Molon’s axe.
Three hundred years ago, Molon had never once changed the axe that he used in all the time that Hamel had known him. He had had that axe with him since he first left his tribe. Even before that, Molon had held that axe when he first grew into an official warrior of his tribe.
Even though that axe had held a lot of meaning for him, Molon hadn’t actually given his beloved weapon a name.
But that was just like Molon.
“You’re talking about your old axe?” Eugene snorted as he put away the Holy Sword.
Even though it had withstood such force, the blade of the Holy Sword was perfectly fine. As the greatest holy relic of the Church of Light, according to their legends, the sword had been personally forged by the Incarnation of Light, so the sword would never break so long as faith in the Light remained.
“But I’ve seen you using a different axe. Where did you put the axe you used last time?” Eugene asked.
He was talking about the axe Molon had used to kill the Nur. The same axe that he had thrown at Raimira.
That hadn’t been the same axe as the one that Molon had used in the distant past. Eugene didn’t think there was anything strange about that. Molon had always wielded that particular beloved axe in an extremely violent fashion, so after three hundred years had passed, that axe should have already become worn out and broken.
“I don’t remember exactly when, but I should have buried it somewhere in this dimension,” Molon revealed as he took a step back, clenching and unclenching his numb hands.
Confused by this answer, Eugene tilted his head to the side and asked, “Why bury it?”
“Because I didn’t want it to get dirty,” Molon replied.
Eugene still couldn’t understand Molon’s response. Lowering the Holy Sword, Eugen blinked in confusion as Molon let out a chuckle.
“Hamel,” Molon explained once he had finished laughing. “That axe… it has done a lot for me. When I first started traveling with Vermouth, I was carrying that axe on my back. When I first met Sienna, Anise, and you, I always had that axe with me. When I, no, when we fought with the demonfolk, and even when we slayed the Demon Kings, I always used that axe.”
Molon raised his right hand.
“In all the time we spent in the Devildom, that axe served as my hands and feet,” Molon said fondly. “Hamel, even after you died, Vermouth swore the Oath, and the time of peace began, and even when I founded my kingdom in the ruins of the destroyed northern kingdoms, that axe did a lot of work in my hands.”
That axe that had once cut down Demon Kings and countless demonfolk had then been used to cut down mountains and hills, leveling the earth. When waterways were needed, it was used to dig up the ground, unearthing springs and creating rivers. Even when the time came to dig tunnels, Molon had always strode ahead of the pack and dug in first with that axe.
“Hamel, with that axe, I killed Demon Kings and founded the Ruhr Kingdom. That axe,” Molon paused here for a moment. “That axe, which I never even gave a name to, is as much who I am as I myself. It’s my life. My memories. That axe, which has been with me for most of my journey… I didn’t want to stain it with such filthy and noxious blood. I also didn’t want it to witness my own insanity.”
That was why he had buried it in the ground. Molon had wanted to keep his long-time, beloved weapon pure.
“As I buried my axe, I thought to myself,” Molon’s fingers curled in the air. “The next time I swing this axe will be if I face a Demon King. Or perhaps, when I meet someone who I truly wish to wield it against.”
Boomboomboom….
The whole mountain range began to shake as if an earthquake was going on.
“Hamel,” Molon smiled.
Groooooooar!
An entire face of the mountain range split open. The axe that had been buried deep within that crevice soared out and flew towards Molon’s outstretched hand.
Booom!
Catching the axe that was just as large as his own body with a single hand, Molon rested it on his shoulder.
“Right now, I really want to swing this axe at you,” Molon confessed.
Something was different.
This wasn’t Eugene’s first time seeing Molon holding an axe. However, compared to the axe that Molon had wielded when killing the Nur, the axe he was currently wielding was on a whole different level in terms of the ferocity it gave off. In a certain fashion, that savage-looking axe felt even more terrifying than one of the Demon Kings’ Armaments. Also, the sense of intimidation being given off by Molon as he held his beloved weapon made him feel like a completely different person from the one Eugene had faced just now.
“Crazy bastard. Why don’t you just say that you really want to kill me?” Eugene grumbled as Molon’s terrifying aura of intimidation washed over him.
