After successfully defeating Zeke, I released Infinite Domain and exited the barrier. Though it felt like days had passed inside the barrier, time flowed normally outside of the barrier. All in all only a few seconds had passed.
Suddenly, I heard a voice calling to me. But who? I can tell they’re calling my name, and it’s a familiar voice... Oh. I know who this is.
“It’s you, isn’t it, Cain?”
I looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a familiar silver-haired boy. His name was Cain, my junior when we were still a part of Chaos Raid. After the organization fell apart, we traveled together as a part of the Hero Party to defeat the Demon Lord. He was an old friend of mine.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Abel.”
Seeing his familiar face, I felt a lot of things falling into place. I see. So he’s definitely the one who undid the seal on Zeke. Even two hundred years ago, he was the only prodigy-level mage who could stand at my level. If all the weird things that’d been happening to me had been his doing, it made sense.
“I’m so relieved to see that even after two hundred years, you’re still just as proficient as you were back then. So befitting of my eternal rival.”
He’s a really cocky guy. Now that I think about it, he’s the only one who really committed to trying to surpass me.
“Why are you alive?” I asked.
He was talking to me like it was the most natural thing in the world, but he was the very same person that I had traveled with two hundred years ago. Normally, there was no chance that he should’ve been able to live this long. His body should have turned to dust by now.
“It’s simple. I completed my Immortality Magecraft. I won’t age nor will I die.”
I see. Just as I completed Reincarnation Magecraft, he completed an Immortality Magecraft, which allowed him to stay alive all these years.
“Would you like to spar with me for old time’s sake?” Cain asked, throwing the rose he’d been holding up until now towards me.
“No. There’s no reason for us to fight.”
Considering how he was a crafty guy, always plotting something, I could only imagine that he’d been up to all kinds of mischief these past two hundred years when I was reincarnating.
But none of that mattered to me now. We were living in an age of peace. If possible, I wanted nothing more than for things to stay that way.
“Heh heh. I figured you’d say that, Mr. Abel,” he said, eerily smiling before snapping his fingers.
In the next moment, an unexpected view filled my eyes. Out of the darkness came a familiar black-haired girl.
“You called, Master Cain?”
Her name was Ayane. She was my junior two hundred years ago in Chaos Raid and an excellent Obsidian-Eyed mage. Her talent far exceeded even the best mages two hundred years ago. After the organization fell apart, Ayane helped as a supporting member of our party. She was one more person I knew two hundred years ago who I was seeing again.
“Did you finish the job?” Cain asked.
“Yes. I’ve captured that witch as you asked.”
My eyes widened as in the next minute, an unexpected—and the worst possible—sight was shown to me.
He got me. While I was fighting with Zeke, Cain used the distraction to secure a hostage.
Out of Ayane’s barrier appeared Lilith, the very same person I was planning on meeting later.
“Master Abel...”
It looks like they’ve done a number on her.
She looked battered; covered in injuries—most likely from a fight—and left crucified, Ayane’s venomous shikigami snakes wrapped around her limbs and able to kill her at any time.
“If you don’t agree to what I ask, I will kill this woman.”
Doesn’t look like this is gonna resolve peacefully. Cain doesn’t make empty threats. He’ll take a life if necessary, and without care for how anyone else would feel about it.
What is this feeling inside? Oh, it’s anger. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this dark, muddy emotion. It was strange, knowing that I still had a humanlike emotion left inside me.
“Truthfully, I’d like nothing more than to kill her right now. After all, it’s too dangerous to keep her alive, especially since she’s corrupted you,” Cain said.
He just keeps saying whatever he wants. It’s too dangerous to keep her alive? I get the feeling that the same applies to you. Now then, with the small talk out of the way, I should get ready to kill him. I obviously wasn’t so carefree that I’d get carried away with reminiscing in the middle of a battle.
“Infinite Domain,” I said, deploying my magecraft.
In the next moment, a black barrier spread from my feet, capturing Cain’s body inside it. Even if he was immortal, it didn’t matter so long as he was kept inside this barrier.
“I see. This is your new move, huh?”
Despite being caught in the barrier, Cain didn’t lose his cool at all. Hm, his face tells me he’s got something planned. I shoved my sword into Cain at once, still worried about what he had planned.
“You can stop that. This magecraft has no effect on me.”
I thought as much. Despite being cut in two, Cain is the picture of calm.
“I can see right through you, Mr. Abel. The one you see here isn’t my real body. It’ll be destroyed soon enough.”
Hm. It seems he’s telling the truth. After being cut, his body turned back into dirt. It’s a really good replica to have been able to fool my eyes.
“If you want to kill me, then follow me. I’ll be waiting at the place our journey began—that unforgettable place.”
With that being said, Cain’s body melted into the ground, disappearing.
Good grief. What a selfish guy. But there, huh?
What Cain was referring to was, most likely, the place where our destiny changed forever.