(So it really was a reincarnated person after all...!)
His prediction had been correct.
Rest, his brow beaded with tense sweat, glared at the 'Curse Caster' beyond the dust cloud.
"No way... You're Japanese too...?!"
The words that came from the 'Curse Caster''s mouth were not the language of this world, but Japanese.
There was no mistake. The 'Curse Caster''s true identity was a Japanese person.
(A reincarnated person from another world... So this man also possesses special powers after all...!)
The ability to manipulate sand that he had been displaying up until now.
A miraculous power, likely activated by a mechanism different from that of regular magic.
Just like the infinite mana Rest possessed, it was the result of some kind of favor or blessing.
"Why? Why is a Japanese person interfering with me? Why do you stand in my way as an enemy?"
"'Why' is my line. Why is a Japanese person kidnapping demi-humans and pitting them against the Kingdom of Aiwood?"
"Don't tell me you're Gascoigne's ally? A member of the Council of Sages...!"
The 'Curse Caster' twisted his face in hatred.
The sand cleared, revealing the other's face... but he was surprisingly young.
He was probably around the same age as Rest, in his late teens.
He still had a gloomy expression that made him look older, but his features were so youthful it was easy to believe he was actually younger.
"Gascoigne... Leonard Gascoigne."
Rest murmured.
The World's Greatest Magician, Known as the 'Heavenly Emperor' Rest had met him only once before, a man who had spoken unilaterally without listening to anything Rest said and then left.
(From his tone, this man is hostile to the Council of Sages. He's a reincarnated person from Japan with special powers. Just like the queen dowager.)
From what Gascoigne, the academy headmaster, and the queen dowager had told him, combined with fragmented information, Rest pieced together the identity of the man before him.
"Takfir Kahen...?"
Rest murmured that name.
A group of reincarnated people who wish for the end of the world. A secret society.
They believe that their unfair deaths in their past lives were caused by this world's god, and they are evil apostles burning with revenge.
The queen dowager, Shoko Sanada, was involved with them, and she called them a 'middle-school-syndrome' gathering.
"So you know our name... As expected, you're the Council of Sages' dog!"
"!"
"Die! Sand King, kill him!"
The curse caster flew into a rage instantly and cast magic.
The sand turned into countless blades and surged toward Rest.
"You fool who panders to this world! A loser who has forgotten his grudge against god and submitted! Disappear, disappear, disappear. Disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear, Aaaaaaah!"
"What the hell, this guy... he just flipped out!"
Attacks rained down from all directions.
Blades and bullets flew from the walls, and sharp stakes shot up from the floor.
It's chaotic, but the sheer volume of attacks is incredible.
Rest could barely defend against them with magic; an average magician would be crushed and turned into mincemeat in seconds.
«Disappearrrrrrrrrr!»
«Who’d disappear just because you told them to? Sorry, but… you’re the one who’s going to disappear.»
Rest glanced behind him.
Diebl, who should have been there, was gone.
The prison was destroyed too, and the demihuman children who had been imprisoned were also missing.
It seemed that while Rest was fighting the «curse caster,» Diebl had rescued the hostages and escaped.
«As expected, so reliable… that’s my teacher Diebl for you.»
«OOOOOHHHHH!»
«Looks like I can’t ask questions either. There’s a lot I wanted to hear from you.»
About the purpose behind starting the war. About the connection with the empire.
About the details of that pretentious secret society… if possible, I wanted to gather information through conversation.
(But… seeing this, there’s no time for talk. He’s too strong to take alive.)
«…What a shame. Even setting aside information gathering, I wish I could have talked more with you.»
They were both reincarnated people.
Unlike when he had spoken with the residual consciousness of Shoko Sanada, this time they had met while both were alive.
In that case, he had wanted to talk more with words… but now that it had come to this, it couldn’t be helped.
«Farewell.»
Rest cast magic.
Amid the sand raging like a storm, a released fist-sized blue sphere flew through the air.
«[Aquatic God]"
The next moment, the blue sphere burst like a balloon pricked by a needle.
The fist-sized sphere, covered in barrier magic, burst open, and the dozens of tons of water trapped inside gushed out as if exploding.