Chapter 41

Bab 8: Enam Lengan

Bagian 1

Lower Fire Bulan (Bulan ke-9) Hari ke-4 21:51

Di Kerajaan, orang terbiasa tidur saat senja. Ini karena lampu penerangan membutuhkan biaya. Desa-desa dengan keluarga yang lebih miskin biasanya hidup dengan gaya hidup teratur bekerja di siang hari dan beristirahat di malam hari.

Namun, kehidupan di daerah perkotaan berbeda dari kehidupan di daerah pertanian. Perbedaan ini terutama terlihat di jalan-jalan kota yang penuh warna dan sibuk. Mereka mulai hidup ketika toko-toko dan tempat tinggal menyala, seperti binatang malam.

Namun, ini tidak terjadi di tempat yang dituju Climb. Tempat itu bukan distrik kehidupan malam yang bersinar, tetapi lebih seperti jalan tanpa cahaya, diselimuti kegelapan.

Climb terdiam dan dia tidak membawa lentera saat dia berjalan melewati gang-gang yang sepi. Fakta bahwa dia bisa melihat saat bergerak dalam kegelapan adalah berkat efek magis di helmnya yang membuatnya berfungsi seperti satu set kacamata penglihatan malam. Sementara ia hanya bisa melihat hingga 15 meter di depannya, apa yang bisa dilihatnya seterang hari.

Selain itu, lempeng-lempeng baju besi pelat penuhnya – terbuat dari mithril dan bahan-bahan lain – tidak membuat keributan ketika mereka saling bertabrakan, tidak seperti baju besi pelat baja. Selain itu, pesona pada armor berarti bahwa tidak ada suara gemerisik logam saat bergerak. Kecuali mereka memiliki pendengaran yang luar biasa atau pencuri yang terampil, bahkan seseorang yang berdiri di samping Climb tidak akan bisa mendengar suara-suara berjalannya.

Itulah sebabnya ia bergabung dengan pesta pengintaian perintis.

Setelah berjalan menyusuri gang, targetnya mulai terlihat.

Itu dikelilingi oleh dinding yang mengesankan, yang menutupnya dari daerah sekitarnya. Rasanya seperti penjara, atau benteng. Pikirannya berpacu dengan pikiran-pikiran gelap seperti Kegiatan ilegal macam apa yang terjadi di dalam? Bahkan lampu ajaib yang dipasang di kedua sisi pintu tidak bisa menghilangkan citra mental itu.

Menurut kecerdasan mereka, target mereka seharusnya berada di balik tembok ini, tetapi dia tidak bisa melihatnya dari sini.

"Itu dia. Saya yakin akan hal itu, "gumam Climb ketika dia berjongkok. Sebuah suara menjawab dari udara kosong di sampingnya.

“Setuju, pemimpin. Menilai dari nuansa tempat ini, itu seharusnya. Aku akan pergi melihat-lihat, kalau begitu. "

Orang yang menjawab adalah mantan petualang peringkat orichalcum yang memiliki keterampilan tipe pencuri. Setelah dia selesai, Brain – yang bepergian bersama mereka – menambahkan:

"Hati-hati. Anda mungkin tidak terlihat, tetapi beberapa prajurit dapat melihatnya. "

"Tentu saja. Bagaimanapun juga, musuh kita adalah Eight Fingers. Saya akan beroperasi dengan asumsi bahwa mereka memiliki pencuri atau kastor ajaib pada level saya. Jadi saya berharap kalian berdua akan berdoa untuk kesuksesan saya. "

Dengan itu, kehadiran di samping Climb mulai memudar. Sementara dia tidak bisa mendengar apa-apa bahkan ketika menjulurkan lehernya untuk mendengarkan, mungkin seorang pencuri yang setara dengannya mungkin bisa mendengar langkah kaki yang lembut menjauh, menuju ke kediaman.

Ini meninggalkan Climb dan Brain.

Mereka telah meninggalkan yang lain karena mereka tidak terampil dalam gerakan diam-diam. Suara berisik dari armor full-plat praktis akan menyiarkan lokasi mereka ke musuh. Yang mengatakan, tidak ada yang cukup bodoh untuk melepas baju besi mereka dan mendekati musuh ketika ada pertempuran yang akan datang.

Itu sebabnya mereka berdua ada di sini.

Tentu saja, mereka berdua pejuang, dan mereka tidak bisa bergerak seperti pencuri. Meski begitu, Climb dan Brain bisa bergerak dalam kegelapan – Climb mengandalkan baju zirahnya, sementara Brain menggunakan seni bela diri – dan bersama-sama mereka sudah sedekat ini dengan kamp musuh. Namun, apa yang terjadi selanjutnya hanya bisa diserahkan kepada seorang profesional.

Mereka berdua telah mengambil risiko sangat besar untuk datang ke sini sehingga mereka dapat memutuskan apakah akan menyerang atau melarikan diri jika infiltrasi gagal dan musuh memperkuat pertahanan mereka. Karena itu, misi mereka sudah tercapai hanya dengan tetap di sini dan mengawasi musuh.

Meski begitu, mereka tidak bisa membantu tetapi merasa tidak nyaman ketika waktu berlalu. Karena mereka menunggu dan tidak pergi sendiri, pikiran mereka secara alami beralih ke yang terburuk.

"Tidak apa-apa, kan?"

Ketika kata-kata itu terlepas dari mulut Climb, Brain dengan tenang menjawab:

"Aku tidak tahu, tapi … yang bisa kita lakukan hanyalah percaya padanya. Kita harus mempercayai keterampilan mantan petualang dengan peringkat orichalcum. ”

"Kamu benar. Lagipula, dia adalah seorang petualang veteran. "

Mereka tidak tahu berapa lama mereka menunggu, tetapi tangan Brain tiba-tiba pergi ke 「Katana」 di pinggangnya. Saat Climb hendak meraih pedangnya sebagai jawaban, suara lelaki yang agak panik datang dari samping mereka.

"Tunggu! Tunggu! Ini aku. Saya kembali."

Itu adalah suara pencuri yang telah pergi untuk mencari.

"Ah, seperti yang aku duga. Anda datang sangat dekat tetapi tidak melakukan apa-apa, jadi saya pikir … Anda pasti mencoba untuk melihat apakah saya benar-benar dapat mendeteksi Anda dengan seni bela diri, kan? "

"Ya, maaf soal itu. Kamu benar. Saya benar-benar minta maaf karena berani menguji keterampilan Brain Unglaus yang hebat. "

"Jangan khawatir tentang itu. Saya mungkin telah melakukan hal yang sama di posisi Anda. Selain itu, dapatkah Anda memberi tahu kami apa yang telah Anda pelajari?

Udara beriak di samping Climb, dan dia merasakan bahwa seseorang telah duduk. Dia tidak bisa melihat siapa pun ketika dia melihat ke sampingnya, namun dia memiliki perasaan aneh bahwa seseorang ada di sana.

“—Pertama, aku pikir tempat itu digunakan untuk semacam pelatihan. Ada halaman besar di belakang dinding, sehingga terlihat seperti halaman latihan. Saya hanya memiliki pandangan sepintas melalui interior, tetapi tampaknya ada beberapa kamar terpisah di dalam. Saya kira itu adalah basis untuk divisi keamanan Eight Fingers. Juga, ada satu tempat yang dijaga ketat, jadi saya kesulitan mendekati. Dan kemudian sesuatu yang mengerikan terjadi, pemimpin. "

Nada pria itu berubah. Itu sekarang dipenuhi dengan ketegangan yang luar biasa.

“Saya menemukan dua hal penting ketika saya masuk ke dalam. Pertama adalah ada penjara di sini, dengan seorang wanita di dalamnya. Yang lain adalah ada beberapa orang di sini yang deskripsinya cocok dengan Six Arms. ”

Di samping wanita itu, mereka sudah menduga Six Arms ada di sini. Jadi apa masalahnya?

Keraguan Climb segera dijawab oleh pertanyaan dari Brain.

"Anda bilang 'beberapa orang'? Tidak terdengar seperti satu orang. "

"Lima dari mereka. Sekarang Iblis Ilusi telah ditangkap, yang seharusnya menjadi mereka semua. "

Dengan kata lain, ini adalah rintangan yang mustahil bagi mereka. Mereka telah menarik sedotan pendek. Namun-

"Itu … yah, ini mengerikan, tetapi juga sangat beruntung. Karena mereka semua ada di sini, itu berarti yang lain dapat dengan mudah menjatuhkan lokasi lain. "

Itu adalah lapisan perak di awan yang sangat gelap.

"Lalu, apa yang harus kita lakukan?"

"Apa yang bisa kita lakukan? Kami tidak dapat menyerang tempat ini. Mari kita mundur. "

"Apakah kamu baik-baik saja dengan itu, Climb-kun?"

"Saya tidak suka, tapi kami tidak punya pilihan. Jika Six Arms dikumpulkan di sini, maka itu harus menjadi pangkalan permanen atau itu memegang sesuatu yang sangat mereka hargai. Akan buruk jika kita menarik sebelum memverifikasi itu. Namun, saya tidak berpikir kita harus melakukan apa pun yang tidak bisa ditanggung oleh kekuatan tempur kita. "

"Memang…"

"Lalu, haruskah aku masuk lagi dan memeriksanya, mungkin membawa beberapa dokumen kembali?"

"Tidak, ini terlalu berisiko. Lupakan. Karena mereka belum menemukan kita, saya pikir akan lebih bijaksana untuk segera mundur. Bagaimana menurut anda?"

“Itu benar, saya menyetujuinya. Tapi kemudian apa yang harus kita lakukan selanjutnya, menyerang titik lain? "

“Saya pikir itu akan menjadi tindakan yang paling efektif. Bisakah Anda melaporkan kepada orang-orang di belakang kami? Kami akan menunggu di sini untuk memastikan tidak ada yang keluar untuk mengejar Anda. "

"Aku ragu akan ada orang seperti itu, tetapi kamu tidak bisa terlalu berhati-hati. Dalam hal ini, saya akan menyerahkan ini kepada Anda berdua. "

Pencuri itu belum menghilangkan tembus pandangnya saat dia dengan sengaja bergerak cepat sehingga Climb dan Brain bisa mendengar. Dia kemudian jatuh kembali ke tempat anggota tim yang lain menunggu.

"… Sepertinya tidak ada pergerakan sejauh ini, Climb-kun."

