Chapter 259: Kazuki’s Duty

My 'vacation' ends on August 6, so I’ll start posting regularly again from that point! Enjoy!

*

“A hero is born today,” Taishi said as he approached.

Panting, Kazuki met his ancestor's clear gaze and merely nodded. He had never been an hoplite of many words.

“... May I offer you some advice before our duel?” Taishi asked.

“It would be an honor.” Besides being the first Grandmaster in the history of their civilization, his ancestor had been an exceptional philosopher who created the Hoplite Code.

“A Hoplite always pays his debts… but only a slave pays them twice.”

Kazuki furrowed his brow, confused. Taishi had banned slavery by uniting the nations of the old world.

“I was born a slave and reformed our world to make it just.” Taishi proudly wore the bracelets from the chains he had broken. “You, who ended the Greys, why do you fear your glory? You should be proud to have freed the Name of the Wind.”

Kazuki pondered silently before glancing at the stands filled with hoplites. He had the feeling that everyone could hear their conversation. Whether the living retained their memories after the Tribulation or not, he had to choose his words carefully. Facing Taishi, the warrior-philosopher, Kazuki had no illusions: the duel had already begun. With the seventh Tribulation, words could be as lethal as weapons if he failed to convince his people.

“I’m not ashamed of being born to Grey parents or of using the Name of the Wind... It’s just that I am different from the wind,” Kazuki confided. “You say I freed the Wind, but that’s not true: it has always been free. I was born free… and I chose to bind my fate to the Hoplite honor.”

An appreciative murmur swept through the stands.

“Some might accuse you of not using all means to defeat the enemy,” Taishi pointed out. “There is no greater honor than victory.”

Kazuki grunted. Although less skilled in oratory than his ancestor, he understood he couldn’t let him control the conversation.

“The end doesn’t always justify the means. That’s why a Hoplite prefers death to slavery.”

The hoplites roared as Taishi’s expression darkened.

“That’s the exception that proves the rule, nothing more.”

“Many may not agree with me,” Kazuki conceded. “But a leader can’t be a follower. Listening to the concerns of those who speak without acting is putting a noose around your neck. A hero carves his own path; if he’s inspiring, he will be followed. That’s how I will prove my honor.”

Kazuki’s sincere words resonated with the spectators, who shouted their approval. The Champion felt a great strength fill him, and he puffed out his chest. With his people behind him, he felt ready to carry the sky.

Taishi let the cheers die down after several minutes. “The traditions I established have forged an honorable hero.” With a single phrase, the ancestor claimed a portion of Kazuki’s honor. “Now that you’ve had time to recover from your wounds, one question remains: which of us has what it takes to lead our civilization into this new world?”

Kazuki smiled as he assumed his stance. Words built civilizations; weapons defended them.

Leveraging a beam of light, Taishi sprang forward. In the next instant, his spear materialized before Kazuki’s pupil, eclipsing the sky. The Champion had never seen a thrust so swift, but his talent, enhanced by the System, allowed him to react. His instinct read the attack's trajectory, which he dodged by tilting his head a few degrees to the side. Simultaneously, his own spear darted forward like a predator on its prey.

Taishi used the shaft of his weapon to block and lifted Kazuki’s spear. His guard shattered, the Champion couldn’t evade a second attack that pierced his shoulder.

His metallic flesh, enhanced by his Titanic bloodline, was torn by the aura of Spear Mastery, and Kazuki groaned as he staggered back. Before he could catch his breath, his pupils dilated from a sudden flash of light. The beam transformed into a second spear that shattered against his clavicle. The bone cracked despite his Titanic constitution.

Spear Mastery II… He’s a spear grandmaster.

His instincts screamed again, and Kazuki executed a horizontal attack, forcing his opponent to retreat. Taishi was certainly resilient, but an attack boosted by Micro II, Spear Mastery II, and an ideal offensive spear skill would have easily bisected him.

Floating a kilometer above the sea, the two duelists observed each other. Two heartbeats later, the duel resumed.

*

"Fuck," Priam growled as he saw his friend outclassed in the first exchange. The ancestor resurrected by the Tribulation wasn’t here to play and would have won in the first round if Kazuki hadn’t forced him back.

“Is Kazu gonna win?” Rose asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“The bald guy has Micro II, Spear Mastery II, and something like a Tier 1 Light Concept,” Louis observed. “Kazuki has the advantage of space awareness thanks to Domain, but his Concept is far less offensive. On paper, he has a shot.”

The two duelists clashed again, exchanging a flurry of blows before Kazuki retreated, wounded in the stomach by another lightning-fast attack.

“... He’s in trouble,” Rose murmured.

“His opponent studied his fight with the lion, which gives him an initial edge. I bet our friend will analyze his style soon and turn the tables,” Louis growled.

Priam watched the fight with a grim expression. He had complete faith in his rival’s talent, but his adversary seemed really skilled. The System hadn’t resurrected just anyone.

