"Whew... finally took him down!"
Roy exhaled deeply, as if expelling all the foul air from his lungs.
At the same time, he released Chisato from his embrace, letting her go.
"He's dead now. Your body should be fine."
"Mhm, thank you so much, Lord Roy!"
Chisato nodded repeatedly, bowing solemnly in gratitude.
"But I have something urgent to attend to—"
As she spoke, she quickly dashed off in another direction.
"Takina! Are you okay?"
Takina had been sent flying by the monster. Though she carried the talisman Roy had given her, there was no guarantee a single talisman could completely negate such a powerful attack.
She still hadn't emerged from the wall in the next street over, making it impossible not to worry.
Roy watched as Chisato ran off, then glanced down at the ashes on the ground.
After a moment's thought, he set them ablaze again, burning them until nothing remained. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
"Aren't you being a bit too thorough?"
At that moment, Waver's incredulous voice rang out, accompanied by a click of his tongue.
"Though I wouldn't mind cremating him ten times over—that feeling earlier was downright revolting!"
"Hahaha, he's already been burned to nothing. No chance of fulfilling that wish now. Unless, of course, he suddenly jumps back out, laughing about how the attack didn't kill him?"
"Don't even suggest something that disgusting!"
Roy turned to look.
Waver and Iskandar had arrived together.
Waver wore an expression of utter revulsion, his face twisted in disgust at the mere thought of the cursed spirit. Iskandar, on the other hand, seemed in high spirits, his mood visibly cheerful.
"You seem lively enough."
Roy gave Waver a once-over, confirming there were no abnormalities in his body before looking away.
"Thanks to you."
Waver let out a long sigh.
His expression turned serious as he bowed his head sincerely toward Roy.
"When I was being transformed, I thought it was over. I never expected to open my eyes again... Though I have a thousand things to say, the most important is this—without you, I'd be done for. I owe you a huge debt. Thank you."
"I, too, believed I was about to lose a valuable subject. You saved Waver's life, so consider this a favor owed. If there's anything you need, I won't refuse!"
Iskandar rumbled, his expression darkening at the memory of nearly losing his trusted subordinate to a mere cursed spirit.
But his mood quickly brightened, and he flashed Roy a broad grin.
"So, what do you say? Why not join my ranks?"
"With skills like yours, holing up in this island nation is a waste. Why not conquer the world with me? I'll make you a general!"
Iskandar blinked eagerly, his gaze burning with enthusiasm.
He truly believed his reasoning was sound.
A warrior like Roy shouldn't squander his life in a place like this—he ought to achieve something great!
"Hey, cut it out!"
Waver shot him a disapproving glare.
"Is this how you repay a favor you owe someone?"
"One thing at a time! The favor is the favor—I'll definitely pay it back later!"
Iskandar showed no shame whatsoever, flashing a magnanimous smile.
Anyone in his position would seem like they were trying to take advantage of Roy.
How shameless could one be!
"Well, since you put it that way, I have a question for you too."
Hearing this, Roy didn't get angry at being taken advantage of. Instead, he laughed.
"King of Conquerors, would you like to join my ranks? I happen to want to change this world too. Japan is just the first step—we'll surely go beyond it next. If you're willing to work under me, I'd be happy to appoint you as Grand Marshal!"
"Uh... this..."
Iskandar was completely taken aback.
His mouth hung open, at a loss for words.
"Pfft—HAHAHA! Serves you right!"
Waver couldn't hold back his schadenfreude, bursting into uproarious laughter, his face alight with excitement, nearly grinning from ear to ear.
"Well... I think I'll pass. Hmm, this king prefers to remain a king himself."
Iskandar's brows knitted together, his face clouded with worry.
"In that case, we might end up as enemies someday. What a bother... I did say I owe you a favor, so this is awkward..."
"Truth be told, this king had planned to restart his path of conquest from this island nation. But since you've said that, I'll yield this place to you—this king will give you face. Of course, this doesn't count toward repaying the favor. I'll leave this place to you and head to Europe instead. When we've both expanded our territories to their limits, we'll settle things then!"
Iskandar made the decision unilaterally, completely disregarding Roy's input.
But the idea of reshaping the world's ownership from the far east and far west didn't seem bad to Roy. Without a worthy opponent, he'd likely grow bored.
"If that day comes, I'll crush your forces without mercy!"
"Hahaha! Then it'll come down to your skills!"
The two locked eyes, each seeing blazing fighting spirit in the other's gaze.
A sudden wave of emotion washed over Iskandar.
He recalled Waver's earlier assessment of Roy.
This man was no ordinary fish in a pond.
One day, he might stand opposed to them.
Who would've thought Waver would be completely right?
"But this rivalry isn't so bad!"
"How could the second conquest of my life lack a proper opponent?"
Iskandar's desire for conquest simmered like boiling water.
Perhaps his final showdown with Roy would become the most anticipated moment of his life.
Just then—
"Lord Roy!"
The urgent voice of Chisato rang out.
Roy turned to see her supporting a blood-soaked Takina, rushing toward him.
"Takina! Takina's in critical condition! Please, save her!"
Takina was drenched in blood, countless bones broken, her organs likely severely damaged. Her breathing was labored, her eyes unfocused, her consciousness fading.
Left untreated, she wouldn't last long.
The only reason she'd held on this long was the rune paper Roy had given her.
Otherwise, she would probably be broken by now.
"I'm not some kind-hearted old man, and you should understand that."
Roy's gaze swept over Takina before settling firmly on Chisato.
Saving her from Mahito's hands earlier was already an act of great benevolence on his part, though it also served his purpose of testing whether his abilities would work against Mahito in his presence.
"I understand."
Chisato blinked, nodding with sudden realization.
"As long as it's something I can do... please save Takina!"
"Deal concluded!"
Receiving her promise, Roy showed a satisfied smile.