Dai Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu:Volume 4 Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Human α[edit]
The colour of the sky was changing.
It never stopped changing.
From the sky above Ryner, or to be more accurate, the sky above Ferris started to change as if it changing from afar.
Far, far away. To a place where many overwhelming events had happened. Finally, it changed until the sky in the southern continent. The sky of the grey southern continent. A sky that was choked with hopelessness.
Under this sky.
Under this sky, stood a girl.
She had long red hair and a shapely body. She wore a peach-coloured blouse and skirt.
The girl looked to her side. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.
“That… That, Sion… I, If it’s Sion, then you can do whatever you want to me.”
She said this in embarrassment and pressed a hand to her chest.
“My body belongs to Sion-sama.” She said.
Then Sion Astal looked at her.
His golden eyes gleamed under his silver hair. He looked at the girl’s body with his determined eyes.
“Hey, then I can really do whatever I want to you?”
What was this.
But the girl looked at Sion and blushed harder. She replied, almost whispering, “To me… It’s your choice.” Her voice could hardly be heard.
Then he walked towards her and touched her neck. When Sion touched her neck, the girl’s body trembled. She was clearly nervous and excited, and her whole body felt as if it were on fire. Sion said softly, “Then, I can really do whatever I want?”
“Yes. It’s your choice.”
“I understand. Then…”
Sion’s expression changed as he said, “Then… Die. Monster.”
Sion gripped the girl’s neck. He twisted it. There was an unpleasant “Crack!” Sion knew that the monster’s neck was broken.
Under these circumstances, that person would have died immediately.
A normal girl would have died immediately.
But the girl laughed.
Although her neck was broken, but she still could move. She grabbed on to Sion’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“…Aha, Ahahaha. Sion is so childish. But you used to like my behavior. Please, use more strength and fall into the entangled web of love with me… Fall with me and land in this kind of abyss. Never turn back. Be passionate, release yourself, Hero!”
As the girl said this, she widened her eyes. She stared at Sion.
Her eyes became wider. And wider. In the end, her eyeballs fell out but the girl still continued to laugh.
<Ahahaha hahahaha, shahahaha.>
Sion’s face tightened.
“… My ears.”
He used his other hand to clench the girl’s head hard and attempted to twist her head off completely to stop that voice that was making him crazy.
But no matter how hard he tried to twist or to break, the sounds of the girl’s laughter continued. To make matters worse, the hair he gripped in his hands started to wriggle and squirm. They crawled to Sion’s wrist. The areas where the moving hair touched caused a numb feeling to spread throughout his body. Sion momentarily lost conscious.
Then the scary voice of the girl said.
“Ahahahaha. It’s no use. As long as it is a human, if they are touched by my body, they will lose their sense of self. Your life ends here. This is your end. You will become part of me, and fall into the darkness with me. Just like the previous king. Just like your father.”
As she related the horrible affair, her hair reached towards the rest of Sion’s body. No, that could not be called hair any longer. Sion released her hair because that thing had melted, as if it were a liquid and stuck to Sion’s hands and wrists.
She slowly, slowly eroded Sion’s body.
“…Wu…”
Sion groaned in pain.
He tried to think of a plan to escape from her control, but he could think of none.
She started to invade his body.
She started to take control of his body.
It was like there was no defense against her actions.
Sion’s face tensed.
“…Bastard.”
It was obvious. He could only subject himself to his fate.
In the deep abyss of despair, he suddenly heard a voice.
“…Hmm. It seems to be more troublesome than I thought it would be. How tiresome.”
Sion looked towards the source of the voice.
A man with an interested expression stood behind the girl. It was not known how long he had been standing there.
He was a blond man and his beauty attracted the envy of others.
He was the Head of the Eris Family, who had the ancestral duty of serving the King of the Roland kingdom, Lucile Eris.
Therefore, in order for him to fulfill his role as Sion Astal’s protector, he immediately attacked the monster that had placed Sion in danger.
“… But, if you need my power to deal with this kind of lowly creature, then you have no future. Won’t you work harder? Sion?”
What was happening? Why would he said something like this?
At this moment, Sion was fighting against the invasion of the monster. He looked at Lucile.
“…Gu gu, wu. Wa… This, this is bad.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can die first.”
“But that was what I told the monster.”
“Ha ha. Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I see. Then work hard. If you can’t deal with this standard, then you have nothing worth my protection.”
“…”
Sion thought that what the unpleasant character said made sense.
Yes, the enemy in front of him was not suited to be his enemy.
In these few months, Sion had constantly encountered their enemies—if it was not the creatures that called themselves Goddesses, it was monsters from outside their habitat.
The opponent Sion was facing was a copy of a Goddess. They only needed to use a part of their body as a medium. From there, many monsters could be created. Moreover, the real body of the Goddess was not here. If his battle with this copy took up much effort, then it would be unacceptable.
Thinking of this, Sion concentrated.
He started to build the curse in his body.
The curse that was created for the sake of destroying the Goddess.
His concentration increased and the Curse of the Mad Hero started to progress quickly. Then he spoke like he was casting a spell,
“… Get out of my sight, Goddess.”
In a second, many black swords appeared around Sion.
They were so black that they seemed to absorb the darkness.
They were so black that they seemed to eat the darkness.
They were darker than black.
Looking at these swords, the monster that was preparing to eat Sion became desperate.
“Wait…Wait—”
Without waiting for her to finish speaking, the swords plunged towards it.
They pierced through the monster’s body slowly and agonizingly.
The areas that the swords pierced became more transparent and colour began to fade from its body. Finally, it disappeared.
The cries of the monster had yet to be unleashed when the curse devoured it. Then everything finally…
“…”
Finally, there was calm.
The monster had been eliminated. Sion double-confirmed it.
“…Wu…”
Groaning softly, Sion kneeled on the ground.
He was tortured by the sensations of being burned.
But this pain did not originate from the monster’s attack.
It was because he had used a power that he had no wish to use.
It was the after-effects of using the curse of the Mad Hero.
Sion felt as if he was being corroded away by the curse of the Mad Hero. His human personality was slowly fading away.
That heart-wrenching pain was displayed on his face.
“… Thanks, I can depend-”
The pain reached its peak.
But Lucile smiled at him and said something strange, “You did well.”
Sion suppressed his pain and forced himself to laugh.
“… What is that? Are you expecting me to go, Thank you, Mama~? Really, I'm too old for that praise.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Then how do you wish to praised next time?”
Sion raised his head, his tense face carrying an expression of pain and stood up.
“…No, I’m not doing this for the sake of praise.”
His whole body hurt, as if it were about to fall apart. Aside from this, Sion felt a part of his most precious feelings and important memories had been lost.
Of course, he did not think that this was because of who had praised him.
This was something he had to do and only he could do. It was just like that.
Lucile said. “But if I don’t praise you now, then there will be no one else to praise you. Wouldn’t you be lonely?”
Sion replied, “… Don’t say such silly stuff.” He smiled faintly.
He looked at his surroundings and checked the condition of his body.
“…”
What an amazing place.
There was a blood-red ground and a white sky with nothing in sight.
A world with only red and white.
There was no noise.
There was no light.
Only this world that was red and white.
It was a world beyond human comprehension.
If one spent too much time in this place, they would go mad.
No, even if they stayed here for an hour, they would go mad too.
“…”
What am I thinking, he thought as he touched his chest and felt his remaining humanity.
He smiled sadly, as if mocking himself.
“… Then we should return, Lucile.”
As he said that, Lucile’s figure disappeared. Like usual, he only appeared when he wanted to, and disappeared when he wanted to.
Sion forced a smile upon his surprised face before he closed his eyes.
