“It’s not… this isn’t right.”
I instinctively retracted my hand, furrowing my brow as I asked,
“Are you finally considering giving up?”
Nameless leaned on his trembling legs and shot a hateful glare at me.
He raised his sword high, clearly still not ready to back down.
“Pfft.”
As if to confirm my guess, Nameless spat blood from his mouth while aiming his sword.
“…You really don’t seem to plan on giving up.”
A sigh was all I could manage in response to that attitude.
Can’t you see from our previous battles?
“You can’t win.”
That much should be clear to you.
Right behind me, there are over a hundred people aiming their swords at Nameless.
Each of their strengths far surpasses that of an ordinary person, and in terms of simple swordsmanship, they would be equal to him who isn’t using the Divine Slaying Sword Technique.
But, considering that he can’t properly execute the Divine Slaying Sword Technique right now due to me…
He should have lost hope by now.
He should have given up a long time ago.
“No.”
There’s no way I could call what he holds ‘hope’ in any positive sense.
“That’s just stubbornness.”
He clings to his narrow self-centered world and refuses to see beyond it.
“Don’t look away. Accept reality.”
I’m saying he should stop rolling around using my disciple’s body.
With that thought in mind, I nearly pleaded desperately.
“I… I!”
Hearing me, Nameless only hardened his expression.
“How much have I struggled to cross life and death…! Cheon Ha-rang, you don’t understand…!”
Nameless bent his knee while raising his sword.
Nameless Style – Divine Slaying Sword Technique
When he spoke those words, blood gushed out with his voice, and he looked truly desperate.
“Do you know how many times I’ve fought to reach this day? Cheon Ha-rang! You have no idea!”
It was hard to watch him voice something I knew was a misguided belief, thinking it was the truth.
“Aren’t you the same as me?”
With a sigh, I replied.
“There’s no justification that separates your life from mine.”
Even if there was, I wouldn’t have any reason to follow it.
However, Nameless seemed to have a different idea, as he didn’t even think to wipe the blood from his mouth before adding,
“No! There is a justification.”
His waist twisted, and his arm turned.
Third Technique: Celestial Strike
“Cheon Ha-rang, your existence is my justification!”
With a desperate cry, as his sword swung, I raised mine to meet it.
…What nonsense is that?
“Think carefully, does that justification include my and Nameless’s opinions?”
Then, I lightly swung the wooden sword toward the ancient spear heading my way.
-Snap
What a pitiful clash.
Even with just a swing, the spear bent weakly.
“Cough! Damn it!”
But, simply doing that seemed to exert considerable strain on him, as he coughed up blood again.
Nameless wasn’t in good shape at all.
Feeling pity, I sighed lightly and approached him, adding,
“Think carefully, does that justification include my and Nameless’s opinions?”
Nameless just shut his mouth and rolled his eyes upward.
Well, of course, he wouldn’t be able to answer.
He was acting on his own accord without consulting us.
I let out a heavy sigh and sheathed the wooden sword.
“Master Cheon! It’s dangerous!”
“It’s fine, don’t worry.”
This guy is so exhausted that he can barely hold his sword.
How could he possibly hurt me in that state?
It’s ridiculous.
I approached the kneeling Nameless and locked eyes with him.
“Think logically.”
“…Logically?”
“Exactly.”
Originally, someone of that level searching for happiness would be crossing time and worlds?
“Foolishness has its limits; that’s more than just foolishness—it’s madness.”
And if he really was the Nameless I knew, he should realize this situation was wrong.
“By now, you must understand? Something’s wrong, that you are mistaken.”
Nameless’s innate nature is kind.
He’s so good that he’s careful with every word, afraid of getting hurt himself.
“So, why don’t you stop now and go back to your world?”
“…Huh, are you trying to persuade me? Instead of subduing them?”
Of course.
The more you rampage, the more Nameless gets hurt.
There’s no way I’d allow Nameless to wake up as a half-corpse!
“Yes, it’s persuasion. I don’t want that body to get hurt, even a little.”
And, there’s a slightly embarrassing reason.
