I’m Here to End This Fight

Chapter 214: Black Dragon Hall (5)

A spacious interior.

Numerous people were seated around a large round table.

They called themselves the Circle.

With the imminent departure of the fifth-year members who were about to graduate, their numbers had dwindled to under ten.

Some of them frowned at the agenda for which they had been summoned.

“So… you’re saying he demanded a price to be recruited?”

The news came from Andres, the next chairman, who had personally attempted to recruit Yuri Holland.

It was a story that was more than enough to ruffle the feathers of the proud scions of prestigious families.

Among them, a few with particularly high self-esteem displayed open hostility.

“Insolent.”

“I heard he’s from the streets… No wonder he reeks of poverty.”

“Do we really need to go to such lengths to bring that guy into the Circle?”

Despite the grumbling of a few, Andres remained silent.

But someone else spoke in his stead.

“As we discussed last time, there is no better card to counter Gunther Ryder than Yuri Holland.”

Gunther Ryder.

Though officially a member of the Circle, he was regarded as an entity separate from it.

The mere fact that he bore the Ryder name allowed him to exert significant influence in this Cradle.

Even the Circle members were mindful of Gunther’s gaze.

In fact, the only reason Gunther joined the Circle was to suppress it under his influence.

Since Gunther’s arrival, the Circle and its members had been subdued, unable to assert themselves.

All they could do was wait anxiously for Gunther to graduate as soon as possible.

But then, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Gunther, who was believed to be unbeatable, was defeated.

And by none other than a mere first-year fledgling.

This signaled that Gunther’s influence was starting to waver.

For the Circle members who had been yearning to break free from Gunther, there was no better opportunity than this.

Thus, opinions converged on the idea of bringing Yuri Holland, who had defeated Gunther, into the Circle.

Of course, not everyone was readily in agreement.

As the group gathered once more, disagreements quietly resurfaced.

“To be honest, I’m skeptical. Yuri Holland is strong enough to defeat Gunther Ryder. Who’s to say he won’t just become another Gunther?”

In response to one member’s concern, Andres, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

“Given Yuri Holland’s disposition, that won’t happen.”

“Pardon?”

“The Yuri Holland I met… was a thorough materialist. That’s probably why he demanded a price for his recruitment.”

“I-Is that so?”

“People like Yuri Holland aren’t inclined to invest effort in expanding their influence. In fact, they’d find it bothersome. It doesn’t make them money and only entangles them in unnecessary troubles.”

“…….”

“So, he’s actually the perfect asset for us. As long as we present him with the right price, we can make full use of him.”

To Andres’ explanation, another added further detail.

“Moreover, the primary reason we must recruit Yuri Holland is… despite his skills, he hasn’t established any power base. As long as he lacks the overwhelming support and influence backing Gunther, Yuri Holland won’t become another Gunther.”

This explanation slightly eased the displeased expressions of the members.

So, someone shifted the topic.

“So, what’s the exact reason we’ve been called here?”

“To discuss what kind of compensation, and how much, we should offer to recruit Yuri Holland.”

“Couldn’t we just throw some points at him or something?”

Andres shook his head at the looks from the members that seemed to question why they had been summoned over such a trivial matter.

“Normally, that would have sufficed, but things have gotten a bit complicated.”

“……?”

“We’ve got competition.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not the only ones interested in recruiting Yuri Holland.”

“What? Oh, no…!”

In the Cradle, there were numerous groups formed among the cadets.

However, most of them were small gatherings with the primary purpose of socializing.

Only a few organizations wielded significant influence over the cadets within the Cradle.

Among them, there was only one group comparable to the Circle, one influential enough to make the chairman fret.

Andres nodded gravely.

“Bluebird is trying to take Yuri Holland.”

“What?! Why would they? Bluebird is just a private faction of the Hyun Family anyway, isn’t it? Why would they need Yuri Holland?”

“I don’t know the exact reason. But it seems Yulia Singh, who inherited Bluebird from Senior Fritz, is highly eager to recruit Yuri Holland.”

