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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“The atmosphere has changed…?”
Sloth, the Demon Lord, noticed the shift in the Hero’s demeanor. Before, she had been hesitant.
Now, she was wielding a real sword, challenging him to a fight.
“I don’t know how many times it’ll take, but…!! C-Come at me…!! I-I’ll be your opponent…!!”
“How troublesome…”
Sloth, already injured, found this new development annoying.
He reached out towards Luna, a wave of green miasma rushing towards her.
“Well, I’m grateful that the Hero has appeared… let’s end this quickly, Hero…”
“Hmph, I’m not going to die!”
Well, I am going to die, technically… but I don’t want to get hurt… I’ll just avoid the Demon Lord’s attacks and die as painlessly as possible.
“That speed is… slower than Mister’s!”
Whoosh-!
Luna dodged the miasma and shouted at Saten,
“Saten! Your turn! Attack!”
“Tsk, don’t order me around. I’ll do it myself.”
I don’t want to admit it, but… Luna had created an opening. Saten used the blood from her wrist to create a crimson sphere.
“Blood Sphere. Attack the Demon Lord.”
Swish-
Saten’s blood magic, a sphere of congealed blood, flew towards Sloth.
“So the mage fights with her mind…?”
Slap-!
The Blood Sphere absorbed the blood flowing from Sloth’s wounds, growing larger. And when it reached a certain size…
“Pierce him, Blood Sphere.”
Spurt, spurt-
The sphere erupted, the blood transforming into countless sharp needles that pierced Sloth’s body.
The speed was blinding, and Sloth’s body began to lose its form. Luna was impressed.
“That’s Saten’s magic…! A-Amazing!”
“I was going easy on you back then.”
“Huh?”
“If I had used my full power, you wouldn’t have lasted a second.”
“…That’s not true. I was holding back too.”
Luna muttered, her pride wounded.
They watched as Sloth writhed in pain. After about 30 seconds, Sloth’s body began to change.
“That hurts… I don’t like pain…”
“Saten! He’s acting strange!”
“Not just strange. It’s like…”
…his body is forcing itself to heal. Sloth’s body swelled grotesquely, like a lump of flesh.
“Is that dangerous-“
Luna’s question was cut short.
‘It hurts. It hurts. It hurts!!’
What… what stabbed me?
What’s happening?
My… my body is burning…
‘I… I can’t speak…’
Luna, enduring the pain, moved her eyes. Even that simple action caused excruciating pain.
She looked down and saw the source of her agony.
‘I didn’t even see it… when did he attack…’
Sloth had attacked her in the blink of an eye, while he was regenerating. There was a hole in her chest, a green miasma burning the wound.
‘A-Ah… it hurts… it hurts…!’
Drip, drip-
Tears streamed down Luna’s face as she saw the wound.
‘M-My body is burning… it hurts… help me…! H-Holy Sword…! R-Rewind time…’
She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Luna desperately called for the Holy Sword, but it only responded after a long delay.
-Endure the pain, Hero. Bear the weight, Hero.
‘I know, so… p-please just let me go… it… it hurts too much…’
-It’s less painful than becoming a sinner. Endure until your mind breaks.
‘W-What are you talking about… just let me go…’
It…
It hurts too much.
I was prepared, but…
It hurts…
“Cough… gasp…”
“L-Luna…! W-Wake up…! Her… her heart is… gone…”
Hare, arriving too late, shook Luna’s body, checking her condition. Luna saw Hare shake her head.
Hare had deemed Luna beyond saving.
‘It hurts… help me… Mister…’
Luna returned to the past.
Since she hadn’t been holding Estia’s hand, she had to endure the short but agonizing memory alone.
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After 13 deaths, Luna finally admitted her mistake.
“I was stupid.”
“I already know that, Luna.”
“No, I mean…”
This Demon Lord…
We have to deal a lot of damage at once…
Or kill him in one blow.
Annoying him just makes things worse.
“I think… I need to take revenge. Blood-“
“Don’t! Don’t do that, Saten!”
Smack!
Luna quickly slapped Saten’s arm down, interrupting her spell. Saten, enraged, shouted,
“Do you want to die by my hand before the Demon Lord gets to you, Luna? How am I supposed to interpret this action?”
“N-No! That’s not it! That attack doesn’t work on the Demon Lord!”
“Then I should do it even more.”
“No! Let go of my collar and let’s talk! You tin can!”
