/
“Guuuh
”
Evergrant opened his eyes. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he knew that he felt unbearable pain all over his body. Despite opening his eyes, he did not regain his ability to see. The darkness was so intense that it was impossible for him to see anything. It seemed like he was in an abyss of darkness.
“Evergrant, this place was created just for you.”
Evergrant flinched as the voice whispered in his ears. He might be unable to see, but his other senses had heightened.
As soon as he recognized the speaker, his brows furrowed.
“Joshua Sanders—!”
“How are you feeling?”
“You bastard! Ugh—”
Almost immediately, Evergrant let out a muffled groan as another wave of pain washed over him. The important thing wasn’t that he was in pain; it was the location.
“You
 Don’t tell me—” Evergrant's hand jerked up and immediately headed to a particular point of his body. “My Mana Circle?”
“You’d better take it slow. Right now, your circle is like a container on the verge of being broken.”
“The hell? What did you do to me?” Evergrant shouted loudly and angrily.
He was incredibly incensed. His usual appearance was nowhere to be found, and he looked empty right now. Evergrant had a feeling that everything he had done all throughout his life was going to come crashing down.
“I know you better than you think I do.”
“Cut the crap and answer me!”
“Berber. No, Jerath dek Orbis
 the reason why he craved so much power.”
Evergrant stopped moving and fell silent as he processed Joshua’s words.
Joshua’s eyes hardened.
“The two of you had the same reason.” He said in the darkness. “The end justifies the means? Weren’t you and Jerath willing to utilize whatever methods you had at your disposal to accomplish your objective?”
Despite Joshua’s presence, Evergrant still remained silent as his enemy continued to speak.
“So I was really curious what it was that you wanted. Because you see, I knew there was no way you would spend your entire life working for someone else like their dog.”
“...What do you know?”
It felt like an eternity had passed before Evergrant spoke, but when he finally did, Joshua smiled.
“You’re curious now?”
“Just answer me.”
“The unification of the continent,” Joshua responded without the slightest hint of hesitation.
“...!” Evergrant's eyes widened for a moment.
“However, not a continent that was brought together by Avalon, but rather one that was formed under you.”
“....”
“You wanted a unified continent to be called the ‘Magic Empire’ from the very beginning.”
Joshua's voice was the only sound echoing through the abyss.
“You and the Emperor already knew each other’s intentions. But neither of you cared. You both thought that you could use the other as a stepping stone for your own plans—that you could control the other.”
This had been the cause of that peculiar feeling of incongruity between the Emperor and Evergrant. Perhaps in the distant future, Evergrant would eliminate Kaiser for his purpose. After all, unlike how he portrayed himself, Evergrant was completely twisted on the inside with his dark desire for victory.
‘But
’
Joshua’s eyes hardened. There was something that needed to be cleared up.
Step.
“...!”
Joshua stepped out of the darkness.
“You! You were there?!” Evergrant growled after finding out that Joshua had been there the whole time.
“Marcus ben Britten is called a violent maniac. Whether it’s based on his position or authority, the Emperor’s confidence is understandable.”
“....”
“But Evergrant con Aswald, not you.” Joshua’s head cocked to the side after he finished his sentence. “You are so calculative that you don’t mind hanging around your enemy for a long time and hiding your true colors. Even if you have the Magic Tower in your hands, the name and value of the Empire are so huge that you’ll look like you’re hitting a boulder with an egg.”
“....”
“It was the same with Asmodeus’s contractor, Jerath. From the moment his black magic comes to light, he would be public enemy number one of the entire continent. In that sense
” Joshua momentarily stopped speaking and stared intently into Evergrant’s eyes. “What exactly is it that you’re putting your faith in?”
“....”
“While I was in the position of Auxiliary Battalion captain, I was able to ferret out a lot of information. Namely, the fact that there are three forces that wield influence over the Imperial family of the Avalon Empire, and you’re one of the three.”
What came out of Joshua’s lips was shocking.
“And that you’re an informant.”
“...!”
“I now know what even the Emperor hasn’t fully comprehended; why a Class 8 mage is being used as their hands and feet
 It’s clear now. You aren’t the arm of some group or organization but a single being.”
“....”
“Heimdall.”
Joshua’s eyes were brighter than ever before.
Evergrant visibly froze for a few seconds. Joshua noticed the change, but he did nothing except stand there silently. It was almost as if he was waiting for Evergrant to respond.
A brief silence ensued.
