Chapter 258: Those who Kill Themselves

This was supposed to be updated on Wednesday, but about an hour before I posted the update, for some unknown reason, I was suddenly struck by vertigo and collapsed, so I wasn’t able to update…… I apologize for that. I think I might have been too concentrated and inadvertently disregarded my fatigue……

In addition, there have been three reviews since the last chapter and one in the chapter before that (Sorry about that. I was so busy before and after the update that I overlooked it), with a total of four new reviews. Thank you very much.

Also, the latest chapter of the manga has been updated at Comic Gardo. Please check it out as well.

Well then, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

With one knee on the ground, John Doe had been successfully paralyzed.

It doesn’t seem like he would be able to move at all.

He was also within my range.

Also, he had been afflicted with blindness.

[Seras.]

Putting some strength in my hand, I firmly placed my hand on her shoulder.

[Good work. I knew it was the right choice to bet on you.]

Gulping down, Seras cleared her throat.

With the battle over, her tension must have dissipated.

I also felt the tenseness in her shoulder relax slightly.

Kashak!

The visor part of Seras’ helm rose above her head.

Looking at her eyes, it seems like she could normally see now.

[——Yes. However, this is also according to your plan.]

[It was as I always told you. If there’s no one who could execute it, those plans would just be mere theory. This isn’t just my victory. This is our victory. You also did well, Pigimaru.]

[Pinyuuiii~~ ♪]

[……Now then.]

How about we check out some things here?

[It’s not like you were completely unable to talk there, right?]

[……Yeah.]

It seems like he’s willing to talk huh.

[I’ll ask you again. Are you John Doe?]

[Yeah.]

[Your ability to hide your presence, I suppose it isn’t working right now?]

[Yeah.]

[You have any magic tools on your body?]

[? No.]

[Do you think…… that you still have a chance to fight back?]

[……? No.]

I glanced towards Seras.

It seems like he isn’t lying.

[…………….., ———-I see. You can…… discern lies huh. That’s a con…… venient power.]

It seemed like he saw through it.

[I’m gonna make you be able to talk now…… and depending on your response, I might allow you to have a swift death.]

Saying those words, I turned my gaze towards the Sixth groaning in suffering.

[Else, you’ll be joining the lot over there.]

I deactivated

only on his head.

First things first……

[Where’s the Divine Beast?]

[……I had him on standby at a different———— forget it.]

He was about to say something, but stopped.

However, it doesn’t seem like the words he was about to say were anything important.

John Doe reiterated.

[……He is waiting in another location. If we accidentally lost the Divine Beast during battle, we wouldn’t have any choice but to retreat here……]

[Where is he?]

Surprisingly, John Doe honestly told me where he was.

However, he also said that he might not be there anymore.

[If I don’t show up within a designated time, I’ve instructed him to go to the Ninth. The designated time I’ve told him is only enough for when I wouldn’t have fought you, and had instead joined up with this group and returned to where he is……]

I checked the time.

If he was telling the truth, that means……

[It’s highly likely that he won’t be there anymore when we arrive huh.]

The Divine Beast had probably already left.

His destination——— would be towards where the Ninth is.

However…… What the heck is with this guy?

It’s as if he’s already given up on living……

It’s as if he’s ready to face his death.

[You sure…… are spitting things out huh.]

[I feel like spitting out other things.]

[ ? ]

[No good. I can’t hold it back anymore———-]

Saying those words, John Doe vomited.

Was it because of his wound?

Gehook!

At the same time, he vomited out blood.

[I know it…… you are “me” after all. You are going to kill me here. I don’t mind. I would be killed by myself…… not by anyone else, I would be killed by myself. It’s not a bad way to die. As for whether I find it amusing or not…… That would be difficult to say.]

[………………….]

This guy……

It seems like he sees “himself” in me.

I see———— He thinks “we’re the same” huh.

Indeed, I couldn’t help but feel that I have some similarities with this guy.

Like the fact that he’s thoroughly committed in acting like a mob.

