“Certainly not. I simply wish to do what I, as the Warrior-Captain of the Kingdom, should do. That is all I was thinking.”
“…If I accept your challenge, you do realize I will slay you without restraint? It is only expected.”
“Indeed it is.”
“So that’s how it will be… even after I’ve said all this, you refuse to change your mind. What a shame. Speaking as a collector, it is a poor thing to have to destroy rare specimens.”
Gazef had no intention of backing down.
This was an unbelievable stroke of luck. To begin with, Ainz, who surrounded himself with incredible subordinates, was now standing in front of him without any bodyguards.
On top of that, his pride as a mighty individual meant that he would not order the Dark Young behind him into action.
He would never get a chance like this again.
His enemy stood on a perch that he could not reach with both hands. However, right now, he had a chance to bridge the gap between them.
The next time they met, he would probably surround himself with ten or twenty layers of guards, as befitted a magic caster who was poor in close combat. Gazef would never get within sword range of Ainz again. Because of that, he had challenged Ainz to a duel.
And there was another reason for the duel.
Although the chance he was banking on was far too slim a hope, even so—
Gazef issued his formal challenge.
“Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown-dono! My name is Gazef Stronoff, the Warrior-Captain of the Kingdom of Re-Estize! I formally request a duel with you!”
“Warrior-Captain…”
“Gazef!”
Unable to hold it back any more, Brain cried out. But Gazef continued without hesitation.
“If you find it acceptable, Sorcerer King-dono, I pray you will find these two suitable witnesses for our combat.”
Ainz shrugged.
Go ahead, it seemed to say. When Gazef realised this, he nodded.
“Wait, wait a minute! Hang on, Gazef! I can always die alongside you! Don’t go alone! My lord Sorcerer-King! Please, I beg you! I know this is shameless beyond belief, but this is a heartfelt request! Please allow us both to face you! I know it won’t inconvenience you in the slightest!”
As he heard Brain’s strangled plea, Gazef thought, as I expected…
The expression he had seen on Brain’s face then was that of a warrior that had embraced his fate.
It was the determination that he would be killed along with Gazef, by Ainz Ooal Gown.
However, he did not accept it. He could not accept it.
“Brain Unglaus! Do you wish to stain my conviction as a warrior?”
Brain’s face was a picture of shock.
“—That is fine, Stronoff-dono. I don’t mind taking you two on at once.”
“Please don’t, Sorcerer King-dono. This duel is with me. I pray you will spare the two over there.”
The pinpoints of red light floating in Ainz’s skeletal eyesockets glowed even brighter.
“…What is this. I’ve seen those eyes before. The eyes of a man who embraced his death and ran to it. Firm, unyielding eyes. How admirable.”
Ainz was speaking like a human being.
“Very well. I accept your proposal. I will solo PvP Stronoff-dono.”
Brain fell to his knees, powerless.
His face couldn’t be seen, but droplets of rain spattered on the crimson earth below him.
I’m sorry.
Gazef told Brain in his heart.
“The corpse will be returned after the appropriate preservation. It will facilitate the use of resurrection magic—”
“—There is no need for that.”
Gazef’s words left both his friends and enemies speechless.
“I do not wish to be brought back to life. You may dispose of the body here if you wish.”
It wasn’t that resurrection magic was bad. However, Gazef disliked it.
Everyone only had one life.
It was because of that, that the decision to stake one’s life could be so meaningful.
And so, even for his Kingdom, he would not come back from the dead.
If Gazef died, then the King could spread the news that he had lost an important subject. That way, perhaps he could soften the storm of resentment and hatred that would be born from the loss of so many of the Kingdom’s people.
This was a final act of loyalty from the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, who had chosen to act of his own selfish will.
Ignoring the surprised stares around him, Gazef smiled calmly.
“Then, let us begin. You two, I hope you will bear witness to my final battle.”
Climb could not have imagined that the man called Brain Unglaus could have shown such a soft and sensitive side to himself.
He knew that Brain was powerful, spirited and free-willed. However, the man lowering his head did not look like that at all. However, even if he was like that, he did not look soft or weak either.
“Brain. Will you not fulfil your mission?”
Gazef spoke these words without looking back.
Brain did not move. The way his hands clawed at the ground conveyed his grief to Climb. Even so, Climb had to say it.
“…This is Stronoff-sama’s last wish.”
He did not think Gazef Stronoff could win at all.
That was why Climb and Brain had to fulfil Gazef’s final request.
Slowly, Brain rose to his feet
It was hot.
It made Climb want to turn tail and run.
There seemed to be some kind of hot air propelling Brain upwards.
“…I’ve made you see the disgraceful side of me, Climb-kun. It’s all right. I will engrave Gazef’s noble form into my eyes.”
“…Thank you.”
What kind of relationship did Brain Unglaus and Gazef Stronoff have?
Climb could not understand the tie between them, especially on Brain’s side.
After losing to Gazef, he had embarked on a journey to advance his sword skills. This was the Brain that Climb knew. However, he felt that things were not that simple.
“Then, Stronoff-dono. Could you let me take a look at that sword? There’s something I wish to know.”
Ainz made that request like he was asking about the weather. Enchanted swords could have all kinds of abilities imbued into them. Examining one would be like revealing the inner workings of one’s strategy. By common sense, nobody would ever agree to that proposal.
Climb was not the only person who had thought that way, which was why Brain’s eyes also went wide at what happened next.
Gazeff turned his sword a full 180 degrees and presented the hilt to Ainz.