Chapter 185

CHAPTER 110 The Ex–Demon Lord and the Ultimate Ordeal (Part II) The events following our escape were rather tumultuous. Perhaps because of Mephisto, our concealment magic no longer worked on the civilians around us, so we ran straight into an attack. “Don’t kill them!” I said. Elzard blinked, surprised. “Huh?! C’mon, we can just resurrect them later!” “No…knowing Mephisto’s diabolical nature, he’s likely corrupted them so that they can’t be restored.” “Dammit, they’re just random humans! Who cares if they die?!” Elzard groused. “I feel the same way,” Alvarto said. “But if Ireena finds out what we’ve done after this is all over…” That stayed Elzard’s hand. She didn’t harm a single person. And that brought us to now. “We should be safe to talk and catch our breaths here.” In a deserted alley, I prepared a strategy for what we’d do next. Before I had a chance to say anything, however, Alvarto spoke up. “On the way here, I didn’t kill a single soul. I believe we should only make absolutely necessary sacrifices to win. Anything more would upset Ireena after this is over.” After giving that disclaimer, Alvarto proceeded to tell us how he really felt. “I mean that. But I think…that Olivia vel Vine might need to be on that list.” Blood rushed to my head, but I quickly stamped out the fire of rage and shot a glance at Elzard. She noticed I was seeking her opinion. After a moment’s agonized thought, she crossed her arms and spoke. “If we had to kill her, I doubt Ireena would resent us for it…but I feel like that’s the bigger issue.” “Agreed. If we have to sacrifice Olivia,” I began, “Ireena will take the blame for it and hate herself for the rest of her life.” Even if that becomes necessary… “If possible, I want to avoid hurting Ireena, but it might be unavoidable,” Alvarto stated. “We might not be able to accomplish our mission unless we kill that therianthrope.” We had to obtain the Bangle of Devouring by any means necessary. We’d come here for it, but Olivia stood in our way. Evading Olivia and retrieving the bangle was ideal, but Mephisto wouldn’t allow that. “He’s given us two choices: Kill Olivia and get the Bangle of Devouring, or give up on it… And the latter would mean forfeiting the fight. I think it’s clear that isn’t an option,” I explained. In other words, we needed to sacrifice Olivia. I gave the idea a moment’s thought, then rejected it. “I think we should save Olivia and get the bangle.” Elzard frowned, and Alvarto sighed quietly. But I was sure they both trusted me at least a little. Rather than scold me for being idealistic, they waited and gave me a chance to speak. “Both choices Mephisto has presented will result in a loss for us. We can’t claim victory unless we create a third choice.” That was my first reason for rejecting the premise. “And let’s say we do sacrifice Olivia—do you honestly think Mephisto would let us win with no more losses?” And that was the second. There would definitely be more “necessary” deaths. Playing by Mephisto’s rules ensured that more of our comrades would die. Once we finally made it to Mephisto, he would surely put Ireena on the sacrificial altar in the end. Even if we defeated that devil, we’d have given up everything to do it. “And here’s my third reason for rejecting both options: I only see us beating Mephisto with our friends’ help. Meaning…” “Sacrificing those friends would defeat the purpose?” I nodded at Alvarto. Elzard broke her silence. “Okay, but how do we make that happen?” She doubted that it was possible. If it was, I wouldn’t have suffered such a humiliating defeat back at school. “What happened back at school…can only be described as a tragic failure. Between the shocking turn of events and the trauma from my past, I lost the ability to think clearly. I lost faith in my friends.” But not anymore. The resignation I embraced back then is gone. I know I can return everyone who was corrupted to their normal states. And that faith had formed into a clear conviction. “Do you remember when Olivia froze for a moment?” I asked. “She was…” I explained why I was hopeful. I knew it wasn’t enough to convince Alvarto and Elzard entirely. If either of them insisted that had been Mephisto’s doing, it would be game over. Still, I had to try. “…I want to believe in her and the bond we nurtured together over the years. I’d like to