Thank You
Thank You
It felt strange seeing Rubel fiercely swinging her sword and shedding tears.
'...Are you crying that much for me?'
Even I thought I was nobody special.
Born a street urchin in the back alleys, I grew up as a thug, no different from others, just to survive.
To earn a lot of money, I became a mercenary and did all sorts of idiotic things.
Then, after committing a major crime and being imprisoned, I ended up joining the Hero Party thanks to the Saintess-nim, who possessed the ability to see the future....
A human with a truly cliché backstory.
Honestly, there wasn't much reason for me to join the Hero Party.
A grand goal of saving the world?
Without any such thing, I simply joined because they said they'd get me out of prison.
So, at first, I just went along with their little Hero role-play.
If any dangerous situation arose, I planned to immediately run away.
Because I wasn't someone overflowing with a sense of justice enough to risk my life.
And most of all... I was too out of place to belong to a team like this.
Certainly, that's what I thought.
Everyone treated me as their equal.
Even though they possessed enough status and power to easily disregard me.
They considered me a true comrade, trusted me, and entrusted their backs to me.
When things were tough, we carried each other's burdens, and when there was good news, everyone laughed and celebrated.
It was a feeling I had never experienced before.
A truly warm and overwhelming feeling... one I had never felt in the environment I grew up in.
I hoped my comrades, whom I loved, would smile.
I hoped they would live happily, without the worries of war.
I hoped they would all live together in one house.
Because I absolutely didn't want to lose that feeling....
- Beryl!!
I took the Demon King's attack that was aimed at Rubel.
I, who valued my life more than anything in the world.
It was because, at some point, living with them had become the most precious thing.
- Keuh-eup...!
For me, who was nothing.
For me, who was empty.
I sacrificed my life for them, who had been with me as comrades.
My comrades are strong.
Even in the most desperate situations, they would rise again and again.
They were very strong people.
That's why I could entrust my back to them.
- Hey. Don't make that face....
I could willingly die with a smile.
- You and I are rivals, aren't we? Hurry up and kill that Demon King, then come back and brag to me.......
But unlike me, whose story ended there.
You are still living alone, in a different form.
Ka-ang! Kang! Kang!
Even as the sword and axe clashed ceaselessly, I wanted to say.
That even though she turned into a girl, she's still the same.
And if the space between her legs didn't feel empty.
...If she wasn't having a hard time.
I wanted to say it with a smile.
Though I yearned to say it, I ultimately didn't open my mouth.
Because she's strong.
This person I acknowledged... is the strongest person I've ever seen.
I believe she will overcome it well.
I believe she will move forward, as she always has.
I believe she will rise again and again, even if she falls.
Because it's Rubel. I believe.
'...Isn't it a damn romantic story?'
A life sacrificed for the growth of a comrade.
If our story ever comes out as a book later.
Wouldn't it be widely told for a long time as a magnificent heroic epic?
'So, you must survive.'
The stories of heroes.
Always have to be happy endings, as always.
'My eternal rival.'
I believe you can do it, Rubel.
"Bersia!!"
And Saintess-nim... don't hate her too much.
'No matter how I think about it, Saintess-nim is too good for her.'
Rubel's sword approaches my neck.
An unavoidable attack.
That sword would probably sever my neck and take my breath away.
Though I still had a slight lingering attachment to life....
I am already someone who has exited the stage.
Someone who made a magnificent exit, worthy of applause.
So, I accept death.
Once again, for my dear friend.
'Thank you for being my comrade all this time. And my rival, too.'
Sgeok——
Rubel's sword drew a graceful line towards my neck.
Following that, my head.
Fell to the floor and rolled around.
***
"Heok.... Heok...."
Rough breaths escaped her lips.
The head of the Skeleton Knight rolled around on the floor.
Seeing that, rage surged within her.
"Aaaaaaaaaah——!!"
Even screaming as if in agony, her anger wouldn't subside.
She had to cut her down.
Because it felt like only by severing Bersia's neck would this rage subside.
Holding her blood-stained sword, she walked towards the Demon King's Castle.
Thus, she entered the Demon King's Castle, opened the door to the office.
And swung her sword at the bastard sitting with a serene expression.
