Unable to understand what had happened, Succulent hastily got back on his feet. For fencers, being nimble was their creed. Lying sprawled out on the ground was fatal.
“Damn it! This bastard doesn’t act like a soldier! To think you would even use your feet! You need to just stick to textbook swordsmanship!”
Succulent rolled on the floor while quickly getting back up and with the sound of clicking his tongue, he poured out his criticisms.
It was a style that was different from what the soldiers trained in. It was dirtier; it felt like he was facing off against an adventurer. That was why he couldn’t let down his guard.
A feeling of anxiety ran down Succulent’s back.
At first, he thought that he would win easily, that he could quickly finish off a brat like this. However, now he could feel that composure start to disappear.
Succulent drew in his breath as he saw how the boy who he deemed dangerous was slowly weakening.
His complexion looked as if their previous series of clashes had burned out the flame of his life. No, that was probably the truth. Like how a candle burns brightly just before it goes out, that power was the same.
Now, he will really die even if he were to simply touch him.
Succulent felt a tiny relief and after a moment of hesitation, was dominated by anger.
He was angry at the fact that as one of the Six Arms, he had this much trouble with a single soldier. Also at himself for thinking it was dangerous. However, the fight was decided. He just had to kill him and run.
However—
“—That’s enough.”
He had just barely made it on time.
Climb who was lying on the ground, his face was a mess of dirt and sweat. It had gone past the point of turning blue and was now completely pale. Even so, he was still alive. But being stabbed through the stomach was fatal and if he was not treated immediately, he would die in a matter of minutes.
Brain entered the room, unable to feel relieved.
Inside, there were two men. One of them didn’t seem to be a combatant.
“Can’t you just kill the kid quickly without paying attention to that suspicious guy over there?”
“If I do then that man will close the distance in an instant and blow me away with a single slash. He’s on a whole different level compared to this brat. I won’t be able to win unless I concentrate and fight with everything I have. If I let my guard down even slightly or let my mind wander, it’ll be over.”
— Then the one who just answered must be Succulent.
That’s how Brain understood it. It was clear that he closely resembled the description. Honestly, that was what he thought back when he saw him with a clone and holding a bloody dagger. But he was done confirming it.
Brain stomped over without a word and half-heartedly used a draw slash. Succulent retreated back with a leap and the katana sliced through thin air. But Brain had only attacked with the intention to separate the enemy from Climb. He stepped over the collapsed Climb and stopped his feet at where he could cover for him.
“Climb, you okay? Do you have any items that can heal injuries?”
He did not have the luxury of time and thus spoke quickly. If there was nothing to treat him with, they would have to quickly find another way.
“Haa, haa, haa, haa. I… do.”
He glanced over and saw that Climb had put down his sword and was moving his hand.
“I see.”
Brain replied with a deep sense of relief and looked at Succulent with a penetrating stare.
“I’ll be your opponent from now on. I’m going to have to take revenge for this guy.”
“…No wonder you seem confident. You have a katana, an expensive weapon that rarely travels up from the south. I’ve never heard that a warrior like you was in the Kingdom…Mind if I ask for your name?”
He had no intention of answering him.
Climb was someone who he shared a common objective with— his comrade. In a situation where that comrade might die, he didn’t have time to go back and forth with questions and…
All of a sudden, Brain asked himself.
Is this me?
Didn’t he throw away everything that did not involve improving his skill with the sword? As Brain was about to slightly tilt his chin, he let out a quiet laugh.
…Ahh, I see now.
His heart, his dream, his goal, his path in life, what made life worth living, all of it had been destroyed by that monster, Shalltear Bloodfallen. And the one who found a place in its cracks was Climb. When he himself broke under the savage bloodlust of the mysterious figure named Sebas, the figure of Climb enduring despite being weak won Brain’s respect and admiration. He saw the resplendence of a man who possessed what he did not.
While he stood in front of Climb, he and Succulent stared each other down. Seeing him like this, could Climb see the same brilliance that Brain had seen from his back?
If his past self saw this situation, he would have laughed until tears came from his eyes, saying that he got weaker.
He had thought that a warrior grew weaker if he had to shoulder something. He used to think that the only thing a warrior needed was sharpness.
However— now he understood.
“So this kind of life existed as well… I see now. Gazef… it seems that I’m still no match for you.”
“Didn’t you hear me? Mind if I ask again? Your name is?”
“Sorry about that. I don’t think there would be any meaning in telling you but I’ll answer… it’s Brain Unglaus.”
Succulent’s eyes opened wide.
“What! You?!”
“Oh my! The real thing?! He’s not a fake?!”
“No, there’s no doubt, Cocco Doll-san. An expensive weapon reveals a warrior’s worth. For the Brain Unglaus that I know of, a katana would be a fitting weapon.”
Brain smiled bitterly.
“Most of the people that I meet for the first time today seem to know about me… if this was the past then I would’ve been happy but I’m not really sure how I feel about it now.”
Succulent’s smile suddenly turned friendly. Brain was puzzled but his confusion was immediately lifted.
“Listen, Unglaus! What do you say we stop fighting? Someone like you is more than qualified to become our comrade. How about you join us? If it’s you, I can tell just by looking that you’re strong enough to become a member of Six Arms. You’re the same as us. Aren’t you seeking power? That’s what your eyes tell me.”
“…You’re not wrong.”
“Then Eight Fingers will be pretty good for you. It’s the greatest organization for those with strength! You can get magic items with powerful abilities. Look at this orichalcum chain shirt! This mithril sword! Ring! Clothes! Boots! They’re all magic items! Now, Brain Unglaus, become our comrade. Like me, you’ll be a member of Six Arms.”
“…How boring. That’s all your gang amounts to?”
His unbelievably cold attitude filled with contempt froze Succulent’s face solid.
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said that your gang with only that much power is nothing special.”
“Y-You bastard! … H-Hmph. Then that must mean you’re not so strong yourself!”
“You’re quite right. After seeing a truly strong monster, someone like me is nothing.”
Brain took pity on the frog in a small pond who believed that he was strong and gave him an honest, friendly warning.
“The strength that you speak of is the same. We’re probably speaking about similar things so let me give you a warning. Even if we claim that we’re strong, we’re nothing special.”
Brain looked over his shoulder and confirmed that Climb had finished drinking his potion.