Chapter 212: Demon King (2)
It wasn't that I had failed a Check and my memory had become blurry or anything like that.
It was just, really, an existence completely absent from my memory.
Because this was the first time I was seeing it.
“Keok…”
Just like it was my first time seeing the Demon King, the master of this Audience Room, dying while pierced by a spear.
I was bewildered.
I still couldn't understand what on earth was happening before my eyes right now.
Of course, it wasn't the first time I saw the Demon King dying itself.
But that was a scene I only saw after fighting the ‘Final Battle’ with him here.
And back then, the one stabbing the Demon King was Luce, an existence I knew all too well.
Not that, existence whose identity I didn't even know.
“Wh, what the……?!”
My comrades, who had been preparing for the battle with the Demon King, were also astonished at the completely unexpected development.
Wh, what on earth happened……?
Even ‘Primordial’ was shocked.
It's that Demon King.
The strongest existence in this world.
The greatest threat to humanity, who unified the Demon Realm with strength alone and tried to bring down the barrier.
But such an existence was now facing a futile death right before our eyes.
…By an unidentified existence that even I, who prided myself on knowing almost everything about this world, was seeing for the first time at this very moment.
That existence was dressed as a Royal Guard.
But it absolutely wasn't an existence that could be called a 「Demon King's Army Royal Guard」.
And that wasn't just because that existence was in the middle of driving a spear into the Demon King.
Overwhelmingly, it was exuding a different ‘atmosphere’.
Not only different from the other Royal Guards, but also from this 「Demon King's Castle」…… No.
What in the world is that……
From the start, it looked like it wasn't an existence of this world.
Such an indescribable sense of heterogeneity was felt from that existence.
“I, I'm asking what you are…!”
Perhaps instinctively having a [Hunch] about something, Evie, who moved first among us, aimed the single dagger in her hand toward that existence.
Then, that unidentified existence, who took its hand off the spear stuck in the Demon King, turned its body as is and looked back at us.
Other comrades, flinching at this, also belatedly raised their respective weapons and showed their wariness.
But that existence seemed not to care at all about such threats.
As if that much wasn't accepted as a threat at all.
Instead, that existence spoke.
Really, with a voice devoid of any emotion.
“I am Death.”
As if it was merely conveying a fact.
“……What?”
“To you guys, an existence called the ‘God of Death’.”
“God of, Death……?”
I ended up spacing out for a moment at the name I never thought I would hear in this place.
That guy is, ‘Death’…?
‘Primordial’ also reacted as if he still couldn't understand what he had just heard.
“Th, that can't be…”
Meanwhile, when that existence calling itself ‘Death’ took its hand off the spear, the Demon King barely raised one trembling hand and started trying to pull that spear out.
But whether it was because it had pierced through to the throne and got stuck, or simply because he had no strength, the spear didn't budge.
Rather, seeing that, ‘Death’ grabbed the spear again and just made it stab even deeper.
Eventually, with a single groan leaking out, the Demon King passed away just like that.
It was a far too futile end, unbelievable for the conclusion of that Demon King.
At least when he was defeated by Luce, he engaged in a fierce close combat with the Champion of the Malevolent Star.
To ‘exit’ like this without even being able to properly say a word or two… was too shocking.
So.
Why did that ‘Death’ guy…
I had no choice but to believe that too absurd statement that he was the God of Death.
“Why…”
Because the only one who could grant such a futile end to the Demon King would really be only ‘Death’.
“Did the God of Death……”
“Because this guy will eventually lose to you guys.”
‘Death’, confirming that the Demon King's breath had completely stopped, pulled out the spear and continued speaking calmly.
“So, I killed him first.”
“That woman, what bullsh*t has she been spouting since earlier…”
“Right now, in this place, Luce should have been here.”
“……!”
I couldn't help but be astonished once again.
Luce.
Normally, the existence who would have stolen the power of ‘Primordial’ in this place and awakened as a Demon God.
But a name I thought I would never hear again since she had already met her death at the hands of ‘Primordial’, was mentioned right now in this place by an existence I never even imagined encountering.
“Her role was to steal the ‘Primordial’ dwelling within you and awaken as a Demon God.”
Even more, ‘Death’ didn't stop there and started talking about the ‘future’ that I knew… that should have originally happened.
“And your roles were to seal such a Luce.”
Mechanically, as if listing only facts.
“But you guys merely bought a short amount of time. 500 years later, when that seal is broken again, the awakened Luce was scheduled to lead countless lives to ‘Death’.”
“Wha──”
“Those souls had to come to my Underworld.”
That was the predetermined fate.
‘Death’ said.
“But that fate has gone awry.”
Suddenly, extending a finger.
“As a soul that didn't belong anywhere broke the order of this world.”
What that tip was pointing at was.
“Yubin.”
Me.
Actually, come to think of it, just like ‘Death’ before my eyes right now… No, perhaps someone who could be called an even more heterogeneous existence.