The red and white world that belonged to him disappeared.
The ugly world that the Goddesses made faded out as well.
He opened his eyes again.
“…”
The world had regained its usual scenery.
He could see the capital of the Roland kingdom before his eyes. He was sitting beside his throne. Sion could sit on the respected chair that only the loneliest person could sit on.
“…”
But when he sat on the throne, he could see the similarities between this scenery and the gory world that the Goddesses had created.
He could only see pain, despair and darkness.
Killing family, betraying friends and offering his body as a sacrifice. After experiencing this, he had finally managed to get to the position he held today.
“…”
So he could see the decaying scenery.
The Mad Hero’s laughter.
The voices of grotesque Goddesses and uncomprehending humans.
Sion would be tortured by these voices and he would thinking of crying.
When he was alone, he felt like crying.
His personality was slowly disappearing.
His rationality was slowly fading.
This was bad.
Terrible.
“… so lonely.” He muttered softly.
He leaned into his chair and watched the crimson rays of dusk shine through the window.
“…”
In the past, there were people who would stay by his side and relieve his boredom.
It was a long time ago. Every time Sion said he was lonely, Ryner would blurt, “Huh? Haaaaaa. You dare say that you’re lonely when you ordered me to stay by your side? You’re kidding. What kind of joke are you trying to pull off? If you don’t want me to die, then let me leave. I don’t even have the strength to yell “Aaaahhhh”. So, can I leave now?”
Ferris, who was sitting to one side, said, “Mm-hmm, hearing you say this, I feel a little lonely too. Let’s go buy dangos together.”
Although this was a strange conversation, Sion still felt happy when he heard this.
“…”
Thinking about that piece of happiness he had enjoyed not too long ago, Sion smiled sadly again.
“…”
But those days of happiness would never return.
When the colours of the world changed, they could no longer return to their original colours.
Every time he thought of this, he always.
Always.
“… This really makes one feel lonely, Ryner.” Sion murmured.
Even so, he would continue to progress.
Sion would work hard so that if the cogwheels of fate started to veer into a hopeless future, his actions would at least hinder the developments of this future and lighten the impact. He struggled desperately. As a result, he had no more time to rest.
If he stopped, the whole world would be thrown into chaos.
So he breathed in and destroyed his weaknesses. He destroyed the weakness he had of reminiscing the past and wallowing in pointless angst.
There was already no more time.
He had no time to recall the past.
So he thought that he’d put his efforts into progressing into his future.
Killing his biological father, betraying his friend, abandoning his humanity— this was all for the sake of progress. He lifted his head again—
“…”
Sion turned to see a girl standing in the hall. It was not known how long she had been standing there.
In that moment, he thought that it had come again.
The monsters released by the Goddesses.
Lately, the Goddesses had been increasing the frequency of their attacks.
From the human world or from the Other Side.
Although the monsters created in the human world were weaker than the monsters created in the Other Side, but the assassins that the Goddesses sent had a power that was more than what a human would have.
So Sion tensed, ready for battle.
But when the girl walked in, he relaxed.
He knew this girl.
“…”
He watched the girl who had entered the Hall.
She was younger than Sion by around two or three years. She was sixteen years old.
A wavy, amber pony tail and large eyes. She wore the Roland army uniform that did not match with her petite body.
Sion recognized that appearance.
Milk Callaud.
That was her name.
Sion had used this girl to make sure that Ryner would stay by his side.
This girl was Ryner’s childhood friend.
The girl stood in front of him currently.
Sion looked at her. Then he erased the roiling darkness in his body. He erased the pain, hopelessness and sadness that was released from the Mad Hero from his body.
Then he gave her a fake smile, “… Isn’t this Lieutenant Milk Callaud? It’s been a long time since we met. Is there anything I can do for you?”
For unknown reasons, Milk looked at him with a slightly serious expression. “… There’s something I’d like to ask Your Majesty.”
That adorable voice carried an undercurrent of solemnity.
Sion replied, “…Some things? What is it?”
Although he phrased it that way, he understood why she was here.
The reason why she was here.
She was here to ask about what was happening in this country.
She was here to ask what had happened to the world.
She was here to ask about the country that had launched war on the world.
She wanted to ask Sion Astal, who was the Hero King and supposedly a good man, why he had continued with the human experiments secretly; and the reasons for the invasion of other countries as well as why he had betrayed his friend.
“…”
Was Ryner Lute a traitor?
Milk was here to ask this.
This was the first person to save Ryner.
This was the first person to stop Ryner’s Alpha Stigma from going berserk.
This person was the childhood friend of Ryner but she did not follow him and came here instead.
For Ryner.
For the sake of helping him out.
She clearly wanted to leave with Ryner, but she came here—
Came here to keep an eye on the man that had betrayed Ryner.
“…”
Sion could withstand the accusing look Milk was aiming at him.
He could withstand her feelings.
For a moment, there was a slight pain deep in his chest.
But it was only for a moment.
Sion smiled warmly immediately, “If you have any questions, you can ask them.”
So she continued in a determined tone. “No, there aren’t so many problems. I just wanted to ask one thing.”
A straight-forward tone.
It was different from his first impression of her when they first met.
It was noticeably different from his impression of her when he first thought to make use of her.
Then, she gave him the impression of being adorable and inexperienced, but now he could feel the intensity of her thoughts.
She was determined to change something.
Anyone who wanted to save something had a similar expression.
She had decided on something and came here with that strong determination.
He could feel it, just by looking at her expression.
“…”
But towards this.
Sion felt that it was meaningless.
No, interrogating Sion now was really meaningless, he thought.
She would interrogate Sion and get some information from him and pass it on to him, or for Ryner’s benefit, she would persuade Sion.
No matter which side…
“…”
Everything seemed to be foolish, to Sion.
It was too late.
It was too late because all the saddening events had already occurred.
Even Ryner’s and Sion’s relationship.
Even Sion’s relationship with the world.
It was already at a stage where the darkness was overwhelming and there was no hope for any chances of redemption.
Then, suddenly.
“…”
Sion felt the darkness in his body ache. He felt the pain stab through his body, the Curse of the Mad Hero was starting again.
He couldn’t help but scrunch his face.
This was bad, he wanted to softly groan.
That was starting again.
In another universe different from their world, the Mad Hero and the Goddesses were starting their ugly battle between each other.
In that moment.
The scene distorted.
The entrance to the Hall where Milk Callaud was standing—this image.
A dark corridor where a subordinate of the Goddesses stood—that image.
The two images overlapped each other so that they would both be seen at the same time.
The different images started to move. He thought furiously of ideas to deal with both sides, and felt nauseous and dizzy.
This was the after-effect of using the curse of the Mad Hero.
Sion had to exist in both worlds and then react to both situations at the same time.
The real world and the Other World.
“…”
In the dark corridor.
The subordinate of the Goddesses started to shake its head with a gurgling sound.
Gu lu gu lu, gu lu gu lu, it started to shake as if it were mad.
Then it walked towards him.
<<Kiiill hiiim kiiilll hiiim kiiillll hiiiim kiiilll hiiim!!!!!>>
It shouted as if got nearer.
Its hair swung in his direction.
Her surroundings would decompose as she walked past. It chased after him, emanating a foul stench and decaying.
He only needed to look at it to understand that this monster was stronger than its predecessor. It was very obvious that its nature was far more vile than the previous one.
If he didn’t deal with it immediately, he would be killed.
It he didn’t deal with it immediately, the world would be eliminated.
“…”
But towards this, Sion’s expression remained calm.
He was already accustomed to this kind of situation.
“Lucile.”
Sion, who was in the Other World, said to the human world.
