Despite witnessing that shocking sight, Zeke burned with fighting spirit—no, killing intent—as though it did not matter.
In truth, it did not matter to him. The Ash Noble's race was irrelevant.
The only fact that mattered most to him was whether that bastard lived or died.
"Die, die, die!"
[■■■■■■■■!]
Clang!
Clang!
Thud!
Whoosh!
Swish!
Screeech!
In the barrage of slashes and attacks swung in every direction, scars were carved not only into their bodies, but into the Dungeon's walls and floor as well.
The Ash Noble endured the ceaseless attacks raining down upon them with overwhelming regenerative power, while Zeke endured with technique and high endurance.
But neither could continue forever, and the first one to begin breaking down was... Zeke.
Unlike the Ash Noble, who kept recovering by eating magic stones, Zeke had no means whatsoever to replenish himself. Eventually, he had no choice but to be worn down.
As his stamina steadily drained away, Zeke's movements only grew slower. In contrast, the Ash Noble's movements did not change at all. If anything, having continued to recover by consuming magic stones, he seemed to be in even better condition.
When both of them paused for a moment, their appearances made a stark contrast.
Zeke's entire body was drenched in sweat, trembling as if his muscles were cramping, yet he had almost no wounds or blood on him.
The Ash Noble was soaked in blood from head to toe, but perhaps he had recovered completely; not a single wound remained, and his breathing was steady as well.
"Huff... huff... you monster bastard..."
"I-am-not-a-monster-"
"What bullshit. Look at your own face in a mirror before you say that."
"I-am-only-an-executioner-who-removes-evil-people. Everyone-I-killed-was-evil-"
"I don't give a damn whether the people you killed were evil or not! My family was among them. That alone is enough reason for me to kill you!"
Zeke's desperate struggle continued, but there was nothing he could do against such overwhelming stamina and recovery.
In the end, Zeke dropped to his knees.
Chunks of the Ash Noble's flesh and bloodstains were scattered everywhere, and although the Ash Noble himself was drenched in blood, that half-formed face remained calm, never twisting in pain.
"Then-you-must-also-be-an-evil-person-who-defends-evil-people-"
"Even so, I'm kinder than the likes of you."
"[Here, I offer up my mind; in return, grant me the splendor of a heavenly god!]"
As a final desperate measure, he even used the magic that lasted only one minute, but even after half that time had passed, no significant change occurred.
With little time left before that minute was up, Zeke fell once more... and just as the Ash Noble raised his hand with an emotionless expression to deliver the final blow—
His companions were still there to block that strike and shove him back.
Bell deflected the strike from its path, and Welf charged in from the side, driving his body forward.
His strength may have been immense, but his body itself was not heavy. The blow did no damage, but they could still somehow force him back.
"Get up, brother!"
"..."
"You haven't even fallen yet! Your revenge isn't over yet!"
"A fire with nothing left to burn ought to go out..."
"That desire for revenge of yours!"
"..."
"It hasn't even caught fire yet!"
"...!"
Come to think of it, why had I limited the offering to magic alone? If it was something invisible, then I should be able to offer up anything.
"[I... hereby offer up my burning revenge...]"
"[-■■■■■■■!]"
As though he intended to stop them, the Ash Noble pressed Bell and Welf back with overflowing strength and regenerative power, but he could not get past the two who stood in his way with all their might.
Sorry, everyone. I'll use even this desire for revenge to catch that bastard.
"[In exchange, grant me the splendor of a heavenly god!]"
At the same time, the pitch-black flames burning inside him slowly began to diminish. Rain began to fall gently over those scorching flames, which had seemed destined to burn in his heart all his life and leave behind nothing but soot.
At the same time, the Falna engraved upon his back began to grow hot. As it heated up, it slowly began to shine, and light leaked through the gaps in the leather armor on his back.
"...Five minutes."
Zeke instinctively knew. After five minutes, the seemingly endless desire for revenge filling his heart would have all burned away as fuel for his Falna.
Even now, he could feel his anger toward that bastard slowly fading.
"Thank you, guys. I'll take care of things from here. You've done enough."
Bell and Welf were in miserable condition. The armor they wore was completely dented and torn, and Welf's greatsword had already been broken in two, unable to function properly.
Bell appeared to have suffered internal injuries, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Power on an entirely different level from before was overflowing through his body. It was enough power to make him think he might even be able to contend with the threshold of Level 4.
The instant he took a single step forward, his body was already standing before that bastard.
It felt as though everything in the world had slowed down. Bell and Welf's movements were practically frozen, while the Ash Noble before him was at least still moving—but infinitely slowly.
First, he kicked him in the stomach.
Boom!
He was certain he would kill that bastard even after his desire for revenge vanished. But the more that desire faded, the clearer it became that he would no longer take revenge on him. So first, he carried out his personal revenge.
This was not justice.
This was not goodness.
This was not judgment either.
This was merely a revenge tragedy.
Neither comedy nor tragedy, but a revenge tragedy burning hot enough to incinerate everything in the world.
And for four minutes, Zeke thoroughly toyed with the Ash Noble, unhesitatingly severing his limbs and torturing him.
Then, in the final minute, when even the desire for revenge that made him want to toy with and hurt him had faded away, he held Krikara to the Ash Noble's neck. The Ash Noble lay on the floor, no longer able to regenerate, and Zeke asked his final question.
"...I'll ask you one last time. Why did you kill everyone in our Mitra Familia?"
"---?"
"The Familia in the back alleys where you first began operating. The people whose legs you cut off, whose stomachs you stabbed, whose hearts you gouged out. Why did you kill them?"
"Hahahahaha—kyahahahahahaha—hahahahahaha!"
"...What is it?"
"This-is-ridiculous-hahahaha. Even-after-seeing-my-face, you-don't-remember-me---!"
"..."
"Who-kill-ed t-he c-ock Rob-in?-♪
I, s-aid th-e Spa-rro-w-♪
W-ith m-y bo-w-and-arr-ow, I kil-led C-ock Ro-bin-♪"
"That song... don't tell me..."
"That's-right! The-song-you-sang-as-you-killed-me-and-left!"
"..."
"This-was-my-revenge-too! The-price-for-taking-my-life-was-the-lives-of-your-Familia!"
"...Was that it? Was that also my karma?"
"Who-kill-ed da-mn Explo-rer
I, S-aid th-e Ash-one
W-ith m-y ha-nd-and-Kn-ife, I kil-led Ex-plorer"
"..."
"Why-did-I-have-to-die?! I-only-wanted-to-survive! Everyone does it to survive in this fucking Orario! I wasn't the only one! I was a victim too! I suffered more than anyone! I accomplished nothing, gained nothing! For someone like me, shouldn't that much have been forgivable?!"
"...Are you finished?"
"No, I'm not fin---"
Swish
Slice
"You're finished."
"I----will---curse-you----as-the-most-wretched---mangy-dog-at-the-bottom, I-will---curse-you------!"
With that curse contained in his final dying words, the Ash Noble's head fell.
At the same time, the last of Zeke's desire for revenge vanished, scattering away like a handful of ash.
All that remained was sorrow for his departed family. And an inexplicable sense of relief settling into the place his desire for revenge had left behind.
His desire for revenge was not the only thing turning to ash and scattering away.
The Ash Noble's headless corpse also began to turn to ash and scatter with the sound of something breaking.
Just like a monster...