“…Fine, let’s hear it.”
Saten released Luna’s collar. Luna, remembering the suffocating feeling, quickly explained,
“We have to attack the Demon Lord with a powerful attack! Like Mister! A big boom! Small attacks just annoy him, and then he gets serious!”
“So he’s not serious right now? How do you know that, Luna?”
“I-I just know! He’s definitely not serious!”
I died multiple times to confirm it. The thought made Luna feel strange.
“Anyway, the Demon Lord isn’t serious because he’s lazy! As long as we don’t annoy him!”
“So what’s your plan?”
“I’ve tried, and we’re not strong enough. We have to wait for Hare.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because I’m the Hero. You have to trust me.”
“…”
Saten frowned.
Should she believe this nonsense? She hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.
“I don’t trust you, but I’ll try it your way. It’s… a neutral idea.”
“Just trust me! Even if we fail this time! I’ll make sure we win eventually!”
“…?”
Saten didn’t understand what Luna meant. But she noticed a change.
‘This isn’t her usual nonsense. There’s… weight to her words.’
The atmosphere has changed.
Saten didn’t understand emotions, but she knew Luna wasn’t her usual self. So she decided to trust Luna’s plan, just this once.
“So we just wait for Hare?”
“Yes, Hare will be back after she puts Mister down. Until then, we just have to avoid the Demon Lord’s attacks!”
“It’s taking her a long time to put Mister down.”
“Hare needs a lot of time… for Mister…”
Time to cry.
Time to compose herself.
Time to hide her grief.
Hare will be back.
“We just have to avoid his attacks until then.”
“And then what?”
“…I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far. J-Just be careful! Incoming attack!”
Luna pushed Saten out of the way. A wave of miasma passed through the spot where Saten had been standing.
Luna, having experienced that agonizing pain six times, didn’t want to experience it again.
‘…I have to avoid all his attacks.’
And then meet up with Hare.
And then the three of us will attack the Demon Lord.
It won’t be easy, but I have to do it.
‘Because I’m the Hero.’
A thought suddenly crossed Luna’s mind.
‘What is a Hero, anyway…?’
Someone who saves people?
Someone who brings peace to the world?
Someone who sacrifices themselves?
Is that what a Hero is?
Luna continued to ponder as she easily dodged the Demon Lord’s attacks.
‘What is a Hero…? Is it someone who wields the Holy Sword…? Someone who can rewind time…?’
Why am I the Hero?
Why did the world choose me?
I was just…
A normal person, living happily with my family.
Training and living with Mister…
Just a normal, happy person.
“…Why am I doing this?”
Repeated deaths and pain.
The helplessness she felt when she was struck by the Demon Lord’s power. These experiences were slowly changing Luna’s thoughts and mindset.
“Even if I defeat the Demon Lord, there are more Demon Lords… and Mister isn’t coming back…”
Then is there a point to this?
Do I really have to fight the Demon Lords?
Doubt filled her mind, and for the first time, she wanted to run away.
“Why am I doing this?”
Estia, praying in the distance.
Hare, holding Mister’s body.
Saten, seeking revenge.
Remembering everything that had happened, Luna took a step in a different direction.
‘I’m sorry… everyone… I-I’m so tired…’
I don’t want to die again…
Luna ran towards Lee Jun-woo’s body.
“L-Luna…? Why are you coming this way…?”
“I’m sorry, Hare…!”
Luna picked up Lee Jun-woo’s body and ran towards the city gates.
Escape.
The weight of reality was too heavy. Luna chose to run away.
“I-I can’t do this. I don’t want to die…!!”
Leaving the burning city behind, Luna, holding Lee Jun-woo close, chose to escape. But even that wasn’t allowed.
The familiar, dreaded static echoed in her ears.
-Hero. You have fallen again.
“N-No! I haven’t fallen! I-I’m just… looking for a different way!”
-Running away from the Demon Lord? I will raise you.
“…D-Don’t! There’s no need! Please don’t!!”
-…
The Holy Sword ignored Luna’s pleas, returning her to the Demon Lord. There was no response, only the golden magic power enveloping her body.
“M-Mister… I’m so tired… sob… I don’t want to do this…”
The Hero’s cries faded into the void.
Even escape wasn’t allowed. The burden was too heavy for young Luna to bear. And so, Luna continued to die, again and again.
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[Your Text Here]
Poor Luna man