Ch.269Chapter 10. Public Enemy (4)

At that moment.

A space entirely covered in white.

The patterns on the wallpaper and floor shine brilliantly with golden light as if depicting a radiant heaven, with golden patterns forming a regular octagon in the center.

In the middle of this space that looks like it could be from an island where angels live in a fantasy game, a small girl with black hair gazes down at the octagonal space below, her golden eyes sparkling.

“Aaaaargh!!”

The black-haired woman writhes in agony.

And toward that woman, two ability users grip a single gun and fire a bullet.

Fwooosh!!

As the two ability users pull the trigger, an ink-colored sphere bursts forth in the pure white space.

The black ether mass, visibly overflowing with unfortunate energy, takes the shape of a bullet and begins to spin around the girl like a comet.

“The seventh magic bullet will hit the person he loves most.”

The girl smiles faintly at the magic bullet that circles around her like a hawk hunting its prey, as if singing a verse from an opera.

“If the bullet aims for me, it means he loves me more than anyone else in this world.”

The girl spreads her arms.

Soon the magic bullet falls through the air momentarily, then rushes in a straight line toward the girl, aiming for her heart.

“But if one cannot kill their lover, the one who made a contract with the demon shall die.”

The girl extends her right hand toward the approaching bullet.

“Deus Volt. The fatal magic bullet cannot kill an immortal being. Furthermore.”

Click.

“If you seek to kill the innocent, first kill the guilty.”

Before reaching the girl’s heart, the magic bullet stops in mid-air.

“Pierce the heart of the one you must kill.”

The bullet flies around once more in a wide arc.

“Pierce the heart of the one who seeks to bring humanity to ruin.”

Dark wings of magical power shimmer behind the bullet, and a face like an evil spirit flashes in the bullet’s trajectory.

“Though it must pierce the heart of the most beloved, it cannot kill that beloved.”

Should I call that the face of a demon?

Or should I call it the face of a demon mask, a Goblin?

“The magic bullet will pierce the heart of the one who must be killed.”

Bang!

The magic bullet slips into the golden octagram that unfolds before the girl’s heart.

“Magic bullet delivery coming through~”

As if a dimensional gate had opened, the bullet heads somewhere else.

Fwooosh!

And on the floor, in a hazy image like fog, the magic bullet pierces the heart of the black-haired woman.

“One in 6 billion. To suffer that three times in a row. Destined to die by magic bullet.”

The girl brushes away the darkness shimmering before her chest, extends her hands to either side, and slightly bows her head.

“Profit.”

The girl says that one word with a relieved smile.

“Skipping the process. Such an absurd ability being realized as a phenomenon is truly the ultimate cheat key. It could rightfully be called divine power.”

The girl looks up at the ceiling.

“It must have flown to me because I am the most beloved person; otherwise, it would have definitely hit someone else. The seventh bullet is one that will definitely kill someone if the primary target is impossible, even without specifying a target. Truly fatal indeed.”

The wide dome-like ceiling is beautifully adorned with golden lines against a white background.

“The fact that such an ability can manifest means you must be a chosen one, right? Goblin. Hehe.”

Those who know astronomy would immediately recognize that these are “constellations.”

“And even Ymir too.”

And the patterns visible on the floor tiles below are also constellations.

“Whether it’s the will of mana, or the will of a god, or perhaps the will of this planet’s owner. Skipping the process of the fatal bullet’s flight and unconditionally killing the target… that’s an ability that only someone who has reached divine status should be able to use. I don’t think the Goblin can just use it so easily.”

Rumble.

The ceiling begins to move.

“It’s you, isn’t it? Deus.”

Centered on the platform where the woman stands, the constellations on the ceiling and floor slowly begin to rotate.

“You’ve decided to eliminate the ‘Demon of Mercury’ from this world, haven’t you?”

The girl merely looks at the sky as she asks.

“You want humans to punish the one who attempts to eradicate the seed of humanity that claims to be the master of Earth.”

It’s unclear who the question is directed at.

“I dare not presume to know the will of God, but making the closest possible inference is human freedom, isn’t it? Right?”

There is only the girl in this space, and there is no one who can answer her questions.

“I suppose that ability can never be used again. It must have been limited to only be used against the Demon of Mercury, Laplace’s Demon. If someone tries to shoot it at others, that seventh bullet…”

Click.

The girl places her index finger against her temple.