"Iya. Maka kita mungkin harus mundur dan pergi ke lokasi lain bersama yang lain. ”

"Kedengarannya bagus – hm. Climb-kun, lihat. ”

Mata Climb mengikuti jari Brain, dan mereka berdua melihat seorang pria yang mereka temui kemarin menuju gedung yang mereka tonton.

"Bukankah itu Sebas-sama? Kenapa dia ada di sini? "

"… Sepertinya itu bukan kebetulan, tapi … apa yang terjadi? Apakah dia bagian dari mereka? "

"Aku yakin dia tidak. Brain-sama, kamu juga berpikir begitu, kan? ”

"Ya, dia tidak bisa. Kecuali dia benar-benar pandai berakting. Tetap saja, aku tidak berpikir Sebas-sama adalah pria seperti itu. "

"Bagaimanapun, mari kita memanggil—"

Tepat ketika kata-kata itu keluar dari mulutnya, Sebas berbalik dan matanya tertuju pada mereka berdua. Climb dan Brain berada agak jauh dari bangunan untuk mengamatinya, dan mereka tersembunyi dalam kegelapan. Dalam keadaan normal, akan sangat sulit untuk menemukan mereka. Sementara dia mungkin melihat ke arah mereka secara kebetulan, Climb benar-benar yakin bahwa bukan itu yang terjadi kali ini.

Sebas berlari mendekat.

Kecepatannya tidak normal. Dia begitu cepat sehingga dia tampak teleportasi setiap kali mereka berkedip saat dia menutup jarak ke mereka. Dia berlari dengan normal, tetapi kepintarannya sedemikian rupa sehingga otak mereka menolak untuk mengakuinya.

Kemudian, dia terbang di atas kepala mereka. Lebih tepatnya, dia melompati kepala dua orang yang berjongkok di gang.

“Kebetulan sekali, senang bertemu kalian berdua di sini. Apakah ada masalah?"

"Eh, tidak, kami sebenarnya ingin menanyakan itu pada diri kami sendiri … kami berencana untuk menyerang bangunan yang dimiliki oleh Eight Fingers, jadi kami berbaring menunggu di sini."

"… Hanya kalian berdua?"

"Tidak, ada beberapa orang lain di belakang kita."

"Aku mengerti," kata Sebas pelan. Climb kemudian bertanya kepadanya:

"Sebas-sama, mengapa kamu datang ke sini? Apakah Anda memiliki bisnis di gedung itu? "

"Iya. Tepatnya begitu. Wanita yang saya sebutkan kemarin, yang saya selamatkan, diculik. Musuh memanggilku ke sini, jadi aku datang. ”

"Apakah begitu! Kolega kami yang pergi ke depan mengatakan bahwa ada seorang wanita di dalam. ”

"… Dan di mana kawanmu itu?"

"Oh, kupikir dia akan segera kembali … ah, ini dia."

Petualang yang tidak lagi tak terlihat kembali dari tempat Brain melihat. Dia menatap Sebas dengan heran. Jelas sekali, kemunculan tiba-tiba pria tua yang gagah ini tidak cocok di sini.

“Ini Sebas-sama, orang yang meminjamkan kami bantuan ketika kami menangkap Iblis Ilusi. Orang di sel yang Anda sebutkan sebelumnya tampaknya adalah teman Sebas-sama, itulah sebabnya kami bertemu di sini. Pria ini benar-benar dapat dipercaya, jadi tolong jangan khawatir. "

"Aku mengerti," jawab si pencuri. Dia kemudian mulai berbicara tentang apa yang telah dia pelajari dimulai dengan berita tentang wanita itu. Setelah mendengar semuanya, Sebas berbicara dengan suara berterima kasih.

"Saya melihat. Saya mengerti. Terima kasih. Menyelamatkannya sekarang akan jauh lebih mudah. ​​"

“Tidak, tolong jangan khawatir tentang itu, tuan. Ngomong-ngomong, semua orang siap untuk mundur … "

Pencuri itu merasa bersalah ketika dia menyadari bahwa dia dan yang lainnya telah memutuskan untuk mundur sementara teman perempuan Sebas itu masih dikurung di dalam gedung itu. Dia menyelinap menatap wajah Sebas.

"Sebas-sama. Lima dari pejuang terkuat di Eight Fingers, yang disebut Six Arms, ada di gedung itu … Bisakah Anda mengalahkan mereka? "

Pencuri itu mengerutkan alisnya ketika dia mendengar pertanyaan Climb. Climb mengerti apa yang dia pikirkan. Six Arms masing-masing setara dengan seorang petualang peringkat adamantite. Tentunya dia pasti berpikir bahwa mengambil lima dari mereka sekaligus adalah mustahil. Namun, Sebas mengabaikan pikiran itu dan mengangguk dengan lembut.

"Lima orang kaliber Succulent seharusnya tidak menjadi masalah."

Pencuri menjaga dirinya dari memutar matanya, lalu dia menarik Climb dan Brain pergi. Dia menatap Sebas dengan ekspresi sedih di wajahnya, dan kemudian bertanya kepada mereka:

"…Pemimpin. Apakah dia orang gila? ”

Siapa pun akan berpikir seperti itu setelah mendengar Sebas berbicara seperti itu. Siapa pun yang tahu kekuatan seorang petualang peringkat adamantite pasti akan berpikir begitu juga. Namun, Climb melihat sekilas sebagian kecil dari kekuatan Sebas, dan dia tahu bahwa Sebas jelas tidak menyombongkan diri.

"Tidak. Pria itu sungguh luar biasa. ”

Pencuri itu menatap panjang dan keras pada Climb. Ekspresi matanya seolah-olah sedang menatap orang gila.

"Brain-sama juga berpikir begitu."

"Eh ?! Bahkan Brain Unglaus juga berpikir seperti itu? ”

Brain tersenyum pahit kepada pencuri itu dan mengangguk.

"Ya, Sebas-sama cukup kuat sehingga Gazef dan aku tidak bisa mengalahkannya bahkan jika kita pergi bersamanya."

"Bahwa. itu benar-benar … tidak, jika apa yang Anda katakan itu benar, maka itu akan luar biasa … "

Sulit dipercaya, tetapi dia harus menerimanya mengingat mereka berdua telah banyak bicara. Pencuri itu memandang Sebas dengan ekspresi kompleks di wajahnya.

"Jika kita bisa mengandalkan bantuanmu, Sebas-sama, kita mungkin bisa … maaf, bisakah kamu memberi tahu Sebas-sama tentang Six Arms?"

Pencuri itu setuju, dan Sebas diam-diam menunggunya selesai berbicara. Namun, ia kehilangan cadangan terhormatnya setelah mendengar gelar salah satu anggota Six Arms.

"Raja Davernoc yang abadi, kan … orang bodoh belaka tidak pantas mendapatkan gelar itu."

Sebas tidak bereaksi melebihi kata-kata yang bergumam itu, dan pencuri itu selesai membagikan informasinya. Saat itu, Climb bertanya:

"Lalu, Sebas-sama … jika kamu tidak keberatan, bisakah kami mengandalkan bantuanmu?"

"Tentu saja. Lagipula aku datang untuk menyelamatkan Tsuare. Serahkan Six Arms padaku, kalau begitu. ”

“Kalau begitu aku harap kamu akan mendatangi mereka dari depan dan menarik perhatian mereka, Sebas-sama. Kami akan menggunakan kesempatan itu untuk menyusup ke tempat itu. Meskipun kami tidak mungkin menggantikanmu, izinkan kami membantu menyelamatkan Tsuare-san atas nama Anda. "

"Sama baiknya. Tidak ada yang lebih baik dari kalian sekalian untuk membantu menyelamatkannya saat musuh teralihkan, untuk mencegahnya menjadi sandera atau dihidupkan melalui rute yang berbeda. ”

"Saya mengerti. Kami pasti akan menyelamatkan Tsuare-san dengan aman. Lalu, siapa yang akan masuk? Saya tahu rencana awalnya adalah membuat semua orang menyusup, dan itu ide yang bagus … "

"Hm – jika kita menyelinap masuk dengan diam-diam, maka kita harus membuat suara sesedikit mungkin. Setelah itu, begitu kita menyelamatkan Tsuare-san, kita harus keluar secara langsung, jadi kita harus bisa bertarung. Itulah yang terjadi … "

Pencuri itu memandang Climb dan Brain setelah mereka berdua menjawab pertanyaan mereka kepadanya.

"Yah, jika kita menggunakan mantera (tembus pandang) tanpa batas mungkin ada cara lain, tapi … kupikir kita bertiga adalah yang paling cocok untuk tugas itu."

"Maksudmu aku juga bisa pergi?"

"Yah, baju besi sesama prajuritku terlalu berisik, jadi mereka tidak cocok untuk infiltrasi."

"Saya mengerti. Lalu kita akan menyelinap masuk. "

"Jika magic caster kita bisa menggunakan mantra (Diam) atau sejenisnya, itu akan menjadi masalah yang berbeda … well, jika hanya kita bertiga, maka masih ada jalan. Saya akan meminta semua orang untuk memberikan mantra (tembus pandang) pada kami.

"(Gaib), ya," kata Climb pahit. “Helm saya dapat melihat tembus pandang sekali sehari, jadi saya tidak punya masalah jika semua orang tidak terlihat, tapi bagaimana dengan Anda semua? Akan buruk jika kita tersesat karena kita tidak bisa melihat yang lain. "

"Saya baik-baik saja. Seseorang sudah membaca mantra (Lihat Gaib) pada salah satu item sihirku. Itu hanya bisa digunakan sekali, tapi aku bisa menggunakannya sendiri. ”

"Aku tidak memiliki kemampuan seperti itu, tetapi aku tidak berpikir aku akan merindukan suara langkahmu, pemimpin."

"Apakah begitu. Maka komunikasi antara pihak infiltrasi seharusnya baik-baik saja. Dalam hal ini, kita akan masuk duluan; tolong tunggu sebentar sebelum bergerak, Sebas-sama. ”

"Aku akan mengandalkanmu."

Sebas menundukkan kepalanya ke arah mereka, yang mengejutkan Climb dan Brain. Lagi pula, mereka tidak melakukan apa pun untuk membuat pria yang luar biasa ini tunduk pada mereka. Ini karena mereka semacam menggunakan Sebas yang perkasa, seperti yang mereka miliki selama serangan bordil.

