322 That's why it breaks.

I finished the first aid for Wolfe and joined the Lord. With a cool face, the Lord looked at the frightened people in the shelter from a distance.

"How is Wolfe?

"His body is badly damaged and he won't be awake for a while, but he's over the hump.

Well, thank you for your help.

Do you have any idea how much...

Well, you did him a favor, so that's an accomplishment, right? You're in a bit of a compromising position now that you're here, aren't you?

It wasn't long after I left that a group of undead came pouring in. But they were only low-grade demons created by necromancy. The Battler Army and additional forces were not able to break through.

There were some strange undead beasts, but they didn't seem to be a problem.

It's only an intermediate level at best. There's no way Battler Army and Dal'Agestia can defeat them, right?

"Lololololol ......

Oh, are you worried about your master? Ao has just contacted me, and I know he's okay.

Rollo!

Dar'agestia. The Skeleton Dragon of the Blue Demon Lord. It's a skeleton dragon owned by the Blue Demon Lord. Its huge size limits the places it can fight, but it's far superior to me in annihilation battles.

I'm more concerned about the fact that he's in love with the Lord rather than his own master. Considering the fact that the masters don't usually seem to get along well, I would have thought that this Daluagestia would be wary of the masters as well. .......

I'm not sure what to do. Bellard?

I'm of little use to you.

I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one for you. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work.

...... That was based on my judgment that the current Lord would instruct me to do so.

I've been in her service for a short time now, and she's become so much more human in her thinking. Duvvleoris, would you be willing to go back to Serendipity with Berrard as a ranger?

That's fine with me, but ......

This remote village was chosen by the people as a place of refuge. The ringleader of this time is a tricky opponent, as he has sent his enemy soldiers there with precision.

Among his men is the bastard of Yugra, a hero who could defeat even Wolfe. Considering the possibility that he is planning something else, leaving the Lord is...

I'm fine. If things go bad, I'll just abandon the humans and ride off on the Daluagestir.

"...... I see. That's a relief.

Isn't it you who should be more careful? Murscht ...... never thought he'd defeat even Wolfe .......

The man was already dead. He's not going to be around tomorrow.

The stench of death was already upon him. He had been wounded beyond saving and had accepted his eventual death.

Surely, at this moment, he was pouring everything he had into that man. Considering the Lord, perhaps it was best to stall him rather than save Wolfe.

But in that case, I would have been defeated. I would have appeared before the human as well, only a little later, with only a few more wounds on Mursht.

You are quite frightened, aren't you?

"I'm not frightened. I was just a little ...... jealous.

If I had been able to penetrate the power of will as well as Mursht, I would not have lost to the Iliad at the Tarz. Or perhaps I wouldn't have even had my Lord killed by Yugra in the Mejis demon world in the first place.

The talent to prove strength of will, I thought it was better than any other peculiarity I had. So this trembling is anger at myself for not having it, and envy of Mursht.

"Well, isn't that nice? You can still grow if you want to.

"...... if that's what you want.

That man is probably facing that monster of will right now. If you're dealing with a monster like that, you should be at least a little worried, but ...... strangely enough, I'm convinced that he can handle it.

This is probably because of the face of that person I saw before we broke up. I have a feeling that that person had accepted the end of Mursht long ago.

I'm not sure.

I arrived at the side guard tower, out of breath. The outer door has already been breached, and the stench of undead rot and gore mingles in the air around us.

No, this is not how I want this to end. We can't let this happen. No, there's no need to rush. I've placed undead inside the side towers as well. Not the ones I trained to attack on smell, but the humanoids that simply attack people.

As long as they brought the scent bag, it's a fact that he and his friends got in here. But that doesn't mean that your brother is in danger.

Yes, ...... that can't be true. ......! I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that.

There is someone who visited this place after the demon seal was destroyed. It's likely that Mix-Thayes broke in here and cleaned out the undead.

If so, why is the door broken? Rather than destroying the lock, the door was thoroughly destroyed as if a giant beast had entered?

No! No, no, no!

Shake your head violently and try not to think about anything else . They can't harm your brother. They must have already rescued him, or they still have him in that room.

Yes, in the room ahead, in this room, whether he's there or not...

"Brother...

The door is broken down. There's a moving shadow behind it. You can tell by their huge bodies that they're my children. Several of them have entered the room and are devouring something.

"No, no, no, move, move, move!

