Ch.172Demon God – 3

“Trapped? Me?”

Ominous magical energy leaked from beneath his feet. I gripped Eternity again. I wasn’t sure what exactly had angered him, but he looked ready to pounce at any moment.

“What do you know about me to dare say such things…? Speaking without knowing anything…!”

The sky directly above us turned black. The ground nearby was already dead beyond salvation. It seemed he was telling the truth about limiting his power due to being a manifestation.

I concentrated power in my left hand. If the magical energy spread any further, I was prepared to summon my spear immediately regardless of what he did. Having rejected his offer to join hands, I had nothing to lose whether I made an enemy of him or not.

“You think I want to be here—”

He stopped mid-sentence. The magical energy that had been violently leaking out, threatening to devour the surrounding space, suddenly subsided.

The Demon God stood still for a long while in the middle of the already dead land. I observed him without lowering my guard. He looked as if he regretted what he had just done.

I couldn’t read his expression because of the shadow covering his face, but that was the impression I got.

“…Do what you want next. Come find me or don’t.”

With those words spoken through gritted teeth, his figure vanished instantly. Only the gradually clearing sky and the blackened, dead earth remained as evidence of what had just happened.

“Right. Seems like you’ve got your own issues too.”

I muttered toward the place where the Demon God had disappeared.

No answer came back.

“Anyone can see it’s a trap.”

“I think it’s a trap.”

“I feel the same way.”

“The intention is painfully obvious.”

The four voices harmonized. They were all extremely negative about me going to find the Demon God myself.

I agreed. It was too blatant an attempt to lure me in. He might claim he wouldn’t do anything, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he had set a trap.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“…”

But there wasn’t another option. These four had just been granted rest after lending their strength at the front lines until moments ago. Stalling would only disadvantage us.

“Besides, don’t you think his reaction was suspicious? There’s definitely something there. In the end, I have no choice but to go see him myself.”

No one contested my observation that the Demon God seemed to be hiding something. His reaction had been suspicious enough to suggest some troubling secret.

“Could he be trapped by someone? Like the Goddess?”

“That’s highly possible. Reacting so violently to the mere mention of being trapped suggests he’s in a rather unfortunate situation.”

“…Still, I feel uneasy about this.”

Priscilla couldn’t hide her concern.

“It’s problematic whether the Demon God is fine or in the same situation as the Goddess. If he’s fine, then he lied and showed that strange reaction to deceive you, Mira, so who knows what he might do. If he’s in the same situation as the Goddess, then whoever did that to a divine being might appear.”

“I’ve thought about both scenarios.”

“We know your abilities better than anyone, Mira. That’s why we’re worried. If whoever trapped the Goddess appears, you’ll fight them. Can you confidently say you’ll win? One hundred percent?”

I couldn’t be 100% confident.

After all, we’re talking about someone who rendered the Goddess powerless and bound, making her abandon even the thought of escape. Someone who might have put the Demon God in the same situation. They certainly wouldn’t be a mediocre opponent.

“…See? You can’t answer. If you’re not certain, how can we not worry?”

Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tense. I was just hiding it because showing such emotions would only increase their concern.

Everything that had happened so far, despite many changes, was merely an extension of characters and events from within the novel.

But concepts like the Demon God and Goddess, and the woman who supposedly absorbed the first world I was incarnated into, were far beyond the scope of Laura’s novel. This meant I couldn’t prepare perfectly as I had before.

“It’s something I have to do anyway. Not for this world, but to protect all of you.”

Of course, that was no reason to hesitate here.

I’ve experienced situations like this countless times before. I’m just repeating an action I’ve done hundreds or thousands of times. Just like I always did before.

And this time, I wasn’t moving for some grandiose goal like saving the world. I had a more concrete, more certain objective.

“I promised I’d send you home somehow. I need to keep that promise.”

That alone was enough.

“…You’re serious, Mira.”

Priscilla backed away looking like a dejected puppy. She seemed convinced she couldn’t change my mind. The other three felt the same. The outcome had been decided long ago.

“You’re going to go even if we tell you not to, right?”

Rosaria approached with a deep sigh.

“Yes.”

“Then fine. Do what you want. We can’t stop you anyway. But make one promise before you go.”

“A promise? What kind?”

“Promise that you’ll definitely come back alive.”

Her burning red eyes fixed on me. All kinds of emotions swirled within them.

“And not just alive—come back completely unharmed, both physically and mentally, just like you are now. Don’t even think about sacrificing yourself to resolve this situation or saving others with your life. If it gets dangerous, just run away. No one will blame you. Understand?”

I feel like I’ve said something similar before. I never imagined I’d be on the receiving end of such words rather than the one saying them.

I nodded. Rosaria frowned.

“Don’t just nod, answer with your voice.”

“I understand. I’ll do that.”

“…”

However, despite getting the answer she wanted, Rosaria still looked dissatisfied.

“You seem worried.”

“I seem worried? Me? Are you crazy? You’re the one who’s too calm, Mira! Even if it’s something you have to do, this is too much! Going to a place that never appeared in the novel and whose purpose you don’t know, how can you be so composed?! You’re going to the Demon God! The Demon God!”

Behind the shouting Rosaria, Priscilla, Laura, and Elisier nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“No! It might be someone even worse than the Demon God! And in the midst of all that, what? I seem worried? I really… haaaaaaah…”

After letting out a long sigh, Rosaria gestured to me.

“Come here, Mira.”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain when you come. Just come here.”

