…Going back a little, before that mess started.
Zenon was called by Rush, and went to a deserted corner of the courtyard to see him.
Rush had a happy expression on his face as he waited for Zenon, and he was clearly in a good mood.
Another event of some kind… Thought Zenon, as he wished to have an event where he flirted with a cute girl, not one with a guy like Rush. But still, he spoke to him as a main character, and with a smile on his face.
“Hey Rush. Why did you call me here?”
“Sorry you had to come all the way out here, but I think I can finally fulfill my promise.”
“Promise? What promise?”
“I told you, right? When I became strong, you would be the first one to see it. I called you here to fulfill that promise, Zenon Ash.”
Zenon felt something was not right about the grinning Rush, and felt troubled about the emergence of an event he was not familiar with.
He speedran Luminous History, but had no memory of such an event with Rush. There was no such thing in walkthroughs either, so it was completely new to him.
He felt shaken by an event where his knowledge would not help and fell silent, but Rush paid no heed to him and continued speaking alone.
“That day when we talked, I truly understood what I needed. It was power. Like how you took Claire from that scum, if you have power, all can be forgiven.
Power is more noble than anything, and the most important thing… I am truly grateful to you for giving me the resolve to do anything to attain that.”
“What… Are you talking about? What did you…”
“I’m thanking you. But words alone won’t do. I will show you ultimate power. To you, before anyone else! Just you!”
Zenon felt it was strange, and that something was not right. The Rush Winhelm he knew was not that sort of character. He had a clumsy sincerity to him, which was his trademark along with his stuffiness.
And now… He was drunk with power, and had a strange way of thinking. Something was twisted, and it turned him into a strange character.
As Zenon talked to him, he was no longer able to put on the main character act.
He saw Rush take out that claw from his pocket, and yell while opening his eyes wide like a madman.
“Look… This is my power as a chosen one!”
“Uuh…!?”
Enough magic energy to shake the trees streamed out, and Zenon put out his arms to protect himself from its intensity.
He raised his head, feeling something ominous, and saw what was Rush now covered in a black, spiky shell.
“What is that…? I don’t know, I don’t! I’ve never seen that character!”
“Ah… That’s right. Then I will tell you. I will show you power, now that I’ve become strong.”
Zenon never dreamed Rush would transform into a monster armor beast, and was in a state of panic.
He looked on in a daze at the alluring aura gently being released by Rush, but the moment Rush took a step forward, he unsheathed his sword from his waist and got ready to fight.
(I don’t know what’s going on, but I have to take it down! Or else… Or else…!!)
It was a development that did not fit the scenario. A route he should not know. He was scared of breaking into this scenario and cowered, but still swung his sword, and attacked the monster armor beast.
With the high stats of someone who reincarnated, the highest standard of weapon suitability, and the strongest weapon that could be acquired at that point, the main character moved to slaughter the monster, but…
“…Eh?”
With a clinking sound, the weapon in his hand became strangely light.
Zenon’s eyes were wide open, and he let out a foolish sound, as the moment the sword struck Rush, it snapped and broke.
He was at a loss for words.
It was a clean hit. With all his strength. And yet, not only did it not damage his opponent, but it led to something he could never have imagined, his weapon breaking.
One thing was clear in this situation… No matter how hard he tried, he would not defeat Rush.
“…What’s wrong? Over already? Is that all someone called a hero can do?”
“A-ah, ah… S-stay away! Stay away!!”
Zenon, half panicked after losing his weapon, attacked Rush with magic.
It was a beginner level light spell, Photon. Simple magic that created bullets of light and fired them at an opponent, but since Zenon had high compatibility with the light element and high magic energy stats, the spell had firepower that could rival an intermediary spell.
The ball of light that was about as big as a person’s face hit the shell directly and seemed to explode. For a moment, Zenon smiled, convinced of his victory, but… The next moment, his face was painted with surprise and anguish.
The stretched crab claw had hit his torso after an intense charge.
“Ugueh!?”
The crab claw failed to pierce his body, thanks to a magic barrier, but the incredible force still blew him far away.
He hit his back against a thick tree trunk, and crawled on the ground, struggling to breathe, as Rush walked over to him leisurely, looked down at him, and spoke with an amused tone.
“What, you’re already down after I hit you a little bit? I haven’t even gotten serious at all.”
“Dammit…! What’s going on…? I’m the main character, so how come a second rate character is… Gabuh!!”
Zenon was unable to understand this situation, where someone who was reincarnated as the strongest main character was getting overpowered by a weak character he ignored in every playthrough. And in the meantime, Rush stepped on his back strongly.
Again, again, again, again… His dignity, pride, strength, hopes… Rush continued to mercilessly step on his back as if trampling it all, and Zenon had no way to fight back.
“Gabuh! Guah! Gah! H-helb! Gubuh!! D-don’t gill me! I don’t wanna gie yet! Gueeh!”
Zenon continued to be assaulted with more pain than he could imagine, and he begged for his life with his heart completely broken.
Rush looked not at Zenon, but at the pitiful human that had revealed himself, Haino Seto, and knew that he was victorious. By the time he stopped, Zenon was spasming, and Rush spoke down to him.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you or anything. I owe you. I wouldn’t kill you, would I? You understand my power very well too. It’s thanks to you that I’ve come to understand it. This is enough.”
“H-higu, gu…”
Rush transformed back into a human, and looked up at the blue sky, paying no attention to the tattered Zenon.
With tears in his eyes, and a joyful smile, he yelled, speaking to people who were not there.
“I did it, everyone! I beat the one they call a hero! By beating the one who beat Yuugo, I’ve surpassed him! It’s all… All thanks to the power you lent me! I stand atop your sacrifices! I have become strong. Strong… But it’s still not enough.”
He declared his gratitude to the friends he had used as feed, and whispered with his face suddenly turning red.
And what appeared afterwards, was a smile completely dominated by madness.
“I want to become stronger. I want to take this power to the extreme…! And I need to feed it. If I have feed that will make it happy, I can reach bigger heights. I won’t waste their sacrifices. I… I… Will become the most powerful being in this world!”
An unpleasant wet sound echoed, as small, black crabs crawled out around Rush one after the other.
As he looked up, slurping drool, he opened his eyes wide as he realized what he wanted.
With his eyes painted black shining, he was guided to the place where the feed that would take him even higher was.
“More, more, more, more…!! I want to be strong! I want to take my power to the extreme and become a hero…!!”
And it would not matter what sacrifices had to be made. As long as he had the resolve, he would not become scum no matter what crimes he committed.
Rush continued walking down the wrong path, and he continued following the monster inside him… Towards that children’s home.
The monster named Rush sought the best feed, children, as he walked down the path of madness.
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As much as I enjoy seeing him getting beat up, the rush kaijin is going to commit the very most taboo that most hero will frown upon, killing children, Rush better hope that Yuugo is not like yuusuke, or else he will suffer the same fate of that porcupine grongi, a bloody beatdown, wait yuugo just got and upgrade with a sword attachment…well see how this goes.
thanks for the translatation, dude.
Ahhhh yes that almost 2 mins of Kuuga beating the s**t out of the Grongi.
flashback to when kuuga titan form beating the s**t of grongi because that grongi torture the childrens before kill them