Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: 15. Realization (2)
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"…You're fighting dirty. But a loss is a loss. Kill me."
Fallen Kaily spoke in an irritated tone.
The man with his sword at her throat looked down at her indifferently.
Kaily closed her eyes, awaiting death.
But death never came.
The sword was withdrawn, and the man crouched down to meet her gaze at eye level.
"…The strong have a duty to kill the weak."
At his words, Kaily slowly opened her eyes.
"Isn't that what you want? That's why you're so obsessed with power like some pervert."
"And if it is?"
"Hm. One thing I'm curious about—if that weakling becomes stronger than the strong one, what happens then?"
"No need to ask. Power dynamics aren't always absolute."
"Surprisingly flexible in these matters."
Irked by his tone, as if he knew her inside out, Kaily glared at him.
"You're the first to ask something so weird. Who the hell are you?"
"Ian. Hero manager."
"Hero…? Manager?"
Two years ago, this Ian had extended a hand to Kaily after she lost to him.
"If you become a hero, I can give you all the power you want, whatever it is. What do you say?"
A hero.
She had never even considered it.
But the promise of power was too tempting to ignore.
She had devoted her life to pursuing strength, all to escape the golden rule of power.
"…You're fundamentally weaker than me. If we fought again, I'd win. What could a guy like you possibly teach me?"
"Ah, so the great one is the one sprawled out like this right now?"
"……."
"Fine, whatever. If you don't want to."
As Ian started to pull his hand back slyly, Kaily lunged and grabbed it.
"…Can you guarantee it?"
"Hm. Would you believe me if I staked my neck on it?"
"You'd better keep your word. Otherwise, I'll take your head."
"Ooh, scary."
That was Ian and Kaily's first meeting.
*
Stealing and being stolen from.
Wounding and being wounded.
Killing and being killed.
To Kaily, humans were nothing more than beings who repeated such violence.
She didn't feel particular despair or melancholy about this reality.
She simply recognized the logic of power.
The strong survive.
The weak die.
She understood, accepted, and internalized this law of nature as her own.
The strong have the duty and right to kill the weak to grow stronger.
The weak have the responsibility to become sacrifices for the strong.
The law of the jungle.
Survival of the fittest.
Winner takes all.
That was Kaily's golden rule of power.
So she stole first before she could be stolen from, killed first before she could be killed.
But she had never once imagined herself as the weak under her own golden rule.
She had always been strong, always pursuing the position of the strong, so there was no reason to consider the weak's perspective.
Everyone she met was weaker than her, so she killed without hesitation and absorbed their power.
Then, for the first time, she lost to Ian.
She was ready to die according to the golden rule of power, but Ian spared her.
That was the problem.
For the first time, she became the weak.
And in a way that made all her days of slaughter feel meaningless, Ian saved her.
The problems didn't end there.
Ian was fundamentally weaker than Kaily.
The reason he could beat her, in her words, was 'dirty tricks.'
A battle full of calculations and deceptions, one where skill took precedence over raw power.
That was the way Ian, whose output was pathetically low, survived.
Kaily didn't recognize that kind of strength.
It was more like desperate flailing than true power.
She couldn't accept it, and losing to such a thing made her feel pathetic and furious.
Regardless of whether she could accept it, a loss was a loss, so she tried to die—but Ian saved her.
The issues kept piling up.
Ian encouraged and trained that Kaily.
To her, that was impossible.
She acknowledged that the strong-weak relationship could change at any time.
But for the strong to fulfill their duty by nurturing the weak and making them stronger? Unthinkable.
Ian was the same.
The Kaily he knew was just a power-mad lunatic.
He learned much later that she had named her fanatic belief the golden rule and followed it like a law.
Just three months after meeting Ian.
"I lost."
Kaily had surpassed Ian.
"You're a monster…. Are you really human?"
"……."
She held her sword to the throat of the fallen Ian.
If she stabbed now, he would die.
Now Kaily was the strong, and Ian the weak.
So it was fine.
No, she had to.
That was the golden rule of power.
Kaily had never made exceptions.
But….
"……."
Ian looked up at her blankly, right before she killed him.
The same expression as when they first met—he was always like that.
No matter what, he never forced anything against her will.
Except a few times when he made her study economics or ethics or something.
"…Why did you save me?"
"Hey, you think everyone just kills first and asks questions later like you?"
"Probably not. But from your perspective, I was too dangerous to keep alive."
"Well, that depends on you."
"I…."
Kaily clamped her mouth shut before she could say more.
She didn't even know what she wanted to say.
Or the emotions she felt toward Ian.
Loathing and murderous intent.
Admiration and pity.
Complex feelings churned in chaos.
"You'll regret not killing me."
"If you do well, you won't have to."
Kaily sheathed her sword with effort.
Ian smirked at her, then said wistfully.
"…Don't go dying on me, idiot."
As if he had foreseen her death.
"Who's dying…."
Kaily couldn't bear to look at his face anymore.
*
Ian had grown weak.
