“It seems you’ve figured it out.”
“The Guide,” peering intently through the telescopic magic tool, spoke with a lilt in his voice.
“To imbue an incomplete magic stone with life, you use a living human. That part was fine.”
The problem was that humans, with their complex emotions, were difficult to control.
That’s when Aston, a man with simple yet strong negative emotions, appeared.
He readily agreed when told he wouldn’t have to pay any money if he cooperated a little. After that, they implanted a magic stone in his body, using the excuse that it was necessary for his revenge, and used it as a core to construct the golem.
“Now, Zenos. How will you bring this battle to a close?”
The client’s body should already be consumed by the magic stone, almost completely assimilated. If he wants to destroy the magic stone, he’ll have to destroy the person along with it.
Therefore, there are no choices this time.
The battle ends with the death of the golem. That’s the only option.
“But, you, who have healed and saved so many people, will end up killing the former party member who picked you up. Isn’t that a delightful scenario?”
What interests him is how the man named Zenos will execute that one option.
It seems he’ll be able to see something interesting in exchange for a cheap life. “The Guide” chuckled, saying this.
“Everyone, sorry. Please fall back for a bit.”
Zenos said to the demi-humans, facing the regenerating golem.
“But, Sensei…”
“Ringa is still raring to go.”
“Leave the front lines to us. With Zenos’s support from the rear, I don’t feel like we can lose.”
“Well, that’s what we should really do.”
Don’t stand on the front lines as a healer. That was his master’s seventh most frequent nagging phrase, or so.
If he concentrates on his own battle, support for his allies will be neglected. And if he gets injured, the accuracy of his magic will also decrease, which could result in the party’s annihilation.
So, that nagging phrase is entirely correct. However…
“Sorry. Now that it’s come to this, I’m the only one who can settle things with him.”
“Sensei…”
At Zenos’s serious tone, the demi-humans exchanged glances and slowly retreated from the spot.
“It’s almost dawn. I’m not fond of the sun, so I’m going back.”
Camilla, who was floating behind him, said.
“Yeah, I’ll be back soon too.”
“I’m not particularly worried. I’ll be waiting with some tea prepared.”
“You say that like you did something, but Lily is the one preparing it, right?”
“Kukuku…”
Camilla turned around and left the scene. The residents of the slums had already evacuated the surrounding area.
It was terribly quiet.
“Aston. It’s just us here now.”
Zenos’s voice echoed through the rubble-strewn city.
“In this city, you called out to me. That was the beginning of us, wasn’t it?”
He closed the distance little by little, stepping on the gravel.
“Damn it. You helping a child, doing something so out of character.”
Aston should have been from a lower-class citizen background, even among citizens.
—The reason he’s so obsessed with money and authority is because he lost his little sister to illness because he couldn’t afford medicine. He denies it, though.
He had once overheard Gail, who had been with Aston the longest, saying that to another member.
Perhaps, with his consciousness already fading, the crying child overlapped with the image of his dead sister. Conversely, could it be that a faint human part still remained?
*OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!*
The regenerated golem stood up and roared. It raised both arms to the sky and took a fighting stance towards Zenos.
“I guess you still have some anger left, after all. Does it make you mad that the dog you picked up and abandoned is happier than you, Aston?”
Zenos calmly advanced towards the golem’s massive body.
“Well, you might have had your own things going on, but that has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
White light gathered in his right hand. The <Surgical Scalpel> that he had previously used to treat Reve changed shape and transformed into the shape of a sword.
“—Besides, when I think about it calmly, I’m a thousand times more hateful.”
Zenos dashed forward.
He dodged the arms that came crashing down with a roar, using leg enhancement.
“Oooaaah!”
He severed the right knee with the white sword. He turned and cut off the left knee. Rolling to avoid the collapsing upper body, he immediately stood up and slashed the left chest in a cross.
Cracks appeared in the rock armor, exposing the inside of the chest.
“Yo, we meet again.”
Aston was indeed there. He was infested with the magic stone, and his skin was mottled black. His eyes were hollow, and a faint, raspy voice leaked from the back of his throat.
“Not that I particularly wanted to see you, though. This is the last time I’ll see your face.”
As Zenos spoke, he swung the sword down and severed Aston’s arms. A low scream echoed in the sky waiting for dawn.
“I don’t have much stamina, and it’s a pain, so let’s finish this as quickly as possible.”
“I see, so that’s how it is…”
“The Guide” on the hill nodded quietly as he watched the battle.
“He’s killing him without much hesitation. Well, it seems he’s been through a lot, so I guess it’s only natural.”
He wasn’t surprised by that itself.
And if the opponent moves within the range of his imagination, there’s no fear. Had he overestimated him a little?
