However, when I asked him about it, Yasu was apparently in no condition to fight.
“We threw him away somewhere”, or so John Doe said.
He also said that he may even be dead already.
In that case……
I don’t think we really need to deal with him now huh.
That’s right.
I already got most of what I wanted to hear.
I took a glance at the 6th Cavalry suffering on the ground.
These guys were dealt with already.
However, I still have the feeling that John Doe is dangerous.
If I don’t take care of him when there’s a chance, he could become a major obstacle on my path.
[It’s time, John Doe.]
He still hardly had any reaction to his death nor his suffering.
Looking at him like this, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
Seeing his reaction to his situation……
I couldn’t help but feel like he’s telling me “Serves me right”.
Well…… I guess it’s no use getting hung up on whether I’m happy or unhappy here.
That’s when it happened.
It was just a bit.
However, John Doe’s lips slackened up a bit.
[Even so———- I see now.]
[ ? ]
[I’ve only heard that you had defeated Civit Gartland. However, the fact that you were able to go toe-to-toe with me means…… I can assume that Seras Ashrain has now reached that realm.]
[ ? ]
[ ? ]
Confusion could be seen on our faces.
Seeing our confusion, even John Doe looked like he was quite confused.
[Come to think of it…… You did say that Civit was your brother huh.]
[……Half-brother. And the secret of that supposedly inexplicable strength of his…… lies with our Mother. The Einherjar family. The secret of his and my strength lies within the “blood” flowing in our veins. That is why Civit is my equal————- No, I may even be at an advantage over him for having my ability to erase myself from the recognition of others. …………., ———–What is it, Princess Knight?]
[———-No, that is…… ummm…… I think you were wrong.]
[……………………………….What are you saying?]
Seras glanced at me once.
Then, she turns back towards John Doe.
[We indeed faced Civit Gartland with his Five Dragon Warriors…… However, it was Milord’s measures that have made up for the enormous difference in fighting ability, gaining us victory. It was then that I saw it…… I felt it first hand———– the strength of “Humanity’s Strongest”.]
[………………………]
[I had thought then…… that if I became stronger, I could close the gap with Civit Gartland. In fact…… I think I was much stronger than I was then. However……]
Looking a little vexed, Seras put her hand on her chest.
[I feel like the stronger I get———– the further away I feel from him.]
Yes.
That’s also what I feel.
Civit——— is too far away.
I thought that as I got stronger, the gap between us would decrease.
But the stronger I got, the more I realized just how abnormal his strength was.
Sometimes, before I get to sleep, I suddenly think to myself.
“How the heck did I win against him?”
The more I grew, the stronger that feeling became.
I don’t think of it that much when I had just beat Civit.
Perhaps, it may be the same with Seras.
The stronger we got……
The more we understand how “abnormal” his strength was.
The more prominent his abnormality was within our minds.
[And so…… in terms of strength, you and Civit Gartland…… I think it wasn’t in the same league.]
[ ! ]
At this moment……
It was the first time———- that John Doe’s expression warped.
[Indeed, you were fast…… However, as you may be aware of, your speed is still within the range that I could block. Once I got used to it, I was able to strike back. However……]
Seras bit her lip.
———–Frustration.
Even without speaking a word, I could feel her emotions.
[Even if I fight Civit in a melee battle…… I’m still not sure if I could block his strikes. I’m not even sure if I could catch his strike with my sword……]
[……Well, yeah. To be honest, if Civit had the same recognition inhibition ability as you…… The first time he showed up, with that one strike of his———–]
I’m not trying to deceive him or anything like that.
It was a definite fact.
It may be frustrating to say this……
[Seras wasn’t powerful enough to block his strike, and in our battle, I would have probably died.]
John Doe’s face distinctively scrunched up.
His expression was clearly showing.
His teeth clenched……
[In that case, what in the world is it———]
His eyes turned bloodshot.
[What in the world…… is the secret…… of Civit Gartland’s strength!?]
[That’s what I want to know.]
I see, this guy———-
He had never directly confronted Civit before.
He had never fought against him.
That’s why——— He didn’t even know exactly how strong he was.
John Doe believed that their mother was the secret to their strength.
Thus, he thought himself as “another strongest”.
He thought that if he put his mind to it, he could beat Civit.
Rather, he actually believed that he had an advantage because of his ability to disappear from the recognition of others.
Even though he is usually a mob and keeps a low profile……
He thinks that if he gets serious, he could achieve such a thing.
However, that was not the case at all.
His perception of the world———- has collapsed.
In fact, there was an unbridgeable gap between him and Civit.
Moreover, I realized it.
[………………….]
“What a warped guy he is”, or so I thought.
He doesn’t mind being killed by someone who is “just like himself”.
However, he can’t accept the fact that the secret of Civit’s strength is “incomprehensible”.
————Ahh, I see.
I think I understand a little bit now.
He isn’t afraid of “what he can understand”.
For John Doe, being that I’m apparently the same as him, I’m “someone he can understand”.
And so far, Civit had also been “someone he could understand”.
He knows the mystery of his origins.
