Step, step—
The interior was identical.
A vast floor, and a guardian standing before the massive staircase leading upward.
Shring—
"Who are you?"
Akumo stood before a figure he had seen many times before.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
He gave a respectful bow.
"My name is Akumo."
He showed respect to the powerful legend, to the hero who had written his own story.
He showed respect to the existence that, despite failing, remained etched in memory.
"I am a [Climber]."
"...My name is..."
The man, holding a pair of ornate twin swords with a refined aura, hesitated.
"...My... name..."
It wasn't that he was simply remembering a name.
It was his own story that he had forgotten. His true name within that story.
Thud—
"[Knight Commander] Kerantz."
The final commander who had defended a kingdom to the end, wielding his blades for those he held dear.
"I am coming."
"Come."
After a truly long eternity, Kerantz was finally able to open his eyes again.
Clang—!
Boom—!
Skreeee—!
Thwack—!
Hundreds of strikes were exchanged in a blur of lethal efficiency, each blow carrying the weight of their lives and the madness of their emotions.
"Haaah...!!!"
"[Exit Burst]!!!"
In the midst of this exhilarating combat, Kerantz unleashed his secret ultimate technique.
He gathered golden sword-qi into his twin blades, mixing it with the aura of red flames dormant within his beloved weapons—an original technique that he poured out against the hero before him.
Thud—!!
"!?"
However, having faced him hundreds of times, Akumo had long since deciphered Kerantz's patterns.
"My sword...!"
Before the sword-qi could even reach him, Akumo's Holy Sword severed the line of attack and parried it with surgical precision.
"Keep your eyes open and watch until the very end."
"!!"
As if to sear the image of Kerantz—who refused to let go of his parried blades—into his memory, Akumo spoke while meeting his wide-eyed gaze.
Smirk—
"Thank you, my friend!"
Soon, the clean sound of flesh being cut echoed, and Kerantz's long story—the story of the Knight Commander—reached its conclusion.
Step, step—
The second floor.
What awaited him there was a familiar aura of frost.
"Who are you..."
"Hoh... so this was your original form."
"I asked who you are!!"
Crack—!
A massive undead. Even though he appeared as little more than a skeleton with purple, rotting flesh clinging to his bones, the ice flying toward Akumo was sharper than any masterwork blade.
Crash—!
"!?"
"My name is Akumo."
However, those frozen blades were completely incinerated by the black Holy Sword.
"I am a [Climber]."
As the hero finished his introduction, the undead's eyes widened.
"Y-You are...!"
"...This place is..."
A man who refused to be limited by his race or his magic.
"I am..."
The lord of the frost castle who transcended his race to stand at the pinnacle as both a swordsman and a mage.
"[Transcendental Undead King] Shairon."
Fsh-fsh-fsh-fsh—!
Hundreds of thrusts approached within the span of a microsecond.
An attack where a single hit would freeze the target solid, leaving them helpless against the follow-up.
Cl-cl-clang—!
"Not yet!!!"
"I will pour everything... every bit of my life into this!!!"
Because he was undead, he could feel it.
He was a being foolishly tethered to this place. The hero before him was the hope that would save him.
But at the same time.
"As a King!! I acknowledge you!!!"
It was a royal declaration that he would show no more unsightly weakness.
Crrack—!
"[Absolute Blizzard]!!!"
Shring—!
An ice rapier in one hand, and a storm of ultimate cold in the other.
"My final dance, which none can evade!!!"
An unrelenting, ceaseless storm carved away at the floor, freezing everything in its path.
If one dodged the magic, the rapier followed; if one dodged the slash, the thrust arrived.
"[Divine Artifact] [Artemis's Dagger]."
"With respect, I bid you a peaceful sleep."
All attacks fell silent as the head of the King, who had sought the supreme realm above the heavens, soared into the air.
"Strike me down... Ugh! No..."
Smirk—
"I have already been struck..."
To think a subordinate would strike before the command was given... no, to think of giving a command to a fellow King in the first place.
Thud—!
As a fellow [King], it was a truly honorable match.
Step, step—
Finally, the third floor.
Sss—
"Who on earth are you?"
Her race was Lamia; she was the heteromorphic martial artist he had always seen.
"I am Akumo, a [Climber]."
"!!"
"A Climber..."
The reason she had come here.
Why she had aimed for the supreme, why she had raised her fists.
"A mere snake cannot be a warrior!"
"To think the hope of a race blessed by the heavens would throw away her own talent!!"
"You are a calamity!!"
"For a martial artist... you cowardly bitch...!!"
She had a talent for clenching her fists.
She had a talent for making flames bloom.
"[Flame-Breathed Fang] Turio."
It was a pure story meant to prove those talents. That was why she had reached this realm.
Shring—
"I will face you with everything I have from the start."
The dagger she had taken up to become even stronger.
She had a talent for that as well.
Swoosh—!
"Call me cowardly! Call me a monster!!!"
"I will devour everything!!!"
A clash between two similar warriors.
Thud-thud-thud—!
Crack—!
Crunch—!
Rip—!
The fangs and tail of her race, the powerful fists and the dagger in her hands.
All of it moved with a will of its own, tearing and shredding the enemy before her into digestible pieces.
"...Impressive."
Grin—!
"...!!?"
"He's enduring it...?"
A direct confrontation.
"I won't call you cowardly, and I certainly don't think you're a monster."
Because he was the same.
Grip—!
"So, please, accept this just as it is."
Akumo's body began to swell as power gathered within him, and his dilated pupils locked onto the target before him.
