into Kang Yujin’s ally, and having them oppose Ha Mina together may indeed be the most desirable outcome.”

Then he looked at the screen.

“But look, Nameless King.”

"..."

“Just as you said... Keito’s eyes are shining.”

Arjuna smiled faintly as he watched him.

“And the longer this continues, the brighter they become.”

His expression softened.

“Perhaps this moment is the most fulfilling time Keito has ever experienced since the day he was born.”

He shook his head slightly.

“I don’t want to take that away from him.”

"..."

I thought for a moment.

I almost asked whether that still applied if the result was death.

But in the end...

I said nothing.

If Arjuna had reached that conclusion, then I thought it was right to let him follow it.

“I have watched Keito for a long time.”

Arjuna gazed at him with eyes containing countless emotions.

“This is the first time I have ever seen that boy look so happy.”

Even though Kang Yujin’s fists were breaking his entire body apart.

Even though death was approaching him with every passing second.

Keito fought with eyes shining like those of a child.

“That is enough.”

Arjuna nodded with an expression that looked as though he might cry at any moment.

“If that is what Keito wants... then let him have it.”

“I will respect your decision, Pure-White Hero.”

“Thank you, Nameless King.”

After that...

neither of us said another word.

We simply watched the two men’s battle reach its end.

Strangely enough...

Keito’s mind was clear.

The bones in his arms and legs were shattered.

His broken ribs were damaging his internal organs.

Under normal circumstances, he should have lost consciousness and collapsed long ago.

But he was forcibly moving his body by circulating his chakra.

He had heard that Kang Yujin’s Constellation Armament also possessed an ability that could draw out power when its user was on the verge of death.

But that borrowed a Constellation’s power.

What Keito was doing now was different.

He was squeezing out nothing but his own life force.

The only thing waiting for Keito at the end was death.

Even knowing that...

he felt no fear.

If anything, he was satisfied that he could spend his final moments in such a fulfilling way.

“Haha.”

At some point, Keito had started smiling.

Fighting Kang Yujin with everything he had was fun.

It made him happy.

Why had he ever thought fighting Kang Yujin like this was meaningless?

The thought was absurd even to himself.

More.

More.

He wanted to attack more.

He had never realized how fulfilling it could be to collide with another person while pouring out everything he had.

It made him regret all the years he had spent fighting only to eliminate whatever stood in front of him.

A little more.

Just a little more.

He kept moving.

New techniques appeared in his mind.

He used one.

Kang Yujin responded.

Seeing that response, Keito thought of the next attack.

Just a little more...

Then, at the exact moment he tried to unleash what he believed would be a decisive blow...

Keito realized he could no longer clench his fist.

His arm would not rise either.

Even the last remnants of life energy he had been using to forcibly move a body already on the brink of death...

had finally run out.

"..."

Kang Yujin, who had been attacking without mercy, had also stopped.

He had realized that Keito could no longer move.

What a shame.

Thinking that, Keito slowly began falling backward.

He had wanted to remain standing proudly in front of Kang Yujin until the very end.

But maintaining his posture was no longer possible.

Then...

"...?"

Someone caught his body.

Keito turned his eyes and finally saw who it was.

Yuuki Hina.

The woman he had knocked down earlier after she opposed him.

“Yuuki...”

"..."

Yuuki said nothing.

She simply cried in silence.

What a strange woman.

After the cult collapsed, she no longer had to fulfill the role of his fiancée.

Yet she continued staying near Keito.

Her family had once wielded tremendous influence, and she herself was a powerful Contractor, so he had kept her nearby.

But honestly...

Keito had never understood why Yuuki continued following him.

He thought this might be a good opportunity to ask her.

He opened his mouth.

But what came out was something completely different.

“I’m sorry.”

"..."

Yuuki flinched.

Then she nodded with her tear-soaked face.

“Fine.”

Her voice trembled.

“You’re hopelessly clumsy, so I suppose I should be satisfied that you managed to say even that much.”

With those words, Yuuki turned her head toward Kang Yujin, as though telling Keito that he should leave something for him too.

Grateful for the gesture, Keito spoke again.

“Yujin...”

He wondered what he should say.

The first thing that came to mind was something painfully cliché.

I wanted to be your friend.

He tried to find some more elegant way to express it.

Nothing came.

There were other feelings he wanted to put into words too.

But that didn’t work either.

“Yujin.”

In the end, he simply said the name again.

As Yuuki had just told him...

he truly was hopelessly bad at this.

Realizing that, Keito smiled.

“Go to China.”

So in the end...

he talked about something else.

“Ha Mina created Vessels in China too.”

Keito’s voice was weak, but clear.

“She’ll start moving them now.”

He gave up trying to express what he thought.

What he felt.

Instead, he simply passed on information.

“Pandemonium is also gathering its main forces in northern China, and Ha Mina herself is probably there too.”

“Cross into China.”

Keito smiled.

“And crush them.”

Then he continued.

“Yujin, you’d better prepare yourself.”

“China is nothing like our Japan or your Korea.”

His smile deepened faintly.

“It is a true land of Asura.”

"..."

Kang Yujin said nothing.

He simply nodded slowly.

Keito wanted to tell him,

You’ll win anyway.

But he kept that thought to himself.

Yeah... this is enough.

In the end, Keito never revealed his true feelings to Kang Yujin.

It seemed better to pass on useful information and leave than to ramble pathetically about emotions.

“Keito.”

Then Kang Yujin called his name and held out a hand.

Keito wondered what he meant.

Then he realized.

A handshake.

He couldn’t lift his own hand anymore.

Kang Yujin simply reached down and forcibly took it.

"..."

No more words were necessary.

Keito had lived a life of meaningless battles.

Manipulated.

Used.

Controlled by countless people.

But in the end...

he could finish that life by shaking hands with a worthy rival.

If so...

perhaps his life had possessed meaning after all.

Satisfied by that thought, Keito slowly closed his eyes.

Twenty-one years after his birth...

Saionji Keito’s short life came to an end.