Salvation (1)

“The banquet hall must be so busy right now that they haven’t noticed the signal you sent, right? My little brother’s obsession with that mage girl was stronger than I thought. By now, he’s probably swinging his sword at his partner, the Hero, out of anger.”

“How cowardly… to even use your own brother…”

“Cowardly? Coming from you, who seduced both the Hero and the Saintess to trap and try to kill me, it seems my approach was the right one after all.”

“……”

“I’m sure you must have asked the Hero and the mage for help, didn’t you? There’s no way you’d attend this noble gathering with such an odd combination otherwise.

In that situation, it’s impossible for the Hero or the mage to slip away unnoticed and reach this place. And if those two aren’t here, I have no reason to fear you. Right?”

…As much as it galled me, he was right. Even if Machart hadn’t fully awakened as a demon yet, he wasn’t an opponent I could defeat without the protagonist’s buff.

Even if Celista managed to slip away from the chaos to help me, it would only buy time. Though that would still be better than trying to stall alone.

As I mentioned earlier, Ethan couldn’t easily leave his seat because of the attention I’d deliberately drawn to him.

“By the way, didn’t you think things were going too smoothly?”

“What…?”

“Isn’t it strange? A bunch of unfamiliar guests suddenly attending this noble gathering with its impudent purpose, when they’d never participated before.

You, who’ve been trembling under 24-hour guard at the academy, suddenly picking fights and trying to isolate yourself-did you really think I wouldn’t suspect a trap?”

“……”

“But if I let this chance slip, you’d just cling to that annoying prince and the mage girl again, avoiding me. So I decided to use this opportunity.

Of course, I didn’t expect you to go as far as pretending to have a falling-out with that stocky female mage and even distancing yourself from the noble prince you’d die for.”

It saved me some trouble. Machart sneered as he spat out those last words.

I wanted to drive my blade right between his eyes. The problem was, I lacked the ability to do so.

And now that I was realizing through his words just how flawed my plan had been, belated regret began to wash over me.

‘That idiot wouldn’t have doubted or thought of countermeasures on his own. Ivelin must have interfered.’

Ivelin wasn’t a genius tactician, but she was at least smarter than Machart if she could manipulate him.

In the end, my plan’s flaw was trying to deceive just one prince without accounting for variables. If I’d considered Ivelin’s presence, I could have devised a much more elaborate plan-or even opted for a direct assault, which would have had better odds.

Analyzing just Machart’s psychology and trying to lure him into a trap while adding uncertain elements was my fatal mistake. A flimsy trap is still a trap, but I should have prepared more reliable safeguards.

If I’d sought help from even one or two more people, this situation might have turned out differently. Though I couldn’t voice my suspicions about another royal, if I’d known it would come to this, I should have asked Seraphine for help too…

-Whoosh!

“……!”

Pretending to converse casually, Machart closed the distance with another burst of magical energy. My reflexive evasion kept me out of his grasp, but I was nearing my limit.

Dodging him with just my stamina, without magic, had its limits, and my legs were starting to give out.

…And if this continued, I’d soon be caught and dragged back into his mental world.

‘Maybe I should have just joined the Hero’s party from the start.’

Even if only for the final arc of Part 4 where Machart is dealt with. At least then I wouldn’t meet such a meaningless end here.

In the end, I might have just dragged Agnes and Celista into unnecessary trouble. If I died here in such a pathetic way, the two would likely carry guilt over me for a long time.

…Especially Ethan. I’d already wronged him by staging that lover’s spat just to create this situation. If something happened to me, he’d blame himself for not being there to protect me.

As these thoughts raced through my mind in the midst of crisis, the chase in the backyard continued, and my stamina was nearly depleted from the prolonged battle.

“What’s wrong, slowing down already? At this rate, I’ll catch you soon!”

“Huff… huff… huff…”

“Giving up because you think no one’s coming to save you? If that’s the case, feel free to surrender!”

…Even if I die, I should at least stab that bastard’s face once.

With that thought, I turned on my heel mid-flight and charged back toward Machart.

-Swish!

“Wha…?!”

