Chapter 97 – As If Awakening Destiny (2) 

Barugo watched.

Cariel, gripping the sword.

‘So he’s finally going to draw it.’

He had waited a long time.

But what was this?

Why…

Why was a boy with no apparent connection drawing the sword?

‘Grandeus.’

I thought he is your successor?

Then why is that sword radiating such a brilliant light?

Even without touching the light, all the mana in his body scattered.

The damage was even worse for his massive minions, one was instantly burned to a rotting husk by the light.

‘I can’t understand this.’

Could that really be the holy sword?

Barugo had faced many wielders of holy swords before.

And most of them, even if they held the sword, couldn’t properly wield it.

Even Luelde took considerable time to learn to handle the holy sword.

The Demon King of Wisdom once said,

– The holy sword tests people too.

The holy sword isn’t all-knowing; what does it really know about choosing its user?

– That’s why the holy sword tests its master. The demon sword devours its master. They have different intentions.

That’s why demon swords and magical beasts must be subdued and tamed.

But the holy sword, 

– It only begins to be used once it has accepted or allowed its user.

The sword and spear in Barugo’s hands were also proper magical beasts.

Called a demonic device, if he became Demon King, it would surely be called the Demon King’s weapon.

Magical beasts and demonfolk grow together.

But if the demonfolk are lacking, the beast will devour them in turn.

The opposite can also happen.

That must have been the case with Grandeus.

‘Did you devour the holy sword?’

How deep and immense was your darkness, 

That you could bend even the holy sword to your will.

Now I understand.

Why he said any sword that wouldn’t break was enough for him.

Grandeus.

To him, the holy sword simply meant, 

…a blade that would never break.

A weapon that could endure his power.

A weapon that wouldn’t break even in countless battles.

‘Unexpected, but, ’

Aside from his admiration,

He was once again stuck between duty and obligation.

What should he do?

Could he kill them now?

He could.

It was possible.

‘Those eyes.’

Those golden eyes were watching him.

So precarious, as if they might vanish at any moment.

Why, how could he endure it?

‘That must be your successor.’

Why give the sword to someone else’s hand?

Besides, Barugo had watched closely.

At the critical moment, he never took his eyes off them.

So, 

Even the moment Cariel seemed to directly hand the sword to Leo, guiding his hand to cross over the hilt, 

He had clearly witnessed it.

‘Is this right?’

Or perhaps, did he leave behind something else unknown to them?

There was no time to hesitate.

The light only grew stronger.

He had already ordered his subordinates to escape, so they were gone from the area.

‘All the more reason not to let them live.’

A new hero has been born?

It doesn’t matter.

What he feared more was, 

…Luelde’s child.

If that one survived unscathed.

He could barely handle it even now. If that one grew stronger and truly became like Grandeus, 

Then, there would be nothing they could do to stop it.

Even the Demon King of Wisdom,

Even the one who was once called the Left Arm of the Great Demon King, respected him all along.

But that respect was not loyalty or courtesy.

It was because of his strength, his power beyond common sense.

Grandeus. Those who had not witnessed his true strength laughed at his actions, underestimated him, ridiculed and ignored him.

But after invading the middle world, those who were dissatisfied with his actions, whether individuals or armies, invaded the area he was in.

And the result?

They were all annihilated.

He was utterly devoid of mercy.

Showing mercy when justice destroys evil?

Impossible.

He was so thorough in eliminating threats that even retaliation was impossible, leading to devastating outcomes.

Become his enemy, and you die.

You will die, without exception.

He never attacked first or used violence without cause.

But, 

He had never once forgiven or overlooked anyone who struck first.

The only exception was the Great Demon King.

For that reason, he never spent his life trying to kill the Great Demon King.

He was not normal.

Even in the Demon Realm, he was one of the most abnormal.

Extreme madness at its peak.

…Such a successor of Grandeus, could he ever forget his enemy, ignore them, or allow them to go free?

‘Absolutely, ’

He must be killed.

And, by great fortune, 

A gap had opened.

A minion, exposed to the holy sword’s light, the earth dragon, collapsed on the ground, thrashing.

The countless spawn that burst out of it melted away in an instant, like snow under sunlight.

It was an utterly overwhelming sight.

For Barugo, a being of evil rooted in the Demon Realm,

There was nothing more unreasonable.

‘But right now, I’m grateful.’

When the minions clung on desperately, there was never a chance for an opening.

Now, he could act.

Like lightning soaring skyward, Barugo leapt into the air.

He gripped his jet-black spear once more.

“Haaah, “

He steadied his breath and squeezed out his mana.

If Luelde appeared in this situation, 

He’d be slaughtered without being able to lift a finger.