Seeing Molon like this, he felt like he needed to reevaluate his previous estimates. While neutralizing Molon’s attack just now, Eugene had thought that even if Molon used all of his might, he would still be able to win as long as he had free use of his weapons and could activate Ignition as well. However, If Molon were to wield that axe… he suddenly didn't feel like his odds of winning would be that high.
“Alright, Molon. If you want to swing that axe at me, just bring it,” Eugene challenged.
Regardless of whether he won or lost, Eugene would still be happy. After all, in their last battle, until the very end of their fight, he hadn’t even managed to make Molon pull out his axe.
Even though he had used Prominence and Ignition and dragged things out into a nasty mud-slinging match… Eugene still hadn’t been able to make Molon feel the way that he did now.
“Let’s keep it to five strikes,” Eugene said, glancing upwards.
From the moment that Molon picked up his axe, flames had lit up in Anise and Sienna’s eyes. The two of them had wanted to stop the fight immediately, but out of consideration for Eugene and Molon, they were holding back their urge to do so.
Eugene proposed, “If I manage to endure five swings of your axe, that means I win.”
“Why are we just counting my axe blows?” Molon asked, feeling puzzled.
“Under the current conditions, I’m not confident that I can beat you in just five attacks,” Eugene admitted with a laugh. “However, your strength gives you a lot of power, and now that you’re holding your precious axe… shouldn’t you have the confidence to bring me down in just five swings of your axe?”
“Hahaha!” Molon let out a loud roar of laughter. “Indeed, that is true. Hamel, you’re right. Five strikes. Let’s do it.”
Once again, undergoing yet another transformation, Molon’s aura changed.
Grrrrr…!
The axe resting on Molon’s shoulder was lifted above his head. Even though that was all he had done, the action was accompanied by a loud roar that seemed to set the whole world shaking. Holding the axe high, Molon gripped it with both hands.
Cracrack, cracracrak!
Molon strengthened his grip on the axe handle. As Eugene watched this, rather than Molon’s tremendous strength, he felt more amazed at how the axe was able to endure such strength without breaking.
Since Molon had been using it for the past three hundred years, it must have been swung tens of thousands of times. The worn handle was evidence of its long years of use, but it still wasn’t crushed by Molon’s grip that could even tear apart space itself.
The same went for the blade of the axe. Although it looked dark and stained, there were no cracks or missing chips along the edge of the blade.
As he looked at it… Eugene felt understanding naturally dawn on him.
Just like Molon had said, that axe was Molon himself. Even though he hadn’t given it an actual name, Molon had always cherished that axe. While Hamel had always just thrown away a weapon as soon as it lost its edge and picked up a new weapon to use from the battlefield, Molon had always personally cleaned and sharpened the axe whenever a battle was over.
Even if it was just an ordinary axe, it would have developed a soul over time after having been used and cared for over such a long period. As Molon held up the axe, which had become an artifact, high above his head, Eugene glared at Molon.
Boom, boom, boom!
As Molon’s strength was concentrated within the blade of the axe, it trembled a few times before steadying.
Booooom!
Molon’s feet kicked off the ground. Leaping high into the air, Molon chopped the axe down without hesitation.
With his eyes wide open, Eugene glared at the falling axe.
Fwooosh!
Eugene’s internal universe of the White Flame Formula overflowed, and black flames soared off of him.
Baaaaang!
Eugene barely managed to divert the axe’s trajectory. Since he wasn’t able to withstand the blow while remaining standing in the same place, like the last few times, Eugene was pushed quite some distance to the side. On top of that, both his palms were left throbbing in pain as if they had been torn into pieces.
As for his holy ground — it still didn’t collapse. However, the mountain as a whole had been stamped down.
Molon pulled out his axe, which had buried itself deep into the ground, and swung it to the side.
Boooooom!
There should have been a safe distance between them, but the moment that the axe was swung, the space between Eugene and Molon was literally erased.
‘It’s too late to try and parry it…!’ Eugene thought in a panic even as he swung the Holy Sword to meet it.
Cracracracrackle!
