chapter_0175

“Trapped somewhere? Me?”

An ominous demonic aura began to leak from beneath the figure’s feet. I gripped Eternity tightly. For some reason, she seemed ready to pounce on me at any moment, though I couldn’t pinpoint what had triggered such a reaction.

“How dare you speak of me as if you know me… when you don’t truly understand…!”

The sky above us turned black. The nearby land had already been dead beyond recovery. It seemed the avatar had been telling the truth about restricting its power to a certain extent.

I focused my energy on my left hand. If the demonic aura spread any further, I was prepared to immediately summon the Holy Lance, regardless of what the figure did next. After rejecting its offer to shake hands, there was no reason for me to hold back, and no loss for me regardless of whether we became enemies or not.

“I didn’t want to be like this……”

The figure stopped mid-sentence. The demonic aura, which had been about to engulf the surrounding space, suddenly subsided.

The Demon God stood motionless in the middle of the already dead land. I maintained my guard, observing it. It seemed to regret its previous actions, though it was hard to read its expression due to the shadows covering its face.

“……Figure it out yourself from here on. Whether you come or not is up to you.”

With a voice that seemed to be gritting its teeth, the figure disappeared in an instant. Only the slowly clearing sky and the blackened, lifeless land remained as proof of what had just transpired.

“Indeed. It seems there’s something going on with you as well.”

I muttered to the spot where the Demon God had been.

No answer came.

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“It’s obviously a trap.”

“I think it’s a trap too.”

“I agree.”

“It’s obvious what her intentions are.”

The four of them harmonized, all expressing extreme negativity about me personally going to find the Demon God.

I agreed. It was too obvious an attempt to lure me in. Even if it claimed it wouldn’t do anything to me, there was no guarantee it wasn’t setting a trap.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“……”

But there was no other option. They had just gotten some rest after fighting on the front lines. The longer we delayed, the more it would be to our detriment.

“And no matter how I look at it, her reaction was suspicious. There’s definitely something going on. In the end, the only option is to go and find it ourselves.”

No one disagreed with my assessment that there was something suspicious and unusual about the Demon God’s reaction.

“Could she be trapped by someone else, like the Goddess?”

“That’s highly likely. Its reaction to the word ‘trapped’ suggests that it’s in a less than ideal situation.”

“……But I still feel uneasy.”

Priscilla still couldn’t hide her anxiety.

“If the Demon God is fine, then she lied to me and tried to trick me with that strange reaction. Who knows what it might do. And if it’s in the same situation as the Goddess, the being that reduced a divine being to such a state might appear.”

“I’ve considered both possibilities.”

“We know your strength better than anyone, Mira. That’s why we’re worried. If the being that reduced the Goddess to such a state appears, you’ll have to fight it. Can you say with 100% certainty that you’ll definitely win?”

I couldn’t say with 100% certainty.

After all, it was a being that had reduced a divine being to a state where she didn’t even attempt to escape, bound and helpless. And it might have done the same to the Demon God. It was definitely not an ordinary opponent.

“……See? You can’t even answer confidently. How can we not worry when even you’re unsure?”

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous. I was just hiding it because I knew they would worry even more if they saw my anxiety.

Everything that had happened so far, while different in many ways, was still an extension of the characters and events within the novels Laura had written. But the concept of a Demon God and a Goddess, and the woman from the first world I had possessed who claimed to have absorbed countless worlds, went far beyond the scope of Laura’s novels. In other words, I couldn’t prepare as perfectly as I had in the past.

“In the end, it’s something I have to do. Not just for the sake of this world, but to protect all of you.”

Of course, that didn’t mean I should hesitate here.

I had experienced similar situations countless times before. I had repeated the same actions hundreds, thousands of times. Just like I had always done in the past.

And this time, I wasn’t driven by a vague goal of saving the world. I had a more concrete and definite goal.

“I promised to send you all home, didn’t I? I have to keep my promises.”

That one thing was enough.

“……You’re serious, Mira.”

Priscilla backed off, looking like a dejected puppy. She knew I had made up my mind and couldn’t be dissuaded. The other three felt the same way. The outcome had been decided long ago.

“You’re going to go even if I tell you not to, aren’t you?”

Rosalia sighed deeply and approached me.

“Yeah.”

“Then fine. Do as you please. I know I can’t stop you anyway. But make me one promise before you go.”

“A promise? What kind of promise?”

“Promise me you’ll come back alive.”

Her fiery red eyes fixed on me. Countless emotions swirled within them.

“Not just alive, but come back completely unscathed, both physically and mentally. Don’t even think about sacrificing yourself to solve this incident or save others. If your life is in danger, just run away. No one will blame you. Do you understand?”

It felt like I had heard similar words before. I never imagined I would be on the receiving end of such a sentiment, rather than being the one to say it.

I nodded. Rosalia frowned.

“Don’t just nod. Answer me with your voice.”

“Okay. I will.”

“……”

However, even with my assurance, Rosalia still didn’t look satisfied.

“You seem worried.”

“Worried? Me? Are you crazy? You’re the one who’s too calm! How can you be so nonchalant about going to a place that’s never appeared in the novels, with no idea what you’ll find there?! You’re going to the Demon God, for goodness’ sake! The Demon God!”

Rosalia yelled, with Priscilla, Laura, and Elysier nodding vigorously in agreement behind her.

“No, it might be an even worse being than the Demon God! And what do you mean, I seem worried? Are you kidding me?! Ughhhhhh……”

After a long, drawn-out sigh, Rosalia gestured for me to come closer.

“Come here, Mira.”

“Why?”

“Just come, and I’ll tell you. Anyway, come here.”

I did as she asked and stepped closer. Suddenly, she grabbed my collar and pulled me towards her. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to press her lips against mine.

