Chapter 13
Sebas had given himself a generous amount of time to arrive on time, so he was several minutes ahead of the instructed time on the parchment. Though he was early, he stood in front of the gate.
It was a fence-type gate so he could see inside, but because of the trees, his line of sight was obscured.
"Hmph, you came on time."
With a coarse voice, a man appeared from in between the trees. Of course Sebas knew that that man was there the whole time because he had activated a skill that detected all life forms within a certain radius. But he couldn't physically see him and, since it would be dangerous to rely on this skill alone, he only used it under special circumstances. "Over here. Follow me."
Following the burly man's guidance, Sebas walked on the little pathway through the garden. For a garden owned by an underground organization like Eight Fingers, it did not have a gloomy feeling about it. The trees were trimmed so neatly he could tell they must have had a talented gardener. Following the pathway, there was a large clearing resembling a training ground. Numerous torches dotted the ground and the red flames danced about everywhere.
There were roughly 30 people, mostly men and a few women, all smiling. It was the smile given by those accustomed to violence who could never imagine themselves losing. Sebas looked around the clearing. He could not find anyone who could present a proper challenge but he found the Six Arms he had heard about from Lockmeier.
One wore a hooded robe. It was dyed black and the edge was sewn with red thread as if it were imitating a flame. He could not see inside the hood, but the aura was not that of a living being. The nickname 'Undead' was not a simple word play, but because it was a skeleton.
The lone woman among the Six Arms was dressed lightly in thin silk. She had countless golden bangles on her wrists and ankles and they made a metallic sound every time she moved. On her waist hung six scimitars.
The man beside her was flashy. He was dressed like a matador and held a rapier with a blade that looked as if it grew out of a rose. It even smelled like a rose.
The last man was covered in unremarkable full plate armor and kept his sword in the sheath.
A total of four people. The leader, Zero, was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was waiting his turn elsewhere. When the four of them stepped forward, their minions moved to surround Sebas.
"Old man, I heard you are quite strong. But so are we who had to secure our place within Eight Fingers with our skills alone. It will be dangerous for our reputation if we lose here. Succuront was an idiot to lose in front of the head of the slave trade division, even if that branch is now fallen. So I have one question for you. Succuronte said he lost to Unglaus, but was he actually defeated by you and simply did not admit to it?"
"Well, I never fought with him directly. I only exchanged greetings with him in the mansion and he was unconscious the next time I saw him."
"Well, I guess it was only natural that he lost. If the opponent was the renowned Brain Unglaus, there's no way he could have won. Especially if he became stronger since the duel and is on the same level as Gazef Stronoff, Succuronte's loss was a given. But it's not something that can be forgiven. We'll take care of Unglaus and that shitty princess's underling later. But you old man, who instigated this whole annoyance, you will die first. We will break you. If we couldn't, it would put us in a bad spot."
One by one and pointed to the third floor of the building.
"Look over there. There are several high-ranking people who gathered to see us kill you nice and slow."
"… Is someone called Zero there as well?"
"Well, maybe."
The four smiled mockingly as if they were looking at a weakling. Sebas pointed at the building and then lowered his hand. The Six Arms wondered what he was doing. "What is that? You picking a fight?"
"Don't worry about it. So, where are they?"
"Who are you talking about?" The reply came with a smile that was clearly looking down at him. Sebas replied sternly.
"The two women you kidnapped from the mansion, Tsuare and Celicia."
"What if I say we killed them?"
"Are you guys truly that generous?"
"Hahaha! Correct answer. We're not that kind. She's going to be a gift for Coccodore. We have her wrapped up nice and tight."
"I see..."
Sebas felt one of the four suddenly looking towards a specific place in the building. The only thing that mattered was that it wasn't the place where he had been told Tsuare would be. Even so, he only needed to confirm it afterward.
"Since everyone's gathered here, come all at once. It'd be waste of time and bothersome if Zero escapes."
"... This old man doesn't mince words."
"Are you that confident you'll easily take out the underlings? It seems like you've never met a truly strong opponent."
"Those are indeed wise words. I wish to return them back to you… but may I ask something? Why do you think I am weaker than Brain?"
"Stupid question. When you become as strong as us, you'll be able to sense how strong your opponent is. And you, old man, are nowhere near us."
The others agreed.
"Is that so..." Well, you're not wrong…
Sebas could also approximately estimate the enemy's strength by their Ki, but it was difficult to estimate one's strength when it was hidden by a skill or magic.
"So we'll give you a chance. We'll fight one at a time, so—"
"—I am strong."
Sebas motioned for them to come at him. "Like I said previously, don't do something annoying like fighting me one at a time. If all of you come at once, you might last 10 seconds."
"Don't look down on us, human!" Davernoch's shoulders shook.
"Taking you easy? No, you are the ones who are taking me easy. My name is Sebas. The one who gave me my name was a Supreme Being. The master I serve is... bah, I can see it's no use talking about him to lower creatures such as yourselves. I grow tired of talking. Let's finish this."
Sebas took a step forward. It was toward the creature with the nickname that displeased Sebas the most. "Undead King Davernoch…"
Its true identity was a naturally spawned Elder Lich. Undead normally spawned in places where many people died and they tended to hold a deep hatred towards living beings and focused on killing them. However, a few sentient undead suppressed their hatred toward living beings and formed relations with them. Davernoch was one of them. The objective of his unnatural life was to master magic he couldn't use when he first spawned and to attain different skills beyond magic as well. If he had been contacted by Zurrernorn, it might have been a different story, but Davernoch never had the chance to meet any of them. So he sought wealth in order to learn more magic.
In the beginning, he killed travelers on the road and took their money, but after losing and barely escaping to adventurers who were sent as a punitive force, he realized the foolishness of such actions and looked for new ways to acquire money. So he hid his true colors to join a mercenary company, but after it was noticed that he could cast [Fireball] continuously, his identity as an undead was discovered and he had to run away.
