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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…Are you done crying, Luna?”
“Sniff… N-No, I’m not crying. I never cried…”
Luna sniffled, trying to deny that she had been crying.
But what about the snot stain on my clothes?
When I showed it to her, she quickly averted her gaze, trying to change the subject.
“I-It must have rained…! I only cried when I was born…! It can’t be my snot!”
So she didn’t want to admit that she had cried.
Well, she was still a child.
I decided to let it slide for the sake of her pride.
Then, I turned to face the piercing gazes directed at me from behind.
Three pairs of eyes stared at me intently.
“Do you have something to say, girls?”
“…No. I was just wondering… if you’ve been hugging her for too long… if Luna might be suffocating…”
Hare explained, though her gaze didn’t convey any concern.
Then, Saten spoke.
“I don’t have anything to say. But I just thought of an experiment I want to try later.”
“…Is that so.”
Saten said it with an emotionless expression.
For some reason, I had a feeling I would be the subject of that experiment.
And finally, Estia…
“Brother, let’s go quickly. I hate this place.”
She grabbed my hand, urging me to escape the dream quickly.
Estia must have been stressed out being in this unsettling space.
It seemed the aftereffects of the laboratory were still affecting her.
‘As Estia said, we need to get out of here quickly. The poison is still spreading through Saten’s body… even though I temporarily stopped it, we don’t have much time.’
I asked Estia in a gentle tone, who had been clinging to my back until just now…
“Can you walk now, Estia?”
“Yes! I can walk! Let’s go quickly!”
“Alright. And Estia, there’s something we need to do once we escape this dream. I need you to focus as much as possible. Can you do that?”
“Hmm… Maybe… if you give me holy water…”
This holy water-addicted Saintess, to think she would try to bargain with holy water in this situation…
Since Estia was a crucial key, I reluctantly nodded.
Seeing that the deal was sealed, Estia grinned broadly.
“H-Holy water! You promised you’d give me holy water once we get out! Let’s go, brother! Let’s get out of here!”
Then, she grabbed my hand and led me towards the door.
Was she really that fond of holy water?
Estia, eager to escape, quickened her pace towards the exit.
Seeing that, Hare seemed to have a sense of urgency.
She quickly approached me and grabbed my remaining hand, her voice laced with anxiety.
“I-I’m coming with you… Mister… Please don’t abandon me…”
“…Yes, let’s go together.”
They must be feeling insecure after having those nightmares.
Since all of them had witnessed deep despair, it was only natural for them to want to rely on something.
However…
‘…This is a bit heavy.’
Was this what it felt like to raise children?
To have your freedom restricted and constantly worry about them…
It was quite bothersome.
With those thoughts in mind, I turned my head to check if Saten and Luna were following behind.
“…”
Saten’s gaze was fixed on my hand, but her expression remained blank, making it impossible to decipher her thoughts.
However, Luna was muttering to herself.
“…It’s always the other kids first! I’m so upset…! I’m the one who works the hardest…! Mister definitely hates me!”
“I can hear you, Luna. And for your information, I don’t hate you.”
“Y-Yes…?! D-Does that mean… you like me…!?”
“…”
This was giving me a headache, it seemed children had a way of thinking that was beyond comprehension.
Ignoring Luna’s mumbling, who would soon face a harsh ordeal…
I walked towards the exit of the dream.
‘…I will make her pay the price.’
As I thought about revenge against Rust…
The Hero’s party opened the door and awakened from their terrible nightmares.
Opening my eyes…
I saw a transparent barrier in front of me, it was the defensive magic that had protected us while we were trapped in the nightmare.
If I hadn’t cast it, the Hero’s party, including myself, would be headless right now.
“Judging by the fact that our heads are still attached, she must have been sucking her thumb the whole time. I can see right through you, Rust.”
“Your barrier was just~ too strong, brother. I want to see if other parts of you are just as strong~. Is that okay~?”
“You’re welcome to try if you want to taste my fist.”
“Oh my, you have a sense of humor too~? I’m starting to like you even more.”
Slurp-
The Demon Lord of Lust, Rust, licked her lips vulgarly.
Seeing that, Hare and Saten shouted in disgust.
