Chapter 137: Demon King, and – 3

Chapter 137: Demon King, and – 3

“……God, wills it, huh.”

“Hmm, that’s all I can tell you. Anything more could get quite dangerous.”

“In that grand future you’re concocting?”

“You’re quick on the uptake. Furthermore, speaking beyond this is also forbidden. God granted me the authority to see the future, not the authority to blab about it.”

…My head was still numb.

A god who desires war and chaos in the world? What kind of god is that?

Unless it was an evil god, at least the god of this world wasn’t such a malevolent deity.

He was a typical god, praised as the creator and revered by humans.

Of course, it could be a false record… but if so, the Holy Sword’s reaction was strange.

*’……Was the great war before also like this? But, why would He?’*

“Oh, and God specifically said He had something to tell the Holy Sword-nim, who’s holed up here, apparently?”

*’……!’*

With a faint tremor, the Holy Sword fell to the floor.

It felt neither holy nor powerful, as if it had become an ordinary sword.

…It was the moment it became clear that God was truly behind Elena, and was still watching this situation.

“So, what’s your answer to the proposal?”

“……I refuse.”

“Huh? That’s unexpected? Or are you not understanding the situation properly?”

At the same time, Elena’s armed subordinates subtly began to appear around us.

Judging by the fact that they weren’t just armed, but also preparing magic, it seemed they genuinely intended to attack.

And… what that implied was very simple.

“Refusal means death, is that it?”

“I really like you, but… Lucia. It’s always best to minimize the potential for variables.

So, I recommend you change your mind now. Join our great endeavor. God doesn’t particularly like you, but He says it’s still okay for now.”

In the current situation, the answer that would benefit me the most was to agree to join.

Naturally, there would be no danger, and God, who didn’t view me favorably, wouldn’t block my path.

But… just as Elena sees the future, I also know the future that unfolded according to the will of that so-called God.

If I hadn’t been there, if I hadn’t performed the branch, that would have been the future of this world.

*If you’re conscious of the branch, you can give up. You’ve already created enough narrative.*

‘What, are you worried about me?’

*……Being marked by the god of a world can be more dangerous than you think, no, beyond dangerous, it can be agonizing.*

‘Even the system can’t cover that much?’

*Even if I can barely stop God from directly harming you, I can’t stop indirect attacks like the prophet’s assault over there.

And it’s also unknown how much I can protect you against the god of this world in the first place.*

Simply put, it meant becoming a creature marked by the creator of the world, and suffering all sorts of hardships because of it.

Although speaking a bit indirectly, Ria’s recommendation was to join hands with Elena.

If even the system, which usually encourages challenging choices and creating better narratives, is like this, then it must be a considerable struggle.

“…If I cooperate, what will you do with the future I’ve changed so far?”

“Ah, indeed, there’s a lot of discrepancy from the originally existing future. So… it would be logical to normalize everything.”

“You mean you’ll make things happen that were supposed to happen originally?”

“Well… it’s inevitable that some people will die, and some people’s situations will change, right? First, you and your potion will be forgotten from the world…

As a result, Christie will lose her father, the Duke, again and go mad, the Saintess will give up on reform, and that little girl you’re employing as an assistant will die, and so on.

Oh, and those anomalous beings next to you will also be separated from you and disappear.”

…It meant that everything I had achieved so far would be destroyed, and all the relationships I had built would vanish. Even the system and Ria.

At the same time, it meant that my very existence would practically disappear.

That was enough to solidify my answer.

“You… no, I can never be with you, Elena.”

“……That’s a shame.”

My survival? My peaceful life? All good.

That was my original goal, and my ultimate direction.

But… without the relationships I’ve made so far, can I truly live?

If, when my own life and peace finally arrive, there’s only silence beside me, with no one to share it with…

How would it be different from my previous life, cut off and isolated? No, in the first place… would all that peace even have meaning?

Peace without anyone… is just silence, and death.

In this world, I didn’t intend to, but I twisted the fates of some, and new relationships were formed.

And that, undoubtedly, was a variable, as they called it, different from the future God and Elena intended.

Therefore, I cannot join them.

Because I cannot be with those who seek to deny and destroy everything I have achieved.

If peace and normalcy ever come to my life… it will surely be with the relationships I’ve built, never the silence of being alone.

*’Well said. I can’t associate with those crazy bastards.’*

“Holy Sword-nim?”

*’This is the moment I find it disgusting that I served such a crazy bastard as a god. How can the creator of the world be so wicked?’*

Whatever it had gone through in the interim, the Holy Sword’s words were extremely sharp.

