Ch.72Chapter 72. A Chance to Apologize

As soon as she escaped from hell, Denaruah swung her sword at Tigria.

Lin, who had remained vigilant, created a small reinforced shield to block it.

Clang!

Though pushed back, she defended perfectly.

Even though it was an attack focused on speed, the fact that Lin reacted and wasn’t overwhelmed was proof that her abilities had improved exponentially.

“How? More importantly, Lin! Don’t interfere!”

“Don’t you feel like something was resolved in that dimension just now?”

“Not at all. You just saw it, didn’t you? When dolls clumsily learn emotions, they commit irreversible mistakes. It’s a fact repeated throughout history.”

“Yes, so Tigria should live more carefully.”

“Keeping her alive itself invites tragedy!”

Denaruah felt more hurt that Lin protected Tigria than surprised that Lin blocked her attack.

She wanted to kneel and beg if she could.

Please come to her side.

“You didn’t see it, but she made the same excuses as that woman.”

“I didn’t see, but I heard.”

“Then why? Why protect the magician?”

“In that situation, it’s natural to say that. And whether those words were sincere will be shown through actions.”

“She’s just the same!”

“No, she’s different.”

Lin firmly denied it.

“Her environment, her experiences—they’re different.”

“She committed the same wrongs.”

“We all make mistakes, big and small. We’re lenient with our own faults and strict with others. If we punished every mistake immediately, would anyone survive in this world?”

Denaruah gave a hollow laugh.

“Have you forgotten what I am? I’m a demon. A demon who desires the world’s destruction.”

“Ah, right. You’re so kind I forgot.”

“Who’s kind?!”

Denaruah felt momentarily deflated by Lin’s absurd response, but she didn’t lower her sword.

Lin, who thought she had successfully lightened the mood, felt disappointed.

“Come to us. To us who have done you no wrong. To us who only look at you. What reason do you have to stay with that party that torments you without even realizing it?”

“Destroying the world is too extreme.”

“They’re all sinners!”

“And what remains afterward? An empty world with no one left to vent your anger on?”

“Then what should I do? Forgive all these shameless humans?”

“Hmm, you don’t understand forgiveness, do you?”

Lin said with a benevolent smile.

“Forgiveness is what you do after you’ve beaten the wrongdoer thoroughly and decide not to beat them anymore. It’s not about the victim simply enduring and moving on.”

“…That sounds very demonic.”

“Does it?”

She didn’t like what she just heard.

She felt a little hurt by Denaruah.

But she had bought enough time.

Deliberately standing in front of Denaruah, she used a recovery scroll to heal Tigria, who was battered behind her.

Lin was very satisfied with the Item Master class, which allowed her to attack, defend, and heal.

“Can’t take Lin…”

Tigria stood up, wiping away tear stains.

“I’ll defeat you here.”

“Tigria?”

“Lin, please leave this to me. I believe it’s time to settle this.”

Despite Tigria’s firm resolve, Denaruah snorted.

Although she had used all her magic power summoning hell and couldn’t use Dark Fang Sanctuary, a mere magician posed no threat to her, whose main strength was swordsmanship.

Lin hesitated but realized that Denaruah hadn’t been emitting killing intent and stepped back.

It also helped that Denaruah had deliberately left her alone, knowing she was healing the magician.

Still, she planned to intervene immediately if necessary.

“I will use my full power.”

“Empty bravado is— ugh?!”

“—!!!!”

Before she could finish speaking, a magic arrow flew at her.

She didn’t even hear the incantation.

Or more precisely, she couldn’t hear the exact pronunciation.

“——!!”

The incantation speed was so fast that it wasn’t just slurred—it was like watching a video on fast-forward.

When Denaruah slashed or thrust, Tigria instantly cast short-range teleportation to maintain distance.

While watching for openings, she tormented the dual swordswoman with all kinds of magical arrows, lightning, fireballs, and by freezing the ground.

“This!”

Denaruah’s speed increased.

Tigria’s reactions also quickened.

It was a battle so fast that to observers, it might have looked like multiple clones fighting separately.

But a duel to the death wasn’t just about pure force.

“It’s disgusting that a sinner like you is keeping Lin!”

“Such words from a demon are meaningless.”

Somehow, even though she interrupted her incantation to respond, the magic continued.

After spending hundreds of years buried in her study practicing magic, she had developed quite an annoying level of skill.

But Denaruah hadn’t brought up the topic for such shallow tactics.

“I’m speaking from Lin’s perspective. We demons have committed no sins against Lin.”

The dual sword was less cutting than her tongue, which pierced the magician’s heart more coldly.

A tiny opening.

