Ch.104Cursed Journey (5)

I already had three of the Four Heavenly Kings on the verge of defeat. Things had definitely become much easier since gaining companions.

As I was about to move forward to finish him off, Joe suddenly spoke up with anxiety in her voice.

“Hero, do you think we can do it this time too?”

“The three of us should manage somehow. So don’t worry too much.”

“But I’m so anxious. What if I make a mistake…”

“It’s okay. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

If things get desperate, I can use my lifespan. That should give me power dozens of times greater than what I have now.

With that, we entered the building where he was waiting.

***

We often take for granted things that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Breathing or being able to see—why do we think these things are natural? Probably because they’re actions we can always do without change.

So I naturally assumed I could withstand the enemy’s attack this time too. But the result was exactly the opposite.

My right arm disappeared without a trace. Because of that, I could no longer use the supernatural power I’d always relied on.

There was no way I could hold out in that situation. Naturally, I was helplessly overwhelmed by him and brought to the brink of death.

Despite this, Adrian continues to hold the line in front of me, while Joe keeps healing my body that’s been torn to shreds.

I’m nothing but useless baggage. So I desperately forced out my voice to say:

“Run… away…”

But Joe, with a terrified face, still tries to save me, and Adrian, with his battered body, continues to hold on.

Death looms closer. I’m certain that the moment I lose consciousness, I’ll depart for another world.

If I were to die now, wouldn’t these guys run away? If so, there’s no reason for me to cling to consciousness.

But death is still frightening. And the one I need to take revenge on is still alive and well.

So even though I know staying alive won’t help at all, I desperately try to breathe out, wanting to live somehow.

Thanks to my disgusting, hypocritical mindset, Adrian finally collapsed like a rotten branch after holding out for so long.

And the shadow of death began to loom over Joe after me and Adrian.

“Please… run… away…”

“No!”

Joe, succumbing to primal fear, spoke with a trembling voice through her tears.

“But…”

“I’m scared of dying too! But… but I’m even more afraid of you dying, Hero!”

Her sobbing makes it hard to understand what she’s saying. But in Joe’s eyes, I could see a resolve far more firm than anything I could muster.

But her solid determination was shattered by overwhelming power. And before my eyes appeared one more thing on the verge of becoming a corpse. And that something squeezed out a voice with difficulty.

“I’m… sorry… Hero…”

With those pitiful last words, the flame of life faded away.

Now I was certain I too would become a soulless piece of meat. A useless piece of meat that couldn’t achieve revenge or protect those dear to me.

I had failed again. But this time, there would be no salvation like before.

Even if salvation came, the dead don’t return.

And so, overwhelmed by various complex emotions, I lost my senses.

***

I regained consciousness in ruins reeking of blood. Had I fallen into hell after all?

But it feels too vivid for hell. All my senses are intact. So is this reality?

Looking around to assess the situation, I saw something damaged beyond recognition and Adrian sitting next to it.

“…Adrian?”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Adrian spoke with his usual sly smile. But his current appearance was closer to that of a talking corpse.

“Are you okay?! We need to call Joe for treatment… right…”

If this is reality, and what I just experienced was real, then Joe is dead now.

For a moment, I almost lost my mind, but knowing that this guy would die if I passed out, I somehow held onto my senses and asked:

“Is there any way to get help around here? Or maybe a potion or holy water somewhere…”

“I’m going to die soon anyway.”

This guy still smiles slyly even with death right in front of him.

“You’re still breathing, so there must be a way to survive…”

“You know as well as I do that there’s no solution.”

“But still…”

“Instead of wasting effort, can you just keep me company?”

He spoke calmly and glibly as always, even though he was about to bid farewell to this world forever.

“…How can you be so calm?”

“Because I have no regrets.”

He continued speaking with a somewhat relieved voice.

“You don’t know this, but you just defeated the third Heavenly King yourself.”

“…What?”

“You should know the details better than I do.”

He says that I, who couldn’t offer any resistance, actually defeated the enemy. But I don’t have that kind of power. And my body was nearly dead.