"Tidak, jangan khawatir tentang itu. Yang benar adalah, kami datang untuk menyerang lokasi ini. Faktanya, kami sangat berterima kasih bahwa Anda bersedia berurusan dengan Six Arms untuk kami, Sebas-sama. "

"Lalu kita saling membantu, bukan?"

Tidak ada tanda-tanda kebencian atau kejahatan terhadap Climb dan yang lainnya di wajah Sebas yang tersenyum. Climb berdiri, hatinya tenang.

"Maka kita akan jatuh kembali lebih dulu, untuk meminta yang lain mengeja kita."

Bagian 2

Lower Fire Bulan (Bulan ke-9) Hari ke-4 22:15

Beberapa waktu kemudian – walaupun masih beberapa menit sebelum waktu yang ditentukan – Sebas berdiri di depan gerbang utama. Gerbang itu berbentuk kisi, sehingga ia bisa mengintip melalui itu, tetapi pohon-pohon di dalamnya mencegahnya melihat terlalu jauh di dalam.

"Oi, kamu tepat waktu, bukan?" Sebuah suara bertanya dengan suara serak. Setelah itu, seorang pria keluar dari antara pepohonan.

Tentu saja, Sebas telah memperhatikan keberadaan pria itu sejak awal. Itu karena dia telah mengaktifkan kemampuan yang memungkinkannya untuk merasakan semua tanda kehidupan dalam suatu area. Yang mengatakan, kadang-kadang itu tidak bisa mendeteksi lawan yang menggunakan keterampilan tipe siluman, jadi dia tidak bisa terlalu mengandalkan itu. Namun, itu masih berguna sampai batas tertentu.

"Cara ini. Ikuti aku."

Pria itu membuka pintu, dan dia memimpin Sebas menyusuri jalan setapak di halaman.

Mengingat halaman ini adalah milik organisasi kriminal seperti Eight Fingers, itu tidak terasa sangat suram dan vegetasi dipangkas dengan rapi, seolah-olah mereka memiliki tukang kebun yang terampil mengurus hal-hal.

Setelah mengikuti jalan untuk sementara waktu, ruang yang luas yang tampak seperti area pelatihan terbuka di depan matanya.

Ada beberapa api unggun berkobar pergi dengan gembira, dan api merah terang menerangi sekeliling.

Ada sekitar 30 orang di sini, dengan banyak pria dan beberapa wanita di antara mereka, dan mereka semua tersenyum jahat di wajah mereka. Kata senyum itu kasar dan mabuk dengan kekerasan, pasti prospek kemenangan.

Sebas melihat sekelilingnya. Tidak ada seorang pun di sini yang bisa mulai menyaingi dia, tetapi dia menemukan Enam Lengan yang telah diucapkan Climb.

Salah satunya mengenakan jubah berkerudung. Jubahnya hitam, dijahit dengan pola nyala merah terang di bawah pinggang. Sebas tidak bisa melihat wajah di bawah tenda, tetapi tidak ada jejak energi kehidupan yang keluar dari bawahnya. Padahal, justru sebaliknya. Tampaknya julukan "Kematian" bukan hanya metaforis, tetapi bahwa ini adalah makhluk mayat hidup yang benar; maka nama.

Perempuan satu-satunya mereka mengenakan sutra belaka, dan tampak gesit. Dia mengenakan gelang emas di pergelangan tangan dan kakinya, yang berdering dengan suara logam yang tajam saat dia bergerak. Dia memiliki enam pedang di pinggangnya.

Pria berikutnya mengenakan pakaian katun. Dia juga mengenakan jaket berlapis emas (traje de luces matador) dan rompi. Senjatanya adalah pedang tipis yang bilahnya tampak memanjang dari bunga mawar, dan itu memancarkan aroma mawar.

Orang terakhir memakai baju besi piring penuh tanpa hiasan, dan pedangnya disimpan dengan aman di dalam sarungnya.

Jumlah mereka ada empat. Pemimpin mereka Zero tidak ada di sini. Dia mungkin menunggu di suatu tempat untuk membuat penampilannya.

Mereka berempat maju mendekatinya, dan yang lainnya bergerak untuk mengepung Sebas.

"Hei kakek, aku dengar kau lumayan bagus, ya? Anda dapat mengirim seorang pria terbang hanya dengan kepalan tangan Anda, bukan? ”

“Kami sampai di tempat kami berada di Eight Fingers melalui keterampilan kami. Akan sangat buruk jika kita kalah. Si idiot itu tidak menyadarinya. Sementara divisi perdagangan budak sedang menurun, kita tidak bisa kalah di depan bos mereka. "

“Sebenarnya, pada titik ini aku punya pertanyaan. Succulent bersikeras bahwa dia kalah dari Brain Unglaus. Atau apakah dia kalah darimu, tapi dia tidak mau mengakuinya? "

"Iya. Saya tidak pernah melawannya secara langsung. Saya pernah bertemu dengannya di rumah, dan lain kali saya melihatnya, dia tidak sadarkan diri di tanah. ”

"Saya melihat. Baiklah, tidak heran dia kalah. Mengingat lawannya adalah Brain Unglaus yang hebat, tidak mungkin dia bisa menang dengan kekuatannya itu. "

"Mengingat dia terus mengasah keterampilannya setelah duel itu dan dia setara dengan Gazef Stronoff, kurasa itu bisa dimengerti mengapa dia kalah."

"Tetap saja, itu tidak berarti kami bisa melepaskanmu. Kami akan mengurus Unglaus dan antek Putri Shiny nanti. Anda akan menjadi yang pertama, Anda orang tua yang bermasalah. Kami akan membunuhmu terlebih dahulu. "

“Kami harus menaklukkanmu dengan kekuatan dan membunuhmu. Kalau tidak, kita akan dalam kondisi yang buruk. "

"Lihat ke sana."

Ketika anggota Six Arms bergantian berbicara dengannya, Sebas menunjuk ke lantai tiga gedung.

"Ada petinggi dari seluruh penjuru yang berkumpul di sana. Mereka ada di sini untuk mengawasi kami bermain-main dengan Anda sampai Anda mati, pak tua. "

"Apakah pria itu bernama Zero di sana?"

"Ah iya."

Ekspresi menghina muncul di salah satu dari empat. Sebas mengulurkan jarinya dan menunjuk ke lantai tiga. Dia kemudian meletakkan tangannya, tidak memperhatikan tatapan bingung di wajah Six Arms.

"Apa yang sedang kamu lakukan? Mengejek mereka? ”

“Tolong jangan khawatir tentang itu. Lalu di mana dia? ”

"Siapa dia?"

Oposisinya masih mencibir padanya ketika mereka menjawab pertanyaannya dengan sebuah pertanyaan. Sebas dengan tenang menjawab:

"Wanita yang kamu ambil dari rumah. Namanya Tsuare. "

"—Dan jika aku bilang dia sudah mati?"

"Apakah kamu akan seperti itu?"

"Ha ha ha! Tepat sekali. Kami tidak sebaik itu. Wanita itu adalah hadiah untuk Cocco Doll. Dia dirawat dengan baik. "

"Aku mengerti … aku mengerti."

Sebas melihat salah satu dari empat orang mengalihkan pandangan mereka ke lokasi tertentu di gedung. Namun, yang menarik perhatiannya adalah fakta bahwa itu bukan tempat di mana ia mendengar Tsuare ditahan – karena itu, yang harus ia lakukan hanyalah memverifikasi lokasi.

"Ini adalah kesempatan yang langka, jadi mengapa kalian tidak datang sekaligus? Membiarkan Zero melarikan diri akan merepotkan, dan itu hanya akan membuang waktu. ”

"… Kamu bicara besar, manusia."

"Kau pasti merasa sombong karena bersenang-senang dengan para mooks, ya? Tapi pernahkah kamu melihat kekuatan nyata sebelumnya? ”

“Kata sangat bagus. Saya ingin mengambil kata-kata ini dan mengembalikannya kepada Anda semua. Namun … bolehkah saya mengajukan pertanyaan? Kenapa menurutmu aku lebih lemah dari Brain-sama? ”

"Jangan memandang rendah kami. Prajurit tingkat kami dapat memberi tahu kekuatan lawan saat melihat. Dan Anda terlihat jauh lebih lemah dari kita, orang tua. "

Dua orang lainnya, Davernoc samping, mengangguk setuju.

"Saya melihat…"

Sebas dapat mengukur kekuatan lawannya dengan potensi ki mereka. Namun, sama seperti kemampuannya yang lain, akan sulit untuk mengatakan apakah lawannya menyembunyikan kekuatan mereka dengan keterampilan atau sihir.

"Itu sebabnya, kami memberimu kesempatan. Kami akan menemuimu satu per satu, jadi— "

"—Aku sangat kuat, kau tahu."

Sebas melenturkan jari-jarinya, memberi isyarat agar datang padanya.

“Seperti yang aku katakan tadi, datang satu per satu merepotkan. Kalian semua harus menyerangku sekaligus. Dengan begitu, Anda harus bisa bertahan sekitar sepuluh detik. "

"Jangan meremehkan kami, manusia."

Bahu Davernoc bergetar.

"Meremehkan kamu? Kaulah yang meremehkan lawanmu. Nama saya Sebas. Orang yang memberi saya nama itu adalah prajurit terkuat. Tuan yang saya layani adalah penguasa tertinggi … yah, tidak ada gunanya memberi tahu Anda orang-orang rendahan. Baiklah, saya lelah berurusan dengan Anda. Mari kita akhiri ini. "

Sebas melangkah maju. Dia mendekati orang yang gelarnya paling tidak suka Sebas.

♦ ♦ ♦

"Raja Abadi" Davernoc.

Identitas sejatinya adalah Penatua Lich yang melahirkan secara alami. Mayat lahir dari kematian massal. Mereka adalah makhluk yang membenci yang hidup dan sering hanya ingin mengakhiri hidup mereka. Namun, beberapa undead yang cerdas bisa mengendalikan kebencian mereka dan membangun hubungan dengan yang hidup. Davernoc adalah salah satu makhluk hidup seperti itu.

Tujuan dari kehidupannya yang keliru adalah untuk memanfaatkan kekuatan sihir dan mempelajari teknik-teknik di luar mantra yang bisa ia gunakan sejak kelahirannya.

Namun, bahkan jika dia ingin mempelajari teknik-teknik tersebut, dia tidak dapat menemukan siapa pun untuk mengajarinya, mengingat bahwa mayat hidup dipandang sebagai nemea orang yang hidup. Mungkin jika ada mayat hidup lain seperti dia – pada kenyataannya, ada masyarakat rahasia yang dibentuk dari kastor sihir mayat hidup – segalanya mungkin berbeda, tetapi sayangnya, Davernoc belum pernah menemukan makhluk seperti itu.