I took out my clay flute and tried to play a command to get out of the way, but my fingers and mouth were shaking and I couldn't make a sound. But his fingers and mouth trembled and he could not make a sound.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Please, stop that movement! It could still be alive!

Bite my fingers and force them to stop shaking. The taste of blood calmed the trembling in my mouth somewhat. Inhale hard and blow the flute at once. When they heard the sound of the whistle, they raised their heads and walked out of the room, ignoring me, and went away.

"...... Oh.

There was something there. There was something soft and red, and something hard and white. There was a mixture of red soft things and white hard looking things with shredded cloth as if to decorate them.

Thank God, there's no one here. There's no one here. Then what is it? Who does it belong to? No, no, no, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother, that's not my brother. I'm not sure what to do with it.

◇.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bit of trouble with the whole thing.

I don't think you have the right to think that ...... is a terrible thing.

He picked up Princess Hilmera and left the side tower. He knocked several times on the door of the nearby hut where the servants' tools were kept, and had it unlocked from the inside.

"Hillemera!

She's not dead, sir. She's not dead, but what she saw was a bit shocking, and she won't be awake for a while. ......

I'm not dead, but what I saw was so shocking that I don't think I'll be awake for a while.

My friend's instructions were to make Princess Hilmera believe that Lord Washekht was dead.

I first retrieved the scent bag from this side tower and rescued Lord Washekht. I had him wash up in the facilities inside the tower and change into servant's clothes that had the scent of the scent bag on them.

After that, we evacuated him to this storeroom and gave the scent bag to his friend.

I then covered the male undead in the guard tower with Lord Washekht's clothes and accessories and bound him in place of Lord Washekht.

Since I was able to use magic at this point, I was able to open the door and let the smell of Lord Washect's perfume spread outside with wind magic, which saved me a lot of trouble.

As soon as I saw that the beast undead had entered the side tower and was rampaging in the room where Lord Washect was, I immediately joined my friend. Acting as if he had been with her from the beginning, he led Princess Hilmera to the side tower.

Her friend told her to leave her alone until she tried to confirm the authenticity of the corpse, but Princess Hilmera watched the scene for a long time with indifference. Even if this was false, I didn't want to see any more cruel scenes of sibling bonding, so I decided to stun her.

Unless I broke Princess Hilmera's heart, this tragedy would be repeated again and again. This is the only way to stop her, your friend said, other than killing her.

Losing the most precious person in the world because of you. Until she experiences that horror, she won't be willing to make any sacrifice.

"I'm sorry, ...... Hilmera.......

I told Lord Washekht of my plan. At first he was opposed and said he would try to persuade him, but when he saw the letter his friend had prepared in anticipation, he had no choice but to accept it.

The letter simply said, "If you cooperate with us, we will make sure that Hilmera lives. If you do not, we will not help you in any way to keep her alive.

Even if Lord Washekht was able to convince Princess Hilmera, he could not think of a way to protect her afterwards.

Don't get too sentimental later. Now that the Demon Seal has been destroyed and there is more room for maneuver, Lord Nuhusa will probably move quickly to rectify the situation. It's possible that he's already contacted Mejis and called for backup. I'm sure there will be people here soon.

"...... Yeah. I'm sorry for everything .......

No, no, no, I've overlooked sinners in connection with your friend more than once.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. I will gladly accompany you through this kind of recklessness.

However, I am more concerned about the safety of your friend and Lord Ratzel. When I joined you, your friend signaled without the slightest hesitation that he was fine. ...... But looking at Lord Latzel's injuries, I don't think he'll be fine.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do it," he said, "but he really meant it. It's really a person who makes my heart ache every time I believe in him. ...... I only wish he would fix that. ......

I'm not sure what to say.

The reason why I have come to find fragility beautiful is probably because I am more robust than others.

All living things are fragile and fragile, and I felt it was a miracle that they kept their shape. I didn't fall in love with anyone, thanks to the people who treated me like a monster.

My parents thought it was weird that I didn't cry when I fell. They looked at me with disgust when I got up after falling from a high place without a care in the world. When the blade they used to stab me in the stomach broke, they threw me in the basement and pretended I didn't exist.

About a month later, my parents abandoned the house and a new person came to live there. I guess I was lucky that the newcomer, who didn't know what was going on, thought that an orphan had moved in without permission and just kicked me out. I was hungry and a little uptight at the time.

Even though I was hungry, injured, and shivering from the cold, it didn't destroy me. This allowed me to look at people with more freedom than anyone else.

