The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

“”Hah hah hah…!””

Lucifer gazed down at the Duodecad, then closed his eyes.

“Regrettable. Extremely regrettable.”

The true meaning behind Lucifer’s words was, as one would expect, disappointment in the Duodecad.

Baladd had already crashed to the ground, unable to muster any more strength to sweep through the sky.

Lina, too, was on her knees, watching the dissipating aura of arcane energy with a sense of frustration.

Indeed — Asley’s arcane energy, invoked through the Link Magic, had been completely depleted.

Irene, Warren, Barun, Hornel, Fuyu, Tifa, Lala, Natsu — all were in the same boat.

Lylia, despite her arcane energy having run out, stood on the ground, biting her lip and bleeding from the mouth.

As the Link Magic faded, even Tūs, the only one with remaining arcane energy, found his power waning.

Hornel, glaring at Lucifer, murmured.

“Curses… He’s been fighting this monster the whole time…!?”

Hornel’s gaze shifted from Lucifer to the still-fallen Asley.

His eyes held not jealousy but something closer to admiration. Hornel forcefully closed his eyes and shook his head.

The assaults from Eye-Dorrs had ceased under the Devil King’s command, and the Eye-Dorrs were now retreating to Lucifer’s body.

The reason they had exhausted their arcane energy so quickly lay in Lucifer’s actions.

Initially, Lucifer’s arcane energy was minimal, given the recent use of Lucifer Break. However, after some restoration, Lucifer took a certain action: arcane drain on the Duodecad.

Ordinarily, the Arcane Drain would not affect those in the state of arcane energy emission.

However, despite being in the Ultimate Limit state, the Duodecad had their arcane energy drained. The reason was the glaring level gap with Devil King Lucifer.

Though Asley’s arcane energy was supposed to work only for the Duodecad, the level difference between them made it so that it could be converted into Lucifer’s arcane energy instead.

Having absorbed such vast arcane energy and sitting on a Circle of Giving Magic, Lucifer returned the Eye-Dorrs to his body.

There was a reason for this, too. When the last Eye-Dorr returned to Lucifer’s body, immediately, the faces of the Duodecad froze.

The finely tuned, silent, and chilling arcane energy was akin to the chill of death.

The lack of the defense provided by the Ultimate Limit state left everyone’s bodies trembling for an instant — Even Tūs with High-Order Muscle or Lylia the Fighter were not exempt from this.

“Hmph.”

It was undeniable evidence that Devil King Lucifer’s arcane energy had fully recovered.

“Oh c’mon…”

Barun’s teeth chattered, bewildered by an unfamiliar fear.

Lina, holding both shoulders, looked at the unconscious Pochi.

[Is this the fear they’ve had to face this whole time…? And Pochi was fighting against it…?)

Lucifer rose to his feet, extending his hands forward.

With just a hint of pressure in his arcane energy, he commanded,

“I command thee, kneel!”

Simultaneously, all the Duodecad members dropped to their knees, bowing their heads.

It was not of their own volition; it was Lucifer’s overpowering arcane energy manipulating their bodies.

Even Tūs, with some arcane energy left, could not resist the pressure.

Only one exception remained — the Eternal Fool.

“”–!?””

Lurching unsteadily, Asley walked slowly through the ranks of the Duodecad.

His eyes were powerless, his steps feeble, his heart weak. Yet, he stood straight in front of Lucifer. Alone in this place, alone in this world.

Turning his powerless face sideways, he spoke to everyone with a feeble voice.

“S-sorry, guys… Thanks for healing me… Hahaha…”

His smile, crafted with all his might, distorted the faces of the Duodecad members.

It was not anger at their own helplessness or shame — They cursed the unjust nature of the world, lamented their time with Asley, and regretted not being able to do more for him.

 They wanted to buy more time for him and his Familiar — wanted them to be happy even if for a moment longer.

More. More. More. That was all they wished for — and for that, they were overwhelmed with regret and self-blame.

“In the end, you are the one capable of standing before me, hmm, Asley?”