“Wha?!”

I raised my hand to block her lips. It was a reflexive action. Rosalia, whose lips had landed on my palm instead, wriggled her nose against my hand and continued to protest.

“Hey! How can you block me like that?! Are you even human?!”

“Sorry. It was a reflex. What were you trying to do?”

“I was trying to seal the deal with a kiss, of course! If I kissed you, you’d have to take responsibility and come back alive no matter what!”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that there was no need to go that far since they weren’t going to die. I wasn’t that oblivious to the situation.

“What do you guys think?”

Rosalia, who had been grumbling, looked at the other three.

“I’m for it.”

“Aye.”

“I agree as well.”

The three of them agreed without hesitation. Rosalia’s attitude became even more assertive.

“Good. Then it’s settled. Don’t stop me. Don’t resist either. Even if you resist, it’s four against one, you know?”

Rosalia pushed my chest with her delicate fingers. I obediently backed up and sat down on the sofa behind me. Rosalia climbed onto my lap and hugged me. The other three closed in from the sides and back.

“Listen up, Mira. You don’t have to solve anything. No, you don’t have to. Just come back alive. If you come back alive…… we’ll reward you. All of us together. Doesn’t that sound exciting? You have to come back in one piece because of that.”

Judging from the expressions of the two on the sides, it didn’t seem like they had agreed on the details, but no one objected to the offer.

“……If you want, I’ll even wear the Saint’s outfit for you. So……”

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“I’ve heard the news. They say you’ve become a wreck, and it seems to be true.”

I sat down in the chair next to the bed. The Sword Saint lay on the bed, her eyes vacant, with the blanket covering only up to her lower abdomen. Her right hand tightly gripped a sword.

The people taking care of the Sword Saint had specifically instructed them not to touch that sword. They said that one of the Royal Guards had almost lost his head trying to take it away from her.

“I know you’re not expecting an answer, so I’ll just say whatever I want. What did the Demon King mean to you?”

After watching her for a while, I opened my mouth. The Sword Saint flinched at the mention of the Demon King, but that was all.

“Let me guess what’s going on in your head. You were brutally defeated by the Demon King, so you wanted the Demon King to remain an untouchable existence. If the Demon King dies or gets injured, your own reputation as the one who was overwhelmed by the Demon King would be affected. It’s ironic that the more terrifying the Demon King is, the more your reputation as the Sword Saint is maintained.”

“……”

“In my opinion, the title of Sword Saint is too much for you.”

Her body flinched again.

“It’s pathetic that you’re so intimidated by such trivial thoughts. Why don’t you just live as a mediocre mid-level knight? At least your mind would be at peace.”

“……”

“If you hadn’t been so scared of the possibility that a person you just met might be a murderer, you wouldn’t have ended up like this either. You even tested me, and now look at you. You fell apart before I did.”

“……”

“It’s truly a pathetic sight.”

-Flinch!

Her body trembled more than it had at any point since I entered the room. I thought she might wake up, but it seemed to be my imagination. She soon calmed down again.

I had said what I wanted to say. I didn’t plan to stay long anyway. I stood up from the chair and looked down at the Sword Saint. Then, I reached for the sword in her hand.

The Sword Saint immediately lunged at me. Though her skills seemed to have deteriorated somewhat, her speed was still impressive. However, in the end, it was nothing more than the desperate struggle of a human who was half-wrecked.

I caught her slashing hand and twisted her body. The Sword Saint’s body spun in the air and landed on the bed. She kicked her legs, still holding onto my arm.

I took the sword from her hand and held it up in front of her face.

-Crack!

I infused mana into my hand, and the sword couldn’t withstand the power and shattered. The lone eyeball in her face turned towards the falling shards. I let go of her arm.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“……”

“If you’re frustrated and resentful, grab the Dragon Tooth Sword and come at me. I’ll fight you. Or you can stay like this forever. In my opinion, you don’t deserve to hold that sword.”

The eyeball, which had been looking down at the shards, now fixed its gaze on me. The Sword Saint trembled as she gathered the broken pieces with her shaky hands, but her eyes never left me. I ignored her and left the room.

I didn’t know if this method would work, but it was better than doing nothing.

Besides, it was a chance to get some revenge for the way she had treated me during our first meeting.

‘……Aria?’

As I walked down the hallway after leaving the Sword Saint’s room, I spotted Aria in the distance. It was surprising because Leona had left the Imperial Palace long ago. So how could Aria still be here?

“Mr. Mira!”

Aria, who had been looking around as she approached me, started running as soon as our eyes met. When she reached me, she smiled brightly as usual.

“Aria, why are you here? Didn’t you leave with Leona? How are you here alone……”

“Mr. Mira, I heard you’re going to the Demon God’s domain.”

Unexpected words came out of her mouth.

“You heard that? From whom?”

I couldn’t think of anyone who would share such a big secret with Aria. Priscilla, Rosalia, Laura, or Elysier wouldn’t trust her enough to confide in her about such matters.

“That’s not important. What’s important is that I can be of help to you, Mr. Mira. You’re going to the Demon God alone, right? Yes, you’re going to bear all the burden by yourself. So please let me come with you.”

There was an unwavering determination in Aria’s eyes as she said those words. It was as if she believed in fate, just as she had when she told me about her destiny.

My mind couldn’t keep up with the situation. There were too many questions.

“Aria, I appreciate the thought, but you……”

“Do you remember what I said? About our fate.”

Aria interrupted me again, but I didn’t have time to process what she was saying. A brilliant golden light, perhaps even more dazzling than Rosalia’s, was burning in her left hand.

“Look. As soon as you said you would go alone, I awakened my divine power.”

The golden light filled the hallway, and Aria smiled as brightly and beautifully as ever.

“If this isn’t my fate, then what is it?”