CHAPTER 54
The Ex–Demon Lord and His Friends in Jeopardy
The spell created projections over long distances, and it mirrored my jeopardized friends. In this desperate situation, I could only stand there stock-still.
Meanwhile, my other self who had caused all this, Disaster Rogue, was up to something.
“This lineup is so nostalgic. I never thought I’d see them again… To think it’d be like this…” His scarred face housed grief, but that was only for a moment.
His face as he turned back to me revealed only the calm composure of a victor.
“I’ll humor you with a boring excuse. If you value the hostages’ lives, come into my army.”
“…If I refuse, what will happen to those two?”
“Nothing. I said this before. This is nothing more than a charade. And…I said I’d give you a push in the right direction. We are in that very situation… I don’t need to say any more for you to understand, right? We are the same person, after all.”
He was exactly right.
Even though Rogue took Ireena and Ginny hostage…he had no intention of harming them. He had feelings for them, too. His attachment to them…went far beyond any goal. He would never do anything to them, even if it meant deviating from his objective.
That was why it was all a farce, just as he said.
Disaster Rogue was trying to give me an excuse: My precious friends were in trouble, which was why I had no choice but to obey.
…What a sweet ring this excuse had.
Rogue must have imagined this would happen—that I would talk with Lydia, find out her wish, and respect it above my own atonement.
…I honestly wanted to do no such thing. There was no doubt Rogue had seen through my hesitation.
As a matter of fact…
“I could read your thoughts. And…Lydia’s feelings, too, in a way. I realized that she wished for a cruel end. I was sure her death would be with neither chagrin nor regret. It’d be a satisfying end. But…” Rogue looked heartbroken, fists tightening.
“What about my feelings? I killed my best friend with my own hands. I was the cause. To bear the weight of that sin forever… Isn’t it just too cruel? And besides…who would ever want to grant Lydia’s wish of a cruel death in the first place? No one. Isn’t it natural to wish for her happiness?” he asked, speaking from his heart…and mine.
“I want her to live, even if it means going against her will. As long as she’s alive…she might have a change of heart. And even if she doesn’t…I want to give her a happy life and a peaceful end. I know this might be my ego talking.”
I couldn’t let him say any more. I couldn’t let myself hear any more. At this rate, my resolve would waver. I’d change my mind. I understood this…and stood in place.
“To save Lydia and change the future…I’ll take countless lives. I’ll be the biggest sinner in history. I’ll drive the world to the verge of ruin. If that’s all I have to do to save her, it’s a small cost to pay. What value do the lives of the nameless masses have? …I don’t feel anything for them. They were the reason why I’d first taken a stand. I’d clenched my fist in the name of saving the whole of humanity. But…what did the masses do to me? What did they give me? The despicable name of Demon Lord. They feared me as a monster…and ensnared me in loneliness.”
The words poured out of my other self. His eyes held hatred.
“Lydia’s fate, and the future of humanity. There’s no need to place them on a scale or compare them… I imagine you agree with me, deep in your heart. There is no need to hesitate. Join me… And if this isn’t enough for you to make up your mind, I’ll give you another excuse.”
Rogue turned his gaze to the mirror.
“As I said before, I have no intention of harming the girls. But I’m only speaking for myself. Once Varvatos advances on the castle, I can’t guarantee how they will fare.”
It was undeniably a threat.
Why had the host holding our astral spirit been put in such an obvious part of the castle? And why had Ireena and Ginny been intentionally led to this vital location? The reason…must have been for this.
“Right now, the outcome of this battle is fifty-fifty, I’d say. But eventually, one will tip the scales in their favor. I have no doubts that Varvatos will be the one to reign superior. When that happens, the next battle will be in the castle walls… Soldiers will surge into the palace. Obviously, they won’t spare consideration for anything else. After all, their goal is to destroy the host holding our astral spirit. There’s been a chance they’d demolish the castle since the very beginning.”
If that happened, the girls in the castle would…!
“Let me say it once more, very simply. If you don’t want to lose your friends, join me.”
My heart begged me to yield to this sweet temptation. But just before I could give my final answer—
There was a change in the situation.
“Why…?! Why are you…?!” shouted Ireena as her delicate features contorted in rage. Her voice was directed at the girl staring calmly before them…Latima.
“…I have only one reason for my conduct: Lady Lydia. I will do anything for her. After all, she is my everything. If it will make her happy…I will gladly dive into the depths of hell.”
Her glance tingled their spines—cold and freezing over Ireena’s hot emotions…which sizzled out and turned into confusion.
“For Lady Lydia? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have no need to know. After all, you are nothing more than tools—means to bring the pawn, Ard Meteor here. Just shut up and serve your purpose.”
Her expression was as blank as ever…but inside, it was clear she was looking down on them. Latima didn’t even see them as enemies worth fighting.
…It was frustrating—incredibly annoying. But expressing their irritation wouldn’t change anything. They could struggle and fight all they wanted, but it wouldn’t change the fact that they had gotten in Ard’s way—instead of helping him. As Latima said, they didn’t know the truth of anything. They could only sit there and be a bother.
No, that’s not true… If I could bring out that power from before…
Ireena recalled something from not too long ago—memories of the school festival, when they’d fought Sylphy, who had been brainwashed. Considering their difference in strength, it should have been no contest. But strangely enough, she’d slowly filled with power…and nearly achieved an unexpected victory. If she could unleash it again, she could break this deadlock.
Ireena wished with all her might—for that power once more…
But nothing happened… All she was doing was wasting time.
Why…?! Why won’t it respond to my call?!