“G-Get away from us…! M-Mister hates w-women like you…! ”
“She’s a low-rank succubus. To gain that much power with that body… I’m curious how much life force you’ve drained and how many times you’ve slept around. Would it be okay if I asked for the number?”
One spoke with malice…
The other spoke with pure curiosity…
Of course, the more impactful words were the ones spoken with pure curiosity.
“…You trashy little chicks. You dare insult me…? The Queen of the Night, the Demon Lord of Lust…? You worthless brats who can’t even produce a drop of life force…?”
Rust threatened the Hero’s party, who had just awakened from their nightmares.
The seductive attitude she had shown towards me had vanished without a trace.
This was her true, menacing form, befitting a true Demon Lord.
“…Don’t provoke her. She might look like that, but she’s a Demon Lord.”
“Huh…? W-Was that for real…? I thought it was a lie like when you said I was a Hero…”
“Illusions, auditory hallucinations… She’s strong enough to create an entire dream world. And she absorbed our negative emotions, so she’s probably in peak condition.”
Rust smirked at Luna’s words.
“Correct~. The negative emotions from the dream world become my power~. Your despair, your pain, your sadness, they all bring me joy~. Well, it’s more efficient to just devour one man, though.”
Rust gazed at me with deep desire in her eyes, her gaze was blatant and unsettling.
Rust, with horns on her head, imitated Aina’s form.
She might look like Aina, but I had no intention of sparing her.
“…Stay inside the barrier. Keep an eye on Estia.”
“He, hehe…?”
Estia had been normal in the dream because she wasn’t intoxicated by holy water.
But in reality, she had consumed holy water…
We just needed her to snap out of it at the crucial moment.
Therefore…
“Rust. Today will be your most humiliating day since becoming a Demon Lord.”
“Ooh, I hope so, brother~. I’m already getting excited~!”
Now was the time for revenge.
I would make her pay dearly for what she had done.
“M-Mister…”
“P-Please don’t die, Mister…!”
Leaving behind the Hero’s party, who looked at me with worried eyes…
I stepped outside the barrier.
As I retrieved Aina’s staff from my subspace…
“You’re finally out, brother. Is this a good sign~?”
“…”
There was no need for further conversation with someone I was about to kill.
I slammed the staff onto the ground without a word.
Thud-!
‘What’s the most efficient way to inflict pain and eliminate her?’
Grid, the Demon Lord of Greed…
Compared to him, Rust, the Demon Lord of Lust, specialized in mental attacks.
In terms of brute force, she was weaker.
‘…I won’t die if we fight. But there will be a price to pay.’
When Rust was most vulnerable, unaware of my true strength…
What magic could I use to exploit that moment?
After much deliberation, there was only one method that came to mind.
‘Bind her. And inflict pain.’
A hell with no end, a realm where only pain existed.
That was how Aina described this Null Attribute Magic.
‘…This is a magic I hoped I would never use… I’ll teach you, but promise me you’ll never use it on me, okay? Anyway, Infinite Hell doesn’t use mana. Instead, it consumes your body as payment. If there’s someone you truly want to eliminate, someone you desperately need to kill, then you can use this magic. But never use it more than once. Because the price doubles each time you use it. Do you understand?’
Back then, I nodded eagerly, promising I would never use it.
Aina wasn’t satisfied with my reaction and even made me pinky promise.
But now that Aina was gone, there was no reason to keep that promise.
“…It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll sacrifice one of my body parts. So, show her hell.”
“Huh? What are you talking about, brother~? Are you out of your mind-“
Flinch-
Seeing me with blood streaming from one of my eyes…
Rust’s expression hardened.
The children shouted in surprise.
“M-Mister…! Y-Your eye… B-Blood…!! P-Please don’t d-die…!!”
“W-Wait, Mister, aren’t you super strong?! Wh-What are you doing?! D-Don’t die!!”
I wouldn’t die.
I was simply paying the price.
There was no such thing as free magic.
Clutching my bleeding eye, I shouted at the Hero’s party,
“Watch closely and learn. What an ordinary person must do to defeat a careless Demon Lord.”
Countless thorn-like spikes erupted from the ground.
Over 1000 needles surrounded Rust, closing in on her.
“W-Wait, brother-!! My, my life force-!! I wasn’t saving it to defend myself-!!”
