About the Truth. (8)
A god was always the same.
Even if I prayed, and prayed again, they wouldn't answer, only appearing when not truly needed.
First, my father, then my mother.
And now.
"It's been a long time, my cute Demon King-nim."
"...So this is how it ended up."
A voice mixed with resignation flowed out.
Perhaps it would have been better not to have been stabbed by the child's sword.
It was already too late, but it would be a lie to say I had no regrets.
The selfishness of wanting to be at ease ended up bringing about an even greater disaster.
And that, in the worst possible form.
"Ah, a living body is truly so ecstatic. Don't you think so too?"
"..."
Spreading both arms, as if dancing, she spun around.
She had Elli's appearance and voice, but her contents were filled with the Goddess.
...How long would I have to endure this time?
An hour? A day? A week? Or perhaps, a lifetime?
"It's all thanks to you, cute human child-nim. Thanks to you stabbing the Demon King, the pitiful Saintess offered a prayer to me. Huhu, huhuhu..."
"Ah, aah..."
The child had been dazed for a long time.
Whether her mind was suppressed by the Goddess's power, or if there was another reason, I couldn't tell.
For now, it was just about preventing the Goddess from tormenting the child.
...Even though she was the child who stabbed me.
"Oh?"
I grabbed the child, who had been touched by the Goddess's hand, and hid her behind my back.
At that, her eyes filled with a strange light and widened.
It was a gaze as if she was seeing something curious, or something unexpected.
"Don't torment the child. If someone must be tormented, torment only me."
"Hmmm? You say something truly interesting."
A hot touch reached my cheek.
In contrast to my cold skin, a palm holding a strange heat slowly stroked my face.
An expression as if looking at a cute toy, or a pitiful lamb.
What was before my eyes was a being with the faces of both a god and a demon.
"I'm not tormenting the child. I'm tormenting you."
The Goddess's lips stretched into a wide grin.
The maternal love within my heart.
She was saying that she reached out to the child to violate that.
"Why, why are you doing this to me? Why, why..."
"What could be the reason? If it's because you killed too many people, would that be a bit lacking?"
Forehead to forehead they touched.
Blue eyes completely captivated my gaze.
Her eyes were like a calm lake, but the madness hidden within them I could clearly perceive.
What could have made her like that?
No, why did she come to possess this level of madness?
"Or how about this? Yes. Because your face is so, so cute—so much so that I want to tear it to pieces and kill you?"
"...Hmph."
Eyes enveloped in hatred.
Not just towards the Demon King, but towards the entire Majok, a black emotion.
The very fact that the Majok race exists was hated by the one whose gaze I met.
"Ah, but don't worry. I have no intention of killing you or harming you yet."
A gentle murmur fell upon my shoulder.
If it weren't the color of blood, it would have been kindness enough to completely deceive me.
"It's a bit of a shame that the Hero-nim isn't here, but well, there won't be any problem making you realize your situation, right?"
"What are you talking about—Hmph?!"
The skin touched by her fingertips burned hotly.
This feeling, I've felt it before.
A sensation that was hot as if burning, yet tantalizing as if tickling.
With the thrill spreading throughout my entire body, my knees buckled.
"Ah, ah, aah, ah, h-ah?"
"Your broken appearance is cute too, huhu."
Not only was my lower body soaking wet, but it formed a puddle.
Seeing the transparent liquid that completely soaked the floor, the Goddess smiled faintly.
'Th-this, this is strange, strange...'
My whole body trembled.
A pleasure I had never felt before was whispering in my ear to quickly embrace it.
So.
So—
"Ahak, hik?!"
"Ah, that's it. How much I wanted to see you break down, drenched in pleasure..."
As soon as her touch reached me, my mind went blank.
What is this.
What, what exactly is this.
Did I come? No, it was even more incredible than that.
"How is it? Your mind is perfectly fine, but the sensation of just letting go?"
"N-no... Hiiyaaaaaak?!"
She stroked me tantalizingly, tapped me, and flicked her fingers.
My clitoris, touched by the Goddess's hand, convulsed wildly, sending my mind far away.
"I, I came♥ Because I came♥"
My hips lifted involuntarily.
With a force as if to drain all the moisture from my body, a gush of fluid erupted.
Oh, what was I just doing?
When I tilted my head, a smiling face came into view.