It was Zero who approached him after he had just lost a way to make money. The man introduced him to someone who would teach Davernoch some magic and offered a reasonable amount of money in exchange for working under him. It was the kind of help Davernoch never expected. If he continued strengthening his magical power, there was a possibility that an immortal being like him would one day possess enough strength to destroy all life. Zero was sponsoring someone who posed a threat to humanity in the future. However—
Sebas approached him like a storm, curled his fingers into a fist and punched. Without giving him time to dodge or defend, Sebas smashed Davernoch's head into pieces. His unnatural life was extinguished before he could understand what kind of wrath he had wrought.
"… There is only one being that can use that title. The one who stands above all. How dare some lesser undead like you use it."
While Sebas shook his fist as if to dust off bone pieces, Davernoch's skeletal body disintegrated and the many magic items he had been wearing scattered in every direction. Amongst the crowd frozen with panic, only the Six Arms moved. Without experiencing a lot of carnage befitting true veterans, they would not have been able to react. This was something praiseworthy as it proved that their reputation of being able to stand toe-to-toe with adamantium-ranked adventurers was not just a baseless rumor.
Sebas's next opponent was the woman, 'Dancing Scimitars' Edström. Her many blades had been cast [Dance] into them. It was the basic version of one of the enchantments Oshikuru had imbued into Cutter III. Just like the name suggested, the weapons would move as if dancing and attack automatically, increasing the number of blows several fold. But since that magic only allowed for simple patterns, it was not suitable to use as a main weapon. It was useful for surprise attacks or to support and it would only annoy the opponent if she was fighting someone of equal skill.
Since low-level weapons could only be imbued with a single spell, it was common sense to use better magic than Dance. For example, Gagaran from Blue Rose only used magic that increased the attack power of her weapons. However, for Edström, there was no magic more suitable than Danc. Usually, this spell was activated when the owner of the weapon used their mind to give it orders, but it was impossible to command a floating weapon to do anything other than simple movements if one was in the middle of a fight with their life on the line.
But she was different.
It was as if there was an invisible warrior there, one who could control the weapon with natural movements equal to her own. The reason for that was the strange way her brain was wired, she possessed two abilities instead of a talent. One ability was an almost abnormal spatial awareness and the other was to use her hands independently from each other to perform different actions at the same time. Some were able to do this despite never having learned how to do so, but she was much more proficient at this and her brain was so flexible it almost appeared as if she had two. If she only possessed one of these abilities, she wouldn't be able to handle her swords as freely, so the fact that she possessed both of them could only be described as a miracle. Amongst all of the nine million citizens within the Kingdom, there was probably no other person who possessed both abilities.
Carrying out her will, the swords left their sheaths and floated in the air. She only needed one to focus on defending. The other five swords would be the ones attacking.
This was the sword prison; a prison where death was certain. But—
Even before the scimitars could attack, Sebas closed the distance and swiped with a chop with incredible speed. Sebas's hand enhanced with Ki was sharper than her blades and her head flew instantaneously. Blood spurted from her neck and her body collapsed a moment later. However, the five scimitars were still floating in the air. Sebas's chop had been so precise and quick, she did not feel her death. There probably wasn't any pain either. Following her last will, the five dancing scimitars thrust towards Sebas. Ignoring them, Sebas stood straight and spoke to the detached head in a tone of praise.
"To fight even after losing your head... I applaud your fighting spirit."
Her lips opened and closed. What's he talking about? She couldn't understand, but as if feeling something from his words, her eyes looked around and found her own headless corpse. It's a lie. It's an illusion. There's no way I can lose. I didn't lose. The reason why I can't move is probably due to someone using some magic... When she accepted the truth, her face contorted in despair. Her mouth opened and closed once more and the swords that were tracking Sebas fell to the ground. They showed no signs of ever moving again.
"Let's go together. The two of us can take him!"
The scream came from the man wearing the full plate armor, who could barely suppress his panic. The armor couldn't protect him from fear. Not just with his body, but also with all his heart, he had realised that everything Sebas had said had been the truth, and that this was someone he should have never turned into an enemy.
"T-Take m-my Spatial Slash!"
He intrinsically knew that he would die. He knew that he could never win against Sebas. The only reason he didn't try to run away was because he knew he would be dead within a few steps. If he fought, he would die, and if he ran, he would die. Since both were dead ends, his attitude showed that he was a warrior nonetheless.
Sebas squinted his eyes. It was first time he thought he would need to be wary of an opponent. It was due to the move's name, which reminded Sebas of his creator, World Champion Touch Me. He had an ultimate skill, [Void Executioner, which could tear the very fabric of space and time to instantly cut an enemy. There was no way his opponent would be able to use that kind of attack, but even a cheap knock-off would be able to damage Sebas.
'Spatial Slash' Peshurian. He received his nickname for the incredible magic ability of drawing his sword from a one-meter long sheath and being able to strike up to three meters away, but it was not an attack that really cut across space and time. The secret lay in the sword, called Urumi. It was a longsword made of a soft metal which bent and flailed easily. What he had was shaved to such an extreme thinness, that it would be more correct to call him the 'Thin Slash'. But of course that didn't sound cool.
A more accurate description of his weapon would be that of a long and thin metallic whip since he had earned his nickname and fame by whipping out his sword at high speed and slaughtering the opponent with just a flash of light. Compared to the other Six Arms, it was much closer to a trick than a skill, but the fact he could handle such a difficult weapon was proof that he was a highly skilled warrior. Even the one called the strongest warrior in Re-Estize, Gazef Stronoff, wouldn't be able to handle this weapon as proficiently as Peshurian.
However, the real strength lay in the fact it didn't matter whether the opponent saw through the weapon. The scariest thing about the whip was its extremely fast speed. It was difficult, or rather impossible, to dodge simply by looking. A strike executed with super-high speed. For a human being who had no answer for it, it would have appeared to be a strike cutting across void. But—
The edge of the sword, the super speed strike so fast it breached the sound barrier, was stopped between two fingers. Sebas did so in a natural movement, as if he was picking up something he had dropped earlier. The old man looked at the metallic object between his fingers and raised a brow. "What is this... and I thought you were talking about slashing through dimensions..."
