255 - Brothers
――The Room of Memories.
The grey Round Table Room had become like an arena.
Silver greatswords clashed violently, their shapes reflecting the hearts of their wielders.
The greatsword held by Raiel was well-formed. However, the greatsword held by Liel was jagged, like the head of a dragon, appearing as if it were opening its mouth to swallow something.
Raiel swung his sword overhead, bringing the silver greatswords together. The characteristic of the silver greatsword, the weapon of the First Generation, was—precisely its violent destructive power.
Furthermore, because it sought to absorb as much magical power as possible, it placed a great burden on the user. Liel had not yet mastered such a weapon.
(Because he has nothing, he seeks. Therefore, he desires from the bottom of his heart—a monster of unsatiated hunger, is he?)
Raiel felt that the current Liel was dangerous. Having realized he was empty, Liel was trying to reclaim the memories of Raiel before him at any cost.
(Though Liel and I are already different people.)
However, Raiel did not want to return the memories to Liel. That was synonymous with Liel regaining his memories and no longer being who he was until now.
If Liel regained his memories, both would vanish, and a new 【Liel】 would be born. A complete Liel who inherited the memories of both.
(That is the answer the Jewel sought. But... that won't do. If it's not the current Liel, there's no meaning in winning against Celes. The continent would simply go from being ruled by the monster called Celes to being ruled by the monster called Liel.)
To reclaim everything was synonymous with unleashing a new monster upon the world.
Therefore, Raiel reached a simple answer.
――I will vanish without giving the memories to Liel. ――
That was the result Raiel sought.
Watching Liel swing his greatsword with a desperate expression, Raiel readied his own and deflected the attack. His lips curled into a pleased smile at an attack heavier than the previous strike.
"See, if you keep doing that, you'll never get your memories back!"
"Stop looking down on me from that height!"
For Liel, who had lost everything, it was inevitable that he would want to reclaim the memories of his family. However, if he did so, Liel would remember all the kindness of his family. When that happened—could Liel endure the moment he killed his parents and Celes?
Their silver greatswords clashed, scattering sparks and blue light, illuminating the grey Round Table Room.
Physical reinforcement via skills and various other effects—.
Right now, Liel was bringing out his full power because of Raiel. No, he was being made to. Raiel had drawn out power beyond the limit and had prepared the place to use it.
(Yes, that's it. This is as much as I can do... Liel!)
As they both landed on the ground, they readied their greatswords. Their clothes had been torn to shreds by the shockwaves and their aftereffects.
Raiel confirmed that the flow of Liel's magical power was becoming natural to his body, and then he poured magical power into his greatsword.
As a bluff—.
"Look, I'll blow you away with this. Then, I'll be released from within the Jewel. I can finally go outside!!"
He let out a laugh that sounded stained with madness, provoking Liel. Falling for Raiel's intent, Liel took similar action.
Raiel thought he was a bit too honest.
"Imitating me again. You have no originality at all."
"Shut up!"
The greatswords of both had changed; Raiel's had a silhouette with many clean straight lines, while Liel's was a sinister blade like the head of a monster. Stepping forward, they both charged, thrusting their greatswords toward each other.
The ground gouged as they kicked off, and clouds of dust rose.
"That's it."
As Raiel said this, he shifted the tip of his greatsword slightly to the right—.
They collided, and each greatsword pierced deep into the other.
My left arm was blown away, and Raiel, with the greatsword pierced deep into his small body, spat out blood. Raiel's greatsword vanished, and Raiel's body began to crumble without regenerating.
"You, why at the end—"
I tried to make the greatsword vanish, but Raiel gripped the blade with both hands and would not let go.
"...If someone has to vanish, it should be me, right? I couldn't stop Celes. I couldn't save my parents either. What would it matter if someone like me were to be revived now? The one who endured the painful times was Liel. You endured well. And you worked hard. Liel... you are much stronger than I am."
Once he let go of the greatsword, Raiel fell forward. As I caught him, the silver greatsword did not vanish but remained pierced, appearing to destroy Raiel's body.
"Hey, I still have things I want to ask! What about the memories!"
Raiel was smiling.
"Do I really need such things? Well, you can have them as a parting gift for the vanishing me. I'll vanish just like this, and then my existence will truly be gone. You can just stay as you are."
I didn't understand what he was saying. I tried somehow to make the silver greatsword vanish, but it wouldn't listen. It looked as if Raiel was gripping it, forcing it to destroy him.
