Just before the death match.
Wooosh─!
The rain poured heavily, accompanied by occasional thunder. They say such weather is considered the most blessed day in the Magic Tower’s domain, but is it really just a coincidence?
Ezekiel was quietly lost in thought.
‘I need to decide the order for the death match.’
Coincidentally, the side of the Magic Tower sent their desired order for the death match to Ezekiel first.
The first opponent was Herta. She was Ezekiel’s opponent.
Seina scoffed in disbelief.
“…How childish and petty. This is clearly a strategy to hide behind Herta, isn’t it? They plan to wait for Herta to win and hope to survive.”
Anes nearby nodded in agreement.
“Regardless of who comes, I don’t think the inspector will lose, but I feel there’s a problem with this order. Let’s change it.”
After all, this was just the order desired by the Magic Tower; the final decision rested in Ezekiel’s hands. Thus, his deliberation didn’t take long.
‘Let’s punish the most serious one first.’
He changed the first order to Zeta.
Mocking the Imperial Tower was not a crime that deserved a simple death. He should face the most miserable end possible.
After correcting the order, he braved the foul weather and headed to the location of the death match. They had made an agreement to hold it at the training ground of the Magic Tower.
Thud─ thud─
He arrived shortly after.
They said it could hold an enormous number of spectators, and it wasn’t a lie. The tremendous uproar hit his ears as soon as he stepped into the training ground.
“Even with this terrible weather, to gather this many people?”
“Surely you know just how terrible things the Magic Tower has done, right? The Imperial Tower is going to have a death match with those guys today; how could they not come?”
“That’s true. But I can’t help but worry since it’s a death match and not an execution. Is there a chance something disastrous could happen?”
“Exactly. They say a day with thunder is considered a blessed day in the Magic Tower. There might be variables.”
If the Purple Magic Tower’s banquet could be called lively, then it certainly was. So many spectators had gathered.
According to Anes’ report, the crowd consisted of people from all sorts of backgrounds, regardless of the status or origin of the Magic Tower. Naturally, that was to be expected.
The death match.
Today, one side between the Magic Tower and the Imperial Tower must die for it to end.
This was commotion that couldn’t be missed.
“Master.”
Seina quietly called out to Ezekiel. It meant it was finally time to start the death match.
Ezekiel nodded quietly.
He emptied all his thoughts.
‘Punish the Magic Tower, save Arcne.’
He set aside all distractions, leaving only those two thoughts. He was ready to become the reaper of his opponent.
And finally.
Ezekiel and Zeta stood facing each other in the training ground.
Crash─!
Even the thunder’s roar couldn’t compete with the shouts of the people. It was such a tremendous crowd.
“The Magic Tower must not be destroyed like this! Please!”
“The death match is our last chance! Focus!”
“Can you believe there are still shameless supporters of the Magic Tower? They’re no different from cultists. Kill them all!”
Voices shouted from all around, and aside from the zealots, most supported the Imperial Tower.
Finally, he had obtained justification.
“….”
Ezekiel suddenly observed the scenery quietly.
Heavy rain pouring down.
Thunder roaring at the world.
A crowd filling his vision.
…He realized anew how far he had come. He had finally gathered a crowd of this size.
He couldn’t stop. He felt he wanted to work even harder.
“Coincidentally, the weather seems to be on my side.”
Zeta’s mockery broke Ezekiel’s contemplation.
Crackle, golden lightning began to spark from his hand. It indeed was worthy of being called elite.
Ezekiel carefully assessed the power of the magic Zeta would wield. He couldn’t fail to control his strength. It had to be right to torment and kill him slowly.
“Now then, shall we start in one minute?”
The moment Zeta mumbled this.
Whoosh─
Something entered the center of the training ground at unbelievable speed. A bright golden flash.
Zeta’s lightning was said to be some sort of golden lightning too, but compared to the brilliance of the flash just appeared, it felt rusty.
In that instant, Ezekiel grasped its identity.
‘Herta?’
Herta was holding golden lightning like a sword in one hand. And she was even moving at incredible speed.
An ambush.
It was indeed an ambush. But the target differed from what he had expected.
‘She’s not aiming for me.’
Crackle!
Herta was more of a demonic swordsman than a mage; her movements were beyond the naked eye’s ability to follow.
When Herta raised her hand high, only then did a look of shock spread across Zeta’s face.
“Herta, you…?”
Was it an instinct sent by his own mind? A fleeting sense of fear passed over Zeta’s always arrogant face.
In that moment, he felt she was someone different, not Zeta. After boasting so greatly, wasn’t he trembling pathetically before death?
Boom─!
As Herta’s arm moved, a thunderclap rang out. The sword moved with the speed of lightning.
Zeta’s head flew splendidly along the arc of the blade.
There wasn’t even blood splattering. The instant his neck was sliced off, the cutting edge burned away like lightning.
