To Erase All Evil in This World
To Erase All Evil in This World
I carefully opened my eyes to the familiar scent of a wheat field.
A wheat field, shimmering golden under the sunlight.
Seeing that scenery, I easily knew this place was a dream.
Because this was my hometown, which Bersia had destroyed a long time ago.
"......."
After staring blankly at the scenery for a moment, I took a step, and someone hugged me from behind.
"Rubel!"
I couldn't see their face.
But judging by the familiar voice... the person behind me was definitely my lover.
"What were you thinking so deeply about that you didn't even notice me come close?"
"...It's nothing."
"It's nothing, you say? It's clearly written all over your face."
My lover poked my cheek.
"Is something bothering you?"
"I told you, it's really nothing..."
"Are we keeping secrets from each other? We promised to tell each other if something was difficult."
...It was so long ago that I had forgotten.
My lover, who was originally my childhood friend, and I had such a relationship.
One where we had no secrets from each other.
A relationship where we'd tell each other first when things were tough.
"...I was just thinking, what if this world were a little more peaceful?"
"Why suddenly?"
"Because of the Demon King."
It was the Demon Race that took such a precious person from me.
Even now, that moment remained vividly in my memory.
Trying to protect me, who had collapsed from exhaustion after desperately swinging my sword to defend the villagers.
My lover, whose heart was pierced by a Demon Race's blade.
"...I wish there were no Demon Race or Demon King in this world."
"Hmm... Rubel will get rid of them all anyway, won't you?"
My lover said, letting out a clear laugh.
"Because Rubel is the next Hero."
"...Yes. I'll get rid of them somehow. Definitely."
I clenched my fist in the anger boiling up from the depths of my heart.
Then, my lover gently took my hand.
"Yes, promise me. That Rubel will wipe out all evil in this world."
"Of course I will."
"Hehe, is it a promise?"
Yes. Because it was a promise I made with you.
I would keep it no matter what.
By any means necessary, I would plunge my sword into the heart of the one who took the breath of you, who was more beautiful than anyone else in the world.
"By the way, if Rubel becomes a Hero... our time together will decrease, won't it...?"
"......That's a shame."
"Hmm—. Then, should I become a ■■ too?"
The word my lover said wasn't heard clearly.
I didn't remember it well either.
'...What did I answer?'
For some reason, it felt as if a fog had settled over a part of my memory.
Even when I tried to pull out my memories, hoping to recall even a little more of this happy moment.
Nothing after that came to mind.
"......."
Eventually, when I closed and opened my eyes again, the golden wheat field was gone.
Only the ceiling of the pitch-black Demon King's Castle remained.
What on earth happened for my memories of my lover to be left as just a single fragment?
No matter how much I tried to think of a reason, no answer came to mind, leaving only emptiness.
'...Should I swing my sword a bit?'
Looking outside, it was still dawn, but in this state, I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, so I picked up my sword and went out.
Because there was nothing better for clearing my mind than swinging my sword while thinking of the goal before me.
"Hoo......"
I exhaled slowly, emptying my mind until it was like a blank slate.
And into that blank mind, I placed only a single conviction.
To cut down demons.
A goal that had continued from before the regression, through countless regressions, up until now.
I imbued my sword with that goal and swung it.
Continuously, without rest.
I had to keep swinging until the breath of evil in this world was extinguished.
Since its breath hadn't been extinguished yet, I swung without stopping.
Cutting down Demon Race. And cutting them down.
Until I reached Bersia.
And until I could cut off her neck.
I swing.
Thus, as I continued to swing my sword without breaking my sword path.
KAAANG——
My advancing sword was stopped by something.
It was Bersia.
Bersia, standing before me, was holding the blade.
"...Can't you sleep?"
"I had a nightmare. I figured it would be impossible to sleep more, so I came out... and you were swinging your sword."
Bersia looked at my sword with her characteristic hollow eyes.
Then, she shifted her gaze to me and spoke.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind today, my Hero."
"...That's none of your damn business."
"If you keep swinging like that, you won't be able to take my life."