The sun continued its arc across the sky. As the first waves raised by the battle reached the bay to crash against Priam's runic barriers, worry spread among the spectators. The fight was proving to be difficult.

Kazuki was no longer caught off guard by Taishi’s rapid attacks, but his opponent dodged each of his strikes by transforming into a beam of light. Neither could land a decisive blow, their spear skills nearly equal. This was far from good news because while his ancestor was warming up, Kazuki was losing blood. The wounds he had sustained early in the fight weren’t healing.

Parrying a vertical strike that would have shattered his head, Kazuki countered with a lightning thrust. Once again, Taishi vanished, eluding his opponent.

“Why can’t he hit him?!” Rose exclaimed, tears of frustration and anger glistening in her eyes.

“Taishi mastered his Concept’s Unity,” Priam replied without taking his eyes off the fight. It was his duty to report every detail to the future Kazuki—or rather, the past one. “Spear Mastery could hurt him during his Unity, but Kazuki would have to cut through the light…”

Given that light could travel around the Earth six times in one second, it was easier said than done.

“That’s cheating!”

“How would you counter him?” Louis asked.

Priam shrugged. “My mist would diffuse his light without difficulty. If that’s not enough to kill him, I’d infuse it with Conquest Aura. Alternatively, Domain can disrupt Unity, but Kazuki’s sphere of authority is basic. As long as Taishi stays more than a meter away, he’s safe—which he’s doing.”

“Kazuki can’t do that,” Blueberry grunted.

“He could go underwater; the oceans absorb light at depth.”

“The hoplites are watching,” Hyshana pointed out. She stood tall and proud, but everyone could see her nails digging into her palms.

Priam almost growled. The System had crafted a deadly trap.

“… Then he should summon his bound mecha. Knightmare could create smoke to absorb his opponent's light.” He raised a hand as some started to object. “The Tribulations target his weaknesses; he overpowered the sixth with brute strength, but that’s not possible here. He has to adapt while convincing his people.”

… Or he’ll die.

Priam kept the last part to himself, but everyone understood. In silence, they watched the rest of the fight. Flashing in and out, Taishi harassed his opponent, forcing Kazuki to stay on the defensive and lose blood. The combat was dazzling, the exchanges impressive, and yet, the duel was terribly frustrating for the Champion’s friends.

*

In fifteen years of life, Sanada had rarely been this exhausted. After working all day in his father’s mess, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. It wasn’t exactly the career of his dreams, but the nation needed cooks, servers, and dishwashers more than sports commentators. He couldn’t complain when three of his friends had died since the integration, killed in Var Elegis raids. The government regularly announced victories against these homunculi, but the soldiers who ate at the mess told different stories.

The Hoplites were losing the war.

Sanada was sure that only a hero could save them, and General Ishaka wasn’t that figure. General Kazuki, on the other hand...

When his nightmare shifted to his hero battling the father of the nation, Sanada was thrilled. Who could dream of a better duel?

Unlike a typical dream, he was merely a spectator. The only action he could take was to raise a slate to confirm the current Hoplite Champion or to consecrate a new one.

Hoping not to wake up too soon, Sanada watched the duel with delight. General Kazuki began by defeating a terrifying golden lion before facing Taishi, the most renowned Grandmaster in history. It was clear that both Hoplites were monstrous, their blows tearing through the air, causing showers of sparks and raising waves hundreds of meters below them.

A fan of combat sports, Sanada had studied the advancements possible through the System, and these two fighters were far superior to any elite Hoplites known. If his dream hadn’t granted him fantastic perception, the teenager wouldn’t have been able to follow the fight.

Grimacing when the Champion took three successive wounds at the beginning, Sanada applauded when General Kazuki parried a hundred strikes in a row. The current hero was starting to understand his opponent’s rapid style, who was now struggling to breach General Kazuki’s guard. However, the Champion couldn’t find a flaw in his opponent’s style. Taishi’s skin was still pristine.

Sanada was confident General Kazuki still had a trick up his sleeve, but he needed to hurry. The wounds weren’t healing, and it was clear that fatigue was setting in. His pale face and labored breathing were proof that the fight was nearing its end. Blocking was no longer enough to win; he had to attack.

As calm as a misty morning, General Kazuki withstood Taishi’s brutal onslaughts. Sanada already imagined the next part: the duel would culminate in a dramatic exchange, and then the hero would be defeated. After all, no good story ended with the defeat of the father of the Hoplites. The implications would be catastrophic.

Too bad for General Kazuki, Sanada thought, enjoying the duel. He was already prepared to raise his gray slate.

*

From the corner of his eye, Kazuki saw numerous gray slates rising in the stands. Executions were rare in his civilization, but every condemned individual had the right to one last duel. If they fought bravely and demonstrated their skills, they were sometimes allowed to serve in a death squadron. Death was still inevitable, but it was better to die by the sword than by the noose.