Come to think of it, I remember my master telling me that the second supernatural power manifests when you’re on the brink of death. So did I gain a new ability?

Focusing on that part, I felt like I could use some new technique. A technique that requires sacrificing lifespan in exchange for overwhelming power.

It seems like maintaining it for 10 seconds requires about 24 hours of lifespan. But that’s not what’s important right now.

“So what do you mean you have no regrets?”

“I think it’s okay for me to die now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I think you can definitely defeat the Demon King now.”

He handed me a cross-shaped necklace that he had been clutching tightly, with a look of relief.

“…What’s this?”

“My little sister’s keepsake.”

Joe really is dead. I heard it from someone else’s mouth, but it still doesn’t feel real.

No, Joe will surely come to me tonight as she always did. And this guy will joke around with his sly smile as always.

But he revealed a truly cruel fact to me.

“This is as far as we go. But I’m sure you can defeat the Demon King.”

“…I will definitely defeat him. No matter what happens, I’ll definitely succeed.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave it to you then.”

Adrian, like Joe, closed his eyes in these shabby ruins with unremarkable last words.

Now I’m alone again. Once more, I’ve lost precious bonds because of the Demon King. Yet somehow, this time feels empty. Perhaps these guys weren’t that important to me after all?

That would be better. No, this is natural since they were just passing connections anyway.

But for old times’ sake, I should at least bury them in their homeland, the Holy Nation.

So with an empty heart, I gathered their corpses and left.

***

After arriving at the Holy Nation and handing over their bodies, I planned to leave immediately. But the Holy Nation made an unexpected proposal.

“Hero, would you consider accepting new companions?”

I’ve never thought about new companions. Having them would certainly make things easier. But I’ve never felt they were particularly necessary.

“No.”

“Even so, would you at least meet them as a gesture of our sincerity?”

“Can you guarantee they’ll be helpful?”

“A Holy Maiden who focuses on ranged attacks and a Holy Knight who specializes in defense. Those two will surely fill the void.”

Unlike Joe who focused on healing, this Holy Maiden specializes in ranged attacks. So they could overcome our party’s chronic weakness against ranged attacks.

And I learned from Adrian that a Holy Knight who specializes in defense is always helpful.

Maybe they really could fill the void?

“I still don’t want to.”

But something doesn’t feel right. The more I think about new companions, the more anger rises within me.

“Hero, the fate of the entire world is at stake. Please, just check them out once.”

The priest before me pleaded desperately. Certainly, this is no time for needless stubbornness.

With each passing day, the Demon King’s forces grow stronger. And the number of defectors increases daily.

“…Are you sure they’ll be helpful?”

“I believe they’re powerful enough to replace the members who were in your party.”

“…Fine. I’ll accept new companions.”

“Thank you, Hero! Thank you so much!”

So I followed the priest somewhere. There, I saw a blonde Holy Maiden who looked exactly like Joe and a pink-haired Holy Knight.

And my empty heart began to melt.

“I’m leaving.”

“But Her—”

“I said I’m leaving!”

Anger rises within me. No, the emotions I’ve been forcibly suppressing are about to burst out.

“Hero, given the current situation, please reconsider—”

“I don’t need them!”

Finally, the emotions I’d been hiding exploded. I grabbed the priest by the collar and shouted:

“They can replace those guys? Don’t talk nonsense! No one can replace them! No one can fill that void, no matter who comes!”

No one else can smile slyly and make jokes, or speak first with a bright and pure heart.

Only those guys could do that. Only those two, no one else, could always be relied upon.

I don’t need similar people. If it’s not those two, it has no meaning.

“No Holy Knight in the world can replace Adrian! No Holy Maiden can replace… replace Joe!”

As I vented my directionless anger at the priest, I found a target to redirect it.

“Right, in the end, all I need to do is kill the Demon King.”

I put the priest down and prepared to leave.

“I will definitely kill the Demon King with my own hands, so don’t interfere anymore.”

I will definitely defeat the Demon King. I’ll do whatever it takes to kill him. I’ll prove that their deaths were not in vain.

And so began my cursed journey.