I approached as requested. Suddenly, she grabbed my collar. Rising on her tiptoes, Rosaria lunged forward with her lips.

“Mmph?!”

I raised my hand to block the incoming lips. It was a reflexive action. After bumping her nose against my palm and struggling, Rosaria raised her voice again.

“Hey! How could you block that! Are you even human?!”

“Sorry. It was so sudden, I just reacted. What is it?”

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

I didn’t voice my thought that it wasn’t necessary since I wasn’t going to die. I wasn’t tactless enough to say such a thing in this situation.

“What do you all think?”

The grumbling Rosaria looked at the other three.

“I approve.”

“I approve, indeed.”

“I agree as well.”

The three agreed without a moment’s hesitation. Rosaria’s confidence grew even more.

“Good. Then it’s settled. Don’t resist now. Don’t fight back. You know it’s 4 against 1, right?”

Her delicate hand pushed against my chest. I yielded and sat on the sofa behind me. Rosaria climbed onto my lap, facing me and embracing me. The other three closed in from both sides and behind.

“Listen, Mira. It’s okay if you can’t solve it. No, you don’t even have to solve it. Just come back alive. If you just come back alive… we’ll reward you. All of us together. How about that? Exciting, right? You should come back in one piece just for that.”

Judging by the expressions of the two beside me, this wasn’t exactly an agreed-upon plan, but no one objected.

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

“I heard the news. They said you’d become a wreck, and it’s true.”

I sat in the chair placed right next to the bed. The Sword Saint was just lying in bed with a blank stare, covered by a blanket up to his lower abdomen.

His right hand firmly gripped his sword.

The people caring for the Sword Saint had strongly advised not to touch that sword. Apparently, a Royal Guard who tried to take it away nearly lost his head.

“I don’t expect an answer anyway, so I’ll just talk as I please. What did the Demon Lord mean to you?”

After watching him for a while, I spoke. The Sword Saint flinched at the words “Demon Lord,” but that was all.

“Let me guess what’s going through your mind. You were utterly defeated by the Demon Lord, so you needed the Demon Lord to remain an untouchable existence. If the Demon Lord were to die or get hurt, your own reputation would suffer since you were overwhelmed by him. How ironic that the Sword Saint’s fame depends on the Demon Lord being more terrifying.”

“…”

“But in my opinion, the title of Sword Saint is too good for you.”

Flinch. His body trembled again.

“A man who cowers with such thoughts calling himself the Sword Saint—it’s not even funny. You should have lived as an unremarkable mid-tier knight instead. At least your mind would have been at peace.”

“…”

“You wouldn’t have had to test a stranger on the suspicion they might become a murderer, only to break down before I did.”

“…”

“Truly, what an unsightly appearance.”

—Flinch!

His body trembled more violently than before. I thought he might wake up, but it seemed to be my imagination. He soon calmed down again.

I had said what I wanted to say. I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway. I stood up from the chair. After looking down at the Sword Saint for a moment, I reached for the sword in his hand.

The Sword Saint immediately lunged at me. Though his mind was broken, his skills hadn’t dulled much—his speed was incredibly fast, but in the end, it was just the desperate struggle of a half-ruined man.

I caught the knife-like hand strike aimed at my neck while twisting my body. The Sword Saint’s body spun around once and fell back on the bed. With his arm in my grip, he kicked his legs frantically.

I took the sword from his hand and brought it before my eyes.

—Crack!

When I infused mana into it, the sword shattered, unable to withstand the power. His remaining eye fixed on the fragments falling onto his body. I released his arm.

“So this is all it was.”

“…”

“If you’re frustrated and resentful, pick up the Dragon Fang Sword and come at me. I’ll face you. Or stay like this forever. In my eyes, you’re not worthy of wielding a sword.”

The eye that had been looking at the fragments fixed on me. The Sword Saint gathered the broken pieces with trembling hands, but his gaze remained on me. I ignored him and left the room.

I don’t know if this method will work. But at least it’s better than not trying.

And incidentally, it was also a bit of revenge for what he did at our first meeting.

‘…Aria?’

As I walked down the corridor after leaving the Sword Saint’s room, I saw Aria in the distance.

It was perplexing. Leona had left the imperial palace long ago. How could Aria remain in the palace alone?

“Mira!”

Aria, who had been looking around while approaching me, started running as soon as our eyes met. She came right up to me and smiled brightly as usual.

“Aria, why are you here? Didn’t you go back with Leona? How are you alone—”

“Mira. I heard you’re going to the Demon God’s domain. I know about it.”

Unexpected words flowed from her lips.

“You heard? About that? From whom?”

Was there someone who would tell Aria about this? Neither Priscilla, Rosaria, Laura, nor Elisier would trust Aria enough to share such a big secret.

“That’s not important. What’s important is that I can help you. Mira, you’re planning to visit the Demon God alone, right? Correct? Without anyone by your side, you’re planning to shoulder all the burden alone. So, please let me go with you.”

Aria’s eyes held a very resolute emotion as she spoke those words. As resolute as when she told me she believed in fate.

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

“Aria, I appreciate your feelings, but you—”

“Do you remember what I said? That we are destined for each other.”

Aria interrupted me again. But I had no time to process that fact.

In her left hand burned a golden light identical to Rosaria’s—no, perhaps even more brilliant than Rosaria’s.

“See? I awakened my holy power the moment you decided to leave alone.”

In the golden light filling the corridor, Aria smiled with unparalleled brightness and beauty.

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