Just as Sebas was about to question her further, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked coldly toward the street corner. "Come out, swordsman."
"There's someone else?!" Climb and Ninya both turned their heads at once, watching the corner with heightened alertness.
A sturdy man with medium-length blue hair stepped out from the corner. An awkward smile was forced onto his face as he spoke repeatedly, "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. I'm not a bad person."
As Brain spoke, he raised both hands in front of his chest, deliberately keeping them away from the sword at his waist as a gesture of goodwill.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Brain."
A swordsman not inferior to the Warrior Captain?! Climb's guarded heart eased slightly as he looked at the disheveled man before him in surprise.
Compared to the Warrior Captain, Brain seemed far too subdued, as though his once-sharp edge had been worn down by some terrifying existence.
"What is your purpose?" The man before him did not look like a villain, and his aura was so pitifully weak that Sebas's mind returned to complete calm.
"I came to…"
Shalltear's terrifying figure unconsciously surfaced in Brain's mind, gradually overlapping with the image of Sebas before him.
That vampire had taught him a lesson. There was always someone stronger, and always a higher sky beyond the sky.
Brain tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, the decadence in his eyes fading as he looked straight at Sebas and spoke with firm resolve. "Please let me see the breadth of the world!"
Such pure eyes… Sebas praised inwardly, a trace of appreciation for a martial artist flashing through his gaze. "Then you shall join Climb."
As he spoke, he suddenly looked down at Ninya, his tone carrying a barely perceptible softness. "Miss Ninya, please wait a moment."
He saw through my disguise… Ninya subconsciously covered her chest, her delicate face filled with shock.
A disguise that even Mr. Helant could not see through had actually been seen through by Mr. Sebas...?
Sebas had no intention of explaining that Ninya's disguise was the sort that only the weak or the Undead would fail to perceive.
After all, it was not easy to find two people he found agreeable in this Human Kingdom that was rotten to its very core.
He raised his fists and examined the two before him with a cold expression. "Before we begin, I want to ask you something. Why do you seek to become stronger?"
The faint pressure emanating from Sebas made Climb feel a sense of oppression.
This sensation was just like the rainy night of his childhood, when he had been struggling alone, before he met Princess Renner.
"I have someone I want to protect." Renner's cute and charming face flashed through Climb's mind, and his heart seemed to fill with strength.
To protect someone… Sebas felt a trace of admiration. It was much like how he and the others of the Great Tomb of Nazarick were born to protect the Supreme Beings.
Then, he turned his gaze to Brain.
"To have the courage to swing my sword at those stronger than myself!"
Brain spoke without hesitation, his eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit. "Please guide me!"
Lord Touch Me once said that the strong should swing their swords at those even stronger. Sebas felt a surge of emotion and nodded slightly in satisfaction.
"I will begin now. Please make sure you remain conscious."
Climb and Brain drew their swords at the same time, lowering their stances as they focused all their attention on Sebas.
In their eyes, Sebas's already tall figure seemed to grow even taller. Though he was still the same person, he now felt like an insurmountable mountain.
Shalltear!
This identical pressure was the very thing that had crushed Brain's pride!
The smooth blade of his sword clearly reflected his eyes, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Come!"
"Very well!"
A cold, terrifying pressure suddenly burst forth from Sebas, crashing down on the two like a violent storm.
"It's like facing a giant dragon!"
Climb did everything he could to keep his sword steady, fear forcing tears to well up in his eyes.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, and at every moment he felt the urge to drop his sword and flee.
"No. Princess Renner is still waiting for me to protect her!" Climb clenched his teeth, facing Sebas through sheer force of will.
Beside him, Brain was enduring an even more terrifying pressure.
Under Sebas's deliberate control, Brain felt an overwhelming killing intent. His body felt as though it had been sealed in frost, and he began to tremble involuntarily.
Every cell in his body seemed to be screaming, "Run, just like when you faced Shalltear."
While his entire being resisted, Brain's expression abruptly shifted from terror to self-mockery, and he let out a sneer. "You can run for a time, but you can't run for a lifetime!"
"I don't want to be a weakling forever!"
The fighting spirit in his heart erupted, and at this moment, he once again resembled a sharp-edged swordsman.
The timing is right!
The corners of Sebas's mouth lifted slightly as he bent his legs and stepped back, taking up a perfectly standard offensive stance.
It's coming!
The pupils of Brain and Climb contracted as they felt the killing intent emanating from Sebas suddenly ease.
Just as they subconsciously tried to draw a breath, they saw a punch carrying monstrous killing intent, locking them firmly in place.
Upon that fist, they seemed to clearly see the word "Death."
"I can't dodge!"
This was a direct strike that had to be met head-on.
At that moment, as swordsmen, Climb and Brain shared the same unshakable resolve as they overcame their fear.
Swing the sword!
At that very moment, the punch that symbolized certain death brushed past them.
Life through death!
"Huff! Huff! Huff!" The two leaned against each other in a miserable state, struggling to look at Sebas. In their eyes, beyond shock, there was the joy of surviving a catastrophe and a hint of calm.
"Congratulations. How does it feel to have overcome the fear of death?" A smile was forced onto Sebas's cold face as he offered his sincere congratulations. "It is precisely because you were prepared for death that you had the courage to swing your swords. Whether it is becoming stronger or protecting those you wish to protect, you need this courage to sustain you."
"Just who are you…" Climb knelt on the ground and asked hoarsely.
Just the pressure and killing intent he released were enough to overwhelm both him and Brain, who was as renowned as the Warrior Captain.
Such terrifying strength… perhaps even the recently famous Mithril Rank Adventurer Helant did not possess it.
"I am merely an old man with a bit of confidence in his abilities…" Sebas's tone relaxed somewhat. Then he turned to Ninya, his voice growing even gentler. "Miss Ninya, next we should discuss your matter."
He looked at the petite and delicate girl before him and even bent slightly at the waist to appear more approachable.
Spending time with Tuare over the past few days had taught him a bit of gentlemanly etiquette.
"Um, my sister's name is…" Before Ninya could finish her sentence, she saw Sebas's expression suddenly change.
She hurriedly closed her mouth and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I suddenly have an urgent matter." Sebas slowly lowered his finger from his ear and took out a stiff paper card from his robe, an address printed neatly on it. "This is a business card. It has my address and contact information. Please come to my residence tomorrow so we can discuss this further."
With that, Sebas left without looking back.
Lord Momonga and Lord Helant have arrived?
Is it because of Tuare?
Watching Sebas's retreating figure, Ninya clutched the card tightly in her hand and said softly, "It seems like something very important has come up."
In a moment no one noticed, Ninya's shadow flickered strangely, and a Shadow Demon silently slipped into it, quietly standing guard over her.
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