The Crossroads of Life and Death
A bitter taste lingered on his tongue.
Having died countless times, he had uncovered countless truths, fought countless battles, and achieved countless feats. Was that why? Had he become so blinded by the sweetness of achievement that he had grown numb to the agony endured to grasp it?
No. That, at least, he could unequivocally deny. Because his accomplishments never brought feelings like I did it or how wonderful. They merely prompted a single, detached realization: It is over.
If anything, just as his physical sensation of pain had dulled, he stood midway through the process of dulling the agony of his soul. He was slowly beginning to lose himself.
He had experienced pain, terror, and despair. Then he had lost pain, terror, and despair. All that remained was an endless cycle of choices, driving him forward until he could finally witness the end of the road. And through that cycle, he steadily forgot how to value his own life.
Instinct—an inherent spark bestowed upon every living creature wrought by the gods. It was far stronger, far more tenacious than any human emotion or fleeting worldly joy and sorrow. Yet he was losing even that instinct. When faced with mortal peril, his mind immediately calculated what he could sacrifice to gain even the slightest advantage. Having forgotten how to flinch before death, he was turning into an unthinking machine that simply swung a blade.
He thought of himself as a rotting, dead tree. Deep down, he considered himself fortunate to have recognized this state, for had he noticed any later, he shuddered to imagine what monstrosity he might have become.
Doubts tangled within his mind. Could he truly go on like this? Was he doomed to shed his humanity, lose his very self, and crumble away like a river stone battered into dust? He stared down at his trembling hand gripping the hilt of the sword. Ever since taking up this blade, he had been slipping away.
Death no longer frightened him. What terrified him was the realization that he was no longer afraid to die.
Just as chaos threatened to overwhelm his thoughts, the captured knights began to stir. They were bound tight with ropes. Taking no chances, Einzel had confiscated their swords and every other weapon, leaving them with nothing but bare fists and armor—and even their bodies were immobilized.
"...We've been had," one of the knights muttered.
Einzel gave a slight nod, crossing his arms as he looked at them. "I'd like to hear why you were trying to kidnap her."
"...I cannot speak."
Einzel let out a derisive snort. He hadn't expected an answer in the first place. "Of course you can't," he scoffed.
Peria looked down at them with a frigid glare.
"Shall we try a bit of torture?" Einzel asked.
"...That's an awfully gruesome suggestion coming from the Hero," Peria replied.
"Can't be helped. Look at our situation."
Peria had no choice but to nod at his offhand reply.
"Forget it," Einzel said after a moment's thought, shaking his head. "They're the type to bite off their own tongues before we get anything out of them."
"...Right, then."
Einzel cut them down. When it was done, he and Peria burned the corpses until not a single trace remained.
"...Hmm. There must have been something unusual about me for them to attempt a kidnapping." Peria stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Isn't it that ring?" Einzel tossed out.
Peria's eyes widened. "Huh?"
"No matter how I look at it, there's no other reason. Kidnapping you just for being the next Magic Tower Master doesn't make sense—even I wouldn't target the successor to the Magic Tower. But as the inheritor of that ring? That might be a different story."
Frowning, Peria clutched her temples to gather her thoughts. "This ring the old man gave me?"
"Honestly, don't you think it's odd that the Tower Master only gave it to you recently? If it were just an heirloom from your parents, he could've handed it over from the start. Why wait until right before he died?"
"You make a good point, but..."
"Tell me first. Has anyone else seen that ring besides me?"
"Wait, what? May saw... No, surely not." She trailed off, her brow furrowing deeply. "Suddenly, she's looking damn suspicious."
Einzel had no idea what kind of person this May was to her, but he could make a fairly good guess.
"Fuck, you absolute blockhead..." Peria muttered. Unlike her usual cursing, this venom was directed squarely at herself. "When shit hit the fan, I should've suspected that bitch first..."
...Just what kind of person is she to earn that much hatred? Einzel held his head in his hands.
"Hurry, let's go! I'm going to tear that bitch apart!"
