Ch.194The Witch Who Will Destroy the World. (4)

All sorts of negative emotions overwhelmed me. The negative thoughts that had consumed my mind since the moment Olivia was kidnapped by Asmodeus.

Now they had become reality.

In the most horrific form possible.

Livga knows that God is fair to everyone.

Disease does not discriminate between rich and poor.

Death, too, comes equally to all.

All other discrimination and inequality are created by humans.

That was the “truth” Livga had learned through study since she was very young.

So, she shouldn’t blame God.

It’s not the Goddess’s fault that her sister ended up like this.

If her sister hadn’t been the self-sacrificing type. If she had been someone who only looked out for her own interests, no matter what others said.

Of course, that would never have happened.

But if it had.

This… this wouldn’t have happened. So…

So.

Heavy tears fell drop by drop.

But this isn’t right.

It’s too cruel. Far, far too cruel. Olivia deserves happiness more than anyone. Considering everything she has sacrificed until now, it’s only natural.

It has to be that way. If she dies like this, if she dies…

“Aaaah!”

As a mere human, she shouldn’t dare resent God, but Livga couldn’t resist the rising emotions.

She didn’t want to resist.

Though she had aged, Livga was still young. Of course, she had memories of her past life and had matured early from growing up under the priests since childhood, but that was all.

Livga had never lived a single day as an “adult.”

That’s why Olivia’s existence meant so much more to her. Her only family. Someone she could depend on. The only person she could talk to without reservation.

Such a person was about to disappear.

So, she needed someone to blame. Since she couldn’t blame Olivia, Livga dared to direct her anger toward God.

Livga clutched Olivia’s clothes more tightly.

Afraid that she might disappear like before.

“Please… please!”

Livga buried her face in Olivia’s clothes as she spoke.

She didn’t have the courage to look at Olivia’s face. Surely, her sister would be wearing a face full of guilt by now.

If she saw that, she felt like she would burst into tears again.

“D-don’t go…! You can’t go…!”

Her strained voice was mixed with sobs. Her breathing was ragged, and her voice was hoarse and cracked.

“I.”

Livga forced a smile with bloodshot eyes.

“I… can’t be without you, sister. I… can’t. I can’t…”

“…”

“You know I’m a Saintess… I’ll find a way to cure you somehow. So…”

Livga’s shoulders trembled violently.

A way to cure her? There couldn’t possibly be such a thing. How could a demon be turned back into a human? Livga was so desperate that she was lying despite serving God.

Just a moment would do. Right now, she just needed to deceive her sister.

She might lose her divine power as the price for lying, but it would be fine as long as she wasn’t caught. That way, she could have a reprieve until then.

If she could just do that, surely…

“Why…?”

Livga spoke with a trembling voice.

Despite telling a lie, no burden came upon her body.

That fact made Livga feel even more miserable.

It meant Olivia could see through her lie. Even if the lie had worked, it meant she didn’t even have a single day left.

There was nothing she could do. Neither her powerful divine power as a Saintess nor her unwavering faith in the Goddess.

Nothing could save Olivia.

“…Olivia.”

Kiel opened his mouth. He raised his head that had been hanging low. His eyes, which had always been full of certainty, were now moist and filled with emptiness.

“What… what should I do? What must I do… to save you?”

“…”

“Please tell me… I, I cannot let you go like this. You’ve always found a way, so this time too…”

Kiel couldn’t continue.

“This time too…”

The moment he faced Olivia, his words caught in his throat. A feeling of his heart sinking.

Why was she making an apologetic face?

When he was the one who had done wrong.

“Kiel. Let me ask one favor.”

“…”

He shouldn’t listen. Kiel instinctively realized. He shouldn’t grant whatever Olivia was about to ask.

He seemed to know what favor she would ask. So, he shouldn’t listen.

“It’s my last request.”

Olivia said that as she withdrew her hand that had been stroking Livga. Livga looked up at Olivia with blank eyes.

“…Ah.”

