Chapter 381. Command and Trust
「"Regrettably, I am not your 'little brother'."」
「Faced with Julius's rebuttal, the man scratched his head impatiently. "One look at your stingy face and I can tell you're the type who likes to nitpick over every word. Just as I thought, you're exactly like my little brother. Hey, stingy-face, stop imitating my little brother!"」
「"Gwah... Master, save me!"」
「While the others were still watching the man with guarded eyes, Shaula's legs suddenly began to tremble as if she had seen the most terrifying demon in the world. She clutched the hem of Hachiman's clothes, her eyes rolling back in fear until she fainted, collapsing onto the ground and foaming at the mouth.」
「The man, however, paid no mind to Shaula. He scanned the white room, nodding as if he understood the situation. "Oh~ oh~ so that's how it is. Got it, got it. Well then, let's begin."」
「Having received the order for the duel to commence, Julius was preparing to move when another call stopped him: "Wait—Julius, come back."」
「Julius froze for a moment, then promptly offered a sincere apology to his opponent. Without hesitation, he moved away from the man and returned to where the group stood near the stairs.」
「The man serving as the trial was the very definition of "strength," a sight that would stir any warrior's heart. Any knight loyal to the sword would feel an instinctive urge to battle him the moment they saw him, and Julius was no exception.」
「To be called back at such a critical moment was a clear sign that his strength was being doubted—an implication that he could not win. Normally, this would be a supreme insult.」
「Yet even so, Julius obeyed without a second thought, suppressing his surging battle spirit and casting aside his pride.」
「The reason was simple: the one calling him was Hikigaya Hachiman!」
「It was the Hikigaya Hachiman who respected others, the Hikigaya Hachiman with the piercing gaze, the Hikigaya Hachiman whose command had never faltered once during the White Whale subjugation, the Sloth assault, or the consecutive battles in Watergate City!」
「Even with his memories lost, Julius still believed that the "Genuine" respect for others, that sharp insight, and that unquestionable leadership ability remained latent within his best friend, waiting to be used when needed.」
「—And that time was now!」
「Hachiman's gaze was sharp, fixed intently on the man of the trial as his mind churned with analysis.」
「Shaula had fainted from sheer terror at the sight of him, yet the man clearly didn't recognize her. This meant he was an avatar of someone Shaula knew, with memories frozen from a period before he met her—and it was clear he had bullied her in the past.」
「Given Shaula's personality—someone who could nonchalantly talk about killing rule-breakers and who spent her days firing laser needles at anyone approaching the tower—she wasn't someone who would be scared to death by mere shadows.」
「Yet the fact that she didn't have even the slightest desire to charge forward and settle the score proved that she felt she had zero chance of winning against this avatar. None at all.」
「Under Hachiman's intense stare, the man—who felt like a prehistoric dinosaur—returned the look. Under his deliberate pressure, Hachiman was not overwhelmed; his aura actually held its ground, which piqued the man's interest.」
「"Hey, you," he said with a fierce grin. "You look a lot more interesting than my little brother. How about it? Go train for a few years? —Though it'd be a pain to wait here for years, too boring."」
「"If things have deteriorated to the point where a civilian clerk has to step onto the battlefield, it's a bit pathetic."」
「Hachiman raised his left index finger. "I have only one question: will you use lethal force?"」
「"Going into a fight worrying about not killing people? You're quite naive," the man scoffed. But in the next moment, he was dumbfounded. Upon hearing his words, Hachiman waved his right hand, and the others promptly retreated several steps, half-stepping onto the stairs.」
「"It's not that people can't die; it's just that people on our side can't die. If possible, it would be best if we could kill you."」
「Grasping the man's boisterous nature from his speech, Hachiman spoke bluntly: "If you intend to kill, I would rather subdue Shaula right now, leave the Sage's Tower, and leave you here to rot alone."」
「No matter how one looked at it, as a trial bound to a specific floor, he couldn't leave the second level. Therefore, the threat was valid.」
「"Tch—"」
「The man scratched his hair, sounding annoyed. "Not being afraid in my presence and even making arrogant threats... I don't hate it. But why are you a man? Hey, if you were a great beauty, how good would that be? If you were a woman, you'd definitely be a 'better woman' than these three. I'd absolutely adore you!"」
「Hachiman ignored the foul language, focused only on getting a firm commitment. He knew that once this kind of person gave their word, they rarely went back on it. "No killing?"」
「"Fine, fine! No killing!" The man clicked his tongue again, accepting the condition. "Your 'little brother' and the 'good women' won't be enough to force my hand that far anyway."」
「"Good. Thanks."」
「The standoff ended. Hachiman, ever pragmatic, immediately offered his thanks to make it harder for the man to renege. With the terms set, Hachiman waved the group over to deliberate.」
「"Anastasia, Meili—take the unconscious Shaula back to the fourth floor and stay with Ram."」
「Anastasia hesitated. She didn't reveal her secret—that she could let the fox-spirit Echidna possess her to use magic—as doing so would consume her lifespan, and the situation wasn't dire enough yet. She obediently helped Meili carry Shaula downstairs.」
「"Julius, Crusch, Emilia—you three strike together. Don't hold back; this isn't an enemy that requires you to pull your punches. If you don't believe me, use your strongest long-range attacks simultaneously. Then you'll understand his strength."」
「This was a lie.」
「He didn't actually know exactly how strong the opponent was; he just said it to ensure Julius wouldn't be held back by his sense of chivalry.」
「If the man could be killed outright by their strongest combined long-range attacks, that would be ideal. If Julius were dissatisfied afterward, Hachiman would bear the brunt of his frustration.」
「To him, passing the trial unscathed without anyone getting hurt was far more important than satisfying Julius's knightly pride or battle lust.」
「...However, it didn't take long for Hachiman to realize that he hadn't just avoided exaggeration—he had actually underestimated the opponent.」
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