No, that’s not it.

The moment he saw that man, no matter how well prepared he was, resistance would be meaningless.

Standing against him would be pointless.

It would be nothing but a futile struggle.

But, his son was different.

“No matter how radiant life is, it cannot refuse death.”

‘Tua Apporto’

A crimson current bloomed in the air like a brilliant flower.

Dozens, hundreds of branches stretched out, then were drawn into the black aura of the jet-black spear, sending black currents and sparks flying in every direction.

It was as if a massive light, a bolt of lightning, was being born and rising anew from empty space.

Even the blue sky was swept away by its force, losing all color.

The current, spreading as if it would fill the heavens and earth, was suddenly retracted, like a blooming flower closing in reverse.

In an instant, everything was drawn into Barugo and the jet-black spear he brandished, disappearing completely.

What followed was silence and stillness.

But everyone who witnessed it knew by instinct.

It was not the end.

That was only the beginning.

Cariel felt it, too.

And truly, after just a blink, 

He was standing right before him.

How, 

―!!

Had he blocked it?

He didn’t even have time to realize it.

He blocked it with his sword.

What was certain, 

Right after that.

In that moment.

There was neither self nor opponent.

In that moment, everything disappeared.

――.

―――.

Clang!

A sound was heard.

Listening closely, he realized it resembled hammering.

Whether that was correct or not, he didn’t know.

“Let there be light at the beginning.”

Someone spoke.

“Next comes darkness.”

And after that, 

“Let there be only fire and water.”

――!

“Gah!”

Without even realizing he was caught in it.

At some point, he was staring up at the sky.

He couldn’t feel any strength in his body.

What had happened?

“――.”

He could hardly breathe.

He tried, out of habit, to keep breathing, but it didn’t work.

His whole body was stiff.

It felt as if his body was no longer his own.

– How long have you been unconscious?

The Demon King was looking down at him as he lay on the ground.

The golden girl asked with a bored look in her eyes.

“…….”

He didn’t know.

He couldn’t feel anything.

His thoughts wouldn’t come together.

Everything was hazy.

One thing was clear.

Death was right before him.

Only that was vivid.

– As planned, you passed on the holy sword. You intended to use that as a way out of the crisis. Not a bad choice. And, just as we expected, that guy is still after you to the end.

Only, 

– You just didn’t have the strength to handle it.

“…….”

The world was only getting hazier.

No, at this rate, he really felt like he might die.

Or maybe not? Maybe death had already crept all the way into his throat?

“…….”

– Are you curious about what happened?

It was nice, being able to understand each other’s intentions just by meeting eyes.

Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

As long as it worked.

– The second round has started.

Second round?

– The demon beast’s minion was brought down by exposure to the holy sword. For being in the middle world, that was a temporary measure, it held out for quite a while. Barugo? He barely had time to confirm your end before the holy sword battered him and he escaped.

If things had ended here, 

…Maybe everything really would have been resolved peacefully.

– But we both know there are those who won’t sit idly by once the sword is drawn.

That’s why you tried to pass it off to the Relief Knights.

Even asking Venus or Ases was basically for that.

– The intention was successful. The only problem is, 

…Even the new hero who drew the holy sword.

Even anyone among the mighty Relief Knights.

– Now faces someone extremely troublesome as an enemy.

Suddenly.

He felt as if the whole world had turned strangely white.

– You know your fiancée, the princess.

“……?”

– Think of it as someone like her has arrived.

To be exact, 

– It’s the Great Demon King’s legacy. The one who carries that has come.

No, not come, 

They were already here.

– In a way, Leo, that brat who thought the sword knew the Demon King, wasn’t wrong.

Only, even the holy sword didn’t realize it.

That it was that kind of being.

……Suddenly.

He didn’t know if it was snow or a tiny hailstone.

But something fell and landed on his face.

At that moment.

……The girl opened her eyes.

* * *

I can’t remember.

But the confusion lasted only a moment.

Thinking it through, the girl clearly remembered just one thing: that she’d been hit by a carriage.

At that time, being hit and trampled, 

She had definitely been dying.

Then, just barely, what she could dimly recall was the sensation of someone shaking her body, crying out…

“Are you awake?”

“?!”

A voice she hated to hear.

A voice she hoped never to hear again.

But, she couldn’t avoid it.

If there was anyone here who would reach out to them, 

It could only be him.

A pale face.

Eyes utterly dark, with black lips and even the whites filled with darkness, a face wholly unlike a human.

A formal tailcoat made of high-quality material.

With a hat, he even resembled a distinguished noble.

If this were a ballroom or a social hall, 

He would have drawn all attention at once.