"Shawk!"
With a strange bird-like shout, a rapier flew toward him.
'Thousand Kills' Marmvist. His main weapon Rose Thorn had two terrifying enchantments imbued onto it. First was [Grinding Flesh]. The moment the rapier's blade came into contact with anything organic, it would tear it apart. If the sword pierced the skin, it would leave an even more serious wound with the flesh torn about. The second was [Master Assassin]. It was a skill that would turn even a minor scratch into a deadly injury.
These abilities alone would be quite destructive, but there was one even more secret. This time, it wasn't magic, but poison. The tip of the Rose Thorn was coated with an especially potent poison, a mix of several deadly toxins. Marmvist was originally more of an assassin than a warrior, so he fought like one as well. It was the kind of logic that if one was fighting to kill, it was best to kill the opponent quickly and efficiently, no matter the method. The result was a weapon that could kill an opponent with even a scratch. If one didn't plan for it, one would be easily killed, whether it was Gazef Stronoff or Brain Unglaus.
But that was also his weakness. Because of his mindset that he would win if he could just scratch an opponent, Marmvist's skill with the sword was rather lacking. However, his skill in lunging was real and if only lunges were judged, it would be stronger than Gazef Stronoff's. In other words, the Kingdom's best lunge. Additionally, his numerous martial arts could even match the former Black Scripture member, Clementine. But—
Sebas did not dodge. He did not need to.
"... What!"
Marmvist, who had just lunged with all his might was lost for words. He saw the tip of his weapon, which could kill anyone with just a scratch, being held back by Sebas's thumb. That was correct. Sebas had blocked the tip of the rapier with a single finger.
"... H-How did you?"
Blinking profusely, Marmvist could only moan after confirming it was neither an illusion nor a dream. That was all he could do. Common sense said that it was impossible. There was no way Sebas could stop a lunge that was powerful enough to pierce steel. His experience screamed out it was impossible, but reality told a different story. Even with all his strength, Marmvist could not push the old man's finger at all.
Then, Rose Thorn was blocked. He tried to pull away so he could lunge at a different place, but Sebas held it firmly between his thumb and index. He could not move his sword at all. It was as if an immovable mountain stood there. When Marmvist looked at his comrade, he was pulling at his sword with all his might as well. In the middle of it all, a steely voice rang out.
"Then, here I come."
A moment later, Peshurian's head burst into pieces. It was an attack that was rare to be seen from Sebas. Until now he attacked with finesse, but this strike was a thoughtless attack born out of anger. He shifted his gaze toward his right fist which had easily pierced through the head, sending pieces of it flying. His white glove was dyed with blood and had a pungent metallic smell.
"That was unseemly of me..."
Sebas took his fingers off the rapier and removed the blood-soaked glove. The moment it fell to the stone floor, Marmvist quickly snatched it with his rapier. Marmvist might have taken pride in his comet-like speed, but for Sebas, it was laughably slow. There were several ways for him to take the glove back, including smashing the rapier and blowing away Marmvist's head, but unable to understand what his opponent was doing, Sebas asked with genuine curiosity, "...what might you be doing?"
"This is it! This is the magical item that makes you stronger right?"
But it was a regular glove made of white linen. A cracking voice, foam at the corners of his mouth and bloodshot eyes. Marmvist had already descended halfway into madness. He was trying to rationalize the unbelievable sights he had witnessed.
A patronising smile appeared on Sebas' face. "You only need to admit that I am stronger than you are. What a troublesome person... If you wish to, keep thinking so."
Sebas swung his fist toward the man who was laughing like a madman. After Marmvist's head flew off and his body collapsed, silence descended. Sebas quickly blew on his fist as if there was a speck of dust. There was not a single scratch on his fingers where he had used [Iron Skin].
"If I hadn't been so wary of that fake attack, it would have been over in five seconds, but to last twenty seconds against me, I applaud you."
Sebas pointed at the building where people would have been watching this grisly scene and gave an order to the hidden predator.
"Solution, they might have important information, so please capture them alive. If they're useless, I'll give them to you to consume."
Something leaped through the air. Human eyes couldn't see what it was while Sebas' eyes coldly looked at the panicked minions surrounding him.
"Ten seconds for all of you."
Climb briskly walked along the empty hallway. Even though they had [Invisibility] cast on them, thanks to his helmet, he could see the two people with him. Because of that, he even thought at one point that they didn't have invisibility magic cast on them. However, if he looked carefully, the fact that the colors were blurry confirmed it was not the case.
Though they needed to be careful not to make noise, they couldn't afford to slow down either: they needed to rescue the woman while Sebas acted as bait. Even if Sebas was stronger than Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus put together, his opponents were Six Arms, foes who could stand toe-to-toe with adamantium-ranked adventurers. If they decided to simply swarm Sebas, things could get dicey. That was why they needed to rescue the woman quickly and then escape with Sebas. Or at least, that's what Lockmeier and Climb thought. Brain had way more confidence in the old man.
After turning several corners and descending a floor, the rogue who was in front stopped. "Sorry to stop so suddenly, Leader. We're here. Just around the corner is the prison and there's a couple of women being held in there."
It was probably a coincidence, but as the rogue spoke, the spell cast upon them passed its time limit and the three men became visible again.
On Lockmeier's signal, the company peeked around the corner and saw a dark hallway with large, barred rooms side by side.
"... Nothing else here, just like my reconnaissance earlier."
There were no other prisoners or guards. It seemed way too suspicious to be explained with just carelessness. It almost seemed like a trap.
But come to think it, who would ever dare infiltrate the building while the strongest of the Eight Fingers, the Six Arms, were gathered there? Even them without extra help such as Sebas distracting everyone, would not have dared to slip in the lion's den. Six Arms might have thought so as well. Those were the factors working out for Climb's group, but they had to be on guard.