More precisely, Kaily had grown stronger than him, and kept growing, so that's how it felt.
Having achieved her pursuit of power, Kaily didn't want to drift apart from Ian.
To her, Ian was both strong and weak.
Her mentor and her prey.
Even weakened, Ian still taught Kaily.
The strong Kaily still had things to learn from the weak Ian.
He was a contradiction to the golden rule.
Ian's mere existence denied Kaily's entire life.
To resolve that contradiction, Kaily had to revise her golden rule.
'The strong can selectively spare the weak according to their ability and have a duty to take responsibility for them.'
Kaily had gotten deliberately drunk because of this revised rule.
If she became weak enough to not stand on her own, Ian could take care of her from the strong's position again.
"Taking responsibility for the weak is the strong's role…. Only when I'm like this can you fulfill that lame duty…. I'm giving you the chance."
Blindly ignoring it wouldn't make the contradiction vanish.
She knew it was forced even for herself.
There was only one solution.
For the now-strong Kaily to kill the weak Ian.
She resolved it countless times but always failed.
Because she hesitated.
She couldn't kill him.
Whether it was affection or a sense of responsibility from becoming strong again.
Finding it hard to accept those feelings, she distanced herself from Ian.
Looking at him made her feel like her life was being denied.
So she exiled him.
And now, she tried to kill him.
'Ah….'
Only when she resolved and acted to kill Ian did she realize.
'To you, I….'
It wasn't some sappy sentiment like cherishing him.
Just.
'Gratitude….'
She was grateful.
For saving her, raising her, leading her.
For letting her stand here.
She was thankful.
But that gratitude terrified her.
The strong don't feel gratitude toward the weak.
They shouldn't.
Receiving favors or tribute from the weak is the strong's natural virtue.
Gratitude should always flow from below to above.
Feeling it toward the weak Ian was a contradiction to the golden rule.
'To avoid that, all this time….'
Ian knew everything.
Did everything.
Granted every wish.
His boundless kindness cast deep shadows over her.
'You made me like this….'
Ian had created it.
But Kaily had agreed.
She didn't want to face her weak side.
She feared becoming weak.
Feared being stolen from, swept away by emotions, growing frail like the people she saw, and crumbling.
She was afraid.
Having and feeling such emotions proved she was weak.
Emotions were always the weak's weapon, and feeling gratitude toward him would make her weak.
It was a memory from one night when she was drunk as usual and Ian carried her.
'Ian.'
'What.'
'…Thanks.'
'Say that stuff when you're sober.'
'Shut up. I'm thanking you for carrying me, so no need to thank you for anything else.'
'Ah, sure.'
As a dead-drunk weakling, it was the only moment she could thank the strong Ian.
Deep down, she knew.
Without alcohol, she couldn't be honest about those feelings.
She had just run away out of fear.
Didn't want to be weak.
Ian, who treated her well regardless of power or plunder logic, was too difficult and unfamiliar.
She believed not clinging to such things made one strong.
The truth she had pretended to be strong and ignored burst from her heart, tearing it like a flower in full bloom.
'What have I done….'
The sword aura was already unleashed.
A technique Ian taught her, the pinnacle of dirty tricks that only Kaily, with her superior output, could use.
'No…!'
Kaily twisted her shoulder, altering the trajectory of the sword aura.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Why was Kaily here.
Why was she looking at me with that expression.
Why was she gathering mana.
In the confusion, memories of our first meeting flashed by like a montage.
I just cursed inwardly.
'Crazy bitch….'
I could see the technique she was about to use.
I could track Kaily's movements with my eyes purely because I trained her and knew all her habits.
'That combo….'
I invented it, but only Kaily could pull it off.
Two sword auras fired almost simultaneously with a tiny off-beat.
The first spreads wide in a fan shape ahead.
Flashy and chaotic.
The second is honed paper-thin and released silently.
The blue crescent matches Kaily's graceful movements, beautiful even.
Noise and silence.
Area and point.
Using two opposing elements to shake the opponent's senses—an almost frontal assassination technique.
While confused by the first, the second hits.
It requires drawing up all mana twice at once, so only Kaily with her explosive output could do it.
And now, she used it on me.
I can't block this with my power.
No choice….
'Kati.'
Subordination Ring, second function.
'Help me.'
Anytime, anywhere.
When the master calls.
[Yes.]
Subordination allows teleporting to the master's side.
-Boom!
Kati appeared in a blink and drew her sword, neutralizing the first sword aura.
The two auras clashed mid-air, resonating and exploding outward.
The ground surging to swallow me now erupted in all directions.
With a hair's breadth no normal person could perceive, the second aura flew in.
Unlike the loud first, the thin crescent was silent.
At least a technique I taught, so I could perceive it.
Kati swung her two-handed grip sword and met it head-on.
-Clang!
With a sound like shattering glass, the aura fragmented and scattered.
People were too stunned by the sudden events to react.
-Crunch!
A dome-shaped ice wall rose, enclosing me and Kaily.
High-hardness ice layered multiple times, with its signature dark blue tint….