Einzel rushed after her.
Yet by the time Peria hurried back to the Magic Tower, May's quarters were cleared out—she had vanished without a trace.
"...We've been played. Completely outmaneuvered," Peria groaned in dismay.
"...What do we do now?" Einzel asked, resting his hand against his chin.
"...First, we run."
"To where?"
"Somewhere beyond the reach of the Imperial Palace." Peria shook her head slowly. "...Now that it's come to this, there's no hope for me. As far as anyone knows, you had nothing to do with this. Do you understand?"
Einzel bit his lip. "And?"
"What do you mean, 'and'? I'm telling you to give up on me."
At Peria's blunt, matter-of-fact dismissal, Einzel bit his lip harder until blood welled from the split flesh.
Give up just like that? He had already died, clawing his way through death solely to save her—and now she wanted him to pretend none of it happened and walk away? He couldn't. No, he refused to.
Einzel grabbed Peria's wrist roughly and pulled her out of the Magic Tower.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing? That hurts!" Once outside, Peria wrenched her hand free.
"Shut up."
"What?"
"I said shut up. Who gave you permission to give up?"
Peria let out a heavy sigh. "I'm grateful you've stepped in this far, but in the end, this is my problem—"
"No, it's my problem too."
He was furious. After all his desperate struggles to save her, hearing her casually throw in the towel made his blood boil. Who gave her the right to surrender her own life? Fate hadn't been sealed yet. Hope wasn't entirely lost. To discard oneself over a mere gamble of odds only brought a bitter sneer to his lips.
"What?"
"I already died once to the Shadow Knights."
Peria's eyes widened, her gaze brimming with utter incomprehension.
"Listen carefully. When I die, I turn back time. That is my Divine Authority."
A supernatural ability, a Divine Authority granted to the Hero. She had never heard of such a power manifesting as turning back time. And such an absurd authority was bound to demand a dreadful price—a price he had already named: the death of the caster.
"So even if you've given up, I will drag you back to life even if it kills me a dozen times over. Figure out a way to survive."
Einzel's scowl and resolute words struck Peria's heart like a massive shockwave.
"W-What?"
"Even if you throw a stubborn fit, the outcome is already decided. Because I decided it. I refuse to sit by and watch you give up just because the odds are slim."
"What kind of nonsense..."
Time turns back when he dies? That's his Divine Authority?
Peria was so stunned she couldn't form words. And the sheer absurdity of using such a power, braving death over and over just to save her, defied all comprehension.
"W-Why...?"
When Peria asked, Einzel answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Because I want to. I want to save you."
"I'm asking why! I'm not worth throwing your life away for over and over again!"
"Value? Since when does saving a person—a comrade—require a cost-benefit calculation? If you insist on measuring things by worth, let me tell you this: my lives are infinite. My life was never something that needed to be weighed on a scale to begin with." Einzel pressed on, laying down an ultimatum. "I'm not dying repeatedly to save you. I'm just saving you."
Overwhelmed by Einzel's fierce intensity, Peria found herself utterly struck dumb.
Yet after making such an intense declaration, Einzel composed himself and offered a theatrical, courteous bow.
"In that case... it may not be my only life, but at the very least, I shall dedicate this life to protecting you, my lady."
He smiled. He was truly smiling.
He had finally begun to view his own life as nothing more than an expendable tool. Facing that radiant smile, Peria swallowed the words rising in her throat, a bitter expression shadowing her features.
What do you fight for?
"First, we need to find out what this ring really is."
Aboard a carriage departing from the capital, the two spoke quietly.
"...Right. Someone's putting his life on the line for me, so I have to find out."
"By the way, what did you pack in here?"
"The old man's legacy. The most crucial research materials on his magic."
"Must be worth a fortune."
"Of course it is, idiot. Do you even need to ask?" Peria nudged Einzel in the chest.
"Right, my bad."
Inside the rattling carriage, Einzel watched the dawn break across the horizon.
The real journey began now.