“…Here I come.”
Once again, Abel’s figure vanished. —No, he leaped at high speed to my front right diagonal.
…I can see it. If I can see it, there’s no problem at all. No matter how fast or heavy it is, I can handle it.
“Yaaa!!”
Really, how naive. Despite attacking from a blind spot, he shouts—a sign that he can’t fully commit to being ruthless.
He’s fast indeed. If my reaction is even slightly delayed this time, it would decide the outcome.
But that’s not a problem. A straightforward diagonal slash. Probably his favorite or unconsciously preferred form. His overall movements have become more complex, but the first strike is still as honest as ever, Abel. —There it is.
Now I just need to let this [power] slip by.
“—Gh!?”
Breathing, angle, timing… everything was perfect.
I can’t allow even a single mistake, but there’s not even a one in a million chance of that happening. I swing my sword like flowing water.
Abel rolls past me with his momentum intact, putting his hand on the ground and looking at me with eyes full of surprise.
Just like when we first crossed swords—
“—Is it over already?”
“…Not yet!!”
Slash, slash, slash. An exchange of sword strikes delivered at a speed that defies reason. The speed is so great that counterattacking is impossible, and I have to concentrate all my nerves on deflecting.
But that’s fine. There’s no problem at all. —This is fun.
This thrill is irresistibly endearing.
“…Tch.”
It seems Abel has noticed something off too. He’s too fast right now for me to hit him with [Dark Absorption], and [Dark Sun] with its activation lag is also out of the question.
However, with [Eyes of Darkness], I can set a time limit on this battle. Unlike [Dark Absorption], it’s not immediate, but as long as Abel is in my sight, he gradually loses magical power.
—In other words, he’ll slow down bit by bit as time passes.
Like slowly tightening a noose. Slowly, slowly losing strength.
From the moment I activated this magic, Abel’s only option left was an ultra-short decisive battle.
The first strike was particularly important, but it’s all too late now.
“I win.”
“…Yeah.”
I pointed my sword at Abel’s throat—
§
“As expected… you’re amazing…”
“………..”
Abel fell to the ground, looking up at the night sky. His mind was in chaos, unsure of his current emotions. Only tears kept flowing uncontrollably.
Even if it was to save Lily, he had raised his sword against a friend he deeply respected. It’s something that can never be forgiven.
In the end, he couldn’t save anything. There was nothing left for him—
“Don’t irritate me too much, Abel?”
“…Huh?”
Luke’s voice carried a quiet anger.
“You challenged me to a duel, and yet you never truly desired victory. There was some [hesitation] in you, wasn’t there?”
“…Gh.”
He had to admit it was spot on. Abel had been hesitating all along.
He wanted to save Lily. But he didn’t want to hurt Luke.
He had always been tormented by this dilemma. Probably, even if Abel could have won against Luke, he wouldn’t have been able to kill him in the end.
“If you want to beat me, put everything on the line. You fool.”
It felt like his heart had been seen through. After saying just that, Luke turned on his heel.
As if to say there was nothing more to say.
“Luke!”
Abel called out to stop him.
“…What is it?”
Luke turned back with a thoroughly displeased look. Abel himself understood painfully well.
What he was about to say was far too selfish. Even so, he couldn’t help but cling to that overwhelmingly large light. But contrary to Abel’s feelings, Luke knew nothing of the circumstances.
Therefore, Luke felt an uneasiness towards something he couldn’t quite grasp.
“…………………Won’t you help me…please ……?”
“—Tch!”
At that moment, Luke was struck by an intense sense of duty.
(What… is this…?)
Fortunately for Abel, this was the territory of the Gilbert family [Gilbadia]. Moreover, many influential nobles were currently gathered in this area. If any problem were to occur now, it might damage the reputation of the Gilbert family. That’s why Luke was considering lending a hand to Abel.
However—such reasoning was nothing more than an afterthought.
(…I feel an irresistible sense of duty that I [must say this line] here and now. Really… I’m keenly aware that there’s a clear [narrative] in this world.)
Being compelled by something other than oneself. Normally, Luke would never allow such a thing. …At least, that’s how it should be, yet strangely, he found himself okay with complying.
(Is he… expecting something? Me…?)
Luke was, even if only slightly, anticipating how Abel would respond to those words.
“…Abel.”
Thus, with a smile still on his face, Luke called Abel’s name.