The spectators judged the condemned's bravery with slates. A majority of red meant the criminal had a chance to shed blood again—of their enemies. Grey meant immediate and dishonorable death.

Here, the System had recreated a mock execution, and he was the condemned. The meaning of the slates was clear: gray for death, red to live until the next Tribulation. It was a form of psychological torture, but the Champion refused to be intimidated. Still, the vote of his people couldn’t leave him indifferent.

Among the spectators, the specters of the living Hoplites were rather indecisive. The Champion had proven his worth many times, and all understood that the fight wasn’t fair: Taishi had analyzed Kazuki's style during his battle against the lion.

The dead were less forgiving. The current Champion was unknown while Taishi was a monument of their history. Their hero was winning, and that was all that mattered. Many raised their gray slates, confident that their ancestor would save their descendants, preferring the past to the future. It was legitimate, but Kazuki felt his stomach drop with each raised slate. My people are condemning me...

Distracted by this thought, he instinctively blocked a quick slash. It was a feint, and the enemy's spear tip plowed his left arm, reminding him of the reality. The limb fell uselessly against his side. Contrary to his usual habit, Taishi didn’t press his advantage, merely looking around.

“About forty-five percent gray, two percent red. It's time for you to step down as Champion.”

Kazuki remained silent for a moment before responding. “I accepted this duty so long ago that I couldn’t renounce it.”

“Duty is the necessity to act out of respect for the law voted by the Hoplites,” Taishi replied. “They want you gone.”

Kazuki shook his head. “My duty is an act befitting what is instituted by honor. I have a duty to my people.”

“To save them? Your death will be my resurrection, and I swear to do everything to make our race flourish,” promised the father of the Hoplites.

Kazuki gave a thin smile. “If you had a chance, the System would have integrated our civilization in your time. It chose me as Champion, and I won't be cowardly enough to refuse this mantle.”

“Even if your own people reject you?” Taishi asked, indicating the billions of gray slates.

“A question unworthy of someone who established a diarchy.” Kazuki looked around and accepted the judgment of billions of gray slates. “I will save them, regardless of their feelings. These are your own words.”

As he spoke these words to both the living and dead Hoplites, Kazuki felt the embryonic Concept he had possessed since the battle in the ruins of Valaryth develop. This was the moment he had waited for since the beginning of the Tribulations. Priam would have adapted, but that wasn’t Kazuki’s way. The Champion wanted to advance.

A ray of light blinded him for an instant before the enemy's spear grazed one of his ribs. Ignoring it, Kazuki counterattacked. His weapon struck as Taishi transformed into light to evade. The Champion’s soul trembled, a massive amount of willpower vanished, and the light slowed. The tip of his spear tore through the electromagnetic wave, shattering it.

Taishi reappeared, clutching his cheek. A bloody gash marred his face.

“No one escapes their Duty. You shall fight me.”

The ancestor took a defensive stance, and for the first time in the battle, Kazuki went on the offensive. Their weapons clashed once more. Kazuki’s Duty bound Taishi’s light, and soon the two adversaries lacked the willpower to activate their Concepts. The duel became a contest of pure skill, each pushing their Spear Mastery to the limit and overclocking their bodies.

Hundreds of times per second, their weapons clashed, and the two masters advanced, sharpening their proficiencies. A thousand cuts bloomed on Taishi’s body, and he began to retreat before Kazuki’s dominance. The Champion’s talent was too great to be contained by any spearmaster, however legendary.

The Hoplite Storm had elevated his spear to cut through the chains and limits imposed by the Tribulations.

But he had paid the price for it.

The two adversaries separated one last time, catching their breaths and staring each other down. Taishi sighed, seeing the blind gaze of his opponent. The lance virtuoso no longer had enough blood to continue. The next exchange would be the last.

Charging at each other one final time, they roared and struck simultaneously.

“[Odyssey - Coup de Grâce].”

“[A New Dawn].”

Kazuki’s Domain perceived his opponent’s skill, and the prodigy read it. With a flick of his wrist, the Champion coiled his spear around his opponent’s, accepting the strike to land his own. 

A rainbow gleamed on the spray of blood and every spectator held their breath.

Taishi looked down at his punctured chest, incredulous. His gaze then rose to Kazuki. The Champion’s upper body had nearly vanished, along with most of his organs. Yet, he still held his spear firmly. His duty unfulfilled, he refused death.

Kazuki was no more, his consciousness erased. Only the Champion remained, driven solely by his Concept, observing his opponent take a final breath.

The next moment, the stands vibrated, the spectators rejecting the death of the father of their civilization. Taishi’s death meant the death of the Hoplites’ way, and none accepted that. Their prayer resonated with the ninth Tribulation.

Taishi took a deep breath, resurrected by his people's will. Summoning his spear to resume the fight, he paused upon seeing the Champion’s corpse fall toward the ocean.

Even a Hero's duty couldn't delay death forever.

*

Kazuki Status: DEAD