Incompatible Interspecies Wives

58 – Fire Moth (5)

Galias’s expression distorted at Berg’s choice.

I couldn’t understand his stupid choice.

Why do you fight when you know you can’t win?

“…”

No, I could have guessed the reason.

Just looking at the person Berg was protecting with his back, I could understand why.

Alwin put down that cold expression and just stared at Berg’s back.

I know it was for Arwin, but… But that didn’t mean I was convinced.

Alwin didn’t die because of this.

Because he probably doesn’t even like Arwin yet.

I just had to close my eyes and move on for this day, but risking my life on this… Was something I couldn’t understand no matter how much I thought about it.

This was especially true of Gallias, who valued his life the most.

He tried endlessly to understand Berg.

Maybe I’m trying to prove my bravery to her wife?

…Berg was not one to make such foolish choices.

Did I hide my power?

…No. It never was. That’s about it, even Gallias knew.

…If that’s the case, are you really thinking about winning?

“… Ha.”

If it weren’t for him, wouldn’t he back down even though he knew he couldn’t win?

Rather, the last hypothesis was the most credible.

Maybe I had a similar experience in the distant past.

Even with this delusion, Gallias tried to understand Berg.

Berg slowly raised his sword.

A look with no intention of hesitating.

The atmosphere is different from the previous sparring.

It was as if the atmosphere was cutting the space.

“…!”

The elders backtracked on his momentum.

There was no one who was not afraid of the possibility of death.

Elf was especially like that.

Galias could feel the blood running through his whole body.

A tingling tension rises from the hilt of his sword and up his arm.

I suddenly wondered how many 1-on-1 battles where I risked my life.

Decades would have passed if I couldn’t.

I’ve caught the boss and gone to war…But it’s been a while since I’ve had a 1v1 battle.

The feeling was quite different from Dalian.

Each sword strike could now become a fatal wound.

Even one mistake was unacceptable.

It doesn’t end with bruises or broken bones.

It was a gamble with one’s life.

As a result, the actual battle is different from the tension.

Galias felt sweat on his hands.

He didn’t want to accept that.

It was absurd to lose to a human who had only been holding a sword for less than 10 years.

The difference in technology was overwhelming, so the rest was the realm of reason.

-Pak!

At the same time, Berg kicks the ground and runs.

I can feel that he was sincere.

It was Gallias who tried to think positively, wondering if he was only threatening until the end.

But in the end, he had no choice but to raise his sword.

His eyes are fixed on Berg’s sword.

Even while running, Berg hid his first attack by changing the way he gripped his sword.

Galias did not lose his concentration until the end.

Soon after, Berg enters the street.

– Bang!

A gigantic sound that is hard to believe was struck by iron reverberates through the cave.

The vibrating sound of the sword blade brings the real life to its climax.

Galias turned his sword upside down to block Berg’s first attack, then launched the first counterattack with a natural movement like flowing water.

Dozens of sums come and go.

It may have been an honest fight to others, but the two were fighting endlessly.

When I slightly twisted my back to hide the attack, Berg reacted and fired the next attack in the opposite direction.

When you lure Berg to get an advantageous position, Berg moves to the side and leaves his seat.

– Wicked!

Even so, the difference in power was evident.

– Chop!

The overall battle was the same, but the small sums were won one by one.

-Squat!

Berg’s arm. Wrist. Face. Ship. Chest, etc…

Galias’ sword continued to draw shallow traces.

Even so, the elf swordsman was amazed at the power of this human race.

How could someone who had only been learning the sword for 10 years have such a skill?

My teacher said he was Adam, but is that really all?

Maybe I learned it somewhere else.

Where are you from?

A lot of questions arise.

Above all, his bizarre swordsmanship, which was not standardized, was his greatest strength.

The frame itself is beautifully and standardly held, but the skeleton supporting it is strange.

The feeling of filling the gap between sword attacks with instinct.

It was common to believe in the long training period rather than such instincts the longer one learned the sword… But Berg seemed to trust his own instincts more than anyone else.

That worked well again.

Even if you stab the sword into a square, Berg’s sword will block it before you know it.

Even when I tricked him into swinging his sword near his eye to upset his balance, Berg didn’t even react, as if he already knew he wasn’t hit.

This is not something that can be said to be learned.

You can go blind with the difference of a single petal, but how many people won’t pull their heads back?

What was strangest of all was that the more the swords were mixed, the more their instincts seemed to wake up.

It’s more practical than sparring.

This is even more so now than before.

You can feel the madness-like courage of a person who has crossed the line of death countless times.

That burdensome weight kept on Gallias’ shoulders.

Through the real sword, he learns that Berg’s years have not been easy.

