Chapter 71: Self-Sacrifice Is Not the Mark of One Morally Superior, but of One Who’s Given Up the Hope of Hope

"I finally understand you, chimera... Ash, rather. I was right to assume you’re like me, only... you simply lack self-awareness. Wait... no, no, that’s not right... You lack... acceptance. You seem painfully aware of your pathetic capabilities, yet ignore that very realization."

Throughout Cross’s spiel, Ash hadn’t broken stride.

"Done yet?"

"Hmm, perhaps."

Cross extended his arm, then beckoned Ash with his hand.

[Danger Sense] began wafting across Ash’s back.

A breath later, something struck the back of Ash’s armor, followed by another impact, then another.

’Tch.’

Cross had splintered the stake Ash had chopped in half into numerous smaller pieces and was calling them back — his taunt merely a trick to buy time.

Before they could inflict any meaningful damage on [Snow Crawler’s Pelt], Ash rolled to the side, clearing their path.

The stone pellets hurtled past him toward Cross, veering away from their master an instant before striking him. Then, swirling together before his outstretched hand, they reformed into a medium-sized stake.

As Ash found his footing, he noticed that Cross had retreated even farther down the chamber. Weaving in and out of fire pillars.

Ash called out to the Silver Prince:

"Are you that scared of me?"

Cross glanced at his missing limb, then said:

"Of course... you’re still smiling."

Cross chuckled, then added:

"Not to mention, you have little to lose by using your trick, seeing that you can regrow your limbs. You see, I simply don’t have such a luxury."

Ash picked up his pace and broke into a run, zigzagging in hopes to throw off Cross’s aim. As he closed the distance, he said:

"Don’t speak as if your wound hasn’t closed entirely."

Cross continued retreating, hurling stake after stake over his shoulder. Each one forced Ash to swerve, roll aside, or deflect it with his blade and glitch.

’Can he only control them telekinetically while stationary or moving slowly?’

Cross screamed back:

"Hey, that’s not nearly the same! And I’ve only just recovered! I had to deal with that annoying gift you left behind!"

Ash tilted his head.

"Annoying gift?"

A moment later, he twisted around and swept [Sealed Fate] upward through a stake before dropping into a slide beneath a second one trailing directly behind it.

"That eye! I don’t know where you got such a thing, but it made the Sentry chase me! Do you know what it took to kill that thing? I haven’t slept in three days! Not to mention everything else being after me!"

’He... killed it?’

The sounds of the Seal Sentry rampaging were actually sounds of its last breaths fighting Cross.

A one-armed, sleepless Cross...

’...’

No wonder Cross passed out, even in the presence of Ash. He’d been fighting for three days straight.

While Cross’s strength and tenacity were admirable, even by Ash’s standards...

’Yet another reason he deserves to die. That... that was my monster to kill.’

And...

"It was your fault."

The reason all the monsters were rushing toward Ash was because Cross was nearby. Having gone in his direction after slaying the Seal Sentry.

"Huh?! You hit me with it?!"

Kicking off the ground, Ash cast [Dragon Fear].

"Shut it."

Naturally, it did nothing. However...

Cross halted his retreat, spun, and launched a barrage of stone stakes through the narrowing gap between them.

At that moment...

[You have unequipped [Snow Crawler’s Pelt]]

[You have unequipped [Whisper of the Wind]]

[You have unequipped [Sealed Fate]]

Ash’s armor, helm, and weapon faded from existence as he charged headlong into the barrage, leaving him nude save for the [Snow Crawlers] on his feet.

The last of his equipment vanished an instant before the stakes tore through his intangible body.

Idolan, who’d been quietly watching, cheered:

"My word... how strange you are!"

Cross’s face contorted in horror as Ash burst through the other side of the barrage unharmed.

"What the— and you dare shame me?!"

Although Cross still had it in him to joke, the look in his eyes made it clear that he was terrified by how swiftly Ash had closed the gap.

Worse...

Inspired by his earlier epiphany, Ash had begun summoning teeth and claws into his hands and hurling them at Cross with his draconic strength.

Cross tried to resume his retreat, but the first projectile slammed into him. Then another, and another.

Each impact staggered him and interrupted his escape, mirroring the pitiful experience Ash went through against the Soulless Wanderer.

Then Ash crossed the remaining distance.

He lunged and thrust his hands forward, plunging one into Cross’s chest and the other into his remaining arm.

Cross flinched, turned his face aside, and closed his eyes.

"Guh!"

But Ash simply stood there, his arms buried inside Cross’s body. After a moment, he straightened and pulled them free without activating [Focus].

"Be grateful."

[You have equipped [Snow Crawler’s Pelt]]

Cross blinked his eyes open, then collapsed onto his ass, panting heavily.

Idolan, confused, asked:

"Huh? What happened? Cross? You alive?"

It seemed he could tell Ash hadn’t torn out his heart, despite how it had looked, but he didn’t understand why Cross wore such a panicked expression if nothing had happened.

Ash turned to the King of Evercrest.

"Had I activated my ability with my hand inside his chest, I would have claimed his heart — at the cost of my hand."

Cross stammered, wearing the same look he had when Ash had popped up out of the ground.

"Unfair... that’s horribly, unfathomably unfair!"

’You, of all people, say that?’

Idolan’s glowing silver eyes studied Ash as he said to his son:

"Life’s never fair, Cross. You should know that well."

Standing over Cross, Ash said:

"Your eyes... they scream of a man begging to live. To see tomorrow. I was right. You have no right to sacrifice yourself. To impose some whimsical, self-righteous promise of salvation upon another at the cost of your own life is truly the height of arrogance and the greatest folly. Say what you wish, but that path is neither morally grand nor superior. It is nothing but a pitiful surrender to weakness. Too weak to harbor even the hope of change. Too weak to dare defy doomed possibility. Cross..."

Ash planted the bottom of his boot on Cross’s chest.

"The ending you seek... I will not allow it."