In that brief moment when she merely swallowed once, Denaruah’s right sword, Solitude, pierced through.

Though she seemed to barely dodge using acceleration magic, she was slashed by Silence, which followed.

“Argh!”

Her front was torn open, but the blood made the fabric stick back to her.

The wound was shallower than expected.

As Tigria tried to prepare an incantation, her cheek was slashed again.

Then her thigh, arm, and occasionally her back.

Denaruah was toying with the magician.

“Apologize to Lin.”

“Kuk…!”

“Apologize and say, ‘I’m sorry for ignoring and making things difficult for you, a mere doll.'”

A continuous situation of being slashed, slashed, and stabbed.

Just like when she was beaten with fists in the ruins, Tigria was once again battered.

“Apologize.”

“Detected… ack!”

Whenever she tried to chant a spell, Denaruah deliberately struck her cheek or head to silence her.

She was angry at herself for being helplessly toyed with.

What full power?

Being overwhelmed by a dual swordswoman who wasn’t even using her ultimate skill, unable to even open her mouth.

She hated that dragon knight acting so superior, demanding an apology.

She hated how she tried to judge her without knowing anything.

Filled with rage, Tigria finally shouted.

“I was going to apologize!”

“What did you say?”

“But how could I when Lin wouldn’t even let me apologize!”

“You pathetic thing… you call that an excuse?”

A chill ran down Lin’s spine.

Unlike Tigria, who was shouting at the top of her lungs, Denaruah had become completely expressionless.

Lin’s assumption that she would spare Tigria because there was no killing intent was mistaken.

From the beginning, Denaruah was capable of killing the magician without killing intent.

As if it were simply something that had to be done.

“Is that what you find unfair? Is that what you cry out in indignation about? You who didn’t even have the chance to beg for forgiveness!”

Denaruah took her stance.

“So that’s all. I’ll kill you while you still have some guilt. That’s my mercy.”

Her form shot forward like an arrow.

[Master Skill: Item Creation]

Ultimate Skill

“Indomitable: Stand Firm in Battle!”

But once again, Lin’s intervention prevented her from drawing her sword.

“Move aside, Lin!”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why! Has anyone in the hero’s party ever protected you while turning their back? Even that magician just watched as you struggled to hold on with that meager shield! When those so-called heroes of the party were devouring all the food you cooked, she didn’t say a single word about saving your portion!”

“……”

Denaruah, who had been raging, finally stopped when she saw Lin’s expression turn bitter.

She had caused him pain by bringing up her own grievances.

“Lin, I—”

“Say more…”

Tigria, staggering to her feet, urged Denaruah.

“Hurry, tell me. My wrongs.”

“You pathetic thing…!”

“Hurry! So Lin can hear and I can apologize, tell me more!”

Rushing past Lin, Tigria thrust her horn staff like a sword.

“Give me a chance too! I don’t care if it’s ugly! I don’t care if it’s shameless! Please give me a chance to beg for forgiveness!”

I want to taste his warmth too, after being forgiven.

The horn staff, thrust with nothing but desperation, was a weapon worse than a mere club.

Crack!

When Denaruah struck it with the flat of her sword, the exclusive item bestowed by the goddess shattered pathetically, sending fragments flying.

“Tigria!”

Simultaneously, the other sword aimed for her eye.

With Lin’s scream behind her, the blade approached her face helplessly.

“Remember this. That you were the doll with the most conscience. Mind you, that’s still just ‘relatively speaking.'”

Ah, I’m going to die.

A life with too many regrets to accept…

She helplessly waited for the sword to pierce her brain.

And the world stopped.

Everything froze—Denaruah thrusting forward, Lin rushing to save Tigria, Tigria who had given up everything.

The only one who could move was the goddess, descending from the ceiling of the royal ruins with her wings spread.

[You meant those words, didn’t you?]

What?

[Asking for a chance to be forgiven, a chance to atone.]

I meant it, Goddess. Please give me a chance…!

[It’s not me who gives the chance, but Lin. However, I can let you struggle for it.]

Anything would be fine.

If there was any opportunity to beg him for forgiveness.

[Will you devote yourself to Lin? Sacrifice for him?]

I’m prepared to give my life for him anytime.

[Very well. I will specially use my power for you.]

The shattered horn staff was enveloped in light.

Like Lin’s bestowed Carrier’s Pouch, the light split in two.

However, instead of completely separating, it transformed into a scroll form connected by magical power.

[The Scroll of Knowledge, which can store and use magic. It allows you to cast most spells without incantation and examine any knowledge related to magic.]

As soon as the scroll was placed in her hand, Tigria began storing countless incantations.

She was storing spells to prepare for every contingency when this time freeze ended.