think that not even a god can break that.” In the end, I was just an idealist. An idealist in every way. Alvarto and Elzard shrugged their shoulders and sighed. “So?” “What’s the plan, specifically?” That proved their trust in me. My heart warmed with gratitude, I outlined my plan to rescue Olivia and finished it with a determined statement. “Let’s go teach that devil a lesson.” Olivia had the perfect chance to attack, yet she hadn’t moved. From her perspective, inaction should never have been an option. That’s what her little brother beside her was undoubtedly thinking. “Hey, Sis, why did you throw away your perfect chance?” He wasn’t scolding her. His voice was filled with an intense curiosity. Olivia frowned. “…I don’t know.” There was nothing else she could say. She’d absorbed Elzard’s lightning attack with her comrade’s shield. After sending it back, she could have done more…yet she hadn’t Somewhere in Olivia’s heart, there was a little ripple. “…Orvan, Riskell, Falco.” Those were the three statues of the Ten Calamities destroyed by the absorbed lightning’s re-release. The sight of the debris brought a pang to Olivia’s heart. “Why…? Why did I…?” How ridiculous. Statues are just objects. No harm comes from breaking them. Then why…why do I feel a tremor in my chest? It feels as if… As if I were forced to do something I didn’t wish to… Break something I didn’t want to break. “…………” Olivia took a slow look at the broken statues around her. Then her gaze dropped to her feet. There, she saw a head, broken from one of the sculptures. Just like those of the Ten Calamities, this facsimile of her little brother had been shattered. The head had rolled to her feet by happenstance. And the moment Olivia saw it, the tiny ripple in her heart grew into a giant wave. “…………” The head by her feet matched that of the man standing next to her. Of course it did. The statue was of Mephisto, her little brother. There was no reason for her to feel anything strange about it. And yet, for an instant, another image of a completely different person was superimposed on top of it. “My little brother…is not…” Her head seared with pain. Just like it had the moment the head came off the statue. She’d seen a different face, and for some unknown reason, that had left Olivia unable to move. “What a deeply intriguing state you’re in.” The voice of Olivia’s brother didn’t reach her ears. Instead, her keen senses were focusing on a different sound. “…It’s an ambush.” The noise was coming from overhead. No footsteps, just an attack from the sky. The enemy was likely more comfortable in the air. But even an attack that was silent to any other species couldn’t fool the therianthrope’s ears. As soon as she picked up on the moving air, Olivia looked up at the sky, hundreds of Attack spells racing through her mind all the while. “My first order of business—” Her thoughts were cut off entirely the moment she saw her enemy. As for why… “Open your eyes, Olivia!” That voice. That face. That body. They all resembled the image of the man that had superimposed itself on top of her little brother. “What’s wrong with you, Big Sis? Protect me.” That’s right. I must protect…my little brother. Shoving the confusion from her heart, Olivia prepared herself for battle. As she drew the sword from her belt, it felt strangely heavy. Original. It was a miracle of a spell, irreproducible and unattainable to anyone but its creator. Unlike ordinary magic, it could be attained solely through intense training and tribulation. Only those born with special abilities were permitted to use one—just like the name suggested, these were Original spells. Their powers were immense. The gap between those who could cast Originals and those who couldn’t was impossibly wide. And yet while Originals were regarded in the present day as an ultimate feat, in the old world, they were seen a bit differently. Simply put, they were a nuisance to use. A chant was necessary to call upon an Original, and the reciting caster needed to dedicate their attention solely to the verses. In the old times, when magic culture was abundant, this was perceived as a big drawback. After all, at the time, the majority of magic was meant to be cast silently. In the time it took to complete one Original, an enemy could loose at least ten counterattacks. Dealing with that while chanting was