Episode 22

The dead dragon’s body shattered. Its frame, made only of exposed bones, froze under Zeke’s magic and scattered into mist.

A dragon that was conveniently manipulated even after death. The pitiful end of a king that stood at the top of the ecosystem. At that sight he had already seen countless times, he could not help feeling sick.

“Tch, what a pain……”

A magic circle faintly illuminated his feet. A roar thundered through the ruins, where a suspicious atmosphere drifted. The dead dragon rose from the underworld as if to block his path.

(It really is persistent.)

From his experience so far, he could deal with a dragon without issue, even if it was his opponent. With Zeke’s potential, even if it were a dragon’s nest, he could likely scatter them single-handedly. —But if it revived endlessly, that was a different story.

There had been a similar situation on the Igza Plains in the past. He remembered struggling with wave after wave of monsters that kept springing up. At that time, he had gotten through it with a Unison Link that used the Lagias private soldiers, but……

The dead dragon raised its massive front leg high and tried to crush Zeke. He dodged it with minimal movement and leapt high.

A kick technique he brought down toward the dragon’s jaw—Moonlit Strike. As if returning the favor, he shattered its bones to pieces.

(Damn it, there’s no end to this.)

As if rewound, the shattered bones of the dead dragon returned to their original form. If the damage was minor, it recovered immediately, and if the damage was great enough to erase it, it was summoned again.

To overcome a system that could be called a perpetual machine, he needed to do something about the mechanism itself. But a large-scale technique in this sealed space would only be a risk. —Hiroto could no longer do anything reckless.

(And even if I ignore it and go deeper in, there might be the same mechanism there, huh……)

He had considered destroying the ruins themselves, but judging from the dead dragon before him, there was a possibility they would restore themselves in the same way. Then would going deeper just be a wasted effort? His thoughts would not settle.

(What do I do……)

The resummoned dead dragon opened its mouth wide. A mass of mana gathered around its mouth—it was about to release its breath. A large-scale technique in a sealed space that ignored the risks…… for the already-dead dragon, risk became a solid attack.

He would withdraw once with teleportation magic and get himself back in order. Thinking that, Zeke immediately constructed the spell, but…… for some reason, the dead dragon’s body shattered and collapsed. There was no sign of it reviving, and its hostility had dispersed.

As Zeke looked around, wondering what had happened, several people descended from the upper floor.

His attention had been taken by the battle, and he had overlooked their presence. The distinctive space filled with necromancy might have made his enemy detection more careless than usual. —For Hiroto, it was a fatal mistake.

(So the protagonist party shows up here. ……And Aaron’s even with them.)

He had thought they would eventually come here. But he had expected that would be much later, after everything was over and Zeke had vanished.

It felt too early if they had obtained information from Aktor, but they had probably reached this point through Aaron. ……Nine times out of ten, their objective was the same as in the original work.

“Why are you here……”

“You look as stupid as ever. Did you gain even a little strength, failure?”

He had thrown those words at Van with the nuance of being glad he seemed well, but just as expected, the automatic translation worked. Communication might already be impossible.

—Could fate really not be changed after all?

Van and the others had sensed the signs of battle and proceeded through the ruins while staying alert. The moment they drew near the battlefield, the battle suddenly ended, but there was an unexpected person there.

The noble at the center of the turmoil shaking the Kingdom of Diabalet, the one who had become the reason Van and the others aimed for the Hidden-World Ruins…… Zeke stood there calmly.

“We have business deeper inside.”

“What a coincidence. My objective is the deepest part as well.”

The space spreading underground within the ruins was filled with cold air. Most likely, Zeke had been fighting something until just moments ago.

A strange tension drifted through the air.

“I see. Then there should be no problem with going together. That would be more efficient, wouldn’t it?”

“As you likely know, Zeke-san, these ruins are not ordinary. So with us……”

Zeke did not respond to Selen and Ciel calling out to him. He did not avert his gaze and seemed to be probing the situation around them.

“The ruins’ defense system must have stopped because of Shupilad mana.”

“Do you think you have made me owe you? If you want to show off useless knowledge, do it elsewhere, old man.”

Zeke sneered mockingly. But he did not loosen the thread of caution. He continued directing hostility toward Van and the others.

“Your goal is the oldest necromancy. You came this far clinging to the worthless occult left by the Shupilad, didn’t you?”