Someone who, from the start, wasn't an existence of this world.
The owner of that soul.
“As you bastard appeared.”
At that pointing out, I felt the gazes of my comrades turning toward me all at once.
Probably, for them, they wouldn't be able to properly understand what on earth ‘Death’'s words meant right now.
“So since earlier, what nonsense are you spouting……?”
Actually, Evie even voiced this reaction out loud.
However, I, who could properly understand all those words, had no choice but to respond with silence.
Because thinking that he was seeing through everything, I couldn't even move a finger.
Previously, after the battle with Luce, when I was conversing with ‘Primordial’ in the Mental World, we had briefly talked about Luce's soul and the God of the Underworld.
Originally, all dead souls go to the Underworld.
But Luce's soul was in a situation where it was virtually trapped in the Mental World of ‘Primordial’, neither in the present world nor the Underworld.
So I speculated that her death wouldn't have been observed either.
And it seems that speculation was correct.
If what ‘Death’ just said is true… No, since it must be true, even more so, the moment he noticed the early death of Luce, who would have sacrificed countless souls and sent them to the Underworld, he would have chosen to intervene immediately just like now.
But because it wasn't observed in the end, from ‘Death’'s perspective, he didn't even bother trying to look for Luce's soul, which normally had no business coming to the Underworld at that point in time.
But now, since Luce, who should have originally been in this place at this moment, was no longer visible, he eventually got caught.
…Thinking about it, back then, I definitely said something like this too.
If an existence that should have originally died and come to the Underworld keeps not coming, wouldn't he find out someday and exercise force?
Like that.
“……Damn it.”
That's right.
Right now was the situation where that feared case had become reality.
“The number of souls that you, that you guys haven't sent to the Underworld during that time was clearly within the expected range.”
Even, it wasn't for the price of one life of Luce whom I and ‘Primordial’—although not intended, but consequently—secretly ‘pocketed’,
“But, not anymore.”
To collect the price of… numerous lives that single Luce would have sent to the Underworld in the distant future.
In short, to reap those millions… perhaps reaching tens of millions of souls.
“──You have crossed the line, soul from another world.”
Right now, he had manifested in this place.
‘Death’.
“Am I the only fcking one who can't follow what bullsht this is…?!”
Only the uniquely outspoken Evie was expressing it directly like this, but other comrades seemed equally clueless about what was going on.
…No.
Except for just one person.
“…….”
At least Rine, who still retained a ‘divine’ way of thinking, seemed to instinctively understand the current situation to some extent.
And what ‘Death’ is talking about right now too.
So, surely, just like I am doing now, she must be trembling slightly.
“No need to understand.”
At that moment, ‘Death’ spoke.
“Now your roles have changed.”
Strictly speaking, he proclaimed.
With the emotionless tone as if merely conveying a fact, same as before.
“Die.”
***
When I came to my senses again… it would be somewhat incorrect to say that.
Since I never particularly lost consciousness.
But it would be unreasonable to express it as in the blink of an eye, either.
Because I didn't even blink.
To be exact, I should say I couldn't.
So just, from a certain moment, I was here.
There was no way to explain it other than this.
……Ha.
In front of ‘Primordial’, who was letting out a scoff as if dumbfounded with crossed arms.
In that Mental World of ‘Primordial’.
At the boundary of life and death.
…In short, it seemed I had died yet again.
And this time, by ‘Death’.
We're in trouble.
Looking at the attitude of ‘Primordial’, who was neither acting relaxed nor getting angry but just strangely feeling despondent, it was telling me that the current situation was extremely serious.
As I said last time, the master of the Underworld──the ‘God of Death’ was one of the gods possessing the strongest Divinity.
To the extent that even ‘Primordial’, who had the ambition to make all gods kneel before him, showed an attitude that it was better to just avoid that guy.
……Haa.
Of all things, is it that damn guy?
But right now, he appeared in front of us.
Not only that, he even sentenced us to ‘Death’.
“…….”
What on earth should I do now?
I didn't bother asking such a question.
Because I already know.
That there is no other way now.
…Whether this will truly be the answer, I honestly don't know.
Since the ‘God of Death’, an existence completely unexpected, had appeared before my eyes, from now on it was only a path I had never walked nor even seen.
However, I knew well the fact that if there was a path with at least the only possibility, it was only this one thing.
So there was no room for hesitation at all.
Of course, there was no time for that either.
“……Take it.”
I had to become a god.
Just as Luce, who took possession of ‘Primordial’'s power, did.
I had to become a 「Demon God」.
“My body.”
Only by becoming something like a god would a shred of opportunity arise to somehow face the same god.
……To save millions, tens of millions of lives from ‘Death’?
To be honest, it didn't really resonate with me.
When the scale becomes that large, it doesn't even feel real.
But, at least I would gain the chance to fight to save the lives of the five people who were by my side.
That alone was enough.
The reason for me not to give up the fight.
“Use me, as a vessel.”
Even if, my existence disappears completely from this world.