“Yulia Singh…?”

“And Yuri Holland has made it clear that he’ll side with whoever offers the higher price.”

“That bastard… He’s having a grand time now that he holds all the cards.”

“We’re the ones in need, after all. We must secure Yuri Holland before Gunther Ryder recovers and returns. So, let’s gather our thoughts. Does anyone have any good suggestions?”

At Andres’ question, murmurs spread across the room.

“…Points alone would indeed lack appeal.”

“Offering hidden information about the Cradle… Bluebird’s better at that, so that won’t work.”

“Hmm, it’s certainly a difficult problem.”

Sighs mixed with contemplation filled the air.

At that moment—

Knock, knock.

Someone tapped on the round table.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound, and there was Goetz, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

Despite being allowed to rest, Goetz had insisted on attending the meeting.

“I might know what Yuri Holland likes…”

Goetz, catching the eyes of those looking at him, gave a sly smile.

“Would you care to hear my thoughts?”

Goetz’s violet eyes, partially hidden by his slanted gaze, glimmered mischievously.

Yuri silently stared at the floating leg inside the crystal.

‘This is… definitely a human leg.’

The Black Dragon Chamber was filled with various byproducts that appeared to be from beasts.

But this was different.

The severed end, the bone and muscle.

Its appearance.

Anyone could tell this was a human leg.

‘…Why is there a human leg in the Black Dragon Chamber?’

Even though Yuri already knew the answer, he posed the question to himself.

A lone, severed leg.

And coincidentally, it was the right one.

‘The position… is roughly accurate.’

Even at a glance, it matched the size of ‘his’ prosthetic leg.

And above all, it was a rugged yet well-trained leg.

One could clearly see how much the leg’s owner had honed it through arduous training…

Yuri wondered if, in the future, his own leg might take on a similar appearance.

With that thought, Yuri muttered quietly.

“The Old Man’s… leg?”

He had heard it countless times before.

About Johan’s right leg, which was taken by the Sword Master during his second attempt, some dozen years ago.

There was no doubt that the leg before him was Johan’s.

It was unmistakable.

Yet, the leg’s condition was peculiar.

‘It’s… remarkably fresh, as if it was just severed.’

Though it wasn’t the most elegant expression, nothing else seemed to fit better.

After nearly sixteen years.

By now, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it had rotted away, leaving only bare bones, but Johan’s severed leg was astonishingly intact.

It was so intact, in fact, that even blood seemed visible, as if it had just been cut.

And the reason wasn’t hard to guess.

‘It’s because of this crystal.’

Some kind of special, sealed container with unknown properties had preserved Johan’s leg from decay.

Yuri murmured as he gazed at Johan’s leg.

“If I take that to the Old Man… could he reattach it?”

He could only take one item from this place.

If he chose to take that leg…

If he could restore Johan’s leg to its original state…

‘…Would the Old Man be happy?’

Yuri considered it from Johan’s perspective.

And it didn’t take long.

Creak—.

Yuri turned away.

His face showed a firm resolve.

‘The Old Man wouldn’t want me to bring that to him.’

If his own leg had been cut off by the Sword Master and someone returned it to him, he would have been delighted.

It would have spared him needless trouble.

But Johan was different.

‘The Old Man may be cranky, stubborn, and have a nasty temper.’

Yet, he was still a man of principles.

He wasn’t the type to throw away his pride for the sake of a goal, unlike Yuri.

To him, that leg represented his final goal, his destination, the identity he had to reclaim on his own.

If Yuri brought that to him… Johan would surely be furious.

‘Who do you think you are to trample on my pride?!… That’s what he’d say.’

That’s why he couldn’t touch that leg.

It was his way of protecting Johan’s pride.

Having reached that conclusion, Yuri walked away without hesitation.

He ascended to the second floor, where he sensed the presence that had called to him earlier.

“Was it you? The shy one?”