Oleh karena itu, ia berpikir untuk mengumpulkan kekayaan, dan menggunakannya untuk membayar harga agar orang-orang mengajarkannya sihir.

Awalnya, dia mulai dengan membunuh dan merampok para pelancong, tetapi kemudian dia dikalahkan oleh para petualang yang datang untuk memburunya. Sekarang dengan susah payah menyadari kebodohannya, dia mempertimbangkan cara baru untuk mencari nafkah. Karena itu, ia menyembunyikan identitasnya dan bergabung dengan band tentara bayaran.

Namun, orang lain mengetahui bahwa ia dapat terus meluncurkan (Bola Api) dan identitasnya sebagai salah satu mayat hidup terungkap. Dia kemudian dipaksa untuk melarikan diri dari band tentara bayaran itu.

Setelah itu, ketika dia sekali lagi kehilangan cara untuk menghasilkan pendapatan, seseorang menemukannya. Orang itu adalah Zero

Dia memperkenalkan Davernoc kepada seseorang yang bersedia mengajarinya sihir, dan membayarnya dengan tepat. Pada gilirannya, dia meminta Davernoc untuk menggunakan kekuatan magisnya di bawah arahannya. Persis seperti yang diharapkan Davernoc.

Selama dia bisa terus mengumpulkan lebih banyak kekuatan magis, makhluk hidup seperti dirinya dengan umur yang tak terbatas akhirnya bisa menjadi makhluk yang bisa memberantas semua kehidupan. Nol mungkin meminjamkan bantuan untuk bencana masa depan bagi umat manusia.

Namun –

—Spa tertutup seperti badai, tangan kanannya mengepal yang dia lempar dengan tinju lurus. Tidak dapat bertahan melawan serangan atau menghindarinya, tanpa banyak waktu untuk bergerak, kepala Davernoc melayang.

Kehancuran Davernoc dengan demikian padam. Itu menghilang tanpa dia tahu mengapa atau bagaimana dia telah menyinggung lawannya.

Tidak seperti biasanya, Sebas dengan jijik berkata:

“Hanya satu orang di seluruh dunia ini yang pantas menggunakan gelar itu. Orang itu memerintahkan keagungan yang tak tertandingi. Seorang undead inferior seperti dirimu seharusnya tahu tempatmu. ”

Sebas menjentikkan tangan kanannya, mengibaskan pecahan tulang yang menempel padanya. Ketika tubuh Davernoc lenyap, banyak item sihir yang dia perlengkapi berantakan ke tanah.

Bahkan ketika semua orang membeku karena shock, Six Arms masih bisa bergerak. Seperti yang diharapkan, mereka adalah prajurit yang cakap; hanya orang yang telah melalui banyak pertempuran hidup atau mati yang bisa melakukan hal seperti itu.

Memang, itu layak dipuji. Itu karena itu membuktikan bahwa reputasi mereka untuk menjadi setara dengan petualang peringkat adamantite bukan untuk pertunjukan.

Setelah itu, Sebas berjalan menuju wanita itu.

"Dancing Scimitar" Edstrem.

Ada properti item magis tertentu yang disebut "Dance". Seperti namanya, itu adalah pesona yang memungkinkan senjata untuk bergerak seolah-olah itu menari, yang memungkinkannya untuk menyerang secara mandiri. Dengan demikian, itu umumnya dianggap sebagai cara terbaik untuk meningkatkan jumlah serangan seseorang.

Yang mengatakan, pesona ini hanya memungkinkan untuk gerakan sederhana, dan karenanya itu tidak cocok sebagai metode ofensif utama. Paling-paling, itu baik untuk menyelinap serangan atau menghambat musuh, dan selama bentrokan sengit antara prajurit levelnya, yang bisa dilakukan hanya dengan menghalangi musuhnya. Karena ada batas seberapa banyak orang bisa membuat senjata, itu adalah pilihan yang masuk akal untuk memilih beberapa efek lain, daripada pesona Dansa. Misalnya, Gagaran Blue Rose menggunakan senjata yang pesona hanya meningkatkan kerusakan yang diberikannya.

Yang mengatakan, tidak ada pesona yang lebih baik baginya daripada properti Dance.

Senjata menari bergerak sesuai dengan kehendak tuannya. Namun, ketika tuan mereka terlibat dalam pertarungan untuk hidup mereka, sangat sulit untuk memesan senjata yang tidak dipegang seseorang dan yang berada di lokasi yang sama sekali berbeda untuk menyerang lawan, kecuali ada perbedaan yang sangat besar dalam kekuatan bertarung. Karena itu, kebanyakan senjata penari hanya bisa membuat gerakan sederhana.

Namun, bukan itu masalahnya.

Dia bisa dengan mudah dan alami memanipulasi senjatanya seolah-olah itu dipegang oleh seorang prajurit yang tak terlihat – yang keahliannya setara dengan miliknya. Alasan untuk ini adalah karena susunan otaknya yang unik. Ini karena dia dilahirkan dengan sepasang kemampuan alami.

Yang pertama adalah rasa kesadaran spasial yang sangat baik – berbatasan dengan yang pra-alami.

Dan kemudian – beberapa orang dapat memiliki tangan kanannya bertindak dengan kebebasan penuh dari tangan kiri mereka tanpa pelatihan. Namun, kemampuannya di bidang itu lebih besar dari itu; pikirannya dikaruniai fleksibilitas yang tidak wajar. Itu adalah kemampuan keduanya.

Tidak aneh bagi seseorang untuk menggambarkannya memiliki dua otak. Ini adalah kemampuannya.

Jika dia hanya memiliki satu dari kemampuan itu, dia tidak akan bisa mengendalikan pedangnya sebebas dia. Namun, dua kemampuan ini bersatu dalam dirinya. Orang bisa menyebutnya keajaiban.

Kemungkinan besar, tidak ada orang lain di dalam sembilan juta jiwa Kerajaan yang memiliki kemampuan yang sama dengannya.

Scimitarnya meninggalkan sarungnya sendiri, sesuai dengan semangat juangnya. Yang harus dia lakukan adalah fokus pada pertahanan, sementara lima pedang lainnya meluncurkan serangan sendiri.

Ini adalah penghalang bilah. Melangkah ke kandang ini berarti kematian.

Namun-

Sebelum scimitar dapat memulai serangan mereka, Sebas sudah memasuki radius serangannya, dan dia melempar potongan dengan kecepatan yang tidak mungkin.

Pada saat berikutnya, kepalanya jatuh ke tanah. Digantungkan dalam ki, tangan pisaunya lebih tajam daripada bilah apa pun.

Darah segar menyembur dari lehernya, dan tubuhnya kemudian berdetak kencang. Namun, kelima pedang itu masih menggantung di udara.

Itu karena tangan memotong Sebas terlalu tajam dan terlalu cepat baginya untuk merasakan kematiannya sendiri. Dia bahkan mungkin tidak merasakan sakit.

Kelima pedang itu – yang masih menuruti kehendaknya – mengiris udara menuju Sebas.

Namun, Sebas mengabaikan pedang itu, menggambar dirinya sendiri dan berdiri di tempat. Dia dengan lembut berbicara kepada kepala yang jatuh itu dengan pujian yang jujur:

"Tidak kusangka kau akan terus bertarung meski kepalamu putus … Aku salut semangat juangmu."

Mulutnya terbuka dan tertutup.

Apa yang kamu katakan?

Saya tidak mengerti.

Namun, dia mungkin merasakan sesuatu dari kata-kata itu. Matanya berputar gila, dan kemudian menyadari tubuhnya kehilangan kepalanya. Ekspresinya berubah dengan liar. Dia mengerjap beberapa kali, dan kemudian matanya membelalak lebar seolah-olah bola matanya akan keluar dari kepalanya.

Mustahil. Tidak mungkin. Itu pasti ilusi. Saya tidak bisa dikalahkan. Dia tidak melakukan apa pun padaku. Saya tidak bisa bergerak karena semacam sihir. Seseorang mengatakan sesuatu.

Dan kemudian, dia akhirnya menerima kenyataan, dan keputusasaan mewarnai wajahnya.

Mulutnya membuka dan menutup, dan pedang yang menuju ke Sebas jatuh ke tanah, tidak pernah bergerak lagi.

“Ayo, serang aku! Mari kita kumpulkan dia! "

Sebuah suara yang terdengar seperti jeritan datang dari pria dengan baju besi full plate. Betapapun kokohnya, armornya tidak bisa melindunginya dari ketakutannya.

Dia menyadari – bukan dengan pikiran logisnya, tetapi dengan hati dan jiwanya – bahwa Sebas telah mengatakan yang sebenarnya, dan bahwa dia saat ini menghadapi makhluk yang seharusnya tidak pernah dia lawan, yang seharusnya tidak ada di dunia ini.

"Ambil, ambil, ambil, ambil (Void … Void Cutter)!"

Dia sudah tahu. Dia tahu bahwa dia akan mati. Dia tahu bahwa apa pun yang terjadi, tidak ada cara baginya untuk mengalahkan pria bernama Sebas.

Dia tidak melarikan diri karena instingnya mengatakan kepadanya: Anda tidak akan berhasil lebih dari beberapa langkah sebelum dia membunuh Anda. Anda akan mati jika maju. Anda juga akan mati jika mundur. Karena itu, setidaknya …

Pikiran-pikiran itu membuktikan bahwa dia masih seorang pejuang.

Pria yang berhadapan dengannya – Sebas – menyipitkan matanya.

That was because he was thinking, perhaps this might be the first enemy whose abilities I have to watch.

The person who made Sebas was the World Champion known as Touch Me, whose trump card was a strike that cleaved through the very fabric of space-time itself. Of course, there was no way the person before him could reach that level, but even an imitation of that technique might be able to hurt Sebas.

“Void Cutter” Peysilian.

His nickname was derived from the fact that he had a mysterious technique where he could draw from a one-meter long scabbard and bisect a foe over three meters away. In truth this move did not actually cut through space.

The secret lay in the sword.

There was a type of sword called the urumi. It was a long blade made from a flexible metal which bent easily. The weapon Peysilian carried was an urumi which had been so finely sharpened that it could be called a sword of cutting string. Perhaps a metal whip might be a more accurate name.

