Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Paving the Way: Necessary Sacrifices

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' I joined the brave team under somewhat unusual circumstances, and quite a bit of time passed in the blink of an eye. But… the good things I had imagined never came to be.'

It was exactly as Frieren had said—no encounters with beautiful girls, just rather boring and leisurely days.

Instead of rushing to save the world, it felt more like what Ash had guessed from the beginning: a sightseeing tour, traveling around and exploring dungeons.

Although it was far from the thrilling adventure one might expect, it wasn't bad at all.

But… in fact, those quiet days didn't last long. One day, Ash seemed to remember something, and with little explanation, he said he had something urgent to do, briefly said goodbye to everyone, and flew back north, taking Linie with him.

He had the child accompany him to watch and record the fighting style of Frank, the Brave of the South.

As the strongest human warrior, Frank's ability to see the future couldn't be imitated, yet he was powerful enough in close combat to remain at the top even without it.

After completing this task, Ash sent Linie back, bade farewell to Frank, and prepared to continue sightseeing with Frieren and the others, just to relax. But…

"—Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Let's have a drink first?" Frank, in an inexplicably good mood, dragged him off to the pub, and they drank all night. By the time the night was filled with food and drink…

"My friend, this is where we part. Farewell!"

With a dramatic sweep of his cloak, Frank turned and strode off with a heroic grin. Ash watched him disappear down the quiet streets under the night sky, waving goodbye without looking back.

"Haha… this feels strange," Ash muttered, chuckling as he finished the wine in his glass, then shook his head and stood up.

But just as he was about to leave, he noticed a note by Frank's seat.

For some reason, Frank had left a letter asking Ash to return to his hometown. It seemed that when Ash had been training with Schlacht, Schlacht had left behind a letter in the small house where he used to live.

"...Two rough guys trying to plan something like this?" Ash was a bit dumbfounded, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He simply made his way slowly from the northern lands back to the southern countries.

Following the instructions, he located the parchment, wrapped in a wooden box, inside the hut.

*[First of all, by the time you read this, we will all be gone.

This isn't due to any sudden change, but rather a long-echoing consequence of fate—a destiny, if you will.

This battle isn't just for you, but for the future of the demon clan a thousand years from now. While you are still young, you are strong enough to defeat ordinary demons. Yet, this is not the right time for you to ascend the throne.

In the demon world, strength commands respect. Without the power to shake the heavens and the earth, no one will submit. Additionally, the human expedition teams and brave squads will see you as a thorn in their side and will be resolved to eliminate you.

Therefore, should you seek to ascend the throne upon the fall of the Demon King, you will undoubtedly usher in an all-out war throughout the world, including within the demon clan itself.

You still need to settle down for a while and build strength on your own—this journey will be lonely and long, requiring extraordinary patience and quiet endurance until the time is right… Remember this.]

"What… is this?" Ash stared, dumbfounded, at the parchment in his hands.

He understood the message all too well. Simply waiting for the Demon King to die before stepping up… without the power to conquer the world, he would be doomed quickly, lacking the Demon King's strength.

But what truly shocked him was… these two strongest warriors after the Demon King and Serie were going to die suddenly?

Or was it that now… they were already dead?

…

At the same time Ash was reading the parchment, in the northern land, Schlacht sharp blade pierced Frank's back. Frank, equally battered and wounded, charged forward and drove his sword into Schlacht heart.

In that very moment, both dealt each other fatal blows, yet, as if in silent agreement, they paused and withdrew temporarily.

"…This is a farewell forever," Schlacht murmured quietly, gazing up at the sky before lowering his eyes to the man standing unsteadily before him. "As expected… no matter what… our first meeting would inevitably end like this."

"Ha, haha… there's nothing we can do… If things go on like this… the Demon King will always remain the Demon King."

In the future Frank had foreseen, each time Frieren's team defeated a truly powerful demon, they were always on the verge of failure… though they had yet to face three such foes at once.

Leaving Aura aside, the Immortal Bose, one of the Seven sages of Destruction, had intended to trap and kill them all with a barrier. Frieren had almost accepted defeat, only to die in the end out of sheer arrogance.

When it came to the sage of corruption Qual, they couldn't defeat him outright. Instead, they devised a plan to seal him, barely surviving the ordeal.

Without making sacrifices, without defeating enough powerful demons… they would never be able to reach the Demon King.

In this chaotic battlefield, none of the Seven Sages of Destruction except Aura were present. A demon comparable to the Sages had been sent to help instead. The remaining Sages of Destruction gathered together, seemingly able to crush an entire country.

But even with eight fighting against one, three of the Sages of Destruction fell to Frank's blade, some even perishing alongside Schlacht.

This, as Frank had once said, was the true meaning of "paving the way," whether for Frieren or for Ash—now he was fulfilling that promise.

Schlacht and Frank met each other's gaze in silence. Then, summoning the last of their strength, they charged at one another again, blood covering their bodies.

BANG!!

The collision of swords erupted in fierce sparks and unleashed powerful shockwaves.

No one could count the number of times their swords and sabers intertwined in that deadly dance.

Though both had suffered mortal injuries, they seemed ready for one final clash. Yet, in the next instant, no one knew who pushed whom, and together they tumbled off the cliff.

"This is… a necessary sacrifice, isn't it?" murmured Frank to the blue sky as he fell.

"It can be considered…" Schlacht eyes quietly closed in the next moment.

The moment they fell, the cliff above crumbled, sending a torrent of sand and soil tumbling down toward them.

Although they could see the future, both chose to accept this moment and embrace the fate they had envisioned countless times.

Or perhaps… it was simply destiny?

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POWER STONES WOULD BE APPRECIATED