"Bersia!!!"
As she swung her sword, Bersia blocked it with her hand without a change in expression.
The sword was caught in her hand before it could even reach her neck.
However, unlike before, the attack wasn't completely meaningless.
Red blood was flowing from Bersia's hand, which was gripping the sword.
"...Hoo."
"Geueuk...! Eueueut......!!"
"It seems you're receiving the gift I sent well. Seeing how much stronger you've become."
Bersia sneered and asked in a whisper.
"Yes. Was your comrade strong?"
"You goddamn bitch—!"
She pulled the sword from Bersia's hand and thrust it, aiming for Bersia's heart.
A thrust performed with all her magic power poured into it.
However, despite pouring all her magic power into it.
The attack failed to land a blow because Bersia had grabbed her by the neck.
"Keo-heok...!"
"Fighting while enraged makes your attacks simple."
"You, you bitch......!!"
"If you want to kill me... you must maintain your reason."
Just before she almost suffocated, Bersia withdrew the hand that was choking her.
A clear scratch on her hand.
Seeing a significant change, she couldn't stop.
Her reason was submerged in bloodlust, leaving only the single-minded resolve to cut down Bersia.
She swung her sword, determined to do so even if it meant burning her own body.
"......."
Bersia received her sword with her usual expressionless face.
"...You've grown even more in that time. My Hero."
"Yes! Because of that damn gift you sent, you bastard!!"
My comrade and rival.
And....
My dear friend.
She absolutely couldn't leave Bersia alone, who had insulted Beryl's death.
Since she had nothing left to lose anyway.
She would sever Bersia's neck, no matter the cost.
And then she would wear the severed head as a necklace.
Because the end of this goddamn bitch had to be the most miserable.
"I'll kill youuu——!!"
Kill the bastard.
Kill the bastard.
Kill Bersia.
Even if it meant she had to become evil herself——
Ppeoeoeok!!
"Keuh-eup...!!"
A sudden, terrible agony in her abdomen made her vomit blood.
Bersia had powerfully struck her lower abdomen with a fist.
"Kkeo-heuk......!!"
Unable to endure the pain, she finally knelt and collapsed, and Bersia approached her, asking.
"...Rubel. What is your existence?"
"Sud-denly, what is that supposed to...."
"Look at your current state."
At Bersia's words, she looked at the mirror beside her.
Her hair, slightly discolored to black, caught her eye.
"This is......."
"You are a Hero. You are one who kills evil. But... what is this state you are in now?"
Bersia grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into the mirror.
"Were you truly trying to become evil?"
She closed and opened her eyelids, and a red hue briefly spread and vanished in her formerly blue eyes.
...Corruption.
When a Hero abandons their qualifications as a Hero.
Or when they do something a Hero should not do, it was a mark of corruption that appeared.
Then, if Corruption fills their entire body.......
A Corrupted Hero eventually becomes contaminated by Demonic Energy and breaks down.
When contaminated by Demonic Energy, all common sense becomes twisted.
All memories vanish... and they become a monster that reveals murderous intent to people.
There were several such cases in the past.
Humans who committed acts a Hero shouldn't, became contaminated by Demonic Energy and personally massacred their families.
There were even incidents where entire cities, where countless people lived, were utterly annihilated.
These were terrible incidents that made one frown just by looking at them.
Unlike High-ranking Demons, with whom some level of communication is possible, a Corrupted Hero is a monster beyond reason....
For humans, they were far more dangerous beings than even demons.
If she had been Corrupted, she would probably have become no different from them.
...But it was strange.
If she were to become Corrupted, Bersia would be able to easily deal with humans.
Yet, far from letting her become Corrupted, Bersia had stopped her from becoming Corrupted.
'......Why?'
No matter how much she racked her brain, nothing came to mind.
Judging by the appearance she'd seen before, Bersia was an utterly cruel Demon King.
But her current appearance....
Seemed somehow concerned.
'Bersia, concerned?'
She found it laughable, even to herself.
This bastard who had brutally murdered her family and comrades.
There's no way this bitch would be concerned, is there?
Right.
The reason Bersia was acting like this now.
It must simply be because she wanted to die herself.
Truly, that must be all there was to it.