episode_0009

Repeated recombination. Torture.

The aftertaste of the excruciating pain still lingers. My body trembles. My teeth chatter.

But the tips of my fingers that hold the sword, the tips of my thin fingers, do not waver at all. That is how I have trained.

Shaking is compensated by hand.

“After… ”

Using your nose and mouth simultaneously, breathe deeply into your lungs.

The heart beats vigorously, pumping fresh, oxygen-laden blood to every corner of the body.

But it turns out that our hearts, which the ancients thought were in our chests, were actually in our heads.

The rough beating of the heart seems to insist that it is not so, that it is here.

Like a dream. Like it was a one-night dream. Light, without any strength or weight.

The sword technique that lets everything flow away, ‘Somnium’.

Step one, beyond ‘like dancing’.

‘As if ■ is ■’.

‘■■■ is like■’.

‘■■■■■■ rum’.

One by one, we skipped over tens and hundreds of years of realm.

Kkirik, kiriririririk.

No, just a little more.

At the end, ‘as if dreaming’.

It’s foul play.

I forcefully open up a realm that is not permitted to my current weak body.

A sharp pain stabs every corner of my body.

It was mild compared to the severe torture I had just suffered.

It is bearable because it has suffered more severe pain, it is not the same. Rather, it is pain that is maximized as if the wound has been opened again and salt water is poured on it.

“Ah, aha, ugh, eh, ahaaaa …

My eyes go blank.

It feels like my brain is burning. No, it would be better if the nerves that feel pain were all burned out.

My body tells me that I want to just lose consciousness and pass out comfortably.

But he grips his left hand, which is not holding the sword, so tightly that his nails dig into his flesh.

Even though I kept telling myself that I had to kill the child who would become the Demon King right now, I never thought of going to such lengths, even with that twisted sense of duty. I couldn’t do it.

Because it’s that level of determination.

As the fog clears, my mind gradually becomes clearer.

I feel a refreshing feeling like the open sky from the forcibly amplified sense. It’s like a clarity that a person with poor eyesight is putting on glasses for the first time.

Of course, that also means that the pain that mercilessly tramples over your entire body becomes more evident.

Still.

“… Good.”

There was a little joy here.

Escaria, the demon of blades. As its name suggests, various dark blades fly towards Seed.

Each one is so fast that it is difficult to react with human reflexes, so it is difficult to follow them with the eyes.

But I’m glad it’s this guy.

The easy-to-understand form of the spear is best for Seed to deal with.

Chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng chaeng!!!!!!!

In an instant.

Strike off the longsword aimed at the center of the torso.

The curve aimed at the neck is gently brushed along the curved line.

Throw your sword at the dagger flying towards the tip of your right leg, a difficult area to block. Then, catch the sword that bounces back.

I slightly lower my head to avoid the large sword that is rushing towards my head.

There is no major movement.

Before the sword is even fired, you know in advance that the sword is there.

And on and on.

How many seconds did it take?

Not a single one of the dozens of weapons could penetrate Seed’s frail human body.

“Oh, shit… .”

“Wow, wow, wow… That’s a stunt… . That was just now, it didn’t seem like you used any abilities.”

A puzzled expression on the face of the girl in black, old-fashioned mourning attire.

“Ah, ah. Kuhut, but, that might have been the problem~.”

But he quickly smiles and hides his expression.

Clearly, Escaria’s black blade never directly hit Seed’s body.

Still, Seed’s body was full of wounds. Blood was seeping out of the torn places all over his body.

It wasn’t perfect.

The blades created by Escaria are made of magic.

It is difficult to interfere with a sword made of matter.

From Seed’s perspective, it seems that at least half of the width of the blade, and more specifically, perhaps 2/3 of the way, must overlap for it to bounce off.

Any area smaller than that that intersects will be in vain.

You can’t draw your sword with an optimized perfect trajectory. The timing of the bounce is one beat behind the point where you feel the swords make contact.

“Still, what kind of human is he? A human who can fight against demons without any abilities? And he’s just an academy student.”

He continues to shoot his weapon steadily, while spitting out words as if he is furious.

Seed doesn’t take the opportunity to approach and is busy deflecting the weapon.

“It’s a shame, but it’s more interesting over there. Oh. How is it? Do you still think about quitting life? Have you changed your mind?”

Escaria speaks leisurely to Irusia.

“Uh, me, I… .”

Irusia avoids the devil’s eyes.

I clenched my fists and mustered up my courage to ask for help, but I wasn’t entirely sure of it myself.

Still, in a corner of my heart, there are people like me who think the same thing.

“Look.”

Our eyes met and I was sucked in.

