Did you think this would kill me?
Did you think you could kill me like this?
The black night, moonless, that arrived after Rubel left.
Bersia stared blankly at the empty plaza in front of the Demon King's Castle.
It was the place where she had defeated the Demon King with her former comrades.
At the same time, it was the final destination of all their journeys, where she had sworn eternal love with Rubel.
A bitter smile appeared on Bersia's lips as she gazed at that space.
Times so broken that they could no longer be called memories.
Bersia walked through the plaza, recalling the happiest moments of her life.
It was because if she didn't, her mind felt like it would soon collapse, turning her into a Lower-class Demon devoid of reason.
"...You've been walking for a long time today, Demon King-nim."
As a voice came from behind her, Bersia slowly shifted her gaze.
The demon attendant who assisted Bersia, now the Demon King.
Karmīna was looking at Bersia.
"Today, more than usual, many distracting thoughts come to mind."
"Is it because of the Hero who keeps trying to kill Demon King-nim?"
It had already been 20 years since she began assisting Bersia.
Karmīna had reached a point where she could roughly guess what Bersia was thinking just by reading her eyes.
"......Indeed, I can hide nothing from you."
"Wouldn't it be more comfortable to just kill them? Less to worry about."
"Unfortunately, I can't do that."
Bersia gazed towards the room where Rubel was staying.
She had already repeated killing Rubel tens of thousands of times.
She had repeatedly steeled herself, believing she couldn't do it, yet she killed them even more cruelly, thinking she would get used to it.
But there was no way she could get used to it.
This was the person she had saved, choosing a life that was almost worse than death.
If only she could save them, even if it meant walking an endless path through hell.
No, this was someone she loved so much that she would willingly do so if given even a chance to save them.
Loving them that much, how could she ever get used to the sight, no matter how cruelly she killed them?
Not at all.
Far from getting used to it, the past lives weighed down on Bersia more and more heavily.
To an unbearable degree.
"Go on ahead. I'll take a little more of a walk before I go in."
"......I'm worried you won't be able to sleep again."
"It's a familiar occurrence. Don't worry about it."
Karmīna was concerned about Bersia, who, as always, stared into space with empty eyes.
The Demon Kings she had seen until now had each risen to that position driven by their own desires.
However, unlike them, Bersia seemed to have no desires.
Rather, she looked somewhat resigned, like someone waiting for death.
Bersia's two eyes were deep and empty, to an extent that seemed endless.
Karmīna thought of embracing her master, who looked so lonely, and comforting her.
"......Demon King-nim."
"What is it?"
"If you truly cannot sleep... would you perhaps let me hold you?"
Instantly, Bersia's expression visibly hardened.
The moment Karmīna gasped, seeing Bersia suddenly looking at her with cold eyes.
Bersia called Karmīna's name in a low voice, as if steeped in fury.
"Karmīna."
"Y-yes...?"
"Never ask such a thing again."
At such a sudden change in reaction, Karmīna held her breath and merely nodded quietly.
"...If you ask the same question even once more, I will tear you to shreds, just like that Hero's comrades."
"I-I will keep that in mind...!!"
"You may go now."
Frightened, Karmīna immediately scurried into the Demon King's Castle.
Bersia continued to walk through the plaza without even looking back at her.
As long as the time she had lived through until now.
She walked for a long, long time.
***
Bersia's daily routine, as I came to know it while living in the Demon King's Castle, was like this.
After eating and reading books in the library.
If I challenged her to a duel, she would accept, and if not, she would walk blankly through the plaza.
For a Demon King's routine, it was truly nothing special.
'......What in the world is that bitch thinking?'
I couldn't understand.
When I first saw her, she clearly looked like she was going to conquer the world.
But now, it seemed she wasn't like that at all; she didn't even think of going beyond the vicinity of the Demon King's Castle.
That's why I couldn't help but feel even more enraged.
She had no ambition to conquer the world, and she could live so peacefully without conquering it.
So why did she kill my family and comrades so brutally?
No matter how much I tried to understand, I couldn't.
Rage boiled up from the depths of my heart.