[What you lot did to the Dragonewt soldiers…… Your deeds inflamed the people over there. That was a bad move for your group.]

[The true essence is different huh.]

[ ? ]

[As expected, everything———- is all because of you huh, King of Flies.]

[………………..]

[Because of you, the people of the Faraway Country have been able to fight this far. No matter how much you deny it, that’s the undeniable fact…… Even that Princess Knight over there couldn’t deny that fact……]

John Doe didn’t ask any questions.

Like, asking me why in the world I was siding with the Faraway Country.

Or perhaps, why is it that I’ve decided to use such a strategy in our battle earlier.

[Let me ask you just in case. Don’t you feel any remorse…… for what you did to the Shanathyris and the Dragonewt soldiers?]

[……You seem to be fixated with those Dark Elves. Anyhow, you were mistaken there. I just killed them like normal. We were still young back then, so you could say that they were quite lucky.]

[…………………….]

[As for the Dragonewt soldiers, I was just going along with Ferenoch and the others’ hobbies…… I wasn’t that interested in the “craftsmanship” they had done on the Dragonewt soldiers. After all———— there was no spontaneity in them. There were no hate that manifested between their trusting group, nor did anyone inclined towards suicide after reaching their limits upon mental suffering…… It was nothing more than a boring spectacle to inflame the emotions of the enemy…… worthless.]

Hearing his words, Seras looked puzzled.

The words John Doe had just said.

Before she could even get angry at him————

She wasn’t even able to understand what he’s saying.

……However, I understood.

This guy’s hobby, I mean.

[You’re one repulsive prick, you know that?]

[That’s right. That Princess Knight over there wouldn’t understand…… but I knew you would understand me, Fly King.]

[I don’t like how you’re acting like you saw through things though……]

Taking out my pocket watch again, I looked at it.

[I don’t have a lot of time to waste here. I’m going to make you spit it out———— I’m not talking about you vomiting your guts there.]

As I thought, John Doe was surprisingly straightforward with giving information.

So straightforward that it even feels anticlimactic.

It’s probably because he’s already prepared to die huh.

It wouldn’t matter whether I taunt or torture him.

This guy had already made up his mind.

He isn’t attached to living anymore.

He had accepted that he would die here.

It’s as if he’s saying that there is no way that he can survive with his opponent being “himself”.

Moreover, the wound he received earlier was deep.

With the amount of blood he’s lost and the way he looks, he wouldn’t be able to survive here.

It won’t be long before he dies.

John Doe himself knows this.

That’s why he’s acting like he could already see his future huh……

[It would be my pleasure. I’m somewhat disappointed that I didn’t get to enjoy the next reward from the Goddess…… but I’ve had enough fun. Moreover, if I die here, I won’t have to be bothered about your existence anymore. Even if I’m the one disappearing…… Well, this creepiness will also disappear.]

……How should I say this……

That comment of his just now……

It doesn’t seem like he had no sense of winning or losing.

However, no matter what I say to this guy now, it won’t resonate with his mind.

I can’t think of anything that would make him react.

In other words———— Things that could be considered as his “land mines”.

For example, yes…… just like how my uncle and aunt would be considered as mine.

I just couldn’t think of anything that would resonate with him.

However, as I was thinking about this……

[……,  ———–What?]

There were four things that I was curious about in the information I received.

The first was that John Doe had received orders from that sh*tty goddess to assassinate the Mad Emperor.

The second was that it was the Forbidden Race that that rotten goddess was targeting with their invasion.

The third one…… was surprisingly, John Doe is the half-brother of “Humanity’s Strongest”, Civit Gartland.

I was just plain surprised when I heard about this.

However, the fourth piece of information that John Doe mentioned was the first thing that actually caught my attention.

[Tomohiro Yasu?]

Yasu?

That guy was also here?

Yasu Tomohiro huh.

He was also on this battlefield.

One more chapter will be updated around midnight.

T/N: I was going to update this last night, but……