A high-speed draw-cut with such a weapon could kill a foe without leaving a mark, only a lingering arc of cold light, thus leading to his nickname.

Compared to the rest of Six Arms, this move was more of a trick, but the fact that he could skilfully use a weapon which was so difficult to master proved his incredible warrior skills. If one handed the same weapon to Gazef, even the man hailed as the mightiest warrior would not be able to wield it as well as Peysilian.

In addition, its power was not diminished even if one saw through the trick.

The frightening aspect of the whip lay in the ridiculous speeds its tip could reach. Seeing and then avoiding it was very difficult — no, it was almost impossible.

It was an ultra-high-speed slash. What difference was there between an attack which humanity could not respond to and cutting through the air itself?

Namun-

The tip of the sword, the leading edge of that high-speed attack was caught between two fingers. So casual was that movement that it looked like something which had been picked up off the ground.

Sebas carefully examined the metal between his fingertips, and arched an eyebrow.

“What is this… and to think you called it cutting through the void…”

“Yeeart!”

With a strange, bird-like cry, a rapier lanced out at Sebas.

“Thousand Kills” Malmvist.

His main weapon, Rose’s Thorn, was enchanted with two magical properties. The first was “Fleshgrinding”. In the instant the sword struck its foe’s body, this fearsome magic would twist the surrounding muscle and tissue. The effect was to rip and tear at the flesh around the injury site, leaving hideous wounds. The other was “Master Assassin”. That enchantment enlarged wounds and made even the slightest scratch a severe injury.

Those two abilities were vicious enough, but there was one more ability on top of those. It was not a magical power — but poison.

The tip of Rose’s Thorn was smeared with a lethal concoction of many poisons. Malmvist had prepared this because he was not originally a warrior, but more of an assassin. Since he wielded his sword to slay his foe, he had assembled this combination with the objective of killing his enemy within a short period of time, by any means necessary. Indeed, even a single scratch could be fatal.

Without the proper countermeasures, even Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus would perish beneath his blade.

However, there was a weakness among all this.

Since he relied on his ability to win by causing a single scratch, Malmvist’s swordsmanship was subpar. However, his lunges were the real deal; his lightning thrusts were arguably superior even to those of Gazef Stronoff.

In other words, this was the strongest stab in the Royal Capital.

And then this move was further augmented by many martial arts, almost as many as the former Black Scripture member Clementine.

Namun-

Sebas did not dodge it. He did not need to dodge it.

"…!"

Malmvist, who had made that thrust with all his might, could not bring himself to speak.

Rose’s Thorn — a vicious weapon that could kill with the slightest scratch. He saw Sebas blocking it with his finger.

Indeed, Sebas had halted the tip of the rapier with the pad of his index finger.

“…Wh-what?”

Malmvist blinked repeatedly, so much that it seemed unnatural. Only after that did he realize that it was not an illusion, that he was not dreaming, and then he managed to gasp a few words out. That was the only thing he could do.

This made no sense at all. His experience told him that the fleshy pad of a finger could not possibly stop a thrust which could even pierce steel. Yet, what he saw before his eyes was reality.

Malvist could not budge an old man’s gently raised finger with all his strength.

Rose’s Thorn bent.

He tried to pull the rapier back to try and strike somewhere else, but before he could do so, Sebas had pinched its tip between his thumb and index finger. That immobilized the blade.

Before him stood an immovable mountain. He saw that his colleague was also desperately trying to pull his own sword back.

Amidst this situation, a voice of iron rang forth, cutting through everything.

“Alright, my turn.”

In the next instant, Peysilian’s head exploded.

♦ ♦ ♦

An attack like this could be considered quite rare coming from Sebas. Until now, he had been using proper technique, but this blow had been born of thoughtless anger, punching off his opponent’s head with sheer brute force.

He shifted his gaze to the right hand which he had extended toward the now-disintegrated head.

His white glove was flecked with spots, and the stench of rusted iron wafted forth.

“What a gaffe…”

He let go of the rapier and used the fingers which had held it to peel off and discard the bloodstained glove. In the instant that it hit the stone floor, Malmvist hooked it away with the tip of his slender blade, snatching the glove away.

Perhaps Malmvist was very confident that he had been as swift as a shooting star in the night sky, but to Sebas it was so slow that he wanted to yawn. He could have shattered the rapier, or stepped forward and explosively decapitated his opponent, or done many other things to take his glove back. However, he simply could not understand what his opponent was aiming for. Confused, Sebas did not make a move, but directly asked:

“What… are you trying to do?”

“This is it!!! This must be the magic item that’s making you stronger!!!”

It was merely a glove made out of cloth.

His voice sounded like a broken gong. Foam flecked the corner of his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot. Malmvist’s mind was probably half-lost in a world of madness. Having witnessed an unbelievable sight, he was desperately scrabbling for some reason to explain what he had seen.

“You need only acknowledge my strength; why are you thinking like this… although you may do so if you wish.”

Sebas threw a punch at the man whose face was split by a grin.

After Malmvist crumpled to the ground, his head blown to smithereens, all that remained was silence.

Sebas blew on his fingertip, as though it had been stained with something. However, the protection of his (Iron Skin) had prevented him from taking so much as a scratch.

“In any case, I could have settled it in five seconds if that ‘Void Cutter’ title had not put me on my guard. Being able to last 20 seconds is quite praiseworthy.”

After that Sebas gave an order to the predator who was preparing to seize the people within the building — the ones which he had pointed out just now, who had witnessed this tragic scene from the window:

“Solution, I imagine they possess useful information, so do not kill them. Now then…”

He glanced icily at the people surrounding him, all of whom were frozen in place.

“Ten seconds for the rest of you.”

Part 3

Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 22:13

Climb ran through the empty corridor. Thanks to the enchantment on his helmet, he could see the two people running with him, despite the (Invisibility) spell on them. He even wondered if the spell had been cast at all. However, upon closer inspection, the two of them looked a little washed-out, so there was nothing to fear.

He was careful not to make too much noise, but neither could he slow his pace.

They had to rescue the kidnapped girl while Sebas bought them time. Even if Sebas was a powerhouse which even Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus together could not defeat, his opponents were still the members of Six Arms, who were said to be on par with adamantite-ranked adventurers. If they surrounded and pounded him, things might get dangerous. Therefore, they had to immediately rescue the imprisoned woman and escape with Sebas.

After several more turns and rushing down a staircase, the man at their head suddenly ground to a halt.

Climb stumbled in place for a few steps, and then the thief quietly apologized:

“Sorry for the sudden halt, leader. Ini dia. The cells are just beyond this corner, and there’s a woman in the innermost one.

It was purely by chance, but the invisibility spell wore off as he spoke — as though it were keyed to his voice — making them all appear vibrantly-colored once more.

Heeding the thief’s suggestion, Climb peered around the corner. There he saw a dark passageway, with several large cells in a row.

“…There’s nobody around, the same way it was when I came here just now.”

There were no captives, or even sentries. This lack of precautions was terribly suspicious. It was as though someone was trying to lure them in. However when one thought about it calmly, nobody would be suicidal enough to infiltrate a building where the strongest members of Eight Fingers — Six Arms — were gathered. Climb and the others would not have taken that risk either, if not for the fact that Sebas was serving as a decoy and another woman was locked up here.

The others probably thought the same way too.

This casual attitude and the openings they had left were a great boon to Climb’s team. This was what people called “pride going before a fall”.

“Then let’s move in quickly and rescue the hostage.”

Perhaps it was because they were on deadly ground together, but the thief’s tone had become a lot friendlier than just now. Brain asked him:

“Before that, can I ask a question? What’s with those double doors all the way inside?”

Looking down the corridor, there was a set of double doors, just as Brain had said.

“Ah — well, given what I’ve seen until now, these aren’t jail cells lined up here, but animal cages. I think the doors in there lead to a place where the beasts can be… led into something like an arena.”

“I see… indeed, I can smell beasts from those cells. I heard that in the Empire, they allow magical beasts to fight in their arenas…”

Climb sniffed at the air like Brain did. There was the odor of animals — carnivorous beasts, to be precise.”

“However, there’s a difference between taking them for training or using them for public executions. I don’t really want to think about what other things you could use them for… but I guess they might have put on a monster exhibition or something. Ay, look at how far I’ve drifted from the topic. Shall we?”

Climb nodded to Brain’s question, as did the thief.

The thief led the way, followed by Climb and Brain.

The three of them reached the innermost cell without encountering anything, and then the thief began inspecting the cell door.

The magic activated, and there was the sound of the cell door lock disengaging. The thief looked unhappy, but there was no time. All Climb could hope for was that he would not mind a small thing like this.

“Is that Tsuare-san?” Climb called out to the woman in the cell. The woman lying on the floor propped herself up. Her description was an exact match for the one Sebas had provided, and she was dressed in a maid’s uniform. They probably had the right person, given that she had probably been wearing the same thing when she had been kidnapped.

That calmed Climb down greatly. Their first objective had been achieved. Next was their second objective of getting her safely out of here.

“Sebas-sama asked us to rescue you. Please, follow me.”

The woman — Tsuare — nodded as Climb spoke to her.

As Tsuare emerged from the cell, she looked at Brain and then the thief. She looked a little surprised. In particular, her eyes lingered longest on Brain.

“There’s no noise from behind this door — the one which might lead to an arena. Still, it’s too risky to enter a place we don’t know anything about. We ought to stick to the plan and retrace our steps.”

Climb and Brain approved. Or rather, they were both warriors, and they knew this sort of decision was best left to a professional, hence their ready agreement.

Climb looked down at Tsuare’s feet and made sure that she was wearing shoes. That way, she ought to be able to run.

“Then, let’s get out of here before the enemy arrives.”

“Right, I got it. I’ll lead and you follow, like just now. However, there’s no invisibility magic this time round. I’ll be advancing while keeping an eye open, so don’t miss my signals.”

“Got it… what’s the matter, Brain-sama?” Climb asked Brain, who had been studying Tsuare intently.

"Hm? …Oh, no, it’s nothing, Climb-kun.”

Brain wrinkled his brow, but said nothing else. Climb glanced at Tsuare, but did not see anything which particularly drew his attention. She looked like nothing more than an imprisoned maid.

“There’s nothing, right? Then, shall we?”

The thief began running, followed by Climb and Brain. Tsuare was at the rear.

After running past the cells, the thief slowed down before he turned the corner. He was probably checking out the situation around the corner.