I felt like I couldn't endure it if I didn't unleash my fury right now.
I immediately grabbed the sword that was in a corner and went downstairs.
Then, drawing my sword, I spoke to Bersia, who was reading a book in the library.
"Bersia. I challenge you to a duel."
"......Is it a real battle?"
"It is. Once a day. I will use my chance to kill you."
Bersia slowly closed and opened her eyes, then rose from her seat.
"Very well. Come at me."
Bersia closed her book and drew a sword from thin air.
"Hwaaaaaa!!!"
Unleashing the rage that had been boiling just moments before, I began to swing my sword.
Kaaang—!!
Our swords clashed, emitting a metallic sound.
"......You said I lacked desperation, Bersia."
"That is correct."
"This time, I'll show you. How much I want to kill you."
I concentrated all the magic in my body into my heart.
Then my heart began to pound violently, as if it would overload at any moment.
Blood gushed from my mouth.
My eyes, unable to cope with the suddenly rapidly beating heart, also shed blood instead of tears.
I couldn't breathe properly.
However.
My body felt lighter than ever before.
"I'll show you that I'll kill you, even if it means burning myself out...!!"
Spit—!!
My swung sword narrowly grazed Bersia's nape.
I saw a trickle of blood flowing from the wound on her nape, caused by the blade's brush.
There was an impact.
But before I could even rejoice, my muscles, forcibly pushed beyond their limits by magic, screamed.
"Kkeuheueeuk...!!"
It hurt.
It really hurt.
Yet, it didn't hurt as much as the day I lost my family, lost my comrades.
Enduring the pain of my body breaking down in real-time, I stepped forward.
"Kwaaaaaa—!!"
Seugeok!
With a sharp cutting sound, a few strands of Bersia's hair were severed by my sword.
I finally found the answer.
Even if my body couldn't withstand it, I just had to forcefully channel magic into it.
And attack strongly.
Just a little more.
If I could just increase my speed a little more...!
"How foolish."
Kagagagang!!
Bersia was deflecting my attacks, her expression distorted.
Even though I thought I had increased my speed enough that she couldn't keep up....
Bersia parried my sword without an inch of error.
"Did you think you could kill me like this?"
"How......!!"
"Without using magic, your body can't even land an inch of an attack. Do you really think you can defeat me by forcibly channeling magic into your body?"
Why was that?
I felt anger on Bersia's face as she spoke.
It was the first time.
From Bersia, who always had a composed expression.
That I felt anger.
Kaaang—!!
Ultimately, unable to withstand Bersia's strength, my broken sword blade flew into the air before weakly embedding itself in the ground.
The outcome was already decided there.
Yet, even though the victor was decided, Bersia grabbed my body.
And threw me straight to the ground.
Kwaaaang!!
"Keoheo, eok...!!"
Due to the impact of my collision, the marble floor shattered into pieces.
Pain so intense I couldn't breathe properly.
Perhaps my body found the pain too difficult to bear, as the magic I had gathered in my heart scattered away.
"If you wish to reach me, at least raise your body to a level where it can handle that much magic."
"You, bitch...!!"
"That's enough for today. Looking at your condition, intercourse seems impossible... Come to me once you've recovered somewhat."
With those words, Bersia turned her back on me and walked away.
"Wait...! It's not over yet!!"
"......."
"I said wait!! Bersia!!!"
But even at my scream-like calls, Bersia did not look back.
She simply walked silently, leaving the library.
"Aaaaaaaak!!!"
Unable to control the overflowing rage, I slammed my arm against the floor.
I wanted to tear Bersia, who had killed my precious loved ones, to death.
And despite pouring countless hours into this.
Despite pushing myself to the point of destroying my own body.
To think that the result was merely a single trickle of blood from her nape.
'Oh, God.......'
How desperate do I need to be to kill that Demon King?
'Why in the world do you love that bitch so much?'
I could no longer fathom it.
'Even after tens of thousands of Regressions, why do you only allow a single trickle of blood?'
How much rage must accumulate?
How many screams must pile up?
How much resentment must gather?
'Why do you abandon those who followed you?'
None of it could be fathomed.