…Perhaps it was Gallias who thought that Berg might surpass his own experience if he only judged his experience of crossing the line.

Of course, I still didn’t feel like I was going to lose, but that little bit of anxiety was growing in size.

-Kang!

After another sword bounce, Gallias moved his sword to his left hand.

At the same time, Berg’s left foot slipped out of Gallias’ left foot again.

The foot is eaten, and the perfect berg opportunity comes.

But Gallias wasn’t taken carelessly either.

Quickly thrust the sword in his left hand toward Berg’s face.

-Swoop!

But again, Berg turned his head and ignored his attack.

As if it doesn’t matter because you won’t die with it.

There was a deep cut on Berg’s cheek, but he swung his sword exactly as he was doing.

Ignoring the pain, Gallias groaned at Berg’s momentum.

“Keugh…!”

Gallias bends his leg to increase the duration of the sword strike, and barely blocks Berg’s sword.

Then, with the sword blocked, he pushed up and pushed Berg’s chest with his shoulder.

Berg, who lost his balance, staggered.

Galias swung his sword towards that place again, but soon after, Berg turned around his left leg and got out of the seat to balance.

A long sum passes again.

The distance widens again, and it’s time to catch your breath again.

Galias looked at the wounded Berg.

Blood is soaking him completely.

I couldn’t believe he kept running after me.

Galias advised again.

“…Let’s stop. You know he can’t win.”

“…”

“You are already full of scars. Even so, it has a short lifespan, so it should be preserved for a long time. A talent like yours doesn’t come easily!”

I was sincere.

There were moments of crisis, but Berg still couldn’t defeat himself.

Galias’s body was still clean, and Berg’s was becoming rags.

“Then get out of the way. Because I don’t want to either.”

“…”

He finds himself unable to convince him.

Berg was not lying when he said that there was no compromise.

Even though he was injured like that, his eyes didn’t change at all.

Galias let go of the elders at Berg’s words.

They didn’t seem to want to quit.

If there is, is it about Ascal?

Only Ascal was looking at Arwin with a painful expression.

Arwin didn’t see Ascal like that because he was looking at Berg.

For a moment, Arwin sighed and closed his eyes.

When I looked ahead, Berg was charging at me as if it were natural.

-Kang!

The atmosphere of the berg transmitted through the sword changes once again.

It gets rougher and more savage.

There was no retreat.

It didn’t seem like he expected that he could get hurt so recklessly.

But at the same time, there is a belief that cannot be called stupid in his movements.

Galias soon finds a gap in Berg, who is getting taller.

It’s not a moment where the battles are harmonized, but a situation where we attack together.

Based on his long experience, Gallias feels that he can reach him faster.

…So, unfortunately, that was it.

But at that moment, Berg spit something out.

Clots of dark red blood fly and hit Gallias’ eyes.

“Kuu!”

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Having seen such a thing for the first time, Gallias’ sword speed slowed down, and he judged that his sword would arrive late at the speed that changed in that moment. He retrieved his sword and bent his neck back.

-Chack!

But it was already too late.

Galias again distanced himself with a burning pain in his forehead.

“Haa…”

As he exhaled, he could feel the blood running down his face.

I knew it even if I didn’t touch it.

The forehead was severely cut.

Her fluttering hair was proof of that.

It was Berg’s first successful attack.

My vision is obscured by the flowing blood.

Bewildered at the first attack.

Again, the fear of losing one’s life increased in size.

“…I didn’t expect this at all – oops!”

-Pak!

However, with the bursting blood as a signal, Berg ran even more rampantly.

The conversation was no longer accepted.

Like a beast that has found its weakness, it charges with more ferocious movements.

It was a movement like a predator that has taken many lives.

“Keugh…!”

Galias could not calm down and defended against Berg’s sword attacks.

In this state, Millie had no time to counterattack.

It’s all about defending yourself.

I couldn’t see well because of the blood flowing from my forehead.

Galias was doing everything she could to get her heart.

I won’t lose with swordsmanship alone.

I haven’t lost until now.

One unexpected lump of blood he spat out only briefly lowered his momentum.

The perplexed look of the elders increased, and Gallias continued to hit his back.

The echo of sword strikes filling the cave is deafening his ears.

Galias continued to think in a situation where emotions were swaying.

…Maybe this moment might be the moment you cross the line you’ve been longing for.

The moment may have come to leap forward again and catch up with Gail.

The other person’s disparate talent wasn’t light.

With that thought, my concentration is sharpened even more than the blade of a sword.

Time seems to be slowing down, and even things I couldn’t see before come into my eyes.

Flowing dust.

Splattered drops of blood.

Berg’s shiny blade.