"What were you trying to do! After provoking me that much!"
"...I told you, didn't I? I wanted to be saved. Liel said he would save his family, and he understood the meaning of those words. That's why I'm satisfied now. I couldn't agree with the Jewel's thinking. That's why I chose this method. Besides, if you regained your memories... gugh!"
Raiel coughed up blood. I told him not to speak, but he silenced me with his right hand, and then made a blue orb appear from that hand.
"See, this is the second one."
The first time, I received one from Septem-san. And now, I was about to receive a second one from Raiel.
As I accepted it, it was once again sucked into my body and vanished.
"What is this?"
"Three. Collect three. Then, Liel's third skill will awaken. It's very special and practically cheating, but you'll definitely need it... aha, I'm done for."
Then, Raiel forced himself to stand up on both feet and waved his hand at me. Even though blood was flowing from his mouth, he was smiling.
"Why did you [not give me] the memories—"
"Bye-bye, little brother. This was fun. I imagine this is how it would feel if I had a younger brother... yeah, Celes was cute, but a younger brother is nice too. Also, the answer is simple."
It felt as if I were being pushed out of the Room of Memories, and my body was being forcibly ejected from the room.
"I'm the big brother to you. You don't have to think of me that way, but I want to show off a bit to the little brother who's going to work hard from now on. Also, Liel has a family too—"
The moment he vanished, Raiel certainly said it.
"—Liel has a family too, doesn't he?"
――He did.
――The grey Round Table Room.
The one who appeared there was Mireia, clutching a gun in her hand.
She pointed the muzzle at Raiel, who looked as if he were about to vanish at any moment.
"...The will of the Jewel was for Liel to regain his memories. To go against that, you..."
Raiel smiled as he watched his body crumble.
"As long as you win in the end. That kind of thinking is why they fail. The Goddess should learn by now. There's no such thing as something perfect. Liel is certainly no good on his own. He probably can't beat Celes alone. But so what? That's exactly why Liel can beat Celes. Precisely because he can't do it alone."
Mireia kept the muzzle pointed at Raiel.
"Gaining victory through the cooperation of others. Indeed, for Liel, who has gained the power to catch up to Celes, that might be difficult. But with this, Liel's prospect of winning against Celes—"
Raiel pressed his forehead against the muzzle. It was a posture as if telling her to aim carefully right here.
"That's why it's good, isn't it? He should win as a human. I'm sick of hearing about Goddesses and monsters. Unless he wins as a human, it'll never end."
Raiel, whose legs shattered like glass and crumbled, fell forward, and his arms were also destroyed, leaving only his torso and head.
The silver greatsword vanished, and Mireia put away her gun.
Then, she gently lifted Raiel up. Raiel was smiling until the very end.
"Is there anything you wish to convey? To anyone at all."
At Mireia's words, Raiel started to open his mouth but then shook his head.
"It's too late for my family, so it's fine. Just tell Liel that he's causing a nuisance, and for the successive heads, just a 'please take care of him' will do, I think."
Mireia nodded. Then, Raiel laughed with amusement one last time.
"Also, about the princess Liel was troubled by, I have a proposal. Mireia-san, would you like to join in? It'll be interesting."
Mireia was slightly exasperated, but she listened to Raiel's final proposal.
"What is it? What kind of solution?"
"It's simple. If it were me—"
After Mireia finished listening to Raiel's proposal and smiled, Raiel crumbled and vanished—.
The next day.
I requested to use the Audience Chamber again.
His Majesty and the Queen looked annoyed. And the high officials were muttering complaints from early in the morning upon seeing my face.
I was quite hated.
His Majesty spoke with reluctance.
"It is a nuisance that you request the Audience Chamber for a second day. Today's schedule has been significantly altered, and there is a great panic of adjustments inside the castle. Honestly, the people of the Walt family—"
Then, the Third Generation spoke in a voice lower than usual.
"Now then, Liel... shall we use my skill? It's alright, one stage is enough. Shall we gouge out the old scars of the heart and rub salt into them?"
The Fifth Generation was also keen.
"If this guy could have suppressed his feelings a bit more, it wouldn't have come to this. How troublesome."
The Seventh Generation was quieter than yesterday.
"...Now, remember the terror of the Walt family."
It was easy to do this to the high officials who had once been prisoners of the Seventh Generation, and to the former Crown Princes who had exposed their unsightly sides. It was simple.
"Thank you very much for granting my request today."