Lucifer pointed at Asley.

“…Ha haha… Kept you waiting, huh?”

A certain fear lingered in Asley’s dry voice.

Even Asley himself did not know what would happen next.

Only Devil King Lucifer, holding sway in this situation, had the authority to decide.

Lucifer shifted his pointed finger slightly to the right.

“…!”

In an instant, Asley reacted.

Shot from Lucifer’s pointed finger was an extremely small arcane energy blast, dense and filled with potent murderous intent.

Its target was… not Asley.

“…Huh?”

One man blurted out.

It was Hornel. The Fool stood in front of him, blood flowing from the wound where he had taken the energy blast.

Indeed, Lucifer’s energy blast had targeted Asley’s comrades — and Asley had shielded the first attack directed at Hornel.

Lucifer, as if he was out shopping, selected his next target with his pointing finger.

“Ngh…!”

Baladd.

“Master Asley!”

Even while enduring the damage from the blast, Asley smiled at Baladd, saying,

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Ahh…!”

Facing the tearful Fuyu, Asley positioned himself as a shield once again, prepared to endure another blast.

The same held for the attack aimed at Tūs; Asley did not hesitate to bear that burden.

While Tūs’ mouth was tightly sealed, his face strained, and he bowed with an apologetic air.

Irene avoided looking at Asley’s face, attempting repeatedly to muster the strength to stand up.

Lylia, too, glared at Lucifer while attempting to rise.

Tifa, shedding streams of tears, could only apologize to Asley.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…!”

Asley’s fleeting smile in response only accelerated those tears.

Whether in front of Natsu or Lala, Asley never showed the pain inflicted by the Devil King’s attacks, maintaining his composure.

When the attention turned toward Barun, then Warren, and finally Lina, Asley, bloodied and standing before Lina, bore the brunt of Lucifer’s attack.

Lina, with a tear-streaked face, could not bring herself to say anything to Asley.

Suppressing even her sobbing, she bit her tongue and stifled her breath, unwilling to reveal her sorrow.

For some, not showing grief was their only way to make amends to Asley, or at least that was how it appeared.

For some others, it was their only way to express their defiance against Lucifer, or at least that was how it appeared.

Of course, Devil King Lucifer’s energy blasts were directed at Konoha and Pochi as well.

“Young man…!”

“Hehe, sorry about that. Please look after her for a bit longer… And Pochi… you just wait here, all right? I’mma go… kick his ass…”

Everyone present understood it.

Asley no longer had the arcane energy to resist Devil King Lucifer.

Round after round, all fourteen were targeted, and each time, Asley, keeping his smile up, protected them.

As the fourth round approached, Asley’s body finally gave in.

He fell on his knees and crashed on a pile of debris, he could not make it in time to block Lucifer’s arcane energy blasts, and a hole was torn in Tūs’ arm.

However, Tūs’ expression remained unshaken.

“Ah, shit… Sorry, Tūs…”

As Asley rose in his battered state, the first thing he said was an apology to Tūs.

“Shaddup…! You should’a stayed down, dammit…!”

Hornel’s thigh was pierced.

Warren’s shoulder was pierced.

Barun’s, Lylia’s, Irene… However, no one uttered a word.

They were willing to go through this — for Asley, and for the world.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, guys…!”

As Asley collapsed, he apologized to the tortured fourteen.

Then, Lucifer, who had been attacking everyone with a gleeful smile, spoke.

“Ah, I see… This is the one…”

“!?”

Lucifer selected and forcefully lifted with arcane energy Asley’s first ever student — Lina.

Elevated into the air by overwhelming arcane energy, Lina struggled to escape from the binds.

However, the adversary was Devil King Lucifer. There was no way she could break free.

“Wha… what the hell are you–“

Asley, staggering, approached Lucifer and uttered those words.

In response, Lucifer addressed Asley while looking at Lina.

“The way she reacted whenever she was attacked… It resembled you the most. In other words, I have deemed her the one closest to you — excluding Pochi. Well, I mean, just look at Pochi — she can’t even react to anything! HAHAHA!”