"Let's get this over with."
Feeling some sort of camaraderie with the speaker, Brain addressed the rogue. "Can I ask you something? What's that double door over there for?"
When he turned his gaze to the innermost part, there was a large door just like Brain said.
"Ah, that… From my experience, this is more like a holding pen rather than a prison. Behind that door there would probably be some sort of fighting pit."
"Speaking of which, I can smell the odor of animals coming from there. I heard that in the Empire they make monsters fight against each other in a fighting pit..."
Climb sniffed the air following Brain's example. He smelled beasts, carnivores, to be more precise.
Brain murmured to himself, "But are they using it for training purposes, or for public executions? If there are other uses, I'd rather not think about it. Maybe it was for a show as well. Ah, I talked about something useless. Shall we go?"
Climb nodded at Brain's suggestion and the rogue agreed as well. With the rogue at the front, Climb and Brain followed. After arriving at one of the inner jail cells, the rogue checked the door. Climb took out one of the bells from the pouch, rang it, and with the power of magic, the noise of something unlocking could be heard. The rogue looked disappointed, but since they didn't have much time Climb hoped he would understand.
"Are you Tsuare-san and Celicia-san?"
Climb asked the women inside. The girls who were lying on the floor stood up hesitantly. One wore the clothes of a maid, the other a caster's and they looked like two peas in a pod: more than sisters, they seemed to be twins. Since they hadn't probably had the time to change since her kidnapping, this was definitely them. Climb felt a bit of relief. Their first objective was complete. Now was the time for the next objective; to escape with them.
"We were told to rescue you by Sebas-sama. Please come here."
They nodded at Climb, but made an astonished expression when they saw Brain and the rogue after coming out of the jail cell.
"This door—the one in the same direction as the fighting pit—doesn't have any noise coming from behind it, but going through a place where we've never been before is too dangerous. It's best to go back the way we came."
Climb and Brain agreed. Considering they were both warriors, they thought it best to leave such a decision to the expert.
Climb looked down at the girls' feet to confirm they were wearing shoes so that running wouldn't be a problem.
"Then let's escape before the enemy comes around!"
"Understood. I'll take the lead again, but since we don't have invisibility magic this time, I'll be more careful. Don't miss my signals."
"I understand… what is it, Brain?"
"Hmm? ... Ah, nothing, Climb."
Brain frowned but said nothing more. He kept staring at the two girls, but Climb could find nothing wrong with them who only appeared like regular people who had been kidnapped.
"Ready? Then we'll head out."
The rogue went ahead, followed by Climb, then Brain and Tsuare, who went last. Racing past the cell doors, the rogue slowed down near the corner in order to scout the way ahead, but—
Someone appeared from around the corner as if they were leisurely taking a stroll and blocked the rogue's path. They had anticipated some sort of opposition, but it was hard to react to something as sudden as this. Climb froze at the sudden turn of events, while the rogue showed a reaction worthy of a former orichalcum-ranked adventurer. He drew his dagger and ran forward with killing intent and—
—Crash!
With a loud noise, the rogue flew back. It was as if he had been rammed by a bull. It was a lucky coincidence, but Climb caught his fall. Had Lockmeier fallen on the floor with no way to soften the landing, he would have taken massive damage, but Climb and the rogue hit the floor together as they were thrown back. His mind immediately went to the man who was groaning in pain, but he had to pay his attention to the unfriendly newcomer.
That big guy was bound to be the enemy. Climb suddenly realized the man's name in a flash and shouted in astonishment, "Zero!"
This man was part of the Six Arms, the leader of the security division and the strongest man in the Eight Fingers.
"...That's right, kiddo. And you're that whore's slave. Hmph, for ants to crawl all the way in here. If you leave honey as the bait, they seem to crawl out from everywhere. Truly disgusting."
Zero only glanced at Climb and the rogue who was sprawled on the floor, but his real focus was on Brain. He was studying him by scanning up and down to gauge how strong of a warrior Brain really was. Climb thanked the fact that the powerful man paid no attention to him and checked on the rogue's condition.
"Are you alright? Do you have any healing method?"
Climb spoke quietly so Zero would not notice, but there was no reply, only a pain-filled groan. And the boy soon realised why: quite surprisingly, there was a fist-shaped dent in the armor around the man's chest. It showed just how strong Zero's strike truly was. The rogue regained consciousness after several shakes and Climb patted around his waist at the rogue's request.
Ignoring the enemies on the ground, Zero spoke to the only one still standing. "I remember your face. Brain Unglaus, someone who fought evenly with Gazef Stronoff. There's no weakness in your stance. Seems like you went through some training after the tournament. I can understand now. The reason why Succuronte has lost was probably because he fought you straight on. His opponent was too strong... I think I'll need to forgive his loss. Usually, I kill anyone who makes me lose face, but I am generous. I'll make an exception for someone of your skill and swordsmanship. Kneel to me and swear to be my subordinate. If you do that, I will help you achieve whatever you want."
"Is the pay alright?"
"Oh-ho... Interested...?"
"Well, there's no harm in thinking about it. Since I won against Succuronte, I expect some good treatment."
"Hahaha! You are greedy. To talk about money before begging for your life... You can't take money with you to the grave!"
"So, what are you saying? You can't pay me a good amount? Seems you're poorer than you look. Or are you pocketing everything yourself?"
"What?"
Cracking sounds came from Zero's fist. "Seems like your mouth is the only thing that's working right, Unglaus. There are lots of swordsmen who're better at talking than fighting, are you one of them? Or did you get overconfident after defeating Succuronte? Then I should apologize about the fact that you are feeling so satisfied after defeating the weakest of the Six Arms."
Brain shrugged his shoulders as if to show off. He was probably stalling for time for Climb and the injured rogue. So why is Zero playing along with this? Is he confident he could win even against all three of us? Or is there something else… Huh?
