However, when I asked him about it, Yasu was apparently in no condition to fight.
“We threw him away somewhere”, or so John Doe said.
He also said that he may even be dead already.
In that case……
I don’t think we really need to deal with him now huh.
That’s right.
I already got most of what I wanted to hear.
I took a glance at the 6th Cavalry suffering on the ground.
These guys were dealt with already.
However, I still have the feeling that John Doe is dangerous.
If I don’t take care of him when there’s a chance, he could become a major obstacle on my path.
[It’s time, John Doe.]
He still hardly had any reaction to his death nor his suffering.
Looking at him like this, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
Seeing his reaction to his situation……
I couldn’t help but feel like he’s telling me “Serves me right”.
Well…… I guess it’s no use getting hung up on whether I’m happy or unhappy here.
That’s when it happened.
It was just a bit.
However, John Doe’s lips slackened up a bit.
[Even so———- I see now.]
[ ? ]
[I’ve only heard that you had defeated Civit Gartland. However, the fact that you were able to go toe-to-toe with me means…… I can assume that Seras Ashrain has now reached that realm.]
[ ? ]
[ ? ]
Confusion could be seen on our faces.
Seeing our confusion, even John Doe looked like he was quite confused.
[Come to think of it…… You did say that Civit was your brother huh.]
[……Half-brother. And the secret of that supposedly inexplicable strength of his…… lies with our Mother. The Einherjar family. The secret of his and my strength lies within the “blood” flowing in our veins. That is why Civit is my equal————- No, I may even be at an advantage over him for having my ability to erase myself from the recognition of others. …………., ———–What is it, Princess Knight?]
[———-No, that is…… ummm…… I think you were wrong.]
[……………………………….What are you saying?]
Seras glanced at me once.
Then, she turns back towards John Doe.
[We indeed faced Civit Gartland with his Five Dragon Warriors…… However, it was Milord’s measures that have made up for the enormous difference in fighting ability, gaining us victory. It was then that I saw it…… I felt it first hand———– the strength of “Humanity’s Strongest”.]
[………………………]
[I had thought then…… that if I became stronger, I could close the gap with Civit Gartland. In fact…… I think I was much stronger than I was then. However……]
Looking a little vexed, Seras put her hand on her chest.
[I feel like the stronger I get———– the further away I feel from him.]
Yes.
That’s also what I feel.
Civit——— is too far away.
I thought that as I got stronger, the gap between us would decrease.
But the stronger I got, the more I realized just how abnormal his strength was.
Sometimes, before I get to sleep, I suddenly think to myself.
“How the heck did I win against him?”
The more I grew, the stronger that feeling became.
I don’t think of it that much when I had just beat Civit.
Perhaps, it may be the same with Seras.
The stronger we got……
The more we understand how “abnormal” his strength was.
The more prominent his abnormality was within our minds.
[And so…… in terms of strength, you and Civit Gartland…… I think it wasn’t in the same league.]
[ ! ]
At this moment……
It was the first time———- that John Doe’s expression warped.
[Indeed, you were fast…… However, as you may be aware of, your speed is still within the range that I could block. Once I got used to it, I was able to strike back. However……]
Seras bit her lip.
———–Frustration.
Even without speaking a word, I could feel her emotions.
[Even if I fight Civit in a melee battle…… I’m still not sure if I could block his strikes. I’m not even sure if I could catch his strike with my sword……]
[……Well, yeah. To be honest, if Civit had the same recognition inhibition ability as you…… The first time he showed up, with that one strike of his———–]
I’m not trying to deceive him or anything like that.
It was a definite fact.
It may be frustrating to say this……
[Seras wasn’t powerful enough to block his strike, and in our battle, I would have probably died.]
John Doe’s face distinctively scrunched up.
His expression was clearly showing.
His teeth clenched……
[In that case, what in the world is it———]
His eyes turned bloodshot.
[What in the world…… is the secret…… of Civit Gartland’s strength!?]
[That’s what I want to know.]
I see, this guy———-
He had never directly confronted Civit before.
He had never fought against him.
That’s why——— He didn’t even know exactly how strong he was.
John Doe believed that their mother was the secret to their strength.
Thus, he thought himself as “another strongest”.
He thought that if he put his mind to it, he could beat Civit.
Rather, he actually believed that he had an advantage because of his ability to disappear from the recognition of others.
Even though he is usually a mob and keeps a low profile……
He thinks that if he gets serious, he could achieve such a thing.
However, that was not the case at all.
His perception of the world———- has collapsed.
In fact, there was an unbridgeable gap between him and Civit.
Moreover, I realized it.
[………………….]
“What a warped guy he is”, or so I thought.
He doesn’t mind being killed by someone who is “just like himself”.
However, he can’t accept the fact that the secret of Civit’s strength is “incomprehensible”.
————Ahh, I see.
I think I understand a little bit now.
He isn’t afraid of “what he can understand”.
For John Doe, being that I’m apparently the same as him, I’m “someone he can understand”.
And so far, Civit had also been “someone he could understand”.
He knows the mystery of his origins.
He understood the secret of his strength.
That was what he thought.
However, at this moment……
All of a sudden, Civit mutated into an incomprehensibly “terrifying being”.
[If it’s not my Mother…… was it Father? Haahhh…… Haahhh…… H- However, that guy’s father…… According to Mother, he was an ordinary former noble…… His origins are also quite clear. I did some research on him before…… zheee, kheeekk…… That former noble’s lineage…… Kuhh…… T- There was no one with such abnormal strength…… In that case, seriously, what in the world———– Gehoook!?]
John Doe vomited out blood again.
His eyes rolled up, showing the white part of his eyes.
He’s close to dying huh.
From the corner of John Doe’s eyes———– blood began to flow out.
[We…… The both of us…… I thought…… we were equals——– Gehoook!? Gbfuukk…… Thinking I could kill him whenever I want……! M- Moreover…… Encountering another “me”…… Even the reason for my existence was shaken…… Gehook!? T- This is quite…… the end…… Gehoook! Gbfoook!]
Blood poured out of John Doe’s mouth.
Some of it became bubbles, his blood stuck out of the gaps between his teeth.
Now this is a spectacular sight.
He looked as if he was crying tears of blood……
[H- However…… Y- You…… Fly King is alright…… Gbfuu! I’ll take it! D- Dying because of myself…… Dying because of “suicide”…… is alright……! Gubwaahh!? H- However…… M- Me…… being unable…… to understand Civit! More than Fly King’s existence———- t- this feels even more repulsive! Gehoook!? I- I am…… h- hidden in the public…… just like the shadows…… the one who understands…… observes…… and enjoys everything in this world……! That I have adequate strength…… to consider myself the real strongest…… but such strength is hidden from others…… Guboohh! Ogehhh! T- The unknown stron…… gest…… That is…… my per…… fect…… lifestyle———-, ………………. ,————-Civit…… How…… strong…… are…… you…… really……, ——————, —————————]
That is when———– John Doe’s words stopped.
He was still on his knees.
Looking at the kneeling John Deo, Seras gulped.
[Milord…… What in the world is he……?]
It seems that Seras was unable to understand why is it that John Doe was so shaken.
I understood why that is.
However……
[He’s already dead. It would just be a waste of time to try understanding him. Well, for us……. Let’s just say that we were lucky that he isn’t on the same level as Civit.]
If John Doe really was as strong as Civit……
If his cognitive inhibition ability had been combined with Civit’s abnormal strength……
We would have probably lost.
[……Now then.]
According to the information I got from John Doe……
There is a good chance that the Divine Beast is already on the move to join up with the Ninth.
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