The explosive waves crashed into the ice wall.
The impacted ice shattered loudly, scattering to the ground.
Thanks to the wall, no one was hit by the waves.
All this happened in less than a second.
"Kati…."
Rarely, but whenever I faced something I couldn't handle, I'd urgently summon Kati.
She's on the level to counter one from the 1st Party.
Still, I didn't expect her to take it head-on.
"You okay?"
I hurriedly pulled out the remaining elixir and asked.
"I'm fine."
Kati replied calmly.
Not a scratch on her.
She was so pristine it embarrassed me for asking in panic.
…Was Kati always this strong?
"Is the master alright?"
Kati asked, glaring at Kaily.
"…Y-yeah. Thanks to you. Appreciate it."
I had survival defensive artifacts, but I couldn't guarantee they'd block Kaily.
They were too slow to activate anyway.
By the way, Kaily twisted her sword path at the last moment to make sure the second aura missed me.
Kati blocked it in case it hit someone else.
"Orders."
"For now… stay in front of me."
"Yes."
Kaily looked at me with trembling eyes.
Or was she really looking at me?
Still.
What she just did couldn't be brushed off lightly.
It wasn't just about trying to kill me.
Not close, but with her power, the prince and holy emperor weren't far.
Thanks to Kati, the two auras were fully neutralized, but there were casualties.
The resonating waves warped the ground, causing upheavals; a few buildings collapsed, and nearby people fainted or vomited blood from the shockwave alone.
Even with the ice wall.
The silver lining.
The prince and holy emperor weren't hurt.
Seems the Wolf Gang and Razri captains, plus many military police, blocked it.
But they weren't unscathed.
Just grazed by the residual power, they staggered.
Regular military police and Razri members even collapsed.
The protected prince and holy emperor stared at me in shock.
The onlookers probably felt the same.
Kaily from the 1st Hero Party went berserk in the middle of the city.
Even I'm stunned.
Indirect support for the Anti-Imperial Alliance, and now near-terrorism in front of everyone….
She's done it all…. Wait, this presence?
"Master. Be careful."
Yeah, I knew she was here from the ice wall….
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ There was no time to rejoice at finding Ian.
Kaily's sword aura clearly carried killing intent toward him.
Sylvia had seen the technique a few times.
A secret art Ian taught her, now used to kill him.
"Kaily…?"
It was an unbelievable sight.
Why would she do this?
What did Ian do wrong?
She knew it was presumptuous for her, but this was too much.
No time to think.
'Ian first….'
As she erected layered Ice Walls in front of him and rushed to protect him.
-Boom!
A silver-haired figure appeared, shattering the sword aura.
It perfectly blocked even the second one, and the resonating waves threatened to burst.
Sylvia swiftly expanded her prepared 'Ice Wall' into a dome, protecting the surroundings.
"Hoo…."
Only after confirming Ian was unharmed did she recognize the protector.
'Kati….'
Her pounding heart, fearing Ian might die, slowly calmed.
A lonely feeling crept in.
Maybe she could have been the one protecting him.
Then, cold killing intent toward Kaily filled her heart.
"I-Ian…. Wait. This is a misunderstanding, so I have something to say to you…."
Sylvia didn't hesitate and cast magic at Kaily as she tried to speak to Ian.
'Too many people…. Can't use big magic.'
Immediately, an Ice Spear dropped vertically above Kaily's head.
"…!"
Kaily reflexively swung her sword upward.
-Kagagak!
"Kuhk…!"
Barely blocking the surprise attack, Kaily spat blood and deflected the ice spear.
The spear, glancing off her sword, pierced the ground and kept descending.
-Rumble….
The sound of it burrowing like an earthquake shook the area as Sylvia revealed herself.
"S-Sylvia…!"
All eyes turned to her.
She brushed aside the crumbled ice wall and advanced.
Even Ian spotted her.
Sylvia suppressed the urge to face him and glared at Kaily.
"Kaily…. Are you insane?"
"Why are you here…."
"Doesn't matter."
-Tssszzz….
The ground Sylvia stood on froze, ice slowly spreading outward.
She swept back her bangs and declared.
"That you dared attack Ian. That's what matters."
"……."
Kaily raised her sword, blood dripping from her mouth.
The air grew heavy.
Breathing felt laborious, like drowning.
If even Kaily felt it, no wonder civilians and low-level superhumans suffered.
Sylvia's specialty: water and ice magic.
She was raising atmospheric humidity by creating moisture with mana.
Ready to seal Kaily with it all if needed.
'But at this range, Ian might get caught…. Can Kati protect him?'
Just their killing intent made nearby civilians faint.
-Crack, craaack….
The ice under her feet layered and cracked from within.
Blue ghostly energy emanated from Kaily as she gathered mana.
At this rate, Fiore City might vanish.
"Stop."
Someone stepped between them.
"Both of you, back off."
The former manager of the 1st Hero Party.
"You planning to kill everyone here?"
Ian began scolding them.
"Back off now."