However, someone turned the corner, as naturally and casually as though they were taking a stroll, standing in front of the thief. The man had been prepared for someone to get in their way, but he was still hard-pressed to react when it actually happened.

Just as Climb froze in place from the sudden development, the thief made use of the reflexes a former orichalcum-ranker ought to have. He readied his dagger and stepped forward with murderous intent.

And then — there was a tremendous crash as the thief flew back, as though a bull had knocked him away. Fortunately, Climb caught him. Given that the thief could not brace himself, he might have been badly hurt  just from hitting the ground in this state. However, although Climb caught him, he could not fully absorb the impact, and the two of them rolled to the ground.

Climb was worried about the thief’s groan as he tried to fight back the pain, but he was more concerned about the man who had appeared before them. That was because he was most definitely an enemy.

The person who stood in their way was a bald man. His body bulged with muscles, his face looked like a boulder, and he was covered in animal tattoos.

The man’s name flashed through Climb’s brain, and his surprise took physical form as a sound.

“Zero!”

This man was one of the Six Arms, and the leader of their Security Division, the mightiest being in Eight Fingers.

“…Indeed, kid. You’re that whore’s slave, aren’t you? Hmph! To think there’d be ants crawling in here. Just leave a bit of bait out and you’re everywhere. It pisses me off.”

Zero spared only a glance for Climb and the thief on the ground before turning his stern gaze onto Brain. He sized the man up from head to toe, evaluating the worth of Brain the warrior.

Climb was grateful that this mighty person had not bothered to take him seriously, and then he checked on the thief.

"Apa kamu baik baik saja? Do you have some way to heal yourself?”

He asked quietly for fear Zero’s attention would turn on them.

There was no answer, just the sound of unimaginable pain. The shocking thing was that there was a fist-shaped dent in his breastplate. It clearly illustrated the power of a single punch from Zero.

After shaking his head several times, the thief finally came to his senses. Climb did as the thief asked and felt around his waist.

“I’ve seen your face before. You’re Brain Unglaus, aren’t you? The man who fought on par with Gazef Stronoff. Your name’s not for show; none of your movements expose any weaknesses. By the looks of that, you must have been training yourself after that tournament. Sekarang saya mengerti. Succulent didn’t lose because he was careless, but because he faced you head-on. He lost because his foe was too strong. I have to forgive his failure just this once. Alright, you made me lose face, so normally I’d have to kill you. However, I’m a generous man. On account of your peerless sword skills, I’ll give you a chance. Kneel before me and swear to be my subordinate, and I’ll spare your life.”

“You won’t stinge on the money, will you?”

“Oh… are you interested…?”

“Why not hear you out? I did beat Succulent, so I should be able to look forward to good treatment, no?”

"Ha ha ha! Your desires do run deep. You’re talking money before begging me for your life. You can’t take it with you, you know.”

“Oi oi, what the hell. You mean you can’t pay? I didn’t expect you lot to be that poor. Or are you pocketing all the money yourself?”

“The hell you say?!”

Zero’s knuckles cracked with tension.

“You’ve got a mouth on you, Unglaus. A lot of people talk better than they fight; apakah kamu salah satunya? Or did you get cocky because you beat Succulent? Then here’s a sincere apology for making you so full of yourself despite only beating the weakest member of Six Arms.”

Brain shrugged, as though he was only kidding. He had been trying to draw the conversation out because he was thinking of the wounded thief and Climb.

In that case, why had Zero played along with Brain? He was probably confident of beating them three-on-one. Or was there some other reason?

…Huh?

Tsuare had slowly shifted behind Brain. If she wanted to be protected, then she should have hidden behind Climb for safety’s sake. There was no need to savor the thrill of danger by moving behind the man staring down Zero.

Brain worked his shoulders and glanced behind himself. It was a very subtle movement, and Climb was not certain of it. However, his gaze had been directed at Tsuare, and there was no goodwill in his eyes. No, that was most certainly the way in which he would look upon an enemy.

Eh? Why move there? Was he looking at me? Tidak, bukan itu.

Something had happened. Climb rose uneasily to his feet.

“Hmph, so the ant stood up? Bought enough time for him, haven’t you? It’s about time to tell me what you really think. No, there’s no need to speak. Kneel, or don’t kneel! Show me, Unglaus!”

Brain snorted.

—This was enough.

“Then die!”

He extended his left hand straight out and pulled his right hand back, clenching his fist as he did so. He lowered his waist straight down, but his body was rigid and unmoving. The way his muscles bulged almost made one think that they were creaking. At this moment, Zero was easy to describe. He was like a massive boulder, or no, perhaps it would be better to say he was like a raging bull.

In contrast, Brain lowered his stance as well. His movements were the same as Zero’s but there was a world of difference between the two of them.

If Zero was like the roaring rivers, then Brain was like a gentle brook. If Zero was the attacker, then Brain was the defender.

“I ordered them not to kill the old man, but the ones greeting him are a bunch of hotheads. They might go too far by accident and end his life. That would be troublesome. I have to kill the old man personally, in order to let everyone know how stupid it is to oppose us.”

His face twisted wickedly. It was as though to demonstrate how hatred could make a person ugly.

“Unglaus, I will make you the foundation of my reputation as the strongest warrior. I’ll use your tombstone to show everyone the fate of anyone stupid enough to challenge Six Arms! As for the whore’s slave, I’ll pretty his head up and mail it back to her.”

A wave of bloodlust washed over them from the front. However, it was nothing compared to what they had experienced from Sebas back then. Climb’s eyes sharpened and he stared back, leaving Zero a little disappointed.

"Benar-benar sekarang? Saya mengerti. Then, I shall be your opponent, Zero. Climb-kun, I’ll leave the enemy behind to you!”

Climb did not understand what he had said for a moment. But it was only Climb who did not understand. The thief hurled a throwing knife at Tsuare.

The flying blade which the former orichalcum-ranked adventurer threw was swift and sharp.

Tsuare barely managed to evade it. According to Sebas, Tsuare should have been an ordinary maid. This was far too skilled for it to be a mere coincidence.

“So you already saw through it!”

The speaker was still Tsuare, but the voice belonged to the “Illusion Devil” Succulent.

“So you didn’t ask your rescuers anything because you thought they’d recognize your voice? Still, circling around behind my back was too suspicious. Well, I’d been guessing that you were either the real person under mind control, or someone transformed into her shape.”

Brain did not look back — still staring down Zero — as he unravelled the mystery.

“After that, I took a guess from the way you ran, but I couldn’t be sure until the end… fortunately it really was you. It’s not like I could tell him to throw carefully and only graze you.”

The thief’s face hardened for a moment. Then, he seemed to be directing an expression of gratitude at Succulent.

"Hmph. Based on what he’s saying, he saw straight through that little charade you suggested. That being the case, there’s no need to rely on it. What comes next will be decided with pure strength! … Succulent, kill those two mooks behind you. You can do that, right?”

“Of, of course, boss.”

Tsuare melted away into nothingness, and in her place stood Succulent. However, he was still in the maid’s outfit.

“When I think about it, I went out of my way to get you out. If you can’t even do a small thing like this…”

What Zero would do after that was so abundantly clear that the man hurriedly nodded, and then he turned to glare at Climb.

“We meet again, kid.”

His words were stiff, laced with a tension that he, as the previous victor, should not have.

Eight Fingers was not a compassionate organization, and naturally, they would not forgive a second failure. Succulent was now fighting an uphill battle, and the composure fled from his face.

“Eight Fingers can bail out someone imprisoned in the Princess’ name?!”

Though he had witnessed the power of Eight Fingers, he nevertheless raised his sword.

“…I can’t lose this time round.”

Brain had helped him defeat his opponent last time. However, not even Brain Unglaus could guarantee an easy win against Zero and Succulent, who were both members of Six Arms.

My enemy is stronger than me.

If he clung to that cowardly line of thought, all he could do was await death.

I must win.

With this unshakeable determination in his heart, Climb pushed his foot forward — he slid it forward — and advanced a step toward Succulent.

“It’s okay — it’s okay — I’ll help you too,”

The thief voiced his encouragement from behind. His casual tone was probably a kindness on his part, calculated to ease the tension in Climb’s heart. Since he was more skilled than Climb, it was good to be able to count on his support. However, he had taken a blow from Zero, and he was not fully recovered even after drinking his potion. In addition, they had never fought side by side before, making Climb worry that they would not be coordinated.

The thief sensed what Climb was thinking, and Climb in turn sensed him smiling thinly.

"Jangan khawatir. I’m just here to support you. Thieves fight differently from warriors — I’ll show you that we don’t just clash swords.”

"Terima kasih."

He was more experienced than himself. Therefore, it was not that Climb should match himself to his partner, but that the thief would match himself to Climb. All Climb had to do was fight Succulent with all his strength.

Climb stared at his opponent, a determined look in his eyes. Succulent was generating clones of himself like he had last time. Now there were several Succulents, and he could not tell which was the original. A bitter taste spread through his mouth.

Just as both sides closed in on each other, a bag flew out from behind Climb’s back.

“This is how a thief fights!”

The bag burst at Succulent’s feet, and powder burst out. Succulent covered his mouth, thinking that it was poison. But that was not the case. It was not poison, but a magic item.

“Will ‘o’ Wisp Powder!”

The effects were immediately visible. Of the five Succulents, only one glowed with a murky bluish-white light.

Succulent’s eyes went wide as he realised this.

Will o’ Wisp Powder was used to reveal invisible opponents or those who were skilled at stealth. It was also ineffective against the unliving.

(Multiple Vision) reflected the condition of the original, so even if one threw ink at the original and got it dirty, the illusory doubles would all get dirty as well. Unless applied with great skill, it was still very difficult to tell apart the original. However, when it came to magic items, changes in the original did not affect the illusions.

Perhaps a high-level illusion spell might have been able to replicate the effects of a magic item, but Succulent — who had studied as a fencer and an illusionist at the same time — could not use such high-level illusions.

Climb’s sword hacked down at the real Succulent.

“Dammit!”

Succulent leapt away. It was a splendid dodge, but seemed a little unsightly owing to the fact that he was in a maid’s uniform.

They went back and forth like this over a dozen times.

Climb had the advantage. This was not a ploy by Succulent; it was simply due to the difference in their combat prowess.

Humans could not suddenly become more skilled in the space of a single day. The difference in their respective combat abilities had not changed since their previous encounter. However, there were exceptions to all things. Simply put, Climb had become stronger while Succulent had become weaker.