Ireena grew angry with herself—and yet, the power still refused to come…
…Is this all I have? Just as her heart was about to be crushed with resignation…
“Ah. I see. Miss Ireena. I’d always thought chosen people like you were perfect in every way, but it appears that’s not the case. For average people like myself, you leave plenty of opportunities that I can use to my advantage. Thank you for teaching me that.”
Ireena looked directly next to her. Even though Ginny was bound, she somehow had the proud smile of a victor.
“…What are you saying?” Latima asked with a confused look.
However, Ginny ignored her and fixed her eyes only on Ireena.
“Your sensitive psyche is your weakness, Miss Ireena. When faced with the unimaginable, you’re quick to give up, which must be rooted in your impossibly high confidence. Somewhere inside, you’re holding on to your pride. I can do anything. I’d never get into a pinch. But when you are in a pinch, your brain freezes. You just completely give up. And yet,” Ginny said before stopping, letting her mouth twist into a confident smirk. Even though she was weak, Ginny had one advantage over Ireena.
“I’m not special. That’s why failure is always on my mind—unlike you. Plus, I have no confidence. Which is why, Miss Ireena, I’m not terribly shaken in a pinch. And so, it’s only natural…that this will allow me to break through this situation,” Ginny claimed, though Latima and Ireena looked skeptical.
What is she saying? How could she possibly get out of this? Latima thought.
“What can a mage who can’t use magic possibly—”
“Yes, that’s true. I cannot use magic. But…I wonder about abnormal magic?”
Latima continued to flash her confounded looks…but Ireena gasped.
Normal spells used magic techniques, which were constructed with an incantation to cast a flow of magical energy. If that energy was sealed, casting anything became impossible. But…what if there was a way to cast magic that didn’t require a chant?
Many would answer that no such thing existed.
But Ireena and Ginny knew better. Ard Meteor’s friends and pupils had come to an understanding.
“Script Magic…! That’s it, right, Ginny?!”
“Hee-hee, correct.” Ginny chuckled, wiggling her bound fingers and wagging them through the air.
The next moment, a mysterious pattern appeared before her, and—something exploded.
“What was that…?!” Staring in awe, Latima broke into a cold sweat.
There was no way for her to know. After all, it was likely a magic technique only Ireena, Ginny, and Ard knew about.
Script Magic. It was the skill that Ard had taught Ginny to give her confidence back when she was being bullied.
By writing cursive runes into empty space, one could construct a simple spell. General magic needed magical energy as a power source, but scripts were cast by combusting the mana in thin air. In other words, it was a technique that didn’t require a shred of magical energy.
In the modern day, mana levels had become scant, rendering scripts virtually powerless…but in this current era, where mana levels were at their height, it was a completely different story.
Ginny had used a Short Flare Bomb, which broke her chains with a powerful explosion. The leather armor that Ard had given her absorbed the heat that washed over her.
Ireena followed suit. The metallic magic binding got a taste of her explosive blast, and she broke out with flair. Taking cues from Ginny, who had escaped one step ahead of her, Ireena readied her own weapon.
“…Geez, you sure know how to get on my last nerve.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Miss Ireena. I mean, you didn’t think you could do anything, sulking around like that. ”
“Hmph! I absolutely loathe you! I hate, hate, hate you! But…that was pretty good. You’re the worst and best partner of all time.”
The two stood shoulder to shoulder and stared down the enemy—Latima.
As she took in this new development, the girl hung her head.
“Haah…” Latima let out a weak voice before lifting her head to reveal a slight sneer.
“I admit that this turn was unexpected. It’s no problem, though.”
What could she mean by that?
Before they had a chance to ask, Latima muttered indifferently, “Everything you’ve done will all be for nothing.”
Then, an instant later, a horde of monsters materialized, cramming inside the open space.
There was no doubt it was summoning magic…but since there was no magic circle, it had to have employed some other sort of technique.
Either way…Ireena and Ginny were back at square one. They had once again fallen into danger.
“I’ve called over one hundred monsters. You wouldn’t stand a chance, even if you were at your peak. Obediently allowing yourself to be bound will be a less painful experience.”
This situation was worthy of despair.
“Hah! And what’s your point?!” Ireena shouted with power.
That was because she didn’t want to show any more weaknesses to her partner—Ginny.
“A hundred monsters, or two hundred! They won’t have anything on me! Bring it!”
“Well, yes, I suppose you have a point. Once we clean up the opening act, you’re next, Miss Latima. Prepare yourself.”
Both had their morale. They planned to do something about this awful mess. They believed they could with all their hearts. The two were of the same mind.
Ireena and Ginny. They normally didn’t get along at all. Their relationship was like oil and water…but at that moment, they wholeheartedly believed, As long as she has my back, there’s no danger we can’t face.
“…I see. In that case, there is only one action I must take.” A ruthless cruelty seeped onto Latima’s face. The curtain was about to rise on an overwhelmingly disadvantageous battle—
“Ha-ha! Up to no good, huh? Count me in.”
Just when that familiar voice rang through the confines, the wind kicked up, violently whipping around them. It beat against Ireena’s, Ginny’s, and Latima’s skin and sent their hair billowing around their faces. The devastating gust…had been kicked up by an intruder.
By the time they realized this, most of the monsters had already been cut down. She could not be seen except for a second—the very last second, when she swung her weapon through the air.
“Hey, come on, is that all you got? Call someone with a little bit more bite.” Resting her beloved sword on her shoulder, she gave a victorious hoot.
With more than enough confidence to spare, her brave facade suited her more than anyone else.
Her name was…
“L-Lady Lydia…?!”
“Hey. Relax, guys. You got me here now.”
A steady stance. A swaggering self-confidence. An aura like no other.
They were in the presence of a gale that was the Legendary Champion—
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login