Chapter Seventy-Four
A relentless barrage rained down.
It definitely hit Amses directly.
I knew that, but…
“Damn it, who…”
Lying on the ground, face up, I muttered words completely at odds with the triumphant grin on my face.
Those muttered words weren’t directed at my fallen body. Nor were they directed at Amses, who was probably still alive.
They were directed at the one who had interrupted the fight.
A cloud of dust rose.
A roaring sound echoed.
Waiting for the chaos that had dominated the scene for a dozen seconds to subside, I said,
“…Ha. It’s been a while, hasn’t it… ‘Magician Hunter’…”
I couldn’t see him. But I instinctively knew that he was the one who had shot down some of the attacks aimed at Amses. Immediately after, I heard a sharp intake of breath. My guess was probably correct.
So, assuming that, I continued,
“So, did you find your answer?”
In the midst of the perilous battlefield, the words that escaped my trembling lips were far too casual. Despite being enemies, it was like a greeting to an acquaintance.
“…What answer?”
“The answer to your brother’s revenge, of course.”
I brought up the rambling, selfish nonsense I had thrown at Oliver, the ‘Magician Hunter,’ that night. It was just a guess, but I thought it might be related to the reason he was here. However.
“…What did you do to Alstead?”
The words that came back had nothing to do with the question I had asked. They were tinged with unconcealed rage.
“As you can see, I was just trying to interfere.”
My thoughts hadn’t changed at all. I swung my sword because I wanted to become stronger, and I stood in his way because I didn’t like what he was doing. Simple and clear, that was all.
Oliver, who had moved to a spot where I could barely see him, looked around. And finally, his gaze landed on me, sprawled out on the ground, gasping for breath.
The light reflecting off the blade in his hand seemed dazzlingly bright.
“…No, you’re unbelievable. You… you’re the only one… who’s unbelievable. You’re just a fool.”
I was insulted. I didn’t know what he meant. I didn’t understand why he had asked me what I had done to Amses. However, I was aware that the word “fool” suited me, so I chuckled weakly, as if agreeing with him.
And Oliver turned his back on me.
“…What’s the meaning of this, Alstead?”
Despite being allies, there was clear hostility in his voice. A feeling of hope, of prayer, as if wishing it wasn’t true. Although it wasn’t put into words, it seemed as if he was desperately hoping for this situation to be denied.
As another set of footsteps joined Oliver’s, I listened to their conversation.
“If you’re not going to kill him, would you mind… stepping aside, Oliver?”
He wasn’t completely unscathed. A flat, emotionless voice spoke, as if trying to reason with him. It was the kind of voice that would normally send chills down my spine.
I couldn’t tell the extent of his injuries, but I could sense that they weren’t light, judging from his slightly trembling voice.
“My question comes first…!! Answer me, Alstead!! What is the meaning of this!!?”
Oliver, staring at Amses with a desperate expression, continued to press him. I could easily imagine that he wouldn’t budge until he got an answer.
However, the words he wanted didn’t come. On the contrary.
“…Sigh. What are you doing, Oliver? Bernadette is still alive. And I went through the trouble of taking care of those troublesome people for you.”
What came back was a sigh of disappointment. Words of disillusionment.
He must have realized that it was pointless to try and hide it. There was no longer any meaning in further words. Indeed, the monsters Amses had summoned were still rampaging.
“…I… I heard that you were only killing those affiliated with the nobles. I agreed with your ideals, that those corrupt nobles had to be killed, so I helped you…!”
“I don’t remember lying. I have no doubt that those nobles must be killed. If I can achieve that, I don’t care what I have to give up. If I can achieve that, I don’t care what sacrifices I have to make.”
—Even if it meant using a friend and losing all trust.
His clouded eyes seemed to be filled with madness. However, although I couldn’t agree with his way of thinking, I understood his stance. That’s why I couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship.
However.
“Indeed, I think that’s true, as an ideal. If you’re trying to achieve something, resolve is necessary. But I can’t say I agree that the idea itself is correct.”