“Hohohohohoho.”
The only sound that could be heard was Evergrant’s low laugh, which finally shattered the oppressive quiet.
“I see. Is that all you know?”
“...Huh?”
“I’m disappointed, Joshua Sanders,” Evergrant whispered quietly as he pulled his disorganized hair back into a ponytail. “The monster of the world was only able to find out that much. That must mean that you’re merely human, just like me.”
The expression of despondency on Evergrant’s face was soon replaced with the beginnings of a grin.
“Let me say this to you—just like the rest of us, you are just a pawn in the greater scheme of fate. You’re just one of many, and you’ve been so since even before you were born. Of course, in the beginning, you were an unexpected spare, but
”
“Because the same blood that runs through the Imperial family runs through my veins?”
Joshua responded with a blank-faced expression before Evergrant could finish his sentence.
“Oh? You knew that too?” Evergrant answered with a hint of surprise. “But
”
“...?”
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“The relationship between the Imperial family members is much more complicated than you think. Like I said before, even if a variable like you hadn’t appeared, there wouldn’t have been a major influence in the grand scheme of things.” Evergrant’s grin became bigger. “This is obvious based on Heimdall’s relationship with the Emperor right now. No matter how much you try, you can never get to his level.”
Evergrant's eyes seemed to blaze as he finished speaking. His eyes not only trust and yearning but also guilt and regret. All of his feelings seemed to gather in his eyes.
“Kill me,” Evergrant demanded in a low voice.
Joshua's forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“Are you just going to give up now? You?”
“Stop pretending. You know just as well as I do what my body’s condition is like right now.”
“You don’t want to make the same choice Jerath dek Orbis did?”
“You want me to turn into some sort of undead creature?” Evergrant laughed. “You talked about us like we were the same, but he and I are quite different kinds of people. I respected his passion for magic and theory and his confidence, but our values
”
Evergrant abruptly stopped his prolonged chatter for no apparent reason.
“We had a lengthy discussion. Heimdall will deal with the repercussions.”
“Did you really think that I would kill you that quickly?”
Evergrant shrugged in response to Joshua’s bleak question.
“You’re going to torture me? Well, do whatever you want
.”
“No,” Joshua answered without hesitation.
He slowly paced forward.
“I always thought that death would be too merciful for you.”
“What?”
The trick that Evergrant pulled rendered decades of Joshua’s work useless. Shouldn’t Joshua pay it back with something equally terrible, not just with Evergrant’s life?
Swish!
Joshua gave a bloodthirsty smile as he looked at Evergrant’s bewildered expression.
“So, how can I exact my revenge in the most satisfying way possible?”
- Oh, you made up your mind?
“...!” Evergrant’s pupils widened slightly for a split second.
That was not the voice of a human being but rather a voice that sounded as though it was emanating from directly within his skull. Evergrant’s eyes were inevitably drawn to its source.
“Don’t tell me
 an ego weapon?”
- Can you hear me? I knew it! I have a great eye for human beings!”
Lugia’s spear floated in the air, swinging from side to side.
“It’s a shame that I can’t make Jerath dek Orbis mine.”
- Can’t do anything about that. Asmodeus is stuck to him too close
 but

The spear snapped down so that the point was aimed in Evergrant’s direction.
- I think this is fine.
“What the hell are you saying?!” Evergrant shouted.
In reaction to it, Joshua flashed a grin and a smile.
“What do you think I’m saying? You, you belong right here.”
Pitch-black demonic power seeped out of Joshua’s body with an unsettling noise.
“From the beginning, you didn’t have a choice. Even if you refuse
”
Evergrant shivered, his eyes widening for a split second as he registered the weighty touch on his arms. He soon spotted two people dressed in black, and his face became red with shock at what he saw.
“I most definitely intend to carry it out.”
“Death Knights! YOU! Don’t tell me—”
“I’ll see you soon, Evergrant.”
Joshua extended his hand with an even broader smile.
- I’m going!
Lugia pushed forward with all of its might.
“...Heup!”
The spear entered Evergrant’s chest with a horrifying squelch.
Joshua murmured something under his breath as he saw the man shake all over as if he had been hit by lightning.
“The lesser hell in its true sense. The Lord of the Lesser Demon Realm welcomes you Evergrant.”
Evergrant’s eyes rapidly lost their brightness, and Joshua's words faded into the background.
“Damn
 this
”
Those were the final words Joshua had said in his previous life, but this time, those were Evergrant’s.