[I feel a little sorry for you, though not as much as for Lin. It’s like collective punishment for the misguided actions consistently taken by your predecessors. Looking at the precedent of the 2nd Magician, there’s a need to discipline you strictly. You must feel that your current self is very similar to the 2nd.]

The light was fading.

Even the goddess had her limits.

She was already straining to suppress enormous causality.

[Remember, dolls that develop emotions have a high possibility of committing irreversible mistakes.]

As the goddess ascended back to the sky, Tigria squeezed out a thought to ask why she had asked for her wish that day when she bestowed the horn staff.

[Wish…? I never asked anyone except Lin… No way!]

The goddess, who had always been benevolent, wore a grim expression.

[Angria! Finally!]

With just that, Tigria understood everything.

Angria.

The name of the evil god.

The goddess, unable to delay any longer, bit her lip.

[Tigria, doll born with suppressed tragedy. I have a request.]

The magician listened attentively to the goddess’s words.

[If you get the chance, please confirm whether I asked the Saint and the Archer for their wishes too.]

The light was disappearing.

Though she couldn’t nod due to being frozen, Tigria urgently affirmed the goddess’s request.

[Thank you. And don’t give up. Show that you’re different from the 2nd.]

It might have been empty words.

But Tigria was moved by the fact that someone was cheering for her, even if it was just lip service.

However, time wouldn’t wait.

The moment the frozen time was released, Tigria used the teleportation spell stored in the scroll to escape.

“Huh?!”

Denaruah, who had swung at empty air, stopped her sword in place.

Lin, who had been rushing belatedly, was also bewildered when Tigria’s voice came from the ceiling.

“Ultimate Skill.”

Looking up at the palace ceiling, Denaruah saw a spectacle of blue and red lights.

Magic circles and formulas floated around Tigria like a barrier.

In the center, the Scroll of Knowledge was suspended.

“Magic Art: Kaleidoscope.”

“The goddess must have!”

Countless magical bullets and lasers rained down on where Denaruah stood.

She lowered her stance and ran sideways, but the spells changed trajectory.

This made it difficult to leap into the air to catch Tigria.

It was obvious she would be intercepted the moment she jumped.

‘If only I could use Dark Fang Sanctuary…!’

She regretted using all her magic power to show hell.

“A magician like you! I’ve slain thousands!”

But that didn’t mean she had no options.

Denaruah deflected and neutralized all the magic with Solitude and Silence.

Just how far was possible with pure force?

It wasn’t for nothing that she called herself the strongest dragon knight.

However, when Tigria made another gesture and countless more magic circles were created, Denaruah gritted her teeth.

In the end, should she use that?

Her deliberation was brief, and her decision swift.

Denaruah stretched her leg forward and leaned her upper body back.

As she regulated her breathing to use her final secret technique, the illusionist’s telepathic message reached her.

[Denaruah, this is nonsense. Withdraw.]

‘If we don’t eliminate her here, she’ll become a major hindrance!’

[We’ve already achieved our goal. And at that level, she’ll protect Lin well, just in a different way from the hero.]

‘We can protect Lin perfectly too, without a single scratch!’

[Yes, we can. And you are essential to that “we.”]

The illusionist cowardly played on Denaruah’s loneliness.

Though she hated herself for complying despite knowing it was deliberate, Denaruah clicked her tongue and relaxed her stance.

As her hostility disappeared, Tigria also deactivated her magic formulas and looked down at her from the air.

“The next time you see me, your head will already be severed.”

Tigria couldn’t stop the vampire who turned into black smoke and vanished.

She too couldn’t move anymore, having depleted all her magic power.

Instead, Tigria promised a future confrontation.

“I’ll look forward to it, vampire.”

“…You’ve grown insolent.”

After Denaruah completely disappeared, Tigria closed her eyes and fell.

Lin, who caught her with a leap, felt the entire royal ruins shaking.

The palace couldn’t withstand the battle between the magician and the dual swordswoman.

[Intermediate: Irreversible Step (Lv.5)]

Using a speed buff skill, they escaped through the entrance just as the palace collapsed with a thunderous sound.

The City of Lamentation, Gillesmen, finally met its end after hearing the 2nd Magician, the princess’s lament echoing from hell.

“Huff… huff…”

Lin sat down heavily at the campsite.

As he caught his breath roughly, Tigria caressed his cheek with a trembling hand.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Lin sighed at this pathos, different from Luci’s.

Clink!

And among the many chains, just one turned purple-violet and shed its restraint.

Rattle rattle rattle

“It won’t be easy to forgive.”

At Lin’s firm words, Tigria smiled.

It was a very natural and gentle smile, filled with sobs.