I was conscious. My arm barely moved, trembling even when I tried to exert force.
Other than that, I could move properly.
So, I slowly sat up, crossed my legs, and somehow managed to stand up with my unsteady body.
“…Relying on someone else’s will to guide your path is wrong in the first place.”
Both Amses and I were the same. We lived without any hesitation in our actions. It didn’t matter if it seemed wrong to others. We simply followed the path we believed in.
Therefore, there was no room for persuasion. If they wouldn’t accept it, there was no other way than to suppress them by force.
“Especially if you don’t want to have any regrets.”
That’s why, even though I hadn’t gained anyone’s sympathy, I was stubbornly following the path I believed in. Because I didn’t want to have any regrets. Because I believed it was the right thing to do.
Therefore.
“So, if you consider me an obstacle, come at me. I’ll break through that wall.”
I told them not to hold back. Did they really not understand my way of thinking, even now, when I was clearly exhausted, struggling even to stand up? Oliver looked perplexed.
But even so, he managed to squeeze out some words. He spoke to me, as I looked down, my back turned to him.
“…Why…”
It was a voice filled with conflict.
“Why can you be like that? If this continues, you’ll definitely die.”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t you… want to live…?”
Oliver had committed the act of ‘Magician Hunting,’ but he was said to be a pacifist. If that was true, he probably wouldn’t accept my way of thinking. It was too far removed from peace. Fundamentally different.
“…”
Hearing his scream-like question, I pressed my lips together. It was the same that night, and the first time we met. Oliver had been saying he didn’t want to kill me. That’s why he had told me not to interfere.
“…Let me correct what I said that night, ‘Magician Hunter.’ I called you foolish, but you’re just… clumsy.”
Even though I had interfered so much, he still refused to kill anyone other than his original target. That was far too different from the ‘Magician Hunter’ who had been causing such a stir.
I had never met him, but I could guess. His brother, who had been in the Knights Order, must have been a noble person.
“But I think I understand. I’m clumsy too. The kind of person who can only see one path once I believe it’s the right one.”
So, thinking that, I chanted “Sword Creation” in my heart and somehow managed to raise my trembling right arm, pointing the tip of the sword that appeared in my hand towards Oliver and Amses.
Me, Oliver, and Amses. All three of us were swordsmen. And all three of us had incompatible ideologies. Then, it was simple. In any era, only the victor could assert their will.
“Compared to your wishes, mine are incredibly selfish, but even so, I want to reach it. I want to prove it. So… please excuse me.”
The monsters Amses had brought were still rampaging. Lilea and Ryuuzas were dealing with them while keeping a close eye on us. The sounds of collapse and destruction. Screams mixed in.
And as a warm breeze caressed my skin, I stepped forward dramatically, stomping on the ground.
Then, I smiled.
I had to laugh in a situation like this. My body was nearing its limit. No, it had already reached its limit, but I told myself—I could still go on. By doing so, I somehow managed to suppress the danger signals from my body. There were two formidable opponents before me. Then, I shouldn’t be pessimistic, but rather, I should laugh.
It was a perfect situation. So, even if it was my own body, don’t get in the way…!!
“Now, let’s have a contest of wills!!”
If I lost, I would probably die. I understood that without having to be told. That’s why I would face them, betting everything I had.
“Just like how my circumstances have nothing to do with you, Amses, your circumstances have nothing to do with me!!”
I declared my utterly selfish words.
“So, allow me to say whatever I want—!!”
I was free to speak. Free to think. In the end, no matter what the outcome, as long as I could accept it, I could do whatever I pleased.
Even if it meant provoking them by revealing my true feelings, as someone who desired to fight, this was exactly what I wanted.
“You will become stepping stones for me to become a ‘Star Slayer’—!!”
Stepping stones for me to grasp the moment when I would one day slay all the stars twinkling in the night sky.
“Be torn apart,”
I swung down the arm I had forcefully raised, and chanted.
Tear everything apart—
“—‘Shooting Star’—!!!”
[Translator – Vine]
[Proofreader – Lust]
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