<Wha...a...aaaaaa...at...?>
As Zich expected, Glen clearly heard his words and naturally grew enraged. The mana in Glen’s surroundings turned into rough currents as if reflecting his emotions. Yet, Zich’s face remained very peaceful as if he was merely enjoying the spring breeze. This made Glen even more furious. He hated that Zich was at ease instead of cowering before his mighty power. Thus, he gathered up his mana again. Although his previous attack had been blocked and Zich recently made an attack that stunned him, he thought all of this was still mere coincidence.
<There’s...no... way....m-my...attacks...would...be...blocked...!>
Whoosh! An enormous amount of mana shot up to the sky again. It was another attack that could shove the sinking island deeper into the lake. Yet, Zich’s sword cleanly sliced the attack into two again.
<Uh...ah...ahhhhhh...!>
Glen made strange cries and relentlessly threw lumps of mana, and Zich easily sliced through all of them.
Thud! Zich’s feet landed on the ground and he stood up. Zich scattered away a brutal torrent of mana and shot up toward Glen.
Baam! He sliced through an especially large mana lump. Since it was one that Glen made with great effort, Zich felt a significant resistance against his palms. Yet, it didn’t manage to injure Zich in the slightest. Instead, Glen had to create tens and hundreds of tightly compressed barriers to protect himself against Zich’s counterattack. As Zich got closer to him, Glen was able to assess the mana that Zich used; even though it enraged him, he had to admit that the power that Zich was currently using was the same as his.
The fact that Zich was using this same mystical and great power that only a true hero like him should awaken stirred up cursed fury inside Glen’s mind. Yet, what infuriated him further was another reason.
<My...My mana...is...more, but...why...whyyyyyyy!>
Glen cried out loud. He sounded like a child throwing a tantrum that a toy wasn’t acting according to his wishes, but of course, Glen didn’t have the characteristic cuteness of a child. Even with his nearly incomprehensible whining, Zich was able to deduce what he was saying easily. As Glen said, although Zich was receiving a great amount of mana through Windur, it was still significantly less than the amount Glen had around him. Yet, as the situation showed, Zich was one-sidedly overwhelming Glen even with this disadvantage.
“What’s the point of having so much mana when you can’t even use it properly?!” Zich shouted while swinging Windur in front of the many mana walls. The majority of the mana walls crumpled just like that.
“How are you so incapable that you can’t even utilize this great amount of mana properly? I can’t help but admire your sheer lack of talent!” Unlike Zich who was skillfully refining the mana flowing into him and making it his own, Glen was carelessly wielding it, spilling his mana everywhere. At this point, it seemed like the World Tree’s mana was wielding Glen instead. Glen had been able to overwhelm Zich’s party until now because the amount of mana being poured into him was so unimaginable that it didn’t even matter if he could properly manage it or not. But now that Zich also got his hands on a great supply of mana, the situation turned in favor of Zich again.
<No...I....I...a hero....!>
“Whether you are a hero or not, you are not even using your new powers properly!”
Baaam! Glen’s face looked more and more anxious as Zich easily sliced through his mana clusters and mana walls. He looked at his surroundings, searching for an opportunity to overturn the situation again.
<Ah...!> Glen threw an enormous lump of mana at Zich again. Although it was a fearsome attack, it was only a bait to block Zich’s vision.
Whoosh! Glen’s body fell.
‘What is he doing?’ Zich wondered if Glen was planning to take his companions as hostages. Zich thought that was the best thing that Glen was capable of doing right now. Yet, that wasn’t it. Zich saw Glen heading toward a shining sword.
‘Estellade.’ Zich had lost grasp of it before he grabbed Windur. Did Glen really think the current difference in power was because of their swords? Zich clicked his tongue at Glen’s simpleness.
‘Well, I suppose he can’t think of any clear methods besides that,’ Zich thought. Besides, Estellade was unquestionably an excellent sword. It would aid Glen in boosting his offense, yet Zich didn’t care whether Glen picked up the sword or not. All he was concerned about was: ‘I should return it to Hans in good shape since I borrowed it from him.’
Tap! Glen gripped Estellade and the blade emitted its light.
<Ah....aha...ahahaha...ahahahahaha...! I hear...I hear it all...!>
After losing his regression ability because of Zich, Glen was unable to hold Estellade. He never had the qualifications to wield it in the first place and was only able to use it because he was a user of the Brushel System. Thanks to receiving the World Tree’s mana, Glen was able to wield Estellade again.
<As expected...I...I...am...the hero...!>
Glen shouted in exhilaration while scattering Estellade’s lights into the air. The confidence that had been considerably dented just before shot up again. Once again, he felt that he could easily crush any opponent and felt a sense of omnipotence that he felt when the World Tree’s mana was first transferred to him.
<Kill...Zich...Moore...!>
Lights from Estellade’s blade gathered again. Estellade had shone brilliantly under Zich’s hands not long ago, but now it bared its fangs toward its previous user. Glen swung Estellade and white light shot toward the sky.