To begin with, Climb was equipped with his enchanted armor, his shield, his sword, and other pieces of his gear. His muscular strength had improved, his defensive power had increased, and the most important thing was that he could use the fighting method he was familiar with. In contrast, Succulent had been arrested, all his equipped magic items had been confiscated, and on top of that, he was forced to dress in a cumbersome maid’s uniform in order to disguise himself with an illusory transformation.

Their equipment had shrunk the gap between them, but naturally, that was not all.

One reason why Succulent had become weaker was because his fighting style had been seen through. In addition, the thief supporting Climb from behind was providing him with timely and accurate advice.

Even when Succulent used illusions, they were countered one by one through the thief’s alchemical or magical items. The way the thief had responded to Succulent was as though he had specially prepared to face him. In fact, the thief had estimated the abilities of Six Arms from prior information and prepared countermeasures against all of them. The startling thing was that he even had countermeasures for Succulent, who should have been in jail. This was an obsessive degree of preparedness.

"Dasar bajingan!"

Succulent’s voice was more worried and panicked than he had been before the battle.

He glared at the thief. Climb moved to block his line of sight. He could not allow him to be attacked.

Defended by a frontliner, the thief deliberately aggravated Succulent.

“Oi oi, why the fierce face? Aren’t you one of the Six Arms who’re supposed to be on par with adamantite-ranked adventurers? What’s wrong with a little handicap?”

Succulent’s face twisted in hatred. The wounds he had taken in their exchange of blows wept fresh blood, making him look even more vicious.

"Kotoran!"

Succulent cursed, and prepared to cast a spell. As a warrior, Climb should have rushed up to stop him, but he did not. This was because he had executed over a dozen tandem maneuvers with the thief, and they had developed an unspoken understanding with each other. Therefore, he decided to trust the thief.

A bottle flew out from behind Climb in a parabola and it shattered at Succulent’s feet. Climb saw a colored, asphyxiating gas spread out from it.

“Kahah! Koff! Koff!”

Succulent coughed several times, clearly in misery.

This was was merely petty interference with an alchemical item. However, it was quite effective, and Succulent ceased his spellcasting.

Trickery like this would have had no impeding effect on a specialized magic caster, but Succulent had trained as a warrior as well as a magic caster. Thus, even this trivial hindrance had interrupted him, wasting his mana.

Climb charged forward with all his strength at the distracted Succulent. This was not the same measured strike in their exchange of blows until now, but an advance that did not allow for retreat. Some people might have felt that this was a rash action, taken in the hope of gaining a speedy victory. However, Climb’s warrior instincts were screaming at him:

This was the moment of truth, when victory and defeat would be decided.

Indeed, Climb and the thief currently had the upper hand, but there was no telling how long their superior circumstances would last. The thief’s supply of thrown items was not inexhaustible either. He ought to make the best of this favorable moment and press the advantage.

Climb activated the unique martial art he had mastered yesterday.

This move did not have a name. If he had to pick one on short notice, he might call it (Limit Breaker — Mind). Its effect was simple enough; it released the human brain’s limitations on the human body. Through this, all his attributes — from his senses to his physical abilities — reached the next level.

Extended usage of this technique would lead to physical strain or muscle tearing, so it could be considered a double-edged sword. However, he would not be able to beat Succulent if he did not end the battle as quickly as possible.

As the martial art activated, Climb sensed something switching on in his brain.

The raging emotions racing through his heart were vented in the form of a ferocious cry.

Succulent looked shocked, as though he had recalled something. Accompanying the surprise was something which might have been called fear. This was not a feeling which he — a man who was on par with an adamantite-ranked adventurer — ought to have when facing his lessers.

Climb brought his sword into a high stance and brought it down in a mighty chop — and it was blocked. Being able to block a magic longsword with an unenchanted dagger was truly worthy of praise. However, the fact that Climb’s blow could force Succulent the fencer to select a defense he was not skilled with was also quite admirable.

But that was not the end of the attack. Climb immediately thrust his foot forward in a kick.

Succulent immediately made to protect his abdomen — and his face contorted severely.

“Abbaahhhh—!”

His face was pale, his cold sweat flowed like a river, and he was practically hunched over as he backed up in a bow-legged gait.

Climb glanced back and saw the thief wincing in sympathy.

Succulent had been kicked in the groin by an iron boot. While he had apparently been wearing a cup of some sort, Climb could still feel something soft deforming inside it.

And then, he finished him off with a cleaving strike to the head.

Fresh blood spurted forth, and Succulent collapsed heavily to the ground with a thump.

Climb did not dare let himself get careless, and so he surveyed his surroundings. He was particularly watchful in case an enemy tried to circle around behind him to where the thief was. After a while, he finally allowed himself to be certain. That was probably not an illusion.

This was a great accomplishment. Even if it had been two on one, it was a significant victory.

Climb turned to Brain. For a moment, he thought that he might be able to help — but then that enthusiasm vanished.

Their battle was on a completely different level.

The first thing was that it sounded different. What was supposed to be a clash between blade and fist produced the echoing of crashing metal all around. There was no pause either. The intense exchange between them made Climb wonder if either of them had time to breathe.

Zero, in particular, caught his attention.

His fist scooped a trench out of the wall. It was a smooth, flowing movement, like digging through clay, and it gouged a scar into the wall’s surface.

“Oi, oi… they say first-rate monks can make their fists as hard as steel, but that guy’s fists aren’t just that. Are they as hard as mithril… no, orichalcum?”

The thief was watching the same scene from beside Climb, and he murmured to himself.

After a minute’s worth of exchanged blows — after an intense battle which would have seen Climb lose his life if he were in there — both sides were unharmed. As a result, a look of genuine respect bloomed on Zero’s face.

“Unglaus… You’re pretty good. You’re the first man who’s endured my attacks for this long.”

Similarly, Brain had a respectful expression on his own face.

“Same to you… this is the second time I’ve met such a skilled monk in my entire life.”

“Oh?” Zero’s face twisted in interest. “To think there’s another monk with skills like mine. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of something like that. Tell me his name. I won’t be able to ask you when you’re dead.”

“He ought to be heading here, once he’s done taking care of your Six Arms.”

Zero’s eyebrows wrinkled, and he smiled.

"Hmph! You mean that old man? Sorry, but I sent four of my people to welcome him. They’re not like Succulent over there. They might not be as good as me, but they’re not bad either. How could that old man make it?”

“You think so? I’d find it easier to picture him strolling leisurely around that corner.”

“Well, that’s pretty scary. In that case, I’d best get a little serious.”

Climb was dumbfounded by those words. The fact that Zero still counted that intense back and forth as taking it easy made Climb imagine just how unattainable he would be if he fought in earnest. The fact that Brain did not seem surprised at all also shocked him.

Could it be neither of them were fighting seriously? This is the true pinnacle of mankind, a battle between people on par with adamantite-ranked adventurers!

“Let’s do it, then. Those two have wrapped things up on their side, so I don’t need to draw this out any more. Fall to me here and let’s have an end to it, Zero.”

Brain sheathed his sword and lowered his stance. Climb had seen that posture before; it was the same stance Brain had assumed when he had taken down Succulent in one hit. Before Climb could wonder if Zero would be similarly defeated in one strike as well, the man had already leapt well back. He opened up the distance between them with superhuman agility.

“Edstrem can deploy a sword barrier. Your move isn’t exactly the same, but it’s also a barrier of blades, no? Enter casually and you’ll be cut in half, am I right?”

Zero had probably not seen through Brain’s self-innovated martial art, but he had still sensed the nature of the move, proving his warrior’s senses were exceptional indeed.

“Still… from what I can tell, that move of yours only allows you to respond to your opponent,, and you can’t use it if you don’t take a stance.”

Zero punched the air. It seemed to be a meaningless move, but that iron fist actually generated a shockwave which buffeted Brain’s body.

“So all I need to do is attack you from a distance and I win. Or do you have some way to cut a distant foe?”

“No, I don’t,” Brain answered honestly. “If you’re going to fight like that, then I won’t use this move.”

Zero calmly — with an expression that some might say did not suit him, one that brimmed with motion like the surface of a lake — asked Brain:

“Brain Unglaus. Is this your ace in the hole?”

"Memang. This trump card of mine has only ever been… defeated once, from the front.”

“How boring. So someone else already defeated it once? Then this will be the second time.”

Zero slowly pulled his fist back, taking a stance of his own.

“I will punch straight through you from the front. I’ll shatter that move you’re so proud of and attain victory. First I’ll defeat Brain Unglaus, and then someday I will have Gazef Stronoff kneel at my feet. That way, I’ll be the strongest man in the Kingdom.”

“And instead your ambition’s going to falter at the first step of facing me. Zero, you really do have too much time on your hands, don’t you?”

“You really are all talk… no, you put up quite a fight, I can’t say that talking’s all you know. That said, I’m still better than you. Go to hell knowing this, and regret the fact that you dared stand against the almighty Zero-sama. here I come!”

Zero’s body was covered in animal tattoos, and those tattoos began to glow faintly. Brain, on his part, remained still. While Zero appeared to be as still as a statue, Climb could sense a tremendous power accumulating inside him, longing for the right moment to be unleashed.

None could interfere with this violent clash of strength against strength.

And then suddenly, a nonchalant voice cut in.

“—So you gentlemen were here after all.”

Everyone turned to look at the unexpected arrival, as though they had received an electric shock. Even Zero and Brain — who should not have turned their eyes away from the powerful foes before them — did the same thing.

There they saw an old man, Sebas. To Zero, he should not have been here.

"Apa? Apa ini? The Six Arms should be dealing with you now… Did you sneak in like these people?”

Sebas gently shook his head.

"Tidak. I defeated your colleagues and then I came here.”

“…Nonsense, utter nonsense, enough of your bullshit. They might not be a match for me, but they’re still warriors whom I gifted with the title of Six Arms. How could you have made it here unscathed?!”

“As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction.”

“Sebas-sama! The Tsuare-san over here is a fake! Succulent took her form with an illusion! You need to go rescue her!”

"Ah. Thank you for your concern. However, it is fine, Climb-kun. I have already rescued her. She was elsewhere in this building.”

Sebas turned to look behind him. Climb followed his line of sight and saw a girl wrapped in a blanket at the room’s entrance.

"Ah!"

Climb hurriedly looked down at Succulent. The maid uniform he wore was soaked in blood and there was a huge rip in it. He could not possibly take it off and give it to Tsuare, and she would surely refuse it too.