“It would aim at me, wouldn’t it? Toward the woman the Goblin loves most. Or toward some innocent person.”

Rumble.

The sky moves.

“Oh my, are you trying to say something?”

Among the constellations engraved on the ceiling, one that resembles an archer shooting an arrow toward the sky begins to sparkle.

And in the direction where the trajectory of light flies, the Big Dipper briefly shines.

“Hmm. The fatal bullet shot by The Marksman, the seventh bullet aimed at a beloved, will fly toward me? That’s interesting.”

The girl twists the corner of her mouth.

“Who else could it possibly be besides me? Answer me. The savior of demons? A righteous hero? Or perhaps someone else who hasn’t even appeared yet? Not at all.”

For the first time, a hint of displeasure appears on the face of the girl who had been speaking with gratitude.

“That man is mine.”

The girl’s expression hardens.

“I’m grateful that you realized his ability as a ‘phenomenon’ to eliminate the Demon of Mercury. I’m truly thankful that you haven’t given up on humanity yet. But that’s different from this.”

Bringing both hands to her lower abdomen, the girl raises her hand toward the sky.

“My husband, the father of my child, will fall for another woman? Go to hell.”

Raising her middle finger toward the sky, the girl sticks out her tongue.

“I am the legal wife.”

* * *

I did worry about it, just in case.

What if.

What if this magic bullet flies toward the person I love most, like in the original “The Marksman”?

Then naturally, the bullet would fly toward the Guild Master.

…It would be a process of proving my love, but then I would end up killing the Guild Master.

But.

‘How could someone like me possibly kill a goddess?’

The Guild Master is a goddess.

Her beauty is divine, her heart is divine, and her omnipotent power is divine.

I once told her something like that.

That the Guild Master is my goddess.

-I prefer “honey” over “goddess.” Would you call me “honey” instead of “goddess”?

Even her feelings toward me were divine.

And once, I also told her something like this.

-If you’re in a situation where it’s difficult to do something with your power, don’t hesitate to ask me for help. You don’t need to consult with me in advance. If it’s your business, I’m always watching over you.

No matter what I do, she watches over me from afar, believes in me, and supports me.

So I fired the magic bullet.

Even if my bullet were to aim for the Guild Master, she would surely find some way to deflect it, eliminate it, or perhaps direct it at Mateless—she would find some solution.

Yes.

The process doesn’t exist “for me.”

It exists for the Guild Master.

-The Guild Master will handle it somehow.

With that belief, I fired the bullet, and as a result, Mateless was completely overloaded mentally and gave up thinking any further.

“……”

[That took a while. Now, it’s time for your execution.]

Her will was already broken.

Since Mateless herself couldn’t interpret The Marksman and had given up everything due to information overload, all that remained was for her to die.

We could eliminate her through Ymir’s purification.

Or I could swing my goblin club directly to destroy her.

[Qiongqi. I think it’s about time to compress the barrier.]

“Indeed…”

That’s exactly what I wanted to say.

Mateless knew that the barrier spread across the battlefield belonged to Qiongqi, and the invisible flame barrier quickly diminished and covered the factory rooftop.

[Is it over now?]

[Yes. It’s truly over now. All that remains is how to finish it.]

Qiongqi, Ymir, and I formed a circle around Mateless.

We remained vigilant until the end, ready to subdue her immediately if she resisted until the very last moment.

“Tell me. How did you make the bullet hit me?”

[I said you don’t need to know.]

“Don’t give me that crap…! You can tell me…! They say you should at least know the name of your killer and the technique that killed you before going to the afterlife!”

[You’ve watched too much fiction. Reality isn’t like that.]

There’s no need for courtesy toward a demon.

[There are countless reasons why you should die, but you’re out of here for the single biggest reason why you shouldn’t exist in this world. You.]

I pointed my goblin club at Mateless.

[You don’t understand the preciousness of newly born life at all.]

“……”

[I’m not talking about natural selection or anything like that. You deny the origin of all life in this world.]

She doesn’t acknowledge the act of bearing offspring and continuing life itself.

[To put it simply….]

[Ah, may I say it?]

Ymir raised her hand.

Just as I was about to deliver the speech I had prepared, I gestured to Ymir, giving her the opportunity.

[Hmm, well then…. Mateless. You are a truly pitiful demon.]

Ymir moved slightly closer to me and nestled against my body.

[You’re pitiful for not knowing the coolness of making babies.]