Alstein, who appeared without a clue as to when or where, bowed his head like an old man completely unprepared for combat.
Such a vulnerable sight.
That’s why I couldn’t move recklessly in this suspicious situation.
Feeling the crushing pressure on my whole body, I slowly recalled the sensation that lingered on my sword’s tip when I had just sliced Alstein.
It was definitely a familiar feeling.
Somewhere I had felt before—
Whoosh—in an instant, a gloomy wind brushed past my hair.
The wind of the spirit. It was flowing towards the fallen Ser and Laila. I hurriedly broadened my awareness to assess their conditions.
The roots of Yggdrasil wrapped around Laila were gradually decaying, and the light spirits pressing on Ser’s wounds were dimming.
Hiding my trembling breath, I performed the same first aid on them that I had done for Rubia.
Creak—frost froze, and within it, a warm flame bloomed. I wrapped it in feathers condensed with magical energy, sharpening my Blood Aura on top of it.
Watching the helplessly collapsed Ser and Rubia made my insides burn.
I was breathless, my head felt like it was about to explode with heat.
The rage that had reached its limit writhed as if it would burst out at any moment.
Even during this, Alstein continued to bow his head, waiting for our greeting.
After quite some time.
Drip—As the blood flowed down the torn skin of his hand and hit the floor.
“Ha ha, how embarrassing it is that you have no words to say.”
Alstein raised his head.
He still wore a kind smile.
“It’s truly been a long time, Cartia. Do you remember me?”
[I can never forget you, you bastard.]
Creek—a rough sound rang from the hilt of the sword that Cartia held.
[How could I forget the bastard I tore apart with my own hands?]
“Ha ha ha! I see you’re bringing up a rather distressing incident.”
[Distressing? Hey you, you fucking idiot. Don’t pretend to be cool. Don’t you remember? Crying and begging with tears and snot? It seems like you smashed your head into the ground so much back then that it’s still peeling off, couldn’t you have toned it down?]
“Hm, I thought it might make me appear a bit more seasoned, but does it look ugly? If so—”
Snap—
Alstein’s finger snapped.
At that moment, the dark light surrounding him flashed.
“What do you think of this form?”
He transformed into a dignified middle-aged appearance rather than the old man from before.
Though it wasn’t visible, I understood.
From the skeleton to muscle structure, organs, and exterior.
Including the heartbeat, everything perfectly became the appearance of a young man.
“I was the mercenary captain who took you in. Ha ha, this person has transcended the human form from the skeleton. Who would have predicted that such a magnificent person would perish so easily? That a mercenary captain would die at the hands of a goblin horde—who would have expected it? Ha… what a shame.”
Contrary to the content of his words, Alstein wore an amiable expression and merely laughed as he snapped his fingers again.
Snap—
With each snap.
“Cartia, do you remember this appearance? The form of your subordinate who died in your stead. Of course, you can’t remember the faces of the humans swarming like insects. There have been thousands of those who died in your place. Ha ha!”
Snap—
His appearance shifted.
“Hm, this is Frey. I’m sure you recognize this. This is your father. A wonderful man who faced a Manticore to protect his family. When he was crushed without a trace… Phew, my apologies.”
Snap—
Her appearance shifted.
“Ah, indeed, the female vocals are still a bit unfamiliar. But I tried quite hard. Look here, Cartia. This is the face of the woman who was your right hand. A human sharper than a blade, but she was dulled. They say love blinds human eyes, and I didn’t expect that to be true. Hmm, I remember the ending wasn’t pleasant. She was betrayed by the man she loved, right? While drugged, she was raped by dozens of men. I remember it clearly, I was one of them. Ha ha ha! Look at this. There’s a spot hidden between her breasts. And here. There’s another spot on the inner thigh.”
Snap—
Constantly changing.
“This form is, ah. The appearance of the child you failed to protect, right? You know? At that time, this little child was still alive. Slowly melting in the belly of a giant serpent. From inside there, cough, they cried, ‘Help me! Help me!’ How hot it must have been. How painful it must have been. Just thinking about it makes me tear up. However, if you had rescued that child back then, they would have witnessed their parents being eaten alive by the monsters. Is that a relief? After all, they preserved their innocence.”
Snap—
The memories of Cartia and Frey.
Snap—
The nightmares.
Snap—
One by one, he pulled them out.
Snap—
Continuously.