Then, in front of him…
A blond, beautiful man appeared in the middle of the dark corridor.
He turned towards Sion.
“…Yes, alright. I shall devour this fellow. So you can be that cute girl’s opponent.”
He nodded towards Sion.
In the next second, Lucile disappeared and the monster’s head was retrieved.
Then the monster that had lost its head,
<<Don’t, don’t interfere, Lucile Eris! You-you-What you’re doing is insane…>>
But Sion ignored that voice.
He ignored the images of the Other World.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he smiled. As if nothing had happened, he smiled warmly.
But in truth, nothing had happened in the real world.
Even if it was a large magical attack.
Even if the mad Goddesses caused trouble.
For now, that power was unable to interfere in the affairs of this world.
Though it was only for now.
“…”
Because of that, he pretended that nothing had happened.
He smiled warmly as he looked at the girl before him.
Then.
“… Then, I’ll listen to your question now.”
He said.
Therefore, Milk could ask what she wanted to ask. It was probably the boring question that Sion had predicted.
What happened to you and Ryner?
What has happened to our country?
This kind of question, compared to the current situation and the depressing script, was able to make one laugh foolishly but happily.
Towards Sion who felt like crying and was invaded by the Mad Hero and the Goddesses, this was a simple trouble made him feel like laughing.
Towards this kind of question, Sion had many answers and excuses prepared.
He only needed to choose one from these, an answer that could she could accept and feel at ease.
There was no need to tell her the truth.
There was no need to tell her the despair in this world.
Only he was needed to sink into that despair.
“…”
So Sion smiled, watching Milk.
He smiled that usual, calm and youthful smile and watched Milk.
Then said, “Ah, ask away.”
So Milk nodded her head and thanked him. Her round, big eyes looked straight at him as she asked, “… What has happened to this country?”
This… She had asked the question that Sion had predicted…
But at this moment.
She continued. “I wanted to ask Your Majesty this. And about Ryner… What has happened between Your Majesty and him? I wanted to ask Your Majesty this. But after seeing Your Majesty… After seeing you, I understood that it was meaningless to ask that. So I decided to ask something else.”
She suddenly said this.
Sion narrowed his eyes at this.
“… Another question?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
So she asked.
Her face appeared to be a little worried, although Sion did not know why.
“…Your Majesty, what are you fighting with?”
She said.
What she wasn’t looking at Sion.
She was looking at Sion’s chest.
As if she wanted to look into his inner mind, she looked at Sion’s chest.
Sion looked at his chest.
But there was nothing there. There was nothing particularly eye-catching.
But Milk kept looking at his chest. As if she could see through Sion’s chest. She looked at Sion’s chest seriously.
An expression as if she could see something Sion couldn’t see.
No, that was not right.
It was an expression as if she was able to see another world that only Sion could see.
He felt a little nervous at this.
“…What are you saying?” he asked.
But towards this,
“…” Milk did not reply.
She only looked at Sion’s chest. She looked towards him with that expression as if she was so scared that she was about to cry.
“Miss Milk?” Sion said.
“…”
“About that, what’s wrong?”
“…”
“Eh…”
Sion stopped speaking.
Because Milk’s body seemed to lose strength and collapsed.
“What-” Sion exclaimed in surprise.
For unknown reasons, Milk seemed to lose consciousness and her head was about to collide with the floor…
“Danger-”
Sion stood up from his throne. He ran towards the Hall. Although it was clear he would not reach her in time, but he still rushed forward.
But when Milk’s head was about to strike the floor.
“…”
Her body was supported by someone.
Outside the Hall.
A man appeared from behind Milk, gently carrying her.
“…”
Sion stopped then looked at the man who was carrying Milk.
Although he was still quite young, he had long white hair. He had a gentle and experienced expression. He wore the Roland Army uniform.
Sion recognized this man.
Sergeant Luke Stokkart.
He always had a smiling, calm expression. He was a man who was as gentle as a nursery teacher and who followed Milk. But he was a man who had helped Sion secretly during the revolution. He was like Rahel Miller’s right-hand man.
The right-hand man of Miller came here.
No, ah, it was possible that it was this man who brought Milk here.
After all, only a small number of people were able to enter this Hall.
Only an exceedingly small number of people were able to approach this Hall that would be under attack from the Goddessess any time. These people were prepared to face anything odd from this Hall.
He had also placed security measures around this Hall.
And Milk Callaud was not on his approval list.
So she would be unable to get here alone.
That meant, “…It was you who brought her here? Luke.”
Luke raised his head when he heard Sion’s question. He still had a warm, smiling and calm expression. But if he was tricked by that face, he would suffer greatly, Sion understood that.
This man was the hardest to command amongst Sion’s subordinates. From the time they had met until now, it had always been the same.
His performance during the revolution was equal to Claugh Klom and Rahel Miller… No, this man was better, but he would never appear on the stage.
He would always be backstage, carrying out top-secret missions and sneakily executing them. He seemed to smile happily, but he was always able to make things proceed his way.
It was impossible to guess his thoughts just by looking at him.
He was a man who was intellectual and powerful but it was incomprehensible why this man would decide to follow Sion and Miller.
Ah, on this point, Claugh who had some dealings with Luke had said, “No, that man is not thinking of anything. He’s just someone who is competitive but has a strong sense of justice which is worthless. He is an idiot who just wants to do what he thinks is right. So that guy just simply wants to follow you. There’s no need to worry about something strange.”
That was what he had said.
But.
“…”
Sion looked at Luke.
As expected, this man had a calm, cheerful but unfathomable smile. Sion tried to guess at what he was thinking but he gave up quickly.
He didn’t understand the reason why Luke had brought Milk to see him.
So Sion asked honestly, “… What have you come here for?”
Luke’s eyes were creased because he was smiling. He turned to Sion, “What have I come here for; what a cold attitude. Because I haven’t seen Sion-san recently, I decided to come and pay a visit… Did I interrupt you?”
Sion wrinkled his brow when he heard this. “No… but why did you specially take Milk Callaud along with you?”
“Is it strange? Captain Milk is my direct superior. I just had the admirable desire to come with my superior to inquire about Your Majesty's health, that’s all.” Luke said.
Sion wanted to laugh at this.
Pay a visit?
Inquiring about his health?
That Luke Stokkart?
If there was no profit to it, if he personally didn't need to appear, then he was the sort of man who wouldn't do such a thing.
Really, it made one want to laugh.
Sion looked at Luke who was lowering Milk to the ground and said, “… Well, jokes aside, what are you here to investigate?”
Luke still smiled, “Uwa, Sion is as straight-forward as ever. But truly, there's nothing in particular I wish to investigate. At any rate, even if I did ask, you wouldn't answer, would you? The world has changed. You have become the king. A perfect king that is well-liked by the people. What complaints would I have?”
Towards this, Sion laughed, “Don’t speak nonsense.”
But Luke still had an indifferent expression. “No, no, this isn’t nonsense. It’s the truth. But, well, I feel that the problem is that you have too many secrets…Well, forget about that. There’s no human who has no secrets.”
Towards this, Sion looked at Luke and said, “… That’s strange. How could I have a secret that even you are unable to understand?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And, about what is happening to my body, I have already told that to Miller. About The Hero. About the Goddesses. I have told Miller about all of this and he understood. So about this you…”
Luke nodded.
“I heard it too.”
“Then what other problems are there? What have you come here for?”
Luke laughed at Sion’s question.
“I don’t believe a topic that has been passed on by someone else.”
“Eh? So you’re saying that unless I tell you directly, you wouldn’t accept it?”
But Luke shook his head.
