Chapter 389: Humanity’s Strongest

Chapter 389: Humanity’s Strongest

“You’re not supposed to kill me, dammit!”

“If you can’t survive this, you sure as hell ain’t beatin’ Gaspard, dammit!”

Tūs’ statement was heavy — and indeed, Asley understood it well, as had already gotten a taste of what Gaspard was capable of.

“C’mon, it’s just me at full power — shouldn’t be too hard to handle!”

“God damn, you’re unusually cooperative today.”

“It’s the least I could do in exchange for the hiding place... well, scratch that. It’s just my responsibility as your mentor.”

“If you say so. Whatever the case, I’ll say this one thing...”

“Yeah?”

“I appreciate it.”

Asley’s words caused Tūs’ face — and then whole body — to come to a stop.

“Gotcha!”

Asley did not let that moment go to waste.

“Hmph, not so fast! Inferno Lance!”

The zenith-level magic spell created a lance-shaped blast of fire and sent it flying toward Asley, burning the grass in its path.

Seeing Asley hop to the left to dodge it, Tūs cracked a grin.

“Magic Reflect & Remote Control!”

“What the hell!? You’re gonna try and reflect a zenith-level spell!?”

The reflection spell flew past the Inferno Lance that Asley had just dodged. Tūs proceeded to adjust its angle of reflection, aiming precisely at Asley’s back.

“Speed Up!”

The Inferno Lance flew even faster.

“ORA! Title Lock! Code: Eternal Fool!”

“Ngh!”

“Another one! Inferno Lance! Magic Reflect & Remote Control!”

“GAHHHHHH!”

The number of Inferno Lances chasing Asley increased to two...

“Speed Up!”

...And the second one also got its speed boosted.

The two lances adjusted their flying speeds, and then, when they were at exactly the same distance from Asley, they were reflected both in front and behind him.

As the fierce blasts approached from both sides, Asley braced himself.

“Damn it! I have no choice but to guard! HAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

He lowered his stance and swung the Drynium Rod in an arc, flicking up the Inferno Lance in front and knocking down the one behind him.

Smoke rose from his body, and his hands were blistered from burns.

“Inferno Lance.”

“–!?”

Considering just how ruthless Tūs’ pursuit was, Asley now understood that Tūs actually was trying to kill him.

It quite reminded him of the fights he had had with the Devilkin.

Up until now, none of his allies had ever directed so much hostility at him — because those were all either friendly competitions or simple tests of ability.

But this fight was a graduation exam — one to prove his readiness to face Gaspard. If Asley were to fail to overcome this, then he would most likely be defeated and killed by the Devilkin.

Tūs knew that, and that was exactly why he actually was going for the kill.

“Hell Stamp! Fullspark Rain! Sancta Boundary! Quad Dragon! Ice Barrage! Holy World! Grand Inferno! Beheading Vortex! Lightning Call! Venom Fire! Absolute Zero! Meteorain! Garnet Hell! Diamond Cutlass! Rock Blast! Sharp Wind Asteriskos! Gatling Lightning! Icicle Shot! Vortex Wing! And that’s not everything yet!!”

Tūs relentlessly cast his magic spells and magecraft, all of them at maximum power to aim for Asley’s life.

Asley, busy guarding, dodging, and deflecting the consecutive attacks, had not even a brief moment to rest his body — the body that suffered more cuts, burns, and frostbite with every passing second.

The people watching over Asley could not comprehend the speed and power he wielded while new attacks came at him immediately after the last.

And in Tūs, they saw seemingly unlimited arcane energy and sound judgment — the reasons he was known as a Philosopher.

“Ngh...!”

Even when Asley was down on his knees, Tūs did not stop attacking.

Lylia, unable to keep watching this, tried to step forward.

But then...

“Don’t do it, Lylia.”

...Pochi, the one who had spent the longest ever time with Asley as his Familiar, stopped her.

Pochi, who had been friends with Asley for over 800 years, looked at this situation differently from everyone else.

She was the only one looking at not only Asley’s back, but also his eyes.

“Just look at him — he’s having fun.”

Calling this a battle, in which both sides brought out everything they had, would be underselling it. It was not only a gambling of the participants’ lives, but of humanity’s survival itself.

While Tūs was laughing, his intent to kill was real. If Asley were to die here, humanity would have no chance at survival.

Tūs knew that, and of course, Asley was also aware.

Still, both of them aimed for the top, constantly walking, running, flying — anything to move themselves forward.

“OOOHHHHHH!!!!”

Asley roared.

Slowly, step by step, he was getting closer to Tūs, as if pulling them both together with a rope.

Closer and closer, in an attempt to surpass his mentor...

“DAHAHAHAHAHA!! I’M NOT DONE YET!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!! SAME HERE, YOU GIANT IDIOT!!”

In Asley’s advance, everyone saw a chance for him to win this.

But right when they thought that, whether it was due to Tūs’ stubbornness or Asley’s negligence, Asley’s advance stopped.

“Why!?”

Everyone felt the same as Irene.

Though degrees of their doubts varied, and even Pochi tilted her head in confusion.

“Hmm, that’s strange... Ah, I see. That’s it!”

And then Pochi’s confusion was quickly resolved.

Whether the answer that she arrived at was the right one for Asley or not, no one would know until this graduation exam was over. And if Tūs were to emerge victorious, the answer would forever remain unknown.

Even so, Pochi’s eyes were bright and full of joy.

“...Ah.”

Lina, perhaps as a result of seeing Pochi’s expression, came to a realization.

And so did Hornel, Idéa, Midors, Anri, and Claris.

The other mages started catching on, and then the warriors as well.

Before long, everyone realized — this graduation exam was about taking on Tūs’ full power.

With that realization came another realization. This point-blank fight of strength and magic between two of humanity’s strongest was soon to end.

...Indeed, the result was right before their eyes.

“Hah hah hah hah...... H-how’s that!?”

Asley pointed his Drynium Rod at Tūs’ neck.

“Hehehe... How am I supposed to answer that?”

Tūs’ arms hung limply by his sides.

At this point, he could barely even stand.

“D-damn it...”

And so he fell over backward.

The gigantic Elf, the Philosopher of the Far East...

“My energy...”

...Shook the earth with his fall, and then he closed his eyes as he gazed at the sky.

“It’s all run out now... you fool.”

Just as Tūs lost consciousness, the fool in question collapsed to his knees.

But the fool’s Familiar... the gigantified Pochi, prevented him from falling with a push of her nose.

She proceeded to scoop Asley’s body up and effortlessly rested him on her back.

“You really are too reckless, Master!”

“Huh...? Did I lose?”

The fool did not even realize that he had won. But immediately after, voices of praise and footsteps echoed both in his ears and his soul.

All the warriors and mages rushed over to him.

Those who had fought alongside the Eternal Fool praised him, for he had defeated a Philosopher — a man who had devoted all his life and strength to the pursuit of the arcane arts — without even possessing any arcane capability himself.

This was something all the other mages and warriors could not do.

Helped by Pochi, Asley once again stood on the ground, and then he had an abundance of recovery magic cast on him — from Lina, Tifa, Fuyu, Irene, and many other mages.

Bruce let Asley lean on his shoulder, and countless hands reached out, saying with sparking eyes what they saw Asley as right now.

Hearing that, Asley was bewildered and overwhelmed, while Pochi happily looked on at her friend and Master.

As the one who had just defeated the strongest Philosopher, Asley was called...

...Humanity’s Strongest.

And in addition to that, he was called the thing humanity currently needed most.

Not a warrior, not a mage, not a Philosopher... but simply a concept...

...A symbol of hope.