Light burst forth from the collision of the Holy Sword and the axe. The black flames burning on the sword were blown back by the wind pressure coming off the axe and immediately extinguished.
Screech, screeeeeech!
The blade of the Holy Sword kept getting pushed back as if it was just about to be swept aside by the axe, and blood spurted out from both of Eugene’s hands.
“This is number two!” Molon shouted with a hearty laugh.
The axe was lifted back up. Eugene also pulled the Holy Sword closer to him. Gripping the sword's hilt with both hands, Eugene twisted his waist to the side.
Fwoooosh!
Flames reignited on the blade, and light shone from within those flames.
Molon roared, “Here comes three!”
Claaaaaang!
The axe and the Holy Sword collided once more. Eugene felt like his soul might be sent flying from just the impact. He was even concerned that the entire space sealed within the barrier might actually collapse.
Eugene’s whole body ached due to the ringing aftershocks. Compared to Eugene, Molon definitely looked more at ease. But he grinned as he saw Eugene continue to face him head-on without backing down.
‘So he intended to lose the bet from the very start,’ Molon realized, calmly accepting this fact.
From the start of their match, Eugene had insisted on facing his axe head-on without trying to dodge or counter-attack. By doing so, Eugene was stepping right into Molon’s playing field. But since Molon had failed to defeat Eugene even with that advantage, Molon felt like this was actually his loss.
However, he had no intention of staying his axe. Just how long had it been since he had last swung his axe like this, swinging so hard that his arms felt sore?
Chuckling, Molon pulled the handle of his axe up.
Groooooan!
Molon let loose even more of his strength. Because everything around them had already collapsed, there was no longer any ground on which they could step on, but Molon simply extended his foot and stepped onto thin air.
Cracracrack!
As he did so, cracks spread like a spiderweb through the air.
Eugene’s eyes were able to see through what Molon was currently up to. That crazy bastard was using the spatial coordinates that made up this whole dimension as a foothold. By doing so, he was leveraging the weight of this entire dimension onto his axe.
Within this other side of the Lehainjar, all of the weight that existed in this entire dimension was incorporated into this single blow of Molon’s axe.
Rooooar!
The flames of the Holy Sword swirled like a hurricane. Layers of sword-force were instantly overlaid onto the sword, forming an Empty Sword. Although he had said that he wouldn’t be using Ignition or Prominence, Eugene had never said that he wouldn’t use the Empty Sword.
Eugene felt that it was lucky that he hadn’t done so. If he had limited himself from using the Empty Sword as well, there was no way he would be able to withstand this next axe blow.
One stack, two stacks, three stacks, four stacks. The maximum amount of layers was reached in an instant. As the layers of the Empty Sword were added on top of the flames that originally engulfed the sword, something that looked like black lighting began to crackle and spark on top of the already black flames.
“They’re crazy,” Sienna hissed, her face paling as she looked down at them.
The two women were a considerable distance away from the fight, and they had also deployed their strongest defensive barriers. However, seeing the power that both Eugene and Molon were wielding, it didn’t seem like their current barriers would be able to withstand any of the aftershocks that would follow the clash between the two. Sienna immediately summoned Frost to her hand and created further defensive barriers, while Anise also spread her wings and filled the inside of those barriers with light.
The axe collided with the Empty Sword. At that moment, no sound could be heard.
In the next instant, the figures of both Eugene and Molon disappeared as they were thrown backward. All of the debris around them was swept away to be later reconstructed.
In this dimension that had been completely emptied, Eugene and Molon observed each other once more. Eugene gritted his teeth, unable to even swallow the blood welling up in the back of his throat. This time, even Molon had suffered from the severe aftershocks. He grinned through his black beard that had been soaked in his own blood and pointedly raised his axe to show he had one more attack.
Even now, he had only used half of his full power. Molon himself didn’t know what a blow with his full strength would look like. But just now, he had used quite a lot of his strength in that last swing of his axe.
Would Hamel be able to hold on? Could it be that he would end up killing Hamel with his own hands? For a moment, such thoughts filled Molon’s head.
