Thus began the training of the previous brave to the current brave.
　Why is it in this LUX village?

I'm well trained. "I train hard, but I'm still inexperienced. I'm far from calling myself a true hero.

　The training is in the form of a real battle.
　Radey with his sword confronts his predecessor Arantzill.

　But from the start, Radey has been treated like a child.
　The ground power is too different.

''With this level of ability, even the Four Heavenly Kings will end up lightly tipping you over. I guess I need to train myself again. Don't be shy, just go out there and give it your best shot.

　Even so, Radey is still consuming stamina just by slashing at the super high level previous hero, and he's breathing heavily.

''Hah........hah......?''

　I can't seem to move until I get my breath back.

"You're a very laid back person. Are you so comfortable in front of your enemies that you ask them to come and kill you?

　In the next moment, he was in the bosom of Arantzill and Radey.
　It was as fast as a thunderclap.
　Was that really the speed of a man who had come here with a cane?

"Huh?!

　Reedy interrupts the attack just before it happens and jumps away.
　It's probably a decision that the only way to get out of it anyway is to get out of spacing.

'Do you think that's the extent of your escape from my spacing?

　Aranzir's sword glows and releases a shining mass from the blade.

''That's the 'Splitting Sky'........?

　A long-range attack technique that releases a slash as a mass of aura.

　But Arantzill didn't swing his sword to release the 'Splitting Sky'.
　In order to send an aura slash far away, you have to swing it out wide as if you were throwing a ball, but he didn't do that and sent the slash flying steadfastly?

"Ugh!

　Naturally, it's difficult to react to a flying tool without a preliminary motion, and Radie catches it just in time. However, the forcefulness of the move causes him to lose his stance.
　I'm not going to be able to get it right.

"Brave Radey, dead.

　The tip of the sword was thrust at her.
　Checkmate.

　Even though she was old and torn to shreds with many wounds, the old hero still overwhelmed the new hero.

''You're a monster...?
'No, it's just that Radey is weak.

　Oh my God, did you hear that?
　I was visiting their training site to observe.

"She's got some good qualities. But she is far from polished. If this is the case, she will easily be trampled to death by the Four Heavenly Kings, let alone the Demon King.
I don't know...?

　The Four Heavenly Kings are just as capable as you are, you know.
　You're saying that your predecessors were a mess on both sides?

But I'm a lot less powerful.
So?

　I was surprised, but satisfied.
　I had seen firsthand how he fought in his prime.

　The only reason why I thought he was not as great as he was then was because he was taking it easy on his family members.

I'm sure it's partly because of my age and partly because of my injuries. It's not only because of my old age, it's also because of my injuries. The fire I got from that fellow from Grand Barza made my burned skin twitch and not move properly. I don't think I'll ever be able to fight as well as I did then.

　Saying this, the old brave man looked down at his own body with resentment.

''That's why I have to make Radie strong. The previous Four Heavenly Kings, who were called the strongest of all time, were said to have been replaced after the end of their death struggle with me. It's possible that the new Four Heavenly Kings will surpass their predecessors!

　No, that's not true.
　One of the four active kings of the time is trembling when he sees you.

''I'm scared.........?　You are scared.........?''

　Zebiantes was like a cat that saw a stranger.

''I was also held up as the strongest of all time, and remained in the position of a brave man for over thirty years. This is a particularly long tenure in the past. There was a fear that this would have a negative effect on the development of the next generation.

　''You were thinking about that...?

''In the end, I couldn't defeat the Demon King, I couldn't even break through the Four Heavenly Kings, so I'm not even qualified to be called the strongest. That's why I want to make amends for the expectations that have been given to me.
"That's why you have to train your kids...?

　It's hellish for those of us who are trained, though.

　I don't think it's hard not to feel like we're having a conversation.
　I'm feeling a little adventurous.

''Um........can I ask you one question?''
What is it?
Why would a brave man want to defeat the Demon King?

　I heard it.
　I heard it.

　A fundamental question that even the current brave Radie couldn't answer.
　I've heard that a brave man defeating a demon king is as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, so the human race doesn't have to wonder about it so much.

　However, having spent the previous half of my life among the demon race, this was a question that bothered me greatly.
　The barren conflict between man and demon for hundreds of years has its roots in this.

　Then the old brave Arantzill's calm, gentlemanly expression swiftly disappeared and became expressionless.

''Don't ask me crazy things, you.
What?
"Demons are evil. They are fundamentally unforgivable creatures. We can't allow any of them to live.

　You can see the strong emotions in those words.
　The name of that emotion is hatred.

The root of these demons is the Demon King. There is no way to eradicate the demon race without destroying the demon king. I want Radie to accomplish the great ambition I could not. That's why I will train her.

　Is that what motivates the brave men to defeat the Demon King?

　For some reason I intuitively knew that it was different.
　That it was Arantzill's personal motivation and not the motivation of the past brave men and women who celebrated it.

　The reason I think so is because it reminded me of a story I heard in the past.

'It's...'

　I wasn't sure if I should step in or not for a moment, but in the end I decided to step in.

''........Is it because of your sense of duty as a brave man representing the human race?　You seem to think so out of a personal grudge.
What do you mean?
Did you say that your wife and children were killed by demons?

　The reaction was extraordinary.
　A spark flashed behind Aranziel's old eyes.
　Then he turned to Radey.

'It's you. You're the one with the lightest mouth.'
What?　Well......
You shouldn't have told me this if you were such a talkative girl.

　Then he turns to me again.

'People's minds are complicated. It's hard to perfectly separate the resentment I have from my duty as a brave man. I'd be lying if I said my past had no effect on my fight.
I know how you feel.
You talk a lot, don't you?
'It's true. I have a wife and a son myself, and it tears my heart out just to imagine losing them both.

　This guy actually experienced that tearing feeling.

''Well....''

　A little dampness came over the old brave man.

'I was a son, too. My first child. My wife was also an adventurer, and we were partners in quests together since we were just starting out.

　He begins to talk about the past.

'I got married about the same time I was selected to be a hero. I wanted to add her to the hero's party, but I couldn't do anything about it when I found out I was pregnant. I left her pregnant and set off on a journey to defeat the demon king with the rest of my friends.

　It was wrong, he said.

Somehow the demons had found out where his wife and son were. They attacked him, killed his wife and took his newborn son away. When I was informed of the attack, I chased after them desperately and finally caught the person who did it and killed him.
....
"It was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the one who called himself Bezetan of the 'Muddy Waters'. I tried to get him to tell me his son's whereabouts before he died, but he was forced to retreat because he had a feeling that the other Four Heavenly Kings were rushing to him. I haven't even been able to find my son since then...

　It was a name of the Four Heavenly Kings that I didn't know.
　He must be from the past that neither of his predecessors had anything to do with.
　No Four Heavenly Kings I know would resort to such despicable means.

My son was probably killed a long time ago. Since then, my hatred for the demon tribe has only burned up. I also know that's a different matter than the mission of a brave man.

　It was impossible for him not to mix a drop of hatred into the sword he swung down.
　But that was the main reason why he was not the strongest of all time, it seemed.
　A sad reason.

'....What am I blabbering about. Has old age made me talk lightly? Or maybe I screwed up my answer. "You're the first person to ever say a stupid question like, 'Why do you want to slay the Demon King?
I'm sorry...
Or maybe it's your own fault.

　Alanziel says abruptly.

'What do you think?　You want to meet me for a questionnaire?　My gut tells me that you're not just anyone.