He was the foolish emperor who had ignored the limits of regressions and eventually became mad and brought the empire to its ruin. Seeing how he hadn’t paid much attention even after hearing about the rebels, it seemed like the emperor also possessed something special he kept hidden.
“The last emperor’s power...it sure sounds foreboding. Why don’t you explain it in detail?”
“There’s...no need...you will...soon...see it yourself.” As expected, it seemed Ultel had no intention to cooperate.
“The last emperor... The only thing I know about that guy is that he overused the Brushel System...” Zich said as he narrowed his eyes. “Did Glen Zenard perhaps surpass his limits too?”
“Kuhaha!”
“Don’t laugh, man!”
“Kuaaaaagh!” Ultel screamed in pain as Zich pressed down on his intestines.
“You idiot. What’ve you been doing, not even noticing that happened?”
“There were no signs of that... And even I...haven’t seen all of him,” Ultel gasped out.
“You should’ve still noticed. Considering that guy’s personality, he must have shuddered in fear. Didn’t you say you briefly glanced over the past timelines before?” Since Glen had regressed so many times, looking over the past timelines was a massive task. Thus, it was understandable that Ultel could’ve missed some things, but he still should’ve noticed if Glen made his fear obvious.
“Was his fear not that noticeable?”
“It was...my miscalculation... I thought he would...make it so obvious...right away. Huff! Huff!” As his symptoms grew worse, Ultel’s breathing became harsher. Zich glanced at Lubella, and Lubella treated Ultel again with a disgusted look on her face.
“I still don’t get it. Was that guy’s mental fortitude always that high? High enough to overcome his fears?”
Glen couldn’t do anything without his regression ability. Thus, it was more unbelievable that he managed to do something that not a single emperor in all of the Clowon Empire’s history had failed to do.
“It’s not...his mentality.”
“Then?”
“It’s his obsession... He has an unimaginable level of obsession...about having the perfect life. That’s the only way... to think about it.”
“...Yes, that does make more sense then.” Usually, a person crazy about one thing could accomplish the unimaginable. If they considered this, it made more sense that Glen managed to repress and conquer his fear of regression.
‘He really is impressive in many ways,’ Zich thought. Glen had finally accomplished the difficult task of receiving Zich’s acknowledgment—though, of course, whether Glen would feel happy to hear it was a different matter.
“Okay. I get that the hero idiot’s obsession is amazing. Then, tell me about the last emperor’s power and the attack you personally endured against him.”
“I told you before... I won’t tell you... Ahhhhhh!”
“Hey, don’t be like that. I will even give you a nice massage, so please change your mind. Where does it ache? Your intestines? Here? Or here?”
“Ahhhhh! Kuah! Kuaaaaaaaaah!”
“Are my massaging skills that great? If that’s the case, I will give you a bit more. I know I’m good. Relax and enjoy my service with ease. No need to tense up. Relax.”
“Kuaaaaah! W-Whatever you do...I won’t do anything in your favor!” Ultel shouted with a sudden surge of energy. Yet, Zich pressed on his internal organs again, and Ultel continued to shriek in pain. However, it appeared Ultel wasn’t lying and he didn’t give any more information.
‘Should I call it quits now?’ If he had sufficient time, Zich could torture Ultel as long as time allowed, but Glen Zenard lingered on his mind.
‘I am curious about the last emperor’s power, and I also have a way to learn about it.’ Zich had Lyla after all. ‘It would be best if I could learn about it immediately though.’
His fight with Glen was just waiting ahead, and the more information Zich had, the better it was for him. Yet, it couldn’t be helped. Zich gave up on trying to extract more information from Ultel. Zich’s original plan had been to wait until Ultel realized that there really was no way to fix the teleportation circle and fall into greater despair before meeting his end, but his plan was thwarted now. Still, Zich had no intention of giving Ultel a peaceful death. At the very least, Zich wanted Ultel to flounder and drown in a flood of rage, loathing, and despair before he died.
“Okay, Ultel. I will respect your will and stop asking you about that idiot hero or any other matters.” Zich took his hands off Ultel’s organs, and Ultel lay limp on the ground while heaving.
“On second thought, it was stupid of me to ask you about this. Why would I ask advice from a stupid guy who lost control of his puppet and got attacked instead? You’re obviously going to be no help.”
With his face still on the floor, Ultel rolled his eyes up slightly and looked up at Zich.
“That guy...is different from before...You will soon reach the same state as me...ha...” As if Ultel was imagining what would exactly happen to Zich, a twisted smile formed on his pained face. Ultel was trying to also taunt Zich, but he couldn’t beat Zich in that area.
“You thought you could easily control that guy and picked him. Do you remember how you laughed at Glen for being an idiot hero earlier? Now, he’s the reason why your body is now sliced into two and reduced to the same level as bugs.”
The smile on Ultel’s face disappeared.
“Then, what should I call you from now on? The idiot mastermind who got one-upped by a hero idiot? Ah, since you were defeated by an idiot, you are the ultimate idiot. I will call you the ultimate idiot mastermind from now. It’s the perfect name for you. I'm even impressed by my own naming sense.”
“As I said...you are going to be...just like me soon!”
