episode_0541

The prediction was wrong.

Jinjo, who was assumed to be the worst case scenario, had already awakened, and his power was beyond imagination.

Even Francis Maier, who is praised as humanity’s greatest hero, is put to shame.

At this point, Francis and I came to the same conclusion.

The chances of everyone returning safely alive are extremely close to zero.

Someone had to sacrifice.

And in this part, the fundamental difference between Francis and me became noticeable.

“Just once.”

He extended one of his index fingers to me and said,

“I will create a gap. At that time, my friend stabbed him to death.”

Nonsense.

I shook my head.

In many ways, it was impossible.

Creating a gap means that all of Jinjo’s attention is focused on one person, Francis, even if only for a moment.

It already doesn’t seem easy to start with, but the bigger problem is what comes next.

How can you kill your opponent in one blow with just one opening?

“There’s no way it’s possible.”

“No, it is possible.”

He responded by lightly poking my left breast with his outstretched index finger.

“Right here, if only I could stab the heart.”

“… … .”

It’s not wrong.

Vampires are one of the races known for their tough vitality.

However, they also had one fatal weakness, and that was their heart.

The moment the heart that supplies blood to the entire body is destroyed, the vampire loses its strength and collapses.

In that case, no matter how much Jinjo is, he won’t be able to use his strength, so he will be able to win.

But how?

A look instead of a few words.

Francis, who understands this, opens his mouth.

“That means creating a clear gap, friend.”

I will create a gap perfect enough to stab Jinjo’s heart… ?

His explanation continues.

“Just once from now on. He and I will stop moving. At that time, I stabbed him in the heart.”

As I said before, in order for even a few people to survive, someone had to make a sacrifice.

As the scapegoat, I chose everyone except my colleagues.

“Piercing through my back.”

He chose himself.

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Indeed, he was clever.

Perhaps he was worried that he might be so caught up in the warmth that he wouldn’t be able to stab himself.

He burned his body and soul to create the gap he told me about.

okay.

Francis dies soon afterwards.

Either I stab him in the back or I don’t.

However, the value assigned to his death changes depending on what I do.

If you don’t stab him, you will just die in vain. If you stab him, it will be a valuable death to save your comrade.

I couldn’t bear to do that.

I may not be able to die in your place, but the life you risked to save us is fleeting.

Because that had to be prevented.

I ran out.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!

And stabbed.

Without any hesitation.

Boldly.

Phew!

The sensation of the tip of the sword digging into my skin clearly flows through my palm.

I experienced it many times while living as a hunter, but I couldn’t adapt to it.

The feeling is now more disgusting than ever.

I didn’t know.

Never would I have thought that I would kill the man called humanity’s greatest hero with my own hands.

I want to close my eyes and run away from reality, but I can’t.

Because this sword still has its uses.

Flutter!

From back to chest.

It passes completely through Francis’ body and pierces another body.

“Kohuheook… … ?!”

Jinjo looks down at his chest with an expression of disbelief, blood pouring out of his mouth.

It stabs.

The sense that was focused on this one thing expands again.

“Francis!!”

“What are you doing now? !”

“Oh, no!”

I can hear it.

Countless feelings of hatred, murderous intent, disappointment, despair, etc. run down my spine and give me chills.

But what mattered to me wasn’t their reaction.

“Qu… , tsk tsk… !”

The person I need to keep an eye on is none other than Jinjo.

“This is really… , cough… ! I never dreamed.”

Jinjo is so happy that he keeps spitting blood out of his mouth and laughing.

I feel it.

Its power, which was so overwhelming that I could barely feel it, is dwindling.

But the same goes for Francis.

“I told you… ? They say they will send you to hell.”

“Hmph… Wow, that’s stupid. Isn’t this why you can’t consider it a victory?”

“No, it’s my victory.”

Francis shakes his head and denies Jinjo’s words.

“All your colleagues are dead… , Because my colleague lived.”

“… … .”

It was a reassuring tone of voice without even a single trace of regret.

Even as his life is falling apart, he truly has no regrets whatsoever.

Jinjo watches and closes his eyes tightly.

The corners of his closed eyes tremble.

“It’s absurd. I never thought my life, which had lasted for so long, would end because of someone like you.”

A truly bittersweet feeling.

When he opened his eyes again, there was an emotion in his eyes that had never been seen before.