When Climb paid attention to his surroundings, he saw Tsuare and Celi slowly creeping towards Brain. If they wanted to be protected, it would have been better to move behind Climb and the rogue. There was no reason to brave danger to stand behind someone who was facing off against Zero.
Brain looked behind him once. It was a subtle movement, but his gaze went toward the girls and it was no friendly look. No, it was more like he was facing an enemy. What's going on? Climb asked himself. Something was happening. He stood up with an uneasy feeling.
"Hmph, it seems like the ant finally stood up. Stalled for enough time? Then let's hear what you truly think... No, there is no need for words. Kneel or don't, there's only one choice. Now, Unglaus, make your decision."
Brain snorted at Zero. That was all.
"Then die!"
Zero put his left hand forward and pulled back his right to make a fist. He lowered his center of gravity and stood steady. The way his muscles expanded, one would almost expect to hear the sound of ripping flesh. If one had to describe Zero right now with a simple description, he would be like a boulder, no, a mad bull. Brain also lowered his stance, but he instead seemed to focus on defense.
"I told them not to kill the old man, but they are very lively. They might overdo it and kill him. That would put me in a difficult spot, because I'm supposed to kill that old man as an example for what happens to people who dare oppose us."
Zero's face crinkled with anger. It was as if his face was proof that rage could turn a person ugly.
"Unglaus, your death will be proof that I am the strongest. Your grave will serve as a reminder for anyone foolish enough to challenge the Six Arms! As for that whore's slave, I'll decorate his head and send it to her."
Enough killing intent flooded the hallway to make Climb's body shake. Still, compared to what he felt from Sebas yesterday, it was nothing. Climb turned sharply and Zero showed the tiniest bit of concern at that.
"Is that it? Alright. Zero, I'll take you on. Climb, Lockmeier, take care of those behind me!"
The only one who didn't understand was Climb. The rogue threw a dart at both Tsuare and Celicia without hesitation. The weapons thrown by the former orichalcum-ranked adventurer were sharp and flew fast, yet Tsuare was somehow able to dodge the dart almost effortlessly, while her sister disappeared into nothingness as soon as she was hit.
"Was I already seen through?"
The appearance was that of Tsuare, but the voice was that of Illusion Maniac Succuronte.
"The reason why you didn't say anything to someone who came to rescue you was because your voice would give it away, right? But if you try to stand behind someone, anybody'd be suspicious. Even before that I was a bit hesitant, considering how strange it was that two people were exactly the same. And I already feared they were either being mind-controlled or that someone else was disguising as the hostages."
With that, Brain revealed Succuronte's trick while focusing on Zero.
"I also noticed something about the way the illusion was running, but I couldn't get any solid proof even until the very end... I have to admit you're quite good. No wonder, even though I was injured, you were able to avoid my dart without saying anything."
The rogue stopped talking and gave Succuronte a praising expression.
Zero clicked his tongue.
"Hmph... Succuronte, it seems your little tricks were seen through. In that case, the time for tricks is over. Now is the time where everything will be decided by strength! Take care of those two. You can do that much, right?"
"O-Of course, Boss."
Tsuare's figure melted away and Succuronte appeared. He was still wearing a maid's clothing. He understood what Zero meant very well and stared at Climb. "We meet again, kiddo!"
His voice was strangely tense, considering the fact that he had won against Climb yesterday. The Eight Fingers was not a forgiving organisation and no further failure would be tolerated. The man's back was against the wall and he could not afford to give any quarter.
"Were the Eight Fingers capable of releasing someone imprisoned directly under the orders of the Royal Princess?"
Climb felt the extent of Eight Fingers' influence as he gripped his sword and thought I can't lose this time."
Yesterday, Brain had defeated him with a single strike but since both Zero and Succuronte were present, it would be difficult for Brain to face two of the Six Arms at once. Climb also couldn't rely on Brain winning against Zero and focused only on stalling for time. He knew Succuronte was way better than he was. With some half-assed resolve, he would just lose again like yesterday. But this time he would win. Climb resolved himself to not back away and stepped toward Succuronte.
"Don't worry, don't worry… I'll help you out."
The rogue spoke from behind him. The light tone was probably intended to prevent Climb from tensing up too much. He was thankful for the support, but Lockmeier had received a strike from Zero and probably hadn't fully recovered even after using a potion. He was also not sure how well the rogue would be able to support someone he had never fought side-by-side with before.
The rogue smiled as if he read what Climb was thinking.
"Be at ease, I usually fill the support role. I'll show you a way of fighting other than clashing with blades!"
"Thank you."
The rogue had considerable experience. Climb didn't need to accommodate him, instead the rogue would support where Climb was lacking. Climb only needed to fight Succuronte with all his strength. When he steeled his determination and turned around, the Illusion Maniac immediately started making clones. Instead of Tsuare's copies, now there were several Succurontes and Climb couldn't tell which was the real one. A bitter taste spread through his mouth.
But the moment the two enemies slowly edged toward each other, an open pouch flew from behind Climb together with a warcry. "This is how rogues fight!"
The pouch exploded beneath Succuronte's feet and powder spread everywhere. Succuronte covered his mouth to guard against poison, but it wasn't poison, it was a magic item.
"It's the Powder of Will O' Wisp!"
The effect was immediate. Out of the five Succurontes, only one had some milky, white light about him. The real one realized this and his eyes opened wide.
The Powder of Will O' Wisp was intended to be used against stealthy opponents or someone who using invisibility magic. It reacted to living beings only. Since his [Multiple Vision] copied the main body, even if one threw ink on it, it would be reflected immediately amongst the clones, so it was very hard to discern the true body. However, the effects from magic items were not reflected on the clones. If it was a high-class spell, it would be able to deceive even magic items, but someone like Succuronte, who trained to be an Illusionist and Fencer at the same time, could not cast that kind of magic.
As a result, Climb's sword came swinging toward Succuronte's true body.
"Damn it!"
