After a moment or two, he closed his mouth and digested how moved he felt. He smiled with his whole face and cast down his eyes a tad before muttering, “I see.” Then he lifted his head again. His expression was earnest, serious. “So my fears were needless in the end. I’m sorry, Kanami. Honest. When I heard about Palinchron Regacy, my heart wavered. I thought that if your memories returned, you’d prioritize vengeance. I mean, that’s how awful what he did to you was. And yet despite that...”

  Lorwen drew his own blade. I could tell that the sentiment had reached his heart.

  He flashed me a pugnacious, can’t-wait-to-fight smile and said, “Despite all that, you’d still indulge me in a fight anyway.”

  He approached me, and I did likewise. But then, a shadow cut in between us. It was Reaper. The sight of her trembling and shaking her head, unable to sit by and watch, made Lorwen smile. It was a kindly smile, like a parent gazing at their child—but at the same time, the shadow of death was upon his face as well.

  “Watch us, Reaper. ’Cause at long last, I’m gonna attain what I’ve been chasing all these years.”

  “Lorwen...” she said hoarsely.

  “Don’t give me those sad eyes. Would ya mind seeing me off with a smile?”

  “Hey, so, uh, tell me, Lorwen...do you really wanna leave this life? Do you really not wanna live on? You do know how much in this world we have yet to see, don’t you?!”

  “What’re you talking about? I’m already dead, Reaper.”

  The rift between Lorwen and Reaper was deep. She had understood that before she’d even said a word. That was why she hadn’t wanted to come here. She’d been trying to save him without actually interacting with him.

  She was quivering, but still, she hung it all on her last hope. “But you’re here now, aren’t you? So, like, you can afford to be a bit more self-indulgent—”

  “I am being self-indulgent right now. I’m trying to accept my heart’s desire—the true answer to it all—from my best friend, which is pretty self-indulgent for a walking corpse, I think.”

  “That’s not what I mean! When you get that ‘answer’ or whatever, you’re gonna vanish, Lorwen! Nothing’ll be tying you to life anymore! How can you be okay with Lorwen Arrace no longer existing?! With things ending this way?!”

  Lorwen remained calm in the face of her shouting. Calmer than even I was expecting; he exhibited none of the restlessness of the day he had ambushed us.

  “Yep. I want this to be my last hurrah. Don’t go getting the wrong idea, Reaper. I understand now. The heroes of this era taught me the truth. The ‘strongest hero’ Glenn Walker taught me that the dream I’d aimed for was an illusion. The Blademaster hero Fenrir Arrace taught me that the Arrace Clan no longer exists as I knew it.”

  While Snow, Lastiara’s group, and I were fighting our own Brawl battles, Lorwen had been blazing through the ranks on his own romp. What he’d just said made that clear. By beating Mr. Glenn, he had learned about the current state of the nobility, and by fighting his descendant Fenrir Arrace, he had ascertained the fate of his own clan. A clan that he knew had no place for him. That was why the look on his face was so similar to mine.

  “There’s no man by the name of Lorwen Arrace here to begin with. There’s no such guy, Reaper. Way before I even met you, on the day I agreed to the pact to become the Thief of Earth’s Essence, Lorwen Arrace disappeared from this world. What you see before you is just a nameless corpse animated by lingering attachments. I’m nothing more than a monster.”

  As his friend, that truth was a bit sad, but the truth it remained. Lorwen had, under his own strength, come closer to the answer that was right for him.

  “It’s not enough, though,” he continued. “Glenn taught me about the future, and Fenrir the present. But I still don’t have the thing that’s most important to a Guardian like me.”

  He wasn’t all the way there yet. His attachments weren’t gone. His gaze shifted from Reaper to me.

  “Kanami has the answer regarding my past. I trust that he’ll teach me what’s tethering me here.”

  He sought one person’s opinion, and I, of course, intended to oblige him. I returned his nod, but Reaper alone continued to shake her head.

  “You can’t, Lorwen! Say what you want, but I...I...”

  “During this final match, I’m gonna vanish. No matter what happens, I will disappear today.” He caressed the shivering Reaper’s head before walking past her. He’d taken another step forward, alone on his path toward figuring out what his true wish was.

