"Gubba?　Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　The deceased Bashbarza, who originally only had an upper body.
　A hole opened in the middle of its chest.

　Suddenly, a large hole the size of a fist.
　It's a large hole the size of a fist.

　The arrow that Gacita had shot into it seemed to pierce it and explode around that area.
　There was no doubt that Gacita had done something.

'The aura in the arrowhead exploded.
"What?
It's a mithril arrowhead. It's an arrowhead made of mithril, invented by Sakai. Mithril absorbs aura. When you give it a jolt, it instantly releases its aura.

　So you have an arrowhead that explodes the moment it hits the target?
　He's evil.
　The one that became even more vicious when I let Gacita have it.

　It made that Bashvaza guy with the big hole in his chest, and now he's out of action.
　I lost the lower half of my body from the beginning and it was completely inexplicable how he was able to operate with that thing, though.
　This time the delusion of that guy would end.

'But I'm surprised. I didn't know you thought of it that way.
'What?　What is it?

　Is the former Gashita the same as Bashvaza?
　There was a part of me that thought so.

　Gacita, whom I had just met, was so hostile towards me that she didn't even speak.
　It may be the same as Bashbursa, who disrespected me when I was the Four Heavenly Kings' assistant and eventually fired me.

''Gohhhhhh!　Ohhhhhh!

　Bashburza writhed in agony from the chest explosion for a while, but gradually lost momentum and finally stopped moving.

　The wraith just lay on his back and crunched his mouth.
　Me and Gacita look down at him.

''...Did I lose?''
You know that better than anyone.

　Bashbarza is no longer alive.
　He died once long ago, and was brought back to life, neither dead nor alive, by the Demon Lord's power.
　I don't know how sturdy this body, which was reconstructed to take the blame in hell, is, but before that, Bashvaza himself has admitted his defeat, so he won't be able to move anymore.

　It will only decay along with its lost energy.
　In the first place, Bashbarza overused the forbidden spell handed down by Inferno and cut too much of his own soul.
　I'm sure he was close to destroying himself before Gacita could finish him off.

''In the end, I was unable to defeat Dariel. .........Hey, you.
What?

　Bashvaza looks at Gashtha.
　It was impossible for this man, who had no interest in finding anything of value in anyone other than himself, to shift his interest to a human race adventurer.

'You said it. You said you were the one who failed.
Yeah.
So you're the successful bastard, huh?　Would I have been more like you if I'd followed Dariel and listened to him?

　A hint of regret was evident in Bashvaza's tone.
　Did the decisive defeat at the end of the fall answer the one who was so arrogant and irreverent?

'I don't know.'

　Gacita replies.

"Don't get me wrong. It's true that you changed my spirit. But that didn't make me the person I am today. I worked very hard and worked very hard and almost died many times to become the person I am today. The world isn't as easy as you think it is.
..........

　The surface of the Bashbursa turns white.
　To the whiteness of burned out ashes.

'People ain't cheap enough to change so easily with a single trigger.
"...do you want to humiliate me to the bitter end?　So how could I be like you?　Like you!　I wanted to be strong!　I wanted to be the strongest person anyone could recognize!　.........Dariel?!

　Bashbarza calls out.
　On a deathbed.

"All you had to do was follow Dariel!　You came into my life for the first time when I was ten years old. Your father, whom I don't see several times a year, came home, and I went out to pick you up, and you were there with him!
Yeah, that's right.

　I remember it well, too.
　On that day, Master Grandfather had intentionally set up a meeting between me and Bashbursa.
　He wanted me to take care of Bashvaza before he joined the Demon King's army.

He wanted to entrust me with the care of Bashbaza before he entered the Demon King's army. "Father said, 'Ask Dariel here to be your brother and follow him as if he were me. 'Don't be ridiculous!　Would you rather a child of a mongrel than your own son, me?　A mongrel who can't even use magic?

　Later, Bashbarza cancelled his planned entry into the Demon King's Army and proceeded to the Magic Academy.
　I hear that it was the mother's wish that she didn't want to send her son off to the rough military department....
　The next time I met Bashbarza again was after he was selected as the Fourth Heavenly King after earning his doctorate at the academy.

''That time?　Was I wrong back then?　If I'd accepted Dariel back then...?　If only I'd gone with Dariel...?

　Lady Grandfather is my greatest benefactor in life.
　I would have given my life to do what Granberza wanted, and I would have given my life for it.

　Even when he asked me to protect and raise his own son on his behalf.

　I was determined to protect her even if it meant giving my life.

　I would serve him all my life, be loyal to him, and share his pain and suffering as his subordinate.

　One day I would see that he would gracefully follow in his father's footsteps, fulfilling his duties with honor and becoming a respected successor.

　I had dreamed of this from my heart for a while.
　It was my dream.

　But the dream has already awakened.

"...don't spoil it.

　I said to Bashbarza.

'If you change a point in the past and follow the possibility of extending from it, it is a delusion. It's nothing more than a delusion. There is no such thing as a 'maybe' you. You are the only one here.

　The glorious self you imagined in your imagination is nothing more than an empty shell.
　Even if it's the one I might have chosen in the past.

You just have to admit that you're miserable and clumsy here. If you don't, you won't be able to move on. If you couldn't do that, then you're the one who's becoming more and more miserable.

　I can't say a kind word to him.
　When I think about what he has done in the past, he shouldn't have any redemption.
　Otherwise, it would be hard to feel sorry for the people he's hurt.

'Bashvaza. Accept you as you are now. "Bashvaza, accept you as you are. You are the one who has left this world. No one will be happy if you stay here any longer, it's just hard.

　And go where ever you can.
　Somewhere we can't go after it, no matter how hard we try.

Well, that's just it. I'll never get what I want in any case. My own stupidity has put me forever out of reach.
That's right.

　You're a real fool for finally realizing that.

'Dariel, you're right. You were right about everything, indeed. You were always right, every time. I really didn't like that about you...

　I wonder if Bashvaza's last expression was one of peace.

''Well it's just like your father, you know.

　I didn't understand.
　For my vision was utterly blurred by tears.

　I accepted my vanishing self and Bashvaza disappeared without a speck of dust.
　In my arms.

　The only thing I could do for the disappearing guy was to hug him and cry.

''.......Where did he go?

　Gacita said.
　'I still can't stop crying,' he said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

'Have you gone back to hell or something?　Or did you run out of soul and disappear?
He's just gone. We don't know. And where we'll go someday, we'll go too.

　And we will never meet again.
　At least not as we are now.

　I try desperately to stop the tears, but I can't stop.
　The battle isn't over yet. The real enemy is still waiting for us.

"...Gacita. You were fine without me.
What?
You didn't need me to tell you that one day you'll figure out your own problems and you'll get over it. I know you can do that. You're a good guy.
Don't be so sad, Anita!

　Something about Gasita started to flirt.

'That's the 'what if'!　He's still my biggest benefactor!　Isn't that right?

　He says he's just trying to cheer me up.
　He's annoyed with me, but it's a relief.

Well, you're right.

　Just as you can't go back in time and change yourself, you can never change your connections with people.
　Just as we can't change who we are, we can't change who we are.

　The real enemy that's invading our home is going to be defeated this time.