“What will you give me?”
“…!”
And then, he asked.
“I might help you. But as payment, what will you give me?”
“…What can I… give to Luke…?”
The boy standing before Abel truly had everything. What could he possibly offer—
“—!”
However, the answer came surprisingly quickly. Because he had been watching all along, Abel knew. The one thing Luke could never have.
“I know… what Luke really wants…”
From the moment they met, Abel was inexplicably drawn to him. To that overwhelming strength at all times. To that absolute power that could protect everything. But that’s precisely why he understood what Luke was seeking. It was—
“—a worthy rival, right?”
To Abel’s eyes, Luke was overwhelmingly strong. But he seemed to be limiting his power somehow. That’s why, that’s exactly why—
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“—I’ll become one. A worthy rival that Luke can fight with all his might.”
There was a steel-like determination in Abel’s eyes. There was no lie in those words. He was truly saying he would become Luke’s worthy rival.
“Kukuku… Ahahahaha!!”
Luke laughed. As if genuinely amused from the bottom of his heart.
“This is hilarious. You, of all people, becoming my worthy rival? You’ve gotten good at making people laugh, Abel. —But, it’s interesting.”
Abel’s words certainly shook Luke’s heart. What he first felt was the fear of defeat. That became the driving force for his thirst for unfathomable power. However, the more he trained, the more he realized.
—Things were becoming boring.
The more power he gained, the more the world lost its color. Before he knew it, it had become normal for him to fight while imposing limitations on himself. Therefore, deep in his heart, he had been seeking it. A worthy rival he could fight with all his might—.
“I’ll consider this deal made. —Well, I’m not expecting much.”
“Eh, so then…”
“I’ll help you. Hurry up and—”
“Thank you! Luke!”
“…Ugh. Get off, it’s disgusting.”
Overcome with emotion, Abel hugged Luke and expressed his gratitude. Then, he explained the situation. How Lily had been kidnapped by the remnants of the mercenary group. How they might be under surveillance by an unknown woman. After hearing everything, Luke—
“What, is that all?”
“…Huh?”
He showed no sign of surprise, as if it were just an ordinary everyday occurrence.
“— [Dark Magic Sensing]”
Mercenaries, remote surveillance. Those words alone were enough for him to guess. It was the same person who had been monitoring when he destroyed the mercenary group’s hideout. The surveillance wasn’t a problem. When he had previously made contact with Nicole, Luke had improved his [Dark Protection]. It made it impossible for them to monitor him now.
So, next. Luke used his magic sensing combined with dark magic to search for that magical energy over an extremely wide area.
“Well, it’s unexpectedly close. — [Wings of Darkness]”
Saying that, Luke took off into the sky at an incredible speed. Faced with the rapidly changing situation, Abel could only stand there dumbfounded.
“Luke, really— Eh?”
Then, a thunderous sound echoed from afar. As he kept his eyes fixed on that direction—
“Here, is this enough?”
Luke returned with a sphere of darkness. The sphere slowly fell to the ground, revealing two unconscious people. One was the woman who seemed to be the mastermind, and the other was—
“Lily! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m glad you’re safe… Really glad…”
She was unconscious. But alive. Not a single scratch. It was an absurdly anticlimactic rescue.
(It really was… ‘just that’ for him.)
What had seemed an impossible, hopeless situation to Abel was something Luke could handle effortlessly.
(…This is it, isn’t it.)
Abel thought. Luke was like the sun.
(Impossibly cool, impossibly admirable—)
“Do whatever you want with that woman. I’m— What… Huh?”
As they both turned around, sensing a familiar enormous magical power, they saw a giant ice pillar. Moreover, it was in the direction of Luke’s mansion.
“…Today is just not my day.”
Saying that, Luke started walking. Sighing tiredly at what was surely another troublesome situation.
“Thank you! Luke! Really! Thank you so much!”
Abel shouted. There was so much he wanted to say, but right now, he just wanted to convey all his gratitude. Hearing those words, Luke stopped without turning back.
“…Come anytime. I’ll prove to you that I’m the strongest.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely catch up. —No, I’ll surpass you.”
Without replying to Abel’s words, Luke started walking again.
“People who truly believe they can reach it don’t extend their hands towards the ‘sun’… But I can’t help but reach out—”
Those words, uttered to no one in particular, were Abel’s resolve and determination.
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