“Huh? Sup, Commander? Throwing in the towel already?”
Alan felt like he’d heard a cocky voice call out to him. He raised his head and saw the unforgettable face of a young man standing in the darkness.
“William.”
“Bingo! It’s yours truly, the genius super rookie, William Rayfield!” he said with a smug smirk.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m sorry. My error in judgment took away your future.” The words naturally fell out of Alan’s mouth.
When he saw that young man, brimming with confidence and anticipation of what was to come, he was filled with regret. The feeling hadn’t left him since the day William died. After fulfilling his dream, Alan had decided to protect and raise the youngsters chasing after their own dreams, but he’d failed William.
“Ha! Well, it is what it is! Guess your brain went senile along with your body, old man,” said the impertinent youth inside Alan’s mind.
“I guess you’re right. I’ve started forgetting things recently,” Alan said with a chuckle.
“So, whatcha gonna do?” William asked as he looked straight at Alan. “Gonna retire like a frail geezer? Nothing wrong with laying off now. You’ve done enough already. Maybe the next gen will deal with the rest, yeah?”
“True, they might,” Alan replied. In fact, he couldn’t be happier if they did. “But, you know, I think I’ll hang in there for a little longer. I don’t want to have regrets like I did in my past life. That’s the one thing I wanted to avoid in this one. I’ll keep on until the end and do my best to somehow achieve the uncertain.”
When William heard those words, he quietly vanished with a small smile on his face.
“Thank you, William. You’ve given this old man the motivation to move forward.” Alan was full of gratitude toward the passionate youngster.
✦ ✦ ✦
“No, I said not yet!” Light flooded back into Alan’s eyes.
Beelzebub’s face was the very definition of surprise as Alan grabbed the back of Beelzebub’s head with his right arm and fiercely headbutted him. A dull sound echoed as their skulls collided, and blood started dripping down their foreheads. Alan hadn’t hesitated to put all his strength behind the headbutt.
“Wha—” Beelzebub gasped as he leaned backward.
“Wargh!” Alan cried out and tightened his fist. This would be the final blow, no turning back, with every ounce of strength remaining in his body squeezed into it.
Beelzebub observed the situation calmly. I don’t need to worry. His punch won’t have enough strength to defeat me. Alan only had a tiny bit of stamina left, so he couldn’t put that much into his attack. More importantly, his heart had been severely injured; he couldn’t use mana in that state. Beelzebub was in poor condition himself, but there was no way a human’s bare, powerless fist could mortally wound him.
With a fierce roar, Alan’s fist lit up.
Impossible! Beelzebub’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Mana of light?! How?! His heart has a hole in it! He physically can’t produce any mana! he thought as his eyes fell upon Alan’s face. It spoke volumes: of his powerful volition, his tenacity to grasp victory, and the total determination that was carved into every inch of him.
“So, that’s how it is.” The truth washed over Beelzebub. The destruction of Alan’s source of mana had been truly irrelevant. Even the laws of physics are but a trivial afterthought before his willpower.
Alan’s fist, burning with his mana of light, pierced through Beelzebub’s heart.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Gah!” Beelzebub collapsed on the ground with a gaping hole in his heart. His core, the equivalent to the heart for humans, had been completely destroyed. This was a mortal wound.
“Hah, ha ha ha...” As he lay on the ground, his eyes lifted up to Alan. You weren’t defeated...even when your heart was run through, were you?
Alan stood imposingly, even as blood flooded from his body, and looked down at Beelzebub. The demon lord couldn’t help but think that his old enemy was an incredible man, just like that “force of will” of his.
“Then I won’t give up either, not yet,” Beelzebub said. He tried to get up, but he didn’t have the strength to stand. “I guess...that’s it. I can’t move. It would seem someone who was born all-powerful can’t possess the force of will you speak of. You’ve done magnificently, Champion. Victory is yours once again.”
With the last ounce of his remaining mana, Beelzebub cast a recovery spell on Alan’s heart. The bleeding from his heart slowed, if only temporarily. It was only a stopgap solution; if Alan didn’t get emergency treatment soon, he wouldn’t make it out alive.
“Why would you do that?” Alan asked.
“Because I want to...fight you again, of course,” Beelzebub replied. He didn’t want this to be the last time. He might have lost, but this was the best he’d felt in his life. The satisfaction was like nothing else. Next time—next time for sure. “I don’t know how long it’ll take, but...if I revive again, I’ll need you alive for another rematch.”
“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ll probably be dead by then. Humans don’t live forever,” Alan replied.
“With your willpower, I believe you can overcome even death itself,” Beelzebub said with unshakable confidence. If he were to invade the human world again, Alan would surely brush aside minor details such as old age and lifespans and come stand in the way of his army. Beelzebub was convinced.
“You’re wrong, demon lord. It’s because we humans know that our lives will eventually come to an end that we can have so much willpower. Trust me, I came to realize that better than most. That’s all there is to it,” Alan said with a faraway look in his eyes, as if he were remembering some distant other life.
“I see...” Beelzebub nodded. “Your will burns bright because you are finite,” he mumbled. Such a power would be forever unattainable for an immortal creature like him.
I’ve had everything from the moment I was born. Until he found humans, those who had the one thing he lacked. In the end, he realized that no matter how much he struggled, he would never obtain it. But that was precisely why he found it the most dazzling and beautiful thing in this world.
“Humans are...truly wonderful!” Beelzebub said with a contented expression as he crumbled to ash.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Master Alan!” Rosetta ran toward Alan immediately after Beelzebub disappeared. “Please lie down! I will treat your wounds at once!”
“Thanks, Rosetta.” Alan did as she instructed.
Then, Alan turned his face in the direction of the Seventh Kingdom, where he knew the young warriors were still fighting. The image of his old enemy was still fresh in his mind. “If you do revive again, Beelzebub, feel free to attack once more. Even if I’m no longer there, some new, bright lights will surely take you down. That’s another thing humans have because our lives are finite: the ability to pass on our hopes and knowledge to the next generation.”
“Your injuries get worse when you talk, Master Alan! Please be quiet!” Rosetta said.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Scolded by Rosetta, Alan went silent, relaxed, and surrendered himself to her treatment.