"El, li... Save, me♥"
"Hmph, calling out a name won't make things go your way—Ugh?!"
Suddenly, her body swayed.
At the same time, with the cold sensation I felt, my fading consciousness resurfaced.
"Huk, hwa, hak..."
If I experienced that one more time, I would go insane.
With a thud, I slammed my forehead into the floor.
My head cracked and blood flowed.
Move.
Move.
You know what you have to do.
Hurry!
"Th-this can't be. This should have perfectly dominated—Ah, really! Could it be that you actually love that person?!"
Holding her head, she moved frantically around the room.
The body she was possessing didn't seem to move as she wished, she appeared quite confused.
Seeing the Goddess in such a state, I picked up the dagger lying in the corner.
"Elli, I'm sorry. I'm truly, truly sorry."
My legs had no strength, so until I could stand, I stumbled several times.
I bumped and fell, and blood streamed out, but it didn't hurt much.
Seize the chance.
The first, and last, chance.
"Ugh, are you really going to—kill me, the Saintess? Really? You?"
The Goddess couldn't properly control Elli's body.
Looking down at her sprawled on the floor, I exhaled roughly.
I'm sorry. But there's no other way.
So, forgive me.
"Let's never see each other again."
As the dagger swung, blood splattered.
No scream was heard.
All that remained was a small sobbing sound.
***
"...You gripped the blade too hard."
"If I hadn't gripped it that hard, I felt like I would lose it."
Looking at the bandage wrapped around my hand, I let out a sigh.
I had gripped the dagger's blade so tightly that my bones were visible.
It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt, but since I was able to protect Elli, it didn't matter.
"Are you truly alright?"
"I'm fine. I know that it was an unavoidable situation."
Elli smiled bitterly.
From her body, no more Divine Power could be felt.
For Elli, who had now returned to being a complete human, all that remained was her ruined virginity and three drops of blood.
I felt so sorry about that fact that I couldn't lift my head.
I had clearly saved her, but I had inflicted an irreversible wound on her body.
"Isn't it better to lose your first time to someone you love?"
Of course, mine disappeared without any meaning in a terrible situation, but just because that happened to me didn't mean it had to happen to her too.
Perhaps, because that happened to me, I tried to protect Elli's virginity.
...But now it was already too late.
"Well, if that was the problem, I don't think it matters much."
"...What?"
But the words that came from Elli's mouth exceeded my imagination.
What did I just hear?
For a moment, I didn't understand, so when I tilted my head, Elli burst out laughing.
And then she came closer.
In an instant.
"The person I love is Ariel-ssi, is what I'm saying."
"..."
With a peck, as our lips met, my face flushed.
It was as if a bird had come and gone with a kiss.
I felt needlessly embarrassed, so when I turned my gaze away, she said even that was good and chuckled.
"But I—"
"I know. About the relationship between Ariel-ssi and the Hero-nim. But you see, the Hero-nim isn't here right now, are they?"
Of course, I have no intention of laying a hand on you, though.
As if to tempt me, Elli, who blinked her eyes, slowly stood up.
"They say love is something you seize, so shouldn't I just seize it too?"
Her words were burdensome, so I subtly averted my gaze.
Of course, being loved by someone else was a good thing, but it was too much.
First, let's sort things out.
At the sight of the child lying next to Hallibel, I let out a sigh.
"...If even you cause trouble, what am I supposed to do?"
Perhaps because she had directly received the Goddess's Divine Power, the child was unconscious.
If there was any silver lining, it was perhaps that her complexion wasn't bad.
As I slowly stroked her hair, tears welled up in the corners of the child's eyes.
"..."
Perhaps...
No, let's stop thinking about it.
"That the other children weren't caught up in this should be considered a relief."
Rin too, and the Twins too.
If even those children had been involved, I surely wouldn't have been able to endure it.
"H-haah......"
As the tension released, all the strength drained from my body.
Throughout today, I felt as if I had moved beyond what I was capable of moving.
By the way, even though nothing has changed, I feel so relieved.
No, now that the Goddess won't possess Elli's body, has something actually changed?
"...How much longer until the end comes?"
If I had died by the Hero's hand instead, would others have been happy?
Reina too, Elli too, the Hero too, and even that damned Magician.
A laugh escaped me for no reason.