  “R-Right...” said Reaper as she sobbed. “I knew it... I knew it all along...”

  Lorwen was unhesitating. He was staring at me and only me, with a gaze so intense that one might be led to believe he did, in fact, know what he truly desired. And since Reaper understood that, she knew there was simply no stopping him. The answer he sought was now within his grasp. All he had to do was reach out a little farther and it would all be over. He wasn’t about to let Reaper stop him.

  “It’s just no use... Not anymore...”

  “End of the road, Reaper. I’m sorry. We had some good times together, but it looks like they’re over now.”

  “Augh!”

  Reaper turned around and clenched her fists—only to relax them right away. Her will to fight had overflowed for a fleeting moment, but even if she stopped the match, she’d only be turning both me and Lorwen against her. Against not one but two wielders of the Responsiveness skill, she knew that no matter how much magic energy she could muster, she didn’t stand a chance. All she could do was weep. She covered her face with her hands and fell to her knees.

  Seeing her lose her will to fight, I addressed the presenter. “Once the match starts, please take Reaper and go someplace safe. Otherwise, you’ll be in danger.”

  “Uh, yes, right...” Faced with the girl’s grief and sorrow, he agreed readily. While he might not have been privy to the details, he had clearly surmised that Reaper no longer had any desire to participate in the match. “Then I take it you two will be fighting one-on-one. Please decide your ruleset.”

  He took Reaper by the hand and dragged her away. Only Lorwen and I darkened the center of the arena now. While my heart went out to Reaper, I could hardly start the match on a dour note. It was time to choose our ruleset. Of course, even just that discussion was equivalent to a final goodbye. For our last moments together, I wanted to part ways with a smile. So he and I spoke casually, as we always did.

  “I think I wanna try the knocking-the-weapon ruleset,” I suggested.

  “Hold up, dude. These are the finals we’re talking about. Ain’t a no-holds-barred death match what’s called for here?”

  “But we need to do the whole master-and-pupil blade-fight thing...”

  “Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I did say something to that effect, huh?” he muttered.

  “I remember it word for word. You said you wanted a showdown between master and pupil during the Brawl final. You said the Arrace School of the blade would make an elegant showing and the beautiful sword clash would captivate the people.”

  “Your incredible memory’s as useful as always. All right, how about a death match ruleset, but we do the knocking-the-weapon thing first? Let’s get ’em all hyped up by doing the match in stages.”

  “Guess that sounds good...though when it’s a fight between dudes who know each other, there’s no air of tension or excitement to those rules.”

  “Good point. Thanks to us throwing our hats in, the tail end of the tourney’s turned into a bunch of acquaintances duking it out.”

  We smiled as we spoke. We wanted to convey to the girl who was crying nearby that there was nothing sad about this, and that neither of us had regrets. Since our conversation had reached a pause, the presenter cut in.

  “Er, are you not betting anything? Personally, I was very much looking forward to what you would wager, considering you two know each other. For example, maybe Mr. Lorwen wants Mr. Kanami’s lady for himself and they fight over her? Just spitballing,” he said tactlessly, a gleeful look on his face.

  Today would be the day I got back at him for what he’d said during all my matches.

  “Please don’t be that way. Neither of us is going to bet anything. Up till now, I was feeling too rough to give you a piece of my mind, but let me tell you—”

  “Hold on, Kanami. I’ve actually got something to bet ya.”

  “Huh?”

  “Let’s stake our swords. Whoever loses gives the winner their sword.”

  “Our swords? I mean, I don’t mind, but...”

  “And this is the sword I’ll be putting down.” From one of the two scabbards at his waist, he pulled his blade.

  【CORRUPTED BLADE OF THE ARRACE CLAN】

  Attack Power 2

  It was the sword that Dia had given me, which I had then given to Lorwen. It had been mended by Mr. Alibers. The melted blade had been adjusted with raycrystal, and a crystal design had been added to the hilt. Only, perhaps due to the forced nature of the restoration, the blade hadn’t recovered its sharpness.

  “You wanna bet that? It was mine to begin with. Well, actually, it was Dia’s, but...”

  “It’s me and Alibers’s magnum opus. And I spent a pretty penny on it. If you beat me, I’ll return it to you free of charge.”