“Hmm… What would be good? Oh, by any chance, is your family doing well?”

A gaze that seems to see through everything.

“Don’t do anything stupid, huh!”

“You’re quietly doing a circus or something. Hmm, judging by your expression, I guess that’s right. You died in an unfortunate accident when you were young? Right… ?”

“What, how about that?”

I was so young, no, well, strangely I don’t remember it well. But as far as I know, it was an accident…

The reason I suddenly bring this up is.

No way. No way?

“Ah… That happens a lot. For humans who are born with magic.”

Irusia’s eyes waver.

no.

That’s what I’m saying.

Just don’t say that.

“Well, it may be obvious, but.”

Stop. Stop. Stop. No. No. Stop, no, no. Don’t make me laugh. No. No.

“Do you really think it was just an accident?”

That’s a lie.

“Stop talking nonsense aaaa …

“… … Is that so? Is that so? Ha, haha.”

“With that much magic power, it’s harder not to. How could a child control that kind of power?”

In the dark eyes, Irusia feels like she is being sucked in more and more. It feels like she is sinking into a swamp.

I think it would be okay to call it Ma-an.

“And, well, it might get better, but it’s no different for adults. I’m sure I’ll hurt a lot of people around me in the future.”

A wounded seed.

“Look at that precious childhood friend or something, he’s so hurt.”

Lick her tiny, glossy pink lips.

“Because of you.”

I know.

“Help me, okay?!! I’ll help you! I’m okay!!!”

“Ha.”

A dark dagger of light passes over Seed’s forehead, leaving a long wound.

It was dangerous.

Ah, because of the blood, the vision is blurry.

“Is this okay? Ah… . I give up now. Do you think this man can save you? He keeps on killing people he cares about. The first one is your childhood friend. Because you asked him to help you.”

“I, no, no, that’s not it… ”

“Because I had a bad dream.”

Eyes, those two eyes. The devil’s eyes.

It glows black.

It gets swallowed up.

End it now. Stop it. Give up. Stop it. Hurry, hurry, end your life. Stop living. Stop breathing. Die. Just die. It’s better to die. Thank goodness you can die. I envy you. Wow, this is so great! Hurry, now. Before it’s too late. Before you hurt someone. Before you become a real monster. Die. Stop the suffering. You shouldn’t have been born. You were born to hurt others. So die. Die quickly. Die for everyone. Die for yourself. What are you doing. Hurry. Huh?

“… Stop.”

“Irucia, you… .”

“I, I should just die, right? Then it ends here…?”

“What’s the end? You can dream! You still don’t know yet!! There’s no guarantee that what that guy says is right!!!!! If you do this, your happiness, your life, you, you!!!!!!!!!”

A black sword with ornate decorations pierces his side.

The first direct hit.

Then, something like a sword that goes inside the cane stabs my ankle.

A strangely long and bizarre sword cut across his shoulder.

“Keep, ah, huh!!!! … It’s okay. It’s okay, this much!!”

I try to pretend that I’m okay and turn around to look at Irusia’s face.

Irusia was crying.

Sweet tears fall down my cheeks, drop by drop.

Oddly enough, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is beautiful.

And it’s endlessly regrettable.

I, I really wanted to protect this child. Is it too late again?

Irusia opens her mouth, wiping away tears with her blood-soaked hands.

“Instead, this kid, my childhood friend… can you save him?”

“No, don’t die, don’t lose! That’s why you’re such an idiot… ”

“It’s okay. I was also interested in that human and thought it would be a waste to kill him.”

The attack has stopped.

Irusia looks back and forth between Escaria and Cid.

Escaria nodded lightly without saying a word.

Seed ran to Irusia without looking back.

Blood blocks the view, making it difficult to see Irusia’s face.

Still, he holds Irusia’s hand tightly with the hand that is not holding the sword.

It’s cold. It’s like a dead person.

“No, no. Don’t do that. Okay? You, you’re not that kind of person. I know that. So… ”

“Ugh… .”

Irusia shakes her head.

Gently push away Seed’s hand.

With both hands, he holds his arm, which is holding the sword.

“What, are, you, doing… . Huh?”

Even Seed looks like he might shed tears at any moment.

It’s too heavy to be expressed with just one word, sadness. It’s a pure and deep emotion that can’t be expressed by adding other words.

Regret, the face of losing everything.

Just like back then, when I lost everyone I cared about before I returned.

“You said you’d help me, right? This is the only way. Yeah.”

After saying that.

With a smiling face covered in tears and blood.

Irusia holds the arm that was caught, and the sword of Seed, to her own neck.

A single drop of blood, like a jewel, oozes out.