“……I won’t deny it. Then why are you here? What exactly are you doing in a dark place like this?”

“Hah, are you trying to say it suits me as a Lagias? You have grown quite grand for a sickly, dying brat.”

Zeke let out a wicked chuckle. It sounded like a joke, but a clear rejection floated within it.

“You have no right to interfere with where I go or what I do, but…… I will not allow you to proceed any farther.”

Cold air raged. Killing intent swelled. The temperature inside the ruins dropped sharply and assaulted Van and the others. The distinctive space filled with necromancy had transformed into a world of ice sealed in bitter cold.

“……Why, Zeke? We should have no reason to fight.”

“Then why not tuck your tail and run? I have no hobby of chasing pitiful losers.”

“I can’t run away. For Grandpa’s sake too, I need to know the truth.”

“If you want to meet the Sword Saint, scatter here. Talk as much as you like in the afterlife.”

Zeke drew his sword.

He was often misjudged because of the existence of his absolute ice magic, but Zeke’s essence was sword and magic. He was a magic swordsman who possessed high ability in both. And precisely because Luke had watched Zeke since long ago, he understood. Zeke drawing his sword from the very beginning meant—he was serious.

“How sad. To you, am I the same as any random person around here? ……From my perspective, Zeke is special.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You mean ‘someone I absolutely want to kill,’ don’t you?”

“……Zeke-san. Is this really the only way now? You saved me. Was that a lie?”

“That might not be entirely wrong. I, we Lagias, are existences of falsehood.”

To deal with the freezing cold, Glanz used support magic on his allies. Their chilled bodies gradually began to gain heat.

“I will tell you again what I told you before. Do our voices no longer reach you?”

“I will give you the same words. I exist for myself.”

“……Zeke. This time I’ll save you. I’ll become your sun.”

“I see. Then die. That should prolong the life of Lagias. ……Only a little.”

Surging mana and pressure. It gave them the sensation of standing before a supernatural being. —And yet, for some reason, they felt as though sadness was contained within that violently overwhelming power. Because each of them somehow sensed that, it made them suffer even more.

“Zeke. Why won’t you tell me anything? Am I so unreliable?”

“You do not need to know anything. You can become some hero challenging the great villain Lagias.”

“What value is there in such a counterfeit thing? ……We’re friends. I think of you as my best friend. So why has it come to this? What is tormenting you?”

“It can’t be helped. This world was made that way. —Lagias is under a curse called a vow.”

Zeke clad himself in cold mana like armor. It became both absolute attack and defense. It was truly a spear and a shield.

Facing a battle style without openings and serious killing intent, Van and the others had no choice but to steel themselves.

“Everyone…… we’re fighting. We’ll win and seize the truth.”

“……Sleep for a while, Zeke.”

“It’s all right. I won’t let you be alone.”

“I will definitely heal you. So please endure it.”

“I……”

They readied their weapons and refined their mana. The pressure of the mana each of them released overlapped and echoed through the ruins. Even with the strength of this many people, would it still not reach this noble? Zeke’s mana grew even stronger.

“This is…… on par with Masfelt-san’s.”

Glanz was the only one present who knew Masfelt in his prime. Before that power, which reminded him of the former Sword Saint, all of his awareness tilted toward Zeke. —Including the tiny bit of caution he had kept until just before.

He had been constantly on guard since they had joined up. Eyes that saw through the essence without being misled by a clownish attitude or words. There was even a possibility that communication through the magic tool had been noticed. —Perhaps the title of Sage, the counterpart to the Sword Saint, was not just for show.

He had overcome countless brushes with death and deceived and buried enemies, but this group, led by Luke, was composed entirely of strong people. And the Sage was outstanding.

If his thoughts were read, his life would be taken in an instant. That was precisely why he could not fail. He absolutely could not fail. —But at the very end, an opening appeared. Because the Sage was strong, he could not ignore him. The next generation’s strongest, approaching the Sword Saint. Aaron’s dear friend.

“—Lightning Howl.”

A roar like the sky being cut apart echoed through the ruins.

Van and the others had taken an attack directly from outside their range of awareness. No matter how sturdy they were, receiving magic at this close range would not leave them unharmed. As proof, all of them stood frozen in paralysis. Only their eyes and mouths could move.

