Condemn Me Not At the End
This chapter is from Radia's POV
『It's your fault! Your fault! All, you, youuuuuu!!』
Aniki (monster) lunged at me, baring his wolf-like fangs.
Screaming blaming me all the while.
『Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!』
"Radia!"
Alma-neechan stopped his magic beast-like extended claws swung at me.
An intense explosion-like shockwave swept through the surrounding area the moment her sword and the claws clashed.
"Guuu...!"
『Get, outta my waaaaaaaaay!!』
He swung his arms around like a child throwing a tantrum in an attempt to send Alma-neechan flying.
It's obvious at a glance that his strength and speed have shot through the roof, incomparable to how he was before.
The remaining visage of his face is warped in anger. Looking at it almost makes be break down in tear.
Why, how come, it's so...
It's, my fault?
Is it because I cornered him so much Aniki turned into that...?
『Gill! Gammit! ...Why, why is it only me! I just wanted, to keep living!』
He kept shouting as he clashed with Alma-neechan.
『What's wrong with snatching cash from my own home!? I only wanted to cover my expenses! I was gonna pay it back, once I made it big one day!』
『And what's so bad about leaving my party without telling!? Everybody else got their brand new equipment. I felt like crap dragging them down with my crappy old stuff!』
『So I, joined the military for its huge pay, but then I got stranded and swarmed by demon, by myself, there was no other way, to survive even if I had, to sell out military, secrets...』
He recounted what he did while sobbing as if he was confessing out.
『I didn't wanna die! I don't want to die! Who would want to?! Of course everyone would think that! Is it wrong to cling on to life no matter what!? Or what, am I not allowed to keep living ooon!』
『...It's, over! I thought I could get off easy if I went back to the military with demon's intel! Ah, damn, dammiit!』
『The moment I saw Demon King, I knew it was 'over'! Nobody can win against, that! Humans are all gonna die off! Not a soul left!』
『No! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die, do you even know the hopeless despair, creeping at the sheer terror, of certain death!? Y'all can die if got no clueeeee!!』
"!!"
He sent Alma-neechan flying with a large swing and went for me again.
Nee-chan managed to guard that so she wasn't hurt bad, but she'd need time to regain her balance.
"Radia, run! That person is, no longer, your brother!"
『Radiaaaaaa!! Die! Please! Die with meee!! I don't wanna be alone anymore...! Someone! Someone! Save meeeee!!』
No.
You're mistaken, Alma-neechan.
And you too, Aniki.
"...Aniki."
『Aaaaaa!! Dieeeeeaaaaa!!』
Aniki's claws are closing in on me.
My heart would be pierced in less than half a second.
I don't feel hatred in Aniki's eyes. Just a wish, to let me die, with him.
"I'm sorry, Aniki."
I used all of my energy with 'Energy Control' to fill my entire body with power if only for an instant.
I swatted the incoming claws and broke Aniki's wrist along with it.
『A, aaaa...?』
I drew the 'Dagger of Black Dragon King' Kajikawa-san gave me and swung it with all my might.
"Giyiigaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
I unconsciously shouted out loud. I did the unimaginable, I wouldn't be able to bear it if I didn't.
Aniki stood dumbfounded as he was cut in two from shoulder to waist down.
His body gradually slipped and fell down.
Cut.
I cut, Aniki, with these, hands of mine.
"U, u, gu, uuuuuuu...!"
My brain, my body is trembling.
Even though the hand I used to cut is burning hot, I can't stop the chill.
I feel like throwing up. No. The sensation on my hand sticks, it won't go away.
『Ra, diaa...!』
Aniki's looking up at me while growling using the remaining half of his torso.
...He, won't be long in this world.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, Aniki. I know how lonely it gets, to be by yourself. I know, the feeling of wanting to have a fun life. I also know, how desperate it is to cling on to dear life. I'm, just like you. I wanted to live on, even if it meant cutting down, my crying brother."
『A, gu, uu... Hey, Radia... What, should, I have done... Nobody, came, to save, me... Hahaha, well, guess that's my just dessert. I never, saved anybody after all.』
"No, you're mistaken, Aniki. You might have been a selfish bastard. But, your timings were just off by a tiny bit."
『What...?』
"Mom and dad had been setting things aside for the day you set out as an adventurer. Equipment, potions, all sorts of stuff that would help you out once you came of age. You never figured that out and took their savings on your own the very day before you came of age...!"
『W, what did you...』
"This adamantite knife I hid in my shoe is something I got from your former party members as an apology. 'Sorry for not getting you new stuff earlier', they said."
『Lies...!』
"It's not. As for that time you got left alone during Firie Kingdom's anti demon operation. They were mobilizing a rescue squad that would have made it in time to get you if only you held out for a little bit longer, they said..."
"Lies, it's all lieees...!! Like, I'd, believe all that...! You're telling, me, I've been, the moron, all along..."
