The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 3 - Chapter 55

CHAPTER 55

The Ex–Demon Lord’s Decision, the Champion’s Choice…and a Demon Lord’s Sorrow

A head of silvery-white hair.

A build that was a bit taller than average for a woman.

A beautiful face unlike any other.

Those were the markers that represented the Champion Lydia.

“Wh-why is Lady Lydia here…?!” Her eyes wide, Ireena murmured this question as if to herself.

Lydia smirked and looked over at her. “It was the hair ornaments that I gave you. They’ve got homing spells. That was why I was able to track your location.”

“I—I see…! I can’t believe you had this much foresight, Lady Lydia…!”

“…What?”

“What?”

Silence. It was quiet for a little while.

Ginny widened her eyes. “It couldn’t possibly be that…these accidentally became key to our rescue, right? You didn’t give this to us to…stalk us, right?”

“O-o-o-of course not, silly! No way that I would d-d-d-d-do something like that! I’m the Champion…! Obviously, I was hit with a premonition that something bad was gonna happen to you guys. Duh!”

And away went that heroic facade. Ireena and Ginny both sighed—and their worries seemed to melt away. Let’s just say the Champion made them feel secure, and leave it at that.

…There was someone else opposite to these two.

“L-Lady Lydia…! Why are you…?!”

Latima was trembling from head to toe, but it didn’t seem to be with fear. She didn’t seem to dread the oncoming punishment for betraying Lydia… There was an unrest that she would lose something. The look on her face made that obvious.

“…Latima,” Lydia called out to the tan girl. There was no anger in her eyes over her subordinate’s betrayal.

Instead…it overflowed with motherly affection.

“Give it up.”

That was it—the shortest of phrases.

Neither Ireena nor Ginny could figure out their meaning. However, it seemed to be enough for Latima to understand everything.

“No…! Even if it’s you, Lady Lydia…! Especially because it’s you…! I will not listen to you!” Tears welled in Latima’s eyes. “If it’s for you, Lady Lydia, this entire world can all just perish!” More manifested monsters surrounded Latima, gathering around her as if to protect her.

It was an intimidating scene, but Lydia spoke unflinchingly. “…Yeah. I figured you’d both get like that. But…” With a somewhat sad expression, she made her declaration. “I’m not backing down, either.”

It was quiet, but forceful.

Everything was resolved in the blink of an eye. With a roaring gale, all the monsters were felled, and even their summoner, Latima, lost her footing.

It was impossible for Ireena’s or Ginny’s eyes to register what had happened.

This was the power of a Champion.

The pair was filled with respect and awe. And then, before their eyes, Lydia caught Latima’s slender body as she fell.

“…You idiot,” Lydia said softly with the tiniest smile on her lips. Her eyes filled with sorrow.

And that was all Lydia could offer to her traitorous subordinate.

“Lady Lydia… I…”

All strength left Latima’s body as if she had breathed her last. Laying her body gently on the floor, Lydia sighed, gazing upon the object floating in the center of the room.

The enormous red jewel. She slowly approached it as it pulsated with a strange light.

“…Honestly. Bastards, every one of you.”

With the red jewel that contained the Demon Lord’s astral spirit right in front of her, Lydia let out another sigh.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy. But…it’s fine if that’s my fate. I’ll take it on, whatever it is. I am the Champion, after all. Pfft.” She chuckled gently.

Why? To Ireena, her smile seemed unbelievably sad.

Then…Lydia continued on. She seemed to be scolding someone who wasn’t there.

“To protect everyone’s hopes and dreams. To fight to create a world for them to live and laugh in. That’s the purpose of a Champion. But I can never be one of you. My ideals may be lofty, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m a sinner.”

The only expression on Lydia’s face was pure resolve.

“To make these dreams come true, there must be sacrifices and spilled blood. We’ve even got to kill those who cry out that they don’t wanna die… Then, we shoulder that crime and take on that responsibility, until the day we go to hell… I think that’s the duty of a Champion.”

She lifted the Holy Sword Vald-Galgulus off her shoulder and readied it.

“Before I was your friend…I was a Champion. That’s why I’ll live as a Champion and die as one. No one will change my mind.”

And finally, she spat out, “Quit living your life in the past…you big ding-dong!”

With no hesitation left, Lydia swung the Holy Sword with all her strength. The blade of Vald-Galgulus sliced through its target…which splintered into a million pieces.

With this, the Demon Lord was no longer immortal.

With this, the Demon Lord would likely be suppressed.