“Pay it no heed, Climb-kun. The maid uniform is merely a cloth outfit. There is nothing to regret.”

Sebas smiled bitterly as he spoke, and Climb relaxed a little.

“Oi oi oi, you’re actually ignoring me for idle chit-chat… you lot are pretty relaxed, aren’t you?”

Zero had been facing Brain since just now, and so he could not move carelessly. Now, he finally changed his position and glared hatefully at Sebas.

"Pria tua! I’ll ask you again, what happened to my people!”

“—I killed them all.”

His tone was as casual as though he were picking a wildflower by the road, but his words were merciless beyond compare.

“It, it can’t be! How do you expect me to believe that!?!”

Zero’s furious cry only drew a smile from Sebas. All that benign smile did was make Zero’s instincts realize that Sebas was telling the truth.

“…Brain Unglaus. I’ll fight you later. I’m going to show this man the power of Six Arms!”

“Mm, got it. Try not to die right away. Still, I don’t think there’ll be anything left for me to do.”

“Bullshit! …Old man! You’ll pay with your life for that nonsense you spouted!”

Sebas smiled bitterly. That smile was unbearable for a man who prided himself as the strongest warrior.

Zero’s tattoos glowed.

Head of the Security Division, leader of the Six Arms, “Battle Demon” Zero.

Even mighty warriors like Gazef Stronoff or Brain Unglaus would instantly lose to him in unarmed combat. The outcome would still be in doubt even if they had weapons in hand.

One of this man’s careers was a vocation called Shaman. That vocation had a skill which allowed one to be possessed by animal spirits, through which he could gain those animals’ excellent physical attributes. It could only be used a limited number of times in a day, but once used, it would allow a human to boost his physical abilities into the realm of wild beasts.

A physically superior animal using the fighting arts of a human being — surely nothing was more frightening than that.

Zero activated his skill.

Normally, he would conserve his strength by only activating the power of one animal at a time. However, Zero understood that Sebas’ strength could not be underestimated.

That said, he did not believe that Sebas could kill four of the Six Arms by himself. However, if he had broken through in a direct assault instead of sneaking in, that meant that there were others besides him, which made more sense.

It was more likely that he had been accompanied by Blue Rose.

Before he had more detailed information, all he could do was use his full strength to defeat Sebas and then fight Brain Unglaus some other day. He had to show the people around him his overwhelming power as a threat before temporarily retreating.

He decided that this was the best way to do things, and he began preparing his most powerful move.

The leopard on his feet, the falcon on his back, the rhino on his arms, the bull on his chest, the lion on his head; he activated all of them. He felt an explosive power gush out through his body and it felt as though his entire body had swelled up. For a moment he was even afraid that he would burst.

“YEEEEEEEEAAAAARRRTT!”

He expelled the burning power from inside him — and stepped forward.

This was the attack of Zero, the mightiest warrior of Six Arms. It was a straight punch with just a fist. There were no feints or fancy moves here; it was just a simple punch with an Iron Fist. However, the power within that fist beggared belief. In addition to his shamanic skills, it was also enhanced by numerous other skills from monk-type jobs and then by many magic items which granted his fist overwhelming speed and destructive power.

It was so fast that even Zero had a hard time controlling it. It barely qualified as a technique because it relied on stepping into the opponent’s reach and slugging them with all the strength he could muster. However, Zero was not at all hesitant about letting his opponent see his ultimate move. This technique was simple and invincible. He had the utmost confidence that nobody could defeat it with petty trickery.

Zero’s heart cleared as he cast everything else behind him. His senses seemed to slowly distend, and he stepped forward, feeling as though his body was stretching out behind him.

“—Ah!”

Someone shouted.

It was too late.

Zero reached Sebas in the blink of an eye. The power within him moved perfectly, fully accumulated and focused, and he threw a powerful straight punch with his right fist..

Zero saw Sebas frozen in place — probably because he had been too fast for the old man — and smiled. It was as though to say: Go and regret making an enemy of me, the strongest warrior of Six Arms.

“—Huuu!”

The fist connected with Sebas’ vulnerable belly. It was a perfect, immaculate strike.

Explosive power rampaged like a violent gale, and Sebas flew lightly through the air like a doll, into the distance. His corpse hit the ground, but even that could not dissipate the power of the strike and the body continued rolling violently across the ground.

He did not move. He had died on the spot.

No, that was only to be expected. One could imagine how all his internal organs had been ruptured into a sticky paste. He only looked human on the outside.

This was Zero’s most powerful technique. It was a fiendish move which incarnated the principle of the one-hit kill.

—At least, that was how it should have been.

Instead, Sebas — did not move at all.

He blocked the punch which Zero had thrown with all his might head-on, using nothing but his belly — his own muscles.

Nobody who saw it dared to believe it. One could say the scene before them was unreal.

The difference between their bodies was obvious at a glance. However, the outcome had been completely the opposite of what was expected.

The person who could least believe it was naturally Zero himself. This was the most powerful blow he could make. He could not believe any living being could take it and remain unharmed. That was how it had always been until now. That was what he had always thought until now, but then this scene had unfolded before his eyes. Thus, he did not react even as a black object flashed before his eyes.

Sebas raised his leg to the air. The foot raced past the tip of Zero’s nose — like the motion of a flying swallow.

And like a thunderbolt, it fell.

An axe kick.

That was the typical name for a move like this. However, its speed and power were anything but typical.

“…Who are you…” Zero muttered, and the corner of Sebas’ mouth curled up slightly.

A gruesome sound of cracking filled the air. Zero fell to the ground, his skull pulverized and his neck and spine shattered, as though he had been crushed by a several-hundred kilogram weight.

Ruangan itu sunyi.

In a word, everyone in this room was transfixed. Sebas shifted away from where Zero’s smashed skull was gushing fresh blood and patted at the place where Zero’s fist had struck.

“Whew, that was close. If not for your timely warning, I would probably be dead.”

Apakah kamu bercanda? What warning are you talking about?!

The three people present — perhaps even Tsuare thought the same way as well — did not speak, but they shouted the same thing inside their hearts.

“You saved me, Climb-kun.”

“—Wha… ah. Er… yes.”

Climb’s mouth was still wide open as if to go “Ahhh”, but he nervously accepted Sebas’ thanks. His mind had been so overloaded that he had no idea what to say.

“It seems I was just a little bit stronger than him.”

Sebas indicated a small distance between his two fingers. The gap between them was probably the difference between Zero and himself which Sebas was implying, but naturally, nobody agreed with that assessment.

How could that be a little bit?

Just like before, everyone present thought the same thing.

“In any case, since we’ve rescued her, I think it might be best to retreat now.”

“Ah, no, ah, are the other members of Six Arms… really…?”

"Iya. I killed them all. There were too many of them and they were all expert fighters, so I could not go easy on them. I somewhat regret that now.”

“Is, is that so. Well, there’s nothing to be done about that. Ah, please don’t beat yourself up about it.”

The three of them simultaneously looked at the corpse of Zero on the ground. None of them could bring themselves to say, “You’re lying.”

“In, in any case, let’s get the troops to search this building.”

They had originally come to search this building. Gaining Sebas’ help and being able to make a clean sweep of an important enemy stronghold was a miraculous stroke of luck. In addition, if Sebas’ words were to be believed — and they looked to be one hundred percent truthful — they had even achieved the amazing result of destroying the strongest fighting force of Eight Fingers.

One could say they had done better than any other group. The only imperfection was that Zero — a man who knew a lot about the organization — had been killed, but that was merely a calculated loss since they could not have taken him alive anyway. Only a fool would be unhappy with that.

As they heard Climb’s excited words, approving looks appeared on the face of Brain and the thief, and they nodded. However, one person seemed unhappy.

“What’s wrong, Sebas-sama?”

“Ah, it is nothing. Just that something caught my attention… let’s not talk about it right now, the air here is not good. Shall we head outside?”

“Mm, indeed.”

Everyone took turns looking at Zero’s corpse and then Tsuare before expressing their approval of Sebas’ suggestion.

Sebas walked up to where Tsuare was standing at the entrance and scooped her up. Her pale, slender, almost fleshless legs dangled in the air. They saw how tightly Tsuare clung to Sebas’ clothing with her emaciated arms.

A butler and a maid. The mood between them did not seem like that was all there was to it.

It would be boorish to ask about their relationship. Does it matter what’s going on between them?

“Right, let’s go, then.”

After saying so, Climb led everyone out without waiting for them to reply.

The other three followed behind him. They could conduct their investigations after Sebas and Tsuare left, and he remained alert. If someone ambushed them along the way, he intended to fight on behalf of Sebas — whose arms were occupied with Tsuare — although there might not be a need for that at all. However, his worries were unfounded.

They had sensed people within the building on their way in, but now it felt like it had been abandoned.

When one thought calmly about it, once Sebas defeated the Six Arms, there was no way anyone would be brave enough to remain in the building and fight him. In all likelihood, they had probably fled. If that were the case, hopefully the people waiting outside could arrest them. Climb pondered those thoughts as he left the building.

That sense of liberation took a great weight off his shoulders.

Someone tapped Climb’s relaxed shoulders. Looking back, he saw that it was the thief. The man’s eyes were fixed in a completely different direction. The wide-eyed look on his face was much like the one he had when Sebas had slain Zero.

Climb followed his line of sight, and then his own eyes went wide.

“A wall of fire?”

Climb unconsciously nodded as he heard Brain mutter to himself.

Flames would rise up if a house caught fire. Climb would definitely not be shocked by such a blaze. However, that was not what he was looking at; it was a wall of fire over 30 meters tall, encircling a district of the Royal Capital. It looked to be hundreds of meters long.

“Now what could that be?”

Sebas’ surprised yet relaxed comment brought the three of them back to their senses.

“What should we do, leader? I think that’s the warehouse district, who’s in charge of that?”

“Blue Rose’s leader, Alvein-sama… I’m judging this as an emergency, so we’ll abandon all our objectives and fall back to the Royal Palace as directed. After that, I’ll be counting on you all for advice on how to proceed.”

“That’s probably the best course of action… ah — Sebas-sama…”

“I will take her to a safe place to prevent something like this from happening again.”

“Understood, Sebas-sama. Thank you for your help yesterday and today.”

“Please pay it no heed. We shared the same objectives, so all I did was render a bit of assistance… I shall strive to repay you all for your attempt at rescuing her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will be taking my leave.”