“Never! If you are suspicious, you can see for yourself.” Then, Zich slapped his forehead as he came to a great realization. “Ah, wait. You wouldn’t be able to see because you would be dead.”
Zich arched his torso and slapped Ultel’s cheeks a couple of times.
“Don’t be too angry about that. You lived a long life. Your ambition was too great compared to your lack of abilities. A person should know their limits. Everything about you is all right except for that.”
“Shut...up...!”
“Great job working so hard for naught. You pretend to be smart, but your own dog ended up biting you instead. It’s the picture-perfect portrait of a miserable life. How do you feel? Tell me. You can tell me at least this, right? I think it’ll be a very dirty feeling. I’m so curious because it’s a pathetic end that I’ll never be able to reach no matter how hard I try.”
“I told you to...shut up...! Cough! Cough!” Ultel vomited blood. Zich frowned in disgust and evaded the blood that Ultel spurted out.
“Ugh! It’s the blood of a mastermind idiot meeting his pathetic end! I might get infected by his idiocy if his blood touches me!”
“You! You bastaaard..! Cough! Cough!” Ultel reached out to Zich, but his hand couldn’t touch him.
“You were pretending to be a bug before, but are you pretending to be a fish again? Man, just focus on one thing. I know you’re inferior to insects and fish and most animals, let alone humans, but there’s no need for you to showcase so openly that you’re a pathetic loser who can’t even be compared to humans!”
“You son of a...!”
“Ah, stop trying to touch me! What if you infect me with your idiocy?!” Zich took a big step back from Ultel, and Ultel dragged his upper body as if he was trying to grab Zich. However, there was no way that he could catch Zich in such a state.
“Would any of you also like to play around with him a bit?” Zich asked his companions since the others also had a grudge against Ultel as well.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Will that really be all right? Shouldn’t you take revenge for your son?”
“It’s enough for me to see him suffer like that. To be honest, I don’t know how to make him suffer more than what you’re doing right now.” Walwiss felt cathartic as he watched Ultel squirm and vomit blood. All the others seemed to have similar thoughts as Walwiss, so no one stepped forward to directly take revenge on Ultel.
“Then I will now kill him.” Zich pulled out Estellade, but after a thoughtful moment, he put it away.
‘Estellade is too great for this guy.’
Zich took out a sword from his magic box. Even though it was an ordinary sword, it was enough to kill a person. Ultel’s eyes trembled as he saw a sharp blade in front of him. Now he was now really at death’s doorstep. After gaining the power of regression, Ultel had never thought about death since it wasn’t the end but merely a way to restart.
“Why? Are you scared now that death’s sickle is right against your neck?”
“Don’t...make...me...laugh...”
“Is that so?” Zich instantly thrust the sword right in front of Ultel’s face, and Ultel’s body flinched. “Stop pretending. Even ten thousand pups would be braver than you right now. Ah, was I too insulting to dogs? Then what should I compare you to?”
Zich put his hand on his chin and tilted his head a few times as if he was deep in thought.
“Ah, come to think of it, there was that hero idiot.” Zich looked down at Ultel. “Yeah, yep. There’s a perfect comparison like that hero idiot, but I don’t know why I brought up innocent dogs even though it’s already been revealed that you’re inferior to that hero idiot.”
“Shut...up...!”
“Are you denying it? Then don’t end up in this state after getting attacked by him. You’ve already proven beautifully that you’re inferior to Glen Zenard.”
“You...!” Ultel gritted his teeth. However, a person lying on the ground couldn’t pose much of a threat, especially since he failed to threaten Zich even in his original condition.
Zich raised his sword. Zich’s eyes had been full of mockery so far, but they became instantly chilling. Ultel was about to swear, but he also closed his mouth in shock. Zich was going to put an end to this, and true death was coming for him.
“...W-wait...” Ultel murmured. However, Zich’s eyes didn’t change. Whether it was pride as a mastermind that controlled the world as he wanted, his pride as a pope who led the most powerful cult in the world, or defiance against Zich who caused his downfall, Ultel never intended to beg Zich for his life. However, the moment he felt death’s hand on his cheek, Ultel opened his mouth without realizing it.
“S-save me—”
Ultel’s words were cut off as his neck was too.
Ultel’s head rolled on the floor, felled by a cheap sword. His face, stained with fear, stared blankly at the sky. It was a sad end for a man who had played the world like his toy after gaining control of the Brushel System and using Glen to regress countless times.
Lubella looked down at Ultel’s head and said coldly, “Begging for his life. A fitting end for a pathetic guy.”
“I said he was worse than Glen Zenard to mock him, but it might really be the truth, he’s not better than Glen in any way.” Zich put the sword back into his magic box.
“Didn’t he break down in the end? Then, wouldn’t it have been easier to make him spit out information?” Leona asked.
“He’ll never stop scheming if I let him live, and he’ll only spit out information after guaranteeing his life. Of course, since he’s been broken to that extent, I could eschew information out of him by torture, but...” Zich looked up. All the others also followed Zich’s gaze and looked up.
“I need to finish off that guy, so I don’t have time for that.”
Glen’s presence began moving little by little.
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