Seeing my brother weeping like a child makes me hopelessly pity him.
"Yea, you're a moron. You're a big moron... Why, why didn't you bear it in, just for little bit more...!"
『...Higu...! Guuu...!』
Aniki sobbed while covering his eyes with his remaining hand.
I can tell he's feeling regret, nothing else but regret.
"There's no saving you now... But I can at least keep you company until the end..."
『Radi, a...』
"I won't blame you anymore. Just, rest, in peace."
His sobbing voice suddenly ceased, replaced with agonized breathing.
After a pause of several seconds, Aniki spoke.
『...Oy... Listen...』
"...What."
『The citadel, of this continent's demons, isn't above ground, it's under...』
"...Eh?"
『There's a, deserted, rockface, near the, town of, 『Harkaba』. One of, the rocks, there, is, an illusion, made of, magic. Pass through that, rock, and go under, then...』
"What, are you saying..."
『...See, ya... Snot-nosed... Ra... Di...』
"Aniki...? Oy, Aniki...!"
With that last mutter, Aniki's voice could no longer be heard.
He looked so at peace despite his transfiguration into a magic beast.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
~~~~~~~~Alma's POV~~~~~~~~~
"Radia, are you okay...?"
"...Ah, sorry. I feel bad asking your help to bury someone like this."
"Un... I might have said that earlier, but this person is truly your brother in the end..."
"...Right. Thank you."
Radia wiped his teary eyes as he stabbed a dagger on the ground.
Looks like he's going to use the adamantite knife he was going to give to his older brother as a gravestone.
"He might have been the worst, but he was still my older brother... Looking back, I never even got a meal together with him."
"...I see."
"But we ain't got no time to waste no more. Dunno if it's the truth but we gotta tell everybody that message Aniki left behind."
I believe, it's true.
That was the one and only time I could sense brotherly love from his word.
"Ya done with the burial? We gotta get going to save other folks. Oh man, lost both my left arm and leg. Ouchie ouch, gonna be sore for a while..."
Leader came to fetch us hopping on one foot after getting his wounds bandaged.
He looks a bit pale likely from blood loss, but his life doesn't seem to be in danger.
"You're Resistance Leader, aren't you. Sure you're gonna be alright with those limbs?"
"Sure as hell I ain't, it super hurts! Argh, am I gonna keep hoppin' round like this forever now, tohoho..."
"My party leader, can probably fix you up."
"Eh, for real!? Your party leader's some sacred job bigwig or sumthin', missy?"
"He's not, but he can heal you. I'll try to ask him once he's here."
"Hm, can't say that filled me with confidence, but eh, I ain't got nothin' to lose... Not gonna get my hopes up tho'."
Despite losing an arm and a leg, he doesn't look too down. It does look like it's gonna be hard though.
...I suppose he can't show a weakness as the resistance leader.
"We've got contacts from our other hideouts. Let's hurry to reachable spots first. Make sure you don't get close to danger zones."
"Danger zones...?"
"Yeah, say there's a big skirmish going down between giant legged whales and a stupidly huge chicken at the highway to the east from here. Ain't no escaping that unscathed."
...Chicken? Wonder if it's Hiyoko.
But, 'stupidly huge'? Maybe not.
"Oh, and ya better off staying away from town of 'Jangu' a bit off from here. Lotsa dragons are flying above the town, which is in ruins now."
"We also got creepy reports about people getting dragged into shadows one after another. Just stay clear off that place till things calmed down."
Dragged into shadows... That's probably Reina.
She must be rescuing people into her shadows. I wonder if she's okay with that dragon thing.
"Apparently a man is marching through a nearby ranch with a swarm of magic beasts, overrunning all demons in their wake. Guy seemed to take control of magic beasts raised by demons."
"Damn, simultaneously whittling down enemy force while adding to his own, guy's dang good. Might be a good idea to join up with him."
I guess it's a tamer taming magic beasts raised by demons.
Could it be Ranaia Souma... Hope he got out okay.
"...Lastly you absolutely don't wanna get anywhere near the continent's center."
"Eh, what's wrong?"
"We've confirmed the sightings of three 'Apocalyptic Calamity'-class magic beasts there. 'Jormungand', 'Hydra', and 'Yamata no Orochi'."
"W, what the hell!? If those beasts run rampant all over the place, this continent won't..."
"No, uh, we've got an even weirder intel on that..."
"Eh?"
"Some nonsensical stuff about a flying black haired man beating, throwing down, biting off and getting swallowed only to tear through those beasts' stomach, then he proceeded to chase down the fleeing Jormungand with the look of an ogre..."
"...You sure our wireless magic comm devices weren't having a breakdown?"
That's Hikaru. Can't be anyone but him.
I was wondering what was keeping him. Looks like he's been going wild someplace else.
...Is this continent going to last, I wonder.
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