Duel

As Ronan had hoped, the Iron Cavalry successfully brought back Belik, known as "Bloodfang." Belik was tied securely across the back of a cavalryman's horse, with bloodstains and bruises on his lips and forehead.

They brought Belik to the ground and forced him to kneel. However, the unconscious Belik couldn't stand on his own, so the cavalrymen supported him.

Ronan took the Starfall Katana from his bag and slowly walked to Belik. Ronan was bare-chested, holding the sheathed katana. The sweat on his body acted like olive oil, making his already well-defined muscles even more prominent. Daisy and the other women from the caravan, who were watching from a distance, couldn't help but blush slightly.

The other caravan members who hadn't left yet also gathered around when they noticed what was happening.

"Ah, it's Belik!"

"Commander Rodrit caught him!"

"That damned fellow, he's the one who killed my brother!"

"That's right, many people died because of him today, we should execute him immediately and avenge them!"

"We shouldn't let him off so easily, we should beat him half to death and then hang him here for the vultures to pick clean!"

Ignoring the caravan guards who were arguing intensely around him, Ronan turned to the Nord beside him and said, "Wake him up!"

The tall Nord strongman nodded, picked up a bucket of water, and walked over. He slapped Belik's face and then, as Belik groggily opened his eyes, poured the entire bucket of water over him. Stimulated by the cold water, Belik quickly regained consciousness.

Belik, now awake, looked around. Seeing the indignant caravan guards surrounding him, he knew his end had come.

He only remembered that he and a few trusted confidants were fleeing on horseback. After riding a considerable distance, just as he was about to rest and regroup, a squadron of cavalry suddenly charged out. They swiftly dealt with his remaining subordinates and knocked him unconscious with a single blow. He had considered resisting, but those cavalrymen were too strong; he never had a chance.

"Hurry up and kill me or torture me, but don't expect me to beg for mercy!" Belik spat out a mouthful of blood and said hatefully.

"You're not afraid?"

"I've killed many people over the years. Death is just death. Since I chose this path, this day was bound to come."

"Many of my brothers died because of you, and so did these people around here. They all want revenge."

"Everyone dies eventually, young man. To be so angry over something like this, to want to become strong, you still have a long way to go."

"Hmph, perhaps. Perhaps I will become numb over time, but right now, my rage is still boiling within me."

Ronan squatted down, staring intently into Belik's eyes. Belik, not to be outdone, stared back just as fiercely.

"You say you're not afraid of death? Old man, believe me, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead, but not quite dead! I can make small holes all over your body, then pour honey and cream into your wounds, and then put ants and other insects on you. They will crawl into your wounds for a taste of that honey.

Imagine them crawling all over you, constantly entering your body, gnawing at your flesh. You won't die, you won't even pass out, because I'll give you medicine to keep you constantly awake. I'll even hold your eyes open so you can watch your own body being eaten, slowly savoring the feeling of death!

I could also tie you to a stool, lock you in a completely dark room with no light at all, then make a small cut on your wrist, and use a funnel to continuously drip water into a basin. You'll think your wrist has been cut and your blood is dripping, waiting for death to come in lonely darkness, listening to the sound of dripping water. But in reality, your wrist won't be injured, and you won't be able to perceive time. You'll stay in this lonely darkness until you break!

Or perhaps I could strip you naked, pour the urine of a heat-struck female dog on your backside, and then throw you into a pack of male dogs that have been given aphrodisiacs, and see what they do to you! After that, maybe we could try horses and pigs."

"Stop talking!" Before Ronan could finish, Belik suddenly interrupted him loudly. Seeing the fear hidden in Belik's eyes as he panted heavily, a sinister smile spread across Ronan's lips.

"You're scared, Belik. It seems you're not as fearless as you claim, and you still have a long way to go!" It wasn't just Belik; all the caravan guards around had fallen silent. After hearing Ronan's description, their spines tingled, and a chill ran up from their heels. They all secretly resolved not to get on Ronan's bad side.

"You're a demon! Kill me quickly!" Seeing Belik, whose emotions were already difficult to control, Ronan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Standing up straight, he turned and drew a saber from the Kujit Iron Cavalryman's waist, throwing it in front of Belik and saying:

"But I won't do that, Belik. I'm not like you. Pick up your weapon, and I'll give you a chance to die like a warrior in battle. Untie him!"

The Kujit Iron Cavalryman behind Belik drew his saber and cut Belik's ropes at Ronan's command. Belik shook off the ropes, stood up, stretched, and picked up the saber from the ground.

"Aren't you afraid I might kill you?"

"Then it only proves I'm not that good!"

Belik said no more. After all, he was once a noble of the Eagle Kingdom. He swung the saber a few times to get used to it before gripping it with both hands and raising it high in a stance. Ronan also adopted a horse stance, his upper body slightly hunched, his left hand holding the scabbard at his side, and his right hand bent, loosely gripping the hilt, assuming an iaijutsu stance.

Belik roared and attacked first, lunging forward quickly and bringing his saber down from above. Ronan, striking after him, swiftly drew his sword and parried Belik's saber with an upward slash. Ronan's superior strength directly repelled Belik's saber. Belik's hands flew back, leaving his defenses wide open. Ronan didn't seize the opportunity to end his life, merely drawing a shallow cut across his chest.

"Is that all you've got, Belik? Or has years as a leader made you, an Eagle Kingdom man, forget how to use a saber?"

Belik didn't answer. He took two steps back, regained his footing, and attacked again. Ronan took a step back to dodge the sweeping saber and then kicked Belik's backside as he hesitated to regain his balance, sending him sprawling face-first.

Belik quickly got up and faced Ronan again, but his performance disappointed Ronan. Ronan had expected a bit of a challenge, but Belik had completely forgotten how to fight.

While parrying Belik's roaring saber slash, Ronan ducked and slid to the right. He tilted his katana, causing Belik's saber to slide forward along the blade.

Deflected!

Belik, unbalanced by the deflection, stumbled forward. Ronan seized the opportunity, gripped the katana with both hands, and placed it in front of Belik's abdomen. The sharp katana plunged directly into Belik's stomach. Ronan drew the blade with a slash, and Belik's intestines spilled out.

Watching Belik kneel, clutching his stomach and trying to stuff his intestines back in, Ronan slowly walked behind him, raised his katana high, and then brought it down heavily. Belik's head cleanly separated from his body.

"You are insignificant, utterly useless!"

Due to work commitments, I can only post one chapter today. I'll try my best to catch up tomorrow (︶.︶)