Thud!
The sound of Zeta’s terrified face hitting the ground was particularly loud.
The lightning sword that had been gripped in Herta’s hand vanished without making a sound. Everything happened in an instant.
Just then, the rain stopped. It became extremely quiet.
“Regrettably, Zeta, who had the first turn, is now unable to participate in the death match due to his death.”
The golden-haired woman parted her plump lips.
“It’s now my turn, Inspector.”
Future Master of the Magic Tower, Herta.
The woman claimed the first turn by slaying her own brother.
The nearby area was instantly engulfed in shock.
…
…
…
…
…
The crowd couldn’t recover from the confusion.
“The next Master of the Magic Tower… just killed her brother?”
“What on earth is the reason for this?”
“Did she betray the Magic Tower? No, that can’t be…”
When one reaches the realm of magic, one’s hearing naturally improves. So did Ezekiel and Herta.
“Such an elite dying so easily…”
“Is she really an elite? What kind of difference in rank is there…?”
“So what on earth is happening?”
As the confusion among the people grew, Ezekiel similarly remained silent. He still couldn’t comprehend Herta’s intentions.
But then.
Herta slowly shook her head.
Only then did Ezekiel examine the future Master’s expression again. She had been squinting, holding an unreadable expression, but now wore a rather kind smile.
It was a strange situation, and a strange appearance.
“You and the audience here don’t need to be flustered. The death match will proceed cleanly without anything for you to worry about.”
Her voice was filled with mana. It meant her voice was resonating so that all the audience could hear.
Ezekiel narrowed his brows, replying.
“…What on earth are you doing?”
Then Herta dispersed the energy she had infused into her voice. Now, it was only a conversation between the two of them.
“I wanted to preserve my brother’s corpse in the best condition possible. Since it was clear that your death match with him would leave no corpse behind.”
The woman continued speaking calmly.
“You needn’t doubt it. If I intended to ambush you, I would have devised a plan long before that time when I visited the Imperial Tower.”
Ezekiel understood her intentions.
But knowing did not erase his frustration.
Zeta was a sinner whom Ezekiel needed to punish personally, and now he had died so absurdly.
“You’ve just committed a serious crime. Do you realize that?”
“I am aware, hence I do not shy away from the death match. Though I may live a humble life, I wish to accept my fate in front of everyone by facing death.”
“…You’re considering your death before entering the death match?”
Ezekiel’s voice brimmed with displeasure.
“Now you speak so bravely. You were the one who requested the first turn, hoping to somehow overcome me and save the mages of the Magic Tower, right?”
“Well, I think it can be misunderstood. However, I absolutely had to take the first turn.”
Ezekiel still couldn’t understand Herta’s words at all.
“If you defeat me, it wouldn’t save the Magic Tower; it would merely postpone its destruction, and that is not a way to save it.”
“Explain it to me clearly.”
“Today, my death is the resurrection of the Magic Tower.”
Suddenly, Herta smiled.
“With my life, I will save the Magic Tower and ensure its existence. That is the conclusion I’ve arrived at, and the responsibility I must fulfill as the next Master of the Tower.”
Crackle, golden lightning flared from her hand.
“Lightning is a quite rare element. It vanishes leaving only a historic moment in the blink of an eye, making it terribly enchanting.”
“And yet, the Magic Tower doesn’t look like that at all now.”
“You just saw. The lightning that brightened the world is no longer here, only the thunder that conveys noise remains. That’s the plight of the current Purple Magic Tower.”
Herta continued speaking while retaining her smile.
“With the sky filled with dark clouds, only noise can be heard from above. Naturally, the world will not accept this! Therefore, I intend to become lightning as the next Master of the Tower.”
Ezekiel quietly took a Sunweed in his mouth.
Before he knew it, he had focused on the conversation.
“In the end, doesn’t that mean you intend to do your utmost in the death match? It sounds like you desire victory.”
“No.”
Herta slowly shook her head.
“For lightning to burst with all its might, it requires a sky to embrace it. And coincidentally, Inspector, you are distinctly stronger than I am.”
Comparing herself to lightning and Ezekiel to the sky.
The woman was essentially asking him.
Could he really go all out to kill her?
“As an elite of the Magic Tower and as the future Master, I have not fulfilled my duty. I apologize for bothering the world and the Imperial Tower.”
Herta inquired with proper respect.
“So, Inspector.”
The woman began to conjure golden energy.
“Today, I truly…”
Boom!
Under a clear sky, with the weather become sunny again, brightly visible colors, all before everyone’s eyes.
“May I die as brilliant lightning?”
Ezekiel slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.
Herta’s words resonated with him.
After a long pause, he could only ask one thing.
“Don’t you want to live?”
Then, something astonishing happened.
Herta finally burst into uproarious laughter.
“…What kind of lightning would think like that?”