Among the three spiritual items, there was one whose presence faintly reached out to him, as if probing him.

The one Yuri had dubbed “the shy one” was a bright yellow fruit with two leaves attached.

“Hm…”

With his hands in his pockets, Yuri closely observed the plum-sized fruit.

Squeak—.

Then he turned and moved on to the next item.

The second spiritual item.

“Was it you, the one so fond of me?”

Among the three, this one was more enthusiastic, energetically announcing its presence to Yuri.

It was a white root resembling a human figure.

“……”

Yuri stared at it for a long time.

Then, he moved on again.

This time, he headed to the third floor.

Finally, Yuri stopped in front of the last spiritual item.

“It’s you.”

The third spiritual item.

This one emitted energy as if ordering him to come closer—a dark red orb.

Unlike plants, flowers, or fruits, it resembled a metallic object.

‘…Is it a pearl?’

It was smooth and shiny, with a reddish tint that made it seem somewhat ominous.

Yuri stared intently at it.

‘All three are spiritual items that want me. But I can only take one of them.’

Having examined all three spiritual items, Yuri had already decided which one he would take.

He recalled the numbers of the displays where the spiritual items were placed, put his hands back in his pockets, and started walking.

‘I still have some time left… Maybe I should take a look around?’

Since he had chosen his item faster than expected, about thirty minutes still remained.

There was no telling if an opportunity like this would ever come again in his lifetime.

So it seemed wise to explore the Black Dragon Chamber as thoroughly as possible.

Yuri moved quickly, examining as many items as he could and committing them to memory.

He started on the third floor and made his way back to the first floor, inspecting nearly everything along the way.

When he finally checked the hourglass, about five minutes remained.

‘It’s a shame, but I guess I’ll just have time to see one or two more.’

Yuri moved quickly to the next display.

And at that moment—

Thump—.

As he walked, he noticed his heart pounding strangely.

‘Huh… What’s this? A spiritual item?’

At first, he thought it was the pull of a spiritual item.

But it wasn’t.

This was entirely different from the sensation of being called by a spiritual item.

It was just bizarre… like his own heart was reacting.

Squeak—.

‘What’s in there, I wonder?’

Puzzled, Yuri stepped in front of the display.

And the moment he saw what was inside the crystal, his face twisted in shock.

“Wow…”

Inside the fairly large crystal was a person’s arm.

It was severed from the shoulder, with a tightly clenched fist, clearly belonging to a robust man.

“That Sword Master… What a nasty hobby.”

A leg, and now an arm.

What kind of person kept severed human body parts stashed in a treasure vault?

Just as Yuri was frowning and clicking his tongue—

‘…Huh?’

For a moment, Yuri wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Blink.

‘Wait…?’

But it seemed he hadn’t been mistaken.

‘Something’s…’

Yuri’s expression stiffened.

‘…changed position, hasn’t it?’

He wasn’t kidding; in the brief moment he blinked, the arm had shifted position slightly.

The severed arm, that is.

Blink—.

“…Huh?”

Blinking again, the arm’s position had changed once more.

Blink—.

The next time he blinked, even the posture had altered.

And finally.

Blink—.

When Yuri opened his eyes again.

“Hiccup!”

The severed arm had emerged from the crystal and was pointing its fist at Yuri.

Hiccup—.

Yuri, now pale with fright, could only hiccup repeatedly.

He broke into a cold sweat as he faced the fist now inches from his nose.

Hiccup—!

At that moment, the arm that had escaped the crystal moved.

Wiggle, wiggle—.

It was as if it was indicating that it had something to give him.

As though compelled, Yuri, trembling all over, extended his palm.

Sssrrr—.

And as if it had been waiting for this, the severed arm slowly unclenched its fist.

Yuri’s breath caught at the unbelievable sight unfolding before him.

“……?!”

The severed arm’s palm hovered over Yuri’s outstretched hand, just thirty centimeters apart.

Thud—.

The arm dropped something into Yuri’s palm.