“Your words can’t be trusted. Personally, I only trust what I've seen for myself.”
Sion felt a little troubled by these words.
“... As always, you’re a troublesome person.”
Luke laughed, “That’s not the case, right? If you leave me be and let me do as I please, everything will end by itself…”
Saying this, he gently let Milk rest on the ground. Then he stood up. Raising his head, he turned to Sion.
Looking at Luke’s face, Sion said.
“I's troubling to let you do as you please.”
“It wouldn’t be too troublesome.”
“Huh. Well, that aside… Then what are you here for?”
Luke still smiled even after Sion asked that.
“… I came to conduct a small test.”
“Test?”
“Yes. I came to test you.”
“Test me?”
Luke nodded. Then he spread his hands with a I’ll-explain-to-you expression and started to speak.
“The king of the largest country in the southern continent, the young Hero King of Roland Kingdom, Sion Astal. Gentle, clever- really, you are a monarch who has saved the country and are praised by everyone. But suddenly you declared war on other countries. You even secretly continued the human experiments and carry secrets that many of your subordinates do not know of. Then, what has happened to the young Sion? Or have you become mad, like your foolish father, drowning in your power? For this…”
Sion smiled when Luke said this.
“You’re here to test me?”
Luke nodded his head. “Yes.”
“Hmm. But how am I to be tested?”
Sion asked this, but Luke shrugged.
“No, like I said, I have already tested you. And I felt that you are a wonderful king, and though you have many secrets, that is fine.”
Sion tilted his head when Luke said this.
“Huh? Already tested? When was that…”
Luke looked at the sleeping Milk and said. “Didn’t Sion frantically try to help Captain Milk who was dizzy because of my actions? Since you can make that kind of expression, then I can be at ease now. You still possessed a degree of humanity that was beyond my expectations.”
Sion’s face tensed when he heard this.
When Milk first appeared until now, all this was the test that Luke had carried out. It seemed as if he had passed that test.
About the results of the test, Luke had said. “And you still possessed a degree of humanity that was beyond my expectations.”
He still had his humanity. That was what Luke had said.
But towards this, Sion muttered.
“… A boring farce.”
Luke nodded. “Yes. But it was an important matter to me. As someone who is to be used by others, I have to carefully choose the people whom I follow…”
“Then, because I still have my humanity, you will follow me?”
“Yes.”
“Really, I'm touched. But what does this tell me about the man who knocked out his own superior to test me?”
Sion said this. Luke revealed a slightly sad expression,
“… No, there is a reason for that… but what that reveals is confidential.”
Sion exclaimed, “What does that mean? Don’t you have your own secrets too?”
Luke resumed smiling and said, “I do not matter. At my roots, I operate via secrecy.”
“That’s despicable.”
“Ahaha. I specialize in being despicable.”
Luke laughed as he spoke.
Then he observed his surroundings.
He could only see Sion, himself and Milk in the Hall.
Then.
“Ah, he… the monster near you—Lucile Eris-san is here too?”
Luke asked.
“…”
Sion was already frustrated.
Whenever he spoke with this man, he would feel a genuine feeling of exhaustion.
How many secrets did Luke know, what kind of plan was he coming up with; he could not completely predict Luke. If he was unable to predict Luke’s thoughts, he would be unable to respond to Luke.
So Sion did not want to become enemies with this man.
Even more than Claugh and Miller.
He had to make this man his ally.
Amongst humans.
This man was the most dangerous character amongst humans—because Sion truly thought like this.
So he looked at Luke and said, “… Really, what have you come here for? If you have anything to ask, you can ask it directly. I will answer your questions.”
But Luke assumed a calm expression, “ As I told you, I would not believe anything that you have said about yourself.”
Sion really felt frustrated when he heard this.
“Yeah, you are such a troublesome man. Then Miller shall explain everything to you. I have told him everything. After that, he understood. No, so that he could understand, I told him everything. Which means that I have no more secrets that you can exploit.”
Sion said.
Yes.
He had told Miller most of his secrets.
He remembered that he had told Miller about now, Roland, the world, the situation Sion was in and that depressing script.
His description of the context had been something like this.
About this world, there was an inhuman, greedy existence called the Goddesses that wanted to consume everything.
As the Goddesses maintained their greedy and ruthless methods, they violated and caused a shortage of food in the world. It planned to bring the world to its demise.
There was another inhuman existence called the mad Hero who destroyed these Goddesses.
But in order to destroy the Goddesses, the power of that mad Hero was needed. So Sion had accepted that power.
However, if one wanted to use the Mad Hero’s power to destroy the Goddesses, then the barrier in this world that had been created by the Goddesses had to be destroyed.
The worst thing was that the barrier that the Goddesses had erected was actually the ‘Humans’ living on the Menoris Continent.
That meant that every organism that was named human, was a magical power created by the Goddesses to seal the Mad Hero.
But only the blood of the royal family of the Roland Empire was not that of the ‘Human’ that the Goddesses had created. Instead, the Mad Hero had created a different magical power that could break the Goddesses’ barrier, Human α.
And the curse of Human α could over-rule the ‘Human’ and transform others.
That meant that before the rule of the king of Roland who had the blood of ‘Human α’, all of the people in Roland were no longer ‘Human’, but were transformed by the curse of ‘Human α’.
The citizens of Estabul who had been conquered by Roland had been transformed by ‘Human α’.
Moreover, the people of Imperial Nelpha and Runa Empire that had been invaded by King Sion, who was born with ‘Human α’ were slowly becoming not ‘Human’.
As ‘Human’ decreased, the barrier of the Goddesses would weaken.
If the barrier became weaker, the power of the Mad Hero would become stronger.
When that power reached the west side of the central Menoris Continent.
That meant that when the Roland territory had expanded to the west side of the central Menoris Continent—opposite the desert where humans were unable to live for long. When the world where the Goddesses lived in would become Roland territory where ‘Human α’ lived on—Sion would be able to kill all of the Goddesses, that would be gratifying.
Sion had told Miller this completely ridiculous, insane nonsense.
But Miller had believed him.
Because he had seen it.
The grotesque, ferocious appearance of the Goddesses.
And the mountain of corpses that were Sion’s subordinates that had been eaten and ripped apart by the Goddess.
Even so, the Goddess had been unsatisfied.
It yelled that it had was not enough, not enough, it hadn’t eaten enough.
It had yelled crazily.
Miller had seen that horrible form.
So he understood.
Then he confirmed that he would cooperate with Sion to the best of his abilities.
He had confirmed that he would lend his strength to Sion so that the Goddesses would be exterminated.
As Miller’s most capable subordinate, Luke should have heard this before.
But this man came here. He had came here to exploit Sion’s secrets.
Of course, without visual evidence and this nonsense was passed on from someone else, it would be hard for someone to believe him, this much was clear…
At this moment.
“I did believe it.”
As if he were peeking at Sion’s thoughts, Luke said. Then,
“The things that Miller-sama showed to me. And what you said to him, about the Goddess and the Hero. I did believe it. You wouldn’t tell him lies.”
Luke said.
Sion looked at Luke with a surprised expression and said. “… Then what was there to inquire? For what purpose did you come here…”
But Luke interrupted Sion. He opened his eyes that had been creased into slits because of his smile, ‘…But how much of your secrets is the possible truth that you told Miller-sama? Twenty percent? Thirty percent? Then what is the rest of the seventy percent? If we only look at one part, only look at a tiny portion of what seems true… Ah, then what would happen if it becomes an entirely different story after we see the whole truth? After all, this kind of situation happens often. So I came here on Miller-sama’s behalf to investigate this…. That is my job.”
Saying this, Luke looked towards Sion.