  “It’s not like I asked you to get it repaired.” I sighed. “Fine. I’ll beat you and you’ll give it back to me.”

  I ended up wagering my Crescent Pectolazri Straight Sword in return.

  “What kinda bet is that?” said the presenter. “Th-That’s so boring!”

  “Just announce to the crowd that those are the rules, Mr. Emcee Man. If you say anything out of line, I will freeze your ass solid.” I froze the tip of his hair using Wintermension: Frost to make my point.

  “Ack. I suppose I have no choice. When someone of your caliber threatens an ordinary citizen like me, I cannot disobey. I must say, I loathe my own powerlessness...” He seemed chagrined from the bottom of his heart.

  “Enough already! Just do it.” At this rate, I could see myself unleashing some full-on ice magic at him.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the ruleset for this match has been decided! Our finalists are staking their swords on a death match! As both bosom friends and master and disciple, the two have vowed to clash using their blades—and to give it their all!”

  The presenter’s voice reverberated through the spacious arena by way of his magical mic. The crowd roared in response. From catching what some spectators were saying, I realized how much they were looking forward to this battle between the Blademaster and his disciple. Amid the maelstrom of expectations, a gratified Lorwen smiled.

  “Music to my ears. We’re gonna stake our swords on this. That’s what I like to hear! Good stuff, that introduction.”

  The cheers snowballed like a booming avalanche. Some were screaming particularly loudly. I had no idea how they had gotten front-row seats, but Lastiara and company were there, Snow and Maria cheering me on like no tomorrow.

  “Get ’em, Kanami! Win and help me escape! Crush him good! It’s for my sake too!”

  “You can do it, Mr. Kanami! I believe you can win the day, just like you did with me!”

  Upon seeing them cheer, the presenter became red in the face. Then his expression turned more gleeful than it had been all day. “Me oh my! While Mr. Kanami let us down, our audience is picking up the slack! Believe it or not, folks, the Walker Clan scion, Lady Snow, and Team Lastiara are in the front seats, cheering Mr. Kanami on in harmony! What could have happened to unite these contestants who fought so bitterly during their match?! But that’s not all! We have yet another girl now! Though I must say, this one’s awfully young! She’s a bit too young, Mr. Kanami! I know you love your womanizing, good sir, but let’s calm down a little! Ah, but what’s this? I don’t see the Hellvilleshine scion, Franrühle, among them! Could it be?! Did he discard her after you-know-what happened?! Well there’s a hero for you! That sheer lack of principles— Argh! Who turned down the heat?!”

  “How many times, old man?! Why’ve you gotta be so mouthy with me?!”

  I had activated a full-blown casting of Wintermension: Frost, and the presenter covered his frozen lips with his hands and staggered. Naturally, the stands erupted with laughter. I blushed and averted my eyes—a meaningless act since there were spectators no matter where I looked. The cheering never abated in that time, and Lastiara’s group was especially vociferous.

  Dia was pouting at Maria and Snow. “Look here, you two. You’re still in my bad books. Don’t get carried away, got it?”

  Maria replied with an unruffled look on her face, “Is that right? Well I don’t particularly care if I’m in your bad books or not, so...”

  Snow, on the other hand, got in a flap. “Eek! I... I’m sorry, Your Grace! I got a bit carried away...”

  “Don’t call me that. These days, I go by Dia.”

  “Ah, of course! Lady Dia!”

  Judging by her fawning, Snow desperately wanted Dia to protect her too. I got the feeling that while we’d gotten past a crisis point, Snow’s personality had taken a dip in the process.

  “Heh heh, heh heh heh... Please save me, Lady Lastiara.” The fact that she instantly beseeched Lastiara for help already spoke poorly of her.

  Meanwhile, Lastiara was munching away, doing a magnificent job ignoring Snow. “Mmm, this is good. What is this, Serry?”

  “It’s an Eltraliew speciality, milady. I heard good reviews, so I took the liberty of securing some.”

  “Wait, huh?! You’re willing to be my hero, aren’t you, Lady Lastiara?!”

  “Nah, sorry. You slept on that onetime offer and now the deal’s off the table. Too bad, so sad.”