“If you intended to attack, you should have been prepared to be attacked. Don’t you even know that?”
“B-Brother…? Let’s talk this out…? I-I’ll fix your eye with my life force. So please, get rid of this-“
“It’s too late.”
You were the one who started this, Demon Lord of Lust.
Infinite Hell had already been activated, and there was no way to stop it unless time was reversed.
‘…I’m glad it was my left eye, not my heart.’
Even though it was something I used because the answer sheet didn’t mention my heart disappearing…
Losing my left eye might affect my swordsmanship a bit.
Ignoring the children’s shouts from behind the barrier…
I watched Rust trapped in Infinite Hell with my remaining eye.
“W-Wait-!! I-If I’m pierced by all these needles at once, even I, a Demon Lord, will be in pain-!! B-Brother?! I-I’ll give you a special service, brother-!!”
“Shut up. Don’t speak with that voice.”
“Aaaaaah-!!!”
Rust’s ear-splitting scream reverberated through the dungeon.
1000 needles had pierced her body, so it was only natural that she was in pain.
But even after inflicting such pain, I still felt it wasn’t enough.
The pain of this trash couldn’t compensate for trampling on my memories.
“H-Help-!! Aaaaaah-!!”
“This isn’t enough, Rust.”
However…
I would spare her life.
If I killed her now, she would simply resurrect.
Covering my bleeding eye with my hand…
I walked towards the children behind the barrier.
The Hero’s party had covered their ears, unable to bear the screams.
Hare looked at me with worried eyes.
“M-Mister… Y-Your eye… A-Are you… okay…?”
“I’m fine. I won’t die. Don’t worry.”
“Y-Yes… Mister…”
She understood my words, but…
She couldn’t erase her worry.
As I listened to Hare’s concerns…
I approached Luna and Estia, who had huddled together.
“I-I’m okay…! I’ve heard enough screams to last a lifetime…! I’m okay…!”
“He, hehe… Ugh…”
Sacrifice?
Luna had covered Estia’s ears, taking the brunt of the screams for her.
Approaching Luna…
I said firmly,
“Luna. Draw your Holy Sword.”
“Mister…? A-Are you okay…?! Your eye…!”
“I’m fine. So draw your Holy Sword.”
“H-Holy Sword…?”
“Yes, the Holy Sword. Estia will imbue your sword with divine power. And with that, you can eliminate the Demon Lord. Because you’re the Hero.”
Thud-
I placed my hand on Luna’s shoulder and whispered to her.
Luna looked at me with fear in her eyes.
“M-Mister…?”
“Luna. Draw your Holy Sword now, and pierce that demon’s heart.”
“I-I… have to do it…?”
She was hesitant.
It was understandable.
She was still young.
Rust was a demon, but she still had a human form.
Luna, who had witnessed Rust being pierced by the needles, trembled slightly as she replied,
“A-Are you… telling me to kill… her… right now…?”
“It’s not murder, Luna. If you pierce her heart with your Holy Sword, you can save the world.”
Because you’re the Hero.
You have to eliminate the Demon Lord.
You’ve been given that responsibility, so you have to fulfill it.
“I-I… I can’t do it, Mister… I can’t do what you’re asking… I-I can’t kill anyone…”
“…She’s not a person. She’s a demon who only kills humans.”
As I saw in the answer sheet, Luna was hesitating.
I didn’t want to resort to this method, but… I had no choice but to act according to the answer sheet.
Because it was the only way to eliminate the Demon Lord.
I grabbed Luna’s hand roughly and led her towards Rust.
“M-Mister…!?”
“Luna, if you won’t do it, I have no choice. I didn’t want to force you… but I have no other option.”
I placed Luna in front of Rust, who was begging for her life while being impaled by needles.
I said to Luna,
“Draw your Holy Sword, Luna. And close your eyes.”
I’ll take your hand and kill Rust myself.
The Holy Sword could only be used by Luna.
So I would take her hand and force the Holy Sword into Rust’s heart.
“Luna, you’re not ready to bear the weight of being a Hero yet.”
Therefore…
I’ll share that burden with you this time.
Even though I couldn’t see clearly with one eye gone…
“…”
I could still sense Luna’s fear.
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[Bitch deserved it ngl]
based