Even though he was smiling, but his eyes were very sharp and keen as they probed for the truth.
Towards this. “…”
Sion couldn’t help but smile.
No matter how Luke tried to search for that truth, it was a truth that could not be completely attained, anyway.
Yes, what he had told Miller was not the whole truth.
What he had told Miller about the Goddesses and the Hero was not complete.
No, towards this, the legend of the Goddesses and the Hero, even Sion who was personally involved had some parts that he could not understand.
The sources of the legend were different so the context of each ‘truth’ was different.
There was a version of the Goddesses going crazy and there was a version of the Hero going crazy.
Well, no matter which side had gone crazy—Sion thought that anything was possible now.
No matter what, he only had to concentrate on the things that he could do.
Regardless of who it was, even if it was a mistake, he could only do what he was able to do.
So he had already made a choice.
Sion Astal had already made a choice.
He had chosen the road that he had thought most suitable.
He made the choice to kill his biological father, betray his best friend and sacrifice his own life for the sake of progress.
So he could let Luke do this.
If there was any other ‘truths’, if he thought there were other appropriate routes, then he could go and find them.
So Sion said.
He smiled and said to Luke. “…Well, do as you like. No matter how you struggle, the ending will always be the same.”
Luke smiled at this too. “Yes, I will do that. How about I say… I have already done that. Preparation for another experiment…”
Towards this, Sion asked, “…Experiment?”
In the next second.
There was a whooshing sound. Then he felt as if an invisible thin thread entangled his head.
He wanted to slide his finger between his head and the thread, but it was too late.
“Gu.”
He released a soft sound, but his voice was cut off.
The thin thread encircled his neck tightly, making him unable to voice anything.
Luke pulled that thread. He had set up the thin thread in the Hall without Sion noticing.
Luke gently pulled on the head of the thread.
The thin line tightened.
“…”
He couldn’t release a sound.
Luke continued with an elated expression and said,
“Yes, then let the experiment begin~. Following this, I will kill you… Then the monster that protects you will come and kill me, right?”
Sion wanted to shout, ‘stop this!’ when he heard this. But he was unable to utter a sound. He was strangled too tightly and so he was unable to make a sound.
“…”
But even though it was like this, Sion still wanted to shout: stop this quickly, don’t do such a foolish thing. Or else that man, Lucile will, will come and kill you…
He wanted to shout this.
But he was unable to voice it.
This was bad, he thought.
It was not because he could feel himself dying.
This was really bad.
If this continued, Lucile would come out and kill Luke.
Luke was an important human towards this country.
He would fight against the Goddesses from today onwards.
He was a necessary character who would help to expand Roland’s territory the west of central Menoris Continent.
So Sion wanted to shout, ‘stop this, quick!’.
But he was unable to speak.
The thin line tightened and started to cut into the skin.
He would die, Sion though.
Then in that moment.
“…”
Suddenly.
“…”
Lucile did not appear.
Sion widened his eyes.
This was impossible.
It was impossible that Lucile did not appear.
So Sion looked at Luke with an expression of surprise.
Then Luke said.
“…Ah, looks like he won’t be appearing. Then the first experiment was a success.”
Saying this, he gathered the line in his hands.
A whooshing sound followed and Sion was released. The thread of unknown design returned to Luke’s hands.
Sion coughed and heaved, recovering from his strangulation and then he stared at Luke.
“…What… what did you do?”
Luke shrugged his shoulders.
“That’s a secret.”
“…That thread, is it a Heroes’ Relic? How did you get it?”
“That’s also a secret.”
“Don’t kid me. Don’t think that because you can ask about other people’s secrets without explaining any of your own.”
Luke laughed at what Sion said.
“…So I won’t ask you. I will exploit your secrets by myself…”
Saying this, he continued to stare at Sion. Luke laughed, a little troubled, then said,
“Regardless, the fact that I am your ally won’t change. As I said, you’re a wonderful king. I believe that you are a heroic savior who will be able to change this country and this world. But in order for that to be accomplished, I think I ought to help out a little. Well, as for the secret experiment that I'm doing right now, you’ll know what it is soon. So please don't glare at me.”
He said.
But Sion continued to glare at Luke,
“…”
As if he wanted to say something.
But he said nothing.
Because like what Luke had said, it would be soon.
He would know about the secret experiment that Luke was carrying out.
Like what he had said, Sion would soon understand the contents of that experiment.
That was, with the scene that Sion was looking at, something else that would happen in a different place.
In a different place from the Hall that Sion, Luke and the unconscious Milk were in.
Human world, the Other World.
In the Other World where Lucile was supposed to be destroying the monster released by the Goddess, that had happened.
Sion turned his attention back there.
Sion was standing in the dark corridor.
Not far from him was the corpse of a strange body.
It was the corpse that the Goddess had released to kill him.
It should have been thrown there after Lucile had killed it.
But when monsters died, they would disappear from this world.
This was the space created by the monster, so when its master had disappeared, this world would immediately collapse and disappear.
But this world continued to exist.
Its creator had died, but it had not collapsed.
This meant that there was the existence of a magical creature.
It could be another monster that had taken over the control of this world or the Goddess.
No, unless it was Lucile who had decided to maintain this place for some reason…
“…”
Although he thought of that, this view immediately disappeared.
Because Lucile was further ahead in the dark corridor.
And Lucile.
That Lucile Eris was pinned against the black wall of the corridor by his neck.
Lucile looked to him, an expression of pain that did not belong on his face.
He uttered, “Don’t come over, Sion…”
But he could only speak until here. Because the grip around his throat had tightened.
“Ga, ah… u.”
Lucile moaned.
Sion was unable to move.
That Lucile was pinned down by a power.
That Lucile bordered on being killed.
Under these circumstances, Sion was helpless.
But the events were progressing.
The person strangling Lucile turned around.
Seeing that appearance, that person’s identity was easy to figure out.
“Is it the real… real, Goddess…”
Sion muttered dumbly.
The Goddess smiled.
Dazzling hair that was coloured with the colours of the rainbow and beautiful eyes. It was as if all the beauty in the world was coalesced into that single being.
Sion’s gaze was fixed on that extraordinary beauty.
He was captivated by her.
Then the beautiful woman spoke. She used that beautiful and adorable voice that could charm anyone,
“Ahh, Sion Astal, you still continue to move forward.”
Even though he was gripped by the throat, Lucile still managed to say,
“Do, Don’t listen, Sion… this person, has the magic to brain-wash…”
But the Goddess looked at Lucile and said:
“I won’t use magic on you, Lucile Eris, only I stand on your side… I am the only woman who loves you… Have you forgotten even this?”
“Shut up, mad Goddess…”
Upon hearing what Lucile said, the Goddess’s expression became sad and lonely, as if she were about to cry.
When Sion saw this expression, he wanted to walk over and let her depend on him.
He wanted to walk over and hug her.
No, that was not right.
It was something in his body that wanted her.
It was the something in his body—it had to be the power of Asruld Roland, the Mad Hero, that strongly, very strongly wanted her.
Wanted her.
Wanted to embrace her.
The curse in his body was shrieking to obtain all of her.
But Sion did not move.
He frantically tried to control his movements and suppressed the power in his body.
Because that woman.
That Goddess was a woman he couldn’t touch. So Sion frantically tried to withstand the urge.
He frantically controlled the urge that swelled within him.
He frantically suppressed the shrieks of the mad hero in his body.
He roared ‘Shut up!’ to the voice that shrieked ‘Embrace her!’
He roared ‘Shut up!’ to the voice that shrieked ‘Own her!’
Then he looked.
He looked in the direction of the Goddess.