Succuronte leapt away, avoiding the attack. It was a splendid dodge, however the maid's clothing became messy as the result. Now that I think of it, him wearing a maid's uniform is ridiculous…
They exchanged ten more blows just like that. The one on the offensive was Climb. This wasn't an intentional trick of Succuronte's but the pure difference in swordsmanship abilities. There was no way a person could suddenly became extremely strong over the course of a day, nothing should have changed from yesterday. However, there were always exceptions. Climb had simply gotten stronger and Succuronte became weaker.
First of all, unlike yesterday, Climb had his armor, shield, sword and other accessories with him this time. His stamina and defense had increased and he could use his usual fighting style. On the other hand, all of Succuronte's magical items had been taken away when he was arrested, and he was also wearing the cumbersome attire of a maid right now. Due to a change of equipment, the difference between them became smaller, but that was not all.
One reason was that Climb already knew how Succuronte fought. Another was that there was a rogue supporting him. Thanks to the items the rogue was using, Succuronte's illusion magic was useless. It was as if they were ready to face Succuronte. The rogue had actually collected info on the Six Arms and had prepared to face every single one. The fact that he was prepared for even the imprisoned Succuronte was amazing. Only someone with a truly meticulous personality could prepare for all that.
"Damn it!"
Even before the fight was fully underway, Succuronte let out a frustrated scream.
The one in his sight was the rogue, but Climb always moved to block Succuronte's path towards his target. Climb could not allow him to be attacked and, being shielded, Lockmeier started to taunt Succuronte.
"Oi, oi, don't make such a face. You're supposed to be a member of the Six Arms, someone who can stand toe-to-toe with adamantium-ranked adventurers. This kind of handicap should be easy for you."
Succuronte's face crinkled with rage. The scratches from earlier exchanges bled, making his face even uglier.
"Bastard!"
With that loud curse, Succuronte posed to cast his magic. Normally, a warrior like Climb would charge to disrupt the casting, but this time he didn't. He had started to trust the rogue to do the right thing at the right moment…
And indeed a bottle flew from behind Climb and shattered right at Succuronte's feet. He could see colored smoke spreading everywhere.
"Guh! Cough, cough."
Succuronte coughed in pain.
The rogue had interrupted the casting with an alchemical item whose effects became immediately apparent. If he had specialized as a magic caster, this kind of disruption would have been nothing, but because he had trained to be a warrior alongside a magic caster, even a minor disruption broke his concentration, causing him to waste his mana.
Climb rushed at the distracted Succuronte with all his might. It was not the continuation of the fight so far. It was the kind of advance that was filled with the determination to not take a single step back. Depending on the observer, some would say it was a premature move in a bid for a fast victory. But Climb's warrior's instincts screamed.
This moment would determine the end of the duel.
It was true that Climb and the rogue had been on the offensive so far, but there was no guarantee they could keep their advantage. The items the rogue was throwing were bound to run out sooner or later, so he had to finish this while they still held the upper hand.
What Climb activated was an original martial art he learned the day before thanks to what he felt during the training session with Sebas. This skill didn't have a name yet, but if he were to give it a name right now, he would call it [Limit Breaker: Mind]. The effect was to remove all limits imposed on the body by the brain and as a result all abilities would increase, including his physical ones.
The downside was that if he used it for an extended period of time, it caused physical fatigue and muscle tearing, but if he didn't try to end the fight quickly, even if he had to use this new method, he would not be able to win against Succuronte.
As the martial art activated, he could feel something in his mind click and change. He screamed out all the emotions that were swirling inside of him, and panic spread on Succuronte face as if he had realized something. Perhaps he felt fear and astonishment, but in any case, this wasn't a face that someone who could stand toe-to-toe with an adamantium-ranked adventurer would show to someone below his level.
Climb swung the longsword down with all of his strength, but it was blocked. To block that with just a dagger was truly praiseworthy. However, to force a skilled fencer like Succuronte to block when he was specialized in dodging, Climb's strike was also commendable.
Despite that, the attack didn't end here. Climb followed through with a kick. As Succuronte tried to protect his stomach, his face crinkled.
"Arrrrggghhhh—!"
Succuronte's face paled and he staggered back while pulling back his waist. He had kicked Succuronte right between the legs with an iron boot.
After that, Climb dealt him a final blow. Blood spattered and Succuronte collapsed on the floor. He did not let his guard down and stood wary. He paid extra attention so that nothing could approach the rogue and confirmed that his death was not an illusion. This was a huge victory. Even if it was two against one, it meant a lot.
Climb looked toward Brain, wondering if he could help, but quickly abandoned the thought. That fight was on a different level altogether.
The sound was different as well. Even though it was a katana clashing with a fist, metallic sounds rang out. Their fight showed no signs of ending. The katana and fists were clashing against each other without time for a breath. The one who especially attracted attention was Zero. His strikes were carving the wall and left marks as if it was made out of soft clay.
The rogue who stood beside him murmured, "Damn! They say that high-level monks have fists of steel, but that bastard's well beyond that. He could break mithril and orichalcum too... I wonder what that blade is made of, most weapons would have already been broken by those punches."
During a solid minute of trading blows, in a fight where Climb would've been killed immediately, neither took a single scratch. Zero showed signs of earnest respect on his face.
"Unglaus... You're better than I thought. You're the first one who blocked my attacks like this. Even if without a nice weapon like yours, it'd be useless."
Brain had equal signs of respect on his face.
"You're right... without this katana I'd be dead already. And you're strong, this is my second time seeing a monk of this calibre."
"Oh-ho?"
Zero made a curious face.
"To think there was another monk on the same level as me. Never heard of him. What's his name? Since I can't hear it when you're dead."
"He's probably coming here as we speak. After defeating your Six Arms."
Zero frowned before smiling.
"Heh, you mean that old man? Unfortunately, my four trusty subordinates will be welcoming him. They might not be as strong as me, but they're much stronger than Succuronte. There's no way he can come here."
"Is that so? I can see him coming around the corner any minute now."