Surely, many lives would now be saved. Ard, Ireena, and Ginny could return to their own era and enjoy their daily lives again.

And yet… To Ireena, it was a trade that seemed to come at the cost of Lydia’s life. Her eyes welled up with tears—

“Why…?! Why…?! WHY?!”

The screams rippled through the air like a shock wave, and the mirror formed by magic shattered, scattering shards in all directions.

“Lydia…!” Rogue screamed, trembling. I called out to my other self and shared his grief.

“It’s over. Your plan—”

“It’s not over!” Rogue snapped as he glared at me. “All she did was steal my immortality! It means nothing more than doing the ceremony again and getting it back! I’ll go ahead and say I lost this war! But I already considered all that! That’s why this isn’t over! You need to join me! Then this matter—”

“But don’t you already know my answer?” I cut him off, letting my words slice through him. “My other self. Do you actually wish to save Lydia?”

“…What was that?” The contemptuous eyes glaring at me flashed with rage. However, I wasn’t able to stop myself. It didn’t matter what happened as long as I could say what I had been thinking for a long, long time.

“Are you sure you…don’t simply want to run away? You killed Lydia. You’ve backed yourself into a corner. Don’t you wish to escape from that guilt? You say you want to save her, but actually…” I knew my statement would cut through me, too. It would cause excruciating pain. But…this wasn’t something that I could ignore any longer.

“Don’t you just want to save yourself—to forgive yourself and die an easy death? Aren’t you only using Lydia to achieve that goal? …In the end, both of us are completely selfish…and think of only ourselves.”

That was right.

I didn’t want to admit it, but that was the truth. I had been egotistical; I had only stood up for the sake of humanity…because I wanted someone to love me. The only impetus was the twisted emotions of a boy who had grown up unloved. It was because I was aware of this…

…that this time. Just this once.

“For the first time in your life, won’t you do something for someone else’s sake? …To defend Lydia’s wish, we—”

“SHUT UUUP!” he bellowed, loud enough to burst my eardrums.

Rogue grit his teeth, snarling and staring at me with death in his eyes.

“Ah, you’re right! I want to forgive myself! I want to be saved! That’s the honest truth! But! I won’t let you dismiss my feelings for Lydia!”

The next instant, his entire body began to quiver with an intent to kill—unlike no other.

“I’m done with this…! I’m never joining forces with you! I’m gonna consign a hated old enemy to oblivion!”

He was like a small child with his ranting and raving. Pointing out his own faults to make him self-aware had sent him into a flying rage. His pathetic toddler act…was really hard to watch. And the fact that he was me made it that much worse.

To be like him, like my other self, the existence standing before me… I would never allow it.

Then—as we glared at each other, we strangely began to make the exact same moves at the exact same time.

All roads lead to despair.

That is the way of life for a pitiful man.

It was our greatest magic and the ace up our sleeves. We both began the incantation for our Original technique.

In complete solitude is he.

For there are those who follow his lead

But none to rule together with him.

As we continued, a whole string of geometric patterns flashed around us…

There is not one who understands.

All are eager to leave his side.

In the center of our glaring contest, I saw this battlefield, where our wills clashed, become distorted.

Cast away by his one and only friend,

He sinks into a sea of madness and isolation.

This battle would only end with one of our deaths. I knew that more than ever, and I reflected on my own intentions again.

Rest without peace.

Drown in anguish and despair.

…I would win. I’d definitely win. I was sure of it.

I grit my teeth.

That which guides this tale.

And I chanted the final verse.

Private Kingdom—the story of a lonely king.

In an instant, she appeared before me and beside him.

Lydia. It was a part of her soul that had taken on the form of bygone days. In that next moment, she transformed into a huge sword for each of us—black blades with the red line carved like a blood vessel…but Rogue’s was damaged. Cracks ran down it as if to reflect his way of life.

We both gripped our weapons.

“…Hah!”

With equal spirit, we rushed straight forward. Our strength bore deep troughs into the ground, causing giant clods of earth to fly skyward.

Before they poured back down on us, our first match began.

“Argh!”

“Tch!”

We drew our dark swords, breathing sharply, aiming each blow for the vitals. Each swing was a fatal one. We didn’t use magic.

Well, it would be more accurate to say that we couldn’t use magic.

Our Original technique had the power to analyze and control. We deconstructed our enemy’s magic, then took ownership of it. Because of that…any and all magic would be nullified before it was cast, or it would turn back on the caster. Since we both had the same power, our only real battle could be a sword fight dependent on physical skill.