Glen stared blissfully at the brilliant scenery. The amount of mana he had far surpassed Zich’s, and he now possessed the hero’s sword, Estellade. There was no reason for him to lose now. Although he didn’t think he would be able to kill Zich with this one attack, Glen figured he would be able to inflict significant damage on Zich. Glen envisioned Zich floundering in the air, flustered by the sudden attack coming his way...
...well, at least that was what was supposed to happen.
<Why?> Glen said stupidly and soon lashed out a bloodthirsty cry.
<Why...why...why are you f-f-fine...! Zich Moore!>
Glen’s mana senses felt that his attack had been nullified.
“It was because your attack was too weak.”
<Y...You...Youuuuu....Youuuu!>
“Stop squealing so much when you can’t even talk properly anymore.” Zich lightly swung Windur and a great surge of mana poured out. Glen clenched his teeth and swung Estellade. Yet, Estellade’s light was sloppy and messy this time.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
<Urgh!>
Windur’s air blades relentlessly pierced through Estellade’s light, and Glen hastily blocked and evaded the attacks. Glen was acting out himself the pathetic image he had visualized for Zich.
“Ahahaha! The way you roll around the floor is just like a bug!”
“Ahhhhhh...!” Glen cried out with his voice instead of using mana.
<I...a hero....Have to....be...hero...ahhh!>
“A hero...” Zich asked sincerely as Glen continued murmuring, “Hey, Glen Zenard. Your goal is to become a hero, right?”
<I...already...a hero...ahh...>
“Yes, yes. Let’s say that you already became a hero. But what will you do after that?”
While swinging Estellade, Glen halted his movements.
<I will...become hero...>
“Yeah, you said you were already a hero. I am asking what you will do after that. You must have thought of something. Are you going to set up a gigantic empire and rule over it or live a secular lifestyle surrounded by beauties for the rest of your life? Or are you going to spend the rest of your days peacefully in your hometown? It’s all right even if it’s really small or laughable. Just tell me what you were planning to do after you become a hero.”
<...> Glen didn’t answer. No, he couldn’t. A world after he became a hero didn’t exist in his head. His final goal was to make the strongest person he knew, Zich, into a Demon Lord and spectacularly defeat him. Then, he would become the indisputable, the greatest-of-all-times hero that no hero in the future could surpass. That was his goal and the perfect life. Even though he had come up with all sorts of clear schemes and methods up until the point of defeating Zich, he couldn’t think of the future after that as if it was covered by a pitch-black curtain.
<...I will...become...hero....>
Glen murmured. He turned toward Zich with his empty eye sockets.
<Will...become hero...>
“...I suppose it was a pointless question at this point. I apologize. I was the stupid one this time,” Zich apologized coolly. It was meaningless to ask a logical question to someone who had already lost his mind. It really was a stupid thing to do as Zich said.
Bam! The battle recommenced. Glen shot out light while shouting furiously. Zich swung Windur in response, and Estellade's light that had been imbued with plenty of mana but poor techinque crumbled without much resistance.
<Must kill....Demon Lord....uhhhh...>
“You are the Demon Lord this time, and I’m the hero.”
<No...ah....>
Perhaps, Glen also felt that there was no turning back now, and his offense grew more impressive. Yet, the difference in talent between the two was merciless. With at most one tenth of the mana that Glen used, Zich easily nullified Glen’s attacks.
Bam! The mana walls that Glen placed in front of him broke consecutively. He persistently created mana walls, but the speed at which Zich destroyed them increased. Eventually, Glen’s mana walls reached their limits.
Bam!
<Uh...Uhhhh....!>
Zich’s attack broke the last barrier surrounding Glen’s body, and Glen bounced off. Thanks to the barrier closest to him, which was harder than any other barrier, there was no injury on his body. However, that state didn’t last long.
Bam! Bam! Boom!
“Ahhh!” Blood splashed from his shoulder.
<Uh...Uhahhhh...!>
Cornered, Glen recklessly swung Estellade around, but there was no way his careless attacks could inflict any damage on Zich.
Slice!
<Kurgh!>
Glen’s right arm was severed. Simultaneously, Estellade in his right hand rolled to the ground.
“Oh yeah! I shouldn't forget to take this with me.” Zich picked up Estellade. Like it was glad to return to Zich’s hands again, Estellade’s blade sparkled.
<Give...give it...to me! Give...me...!>
“As if. This is Hans’.” Zich snorted and crushed Glen’s leg. Glen crashed to the ground while screaming.
<Uh...Ahhhh...!>
Glen shot out a colossal lump of mana like he was making his last desperate attempt to survive. Yet, Zich crushed it all and sliced the sides of Glen’s torso.
“Kuahhh...!” After collapsing on the ground, Glen rolled like a bug. Zich approached him and stomped on his chest. Glen gasped for air as he was suffocating. Anyone could tell the winner had already been decided, and the only thing left was to end Glen’s life.
“Come to think of it, there’s something I need to say to you.” Zich pointed Windur at Glen. Unlike his usual self, he said in a serious and solemn voice, “If you are born again, I hope that you will live a kind life!”