“…Did you save me? What’s the price? What do you want?”

“The price for saving you was paid by your younger sibling.”

…What?

“It’s been two years now. I made sure to heal her, but I hadn’t taken payment for waking her up, so I put her into temporary suspension. A debt must be settled, especially when it comes to you.”

“Where is that child now?”

“Working diligently at our establishment.”

“What establishment! What kind of place! What are you talking about?!”

“If you want to know, there may be a price.”

“…You really are!”

I resent you.

Father.

Because you sold me away,

I became entangled with this person.

And.

Because he wants what I have,

I can’t even run away anymore.

Now,

My weakness is in his hands.

“If you give up your humanity, you could easily escape my interference. What are you clinging to, trying to live so primitively?”

“What would a demon like you know?”

“Demon? I’m just a humble merchant. I value profit, I value trade. When it comes to keeping contracts, there’s no one in the middle world more strict than us. Contractual faithfulness is absolute for us.”

“…….”

I really hate this.

I wanted to shut my eyes, close my ears, and throw everything away.

But the only reason I could recover like this now, 

Was because that child, my younger sibling, had sacrificed herself for me.

And now,

If I don’t pay the price, 

…that debt will snowball and press down on her head, her shoulders, 

In the end, crush her whole body.

“What do you want?”

“It’s nothing much. Just, for our future, there’s only one thing I’d like you to do.”

“One thing?”

What condition is it this time?

But what he asked for was painfully simple.

Just, 

“A certain sage said that someone who will trouble us will be born in this village. But we have no idea who that is.”

So, I ask you.

“Kill the one we want. Then the contract will be fulfilled.”

For you, it should be a simple thing, shouldn’t it?

“…And if I refuse?”

“Then someone else will pay the price, one way or another. So? Will you accept?”

“…….”

Why.

Why won’t they just leave us alone?

Wasn’t it already painful and miserable enough?

“…That’s all I have to do?”

“Of course.”

So the girl, 

…entered a village,

And by dawn, froze the entire village solid.

There must have been no pain.

Yes.

There was absolutely… no pain.

Then why, 

“I did it! I did what you asked, so why!”

“But, look here. The contract wasn’t fulfilled, was it? This isn’t something we can help. You know that, don’t you?”

[Absolute Compliance Contract].

To prove it, a contract made of light unfolded in midair.

“It wasn’t fulfilled, was it?”

“Then what about what I did?! What was the point of what I did?!”

“Please, calm down. Of course, we acknowledge our mistake, and we’ll provide sufficient compensation for the distress. “

“What about these people? What happens to these people, then?”

“That’s our biggest dilemma. Since we can’t compensate them directly, we’re seriously considering making a donation or investment to the Kingdom of Serph instead.”

The dead, there’s nothing to be done for them, is there?

“Or maybe it’s because you didn’t kill them all, so the contract wasn’t fulfilled. In that case… who’s to blame for not upholding the contract?”

“…….”

“And as if foreseeing all this, our sage has delivered another message.”

If you want to put this behind you, 

“There are other ways. Those frozen in the village aren’t dead yet, right? I figured as much, so I kept a close watch… Truly, the Great Demon King’s authority is mysterious. I am sorry for the people of Tedeo Village, but maybe someday they’ll be freed. Oh, is that difficult right now? You’d have to develop your power further for that… That’s not something you can do alone, is it?”

“…You could have just offered another proposal from the start. Why! Why wait until all this has happened?!”

“Then how about going through the frozen villagers one by one and killing them to check? Maybe the one we want is among them?”

“…….”

“You’re the one making things difficult. Who are you blaming here? Really, I’m speechless.”

She was at a loss for words.

“But this time, it shouldn’t be hard.”

Because, 

“All you have to do is guard the sword that can’t be drawn.”

And if someone comes and draws that sword?

“Kill them.”

And then, 

“Your future, and that of your poor brother, will go a little more smoothly.”

How about it?

“Will you accept my kind offer? If you accept and this matter is resolved, I’ll release every restriction on you as well.”

Now, at last, 

“You’ll be free! Go on, be happy! Quickly!”

……

…I’m sorry.

For what I did because I was weak.

Because I was selfish.

Because I wasn’t ruthless enough.

Because I was neither one nor the other.

“Forget the past! Go on, be happy! Otherwise… how resentful must the ones trapped over there feel?”

What slipped out from those black lips was surely the whisper of a demon.

And even knowing that, 

I let myself be played by it again.

If there is anything I wish for,

Even if I die. Even if I fall into hell.

At least that child…

At least that poor child, may she be saved.

I pray, and pray again.

Oh God,

If You exist, 

…please, just grant me that one thing.