That said, this was no ordinary battle.

“Ngah!”

“Ggh!”

Each time we exchanged blows, the air rumbled from the sheer impact of our blades, and fissures broke through the earth.

We were both known as the Demon Lord. Even if our fight was a physical one, it dealt grave damage to the world.

…This could be anyone’s battle. In that case…

“Lydia. Phase II, Ready.”

UNDERSTOOD.

SWITCHING TO STAGE II OF FULL-BODY TRANSFORMATION.

ACTIVATING BRAVE DEMON.

As she responded, a dark aura settled over my entire body.

…It seemed my enemy had arrived at the same conclusion. Just as I completed my own transformation, he had switched to Stage II.

Pure-white hair. An outfit as black as night. He looked exactly like me. Well, except Rogue’s armor had as sustained as many cuts as his sword and looked worse for wear.

“Now I’ll…!”

“Take this!”

The previous fight couldn’t even compare. The ringing of our blades echoed loud enough to burst eardrums, and a giant hole gaped in the land we stood on. With supersonic dynamism and approaching the speed of light, we raced across the ground, carving battle scars across the whole of the Ruined Earth.

…We were still evenly matched. This battle would never be resolved through the mastery of our shared skills. The decisive factor in this battle had to be…preparedness.

Which of us had the stronger mental fortitude? How strong was our will in battle? That would decide the victor.

“Aaaagh!”

“Ngh…!”

The equilibrium finally began to break down. The one who fell as the inferior one was—me.

“Gah…!”

Slowly, the tip of his sword had started making contact with my body. At last, he landed a swipe at my cheek, sending a spritz of blood through the air.

As the fresh cut settled on my face, I shouted, “Why did you take your own life?! I know I wouldn’t have! You couldn’t stand the loneliness! Am I wrong?!”

His intensity heightened. On the other hand…I gradually grew more sluggish.

There could only be one reason.

“How dare you?!” he shouted. “How dare you talk to me about escaping?!”

It came down to our hearts—and the difference between them.

He continued. “Was that all Lydia meant to you? Was that why you killed her? So that you could go ahead and be this selfish in another world? Your loneliness was greater than the guilt of murdering Lydia! You were cursed with reaping what you sow, which is why you sought solace in the next life and reincarnated yourself! Your ego is enough to make me sick!”

I had no argument. After all, he was absolutely right.

“How did you end up serving only yourself?! I don’t get it at all! Did you honestly forget Lydia’s last words?!”

“How could I…ever forget?!”

Our blades met, and we locked swords. As we glared at each other from beyond our weapons, I recalled the past.

…We had been in the final stages of a long war. After repeated sorrows, our goal was just before our eyes: the destruction of the Outer Ones to place human sovereignty back in our own hands.

Honestly, one could have already said it’d been fulfilled by that point. We had taken back control over most of the world…and only one of them remained. I was already satisfied.

Well, for certain reasons, you could say I was tired and fed up.

I had lost many friends and fallen into solitude… In the end, Lydia was the only one left. She was my only salvation. When I faced my own circumstances, I’d grown tired…and wanted to avoid fighting. I didn’t want to risk losing Lydia.

The last Outer One was their leader, a being of extraordinary power. If we were to try and defeat it, we had to be prepared to lose about half our army—which would include me and Lydia.

Assuming the worst outcome, I had come to this conclusion: “There is no need to fight anymore. I will meet their demands, recognize their domain as an independent territory, and allow the remaining demons to form their own nation. Furthermore…we will agree to a cease-fire and form a pact of nonaggression.”

I was certain that with this, our long war would finally come to an end.

…Lydia had been quick to jump on me about this.

“Quit messing around! If we leave them alone, they’ll just do the same thing again! That’s why we have to prevent it! Now! We should be striking back!”

At the time, the curse was affecting Lydia’s body, and she had developed a serious thirst for battle. Anyone who knew her from before would realize she’d never say such a thing…and her new disposition had been another source of my irritation.

“Say all you want, but my mind will not change. Accept it.”

Our differences in policy would create a deep fissure between us…if only I had realized it back then. I understood now, but at the time, I had no idea that Lydia was like air to me. Her existence around me was natural, but I couldn’t exist without her.

Even though I needed her to live, I couldn’t fully understand the blessing that I had. That was why…

“Why don’t you get how I feel?! Don’t we share the same goal?!” she had asked me.

And then, I had responded to her in the worst possible way.

