I beat Geese. I could think that now, but as I’d expected, it didn’t make me happy. I was aware I was in shock. There was something about seeing someone I knew die in front of me that I couldn’t process. He was my enemy, and I’d known I had to take him down…but it wasn’t like I’d loathed Geese with every fiber of my being or anything. If we’d lost the battle and they’d killed Eris or someone close to me, I might have ended up loathing him. I might have felt like this was justice. I took down the bastard. I got my revenge. That sort of thing. But…
I couldn’t deal with it. All I knew was that I was able to numbly ruminate the way I was because I hadn’t lost a single person in the battle who was important to me. I’d met my victory conditions. I’d wiped out the disciples and kept Orsted in reserve. It’d been a hard fight and there’d been missteps but despite that, it was a perfect victory—rare, for me. Maybe I was trying to use the way Geese had died to mess it up a bit. Perhaps some part of me thought that, if I’d been cleverer, Geese might have come back over to my side.
Thinking about it wasn’t doing any good. At the very least, though, I could take his bones home and make him a grave. Next to Paul’s. That’d be good. He’d said something about being together.
Those were the thoughts running through my head as I watched Geese’s body burn. Ghislaine stared intently at the cremation proceedings. Maybe it was my imagination, but when it was over and we’d recovered the bones, her ears and tail seemed limp.
“Let’s go home.”
“Yeah.”
We crossed the ravine.
Whatever else aside, it was really over this time. I was worn out. I barely had any mana left; I was physically exhausted. If I lay down I’d be out like a light. Not that I could afford to sleep until Badigadi was sealed…
I was eager to get back to Sharia, anyway. I wanted to get a good night’s sleep in my own bed and then wake up to eat. I’d have rice for breakfast… Yeah—here in the Biheiril Kingdom, they had soy sauce. I could make a perfect tamagokake gohan bowl. When I got back, I’d eat. I’d eat until I burst. Then, of course, it’d be time for some sexy shenanigans. Rudeus the Celibate had died with Geese. Sylphie…or Roxy…or Eris…who to pick? Scratch that, how about all three at once? Eris wouldn’t like it, but surely it’d be all right to ask her, just this once. Chances like this didn’t come along every day, right? Right.
The post-mortem for this battle could wait until later. For now, I’d forget what Geese had said. Now, it was time to rest. I was exhausted.
“Rudeus.” As I walked, dragging myself wearily along with every step, I heard a voice from behind me. It was Ruijerd. He was walking at the back of our group and had turned to look behind him. Back at the ravine.
“What’s the matter?”
“An enemy.”
“What?”
There was a hand clinging to the edge of the ravine. A hand. A hand. Something was climbing up out of the ravine. But what? Never mind, there was no point wasting words on it. The hand shone gold. It wore a golden gauntlet.
“You’re kidding.”
It was Badigadi.
Surely this was too soon. Wasn’t it? Thinking back, I’d thrown a few of his arms into the ravine, then his body after them. His body had appeared to be practically annihilated, but there could have been a few larger chunks here and there…maybe by pulling together the bits that remained, no matter how minute, he’d been able to fast-track his regeneration. Were immortal demon kings that immortal…?
As we stood frozen, the armor rose out of the ravine. Only, it looked different now. It only had two arms, which was how it had been when I’d defeated it, but the overall design had changed. The helmet was a different shape, and it was shorter, not even two meters tall. It was also holding a sword. An enormous sword. The world’s greatest sword, forged from the King Dragon King.
No. It isn’t him. That isn’t Badigadi.
“No matter how desperate he becomes, a hero always rises again and turns the tides. That is what I have achieved!”
That voice. The way he said “hero.” There was no way I could mistake that calling card.
“I am North God Kalman III, Alexander Rybak!”
He was alive. Huh! I’d really thought he was dead. His body hadn’t so much as twitched back when I sent him down here, and yet here he was. He’d survived.
Ah, of course. He had immortal demon blood too. Given time, he could regenerate like Badigadi.
Except—no. A shiver ran up my spine as it all clicked. This was the “final plan” Geese had talked about. Had this been his plan from the start? Or had he changed tack partway through? I’d thought something was off. I’d thought it was strange when the armor didn’t regenerate. He’d deliberately prevented it from regenerating. Then, Alec had put it on at the bottom of the ravine and restored himself. Maybe yesterday, when Geese was playing dead, he’d been preparing to drop the Fighting God Armor and part of Badigadi into the ravine and resurrect Alec…
Dammit. There was still more I had to do. There was another battle I had to fight. I was sick of this. Couldn’t it just be over? Like, give me a break already! An opponent I already beat once coming back for a second round?
Maybe it was my fault. I hadn’t made sure that Alec was dead. I’d beaten him and thought that meant I’d finished him off for good, so I left him there. I could have burned him, at the very least! But no, I’d left him there, and now here we were. What else should I have done in that situation, though? What more could I have given than what I already had?
Well…whatever. What was done was done. What was I going to do now? The Version Zero was gone. I had no backup. Ghislaine, Isolde, and Ruijerd, and I remained, with me teetering on the verge of mana drain. I had no weapon and no armor. My hand was empty. There was no hope of winning.
What should I do? How was I supposed to beat North God Kalman III wearing the Fighting God Armor?
Was it time to ask Orsted to step in? As if. What was any of this for?
I had to at least weaken him…but how?
As I gaped at him, Alec looked back at me. He didn’t seem at all surprised that I was here. It was like he’d expected me to be waiting for him.
“Rudeus Greyrat…” he said. “I apologize for calling you useless. You are a formidable warrior. I would not have thought it from your appearance, but you are a worthy opponent for me. Thanks to you, I have ascended to a new level of power. You have my gratitude.”
I turned my weary body toward the golden armor. If I ran, he’d only catch me. I didn’t even have enough strength to buy time. I’d go down fighting, then. I’d struggle with everything I had left. Focusing only on that thought, I stepped forward—
“Uh?” I was sprawled on the ground.
“I am invincible now,” Alec said. It was seeing the other three fallen around me—Ruijerd, Ghislaine, and Isolde—that made me realize Alec had thrown us all down. He’d knocked us all down in one hit.
“This is my thanks to you for making me stronger, Rudeus. I will let you live.”
Searing pain shot through me at last. My legs were broken. He was too fast. I hadn’t seen it coming. I hadn’t had the Eye of Foresight open, but still. I hadn’t been able to react at all. Neither had any of the other three. The Eye of Foresight wouldn’t have made any difference. Maybe this was the true power of the Fighting God Armor. When the wearer was stronger, it built upon their strength… Never mind, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t like Badigadi had been weak. He was plenty strong too. It was simply that when the wearer changed, the armor’s performance changed as well. It changed its form to align itself with them… It really was the ultimate armor.
“Farewell,” Alec said, walking away.
There was no time to be shocked. I immediately said a spell to heal the other three. They were unconscious. Near death, but not yet dead. Was this Alec’s idea of mercy? Damn it all. He still didn’t take me seriously. But hey, that wasn’t a bad thing. After healing the other three, I cast Earth Fortress to cover them, then went after Alec. I had no plan for what I’d do when I caught him. Had Sylphie made it back to the village? What was Orsted going to do? I didn’t have any answers, but Alec was heading toward people I had to protect. Toward Eris, Sylphie, Norn, and all the Superd. I couldn’t allow them to be slaughtered. I had no reason not to go after him.
My legs weren’t cooperating too well. They trembled, refusing to respond how I wanted them to. But even then, I managed to run. I kept going, following the golden armor.