The orbit of the sword.

The expressions of the onlookers.

And even the sweat dripping from Berg’s forehead.

Gallias was experiencing the discomfort of being obscured in real time, so he concentrated on the sweat.

Berg charges again and swings his sword.

The drops of sweat that formed on his forehead also slowly flowed down and landed on Berg’s eyes.

The eyelids that close to blink at the same time.

Galias strongly bends down with him.

Berg’s sword passes over his head.

Berg, who closed his eyes and lost sight of Gallias for a moment, looked around.

Galias did not wait and put all his strength into the sword and swung it from bottom to top.

Just before the sword touched, Berg raised his chin with the same instinct as the beast, avoiding the sword strike.

-Cheong!

But it didn’t matter.

The game is over.

Berg’s sword slipped from his grasp and spun around the sky.

Soon, Berg’s sword landed on the stone floor from a distance and rang loudly.

“After…!”

After the fight, Gallias lets out a long sigh.

A small exclamation from the elders can be heard from behind.

Time that seemed to slow down only then finds its own pace.

Everything speeds up again.

“It’s over, stop-“

-Wow!

At that moment, Gallias’ consciousness flashed with a terrible sound.

When he came to his senses, he found himself lying on the cold stone floor, with Berg riding on top of him and brandishing his fists with a bloodied face.

– Puck! Puck!

The sword slipped out of his grasp.

I tried to hold the sword again, but I couldn’t.

Galias covered his face with his trembling arms.

The elders shouted from behind.

“This…! You coward!”

Berg’s frozen mouth finally opened.

The composure of the one who seizes the victory comes out.

“This is the only thing I learned…!”

However, Gallias, who was being beaten, realized that it was his own mistake.

I’ve been doing sparring for decades, so I forgot about it.

In a life-and-death fight, having a sword is not important.

It wasn’t until I couldn’t break Berg’s heart that I didn’t neutralize him, and the fight wasn’t over.

That mistake landed an endless barrage of fists on his face.

Galias felt his consciousness fade again.

He may not have lost with the sword, but he was defeated in battle.

Galias could only know that one thing for sure.

“Stop!!!”

*****

“Stop!!!”

A bloody fist froze in the air.

“Stop it now…! Are you planning to beat me to death…!”

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ascal screaming.

“We can no longer fight in this sacred space…!”

Galias coughed and spat blood.

I also had no intention of making him this far if the circumstances weren’t like this.

Even the elders couldn’t say anything about the spirit of the elven elder.

I don’t know if I’ve kept my silence because of the way I looked.

Ascal exhaled a rough breath and then shed Arwin and told me.

“…Vice-captain. Got it. Take Arwin with you.”

It was only then that the elders breathed in vain and argued.

“Ascal…!”

“I lose more by trying to keep the tradition, Chief Elder…!”

The eyes of the elder, who had been arguing with Ascal, briefly turned to Gallias.

As if he couldn’t give up, he opened his mouth again.

“…That Human…!”

“-That human.”

Ascal interrupted the elder and began to wrap up my actions first.

“…I was just trying to protect my daughter. The way was stupid and rude, but he must have thought of it according to his standards.”

I stared at the elders.

It was only then that they seemed to sense my danger in this situation where I defeated Gallias.

I had no intention of doing anything more than this, but if things went wrong, I would have to make a new choice.

Ascal gives me a direction like this.

“I want the vice-captain to behave like that even if he takes my daughter to the outside world… So…So I’ll leave this matter behind. Today, nothing happened. Do you understand, vice-captain?”

For some reason, even in this situation, Ascal’s resounding voice subdues all emotions and stiff atmosphere.

“Arwin has come to fulfill his duty, so the World Tree will understand even if he falls once. Also, although it was short, we must have already said goodbye.”

At the same time, her doubt rises as she sees Ascal trying to finish the job abruptly.

As he said, am I doing this because I don’t want to see the fight itself anymore…Or is it because I defeated Gallias.

If I had lost, would you have said the same thing?

It was Ascal who had a painful expression on his face throughout the fight.

I’ve seen his eyes turn towards Arwin.

Is the opportunity to take Arwin’s side?

Maybe for a completely different reason.

Maybe he doesn’t want to spread rumors about this incident.

“…Vice-captain. Take Arwin and leave. We will forget about this.”

“…Can you believe it?”

“…I swear by the world tree.”

But whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.

I didn’t even have to refuse when Ascal said he’d put this aside first.

The goal has already been achieved.

I didn’t let go of my guard.

I threw Gallias’ sword away and put it away, then picked up my sword.

I spoke to the lying Gallias.

“…Galias. There are no personal feelings.”

“…I know.”