“How many times?! How many times have I mourned?! How many times have I cursed myself?! If only I had answered Lydia honestly back then! If only I had just told her, I don’t want to lose you! None of this would have ever happened!” Rogue exploded, talking from my heart.

Back then, I had selfishly wondered why she couldn’t understand my feelings. And I chose not to tell her my true feelings.

“If you want to fight, go ahead. I’m done with you.”

That was what I’d said. Those were my last sentences to her when she was still human. Our final exchange had ended in a fight.

“I’ll never accept an end like that! I’ll save Lydia! And when I finally do, I’ll have her sentence me! I’ll apologize for my foolishness and pitch straight into hell! Then…Lydia can live happily with Varvatos!”

The fact that he would choose not himself, but a completely alien version of himself in this world…showed me the depth of his self-condemnation—and of his feelings for Lydia. If there was a difference in our mental fortitude, that was it.

All I had was loathing—for myself and those cut from the same cloth. That was all that was fueling me in this fight against my other self.

But he fought with that and his unyielding thoughts for Lydia.

…Meanwhile, I was still hesitating. Was it the correct choice, allowing Lydia to die? That was what hindered me.

After all, wasn’t it natural? Even if that was what she wished…I wanted her to be happy.

“Ggh…!”

My hesitation had put me at a disadvantage.

“Ngrah…?!”

And it had brought us to a conclusion.

Of all things, I tripped on the uneven ground and lost my balance. That opening was only for an instant—but it was more than enough to take a life.

“AAAAAAAAAAARGH!” Rogue came at me with a warrior’s yell. The tip of his readied sword aimed right for my chest… In a matter of moments, it would pierce my heart.

…Strangely enough, I had no regrets. In fact, I even felt this was how it should be.

Ireena and Ginny would be sad, but… Rogue was still me. I imagined nothing bad would happen to them. I didn’t know if Rogue would achieve his wish after I died…but if he did save Lydia, I’d be glad for it.

My death would come—

It happened just before I fully accepted the brunt of his attack.

“Ack…?!”

The blade halted on the verge of piercing my chest; the dark blade trembled as if trying not move.

What was this? What was going on?

“Gah…!” Rogue looked unnerved; hesitation ran across his scarred features.

“This…! It can’t be…!” When he said that, I opened my eyes.

Was this an illusion?

I saw a form of Lydia standing behind Rogue, pinning his arms back to keep him from moving.

Protect my wish, she seemed to plead with her eyes as she gazed at me. At least, that was what I’d gathered.

“Lydia…! If that’s what you want…!” I grit my teeth and, as emotions welled up inside me…released my sword with all my might.

“Gah?!”

Slicing down from the shoulder, it was an attack meant to cut my target in two. Before it could, he managed to somehow leap backward. But it was moments too late; my blade had gouged his chest.

“Argh…! Stop, Lydia…! Even at a time like this…! You’re going to get in my way…?!”

It was clear to anyone what had caused this role reversal. Up until now, the battle had been one-on-one, but…now, it was two-on-one.

Lydia’s wish must have been dulling his movements. Coupled with the severe wound I gave him, the advantage would turn in my favor in an instant.

“As if I’d lose…! As if I’d accept defeat…! I’ve already vowed…that I would never fail again…! I…I…!”

But Rogue still fought in earnest. The weighty burden of his regret and self-loathing gave him strength—but they didn’t change anything.

“U-ugh…”

Finally, Rogue fell to one knee. My other self was covered entirely in wounds, blood plastered across his dark outfit and staining the ground. I silently stood, ready to take his life and end all this.

“…It’s over, Disaster Rogue. My other self.”

“Do you…really think…it’s fine…for things to stay this way…?” His breath ragged and shoulders heaving, Rogue looked at me. There was fear in his eyes. But it wasn’t fear of death.

It was fear of failure.

And then, he begged for his life.

“Remember…your days together with Lydia… Weren’t they…so precious to you…?”

I understood his feelings—empathizing as these feelings were my own.

This man was me. Never one to beg for his life. He’d rather suffer eternal torture. Though his pride distorted him, he had clung desperately to life.

It was all because of Lydia.

…This side to myself made me cry. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“This is the only thing…that…I can’t fail… I didn’t understand…my feelings for Lydia…until after I lost her… That’s why I… I wanted to save her… I… I…

“I was in love with her…!”

When I heard those words, my entire body convulsed. My grip on the sword loosened slightly.

“Aah…! AAAAAAAAAAARGH!” I let out a mighty cry, letting go of all hesitation.

Under the cloudy sky, I pierced Rogue’s heart in a single breath.