incredibly difficult, so Originals were usually invoked before the start of a battle. Following on the conventional wisdom of the old days, I was in the air, preparing for a surprise attack on Olivia. I let gravity carry my body down as I spoke my pre-combat Original, Private Kingdom, and phase shifted into the third stage of Brave Demon Full Body. Just as I completed it, I closed in on Olivia, who waited for me on the ground. “Open your eyes, Olivia!” When I cried out and raised my black sword, I got a big reaction from her. It’s working. I was right. I’d moved into Phase III of the phase shift in part so I could be equally matched to Olivia…but it was mostly because there was a secondary action that I had deemed essential. In this mode, I was no longer Ard Meteor. I had transformed into my former self, Demon Lord Varvatos. “What’s wrong with you, Sis? Protect me,” Mephisto said. “Mmmnnnggg!” Hearing the devil’s voice likely brought tranquility back to Olivia’s wavering heart. She drew the sword from her belt and assumed an offensive stance. Then she lunged. Our swords clashed, clanging on impact. “Agh!” Mephisto was blown into the air by the force of the strike. Undoubtedly, he wanted to convey that he was weakened and powerless. I wasn’t going to fall for any of that. “We’re going in, iguana.” “Hmph. Trip me up, and you’re dead, pretty boy.” Before Mephisto landed, the two emerged from hiding and rushed into the plaza. Alvarto was surrounded by ebony flames—his Original he’d activated pre-combat. Elzard brandished her dragon bone blade high, her fighting spirit on full blast. They closed in on Mephisto… “““Eat shit.””” …and hit him with the same insult, in perfect harmony. Alvarto’s ebony flame sword. Elzard’s dragon bone blade. Both came down on the devil mercilessly. “Whoa, there!” With a forced, melodramatic cry, Mephisto fell face-first onto the ground. “H-hey now, hey now, hey now! T-two against one? That’s unfair!” “““Shut up and die.””” Playing the victim wasn’t going to work on them. Weakened or not, Mephisto was still a devil. There was no telling what he might try to pull at the last minute. That’s why I tasked the pair with restraining him until I got Olivia back. As we locked in close combat and gritted our teeth, I caught a glimpse of anguish on her face. That troubled expression wasn’t because I was overpowering her. At present, I held a slight advantage for the same reason my big sister looked so confused. “You’re trying to come back. Isn’t that right, Olivia?” The moment I hurled those words at her, her sword slackened just a bit… …then she pushed harder, as though to muscle through the fight. It was a rookie fighter’s maneuver. If Olivia were in her right mind, she would use my strength against me, throw me off my balance, and cut me down. But instead… “Ngh!” Retreat. She jumped away without a single counterattack, releasing her blade from mine. This wasn’t the right time to retreat. There could only be one reason why she did. She was running from me. “I knew it…you do remember.” I pressed her again and took a step forward. I was dangerously close to her. Were I in her position, I would’ve used the powers Mephisto gave me to summon another weapon of the Ten Calamities and attacked me by now… …yet Olivia did nothing. All she could do was stare at me, looking anguished. In time, I closed in, and our swords met again. And as we struggled, I called out to her. “Say your little brother’s name.” “Mmm!” Behind her sword, I saw the agony on my big sister’s face deepen. Her mind was in chaos. Two conflicting pieces of information clashed inside Olivia’s mind, truth and falsehood. A genuine bond and a fake one. These paradoxes were in a brutal war inside her. “What’s wrong, Olivia? Can’t you answer me?” “Nn—ggg…!” This is working. I embraced my conviction. I don’t care how much he’s corrupted her, he can’t sever two souls that have been bonded together. And I’m gonna prove it to that devil right now. “Please remember, Olivia. Remember me. Your real little brother.” “Oh—ohhh…!” Just give her a push. That’s all she needs. If I do, I know she will answer me. “My…little…brother…is!” It’s coming closer. Her distant heart is nearing mine again. Just a bit more, and the curse will be broken. Olivia’s heart will return to normal. “Cool. This is exactly how I imagined it would go