Startled by my sudden reversal, Machart froze mid-air just long enough for my dagger to enter his range.

‘Please, just one hit!’

My blade, enhanced with Sharp Edge, shot toward Machart’s forehead, aiming to neatly bisect his brain-

-Crunch!

“…Huh?”

-Thud.

“Finally, got you.”

Machart twisted his neck unnaturally, dodging my blade, and grabbed my dagger-wielding wrist.

‘Damn it, he’s already partially demonized…!’

The moment Machart seized me, the surroundings darkened rapidly, as if a color TV were switching to black-and-white.

That ominous sensation, coupled with Machart dragging me into his mental world, made it clear I wouldn’t free my arm easily.

…This time, I probably wouldn’t escape alive. Last time, I got lucky against an off-guard opponent. I wouldn’t get another chance like that.

‘So, this is it.’

Yeah. I lasted pretty damn long.

Seven years since possessing Lillith, avoiding being violated by Ethan, struggling to survive. By now, I’d done about as much as I could.

Well, I gave Agnes the Flame Spirit, prevented Ethan and Karaham from becoming mid-bosses, and even created justification to eliminate Machart before his demonization. That’s not a bad contribution to the story.

Even if I bow out now, Guwon Sunae should have no trouble clearing the game.

The Hero would defeat the Demon King and return to the real world, Agnes would become the Tower Master of the Crimson Tower, Seraphine would ascend the throne, Celista would awaken as the true Saintess… Yeah, in a few years, they’d all get their happy endings.

And Ethan, now much slimmer and handsomer than in the original, would likely move on after my death, marry a proper fiancée, and lead the Blackwood family.

After years of the Demon King subjugation campaign and their own lives, just having a handful of memories of me lingering in their minds would be enough.

‘If I’d known it’d end like this, I should’ve at least properly slept with Ethan.’

If I’d known I wouldn’t defeat Machart, I could’ve at least done that much as a final gesture. Too late for regrets now. All that awaited me was hell, so I might as well cover it with happier thoughts.

No-if I’m just going to be used as Machart pleases in this damned mental world, maybe killing myself now would at least defy his plans…

“Lillith…!!!”

Just as the last remnants of light faded into darkness and Machart’s power enveloped me completely, I thought I heard Ethan’s voice calling me.

So vivid it felt like a deathbed vision, the voice soon became tangible, pulling me back to reality.

-Thud.

“Lillith!! Are you alright?!”

“…Ethan?”

A tiny gap in Machart’s mental world, no wider than a handspan.

A familiar hand reached through, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me out.

…Well, tried to yank me out.

-Yank!

“Lillith! It is you, right?! Answer me!”

“W-wait! My arm! You’ll rip it off!!”

“Ah.”

His heart was in the right place, but his brute-force method nearly dislocated my left arm.

For a moment, I feared I’d become “Lilless” instead of Lillith. Then, as if splitting space itself, a razor-sharp blade appeared before my eyes.

…Not metaphorically. Literally before my eyes.

-Thunk!

“KYAAAAAAAH?!”

The blade, which could’ve easily pierced my temple, sliced through the air right in front of me, bringing a different kind of terror-one far more visceral than Machart’s mental world.

If I lost an arm, Celista could fix it, but if I lost my head, I’d need a mortician, not a doctor.

Yet, my fear was irrelevant as Ethan’s blade, glowing with blue energy, began cleaving through Machart’s mental world. Through the rift, light-light I thought I’d never see again-seeped in.

‘Wait, could this be…?’

A blade flowing with azure energy, the power to sever dimensions.

It didn’t take long to realize its wielder had triggered the awakening flag for Sword Expert.

-Slice, screech!

In an instant, half the space trapping me was cleaved apart, and the remaining barrier was torn open as Ethan pulled me free.

When I came to my senses in this surreal, dreamlike situation, I found myself cradled in his arms like a princess.

“Lillith, are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?!”

“…Y-yes.”

…Who’d have thought Ethan would arrive before the Hero? And awakened as a Sword Expert, no less.

For a moment, I found Ethan more reliable than the Hero, but I kept that thought to myself.