If I Had To Say, I Would Say I Am A Evil Magician 226 (Patreon)

Limit

In order to grab onto the dim hope Asch presented to him, Hazen made progress on the research with all his heart and soul. Without sleeping, without eating, without sparing the slightest thought, about his own body.

......however.

"Shitt"

It's, unbelievably, his 36th failure. Instinctively, Hazen slams his fist onto the table. In contrast to his feelings, the magic power packed in that liquid, didn't weaken no matter how powerful the Light Magic was. No, what's even more surprising than that, is its regeneration ability. On one occasion, he destroyed several drops of the liquid with Holy Dark Magic. However, a few minutes later, that liquid continued existing there at that spot, like nothing ever happened.

He can't focus like Asch. His thinking is no match for Asch by far. He can't come up with ideas like Asch's. Like Asch......like Asch......he repeats in his heart over and over and over again.

Perhaps, if he was around the same age as him, he might be capable of the same feat......however, Hazen, knew of too many precious things, for him to gamble everything. He was given too many precious things. The world, friends, comrades, social standing, knowledge, morals......each and every one of them becomes Hazen's shackles.

On the other hand, because Asch was ignorant, because he wasn't given anything, he was pure. He finds that it's alright for him to lose everything, for simply, the sake of one thing. He can gladly sacrifice his entire self. That, can by no means be called love. It was something more beautiful, more ominous, more powerful, more brittle, more ephemeral.

The man touted as the strongest Magician in history, was unmistakably defeated by Asch, and he cursed his own powerlessness.

Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch......

"Asch......that safe won't open with you. Give up"

In front of where he made his remark, a vacant-expression Asch is, clawing at the safe containing the test tubes with his nails. His looks were, like a cripple completely ravaged by drugs, and he goes back and forth between his incomprehensible words and actions, and moments of sanity.

Even amidst his insane actions, Asch adamantly desired that liquid. He had probably, decided to become the guinea pig himself. That was, the determination of the Asch who retained just a slither of sanity; Hazen deduces. 『There's nothing you can do even if what you do to other people, gets done to yourself』; he'd said that for Asch to hear over and over and over again. Towards him, who had held onto Hazen's teaching, up until the very moment before he loses his sanity, unbearable guilt and feelings of atonement well up.

However, for now. He has to forget about that just for now. If he doesn't make progress on the research, even if it means putting off everything, what would all the sacrifices be for. What would his life be for.

Those feelings of Hazen, crumble, all too mercilessly, all too brittlely.

"Haa......haa......Hazen-sensei! Asch!"

Jill's voice was audible. When he looks out the window, she's running all the way over to the Taboo Mansion pantingly.

"No way......I don't want it......"

Hazen, grasp his head and mumbles instinctively. He has cast on her, a magic which makes her capable of entering this mansion, for when that time comes.

However, nothing is yet, completed......nothing.

"Liana is......please, hurry!"

Everything......at this rate, everything will be for nothing......Asch's sacrifice will also......be for nothing.

Round and Round and Round and Round......inside his head, despair runs around.

"......uu......I'm, going now!"

Even so, with shaky hands, he opens the window and shouts.

"Hazen-sensei......where is Asch?"

"Asch is......"

Looking at the figure of this man that changed completely, what will his daughter think. Of himself who, despite risking everything, is unable to save her, what will his daughter think.

"That fellow is......currently, at a different place"

He clenches his chest and answers with a lie.

"No way......"

"I'll contact him right away"

"Un-, understood. Please hurry up.......please hurry up and come"

"Aah"

While answering that, he looks at Asch who's now still clawing at the safe.

"......sorry"

"Huh......why won't it open......why......ah......because it's a safe......a safe......huh......why won't it open......why......huh, did I say that just now? Huh......ah......because it's a safe......ah......ah......"

"......please......blame it on me......blame it on this incompetent man who can't do anything"

Hazen carried on, to leave the room.

＊

Scratch Scratch Scratch Scratch......

Asch, who came to be by himself, claws at the safe over and over and over again.

"Huh......why won't it open......why......ah......because it's a safe......a safe......huh......why won't it open......why......huh, did I say that just now? Huh......ah......because it's a safe......ah......ah......"

Round and Round and Round and Round......the same words over and over and over again.

Amidst all that,

『You don't get it?』

In that space with nobody, inside Asch's head, a soft voice reverberated.

"Un......I don't get it......"

『This safe has a contraption. He said you can't open it, right?』

"......un"

『This mansion is a fortress. The intrusion of other people is protected over there. Protecting it from the useless you, requires no impressive countermeasure. It's something he takes out several times a day. It's been made so that it'll open if he pours in a bit of magic power you can't use, but he can. Do you get what it is?』

"......Light Magic"

『Well said』

"But......I can't use it"

『Kukuku......if you can't use it, there's something else, right?』

".......ah"

『That's what I'm talking about. Now then, let me out』

・・・