It seemed it had either heard God’s plan or met God directly… what on earth did it hear for a former Hero to react like that?

“…Even the Holy Sword refusing the proposal is quite unexpected. There was definitely no such future…”

*’If you saw me as a being who blindly follows God’s will, let me tell you, you were greatly mistaken.’*

“Tsk. Everyone, take care of them.”

Finally, with Elena’s short click of her tongue, the order to attack us was given…

All the armed soldiers rushed towards me.

***

Soldiers fully armed surrounded a girl and approached.

On the surface, it seemed like just one of them would be more than enough to subdue the girl, but…

Clang!

With a clear sound, that seemingly obvious fact was denied.

A curtain of flames, enveloping the girl and incinerating anything external, flared up.

At the same time, a flash of light struck the soldier in front directly.

A huge chunk of ice struck the jaw of a soldier coming from behind.

As two soldiers were instantly injured, the soldiers who had been slowly narrowing their encirclement began their attack all at once.

Their judgment was that maintaining distance and encirclement would only benefit the girl, who could cast magic from afar.

Moreover, given the girl’s delicate appearance, it seemed like a typical warrior-mage battle where approaching meant victory, making them even more confident.

And the leader of the soldiers was no different.

Therefore, the soldiers cast protective magic to allow them to ignore the magic that flew in unexpectedly, or the flame barrier protecting the girl.

And what greeted those soldiers was just one thing.

Whoosh, and thud.

It was the sound of a soldier’s arm falling off.

It was also the sound of the Holy Sword cleaving an enemy.

The Holy Sword was so large it looked like a greatsword, too heavy for the girl to wield with both hands… but the girl swung it effortlessly.

Protective barriers meant to guard against magic were, naturally, weak against such physical attacks.

The Holy Sword moved, and struck a soldier again.

That was all.

After swinging the Holy Sword once, the girl moved with incredible speed, unbelievable for someone wielding a greatsword, aiming for her next target, and the soldiers couldn’t properly regain their composure.

They merely splattered blood as the Holy Sword punished the enemy.

Coordination with the Holy Sword? Assistance from the soldiers’ leader?

From the moment the Holy Sword fully unleashed its power, all of that became meaningless.

How many weapons could possibly withstand a clash with the Holy Sword, which easily cleaves through the hides and scales of even top-tier monsters?

Furthermore, what meaning could protective barriers and such assistance have against the Holy Sword, which was originally a sword that cleaved monsters and even crushed their magic?

It was an unexpected outcome for everyone. Even the Holy Sword and the girl herself had prepared for a tough fight, making it even more so.

Therefore, the shock of the prophet, who prided herself on foreseeing everything, was also natural.

“…This shouldn’t be happening…? Why, why?! How are you wielding the Holy Sword’s power?

No, how are you even drawing out more of the Holy Sword’s power than Hero?!”

“I wonder. Wouldn’t your esteemed God know?”

The soldiers, the encirclement, and their leader gradually crumbled.

If they focused on blocking the Holy Sword, magic that absolutely couldn’t be ignored would fly in, and if they focused on magic, the Holy Sword would cleave them.

The Holy Sword cut through the wind, cleaving and piercing enemies, and the lightning bolts falling from the sky resembled divine punishment.

The desperate struggles of the soldiers attempting to self-destruct were also erased by meteors falling from the sky.

It was the Holy Sword and the girl who had defied God’s will, but… the scene looked exactly like those chosen by God punishing heretics who dared to challenge them.

And so, the prophet, who always saw the future, concocted the best moves, and had never been defeated, and the soldiers, who were confident of victory, were defeated by a being whose future could not be read.

…Of course, it wasn’t that God.

Just as the meteors, lightning, and the Holy Sword were about to reach the prophet. With a flash, the prophet vanished.

“…What the hell?”

*’God interfered. He moved her to a completely different place. We should get out of here quickly too.’*

“……Right. It seems we’ll have a lot to talk about in many ways.”

It was the first day the prophet’s prophecy was completely wrong, and at the same time, the first day someone other than Hero wielded the Holy Sword.

Also, it was the first day… God was rejected by mere creatures, and the first day God was greatly enraged.

“…But I’m sure there was something important, wasn’t there?”

*……Did you forget about the Demon King because of a god worse than the Demon King…?*

“Ah. Right. I was rushing because of the Demon King, wasn’t I…?”

……Unfortunately, God’s wrath didn’t seem to hold much significance for them.