  “No, you’re... You’re kidding me!”

  “We’re allies. We’re in equal standing, so I’m not gonna babysit you. Didn’t Kanami give you his whole spiel? Oh, but more importantly, all that formal speech: let’s drop it, shall we?”

  “Urgh... I thought you would be there to coddle me, at least.”

  “Yeah, that’s a no go. Kanami told me to quit that sort of thing. Besides, I’m pretty tuckered out myself, so you’ll understand if I wanna take a breather. I’m really exhausted after that match with a certain somebody who legit wanted me dead. Heh heh!”

  “I’m so sorry about that... Augh, it’s no use! Kanami, come back! Quick!” Snow was quick to throw in the towel. The vow she’d made the day before lay in tatters.

  “Also,” said Dia, “that’s my sword. What’s it doing in that Guardian schmuck’s hands?”

  “Oh, that Guardian’s an Arrace Clan descendant, apparently. And the sword’s connected to the Arraces, right? Let it slide, Dia.”

  “He’s an Arrace too? I see... All right, guess it can’t be helped.”

  The sight of the girls chatting among themselves got me emotional, though for some reason, the individual topics of conversation struck me as more than a little frightening. I wanted them on friendly terms if possible... It was a scary feeling, the powder keg fuse always being lit like that.

  “That sword... It’s weird. I remember melting it. I wonder when it got repaired.”

  “I’m sorry, what?! The hell did you do to my sword, Maria?!”

  “What, was that your sword? What a relief. I thought I’d destroyed Mr. Kanami’s sword.”

  “Why you!”

  All right, time to go nip this in the bud. I was truly afraid a fight might break out at any second. Plus, it seemed Lorwen could hear them too; he had a hand over his mouth as he stifled his laughter. I was mortified. My friends were embarrassing me.

  I did have other people I knew cheering me on. Everyone in Epic Seeker had come to spectate in support of their guildmaster. Then again, one of them was shouting stuff that had nothing to do with me per se.

  “Look! Look at them there swords! They’re both my swords! Boy, look at the shine on my master’s Crescent Pectolazri! And Lorwen’s mithril ain’t too shabby either! Talk about picturesque!”

  It was Mr. Alibers, the Epic Seeker blacksmith. I’d had him mend a lot of my weapons and forge me some trusty blades too.

  “That guy’s my guildmaster!” shouted the youngest girl in the guild. “I’m with him! How do ya like that?! Badass, right?! The master of Epic Seeker’s the strongest guy around!”

  If I recalled correctly, she was the first person I had fought in the process of becoming guildmaster. Mr. Vohlzark was standing next to her.

  “Calm down, you’re embarrassing me,” he said.

  Needless to say, Ms. Tayly was right there with them. She was gazing with tender, affectionate eyes at...a section of the stands; certainly not at me. She was smiling at Snow, who was hanging her head, her true self undisguised.

  There were other distinct characters among the audience as well—the divers and adventurers who’d gathered to give our match a look-see. The people with confidence in their own prowess were glaring at us belligerently, while those who’d come to study and steal our swordsmanship techniques for themselves wore serious expressions. There were even the divers who’d tried to kill me during my early days. I wondered if they remembered me. To my eyes, it looked like the leader of the group blanched after seeing my face.

  That wasn’t all. A great many nobles were watching us with appraising eyes. Some of them were just here to enjoy the match, but the majority were here to—you guessed it—advance their own interests. I’d met a number of them at that ball. If memory served, that guy over there was Korner of the Talua Clan, and that was Kyne of the Cofelt Clan. I recognized a whole bunch of faces.

  Moreover, foreign dignitaries who’d attended the cathedral on the Day of the Blessed Birth were surveying me avidly, their guards likewise watching intently so as to ascertain the extent of my abilities.

  Obviously, the Seven Celestial Knights were in attendance as well. Ms. Franrühle was there, an apologetic look on her face. Sitting in the stands instead of continuing to look for her little brother Liner probably wasn’t what she wanted to be doing.

  Liner, meanwhile, was hiding behind a pillar in a corner of the arena. I didn’t sense a homicidal amount of enmity coming from him, but he was glaring at me and Lorwen with a grim expression.

 

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