Galias covered his eyes with one arm and spat bloody spit as he answered.

“…I learned a lesson.”

I put the sword in the scabbard and approached Arwin.

Where did her cold expression go? She is looking at me worriedly with an expression that she can’t trust me.

“…”

I didn’t talk to her.

I just put my hands on her back and under her legs.

Arwin did not rebel this time.

After stopping like that, I lifted her up and headed for her aisle.

The elders meet first.

Being polite, I bowed my head.

For a clean ending.

They stood firm and still.

As much as I’ve lived for a long time, I think I know how important tradition is.

And a person like me who broke that tradition was not welcome.

Then pass Ascal.

Arwin and Ascal exchanged glances for a moment.

I bowed my head to Ascal as well, handed her a greeting… And moved her steps.

“Thank you.”

And when I passed him, Ascal whispered in a barely audible voice.

I wonder if it was about saving Arwin.

Arwin said his actions were hypocrisy, but for some reason, he seemed sincere at the moment.

I don’t know what the truth is.

I just wanted to believe that it was sincere.

I took Arwin and headed outside.

My whole body creaks.

I survived this time too.

I didn’t attack with the thought that I would defeat Gallias.

But even so, I couldn’t back down.

Arwin’s feet didn’t come off to leave.

Perhaps my body reacted that way to the nightmare of having mine stolen from a long time ago.

Maybe the hand I easily let go of back then remains like regret and pushes me forward.

The entrance to the cave is visible from afar, with bright sunlight pouring down on it.

I felt Arwin’s ears tremble.

Her For a while, I forgot about her because I was paying attention to my body.

“…Are you okay?”

A little of her belatedly asked her.

Arwin blinked anxiously… He leaned his head on my arms, perhaps feeling exhausted.

****

Arwin could not come to his senses from the huge shock.

Reminds me of Berg, who endlessly ran towards Gallias even after being injured.

For myself, who has only been married for one day.

No matter how you think about it, it’s foolish.

It was reckless and wild, just like the characteristics of human beings who read it in writing.

There was no honor in spitting blood at Gallias and swinging his fist even though he missed the sword, and he was even cruel.

“…”

But I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

My heart beat stronger than ever before.

Berg struggled to shake and escape the space that he had not been able to escape with his own power for 100 years and tens of years.

He seemed to embody everything he had been longing for.

Are all humans like this, or is it only Berg?

As an elf, she had no idea how he had overcome her fear of death.

How can he do this when he doesn’t even live a few years?

After defeating Gallias, Berg came to himself.

Even after hurting her enough, he took care of her before anyone else.

Arwin couldn’t do anything in his arms.

A thick bloody smell emanated from him. Even this was a smell Arwin hadn’t had a chance to experience for 170 years.

Everything was foreign to him. It was evident that he was of a heterogeneous race.

Berg, who freed himself from the grip of the elders, continued to head outside.

“…Are you okay?”

“…”

At some point, Arwin couldn’t answer the question he asked.

He doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about after he’s hurt himself even more.

She leaned her head against his arm, feeling weak.

Even this was the first time in a long life.

I lean on someone for the first time.

It was the first time I received help from someone.

That’s how we get out of the cave.

“…”

The bright sunlight is beating down, and the birds are chirping.

The sight full of green life is captured in the eyes.

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It was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life.

A moment freed from all obligations.

There is no reason to get involved with the world tree anymore, and there is no reason to feel that pain.

…But what filled her head was not the expected sense of release.

Instead, only curiosity about this human race arises.

He was the first mysterious thing she encountered.

He was a man of the outside world.

He finally comes into sight.

Arwin’s head was endlessly complicated.

Wrestle for a long time and tidy up your hair.

Meanwhile, she stayed still in his arms.

Finally, the most fundamental question came to mind.

“…Why…Why do you do this…?”

I wouldn’t even like myself. No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason to act like this.

Blood was shed, and there was no reason to risk one’s life.

It would be easier to believe that I would rather answer that my nature is cruel.

I think it would be understandable if it was because I like fighting and I like violence.

If you’re ignorant of death and don’t have that fear, I’ll understand.

It was a reckless fight with nothing to gain from his point of view.

But as Berg turned his head to wipe the blood off his shoulder, the answer he gave was far from Arwin’s expectations.

“…They’re a couple.”

“…Yes?”

With that answer, Arwin is again speechless.

I was dumbfounded and didn’t say anything.

She wanted to understand him.

“…Just…”

“…”

“…Just for that? Because you’re a couple?”

Are you even lying?

But Berg laughs and replies as if it is absurd.

“Barely.”

Arwyn looked at the bloody Berg in his arms.

“What could be more reason than that?”