✦ ✦ ✦
Now I knew. I finally understood. Nakajima Kojirou had always treated us favorably. It’d seemed like he believed in others. That definitely wasn’t a lie. However, his values were so different from mine that it was beyond imagination.
There was one other thing I was forced to understand too. It would be impossible to persuade this man through conversation. He would never let us go simply because he liked us. It was precisely because he liked us that he would oppose us with everything he had. And then, after crushing us, he would lament. He would grieve that he’d simply wanted to bring out his full strength to crush us, not actually crush us.
“I’m glad you understand me.”
I finally had a grasp of the situation. However, I was also forced to understand that things were hopeless. I couldn’t just give up, but what could I do? A voice interrupted my thoughts of despair.
“I guess...that’s it.” Someone stood up, dragging themselves upright. “Thanks, Master... You bought us...enough time.”
“It was worth listening...to that worthless crap.”
Lily and Lobivia were on their feet. They’d somehow managed to start moving again while I was talking. That said, Lily wasn’t able to maintain her form as a girl anymore. Her body was half-slime, clearly indicating that she was no longer able to perform mimicry. There was no way she could fight like that.
Lobivia was better off, having protected me from the rear, but it was a scant difference at this point. Blood dribbled from her head and her eyes weren’t focused. All the others, including me, were incapable of moving or unconscious. Nevertheless, they didn’t give up.
“I’ll...hold him back... Lobivia, you...”
“Yeah...”
Lily dragged her spear behind her, then kicked off the ground, ready to die. Lobivia’s head swayed unsteadily as she lowered herself to grab our fallen companions and run away.
“Wait, Lily! Not yet!”
I tried gathering what little mana I could to create a magic mist as a smoke screen to allow us to get away. I wouldn’t give up to the very end. How could I give up? But even in our tenacity, there was no hope.
Faced with our desperate resistance, Nakajima Kojirou looked ridiculously happy. It was like he was telling us not to lose heart. On one hand, he cheered us on. On the other, he held up the Sword of Light that would surely kill us. Without a hint of guilt, without holding back whatsoever, he smiled at us, telling us to survive.
In the next moment, Lily was sure to be blown away by a torrent of light that would continue on to wipe us all out. All our feelings were to be trampled into the ground. Our determination would be rendered down to nothingness. Our earnest desire would meet its end. That was reality. That was the cruelty of this world.
That was precisely why...the Demon King who’d sworn to destroy this world wasn’t going to sit back and watch.
“I won’t let you.”
I heard a quiet muttering. I would never forget what happened here for the rest of my life.