I loved to observe people. I loved observing people because the more I looked at their complex shapes, which were a mixture of ugliness and beauty, the more I could feel their depth.

However, the more I looked at and compared many people, the more I became biased in my tastes. I lost interest in similar forms, preferring to look at people with more individualistic minds.

Master Hilmera was one of those people who helped me decide how to live my life. Even at a young age, she was willing to give her all, and I longed to be devoted to her.

To give my all for someone with a fragile and beautiful heart. It's the only thing that makes sense for me to exist.

"Huh?

"Haha, haha, haha ......!

He thrusts his sword into the ground and braces himself. The air taken in by the ragged breathing presses on the wound from inside the body. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing and how you're doing it.

Mursht's last strike, the speed of which was still in the realm of divine speed, but the weight of the sword was already gone. He had only regained the strength to step, but he no longer had the strength to maintain his body.

So my sword reached him. The light went out of Mursht's eyes, and his body collapsed to the ground.

He was strong. If he hadn't taken away Mursht's strength of will, I would have lost for sure. That's how strong Mursht was.

I didn't feel as frustrated by the difference in strength as I had in the past. I was not allowed to lament my lack of strength. This was because Mursht's strength of will was so overwhelming.

Whether it was his talent as a bastard, or his strength of will as a hero, Murscht's own strength was real, and it was Murscht's own power.

"Ilias!

I turned at the sound of his voice and saw him rushing towards me. He continued to believe in me and watch over me as I fought, but when he looked at me with that worried look on his face, it made me feel somewhat happy.

It's not okay ......, but it's okay. Thanks to you, we're going to win--

Behind you! It's not over yet!

No sooner had I turned around than someone grabbed me by the face and slammed me to the ground. Through the fingers of the hand covering my face, I could see Murscht, who was supposed to be dead.

There was no sign of the living. Even now, looking down at me, there was no life in his eyes. It was as if a corpse was really moving.

I was barely conscious, but in a completely relaxed state, I was slammed in the back of the head. My bodily functions were completely paralyzed, and I was unable to respond in any way.

He straddled me and began to choke me with his arms.

"But ...... ah ......!

I'm not going to say ...... you let your guard down. ....... I think I was actually dead earlier. ......

I try to pull Mursht's arm away with my barely moving hands, but the force feels stronger than ever. No, if that were the case, my neck would have been easily broken. That's how weak my body is right now.

I'll be glad to. ......

I'm happy to ...... do it. ....... This is really the last ...... time I'm going to ...... you, and then I'll ...... be empty. But I'm still--

As if to interrupt Mursht's words, warm blood splashed from his chest. The blade of my sword pierced through Murscht's body, right in front of my eyes.

His body collapses and falls on top of me, mirroring the image of him standing there. Tears were flowing from his eyes.

He had picked up the sword I had dropped and stabbed Mursht without the slightest hesitation. He had sent people to their deaths indirectly, but he had never killed anyone directly with his hands.

"Now ...... are you satisfied with this? Mursht! You've got to be kidding me! Oh, crap!

He cried, screaming at Mursht. He cries and screams at Murscht. I can't feel his heartbeat as he covers my body. And yet--

You thought ...... this world was special, you thought ...... this world was different, you thought ....... It's the same ......, the world you were in and the world we're in .......

"What?

Murscht hissed. His lungs had already been slashed, and he should not even be able to breathe. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

'No, no, no! I'm sure you've figured it out by now!

That's a lie ....... ....... The feel of it in your hand ...... is the real thing ....... I can no longer see ...... your eyes, but I can certainly feel ...... what's inside your heart ...... breaking... .... The only person who can break you is ...... the one who really loves you. ......

You can see that the words left behind by the dying are eating away at his heart. But he can't stop it. He has come to understand that these words are the truth for him, that they are at the core of Mursht's will.

I could break ...... you. ....... I could destroy ...... your illusions, your dreams of this world: ....... Yeah ...... satisfaction ...... is ....... Hahaha ...... sorry ...... hey ......

I could feel something inside Mursht snapped. His mouth smelled of blood instead of breath, and he could feel the warmth of what had been his lungs and heart pouring out of the wound through his armor.

There was no more movement. What's on me now is just a corpse. A human corpse, no different from any other.

I wonder if it's because he's crying silently. I couldn't move this body until someone else came to this place. I just kept listening to his sobs and feeling the coldness of Mursht's corpse.