She was so beautiful.
He looked at the beautiful Goddess who had almost the same features of Milk Callaud.
“Darn it,” Sion muttered.
Then the Goddess smiled and said, “Is it painful? Asruld Roland.”
She asked.
She approached Sion.
Sion’s features twisted. He frantically tried to suppress the overwhelming desire to ‘hug her, own her’.
Then he said, “Don’t come near, monster. If…if you come nearer, I…I…”
But the Goddess with Milk’s face said, “You can hug me, you can possess me, that is all that I exist for.”
Sion glared at the Goddess, “What… are you?”
It was obvious that she wasn’t a normal Goddess. He could tell this from the moment he had seen her.
Because that unknown power in his body had reacted excessively to this woman.
The mad hero in his body, Asruld Roland, had reacted differently to her than how he had reacted to the other fragments of the Goddesses.
So Sion was questioning the woman in front of him. He stared at this monster that had almost the same features as Milk Callaud.
“What exactly are you?”
The woman smiled again.
“You already know the answer, don’t you? You know it in your heart. How did you feel when you saw me? Why don’t you follow that feeling…”
Suddenly she stopped talking.
Then she faced the sky.
In that space where the monster had created the dark corridor.
Following her movements, a big hole appeared above the corridor. On the other side of the hole appeared another dimension.
She silently looked there, watching the hole above the corridor.
Suddenly, her expression morphed to one of sadness and she said, “Ah, the demon that you released has now met with the Goddess of Unsurpassed Vileness. To us, this is not a good development. This way, Alpha will disappear and the shackles containing the Solver of All Equations' will be lessened. This should have been done by you, Asruld Roland.”
The woman said.
She said that the Solver of All Equations and the Goddess of Unsurpassed Vileness had met.
Sion asked, “Are you… Are you referring to Ryner?”
“… Yes. Yes, it’s like that. Ryner whom I love. The Lonely Demon whom I love. Because you didn’t quickly catch his heart, he has landed into the hands of the ugly Goddess. Even though I helped you. Even though I was always mesmerized by the love between the both you... even though I was always mesmerized by the insane friendship between the two of you… even though you're always, always crazy for love. Isn't it so? Eris Reed, the weakness your beloved hero has is disturbing, right?”
She asked Lucile who was pinned against the wall.
“But you are in the wrong too, Eris. No matter how you increase your powers, you aren’t the genuine article, not if you don’t become one with Ryner. That’s why you lost to me, that’s why you, the powerful demon lost to me…”
Lucile glared at the woman, “…That’s only for now. You can be smug but that’s only for now. I will gain the power to leave the script you have written.”
Hearing this, the woman was sad, “It was not written by me.”
“Shut up… shameless woman.”
“I can shut up, but this is the truth, Eris. I cannot interfere in this script, nor can the Goddesses. Truthfully, the ones who wrote this depressing script were you. Though even if I say this, as of now, you wouldn't accept my message...”
Then the woman released Lucile.
Lucile collapsed to the ground, weak.
She seemed to show no interest in Lucile and spread her hands, looking at Sion.
Then her voice turned lively, “But maybe it’s because of that, that I like the both of you. Because of this, I like the both of you. Because of that very sad, too short and always unpredictable love… Let me help you. I will definitely kill those greedy Goddesses who love to cause trouble for you frequently. This time, in this world, I will help you so that the two of you will be able to be loved.”
Saying this, she approached Sion.
She was approaching Sion.
The power in Sion’s body reacted.
He could hear the wails of the mad hero in his body.
Embrace her.
Embrace her.
Possess her.
Possess this Goddess’s power.
If he did this.
If he did this.
If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this. If he did this.
To him.
To Ryner.
Maybe he wouldn’t need to kill that beloved demon.
Maybe there was no need to kill him in order to change this decaying world that was poisoned by
‘light’.
The hero yelled.
As if she could hear the hero’s yells, the Goddess smiled.
“Come, embrace me, Asruld. Come, embrace me, Roland. Come, embrace me, Sion Astal.”
Hearing this.
Sion widened his eyes.
Staring.
Staring at that Goddess.
Staring at that Goddess of Reincarnation that was so alike Milk Callaud.
Then.
“If I embrace you, what will you gain from it?”
The woman smiled, devastatingly beautiful.
“…”
She smiled, she didn’t reply.
But Sion knew. Even though he didn’t understand what she had told him, he knew.
What she would gain was the darkness.
That deep, inky, unfathomable darkness.
She was mesmerized by that darkness.
She was mesmerized by that deep darkness that could cause anyone to go mad.
In his body, the fragment of Asruld Roland stirred.
Wanted her.
Wanted her.
Wanted her.
But at the same time, the hero shouted:
She was scary.
She was scary.
That cheerfulness behind her smile was scary.
So he couldn’t touch her.
Wanted her.
Don’t touch her.
Want…
But that stopped.
“Shut up!!”
Sion shouted and struck his chest.
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I will choose the path that I walk, so shut up, you monsters!”
Sion yelled.
Like this, the voices in his body stopped. The voice that desired this woman stopped. The mysterious voice that feared this woman stopped.
Then he could finally look at the monster in front of him calmly.
Look at the stunning beauty in front of him.
Look at the monster who had the face of Milk Callaud.
Sion asked, “Why do you imitate Milk Callaud’s appearance? Why do you use her face?”
Hearing this, she turned sad again, “Ah, you still won’t go mad… But that strong rationality will destroy your heart one day…”
“Anyway, just answer my question. Why do you use her face?”
Towards this, she replied, “This is my true appearance. For the sake of reincarnating into someone who you cannot harm, for the sake of reincarnating into someone who you will not harm if you don’t go mad—this is what I have done to myself—I am the one who made you fall, Sion. This is for the sake of freeing you from the mayhem, for the sake of letting you fall and become mad, for you to live, free from worry.”
Hearing this, Sion’s expression tensed.
“Then, from the beginning, Milk Callaud was…”
“Yes, she was me… but she was born as a human, so she had a human personality…”
“Then Milk Callaud, she… she’s now…”
“She’s here. In me. And she’s looking at this right now. She’s frantically shouting ‘Save me, save me, Ryner’ because she does not want to be embraced by you. Unfortunately, you have to embrace me. No matter what, you have to embrace me. This is so that he can be saved. This is to save beloved Ryner.”
Saying this, she became more sad, as if she was about to cry. No, she really cried, tears cascading from her eyes.
She continued, “Ah, ah. How ironic. If you can be tempted by my power now, if I can force you to embrace me… This chance has been lost. We have lost another chance again. Now you have the immunity, the immunity towards my power… This way, when you are forced to embrace me after today… you will come and hug me of your own will. You will obtain me by your willpower and it will be devastating. That is too sad, too painful… Because you will cry when you embrace me. You will cry, why is this world so insane. So I wanted you to embrace me here because I don’t want you to be in even more pain…”
She sobbed and sobbed. Her tears evaporated and disappeared into the air. Sion did not know if those tears were real.
But he knew the meaning of her words.
“…”
She was letting him make a decision.
Advance forward or run away.
Letting him make the decision.
She said, “It’s not too late, make me…”
But Sion shook his head.
“No.”
“But…”
“No, I won’t embrace you. Even if I did not have your help, I would continue. Isn’t it like this?
Lucile.”
After he said this, Lucile stood up from where he had been at the Goddess’s feet. He raised a hand to wipe at the wound that the Goddess had left on him when she had pinned him to the wall. Then the wound disappeared, as if it had not been there.
But even so.
“…”
The wound in Lucile’s heart would not disappear.
It was still not enough.
He still did not have enough power to kill a genuine Goddess.
