Magic Caster of Destroy

Brain once saw the true meaning of power in the form of Shalltear Bloodfallen. So for a time, he had lost himself in depression and could not free himself.

Because he was overly confident and relied on the fact he was strong, when Shalltear smashed his confidence, he knew he was weak. The Brain who stood here now could admit that.

But Gazef was different.

“Ainz Ooal Gown must surely be a monster of the same caliber as Shal tear Bloodfallen. And Gazef chal enged him anyway.”

At that time, Gazef did not request the duel for a worthless reason like his own survival. The conviction he displayed was completely different from the way Brain had flailed his sword wildly at Shalltear while crying like a baby.

What on earth made him do that?

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you run?”

Forcing the words out was like coughing up blood.

“Why did you choose to die? Wouldn’t it have been fine to run from that monster? Wouldn’t it have been like conserving your strength? Why?! If you had to die, I wanted to go with you!”

If he couldn’t surpass Gazef, then he wanted to die with him.

Brain turned his vision to the weapon at his waist.

It was Razor’s Edge, which he was temporarily allowed to carry.

Brain drew Razor’s Edge, and activated the martial art.

“「Fourfold Slash of Light」.”

The technique Gazef used to defeat Brain in the martial tournament.

Four arcs of light cleaved the nearby railing to pieces. There was virtually no resistance and the blade flowed through the metal like it was water.

“You… like this… I admired you… I wanted to die with you. Why wouldn’t you let me fight by your side? Why didn’t you tell me that I could die with you!”

Brain covered his face.

His eyes were hot, but the tears did not flow.

At this moment, a steady sound of footsteps filtered into Brain’s ears. Only one person would come here.

“I heard that when men get older, the tears don’t flow any more. I guess that’s true.”

“I think the pain of losing someone precious to you has nothing to do with age.”

It was the hoarse voice he expected.

“…Forgive me, Climb-kun. In the end, I left everything to you.”

Brain rubbed his eyes, and sheathed his sword. Climb stood before him, a bizarre expression on his face.

“However…well, even if I was there, it would have been useless, right? Under these circumstances, nobody’s going to try and kil the King. Tell me, what happened after that?”

“Yes. Because Prince Barbro hasn’t returned until now, they decided to send out a search party for him.”

And because they couldn’t spare enough soldiers for this duty, they were planning to use adventurers instead.

“After that, there was the matter of ceding E-Rantel ― it was a unanimous decision. Al the nobles approved. Even the King agreed.”

Even the nobles of the Royal faction had approved.

During the demonic disturbance, the power of the royal faction had grown. Although this increase in power meant that they could mobilize the vast army they had sent to the Kattse Plains, it also meant that the grievous losses they suffered there would have massive consequences. And if they gave away E-Rantel, which was directly administered by the Crown, then the royal family would be the ones losing the most. This was probably done purely out of the desire to survive.

This time round, the royal faction had been severely weakened, while the noble faction had grown stronger.

What would all of this mean for the future?

He inadvertently glanced toward Climb, and saw his body shaking.

He wasn’t trembling in anger, but in fear. He must have remembered the horrific sights from back then, and his trembling was probably a sign that he was screaming internally. That absolute despair must still be coiling around his body and heart.

“…Even now, when I think about them, my body shakes uncontrollably.”

‘They’ must have been the inhumanly strong things at the battlefield.

In his memories, he saw Climb standing with him, against the Sorcerer King. Maybe he knew the answer, he thought.

“Hey, tell me something. Why did Gazef ask for the duel?”

Climb’s face was a picture of surprise. Just as he was wondering if he hadn’t spoken clearly, and was about to repeat himself, Climb answered him.

“This is just my personal opinion, is that all right?”

“Ah, well, it’s fine, go ahead.”

“…Could it be that he wanted to show it to us?”

“…Show what to us?”

“The power of the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. And then… he must have wanted to give us a future.”

“A future?”

“Yes. It was so that we’l have some tactics and information in case we have to do battle with him in future.”

That was a bolt from the blue.

It fit perfectly. Climb had the right answer.

That man had bet his life in order to squeeze out what little information he could for them. Although, he didn’t think that the Sorcerer King, as a magic caster, would wil ingly enter melee combat again without bodyguards by his side. Even so, he still staked his life on the miraculous, hope-against-hope possibility that it might happen again. Then, who would he entrust that opportunity to?