Eugene noticed the hesitation rising in Molon’s eyes. But such consideration only annoyed him.
As he poured mana into the flickering layers of the Empty Sword, Eugene shouted, “Do it, you bastard!”
Cracrack, cracracrackle!
Cracks appeared all throughout the Empty Sword, but the light of the Holy Sword and the newly infused flames of mana filled those cracks. Eugene was attempting to add one more layer. He had tried to reach five layers before. This would be his first attempt at doing so.
Yet he didn’t even consider the possibility of failure. Four layers alone wouldn’t be able to withstand Molon’s strength. In his current situation, where he couldn’t use Ignition or Prominence, Eugene needed to increase the level of his Empty Sword if he wanted to be able to resist that axe.
Fortunately, he succeeded. Within the five-layered Empty Sword, things like flames or lightning could no longer be seen. Instead, it just looked like a black lump that was extending from the hilt of his sword. Even Eugene himself couldn’t estimate just how much power was now resting within his hands.
He saw Molon swing his axe.
In that instant, Eugene knew that this sword might be able to kill Molon. But if he simply collided with Molon’s axe like this, his current strength would just be equalized by Molon’s own. However, that still left Molon with enough strength to spare.
In that case, what should he do? If, at that moment, they were still evenly matched, then Eugene just needed to come up with some desperate measures within the next instant.
And he needed to do it before Molon could draw out even more of his strength.
In the instant of their head-on collision, the powerful forces in their hands would clash, cancel each other out, and then disappear. Eugene couldn’t allow their confrontation to end at that. He needed to somehow break through Molon’s flow of force.
This wasn’t just a prediction or prophecy but instead, a divine revelation. There was an eruption of divinity inside Eugene’s head as these thoughts appeared, and for a moment, his golden eyes were flooded with divine energy.
However, Eugene rejected these thoughts. Killing Molon? What kind of crazy—?
Eugene snorted in dismissal at the intuition that sprang into his head as he swung the divine sword.
There wasn’t any commotion this time either.
But now, the entire mountain range had disappeared. In any case, this wasn’t reality, and the mountain range would just be reconstructed once more. Eugene and Molon stared at each other across this completely empty dimension. Molon blinked his eyes in surprise as he slowly lowered his axe.
“Hah…,” a small gasp of shock fell from Molon’s lips.
The upper part of his giant axe… appeared to have been cleanly sliced off. Only a palm-sized chunk of the blade at the very most had been lost, but Molon still couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“I took all five blows,” Eugene said, gasping for breath as he lowered the Holy Sword.
He wasn’t able to maintain the five-layered Empty Sword for any longer. Eugene sucked the dying flames back into the universe of his White Flame Formula, then unclenched the hands that had been holding on to the sword’s hilt.
Naturally, his palms were drenched in blood, and several of his fingers were broken.
Gaaghk, ptew.
Spitting out the blood that had collected in his mouth, Eugene looked back up at Molon.
“I thought about sending the head of your axe flying… or even splitting the whole blade into two,” Eugene admitted. “But I felt you would be angry if I did that, so I only cut off the tip.”
Molon’s axe was extremely large. Even though a palm-sized piece had been lost, his axe could still be used without any problems.
But to think that Eugene had actually been able to slice through Molon’s axe. What had even made it possible was the intuition that had popped into Eugene’s mind right before the moment of collision and the thoughts that had been brought by an explosion of his divinity. Eugene furrowed his brow as he tapped his aching head with the back of his hand.
“Hah… haha,” Molon let out a trickle of laughter as he lowered his axe.
Then he blinked and turned to stare at Eugene.
Eugene frowned, “What are you looking at, bast—”
“I lost!” Molon suddenly let out a loud roar. Only to follow it with another booming shout, “I lost!”
Molon raised both arms into the air and shouted a third time, “I, Molon Ruhr! Lost my match with Hamel Dynas! With Eugene Lionheart!”
Molon didn’t feel even a speck of shame at doing so. Instead, his shouts were filled with pride.
Eugene secretly buried the regretful thought that popped into his head right at that moment, ‘...I should have gotten him to shout those words in the capital of his kingdom.’
Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts