“T-trai…-tor…”

In a non-descript alleyway under an orange sky, I stand before a dead man with a green scarf. I remove my own green scarf and wipe the blood from my blade, before dropping it atop his vacant eyes.

… I was twelve at the time, and although it was not my first kill, it was the first time I had done so under another guise. My brothers welcomed me back warmly, and with my information, we were able to whittle down the rest of the competition. It was supposed to be a one-off job, only possible with my passing resemblance. I never imagined it would be a lifelong career.

Months later, the bakery burned, along with our base which was directly behind said building. We were surrounded by outsiders who had come to wrest our Territory. To escape, I dressed as one of their own and watched as my brethren were slaughtered. Some recognised me behind my disguise and bled out with pleading eyes. They took everything from me, and yet, I stayed with the new gang, even learning a few knife skills during my stay. On one particularly long night of revelry, I gave the boss a first-hand demonstration before leaving the city with a courier’s bag.

Always changing, always learning, I quickly became a proficient assassin. While masquerading as a guard, I happened upon a confiscated tome, with face stealing magic that completed my art. My infamy only grew from there. I had money, I had respect, and yet…

“I must say, young man, you have quite a fine touch with that brush. I don’t remember you being so talented.”

“Haha, you flatter me, uncle. I might still make a mess of it yet.”

“I can spot passion when I see it. Surely you are taken by this hobby?”

“Not at all. I was just… imitating someone I once knew.

… Say uncle, I once procured a bottle of the finest red and stashed it in the cellar. Would you like to join me?”

“Would I? By all means, lead the way!”

Empty. I felt so incredible empty. I’d mimicked dozens of lives and stolen dozens more, but I still had nothing since that blazing night. Most of my time between kills was spent preparing for the next. My path was undoubtedly one of death and deception, and yet I didn’t see a point to it all. It was no longer a means of survival. Only the fleeting satisfaction from my victims’ last, confused moments served as commendation of my craft. Until…

“*Cough, cough*!”

“You are a brave one to have snuck into our brotherhood, my “son”. If only you had earned His mark, then I wouldn’t have suspected you at all.”

Looking back, it was sheer folly that I could ever hope to take His Holiness’ head. I had several A rank parties “stumble upon him”, and yet he dispatched them without a single qualm. The opening he showed was, of course, a trap, and I was pinned under his armoured boot as a result. I can still remember the calm eyes behind his then iron mask as he raised my paralysed body. He saw through me at a single glance.

“No. Bravery is reserved for those who act with conviction. Bravery is for those who conquer their fear of death in service to a greater cause. You act like a tool but there is no master, no matter what client may have set you upon me. You are a talented man but it pains me so to see a lamb so lost.”

“… I live. I die. Like anybuddy else I killed wiv my blades. Be it a noble or a lunatic, we’re all jus bags ov blud.”

“Oh child. You poor, poor child… you are so very wrong. You may question your own worth, but in truth, you have given those disparate souls glorious meaning.”

“Come again?”

“Why do you think Our Lord blessed you with such destructive talents? While others may sow, you live to reap, thus perpetuating the cycle of death and rebirth. You partake in the embers of their meandering lives, all so you can better your sacred role. The only tragedy is you are merely returning their souls to the World Stream rather than delivering them to His embrace.”

“*Spit* Wat rubbish. Is dat how you brainwash all da others? By absolving dem of all dere sins?”

“You’ve already lived among us for a while now, so you should know we are above such petty promises. Nevertheless, I can hardly hope to convince you at this very moment. All I’m asking is that you give my words more consideration,” said His Holiness as he lowered me back onto my feet, “because I can give you the one thing you have always sought. The one thing worth more than all the riches in the world: purpose.”

“…”

“Dedicate your prey to Him, my son. Think of Our Lord, Maleosis, when you finally breathe your last. If you can do that, then I will be content. Kory, please take “Brother Rufus” to the nearest outpost. Treat him as my guest.”

My life was spared on that day. Anyone else would think him arrogant, but I can tell sincerity when I see. I didn’t indulge in their hospitality, slipping away on the very same night, but as his words burned into my mind, I returned a week later with my client’s head to prove my own sincerity. He had already saved me, and as I committed myself to the scriptures, I felt I could save others as well. For the first time in my life, I felt complete.

In the following years, his Holiness delivered more miracles, discovering the Great Ark and rallying the greatest brotherhood in all the lands. His destiny is fast approaching and I will do anything to see his wishes through. I don’t have much time to learn Mr Kell’s mannerisms, but…

Huh? Was I not using Mr Kell’s speech patterns when I conversed with His Holiness? That is impossible. Right now, I… Am I the guide? Borris? Enbos?

N-no, this is…

“… wrong… wrong…”

I watch Mr Kell keenly as he whispers under his breath, but he remains frozen mid-step alongside Colligo. Quietly, Lili continues to tend to my self-inflicted condition while I gawk at her non-existent wound. I know it was all an illusion, and yet…

“ is my most powerful skill under the skillset,” explains Lili, noticing my disbelief. “It traps a target in their own mind, leading them to fabricate experiences from all five senses. As the vision goes on, they will start reliving their dearest memories as if they were the first.”

“I-it’s hard to believe my mind could conjure such horrifying hallucinations. I’m not sure what is real anymore.”

“And that is why the spell is so dangerous. I always dispel it prematurely because it could lead to lasting effects. It directly tampers with the mind, and in the worst case, you could end up dreaming of your mother’s embrace forever.”

“I-I see. Ngh!”

“Are you still in pain, Hachirou? I’ve exhausted most of my mana but I can push myself if I must.”

“No, Lili. Thank you. Nevertheless, I hope you still have the power to tend to Sig. He fought harder than any of-”

“…”

“L-Lili?”

“Sig… was the first one I tended to. H-he’s...”

Lili doesn’t finish her sentence as tears swell in her eyes. Appalled, I slowly turn my head to find a still figure slouched against the wall. I can hardly breathe as I stumble my way to his bloodied body. Although Lili managed to close the wound, there is no reversing the amount of blood he has lost. I can hardly hear a breath or heartbeat from the pale figure before me.

“S-Sig?”

“…”

“N-no. Please Sig, s-say something. T-tell me this isn’t…”

“… I had a nice dream, kid. But seeing you upright… is even better.”

Although I want to cry out in joy, it is plain as day he only has moments to live. Blood spills from his weak smile as he exerts all his strength to raise his head.

“Don’t bother raising *cough, cough*… my hopes. Lili already set my outlook straight. I guess… I won’t see my book become… a bestseller.”

“This is… I’m sorry, Sig. I’m so, so sorry. T-this… this is all my fault. If only I were stronger- No, my strongest was never enough. I-I should never have been here.”

“No, Hachirou… It happened because I wanted to save you. You *cough* defended me until the very end. You listened. You… believed. You are str- *Cough, cough, cough*!”

“P-please Sig, hold on! Once Lili recovers her mana, she can heal you. I-I’ll check Kell’s possessions. He must have-”

“I’m done,” he says resolutely, “but not you. I’m glad my sacrifice… meant something in the end.”

“N-no, not like this! Please Sig, y-you still have so much more to live! Think of your interpretation of the Word. Think of your dream of spreading your teachings to the whole world!”

“Then heed my lesson, kid: move on. You’ve got… a bright future ahead of you. You will soar… higher than any roc. I just know it.”

“…”

“H-Hachirou? Are you still there?”

“I… I can’t, Sig. I’m no longer a child… which means I don’t have much more to grow,” I say with gritted teeth. “What little potential I had, I’ve already diminished by wasting my earliest years. N-now, I’m paying the price for my self-pity. Even when I pushed myself to the absolute limit, I… I still wasn’t enough.”

Bitter tears slip past my eyes, carrying all my insecurities and cleansing all my delusions. Lili’s spell wasn’t a simple dream: it was a reflection of my own heart. The fact I saw everybody fall while I was powerless to stop it shows I was defeated long before the spell even began. Now, I’m begging Sig to stay alive lest my failures compound.

“Oh, krakenpot. You’re cooking… something, right?”

“H-huh?”

“I saw… you save Lili. That move... was like mine. Too much like mine.”

“It was nothing like yours. The speed was inferior, and because I lost focus, you had to… to… I-I’m not worthy to use that technique again.”

“And yet, Lili’s alive… because of you.”

“…”

“*Chuckle, cough* You said… at your limit, and yet… broke… without thinking. I’m not offended… I’m flattered. You really need… to own it. *Hack*!”

“Sig!”

“Tell the big man… you’re part of the choir… Now go. Prove me right. You’re… not drake, Hachirou. You’re *cough, cough*… a wurm.”

“… You too, Sig. T-the way you fought was en’lite.”

“Heh, that really… flows… Roc’ing… Absolutely… roc’ing…”

His chin drops to his chest, but the smile on his face is wide. Although it was the smallest of tilts, I can feel my heart sink to the cold floor. I want to call out to him, but I’m paralysed by a single, overwhelming realisation.

Sig… has passed on. The Singing Steel, the Senseless Preacher, the good-natured friend… is no more.

I close his glazed eyes then take off my wooden mask, partly to show respect and partly to wipe away my tears. I can barely feel my fingers as I tightly clasp my mask. Lili rests her hand on mine before bringing my wetted face into her bosom. Behind me, Sen, Minna and Norf gather around Sig’s body, free from Lili’s magic. We share a moment of silence as Sig returns to the Great River.

“If your soul is still listening, Sig: thank you. You were a true adventurer. I… I should never have doubted you. Please forgive me,” says Sen.

“Rest in peace, Sig,” says Minna. “We will sing your exploits until the end of our days.”

“Are you okay, Hachirou?”

“I… I will be fine, Lili,” I say as I wear my mask before bowing with pointed palms, my body trembling with every repressed tear. “I-I want his life to mean more.”

“It shall. O Mighty Lord residing in heaven, please bless this pious soul.”

“… I hate to sound cold, but we’ll retrieve his body for a funeral later. Right now, we need to sort some things out. Minna? Norf?”

The party of three nod to one another before taking out their hunting knives. To my shock, Minna and Norf begin stabbing the incapacitated cultists. Lili expresses her own surprise, but she only offers her prayers as they continue their culling. Noticing my dismay, Sen grimaces slightly as he returns my dropped katana.

“… I know it’s a dirty thing to do, but we can’t let a single one of them live,” says Sen. “For the sake of our escape, we can’t risk any more enemy reinforcements.”

“No. I understand, Sen.”

“Thanks, Hachirou. Still… you should look away,” he says as he looks toward Mr Kell, “because honestly, I don’t want you learning from my example.”

Sen readies his spear and walks over to the pair of cultists. Despite Sen’s suggestion, I watch on, hoping for some sense of closure, anything to lighten the crushing weight on my soul. However, I suddenly catch Colligo’s unconscious words…

(Dad…-dy…)

“…!”

(Bring back… daddy…)

… No. There is no catharsis to be found. No monsters I can unequivocally hate. It may have been Mr Kell’s toxins and Colligo’s claws that finished Sig off, but I only wish I had done better. However, the same can’t be said for Sen as he passes by Colligo and stands before Mr Kell.

“For murdering Sig and mutilating Eric, it’s time that you pay for your sins, Mr Kell. !”

Swish!

“H-huh?”

All of a sudden, Mr Kell turns his torso as Sen’s spear grazes his left shoulder. Worse, Mr Kell immediately counterattacks with a wide swing. Minna screams out in horror, but Sen jumps back out of reflex as Mr Kell’s knife glances off the Mellivorath armour. The former guide is about to attack with his other knife, but I charge in and deflect it. Sen attempts to follow up but it’s no use. The cultist assassin is just too fast, too skilled to be pressured by the likes of us. Sen and I are promptly forced back as Mr Kell cradles his aching head.

“N-no way.”

“H-how on Garea did he break free? He should be trapped in his own-”

“… Heathen… Heathen! Heathen! HEATHEN!!! HOW DARE you ensnare me with His Holiness’ likeness! Tracker overload: maximum charge!”

Without any warning, a dozen cultists violently convulse as if a volley of invisible arrows suddenly hit them. I can feel my blood run cold as their eyes begin to stir. Norf hurriedly fires actual arrows into their bodies, but it’s too late. A number of cultists have awakened from their daze, including the one named Colligo. As they come to terms with their reality, Minna and Norf fall back to a defensive position while Lili conjures barriers on both sides. However, Mr Kell flies into a frenzy and slashes at her barrier, constantly cutting as Lili constantly repairs. Her mana exhaustion is well and truly affecting her as her legs eventually buckle.

“Lili! Are you okay?”

“I-I’m sorry everyone, but I can’t offer much more! You must deal with the awakened cultists on the other side.”

“It won’t be easy,” says Sen through gritted teeth. “Both Kell and that other assassin are up and ready. Only this time, Sig is…”

“But they’re not at full strength, either,” points out Minna. “Your last attack injured Mr Kell, while whatever he did to wake up those cultists has clearly impaired them.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right! Okay, here’s the plan: Hachirou and I will deal with Mr Kell and his partner. The rest of you-”

“I will face them.”

“Yes Hachirou, we will-”

“I will face Mr Kell and Colligo… alone.”

“Huh!?”

“I-I’ve recovered enough of my strength, and this time… I am resolved.”

“Absolutely not!” yells Minna. “I know you feel guilty about Sig’s death, but you have to think about this clearly!”

“Minna is right, Hachirou. I-I can hold those two back, so please-”

With some remorse, I activate and slash through Lili’s barrier at the same time as Mr Kell. As feared, her weakened barrier easily shatters, but before she can repair it, I jump across and force Mr Kell back with rapid thrusts. He backsteps to his companion’s side and all three of us come to a standstill. Colligo has finished shrugging off his headache, while Mr Kell is seething with murderous intent.

“… Keh!

“Huh?”

“Kehahahahaha!”

“…”

“I haff ta hand it to ya kid. Yoov dun a magnifisent job undermining your friends. First, ya convince everywun ta lower dere guard and follow along wiv my trap. Den, ya get Sig killed by letting yourself get caught. Now, you fro aside Lili’s charitee and deplete even more of her mana. Truly, you are a blessing from Maleosis.”

“… I won’t deny the entirety of your words, no matter how poisonous they may be,” I say as I stand my ground. “I am weak, but Sig believed otherwise. This time, I will believe in my own blade.”

“You can’t beat us, Hachirou. Jus’ give yourself up and we’ll spare yor pals, even dat siren in white ova dere.”

“I refuse, Mr Kell. I know: I’m not suited to be a warrior, but it’s the life I’ve chosen, nonetheless. The only way to give my path – and his sacrifice – any meaning is to fight both of you.”

“*Sigh* How trite. Brother Colligo, may I leave dis to you?”

“It is done,” he says as he readies his prosthetic arm while I subconsciously grind my teeth. “This time, I will incapacitate Enbos’ student completely.”

“My fanks, but don’t bover holdin’ back. As fer me, I’m goin’ to teach Lili a long, painful lesson.”

Taking a deep breath, I let my spiritual energy wax over me as I expand my awareness once again. Though I am not at death’s door, a thousand thoughts are awash in my mind.

You said… at your limit, and yet… broke… without thinking...

Sig realised the truth. pushes oneself to their limit, while spirit arts can raise that limit at the cost of spiritual energy. I was only operating at my physical limit, using my spiritual energy as a safety buffer, but in truth, I could have kept strengthening myself as far as my meagre lifeforce allows.

“I know Enbos, but because I’m weak, I have to depend on you…

… I-if I don’t get stronger soon, I would be no better than poison in your marrow.”

No. Knowing me, I wouldn’t stop there. The technique would create a vicious cycle, driven by my desire for raw strength. I need to cross that boundary, but to avoid falling prey to my own mania… I need an unshakable image.

“… I’m sure everyone would be more than happy to for someone as talented as you.”

“Please don’t Minna. Compared to my siblings, my talent is shallow. I still have a long way to go.”

“Do you come from a family of heroes…?”

I know it was only rhetoric, but the fact of the matter is I do. Each and every one of my kin are a master in their own regard, and I spent my whole life envying their boundless talent. Nonetheless, I will never belittle all the time and effort they have dedicated to their craft. What I truly envied was their sense of purpose, and it was Enbos that inspired me to find my own way.

I… I can never hope to match them, even if I suddenly gained the same gifts. Like imitation squid, I will always be inferior to the original. Nevertheless, even the combination of cheap ingredients can be greater than the sum.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Hachirou…

… And don’t you start comparing yourself to your father or sister…”

I’m sorry, Enbos. I don’t think I can ever stop holding myself up to my brethren. However, things are different now. I was too concerned about disgracing my family tree, but now, I appreciate how majestic their canopy is. Indeed, I’ve spent my entire life admiring them more than any other… which means I’ve watched them more than any other.

Ding!

Custom Move named…>

Shiiing!

“… Eh?”

Drawing my blade from my scabbard, I leave a long gash, stretching from wall-to-wall, right in front of their toes. I furrow my brow for having missed their legs, but I disavow such thoughts as I hold onto that distant memory. Mr Kell is no longer quipping. He assumes a low stance and directs all his attention onto myself. As I sheath my katana for another draw, my opponents charge toward me from different angles; one from below and one along the walls.

“!”

“!”

Ting! Ting! Ting!

I deflect all their attacks in a single continuous motion. Undeterred, they continue their multi-pronged attacks, but I repel them without ever stopping the momentum of my blade. Steadily but surely, I begin building an “absolute territory”: a space around my body that must never be encroached. It’s a far cry from my brother’s twenty-foot , but I will continue to honour his technique.

The knife behind my head. The claw near my left leg. The feint from Mr Kell’s right hand. The trajectory of Colligo’s flip…

I can see my brother reacting to these attacks in my mind, and my body is straining to match those phantom images. The pain I feel now is incomparable to before, as if every drop of my blood has been replaced with acid. My limbs weigh like lead, but I will not falter. My brother is with me and I will never disgrace him.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!

“Wat da heck? He’s like a compleetlee different person!”

“His mobility and arm strength have decreased, brother.”

“Yeah, but in return, his speed is many times fasta. Da worst bit is he can now send shockwaves flyun throu-”

Shiiing!

“Wow! Watch it kid!”

“… .

It is not a simple change in agility; it is a tribute to my beloved kin. My friends, my family… they are closer to me now than your god is to you.”

“*Spit* Do not insult His name, kid. Yor powa’s based on dat dubble-edged skill, while ours iz divine. You will break down, like evree uver time.”

“No, Mr Kell, I will not. Not before I bring you both down,” I say as I sheath my katana once more. “.”

Both cultists freeze, anticipating another shockwave attack. However, I maintain my drawing stance, with my right hand on the handle. It is an uneasy impasse as Mr Kell and Colligo keep glancing behind me, evidently displeased by the battle on the other side. Finally, they make the first move.

Opening a hidden compartment in his arm, Colligo drops a familiar spherical object that erupts into a cloud of darkness. Mr Kell immediately behind me, but as his blade touches the fabric of my cloak…

“Eh?”

… it passes straight through my ghostly visage. I can sense his shocked eyes behind his clay mask as he finds I am now on his right side.

One step…

“!”

Two steps…

“To your left!”

“!”

Three steps… Four steps…

“Don’t target hiz bodee! Use magic!”

“!”

Five steps…

“Damn, dat didn’t work eeva!”

Only one step left in my false skill. Unlike the , I can’t attack while the skill is active. I can only bide my time for the perfect opportunity to strike.

“!”

Mr Kell’s knife passes through another afterimage, but as he surveys his flanks, I’m standing directly behind him with my sword drawn. Colligo dives forth with a retractable wrist blade while Mr Kell launches a reverse kick. However, both attacks fail to connect as I kick off my sheath and vault over Colligo’s head. With Colligo and Mr Kell in the same spot, I turn my torso and unleash my brother’s secret technique.

“Have you realised, Hachirou? uses three swings instead of six. Most people fail to realise that martial skills can be just as versatile as magic. They both draw power from the World Stream, but whereas Takumi can burn forests and freeze rivers… I can carry storms along a single length of steel.”

“!”

With unrefined movements, I launch twelve wild shockwaves that tear through the ancient corridor, leaving twelve trails of destruction. All the shockwaves converge on Mr Kell and Colligo, before erupting into a cloud of dust and debris. The resulting blasts sends me flying onto my belly as a layer of dust coats my back. Dumbfounded, I sit up and stare at all the devastation before me.

D-did I really do all this? The force should be enough to decimate the both of them. No, I mustn’t let down my guard, not until I see-

“H-huh?”

To my utter shock, I find no trace of either cultist along the straight corridor. Even high rank can’t hide them from plain sight, and yet, as the cloud of dust thins, I can make neither head nor tail.

T-this is bad. Although I am surging with strength, I can feel several fractures across my sword arm. Worse, I smell fresh blood from my side, which means my wounds are starting to reopen. The price for my extreme skill is already taking its toil; I’m metabolising so much energy that it’s damaging my body. Whereas they are unscathed from my attack, I only have so much strength left to spare. I have to find their scent, but it’s almost as if-

Wait, don’t they have ? T-then, if it’s anything like Enbos’…

Shiiing!

… they can delay when they emerge from the shadows.

The scent of Sig’s blood reaches my nose. I immediately deflect Colligo’s attack from my blind side, but to my horror, his clawed prosthetic clasps onto my blade and locks in place with an iron grip. Behind me, I can hear Mr Kell emerge from a separate spot as he charges toward me.

I-I can’t free my katana! I have to continue fighting unarmed, b-but Brother Ken’s fighting style is better suited for-

“!”

All of a sudden, there is a loud thud between me and Mr Kell. Next, several arrows whistle through the air as Colligo detaches his arm and evades an incoming spear. My arms drop like lead bars, but a familiar warmth fills my core and eases the weight.

“T-this is…”

“*Huff, huff* Hachirou, are you okay?”

“Thank the spirits! Promise us you will never do that again.”

“You know Minna, we really should’ve known he would brush us off to go fight on his own. He is Enbos’ disciple, after all.”

“S-Sen? Lili and Minna? Then the other side-”

“All clear,” grins Sen. “You know, we really fought like lions just so we could come to your save.”

“You did a good job holding out, Hachirou, but now you can leave the rest to us.”

“No, Minna,” I say as I shatter the bloodied hand latched on my katana. “I will see my battle to the end.”

“… Okay, Hachirou. But keep yourself safe because Lili has already run herself ragged. She is in no condition to heal anyone.”

“That’s right. All you have to do is hold the line and we’ll be with you… right after we deal with him! !”

With a burst of speed, Sen closes the distance and thrusts his weapon past Mr Kell’s head. Meanwhile, I dash towards Colligo as he replaces his arm with the one from earlier: the arm that indirectly led to Sig’s death. All of a sudden, Colligo points his right hand towards me and his “fingers” fly out like piercing arrows. I deflect his five digits, however, glints of light reveal steel wires trailing in their wake.

“!”

The moment I make contact with my first slash, I realise I’m not strong enough to cut the wires. Instead, I redirect the wires with my remaining slices to avoid being ensnared. His fingers then retract, but despite my best efforts, I’m left with a gash on my thigh.

The multiple trajectories are hard to read but not impossible to defend. However, my already precarious health is reaching a tipping point. My sword arm is in no condition to use the and I have less than a minute before his is ready again. I-I have to close the distance and beat him here and now!

“.”

Again, he fires his fingers towards me, except all five digits pass through my afterimage. However, instead of withdrawing his deadly wires, he begins swinging them wildly, ricocheting off the walls and slashing the open air. I hold my breath as I walk straight into the whirlwind of razor thin threads.

Swoosh!

Two steps…

Swish!

Three steps…

Crack!

F-four steps…

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

“Ngh!”

F-five steps. I was almost-

No, don't lose focus now. Just one more step until he's in range. One more step until I correct my mistakes. I want Sig's memory to inspire me, not haunt me forevermore.

Six-

“Six steps.”

Stealing the words from my mind, I involuntarily freeze as Colligo points his left arm towards me. His second prosthetic then splits open, revealing a metal tube that resembles-

BOOM!

With the force of compressed thunder, Colligo fires his weapon at point blank and triggers a blazing explosion. The sound is deafening and the entire corridor is filled with ash and smoke as Colligo is forced back by his near-suicidal move. Spotting a charred katana in the smoking crater, he ejects his crumbling limb, however…

“.”

“…!”

“!”

With my esteemed second brother by my side, I mirror his movements and launch an all-or-nothing thrust with my other arm. My wrist snaps and my shoulder pops as my fist makes contact with his raised arm. I can’t even feel my attack hit. All that matters is that I tighten my fist until it is as hard as folded steel.

“BREAK THROUGH!!!”

CRACK!

Ken’s skill punctures through his prosthetic arm, shattering it to pieces, before connecting with his defenceless chest. With my back leg planted into the ground, I unleash a powerful blast that sends Colligo flying into the wall. The attack is no less powerful than his cannon, as he slams into the masonry with such force that the sounds of quaking stones and shattered bones echo throughout the hall. Then, like a broken puppet freed from the strings of its dark master, he collapses to the cold floor.

“Hah, hah, hah…”

“…”

“I-I did it?”

The battered corpse doesn’t respond, which is an answer in its own way. I wholly expect him to return to his feet, but as I continue observing, the truth eventually settles in. The truth that by my own fist… I’ve taken Colligo’s life.

My hands begin to shudder, and not just from the immense recoil of my attack. The culmination of everything I have experienced, everything I have pursued, has finally borne fruit. I’ve never felt such jubilation in my entire life… and yet, there is a small discomfort in my heart. A realisation… that I have the power, and the will, to deprive others of their entire lives.

I-is this how Enbos felt when he finished off Yuki’s killer? Would it be worse if they were a kobold? I have no regrets about killing him, but no matter how evil he may have been…

“Rest in peace, Colligo. May you reconnect… with your family… like I.”

Thud.

… S-so tired. I… I can no longer stay upright. As I thought, Sig’s was still too much. I-I have yet to make it my own, but…

“I hope… I have honoured you… Sig.”