Volume 9 Chapter 8 Brother Showdown And Trash Cleanup Part ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Sir Soyuz,” Lena muttered, her eyes fixed on the battle between Mikhail and Volodya, “is it alright if we don’t assist?”
”Yeah,” I said, nodding. “This is a fight we shouldn’t interfere in.”
Mikhail had just told me to concede this battle, and I agreed. Therefore, it must be upheld. He fights to wash away the shame of his kin and to ease the burden of his transformed brother. No outsiders should intrude upon that.
And──
”More importantly,” I added, “you should watch their fight closely. A battle between such masters is not something you witness every day.”
Although they possess skill, it is precisely because they are still inexperienced that they should observe this. The clash between the two was that intense.
Mikhail skillfully wielded a chain whip made of intricately woven chains, launching a myriad of attacks. The whip was indeed a troublesome weapon. It had a wide range and unpredictable movements, allowing for various strikes, entanglements, and above all, it was fast. It is said that a master’s whip is the fastest among weapons.
Volodya dodged those attacks with precision. Then, as if he knew the trajectory of the whip inside and out, he closed the distance and counterattacked. Of course, Mikhail read this perfectly and launched further assaults.
”Yes,” Lena said, her voice steady. “I will engrave this in my memory.”
”Amazing,” Vera slave whispered. “It’s so fast.”
”Yeah,” Georgia added. “There are times when even my eyes can’t keep up…”
The slaves watched the intense battle, determined not to miss a moment. And I watched too.
The sight and fighting style of Volodya were so alien and abnormal.
He had been modified to the point of losing his original form.
His right arm had become a rugged metallic construct like a golem, and at its tip was a cylindrical device instead of a hand. From there, he fired what appeared to be fireballs and heat rays, leaving trails of light. Surely, this was the trace of destruction left in the ruins.
His left hand, likely his own, gripped a longsword, engaging in fierce swordplay with Mikhail’s whip.
On his head was something resembling a lump of metal affixed to his forehead, and around his neck was a metal collar adorned with a red magic stone… that must be the same as a slave collar.
In such a modified state, he continued to fight with eyes devoid of emotion. He was like a golem.
Yet his body moved accurately, deftly dodging Mikhail’s attacks, and his handling of magic and the longsword was extraordinary. I could tell that it was not inferior to the battle I had briefly witnessed with my master long ago.
──Yeah, now I can see it too.
If I had possessed my current strength back then, my master would have…
No, now is no time to dwell on such thoughts. At any rate, right now it’s information gathering. This Elf, modified like a golem… Just who are the ones who built something so absurd? What is their purpose? The only information that can tell us that is Volodya himself, but surely it will be impossible to pry anything from him.
If that’s so, then now I have only to wait for their battle to end. If I examine Volodya’s body, I might learn something, and if I can get my hands on any belongings those fellows left behind, it’ll be a bonus. So for now, there is nothing to do but simply watch how the battle unfolds.
Lena, who had watched with earnest eyes, whispered, “That Elf called Volodya doesn’t use Spirit Magic, does he?”
”Mm,” I acknowledged. “You’re sharp to notice that. Most likely, Volodya has no sense of self. That’s why he can’t communicate with spirits and therefore can’t use Spirit Magic.”
”Then why was this village destroyed by him? I humbly think that if a great number of Elves had cast magic together, no matter how strong that person might be, he couldn’t have won so one-sidedly.”
”That’s right,” I said. “I think so too… For example, Lena, what do you think would happen if Vera, who is another slave of mine, suddenly attacked you while you were both under my command?”
”…Ah,” she replied, understanding dawning in her eyes.
Surely the villagers never expected Volodya to rampage like that. Anyone attacked while off guard won’t get off easily. Most of the residents must have been incinerated without even knowing what was happening. There’s scarcely any trace that the village put up a fight.
”So, Mikhail will win this fight,” I declared. “Volodya right now is certainly strong… but he’s not frightening.”
Yes. The terror of fighting Elves──something I experienced when the granny-witch tormented me back then. I can’t feel any of that from the present Volodya. He’s just brutally strong. And such mere brute strength never works against an Elven warrior.
The battle reached its climax. Mikhail’s whip snared Volodya’s longsword; giving it up readily, Volodya thrust his metallic right arm at Mikhail.
”That’s already been read!” I exclaimed.
Just before a beam flashed from his arm, the Undine Mikhail had summoned stretched shield after shield of water, stopping the fired ray. Veiled by the steam of evaporated water, Mikhail swapped his weapon for the snatched longsword──
”Brother!” Mikhail cried out, his voice laced with tragedy.
With a swift motion, Mikhail drove the longsword through Volodya’s chest.
Volodya let out a guttural sound, “Gah,” as he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. His pupils remained hollow to the very end.
* * *
”It’s over,” I said, addressing the dumbfounded Mikhail standing with a sword in hand. He was surely overwhelmed by a great sorrow, but I too had my duty.
”…I didn’t know whether I could have beaten the former elder brother,” Mikhail murmured, his face a mask of sorrow and vexation──probably the first emotional expression he had ever shown.
”Yeah,” I replied. “From Volodya, I couldn’t feel any fear of fighting you guys. That wasn’t an Elf; it was a weapon.”
”A weapon…” Mikhail repeated, his voice hollow.
He lowered his gaze to the transformed corpse of his elder brother at his feet, trembling slightly. Then, when he lifted his face again, his eyes were filled with a furious anger.
”That’s right, Mikhail,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I know even if you don’t say it. We absolutely can’t forgive the ones who do something like this. For the sake of humans, and for the sake of Elves too.”
”Yes,” Mikhail said, his voice steady. “Soyuz, will you fight alongside me from now on?”
”Of course,” I replied, our bond solidified in that moment.
In front of Volodya, now silent and still, we swore to fight together.
Notes:
• Volodya – A mysterious and powerful elf, never seen by Soyuz before, who seeks to purge Lucia. He exudes killing intent and is strong enough to intimidate Soyuz.
• Mikhail – Volodya’s brother and a guest of the guild, seeking to defeat Volodya for destroying his village.
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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