chapter 751: hero versus the system of cannon fodders [part 2]

the sound of two weapons clashing reverberated in the darkness of the night, with only the moon bearing witness to a duel that seemed to be long overdue.
roland's body moved on its own, as if possessed, attacking thirteen with wanton abandon.
his handsome face was now contorted with rage, and he no longer cared that he was fighting against the same person who had taught him many things.
zion was his rival and his mentor, as well as the greatest bane of his existence.
everything revolved around him.
ever since roland met him, his life had gone through many changes. most of it was good because he had become stronger than he was in the past.
however, feelings he had never felt before also surfaced.
jealousy, humiliation, anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, and many other myriad of emotions he never thought possible.
even now, as he gave his all to smite his foe, the teenage boy's face remained calm. even though every collision between their weapons sent sparks flying in every direction, zion's face remained unchanged as if saying he had everything under his control.
this drove roland even crazier, and his attacks increased with intensity and strength.
truth be told, despite thirteen's calm look, the clash between him and the hero wasn't anywhere simple.
roland's strength had far exceeded the norm, which was normal when a hero tapped into the rawest emotions in his heart.
there had been a few instances when she had the urge to attack the flying sword that was mercilessly attacking him from an angle that was nearly impossible to defend against, which roland was purposely doing as he attacked the teenage boy from the front.
"naive? yes, i am naive!" roland roared in anger. "i'm not like you who treats people as tools! i'm not like you who toys with the feelings of others! do you know how i feel right now? do you know how joshua feels right now? you cornered both of us, and you forced us to make this choice!"
for the first time, thirteen's expression changed as a sneer appeared on his face. "forced the two of you to make a choice?" thirteen asked. "yes, i forced the two of you to make a choice. but, so what? in the end, both of you could have chosen to just lose with grace instead of attacking each other.
"fool, do you really think that i didn't know that you also thought about eliminating joshua so that you can get the points that he gained from killing those wanderers? do you really think i'm blind?"
roland's attack faltered for a bit, but he continued to attack after that brief moment of guilt.
"in the end, you chose not to attack joshua. that was your choice." thirteen parried roland's blow and even unleashed a kick that sent the hero skidding across the sand. "just like how you made your choice, joshua made his own. it just so happens that unlike you, he chose to take the initiative to win. that's all that matters."
thirteen did a backhand blow with his sword, sending the annoying flying sword that once again tried to attack him from behind tumbling away.
"fate is the hand of cards we've been dealt," thirteen stared at the hero, whose sword was now shining brightly. "choice is how we play the hand. but what if i tell you that some people don't have the right to make their own choices? regardless of the choice they made, the end result would still be the same."
"shut up!" roland swung his sword, and a blade of light flashed, momentarily lighting the darkness of the night.
the moment roland had swung his sword, thirteen had already jumped to the side, barely evading the attack.
even so, the force behind it sent sand flying in every direction, making the teenage boy tumble on the sand before righting himself back up.
thirteen then glanced at his left shoulder and saw a shallow cut that had started to bleed. however, he had no time to worry about such a thing because roland was once again upon him, his sword creating afterimages that threatened to cut everything in existence. thirteen felt as if he had been locked in place, unable to dodge the incoming sword strike.
roland's eyes were now shining brighter than ever, and it was clear that fate had once again played her hand, with the intention of ending the brat who kept on getting in her way.