Even if he had devoured hundreds of divine creatures.
Even if he had devoured thousands of devils.
But it was still, still not enough.
Sion felt like that was depression.
Sion felt that was an endless depression.
Because it was proof that what they had done up until now was a meaningless struggle.
But even so.
“…”
A strong and confident smile appeared on Lucile’s slightly tired face, and said, “I don’t have any intentions to become the demon that I once was, Goddess of Reincarnation. If it is still not enough, I will continue to move forward. If that’s still not enough, then I will put in more effort in my progress. Even if means that I have to unleash everything forbidden, sacrifice my body, worship the soul… I will finally devour all of you.”
He said and laughed.
It was an empty laugh.
It was a sad laugh.
The Goddess said with an expression as if she were about to cry, “But there is only destruction at the end.”
Lucile laughed harder, “So what? So what? We have already decided. Sion and I… we have decided to step on this path. We will walk on this path without borrowing anyone’s strength. It’s just like what you said, Goddess of Reincarnation. The script is written by us. I… no, Sion Astal, the new hero who devoured the fragment of Asruld Roland will create it.”
Hearing this, the expression of the Goddess changed. She widened her adorable eyes, “…What…Asruld… you have devoured him? What are you saying? How can, how can, a mere human, cannot possibly…”
Lucile laughed and continued, “It’s impossible, it’s impossible. Yes, anyone would think so. But is that right? Is that true? In fact you can feel it, can’t you? You can feel the faint presence of the Hero’s consciousness; the power that the Hero is releasing is so weak. Why would such a strong magical presence be so quiet?”
She stared at them with a wavering expression, “Isn’t, isn’t he asleep…”
Lucile laughed.
“He’s awake. He has always been awake for the past hundred years. He has caused every generation of the royal family to become mad… but now he doesn’t have that power. He does not have that power to cause Sion to go mad. Why do you think this is happening? Why would the Hero who has the power to destroy the world let people think that he is still sleeping?”
This question,
“…”
The Goddess was unable to respond.
She was unable to respond to this question.
“Sion is devouring him. Sion is devouring Asruld Roland’s power.”
“How can that…”
“Ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha, unbelievable? Isn’t it unbelievable? But this is the truth. And everything has started. Everything has started, the script, the story. Everything has started changing beyond your expectations.
Hearing this, the Goddess looked at them again and asked, “What…what has happened here? Asruld.”
Sion replied, “I am not Asruld Roland. I am Sion Astal.” Her expression became sad, it wasn’t the pitying expression she had earlier, but it was one of genuine sadness and depression.
“Is…is that so. You are really devouring Asruld.”
“Yes.”
“But whose power are you relying on? Just you… Just by you who are a human, it is impossible overwhelm Asruld. Whose power did you use to do this?”
Sion replied, “No. We did not use anyone’s power. It was Lucile who killed the people who were possessed by Asruld. He continued to kill, kill, kill, until he came to me.”
Lucile replied, “Yes. I chose the strongest person who could devour the Hero. Sion is that person. That’s all. But because of this, everything will change. The destiny of the world, our destiny, and your destiny will change. Now, which side will you stand on? There’s no need for Ryner Lute to become the Lonely Demon. Sion, and I, will write the new script. Do you still want to join after that?”
The Goddess was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something, the sad expression still on her face.
But she quickly smiled that beautiful smile again, “Mere humans can actually struggle to this stage. Alright, I will stand on your side. I will look at the empty future that you will create.
But, but even if it is like that, I will make this prediction.”
She reached out her hand, as if summoning, as if wanting to pull Sion over. She reached towards him and said, “What will wait for you at the end is despair. What you wish for will never occur… You will beg me, you will say that you want to embrace me, crying…”
“I won’t.”
“You will. But, that’s fine. Now I will look at the future that you will be creating. I will help you for the sake of the future that you will create. The empty future that you desire—no devouring Ryner’s life, no hugging my soul, no harming anyone—except for yourself, you will walk down that lonely, sad and foolish path so that no one else will be harmed. You can temporarily believe in it.”
A smile appeared on her mesmerizing face.
A smile appeared on her attractive face.
It was so charismatic.
Sion felt that she was very charismatic.
He didn’t know whether if that was the Mad Hero’s feelings or his own feelings.
But he just felt like that.
“…”
This Goddess.
Milk Callaud was so beautiful.
Then the Goddess said, “Good bye.”
She disappeared. She vanished, leaving behind the dark corridor and the hole in the roof.
Leaving behind Lucile and Sion. Sion looked at Lucile. He looked at the beautiful man that was facing him.
He laughed and said, “Really, don’t lose in a place like this.”
Lucile turned his head to look at him and said, “…My apologies.”
That emotionless voice. It was an emotionless voice that was very alike to Ferris.
But in truth, that voice masked some feelings.
In that emotionless voice, there was anger, reluctance and despair.
Sion stared at this sad ‘Human’ who had given up on being a human and said, “Eh, forget it. You always put up with my weakness. You’re forgiven this time.”
Hearing this, Lucile looked at Sion in surprise.
“Ha, ha ha. What was that, two weak people licking their wounds for one another?”
Sion shrugged. “Yes. There’s only the two of us now. We have to reassure each other.”
“…”
“Because we are truly weak, so we have no choice. But next time it will be different, next time will be more…”
Lucile stopped Sion, “I know. Next time, I will do better. I won’t let you see something like what happened today.”
He said.
Sion looked at Lucile.
For the sake of not involving his little sister in the darkness.
For the sake of not involving his family in this despair.
For the sake of rescuing this country, this world from the hands of an irrational monster and giving up his humanity—
This was the half of the over-friendly— so friendly that it made one sad—the Lonely Demon.
Looking at Lucile, Sion said, “…Yeah, no problem. I trust you.”
Lucile did not reply but smiled sadly.
“…”
He disappeared.
Then the world started to collapse.
The person who maintained this world had disappeared. His surroundings started to collapse.
Sion watched this by himself.
As the fallen mad hero eroded him.
He devoured the hero at the same time.
Sion watched the world collapse.
“…”
He closed his eyes.
Then the darkness became like the images surrounding him. In that moment, he felt like never waking up from the darkness.
Even if he opened his eyes, he would be facing another boring day.
Even if he opened his eyes, he would be facing a boring life.
But even so he could not continue to close his eyes.
He could not continue to close his eyes.
Because Man had to progress.
He could not stay in the same place.
So he opened his eyes.
Ryner and Ferris were no longer by his side. He himself would not become the human he once was.
Even so, he opened his eyes so that he could continue.
“…”
Then the images reverted to the original world.
The hall in the palace.
In this hall, there were two other people apart from him.
Luke and the still unconscious Milk Callaud.
Sion looked at Milk. He looked at her adorable sleeping face and turned his attention to the man who was hugging her.
That man, Luke looked in his direction and spoke. He was still smiling and gentle. “…It was a success. You have passed, Sion.”
Sion creased his brows at this, “...Passed?” he asked.
Luke nodded. “Yes. You’ve passed.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about? Of course I’m talking about the experiment. After that, the second experiment was carried out. Then the result was that you passed.”
“What are you saying…”
But Luke smiled, his eyes piercingly sharp, “…Shouldn't you know best about this kind of matter? You resisted the temptation. Until the end, you still didn’t do anything to my captain.” Luke said, as if he had witnessed the meeting of Sion and the Goddess of Reincarnation.
Sion frowned. “…What…”
But Luke interrupted Sion, as if seeing through his thoughts.