"...Ah."
What a magnificent man.
"I should have met you sooner..."
A massive fist filled her vision as it approached.
"Gratitude for our meeting. A blessed farewell."
She had accepted herself as a monster and aimed for the supreme strength that no one could deny.
Boom—!
Along with the fist of the strong that warmly enveloped her.
"You were charming, Turio."
Smirk—!
Turio's story came to an end.
Step, step—
The fourth floor.
"Who are you?"
"I am Akumo, a [Climber]. And you?"
There was no need for ornate plum blossoms, grand epithets, or even humble attire.
"...[Special Grade Ninja] Sorn."
Brief and silent.
He realized the fate that had approached him and his own story.
"Here I go."
"Come."
At maximum speed, with maximum violence.
Vring—!
"Hundreds of clones. Every single one aiming for the neck."
A concentration of attacks on an extremely inefficient target area that he normally wouldn't use.
Grin—!
However, there wasn't a single mistake or regret in that choice.
Whoosh—
"Ah... ah... that was fun."
He had no regrets about living as a ninja.
He had written his story as fast as possible, more silent than anyone else.
That was the life he had wanted.
Thud—!
The small body with a severed neck fell into a deep sleep.
Step, step—
The fifth floor.
"Warning, warning. If you approach any further..."
Static—
"Warning. Warning."
A being created to protect, living its entire life as steadfastly as a fortress wall.
"[Climber] Akumo."
"Warn... ing..."
It couldn't lift an arm or clench a fist, but...
Hum—
"[Special Grade Knight Golem]. I will not let you pass."
It was enough just to stand there.
If it was the man before it, he would more than understand its will.
"I'm coming, okay?"
"...Affirmative."
Akumo gripped something in his hand.
To create the strongest spear he could currently produce.
Crackle—!
"[Divine Artifact] [Zeus's Spear]."
A simple-looking yellow spear.
But the [Furious Lightning] flowing through it was anything but simple.
"[Execution]."
A single bolt of lightning flew toward the golem.
Shatter—!
The golem, the fortress wall that had stood firm for ages, was finally able to enter a deep sleep.
Step, step—
The sixth floor.
"I am Ran Petra, the [Revolutionary's Torch]."
In one hand, he held the grievances and resentment of the people; in the other, he held a burning will for everyone's sake.
"I don't care if you insult me for just imitating others!"
"No matter who insults you, I won't."
"...Thank you!"
At first, it was just childish bravado.
The foolishness of opposing a nation, the ignorance that came from a lack of education.
"You traitorous brat...!!!!"
Thwack—!
"Haaah!!!!"
A young man who worshipped the state fell to the fist of a young boy.
"Oppa... please help me..."
Clang—!
With a discarded dagger from the roadside, he blocked the greatswords of the soldiers threatening a young girl.
Crack—!
Boom—!
Crrack—!
"Ora ora ora!!!!!!"
The next fist was for a corrupt noble. The next for a kingdom. The next for an empire.
If it weren't for this tower, those fists would have held the torch that lit up the world.
"Splendid."
Finally, an attack meant for the sake of the world was thrust toward the man before him.
Step, step—
The seventh floor.
What appeared before him was a [Grim Reaper] clad in black armor, wielding a massive scythe.
"Why did I walk the path of black magic?"
It's obvious you'll be ostracized. Don't let your talent go to waste.
Grin—
"That kind of thing doesn't matter."
He learned it because he wanted to, and because he was obsessed, he aimed for the peak.
In the process, countless daggers were aimed at him.
"[The Last Black Mage] Feratno."
Even if he became the final chapter of history, he had no regrets.
Vring—!
"[Last Trinity]."
A man who had defeated all the mages who targeted him and, out of pure madness for the supreme, had even left his position at the top to enter the tower.
"I am Akumo, a [Climber]."
A black sphere containing everything such a being possessed flew toward Akumo.
Swish—!
"A world of magic... I'd like to visit it once."
Even as death approached, having had his ultimate technique pierced.
"I...!! I'm so curious too!"
Feratno's face, looking toward new exploration, was filled with a happy smile full of curiosity for the world, just as it had always been.
Step, step—
Finally, the summit.
The being guarding the floor just before the end.
Click—
"Halt, halt. Move and I fire."
He held a lump of iron of unknown origin, and his attire was a refined, dark-colored uniform he had never seen before.
"Where... is this?"
The appearance that the consumed being desired most.
The innocence from when he first fell into an ideal fantasy world.
"Please tell me your true name."
Even though he had been consumed, he still cherished the moment filled with his most brilliant and pure excitement.
"This place is..."
"I am Akumo, a [Climber]."
"...Ah."
Just like the day he was first transported, a situation where he pointed a gun at a stranger and asked for their identity.
"This is... the outskirts of the kingdom...?"
"Eeeehhh!!??"
An adventure that began with a dazed voice.
Even so, it was fun, and his heart raced even when a sword was placed in his hand instead of a gun, and when his military uniform became armor.
Drip—!
"Thank you, Akumo."
Even if the end was being consumed.
"My name is Rosiv."
Click—!
"I am [Special Forces from Another World]."
Even if it is a story of failure, it is someone's heart. My heart.
Countless bonds. Countless emotions.
Bang—!!!
Bang bang bang—!!!!!
Their stories, which made someone happy, taught someone, and planted dreams in someone, could never...
"Be called just a story of failure."
[True Babel].
A massive museum of history containing every story within every floor.
No matter how enjoyable that story may be, never forget.
"Your own story, your own reality..."
Is only one.
========================
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