down.” The devil under Alvarto’s and Elzard’s restraint grimaced, and he spat his words like poison. “This farewell game has no easy mode. I won’t let you clear this level by beating it just like the others.” In the next breath… “My…little…brother…is…” …the heart that was so very nearly mine again flew into the distance. “…Mephisto Yuu Phegor.” Things took a turn for the worse. Olivia locked swords with me, and an anomaly grew in her right hand. An aura white as clouds burst from it, covering her wrist. It took a circular shape. It was the bangle. The moment I saw it, I went numb. “This…can’t be!” The black-and-gold relic was adorned with majestic decorations. Ultra-ancient text that read Evil Spirit Annihilation ran across the line carved on its face. And there were seven holes at evenly spaced intervals. There was no mistaking it. It was the item I’d made by hand long ago. The Bangle of Devouring was clasped on Olivia’s wrist. I cursed my foolishness at this development. I could only blame myself for having the conceit to believe I knew Mephisto Yuu Phegor better than anyone. I’d underestimated his powers. “Rules and norms exist to be broken. I thought I was very clear, but I guess you didn’t get my message.” The devil’s words spun in my head. “What made you think I wouldn’t use the sealed bangle? Hmm?” The mocking tone in his voice filled my heart with despair. “Have I ever followed any of your rules?” A moment later, the seven gemstones appeared around the Bangle of Devouring, each sinking into its own hole as though to demonstrate how wrong I’d been. I thought I’d made it so nobody could steal it. However, Mephisto had broken my rule and taken the gemstones by force. My trump card that was supposed to defeat the devil was now in my big sister’s hands, and she was a puppet of the enemy. This is it… “Olivia…” “I am but a sword, swinging. I exist only to kill my little brother’s enemies.” It’s over. There’s nothing I can do. Resignation spread through my body, born of despair over my fate. It was likely in part an effect of the bangle. The next thing I knew… “…Ah!” …a slash cut across my face. Sharp. Deep. I collapsed. Standing became impossible. A single attack had decided the battle. “Only two more to go…,” Olivia muttered as I fell forward. When my body hit the ground, everything was over. There were no sounds. No voices. Alvarto. Elzard. They were cleaved in half at their torsos and perished. “……Wait, is that it?” The scene was just as horrifying for the devil, it seemed. It can’t be over… Mephisto went silent for a while, a look of disappointment in his eyes. “Aww, what a bummer.” All traces of emotion left his face. And then he took out his frustrations on Olivia and decapitated her. Our eyes met as her head flew through the air. Had there been nothing in her gaze, had I believed it was all in vain, then maybe I would’ve accepted that this was the end. But it wasn’t. “…………Va…r…” My big sister… My Olivia… She was crying. She’d regained her sense of self at the very end. And her sadness set my heart ablaze. I had no means for a counterattack. I couldn’t move a finger. “Game over, my dearest… You truly disappoint me.” No emotion colored Mephisto’s beautiful, porcelain face, yet tears poured from his golden eyes. “I will destroy the world.” An orb the color of darkness appeared above his head. Less than an instant later, all things around it were consumed. People. Objects. Corpses. All things vanished, as though they’d never existed in the first place. And amid this chaos… “I’ll have to punish you, my sweet,” the devil said calmly. “I won’t kill you. I’ll leave you as the only living thing left in the world, erasing all else from existence. You will live eternally in a world whose story has come to an end. The taste of anguish will linger forever in your mouth.” No… I won’t have it. I won’t let it end like this. “I guess I’ll take my leave now,” Mephisto murmured, gazing at the orb over his head. “St…op,” I croaked. “Farewell.” And with a parting word, Mephisto Yuu Phegor, my greatest nemesis, flew inside the jet-black orb and ended his life _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I had no idea how many months or years had passed since that day… After everything vanished from the world, I kept a vigilant search for everyone. I sought a ray of hope that shouldn’t exist.