--- [Isaac’s perspective]
“Can I talk to you for a second?” – Alex
Talk to me?
What does he want to talk about?
“Uh, sure?” – Isaac
“Great.” – Alex
We walk down the stairs, and enter my area.
“It’ll be nice and quiet here.” – Alex
“Right… So, what did you want to talk about?” – Isaac
“Your determination resonated with me… Could you tell me about this person you’re looking for?” – Alex
Right with the personal questions…
He can tell from the look on my face that it’s a bit of a sore topic.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too. I’ll escort myself out.” – Alex
“No, no. It’s okay.” – Isaac
“…” – Alex
“Without going into too much detail, my best friend betrayed me…” – Isaac
The look in his eyes…
It’s like he understands me…
Before I know it, I end up giving out more than I initially planned…
“Me, him, and this girl called Iris, all grew up together. I don’t think it would be accurate to just call us best friends… We were family.” – Isaac
Why am I telling him all this?
“At some point he ended up leaving us to go on a journey of his own. For a long time, we thought he was dead…” – Isaac
Why do I seem to trust him so much?
“But eventually, he came back. Everything seemed normal at first, but he had changed…” – Isaac
I’ve never told anyone this before…
“He killed her. He said he ‘had to,’ but it’s all bullshit…” – Isaac
Alex, who are you…?
“I didn’t know it at the time, but after years of looking for him, I’ve gathered some information. Apparently, he joined an organization known as ‘The END’ during his days of solo adventures.” – Isaac
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Suddenly, he gets a serious look on his face…
“They changed him. He wasn’t himself anymore. He would never kill her…” – Isaac
“What’s his name?” – Alex
“Gael Lux.” – Isaac
“Gael… I’ll remember that.” – Alex
He seems genuine…
“Why are you looking for him? Revenge?” – Alex
“Well… As kids, the three of us promised to become hunters so we could exterminate the monsters that hurt people. Turns out, dungeon creatures are not the only monsters out there… Whatever it takes, I will eradicate him like the filth he is…!” – Isaac
“I see… We’ve got a great deal in common then.” – Alex
What?
We do…?
“How so?” – Isaac
“To cut a long story short, my brother was betrayed and killed by one of his closest friends. The same almost happened to me, but I took care of him…” – Alex
“I’m sorry you had to go through that…” – Isaac
He doesn’t respond to what I said at all, and instead continues explaining.
“They were both members of The END too.” – Alex
“What?!” – Isaac
Is what happened to him somehow connected to what happened to me?
“What’s his name?” – Isaac
“I know very little about him; not even what he looks like. But I do have a name… Seth.” – Alex
Seth…
“I’ll let you know if I find him.” – Isaac
“Right… Thanks.” – Alex
Just as he says that, he walks back to the door.
“The next fight will probably start soon, so I’ll have to get back.” – Alex
He opens it up, and steps out.
Just before he closes it, he leaves me with one final message…
“I’m glad you told me. I promise you’ll get your revenge.” – Alex
To think there’s someone else like me out there…
Who are ‘The END’…?
What could they have possibly said or done to him to change him like that…?
--- [Victor’s perspective]
Alex’s growth is unimaginable…
I remember when he was just a wimpy little kid…
I know he’s the Emperor’s son, just like Leo, but it’s still so insane.
When I trained him, he learned BDM faster than anyone in history as far as I know.
After just a mere six months, he went from a normal kid to almost E-rank level.
Now, just three years later, he’s defeating the strongest D-rankers around like it was nothing.
I might end up facing him in the finals…
Heh, he might have been my student, but I won’t go easy on him!
If he does win though, and that’s a big if!
But if he does win, he’ll get to meet his father…
Neither of them are normal, so I doubt it’ll just be a regular father-son reunion, but…
I hope it goes well…
--- [Lett’s perspective]
Alex…
You’ve grown so much stronger since I last saw you.
You were already reaching unimaginable heights back then, but you’ve surpassed even that now.
I thought I had improved a lot these past six months, but I think the gap has just widened even more…
I don’t think there’s anyone here who can stop you.
Not me, not Victor, not Luna…
At this rate, it’s not a question of if you’ll win the tournament, but rather how far you’ll be pushed.
“Testing, testing… Oh! Looks like the sound system is up and running again!” – Bob
“The wait is finally over! After eight historical fights, we’re ready to enter the second round of the battle festival!” – Barbara
“The first match of the day was between the legendary Bennett Vetus, who had competed twice before, and Charlotte Bellus, the most elegant fighter in the world. To the surprise of many, the one who came out on top was Charlotte. Now you all know not to underestimate her! Please give a round of applause to Charlotte Bellus!” – Bob
As she walks up to the arena, a mix of lackluster claps and boos emanates from the audience.
I guess they’re still mad she won…
It seems like most people put their money on the other guy.
“In the match that followed we had the dark horse, Vincent Fortuna, facing off against the most mysterious person here, Chloe Ratio. She stayed true to her reputation and surrendered before she revealed too much. Vincent advanced, and this will be the match that proves whether it was deserved or not! Give a round of applause to Vincent Fortuna!” – Barbara
Just like last time, the crowd is mixed.
People are pissed that he was declared the winner when in their eyes he didn’t really deserve it.
I guess this is a match between the two people the audience dislikes the most…
