"Teach me?"

"Yeah, you want to copy that technique, right? By the way, it's called 'Falling edge'."

The monster looked at Frondier with suspicion at his answer.

And for good reason. The monster was certain of one thing. Azier's 'Falling edge' was something no one could imitate. Even it, who could perfectly replicate anything, had its right arm broken trying.

But to think there was a second person who could use that technique.

"Here, use it on me."

Saying so, Frondier held out his sword. He placed the blade in a perfect position for the monster to execute Falling edge.

"..."

The monster was skeptical but cautiously extended its blade. After all, the desire to learn Falling edge was the monster's sole desire.

"...Frondier."

Philly called out to Frondier. A light tone of warning was embedded in his voice.

Judging by the situation, that monster was the one who tried to kill Bartello.

If Frondier was playing around with such a monster out of curiosity, it wasn't something he could simply overlook.

Frondier briefly glanced at Philly.

And reading the meaning in those eyes, Philly relaxed her stern expression.

Frondier doesn't do meaningless things. Philly already knew that. She just wanted to know if that mindset still persisted, and the look he had just shown was enough.

Swoosh-

In the meantime, the monster's blade and Frondier's blade touched. The sight of two identical weapons crossing was a bit bizarre. Moreover, they were brothers in appearance.

"Go ahead, do it."

"...!"

Needless to say, the monster immediately performed Falling edge.

Thud-

Rattatatatat!!

Their blades clashed noisily. The vibration-like movement was clearly different from Falling edge.

Even with a slight lack of proficiency, the original Falling edge would only produce a slight sound of dry firewood at most, which was a stark difference.

Above all.

"Failure."

Even after all that noise, Frondier was still holding his sword. Of course, so was the monster.

"But your arm is fine. Did you 'learn' that too?"

"...Keugh!"

As the monster, feeling frustrated, tried to attempt Falling edge again, this time Frondier was faster.

Whew!

This time, there was no sound at all. However, the monster's sword flew through the air, while Frondier still held his own.

"How about that?"

"...!"

The monster stared blankly at its empty hand, then turned its gaze to where the sword had fallen with a metallic clang. Its eyes darted back and forth between the sword and Frondier, unsure of what to do.

"You can pick it up. I won't do anything."

"..."

"And don't look so flustered with my brother's face. It doesn't suit you."

The monster, understanding the words to some extent, scrambled to pick up the sword. Frondier sighed, muttering, "I told you not to do that."

"Do you understand a little now?"

"..."

The monster said nothing and pointed its blade again.

The high-speed learning had definitely absorbed Frondier's recent movement. And it had the memories of all the Falling edge it had seen so far.

Combining those would surely lead to the correct action. With its 'high-speed learning', it was bound to happen.

And when the monster brought its sword close.

Thud-

The swords clashed.

"...?!"

The monster was confused by the unfamiliar sensation it had never felt before. It only had the intention of pulling the sword from its hand, but it didn't understand the principle of this force that seemed to pull the two swords together as if they were stuck.

Of course, this was Falling edge performed by Frondier. However, although he was performing Falling edge, he had omitted the result of pulling the sword out.

"Focus! I'm giving you a lot of hints!"

"...!"

At Frondier's shout, the monster gritted its teeth. All its concentration was directed towards the swords that were stuck together.

It instinctively knew. What Frondier was doing now was the most helpful teaching for the monster. That's why it was immersed in it as if being drawn in.

"Okay, next question!"

"?!"

"What were you doing before you came here!"

"..."

It couldn't remember. When it woke up, it was already in the Imperial Palace, filled with the sole desire to kill someone called the 'Emperor'. Now, that desire had faintly disappeared.

"You were already using high-speed learning when you came here! That's your innate ability that was functioning even before that! There's no way you can't remember!"

"...!"

"Tell me! What were you before you came here? How did you get your claws and invisibility ability? Learning means remembering! You're not human! All those memories must be within you!"

A monster that could become anything, gain anything, and learn anything.

Then all the data it had absorbed must be dwelling within it. There was no way it could use skills while 'forgetting' them.

"Keugh, ugh, uhh...!"

The monster's face contorted. As it tried to stir up the suppressed memories, its head started to ache.

Was it because it was currently in a human body that its head hurt, or did it have a 'head' somewhere in its body even if it wasn't?

However, there was one thing it was sure of.

This headache wasn't unfamiliar.

"Tell me! Who sent you here?"

"Keugh, ugh...!"

"Who are you? You remember other people's names, but you don't know your own?"

"Na, me...!"

Name. It already knew the meaning of that word before it came here.

That's why it remembered Azier's name and reacted to it after transforming into him.

Because it knew that was a 'name'.

[From now on, your name will be-]

An unfamiliar yet familiar voice messed with its head.

"I, am...! I am!!"

Whew!

The two swords flew through the air. Both Frondier's and the monster's swords soared equally into the air. One stuck into the wall, and the other fell to the floor.

Even amidst that, Frondier's unwavering eyes watched the monster.

"...I am a calamity."

The monster spoke.

"I am a created experimental subject. The calamity of Metamorph."