Livga murmured unconsciously. She wanted to hold on a little longer. But she couldn’t.

Because Olivia’s hand that had been stroking her was hideously cracked.

‘Divine power.’

Livga’s eyes trembled.

‘Because of me…’

It hadn’t been like this from the beginning. If it had, she would have noticed. The reason she hadn’t was probably because Olivia’s body had become incomparably closer to demonic energy than before.

Livga could no longer hold onto Olivia. Just touching her would cause Olivia pain, since she was a Saintess.

“Ah… ahhh…”

Even if she tried not to think about it, her instinct as a Saintess wouldn’t allow it. Just Olivia’s presence in this space caused malicious energy to ripple.

There was nothing she could do.

All she could do was watch the violent demonic energy raging inside Olivia’s body and wait for the final moment that would soon come.

Olivia looked at Livga with a pitiful expression, then turned her head to look at Kiel.

“I will soon be completely consumed by demonic energy.”

She had been maintaining her sanity somehow, but she was starting to feel her limit. Her increasingly blurry vision was proof of that.

She wasn’t surprised. She had anticipated this would happen.

“So, before that…”

“No.”

This was already the third time.

The first was when she met the great demon Belphegor in her previous life.

The second was when the Returners attacked as a group.

Each time, Kiel had to lose Olivia, and he vowed never to repeat such a mistake.

“Do you think I would grant such a request?”

Yet, it had happened again.

“When I haven’t even properly atoned yet…?”

Kiel murmured, clenching and unclenching his fist. Olivia just smiled faintly at those words. As if she had been waiting for just that.

“Atonement.”

Olivia’s lips parted. Her voice seemed particularly exhausted.

“That’s right… it was like that.”

Olivia, who had been muttering to herself, stared into Kiel’s eyes.

“Do you remember? When we met in the north… you pointed a huge greatsword at me. How much blood came from my neck then. I had to wear bandages for a whole week, you know?”

Why was she suddenly bringing up that story?

Kiel seemed to know the reason.

“Hehe… I’m a much more selfish and narrow-minded person than you think… so such things aren’t easily forgotten and remain in my head.”

Kiel saw Olivia’s fingertips trembling slightly.

“I still haven’t forgiven you for that time, you know?”

Olivia’s lips quivered slightly at first. But she soon composed herself and forcibly created her usual confident smile.

With a feeling of his throat tightening, Kiel couldn’t say anything.

“You said you wanted to atone, right?”

“Olivia.”

“So, let me ask one favor.”

Kiel felt Olivia’s gaze. He clenched his trembling hands to hide them.

“The Demon God will appear soon. That guy will be incomparably stronger than Asmodeus, but if everyone here combines their strength, we can win.”

Olivia turned her head to look at the army.

The soldiers who had been divided into two factions until just now were now fighting together against the monsters.

It was probably thanks to Aria’s separate efforts. As for the holy knights, they had been educated in advance.

“Kill the Demon God. That’s my request.”

“…Olivia!”

“I know it will be difficult. I know your body isn’t in normal condition. But when you’ve held a knife to a friend’s neck, shouldn’t you do at least this much?”

Olivia said with a grin. Kiel couldn’t smile back.

“You… until the very end…”

It felt like his heart was being torn apart. How could he refuse?

He wanted to shed tears like Livga, but he didn’t want to show those emotions at all. Because Olivia wouldn’t want that.

“…”

Kiel bowed his head deeply. That was enough.

Whoosh…!

Olivia spread her enormous wings. In an instant, she soared into the sky, and a small dagger was already in her hand. The very dagger she had used to destroy Asmodeus.

Olivia slowly brought the dagger to her heart. At the same time, a message appeared.

[You have subdued the Returner, ‘Aria Lactea’.]

[You acquire Clue #14.]

It’s late. Far too late.

Of course, it didn’t matter. After all, she already knew.

[The 15th Returner is…]

“No need to tell me. I already know.”

And.

Slowly, the dagger pierced her heart.

It’s time to meet the final ‘Returner’.