The man in white - Kufilio was walking alone through the shaking underground passage.
　He glances back and sighs softly.

"Well, well, ...... I've lost.

　Of the other selves - the beings that share the same memories and are divided into body and brain - Kufilio's body has been defeated. The assassination skills that Kufilio had developed over the years were lost.
　Once again, Kufilio began to walk forward. He had lost half his body, but that was not a problem yet.
　He's still alive, he's still in charge of his brain, and he still has his memories of assassination techniques. He can create Kufilio Nootria again in the same way.
　The Shadow Apostle was originally formed by a single man, and has taken on the shape of an organization.
　As long as I'm still alive, I can start over again as many times as I want.

But this time it was quite a thrill. Next time, I'll make a Kufirio that will be second to none.

　Then, Kufirio stopped in his tracks. He had a look of surprise on his face, as if he had noticed something.

I'm not going to give up yet. I never thought I'd have a new goal here!　Ruling a single country ...... sounds more interesting than that goal.

　For Kufilio, it was like a game.
　For Kufilio, it was like a game. Life is short - you can only gain so many experiences in your lifetime. But what if you could extend your life?
　Or what if we could live a longer life by changing our bodies?
　I began with such research and have lived for several hundred years.
　The longer he lived, the more extreme the pleasures became for Kufilio.
　If Aena Baudel, the daughter of the Imperial Marshal, was killed in the kingdom, the conservative Lugar Baudel would turn into an extremist.
　If this happens, the power of the extremists that Kufilio is working with will be unassailable.
　In that war, Kufilio will wield his technology to the fullest. Even if he loses, so be it. He was sure to overthrow the current leader, Lugaru.
　What was miscalculated was that the kingdom was aware of the move. That is, Aena, Lugaru's daughter, found out.
　A mere girl who had lived for only a dozen years could read Kufilio's thoughts and lure him out using himself as bait.
　When he thought about it, Kufilio's mouth naturally relaxed.

It's not easy at all. But this is also...
"Interesting, huh?　I don't think it's funny.
Oh!　Oh, I didn't expect to find you here.

　The one who interrupted Kufilio's words was Aena, the very girl who had lured Kufilio away and driven him to this point.
　Even in the intricate underground passages, there are only a few paths that lead to the outside of the kingdom. Aena had read Kufilio's escape route and had beaten him to it.
　She was dressed in an Imperial uniform, but she was not even in a battle stance in front of Kufilio, and she gave him a cold stare.

"So you're Kufilio Nautria. You're a very dull man.
"Haha, I've lost the bright side. Now that you're here, ...... you've come to capture me, haven't you?
"Capturing ....... Indeed, I personally would like to know about your collaborators in order to drain the pus out of the empire. Well, I'm guessing it's mostly the heart of the extremists.
I don't know, ...... but it's good that you're here. I still have some luck.

　Kufilio said, and took a stance. The magicians on his right and left hands are the magicians - not the best for fighting, but Kufilio himself knows how to fight with magic.

"In this narrow path, ...... the only way to escape will be to go past you. But if I can ...... kill you and get out of here, I'll have nothing to say about it.
So, you think you can beat me when you've been sitting back and watching?
You'll never know until you try. ...... At least I can.

　Kufilio suddenly vomits blood with a pain running down his back. As he wiped the blood from his mouth, he slowly turned around.
　Standing there was a girl. Kufilio knew her - she was Aena's aide, Mercier Altina. She is a maid for the Bodle family, but also works as a soldier. ...... Without a hint of hesitation, Mercier came up behind Kufilio and struck a blow.

What is ...... it? I'm not sure what you mean.　I'm not sure what to make of that.
"'Outsider'? You're a horrible person, aren't you? Well, your face and voice are so ...... different, it's no wonder you don't recognize me.
"Face and voice ......?　You are .......

　With a startled expression, Kufilio looked at Mercier's face. Her expression is the same as the one Kufilio once saw.
　She is the one who raised him and taught him the art of assassination, and the girl who betrayed him and let Aria escape.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who's going to bring the hammer down on you. This is her revenge.

　The last thing he heard was Aena's voice.
　Kufilio finally realized everything. It wasn't all Aena's plan that had driven him to this point - it was something else entirely that had caused it.
　Another blow to the neck ...... was delivered to ensure that Kufilio was finished off.
　As he bled out, Kufirio fell to the ground in a daze. The end of a man who had lived for hundreds of years was a very quiet one.



　***

　Looking down at the prone Kufilio, Mercier exhaled heavily.

"Phew .......
I wish I could say this is all over ......, but now we have more work to do to find out who is involved with Kufilio.
I'm sorry, ....... It would have been the right thing to do to capture him.
No, it's better this way. He's lived a long life. ...... It's faster to get rid of him than to let him live. In case you were wondering, some of the people involved with this guy are still alive.
Thank you, sir. Shall I go get the knights of the kingdom?
That won't be necessary. I'm sure one will be here soon.

　Aena said and looked towards the road Kufilio had come from. The loud rumbling was Alta Schweizer's victory over the other Kufirio. Or so Aena seemed to think.

The fact that you trust me so much, Aena-sama, shows how much you change when you fall in love with a man.
What's that word? Hmm, but ...... I won't deny it. I guess that means I'm a maiden too. ......
...... Hmm.
Stop laughing, you're making me angry.
I'm sorry, too. But thanks to you, I've done what I had to do. I'll leave the rest to you, Miss Aena.
"Oh ......, I'll leave the future to you. But you still have a lot of work to do, don't you?

　Mercier nodded in agreement with Aena's words.
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