"Oooh, I'm sooo scared. I guess in that case I should fight more seriously."
Climbs eyes opened wide at those words. If Zero was holding back during an exchange with these kinds of blows, what would his true strength be like? He was also amazed that Brain showed no signs of surprise. Both of them weren't fighting with full strength? This really is a battle between men who could rival humanity's finest, the adamantium-ranked adventurers!
"That would be best, Zero. Those two over there are done, so I don't need to drag this out. You're going to lose here, Zero."
Brain sheathed his katana and slowly lowered his stance. It was just the same as the day before, when he took down Succuronte with a single strike. Before Climb could even wonder if Brain could take down Zero with a single strike, Zero jumped back. He had easily jumped a distance that was well beyond the limit of ordinary human strength.
"Edström can make a barrier with her swords, but you seem to have a different kind of a barrier. If I stepped in carelessly, I would be cut in half."
He couldn't completely figure out Brain's original martial arts, but to be able to guess what kind of skill it was showed that Zero's ability as a warrior was truly superior.
"But... It's a skill you can't use without taking a stance first."
Zero thrust his fist in midair. It might have looked like a meaningless move, but Brain's entire body shook from shockwave made by the fist.
"I can win by just attacking you from a distance like this. Or do you have a way to cut someone who is far away?"
"No, I don't," Brain answered honestly.
"Hmm, if you fight like that, then all I need to do is not to enter your range.
Zero asked Brain quietly in an atmosphere almost not befitting him, in a deep and calm state."Brain Unglaus, is that your trump card?"
"Of course. It's my trump card that has only been defeated... once."
"How boring. If it's already been defeated, then this will be the second time."
"You're right. Let me show something else, then…"
As a reward for the good work he had already done and to prepare him for the fight against Six Arms, the rightful owner of Cutter III had told to its current wielder about one of the weapon's skills.
"… [Activate Skill: Perfect Unknowable]!"
And the katana completely disappeared. It would not become visible with one of Lockmeier's tricks, that spell which had been imbued in Cutter III could be seen through or stopped only by someone who was the stuff of legends.
Zero scoffed. "I didn't take you for a friend of Succuronte's!"
After mocking Brain who simply smiled at that, he slowly pulled his fist back and took a stance.
"I will break you head-on. No matter your sword being powerful and now invisible, I'll destroy that. First I'll win against Brain Unglaus and one day I'll make Gazef Stronoff kneel before me. Then I will be the Kingdom's strongest!"
"If you think you can try using me as the first stepping stone for your ambition, you're going to slip. You really must have nothing to do, Zero."
"Talking really is the only thing you're good at... No, since you got this far, that's not exactly true. However, realize the fact that I am better than you in your grave. That it was foolish to challenge me. Here I come!"
Zero's upper body had many animal tattoos which were emitting a faint light. Comparatively, Brain did not move. He simply waited like a statue. Climb could feel he was about to feel massive amounts of released power from both people. A fight that nobody could interrupt, with raw power astonishingly colliding with raw power—
And suddenly a voice that was out of place could be heard.
"So this is the place where everybody gathered."
Everyone was surprised and turned to look at the intruder. Even Zero and Brain, who could not afford to take their eyes off each other, did so. It was because even in their extreme concentration they had not been able to perceive someone else approaching. An old man was standing there, it was Sebas Tian. Someone Zero would never have expected to be there.
"The hell? What happened? The other Six Arms should be taking care of you... Or did you sneak past them?"
Sebas shook his head. "No. All of your comrades have been defeated."
"... Don't speak nonsense! They might be weaker than me, but they're still Six Arms. There's no way you can come here unscathed after facing them."
"… Surprise often accompanies the truth."
"Sir Sebas! The Tsuare and Celicia here were nothing but Succuronte's illusions. We need to rescue them now!"
"Ah, thank you for worrying about it, Climb, but there is no need to be concerned. I have already found both sisters. They were in a different part of the building."
Sebas looked over his shoulder and Climb followed his gaze to find two girls. Climb felt relief and the old man smiled.
"Oi, oi, oi. To just chatter on while ignoring me... You sure are gutsy."
Zero, who couldn't move carelessly due to Brain in front of him barely moved from his spot to look at Sebas with a hate-filled expression.
"Old man, I'll ask again. What happened to my subordinates?"
"—I killed them all."
It was a casual tone, as if one was picking a flower, but it was also filled with coldness.
"N-No way! You think I'll believe you?"
Sebas smiled bitterly at Zero's scream. His laugh, without a single hint of hostility, felt only truthful.
"... Brain Unglaus. We'll postpone our match a little bit. I need to show this old man the power of the Six Arms."
"Alright. Just try not to get destroyed so fast. Well, not that I'll have my turn anyways."
"Shut up!... Old man, you'll pay for your lies with your life."
Sebas kept smiling, but the man who proclaimed himself as the strongest couldn't stand it. Zero's tattos gave off a faint glow.
The head of the security division and leader of the Six Arms, Zero the Fighting Ogre. If men like Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus fought with him unarmed, they would die in an instant. Even if they were fully equipped, the outcome of the match would be unclear.
One of the classes Zero had attained was Shamanic Adept. It borrowed the strength of the animal spirits to enhance one's physical abilities. There was a limit to how often one could use this skill a day, but it raised the user's abilities to that of a beast. For a physically superior creatur to use a human being's martial arts, it was a truly fearsome combination.
Zero activated all of his skills. Usually he only activated one to conserve his strength, but he realized that Sebas was quite a strong opponent.
Though he didn't really believe that Sebas defeated four of the Six Arms by himself, considering that he had broken through the front, there was bound to be someone else with him. Most likely Blue Rose. Until he could gather more detailed information, all he could do was destroy Sebas and postpone his duel with Unglaus. He needed to show overwhelming strength to the onlookers before taking off. He determined this would be the best course of action and prepared himself accordingly.