“M-My body’s numb, and I can’t move……”

“……My ears hurt.”

Van and the others grimaced.

Aaron walked past them as they were confused by the sudden attack. Aaron’s expression was not triumphant…… instead, cold sweat had formed on his face.

“That was close. Mister Wiseman. You alone did not let down your guard until the very end. ……It was a tightrope walk.”

“To think you used Zeke-san as a decoy. We were outmaneuvered.”

Perhaps because he had high resistance to magic, Glanz moved his neck and looked at Aaron. ……He was recovering faster than expected.

“Aaron-san. What on earth are you……?”

“It feels more powerful than the same spell from back then, though? You were holding back.”

“Lady Ciel. It would be better not to force yourself to move. And Miss Selen, you are correct.”

Aaron, Ciel, Selen, and Zeke had acted together during the farming village disappearance case.

The spell used against the farmers who had been turned into undead—Lightning Howl. Selen had likely pointed out the difference in ability, and she was exactly right.

Zeke had been somewhat wary of Ciel and Selen. He had never used clear words, but that was as usual. Even if Aaron did not know the reason, if his dear friend judged that way, then that was the answer.

In the battles along the way, and even in the battle against Pariaach, he had never used his full strength. That was because he had predicted that, someday, things would turn out this way with Ciel, Selen, and the others.

“……Explain. What is the meaning of this? There was no lie or falsehood in your words.”

“None. I intended to do this from the very beginning.”

He exchanged words with Luke, who had been in front, and moved away. His destination was Zeke, whose insolent attitude was unchanged from usual.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, my friend. How distant of you. I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to the party.”

“Should I invite you to a funeral festival instead? ……Are you an idiot? You should have just silently backed the winning horse.”

A small magic tool he had used during his days acting behind the scenes as part of the intelligence organization. Its effective range was short, but it was an expensive magic tool that allowed the wearer to communicate through thoughts.

Aaron gambled that Zeke would still have it even now. And he won that gamble. He somehow managed to communicate with Zeke without being exposed by the Sage and succeeded in deceiving them.

“I don’t need a horse. Because I will become your winning horse.”

“You are as insane as ever.”

Zeke let out a sigh. But for just an instant, Aaron felt as though a smile had appeared at the corner of his mouth. Just seeing that alone made taking action worthwhile.

“Now, go. You have business ahead, do you not?”

“……”

“They are strong. My magic will not last that long either. —I will hold them back here. You do not want them to die either, do you?”

Worse-mouthed than anyone and stronger than anything. And he hid a kindness he did not show outside. Aaron understood that Zeke avoided people’s deaths.

The ducal house’s dedicated knights and the farmers who died during the farming village disappearance case. Though Zeke had not said it aloud, he had been furious over their deaths. It was anger toward the mastermind, but what he could not forgive most of all was probably himself.

Lives he had allowed to die. His heart must have ached over whether there had been a way to save them.

“Good luck. Let us definitely meet again…… somewhere.”

This would probably be the end. Even with all of Aaron’s strength, a short time was the limit if he was to hold them back. Judging by Luke and the others, they were serious too. Unless he staked his life and fought, he would not be of any help to his friend.

Aaron found himself smiling wryly inwardly. Trying to deceive others even at a time like this might already be an occupational disease.

Zeke turned his back. There were no words. But that was fine. Zeke shone precisely because he continued moving forward.

“……”

Zeke ran toward the path leading underground. —At the very end, words slipped out.

“…………………………Don’t die.”

Zeke disappeared.

The final words had clearly reached Aaron’s ears. They had reached him.

“……That’s a tough one, my friend.”

He had taken too much time. The Sage began moving sooner than expected.

“Anti-Magic.”

“Angel Veil!”

Glanz analyzed and nullified the spell in that short time. The target of the spell was Ciel. By immediately using sacred arts, she recovered everyone, and they escaped the restraint.

“Damn it, Zeke’s going!”

“If the destination is fixed, we should be able to catch up enough!”

“…………Do you think I’ll let you? —Izosaar-style Court Swordsmanship: Roaring Thunder.”

Thunder roared. Red lightning crawled across the ground. Aaron, clad in red lightning, blocked them. —He would not let them go beyond this point, even if it killed him. To keep the promise with his friend.

“I shall face you with everything I have. Your journey reaches its finale here.”