“After listening to what you said… , yes, it’s a little disappointing.”

It was regret.

“If I had known that I would die like this, it would have been better if I had created at least one successor.”

The advance of the vampires who escaped from the crack and formed a force ends here.

Jinjo, the only being who could increase their numbers, lost his life.

Just when I thought everything could go back to normal.

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about the future.”

A voice that comes out of nowhere sends a chill down my spine.

The source of the voice is… , behind Jinjo.

Behind him, the fog that had been divided into small particles quickly gathered together to form one shape.

The first thing that appeared was an arm with long sharp nails growing out of it.

“I will take over after you.”

A familiar voice.

As if not giving him time to think about who it was, the arm that appeared pierced Jinjo’s back.

Pow!

“… … !”

Convulsive Jinjo.

His arm, which hastened his death, soon falls out of his body.

Bye!

In the hand, which was completely covered in blood, was Jinjo’s heart, which had not stopped beating feebly.

And the shapes connected to the arms began to appear one by one.

A black tuxedo with red accents on the sleeves and collar.

The face revealed above the pale neck was enough to shock everyone.

As if he had already guessed, Jinjo’s mouth opened, becoming even more emaciated.

“… Was he alive, Duke?”

As he said, the person who appeared out of nowhere was none other than the Duke.

I couldn’t quite understand it.

How?

Surely he didn’t die right before my eyes?

The duke who obtained Jinjo’s heart laughs bitterly.

“Thank you for your hard work. I almost didn’t make it on time.”

“On time… .”

His lips twitch.

“You were targeting my heart from the beginning.”

“Tsk tsk. Yes, that’s right.”

The moment I heard the answer, I realized.

Both us and Jinjo.

The fact that it was all played into his hands.

“I needed your heart to make my dream come true. But you were so strong.”

Join the conversation between them.

“… Is that why you called us?”

“Yes, that’s right. I expected that with your strength, you would be able to reduce the power of the true ancestors in some way.”

From the time I entered the castle until now.

One question remained and was not resolved.

Why did we want to come here?

Surely our purpose was not to fight the True Ancestors, but to subdue the Apostles of the Seven Deadly Sins and their minions who had established themselves here?

But the only opponents we’ve fought so far are vampires.

Let alone the apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins, not even his subordinates were visible.

At first, I thought they gave up and ran away as soon as we entered, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“… It was you.”

Vlad Čepesh.

No, Viktor Vadim.

If he is an apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins, then everything is explained.

And as if he was giving me the answer to my hypothesis, he was smiling.

And very thickly.

“As expected, you are smart.”

It was probably intentional.

The one who revealed his identity to the Guardians who were spying on this side.

It must have been a deliberate ploy to draw us here and make us fight Jinjo.

“Ha… , haha… .”

Francis laughs helplessly.

“What is this? completely… , you played it right.”

For the first time, remorse appears on his face, which had not a single trace of regret even when he gave up his life for his comrades.

“I didn’t save my colleagues… , Was it driven to death?”

He was the one who led this operation.

When he found out that he had been fooled from the beginning, he seemed to think that this crisis was his fault.

The sword, which has now lost its meaning, is pulled back and pulled out.

Puhak!

At the same time, they freeze the piercing wound with ice and support him as he falls.

“Don’t blame yourself, Francis.”

“Sorry… , sorry… .”

After hearing him say sorry over and over again, I turn to my colleagues.

They are frozen by the shocking scenes that unfolded in succession.

Put Francis down in front of Juyeon.

“Please do me a favor. Just do the best you can.”

Then Juyeon shakes his head.

“… no. If that happens, all your sacred power will run out.”

Depletion of divine power.

It’s because of me that she’s worried about this.

I guess they are worried that I might not be able to heal myself in time if I get hurt in the future.

“I’m fine.”

“The future is… , you don’t know.”

Juyeon chews his lip and looks away.

Requests are meaningless anymore.

“… I promise.”

“… … .”

“I will never die, I.”

okay.

I don’t die.

I won’t let anyone else die.

I was angry.

The fact that I was fooled this much by just one guy.

So I will buy it.

Even if all means are used.

After saying that, I turn around and Juyeon speaks in a low voice that only I can hear.

“I’ve felt this for a long time, but… , You are such a fool, my brother-in-law.”

Laughter leaking out.

“I know.”

I agree.