[Panther] on the legs, [Falcon] on the arms back, [Rhino] on the back, [Buffalo] on the chest, [Lion] on the head. He activated all his shamanic skills at the same time, something he hadn't done in a long while. And he felt an explosive power, greater than ever before, surging through him. He was almost worried about his body swelling up and exploding.
"Gyyyyaaaaaahhhhh!" Shouting out the power building up inside him, he took a step forward.
The strongest attack of the strongest of the Six Arms, Zero. It was a straightforward punch. No feints, no tricks, just a pure, straight punch. But the strength behind it was immense. Not only his skills as a Shamanic Adept, but also his other skills as a Monk, as well as several magic items enhanced the speed and destructiveness of his fist.
It was so fast and strong that Zero had a hard time controlling it. The fact it was a straightforward punch with all his strength made it a usable skill. He had zero hesitation in showing his ultimate strike. This move was simple, but invincible. He had confidence that no trickery could stop it. Zero felt a sensation of superiority above others as he rapidly stepped forward, with a slight sensation of being pulled back.
"Watch out!" Somebody shouted.
But it was too late. In a blink of an eye, the fist carrying extreme power had already arrived in front of Sebas and still kept propelling itself forward. Zero could only laugh at Sebas who was still standing there stiffly. He would regret fighting the strongest of the Six Arms.
The fist found its mark on Sebas's undefended stomach. It was a perfect strike. With an explosive aftershock, the fighters disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Climb was sure Sebas was flying back like a ragdoll, already dead. It would only be natural after taking on Zero's strongest skill. A move that gave to a human the fighting strength of an ogre. That was the true embodiment of the saying 'one-hit kill'. But—
Sebas still stood his ground without budging, not even one bit. He had absorbed Zero's fist, with all the strength in it, just through the muscles in his abdomen. It was unbelievable, a scene that defied all common sense. The difference in strength between their appearances was absolute, but the result was the complete opposite. The one who could not believe this the most was Zero. There was no creature that could receive his ultimate attack and survive. This had been the case so far.
However, with a result like this, he did not even realize that something black was passing right in front of his eyes. One of Sebas's legs rose high into the sky. It passed by Zero's nose with a fluid motion and then it came crashing down. A heel drop kick, that was the attack's name, but its speed and its strength was abnormal.
"... Who are you?" Zero murmured in last instant of his life. Sebas's lips curled at the edges as he completed the attack. Terrifying crunching and cracking sounds spread everywhere. Zero's head was smashed, his neck and spine broke as if he had been crushed by a boulder. Then, his body lifelessly crumbled to the ground.
The hallway was wrapped in silence.
The atmosphere could only be described as in a 'stupor'. Sebas moved his feet as if avoiding the blood from Zero's smashed head and dusted off the place where Zero's fist had struck.
"Phew, that was dangerous. I would have died if not for your warning..."
'You're lying! What warning?' The three men, and perhaps the two women as well, did not speak out loud, but all shouted that in their minds.
"… I survived thanks to your words, Climb-kun."
"Eh?... Ah, yes..."
Climb who had only mouthed a "Watch out!" received Sebas's thanks rigidly. He did not know what to say due to the mental shock.
"It seems I was just a little stronger."
Sebas showed a tiny bit of space between two fingers. He probably meant the distance between the fingers was the difference between him and Zero, but there was no one who would agree. Like before, everyone thought this on the inside. Just a little my ass.
"Either way, since we rescued them, we can leave now."
"Uh, no, about the Six Arms... did you really?"
"Yes, I killed them all. I regret I was not able to give them any quarter."
"Is, is that so. It was inevitable, please don't dwell too much on it."
All gazes immediately shifted to Zero's corpse. They could not even suggest that it was a lie after seeing Sebas' power.
"Then we should call in the soldiers to search the rest of the building."
The guards were originally deployed there to search the place. The fact that they could clean out such a stronghold with Sebas was an incredible stroke of luck. If Sebas's statement was true, and it probably was, there would also be the additional bonus of having destroyed Eight Fingers' most powerful fighting force.
The only real minus was not being able to capture Zero, but they had calculated they would not be able to arrest him in the first place and after seeing his strength they were sure no chains or cell could hold him, so there was no real loss. Anyone who argued about the result would be a fool.
Climb, Brain and Lockmeier were relieved, but there was someone with a rigid expression.
"What is it, Sebas-sama?"
"Ah, it just seems the air in here is not a good one. Would you mind stepping outside with me?"
"Yes, of course."
Looking at Zero's corpse and the girls, everybody agreed with Sebas. He approached Tsuare and Celi who were near a jail cell door and held both girls' hands. Celicia simply smiled, while Tsuare blushed. Everyone could feel the relationship between the two of them wasn't just that of a butler and a maid.
You shouldn't pry into their personal life. It's not befitting of you, Climb! It doesn't matter if their relationship is like the one between you and the Princess…
"Then let's go." Climb spoke and headed out first. The others followed.
The building, which had been bustling with activity when they first infiltrated, showed no signs of anyone being there. Logically speaking, there wouldn't be anyone brave enough to challenge the ones who had just taken down the Six Arms. Chances were that most of the bandits had fled and if that had been the case he hoped the group outside would capture anyone who tried to run.
Climb's shoulders felt lighter with a sensation of relief as they reached the open ground.
Sebas soon turned to him. "I'll be taking Tsuare and Celi to a safe place, so that nothing like this can ever happen again."
"I understand, Sebas-sama. Thank you for yesterday… and for today as well!"
"There is no need to worry about it. Our goals just happened to have coincided... I shall repay the debt for helping me rescue them one day."
Brain looked up at the night sky. "Well, since the Six Arms have been destroyed, I'm no longer needed. Climb, Lockmeier, see you soon. Sebas, do you mind if I walk with you for a bit?"
"… Of course, Brain."
They waved at the blue-haired man who followed Sebas as he walked away with the two girls holding his hands tightly. Climb stared admiringly at the figures who soon disappeared in the dark.