He understood the secret of his strength.
That was what he thought.
However, at this moment……
All of a sudden, Civit mutated into an incomprehensibly “terrifying being”.
[If it’s not my Mother…… was it Father? Haahhh…… Haahhh…… H- However, that guy’s father…… According to Mother, he was an ordinary former noble…… His origins are also quite clear. I did some research on him before…… zheee, kheeekk…… That former noble’s lineage…… Kuhh…… T- There was no one with such abnormal strength…… In that case, seriously, what in the world———– Gehoook!?]
John Doe vomited out blood again.
His eyes rolled up, showing the white part of his eyes.
He’s close to dying huh.
From the corner of John Doe’s eyes———– blood began to flow out.
[We…… The both of us…… I thought…… we were equals——– Gehoook!? Gbfuukk…… Thinking I could kill him whenever I want……! M- Moreover…… Encountering another “me”…… Even the reason for my existence was shaken…… Gehook!? T- This is quite…… the end…… Gehoook! Gbfoook!]
Blood poured out of John Doe’s mouth.
Some of it became bubbles, his blood stuck out of the gaps between his teeth.
Now this is a spectacular sight.
He looked as if he was crying tears of blood……
[H- However…… Y- You…… Fly King is alright…… Gbfuu! I’ll take it! D- Dying because of myself…… Dying because of “suicide”…… is alright……! Gubwaahh!? H- However…… M- Me…… being unable…… to understand Civit! More than Fly King’s existence———- t- this feels even more repulsive! Gehoook!? I- I am…… h- hidden in the public…… just like the shadows…… the one who understands…… observes…… and enjoys everything in this world……! That I have adequate strength…… to consider myself the real strongest…… but such strength is hidden from others…… Guboohh! Ogehhh! T- The unknown stron…… gest…… That is…… my per…… fect…… lifestyle———-, ………………. ,————-Civit…… How…… strong…… are…… you…… really……, ——————, —————————]
That is when———– John Doe’s words stopped.
He was still on his knees.
Looking at the kneeling John Deo, Seras gulped.
[Milord…… What in the world is he……?]
It seems that Seras was unable to understand why is it that John Doe was so shaken.
I understood why that is.
However……
[He’s already dead. It would just be a waste of time to try understanding him. Well, for us……. Let’s just say that we were lucky that he isn’t on the same level as Civit.]
If John Doe really was as strong as Civit……
If his cognitive inhibition ability had been combined with Civit’s abnormal strength……
We would have probably lost.
[……Now then.]
According to the information I got from John Doe……
There is a good chance that the Divine Beast is already on the move to join up with the Ninth.
I looked towards the Sixth.
There are few of them that are still conscious.
More than half of them have fainted and turned pale from the pain of my poison……
However, those who are still conscious are frightened out of their wits.
Was it because they couldn’t believe that John Doe had been defeated or not?
Or perhaps, were they shocked that he had been cut down so easily?
[Well, going back to the previous topic…… You’re going to have to pay for what you’ve done……]
Niko——— The Dragon Light Army’s situation.
Liz———- Shanathyris’s situation.
It would be troubling if they think that I’ll just allow them to die so easily.
……That wouldn’t make me satisfied at all.
That’s why, pouring magic power into a sound ball, I gave the signal.
After a while, a group of Dragonewt soldiers and monsters arrived.
Slei, the liaison who had been waiting for us, was also mixed in with them.
The monsters were the forces in the left flank that Niko and her team had been separated from before they were attacked.
The rest are the Dragonewt soldiers who had scattered and escaped from harm.
After scattering, the Dragonewt soldiers headed towards the central flank one after another.
And along our way towards this place, we had joined up with them.
Well, I knew that we would run into them at some point.
[T- This is……]
Looking at the surrounding scene, one of the Dragonewt soldiers exclaimed.
The monsters seemed to be a bit creeped out by the sight.
Putting their reactions aside, I handed a hastily written letter to one of the giant wolves.
It’s a note that describes the information I had obtained and my future movements.
Other than Slei, the giant wolves are the fastest beings there are here.
Next, I told the giant wolf the route that they should head towards.
[Pipipipii! Pigiii–! Piiipiiipii!]
Pigimaru is taking care of communicating my message.
After the giant wolf ran off, I asked the nearby Dragonewt soldier.
[These are the 6th Cavalry that attacked you…… aren’t they?]
[Y- Yes…… It is as you say…… W- Was it really just the two of you that defeated all of them?]
[Were you feeling skeptical about it?]
[To be honest…… Y- Yes. Even so…… J- Just the two of you……]
[There are three of us though.]
[Pigii! ……Pii!? P- Pinyuiii~~……]
For a moment……
“That’s right, I’m here too!”
I felt like Pigimaru was saying something like that.
But immediately after……
“……Arehh!? H- However, I may have contributed very little to this victory~~……”
It turned into something like that.
[Idiot.]
I put my hand on him, as if I’m patting Pigimaru’s head.
[You’ve contributed enough.]
[Pii!? Pii…… Pinyuii~~♪]
[So, that item we talked about before——–, ……I suppose you brought it, right?]
