The killing intent and tension radiating from Xia Ya were about to reach their limit. The entire space seemed frozen by the force of his presence. Without another word, he pressed down on the index finger resting on the trigger. Even a tenth of a second's hesitation could lead to disaster.
"You asked this before, Xia Ya. Do you really know the truth? The truth of why you exist."
"...What are you trying to say?"
There seemed to be some kind of magic in Rau Le Creuset's words. Xia Ya's finger had already begun to press down, yet at the final moment, at the threshold just before firing, he forcibly stopped himself.
Seeing this, seeing the flaw finally exposed by the man who had always seemed flawless, Rau Le Creuset revealed a nauseating, triumphant smile.
"Rau Le Creuset, Kira Yamato—I just told you their story. Now it is your turn. As the current head of the Flaga Family, you should naturally know all of this information. But... have you ever considered whether that shrewd old fox left behind anything concerning the secret of your birth?"
"—My birth?"
Xia Ya's brows furrowed deeply. It was not merely suspicion toward Rau Le Creuset, but also an instinctive desire to investigate the origins of this body. As a transmigrator, he retained memories of his previous life and possessed extraordinary knowledge, yet he truly knew very little about the circumstances of "Xia Ya Rau Flaga's" birth.
Rau Le Creuset stared fixedly at his face for a while, as though he had read the answer he wanted from Xia Ya's subtle expression. Then he threw back his head and erupted into even more piercing laughter.
"Heh heh heh... Hahahahaha!!! Just as I thought! I knew it! How could he possibly have told you? Of course...