Guilt ｢
Summary[]
Macht initially refuses to participate in the battle at Schlacht's behest. However, Schlacht tells him that it is an order from the Demon King and threatens to kill Macht if he disobeys. After testing the waters, Macht concurs, noting that Schlacht has brought with him the Magnificient Grausam, an opponent he has the worst matchup against. He asks Schlacht for more instructions and is told he simply needs to be present to fight. Schlacht informs Macht that he will erase his memories of the battle because he will let his memory be read by another in the future. Through Macht, Schlacht addresses Frieren, predicting that she will eventually come upon Macht's memories.
The scene shifts to years later, where Macht has killed countless people without any particular reason but to attempt to feel malice or guilt. He watches a childhood friend kill the other, having promised them he would let the survivor live. Upon seeing the scene, Macht comes to a new realization: he cannot feel anything because he knows nothing about the people he kills. He wonders if he would be able to understand such emotions if he killed someone close to him, and sets out with a new goal in mind to find people who could be called "close" to him.
Plot Details[]
After hearing Schlacht's solicitation, Macht initially declines, saying he will not risk his life for the Demon King, and asks Schlacht to stop dragging him into his pointless war games. Schlacht remarks about his dislike for battles but brushes off his declination, citing an order from the Demon King. He threatens to kill Macht should he disobey. Macht asks him if he thinks he can, to which Schlacht retorts by asking if Macht thinks he cannot.
After a silent staring contest, Schlacht de-escalates the situation and tells Macht he does not want to kill him. Macht agrees, noting that if someone who could see the future went all the way to ask him for help, it must mean something important, as well as the fact that Schlacht is confident he can secure his assistance. He points out the presence of another Sage of Destruction, the Miraculous Grausam, whom he calls the worst opponent for him. Macht complains that Schlacht has always made him dance to his will and inquires what he needs to do for the battle. Schlacht informs him that he only needs to fight without thinking. He assures Macht that he has seen multiple future visions of the battle and the conclusion he has come to is correct. In response, Macht remarks that the best conclusion is a stalement and that Schlacht looks like someone going to their death. Schlacht then sits down next to him and claims his death is something he would not know until he actually tried.
Schlacht speaks to Frieren from the past.
Schlacht then says he ordered Grausam to erase Macht's memory of the upcoming battle and chides him for making a mistake and allowing his memories to be read by another in the future. He addresses Frieren through Macht's memories, revealing that he is deleting Macht's memories to prevent her from knowing the details of the battle against the Hero of the South - a battle he calls vital for the survival of demons even a thousand years after the fact. At Macht's confusion, Schlacht tells him it is a story for the future and takes his leave. Macht offers him a word of concern for his survival, which Schlacht says he has already heard them countless times already.
Macht's memories cut away to several years later, in the Northern Plateau, where Macht has murdered numerous humans, not for sustenance or following his instinct, but meaningless slaughter meant to invoke feelings of guilt and malice in him. He surveys the sight of two childhood friends attempting to kill each other following Macht's promise to spare the survivor. When he notices the surviving boy crying after he killed the other, Macht asks him why he is not glad he survived. The boy explains that the girl he just killed didn't resist at all, and that she had been his friend since childhood.
Macht arrives at Weise.
Macht is exceedingly satisfied with this answer, pressing the boy to tell him what emotion he is feeling and to teach him about it in words. The boy, enraged at his callousness, points his weapon towards the demon, which prompts Macht to kill him. He thanks the boy for giving him an important hint: humans feel guilt when they kill people they are close to. He wonders if he would also be able to feel such emotion if he killed someone close to him, and decides to seek out human acquaintances which could be called "close" after spending time with them.
Macht is later shown to have reached the outskirts of the Fortress City of Weise, the most populous human settlement in the Northern Plateau.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Locations[]
- Northern Plateau
- Fortress City of Weise
Battles and Events[]
Battles[]
- The Hero of the South vs. Schlacht the Omniscient and the Seven Sages of Destruction (mentioned)
Objects of Interest[]
Spells[]
- Diagoldze
- Precognition: Schlacht's magic which allows him to see future possibilities. It is said to be able to see up to one thousand years into the future.