[Y- Yes……]
I received the backpack carried by one of the Dragonewt soldiers.
Turning around……
Gahh!
I stomped on Ferenoch’s face.
[You know, this thing that I had these guys bring to me…… It’s actually the same string you used on Niko and the others. Of course, I also had them bring along the tools to sew it on……]
[ ! ]
[You understand what’s happening here, right? Yeah, that’s right————]
Looking at their reactions, I felt a sneer rise on my face.
[I was thinking of having you experience the same thing.]
Hearing my words seemed to have struck them with agony, but they also looked like they were trying to struggle themselves free.
[Ahh? What’s with that……? It’s okay for you to do this to others, but not if it was being done to you? Haahhh…… There’s always people like you, never thinking that they could also be on the receiving end of their own actions…….]
Seras silently looked on.
The Dragonewt soldiers and the monsters didn’t seem to be interfering either.
[Where I come from, the sinners, actions that are equivalent to the sins they’ve committed———— It’s not often that you get to do more than that in return. No matter what kind of heinous act they’ve committed…… It’s almost impossible to make them experience more pain than they inflicted on their victim. Personally acting upon revenge…… Vigilantism isn’t allowed. It’s a place where if you take revenge, the person who took revenge will be punished…… However, it’s different here. Even if the same thing happens to you here, no one would punish me. No one would say a thing about it.]
[Guhh…… Gogaahhh…… Gii giii……]
[The people stomped on by John Doe to inflame others…… and then, there’s John Doe’s corpse. In addition, I’ll mercifully kill a few of you…… and just like you did, I’m gonna sew them up on you. Their arms and legs, I mean.]
< Poison > had been set to < non-lethal >.
Thus, the poison won’t kill them.
They won’t die from it.
However, if other factors are added, they would die.
[If you’re unlucky enough that you won’t die…… Sooner or later, maggots will start appearing…… and flies will begin to swarm around you. Maggots and flies…… Kuku, you get what’s happening, right?]
Standing above his body, I leaned forward and peered on Ferenoch’s face.
[I will have “my children” take good care of you all.]
[Gaahhh…… Guhhh…… Sto…… Kill…… me……]
[No, you won’t be getting away easily here——— I will not be killing you.]
Raising my upper body back up, I turned behind me.
[However…… Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of time to do that right now. That’s why I asked these avengers to come. The comrades of the Dragonewts to which you did such things.]
[…………………]
I had told these Dragonewt soldiers and monsters that the enemy would pay for what they did.
That I will give them the opportunity to fire back at them.
However, these Dragonewt soldiers are standing still right now……
I couldn’t feel the intense vengeance and hatred I had initially felt.
I think that they changed their minds when they saw this scene.
And perhaps…… They had thought about the horrible acts that were done to Niko and the others.
They are now facing the “reality” that they would be the ones doing such a thing.
Perhaps, their resolve has dulled.
[…………………….]
Well, I knew that this would be the case.
Getting on Slei’s body, I urged Seras to ride too.
Following my words, Seras mounted.
Turning my attention back to the surrounding Dragonewt soldiers, I asked.
[What would you do?]
[…………………!]
[You can do what they did to your comrade and avenge them…… or you can finish them off here. What would happen to them will not be my choice. It will be yours.]
Hearing my words, the Dragonewt soldiers looked at each other.
The monsters also started trembling.
Soon, they confirmed each other’s intentions.
[M- My apologies…… We’re extremely grateful for the arrangements you’ve made for us…… but as expected, doing such an act would be too much for us……]
[I see.]
Well, I knew it.
These guys are “normal”.
Gentle normal beings.
That’s why I thought this would happen.
[However, I’ll be leaving soon. The Sixth should continue to weaken from here, and my Sorcery won’t be broken until they do. However…… Just in case, I don’t want to leave you guys alone with them. If you feel uncomfortable killing them, I can finish them off myself.]
[……………………….No.]
The Dragonewt soldier that had been representing them earlier gripped his sword tightly.
[We couldn’t do the same thing that these people did…… but our feelings of being unable to forgive them are real. Moreover…… We can’t afford to depend on you even on that———- Everyone!]
The Dragonewt soldiers and monsters nodded back at his call.
And then————–
They started finishing off the 6th Cavalry.
With their own hands.
Without turning her gaze away, Seras also watched over that scene.
At that moment, the sound of rumbling thunder resounded.
Turning my attention towards the sky, I could see thick clouds hanging over the battlefield……
It seems like rain is about to come.
[……………………..]
I’m well aware that this is a wrong way of thinking.
However, this world……
There are some things———– that shouldn’t just be glossed over.
……However, well.
I struck my temple with the palm of my hand.
In a place like this……
[……I guess I still am a child.]
[ ? ]
[My bad. I’m just talking to myself.]
Suggesting that they are about to be subjected to the same thing that they did.
It should have had the effect of knocking just the Sixth into an emotional despair but……
With that in mind, I guess I’ll concede this time.
17:59 ——————- The 6th Cavalry has been annihilated.
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