“…Dammit… You better stop, or I’ll…!”

Fury in Asley’s eyes surpassed mere pleading.

Unfazed, Lucifer, without hesitation, without any hesitation, proceeded to snap-break Lina’s right arm.

“LINA!”

Lina grimaced in pain, yet her cry of agony remained suppressed.

She stared intently at Lucifer, not wanting to become a burden to Asley.

“Don’t make this less enjoyable for me, girl.”

“!?”

Now it was her left arm.

“Damn it, Lucifer! Stop!”

Even as Asley closed in on Lucifer, he was easily toppled, tripped by Lucifer’s sweep.

Having endured Lucifer’s barrage of arcane energy blasts, Asley’s restored arcane energy, earned through the efforts of the Duodecad moments ago, had now dwindled to almost nothing once again.

“Enough already! Damn it! Stop, I beg you! Please stop!”

“Hahaha! Begging again? You’re quite pathetic, Asley!”

The other thirteen also pleaded with Lucifer, directed their murderous intent, and expressed their fury.

“Legs! Fingers! Shoulders! Waist! And now, I shall heal them… And start all over again! Hahaha!”

Lucifer toyed with Lina’s body as if handling a plaything, deriving amusement from Asley’s reactions.

“Please…stop…!”

As Asley crawled on the ground, pleading, Lucifer continued without concern.

Finally, Lina’s strong consciousness faded away.

Seeing Lina become unresponsive, Lucifer widened his eyes, stepped back, and put on a bored expression.

“How fragile. Such is the limit of a human.”

Shrugging, Lucifer released Lina, letting her fall to the ground.

Even in her battered state, Lina never uttered a cry of agony until the end.

This, too, was for Asley.

“Hehehe… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

After a loud laugh, Lucifer leaped backward and raised his right hand, pointing it at Asley.

Arcane energy converged in Lucifer’s palm, hinting at a more powerful arcane energy blast than before. In this moment, Asley remembered the words Lucifer had spoken to him,

–In a matter of days, this world will turn into Hell. Resist all you want. Despair all you want. But remember that, in the end… you will be torn to pieces, Asley, and I will send you off with my mocking laughter.

When Asley recalled that, he was the first to realize within this group — Lucifer had finally found satisfaction.

He was now going to show Asley a living hell and bring it all to an end.

Lucifer’s immense arcane energy condensed rapidly. His murderous intent engulfed everyone present, including Asley. Everyone here understood that. 

Therefore, Asley, the only one capable of moving at this moment, used the last of his time to turn towards everyone, smile, and say:

“Sorry, guys.”

The colossal arcane energy blast loomed before Asley.

In a situation where he had little resistance left, Asley reached a solution.

It was a spatial manipulation magic, an extremely intricate spell for those who had ever observed it. However, with Asley’s remaining arcane energy, he could invoke only one spell that could withstand this single attack.

His fingers moved with blinding speed.

“Rise, Storeroom!”

This spatial control was truly a Godlike skill.

Asley’s use of this magic, serving as a storage space, became a shield that could withstand Lucifer’s arcane energy blast.

“Oh-ho? This is your last bit of resistance? How amusing…”

The Devil King Lucifer’s arcane energy blast showed no signs of stopping.

Asley’s Storeroom struggled to keep blocking it.

As the Storeroom crackled with black lightning, Asley’s face contorted.

“…Gah! Shit!”

“What an anticlimactic end you have earned for yourself… ASLEY!! HAH!!”

When Lucifer infused more arcane energy, the Storeroom reached its limit.

Pushed by the Devil King Lucifer’s arcane energy blat, it began to crumble — then it disappeared along with Asley.

“Using himself as a shield to save the cannon fodder… Truly a fool to the end.”

In the battlefield where the arcane energy blast, Storeroom, and Asley vanished…

…The only sounds that echoed now were cries of agony — the cries of everyone who had endured for Asley until now.