“… Ah, let me explain first, I didn’t see where you were or what you encountered. I didn’t see anything at all. Because I’m different from the three of you, I’m only a normal ordinary human… but what happened. I know what happened. So I said you—Sion passed. You didn’t do anything to our captain and continued to move forward. But if you did something to Captain Milk, then you would have met your end.”
Towards this, “…My end?” Sion asked in surprise.
Luke nodded. “Yes. It would have ended. Because a curse like this was applied.”
Sion finally understood.
He finally understood what Luke had been doing.
That man had said curse. He had said so that the curse would be used.
But what curse was that? What was that curse that was able to kill that monster—the Hero?
“…”
Something like that did not exist.
Something like that could not be used by mere humans.
But this man had said it.
Luke had said it.
“Because a curse like this was applied.”
So Sion finally understood.
Why this man would understand what had been happening.
Why this man was so confident in coming to meet with Sion and Lucile.
So Sion glared at Luke.
“… I see, so the one who has been controlling you is Lieral? Is Lieral Lieutolu controlling you?” He asked.
Lieral Lieutolu.
The man who had been a baron in the Roland Empire.
The man who had led the magical scholars of this country.
He was the man who had created the fundamentals of KUURI. He was the man who had created the fundamentals of RAGURU. He was the man who had constructed the majority of the magical spells used in this country.
Ever since he had became the leader of the researchers of magic, the magical structures of this country had developed rapidly.
He was a genius. He was a genius that other magic scholars could not understand.
Because he was an exceptional genius, he gained too much knowledge—in the end, he did the forbidden.
He had contacted something outside of this world.
The other side of the logical human world.
The Hero.
The Goddesses.
The Other World where the mad divinities resided in.
“…”
He had gone mad too.
He had desperately tried to save something that could not be saved.
He had desperately tried to save someone who could not be saved.
He had made his son, Felna, into the Demon (Ryner) so that his son could be saved. Because his son had the Alpha Stigma.
The contract had been signed.
That insane contract had immediately been signed.
Felna would not go mad and die of his Alpha Stigma. He would not suffer from the poison of the Alpha Stigma.
Because he had became the genuine article.
He had became the genuine despair.
Felna had became the Demon.
But even though he could escape from the violent death and curse of the Alpha Stigma, what awaited him was even more despair.
The Demon could become the prey of the Hero.
The Lonely Demon would become the prey of the Hero sooner or later.
Once he became the prey, he would fall into that prison forever. That prison where all the prey of the Hero went to.
But Lieral would not allow something like that to happen.
He would not allow something like that to happen.
So he had gone even more crazy.
He had done something forbidden again. He had sacrificed his wife to save his son and he was hunted down by the country. His son, Felna had disappeared.
Even the signs of him being in this country had been erased.
“…”
That was all Sion knew about him.
For the sake of saving his son, he was the man who had sacrificed the world and his wife.
“…”
Sion looked at Luke.
He looked at the man who was the subordinate of that crazy man and said, “… Are you being manipulated by that Roland spirit?”
But Luke shook his head. “No no, I’m not controlled by anyone. With him… I only made a deal with Baron Lieutolu.”
“Deal?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. That what did you offer? What have you given that man for the price of information?”
“Nothing much. I didn’t give him anything important. Firstly, I helped Baron Lieutolu to escape so that he would not be caught by Sion, and the location of Ryner so that he could catch up to Ryner… Only this. Are there any problems with that?”
“…”
Sion was unable to reply to this.
Luke continued, unheeding, “Well, there can’t be any problems. You want to save Ryner. And Baron Lieutolu wants to save his son. Both of your interests are the same, so there aren’t any problems… If there’s anything wrong with what I did, please tell me.”
Towards his question, Sion glared at Luke and said, “…No, there isn’t.”
There was nothing wrong. Luke’s words were reasonable. He was very clear and there was nothing to complain about. So there couldn’t be anything wrong.
There were no problems.
But even so, looking at that man’s smile—looking at that innocent, but unfathomable smile, he felt an unease in his heart.
It was as if he had been lied to. It was a colourless, formless, invisible trick that made him suspicious.
Luke continued to smile. He smiled innocently but his expression was undecipherable.
Then.
“That’s good. Since Sion has accepted this, let’s continue.”
Sion frowned, troubled by this. “What’s there to talk about?”
He laughed again. “Of course. Anyway, it should be you we’re talking about now, right? Sion. You have been carrying this alone and hiding it from us. What we’re going to talk about…”
Luke gently set Milk down on the floor again and stood up. Looking towards Sion, he said, “… From now on, I will be explaining my secrets to you, the first king that I have approved of. The secret I have been carrying. The secret I have been holding.”
Sion looked at Luke, annoyed. He looked at Luke with an expression of resignation. There was no need for any more secrets.
“…After all you’ve said, what secrets are there? It sounds a little scary.”
“Right? But please listen.”
“If I don’t want to?”
“You don’t want? Hmm. Well, it’s okay if you don’t listen, but you’ll regret it later.”
Sion sighed tiredly. “…You are a truly troublesome person.”
“Is it like that?”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m useful, right?”
“It’s troublesome if you’re too useful.”
“There we go, there we go~ You should be elated that you have a useful subordinate like me.”
Sion looked at him through half-lidded eyes.
He looked at this smiling man who was too useful, who could be friend or foe.
Then he sighed again.
This man would continue to talk about this secret. So he breathed in deeply. Then Sion said. “… Then? What is that secret of yours?”
Finally, Luke stopped smiling. He wiped away that innocent smile and narrowed his sharp eyes.
Then.
“…Though it's not so much a secret… it’s about a monster that you and the Goddesses do not know about. It is about the person who is controlling this script from the backstage. It is about the monster who truly controls the Hero and the Goddesses.”
Luke said.
He said that it was about the real person who was controlling the script from the backstage.
He said the monster who was controlling everything.
Sion looked at him in surprise. “…What are you saying…”
Luke interrupted Sion. Then he said, “They call themselves ‘Priests’.”
“‘Priests’? What are they?” Sion asked. Luke shrugged.
“Who knows? It's probably a world that we are unable to understand, an existence that we are unable to understand, like the Hero and the Goddesses… But there are some issues that can be understood. There are some matters that I can understand. Like, what you’ve started to discover? Why can a mere human, Baron Lieutolu, wield the power to curse you—the Hero? How does he know how to summon the Goddess?”
Sion nodded his head at this.
“I see. So those ‘Priests’ are the ones controlling Lieral.”
But Luke shook his head.
“Not only Baron Lieutolu. They were the ones to give the Rhule Fragmei to the Gastark Empire. Then, giving you the protector… Lucile Eris, allowing the Goddesses to have astounding powers were caused by them.”
Suddenly, in response to what Luke had said, a man suddenly appeared in front of Sion. A beautiful blond man appeared.
Then Lucile Eris said, “…What you said just now, what does it mean?”
Luke laughed when he saw Lucile who had suddenly appeared. “Ah, I finally meet with you… the foolish Sword who thought he had signed a contract with a thousand demons by his own power—Lucile Eris-san~”
He laughed when he said that. Luke laughed, as if he were mocking everything about Lucile.
“…”
Nothing was said.
Lucile just looked at Luke.
Sion also stared at Luke.
They watched this man who was always laughing and unpredictable.
“…”
Then Luke replied. When he had ensured that everyone’s attention was fixed on him, he said, “…Then. All the actors have arrived… let us start talking. How we will escape from the monster that is controlling the Hero and the Goddesses. The plan to escape from those creatures’ plans. Let us talk about this—King Sion Astal.”
Luke said this after he laughed mockingly. And then he knelt on the ground.
| Back to Chapter 1 | Return to Main Page | Forward to Chapter 3 |