Bersia put strength into the hand holding the blade, making the sword's tip point at her own neck.
"Are you truly swinging with the sole conviction of cutting me down?"
"......."
An answer didn't come easily.
It wasn't that I had forgotten why I had regressed until now.
It was just that in this regression cycle... a rather bothersome aspect had emerged.
I admit it.
To be honest, Bersia's appearance that I saw yesterday bothered me quite a bit.
Her constant attempts to hide her past.
And her appearance, somehow similar to when a Hero is corrupted.
No matter how I looked at it, the thought that Bersia was deeply connected to my past wouldn't go away.
Because of this, it was true that the tip of my sword hesitated somewhat.
Because I needed to know exactly who my anger was directed at.
If it was true that my memories had been erased by someone.
Then the possibility that my current memories had been manipulated to some extent couldn't be ruled out.
"...It seems you have some hesitation, Rubel."
Bersia took a step closer.
"It seems you're hesitating about killing me."
"...Are you not going to tell me accurately about the past?"
"The past, you say. Hmph."
Bersia took another step closer.
Seeing her bring her lips close to my ear, I thought she was going to tell me some secret.
The next moment.
POOK!
"Guh, ugh...!"
A sharp pain surged through my side.
Bersia had stabbed my side with a dagger.
"What should I tell you? Hehe... Do you want to hear the story of how I personally killed your parents with my own hands?"
"Bersi, a......!!"
"Or... yes. Should I tell you the entire story, from beginning to end, of how I killed your precious comrades?"
As the dagger was pulled out, hot blood gushed from the wound.
"Kkeuheuk, keuk......!!"
"I suppose I'll have to remind you once more."
JJA-AK!!
Bersia slapped my cheek hard as I slumped to the floor.
"I am the Demon King."
JJA-AK!
"Kkeuheut!"
"I am the Demon King you must kill."
JJA-AK! JJAA-AAK!!
"I am the evil of the world. I am the king of the Demon Race who hates the world where humans live and seeks to destroy it. Therefore, I am a being who must die by the Hero's sword."
I know.
Bersia is the evil of the world.
If left alone, she is an evil that will surely destroy the world.
I knew it better than anyone.
Because that bitch is the one who took away my precious people.
But......
If Bersia was such an evil person.
Why was she making such a sad face?
From the beginning, was Bersia.
Truly an evil being?
Looking back, there were many strange things.
Considering the majesty Bersia had shown, she could have long ago dominated half the continent by herself.
If my regression was the problem, she could have just imprisoned me somewhere and moved on.
Because Bersia had the ability to do so.
But she didn't.
Furthermore, if Bersia's true purpose was to torment me....
She could have inflicted cruel torture as much as she wanted.
Because Bersia also had healing abilities.
Yet, she didn't do that either.
Despite having the ability to break my mind, she didn't.
Why? Why on earth?
The questions led to a single answer.
In a past that wasn't in my memories... Bersia was definitely there.
I didn't know what kind of relationship it was.
But what was certain was that Bersia cherished me quite a lot.
"...Bersia. The past...."
"...Even after being hit, you're saying the same thing."
JJAA-AK!
My body, unable to withstand the impact, collapsed.
"My past is only the life I've lived as the Demon King. There is nothing else."
"......Is that so?"
I barely managed to get up and approached Bersia.
And I grabbed the dagger in Bersia's hand.
"Then... kill me."
"What kind of stunt is this?"
"Isn't the Demon King's role to kill the Hero and destroy the world?"
Bersia's eyes trembled slightly.
"If you can't do it, I'll do it myself."
I snatched the dagger and thrust it forcefully towards my abdomen.
POOK!
The dagger couldn't pierce my abdomen.
Because it was blocked by Bersia's hand.
"......Why are you stopping me?"
"Because if a regression occurs, we'd have to start over from the beginning."
"You don't intend to destroy the world anyway, do you?"
As if struck in a vital spot, Bersia kept her mouth tightly shut.
Her gaze remained fixed on me.
"Bersia. What exactly is your goal?"
"......."
"What is the reason you call yourself evil to this extent? What is the reason you hide your past?"