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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The atmosphere had shifted. The Demon Lord Sloth noticed it right away.
At first, she had just stood there, but now, Luna was brandishing a real sword, challenging him.
“I don’t know how many times it’ll take, but…!! C-Come at me…!! I-I’ll be your opponent…!!”
“How bothersome…”
This was an annoying turn of events for Sloth.
He lazily raised a hand towards Luna, sending a wave of green miasma at her.
“Well, I’m glad the Hero showed up… let’s get this over with quickly, Hero…”
“Hmph, I’m not going to die!”
Well, technically, I am going to die… but I don’t want to get hurt… I’ll just avoid his attacks as much as possible.
“That speed is… slower than Mister’s!”
Whoosh-
Luna dodged the miasma and shouted at Saten,
“Saten! Your turn! Attack now!”
“Tsk, don’t order me around. I’ll do it myself.”
She didn’t want to admit it, but Luna had created an opening. Saten used her own blood to create a crimson sphere.
“Blood Sphere. Attack the Demon Lord.”
Swish~
Thud-!
Saten’s blood magic, a sphere of coagulated blood, flew swiftly towards Sloth.
“So the mage fights with her mind…?”
Splash-!
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?
M-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…’
While he was regenerating, Sloth had attacked her in the blink of an eye. There was a hole in her chest, a green miasma burning the wound.
‘A-Ah… it hurts… it hurts… help me…! H-Holy Sword…! Q-Quickly, 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 an unknown number of repetitions.
‘How many times has it been… I don’t even remember anymore…’
My hands are intact, so it feels… strange.
Luna had swung her sword hundreds, no, thousands of times to defeat the Demon Lord.
“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger, but it’s still not enough…”
“Luna? Why are you talking to yourself?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Really, it’s nothing…”
“…”
Luna shook her head and answered Saten.
Saten felt a sense of unease from Luna, but she didn’t pay it much mind. Their common goal was right before them.
Luna, out of habit, began to speak,
“Saten.”
“Yes, Luna.”
“Do what you want.”
I’ll do what I want.
Thud, thud-
Luna’s body moved swiftly towards Sloth. Her rapid movements surprised Sloth.
“What…? Hero, you’ve suddenly changed…?”
“Right.”
“Huh…?”
“Turn your right hand and unleash your miasma.”
And then.
“Shift your gaze left and right, observing your surroundings. If you look right, you’ll attack Saten. If you look left, you’ll attack me.”
“Hero, how do you know my movements…?”
“I memorized them.”
I had to memorize them, or I would die.
I had no choice but to memorize them.
After dying over and over again…
After repeating this…
“I memorized them automatically.”
“You look… different… you were just a fledgling before…”
“…I don’t know. I don’t know what I look like. I don’t remember what I used to look like.”
Stab-!
Luna, expressionless, attacked only Sloth’s vital points. His heart, his intestines, his lungs.
She had long since realized that demon lords and humans weren’t that different.
“Ugh… Hero… I’m in pain…”
“Shut up, Demon Lord. And Saten.”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing just standing there? Attack. Attack the Demon Lord’s vitals with your strongest attack.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
‘I don’t want to admit it… But right now, Luna is much stronger than me.’
Saten obediently used her blood magic.
“Pierce the Demon Lord’s heart. Blood Sword.”
Swish~
Stab-!
Saten’s Blood Sword pierced the Demon Lord’s chest. But his face was still full of life. It wasn’t enough to kill him.
Hare, running towards them from afar, asked Saten,
“S-Saten…! W-What’s going on…? H-How is Luna defeating the Demon Lord…?”
“I don’t know. It’s unsettling.”
“W-What’s unsettling…?”
“I thought I knew Luna. But looking at her today…”
…I don’t know her at all.
It’s like she’s a different person.
“Maybe the shock of losing Mister was too much.”
“…Saten? What do you mean, losing Mister-“
What do you mean? Mister is alive. What are you talking about?
Hare was about to ask, but Luna interrupted.
“Hare!”
“Y-Yes?”
“Come here with your dagger. I’ll protect you when you’re in danger. Come and fight.”
“F-Fight the Demon Lord…?”
“If you want to avenge Mister, buy yourself some time.”
At the mention of ‘revenge’, Hare’s eyes sharpened.
She had experienced many things, and she had learned the quickest way to persuade Hare.
‘It’s a bit… unpleasant, though.’
She didn’t like using Mister’s name like this, but she knew it was effective.
Hare, her eyes cold, approached the Demon Lord, dagger in hand. Luna, seeing Hare’s approach, continued her assault.
“Cough, cough…!!”
Sloth coughed, but he didn’t fight back.
Luna scoffed.
“Why aren’t you attacking, Demon Lord?”
“Y-You’re doing all the work, Hero… how do you know where to attack…?”
“Mister taught me. He showed me all your attacks before he was hurt.”
So I would take less damage.
So I would learn, even after dying.
He only defended, showing me your attack patterns.
Luna continued, stabbing her sword into the Demon Lord’s abdomen.
“It’s a shame… if only you hadn’t killed Mister…”
“Luna, move. The Demon Lord’s form is changing.”
“It’s fine.”
‘I’m not going to die.’
Drip, drip-
Luna, tears streaming down her face, pulled out a golden sword from the Demon Lord’s chest and stabbed him in the head.
The Demon Lord transformed into the lump of flesh, but Luna didn’t care.
“Even if I die, it doesn’t matter… so I’m going to trust her this time.”
“Trust who…?”
“Estia. I told her to do something.”
Luna dodged the attacks from the lump of flesh, her eyes on Estia. She had evaded the attacks countless times before, so it was easy now.
‘I’ve tried this many times, but… I hope it works this time…’
Estia was praying, her eyes closed.
“Please don’t make me do this anymore…! P-Please give me strength…! Give me the power to help…!!”
Golden magic power swirled around her. It was the most powerful surge of magic power she had ever displayed.
Luna had said some harsh things to her in the past, but she decided to trust Mister’s words this time.
“Estia!! If you can hear me, answer me!!”
“Huh…? Luna? I can’t hear you very well…!! Speak louder…!!”
“Do something! Make Mister’s words come true! Use that magic power to do something!!”
“B-But how!”
This is the first time I’ve seen this golden thing!
How am I supposed to use this!
Estia, panicking, didn’t know what to do with the golden magic power surrounding her.
“Use it on my Holy Sword!! Give it some power!!”
“L-Like this?”
Flash!
Estia closed her eyes and stretched out her hands.
“…Was that it?”
Nothing happened.
Estia hadn’t figured out how to use her divine power. Luna, running out of options, ran towards Estia and grabbed her hands.
“If it doesn’t work, then keep doing it until it does! We’re running out of time!”
“W-What’s going on…?”
“Just do as I say! Don’t let go of my hand, and keep praying when we go back! I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
“E-Eek…!”
She seems serious…!
Estia nodded frantically.
Luna held Estia’s hands tightly and thought…
Maybe… this time, I’m not alone.
‘Mister… did you… know this would happen…?’
Why didn’t you tell me to hold Hare’s or Saten’s hand?
She didn’t know, but…
‘There’s… a glimmer of hope in Estia.’
She hoped the golden magic power flowing through Estia’s body was a light of hope.
Luna and Estia, with the power of the Holy Sword Timeless, rewound time.
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