While I thanked them with a smile, those around me directed unfavorable gazes my way. However, my skill—the Third Generation's 【Mind】—was showing them a scene of the surroundings.
Diagonally behind me—it was a scene where the Seventh Generation was visible. The culprit who had once chased His Majesty and the high officials, carving trauma into them, should be visible to them.
The trauma carved by the Seventh Generation had created a nice opening in their hearts.
And the Seventh Generation, who was merely an illusion, spoke.
"To think that crybaby brat has become so great that he can lounge on the throne in front of my grandson. It seems he wants to be chased again."
Then, His Majesty and the traumatized high officials widened their eyes, suddenly jerked their bodies, and their breathing began to grow ragged.
"What is the matter, Your Majesty? Ah, that's right. I thought I would tell you today about the matter I couldn't convey yesterday."
I had the Seventh Generation diagonally behind me say the lines the Seventh Generation within the Jewel had thought of.
"Indeed... let me say something like, 'I expect you to return the favor of me lowering the ransom.' He cried with joy, but was that just a facade? Well, that's fine."
Told by the Seventh Generation, I executed it. The illusion of the Seventh Generation diagonally behind me spoke.
"You cried with joy when I lowered the ransom, but it seems the words you said then—that you would not forget this favor—were a lie. The Fanbayle territory that my father and I carved out... hmm, this time, I'll have my grandson carve out everything. Including your heads, of course."
His Majesty, who had lifted himself off the seat, was breaking out in sweat. He was shaking violently and looking diagonally behind me.
Around him, the area was in an uproar as people saw the shaking high officials. After all, their gazes were fixed diagonally behind me.
"Your Majesty, what is wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Someone, cancel the audience—"
As the Queen, worried about His Majesty, tried to end the audience, His Majesty himself spoke.
"W-wait! C-continue as we are. We shall continue!"
He was clearly terrified, looking diagonally behind me. I smiled.
"I see. That's good. It's an important matter, so I wanted you to hear it."
The Seventh Generation diagonally behind me glared at the surroundings.
"It's my grandson's request. You'll listen, right? If you don't want to be chased like in the old days, you'd best listen with all your heart."
There were some old men who were nodding their heads repeatedly. The high officials without trauma could only watch the scene, not understanding what was happening.
I spoke to His Majesty.
"This is an important day for the Walt family and Fanbayle to join hands and let the past wash away. How about it, will you give me the princess?"
Then, the Queen and high officials without trauma spoke.
"How insolent! Besides, who said we would let it wash away! The blood of the Fanbayle royal family is not cheap. To a person of the Walt family like you!"
"Your Majesty, permission to kill this fellow on the spot!"
"Who said they would forget their grudge against the Walt family!"
The Audience Chamber grew excited. However, half of them remained silent. That was natural. After all, the Seventh Generation visible to them was speaking.
"Ho, are you going to fight? I'm looking forward to it. Let's see just how strong you've become. Rest assured, my grandson is stronger than I am. Would you prefer one-on-one? Or perhaps a war? Come, choose. I'll chase you until you cry again."
Facing the bellicose smile of the Seventh Generation, His Majesty and the traumatized high officials looked as if they were about to cry.
Then, when His Majesty declared in a loud voice, the traumatized high officials jumped on the bandwagon.
"W-wonderful! The day a long history of conflict is brought to a close! I-I think it's a good idea. Wh-which daughter... who would be best, immediately, immediately... w-we shall discuss it!"
"A wonderful proposal!"
"Truly auspicious! It shall be a wonderful day for Fanbayle!"
Their eyes were wandering. They were drenched in sweat and clearly flustered. They were surely remembering their trauma. Their bodies were shaking.
When the Queen turned her gaze toward His Majesty and the high officials...
"W-what are you saying... have you forgotten! How much we have been made to taste bitterness by the Walt family! Are you still Fanbayle nobles! The one before you is a person of the Walt family!"
However, even the Queen fell silent at my next words.
"Your Majesty, and Your Majesty the Queen."
"W-whanhy!"
His Majesty tripped over his words, but no one corrected him. They probably didn't have the leeway.
"Thank you for listening to my wish. Then, I request Princess Riane."
And the Audience Chamber fell silent.
Everyone seemed to be thinking deeply, trying to find someone to push Riane onto.
...Yes, this was the solution Raiel thought of at the end. However, from here on... I didn't know if this was really okay for me regarding the countermeasures for Riane.
It was Raiel's plan, but I began to feel anxious about whether it was truly alright.