“Because… Nameless is my, um, destined one… what would I do if he got hurt?”
Even as I said it, my face turned redder than a strawberry at the thought that came to mind.
Am I thinking too hastily?
I haven’t even heard Nameless’s opinion yet; what nonsense is this!
But… since I said it quietly, he probably didn’t hear me, right?
As I was nervously glancing around, I finally heard Nameless’s voice, which had been silent until now.
It deviated a bit from the context, though.
“You do realize you’re equally devoid of common sense, right?”
I tilted my head at his words and retorted.
“…Me?”
I thought I’d only been speaking the most reasonable things so far; how could I not have common sense?
Could he be talking about that… incident with Nameless?
“Killing a god? What kind of absurd nonsense is that?”
Wait, no.
I awkwardly scratched my head at the misunderstanding I made.
“…Well, I don’t think it’s just absurd.”
If I encountered a god, I could defeat them.
This isn’t baseless confidence; it’s certainty.
I’ve actually reached transcendence, so I’d be able to see them.
My swordsmanship’s effectiveness against Nameless has already been proven as I approached transcendence.
“Ha-ha!”
As I conveyed that thought, Nameless immediately clutched his stomach, laughing to the point of shedding tears.
“…What’s so funny?”
With Nameless’s laughter, the previously tense atmosphere shifted instantly.
In this situation, he laughs?
Does he not understand the predicament he’s in?
If I open my mouth, he might get beaten up until he loses consciousness.
Among those around me, there might be someone casting unknown sorcery, seizing his mental state as well.
And yet, he laughs?
Hearing that laughter in this context made it feel eerie.
I was anxious.
Soon, whatever words came spilling out of his mouth filled me with dread.
…What is this feeling of unease?
I struggled to comprehend my emotions.
No, it can’t just be my unease.
The strange tension in the area thickened.
“Ha! So this is how it turned out!”
Nameless raised his corner of his mouth with an almost tearing smile, reclined backward, and lay on the ground.
It felt like he had realized something, and the mood turned deflated.
I could feel the frown deepening on my brow.
With every word he spoke, my goosebumps began to rise, and my anxiety mounted.
Soon, his mouth opened wide.
“I, I slightly muddled your memories, but did you think it would change this way!”
From within, words began to flow that were difficult to understand.
…Muddled memories?
Before I could even finish my thought, his words continued.
“Do you think gods exist?”
“…What are you getting at?”
“I simply wanted to exchange trivial questions with you before I leave. So, I ask again.”
Nameless’s lips curved upwards, and his eyes became snake-like as they focused on me.
“Do you believe gods exist?”
“…Isn’t that obvious?”
So, I’m here…
“No, there are no gods in this world.”
“…No gods?”
“Exactly. The very first thing I did upon reaching transcendence was to try to kill a god.”
His narrow eyes looked terrifying.
“I confirmed with my own two eyes that there is no god.”
“Stop lying…”
I took a step back, raising my wooden sword.
That’s a lie.
There are so many points I could refute.
From the very beginning, my existence to the fact that divine power exists proves the existence of a god.
So, everything that scum says is just foolish tricks to confuse me.
I won’t be fooled.
“I don’t want to hear any more. If you plan to stubbornly resist, then I’ll have to force you to wake up.”
I frowned, raising my wooden sword.
‘First, I’ll knock him out. Then I’ll wake him up later.’
Sounds like a solid plan.
With that thought, I swung the wooden sword, and just as it was about to connect with Nameless’s head…
“Didn’t you think something was off from the beginning?”
He opened his mouth again.
“If a god were omniscient, they’d know all the injustices of this world, and if a god were omnipotent, they could remove those injustices…”
Then why does this world have endless conflicts?
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
“Hah, nonsense? No, you’re the one who’s trapped in a narrow view, aren’t you?”
They say that too much information hitting at once can make your head go blank.
With the continuing words from Nameless, I felt my reason slipping away.
“So, who called me here?”
Then, although I revealed what I had kept secret all this time, contrary to my expectations, he wore a calm expression.
“I called you myself.”
“…What?”
“Thus, didn’t you come searching for what is mine?”
