End of Friendship
"What about Althea? What happened to her?", Kevin, appearing on the scene, uttered.
Hiraya lowered her gaze as Kevin appeared at the boulder behind Alab, his eyes glancing at Hiraya as he demanded an answer.
"K--Kevin!", Alab wailed
Recollecting herself, Hiraya gazed back at Kevin, meeting his inquisitive and sharp eyes as she exclaimed.
"Althea was abducted by the Mad Scientist the moment we exited the Tutorial.", she explained as her hand was hidden at her back, clenching as she remembered the sudden disappearance of Althea.
A fluctuation of emotion could be seen in Kevin's sharp gazes as he pondered over it, shortly after, he glanced at Hiraya as he muttered.
"I will notify my guild about it, our guild may bear hatred towards each other but we can make an exception and exchange lead to finding Althea.", he suggested as Hiraya nodded her head.
Kevin then looked at Alab who was wailing upon seeing him. Back in the Tutorial, Kevin had always been the pillar that Alab held into in times he didn't know what to do. He was the one who was there to lead Alab.
Alab hoped that Kevin didn't change like Hiraya did but he was devastated at hearing Kevin's next words.
"Hiraya is right, you should stop your selfishness, Alab, you now have your people. People who you ought to protect. You might hate your father to the bone but let your subjects out of your petty resentment. Lead them to the top of the tower, isn't that what you dream?", Kevin muttered as he glanced at Alab whose cheeks were concealed by blood gushing out of his forehead.
Alab, with his mouth curved downwards, uttered.
"But, I don't want to lead them. I want our guild, the four of us, with Althea"
"Stop with your madness, Kalid! Cant you see? We are now enemies made by the Tower. WE CAN NEVER FORM A GUILD!"
"but–", "stop with your buts, Kalid. Else, I will kill you here… the same way your father killed my mom", Kevin muttered as he lowered his head, avoiding the pleading gaze of Alab. His voice turned dimmer as he spoke. Hiraya heard his words clearly, her deadpan look fluctuated for a second.
"T---that, what happened to your Mom?", Alab asked as he remembered Kevin's goal of entering the Tower. It was to buy an Elixir for his mother. Alab felt his headache at what he heard, his tears retreated as shock overwhelmed him. His face turned serious as he gazed at Kevin.
But, Kevin didn't respond to his query.
"You don't have to know the specifics.", he muttered as he decided to walk ahead, walking past Alab as he held two swords with him. The moment he reached Alab, the latter embraced his feet as he stopped him, his pleading gaze looked at Kevin as he lay on the ground.
"P–please, tell me", Alab uttered as Kevin's white garments were dyed red with blood.
Seeing the pitiful state of Alab, Kevin snapped. "SHUT UP! GROW AND MATURE, ALAB. Your guild members are waiting for you. They need you. Lead them to the top of the Tower.", he exclaimed as he tossed Alab off his feet, sending the frail body of Alab on the ground, his head hitting a stone as hurt assaulted his body. Still, he forced his body to move as he glanced at Kevin.
"Please, Kevin, t—tell me, w—what should I do?", he muttered as tears started to evacuate his eyes like spring, mixing with the blood that seemed to give him an empathizing look of bloody tears. His mouth quivered as blood entered it, still, he didn't care. His attention was waiting for Kevin's response.
Kevin, adjusted his eyeglass as he uttered. "Only you know what you should do. Have some trust in yourself, Alab.", he muttered as he bend his body and put one of the swords on the ground, its hilt deformed as it brew familiarity towards Hiraya.
It was the S-grade sword [Sword of Avarice] that Kevin took from Alon in exchange for a higher-grade sword. It now returned to its original owner, Alab.
Remaining unfazed, Alab watched Kevin walk away as his back reflected somberly despite the white pigment of his garments. His hair blew along the cold wind as he strode towards the door. He walked past Minokawa, then the new SSS-grade monter of Hiraya, and finally, when he met Hiraya, another voice of Alab resounded.
"Say… what did I do wrong for me to deserve this? I didn't kill anyone… I didn't meet my mother… my father… and now I have to take the hatred and blame… I had to lose goals, my reasons, and friends… j—just what did I do wrong???", Alab wailed as he similarly started to raise his devastated body, his clothes torn as he started to walk forward.
"JUST WHAT DID I DO WRONG, KEVIN? HIRAYA? TELL ME, J--JUST WHAT–", Alab wept in pain as his eyes were submerged in a sea of tears, his body soaked wet as his mouth quivered in pain. His nostrils throbbed with rage for the unfair treatment of fate. His eyes burned with madness as he pleaded to Kevin and Hiraya for an answer.
But…
The two weren't able to respond as they just watched Alab walk with a devastated body and mentality. They walked away towards the humungous door as Minokawa and the other monster dissolved into golden lights that entered Hiraya's body. Minokawa let out a snort before he fully dispersed into golden lights.
Alab held the hilt of the sword on the ground as he strode forward, clenching it tightly as he dragged his exhausted body towards the door. With seconds that felt like an eternity as Alab's runny eyes started to alleviate themselves, Alab gradually reached the door.
Standing before it, Hiraya and Kevin glanced at Alab as he stood beside them.
With three of them standing side by side, they glanced at each other for the last time, seemingly bidding farewell as that would be the last time… the last time they would be friends.
Opening their mouths, Kevin and Hiraya spoke.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Alab"
"I hope you can find Althea"
As they said their last message, Kevin and Hiraya touched the obsidian door that was carved with runes. Their body dispersed into golden lights as their relieved eyes sneaked a glance at Alab.
They were enemies made by the Tower… in this lifetime, they could never be friends.
Realizing this, Alab clenched the sword as he similarly touched the door, he made sure to remember their words as he wiped the ears out of his face. His devastated body then dispersed into golden lights that merged with the massive door.
The three of them then took the first challenge of the Tower: PASSAGE OF TIME.