“Hmm, is this the end? It wasn’t as exciting as I expected in the end, but I guess it can’t be helped…”
Having said that much, “The Guide” gasped.
“…No, that’s not it. This is—!”
OOOOOOOOOO! Aaaaaaaah!
Zenos’s swinging white blade mercilessly shaved away Aston’s body, which had fused with the magic stone. The screams of the golem and Aston mixed together, creating a bizarre sound that echoed around them.
The golem rampaged, and rocks and mud began to regenerate around Aston as the core. He knocked them away, sometimes protecting himself with a defensive barrier, and then faced him again.
“Ah, I’m tired. Ah, it’s such a pain.”
The demi-humans watched Zenos, who was scattering complaints, from afar.
“What is Sensei taking so long for?”
“Ringa thinks so too. He should just finish him off quickly.”
“Is the opponent that persistent… No.”
Reve furrowed his brow and opened his mouth hesitantly.
“Zenos might be trying to do something incredible.”
“…Destroying, while… regenerating…?”
“The Guide,” looking through the telescopic magic tool, felt his own voice trembling.
That man, Zenos, isn’t just swinging his sword randomly. He’s cutting away the parts infested with the magic stone and gradually regenerating the parts of the human that are only left in fragments.
Is there a human who can do such a thing? “The Guide” felt a shiver run down his spine for the first time.
“What a… monster…”
Zenos’s slashes continued.
He shaved away at the body and regenerated the slightly remaining human tissue. When the magic stone’s infestation progressed, he would treat it again.
As he repeated this endlessly, the golem’s movements became sluggish.
“…s. Why…”
Aston, whose human parts were gradually returning, uttered in a hoarse voice.
“Honestly, it would be better for the world if you were gone.”
Zenos breathed heavily and swung the <Surgical Scalpel>. The night was gradually beginning to lighten.
“…y… why…”
“Huh? Do you know how much damage you’ve caused? You’re down and out, so you can’t pay the full amount, so I’ll collect from the mastermind too. If you’re going to die, tell me where the mastermind is before you die. That’s the first reason.”
As the human parts increased, the rock that had been the armor crumbled and fell away. Zenos managed to lift his fatigued arm.
“The second reason is that you’re a good-for-nothing, but you ultimately had two good influences on my life. Picking me up from the slums and the whim of severance pay.”
He swung the sword down and regenerated the missing part.
Using that gold coin as capital, he saved Lily, which led him to start the clinic. That was a major turning point.
“The third reason. The biggest reason I’m barely keeping you alive is—”
With all his might, Zenos swung the final <Surgical Scalpel>.
“Because I’m a healer.”
—We don’t have a healer, so join our party.
—Hah? you don’t even have a healer’s license.
—We don’t need your self-taught healing magic, there’s no one who can hurt us now that we’ve gotten stronger.
—Oi oi, don’t be so full of yourself.
“Get it, you idiot?”
“…I understand, more than I ever wanted to. Just how amazing you are…”
All the armor crumbled, and Aston fell to his knees.
“This is… beyond human…” He muttered, looking at his clean arms, feeling drained.
“I’ve lost… everything… and yet, you’re telling me to live? Is this your revenge?”
“I don’t know about that. You’re overthinking it.”
“…”
A gust of wind blew between the two. The distant mountain ridgeline became brightly colored, as if announcing the arrival of dawn.
After a period of silence, Aston muttered.
“I could vaguely see you supporting the demi-humans… You were always supporting us like that…”
“That’s suddenly creepy. What are you plotting?”
“That’s harsh…? No, I guess it’s only natural to think that… I’ve lived my life using others, and in the end, I was the one being used… serves me right.”
Aston said, looking down, and then rubbed his forehead on the ground.
“I know it’s no use saying anything anymore… but let me say just this… I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Zenos!”
It sounded like the first sincere words he had heard from Aston. Zenos exhaled lightly and gently tapped Aston’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. Lift your head, Aston.”
“No, that won’t satisfy me.”
“I said it’s okay. Besides, it’s hard to punch you in that position, right?”
“…Huh?”
“Now that you’re human again, there’s no need to hold back, right?”
“Um, uh…”
“Ability enhancement—ten times arm strength. I saved a little magic just for this.”
“Wai, sto-”
“I’ll tell you the fourth reason I kept you alive. It wouldn’t satisfy me to get revenge when you were in a daze.”
Zenos slowly raised his right arm, which was clad in blue light.
“You made me go through so much trouble! Do you think a dogeza is enough to forgive you!!!”
“Gobuueeeeeeh!”
His full-powered straight right landed squarely on Aston’s face. The blown-away body disappeared into the sparkle of the refreshing morning sun.
A/N: Only two more chapters until the end of chapter 1.