An old man, a girl, a boy, a beast, a monster, a woman, a man.
Alstein, who transformed into the appearances of those who were Cartia and Frey’s companions, and those connected to them.
Eventually.
Snap—!
He became a one-eyed man.
“When speaking of the past, I can’t omit this person. Not a challenger, yet surpassing one; not a master, yet transcending a master. A swordsman who knew no human limits and transcended everything. Who would have thought he would cut the world with that old sword? Even the goddess I serve was astonished. It was an incredibly rare sight. But what does that matter? He’s dead now.”
Luchi.
“What he sought was revenge. But can that truly be called revenge? He horrifically slaughtered the villagers who aided him within the trial of Erden. He ripped flesh, cracked bones, and burned them to death. But that’s not all. He even killed his own brother. In a most brutal manner. Yet, revenge? Ha ha ha! What kind of revenge is that? What is it meant for? It was merely a fit of rage. A venting of his frustration about his own incompetence. It couldn’t have been helped. He had achieved nothing but running away. Not a swordsman, not an adventurer, nothing. Just a worthless human being.”
The one-eyed man, Alstein’s gaze turned towards Rubia lying in the back.
“Well, still, that’s better than the goddess’s shell rolling around over there. Poor thing. To leave attachments to the world while forgetting its own purpose. Isn’t it funny? Did it think that because it wore a human form, it must be human? Just a tool.”
Alstein turned to me, smiling kindly.
“Of course, adversaries, beings like you and me are qualified for that. After all, we are.”
Not like those tools.
“Purely human.”
I could no longer hold back.
I decided I wouldn’t hold back any longer.
With a head that had gone cold from heat, I thought of only one thing.
To kill Alstein.
To achieve that, I planted my feet firmly.
Whether my sword would touch him or not.
It no longer mattered.
I would kill him.
No matter what, by any means necessary, I would kill him.
That was the only thought I had.
My body, once planted in place, reached Alstein in an instant. At the same time, his whole being was engulfed in dark light.
I swung Frey. Before even thinking about it, Frey had already swung. Whoosh—like before, cutting through the air, Frey merely scattered the dark light.
And once again.
It delivered a familiar sensation to my hand.
The sensation of cutting through dark light.
The sensation of slicing through an empty cloud.
The sensation of seemingly cutting through shadows.
I remembered.
It felt just like when I had cut through Kalt’s body.
I seized the faint clue that had only been blurry.
Recalling the past memories and sensations, I sharpened my claws.
Just then, as I was about to rip into flesh to spark my thirst.
Whoosh—Frey’s thoughts, which passed by me, clearly resonated. The expression of Frey, who followed me to take a place, vividly formed in my mind.
I halted my actions.
Correcting all the plans I had set in my head, I threw my body after them.
The crimson light emitted by Cartia’s sword swung. Like mine, the sword stirring the air soared towards the sky. Behind it, Frey’s sword sharply descended.
Alstein’s brow furrowed. His body, which had remained still until now, moved to evade Frey’s blade.
Cartia’s reasoning was correct.
Frey’s sword would reach Alstein.
Whether it was the presence of the Nameless One’s essence entwined within the soul, or whether Frey was simply different from the start, I didn’t know.
But the reasons didn’t matter.
What mattered was.
Frey’s sword would touch Alstein.
Thus, we could initiate our attack.
If Alstein attacked.
Then Frey’s sword and mine could also meet.
And if that happened.
We could kill him.
I lifted my head.
Grinding my teeth, I gripped the hilt of my sword as if I would shatter it.
And at that moment.
“Isn’t it just heartbreaking to trample on a newly sprouted hope? So, I won’t leave any leeway from the start. It would be foolish to reveal my trump card when everyone is about to perish.”
The black sun rose.
A dark light spread across the sky.
The massive maw of a beast loomed over the earth.
A wall as strong as a fortress surrounded Alstein, revealing a gigantic gate to Hell behind him.
But that wasn’t the end.
All the unique abilities and artifacts of all past masters rose around Alstein.
At the center of it all.
The corners of Alstein’s mouth, which had been smiling kindly, began to stretch as if they would tear.
“I heard you handle the Monster of the End, so I tried imitating it. Reviving the dead and devouring them one by one was quite nauseating, but as you can see, the effect is remarkable.”
In his mouth, bits of flesh were still stuck, some not yet swallowed.
